‘The Last of Us’ trailer confirms the apocalypse won’t be the only hindrance in Joel and Ellie’s perilous path

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This might just turn out to be the adaptation of our dreams. HBO has just dropped a full-length trailer for The Last of Us, and it features a song that video game fans will recognize all too well.

Starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in the lead roles of Joel and Ellie, respectively, the show is an adaptation of the acclaimed 2013 game by Naughty Dog. Chernobyl‘s Craig Mazin and Naughty Dog’s own Neil Druckmann are overseeing the project, which, according to this latest trailer you see above, is trying its hardest to recapture the magic of the original.

The trailer highlights the strained relationship between Joel and Ellie, and how reluctantly the former accepted to accompany her across the apocalyptic landscape of the United States. There’s also a melodious cover of “Take Me On” accompanying the trailer, which most fans would not only as the hit ’80s classic but the song that Ellie gave a gut-wrenchingly emotional rendition of during The Last of Us Part II.

All in all, it seems that Druckmann and Mazin are here to tug on your heartstrings again, so go in expecting anything, even a deviation from the original storyline that you wouldn’t see coming. In fact, the producers may have opted to combine the narrative beats from the two games into a coherent story for the live-action adaptation, so, without going into spoilers, who knows how long it’ll take them to reach that defining moment in Ellie’s life which took place in Part II?

At any rate, The Last of Us is slated for a Jan. 15 premiere on HBO platforms.

Princess Peach and Donkey Kong steal the show in the new ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ trailer

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It’s here, folks! The long-awaited second trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie has landed.

In the last few months, we’ve had ample content for the upcoming CGI live-action movie, which draws inspiration from the long-running Super Mario Bros. video game series. Last month, Nintendo unveiled the first look at Chris Pratt’s Mario, Jack Black’s Bowser, and Keegan Michael-Key’s Toad.

Mario fans weren’t impressed by the Guardians of the Galaxy star’s voice, so much so that they even petitioned to have Mario’s voice actor changed. The first trailer opened a whole can of worms, especially where Pratt’s Mario was concerned. If it wasn’t his voice that was criticized, it was his flat butt of all things.

Perhaps one of the biggest reveals to come from Nintendo is the individual character posters of Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Peach. Anya Taylor-Joy’s Peach design finally made an appearance, an underdog in the promotional marketing for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, having been entirely excluded from the first trailer in favor of Pratt’s Mario and Black’s Bowser. This time around, however, Peach steals the spotlight, and she’s certainly not the damsel in distress that previous iterations have led us to believe she is.

As you can see for yourself above, the footage predominantly centers around Princess Peach, but we finally get a decent glimpse of Seth Rogen’s Donkey Kong, too.

That said, nothing will ever forgive Chris Pratt’s voice. Not Peach. Not Bowser. Not anyone. There’s still serious controversy surrounding Nintendo’s casting choice on this one. No one seems to have any gripes with Black, Michael-Key, or Taylor-Joy. Heck, even Charlie Day’s Luigi is pretty safe, but Mario fans are sharpening their pitchforks and lighting their torches to make a beeline straight for Pratt.

It’s been said that Mario’s voice actor should have been Italian to match the character’s heritage, but American actor Day hasn’t received the same flack. All of this could be related to the fact that not many people like Pratt as a person. But fret not, Mario fans. There’s plenty to sink one’s teeth into when it comes to The Super Mario Bros. Movie. It definitely seems that Nintendo is pushing for nostalgia with the landscape design, character reveals, and world-building aspects that make Super Mario… well, Super Mario.

Mark your calendars, folks, because we’re closer than ever to seeing the dream of a Super Mario animated movie realized when the Chris Pratt-led flick makes its way to theaters on April 7, 2023.

Chris Evans proves he’s a man of the people by obsessing over adorable animal videos

Chris Evans attends Netflix's "The Gray Man" Los Angeles Premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre on July 13, 2022 in Hollywood, California.

Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Netflix

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Chris Evans isn’t all just Captain America and Buzz Lightyear. He’s very much human with a heart and he shows it off with a video he just reposted on Twitter.

The superhero shared the video of a baby chimp that needed some extra medical attention at the Sedgwick County Zoo, meaning its mother had to go through several long days of being without her newborn. He lets all his fans know that he didn’t just watch the video once and like it, but he watched it 100 times, as people tend to do when they’re watching an adorable animal video.

The way the mother scoops up the baby and holds it tight is raw emotion that shows how much humans and animals are alike. They have love and compassion just like people do and they know how to show it. It’s just not common that these special moments get caught on camera.

The video caught many of Evans’ fans by surprise and got them right in their feels. Is that still something people say or is it outdated?

Then, KAKE News came through with a better picture of the baby. As if the video isn’t enough to tug on a person’s heartstrings, the picture just might do it. A closeup of a chimp will put a smile on anyone’s face any day.

There are some who don’t only have love for the video but are amazed that the mother’s reaction was so honest and pure. She couldn’t contain herself as soon as her child started moving. The rush to touch and hold her baby even makes the person holding the camera shed a tear or two. It’s real!

Evans’ fans are liking the video and the actor who shared it. The Sedgwick County Zoo might have saved a baby’s life, but it was Captain America who brought the video to the masses.

Of course, there was a time before Captain America when Chris Evans played other roles like Not Another Teen Movie, and The Nanny Diaries. When you’re not busy watching the video 100 times, catch him in Pain Hustlers, Ghosted, and Red One all slated to come out next year.

Brie Larson reveals her unique contribution to the ‘Anti-Hero’ trend

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 04: Brie Larson attends the Marvel Studios “Captain Marvel” premiere on March 04, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

It’s hard to stay in shape for celebrities who have to play superheroes like Captain Marvel, but Brie Larson has her own technique. She shares her secrets with fans in a new video posted on Twitter.

Of course, Larson isn’t as out of shape as Chris Hemsworth is as he sharpens his martial arts skills for Thor: Love and Thunder. However, working out in a gym can get overwhelming, especially when it’s not up the celebrity’s alley. So, Larson has found a way to stay in shape that doesn’t involve lifting weights or running on a treadmill.

With a nod to Taylor Swift, Brie Larson is working out to “Anti-Hero.” With the perfect line, “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me,” echoing in her ears, Brie pushes a contraption up a slight incline.

What contraption is that? Is it a new fandangled weed whacker or some kind of driveway buffer? Either way, it looks heavy, and that will give her a good workout if she keeps doing that at least six to nine times a day.

It might not be a conventional workout, but it’s definitley working the glutes. There are plenty of unconventional workouts anyone can do throughout the day from walking stairs to painting a room. It all goes towards working muscles that don’t normally get attention, along with a solid dose of cardio.

Chris Hemsworth shows off his martial arts skills in hilarious ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ BTS video

Chris Hemsworth

Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Disney

To be Thor, Chris Hemsworth has to put a lot of work into his body, mind, and spirit. Look what happened to him in Avengers: Endgame when he failed to beat Thanos and went on a binge that made him look like Joe Dirt’s bigger brother, and bigger as in around the waist. He had to snap back into shape to help save the world and it appears that he had to do it again for Thor: Love and Thunder.

Hemsworth took his fans behind the scenes to see how he makes the magic happen. In this workout video, his determination is raw and his technique exquisite. It wasn’t going to be easy work to get back into shape before the film’s release in July, but his passion for saving the world drove him to pure excellence.

While working out, it’s particularly important to pick the right motivational music. Loverboy’s “Working for the Weekend” is the perfect track that is reminiscent of the ’80s inspiration montages like “You’re the Best” in Karate Kid, “Eye of the Tiger” in Rocky III, and “Win in the End” in Teen Wolf. So, Hemsworth came out fighting strong.

