DC’s Blue Beetle Trailer Will Knock Your Socks Off
The CGI Blue Beetle hovers in space over the Earth.
Move over, Secret Invasion, there’s another alien set to invade Earth. And it’s DC’s Blue Beetle.
Warner Bros. has finally released a trailer for its Blue Beetle film directed by Angel Manuel Soto—from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer. It stars Xolo Maridueña (Cobra Kai) as a new, albeit someone reluctant, superhero Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle, and it just so happens to be the first live-action Lantinx superhero to get their own film.
Jaime (who is Mexican-American and lives with his family in El Paso, Texas—though the film has created a fictional town) is a bit older in this incarnation than fans are used to seeing him but probably still young enough for this to skew toward a younger audience than previous Warner Bros. DC films. Previously, Blue Beetle was set to be an HBO Max film but in 2021 we found out it would be heading to theaters after all. Check out the thrilling and hilarious first trailer below.
OMG THAT LOOKS SO GOOD!!!!!
Here’s the official summary:
Recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero BLUE BEETLE.
Some Blue Beetle History
Created by Keith Giffen, John Rogers, and Cully Hamner and introduced in DC Comics’ Infinite Crisis series in 2006, Jaime Reyes took on the hero’s mantle after the second version (Ted Kord) died in the crossover event. But this new Blue Beetle would be granted special powers—and a really rad super suit—from an alien scarab that attached itself to his body.
The solo series Jaime starred in afterward was incredibly enjoyable, unfortunately, sales allegedly caused DC Comics to cancel it. Since then, the new Blue Beetle has been featured in many other comics and TV projects like Young Justice (we got a ton of cool scarab lore in this one), Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and Smallville plus several video games.
The first news of a live-action film arrived in 2018, but a lot has gone on at Warner Bros. since then. Here’s hoping WB’s latest superhero outing gets better marketing than Shazam 2.
Blue Beetle also stars Susan Sarandon as an antagonist, plus George Lopez, Harvey Guillén, Belissa Escobedo, Adriana Barraza, Damían Alcázar, Elpidia Carrillo, Bruna Marquezine, and Raoul Max Trujillo. Am I still devastated we’re never going to see the Batgirl movie? Absolutely. But I’m definitely hyped to see Jaime on the big screen. Blue Beetle hits theaters August 18.
Why Doesn’t John Wick Have a Broken Back?
Keanu Reeves as John Wick in the fourth installment of the Chad Stahelski action franchise.
The Keanu Reeves-led John Wick: Chapter 4 exploded into theaters this weekend like a…well, like a headshot from John Wick. Chad Stahelski’s new film achieved a box office best for the franchise with a $73 million opening weekend and continued the great tradition of beating the ever-loving crap out of Mr. Wick.
When you go into a John Wick movie you’re going in with the knowledge that you’ll get tons of heart-pounding, bone-breaking action—Stahelenski is also a stunt coordinator after all. Though you may be wondering how, after four films worth of Reeves’ character being hit by speeding cars, thrown off buildings, and getting tossed around by hundreds of assassins, this man could possibly not have a broken spine, let alone ribs, arms, legs etc. Allow me to explain.
Why isn’t John Wick’s back broken?
Because the John Wick franchise is fictional and John Wick is the hero.
You’re welcome.
John Wick: Chapter 4—also starring Donnie Yen, Laurence Fishburne, Rina Sawayama, Ian McShane, Shamier Anderson, Hiroyuki Sanada, Bill Skarsgård, and the late, great Lance Reddick—is in theaters now. I highly recommend it.
This Star Trek Musical Khan’t Lose
One of the most famous movie screams: William Shatner’s Captain Kirk in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. (screenshot via MovieClips)
The sci-fi scream heard around the world is about to come to a theater near you (if you live in the tri-state area). A parody musical based on Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan will be playing in New York City this year and something tells me you won’t want to miss it.
As you can imagine, someone who does what I do for a living gets a lot of press releases every day. But it’s not every day you recognize a friend’s name in one! Alina Morgan (my pal) co-conceived and provided additional materials for KHAN!!! THE MUSICAL!: A Parody Trek-tacular from Brent Black—who co-wrote, composed, and did the lyrics.
So, wondering what a play parodying Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan might be like outside of everyone screaming left and right? The summary might surprise you:
It is 2366, and Data the Android presents his campy musical adaptation of The Wrath of Khan. In this sci-fi send-up, an older Captain Kirk is experiencing a “coming of middle age” story when his nemesis Khan escapes exile and vows revenge. The ensuing cat-and-mouse game sparks an adventure that includes Vulcan tap dancing, Kirk’s long-lost son (a William Shatner impersonator), and of course… mutant space chickens!
If that’s not unique I don’t know what is. Black explained via the press release how the concept came about and…it makes a lot of sense in-universe!
The logo for KHAN!!! THE MUSICAL!: A Parody Trek-tacular.
“Something about a Wrath of Khan musical kept nagging at me, eventually my friend Alina came up with the idea that the musical itself could be a simulation within the universe of Star Trek, which led to the concept of Data the Android presenting a ‘holographic’ musical that he programmed himself,” he said. “A lot of episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation feature storylines where Data has to learn something through trial and error, usually going a little too far or taking things a bit too literally; the idea that he would write a musical after studying classic Broadway shows of the past opened the concept of the show even wider to include sendups of classic musicals.”
KHAN!!! THE MUSICAL!: A Parody Trek-tacular was directed by John Lampe with choreography by Angel Reed and lighting design by Melissa Shawcross. And if you’re worried the creators are making fun of the sci-fi classic rather than having fun with it, fear not. Black understands the heart of Trek: “A big part of why I like Star Trek is how it imagines a future where humans set their differences aside and work together for the greater good. Star Trek has always been ahead of the curve in terms of inclusivity and representation, and it’s nice that this campy comedy show still maintains the spirit of that future Gene Roddenberry envisioned when he created the original TV show.”
