Landing on Disney+ on September 24th is the new Marvel Animation limited series ‘Marvel Zombies’, which spins off from the zombie-filled episode of ‘What If…?’ and loosely adapts the comic book run.
While Marvel’s Disney+ output has been somewhat hit-and-miss, the Marvel Animation team has been enjoying much more success, and ‘Marvel Zombies’ certainly counts as one of those.
It may not be perfect, but it’s certainly a lot of gory, darkly-hued entertainment.
Zeb Wells has enjoyed unusual power in the Marvel world, overseeing much of the animated output, but with good reason –– he and his writing team have crafted sharp, clever takes on the MCU, with ‘Zombies’ as no exception.
It’s not for the faint of heart and certainly dives into some dark areas (don’t get attached to all the characters, even some well-known ones), but it delivers the Young Avengers action many have been waiting for on the big screen, albeit in bite-sized chunks.
Bryan Andrews’ direction is also solid. Though the animation might not be the most advanced, it’s certainly stylish enough and gets the job done.
Featuring the usual mix of MCU veteran performers and some talented voice types who imitate others, this is a great showcase particularly for the infectious enthusiasm of Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan and the usual great work of Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova. Kudos also to Simu Liu, whose Shang-Chi really goes through it in this story, and to Todd Williams, who voices a very different version of Blade from any we’ve seen before.
‘Marvel Zombies’ is by turns full of action and drama, some impressive set-pieces and ideas, and emotionally fun performances from MCU actors and others.
It’s funny despite the post-apocalyptic storyline, and with just four episodes, doesn’t outstay its welcome.
After the Avengers are overtaken by a zombie plague, a desperate group of survivors discover the key to bringing an end to the super-powered undead, racing across a dystopian landscape and risking life and limb to save their world.
Who stars in ‘Marvel Zombies’?
Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan
Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova
Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff
David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov
Simu Liu as Shang-Chi
Awkwafina as Katy Chen Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop Randall Park as Jimmy Woo
Todd Williams as Blade Knight
Hailee Steinfeld is joining Miles Teller in new drama ‘Winter Games.’
Paul Downs Colaizzo co-wrote and will direct the movie.
It’s set at the Winter Olympics.
Cast your mind back to this past May, when we learned that Miles Teller had agreed to star in a new sports romantic drama called ‘Winter Games.’
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Back then, all we knew is that he will play a rough-and-ready Olympic ice hockey player who is constantly getting into trouble, and who forms a romantic bond with a skier who is constantly overlooked.
The movie is set in the high-stakes arena of the Winter Olympic Games, following a perpetually overlooked skier (Steinfeld) and a self-sabotaging hockey legend (Teller) who collide at their breaking points. Their unexpected connection threatens her chance for a medal and his shot at a comeback as they navigate romance and redemption in the Olympic Village.
Colaizzo co-wrote the script with Pat Cunnane, who recently worked on the script for ‘Eternity,’ a new drama starring and produced by Teller.
And it’s also a reunion for the actor and producers Tim and Trevor White, whose Star Thrower company helped shepherd ‘Eternity’ and will do the same for ‘Winter Games.’
Where else can we see Hailee Steinfeld?
Hailee Steinfeld in ‘Hawkeye’. Photo: Disney+.
As mentioned, Steinfeld recently appeared in Ryan Coogler’s hugely successful vampire thriller ‘Sinners’, which has earned more than $355 million worldwide.
Besides ‘Winter Games’, she will reprise her voice role as Gwen Stacy in ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse,’ which is now not landing in theaters until 2027.
Also on the vocal front, she’s playing Kate Bishop in MCU animated series ‘Marvel Zombies’, which will hit Disney+ on October 3rd.
Following TV series ‘Hawkeye’ and a brief cameo in the post-credits sting of ‘The Marvels’, Steinfeld is rumored to be part of ‘Champions’, an MCU show set in the wake of ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ that will see the Young Avengers assemble. But that has yet to be confirmed by Marvel.
When will ‘Winter Games’ be on screens?
Even given Steinfeld’s attachment, there is no word yet on a release date for this one, as Paramount has yet to make an announcement.
Miles Teller plays Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
And in the case of at least the first (though possibly both), they will also boast the voice of ‘Get Out’, and ‘Nope’ actor Daniel Kaluuya, who plays Spider-Punk.
Kaluuya, of course, is already a veteran of the main MCU (to which Sony’s Spider-Verse movies don’t yet directly connect), having played W’Kabi in 2018’s ‘Black Panther’.
The new movies continue the adventures of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) as they combat threats from across the Spider-Verse.
Alongside the returning heroes, we’ll see more from Spider-Man 2099 (AKA Miguel O’Hara, voiced by Oscar Isaac) and meet the likes of Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman), played by Issa Rae.
Marvel Comics Spider-Punk. Photo courtesy of Marvel.com
Spider-Punk, AKA Hobart “Hobie” Brown, is a more recent Marvel Comics arrival, created by writer Dan Slott and artist Olivier Coipel in 2015 via ‘The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3’ #10.
He’s described as a homeless teenager who becomes a hero to the oppressed citizens of New York in his dimensional universe.
On the villainous side, there is a deep cut from within Spidey’s rogues’ gallery.
Voiced by Jason Schwartzman, The Dot will feature a character design meant to call to mind an unfinished sketch, featuring blue construction lines that evoke a comic book artist’s rough drawing before the work goes to an inker. The design itself will evolve over the course of the film as the character changes and grows, taking on a more fearsome shape as he learns to better apply his own powers.
There will also be an appearance from more familiar The Vulture; though not the Michael Keaton character from ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ and other live-action movies. Instead, this will be a different dimension’s version, voiced by Jorma Taccone.
Aside from the knowledge that our heroes will have to face off against those villains (and, likely some characters yet to be revealed), the story for both of the sequel movies remains largely a mystery. But given the continued presence of Lord and Miller in particular, we’re anticipating an inventive, funny, emotional and visually wild ride across the two films.
We’ll have to wait for ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ as it won’t land in theaters until June 2nd next year. And ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’ is even further away, arriving on March 29th, 2024.
Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) takes on The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’
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Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) takes on The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’
The annual Annecy International Animation Film Festival is happening now in France and one of the main attractions is a presentation about much-anticipated sequel ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’.
Following on from 2018’s Oscar-winning ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’, the new film is one of two sequels that will continue the adventures of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) as they combat threats from across the Spider-Verse.
Alongside the returning heroes, we’ll see more from Spider-Man 2099 (AKA Miguel O’Hara, voiced by Oscar Isaac) and meet the likes of Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman), played by Issa Rae. And the clip from the festival also featured George Stacey, Gwen’s policeman father, played by Shea Whigham.
“For those who are not hardcore canon nerds, The Spot is one of the deepest cuts in Spider-Man’s rogue gallery,” says co-director Kemp Powers in a statement. “But he has a super-power that really excited our entire team: His entire body is covered in little interdimensional portals that can send him anywhere he wants to go.
“We thought it would be really cool if the portals felt like living ink that had spilled or splattered on the comic artist’s drawing,” Powers told the Annecy crowd before screening test animation footage. “His very simple power provided endless exciting challenges and permutations for our team.”
Meet The Spot, Miles Morales's most formidable foe yet. 🕳 Voiced by Jason Schwartzman, see him in action in Spider-Man: Across the #SpiderVerse, exclusively in movie theaters June 2, 2023. pic.twitter.com/1aAmMjMcpX
— Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse (@SpiderVerse) June 13, 2022
Voiced by Jason Schwartzman, the villain will feature a character design meant to call to mind an unfinished sketch, featuring blue construction lines that evoke a comic book artist’s rough drawing before the work goes to an inker. Seen in the official tweet about the character in an early form, the design itself will evolve over the course of the film as the character changes and grows, taking on a more fearsome shape as he learns to better apply his own powers.
