Kit Harington’s ‘Audition Reel’ for ‘Game of Thrones’ Released by Jimmy Kimmel
In anticipation of season 7 of Game of Thrones, Jimmy Kimmel released Kit Harington’s (who plays Jon Snow) “audition reel” on his talk-show.
In the hilarious clips, we can see our favourite bastard auditioning for the roles of Cersei Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen, Hodor and others.
Needless to say, The King in the North has some range:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWfDEDCobpM[/embedyt]
The new season premieres this Sunday on HBO.
Check out our trailer breakdown.
Five Reasons We Need Season 2 of Supergirl
Freshman CBS drama Supergirl ended its first glorious season on a high note of hopefulness, with a brain-teasing cliffhanger to boot. While there’s no word yet about the show’s renewal (we have confetti and champagne on hand, patiently waiting for the official announcement) much like Supergirl‘s titular character, we have an endless supply of hope. Hope that the show will be renewed; hope that its audience won’t be left hanging; hope that Papi Chulo’s dedicated National City Tribune co-hosts will get to keep prattling on about our favourite show. What started out as a mediocre, ham-fisted ad for feminism in a cape exploded into one of the best superhero offerings on television, as actress Melissa Benoist suited up each week to deliver both the adventures of Supergirl and Kara Danvers— so far, she’s rocked it. We’re pretty sure she’ll don the big red “S” again in the fall, and here’s why we need it to be true:
1. We Need to Know What (Or Who) Was in That Pod
[WPGP gif_id=”3949″ width=”600″]
Spoilers if you haven’t seen the season finale (seriously, stop reading and go watch it. You need to): just when it seems like Kara and co. can enjoy a nice night at home with cool champagne tricks and happy-go-lucky toasts and a fitting Charlie Puth song crooning in the background, another Kryptonian pod crash-lands on Earth. What (or who) is in it? Kara was obviously pretty shocked. Should we be shocked? Should we panic? Is the precarious balance of National City about to tip with the arrival of its newest visitor? WHO’S IN IT?! WE NEED TO KNOW. THIS IS A MATTER OF NATIONAL (City’s) SECURITY.
2. We Need to Know What’s Going On With Jeremiah— And Cadmus
[WPGP gif_id=”3953″ width=”600″]
Cadmus Labs, a scientific research facility owned by LuthorCorp (dun, dun, dun!) has cropped up over the years in many different DC properties. (In Smallville, it was ultimately Lex Luthor’s cloning factory: he cloned himself in the event of serious injury, so he could replace his body parts with new ones. However, not all of his doubles popped out as perfect copies. In Young Justice, Cadmus Labs held Superboy/Connor Kent, the genetically-engineered son of Superman). But the only thing we know about it in the context of Supergirl is that it’s where her adoptive father, Jeremiah Danvers (previously presumed dead) is being held. Is he there as a captive? A scientist? A mind-controlled lackey? How is Supergirl going to put a new spin on Cadmus Labs, and does this mean Lex Luthor has a place in National City?
3. What Will Kara’s New Job Be?
[WPGP gif_id=”3955″ width=”600″]
Supergirl saved the planet and humanity itself, but the good just kept getting better when Kara was given a promotion at Catco, and a heartfelt speech by her mentor, Cat Grant. However, the details of her upgraded professional life were kept intentionally vague: Cat told her to take a few days, think about what she wanted. We all know Kara has poured her heart into making National City safe, but her soul, the part that keeps her human, is only enhanced by working a thankless job for a ferociously fierce boss. What’s next for Kara, professionally? Who will take her spot as assistant? What jokes will Cat make at her expense next season?
4. Will We Ever See Clark And Kara In The Same Room?
[WPGP gif_id=”3959″ width=”600″]
So far, the extent of Kara’s communication with the Man of Steel (AKA, her cousin. Don’t people hang out with their cousins anymore?) has all been behind a screen, and while those heart-warming IM chats sure know how to pluck at the heartstrings, they would be yanked on if we finally witnessed Supergirl and Superman (or Clark and Kara) in the same room. It doesn’t matter if they’re fighting intergalactic evil or bonding over coffee, we just need to see these two hang out. Yes, Supergirl is about Kara, but having Superman show up wouldn’t automatically spell cancellation or make her irrelevant. It would only add to the narrative.
