Entertainment Weekly has revealed that Deadpool & Wolverine is coming to digital retailers on October 1. That includes Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango. The MCU movie will then be released on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on October 22. Bonus features include deleted scenes, audio commentary by director Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds, a gag reel, and many more.
Deleted scenes, audio commentary, gag reel and what not… are the contents are not available when the film become available for streaming, but knowing the internet. We’ll see these contents either on Youtube or being pirated online.
Adrian Wojnarowski, posted on his X account (@wojespn)
I grew up the son of a factory worker two miles from ESPN’s campus and only ever dreamed of making a living as a sportswriter. Thirty-seven years ago, the Hartford Courant gave me my first byline and I never stopped chasing the thrill of it all.
This craft transformed my life, but I’ve decided to retire from ESPN and the news industry. I understand the commitment required in my role and it’s an investment that I’m no longer driven to make. Time isn’t in endless supply and I want to spend mine in ways that are more personally meaningful.
I leave with overwhelming gratitude for countless mentors and colleagues, subjects and stories, readers and viewers. No one has benefitted more than me from the belief, trust and generosity of others.
The past seven years at ESPN have been a particular privilege. I’m appreciative of the company’s leadership – especially Jimmy Pitaro and Cristina Daglas – for the understanding and acceptance of my decision to make a life change.
After all these years reporting on everyone’s teams, I’m headed back to my own.
“Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” Salli Richardson-Whitfield (episode: “Beat L.A.”)
Outstanding lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie
Richard Gadd, “Baby Reindeer” — Winner
Matt Bomer, “Fellow Travelers”
Jon Hamm, “Fargo”
Tom Hollander, “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”
Andrew Scott, “Ripley”
Outstanding lead actress in a limited or anthology series or movie
Jodie Foster, “True Detective: Night Country” — Winner
Brie Larson, “Lessons in Chemistry”
Juno Temple, “Fargo”
Sofía Vergara, “Griselda”
Naomi Watts, “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans”
Outstanding limited or anthology series
“Baby Reindeer” — Winner
“Fargo”
“Lessons in Chemistry”
“Ripley”
“True Detective: Night Country”
I’m not much for an awards person but I often use the list of nominees and winners, if I want to watch something new. This is one of the reason why I started watching “The Bear” and “Succession,” shows that took home the Outstanding Comedy and Drama Series last year.
“True Detective: Night Country” and “Shōgun” are already in our radar so I might as well checkout these shows.
In Venom: The Last Dance, Tom Hardy returns as Venom, one of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters, for the final film in the trilogy. Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.
Venom: The Last Dance stars Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Peggy Lu, Alanna Ubach and Stephen Graham. The film is directed by Kelly Marcel from a screenplay she wrote, based on a story by Hardy and Marcel. The film is produced by Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal, Kelly Marcel, Tom Hardy and Hutch Parker.
Venom: The Last Dance will exclusively be in theatres October 25th.
James Earl Jones, the revered actor who voiced Star Wars villain Darth Vader, starred in Field of Dreams and many other films and Broadway shows and is an EGOT winner, died this morning at his home in Dutchess County, NY. He was 93.
James Earl Jones is one of the most recognizable voice in the film/movie industry.
The actor amassed nearly 200 screen credits during his brilliant 60-year career, starting some early-’60s TV guest roles and Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 classic Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). He probably is best known for his voice role as the dastardly Darth Vader in George Lucas’ original Star Wars trilogy: Star Wars (1977) The Empire Strikes Back, 1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). He also reprised the villainous role in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019) and TV’s Obi-Wan Kenobi and Star Wars: Rebels.
We can also add to this list for voicing Mufasa, in all of the Lion King franchise.
@linkinpark is back with a new singer, Emily Armstrong (Dead Sara), a world tour, and a new album in November! Check out their brand new song, “The Emptiness Machine.”
At the same time, the band release the single to their coming album “From Zero,” you can watch official music video (below) of their new single featuring Emily Armstrong on vocals.
Welcome to the world of Minecraft, where creativity doesn’t just help you craft, it’s essential to one’s survival! Four misfits—Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Momoa), Henry (Hansen), Natalie (Myers) and Dawn (Brooks)—find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they’ll have to master this world (and protect it from evil things like Piglins and Zombies, too) while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve (Black). Together, their adventure will challenge all five to be bold and to reconnect with the qualities that make each of them uniquely creative…the very skills they need to thrive back in the real world.