If you’re looking to check out the show you should know it’s going to be a limited engagement in New York City at Off-Broadway’s Players Theatre starting Thursday, May 4 (funny enough, a Star Wars “holiday”). Shows will take place Thursdays through Sundays until June 4 and tickets are on sale now at www.khaniscoming.com. You can also check for updates on the musical’s official twitter page.
It’s been…a weird year (That’s something we say every year now, right?!?). Although I didn’t really have to consume any entertainment for work in 2022 I obviously still consumed a ton anyway. Take a gander at my best of movies, television, video games, and books lists below.
While a lot of my “best of” items are from 2022, you’ll notice there are a few older titles here and there. That’s because I took my decompression time to catch up on some other recent (and some not-so-recent) pieces of media I’d been meaning to check out for a while. These lists are in no particular order and vary in length. Please feel free to share what you enjoyed this year in the comments. Happy New Year, all!
Movies
Encanto
Passing
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
The Harder They Fall
RRR
Bob’s Burgers: The Movie
Fresh
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Prey
Nope
Watcher
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On
See How They Run
The Lost City of D
Everything, Everywhere All at Once
Honorable Mention: The Cat From Outer Space (This film from 1978 had been sitting in my queue for ages. It’s great, silly fun.
Why yes, my husband and I did make Nope costumes for Halloween this year! Check out my silly one in motion here.
My husband and I dressed up for Halloween as things featured in Jordan Peele’s Nope, one of the best movies of the year and one of the most unique sci-fi horror ideas in ages.
Television
Pushing Daisies
Search Party
Peacemaker
Yellowjackets
The Great
Bob’s Burgers
Bordertown
Our Flag Means Death
Star Trek: Picard
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
She-Hulk
Abbott Elementary
Severance
Better Call Saul
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Ms. Marvel
Somebody Somewhere
Barry
Bee and Puppycat
Andor
The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself
A League of Their Own
EDIT: I somehow forgot about the outstanding Interview With the Vampire
Honorary Mention: Killing Eve (The final season was great but they boffed that ending HARD. I’m basically pretending that bit didn’t happen.)
How I am communicating with friends now that I’m off Twitter.
Video Games
Alan Wake
The Room 1, 2, 3, and 4
Darkside Detective
It Takes Two
Unravel 2
Sable
Resident Evil Village
Rain on Your Parade
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Roki
Little Nightmares
Stray
Inside
Syberia World Before
AER Memories of Old
Goat Simulator 3
Honorable Mention: Quantum Break (I really liked the idea behind this one—which had some great actors involved—and the mechanics were really fun to play around with but the live-action pieces were a boring slog.)
Goat Simulator 3 is one of the most bizarre games I’ve ever played but oh so much fun.
Books
Her Fierce Creatures by Maria Lewis
The Long Way to the Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Ahsoka (note animated story) by E.K. Johnston
Star Wars: Leia, Princes of Alderaan by Claudia Grey
Star Wars: Phasma by Delilah S. Dawson
The Druid by Jeff Wheeler
The Wretched of Muirwood by Jeff Wheeler
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
The Paper Magicians by Charlie N. Holmberg
The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis
Honorable Mention: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (Ok, so I started this one but had to set it aside many times because it’s such an exhausting read—what with all the turning the book upsidedown and going back and forth for references.)
Speaking of Ahsoka…in case you missed it, I finally got the tattoo of her that I’ve been wanting for YEARS. This gorgeous work was done by @szablasta.
MY GIRL!!!
FYI: I’ve been mostly off Twitter (for obvious reasons) for the last while but have signed up for some of those newfangled social media sites. You can always look to my LinkTree for the official stuff.
The Legend of Kevin Conroy
Jill Pantozzi and Kevin Conroy.
It’s absolutely destroying me to type these words: Kevin Conroy, my Batman, has passed away at the age of 66. He’s survived by his husband Vaughn C. Williams, sister Trisha Conroy, and brother Tom Conroy.
Conroy was everything. If you’re of a certain age, you most likely share my sentiments. Batman: The Animated Series debuted on September 5, 1992, and completely changed my life and the lives of so many others. Conroy is undoubtedly one of the reasons for…all this. (*gestures widely at The Nerdy Bird blog*). Sure, I’d seen Adam West as the Caped Crusader first, but there was something about Conroy’s voice-acting portrayal that connected with me. No matter who picked up the role on the big screen, no one could compare. My Batman inspired me to do the best I could every single day and never give up hope.
Conroy cemented his place in DC history early on and continued to voice Bruce Wayne/Batman in several other animated series, films, and video games. Then, in 2019, we were all blessed to finally see him step into the role in live-action. The CW’s Arrowverse crossover that year included an older, alternate Earth Batman who went down a very dark path. It was a brief but tremendous opportunity and Conroy completely ate it up.
Diane Pershing —the voice of Poison Ivy in BTAS—first posted about Conroy’s passing on her Facebook page. Warner Bros. later sent out a press release. “Kevin was far more than an actor whom I had the pleasure of casting and directing – he was a dear friend for 30+ years whose kindness and generous spirit knew no boundaries,” said his longtime casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano. “Kevin’s warm heart, delightfully deep laugh and pure love of life will be with me forever.”
“Kevin brought a light with him everywhere,” said Paul Dini, producer of BTAS, “whether in the recording booth giving it his all, or feeding first responders during 9/11, or making sure every fan who ever waited for him had a moment with their Batman. A hero in every sense of the word. Irreplaceable. Eternal.”
Truly, if you’ve never read about Conroy’s amazing life, I highly encourage you to take some time to do so (Just one example: His roommate at Julliard was Robin Williams!). Honestly, I thought I loved him before but when I learned more about him as an adult I was thrilled to find out that this person I admired so much was an incredible human being in real life as well as in animation.