5. Will Kara and Barry Ever Be BFBs?
[WPGP gif_id=”3951″ width=”600″]
Yeah, okay, whatever, fine. Kara is with James and Barry is going to end up with Iris. But they were so cute together in the crossover episode; Barry was able to help Kara through a rough patch, and Kara brought out a side of Barry viewers haven’t seen since his own debut on Arrow. These two nerds need to couple up, or at least sleep together. You know, for science.
Okay, let’s be real here: there’s no way Supergirl is going to get cancelled. They’re probably just keeping us waiting for the fun of it. But even if season one is its only season (impossible! Blasphemous! An outrage!) Supergirl has changed the TV landscape and inspired a metric crapton of viewers (women and men alike) to have hope. What more could you ask from a superhero show? A second season, that’s what.
Does Agent Carter Need to Be Renewed?
Agent Carter‘s second season finale, “Hollywood Ending,” was an example of good television. Loose ends were wrapped up in a neat little bow, and a thread was picked up for a potential next season (with executive producer Michele Fazekas teasing, “He’s [Thompson] not necessarily dead. He got shot. That’s all we show. It certainly didn’t tickle. But we were really clear when we talked to Chad about it, we were like, ‘Just so you know, you are getting shot. And that is all we are saying.'”) There’s just one problem: even with such a great finale, Agent Carter has not been guaranteed a third season. TVLine has reported the rather bleak ratings— 2.37 million viewers with a 0.7 in the ratings— despite its readers giving the episode an overall “A-” grade. Already, articles have popped up championing a third season with heated debate filling the comments section— the excuses range from the Nielson ratings system is archaic (we hear that), to ABC’s website is problematic for those who don’t have cable, forcing viewers to turn to unofficial streaming sites (fair enough), to Dish Network subscribers don’t get ABC (is Dish Network the be-all-and-end-all for TV viewers? Can it make or break a show?)— and despite the fact that Agent Carter has never been a ratings all-star, audience reception has been (for the most part) overwhelmingly positive. But if rumours of cancellation are enough to prompt hundreds of fans to come out of the woodwork— hundreds who, when combined, could impact those ratings. There’s even an article about how to make unsuspecting viewers watch Agent Carter on the down-low) fans of the show are doing their best to endorse it. Why is it consistently doing badly in the ratings?
Maybe this period piece is (strangely) ahead of its time. Lots of great shows with interesting characters and ideas have gotten the axe despite being incredibly watchable— Tru Calling, The Secret Circle, Lie To Me, Red Band Society, etc.— or maybe it’s just not meant for TV. Not in the traditional sense, anyway.
Let me be clear: I am not advocating for Agent Carter‘s return because third-wave feminism dictates I should. I’m not doing it because I’m tired of seeing heterosexual, cis-gendered white dudes all over my screen. I’m not even doing it to complain that mainstream television is a pile of tripe that only the most brainwashed of sheeple could enjoy, which somehow means that my tastes are superior to society’s at large (spoiler alert: they’re not).
I want to see Agent Carter renewed because it’s funny and smart with an all-star cast. But I also (and maybe this is my inner optimist reaching. I rarely let it out, as it’s so often proven wrong) think that the third season and all its potential will see the light of day. Peggy Carter will live to fight again. And I don’t think low ratings will stand in the way of an obviously quality (if under-appreciated and under-viewed) television property.
That said, if ratings are the issue people are fussing over: maybe (as Maureen Ryan pointed out in her article, linked above) it’s not the right fit for cable TV and would reach a wider audience on a streaming service like Netflix, or maybe Marvel needs to get its television properties onto a subscription-based app, much like Marvel Unlimited (disclaimer: I use Comixology to get a little bit of everything, but the die-hard Marvel fanatics in my life have assured me that Unlimited is worth the price). I’m not going to lie: I’ve often wondered what sort of show Agent Carter could become if it were made into a Netflix property. Given how wonderful Jessica Jones turned out to be, I really do believe they could work magic with any given series, even one that struggles to find a sizeable audience.
The show has so much more to do before it makes its exit, and Peggy has so much room to grow and change and inspire those around her to do the same.