He’s not the only problem our heroes will have to deal with – the movie also features a version of The Vulture, the longstanding Spidey villain most recently brought to screens by Michael Keaton in ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ (and seen in a brief moment in ‘Morbius’). In ‘Spider-Verse’, he’ll be voiced by Jorma Taccone, the Lonely Island team member who has cropped up in all the trio’s movies including ‘Hot Rod’ and ‘Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping’, plus a variety of other movies. Most recently, he lent his voice to ‘Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers’.
We’ll have to wait for ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ as it won’t be in theaters until June 2nd next year. And ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse‘ is even further away, arriving on March 29th, 2024.
Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.’
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You had the sparky interplay between Renner and co-star Hailee Steinfeld, playing Kate Bishop, a talented arrow-slinger in her own right. The many entertaining arrows that were slung, including one that shrank enemies down to minute size. The snarkiness of Florence Pugh’s Yelena. The hulking return of Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk, AKA Kingpin. And of course, Pizza Dog!
Amongst it all was the arrival of a new talent, as deaf actress Alaqua Cox played Maya Lopez, the deaf, Native American head of a gangland group that caused no end of trouble for Clint and Kate.
A spin-off starring Cox as Lopez had already been announced, but it’s now shooting in Atlanta, and the first image has arrived online. This being Marvel and Disney, it doesn’t give anything away, simply showing Maya in a moment of repose in an industrial setting.
What do we officially know so far? This new series will serve as an origin story for Maya, whose ruthless behavior in New York City catches up with her in her hometown. She must face her past, reconnect with her Native American roots, and embrace the meaning of family and community if she ever hopes to move forward.
Maya’s story was certainly a fascinating one on ‘Hawkeye’, riddled with tragedy in the death of her family and watching a young, ambitious woman wrangle with her Native roots and her family’s criminal ties. The show perhaps didn’t have enough running time to give her all the space she needed, so it’s good to see that she’ll have an entire series to explore her complicated past.
Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk on Netflix’s ‘Daredevil.’
When we last saw Maya, she was confronting Fisk on a New York side street – the scene ends with a gunshot and plenty of ambiguity, leaving us to wonder exactly what happened there. The new series’ origin story nature leads us to think that we might not get many answers, but hopefully it’ll address it somehow.
Marion Dayre will be head writer on this series, while Sydney Freeland and Catriona McKenzie will split directing duties between them.
‘Echo’ has yet to confirm a launch date on Disney+ – hardly a big surprise, since the cameras have literally just started rolling – but it should be on screens next year.
On Friday, November 12th, Disney+ celebrated its second anniversary with Disney+ Day, where they announced literally dozens of upcoming series from Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar and more. The presentations, which include some new clips, first looks, and upcoming announcements, can currently be viewed on Disney+, but Moviefone is here to break it all down for you.
MARVEL
The Marvel video presentation, which is now available on Disney+, begins with recaps of all the 2021 Marvel series that have been released so far including ‘WandaVision,’ ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,’ ‘Loki,’ and ‘What If…?’ Then we get an extended trailer for ‘Hawkeye,’ which drops on November 24th. We also got to see a full scene from the show, which involves Jeremey Renner’s Hawkeye and Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop stealing a car and then getting into a chase while Hawkeye teaches Kate how to use his trick arrows. The sequence is one continuous shot, ending with the two heroes swinging off of a bridge on to a moving train.
The official synopsis for the series confirms that it is set in a post-blip New York City and follows Clint Barton on a seemingly simple mission to get back to his family for Christmas. But when a threat from his past shows up, Hawkeye reluctantly teams up with 22-year-old skilled archer Kate Bishop to unravel a criminal conspiracy. In addition to Renner and Stanfield, the series also features Vera Farmiga (‘The Departed’), Brian d’Arcy James (‘Spotlight’) and Florence Pugh reprising her ‘Black Widow’ role as Yelena Belova.
