Roald Dahl is one of those authors whose controversial views nevertheless don’t stop companies looking to adapt his work. We’ve already had two cinematic versions of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and Wes Anderson had brought several books and short stories to screens.
‘The Twits’ could perhaps be considered second-tier Dahl compared to the likes of Willy Wonka and co., but it nevertheless has enough of the writer’s trademark oddness blended with moral lessons that animation feels like the best medium for it.
Script and Direction
(L to R): Margo Martindale as Mrs. Twit, Johnny Vegas as Mr. Twit, in ‘The Twits.’
Writing with Meg Favreau (‘Barbie: It Takes Two’), main director Phil Johnston clearly seems to be enjoying freedom from the restraints of working on bigger-budget Disney releases. Here, he truly lets his freak flag fly, building a decent if rarely needed narration and making enough changes to have the story work at feature length without sacrificing what fans of the books might expect.
The inclusion of orphan heroes, however, does feel somewhat off-the-peg for this sort of movie, even in the characters are engaging enough.
As director, Johnston (working alongside co-directors Todd Kunjan Demong (‘The Addams Family’) and Katie Shanahan (‘Wild Kratts’) and their animation team, brings the characters to life in fresh fashion, the various personalities looking like a blend of stop-motion and CG, and giving the madness of the story its own visual flare.
Johnny Vegas and Margo Martindale are the standouts, voicing the main characters, but there are also good performances from the likes of Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (who voices one of the orphans) and Jason Mantzoukas (as local official Mayor Wayne John John-John).
The Twits tells the story of Mr. and Mrs. Twit, the meanest, smelliest, nastiest people on the face of the earth, and their epic battle against a family of magical Muggle-Wumps and two brave children who refuse to let the Twits’ cruelty win.
Appearing in-person were Zack and Deborah Snyder, Craig Robinson, Nick Kroll and Nathan Lane
Netflix announced several new animated movies and TV shows
Timothy Olyphant will voice the Terminator in ‘Terminator Zero’ and Hayley Atwell will voice Lara Croft in ‘Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft’
On Thursday June 6th, in Hollywood, Netflix held their Next on Netflix Animation Preview where they presented many of their upcoming animated movies and TV shows.
Moviefone had the pleasure of attending the event, with other members of the press, and even had a chance to speak one on one with Zach Snyder about his work on ‘Twilight of the Gods’.
Host Christopher Sean at Next on Netflix Animation Preview. Photo: Netflix.
The event began with a sizzle reel of Netflix’s upcoming animated projects, which you can watch above. Below is a list of projects presented at the event.
Adult series from action with ‘Arcane’, ‘Twilight of the Gods’ and ‘Terminator Zero’, to comedy with ‘Exploding Kittens’ and the final season of ‘Big Mouth’.
Following the success of all-audience hits like ‘The Sea Beast’ and ‘Leo’, come new films including ‘The Imaginary’, ‘Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie’, ‘Spellbound’, ‘That Christmas’, ‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’, ‘The Twits’, ‘K-Pop: Demon Hunters’, ‘Plankton: The Movie’, ‘Pookoo’; and series like ‘Motel Transylvania’ and ‘Jurassic World: Chaos Theory’.
Preschool shows featuring little ones’ favorite friends with ‘CoComelon’, ‘CoComelon Lane’, and ‘Gabby’s Dollhouse’, which collectively amassed more than 650M views last year.
The presentation saw the debut of images and footage from many of Netflix’s upcoming animated projects. Among the first look images presented were photos from Zack Snyder’s ‘Twilight of the Gods’, the SpongeBob SquarePants spinoff ‘Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie’, the new Wallace and Gromit movie ‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’ and from ‘Love Actually’ filmmaker Richard Curtis, ‘That Christmas’.
‘That Christmas’. Photo: Netflix.
The event also included several cast and project announcements including Natalie Portman and Emilia Clarke joining ‘Twits’, Simu Liu joining Craig Robinson in ‘In Your Dreams,’ Timothy Olyphant voicing the Terminator in ‘Terminator Zero’ and Hayley Atwell playing the lead character in ‘Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft’. Other announcements included another SpongeBob SquarePants spinoff ‘Plankton: The Movie’, as well as a TV series based on the ‘Hotel Transylvania’ franchise called ‘Motel Transylvania’.
We also screened footage from the series ‘Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft’, ‘Terminator Zero’, and ‘Twilight of the Gods’, as well as a teaser for a ‘Minecraft’ series, and concept art from upcoming ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Stranger Things’ animated shows. Footage from ‘Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie’, ‘In Your Dreams’, ‘That Christmas’, ‘The Twits’, and ‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’ was also shown.
‘Big Mouth’s Final Season
Nick Kroll at Next on Netflix Animation Preview. Photo: Netflix.
Comedian and actor Nick Kroll was on hand to discuss the 8th and final season of his popular adult comedy ‘Big Mouth’, and introduced a table read montage video from the series.