His technique was impeccable. His roundhouse kick almost makes it to the top of his head where most of his victims would feel it if he ever needed to defeat them that way. His punches are nearly lightning fast. The only difference between his punches and lightning-fast punches are his can be seen.

Those kicks are deadly. They are from a god, and that should always be remembered. So what looks like slow-motion kicks are actually very powerful to humans and other superheroes.

For a man with an extra tire in the middle area, the balance and time are exemplary. He doesn’t fall once while his legs are circling his body at three, maybe even four miles per hour. It’s phenomenal.

Chris Hemsworth is an inspiration to millions of fans. This video is a testimony to how he inspires others to be the best version of themselves they can be. He won’t settle for less.

Some MC fans aren’t happy with the humor. It’s always been there and the humor makes the entire MCU shine above all other entertainment. Would a dark, gritty Thor be as good as the one Chris Hemsworth is playing? That would shift the entire world into an alternate universe and ironically, only Thor himself would be able to save the day.

‘Dragon Age: Absolution’ trailer invites you back into the world of Thedas

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It has been more than eight years since the last Dragon Age game took us back to Thedas, and with the latest fourth installment still undergoing production at BioWare, perhaps Absolution will be as good as its name and quench our thirst for the amazing fantasy world.

The new animated series is a spinoff that takes place in Thedas and centers around a new character called Miriam. Not much is known about the plot, except for the fact that it’s going to involve a mysterious item known as the Circulum Infinitus, in the shape of a ring with a serpent biting its own tail.

If you feel like that imagery is familiar, it’s because you have seen it before, or rather, read about it, in Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series. BioWare’s Dragon Age took a lot of influence from the world of the Westlands back when the writers were originally conceiving this new narrative, and bits and parts of lore spilled from one fictional world into the other.

Still, going by this new trailer from Absolution alone, the Circulum Infinitus could be symbolizing the eternal flow of time, much akin to the Ouroboros.

Netflix has also released a brand new poster that shows the Dragon Age: Absolution ensemble. Check it out below.

Moreover, Absolution seems to be hinting that the narrative structure will closely tail that of a classic action role-playing game, with the protagonist, Miriam, gathering a party of warriors, mages, and thieves to embark on an adventure that will undoubtedly determine the very fate of Thedas.

Dragon Age: Absolution is slated for a Dec. 9 premiere on Netflix.

‘The Witcher: Blood Origin’ trailer teases more blood being spilled on the Continent

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The Witcher season 3 is still a while away, but Netflix is bridging the exhausting wait with a prequel show that takes place thousands of years before Geralt of Rivia was even born.

Blood Origin chronicles the history of the Continent in its early days, when the Conjunction of Spheres released all sorts of monsters into the world and necessitated the existence of enhanced human warrior machines to fight them. These would go on to be known as the Witchers, and the four-episode limited series is going to depict that in earnest.

The prequel show will not only depict the creation of the first Witcher, but go into the downfall of the Elven civilization and how mankind drove them away from their magnificent cities.

The Witcher: Blood Origin will debut on Dec. 25 with an all-new cast of characters that includes Sophia Brown, Michelle Yeoh, Lenny Henry, Mirren Mack, Dylan Moran, and Laurence O’Fuarain.

Meanwhile, the Witcher fandom is still coming to terms with the explosively disconcerting news of Henry Cavill’s departure after season 3, to be replaced by Liam Hemsworth as the titular White Wolf. With the fandom being on edge as they are, there’s no telling how they’ll receive this new prequel show, which is yet another attempt by Lauren S. Hissrich and the team at Netflix to expand The Witcher franchise through spinoffs and other side media.

The first of these was Nightmare of the Wolf, an animated film centering around Vesemir’s youth. Blood Origin will be the second spinoff, and it’ll no doubt be followed by a string of other projects for years to come.

As mentioned earlier, you can expect all four episodes of The Witcher: Blood Origin to drop on Netflix come Dec. 25.

