Monthly Archives: May 2018
Simpsons Creator Responds to Apu Controversy
The Simpsons creator Matt Groening has weighed in on the Apu controversy.
The show has been criticized for how it dealt with the outcry over the stereotypical portrayal of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon in the recent episode, "No Good Read Goes Unpunished." Speaking to USA Today, Groening briefly shared what he thinks of the recent backlash.
"I’m proud of what we do on the show," Groening said. "And I think it’s a time in our culture where people love to pretend they’re offended."
Ryan Reynolds Still Hasn’t Seen the Final Cut of Green Lantern
Ryan Reynolds still hasn't watched the full version of his 2011 Green Lantern movie.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Reynolds revealed the final cut of the DC film has eluded him for seven years. “Look, I’ve never seen the full final version of Green Lantern," Reynolds said. "I saw a very late stage rough cut of the film."
Reynolds stars as Hal Jordan in the movie, which was panned by both critics and audiences upon its release. The actor doesn't have a definitive reason for avoiding Green Lantern, but he did make sure to mention the film's quality isn't why.
MoviePass Brings Back Movie-A-Day Monthly Plan
MoviePass is bringing its movie-a-day monthly plan.
Variety reports the $9.95 monthly subscription package is returning after MoviePass briefly removed the plan from its site. Since April 13, new customers were only able to sign up for the $29.95 three-month plan, which reduces the viewing policy to just four films a month. The three-month plan also includes a free trial of iHeartRadio’s All Access on-demand streaming package.
At the time, the company's CEO Mitch Lowe wasn't sure if the one-a-day movie viewing policy was ever going to return, but Lowe made it clear the company always planned to return to that system.
DC Streaming Service’s Name Revealed
The official name for DC's upcoming streaming service has been revealed, along with the official logos for its exclusive series.
Per DC Comics, the digital service is called DC Universe. It promises to offer unlimited access to the live-action Titans show, the third season of Young Justice, dubbed Outsiders, and the Harley Quinn animated series. There's a Swamp Thing series in development as well. Check out the logos for all four shows in the image gallery below.
DC Universe will make its debut sometime this year, however the subscription price has yet to be revealed.
Titans will headline the service, which is being written by Akiva Goldsman (Star Trek Discovery), DC Entertainment president Geoff Johns, and Greg Berlanti (Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl). The drama will follow Dick Grayson as he leads a band of new heroes featuring Starfire, Raven, and more. Check out every character confirmed for Titans so far.
Nintendo President Explains Why He’s Stepping Down
Last week Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima announced that he will retire in June, and will be succeeded by Shuntaro Furukawa. The new president will assume his role sometime around E3 2018 and kick off a new initiative that will, as Kimishima puts it, "promote a generational shift to bring stronger momentum to Nintendo." Kimishima, who was only ever appointed as an interim-president, believes that he has fulfilled his duties at Nintendo and feels like the right time to hand over leadership to the next generation.
Here's Kimishima's full statement from the most recent financial results briefing:
Opinion: Why Marvel Games Can Never Have Their Own Infinity War
2018 is proving to be a year where Marvel tests the limits of their whole Avengers experiment as a media brand. Along with this past weekend’s Avengers: Infinity War bringing together all the disparate parts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for an epic showdown with Thanos, there’s also The Avengers Project, a game in collaboration between Marvel and Rise of the Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics.
While Avengers Project likely won’t arrive until 2019 at the earliest, there’s sure to be some information on the game before 2018 ends, and it’s hard to think about it outside of Infinity War’s orbit. Whatever one’s feelings are on the MCU, there’s an undeniably tremendous effort being made here, and one has to wonder – can that scope or feeling can ever be transferred to the games of the future?
Fortnite Fans Discover Dinosaur Print
Season 4 of Fortnite has only been running for a day, but fans have already discovered a secret battle token and what appears to be the footprint of a giant dinosaur.
The mysterious imprint can be found within the now-crushed house south of Snobby Shores and west of Greasy Grove. Items from a film set were also found, specifically a camera pointed right at the destroyed house. Several other additions to the map feature movie sets and filming locations, leading fans to believe the dinosaur references and the cameras may be connected.
The Dinosaur print seen on Fortnite's map.
J.K. Rowling Apologizes for This Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Death
J.K. Rowling is finally apologizing for killing a beloved character in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Rowling is talking about none other than Dobby the house elf, who died at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange while helping Harry and his friends. His death occurred before the Battle of Hogwarts took place, and on the anniversary of the battle, the author decided to honor the fan-favorite character on Twitter.
Dobby the house elf.
South Park Is Hulu’s Most Watched Show
Hulu announced on Wednesday at its annual upfront presentation that it now has over 20 million US subscribers, and also revealed some interesting viewer statistics concerning its subscriber base.
According to Business Insider, South Park was the streaming providers' most-watched show in 2017, with subscribers watching 135 hours of the popular animated program. The long-running Comedy Central series extended its contract with Hulu back in 2015, for five more years, in a deal worth $192 million.
Another interesting fact from Hulu's presentation revealed that 35,000 subscribers have watched all 331 episodes of ER in just 2 months since the popular medical drama dropped on the streaming service.
This Arrow Star Is Leaving After Season 6
Arrow is losing an original cast member after Season 6.
THR reports Paul Blackthorne won't reprise his role as detective Quentin Lance for Season 7. The character has been a part of the show since the pilot, and there's currently no word yet on why Blackthorne is leaving and how Quentin Lance will be written out.
This will leave Stephen Amell (Oliver/Arrow) and David Ramsey (Diggle/Spartan) as the only two series regulars remaining from the first episode. Arrow is also getting a new showrunner in Beth Schwartz, with current co-showrunners Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle stepping down soon. Find out more about the showrunners' exits in the video below: