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Few do DMing as well as Brennan Lee Mulligan. He may have hopped over to Critical Role to lead the series’ most recent campaign, but that doesn’t mean he’s left behind his cast of heroes at Dropout’s Dimension 20. Mulligan returns to host the latest season, entitled City Council of Darkness, which sets up a fangtastic adventure of vampiric tabletop goodness. Ahead of the first episode, Dimension 20 launches a video explaining everything you need to know to understand Vampire: The Masquerade.

Watch the Explainer Video Here:

City Council of Darkness is the latest chapter of Dropout’s anthology actual-play show. The season of Dimension 20 follows the Vampire: The Masquerade system, which is similar to other TTRPG’s like D&D. However, there is some variation when it comes to the rules. For instance, Vampire: The Masquerade uses special d10s to determine outcomes. In addition to the regular dice, the game also has red hunger dice, which directly correlate to each character’s bloodlust. Skye explains it all in the video.

What will the Storyline of the City Council of Darkness be about?

The chapter introduces Mulligan and his entourage as a group of vampires running for local government in the desolate town of Purpee, Oregon. The vampiric escapades of Dimension 20 unfold over 14 episodes. The story is packed full of dark creatures and their inner conflict of bloodlust.

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The first episode of Dimension 20‘s second season, City Council of Darkness and all its vampire goodness, aired on April 8 at 4 pm PT and 7 pm ET. You can tune in to Dropout.tv. If you missed the teaser trailer, check it out below for a more in-depth synopsis of what’s to come.

City Council of Darkness Teaser Trailer:

The previous season, Dimension 20: Gladlands, took place in a delightful post-apocalyptic wasteland. The obvious next jump is vampires. Get ready to sink your teeth into a world of hunger and mayhem.

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People love to escape into a world of carefree bliss. That is precisely the reason why people love Pokopia. Pokopia is a life simulator game that lets players explore the world of Pokémon at their own pace. It combines the community aspect of Stardew Valley with the creation aspect of Minecraft. With no shortage of creative people out there, there’s been some pretty amazing builds. And we love to see them. One streaming duo decided to take a more tasty route. Having the Cheesy Gordita Crunch in real life just wasn’t enough, so instead, the pair recreated a working Taco Bell in the game. It’s time to Live Más, because Taco Bell just opened in Pokopia. Check out the build below.

We made a Taco Bell in Pokopia 🌮🔔🌴✨ pic.twitter.com/51r3o3Uvm2

— KoiJay🍥 (@KoiJayx) April 6, 2026

And so the Pokopia fast food chain multiverse continues. Everything about this build is immaculate, even down to the classic purple bell. I wonder if it has the Mountain Dew Baja Blast pie. On second thought, let’s maybe keep that detail a mystery for fear of resurfacing bad memories. (Note: never attempt to eat an entire Mountain Dew Baja Blast pie in one sitting unless you wish to be filled with deep regret like our staff writer, Mikey Walsh.)

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Blake Jennings and KoiJay are the two streamers behind the impressive Pokopia Taco Bell. We really appreciate how they didn’t skimp out on any of the details. The build has all the components of an actual Taco Bell, including seating, a kitchen, a front counter, and a parking lot. It even has a full menu inside the restaurant themed around the different Eevee evolutions. The pair streamed the entire creation process live. You can check out the three-hour-long stream below.

Pokémon Pokopia launched on March 5 of this year. Since, players have been absolutely loving both creating and checking out cool builds. This Pokopia Taco Bell is merely the latest of many. Does anyone else feel like a Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme right now?

The post A Working Taco Bell Officially Opens in POKOPIA appeared first on Nerdist.

When you’re hot, you’re hot. Last year’s Final Destination: Bloodlines was a surprise hit for director duo Adam B. Stein and Zach Lipovsky, after only helming indie horror and TV projects prior. The movie’s success led to the pair lining up a Venom animated film for Sony. The studio seems to be pretty happy with them and have now given them the reins to a film adaptation of video game franchise Metal Gear Solid. From The Hollywood Reporter, Stein and Lipovsky, as part of their overall deal with Sony, will direct MGS with Avi Arad and Ari Arad as producers.Konami

The Metal Gear Solid series of video games—stealth and spy games with increasingly weird sci-fi elements—began as the brainchild of Hideo Kojima. Kojima has made no secret over the years of his desire to make games more like movies. However, rights holder, studio Konami, parted ways with Kojima a number of years back. Ergo, it’s highly unlikely Kojima will have any kind of direct influence on the movie.

Still, the directors heaped praise on Kojima in their statement about their hiring. “Metal Gear Solid was nothing short of a groundbreaking cinematic masterpiece that forever revolutionized video games. We are thrilled and honored to bring Hideo Kojima’s iconic characters and unforgettable world to life.”

Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group President Sanford Panitch released the following statement about Lipovsky and Stein:

“Zach and Adam are thrilling storytellers, masters of visuals and suspense, and two of the most impressive director/producers working today. With projects across all the company’s film labels, we are so happy to create a home for them, and proud to have them as part of the Sony family.”

We’ll see what becomes of the project as time goes on, but get used to saying “Lipovsky and Stein” for a while.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

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Is spring too early to start planning for Halloween? For us at Nerdist, it’s never too soon to start getting ready for spooky season. And apparently, it’s not too soon for the folks at Home Depot either. And this is the earliest in the year Home Depot has ever begun selling its Halloween animatronics. The retail giant has become the #1 place to purchase those elaborate and detailed Halloween decorations we see so much these days. The kind once reserved for theme parks. Now, as part of Home Depot’s Halfway to Halloween promotion, they are bringing back an animatronic figure truly fit for a Disney park. All bow down before Maleficent, the Mistress of Evil, from the animated classic Sleeping Beauty.

Home Depot/Disney

You can see several images of this incredible decoration of the iconic Disney Villain down below, as well as together with some of Home Depot’s other “Halfway to Halloween” offerings this year.

Click To View Gallery Home Depot/Disney Disney/Home Depot Home Depot/Disney Disney/Home Depot Home Depot

And here’s the official description from Home Depot:

The 6.5 ft. Animated LED Maleficent includes servo motors that provide 5 fluid, lifelike movement, including her head, mouth, eyes, staff, and even the mouth of her faithful crow companion. This officially licensed Disney centerpiece leads with realism, featuring piercing orange LED eyes and a staff that glows with a sinister light to simulate dark magic. Motion-sensor activated and ready to enchant, Maleficent speaks 5 classic character phrases accompanied by authentic crow sounds to surprise any passerby. Standing 6.5 feet tall, she is crafted for indoor placement and includes a 6-hour timer for automated nightly displays. The unit is plug-in powered for continuous operation and designed for a simple 1-person assembly in approximately 30 minutes, making it the ultimate addition for Disney-themed Halloween enthusiasts.

This Maleficent Halloween home decor will set you back $279. And it’s already available for pick up at your local Home Depot, or delivery to your home. You can purchase her now at the official Home Depot website. And their Halfway to Halloween promotion features several other incredible decorations, including their iconic giant 12-foot skeleton. Last year, she sold out early, so you many not wish to delay in buying her. Although Maleficent is designed for indoor use, we imagine most hardcore Halloween fans located in temperate climates will let her play outside on the night of October 31. You simply don’t want Maleficent to miss a party. She gets very petty when not invited.

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This post contains major spoilers for The Boys‘ season five premiere. If you’d rather Homelander laser eyes you than see them, read our non-spoiler review of the show’s final season instead. If not, then join us as we dive into The Boys season five with Eric Kripke.Emilia De Leonardis/Prime Video

Showrunner Eric Kripke was always going to have to say goodbye to the entire cast and crew of The Boys after the series’ final year. But season five’s premiere showed he had to say goodbye to one major member of the show immediately, as Jessie T. Usher’s A-Train met his death in the first episode. Why kill him off? What was it like telling his longtime star he wouldn’t make it? And how does he feel now that the highly anticipated last season is finally here? We asked Kripke about all of that and more when Nerdist spoke to him on the eve of The Boys fifth season debut.

Nerdist: You’ve talked previously about how you’ve been thinking about the end of the show for a long time. You started working on the final season at least two years ago. Now that it’s finally here and ready for the world to see, how are you feeling?

Eric Kripke: Mostly, I feel anxious. I’m not mentally healthy enough to feel things like a sense of accomplishment or pride. Mostly, I’m just anxious. I want people to really like it. I want people to say, “That didn’t suck,” and, “This does not make me hate the show or like the show any less.” Finales are hard, man. They do this thing where people judge the series retroactively. Or, at the very least, the legacy of the series is based on how you stick the landing. So I at least want it to be good enough that it doesn’t change the viewer’s attitude about the show. If they like the show, I want them to keep liking the show and not say, “Oh, I’ve decided the show sucks.” That’s my main goal.

Prime Video

Before we get into some of the bigger moments from the season five premiere, what quieter moment from the episode do you hope viewers really notice?

Kripke: It’s not so much a quiet moment, but it’s the one I find the most touching. When A-Train basically allows himself to be captured by dodging that woman because he just refuses to run through her. And to me, it’s a quick moment, but it’s just such a moving signpost of who he was when we first met him to who he is now in our last interaction with him. I find it really heartbreaking, but really heroic.