“We started ‘Big Mouth’ eight years ago. Season Eight will be coming out early next year. It’s our final season of the show. I think about where when we started, ‘BoJack Horseman’ had come out and we were in the next little round of animation at a time when Netflix itself was just beginning to do original programming. We had unbelievable freedom to create exactly the show we wanted to make. Netflix really gave us the freedom to do that. Eight seasons later, we will be the longest running series in Netflix history for an adult series. I’m incredibly proud of that and I’m proud of how we’ve made the show. I’m proud of the partnership we’ve had with Netflix, and it’s just been an unbelievable joy creating this show with Mark Levin, Jennifer Flackett and Andrew Goldberg, our unbelievable cast, our unbelievable writers, and are unbelievable storyboard artists, editors, everyone involved in the engineering of it, the producers, and our partners at Titmouse. This has been an incredible labor of love.”
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Craig Robinson’s Dual Roles
Craig Robinson at Next on Netflix Animation Preview. Photo: Netflix.
Actor, comedian, and singer Craig Robinson took the stage to discuss two upcoming films he will appear in. First, he introduced a scene from ‘Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie’.
“Hey, everybody! I’m here today because SpongeBob is back — and so are his friends. ‘Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie’ is coming exclusively to Netflix in August, and I’m so pumped to be in it”
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Craig Robinson at Next on Netflix Animation Preview. Photo: Netflix.
Robinson then discussed his other Netflix movie, ‘In Your Dreams’ before introducing a video of actor Simu Liu talking about his involvement in the project and presenting a clip from the film.
“As awesome as it was to finally reach a place in my career where I got to voice a Squirrel Dad, it pales in comparison to my next role. I think it proves I’m at the top of my game: A stuffed giraffe. I was told by the filmmakers that I was their first and only choice. They said, “Craig, you were born to play this part.” His name’s Tony Baloney, because he’s stuffed with processed meat. Oh, and he can shoot laser farts. That’s awesome. Daniel Day Lewis had ‘Lincoln’, I got Baloney Tony. I’m already working on my Oscar speech.”
Nathan Lane at Next on Netflix Animation Preview. Photo: Netflix.
Before introducing an animation test from the film ‘Pookoo’, acclaimed actor Nathan Lane discussed his upcoming animated movie ‘Spellbound’.
“’Spellbound’ is about Ellian, the tenacious young daughter of the rulers of Lumbria. She has a secret; a mysterious spell has turned her parents into monsters! Ellian loves her parents. That’s why she summons the mysterious Oracles of the Sun and Moon. I play the Oracle of the Moon and Tituss Burgess plays the Oracle of the Sun and we come to help her break the spell. The cast also includes some other great actors: Rachel Zegler, Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, John Lithgow, and Jenifer Lewis. It also has music by Academy Award winning composer Alan Menken. The film is directed by Vicky Jensen, who also directed a little movie you may have heard of called ‘Shrek.’ ‘Spellbound’ is a big adventure for the whole family, filled with incredible new characters you’ll love. I’m excited to share that the movie, which will release globally on Netflix on November 22, 2024.”
Director Zack Snyder and producer Deborah Snyder at Next on Netflix Animation Preview. Photo: Netflix.
Director Zack Snyder (‘Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire’) and his wife, producer Deborah Snyder presented footage and images from their new animated series ‘Twilight of the Gods’.
Zack Snyder said this about the series:
“’Twilight of the Gods’ was a show that we’ve been working on for quite some time, years in the making. I’ve always been obsessed with Norse mythology. I think it’s an amazing place. I love mythology in general, and so the idea of being able to dig into this rich tapestry of heroes and gods was an incredible opportunity for both of us. This show is really a story. It’s a story about love and revenge, and it just takes us across this massive and beautiful landscape in pursuit of, well, you’ll have to see.”
Deborah Snyder added this:
“As Zack said, it’s been about just over four years in the making, developing these scripts and then having an in-house team of about 48 artists who developed all the characters and the worlds. In animation, nothing is for free. Every prop and everything, as you know, must be created. We were so lucky to be able to work with this group of very global artists.”
Director Zack Snyder at Next on Netflix Animation Preview. Photo: Netflix.
After the presentation, Moviefone had the pleasure of speaking briefly with Zack Snyder one on one about his new animated project.
Moviefone: To begin with, what drew you to adapting Norse mythology for this animated series?
Zack Snyder: Well, we’ve been talking about doing an animated project with Netflix. That had been a conversation that was going on. We had that conversation and are doing an ‘Army of the Dead’ animated series, so that was kind of happening at the same time. This happened because I think (Director) Jay (Oliva) and I were talking about how we both love Norse mythology; wouldn’t it be cool to do something in that world. We started talking to Netflix about it and they said, “Yeah, do that!” So that started us on the journey of developing it.
MF: Finally, I think fans have been waiting for you to adapt this specific mythology for a long time. Did it seem like a no-brainer for you too?
ZS: I think it was easy in us being excited every day. I wasn’t like, “I got to do that Norse mythology thing.” We were utterly and completely off the chain with (the animation) too, so that was cool.