Over the course of the last 14 years, I had the privilege to meet Conroy twice. Both were at Paley Center events to promote Warner Bros.’s latest DC animated films. In what is probably the most unprofessional moment of my career, I once asked him if he’d mind recording a voicemail greeting for me as Batman. I knew he must have gotten asked that about a thousand times in his life but he did it with a smile. The true professional he was, he made sure to have the pronunciation of my name correct before he recorded. It goes like this: “This is Batman. Jill Pantozzi can’t come to the phone right now, she’s in the Batcave helping me out.” I’m never changing it.
He was the night. He was Batman. He was Kevin Conroy.
Kevin Conroy. Photo courtesy Warner Bros.
What follows is a reprinting of my interview with Conroy for The Mary Sue in 2012.
For many superhero fans, Kevin Conroy is THE Batman. Although he’s only ever voiced the character, he’s held onto the role for over twenty years now and has become synonymous with the caped crusader. At the premiere of the latest Warner Home Video feature, Justice League: Doom, we got a chance to speak with the seasoned actor about his long run with the character, how he sees Batman, and how voice acting for video games like Batman: Arkham City, is a lot harder than it would appear.
It’s easy to assume Conroy has been typecast as Batman. Starting with his time on Batman: The Animated Series, fans immediately believed he was the voice of the iconic character. It’s both helped and hindered the actor through the years.
“I assumed it would be a totally anonymous job, you would think it would be a totally anonymous job, but with the internet that’s just not the case anymore,” he said. “People stop me all the time and say, ‘We know you. Aren’t you Kevin Conroy?’ And I say well, ‘Have we met? Do I know you?’ and they’re, ‘You’re Batman!’ So it’s much less anonymous than you’d think. Much less anonymous than it was twenty years ago, doing animation voices.”
Conroy attended Juilliard in New York when he was just seventeen and has a great deal of classical experience. “So I had a pretty well-established career before the animation work so it hasn’t really been limiting,” he said. “In terms of voice work, it’s somewhat limiting because it’s such an identifiable role in terms of animation. It is harder to get other animation jobs.”
Because of his background, Conroy put a lot of thought into developing the voice originally. “[I] found the sound, not by imposing it on my throat,” he said, “by sort of getting into the head of the guy from an internal place, just getting to a dark, what I felt was a very painful place. That the pain was you. It’s not the kind of thing you can just click on and off.”
One thing the actor has to struggle with in his career though is those who want him to approach Batman differently. “Depending on the scriptwriter and depending on the director, they all bring their ideas. Invariably they say, ‘We want to try this, we want to try that’ and I always have to try and kind of nudge them a little bit and say, ‘You know, the audience is so loyal to this character they’ll know in a second if the sound isn’t genuine and if it’s not the sound of Batman, of who they know. So trust me on this, you’ve got to be true to the guy.’”
Conroy isn’t a regular comic book reader, rather, he enjoys historical novels, especially biographies. That hobby may have helped him to form his Batman as well. “Well, the way I’ve approached it is that Bruce is the performance. That was my first take on it, was that putting on the cape and the cowl isn’t putting on a costume. That’s where he feels the most comfortable and can be himself,” he said. “Putting on a costume for this guy is putting on a business suit and a tie and performing for Gotham City. That’s the performance. That’s how I’ve approached it and I think the audience picks up on that.”
While Batman tends to steal the show no matter what project he’s in, in Justice League: Doom, he’s the impetus for the entire story. Batman’s contingency plans for if/when any member of the League goes rogue are stolen by their enemies and the fact that he had them in the first place causes strife within the team.
Conroy appreciates that even though Batman is a hero, he’s not perfect. “I think what’s made Batman such an iconic role for so long, is the fact that he’s not a superhero, he’s human. And he has those two faces, the private face and the public face. The personal tragedy that he then uses to try and heal the world with but it’s always those two sides to him and people relate to that,” he said. “Everybody’s got a personal side and a public side, we all have a different face we present to the world. So people relate to that about Batman and in the Justice League, his being the only non-superhero, he’s always been the outsider.”
He continued, “I think everyone has a piece of the other in them, and in this episode or this movie, it’s really exaggerated, that situation because his being the only non-superhero, he’s thought of a way to…in case any of them ever got out of control, he had a way to neutralize them. And that ends up being a source of betrayal for them when he was trying to do the right thing, it ends up being used as a great source of evil.”
A lot of actors have voiced the Justice League over the years but Conroy has played Batman a majority of the time he’s been animated. Do other actors mind that he, in a sense, is hogging the role? “Well, they’re a little jealous. I get a lot of that actually. ‘We’re happy for you and we hate you.’ It was dumb luck, I mean it was also just an example of the right voice for the right character at the right time. It was just kismet,” he said.
Of course, in recent years, the actor has had much success in voicing Batman in Rocksteady’s Arkham Asylum/Arkham City video games. But unfortunately, it’s a much bigger job for Conroy than his work on the animated series or films, he says there’s no comparison.
“You’re alone in a booth like four-hour chunks of time, literally. Four hours in the morning, an hour for lunch, and four hours in the afternoon. Day after day after day after day. Just you,” he said. “Because think about it, as the game is played, depending on how it’s played, there’s hundreds of variables, thousands of variables the direction the character is going to go. You’re voicing for all of that. It’s really mind-numbing and you also don’t get the input from the other actors…When you’re alone you can’t do that so you’ve got to be self-motivating and you’ve got to keep the character alive and fresh and believable.”
Speaking of other actors, Conroy’s foil in both B:TAS and the video games is the Joker, voiced by Star Wars actor Mark Hamill. Hamill has said in recent years that he’d be retiring from the voice but would almost always return if Conroy was involved. We asked how Conroy feels about it.
“I can’t imagine it without him. And we work so well together,” Conroy said. “I wish that the audience could…because I know he has a huge and loyal following, and the audience does know how great he is, but if they could see him in the recording studio they would have 100 times more admiration for him because he’s a really talented actor and his whole body gets thrown into the performance. I mean, it looks like the guy’s gonna devour the microphone, he’s just so all over the studio. He’s a very exciting guy to work with, he’s a very creative, intelligent actor. Much more than the average actor.”