Prime Video

Well, we can get into that scene now. I think his death clearly sets the tone for what we should expect during the final season, but why Reggie versus another major character?

Kripke: I think we had known early on that A-Train was going to probably be the first on the list because of the story, honestly. Homelander felt so betrayed by A-Train that barring killing Butcher or Annie in the first episode, which while that would’ve been shocking, was probably not the right thing to do for the final season, that A- Train would’ve been the person Homelander most wanted to take down. And it felt like we could really give A-Train the proper sendoff.

So many of these things fall into place just as you’re breaking the story. We need him to rescue them, or we need to really get them out of a tight corner. How are we going to do it? Well, we’re going to have A-Train rescue them. Well, that puts him in front of Homelander. So these things start to take on a life of their own.

Prime Video

I want to come back to Butcher, but I do want to ask, did saying goodbye to Jessie T. Usher so early in the season help prepare you for saying goodbye to the entire cast and crew?

Kripke: It’s a great question, but no, it’s really hard. It’s a really hard phone call to say, “Your number’s up in the first episode.” And without spoiling too much, that was not the only time that season I had to make that call. And it was hard every single time, like, “Sorry, you’re not making it to the end of the season. You’re going to pack up and leave Toronto.” It’s like telling people they’re on Survivor. It was not fun because you create such a relationship and bond with these people. They genuinely become your family that it’s hard to tell them that their role is over.

Prime Video

Somebody who I don’t expect to survive this season survived this episode, Butcher. Homelander tells Butcher he will miss having him as the only person who ever challenged him right before Butcher survives yet another encounter. So does Homelander even really want to kill Butcher? Or is a worthy opponent the only thing that makes Homelander happy at this point?

Kripke: Homelander has genuinely mixed feelings about killing Butcher. He’s the only person who’s ever challenged [Homelander]. He has a weird affection for Butcher that I don’t think is reciprocated by the way.

One thing I like about the episode, and the fantastic job Paul Grellong did writing it, is this whole time Homelander seems just desperate for people’s devotion. “People aren’t devoted to me. They need to be devoted to me in their hearts. The people who work with me at the studio, they’re not devoted to me.” But Butcher is, in a dark homicidal way. But nevertheless, I don’t think Homelander notices the difference that much. He’s just really into people that are obsessed with him. And so I think he likes Butcher for that. He knows that eventually there needs to be a final reckoning, but he wants that to come, really, on both of their terms.

Prime Video

Huey wears his emotions like Macbeth. He can’t hide them, whereas Laz Alonso’s performance as Mother’s Milk is always a lot more reserved and quiet. So if Huey represents hope, what does Mother’s Milk represent at this point in the story? Is it acceptance, resignation, despair, or something else entirely?

Kripke: It’s something like cynicism and resignation. He says it. He’s accepted that he’s already dead and that there’s no future for him after this war. That doesn’t mean he’s not going to fight the war or win the war. He just doesn’t expect to survive it. And a lot of the concern this season is, “All right, so what happens when this war is over? Do we expect to have a happy ending?” And then [Mother’s Milk] decided that he won’t and can’t. So it gives him a cynicism and an ability to play dirty, with a lack of morality than he’s ever had. Which puts him much closer to Butcher’s point of view.

Prime Video

No series has taken on the rise of fascism, anti-intellectualism, and downright stupidity during this period of American history more directly or better than The Boys. Now that it is ending, have you thought about how it might end up being an important show historically because of how it directly addressed this era?

Kripke: I haven’t. I’m way too insecure as a writer and not particularly up my own ass to ever make statements like, “I think it’ll serve as a statement.” I’m just trying to work out my own feelings and frustrations, and the writers’ feelings and frustrations. And if I can make people laugh and think a little bit about the world they live in, then that’s for sure the most I could ever hope for.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He thinks it’s 50/50 Frenchie dies this season. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Life can be pretty stressful. We all need a fun little distraction from time to time. What better form of stress relief than with something cute and cuddly? For some people, that might be a childhood blanket. For others, perhaps a stuffed animal. If you’re in the market for something new, we’ve got you. These emotional support plushies with emoji faces are absolutely, positively adorable.These Adorable Emotional Support Plushies are Everything Click To View Gallery Nuggies, Amazon Highland Cow, Amazon Pop-Tarts, Amazon Sushi, Amazon Capybara, Amazon

From the creators of What Do You Meme? comes a collection of emotional support plushies that are sure to put a smile on anyone’s face. They come in various forms, ranging from cuddly animals to chicken nuggets. Personally, I can’t get enough of the emotional support Pop-Tarts one. Each set comes with five individual plushies, each with its own unique expression. I find it funny that at least one in every quintet manages to have a sweet pair of sunglasses. You can snag ’em here.

These emotional support plushies are split into two main categories: food and animals. The food-themed options include the following: nuggets, dino nuggets, donuts, ice cream, sushi, dumplings, hot dogs, mushrooms, pickles, fries, pizza, crinkle fries, strawberries, and Pop-Tarts. For the animal ones, you can choose between Highland cows, capybaras, chicks, kitties, puppies, or bunnies. There’s also a flower bouquet-themed one, which feels perfect for date night or a get-well-soon gift. Truthfully, these plushie sets work for any occasion, big or small.

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The kicker is that every single one is under $20. In today’s economy, that’s a steal. Especially for the quality these plushies seem to suggest. Each group of five comes in a plushie container matching the overall theme. For instance, the Pop-Tarts come in a Pop-Tart package, the pizza comes in a pizza box, and the fries come in a fry carton. I seriously cannot get over how cute and fun these emotional support plushies are.

Amazon

Maybe you’re in the market for a cute gift for yourself. Maybe you’re looking for a friend. Either way, these emotional support plushies are everything. We’ve kindly linked them to this post for anyone who wishes to take any of these adorable sets home for themselves.

This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!

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It is always a supreme pleasure to see a nerdy kid not only live out their dreams, but excel at them at a high level. Doctor Who fans feel that when they think about David Tennant, a massive fan of the show who literally grew up to be a beloved Doctor. Same goes for Oscar winning actor Michael B. Jordan, a comic book and anime nerd who portrayed the MCU’s Killmonger and had a starring voice role in gen:LOCK. 

The same sentiment also applies to indie creators like Breana Navickas, who went from watching Disney films as a kid to working for Disney as an animator. And, they are blazing their own path in animation with The Three Tomes, a queer story that blends vampire romance and magical girl elements together in a 2010s era Midwestern locale. It follows Tammy Harris, a Black girl who accidentally releases 13 spirits from an ancient tome while filming a short horror movie with her best friend in a graveyard. Tammy now has to capture them, face off against a mysterious foe, and try not to fall in love with two vampires.

We caught up with Navickas to chat about their many career highlights, crafting unique protagonists, and why whimsical Black stories are vital. 

Nerdist: What are some of the cartoons and who are some animators that inspired you as a child? 

Breana Navickas: So this is going to sound kind of generic, but I was a big Disney kid growing up! I’m 32 years old, so I’m a millennial and the Disney Renaissance era was my big thing. I watched things on my VHS tapes… Remember that kids? VCRs! [laughs] I watched Bambi in particular quite a bit and there’s a feature at the end where Walt Disney would come on and talk about the multiplane camera. I didn’t quite know what was going on, but I knew I loved the process of seeing all these people drawing and explaining what the multiplane camera was and how they painted it. All of that blew my mind. 

And Naoko Takeuchi, who’s the creator of Sailor Moon, and her works, too. I grew up with Toonami, which was very much a staple in my foundation for cartoons that I watched. Sailor Moon was the first anime that I remember watching and being like, “I don’t know what this is, but it looks way different than anything I’ve seen before. And I want more of that.” 

In high school, I got a little bit more serious with learning about different animators. The creator of Proud Family, Bruce W. Smith, ended up becoming my boss and is such an inspiration.. I worked on The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder reboot. Gendy Tartarkovski, who created Samurai Jack, was also a big inspiration as well. As I got into the industry, I started to learn more about more just different Black and brown animators and women and femmes like Carole Holliday. She’s a veteran, Black woman animator who did the design for Roxanne in A Goofy Movie and such an inspiration. I feel like she needs to get more flowers.

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Yes, shout out to her indeed! Roxanne is one of my favorite animated characters of all-time. How did you get on the pathway from watching anime and Disney to going into animation yourself? 

Navickas: Funny enough, Disney wasn’t really my goal! I really wanted to work for this company called Titmouse. They do crazy, wild, and super interesting stuff. It’s very unique in comparison to everything else that the industry does. There was a cartoon called Motor City in particular that I was very fascinated with, which was on Disney Channel. So I guess it still goes hand in hand.

I went to Columbia College in Chicago, which is where I am from, and that’s where I got my schooling for animation and whatnot. And I ended up after graduating and taking a year off. My grandmother passed away and I was just trying to refine myself a little bit. I ended up moving out to LA in late 2016 and that was when I decided that I’m going to be more serious about trying to break into the industry. I wanted to storyboard and not animate. I found out that full-on animating is a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. 

But I love being a storyboard artist, which works in tandem with the director and the writers to bring that initial blueprint of the story to life. That part I really, really enjoy. And I ended up networking my first year out here in LA. I worked as a graphic designer for a little bit just to keep food on the table and pay the bills. I eventually became a production assistant on a Disney Junior show, and not for Disney proper, but for a third party studio called Wild Canary Animation. That first job as a PA was on a show called Mira, Royal Detective.

Courtesy of Breana Navickas

I was the PA, a design coordinator, a host coordinator, and then an episodic coordinator all within a year and a half to two years! With a small studio, you end up doing a lot. But then after that, I went to Disney as a production coordinator, and that’s where I worked on The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder for the first two seasons. That was probably one of the most magical… this sounds corny, but it was one of the most magical moments for me. Because again, Disney wasn’t the goal, but Proud Family was special to me because I had grown up with it…

And most of my career has been with Disney ever since… I did a very short stint on Jessica’s Big Little World for Cartoon Network. And that’s how I got to work with Carole Holliday actually as a supervisor, which was an immense honor. Now, I’m headed over to Fox to work on King of the Hill.

That’s really, really awesome! So let’s get into your work, specifically The Three Tomes, which is about a young Black girl who accidentally releases spirits while filming a short horror movie with her best friend in a graveyard. I’m so curious about how you came up with the idea in the first place. What were some sources of inspiration you used when you were crafting that story? 

Navickas: A lot of the inspiration came from just being a millennial. I grew up in a “peak dystopia YA” kind of time period for the teen times, the 2010s era. So you had The Vampire Diaries, Twilight, Hunger Games, all that stuff. All that media was cool but it has a lot of issues. Let’s be real. Let us not ignore the issues that are with Twilight. I also didn’t see any Black people in some things. 

Being a Black teen kid that really enjoyed the supernatural white melodrama stuff, I just didn’t see myself represented. But when you’re that young, you’re not quite thinking about it. You’re just like, “Wow, this is neat.” But as you get older and you start to unpack things, then you realize, “Oh, I was lacking this stuff and now I crave it in the media that I’m part of or that I want to see now that I’m an adult.” 

The Three Tomes also came from me just doodling in my sketchbook in around 2017 or 2018, somewhere around there. In cartoons, there’s the trope of the side character who’s the Black best friend who doesn’t really do too much. And I remember drawing this black girl with glasses and a tomboy white girl and just posted online to see who people thought the main character was. 

I kept drawing these characters over and over again, and they sort of morphed and changed where the Black girl became more front and center. The tomboy white girl became not white anymore. And I just got rid of the gender binary for that character in particular and just made them non-binary. And then I added a little vampire boy as well, whose name was Greg, and he just was a Murdoc Niccals clone because I was going through a resurgence in my fascination for the love of the band Gorillaz. 

I’m a big fan of Interview with the Vampire and I really love Anne Rice’s works. I am very much in love with the new series as well with Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson. I feel like they are the peak adaptation versions of those characters. So yeah, so that’s kind of where this story just came from. My love for YA kind of vampire media melodrama and also my love for anime, and me sort of smashing those two things together to create a story that reflects coming-of-age stuff that I would’ve liked to have seen as a teenager. 

Usually when we get coming-of-age stories for young Black people, it’s always kind of Black pain or we’re struggling. And not that those are not valid, but it doesn’t have to be the only thing. I feel like having Black whimsy and fantasy is so important because whenever we as Black people are in fantasy, it’s always a question of, “Why are they Black dwarves? Why are they Black mermaids?” And it is simply because they can be. We can be a part of that world too and have adventures. 

Exactly! What are your ultimate hopes for The Three Tomes?

Navickas: Right now with the pilot being out, I’m trying to just build a fan base and gain traction, and I’m hoping to launch a Kickstarter for episode two and for future episodes. Those episodes would still be in animatic form just because we’re in an indie animation boom right now. There are a lot of professionals like myself who are dipping into the indie world, especially those of us who are Black and brown people.

It is not lost on me or anybody that we are in a very hostile political climate right now that is very hostile to Black, brown, and queer stories. And mainstream Hollywood is just scared to touch any of that. Some stuff gets through like Sinners, Interview with the Vampire, and even Heated Rivalry. Ryan Coogler broke through with that anomaly [of Sinners], but he still had to work his way up. 

Courtesy of Breana Navickas

Yeah, it took him well over a decade and a lot of proven commercial success with films like Creed and Black Panther to be able to have his original screenplay get the support it needed. 

Navickas: Yeah. It still takes a while for people for their original stuff to get made and even harder for us as Black folks. It would be really great if a studio did want to take a chance on me and my story. I’ve been in the industry for almost 10 years at this point. I’ve worked in production management and on the artist side of things, so I know how stuff works. But that’s kind of up to the studios willing to take a chance on a Black and queer story because that’s what this is. 

It is a Black queer YA story because my main character has two boys pining for her, but all three of them are bisexual. And I have non-binary characters. I have two gay vampires. There’s a sapphic relationship and everybody’s a person of color… well, except for the one white boy. And that’s something that just scares Hollywood now, which sucks, and I really hate that. But that’s sort of why so many of us, myself included, are doing stuff independently.

The Three Tomes was my idea, but I just always want to make sure I’m giving credit where credit is due to my team. In 2024, I had just rolled off of a show and I was unemployed and also pregnant when I decided to jump into production of this.

I called up my creative partner and very dear friend Waymond Singleton, who was my director on it. I was like, “Do you want to just make something? It’s a mess right now. There’s so many shows that are getting canceled and all the Black and brown shows are getting canceled and mergers are happening.” And it was just very distressing to see, but I wanted to make something original with my friend. And he was just like, “Yeah, let’s go. Let’s do this.” 

Courtesy of Breana Navickas

I had the script written, but I just didn’t have the time before. Without my team of 40 plus people who worked on this with me, it wouldn’t have happened. I’m a board artist, but I’m not the strongest action board artist nor the strongest editor. It really was a team effort of just grabbing people who were industry professionals that wanted to work outside their nine to five because they were craving something more creative. This project really was a creative outlet that allowed a lot of people to be free.

My team consisted of a lot of black and brown and queer people, and that’s so important to have on screen and in the background making the thing for me. And also contracting my friend Kennedy Freeman from Luv Letter Studios to do the animated sequences. They’re the only female Black-owned anime studio here in the US, and it was very important to me to have Kennedy on to do that animation. Her team knocked it out of the park!

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It truly takes a village and people have to champion for and support the projects that they want to see! One more question for you. At Nerdist, we are all about celebrating the things that bring our nerdy hearts joy, from comics to gaming. Outside of animation, what do you nerd out about? 

Navickas: Outside of animation, I nerd out about video games really f**king hard. I love video games so much. I am a big RPG person. Persona is one of my favorite franchises that I love to play. Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Silent Hill, Devil May Cry, Resident Evil, I love those video games so much, and I can rant on and on for hours, especially when it comes to Final Fantasy! My favorite is Final Fantasy 10.

The post Animator Breana Navickas on THE THREE TOMES’ Magical Vamp Vibes appeared first on Nerdist.

If you watched the first season of Daredevil: Born Again, you know Frank Castle/the Punisher (Jon Bernthal) had been in hiding in NYC, came out of hiding to help/egg on Daredevil, and then ended up captured by Wilson Fisk’s Anti-Vigilante Taskforce. So, then, why wasn’t the world’s angriest man in one of the cages in Daredevil: Born Again season two’s prison break scene? That answer is at the heart of a the Marvel Special Presentation The Punisher: One Last Kill. This will offer Frank the opportunity to kill people and swear before we see him in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Disney has released the first trailer for The Punisher: One Last Kill (which will likely have many more than one). Check it out below.

Ah yes, the classic Punisher vibe of sad violence. The trailer doesn’t give a ton of info on what the special is about, but it looks to involve Frank protecting a family, specifically a young girl, who reminds him of his own daughter. Rioting seems rampant in NYC, which would make sense if the unrest under Mayor Fisk continues apace. Frank also seems to hallucinate people from his past, which is very on brand for the, let’s face it, badly mentally unwell Mr. Castle. But we love him anyway.

Disney

Regardless of what sparks him, we just like watching Frank Castle go off on people who (probably) deserve it. It’s a power fantasy. And Beardy Bernthal is everyone’s favorite. A Marvel Special Presentation The Punisher: One Last Kill is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green from a script co-written by Bernthal and Green. The special episode debuts May 12 at 6pm PT, exclusively on Disney+.  That’ll be the week after the Daredevil: Born Again season finale. Buckle up, friends!

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

The post Frank Castle Goes Off in THE PUNISHER: ONE LAST KILL Trailer appeared first on Nerdist.

Wednesday‘s third season was already poised to feature some big names. Winona Ryder and Eva Green are joining the hit Netflix series in starring roles. But they are far from the only faces getting in on the creepy kooky fun. The show’s third outing will also include some famous guest stars. The streamer has announced Lena Headey, Andrew McCarthy, and James Lance will appear during Wednesday season three.Netflix/Jesse D

Wednesday‘s third season is currently filming in Dublin, Ireland. Now we know more of the performers who are stopping by The Fair City to be a part of one of Netflix’s biggest hits. Cersei Lannister herself, Lena Heady, will make a guest appearance on Wednesday season 3. As will OG Brat Packer Andrew McCarthy. And Ted Lasso‘s James Lance will leave behind the sweet world of AFC Richmond for the mysterious and spooky one of Wednesday.