Cast and crew of Marvel Studios’ ‘Secret Invasion’ at the red carpet premiere.
‘Secret Invasion’ is coming soon to Disney+, a series based on the popular comic book storyline where the shape-shifting species the Skrulls invade Earth. This is also the first Marvel TV series in MCU’s Phase Five.
The official synopsis for ‘Secret Invasion’ is:
“In Secret Invasion, set in the present-day MCU, Fury learns of a clandestine invasion of Earth by a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls. Fury joins his allies, including Everett Ross, Maria Hill, and the Skrull Talos, who has made a life for himself on Earth.”
The series is directed by Ali Selim, who directed all six episodes. ‘Secret Invasion’ will premiere on Disney+ on June 21st, 2023.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of attending the global virtual press conference for ‘Secret Invasion’. Talent and filmmakers in attendance were Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, producer Jonathan Schwartz, director Ali Selim, Samuel L Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Cobie Smulders, Emilia Clarke, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Olivia Colman, and Don Cheadle.
Here are 10 things we learned from the ‘Secret Invasion’ virtual press conference:
1. Where does ‘Secret Invasion’ take place in the MCU timeline?
Producer Jonathan Schwartz elaborated on how the show fits into MCU’s phase 5 and where it lands in the MCU timeline.
Jonathan Schwartz: It is present day MCU, that’s what we’re calling it. It exists basically along that timeline, along the timeline that the show’s coming out in. Post ‘She-Hulk’, post Blip, right at this exact present day in the MCU. I think that’s all I can say.
2. How the Idea for the ‘Secret Invasion’ Series Came About And How It Differs From The Comics
(L to R) Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and director Ali Selim at the red carpet premiere of Marvel Studios’ ‘Secret Invasion.’
Kevin Feige recounts the first time he visited the idea of taking the ‘Secret Invasion’ storyline and turning it into a series.
Kevin Feige: I think if you really go back, it did start on ‘Captain Marvel’, even if it wasn’t a ‘Secret Invasion’ idea yet. I think it was the idea that there was more to do with this relationship and with these two characters, with Nick and with Talos. Then the Disney+ doors opened up, and we got the opportunity to play in more genres and expand the sandbox of what we can do. That made ‘Secret Invasion’ by itself a story that had great source material behind it and was a comic event that a lot of people knew and responded to, and was a very cool genre specifically for these two characters. I think that’s what really brought the show to life.
He also touches on how the series will differ from the comic book.
Kevin Feige: We knew we weren’t going to have every character in the Marvel Universe the way it is in the comics. It really was to focus on Sam Jackson and really to focus on this ensemble that you see here today in that, as we said, political thriller aspect to it. We had an amazing group of writers and our amazing director who helped to shepherd it all.
As for which upcoming MCU projects ‘Secret Invasion’ will lead into such as ‘Armor Wars’ or ‘The Marvels’:
Kevin Feige: You’ve named some of them. Yes. I mean, the repercussions will be felt in coming projects.
3. What inspired them to make ‘Secret Invasion’ as a darker, grittier spy-thriller show?
Kevin Feige: Jonathan came into my office a number of years ago, when we were thinking about what kinds of shows to do on Disney+, and he came in with this idea of translating the great ‘Secret Invasion’ storyline from the comics into a darker, grittier spy show, which we hadn’t done. We love to do different genres for everything. This was an attempt to really dive back into things we touched upon in ‘Winter Soldier’, but hadn’t in a while. Really delving into the tone of a spy show and seeing a very different dynamic between Fury and Talos than we had seen in our 90s buddy action movie, ‘Captain Marvel.’
4. The Current State Of Nick Fury In ‘Secret Invasion’
Samuel L. Jackson at the red carpet premiere of Marvel Studios’ ‘Secret Invasion.’
Nick Fury has been involved in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the beginning – from ‘Iron Man’ in 2008. Fury has been through thick and thin with the Avengers and Thanos’ snap. Samuel L. Jackson talks about where his character is in this series.
Samuel L. Jackson: This is my second appearance post-snap, and he’s been gone for a while. He is a little tired, a little vulnerable, but he’s coming back to Earth because he’s been summoned, and we’ll see what happens. He’s got a bad knee now, and he’s not so happy.
Through the series, the audience will get the chance to learn more about Nicky Fury, the actor mentions that the more we find out about him, the more we’ll like him.
Samuel L. Jackson: We get new information. We go to his house. You got to watch to find out if I live in a condo or a real house, and see if I have a yard. That stuff. What furniture does Nick Fury have? Does he have an island in his kitchen? Can he cook?
5. What is Rhodey’s relationship like with Nick Fury in the series?
James “Rhodey” Rhodes (played by Don Cheadle) will appear in the series. The actor talks about what Rhodey has been up to and his relationship with Nick Fury.
Don Cheadle: I think we’re just finding out what’s happening with Rhodey as this series goes on. He’s in a different role. We see him as more of a political animal than we have in the past. He’s been more of the military man, but now he’s in some ways the right hand of the President and the special envoy in that regard. But I think what I’m looking forward to is just seeing more, getting under the hood of who he is, and seeing how this relationship, not only with Nick Fury but the other cast members evolves. Again, as Ben (Mendelsohn) said, no spoilers, but it’s going to be some fun stuff.