The trailer looks good and that’s a good start, specially if you watch all the reaction videos on Youtube. They have the star power and I just hope the story for the film is well written.
A Minecraft Movie will be in theaters this April 2nd 2025.
Creator Akira Toriyama worked on the original concept, story, and character designs for the all-new anime series, Dragon Ball DAIMA, and it will begin airing in Japan on October 11th (Fri), 2024.
Dragon Ball DAIMA
Staff:
Original work, Story & Character Design: Akira Toriyama
Director: Yoshitaka Yashima
Series Director: Aya Komaki
Animation Character Design: Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru
Series Composition & Scenario: Yuko Kakihara
You can head on to Dragon Ball’s official website for more details on the second main visual as well as voice casting for new characters plus the opening theme.
British rock legends Oasis announced on Tuesday they will reunite for a worldwide tour starting in the UK next year, as brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher ended an infamous 15-year feud.
The band, which helped create the Britpop era of the 1990s with hit songs “Wonderwall”, “Don’t Look Back In Anger” and “Champagne Supernova”, announced on X it will play gigs in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh and the Irish capital, Dublin.
“The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised,” Oasis said, alongside details of the tour, following days of hints and speculation about the reunion.
The band will kick off the tour over two nights at the Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital Cardiff from July 4, 2025, before performing six gigs in Heaton Park in their hometown Manchester.
No word yet where the group will tour after UK and I recon, depending on the success of the band’s UK tour we may see them in the United States and/or Canada. It may be a longshot for Oasis fan to demand for them to go to the Philippines and other parts of Asia… except of course in Singapore and China.
You can see Oasis’ official announcement/tweet here.
Here the full schedule of Oasis Live ‘25 Tour.
JULY 2025
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park
16th – Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium
30th – Wembley Stadium
AUGUST 2025
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
12th – Edinburgh
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park
Tickets on go on sale this Saturday, 31st August at 9am BST:
We strongly advise that those wishing to purchase tickets register in advance of the sale with the relevant ticket agencies.
Tickets for the shows go on sale on Saturday 31st August 2024 at 9am (BST) in the United Kingdom via ticketmaster.co.uk and seetickets.com, and at 8am (IST) in Ireland via ticketmaster.ie.
Warner Brothers just release the first trailer of “Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” a film expanding the universe of the original “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, based on the revered books by J.R.R. Tolkien.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a anime-styled animated film that is set “183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan.”
The film is directed by Kenji Kamiyama and written Philippa Boyens, Jason DeMarco and Joseph Chou, the screenwriting team behind “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” Trilogies.
The voice casts;
Brian Cox (“Succession”) as Helm Hammerhand, the mighty King of Rohan
Gaia Wise (“A Walk in the Woods”) as his daughter Héra
Luke Pasqualino (“Snowpiercer”) as Wulf
Laurence Ubong Williams (“Gateway”) as Fréaláf Hildeson: Helm’s nephew and successor to the throne of Rohan.
Shaun Dooley (“The Witcher”) as Freca: Wulf’s father, a Dunlending lord with Rohirric blood who attempts to claim the throne.
Miranda Otto reprises her role as Éowyn in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy narrating the film.
Michael Wildman (“Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw”), Jude Akuwudike (“Beasts of No Nation”), Bilal Hasna (“Sparks”), Janine Duvitski (“Benidorm”), Lorraine Ashbourne (Netflix’s “Bridgerton”), Yazdan Qafouri (“I Came By”) and Benjamin Wainwright (“World on Fire”) will have undisclosed roles.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is scheduled for a theatrical release on December 11th 2024.
Eiichiro Oda, the legendary Japanese manga artist and the creator of the series One Piece just posted an update regarding the production of the live-action One Piece adaptation. The update includes the arcs that will be covered by the second season, as well as new characters that will be introduced this coming season. Oda also mentioned the “verbal pledge” that the show will not be release until Eiichiro Oda satisfied.
News Coo just delivered something special from Oda-Sensei and it’s filled with excitement and anticipation for Season 2! 🗞️😆 Big reveals are on the horizon, Straw Hats. Brace yourselves for the journey ahead! 🌊🏴☠️ pic.twitter.com/NcywD1sMI3
— ONE PIECE(ワンピース) Netflix (@onepiecenetflix) August 20, 2024
Yes, the live-action One Piece is currently in production, with filming well underway. The story will cover Loguetown, Reverse Mountain (Twin Cape), Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island! Think about it. Imagine how much it’ll cost! Lol. But whether it’s the script or the cast, I continue to insist on this or that, which makes Matt the Showrunner go “Aaarrgh!” and Netflix go “Noooo!” and Tomorrow Studios go “Whaaaat” as they all pull their hairs out. All that, even though we grew so close making season 1.
