Trading the Fox for a Peacock

On the scifi edition Should The Rise of Skywalker get a directors cut, William Shatner does a good dead and Seth MacFarlane goes to the birds on the scifi edition of Multiverse Tonight!All that and more on this edition!


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SPEAKER_00 0:00

This episode of Multiverse Tonight is brought to you by Podcorn, the marketplace that connects podcasters with podcast sponsorship opportunities like Host Red Ads, every segment, topical discussions, and more. Any podcaster, big or small, can take advantage of this platform. You can set up your rates and begin working with all kinds of advertisers. With Podcorn, you never give up control over your podcast. And Podcorn support is there to help you every step of the way. Just click in the link in my show notes to sign up to Podcorn and start browsing sponsorship opportunities today. And how do I know? Because I'm using Podcorn right now. Thanks, Podcorn. And now here's the show. Tonight, everyone has an opinion of the rise of Skywalker. William Shatner does a good deed. And Steph McFarland goes to the birds on the Sci-Fi edition of Multiverse tonight. Comic book. Well, um I finally got to see the rise of Skywalker. Yeah. Went to see that with uh the good lady wife last night. So uh here's here's my review, here's my two cents. You know, it was very, very good. Uh it's it's not the worst, it's not the best. I'd I'd still say the Force Awakens was the best of the new trilogy. Um, it's just very, very, very good. Now it was uh very happy. I was very happy with how they wrapped up the Skywalker saga, to tell you the truth. Uh and there were, of course, fair mouth plot holes that every Star Wars film has had. But of course, that's why you go and you know do research. You go read the books. You know, apparently all the stuff with uh the Emperor and the Sith Planet and all that is in the like visual dictionary. So go go to a store, you know, pull that off the shelf and read about what that is, or good to just, you know, research it on the internet. Because as you know, nothing in books stays in books. People on the internet just blab it out. But if uh it you know, if it weren't for those plot holes, it wouldn't be a Star Wars movie. Every Star Wars movie has a fair number of plot holes. By the way, did you did you notice the ewaks? You know you know the plot hole I have with that? Those ewoks should be dead. After the uh Death Star blew up over the forest moonor, um Shraddle should have rained down on that planet causing a firestorm, killing every single thing there. But of course, this is also a universe where you have planets that just have one ecosystem. Anyway, no matter you know, no matter who makes these films, where it's J.J. Abrams, Ryan Johnson, George Lucas, whoever, you know, they all are Star Wars films, and they're all good. Anyway, let's get down to some actual Star Wars news.

Star Wars News

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Now, in episode two of The Mandalorian, the hero finds himself at the mercy of Jawas, who have destroyed his vessel, and in order to get his ship parts back, he must make a deal with them to bring back the egg of Mudhorn. The uh Mudhorn, which kind of resembles you know the modern-day rhino, but it looks like it could be based on something even older. In fact, a fan of the Nature's Metal subreddit uh noted that it actually seems to be inspired by an ancestor of the rhino called the Elasimortharum, also known as the Siberian Unicorn. The creature existed between 2.6 million and 29,000 years ago, and the remains of the beast have been found across Eastern Europe and all the way down to China with a large concentration in Kazikistan. Now, season two of The Mandalorian has been confirmed with new episodes in the works for fall of this year. So, you want more of The Child, aka Baby Yoda. So, how's your coloring skills? Uh Vulture has partnered with Illustrator Martin Ghee to write a six-scene coloring book that you can download at Vulture.com, and we'll have links to that in the show notes. It's really kind of cute. I should I should get more coloring in. You know, some that that's good therapy. Speaking of Baby Yoda, now we know that's not his name, but neither is the child. Director and actor Tika Waditi, speaking with the New York Times at the Golden Globe Orbs, confirmed that he does have a name, but he isn't saying what he is. He said, quote, he's not named Baby Yoda. I'll wait for Favreau to give give that away. So there you go, unquote. Uh you know, he's not it has a name, but you know, Favreau will probably be the ultimate decider of when that name comes out. So the balls in your court, Mr. Favreau, uh the longer you hold on to the secret, the more the name Baby Yoda will stick. I'm pretty sure that that name is pretty much, you know, stuck solid right now. Well, I guess uh while we wait for that eventuality, we will have the seventh and last season of the Clone Wars. The series will be debuting on Disney Plus on February 17th. Now, the series first debuted on Cartoon Network back in 2008. Ah, the heavy days of 2008. That seems like a long, long time ago. Guess it was. The reviews of the Rise of Skywalker have been mixed. Its Rotten Tomato score is 54%, and it dropped nearly 60% from week one to week two. Now, former Disney CEO Michael Eisner gave his opinion of the film on Twitter, saying, quote, Hashtag Rise of Skywalker is an acceptable film. Love story and fan delights, but somewhat emotionless. While hashtag The Mandalorian on Disney Plus establishes show creator at John Favreau as the new George Lucas, which at Robert Riger had the foresight to declare Daisy Ridley played Ray throughout the film with one expression, aw fear until the very end of the film, when she reveals her name. That's what I meant by a film that somewhat lacked emotion. In my previous comment, I didn't mean to suggest that hashtag Daisy Ridley acted poorly. On the contrary, she was excellent. The choice of attitude for Ray was intended and sometimes to f to fall on the philosophy of the character, unquote. Well, I guess to each their own each their own, you know. Maybe they'll put that in a director's cut. And uh speaking of the call for a director's cut, actor Dominic Monahan thinks that a director's cut of the Rise of Skywalker would be a good idea. Talking with the Hollywood reporter, he said, quote, like a lot of Star Wars fans, I'm hoping there will be a director's cut, so we'll get to see more and more of the stuff that was filmed. I wasn't there all the time, but even the short time I was there, there was so much stuff filmed that they didn't make it to the theatral version. Oh man, there was so much stuff. Now uh he went on to talk about a cutscene that's involved with with his character that made its way to the cutting room floor. Another thing that we will ha you know, quote, another thing that we will hopefully see at some point in the future was that in the final battle, Connix injures her leg. Obviously, myself, Rose, and Connix are exiting the battle, and Rose has a weapon. While Rose is busy doing stuff, I grab Conix's arm and put it over my shoulder and make sure that all of his come back as unscathed as uh make sure all of us come back as unscathed as possible. Now, there's a lot more to this interview at the Hollywood Reporter, and uh there'll be a link to that in the show notes. So, uh before we go, let's take a look at this weekend's past box office. Let's uh just you know quickly go through the top through the uh bottom five. Uh the bottom was Spies in Dutch Disguise, number nine was Knives Out, number uh eight was Frozen 2, number seven was the debut of Underwater, which uh I guess is Underwater. Uh Lil Women came at number six, Just Mercy came at number five, at number four was the debut of Like a Boss, uh made ten million dollars. Uh Jumanji the next level fell from number two to number three, and uh The Rise of Skywalker comes in at number two, falling from the number one spot, losing again another 56%, grossing 50 $15 million domestically. Uh the number one was a movie that was just nominated for an Oscar uh 1917. Uh, I think uh the awards buzz what drove it up. Um, it also gained uh th over 3,000 theaters, so yeah, that's probably why it's number one. Anyway, let's take a quick look at the uh box office for The Rise of Skywalker overall. Domestically, it's at 478 million. Uh internationally, it's at 511 million, making its worldwide total at at this time 989 million nine hundred sixty-eight thousand two hundred and seventy-four, which means that's just shy of the billion dollar mark. So it'll make that billion dollars. But, you know, what people are I think are grousing about is the is the fact that it's just you know gotten there and stopped. But you gotta remember, this movie has been out since December 20th. So it's been out, you know, what, one, two, three, three, four weeks now. So, you know, the people have seen it, have seen it, and that's it. Anymore, I think that's that's what you can't. And also for uh you also gotta remember people went back from winter break. They're now back at work, back at jobs, back at whatever. So, you know, that money is going is going away. Anyway, let's

Star Trek News

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let's go on with some Star Trek news. Now uh the Rise of Skywalker is over. The the saga is finished. So what could Daisy Ridley and John Boylega do? Maybe an Earth sci-fi franchise? The two spoke with Yahoo, and they were asked if they might be willing to join the Star Trek franchise. Daisy Ridley replied, Quote, I would do a Star Trek. I need a job. I'm unemployed. Hello Now, unquote. Uh John Boyga had a different reaction, quote, they're talking too much. The last Star Trek was space law and order, unquote. Now they did ask I Oscar Isaac the same question, a different interview, and he told them that he would be open to the opportunity because he was, quote, space slut, unquote, just like director JJ Abrams. Well, uh, there's good yeah, there's good news there. It looks like there is gonna be a a new start uh might be a new Star Trek film with a completely different cast. So uh I guess Oscar, uh get your agent on the phone. Anyway, William Shadner has done a good deed over Christmas. Yeah. He's due. Uh TMZ reports that the actor visited his local Los Angeles Police Department precinct station with corned beef and pastrami sandwiches, bagels, locks, and cream cheese to help feed the officers on duty on Christmas Day. Shatner then reportedly thanked them, left a holiday card, and a few hundred dollars to feed the officers for the rest of the day. Good job, TJ Hooker. Because that was his character on the other TV show that he was on. He was on more than just Star Trek people, look it up. Anyway, so uh you may remember that the US now has a new military division, the US Space Force. I think we should always say it like that, by the way. Uh well now word has come out that the 14th unit of the Air Force is being transferred to the Space Force and is being named Space Operations Command. Its acronym will be SPOC, or as some are referring to it as SPOC. According to a press release from the Air Force, quote, the SPOC provides space capil capabilities such as space dominion awareness, space electronic warfor wherefore space electronic warfare. Why can't I say that word? I don't know. Satellite communications, missile warning, nuclear detonation detection, environmental monitoring monitoring, military intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, navy navigation warfare, command and control and positioning, navigation and timing on behalf of the USSF for US Spacecom and other combatant commands. Unquote. So there you have it, folks. They have a Spock. Or shouldn't it be sh shouldn't that be Spook? Spock? I don't know. Anyway, good luck to them. Well, now it's official. Star Trek Picard has been renewed for season two. The announcement was made by Julie McNamara, Executive Vice President of Original Content for CBSL Axis, at the biannual TCA presentation. Julie told the audience, quote, the energy and excitement around the premiere of Star Trek Picard has reached a magnitude greater than all of us at CBSL Axis could have hoped for. We're thrilled to announce plans for a second season before the series debut, and we are confident that Star Trek fans and new viewers alike will be captured by the Stellarcast and create a team's meticulously crafted story when it premieres on June 23rd. I wouldn't do that with Discovery, which they've also gotten looks like their next season order, of course. I don't think I don't think that show's gonna go away until the the actors either quit or uh the people do. So in other words, if you stop tuning in, they'll stop making it. If you tune in, they will make it. To each of their own. Anyway, let's go ahead to the geek news.