HBO/Netflix

Those three are just making an already great cast even better. In addition to returning stars Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, and Fred Armisen, Wednesday season three will also feature Chris Sarandon (Dog Day Afternoon, The Princess Bride), Noah Taylor (Peaky Blinders, Game Of Thrones), Oscar Morgan (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Gotham Knights), and Kennedy Moyer (Task, Roofman).

But while we know a whole lot about the cast, Netflix still hasn’t shared many details about season three. We just know how season two ended, as Wednesday, Uncle Fester, and Thing went off to save Emma Myers’ Enid before she permanently transforms into an alpha werewolf. (You know, a pretty normal end of the school semester.)

Will any of these three guest stars help Wednesday save her friend? Try to stop her? Just be a general weirdo who instantly becomes a fan favorite? We don’t know. We just know that at Nevermore Academy, anything can happen. And when it does, a lot of great actors will be part of it.

Wednesday season three does not yet have a release date. Seasons one and two are streaming now on Netflix.

The post Cersei Lannister Herself, Lena Headey, Joins WEDNESDAY Season 3 appeared first on Nerdist.

Get ready for wave two of LEGO’s One Piece sets to crash upon the side of your ship. In celebration of One Piece season two sailing out into the world, LEGO has announced SEVEN new One Piece sets that celebrate season two of the live-action series on Netflix. The first wave of One Piece sets included six builds, including the Going Merry, the Baratie, and Buggy the Clown’s Circus Tent. In this second release, we’ll see SIX new LEGO sets that highlight the best moments and most adorable characters in One Piece season two, plus one special bonus set. These include all of the Grand Line’s greatest hits: a brick-built Tony Tony Chopper, Dr. Hiriluk’s Hideout, Dorry vs. Brogy — Giants of the Little Garden, Battle at Drum Castle, Garp’s Marine Battleship, and Showdown with Captain Smoker.

LEGO’s collaboration with One Piece is historical, the first time the brick brand has created any kind of anime-inspired builds. And we are loving the results. Join us as we dive into the waters and break down each of the new One Piece season two LEGO sets coming soon.

All the New LEGO One Piece Sets; Jump To:

• LEGO One Piece Season 2 Tony Tony Chopper Set
• LEGO One Piece Season 2 Dr. Hiriluk’s Hideout Set
• LEGO Dorry vs. Brogy — Giants of the Little Garden One Piece Season 2 Set
• LEGO One Piece Season 2 Battle at Drum Castle Set
• LEGO One Piece Season 2 Garp’s Marine Battleship Set
• LEGO Showdown with Captain Smoker One Piece Season 2 Set
• When Will the New LEGO One Piece Season 2 Sets Release?

LEGO One Piece Season 2 Tony Tony Chopper SetLEGO

Of course, Tony Tony Chopper completely stole the show in One Piece season two. So it makes a lot of sense that an entire LEGO One Piece set is devoted to Chopper. This adorable reindeer-hybrid looked incredible and incredibly adorable in Netflix’s live-action series. And looks just as good made out of bricks.

Netflix shares of this One Pieces season two LEGO set, “Recreate the adorable reindeer-boy hybrid in intricate detail with this 7.5-inch tall, 577-piece set. He’s fully posable and comes equipped with authentic accessories, including a book, syringe, and a detachable blue backpack.” Meanwhile, LEGO notes, “The Chopper building figure can either stand or sit, be freestanding or positioned securely on its stand with an accompanying nameplate. Position and pose the model for dynamic play or display by moving the jointed arms, head and mouth. Authentic accessories include a book, box, syringe, bottle and a larger bottle containing a rumble ball. Chopper also has a detachable blue backpack, which opens to provide storage space. A soft piece of textile sits over the figure’s shoulders to represent his fur.”

OH MY GOD. Not the fur. We are squealing about how cute LEGO Chopper is. You can pre-order LEGO Chopper today. And here are some other details to know about this adorable One Piece LEGO build.

LEGO LEGO LEGO LEGO How Many Pieces Is the Tony Tony Chopper LEGO Set?

LEGO’s Tony Tony Chopper set contains 577 pieces, making it the perfect child-friendly introduction to LEGO.

What Minifigures Are Included in LEGO One Piece‘s Tony Tony Chopper Set?

NONE! Chopper is the only Minifigure around here. But he does come with “hopper can hold a book, box, bottle and a larger bottle containing a rumble ball, some of which also fit inside his opening, detachable blue backpack.” And yes, all of those accessories are brick-built.

How Much Will This One Piece LEGO Tony Tony Chopper Set Cost?

The One Piece Tony Tony Chopper LEGO set will cost $69.99. Not bad!

LEGO One Piece Season 2 Dr. Hiriluk’s Hideout SetLEGO

Chopper needs a place to live and learn, doesn’t he? For that, we have the Dr. Hiriluk’s Hideout LEGO set. Chopper’s first found family included Dr. Hiriluk and Dr. Kureha. Of course, he LOVED Dr. Hiriluk with all his heart. And we know Dr. Hiriluk thought of Chopper as his son. Just remembering THAT moment from One Piece season two brings tears to our eyes.

Here’s what Netflix had to share about the LEGO One Piece Dr. Hiriluk’s Hideout set, “Bring the early parts of Chopper’s journey to life, one LEGO brick at a time. This 271-piece set features the beloved reindeer boy in LEGO Minifigure form for the first time ever, along with Minifigures of Dr. Hiriluk and Dr. Kureha — the family that helped Chopper fulfill his dream of becoming a doctor.

And LEGO added, ” Open the hinged mountain with its snowy rocks and movable trees to discover the detailed interior of Dr. Hiriluk’s hideout. Authentic details include Chopper’s antler hat, Dr. Hiriluk’s hat, furniture, a table full of equipment for experiments, medical books, a pirate flag, and a cozy fireplace. There’s even a secret dossier tile for collectors to discover.”

LEGO LEGO LEGO LEGO LEGO LEGO

We love a dossier tile! In the first wave of One Piece LEGO sets there were Wanted posters to collect. But now, Baroque Works has entered the scene, and they’re gathering intel.

You can pre-order the LEGO One Piece Dr. Hiriluk’s Hideout set today and check out some more details abiout it below.

RELATED ARTICLE

ONE PIECE’s Baroque Works, Explained (A Spoiler-Free Guide to the Agents and Organization)How Many Pieces Is the Dr. Hiriluk’s Hideout LEGO Set?

Dr. Hiriluk’s Hideout contains 271 pieces. An EVEN MORE beginner-friendly build.

What Minifigures Are Included in LEGO One Piece‘s Dr. Hiriluk’s Hideout Set?

Dr. Hiriluk’s Hideout comes with three LEGO One Piece Minifigures: Tony Tony Chopper wearing his famous antler hat, Dr. Hiriluk with his distinctive hat and wild hair, and Dr. Kureha. And yes, the actual Chopper Minifigure is SO cute.

How Much Will This One Piece LEGO Set Cost?

Dr. Hiriluk’s Hideout costs $29.99. A great price!

Jump To:

• LEGO One Piece Season 2 Tony Tony Chopper Set
• LEGO One Piece Season 2 Dr. Hiriluk’s Hideout Set
• LEGO Dorry vs. Brogy — Giants of the Little Garden One Piece Season 2 Set
• LEGO One Piece Season 2 Battle at Drum Castle Set
• LEGO One Piece Season 2 Garp’s Marine Battleship Set
• LEGO Showdown with Captain Smoker One Piece Season 2 Set
• When Will the New LEGO One Piece Season 2 Sets Release?

LEGO Dorry vs. Brogy — Giants of the Little Garden One Piece Season 2 SetLEGO

Making a LEGO set featuring “giant” Giant builds is pure genius. And Little Garden happens to be one of our favorite arcs from One Piece season two, so we love to see its by turns, tragic, by turns, heart-warming fun captured in a LEGO set. LEGO One Piece‘s Dorry vs. Brogy — Giants of the Little Garden perfectly captures all the elements we saw in season two of the series. Jolly giants, the menace of Baroque Works, the chaotic good of the Straw Hat pirates, and more.

RELATED ARTICLE

Watch These ONE PIECE Anime Episodes to Get Ready for Season 2

Netflix shares, “You no longer have to wonder what it’s like to experience the island where giants roam and danger lurks behind every tree. With this 733-piece set, you can build fully jointed brick giants that clash just like Dorry and Brogy do in the live-action series. The set also includes new LEGO Minifigures of Straw Hats Zoro and Usopp, and Baroque Works agents Mr. 3 and Miss Golden Week, along with LEGO brick-built figures of ferocious assassins Miss Friday and Mr. 13.”

LEGO LEGO LEGO LEGO

LEGO One Piece season 2 new sets Dorry vs. Brogy – Giants of Little Garden 2

Who doesn’t want full-jointed brick giants?!! Here’s a bit more about the set. You can pre-order this set soon.

How Many Pieces Is LEGO Set?

LEGO One Piece‘s Dorry vs. Brogy — Giants of the Little Garden set contains 733 pieces.

