Mike Flanagan Teases the ‘Batman: The Animated Series' Inspiration Behind the ‘Clayface' Movie
Clayface
During a recent interview with Comic Book, Mike Flanagan revealed his Clayface script was 'absolutely' inspired by the Batman: The Animated Series two-part episode, 'Feat of Clay', while also clarifying that he's uncertain what will change now that the film is undergoing re-writes.
I mean that is the perfect [story]. 'Feat of Clay,' Ron Perlman, to me, that's it. That two-parter knocked me out. The short answer is that is absolutely what inspired my script. That is the world I wanted to live in.
I don't know what they're doing with Clayface. I'm not directing it, and that filmmaker will need to make it their own. I know that they're doing work on the script. I'm off doing other things now. I really hope it remains true to the spirit of what I wanted it to be.
But it's not my movie, so I'll be in the audience with you, anxious to see how it comes out.
Please Don't Feed the Children
According to Fangoria, Destry Allyn Spielberg's (daughter of Steven Spielberg) debut feature Please Don't Feed the Children will premiere this June 27 on Tubi. Starring Michelle Dockery and Giancarlo Esposito, the story' takes place in a not-so-distant future where society contends with a pervasive virus that afflicts the entire adult population. After the deadly viral outbreak, a group of orphans flee in search of a new life, only to be taken hostage by a woman hiding a sinister secret.'
Fantastic Four: First Steps
Marvel has released a new poster for Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Predator: Killer of Killers
This time, the Predator goes after a ninja in another clip from Killer of Killers.
Hell House LLC: Lineage
A spooky new teaser for Hell House LLC: Lineage showcases the strange goings-on at the Abaddon Hotel.
Hi-Five
Following organ transplants from the same donor, five otherwise unrelated people inherit superpowers in the trailer for Hi-Five.
The Dark Tower
Mike Flanagan also provided Comic Book with an update on his planned TV series adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower.
It's not that I've put it down. It's just that the thing is so big, it's like building an oil tanker. We've been moving it forward this whole time. It's just, that's how big it is. It's constantly in the works, and you better believe as often as you guys may want to ask about it, Stephen King is asking me about it more, and I'm not gonna let him down.
Stranger Things
Bloody-Disgusting also has new images from the final season of Stranger Things. Click through to see the rest.
Resident Alien
Finally, Harry recaps the first three seasons of Resident Alien ahead of the fourth season premiere this Friday.
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Gizmodo
29 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
Matt Shakman Thinks What Was Cut From ‘Fantastic Four' Was for the ‘Greater Good'
It's been just shy of a week since Marvel's latest installment in its ever-expanding cinematic universe, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, released in theaters. While much of the hubbub about the film is generally favorable, verging on 'we're so back,' some online fans lamented over the movie seemingly leaving a lot of content from its trailer on the cutting room floor for their liking. Now, director Matt Shakman has come forward to discuss the rigorous editing process behind the Marvel film. In an interview with Collider, Shakman was asked if First Steps, which clocks in at a little under two hours, initially had a longer cut of the film. To ensure everything happens in a sequential manner that will satisfy folks, the film, as with most modern blockbusters, has its fair share of deleted scenes. While not unique to the genre, Fantastic Four became a focal point to fans online who've compiled moments from First Steps trailers that didn't make it to the final cut, giving birth to rumors that the film was purportedly missing at least 30 minutes of content. While Shakman admits that making the film was tricky, forgoing a traditional origin story, but giving viewers enough pieces of Marvel's First Family to understand its quartet and tell a new story with the likes of new cataclysmic threats in the Silver Surfer and Galactus, it's still released as he wanted it to. 'By the time you end up cutting it, you're doing it for a reason,' Shakman told Collider. 