The video presentation also includes fans first look at Oscar Isaac in ‘Moon Knight.’ The series will follow the story of this complex vigilante who suffers from dissociative identity disorder. The multiple identities that live inside him find themselves thrusted into a deadly war of the Gods against the backdrop of modern and ancient Egypt. The clips basically show Isaac’s Marc Spencer being tortured by his dreams, with the character’s voice-over explaining that to the audience. We only get very quick glimpses of Isaac in the Moon Knight outfit, but the presentation ends with him in full costume jumping off of rooftops with the Moon lit full behind him. Actor Ethan Hawke is also set to appear as the show’s big bad.
We also got new footage from the upcoming series, ‘She-Hulk.’ The teaser is narrated by Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, as she explains that she is a lawyer but also, something else. There is a quick body shot of Jennifer fully-green with her comic book accurate costume, although it cuts away before we see She-Hulk’s face. We also get two glimpses of Mark Ruffalo, who returns as Jennifer’s cousin, Bruce Banner/Hulk.
The first scene shows Bruce experimenting on Jennifer when she is just a child, presumably in a flashback, but what is interesting is that he is Smart Hulk in this scene. Since ‘Shang-Chi’ gave us an end-credit scene that revealed that at some point after the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ Smart Hulk reverted back to Bruce, it makes you wonder if this scene takes place between ‘Endgame’ and ‘Shang-Chi.’ If that is the case, and Jennifer was a child during that time period, it makes you wonder if the bulk of the series itself will make a time jump and take place decades after ‘Endgame’? We also get a clip that looks more like a commercial, with Jennifer and Bruce dressed in retro clothes and Jennifer saying, “”Don’t make me angry, you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry,” which is clearly a nod to the 1970’s series, The Incredible Hulk.
The last series to get new footage in the video presentation was ‘Ms. Marvel,’ which stars Iman Vellani as 16-year-old Kamala Khan. A Pakistani American and a fan-girl of the Avengers, Kamala is overjoyed when she discovers she has superpowers, and now must use them to find her place in the world. The footage shows her revealing her iconic mask for the first time and ends with Kamala standing on a New Jersey rooftop wearing a Captain Marvel Halloween Costume and preparing to use her powers to fly for the first time. Vellani is set to reprise her role, along with Teyonah Parris from ‘WandaVision’ and Brie Larson, in the upcoming feature film, ‘The Marvels.’
But that’s not it! Marvel also announced a slew of new upcoming shows, some of which had been rumored, and also confirmed that ‘Loki’ and ‘What If…?’ will be getting second seasons. In fact, ‘What If…?’ will also be getting a spinoff with the new animated series ‘Marvel Zombies,’ which imagines a world where Marvel’s heroes have been turned into the undead. Staying with animation, Disney+ also announced a sequel to the classic 90’s animated X-Men series entitled ‘X-Men ’97,’ as well as ‘Spider-Man: Freshman Year,’ which will look at Peter Parker’s first year in high school, and ‘I Am Groot,’ a series of original shorts starring everyone’s favorite sentient tree.
On the live-action side, ‘Secret Invasion’ was confirmed, which is based on the popular Marvel Comics series. The show will bring Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos back together to fight a faction of shape-shifting Skrulls who have been infiltrating Earth for years. Also confirmed were ‘Echo,’ which will star Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez, who will be introduced in ‘Hawkeye,’ and James Gunn will write and direct ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.’
Marvel also announced two new series based on the Iron Man franchise. First is ‘Armor Wars,’ which will star Don Cheadle reprising his role as War Machine. The second is ‘Ironheart,’ a series that will star Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, a genius inventor who creates the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man. Finally, Marvel confirmed the recent rumor that Kathryn Hahn will reprise her ‘WandaVision’ role as Agatha Harkness in her own series, which will be called ‘Agatha: House of Harkness.’