RELATED ARTICLE

LEGO ONE PIECE Special Makes Us Grin Big (Much Needed)What Minifigures Are Included in LEGO One Piece‘s Set?

This set includes LEGO Minifigures of Straw Hats Zoro and Usopp, and Baroque Works agents Mr. 3 and Miss Golden Week. Additionally, you’ll build Baroque Works assassins Miss Friday and Mr. 13 out of bricks… otherwise known as the Unluckies… otherwise known as an otter in pajamas and a vicious vulture.

How Much Will This One Piece LEGO Set Cost?

The price of this One Piece LEGO set is not yet confirmed, but we assume it will be somewhere between $80 and $100.

Jump To:

• LEGO One Piece Season 2 Tony Tony Chopper Set
• LEGO One Piece Season 2 Dr. Hiriluk’s Hideout Set
• LEGO Dorry vs. Brogy — Giants of the Little Garden One Piece Season 2 Set
• LEGO One Piece Season 2 Battle at Drum Castle Set
• LEGO One Piece Season 2 Garp’s Marine Battleship Set
• LEGO Showdown with Captain Smoker One Piece Season 2 Set
• When Will the New LEGO One Piece Season 2 Sets Release?

LEGO One Piece Season 2 Battle at Drum Castle SetLEGO

The major battle in One Piece season two took place in Drum Castle. There, Luffy, Sanji, Vivi and Chopper faced off against Baroque Works-backed King Wapol, who did not deserve the title of king at all. Of course, the King had a newly gifted Devil Fruit power, making him extra dangerous. But happily, good prevailed. Now you can recreate all the majesty of this season two clash in LEGO One Piece form.

Netflix shares, “Relive the Straw Hats’ victorious battle against a tyrant king with this multi-story castle set. Featuring hidden details for all eagle-eyed pirates out there, this immersive build comes complete with LEGO Minifigures of Luffy, Nami, Sanji, Tony Tony Chopper, Vivi, and Wapol.”

LEGO adds of this new One Piece set, “Minifigures of Monkey D. Luffy, Nami, Sanji, Vivi, Tony Tony Chopper and Wapol let kids play out imaginative adventures in the snowy, multilevel castle. Open the walls to expand the fortress and explore the first floor with its large fireplace, second floor with Chopper’s laboratory and bed for Nami, and a throne room on the third floor. Accessories to inspire imaginative play include a pirate flag, banners and lamps, which decorate the castle, lots of weapons to enable Wapol’s Devil Fruit transformation, a lab for Chopper, plus kitchenware to prepare food.”

LEGO LEGO LEGO LEGO LEGO

I mean, we can’t let a Sanji Minifigure exist without a kitchen! What will he do? The Wapol Minifigure is very cool, and we love Luffy’s big grin. The castle itself also looks incredible. You can pre-order this set today and learn more about it below.

How Many Pieces Is the Battle at Drum Castle LEGO Set?

LEGO One Piece Battle at Drum Castle contains 1,038 pieces.

What Minifigures Are Included in LEGO One Piece‘s Battle at Drum Castle Set?LEGO

The set contains “6 MINIFIGURES – The multilevel fortress is filled with familiar ONE PIECE characters: Monkey D. Luffy, Nami, Sanji, Vivi, Tony Tony Chopper and the tyrannical King Wapol with weaponized body parts.”

How Much Will This One Piece LEGO Set Cost?

The LEGO One Piece Battle at Drum Castle will cost $109.99.

LEGO One Piece Season 2 Garp’s Marine Battleship SetLEGO

We can’t let the pirates have all the fun. The Marines deserve their own LEGO One Piece set as well, and that’s exactly what Garp’s Marine Battleship set brings to fans. Netflix shares of this set, “Sail into Loguetown, the bustling gateway to the Grand Line, with this complex build comprised of more than 1,705 pieces. The titan of the sea comes to life in a set that features five sails, a marine flag, and eight LEGO Minifigures, including Zoro, Usopp, Nami, Vice Admiral Garp, and Miss All Sunday.” And, of course, the LEGO build brings to life the iconic dog masthead of Garp’s vessel.

You’ll be able to pre-order this LEGO set soon; for now, let’s learn more about it.

LEGO LEGO LEGO LEGO How Many Pieces Is LEGO Set?

LEGO One Piece Garp’s Marine Battleship Set contains 1,705 pieces.

What Minifigures Are Included in LEGO One Piece‘s Set?LEGO

This LEGO One Piece set includes eight LEGO Minifigures: Zoro, Usopp, Nami, Vice Admiral Garp, Miss All Sunday, Koby, Helmeppo, and Kuina.

How Much Will This One Piece LEGO Set Cost?

We estimate Garp’s Marine Battleship LEGO set will cost $109.99.

Jump To:

• LEGO One Piece Season 2 Tony Tony Chopper Set
• LEGO One Piece Season 2 Dr. Hiriluk’s Hideout Set
• LEGO Dorry vs. Brogy — Giants of the Little Garden One Piece Season 2 Set
• LEGO One Piece Season 2 Battle at Drum Castle Set
• LEGO One Piece Season 2 Garp’s Marine Battleship Set
• LEGO Showdown with Captain Smoker One Piece Season 2 Set
• When Will the New LEGO One Piece Season 2 Sets Release?

LEGO Showdown with Captain Smoker One Piece Season 2 SetLEGO

One of the first major showdowns in One Piece season two happened between Marine Captain Smoker and the Straw Hat Pirates. Smoker wants to take Luffy down, and he almost does, but a mysterious figure saves Luffy’s life. Now, all of this is immortalized in a LEGO set. Netflix shares, “Charge into battle with this recreation of Captain Smoker riding a brick-built motorbike. Plumes of cigar smoke not included.” Okay, but we do see some cool smoke action around Smoker’s Minifigure.

LEGO adds, “Recreate the lively market in Loguetown with this fun-filled ONE PIECE diorama kit featuring a katana store, recruitment center, colorful fish stall, and Smoker’s powerful motorcycle. Special components let kids turn the Captain into smoke, flick a lever to trigger an explosion at the Marine Office, and step into epic battle action with cool weapons. 2 secret dossier tiles are included for collectors to discover.”

LEGO

We love the LEGO world-building this set offers, and there’s even an action-packed explosion in the mix. You can pre-order the LEGO Showdown with Captain Smoker One Piece set today. Check out more details about it below.

How Many Pieces Is LEGO Set?

The LEGO Showdown with Captain Smoker One Piece set contains 547 pieces.

What Minifigures Are Included in LEGO One Piece‘s Set?

This set includes “4 MINIFIGURES – Gear up for adventure with Monkey D. Luffy, Sanji, Dragon and Captain Smoker at the lively market, featuring a katana store, Marine Recruitment Center and Smoker’s powerful motorcycle.”

How Much Will This One Piece LEGO Set Cost?

The LEGO Showdown with Captain Smoker One Piece set costs $69.99.

When Will the New LEGO One Piece Season 2 Sets Release?LEGO

These new One Piece season two sets will release on August 1. You can pre-order them today.

Later in 2026, we’ll also receive a LEGO One Piece animated special. One Piece season three will release. in 2027. You can stream Netflix season one and season two on Netflix.

The post LEGO Reveals 6 ONE PIECE Season 2 Sets Including Adorable Chopper appeared first on Nerdist.

It is hard to believe that there’s an eighth Scream film coming our way in the future. It seems like yesterday when the franchise came roaring back to life with Scream (2022). That fifth film arrived more than a decade after Scream 4, which many people thought would be the end of the franchise. Well, that’s after we thought the trilogy wrapped up Sidney’s story more than 11 years before that. Scream 4 ended up being a welcome addition to the roster, and one that ranks highly with some fans. Others like to poke fun at it, specifically its weird cinematic sheen and the bonkers scene where Jill beats herself up. Now, Scream 4 is getting the 4K treatment with a Blu-ray Steelbook edition (with artwork by Gnah Studios) as well as a VHS tape. 

We love a good “be kind, rewind” moment. These limited releases are a pretty big deal considering that it can be hard to find Scream 4 streaming from time to time. Usually, the first three films are on a streaming service together because they were produced and distributed by the same company.

Lionsgate Limited

And, the last two films have a home on Paramount+ for the same reason. That will also be true for Scream 7 when it is on streaming. Scream 4 has always floated on its own with different distribution, so being able to own it is exciting. 

Check out the synopsis to go along with these Scream 4 releases:

Debuting in blood-chilling 4K! Scream 4 amps up the carnage in horror master Wes Craven’s hall-of-mirrors fourth Scream installment. It’s the anniversary of the original Ghostface murders, and Sidney (Neve Campbell) has returned to Woodsboro to promote her new book about surviving the masked killer. But Ghostface still haunts Woodsboro – slashing through Jill’s (Emma Roberts) circle of friends, outwitting Sheriff Dewey (David Arquette), taunting tough-skinned reporter Gale (Courteney Cox)…and relentlessly stalking Sidney, Ghostface’s ultimate prize.

Lionsgate Limited

Now, let’s break down all the features that you’ll get: 

Special Features on the 4K+ BD + Digital

Lionsgate Limited Extras:

·     The Meta of Scream 

·     Rebooting the Franchise: Scream 4 Revisited 

·     Ghostface Revealed!