On the off chance that it does get cancelled— at least we had it for two seasons. At least Atwell brought everything she had to the table and made Peggy a heroine worth fighting for. At least Peggy is more to the Marvel universe than just a woman Captain America once loved. But again, I don’t think it’s naive to hope for a third season and not worry about cancellation at this time. Agent Carter has beat the odds before, and there’s no reason that it can’t do it again.
TBT: Polly
Do you remember Polly?
On November 12, 1989, NBC aired a re-telling of Disney’s 1960 Hayley Mills classic Pollyanna. This version transposed Eleanor Porter’s classic novel Pollyanna and its white characters into a middle-class black community in the Alabama of the 1950s, and transformed the drama into a show-stopping musical.
The story is timeless. It’s about a “Glad Girl” that brings along a contagious spirit of happiness and optimism when she visits her wealthy aunt one summer.
Keshia Knight Pulliam starred as the “Glad Girl” Polly. Phylicia Rashād was cast as her Aunt Polly. Vanessa Bell Calloway was cast as Nancy, Celeste Holm as Miss Snow and Brandon Adams as Jimmy Bean.
The movie was a sort of family affair. Phylicia Rashād’s younger sister Debbie Allen both directed and choreographed Polly, and was the driving force behind the musical. Debbie also co-wrote with her husband, Norman Nixon, the words and lyrics of the film’s gospel-infused centerpiece, “Stand Up”.
Polly was a ratings hit! Its success prompted Disney to assemble a 1990 sequel, Polly: Comin’ Home!
Here are some of Polly‘s musical numbers:
Get Your Sh*t Together, Arrow
Are we watching Arrow or Desperate Housewives? Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference these days, especially when such a large portion of each episode is dedicated to Oliver setting off a chain-reaction that is destined to ruin his personal life (see: “Legends of Yesterday“). Seriously, after watching the latest Arrow episode (see: “Taken“) I found myself rolling my eyes so hard they almost fell out of my skull. I have loved Arrow since the beginning, and Felicity Smoak even more so (Emily Bett Rickards is flawless, no matter what material she’s given). Felicity once brought all kinds of light to Oliver’s darkness, including unstoppable verbal diarrhoea, mad skillz behind a computer screen, and a sort of naiveté that drew hard-bitten Oliver towards her. Recently, they’ve traded their yin/yang dynamic for manufactured relationship drama that no doubt sets the crazy Olicity fans on Tumblr barking. (These “fans” are so dangerously into Olicity that they feel entitled to it, at the cost of genuine character development and storylines. They have a history of harassing the executive producer on social media, demanding that the flames of their passionate shipping fire be met. Hell hath no fury like an Olicity shipper scorned, but not all of us are evil. Just the ones that take it too seriously). As someone who has loved the show and Felicity (and yes, Olicity) from the very start:
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jq_nBiK39E[/embedyt]
Please get your sh*t together. I will admit: Arrow has always been rife with relationship drama (is there a woman in Star City that Oliver hasn’t bedded?) with the innate understanding that Oliver has no idea what a happy, harmonious relationship is supposed to look like. (Remember the time he invited his then-girlfriend’s sister onto a yacht trip and lied to his then-girlfriend about it? Also, there was that time he slept with the woman that was obsessed with his father? Those are just two examples in a very long list of head-scratching decisions). But when that relationship drama takes over the show, and the introduction of an illegitimate child is less of a storyline and more of a plot point to drive a wedge between Oliver and Felicity, I wonder if I’m the only one unhappy with it.
I know, I know, Oliciters, you’re ready to come for me in the night and force me aboard your ship. In case there are any neutral parties out there, please note that Felicity is still a precious cinnamon roll. Oliver is still working on personal growth. But:
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuDB57IUoUw[/embedyt] (more…)
DEADPOOL or: How R-Rated Superhero Movies Could Be a Blessing or a Curse
L
Deadpool has flipped the box office upside down. The comic book film starring the “Merc with a Mouth” brought in summer movie season style receipts during the cold of February. A little over 10 days into its box office run, and the film has already broken numerous records and has achieved critical acclaim.