But it’s because we all share the same passion for this show! Just as with last season, they’ve gone out of their way to promise that they won’t put the show out until I’m satisfied. This isn’t in the contract, you know. It’s a verbal pledge. I hope you can appreciate how amazing and determined they are for keeping their word. And they’ve certainly proven their ability to bring this world to the screen. I just can’t wait to see it!
Meanwhile, the previously announced cast is compiled on the official X account, so go check it out. The Grand Line is an even more expansive “World”. You may wonder, what was the inspiration behind that kingdom? How would it connect to the real world? Naturally, the distinctive cast members have been assembled from around the world, and I can’t help but get excited thinking about how the adventure has already begun!
Among those yet to be announced, what about Vivi? And Miss All Sunday? What’re they doing with Chopper? We can’t announce everyone all at once, but starting tomorrow, we’ll be announcing more cast members over three days: August 21, 22 and 23.
Look out for those, and stay tuned for more exciting updates to come!
Season 1 of live-action One Piece Season is now available on Netflix, all of the Straw Hat Pirates namely Iñaki Godoy (Luffy), Mackenyu (Roronoa Zoro), Emily Rudd (Nami), Jacob Romero Gibson (Usopp) and Taz Skylar (Sanji) will also be reprising their roles.
Watch 4+ hours of Steph Curry’s most unforgettable clutch moments, complete with his iconic ‘night-night’ celebration!
Never miss a moment with the latest news, trending stories and highlights to bring you closer to your favorite players and teams.
Stephen Curry is arguably the greatest shooter in all of basketball and even though his not as athletic as his other peers, he’s one of the most exciting player to watch in the basketball court.
To borrow Stephen A. Smith’s line – “Steph Curry is the greatest shooter God has ever created.“
Sony and Marvel have just released the official trailer for Kraven the Hunter. The trailer successfully gave us a first look at the film’s look and feel. This will be Sony’s first R-rated film and one of the many Spider-Verse characters to be spun off into their own movie.
Kraven the Hunter stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Sergei Kravinoff (Kraven), with Ariana DeBose as Calypso, Fred Hechinger as Dmitri Smerdyakov/Chameleon, Christopher Abbott as The Foreigner, and Alessandro Nivola as Aleksei Sytsevich/Rhino. We can also see Russell Crowe as Nikolai Kravinoff, Kraven’s estranged father. The film’s premise is that Kraven is on a “revenge tour” working through a “list.”
Kraven the Hunter is directed by J. C. Chandor, known for his work on “A Most Violent Year (2014)” and “Triple Frontier (2019),” and written by Richard Wenk, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway. Richard Wenk’s previous work includes The Equalizer film series, The Expendables 2, and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. The duo Art Marcum and Matt Holloway are best known for writing the scripts of the first Iron Man (2008), Transformers: The Last Knight, and Punisher: War Zone.
Netflix just announced that the anime film – The First Slam Dunk, will be available for streaming in 75 countries from August 25. The film have been streaming exclusively in Japan since June 10th. The addition of “The First Slam Dunk” movie is an ongoing effort by the streaming giant to expand its anime library.
The First Slam Dunk is an Japanese animated sports film written and directed by Takehiko Inoue, produced by Toei Animation and DandeLion Animation Studio. It is based on the legendary manga by Takehiko Inoue about a high school basketball team, serialized in Shueisha’s shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from October 1990 to June 1996.
The First Slam Dunk is the “origin story” of Ryota Miyagi, the point guard of Shohoku High School’s basketball team, and on how his older brother Sota, inspired his love for basketball. In 2023, the film won the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year and grossed $279 million worldwide, becoming the fifth highest-grossing anime film of all time.
If you still want more Deadpool and Wolverine content, director Shawn Levy just posted a behind-the-scenes photo of the Deadpool Corps. For those who watched the film, the Deadpool Corps is battling Deadpool and Wolverine Prime under Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.”