And what about his own retirement? Conroy doesn’t see it happening anytime soon. “[Laughs] I can’t see it but you know, there’s gonna be other people doing it I’m sure. Like the live-action movies they’ve had so many different actors doing them and it’s interesting to see how a different actor has a take on the role.
Conroy feels that Christian Bale is the best of the live-action Batman actors and that Heath Ledger’s Joker in the Dark Knight was “inspiring.”
Seeing as how Batman has been popular for 75 years, we wondered what the actor thought about the character’s future. Would he maintain that kind of popularity for another 75 and beyond?
“I don’t think there’s any question about that,” said Conroy. “I think there’s a timelessness about him that the writers really locked into a gold mine with this character. He’s the archetypical hero. Being tested by fire in his youth, overcoming tragedy, and using his life to conquer evil. It’s an archetype in literature and everyone relates to that, everyone wants to be a hero.”
He then related to us a story that was in the news not too long ago.
“There was an incident in New York, I think it was last year or the year before where a guy fainted and fell onto the subway track. And an everyday guy, just a guy standing on the platform had the presence of mind, not just to be brave enough to jump in and save the person, which I pray to god I would have the courage to do, this guy had the courage to jump in and lay down on top of the person in the bed of the tracks knowing, like Batman would know, that if you lay down, you’ll both be safe because you’ll be cleared by the trains,” he said. “Can you imagine the terror that any of us would feel to jump and lay down under a subway track to save a stranger’s life? I mean, when I heard this story I thought, ‘This guy’s Batman.’”
Conroy didn’t give us any hints as to his next animation work but says he’s been working on video games for the last few years and will be continuing that for a while.
Move Over, She-Hulk, Batman’s Butler Can Twerk Too
Monster Truck Ninja’s Alfred.
Let me first start off by saying Tatiana Maslany twerking with Megan Thee Stallion on Marvel’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was amazing and if you can’t appreciate it for the good fun it was then I don’t know what to tell you. That said, She-Hulk isn’t the only comic book character who can dance. It’s a little-known fact that Batman’s butler Alfred Pennyworth can also cut a rug.
The fantastic animation below was created by the studio Monster Truck Ninja. The team there makes “eye-pleasing, mind-blowing 2D and 3D animation for commercial advertising, films, network packages, branded content, augmented and virtual reality.” This dancing animation was released back in 2018 but a shortened version was making the rounds on Twitter today. It was the first time I had seen it so I thought you might get a kick out of it too. Using Neal Hefti’s “Batman Theme” from the 1960s television series, more than just the Bat-Family get their groove on in the video. Watch Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, The Penguin, and a few less famous villains from Batman’s Rogues Gallery less loose.
Thanks to the studio’s work on that fan video, Warner Bros. and DC actually enlisted Monster Truck Ninja to make another cute animation to celebrate Batman’s 80th anniversary a few years ago. This one might also get you moving…
Monster Truck Ninja is based in both Cleveland, Ohio here in the United States and Medellín, Colombia. None of its pages have posted in a while but something tells me that’s because the company has been kept very busy with new work. If you like what you see you can check out a selection of Monster Truck Ninja’s work on its website. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go listen to the Batman theme on repeat.
The Return to Oz Documentary Is a Worthwhile Journey for the Ultra-Fan
The Gump, Tik-Tok, Dorothy, and Jack.
If you’re a kid of the 80s you are either very familiar with Return to Oz…or you’ve never heard of it. Such is its complicated legacy. The Disney film—which celebrated its 37th anniversary this past June—has such a devoted following that director Aaron Schultz and producer Aaron Pacentine created the documentaryRemembering Return to Oz.
Remembering Return to Oz details how the film was made from almost every angle. There are two versions of the documentary currently available; the original/festival version (running 93 minutes long) and a director’s cut (137 minutes). According to one of their websites, “The ‘Director’s Cut’ is quite different from the Festival Version. It has 137 minutes of content, and is a bit rougher of a cut, but it delivers the best story the film’s director A Schultz wanted to tell.”
Since I have watched Return to Ozover 30 times (Halloween-time is usually when I pick it up each year) and even own some props from the film, I absolutely had to check it out. And you know I had to go all in and rent the director’s cut to make sure I didn’t miss anything!
What Is Return to Oz?
Actor Fairuza Balk being interviewed next to ruby slippers for the Remembering Return to Oz documentary.
Return to Oz was directed by Walter Murch who—at the time of the film’s release in 1985—was already a favorite editor and sound designer in Hollywood working for the likes of Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas (remember this, it will come into play later). They, along with Steven Spielberg, all met in college. It was the first film Murch directed and, as it turns out, it would also be the only film he ever directed—with, unfortunately, “good” reason. Disney never truly supported Return to Oz, the film was not a success at the box office, nor was it liked by most critics. But, if this documentary is any indication, there was no shortage of love from those who made it.
Working from a screenplay by the late Gill Dennis (Walk the Line), Murch set out to do the impossible: make a sequel to the beloved Wizard of Oz adaptation starring Judy Garland. It was, however, not actually a sequel and the comparison would hurt the film in the long run. This story follows Dorothy Gale after her first visit to Oz and adapts L. Frank Baum’s second and third Oz books, The Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz. With its use of claymation and puppetry, the film stands as a counterpart to similar, more famous, films of the decade like The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and The NeverEnding Story (Return to Oz even received an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects).
Remembering Return to Oz, a Documentary
The documentary features several interviews with Murch of course but also producers Paul Maslansky, Colin Michael Kitchens, the late Gary Kurtz, the late claymation director Will Vinton, and composer David Shire (Short Circuit). Additionally, actors Emma Ridley (Ozma), Pons Marr (Head Wheeler), Sophie Ward (Mombi II), Michael Sundin (the suit performer for Tik-Tok), the late Denise Bryer (voice of Belina), Justin Case (Scarecrow), and more were included. They also spoke with Brian Henson, who was a last-minute choice for the voice of Jack Pumpkinhead (puppeteered by Lyle Conway) and had wonderful insight into the whole process considering his background.