Exactly which records did Deadpool break? It had a worldwide opening of $264.9 million from 62 markets, which is the biggest of 2016, the biggest for an R-rated film, and the second biggest for Fox, only behind Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith ($303.9 million). It had the biggest IMAX 2D worldwide opening of all time with $27.4 million from 606 IMAX theaters, eclipsing The Dark Knight Rises ($23.8 million). It made $12.7 million from its Thursday night previews from 2,975 theaters, setting records for the biggest R-rated and February previews, beating The Hangover Part II ($10.4 million) and Fifty Shades of Grey ($8.6 million), respectively. Of that, $2.3 million came from IMAX showings, for a per screen average of $6,200, which is the sixth biggest IMAX preview ever. This broke the record for the biggest February IMAX preview and the biggest R-rated IMAX preview. On opening day, the film earned $47.4 million, breaking the records for the biggest R-rated opening day and the biggest February opening day. It also became the biggest R-rated single day and the second-biggest opening and single day ever for a 20th Century Fox film. Earning a total of $132.4 million in its opening weekend, it broke the record for the biggest R-rated opening of all time, the biggest February opening, the biggest opening for Fox, and the biggest opening of headliner Ryan Reynolds’ career. It is also the earliest film in a year to open with over $100 million. For its 4-day President’s Day weekend, it earned $152.19 million, breaking records for the biggest 4-day President’s Day opening as well as single weekend gross. In just ten days, it became the highest-grossing X-Men film, as well as becoming the highest-grossing R-rated comic book film of all-time.
Phew… (more…)
5 Signs You’re Going Through Supergirl Withdrawal
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV5sOc0Gj0w[/embedyt]
Captain’s Log 001: There was no Supergirl this week. That’s not news, anyone with a TV and/or internet access figured that one out. But as I sit here with my eyes glazed over, flipping through Netflix Canada’s selection, I fear it has begun. I’m showing signs of Supergirl withdrawal, a condition I thought I was immune to after putting up with Afterlife With Archie‘s irregular releases and the weird scheduling pattern of Dick Wolf’s Chicago shows. I now see that this was a silly and naive hope: not only have I come down with classic signs and symptoms of Supergirl withdrawal, I fear this contagious affliction will spread to my co-hosts and friends on The National City Tribune. But for real, though, if your life feels a little emptier without your weekly visit to National City, here are the top 5 signs that you’re probably going through Supergirl withdrawals and need a fix (or a time machine so you can teleport yourself to the exact date and time of the next episode) stat:
Stage 1: Denial
[WPGP gif_id=”3607″ width=”600″]
You’re pretty sure you won’t miss it that much. After all, it’s not like it’s one of your favourite shows or anything. It’s fine. You’re fine. Everything is fine.
Stage 2: Pondering
[WPGP gif_id=”3609″ width=”600″]
You could be eating breakfast or brushing your teeth and jamming out to “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” and all of a sudden, your mind starts… wondering. About that adorable closing scene from The Girl Who Has Everything— that closing scene was just too perfect, and totally emphasised the friendship between the core four characters. James has great chemistry with Kara when he’s being there for her as a rock-solid friend, and not a dude who’s caught between her and his girlfriend— speaking of, how did Bizzaro Supergirl know that Kara was in love with James? It was pretty cool of him, talking her down like that. Has he considered a career as a life-coach? When he breaks up with Lucy for Kara, is it going to be amicable, or is she going to throw his weird obsession with Kryptonians in his face? Lucy did point out that she feels threatened by Supergirl. Will Kara develop a crush on Barry? Can they please have at least a flirtationship? Is Adam coming back?! Next thing you know, you’ve dropped your overpriced iPhone in the sink and the screen has what looks to be irresistable water damage (R.I.P iPhone). But seriously, is Adam coming back?
Stage 3: Desperate Measures
[WPGP gif_id=”3611″ width=”600″]
So maybe… maybe someone leaked the next episode. A week is too long to wait! Maybe someone on the deep web can hand it over!
Stage 3.5: THE DEEP WEB IS A SCARY PLACE AND NO LIGHT EVER TOUCHES IT. NEVER GO THERE
[WPGP gif_id=”3625″ width=”600″]
Stage 4: Binge Re-watching
So what if you’ve seen these episodes before? So what if you’ve cancelled all your plans and slipped on your comfiest sweat pants to spend 13 hours— give or take— reliving Kara’s journey from the very beginning? Supergirl is too good to be ignored!