The Deadpool Corps is composed (but not limited to) of Deadpool variants from alternate timelines: Lady Deadpool (Blake Lively), Cowboypool (Matthew McConaughey), Kidpool (Inez Reynolds), Babypool (Olin Reynolds), Dogpool, and Nicepool (also played by Ryan Reynolds).
Deadpool and Wolverine set the record for an R-rated film and is on its way to reaching $1 billion at the box office. The film is directed by Shawn Levy, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackson, for the titular role alongside Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Aaron Stanford, Matthew Macfadyen and more.
Deadpool & Wolverine is still playing in theaters.
Watch the trailer of Terminator Zero, an 8-episode anime series from Netflix, set in the “Terminator universe.” The series follows Eiko, a resistance fighter sent back in time to stop Malcolm from launching an AI system that is designed to compete with Skynet’s war against humanity.
Trailer
2022: A future war has raged for decades between the few human survivors and an endless army of machines. 1997: The AI known as Skynet gained self-awareness and began its war against humanity.
Caught between the future and this past is a soldier sent back in time to change the fate of humanity. She arrives in 1997 to protect a scientist named Malcolm Lee who works to launch a new AI system designed to compete with Skynet’s impending attack on humanity. As Malcolm navigates the moral complexities of his creation, he’s hunted by an unrelenting assassin from the future, which forever alters the fate of his three children.
Series Poster
Terminator Zero Poster
Terminator Zero is produced by Skydance, Japan animation studio Production I.G., and creator Mattson Tomlin. Tomlin, also serve as the showrunner and writer for the series. Terminator Zero will feature the voices of Timothy Olyphant, Rosario Dawson, André Holland, Sonoya Mizuno, and Ann Dowd. Terminator Zero will premiere on Netflix this August 29th.
At the San Diego Comic Con, Marvel announced that the next big bad boss the MCU is none other than Dr. Doom, which will be portray by none other than Robert Downey Jr. Dr. Doom will replace Kang the Conqueror, as the main villain of the MCU, played by Jonathan Majors, Majors was booted off the MCU after being convicted of misdemeanor assault by a Manhattan jury last December 2023.
Together with the announcement, Marvel also announced the return of the Russo brothers who will be directing the next two Avengers film aptly named “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars.” It’s unclear if RDJ’s Dr. Doom will be a variant of Tony Stark, a result of the MCU Phase 5 – Multiverse Saga or the traditional Dr. Victor Von Doom.
“New mask, same task.”
Robert Downey Jr. surprises Hall H to announce his return to the MCU as Doctor Doom. pic.twitter.com/j1SEjzse3p
I’m not going to spoil the video, it’s just the first trailer but if you watch until the end you’ll see the first appearance of the Red Hulk in MCU.
Enter a brave new world.
Marvel Studios’ #CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld, only in theaters February 14, 2025.
Together with the teaser trailer, Marvel also release the first movie poster of the film, it shows the hand of the Red Hulk holding/almost crushing/denting the shield of Captain American.
Movie Poster from Marvel
The film is directed by Julius Onah, known for his work on “The Cloverfield Paradox.” It is co-written by Malcolm Spellman, Dalan Musson, and Matthew Orton. All three have previously written for Marvel franchises: Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson worked on “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” and Matthew Orton on Moon Knight.
Captain America: Brave New World will star Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/ new Captain America, Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres / new Falcon, Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns / The Leader and Harrison Ford as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross.
James Gunn, DC Studios CEO and Director of upcoming Superman: Legacy film, just revealed last July 11th, the official Superman logo and the official release date of the film in the United States.
In a tweeet on X, formerly known as twitter, James Gunn announced that the new Superman Legacy fill will be in theaters on July 11th, 2025, which is exact a year from the date of the tweet. The post also include the official Superman logo.
Superman Legacy film is currently in production and it will not only feature the “Man of Steel” but the film will also feature other prominent DC heroes like Hawk Girl, played by Isabela Merced, Mister Terrific by Edi Gathegi, then there’s the Guy Gardner version of Green Lantern portrayed by Nathan Fillion. On the villain side, We have Rex Metamorpho played by Anthony Carrigan and María Gabriela de Faría as “The Engineer”, and of course Lex Luthor which will be played by Nicholas Hoult.
It’s been reported by Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El a.k.a. Supergirl played by Milly Alcock also will make a cameo but that is still unconfirmed at this time.
Superman Legacy will follow the story of a young Clark Kent/Superman and his struggle to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage following a family tragedy.