All of those who were interviewed had extremely vivid memories of their time working on the film–including, yes, Fairuza Balk (she rarely gives interviews). There were a lot of great anecdotes (hint: The Wheelers were impossibly silly off-camera) and many were stories I’d never heard before. A highlight was getting to hear Balk recount the casting process; she never thought she was going to get the gig and was actually upset when she did because it meant the other actor—the two had become great friends along the way—didn’t get it. Also…this is wild…Ridley explains that her voice was actually dubbed by Beatrice Murch, daughter of the director, because they wanted Ozma to sound American. (You can watch some really cool clips of this in practice in this video interview.)
Tik-Tok holds the Head Wheeler captive while Dorothy interrogates him.
But one of the most interesting tidbits was an expansion of something I already knew. Two different instances of executive leadership changes at Disney meant the release of the film was not certain (Hollywood never changes) and Murch was even fired for a short period after the film fell behind schedule. In what can only be described as a true Hollywood story ready to be its own film (Call me!), George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppalo, and Steven Spielberg showed up on set to support Murch and even act as a buffer from Disney (Lucas went to England all the way from Japan!).
As an aside, two other fun Star Wars connections from this film: Drew Stuzan created the poster for Return to Oz and Murch is responsible for R2-D2’s name. True story! (But that one wasn’t from the doc, I found it on FilmFreakCentral while doing some research.)
Behind-the-Scenes Details
Like Murch, the documentary’s director Aaron Schultz has never directed a film before. Unfortunately, he didn’t have famous director friends to call in. If you’re a film buff or someone in the industry, it’s a little tough to watch the extended cut at times due to some technical issues. Interview lighting and set-ups look very different from one to the next and the audio levels are not equalized. But it may be something that doesn’t even register for other folks.
Also, some of those being interviewed were able to show behind-the-scenes pictures from their time on set—and we get a look at some fun storyboards—but unfortunately, there are no clips from the film itself, which hurts the documentary immensely. Because of rights issues, the team wasn’t able to use any of the original film which is the kind of thing that would normally be edited in while people are talking to move away from the static interview shot.
This is a fan film. We made it with the sole intent on getting this information out to the fans, as I thought there was a story to tell. Some participants in the film were professionally filmed, some were not. This was due to working around these very busy artist’s schedule, covid, etc. So we took what we could get. They were so wonderful to give us the interview in the first place. I felt it was best to use the footage we had instead of only using the professional footage.
Remembering Return to Oz is not about our notoriety as filmmakers, it’s about telling the story of the making of Return to Oz.
I made this movie with what little spare time I have in my personal life. It was exhausting at times. I wanted to make it for all of my friends who worked on Return to Oz. But I also wanted to make it for all of you, the fans, as I am one too.
Aside from the technical issues, there’s really only one disappointment to be had; namely that some of the actors involved in the film did not make an appearance. Jean Marsh (Mombi), Sean Barrett (the voice of Tik-Tok), Piper Laurie (Aunt Em), and a few other key players were unfortunately not involved for one reason or another. In the case of Nicol Williamson (the Nome King), he sadly passed away back in 2011. Otherwise, Remembering Return to Oz is a wonderful way to relive the cult fantasy film from an entirely new perspective.
The documentary was funded through out-of-pocket costs from the creators, Kickstarter, and many other donors so you can’t deny it was a labor of love; one that took a lot of time and effort and is sure to be enjoyed by Return to Oz fans. Sincerely, as a fellow fanatic, I thank you.
If you’d like to give Remembering Return to Oz a watch you can rent/buy the original version or the director’s cut. Murch’s Return to Oz is currently on Disney+ and able to be rented or purchased on pretty much every other service.
ND Stevenson’s Animated Nimona Gets a Second Chance at Netflix
Screenshot of Nimona Chapter 1 via ND Stevenson’s tumblr.
After 20th Century Fox was enveloped by Disney in 2019, ND Stevenson’s animated version of their Eisner Award-winning fantasy story Nimona was thought to be a goner. Now, thanks to (you guessed it) Netflix and Annapurna Pictures, the feature film will be made after all.
Stevenson broke the news on Twitter earlier today writing: “Nimona’s always been a spunky little story that just wouldn’t stop. She’s a fighter…but she’s also got some really awesome people fighting for her. I am excited out of my mind to announce that THE NIMONA MOVIE IS ALIVE…coming at you in 2023 from Annapurna and Netflix.”
The streamer followed by announcing Nimona would be voiced by Kick-Ass star Chloë Grace Moretz. The actor had been attached to Nimona for a while and told her Instagram followers, “Can’t wait for you all to be able to see this incredible film I’ve been lucky enough to be part of over the past couple years!” She’ll be joined by Riz Ahmed (Rogue One) and Eugene Lee Yang of “The Try Guys” (who was also previously attached). Nimona will be directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane.
It was quite a road to get here. Stevenson actually created what would later become the character back in high school but adapted her for a college course. Initially, the whole story played out on Tumblr but was later published in graphic novel form by HarperCollins. In 2015, 20th Century Fox acquired the rights to make an animated film under its subsidiary Blue Sky Studios and Patrick Osborne was set to direct with Marc Haimes scripting. When Disney took over in 2019, the project was postponed a few times until 2021 when the studio announced it was closing Blue Sky and canceling it entirely (even though it was reportedly 75% done).
Just recently, and amidst public and internal uproar over the billion-dollar company’s actions surrounding the “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Florida, former Disney/Blue Sky employees spoke to Insider alleging leadership objected to queer elements of Nimona’s story, including two men kissing. LGBTQIA+ Pixar employees shared a similar sentiment about interference last week in a statement that read in part, “We at Pixar have personally witnessed beautiful stories, full of diverse characters, come back from Disney corporate reviews shaved down to crumbs of what they once were. Even if creating LGBTQIA+ content was the answer to fixing the discriminatory legislation in the world, we are being barred from creating it.”