Stage 5: Admitting You Have a Problem
So you might be a teensy-weensie too invested in Supergirl. Hey, everyone’s obsessed with something: once you’ve reached this stage, it’s okay to admit to yourself that maybe, just maybe, Supergirl is one of your favourite TV shows after all.
If you too, find yourself in this awful predicament, you should probably consult a medical professional (disclaimer: no you should not), but the saner and more super option is to tune in to The National City Tribune on Thursdays at 9:00 PM eastern.
Make sure you watch the next Supergirl episode Truth, Justice, And The American Way on CBS on Monday at 8/7 central.
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tN_6xNjfho[/embedyt]
Deadpool Review: The Best Part Of This Movie Was The Whole Thing
Holy sh*t! If you haven’t seen Deadpool, you really, really should. If you’re on the fence, wondering if it’s been overhyped and talked up to death: it hasn’t. The marketing campaign was aggressive— deservedly so— for this R-rated masterpiece, which has already broken box office records, pulling in over $140 million during its opening weekend.
The short of it is that Deadpool is a movie you need to make time to see— call in sick to work, duck out on a family dinner, do whatever you must to get your cute little butt into a movie theatre to witness this monumental film— it makes fun of Reynolds’ previous stint as a Green Lantern, gets frank about masturbation, and comes complete with a couple of sweet cameos.
The long of it is that Deadpool is everything it promised it would be and more. It’s wonderfully violent (including decapitation), fantastically foul-mouthed (lots of F-bombs), the nudity is delicious (particularly the shot of Ryan Reynolds’ finely-toned gluteus maximus), and the political incorrectness is so savage it gives us the warm and fuzzies. But this isn’t just a movie designed to your most crude, innate desires. It actually has a plot (you can check out the IMDB page for a summary).
The casting was spot-on for this movie. Ryan Reynolds was born to play Deadpool and Morena Baccarin as Vanessa is both the girl next door and the sensual sex bomb. She compliments Reynolds’ smart-mouthed, acerbic character perfectly; if there was ever a female lead worth a murdering spree, it’s Vanessa (given that the sequel has already been greenlit, hopefully, Baccarin will return).
Of course, no review of this movie would be complete without mentioning the performances that tied it together: sure, Wade and Vanessa made a perfectly screwed-up couple, but during their two-year-long separation, Leslie Uggams as sharp-tongued Blind Al and T.J. Miller as the painfully-honest Weasel kept Deadpool appropriately feisty. And let’s not forget Dopinder, the only man on the planet who takes Deadpool’s far-fetched romantic advice with more than a grain of salt (we hope he shows up in the sequel). Also, Colossus was amazing. And so was Negasonic Teenage Warhead, and… you know what? Everyone nailed it. The wild west has been won. Nobody felt miscast or awkward, and everyone who interacted with Deadpool only served to highlight the best and worst aspects of his character (sometimes simultaneously).
It’s an action movie, it’s an epic romance, it’s overtly sexy (spoiler ahoy, if you don’t want to know who makes an appearance where, skip to the end of the bracketed section: Stan Lee in a strip club gives me life), it’s a feel-good comedy fest, but most of all, it’s pure, unaltered, unhinged insanity.
There’s still plenty of debate over whether or not this is kiddo friendly, and after seeing the movie, we’re gonna go with a solid N-O. Not because kids are so impressionable, their heads will explode at the first hint of Wade and Vanessa having fun with a strap-on; the theatre will likely be packed with adults at the edge of their seats, waiting to lose themselves in a movie that has tipped the “superhero” genre on its self-righteous head. A crying baby or a kid running up and down the aisle or loudly talking completely breaks the movie’s immersion. As a sign of respect for everyone else, please either leave your child at home or, if Family Fun Night at the movies is a must-have, go see Kung-Fu Panda 3.
Deadpool has earned every bit of praise heaped upon it before, during and after its release, and it was worth the wait. We cannot recommend this highly enough, everything was driven by the details and by an honest love for the character and his source material. If you’re looking to be awed by something close to perfection (or if you want to see Ryan Reynolds’ butt) go see this movie. Seriously. Drop what you’re doing and go, you’ll be glad you did.
Rating: 5/5 stars.