Superman is Directed and written by James Gunn, and will star following:
Netflix is adding one of the icons of Windows computing and bringing a modern spin to the classic Minesweeper. You can now play the game through the Netflix’s app.
Netflix’s take on the Minesweeper will feature an international setting and giving player the goal to clear underwater mines with rewards. Game still have that usual interface of numbers and flags over vibrant pictures of waterways from around the world.
Since Netflix Games is included with your Netflix membership, as the trailer below promises: “No ads. No extra fees. No in-app purchases.”
Following the conclusion of Season 4 of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba or also known as the Hashira Training Arc in Japan, Crunchyroll announced a three-part film project titled “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle.” This trilogy will adapt the Infinity Castle arc (chapters 137-183) and the Sunrise Countdown arc (chapters 184-205) of the beloved manga into an anime film.
Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment also announced that they had acquired the trilogy of movies for a global theatrical release excluding select Asian territories and Japan. No release date was confirmed at the time of reporting.
Together with the announcement of the “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle film trilogy” the official movie posters and, a two and a half minute trailer was release.
Moana and Maui are back🐚🌊🪝
Watch the new trailer for Disney’s #Moana2 now and see the movie only in theaters November 27, 2024!
Check out the new teaser trailer for Walt Disney Animated Studios’ “Moana 2.” Moana voyages back to the big screen this November in the all-new feature film starring Auli‘i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson as Moana and demigod Maui, respectively. A trailer, poster and images are now available to share with your readers.
Opening only in theaters Nov. 27, 2024, “Moana 2” reunites Moana and Maui three years later for an expansive new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced. Directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, and produced by Christina Chen and Yvett Merino, “Moana 2” features music by Grammy® winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee Opetaia Foaʻi, and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina.
Gatorade just released its “It hasn’t changed” ad, which features WNBA stars Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson, two-time Summer Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, and Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen. The company’s first product endorser, Michael Jordan, narrates the ad.
The ad showcases current and rising stars across various sports, including Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever, a two-time WNBA MVP and champion, alongside Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson. You can also see two-time Summer Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Buffalo Bills star QB Josh Allen, and Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who are favorites to win the NBA Championship this year.
The ad features the tagline “It hasn’t changed,” a reference to the legendary “Is it in you?” slogan. The company also brought back the colored sweat, which can be seen in their past promotional materials.
via wikipedia;
Gatorade was created in 1965, by a team of scientists at the University of Florida College of Medicine, including Robert Cade, Dana Shires, Harry James Free, and Alejandro de Quesada. Following a request from Florida Gators football head coach Ray Graves, Gatorade was created to help athletes by acting as a replacement for body fluids lost during physical exertion.
Everything about the game has changed, except for the most important thing: what you have inside.
Narrated by Michael Jordan.
The official trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine has finally arrived, but as always, it offers no clues about the film’s plot.
As explained by film’s Director, Shawn Levy, Deadpool & Wolverine is the 3rd Deadpool film but not Deadpool 3. Deadpool & Wolverine is written by Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Zeb Wells. The film will star Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman reprising their role as Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively, alongside Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, and Matthew Macfadyen. Aaron Stanford will also return as Pyro, from the X-Men films and Jennifer Garner as Elektra Natchios.
Deadpool & Wolverine will be in theaters this July 26th.
There’s a charm to anime that can’t be transferred over to other formats. One tragic example of this would be the 2009 Dragon Ball Evolution . People criticized the film for its confusing plot, the bad dialogue, bad acting, and a lot more. The movie was so bad, the director issued an apology for the film.
Artists have liberty to portray character’s expressions in a multitude of ways in anime. While there are actors who portray facial expressions with ease, it’s not easy to imitate one from a fictional character. This is where the transition from anime to film breaks.
Official poster of Dragon Ball Evolution, for the live action adaptation for Dragon Ball.
While the trend with live action adaptation is staying close to the source material, most adaptations still fall flat. Aside from the more animated facial expressions, we can attribute the difficulty in emulating fiction to the fantastical nature of anime.
In this case, it’s the directors’ and writers’ job to custom fit a plot to ensure it’s appropriate for a live action adaptation. How the creators of Parasyte The Grey wrote it is an example of a custom fit.
Policewoman Choi Joon Kyung showing a demo of the custom-fit helmet to contain a parasite host.