LUCASFILM
While there was no new footage included, fans got their first look at the making of the upcoming Star Wars series, ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi.’ The video is narrated by director Debbie Chow and actor Ewan McGregor and explains what fans can expect from the new series. “For this character to come back, the fans have been waiting long enough,” said McGregor. Chow explained that this is a “dark time,” for Kenobi and that it is “not safe” for him with “Jedi hunters” on the rise. McGregor said that his character has one task, which is “to keep Luke safe,” but Chow explained how that is just a starting point for the series.
“The most beautiful thing of all is that it has brought me back together with Hayden,” McGregor said about the return of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. “We couldn’t tell the story of Obi-Wan Kenobi without addressing Anakin or Darth Vader,” added Chow. We are then given some behind the scenes shots of McGregor at rehearsal practicing his lightsaber skills. “To have another swing at each other, might be quite satisfying for everybody,” the actor teased in closing.
Disney+ also released a Boba Fett documentary called ‘Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett.’ It is mostly a “history of the character” video and does not include any new footage from the upcoming series ‘The Book of Boba Fett,’ which premieres on December 29th.
Finally, the presentation included a video from the set of the new series ‘Willow,’ which is based on the 1988 Ron Howard-directed and George Lucas-produced movie. The film’s star, Warwick Davis returns as the title character, and introduced the cast that includes Ruby Cruz (‘Mare of Easttown’), Erin Kellyman (‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’), and Tony Revolori (‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’). The video was done “tongue in cheek” with Davis playing a version of his arrogant ‘Life’s Too Short’ character and getting upset when the younger cast can’t remember the original film and begin to question why anyone would want a sequel series!
PIXAR
Unfortunately, Pixar did not have a lot to announce outside of a Cars-based animated series called ‘Cars on the Road,’ which will feature Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy reprising their roles as Lightning McQueen and Mater, respectively. Other announcements from the animation company included behind the scenes documentaries for the upcoming feature films ‘Turning Red’ and ‘Lightyear,’ as well as a new series called ‘Win or Lose,’ which is an animated show that will highlight the perspectives of different characters as a middle school coed softball team prepares for their championship game.
DISNEY STUDIOS AND NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
On the Disney Studios side, a remake of ‘Cheaper by the Dozen’ was announced, which will star Gabrielle Union (‘Bad Boys II’) and Zach Braff (‘Oz the Great and Powerful’) and is set to premiere in March 2022. ‘Enchanted’ fans will be happy to learn that the long-awaited sequel, ‘Disenchanted’ will hit the streaming network in the fall of 2022 and once again star Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey. It was also announced that comedians John Mulaney and Andy Samberg will star in the new live-action/CG animation film entitled ‘Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers,’ which is based on Disney’s popular chipmunk characters and will premiere in the spring of 2022.
Director Robert Zemeckis’ ‘Pinocchio,’ based on the Disney animated classic, will bow in the fall of 2022 as well, and stars Tom Hanks, Cynthia Erivo, and Luke Evans, with the voices of Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Keegan-Michael Key and Lorraine Bracco. Also premiering in the fall of 2022, just in time for Halloween, is ‘Hocus Pocus 2,’ which is a sequel to the cult classic 1990’s movie. Returning stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are all set to reprise their roles as the Sanderson sisters in the new sequel. A new clip from Peter Jackson’s upcoming documentary, ‘The Beatles: Get Back’ was also released featuring the legendary band performing “I Got a Feeling” in rare behind the scenes footage. The three-part documentary launches on Disney+ November 25th.
Disney also announced a new series based on the beloved best-selling novels ‘The Spiderwick Chronicles,’ as well as animated spinoff series from some of their most popular films, including Baymax from ‘Big Hero Six,’ Tiana from ‘The Princess and the Frog,’ and’ Zootopia+,’ which opens up the world of ‘Zootopia.’ They also announced ‘The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild,’ which will star Simon Pegg as his ‘Ice Age: Collision Course’ character.
Finally, National Geographic announced a new six-part series for 2022 called ‘Limitless’ with Chris Hemsworth. The series will follow the ‘Thor’ actor as he helps viewers discover the full potential of the human body. Nat Geo also announced a series called ‘Welcome to Earth,’ which is set to premiere on Disney+ next month. The series will be hosted by Will Smith as he encounters Earth’s greatest wonders.