Geek News

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Now uh the geek news starts with uh Netflix. Now they'll be releasing twenty-nine movies over the course of 2020. And uh here are a few of n of note to sci-fi fans. The platform is uh a movie about a future dystopia where prisoners are housed in vertically stacked cells which hungerly uh and watch hungrily as food descends from above, feeding the upper tiers but leaving those below ravenous and radicalized. And over the moon, uh animation icon Glenn Keene makes his featured dip dic directorial debut in this musical adventure about a girl who builds a rocket ship to travel to the moon in order to prove that her father, that to her father, the legendary moon goddess really exists. And there's a a lot more, of course. You know. Go go to your local internet to find out. The GLAD Movie Award nominations are out. Uh up for uh Outstanding Drama series are Batwomen, Shadow Hunters, Star Trek Discovery, and Supergirl. Watchmen, this extraordinary being is a nominee for Outstanding Individual Episode in a series without a regular LGBTQ character. Up for Outstanding Comic Book are The Avent Guards, written by Carly Usden, Bloom, written by Kevin Panetta, Crowded, written by Christopher Sabilia, Harley Quinn Breaking Glass, written by Mariko Tamaki, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, written by Mariko Tamanaki, Laptrice, written by Greg Glockard, Lumberjanes, written by Shannon Waters and Cat Leigh, Runaways, written by Rainbow Roel, Star Wars Doctor Aphra, written by Simon Spurrier, and The Wicked and Divine, written by Kirrien Jillian. Good luck to all. And now there are a lot of other nominees and uh lots of other awards too. These are just the ones that have you know the sci-fi, uh sci-fi or comic book connection. If you want to read the rest of the list, just go to the link in our show notes. Uh the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Awards will be handed out. Uh, half of them in New York on March 19th, and the other half in LA on April 16th. Production has begun on Disney Plus's Willow series. The news comes from writer John Casden's Twitter feed. The series will be a follow-up to the 1988 movie written by Ron Howard, or directed by Ron Howard, written by George Lucas and Bob Dolman, and starring Warwick Davis in the title role. Now Warwick will be returning to the role. Here's a little bit of trivia for you. John Casden is the son of writer director Lawrence Cazden, best known for his work on three Star Wars films and Rares of the Lost Ark. Now there are no details about any additional cast or release dates. Yeah. Don't know if Val Kilmer is going to show up. That'd be kind of interesting though. If you enjoyed the 80s, uh you'll enjoy this next piece of news. Disney Plus is currently in plans to remake the movie Space Camp. The original movie told the story of a group of teens attending an astronaut training camp when they are accidentally launched into space while touring the space shuttle. The movie starred Leia Thompson, Kelly Preston, and a very young Valkyne Phoenix. Now, it was not really a successful movie at the box office when it was released in 1986, but uh that can partially be attributed to the release being just a few months after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. The new Space Camp will be written by Saturday Night Live writers Mikey Day and Streeter Sidel, and will be produced by John Rickard, whose credits include Rampage and Horrible Bosses. Yeah. So, uh Space Camp. Anyway, Seth McFarlane is switching from a fox to a peacock. The creator behind Family Guy, American Dad, and The Orville has signed a nine-figure deal with NBC Universal Content Studios. Sources have told the Hollywood Reporter that Seth and Fuzzy Door Productions will create and develop new TV projects for the media giant. This deal will lock Mr. McFarland there for five years and will see him grow $200 million richer. Now, Seth is said to be very excited to create new projects for the company, and it is said he's interested in, quote, starring in and producing musicals, political dramas, and anthologies around historic events, in addition to working on new and made projects. Now, this might make you worry about his other his other shows, but don't worry. His Fox based sh his Fox based shows will be just fine as the deal leaves McFarlane room to continue working. Working on his now Disney owned shows, as well as give may giving him room to go make films for other studios if he wishes. Now, I'll have to ask uh Tom Con Constantino about this more in a future interview. Now here's the thought, here's a thought. Subur at NBC Universal, right? Seth McFarland's Battlestar Galactica. Okay, uh maybe that's one too far. Anyway. Legendary filmmaker Robert Smeckus is in final negotiations to direct the sci-fi thriller Ares at Warner Brothers. The film is an original script from Captain Marvel writer Geneva Robertson Dwart and was originally set to be made at MGM. But now it will go f it won't go forward with the Bugs Bunny brand will go forth with the Bugs Bunny brand. Roland Emmerich will serve as executive producer, and the story is being described as follows. He discovers that his mission was part of a larger conspiracy, that he might and he might be carrying a secret that could change the world. Unquote. Sounds interesting, I guess. I'd like to know more. Now, uh as as I told you at the top of the show, I've had a few days off, and I've been re-watching season one of FX's What We Do in the Shadows. Very funny. Well, season two looks like it's going to be just as good as series creator Jermaine Clement has announced that Mark Hamill will be a guest star this season. Jermaine made this announcement at the show's Television Critics Association press day panel. Clement also confirmed that Book Smart's Beanie Feldstein will not be returning in season two due to film commitments, for which Jermaine said that he was, quote, a little disappointing for me, as she was planning she was planned to be a big character, unquote. The good news is that they have found other characters to fill that void. Season two will add new supernatural beings to the to the world, such as ghosts and witches. And now a little bit of sad news. Visual artist Sid Meade has passed away on December 30th, 2019, from complications from lymphoma. Before going into entertainment, he worked for corporations like Ford Motor Company, Sony, and Phillips Electronics. His first role in the entertainment industry was as a production illustrator for Star Trek The Motion Picture. A few years later, he would go on to design the Leonov spaceship in the movie 2010, and his art also influenced George Lucas in the design of the AT-80. He has also contributed to such films as Blade Runner, Short Circuit, Tron, Time Cop, Mission Impossible 3, Elysium, Tomorrow World, and Blade Runner 2049. He passed away in Pasadena, California at the age of 86. And we also remember American comedy legend Buck Henry. He co-created the secret agent comedy series Get Smart with Mel Brooks, and the short-lived sci-fi comedy Quark. The legendary writer worked for Saturday Night Live in its infancy and even hosted the show ten times from 1976 to 1980. He also appeared in many movies like Catch 22, which he wrote, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Heaven Can Wait, which he wrote and directed, Grumpy Old Men, and also TV shows like Murphy Brown, Tales from the Crypt, Dilbert, Hot in Cleveland, and Franklin Bash. Buck Henry died on January 8th, 2020, in Los Angeles from a heart attack. He was 89. And that will bring us to the end of another sci-fi edition of Multiverse Tonight. Now uh be sure to check us out on our social media. We're at Twitter at multiverse tom. We're also on Facebook and Instagram at multiverse tonight as well. And uh if you didn't like the ad at the start of the start of the show, I'm sorry. But if you'd like to contribute money to see that you know you never have to go through that again, please visit mtpodcast.com to go to our uh coffee or Patreon as well, and be sure to visit multiverstonight.com to check out our link to our Tea Public store, our show notes, and so much more. Now, if you're a subscriber, be sure to share us with your friends. And if you're brand new to the show, please be sure to subscribe. Leave us with some feedback, you know, leave and let us know how we're doing. Special thanks to Shane Ivers for our intro music and Lobo Loco for our outro theme music. Thanks for watching the sci-fi edition of Multiverse Tonight. Now we'll be back in just a couple days with the comic book edition. Now please exit the universe in an orderly fashion. Good night. Multiverse tonight is a production of Half Big Genre Productions. All rights reserved.