·     Wes Craven: The Maestro of Scream

Legacy Special Features:

·      Feature Commentary with Director Wes Craven and Cast Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, and Neve Campbell

·      Deleted and Extended Scenes

·      Alternate Opening

·      Extended Ending

·      Gag Reel

·      EPKs:

B-Roll 

Soundbites

·      Junket Interviews

·      Trailers

·      TV Spot

We love to see it, just like we love looking at the Scream Steelbook cover and that very rad VHS tape. Pre-orders are available at Lionsgate Limited, with a release date of June 9.

The post SCREAM 4 Gets 4K Blu-ray Steelbook and VHS Tape Release appeared first on Nerdist.

Today in “Obvious Things”: Brad Bird knows animation. The Iron Giant director has Academy Awards for both The Incredibles and Ratatouille. With that kind of resume, you might think he can get anyone he wants to work on his movies. That is another “Obvious Thing.” And in case it wasn’t, Netflix has just confirmed it. The streamer announced the cast of his next film, Ray Gunn, and it’s loaded. When it releases later this year, it will star Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Waits. But just as impressive as that cast are the first images from the stylish animation that will blend genres.

Netflix

The film, produced by Skydance Animation, will see Rockwell voicing the titular Raymond Gunn. Scarlett Johansson will play Venus Nova. And Tom Waits is Eyera. These first-look Ray Gunn images, (and even the film’s title) do a good job of capturing the premise. Ray Gunn is retro sci-fi noir. Here’s the official synopsis from Netflix:

In Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future as seen from 1939, private eye Raymond Gunn is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder and a multimedia star named Venus Nova.  

Netflix

Bird, who also co-wrote the film with Matthew Robbins, says the idea for this film is many years in the making. “Ray Gunn has been in my mind for over 30 years,” he said in a press release. “The film is a blend of sci-fi and classic detective movies from the ’40s…it’s Maltese Falcon meets Buck Rogers. I’ve been a fan of both of those sort of genres, and blending them together seemed fun, and a chance to play with a lot of very cinematic elements, and extreme characters.”

Netflix

Johansson also shared what it was like getting to work with such a legendary director. “Having the opportunity to collaborate with Brad Bird is a career milestone for me; I have loved his work my entire life,” she said in a statement. “This project is so uniquely special because it is a total realization of where Brad is currently on his artistic journey. I can’t wait for audiences to see this extraordinary animation that looks like nothing else out there.”

See? He really can get anyone he wants.

Ray Gunn will release in 2026.

The post Brad Bird’s RAY GUNN Announces Loaded Cast, Shares First Images appeared first on Nerdist.

Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord has dropped its first two episodes on Disney+ at last. And already, fans and critics love this “crime drama meets the dark side of the Force” series. Of course, Maul’s future is mapped out thanks to his story ending in Star Wars Rebels. And this series covers how Maul went from a discarded Sith apprentice to a notorious crime lord in Solo. One aspect new to Maul history is the character Devon Izara, a Twi’lek former Jedi padawan who survived Order 66. All signs point to Devon (Gideon Adlon) becoming Maul’s new apprentice. But could she become the deep cut Star Wars villain, Darth Talon? We have a strong feeling that she will.

Lucasfilm

If you’re wondering which movie or animated series Darth Talon appeared in, the answer is zero. She first appeared in Dark Horse Comics’ Star Wars: Legacy series in 2006, created by John Ostrander and Jan Durseema. Legacy took place 127 years after the events of A New Hope. Talon was a Sith Lady, clad with black tattoos covering her red skin, evoking Darth Maul. Each tattoo was one that Talon earned in ritual combat, inscribed on her by Sith Lord Darth Krayt. Her Sith master was fellow Twi’lek Darth Ruyn, whom she later murdered on the orders of Krayt. She became one of the galaxy’s deadliest warriors, and an adversary to Luke Skywalker’s descendant, Cade Skywalker. Although sometimes, they were lovers as well. She quickly became a favorite for cosplayers, and sold tons of merch.

Lucasfilm

If Devon on Maul becomes Talon, none of her backstory will resemble what you just read. That’s because George Lucas had plans for Talon that would have contradicted her Legacy backstory. Apparently, before selling Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, Lucas took a liking to the design of Darth Talon. He planned to pair her up with Maul for a video game that never came to fruition. But when Lucas sold his company to Disney, he had plans to bring Talon into canon. Only this time, as Maul’s apprentice in his proposed Star Wars sequel trilogy. In Lucas’ early ideas, Maul would have reemerged in the galaxy after Return of the Jedi, taking his place as head of a criminal empire. His apprentice, Darth Talon, would have attempted to seduce Ben Solo into becoming a villain. Lucasfilm’s Ian McCaig even drew up some provocative Talon concept art.

Lucasfilm

Obviously, the sequel trilogy went in a different direction. But Dave Filoni, who was George Lucas’ apprentice in a fashion, never forgot Lucas’ original plans for Maul and Talon. When he began crafting Maul – Shadow Lord, he used some of Lucas’ ideas of Maul’s rise as head of the crime syndicate Crimson Dawn, and pushed it much earlier in the timeline. And given how Devon is being primed as Maul’s new apprentice, and is a red-hued Twi’lek? It sure feels like her transition to becoming Talon might be around the corner. Although, as Maul is no longer a Sith, she wouldn’t be “Darth” Talon, just Talon. They could change her name entirely, but “Maul and Talon” does have a nice ring to it.

RELATED ARTICLE

MAUL: SHADOW LORD Will NOT Make Maul ‘a Good Guy’ Shares Creative Team

If Devon becomes Talon, or a Talon-like character, it makes sense for where Maul’s arc ultimately ends. In Star Wars Rebels, a few years prior to A New Hope, Maul was portrayed as a lonely, pathetic figure. He no longer had control over any crime syndicates from the look of things. He became obsessed with recruiting young Ezra Bridger as his new apprentice. Could Maul have been trying to replace Devon/Talon? She’s not around by the time of Rebels. She could have died, or turned back to the light side. So it would make sense that Maul was “replacing” Devon with Ezra. We’ll see how this all unfolds in Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord seasons one and two.

The post Will MAUL-SHADOW LORD’S Devon Become This Deep Cut Villain? appeared first on Nerdist.

Last year our 2025 Pop Culture Gift Guide included a massive prehistoric present. Unlike Dr. Grant, we definitely signed off on LEGO’s massive Jurassic World Dinosaur Fossils: Tyrannosaurus Rex. It’s a full-sized recreation of the giant skeleton John Hammond had placed at the entrance to his doomed theme park. But even skeletons get lonely, so the iconic toy company will now let you build your T. rex model an equally epic friend. LEGO has announced its Jurassic World Dinosaur Fossils collection is digging up a full-sized Triceratops.LEGO

The new Dinosaur Fossils: Triceratops LEGO Jurassic World set is “a highly detailed recreation of Triceratops horridus.” Designed for builders 18+, the 1,154-piece set measures over 8.5 inches tall. And even though this dino doesn’t have muscles, ligaments, or tendons, it’s still posable. You can move its head, legs, tail, and jaw that opens, so you can display is how you like.

In addition to those big plastic bones, this toy bricks triceratops also comes with a bunch of extras that celebrate both its own era and the movie that kicked off the Jurassic Park franchise. They include:

• An information plaque
• Display stand adorned with a wetland environment that features a tree stump, Cretaceous plants (including ferns, a cycad and blooming flowers), a hidden amber, and a small frog figure
• A Dr. Gerry Harding minifigure from Jurassic Park movie

LEGO

This addition to the line is a big step up from LEGO’s first Triceratops Dinosaur Fossils collectible. The previous one, which totals 468-pieces, is only a recreation of the prehistoric creature’s skull. It’s still a great collectible. Especially for people who love both building LEGO sets and paleontology. But our lonely giant T. rex LEGO skeleton needs more than just a head to talk to. He needs a dino who knows what it’s like to still have all your plastic bones intact.

The post LEGO Digs Up Dinosaur Fossils Triceratops Skeleton Set appeared first on Nerdist.

Can we officially add Peter Dinklage to the roster of greatest genre actors of all time? Aside from his iconic turn as Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones, he’s also starred in projects like X-Men: Days of Future Past, Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Wicked, Avengers: Infinity War, and most recently, Dexter: Resurrection and The Toxic Avenger. Now, we can add the world of Alien to his already impressive geeky resume. Via Deadline, we’ve learned that Dinklage has joined the cast of Alien: Earth for season two. The Noah Hawley-produced FX/Hulu series will begin shooting next month in the UK.Showtime/FX

So far, FX has revealed nothing about who Dinklage may be playing. We suspect he’ll portray one of the heads of one of the other five big corporations that rule the Earth in the future the series takes place in, a few years prior to the events of Alien. One is Weyland-Yutani, another is Prodigy. But who controls the other three remains a mystery. Alien: Earth begins shooting at Pinewood Studios soon, a place which carries its own long history with the Alien franchise. It’s where Ridley Scott shot the original 1979 classic, and also where he shot the 2012 prequel Prometheus. In between those two Ridley Scott movies, David Fincher shot Alien 3 at Pinewood back in 1991.