10 Fictional Characters That Would Survive a Zombie Apocalypse
The threat of a zombie invasion has been a popular theme to entertain (and terrify) the masses since 1932’s White Zombie came out, shocking audiences. In recent years, the idea of humanity’s downfall at the hands of reanimated corpses has taken hold of entertainment media as more than just a seasonal horror flick for people who love being scared to sleep at night; from The Walking Dead to the cutesy Plants vs. Zombies franchise, the peculiar possibilities of what one would actually do if one was trapped in a zombie apocalypse both fascinates and disturbs. Since the entire scenario is based on fiction, here’s a list of 10 fictional characters who stand a fighting chance of surviving the reign of the undead.
10) Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games)
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1bNTJjiCHU[/embedyt]
Suzanne Collins’s girl on fire is no stranger to the game of survival (remember when she dug through a baker’s garbage to scrounge for food? And when she illegally traded some of her meats at The Hob? And also when she was bold enough to sell strawberries to the mayor of District 12, even though that was illegal too?) After making it through two televised fights to the death and assassinating a district president all before she hit the legal drinking age, Katniss would probably be desensitized to the blood and gore that comes with the territory of a zombie apocalypse. While she was unwittingly turned into a symbol of hope and the face of a cross-district revolution, Katniss is happier in solitude, where she can hunt for food with her bow-and-arrow, sleep in a tree, steal a quick bath in a stream and enjoy her own personal model of streamlined survival success. Her one weakness would be coming across parentless children (and Peeta, who’s basically in the same boat, with how naive he can be), but she’d take them under her wing, form a ragtag little family of outcasts, and kick undead kiester to protect them.
Though she’d probably be elated to avoid other human beings all together, Peeta would most likely convince her to use her superb archery skills to fight through the zombie hoards and save people who can’t save themselves. We imagine she would enjoy letting an arrow fly through a zombie’s eye or hacking one into bits with a knife. Don’t mess with this mama bear’s cubs (biological or otherwise) or she’ll kill you. (more…)
Five Barbies We Want In Our Lives
Okay, so now that we’ve all gotten over Mattel’s new Barbie line— the diversified dolls will officially hit store shelves March first, but you can get in on the action early through their online shop— with the generally agreeable opinion that more realistic-looking Barbies is a good thing, can we talk about the dolls we really, really want? Don’t get us wrong, this new Barbie is a step in the right direction, but we’re consumers with money to burn. Now that Mattel has shown that it can, in fact, get with the times, we think it would be the perfect time for Barbie and fandom to collide. Hear us out— we’re about to get really progressive— maybe it’s time they start eyeing a market for all kinds of kids, not just girls.
1) Harry Potter
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1KPcXRMMo4[/embedyt]
Imagine how freaking magical this set would be. Sure, everyone and their mother probably has some piece of Potter merchandise around the house— the well-loved series has spawned predictable things like movies and FunKo Pops, but it’s also inspired its own post-secondary courses, a stage play, illustrated editions and adult colouring books— but hear us out. We’re not talking about a single, bespeckled Harry Potter doll in his Hogwarts robes, or even a set of Harry, Ron and Hermione— note: we’d rush out to buy these at the first available opportunity— we’re thinking big leagues. We’re thinking a company should commit to bringing the wizarding world to life, in doll form. This is quite an ambitious project, we know that, but when it comes to Harry Potter, nothing is impossible. Just think about it: variations of Harry, Ron, and Hermione— they could have a Yule Ball set! A chance to see the golden trio in their formal wear? Yes, please— with a mammoth-sized Hogwarts— fully detailed, down to a clearly-discernable portrait of The Fat Lady— and a Hagrid doll that’s bigger than all the rest with wild hair and a bushy beard. They could capitalize on this big time, with an add-on Quidditch pitch (it would be nice if this was included with the Hogwarts set, but we have to give them a chance to milk the brand somehow), Hogsmeade, the Weasley’s house, etc. Ideally, each of the sets would come with new figures— the Ford Anglia, for example, could come with a special version of Harry and Ron, and a Whomping Willow that somehow moves its branches in a deadly fashion—. Who wouldn’t want to buy these? It’s never too early to introduce your kids to the wonder that is Harry Potter, and certainly, you can have fun with the dolls, too! It’s unlikely that every single character in the series will come out to play, but we can dream, can’t we?