In the 3rd and final season of ‘Dickinson,’ Emily Dickinson (Hailee Steinfeld) is writing more than ever, in spite of the Civil War raging throughout the country and the epic family fights raging at home. Steinfeld and her co-stars joined executive producer Alena Smith to talk about the new season.
Hailee Steinfeld as Emily Dickinson in ‘Dickinson’
First up, Hailee Steinfeld and Anna Baryshnikov discuss how the war is affecting their characters.
Moviefone: Hailee, How is Emily reacting to the Civil War, and how is it influencing her poetry?
Hailee Steinfeld: Well, very much so. This time in her life was known to be her most productive time as a writer, which I find so fascinating that from her very own room in her own home, she was still so deeply affected by what was going on in the outside world. And not only was there this division in the country, but in her own family. Everybody was experiencing that pain and that loss. And she was, well, desperately trying to figure out how she could be of any help. And she felt like she had to start with what was in front of her. And she quickly became what we referred to her as the Civil War nurse of her family. And she was tending to everyone’s wounds and felt that ultimately through her writing, there had to be a way she could make an impact. And it’s where she wrote some of her greatest poems.
MF: Well, this war is really raging. It’s the forefront of everybody’s mind, so Anna, how is Lavinia affected by it?
Anna Baryshnikov: Lavinia is very affected by the absence of eligible young men, because a lot of them are drafted or have suffered in the war. And I think she’s coming to terms with something that happens, I think, to all of us in our 20s, but she’s realizing that the choices that she’s made have limited her options in the future. And I think the war is really compounding this question of, am I ever going to get married? Am I ever going to have my own children? And she’s experiencing a lot of grief and the nation is a lot of grief, so I think she doubles down and indulges in that very sad girl way of feeling as mournful as possible and finds her way out of that through a little bit of wild performance art, which has been a really fun part of the season.
Anna Baryshnikov in ‘Dickinson’
MF: I feel because of the place that Emily Dickinson is in, in this season and where her imagination is at, we have some really fun scenes in this season. What were some of those scenes like shooting? What can you talk about without giving too much away, Hailee?
Steinfeld: Well, one of the most exciting parts about this show is that her poetry takes us to wild places just by reading them. In having that as our template of where we get to go visually with this show and emotionally with this show has in the past seasons resulted in some of my favorite scenes. And this year we go to places that we have never really seen Emily and/or her family in before. And they’re these surreal events, but they are as real as they might feel surreal.
And we don’t necessarily know when we are in the reality and when we’re not, because this is all Emily, what’s going on in her mind, what she’s feeling, and what she’s living through. But we get to see Emily seeing herself as if she were in the war, and that’s something that I was so intrigued by in reading that that’s where we start, and we see a little bit of it in the trailer, which is why I don’t feel like I’m giving too much away. But if I keep talking, I might. I do love that we are given the opportunity to go places that we haven’t in the past, in this season.
Chinaza Uche: I don’t think he has a choice. And I’ve thought about this a little bit. I think, I believe in my heart that it’s the best choice for his family. He knows that he is a hunted man and to get away from them is to protect them.
MF: And how does Betty feel about him leaving?
Amanda Warren: I think Betty has a lot of conflicting emotions that you will see her try and negotiate as best she can, dealing with all of the worry, all of the anxiety in season three. Because she does know that the cause is bigger than both of them and the fight for the cause will only serve them as a family and the community and the country in a better way.
Amanda Warren in ‘Dickinson’
So there’s a lot of conflicting feelings and there’s a lot of negotiation that’s going on within her. And we see that on screen. As she’s talking to people, going through the motions, you can just see that she’s preoccupied with other thoughts. That she’s not necessarily present in the way that we’ve seen her be the first two seasons.
MF: So Chinaza, Henry leaves home, he heads off to South Carolina, to the Warfront. So what is he there for? And did you do any research into this?