Samuel L. Jackson chimes in about never having any in-depth scenes with Cheadle until this series.
Samuel L. Jackson: We’ve been waiting to do this for years and years and years. It was wonderful to do and to have that little abrasive thing happen there. It’s great and nice to know that we have that relationship, or I assumed it was that.
Don Cheadle: I’ve known Sam for a long time and we’ve spent a lot of time talking about what it would be like to work together, looking for projects to do together. The central relationship between myself and Sam, and this was very important to me, and I was very glad to be brought on. I don’t think it was originally conceived that Rhodey was going to be in this, but when it came to me and Sam called, I was really excited about leaning into it. Also, being in a show like this that’s really a departure from what I have been in as far as the genre goes. It’s really an opportunity to act and really lean into some human stuff, which was also a lot of fun. As Emilia said, as Olivia said, as Kingsley said, as Ben said, this is a great cast. Ali was a great director, a great leader. It was just all upside, and I was very happy to look into who Rhodey is and to probe that more and find out what really makes him tick.
Cobie Smulders reprises her role as agent Maria Hill in the spy-thriller series, and talks about Maria’s relationship with Fury and what it’s like to work with Samuel L. Jackson
Cobie Smulders: Working with Sam is my favorite thing, it’s true. It was really exciting to come back. But speaking again about strain, I think the relationship is quite strained because she’s been calling, and he hasn’t been answering.
The actress touches on how Maria Hill was also affected by the Blip and how that affected her state-of-mind.
Cobie Smulders: I think Maria Hill came back and someone else was sitting in her desk, and immediately kicked them out and got to work. I think there was just a mountain of cases to get to, which is a part of her resentment toward Fury because he was not around.
Jackson added:
Samuel L Jackson: Well, yeah, it definitely has a mental health effect on you, and it causes a different rift between you and the people that you’ve been around or people that you’re supposed to be close to. I mean, like I said, I hadn’t been returning her calls. There are a few other people that I hadn’t been calling back either.
Olivia Colman joins the cast of ‘Secret Invasion’ as Sonya Falsworth. The actress talks about being a part of the MCU, who Sonya is, and her dynamic with Nick Fury.
Olivia Colman: After every Marvel film that landed in cinemas, I phoned my agent and said, “Please, could I be in a Marvel movie.” Finally, either she got fed up of me calling her, or it happened. It wasn’t why ‘Secret Invasion’? ‘Secret Invasion’ called, and without any mention of the word “Marvel” I went, “Yes, please.” That’s why. I had an absolute ball and it lived up to everything that I was hoping for.
On the dynamic between Sonya and Nick Fury:
Olivia Colman: I was just so excited to meet Samuel L. Jackson. They have a lovely friendship, although she does quite like to bully you with her heavies. It doesn’t strike me as much of a friendship, but they’ve got history. They trust each other, which I think I’m allowed to say.
Coleman talks a little more about who Sonya is:
Olivia Colman: Sonya works for MI6. She likes wearing red and she’s quite funny and she’s potentially a little bit not that nice sometimes.
Samuel L. Jackson adds:
Samuel L. Jackson: And possibly the most dangerous woman in the UK. She lives in a dark corner of the UK and nobody can access it.
Another newcomer to the MCU is Emilia Clarke, who is no stranger to major franchises and being tight-lipped on spoilers. The actress talks about her experience working with Ben Mendelsohn, given the relationship between the two characters.
Emilia Clarke: I just love Ben. I love working with Ben. It was so much fun. It was really easy because obviously, we are playing. There’s tension all over the shop, but there is obviously a deep familiarity, shorthand and knowledge of each other that it’s just so easy and free acting with Ben, and it was just gorgeous.
Mendelsohn remained cryptic on where we find Talos in the series, but he touches on the current mindset of Talos and his relationship with Nick Fury.
Ben Mendelsohn: We’re finding Talos in a difficult time. It’s a bad time. By the way, (Nick Fury) up there? We could have used him. I’m just saying he’s been away a bit, the mate, you know?
Played by Kingsley Ben-Adir, Gravik is a Skrull and an original character created for the series. The actor talks about exploring this brand-new character.
Kingsley Ben-Adir: I think we had many conversations for hours at the beginning. I guess like Gravik, I didn’t really trust why anything was coming to me, but he just felt like a part that I hadn’t been approached for before. There was an opportunity to do something a little bit different with this one. I just wanted to make him as unsentimental as possible. There’s something interesting about how much he hates Nick, and that was really enticing.
10. ‘Secret Invasion’ is not just a superhero story
(L to R) Kingsley Ben-Adir, Ben Mendelsohn, Samuel L. Jackson, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, Don Cheadle, Cobie Smulders, Dermot Mulroney, and director Ali Selim at the red carpet premiere of Marvel Studios’ ‘Secret Invasion.’