'You're looking at the larger picture, and you're able to make those cuts, because they make sense. And, ultimately, you know it's for the greater good. It's always, in the post process, hard to—you know, the forest and the trees, right? You have to constantly think about the bigger picture. This cast is amazing, and all of the supporting cast is amazing, and the work of the design team, and cinematography, these are tons of great scenes that would be wonderful to have in the film, but ultimately, just didn't contribute to the best possible narrative.' As GamesRadar+ notes, Shakman added that Marvel gave him freedom to make the movie without the rumored executive meddling fans tend to point a finger at whenever they need to explain why it might feel off (especially so in Marvel's case, as the studio has become infamously known for its messy, fix-it-in-post process in recent years). 'No, [there] was never anything I had to fight for. That's a great thing about Marvel. I feel like we're all making the same movie, working really hard to tell the same story. It was clear what we were trying to tell from the beginning,' Shakman said. Ahead of his Collider interview, it was already made public that iconic actor John Malkovich had all of his scenes as the Fantastic Four's longtime rival, Red Ghost, cut from the film. Speaking with Variety, Shakman lamented Malkovich's absence in the movie, which became more apparent to fans because he was showcased in the movie's trailers. As with other elements cut from First Steps, Red Ghost's ghosting of the film boiled down to the movie already having too many spinning plates, including a world-eating villain, a surfing harbinger, legacy cameos, a tangle with Mole Man, and a superpowered baby, to make room for Red Ghost. 'It was heartbreaking not to include him in the final version of the movie because he's one of my very favorite humans and one of my biggest inspirations,' Shakman told Variety. 'As a person who walks the line between theater and film and television, there's no one who is more inspiring than the founder of Steppenwolf Theater Company. What he's done on stage as an actor and what he's done as a director in theater as well as in film, and as just a film actor of incredible ability—I was honored he came to play.' Fantastic Four is playing in theaters. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Fantastic Four: First Steps' $170M Promo Push Boosted By Little Caesars, Zillow, Pop-Tarts & More; Pic Eyes $200M U.S. Box Office Cume In 2nd Frame
At $170 million in media value, the promotional partner campaign for Disney/Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four: The First Steps is the biggest in some time, ahead of the pushes for Marvel Cinematic Universe's Deadpool & Wolverine and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and even rival studio summer campaigns such as Jurassic World Rebirth ($150M). 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home at $288M remains the record holder when it comes to overall worth of an MCU promo partner campaign, that pic made at Sony. Among post-Covid MCU brand campaigns, Fantastic Four's overall value ranks behind Spider-Man: No Way Home's $202M and counts such brands as Little Caesars, Zillow, Pop-Tarts, General Mills, Citizen Watches and more. Several advertisers joined in on the movie's fun embracing its 1960s retro-future spirit, a motif woven into their in-world partnerships. More from Deadline Matt Shakman On Why 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' Didn't Give Continuity To 'Thunderbolts' Post-Credits Scene 'Fantastic Four: First Steps' Lands At $117M+, Opening Reps Record For Franchise, Stars & Director Matt Shakman - Box Office Update Vanessa Kirby On Not Hesitating To Commit To Marvel & The "Complete Privilege" Of Working On 'Avengers: Doomsday' The Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Julia Garner movie is expected to make around $45M in its second weekend at the box office with a firm grip on No. 1. By Sunday, a $200M running total stateside is likely. Newcomers, Universal/DreamWorks Animation's Bad Guys and Paramount's hopeful revival of big screen comedies, Naked Gun, look to respectively open to $20M and $15M. Fantastic Four partners strategically leveraged their IP across cultural touchpoints – from high-impact traditional advertising to irreverent social media executions to buzzworthy experiential tactics to unique AR content, custom publishing and consumer giveaways. Interestingly enough, the North American campaign doesn't feature a car partner. Automobile companies typically contribute the boatload of media value in a movie promo campaign. That said, among overseas brand, Fantastic Four's has an automobile partner in Australia's Chery which is launching a line of hybrid family vehicles. Fast food partners are another enormous contributor to a movie's brand campaigns, and for Fantastic Four, that's Little Caesars. The 'Pizza-Pizza' retailer was one of five brand partners for the film which developed custom 'in world' commercials. Little Caesars, along with Zillow, was also one of two commercials directed by Fantastic Four: First Steps