Uche: Yeah, I think he’s in search of a purpose. He’s in search of a new family. So I think he feels as if he’s lost his own one and the clearest purpose is the fight for black citizenship, and he goes to the front lines to help that fight. And I think that gives him that purpose he’s searching for. I definitely did some research. I read a little bit about the civil war, a little bit about the first South Carolina volunteers. About the realities of being a black soldier in that time, how you were paid half as much, how you really weren’t armed, how there really was a debate as the front lines are creeping towards you. I think the show does a really good job of bringing this history up close and personal to us and making those people real, because they were, their lives were real. Their sacrifices were real.
MF: And Amanda back home, I feel like Betty’s doing really well. In my mind I feel like a woman in the 1860s, her husband’s gone I feel like she just would fall apart. But Betty’s doing very. I mean, she has got, she’s an entrepreneur, she’s got her business going. She has a house guest as well.
Warren: It’s a testament to how strong this woman is and how ahead of her time, her thought process, her way of going about life is, is really very admirable. And yeah, she’s juggling a lot of things and business is booming, unfortunately in the midst of a civil war, there’s a need for mourning clothes and mourning accessories, and she is successful in what most people would think is the worst way, but there’s this push and pull in her life.
As so many independent female Americans go through, it is just like, I’ve got this great career going and my personal life, I’m trying to hold together. I’ve got a baby at home. It’s a lot. And we see that independent single working mother woman in her. And then she is also a black woman in the north serving the community very, very well. And it’s a beautiful thing to see our people in a different light in this time period. I think that we don’t tell enough of the different paths that we walk throughout history, and this one is not what we’re used to seeing. It is not typical at all and is just really beautiful to watch and experience. But that is what Betty’s going through.
Ella Hunt and Adrian Blake Enscoe discuss the tension between their characters.
Moviefone: We’re progressing, we’re moving forward from season one yet, I feel that Austin is regressing. He’s acting younger this season.
Adrian Blake Enscoe: Oh, yeah. Well, when you’re confronting the trauma that you’ve been dealt with in your upbringing, oftentimes you have to go back to the basics. You have to relive your childhood. And I actually truly think that’s what’s happening with Austin in this season. Season two saw him really trying to make the world a better place in certain outward ways. Supporting an abolitionist newspaper from his barn and giving money to John Brown. But all of that came crumbling down at the end of season two, and he is realizing it’s just not working. It’s not going to fill the vacuum in his soul, and so he kind of has to go inside of himself. And that’s a really tough process, as anyone who’s been in therapy knows. Unpacking your trauma is really, really hard, but I am proud of the little guy. I think he stands up to his father for the first time in this season. And it’s hard, but he is able to move forward. You’ll see as you watch season three. He comes to a better place.
MF: And what are we seeing Sue do in reaction to Austin?
Ella Hunt: I think at the beginning of the season, Sue is inclined to erase Austin from her conscious as much as is humanly possible when living under the same roof with someone. But Austin is behaving in a way that Sue is not about. Sue is in this new chapter of her life where she’s found ease and peace and happiness, and she is accepting and giving love and allowing herself to love Emily in a way that she hasn’t allowed herself before. So quite understandably, she just doesn’t want to put up with his crap. But actually, this season forces Sue to acknowledge the prejudices in herself, especially in regard to them as a family and building a life together. Ella Hunt in ‘Dickinson’
And the season pushes Sue to step into the unconventionality in her nature, not just in her relationship with Emily, but in her relationship with Austin too. And I’m so proud of Sue for the way that later in the season, she feels so good about this bizarre… Within the context of our time, it’s not bizarre at all to see her carving out this sort of family dynamic, but in the context of 1860, she’s making some pretty boxy choices and I think it’s a delight to watch.
Executive producer Alena Smith talks about bringing the series to a close.
Moviefone: We are at the very final chapter of this series. How do you feel?