Director Ali Selim talks about the inspiration for the tone of the show
Ali Selim: Well, I think it’s a very human show. It’s the Nick Fury story. He’s a human. He does have his own version of superpowers, but they’re not like superhero superpowers. It’s a story about him putting his feet back on the ground once again after some time. I like that because I like human stories that come from the heart, and are human-scaled and reach for a universal appeal rather than the reverse of that. I liked the espionage political thriller element, and we went back to look at ‘The Third Man’ and ‘The Conversation’ and things like that, that are very grounded, real and human. I hope that we brought enough of that to create the tone. Then, without a spoiler alert, I think there is a point in the story where Nick Fury realizes this is his own battle, and he becomes a classic American Western hero. The tone shifted in the later episodes to Nick Fury as John Wayne.
Director Ali Selim speaks more about how the series delves into human emotions and the personal and inner life of Nick Fury.
Ali Selim: Well, I think it’s the script which was brilliantly written. I think it’s the fact that it’s the Nick Fury story rather than a superhero story. I think it’s the fact that it really tried to delve into very simple human emotions like trust and suspicion, and the personal life of Nick Fury and the inner life of Nick Fury. It’s very different than people flying through the air.
Samuel L Jackson: See, but I don’t think it’s just a Nick Fury story because we got all these other interesting people that are flowing around through it. It’s a Gravik story, it’s Emilia’s story, and it’s Olivia’s story. It’s all these people that are being introduced that make you want to say, well, I want to go home with them too and see what’s happening.
‘Secret Invasion’ premieres with its first episode on Disney+ on June 21, 2023.
Premiering on Disney+ beginning June 21st is the new six-episode Marvel series ‘Secret Invasion,’ which is based on the popular comic book storyline of the same name and is the first MCU series of Phase Five.
What is the plot of ‘Secret Invasion’?
In Marvel Studios’ new series ‘Secret Invasion,’ set in the present day MCU, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) learns of a clandestine invasion of Earth by a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls. Fury joins his allies, including Everett Ross (Martin Freeman), Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) and the Skrull Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), who has made a life for himself on Earth. Together they race against time to thwart an imminent Skrull invasion and save humanity.
In the first two episodes, ‘Secret Invasion’ sets up an interesting character-driven espionage thriller that captures the paranoia of the original comic book storyline. Much like ‘Captain America: Civil War’ the new series is only an adaption in the broadest strokes, using the well-established Marvel Cinematic Universe as a launching-off point for a similar but not exactly identical story. Returning MCU actors Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn lead a strong ensemble cast, which also includes a charming and delightful performance from Oscar-winner Olivia Colman.
2008’s ‘Secret Invasion’ was a groundbreaking Marvel Comics crossover event that saw the Marvel heroes fighting a war with the shapeshifting alien race known as the Skrulls, who had systematically over the course of several years secretly invaded Earth by replacing many well-known Marvel characters, including members of The Avengers and the X-Men. The tagline for the series was: “Who do you trust?”
Marvel studios takes a smaller, yet similar approach with Disney+’s ‘Secret Invasion,’ which is not on as big a scale as the overreaching comic book storyline was. Instead, the series wisely takes only the idea from the comic book and then applies it to what has already been established in the MCU, similar to other Marvel “adaptions” like ‘Civil War.’ The series is more of an espionage thriller like ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier,’ and is surprisingly very character-driven with some of its best moments coming from exploring Nick Fury and Talos’ long friendship as established in ‘Captain Marvel.’
The series begins with an American spy confronting a well-known MCU character with his theory that the Skrulls that Fury secretly let live on Earth have formed a terrorist organization that has infiltrated the highest ranks in governments across the world and plans to take the planet for their own. After laughing off this possibility, the MCU character is revealed to be a Skrull, and kills the agent. We then cut to Talos (Mendelsohn) who is working with Maria Hill (Smulders), and quickly contact Nick Fury (Jackson) to return to Earth from space, where he has been since the Blip (following the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame’).
Once reunited with Talos and Hill, Fury learns that Talos has been fired from the Skrull council, and that a Skrull named Gravik (Ben-Adir) is the leader of the terrorists, which also includes Talos’ daughter G’iah (Clarke) as a member. Talos learns of where Gravik is planning his next attack, while Fury visits an old ally, high-ranking MI6 agent Sonya Falsworth (Colman), but she is unwilling to work with him and tells Fury to stand down.
Fury, Talos and Hill try to stop the attack but fail. Fury is blamed internationally instead and soon learns that there are more Skrulls on Earth than he previously believed. Not knowing who to trust, Fury reaches out to James Rhodes (Cheadle), and warns him of the impending invasion, but the US government wants to wash its hands of Fury. Meanwhile, we learn that Fury has a secret of his own, and so does Gravik, who is working on an experiment to make Skrulls stronger.