It’s not yet been reported how (and for how much) Annapurna’s acquisition of Nimona went down but we do know production started early last year. With a new summary of the film released, it’s safe to say the studio won’t be interfering with the story: “A Knight is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and the only person who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona, a shape-shifting teen who might also be a monster he’s sworn to kill. Set in a techno-medieval world unlike anything animation has tackled before, this is a story about the labels we assign to people and the shapeshifter who refuses to be defined by anyone.”
Nimona will stream on Netflix sometime in 2023 (do Mouse Guard next please!). While you wait, if you’ve not yet read Stevenson’s Star Wars/Boba Fett fancomic, you absolutely need to. You can start here:
This Place Was Home: A Boba Fett Fancomic has been posted in its entirety on my Substack! https://t.co/oMjihoBZBX
I’ve contributed to way too many roasts during my tenure at io9/Gizmodo, but I’ve never had to lead one. I knew I couldn’t keep our io9 family together forever but that doesn’t make it hurt any less.
[Note: Roasting ex-employees has been a long GMG tradition. Today I’m hosting the one for io9’s recently exited Beth Elderkin on my personal blog–which I haven’t published on since 2018.]
Where do I even start? How about the very beginning (a very good place to start, I once heard)? Most people don’t know this but when Beth was transitioning to full-time at io9, I was directed to her tweet informing folks the site was looking for a new weekend writer. I was sort of doing my own thing at the time but was looking for a small gig that would bring in some steady bucks. I’d already known Rob Bricken for years at that point and he had tried bringing me into the fold several times but it never worked out for one reason or another. It didn’t then either but he put me in touch with Beth to at least chat out what the job entailed (no two media companies are the same because why would there be any standards ha ha ha—unionize, folks!). The next time we really spoke was when I started getting added to io9 email chains before I officially boarded as Managing Editor. You see, this was right as the team was planning io9’s tenth-anniversary celebration and I could tell right away that Beth loved to organize. I came to learn that when Beth was on a project she always made sure everyone had what they needed to succeed but…oh my GOD the spreadsheets. “Beth has shared with you,” Beth has added you to,” “Beth has shared,” “Beth has shared,” “Beth has shared…”.
Truth be told, Beth and I got off to a bit of a rocky start. I’m not sure if she feels the same way—we’ve never spoken about my early days at io9—but for someone blogging for a living, sometimes it was like pulling teeth getting her to actually blog. I would get unexpectedly challenged when assigning her some random thing because she didn’t watch the show or didn’t see the angle or just thought it was bad. I’d be silently pulling my hair out because it had been an hour since we last posted and “OH MY GOD we just need to get something on the page.” After some time I realized, it wasn’t that Beth didn’t want to blog, it’s that she wanted to blog about teen zombie musicals. Or White House Christmas decoration horror. Or some really, really bad looking movie. Beth just wanted to have fun (how dare she) and, as with all the staff, I slowly came to learn more about who she was and understand her likes, dislikes, and quirks.
For instance, Beth likes to talk. Ok, that’s not a quirk, but when you’re in an office with headphones on, head down, editing, and someone starts speaking to you when Slack is right there, you start to wonder. Speaking of Slack, Beth also had a habit of telling people I “let” her get away with a certain headline or blog. The truth is, I had almost always already made my decision to let her blog the thing she was clearly enthusiastic about (which of course, always, always made for a better end result) but let her continue typing while I took care of some other task. Then I could turn back to the chat, pretend she sold me (by that time I knew her very well and her instincts were almost never wrong), and get her on putting all those words where they should be.
I know, I know this is supposed to be a roast. That’s the best I could do. Truly, it’s hard to roast Beth because she’s one of those “really nice people” you sometimes hear about. I’m already worried I hurt her feelings! She’s an incredibly hard worker who took her time at io9 and really made it count, both in her role as a writer and the editor of io9’s video presence. Along with a great team at her side, she made some truly cool videos for us; from weekly Game of Thrones and Westworld coverage to original deep dives and blessed shipping conversations, Beth always pulled out something amazing from her sleeves.
On the writing side of things, she could surely turn a phrase and she’s the queen of “Wild thing happened, in this essay I will…” Plus, I could always count on her to blog about stuff no one else wanted—like Riverdaleor Motherland: Fort Salem (she freaking loves witches). She was also an absolute standout with her gaming coverage for us (Considering how much RPGs and tabletop gaming were a part of Beth’s presence here on io9, it’s very odd I never played a game with her. Let’s schedule a date!) Remember that time she got Andrzej Sapkowski to say some truly wild shit about Netflix’s adaptation of The Witcher? Or that time I told her to absolutely, positively not ask about the bathtub at SDCC and she did anyway? Beth could hit the obvious stuff, sure, but it was really some of her more outside-the-box pitches that I loved. Like when she dug into the secret lost ending of Quantum Leap. And while the headline and top photo on this post is probably obvious enough, her love for Legends of Tomorrow knows no bounds.
It must also be said: she can serve looks like nobody’s business.
Besides all the laughs and puns she gave us over the years, she also tackled some really heavy topics with grace and respect. All of us at this company have been struggling for a while with how to work within some incredibly limiting boundaries that have only gotten more limiting as time went on. Even with those hurdles, Beth managed to do some incredible work on something I’ve wanted for io9 since I started here: investigative reporting. It’s not easy, it’s not quick, and it’s almost never appreciated as much as it should be, but it’s important and Beth believed in it. She knocked it out of the park not once but twice. I’m forever grateful.
I could go on and on about the outstanding work Beth did here but well, we’ve gotten to the point where there are tears clouding my vision again so I’ll end here and let others take it away. The classic Gizmodo sendoff is “Bye, bitch” but that feels very wrong for Beth. So for now I’ll just say, “See you later, pal.”