production designer Kasra Farahani. Little Caesars was also written and produced internally by the Marvel Partnerships team. The movie reps Little Caesars' second biggest partnership with a motion picture to date with media support across streaming, linear and digital throughout North America and select Latin American markets. Farahani's commercial features Giganto and recreates the iconic 1961 comic No. 1 cover. The spot has racked up north of 7M views across YouTube. There was also a $4 Fandango movie ticket offer combo in addition to four custom pizza boxes made, each featuring a character from the movie. Little Caesars also sold its 'Fantastic 4-In-One' pizza (four different topping combinations on one pizza). Real estate site Zillow gave fans the opportunity to tour the period futuristic theme penthouse from the movie, located within the Baxter Building. Featured highlights included space-age conversation pit and a rotating fireplace/TV, indoor BBQ, a cosmic nursery, and Mister Fantastic's futuristic lab. In addition to directing the commercial, Farahani also directed a virtual home tour and co-designed a variety of bespoke print imagery, including an ad for the New York Times. Fans were invited to dial a special telephone number for a personalized tour and explore downloadable high-res images of the Marvel landmark. The campaign kicked off on July 7. Zillow listed the home for $4.44M. Pop-Tarts push for the pic spotlighted 'FanTASTEic Four,' a humorous team of giant pastry mascots that charm Gen-Z audiences but hilariously fall short at heroism. The in-world spot emphasized snack appeal over superhero skills. General Mills embraced retrofuturism with limited-edition 1960s themed cereal boxes including Honey Nut Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, and Reese's Puffs. Walmart (which featured Cocoa Puffs with Galactus) and Kroger (which had Trix featuring H.E.R.B.I.E.) were among key retailers. There was also a limited-edition Lucky Charms box with a Johnny Storm available at Walmart. General Mills was an MCU promo partner on Loki with 'Loki Charms', Thunderbolts* with Wheaties and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. There was support from social media influencers with Evan Tanaka (327K followers) creating his own commercial: Snapple launched packaging inspired by each of the heroes. Each bottle unlocked an augmented reality (AR) experience with details about the film and a memory card game featuring Galactus. The push included 22M+ themed ice teas of four different flavors. Synchrony is a longtime MCU partner and their period spot spotlighted a fiscally savvy family, blending nostalgia with financial literacy. The commercial features a H.E.R.B.I.E.-themed savings calculator, a character-inspired digital board game that transforms budgeting into a heroic journey and even a piggy bank of The Thing. How did the pre-swinging generation keep track of time and visualize the future? Citizen watches had an idea with their vintage inspired design and advanced technology Marvel edition Citizen Zenshin timepiece collector's set. The watch features a film-themed blue dial, with icons at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock representing each hero's powers. There were co-branded spots and media placements such as the ABC Super Sign in NYC, taxi media exposure, as well as digital and social media amplification. Having just partnered on Marvel Studios' Captain America: Brave New World, sports bar restaurant Topgolf created an in-venue experience where groups of four or more players teamed up and battled Galactus in a themed Block Party digital game available at all U.S. and Scotland locations. Google Play integrated The Fantastic Four into a priority game launch tied to Google Play Rewards. This was further boosted at San Diego Comic-Con over the weekend. Take a look: Other Fantastic Four: First Steps brand partners included Juicy Fruit and Doublemint, and Formula E which had a themed takeover of their annual championship ePrix race last weekend in London. Formula E previously teamed with Marvel on Thunderbolts* for a wrap of one of their cars. Marvel Studios also worked with Dairy Farmers of America/Trumoo which served up their line of TruMoo 'Fantastic Berry' low-fat blue milk, inspired by the campaign's bold color palette. There's also film-themed packaged regional milk brands (e.g. Altadena) available at retailers like Target, Walmart, etc. through September. The promotion included four 'Power Up Your Pour' color-changing drinking glasses, with one of each The Fantastic Four character designs released weekly from July 18 through August 8. 'Our team built a truly fantastic global promotional campaign—one that felt completely authentic, immersive, and organically woven into the world of the Fantastic Four,' Lylle Breier, EVP, Partnerships, Promotions, Synergy & Events tells Deadline Hollywood. 'It was a true collaboration between our best-in-class brand partners, the talented filmmakers, and our amazing internal creative team who wrote and produced the fully custom spots that seamlessly transformed our promotional content into an extension of the film's marketing campaign and pop culture.' Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Emmys, Oscars, Grammys & More 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery
Cosmopolitan
7 hours ago
- Cosmopolitan
Explaining the Pedro Pascal backlash and why it matters
When I first heard there was backlash against Pedro Pascal, I was terrified. Surely, only some disastrous scandal could have prompted any outrage against everyone's current Hollywood crush. Oh, how wrong I was. It turns out the Pedro Pascal backlash isn't due to any offensive joke or impropriety, it's has anxiety and supports LGBTQ rights. Confused? Allow me to explain. The Pedro hate began last week, leading up to the premiere of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, when the actor gave an interview with Men's Health on managing anxiety. In the interview, he said that he tends to rely on others — friends, family — and is 'always one to reach out when I'm facing something that is challenging or making me anxious.' He continued, saying that when he found himself falling into patterns of doom scrolling and anxiety in 2020, 'I had to go back to what was always the comfort for me in my life, which was engagement in my relationships, my friendships, and conversation and shared experience.' Anyone who has ever had any kind of acute mental health issue will tell you that one of the first things a therapist or counsellor will instruct you to do is to create an action plan, which usually involves listing at least two people you can call in a crisis. Calling friends or family in times of trouble is not unusual, nor is it inappropriate. Unless you ask anti-trans activist Posie Parker (not to be confused with our White Lotus queen, Parker Posey). 'He never gets the anxiety gropes around men, does he?!' Posie (real name Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull) tweeted last week. She also shared a video of Pedro posing with his Fantastic Four co-star Vanessa Kirby, his hand moving up and down her arm as he looked for the best placement for the photos. While you and I might look at this video clip and think, 'Pedro Pascal is just like me, he also doesn't know what to do with his hands in photographs!' Posie apparently looked at it and related it back to the actor's quote saying he likes to 'reach out' to those close to him when he's anxious. Is it worth pointing out that when Pedro was talking to Men's Health, he was clearly using the phrase 'reach out' to mean that he contacts his loved ones? Or that there is nothing inherently wrong with seeking physical comfort from consenting adults? Yes, but logic is clearly not at the forefront here. A wave of trolls soon followed, hopping on the bandwagon to accuse Pedro of being inappropriately touchy with certain female co-stars. (I have included tweets for proof, not endorsements.) It's worth noting that there have been no public allegations or proof of any unwanted physical affection at all. To my knowledge, Pedro has never been accused of being inappropriate (physically or otherwise) with anyone, on set or off. What Pedro is guilty of, however, is being a vocal advocate for trans rights, which many suspect is why Posie chose to target him in the first place. In fact, TERFs and other anti-trans activists have been trying to get this fake scandal going for months, ever since Pedro called out J.K. Rowling's 'heinous loser' behaviour in April after she celebrated an anti-trans ruling UK Supreme Court ruling. As noted by Vanity Fair, following Pedro's comments, fans of the Harry Potter author attempted to smear Pedro using a clip of him reaching for Vanessa Kirby's hand at last year's Comic-Con, accusing him of being inappropriate. 'What happened is we were both incredibly nervous going out in front of thousands of people who love this comic,' Vanessa later told Vanity Fair. 'He wanted me to know that we were in this together, and I found it a lovely gesture and was very glad to squeeze his hand back.' Which brings me to my final point, and the point many Pedro defenders are making online: There is a difference between being openly physically affectionate and groping someone without their consent. By pretending we don't know the difference, you are making it easier for actual harassers to get away with inappropriate, nonconsensual behaviour. Now, unless you have any substantial allegations, would you please leave our fave internet daddy alone?