The long friendship, as established in ‘Captain Marvel,’ between Fury and Talos is at the heart of the series. In the first two episodes, the series digs deep into their past showing us post-‘Captain Marvel’ moments that better explains the long alliance between Fury and the Skrulls, and the secret betrayals from both sides that have led to this moment. Some of the best moments of the first two episodes are the quitter, character-driven scenes that dive into that relationship and both characters’ pasts.
Samuel L. Jackson definitely leads the series with his commanding gravitas, and after more than a decade of playing the character in a supporting role, it’s nice to see Jackson and Fury front and center of this story. Make no mistakes, this is Sam Jackson’s series! But Ben Mendelsohn is equally good as Talos, and again, the character is central to the story. He has some wonderful scenes with Jackson, as well as Emilia Clarke as his misguided daughter G’iah, last played by Auden L. Ophuls and Harriet L. Ophuls in ‘Captain Marvel.’ Originally teased as a villain, Talos has become one of my favorite MCU characters, thanks to Mendelsohn’s thoughtful and funny performance.
Other Retuning MCU Characters
MCU regulars Cobie Smulders, Don Cheadle and Martin Freeman return as Maria Hill, James Rhodes, and Everett K. Ross, respectively, but all have limited roles, at least in the first two episodes. It’s also worth mentioning that the MCU has a new US President, as President Matthew Ellis (William Sadler), last seen in ‘Iron Man 3,’ has been replaced with Dermot Mulroney’s President Ritson.
While technically not a new character, Emilia Clarke makes her MCU debut as Talos’ daughter G’iah. Clarke seems fine in the role and has some nice moments with Mendelsohn, but other than running around, is not given a lot to do in the first two episodes, although I expect her role to get bigger throughout the rest of the series. Kingsley Ben-Adir plays Gravik and is certainly menacing in the role, but is a little too one note. Episode two attempts to flesh-out his backstory, and I hope there is more of that in the series and it can humanize the character a bit more so he’s not just evil for evil’s sake. But much like many fans have thought since ‘Avengers: Infinity War,’ “Was Thanos right?” The character does make a strong argument for his actions, from his point of view.
But the breakout new character of the series is definitely Olivia Colman’s Sonya Falsworth. The character is unassuming, quite charming, and extremely dangerous, and Colman plays her with glee. Her interactions with Fury early on cement her place in the new MCU power structure, and tells the audience that she is not to be trusted. Is she a hero? Is she a villain? Is she a Skrull? Who knows? But Coleman is delicious in the role and clearly having fun with the part.
The short answer is that anyone in the series could be! As previously mentioned, a longstanding MCU character is revealed at the beginning of the series to be a Skrull. However, I do not believe that character has always been a Skrull, like it was in the comics. I think they were just a Skrull in this one appearance, but that could be proven wrong down the line. I don’t think the series will reveal, let’s say, that Tony Stark was always a Skrull, or something like that. But part of the fun of the comic book, and in turn this series, is that it keeps the audience guessing the entire time and raises our feelings of paranoia.
After two episodes I already have some theories, but honestly, like I said before, anyone could be a Skrull! I thought Rhodey was acting a little suspect when he met with Fury, but then again, Fury is definitely keeping a secret himself. It’s also possible that there is more than one Fury, and that Sam Jackson is not always playing that character in ‘Secret Invasion’ when we see him. Only time will tell if that is true. Other suspects? Definitely President Ritson, my “Spidey-Sense” tells me they would not have cast an actor like Dermot Mulroney in an insignificant role. Also suspect, Sonya Falsworth, she’s hiding something too but that could be a red herring. One of the strengths of the show is that it will keep you invested by keeping you guessing as the series goes on.
Ultimately, it’s hard to say. Unlike its comic book counterpart, the series is not a huge scale crossover event, instead ‘Secret Invasion’ seems like a side-story that is taking place in the shadows. It’s probably setting up a future Marvel project, possibly the next ‘Avengers’ movie, and its conclusion should have some ramifications moving forward. But I’m guessing, since this seems like a smaller, character-driven series, that it will mostly just affect Nick Fury and his role moving forward. While the Avengers and other heroes are name dropped, it’s explained why they cannot help in this matter, and however the series concludes, it will be interesting to see if this storyline crosses over to any other future projects.
Final Thoughts
‘Secret Invasion,’ in the first two episodes, sets up an intriguing spy-thriller of a series, which is brilliantly led by Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury. Ben Mendelsohn and Olivia Colman give strong supporting performances in this character-driven Marvel series that will keep you guessing the whole time.
The first two episodes of ‘Secret Invasion’ receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.
Plotting with all the tactics of a military campaign, the Marvel team has been drip-feeding information about its upcoming Disney+ series ‘Secret Invasion’, which sees the full return of Samuel L. Jackson’s eyepatch-sporting (though not always here, more on that below) tough nut and former S.H.I.E.L.D. boss.
The new series catches us up with not only Fury but also the Skrull aliens we met in ‘Captain Marvel’, primarily led by Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos.
Originally believed to be a threat, they were actually revealed as refugees from a catastrophic war with the more dangerous race known as the Kree (for whom Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers initially fought before realizing their less friendly nature and helping Fury fight them alongside Talos).