Germain Lussier, film reporter, io9
Beth, I’m very sad to see you go for all the reasons one would expect. You’re smart, talented, great to work with, always full of ideas. Just an excellent friend and colleague. But really, I’m most sad because you know Dune inside and out and now I’m probably going to have to cover Dune and I have no idea what the hell is going on with Dune. What’s a dune? There are worms? Is spice actually tasty? Is Zendaya Meechee? I’m so lost and was really looking forward to your coverage. Just as I’m looking forward to seeing you thrive in the future with your beautiful family and exciting new job. Best of luck.
Charles Pulliam-Moore, staff writer, io9
I hate to say it; I hope I don’t sound ridiculous. I don’t know who this woman is. I mean, she could be walking down the street, and I wouldn’t…well, I wouldn’t know a thing. Sorry to this woman.
Cheryl Eddy, News Editor, io9
I’m certain that others will mention Beth’s investigative journalism skills, her fondness for fairy tales (Josie and the Pussycats totally counts), her enviably poised on-camera presence, the fact that she physically cannot watch gory horror movies (but still digs the horror genre!), and her curiously enduring obsession with Beebo. So I’ll add to that “slays at karaoke” with a warning never to challenge her in some kind of sing-off, because you will lose.
James Whitbrook, news editor, io9
It’s hard to think of one memory that defines working with Beth, things that could, for any lesser acoylte of Beebo, could be all manners of frustration. Her desire to doggedly chase the weirdest stories to a fault, knowing with all good sense they’d turn out great. Her love of roping as many—as many—of us into group projects as she could think of, because she was always the biggest ideas person around. Her love of opening every Chilling Age of Sabrina blog headline she wrote with “Hail Satan!”, no matter how many times she’d done that before it. Her ability to, in spite of many reminders, to just jump into io9’s slack without reading a word of what came before her, keeping us all on our toes as she caught up on everything she missed. Hell, having to cover the last season of Game of Thrones? I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy and yet Beth corralled us into discussion posts, video ideas (remember when we had a video team?), theory breakdowns when we still thought literally anything about that season would matter. She made the best of whatever Benioff and Weiss could throw at a person, and that alone is an honorable merit.
Maybe that’s what I’ll remember about working with Beth most—her ability to be in her element no matter the shitstorm around her, whether it was the silly blogs or the big blogs. The one week I have been in an office with literally any of the people I work with at io9 was the week her Vic Mignona investigation ran on the site back in 2019. I was sitting next to her, pretending I knew how to work in an office environment when it published—and I remember her anxiety over whether she’d got the right angles, whether all the i’s and t’s were dotted and crossed, whether or not his fanbase would target her. But I also remember her excitement, her pride, even as she tried to play it cool as I congratulated her on it finally getting on the site. In her element, at the heart of a shitstorm. Beebo couldn’t ask for a better servant, praise be to his name.
Autumn Kelly, social editor, io9/Gizmodo/Earther
Beth, you’re truly too delightful of a human being to roast. I could say lots of good things about you, like how thoughtful of a person you are, how I’ve learned so much working with you, and how you always put good one-liners for social in your blogs… except since this is supposed to be a roast, you have left me no choice but to leave you with a GIF.
Being the Weekend Editor is a lonely job. You have to keep the site running, every weekend, virtually by yourself. It’s a lot of responsibility. One side effect of this job is that, when you do see the weekday crew log on, it normally means something has gone wrong. As such, Beth, who trained me in the job, teaching me a bunch of best practices that I’m sure I forgot, was as much a colleague as she was person I only saw when I did something wrong.
I remember one time… Uh. Hm. I don’t actually have any good stories for this. Truth be told, I’m not really the roasting type. Beth was a gracious teacher and a kind presence. As someone who left G/O Media due to burnout and the creeping realization that there was absolutely no viable future for me there, I’m deeply sympathetic to and supportive of Beth’s departure and the most I can do is accuse her of being a copycat for going into the video game industry. I wish her all the best.
I mean. Uh. Fuck you, Beth. Eat shit. Or something.
Therese McPhereson, Creative video producer & animator
Beth!
I want to roast her but it might end up sounding more like a toast. Let me try anyway.
Basically, the worst thing about her is her absolutely perfect voice-over game. She was practically born to read from a teleprompter and it annoys me how perfectly she makes witty comments with strong eye contact directly into camera B.
She is the best host a video producer could ask for and I hate it.
Thank you for years of ruining videos by wearing nice jackets and matching your hair to io9 branding. If it weren’t for Beth and her hard work I could have gone home early, but no—instead she works on a perfect schedule and we all get out on time. So that we can stay after hours for board games… nerds. Io9 isn’t going to miss Beth at all. Neither will the video team. Nope. Not at all. ‘holds back tears’ NOT AT ALL. Eat shit Beth, with a cherry on top.
Alex Cranz, managing editor, The Verge
I heard she had a baby.
Andrew Couts, interim editor-in-chief, Gizmodo
Anytime I try to write one of these goddamn roasts, I just end up making fun of myself and saying nice things about the person I’m supposed to be roasting. So this time, I’m just going to skip the saying nice things and leave the mean stuff to people who are better at this than I am: Beth is a unique talent, capable of biting analysis, investigative reporting on highly sensitive stories, with a gravitational on-camera presence. Her contributions to io9 and Gizmodo as a whole are, frankly, immeasurable. The only bad thing I can say about her is that her infant son makes my dogs look far less cute by comparison, which I don’t appreciate at all. You will be sorely missed, Beth! Good luck in navigating the South.
Dharna Noor, staff writer, Earther
Beth, I’m so stoked to see what you do next. Also just because we don’t work together doesn’t mean I’m not going to hit you up when Dune comes out! –
Rob Bricken, former editor-in-chief, io9 (now, a layabout)
The shittiest part about hiring Beth full-time was losing the best weekend editor the site ever had. Also, when videos rolled around I didn’t so much put Beth in charge of them as much as I used her as a human shield to protect myself from having to deal with them. I think she’d agree with that, though.