2) DCTVU
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi2_ZJ3FGm4[/embedyt]
We know what you’re going to say: when a superhero is lovingly crafted by a toy company, it is very important that it be distinguished as an action figure. But most of the awe-inspiring, super-detailed action figures cost a wack of money that the average parent isn’t going to splurge on, just to have their kids leave peanut butter smears all over it. And as we saw at 2015’s Paleyfest, superhero fans are getting younger and younger. What’s the harm in rolling out a line of affordable, durable playsets for all fans to enjoy? Just think about it: they could start with Earth One Team Flash, release a few locations (the police station, S.T.A.R. Labs, etc.), a couple of sweet-looking villains (we want Gorilla Grodd!), and they’re set for the first wave. They can do the same thing with Arrow (we will throw truckloads of money at whomever takes up this idea, if they give us multiple outfits for each character, especially Felicity Smoak), maybe even launch a special four-pack with island Oliver, island Slade, The Arrow and Deathstroke to kick start things. But— most importantly— we want two versions of Felicity. The cheerful able-bodied version, and a wheelchair-bound version: if Mattel can recognize that not all of their consumers fit a cookie-cutter body type, they should be able to recognize that kids with disabilities are looking for their likeness, too. We think Felicity is magnificent in all her forms, but adding the variation of her character in a wheelchair will give hope to people who need to see parts of themselves reflected and accepted by the mainstream.
Also, is it too early to be thinking about Legends of Tomorrow figures? Or Supergirl? What about an Earth Two line? What if they were to make a separate line for the movies, that wouldn’t absolutely break the bank? What if they capitalized on Young Justice and helped bring it back on air? What if… okay, we’re getting ahead of ourselves here.
3) How to Train Your Dragon
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbrb56koqqA[/embedyt]
A series with scant merchandise, the How to Train Your Dragon film series is the perfect example of an untapped well of potential. And if having a figure in a wheelchair is too big of a step for Mattel to contemplate, series protagonist Hiccup uses a prosthetic leg, and his dragon, Toothless, is disabled as well. And the best thing about those two characters is that being differently abled doesn’t change the way they live their lives: Hiccup still rides dragons and goes on adventures, Toothless still flies and accompanies him. Not to mention: whoever made these dolls (or figures or whatever you want to call them) would have a bonafide line of certifiable cuteness on their hands (even Belch and Barf have their charms). With How to Train Your Dragon 3 coming out in 2018, Mattel should strike while the iron’s hot and bring the village of Berk to life.
4) Star Vs. The Forces Of Evil
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIiaOqf6pOc[/embedyt]
While fans of Star vs. The Forces of Evil await its second season return, the withdrawals are harsh. That’s why having likenesses of Star, Marco, Ludo and his thugs, and even Tom would help make the time fly by faster! Star, a cheery, plucky alien princess, is perhaps the perfect prototype to make a line of dolls with. Not only would she boast a magic wand and a puppy that shoots lasers from its eyes— we’re not sure how that could be incorporated in doll form, but we have faith it can be figured out— having a set of dolls specifically based around the episode “Blood Moon Ball” would be a dream come true. Star Vs. The Forces of Evil has already made Disney XD history (its creator, Daron Nefcy is the second woman to create a show airing on the Disney channel. The first one was Sue Rose, creator of Pepper Ann), is it too much to ask that it spawn its own line of toys, too?
5) Figment
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8aCC6hMc14[/embedyt]
If you haven’t read Jim Zub’s Figment, you should do that. In case you’re browsing at work or otherwise indisposed: Figment is about an inventor named Blarion “Blair” Mercurial is an inventor with his head stuck in the clouds. He manages to make a device that taps into one’s brainpower with a helmet he calls the Integrated Mesmonic Converter. Thanks to the IMC, an imaginary friend— a purple dragon named Figment— becomes real and journeys with him through the world of imagination. And that’s all we can say without spoiling the read, which is actually quite enjoyable! We’re not too particular about what goes into this set— a five-pack of Figment, Blair, Dreamfinder, Fye and Chimera will do nicely— we’d be happy as long as the figures are well-made!
Now that Mattel has opened up the door for an entirely different breed of Barbie, what are you looking forward to seeing?