Yet decades later, the Skrulls haven’t received what humanity promised –– access to a new homeworld of their own and real help –– so there is now a faction dedicated to taking what they’re owed, but duplicity or force.
Led by Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir), the group uses their shape-changing powers to wreak havoc. And among their number is someone close to Talos (spoiler alert: it’s his daughter, G’iah, played by ‘Game of Thrones’ veteran Emilia Clarke.)
To combat this threat, Fury turns not to his Avengers-level super-friends (the trailer makes a point of that, so perhaps the series will explain his thinking) but to some more down-to-Earth associates, including Talos, loyal lieutenant Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) and Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman).
And sitting squarely in between the two sides of the conflict we have Olivia Colman’s character, Special Agent Sonya Falsworth, a high-ranking member of Britain’s intelligence service MI6 (think the real-world organization that employs James Bond in a whole other fictional universe). She’s apparently been both friend and foe to Nick Fury in the past.
Casting-wise, we’ll also see Carmen Ejogo, Christopher McDonald, and Marvel veteran Don Cheadle, back as James Rhodes, here in more of a political capability than his usual War Machine style (though we’d be shocked if he didn’t suit up at some point).
Oh, and talking of a changed style, Fury also has an altered look at times –– he’s not always wearing his trademark eyepatch, which covers a damaged eye.
“He just doesn’t wear the patch. The patch is part of who the strong Nick Fury was. It’s part of his vulnerability now. You can look at it and see he’s not this perfectly indestructible person. He doesn’t feel like that guy.”
The series promises to be more of a global political spy thriller, albeit with the alien overtones and of course healthy dollops of MCU lore. But it’ll be a personal mission for Fury, who has been off-planet since the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame’ and realizes that he’s been out of touch in more ways than one. And kicking some scheming alien butt might just be his way to make contact again.
Here’s what executive producer executive producer Jonathan Schwartz says about Fury:
“Sins from his past start to haunt him once again. We often see Nick Fury doing the right thing. We don’t always see him doing it in a perfectly morally correct way. All of those things have ramifications. Without getting too specific, the things that Nick Fury’s had to do to protect the Earth have costs.”
And here’s more from Jackson:
“Nick had a whole Skrull spy network because they could shape-shift and go places that people couldn’t go. They kept their word. They worked for him, but he hasn’t done what he said he was going to do. They want a home. They want to live. They want to live like they are. They want to live in their skin. They don’t want to live in ours.”
‘Secret Invasion’ kicks off on Disney+ on June 21st.
Marvel Studios’ ‘Secret Invasion.’
In other Marvel news, there has been another change behind the scenes on the movie front.
While Kaplan and Springer are more known for comedy writing, Josh Friedman has some big sci-fi bona fides.
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What has Josh Friedman worked on?
Most recently, Friedman was part of James Cameron’s writing team for the ‘Avatar’ sequels (he has a story credit on ‘The Way of Water’). He’s also worked on the script for next year’s ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’.
Also on the small screen, he’s run or been part of the development for ‘Foundation’ and ‘Snowpiercer’.
Whether this means a complete re-write or beefing up the sci-fi side of things remains to be seen, but ‘Fantastic Four’ is still currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on February 14th, 2025.
The title might be ‘Secret Invasion’ and it might hail from Marvel –– notoriously a company that likes to keep details of its movies and series under wraps –– but we’re finally learning more about the next MCU series to arrive on Disney+.
‘Secret Invasion’ will see Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn’s Skrull Talos facing off a brand new threat from a splinter group of the latter’s alien race.
Ben Mendelsohn as Talos in Marvel Studios’ ‘Captain Marvel.’
When did we first meet the Skrulls?
A longtime enemy in the comics, the Skrulls were given a fresh twist by 2019’s ‘Captain Marvel’, as it was revealed that the Skrulls were actually alien refugees of a devastating conflict with fellow extraterrestrials the Kree.
Though Skrulls such as Talos and his team used their shape-shifting abilities (they can mimic any person) to push their agenda, they soon let Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) and Fury know the true nature of their struggle.
At the end of the movie, Fury promised to help the Skrulls find a new home, but since ‘Captain Marvel’ was set in the 1990s and there has been little progress since then, the story has taken another turn.
There is a facet of Skrulls, unhappy with the situation, who are now taking matters into their own hands.
Led by Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir), this splinter group has become radicalized, and aims to get what they believe they’re owed by stealth or by force.
Among Gravik’s followers is someone very close to Talos, his daughter G’iah, played by ‘Game of Thrones’ veteran Clarke.
Here’s what Clarke says about the situation:
“These people promised a lot of stuff a long time ago, and not a lot has happened. So understandably, a certain amount of resentment has been built. There’s a lot of emotions that live within her, and there’s a lot of confrontational aspects to her character that have come from circumstance. You understand why she has the feelings that she does.”
And here’s what Clarke says about her character:
“There’s a kind of punk feeling that you get from this girl. She’s a refugee kid who’s had Talos for a dad, you know what I mean? Maybe the fact that we didn’t know he had a kid up until this point tells you everything you need to know about their relationship.”