It’s worth noting that this Netflix live action series isn’t the first to adapt the Parasyte anime. However, what sets it apart from the previous films is its entirely new plot. While the main plot device still focuses on the parasites, the series differs in that the main focus is not of a singular character.
In the original source material, Shinichi’s conflicts drive the plot forward. He has to come to terms with the fact that he is something more than a high school student. Shinichi has to survive by eliminating other parasites. In this new spin-off, the plot focuses on how the parasites systematically take over humanity in the form of an organization. This central conflict affects multiple characters, and the series does a good job in magnifying individual conflicts in the larger frame of the story.
A congregation of murderous parasites paints a darker picture of organized religion.
While the series may not be a frame-by-frame adaptation, Parasyte the Grey still pays homage to how exposition is used in anime. Spoiler alert: There’s this one scene where the main character explains something about transportation methods reducing combat potential. And this one scene was done just right. Not excessive, but in passing.
Director Yeon Sang-ho did a good job with the series. Parasyte the Grey’s themes show influence from his past work, The Fake(2013), where the plot revolves around organized religion. Sang-ho’s audience tends to lean towards adults, hence the lack of excessive slasher-action cutscenes in the adaptation.
What the 2024 series did was develop an entirely new plot while staying thematically similar to the original source material. The anime did show lots of visceral fights, and the upfront violence of the murderous aliens. The show did a good job of reflecting this and includes how humanity is similarly capable of such violence.
The stark contrast of the supermarket’s slow pace prior to the car chase following it makes for effective portrayal of the theme of violence.
Building on thematic similarities may be the best step forward in terms of live anime adaptations. There are other techniques that make an adaptation successful. An example would be the 2017 Ghost in the Shell’s world building and environment. The setting was a successful recreation of the original’s dystopian sci-fi theme.
Recreating the dystopian sci-fi environment helped Ghost in the Shell stand out from a long list of anime adaptations.
In short, Parasyte the Grey’s success may have been a combination of the right director, the right plot devices, a perfect casting, and overall, a well-written piece of fiction. Our suggestion? Go watch the series now.
Main casts of Parasyte – The Grey via asianwiki.com: Jeon So-nee / Koo Kyo-hwan / Lee Jung Hyun
You can stream season 1 of the Parasyte – The Grey on Netflix.
Riot Games finally withdrew all lawsuits against Moonton for alleged copyright infringement.
History
The first time Riot Games filed a lawsuit against Mobile Legends was in 2017, for the supposed copyright infringement of their assets, in addition to stylistic similarities. Prior to this, Riot Games had reached out to Google to remove Mobile Legends from the Play Store. However, Moonton relaunched as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang before Google could take action. The court dismissed the copyright infringement lawsuit in 2017. Tencent, which is currently the parent company for Riot Games, again filed a case against Moonton CEO Xu Zhenhua for allegedly violating the non-compete clause in his contract. The lawsuit settled for $2.7 million. Despite Tencent’s win against Moonton, the case details never revealed if Xu Zhenhua did in fact infringe on copyright. Riot Games still filed lawsuits against Moonton in the following years for a variety of reasons, including title card similarities – the Mobile Legends Bang Bang title card was updated the following year as League of Legends released its new logo in 2019.
Comparison of Art Styles
League of Legends new logo in 2019Mobile Legends Bang Bang most recent logo receives ire for allegedly copying Riot Games
Moonton’s 515 Unite isn’t an exception to the similarities between the two franchises. It shares visual aesthetics with some sections of K/DA’s POP/STARS, and a closer examination reveals definite similarities in both the music and artistic style.
League of Legends’ virtual Kpop Group K/DA
Moonton’s 515 Unite
Just more recently, Moonton has released a new hero that closely resembles Riot Games’ Arcane character Vi. The new Mobile Legends hero Julian has been criticized by League fans as an amalgamation of League’s Sylas and Arcane’s Vi.
New Mobile Legends: Bang Bang hero Julian from MoontonLeague’s Sylas official skin splash art from leagueoflegends.comVi from Riot’s Arcane
Moonton’s Guinevere Psion of Tomorrow skin also sparked comparisons, with its design having a striking resemblance to League of Legends’ K/DA Ahri skin.
K/DA Ahri’s official skin splash art from League of LegendsGuinevere from Mobile Legends: Bang Bang featuring Psion of Tomorrow skin with fox tails
Following ongoing legal disputes, Riot Games and Moonton Games have settled their differences under undisclosed terms.