Peter Dinklage joins an incredible cast that includes Sydney Chandler as hybrid synthetic Wendy, along with Alex Lawther, Timothy Olyphant, Essie Davis, and Samuel Blenkin. Rounding out the cast are Babou Ceesay, David Rysdahl, Adarsh Gourav, Jonathan Ajayi, Lily Newmark, Diem Camille, and Moe Bar-El. With a May production start date, we don’t expect to see Alien: Earth drop its first episodes any time before summer 2027. But given the high quality of season one, we’re sure it’ll be worth the wait.

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One of the most annoying parts about long flights is getting comfortable enough to fall asleep. As someone who travels frequently, I can personally attest to this. Unless you’re flying Coach, you can basically kiss your beauty rest goodbye. United Airlines is looking for a way to make flying economy more comfortable. Introducing United Relax Row, a new seating option that lets economy passengers convert their row into a makeshift bed. This makes United the first North American airline to offer economy lie-flat seats.

Lie-back seating is something we can definitely get behind. It seems much more comfortable than propping your head against the window or leaning forward on the tray table. The new economy seating option will be available in 2027. It is designed for solo travelers, couples, and families with young children. The video above shows exactly how it works. First, the leg rests fold up to create a makeshift bed. Travelers can then add a fitted mattress pad and extra pillows for added comfort. United will offer twelve Relax Row sections for each flight the seating option is available on. They will sit between United Economy and United Premium Plus.

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Glimpsing past the glittering camouflage of comfort, I do have just one concern. How many people can people can comfortably fit in one row? Pessimistically, I would say no more than one adult or one parent and a child. Definitely not three people, unless you want to get reallyyy cozy. I raise this question because it directly correlates with price. Whether you’re a solo traveler or a mom with two small children, you’re paying for the whole row. It’s something to consider when juggling how much you’re willing to spend in the name of comfort. This Instagram video breaks it down a little more.

As you can see, the economy Relax Row is really not that spacious when you lie down. It all depends how much you’re willing to spend for comfort. I imagine tons of people out there would pay a pretty penny for a good night’s rest. It does seem like a pretty relaxing way to fly, especially for long international flights. But whether it’s worth the cost is up to you. The United Relax Row will arrive sometime in 2027.

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Netflix’s Live-Action One Piece is back with a new season that is bigger and better than before. But how does it compare to the manga and anime? Dan Casey sets sail for the Grand Line to break down the biggest changes One Piece: Into the Grand Line made from the source material!

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Longtime X-Men fans have been waiting for any solid information on their upcoming MCU debut, directed by Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier. So far, he’s remained pretty tight-lipped about his take on Marvel’s mutants. But thanks to an interview with Collider, we have some idea of which X-Men comics he’s pulling from for inspiration. And, not surprisingly, he’s citing the seminal Uncanny X-Men run of writer Chris Claremont as his primary source of inspiration. Claremont defined the team in their most popular era, writing the characters for 16 years, from 1975 to 1991. Here’s what Jake Schreier had to say, after announcing Sonny Lee Sung Jin (Beef) and Joanna Calo (The Bear) as the latest X-Men screenplay writers.

They have come in and are working on a draft right now, which is really, really exciting to be able to put that group of people together again. I also think just having the time to kind of sit back, and I’ve just been digging into so many of the old comics and the entire Claremont run, and just going through stuff and really trying to think about what can we do well that feels new and feels different, and that hasn’t been done well before? Obviously, there’s such an incredible cinematic tradition of these comics, but what can we do? And how can we put our own spin on what that is?

Marvel Comics

“Claremont run” signifies a very long time in comic book terms. So it may seem like it’s hard to pinpoint which characters will make up the roster. But despite writing Uncanny X-Men for so long, most of Claremont’s era focused on a tight-knit group of characters. During the book’s sales peak, from 1975-1987, the main characters were Cyclops, Phoenix, Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Kitty Pryde, and Rogue. Later additions were Havok, Dazzler, and Longshot. However, their tenures were relatively brief, only sticking around for a couple of years.

Marvel Comics

The other two most significant Claremont additions toward the end of his tenure are Psylocke and Gambit. Claremont wrote the team’s rebirth in 1991’s X-Men #1, which saw the return of team founders Angel, Iceman, and Beast. But he left the series after issue three, so they weren’t prominent characters during his era. Of course, Professor Charles Xavier led the team for much of this era as well. So if we were to venture a guess as to who makes the cut? Then we’d say look at which heroes Claremont had the strongest affinity for during this time. So expect some of the X-Men’s most iconic heroes when they arrive in the MCU.

The post The MCU X-MEN Director Reveals Which Comics Inspired Him appeared first on Nerdist.

This interview contains major spoilers for The Boys‘ season five premiere. If you want to run away from them until you see the episode head over to our non-spoiler review of the show’s final season. Otherwise, dive into A-Train’s journey on The Boys season five with us.Prime Video

The Boys‘ fifth and final season ended with a moment that was shocking yet not totally surprising. Homelander finally caught his former Seven colleague A-Train, leading to his death. It was a farewell that brought Reggie Franklin’s story—which began on the show with him running through Hughie’s girlfriend Robin—full circle. He died as a hero after avoiding an innocent pedestrian while fleeing Homelander. He also died bravely, laughing in the face of the world’s most powerful Supe.

What was it like leaving the show in such an epic way? What was it like filming his memorable goodbye and working on his final episode? We spoke to A-Train himself, Jessie T. Usher, on the eve of The Boys‘ season five premiere.

Prime Video

Nerdist: You’ve been living with this episode for a long time.

Jessie T. Usher: Yeah.

Now that season five of The Boys is finally premiering, does A-Train’s death feel more real?

Usher: Yes. Yes, it does. I’ve been living with this deepest secret for the last two years. I heard about A-Train’s death and how it was going to play out about a year before we got the script. Eric called me as soon as they started workshopping the idea, and I kept it from the cast. They didn’t know. I kept it from all my closest friends. I’m getting threats from my family and friends. They want to know so bad, but I feel like I’ve made it this far. I’m not going to let anything, no cats, out the bag. I’m going to let people live in their heads the way that I have for the last two years with this thing.

I cannot wait to have people finally see what’s going to happen and how it’s going to end for the character. I’ve been biting my tongue for so long.

Prime Video

What was your initial reaction when Eric told you, “Hey, we’re going to start this season off with you (A-Train) dying?”

Usher: I felt with everything that happened with A-Train he had to die. I felt like he had to. It’s the only thing that sort of makes sense with all the shit that he’s done. So when I got the call, my initial reaction was like, “Okay. It’s happening.”

Everyone wants to die by Eric’s pen. That’s the thing when you start working on an Eric Kripke show. “How are you going to die? Do you get to die?” So I was like, “Okay. I finally get my death from Eric.” And then he told me how it was going to play out and the symbolism that’s going to happen in the full circle moment that A-Train’s going to have.

Honestly, tears in my eyes. I can’t thank him enough for taking the time to have this character make these real changes and have these real moments that play out on screen. That he’s been able to process and express throughout the course of the show. It’s just not often you get a chance to play a character that makes a full turn. It’s rare. Super, super rare.

This character, who had a less significant role in the comics, from the beginning of the series, I just felt like they really, really cared about him. And this ending, going out the way that A-Train goes out, it’s such a strong ending and such a strong moment for him. It’s a really big thing. It just feels massive, and I couldn’t be more grateful. I love it.

Prime Video

In 2022, I asked you what you thought would be the fairest ending for A-Train and what you personally hoped would happen to him. You thought losing everything and having to live with that was fair. But personally, you said, and I quote, “I want to die in an epic way; I want something legendary to happen. I don’t know, some slow-motion scenes, something crazy that only we can do on this show. I want to see something cool. That’s all.”

Usher: Woooow.

Considering you got what you personally wanted and more, did you have any input into this ending and A-Train’s death?

Usher: No, no. I trusted Eric 100%. He gave me the idea, and I purposefully didn’t want to put anything in his mind. I just feel like whatever it is that I’m thinking, he’s thought about it a hundred times over. His ideas are always greater than mine. I praise his pen. I think he’s incredible. So no, he told me from the jump that A-Train’s going to run; it’s going to be Homelander that’s going to do it. And we’re not going to bend or break the rules. [A-Train] is actually still going to be the fastest man. We’ll see him actually losing Homelander, so we’ll know if it weren’t for [A-Train] making the decision not to hit the girl, he actually would have gotten away.

That to me was epic. That’s all I can really ask for. Because I want this character to stay who he is and to be as legendary as we built him up to be. And for the fans and stuff, they’re always going to ask, “Oh, is he that fast? Is Homelander faster?” It’s like, no, we can finally answer that question. A-Train is faster. But he’s also wiser now, and that brought him to his end.

But it was epic, man. I had no notes. I loved what they wrote. And I loved the moments leading up to that final moment. I felt like we finally just get some real genuine honesty out of him. It just felt like I was playing a different character. I’m not in the suit and I’m being honest. I was like, “What the hell is this? Is this even A-Train?” It’s a different person altogether.

Prime Video

I don’t want to succumb to recency bias or overlook all of the great work you’ve done on The Boys before, but I think it’s fair to say that your last scene is as good as any performance you’ve given on the show.

Usher: Wow. Thank you.