On the other side of the conflict, we have Olivia Colman’s character, a high-ranking member of Britain’s intelligence service MI6 (think the real-world organization that employs James Bond in a whole other fictional universe). She’s apparently been both friend and foe to Nick Fury in the past.
Says Jackson of Colman’s character,
“It’s somebody that you’ve never seen her play before. She’s cold-blooded and just relishes being that person.”
The cast for the series, which reportedly, though it has yet to be officially confirmed, kicks off on Disney+ on June 21st, also includes returning MCU veterans Cobie Smulders, Martin Freeman and Don Cheadle.
Kit Harington as Jon Snow on HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones.’
There were ripples in ‘Game of Thrones’ fandom a few days ago when word emerged that a spin-off series about Kit Harrington’s Jon Snow character was in consideration at HBO. And, while he doesn’t always comment, ‘Thrones’ novelist George R.R. Martin has taken to his famous blog to confirm that the series is in the works.
The sequel series, which had been rumored as far back as 2016, is, according to Martin, currently simply titled ‘Snow’ and has been in development almost as long as the other live-action ‘Thrones’ spin-offs (more on those below).
“‘Snow’ has been in development almost as long as the other three, but for whatever reason it was never announced and it never leaked… until now,” says Martin.
The writer (and ‘Thrones’ adaptation consultant) also commented on Emilia Clarke’s recent revelation during a TV interview that it was actually Harrington who had brought the concept to HBO. “He has told me about it,” Clarke told the BBC. “And I know it exists. It’s happening. It’s been created by Kit as far as I can understand, so he’s in it from the ground up. So what you will be watching, hopefully, if it happens, is certified by Kit Harington.” Though queried as to whether she’d be up for returning as Daenerys Targaryen, she replied, “No, I think I’m done.” Short of being revived in some fantastical fashion, Dany is done too, as she died at Snow’s hands during the ‘Thrones’ series finale.
George R.R. Martin on the set of HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones.’
“Yes, it was Kit Harrington who brought the idea to us. I cannot tell you the names of the writers/showrunners, since that has not been cleared for release yet, but Kit brought them in too, his own team, and they are terrific,” Martin enthuses. “Kit’s team have visited me here in Santa Fe and worked with me and my own team of brilliant, talented writer/consultants to hammer out the show.”
While prequel ‘House of the Dragon’ – which touches down on HBO on August 21st – the other shows based around ‘Thrones’ are, according to Martin, still very much at the script stage and may not make it to screens. He also mentioned that he’s involved in some fashion in them all: ‘10,000 Ships’ (aka ‘Nymeria’) which has a showrunner in Amanda Segel, ‘9 Voyages’ (aka ‘The Sea Snake’) overseen by Bruno Heller, and ‘The Hedge Knight’, drawn from the ‘Dunk and Egg’ stories, run by Steve Conrad.
There are also three animated prequel projects, including ‘The Golden Empire’, which is set in the China-inspired land of Yi Ti.
Finally, Martin addressed his frustration that a recent print interview he gave about competition in the fantasy sphere was twisted by some outlets to make it sound like he wanted to “beat” incoming ‘Lord of the Rings’ prequel series ‘The Rings of Power’. “I expect I will be watching ‘Rings of Power’ when it premieres. I want it to be great. I want it to run for many years, to win Emmys and Golden Globes. And I want the same for ‘House of the Dragon’. Regardless of awards, I want both shows to find an appreciative audience, and give them great television. Great fantasy. The more fantasy hits we have, the more great fantasy we are likely to get.”
Kit Harington as Jon Snow on HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones.’
Clarke plays Kate, a bundle of bad decisions who isn’t too happy with her job as an elf in a year-round Christmas store. Then, she runs into Tom (Golding), who seems too good to be true — handsome, funny, charitable, with the ability to see through Kate’s barriers.
As London transforms into the most wonderful time of the year, Kate starts to realize she can turn her life around — you gotta have faith.
Yes, as the title indicates, the movie is backed by a soundtrack filled with songs by the late George Michael, including that bittersweet holiday tune. The movie will also premiere new, unreleased material by the legendary Grammy-winning artist.
“Last Christmas” also stars Emma Thompson and Michelle Yeoh, and opens in theaters November 8.
Universal is moving up “Last Christmas,” the Paul Feig-directed romantic comedy starring the “Game of Thrones” star, the “Crazy Rich Asians” breakout, and Emma Thompson. It will now open November 8, 2019, instead of November 15.
“Last Christmas” is inspired by the hit song by the late George Michael and will feature unreleased music by the former Wham singer.
The story follows Kate (Clarke), who harrumphs around London, a bundle of bad decisions accompanied by the jangle of bells on her shoes, another irritating consequence from her job as an elf in a year-round Christmas shop. Tom (Golding) seems too good to be true when he walks into her life and starts to see through so many of Kate’s barriers. As London transforms into the most wonderful time of the year, nothing should work for these two.