Watch: ‘Stranger Things 4’ blooper reel reveals BTS fun fueling the on-screen chaos in Hawkins

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It’s been months since Netflix’s most popular television series, Stranger Things, debuted its fourth season and there are long months of waiting ahead of us until the Hawkins gang return. Fortunately, the streaming mogul understands the fanbase’s thirst all too well, which is why they didn’t leave us hanging during today’s Tudum event and released a season 4 blooper reel.

And it’s a long one, as bloopers go. Four full minutes of it, in fact, with the Stranger Things cast showing off just how much fun they have on set and highlighting how much they love the franchise while they’re at it. In that, they share a deep bond with the community, some of whom are practically living these characters even when they’re off-screen and the hype maelstroms have long since subsided.

As for the show’s final season, the Duffer Brothers are busy writing the scripts for Stranger Things 5, and pre-production seems to be moving ahead at a brisk pace. It might still be a few years until we embark on the final chapter of this journey, but at least the crew is showing an inclination to keep fans updated at regular intervals.

Based on when we last saw our beloved characters, Eleven is preparing to square off against Vecna, who is all but guaranteed to return in strength and exact his revenge, for both the past and what the Hawkins gang did to him in season four. Max’s fate remains ambiguous, while Hopper will return to see his little town wreathed in turmoil.

The stage is set, and the clock hand is making its way to strike the final hour.

Watch: Conflict brews in ‘House of the Dragon’ episode 5 trailer

Daemon House of the Dragon

Image via HBO

House of the Dragon has spent the first four episodes mostly setting up the narrative while giving fans a little taste of dragon warfare, but it seems that the prequel series is finally ready to dial up the action as we get into the second half of the first season.

As you can see below, tensions rise in King’s Landing as the political spheres prepare to butt heads in the never-ending Game of Thrones. Oh, also, there’s going to be a royal wedding, with House Targaryen and House Velaryon coming together once again after Viserys soured their working relationship by refusing to marry the Sea Snake’s daughter.

Otto Hightower is being dimissed from the king’s court, though before leaving, he warns his daughter that if Rhaenyra is allowed to succeed Viserys, only war and dissension will follow.

The only way to avoid that is to raise Aegon to be the next king, so while the show may not be ready to embark on the Dance of Dragons yet, they’re definitely putting the building blocks in place already.

You can watch the fifth episode, titled “We Light the Way,” when it premieres across the HBO platforms on Sunday evening.

Watch: ‘Andor’ gets a new trailer at D23 Expo

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Andor is premiering in less than two weeks and Lucasfilm has just given us another sneak peek at the Diego Luna-led spinoff series during the company’s press conference at the D23 Expo.

Following the struggles of the titular Cassian Andor, Tony Gilroy’s new 24-episode series is set to start five years prior to the events of Rogue One. The first 12-episode season, premiering on Sep. 21, will chronicle the first year, while the second and final season will get into the next four.

From what the latest trailer tells us, Andor is going to be a much darker take on the story of Rebellion. “Spies, saboteurs, assassins, we’ve all done terrible things on behalf of the Rebellion,” announces Cassian, before the trailer launches into an action-packed 90 seconds that’s filled with sequences of the Rebel Alliance and the Imperial troops getting into skirmishes across different planets. The visuals actually look great too, as if taken directly out of Rogue One as opposed to a television show.

Andor will see the return of Forest Whitaker as Saw Gerrera, though almost everyone else is a new addition to the Star Wars ensemble. Genevieve O’Reilly is portraying a younger version of Mon Mothma, while Stellan Skarsgård has come onboard as newcomer Luthen Rael. Adria Arjona, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, and Fiona Shaw are portraying Bix Caleen, Imperial officer Dedra Meero, Imperial officer Syril, and Marva, respectively.

The show’s premiere event will see the release of the first three episodes, and from there, the rest will slowly make their way to Disney Plus on a weekly basis.