How did you prep for it?

Usher: This is interesting because my preparation is almost exactly the same for everything I do. The process is two days before I start working on the material, I get comfortable with the words. Then I start digging into what they all mean and the emotion that goes behind everything. I forget the words and only focus on the emotion. But with this scene, I felt like I learned the words, and then I completely let it go. This was the only time that I really wanted to discover how I felt about what I was saying as I was saying it. And it changed so many times. Every time me and Antony (Starr) had a different take. I wish that we could watch back all of those outtakes because there are a hundred different versions of that scene.

There are some really emotional ones, there are some quiet ones, there are some louder, some angrier ones. There are a lot of sad ones. And some where I came to tears a few times.

Prime Video

With that laugh, I didn’t know I was going to enjoy that moment that much. I didn’t. And when I felt it, that’s when I went, “Oh, that’s it. That’s the moment that feels right.” And Antony sort of pushed me in that direction too, because we were leaning towards it a little bit. Then he goes, “To be honest with you, Jessie, I think A-Train wins in this moment.” And I go, “Yeah, I think he wins too.”

Antony said, “Yeah, I think he wins, and that is going to do more to Homelander than trying to be mean to him or whatever. I think if you take the win here, I think it’ll sit with me more. I think that’s the bigger, stronger choice.”

And I remember getting off the ground for that take, and I looked up at him, and I just started laughing. I just busted out laughing. And it didn’t feel right in that moment, but the joy that [A-Train] got from finally not being on the run and not being afraid anymore was what we knew we were going to live with. So it was really a crazy discovery process. We were throwing out so many different things, trying everything, seeing what sticks, and then just a moment of contentment was the one that really felt the truest and the purest. So that’s how we got there.

Prime Video

You talked about it feels in that moment for A-Train, who is realizing this guy’s a loser. But how did you personally feel while filming that, knowing this was the end for this character?

Usher: Oh man, too many emotions to even start. You feel everything in those moments, even though you know what’s going to happen. I’ve read the script, I’ve rehearsed these scenes. Being there, there was a crazy moment of peace that came over me. It was 4:00 a.m. in the winter in Toronto, by the way. So I was laying on the ground and it was like a sheet of ice on the ground. I was just laying there freezing my ass off. But I just had this breath, where I felt relieved that we’ve built this thing up and we cared about this thing for so long, and now we’re presenting this character’s end in this way. And it just felt like … I don’t know, man. I’m feeling it now. Just being like, “Damn, I really did love playing this character.”

I really did. In that moment, that’s what you feel. You feel the love that you’ve grown to have with these characters. You really do realize that you actually are connected to them in a way that I can’t even begin to explain.

Prime Video

I used to always hear actors saying they had a hard time letting go of a character or getting out of a character. And I never really felt that way. I always felt like the moment they yelled “cut,” I’m out. It doesn’t take long to get out of the character. But with A-Train, when I finished that scene, and I took my seat-back….because I always take my little seat-back from every show that I’ve worked on. I have them all, and I took it, and I put it in my room, and I didn’t put it with the rest of them for about four months.

It was very unconscious. But one day I walked in, and I said, “Am I still having a hard time letting go of this character?” I really was, though. I had to sit down with myself and say, “Okay, it’s fine. We’ve done it. This is what we dreamed to do with the character from the very beginning. We were promised five seasons. We were blessed to be able to make it to five, and the characters just had such real, impactful turning points and decisions.” And I put so much into him, and I felt like this was the moment that I got all of those emotions back all at one time. But it was really crazy to feel. It was bananas.

This episode gave you one last scene with The Deep, whom I think A-Train has been most connected with on the show. You and Chace Crawford had a lot of great moments together. What was it like shooting that last scene together?

Usher: Oh, man. I was just happy to be on screen with him again. (laughing) I love working with Chace. He’s so funny. He’s one of my favorite characters because I don’t know how he’s able to find comedy in the stuff that he does. But every moment on screen with him, I genuinely do enjoy like a fan, just sort of watching him do his thing.

But these characters have a lot of history together, The Deep and A-Train. And they’ve been sort of side-by-side in the same world, in the same room, a lot. Most of the time they’ve always just been wearing the same mask. They’ve been lying to each other about everything. They’ve been lying about how they feel about each other or how they feel about the world that they live in. And this was the first time that we were able to just have a quiet, honest moment.

Prime Video

I was happy that it happened with him because of that reason. We see these two characters together so often, and it’s never a genuine moment. But this was a genuine moment that I hope stays with The Deep as he continues on throughout the course of the show. Where it’s like, “It’s okay, man. We can say to each other that we’re scared of Homelander, bro.”

I love that I was able to have that moment with him. That was a beat I didn’t expect to have in the show, but I’m grateful we were able to have that moment. And I’m grateful that A-Train was able to say what he said to that person. It was the only way that felt right.

What did you learn about yourself, both as an actor and a person from working on a show this good for this long?

Usher: Oh my goodness. That I can work 20 hours, no problem if I love what I’m doing. (laughs) As an actor, this show really does put you through it. It’s a challenging show to work on. It’s very technical. You have to be on an exact mark. With A-Train, it’s extremely technical because of the visual effects aspect. But I was able to put together a lot of pieces. You can’t learn that in acting class. You just really can’t. There’s no workshop out there that could have taught me how to be A-Train other than just playing him. It opened my eyes. It made me realize that, “Okay, if I need to juggle a hundred things, I feel like I can do it.”

My confidence as an actor went up a lot from playing this character. We’ve had to find some real genuine, quiet moments in the middle of exploding a lot of stuff. There was one moment in particular where earlier in the show A-Train Kills Popclaw-

A hundred years ago.

Usher: A hundred years ago, it feels like. But that was my first time having a really emotional moment. And in that moment, we had to do so many different technical things with the speed and the syringes and stuff like that. I literally told my parents, “I didn’t even know I could stay in that state for that long and do it again and again and again.”

This is like a boot camp for actors being on this show, because everyone’s really bringing their A-game. Every single person who’s ever stepped a toe on The Boys has brought their absolute A-game, and you have to do that. And as a person and as an actor, I realized we should be doing that for everything that we do. Every line that I deliver, I should be trying to do my absolute best as often as I can, if I can.

If I can go that 16th hour, I’ll go that 16th hour. If I can play around with this line and give you 40 different reads on it, then I feel like I can do it. So why wouldn’t I? You know what I mean? I just felt like I learned a lot about myself, in what I was able to do and what I was willing to do by playing this character.

I’m sorry you had to live with this for two years. I had to live with it for one week. I was the only one on staff for one week who saw the episode, and I was like, “Please! Somebody watch this. I have to talk about it. I have to talk about it.”

Usher: (laughing) Yeah. I can’t wait to talk about it, man. I’m going to be talking my lips off, I’m sure, for the rest of the month.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He wants you to know that Jessie T. Usher still has one of the best laughs in the world. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Planned obsolescence has been a major thing in the consumer tech world for basically forever. As tech advances, old tech either stops working, or more likely, stops working with the network or whatever. I’m no scientist. But tech companies want to keep making money, of course, so they will also plan for their devices to stop functioning after a period of time so you have to buy new ones. It’s capitalism, innit? Well, now you can add various old Kindle devices to that list as Amazon has announced Kindles older than 2013 will no longer have access to support or new books.

From PCMag, we learned of this cut-off, which will go into effect next month. Amazon told the site: “Starting May 20, 2026, customers using Kindle and Kindle Fire devices released in 2012 and earlier will no longer be able to purchase, borrow, or download new content via the Kindle Store.” 

Amazon

Now, the good news is the devices will still work, they won’t just stop functioning. But if you don’t have all the books you want on it before May 20, you won’t get to put more on it. Amazon went on to say, “These models have been supported for at least 14 years—some as long as 18 years—but technology has come a long way in that time, and these devices will no longer be supported moving forward.”

“If you deregister or factory reset these devices, you will not be able to re-register or use these devices in any way.” The company does plan to email all affected users and offer 20% off discounts on new models. Gotta still make money, of course. But yeah, if you have an old Kindle, it’ll soon go in the bin…dle.

Now as for why this is happening… one customer thinks they have it pegged.

I finally discovered why they are doing this! The new Kindle devices have ads in them, which you have to pay extra to remove them. I’m assuming they couldn’t put ads on the old Kindles. Sooner or later the ads will play every other page! We live in corporate hell now! https://t.co/Ge8nlMLDtt

— Hugo Guerra @FMX_Conference (@HugoCGuerra) April 8, 2026

Given how many ads are on Prime Video and other Amazon services you already pay for, it doesn’t sound that weird. So get ready for ads for dog food every few pages of your extreme horror novel.

The models impacted are:

• Kindle: Kindle 1st Generation (2007)
• Kindle DX and DX Graphite(2009 and 2010) 
• Kindle Keyboard (2010)
• Kindle 4 (2011)
• Kindle Touch (2011)
• Kindle 5 (2012)
• Kindle Paperwhite 1st Generation(2012)
• Kindle Fire Tablets: Kindle Fire 1st Gen (2011) 
• Kindle Fire 2nd Gen (2012) 
• Kindle Fire HD 7 (2012)
• Kindle Fire HD 8.9 (2012) 

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

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