Marina Galperina, features editor at Gizmodo
I will remember Beth as a warrior and a treasure, both as a sensitive, inspired journalist and critic, and a righteous and fiery fellow union bargaining committee rep. She is one of my favorite nerds I’ve ever met and her lucky kid will be immersed in delightful weirdness. I hope she starts a band again and channels her media experience thus far into pointed lyrics and melodious screeching. I would go see this band.
Bryan Menegus, former news editor, Gizmodo
I’m still kicking myself that it took five entire years to work with you on a story. Congratulations again on a great run, and on successfully talent-scouting the first cast member for Gizmodo: The Next Generation.
Myra Iqbal, former video producer
Beth, I’ll always remember the comic con madness as one of my favorite times at giz and you were such a big part of it. It was an absolute joy working with you! Thank you for all the fun stories and for your kindness as a colleague. I wish you the best in your adventures ahead and of course the biggest adventure of them all: motherhood! Sending you much love.
Eleanor Fye, former video producer, gizmodo / io9 / earther
It’s truly a shame that all the work Beth put in on io9’s Game of Thrones video coverage was in service of the worst TV show finale of all time. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss manage, as always, to ruin everything they put their grubby little hands on. That pair of failsons retroactively tarnished the work of women they’d never even met, which is… honestly, almost impressive.
Beth is nothing if not a talented and tenacious journalist. Her exhaustively-researched expose on Vic Mognogna led to real change for the voice acting community. She was thrown curveball after curveball while reporting it, and I remember feeling deeply glad that someone as persistent as Beth was pursuing it. Whatever she does next will be interesting, for sure!
Katharine Trendacosta, Associate Director of Policy and Activism, Electronic Frontier Foundation (former managing editor, io9)
I still remember the first time Beth visited the io9 office in New York. She and I were walking from the subway to a bar and she leaned in close and asked, in a whisper, “What’s with all the trash bags on the street?” In that moment, I knew. This was not someone who belonged in New York City. A true New Yorker would not blink at the city’s quaint tradition of just piling trash in bags on the sidewalk, occasionally forgetting about them when it snows, and inviting rats to a party. I hadn’t been born and raised in New York, but I had never once questioned the garbage. It just seemed right.
And truly, Beth’s tendency to question the presence of garbage is probably why she cannot stay in New York or at G/O Media any longer. Fly free, whatever the opposite of pizza rat is.
Joanna Nelius, Senior Editor, Electronics at Reviewed, part of the USA TODAY network
Beth, I’m terrible at roasting people. I’m sure everyone else is going to say super clever and witty things, but I only have nice things to say. I don’t think I ever properly thanked you for putting those tabletop RPG sessions together. I had a blast, and they couldn’t have come at a better time. You made me feel welcome and at home so soon after I joined the Gizmodo team, and I’ll be forever grateful. io9 is losing one hell of a reporter, but I know you’ll continue to kick butt where ever you land next! Live long and prosper!
Shoshana Wodinsky, staff reporter
I’m sorry you had to be privy to the weird convos you undoubtedly overheard while our cubicles were… right next to each other. That said, please keep sharing those good good pics of your baby in those good good hats wherever possible.
Matthew Reyes, video producer
I remember the time when Beth checked me from hooting and hollering at the original Sarah Connor, the great Linda Hamilton, during a red carpet event at Comic Con. She saw it coming, the wide eyed fandomness from me that everyone has when they see a popular thespian in the flesh.” We don’t do that here,” she said softly yet stern. I wasn’t mad at all, yet more so in awe of her. She held journalistic integrity and professionalism above all, and not releasing her fandomness—which she has in spade—in any shape or form in front of the camera with anyone in the industry, even in front of THE Terminator Killer herself. I learned a lot that day. And I thank Beth for that.
And to Beth, io9 isn’t be the same without your presence. I hate goodbyes, so i’ll end on this: I’ll see you later.
Po-Zu’s Star Wars Hi-Top Porg Sneakers Have Flown Their Way Into My Heart
May the Fourth be with you!
[Editor’s Note: There are no affiliate links included in this post but Po-Zu sent me this pair of sneakers for free to review.]
Happy Star Wars Day, everyone. I’m sure many of you will be watching one (if not several) films today about the galaxy far, far away, I was busy trying on some new sneakers! Specifically, Po-Zu’s new Porg sneakers!!
Po-Zu has a really cool line of Star Wars footwear (including film accurate items like Rey’s boots) licensed with Lucasfilm/Disney but overall the company creates ethical footwear from sustainable materials and the new Porg styles are just some of their latest vegan sneakers. Their new items include the Porg sneakers in hi-top and regular, a pair stylized with a Millennium Falcon technical drawing, and a Han Solo shoe!
My pair o’ Porgs arrived yesterday and I got to take them for a test drive on Star Wars Day, which was perfect timing. I’m also wearing a Her Universe Floral Rebellion romper here!
Materials:
Entire sole including foxing and toe cap is made in locally sourced Fair Trade rubber sole, certified by the Fair Rubber Association. Featuring removable memory-foam Foot-Mattress™ (allows orthotics placement) in latex and coconut husk.
Upper: Organic Cotton Canvas
Lining: Organic Cotton Canvas
Footbed: Organic Cotton Canvas
Foot-Mattress: Coconut Husk & Natural Latex 5mm thick (removable) which moulds to your foot shape
Sole: Fair Trade Rubber
I haven’t actually worn a pair of sneakers in a while so I was wondering how I’d feel about these but they’re very comfortable! And probably even more so after I break them in a bit. They’re very lightweight, too. Besides the obviously adorable Porg highlights, my favorite aspect is the rubber sole as I have to be careful with slippery shoes. They’re less white and more of a cream color which actually works really well. Here’s hoping I can keep them clean!
If you’re interested in a pair of your own, Po-Zu has a discount code available right now for £20 off any of their Star Wars shoes (with the exception of the pre-orders). The code is “MAYTHEFOURTH20” and it will expire on May 6, 2018. You can check out all the Star Wars shoes right here.