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⚡ Quick Take

• Praise be to Zeus! Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey will arrive on digital platforms and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on November 17.
• The Odyssey has already broken box office records and become the highest -grossing R-rated film of all time.
• The film will have Oppenheimer’s same 4-month theatrical-to-digital window.
• Nerdist’s take: We can’t wait to watch this Homeric epic on our giant flat screen televisions this fall.

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey stormed into theaters in July, shattering box office records, proving that no home theater experience can truly match the wonder of the big screen. Having said that, we still want Nolan’s version of Homer’s Greek epic in our home theaters. And very soon, we will. Universal Home Video, via Variety, has announced The Odyssey will land on digital to own and for rental on November 17. And in an unusual move, The Odyssey will also arrive on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on the same day. These days, the digital release gets preferential treatment, often arriving a full month before the disc. Nice to see Nolan flexed his deep love for physical media here.

Universal Pictures

The Odyssey features an all-star cast including Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Jon Bernthal, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson, and many others. And it has now topped Deadpool & Wolverine as the top-earning R-rated film in history. It has now earned a whopping $1.35 billion worldwide, and still counting the box office receipts. The IMAX version contributed a sizable $257 million of that box office revenue. And it’s not remotely done yet in terms of its theatrical run.

The Odyssey has become the biggest hit of Christopher Nolan’s career, and the highest-grossing film in the IMAX format. And it’s certainly due to receive many Oscar nominations. It could even win Best Picture for Nolan again, fairly soon after his Oppenheimer win. So take that, all of you online trolls who were predicting it would flop just a month ago. Not so tough talking now, huh? The Odyssey will arrive at home a mere four months from when it hit theaters. These days, a four-month exclusive theatrical window is nothing to sneeze at, as many films go digital in weeks. We can’t wait to hear that Cyclops scream in our home theaters.

Eric Diaz is a staff writer at Nerdist and a Swiss Army knife of fandoms. Eric loves DC, Marvel, horror movies, and even Star Wars and Star Trek equally.

The post THE ODYSSEY Arrives on Digital and 4K Ultra HD in November appeared first on Nerdist.

Rillet CEO Nicholas Koop shared growth numbers at a board meeting and set off a fundraising frenzy from Iconiq, Sequoia and others. Without even trying.

⚡ Quick Take

• At D23, Disney announced it is going to fix Animal Kingdom’s broken yeti animatronic.
• Repairing one animatronic might sound like a minor issue, but represents something bigger for Disney’s most dedicated fans.

The most unexpected announcement at this year’s D23 Experiences Showcase was relatively small. It had nothing to do with a new ride, new cruise ship, or new land. One of the night’s biggest roars came when Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum said Walt Disney World is fixing a single animatronic, the broken yeti on Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain. And while repairing one animatronic might sound like a minor issue, what it represents couldn’t be bigger for Disney’s most dedicated fans.

Disney

For nearly 20 years, Animal Kingdom’s beloved Expedition Everest roller coaster has had a huge problem: its gigantic yeti doesn’t work. Before this year’s D23 there was no reason to think it would anytime soon. Most fans never got to see the infamous beast sweep at them as they passed. The enormous, highly-advanced yeti stopped working in 2027 just six months after the ride opened. But that hasn’t stopped guests from loving the highly-rated attraction. There’s no reason to think it has stopped anyone from visiting the park, either. Expedition Everest has always been great even without its great audio-animatronic. That would have continued to be true. And that’s why this news goes well beyond a single animatronic or ride.

“We’re talking about 1.5 seconds.” That’s what a lead Imagineer told me about the yeti the morning after the Experiences Showcase. In another context, that would be a reasonable justification for why Disney still wasn’t planning to fix it anytime soon. The fantastic ride is nearly three thrilling minutes long, and even in its broken state, the stationary animatronic has always been part of the attraction. For nearly two decades, it has run in “B mode,” which simulates movement via flashing lights. That has earned it a very funny moniker Mazloum referenced on stage: “the Disco Yeti.”

The Disco Yeti was obviously good enough. But the original working version…my goodness. Even two decades later, it looks as good as any animatronic made today. Here’s behind-the-scenes footage of the 25-foot (yes, 25-foot!) beast in action.

Why hasn’t Disney fixed it before? Rumors have long said that would require a lengthy closure of the ride. Some said the Mouse House would need to take part of the mountain apart. Would it be worth it to close Expedition Everest for a year or longer for something that you barely see on a roller coaster everyone loves anyway? Especially when Animal Kingdom has the fewest thrill rides of the four Walt Disney World parks?

There’s no reason to think that was even an option. (And not just because Disney fan theories are notoriously wrong in spectacular fashion.) It might not have been feasible until now. The Imagineer I spoke with has been with the company for a long time, but he said even he wasn’t sure exactly what efforts had been made previously. All he knew was that they now had a way to fix it* and they would. Not in spite of the effect only lasting 1.5 seconds, but because of it. He made clear Disney and Imagineers know it’s time to get this right because even those small brief moment of magic matter. They’re fixing it because they can and they should, even if (left unsaid) it might not make sense financially. This is a case where story, imagineering, and the guest experience is trumpeting budget.

In the words of Mickey Mouse, “Hot dog!”

Nerdist

*Obviously, if even possible, fixing the yeti would have been quite the undertaking before. Something has changed with what they can do and how. So I asked the Imagineer if the new approach they’ve come up with means it will now be a quick fix. He said, “If it were easy it would already be done.” FAIR. What that means for the actual amount of time/ride closure they’ll need to mend the animatronic is unclear. I also don’t expect that work to begin until after Animal Kingdom’s Tropical Americas opens (hopefully) some time next year.

Mazloum ended the Experiences Showcase by saying Dreamfinder—a long abandoned character most Disney World visitors don’t know or remember—is coming back, as Disney is fixing its dated Figment ride. And the company said it is doing so for the best reason. Mazloum told the Honda Center crowd, “We’ve heard you, and this is one more way we’re putting you in the center of everything we do.” Without action that might sound like empty lip service, and it’s not only easy but smart to generally treat conglomerate announcements about loving their fans with some healthy skepticism. But Disney seems intent on proving they really are listening to fans. And if you care about the parks you should feel good about what you heard. Those in attendance certainly did.

Disney+

That Figment announcement was the only one that garnered the same kind of reaction as the yeti news. A room full of the most dedicated, knowledgeable, obsessive park fans—on a night when Disney announced new lands, new attractions, and whole new experiences—went the most wild for about a single animatronic and a single character return. And they did because those announcements aren’t just great unto themselves, they symbolize something much bigger to be excited about

The people who most care about Everest’s broken yeti and EPCOT’s Figment were going back to the parks even without those being address. Disney didn’t really need to fix either attraction to keep those fans from spending their money in the parks. If you know about the Disco Yeti or have long missed Dreamfinder you’re already sold on the Disney experience. Now you can feel good knowing Disney isn’t taking you or your love for its parks for granted. Because while something like Piston Peak, Villains Land, or an expanded Avengers Campus will always help draw new fans/new money, old fans clearly matter to the Mouse House, too.

Soon the yeti will roar again on Expedition Everest. When he does a great ride will get even better, and for the best reason. Not because Disney needs to say goodbye to Disco to draw customers, but because Disney thinks Disney’s most loyal fans deserve to see him in action for 1.5 wonderful seconds.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He’ll be first in line to see the working Yeti back in action. You can follow Mikey on Bluesky at @‌burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post Why Disney Fixing Broken Yeti Animatronic Is the Best News appeared first on Nerdist.

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⚡ Quick Take

• HBO Max has officially greenlit DC Studios’ The People v. Gorilla Grodd.
• American Vandal creators Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault will serve as showrunners.
• The half-hour comedy series will star Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen and Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd.
• NERDIST TAKE: We’re wondering if the Flash is going to pop up. Somehow, we have a feeling Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner will appear.

We’ve been hearing about an HBO show about Jimmy Olsen and Gorilla Grodd from DC Studios for almost a year now, with various titles given. One of them was DC Crime, which James Gunn later debunked. Well, at last, we have not only a name for the series, The People v. Gorilla Grodd, but we officially have a full season order from HBO Max. The series consists of eight episodes, and HBO describes it as a half-hour comedy series. Skyler Gisondo will reprise his role as Jimmy Olsen from Superman, with Jimmy Tatro playing Gorilla Grodd. Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault, creators of Netflix’s American Vandal, will serve as showrunners, writers, and executive producers, with Yacenda directing all episodes.

Here’s the series’ official description:

A superintelligent ape is convicted of murdering his father, the King of Gorilla City. In an eight-part “true” crime docuseries, the Daily Planet’s Jimmy Olsen reopens the case, investigating whether Gorilla Grodd was wrongly convicted in one of Metropolis’ most famous murder trials.

DC Studios/DC Comics

Right now, the series will star several Superman cast members, including Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant, and Wendell Pierce as Perry White. The series also stars Mary Holland, Eduardo Franco, Arian Moayed, Dan Perrault, Andrew Leeds, and Tim Baltz. From the looks of it, David Corenswet’s Clark Kent and Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane won’t appear, but they could always make a surprise cameo.

DC Studios/HBO Max

Our real question as DC fans is if any other major DC Comics heroes appear. Especially if Superman is not the hero who fought and captured Gorilla Grodd. Specifically, we’re wondering if the Flash is going to pop up. But we’d love to see any DC hero. Somehow, we have a feeling Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Guy Gardner will appear. He seems to be the DCU’s lucky charm. No premiere date was given, but we would be surprised to see it before 2028.

Eric Diaz is a staff writer at Nerdist and a Swiss Army knife of fandoms. Eric loves DC, Marvel, horror movies, and even Star Wars and Star Trek equally.

The post HBO Max Greenlights THE PEOPLE V. GORILLA GRODD Comedy Series appeared first on Nerdist.

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