Alena Smith: I feel just so full of joy and also some bittersweet sadness to be saying goodbye to this amazing team and group of people. And obviously this long journey that’s been so personal for me, but I really am just so excited and proud of season three, and can’t wait for everybody to see it.
MF: So as the creator, when you started out in season one, or even before season one, as you were planning you had ideas and themes and thoughts in your mind. Now that we’re at the end, did it end the way you thought?
Smith: Yes. I always saw this as a three season journey that was going to tell the coming of age story of Emily Dickinson. And I knew that that would culminate in a season that took place during the years of the Civil War, because those are some pretty fascinating and incredible times in American history, but they also happen to be Emily’s most prolific and sort of alive years as an artist, and really where she stepped into her own as the great poet that we remember her to be. So yeah, I’m just so glad that, despite global pandemics and all manner of other things, that we got to get to the final destination here and have this incredible season that takes place in the midst of the Civil War.
MF: This season and I feel is visually very exciting. I feel it has a lot to do with Emily’s imagination, which has, I think, expanded in this season. What can the audience expect to see?
Smith: Yeah, I think that season three is definitely our biggest, boldest, most epic season. We’ve got battle scenes, and we’ve got trips down to the underworld and a trip to an insane asylum. I can’t even think of every crazy thing that happens in season three, but I think that what makes it all so wonderful is the fact that the cast and this group of characters have grown so much and developed such depth and intimacy over the course of the seasons. And I think the audience feels that way too. Everyone’s relationships now have history behind them and have grown more complex and more vulnerable in certain ways. So I think that that’s what also creates a sense of depth and destiny to season three.
MF: So there’s a lot of seriousness going on. It is a civil war, we’re right in the midst of it. There’s some discord within Emily’s own family, yet you’re able to write some comedy in there. So where do you find that line between this is serious stuff, but we want to write something comedic in?
Smith: Yeah. I guess I’m somebody who can find dark stuff to be funny, and can find seemingly trivial stuff to actually be quite painful and sad. So for me, those lines can definitely be blurred just as a writer, as an artist. And I think that also, humor is a coping mechanism. I think that people who are going through hard times, which we all have been over these past few years, and which Emily and her family certainly are in the midst of the Civil War, humor is a place that we can go to find some warmth and some light in the darkness.
The third season of ‘Dickinson’ starts on November 5, on Apple TV+.
Variety is reporting that Hailee Steinfeld is being eyed to play Kate Bishop in the new Marvel Studios/Disney+ series “Hawkeye.” Comic book fans know Bishop as the eventual inheritor of the Hawkeye mantle and will serve as Jeremy Renner’s protégé in the new series.
As Variety points out, the character (who also served as a member of the Young Avengers) could very conceivably pivot to a stand-alone series or appearances in the MCU proper. Disney has yet to release an official announcement, but the show should make its way to Disney+ in the next couple of years (since it’s part of the Phase 4 plan Marvel mapped out earlier this summer at San Diego Comic Con). “Hawkeye” takes place after the events of “Avengers: Endgame,” which is intriguing, but certainly adding Steinfeld to the MCU is a very good move. It sounds like a casting bullseye to us!
Apple TV+ is teasing some “wild nights” with Emily Dickinson.
The streaming service released a teaser trailer on Monday for “Dickinson,” an upcoming comedy series led by Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld. The actress plays a young Dickinson, a budding poet, exploring her passion for writing and being generally ahead of her time. Along the way, we hear lines from the Dickinson poem “Wild Nights–Wild Nights!” that fit with the footage and show her rebellious side.
The short preview makes it clear that Dickinson’s behavior causes tension in her family. In it, her mother, Mrs. Dickinson (Jane Krakowski), emphasizes how her “wild” daughter “will be the ruin of this family.” And yet, the unconventional young writer doesn’t seem too concerned. Watch below.
The series is created by Alena Smith and also stars Toby Huss, Anna Baryshnikov, Ella Hunt, and Adrian Enscoe. “Dickinson” premieres this fall on Apple TV+. An exact release date has not yet been announced.
The video centers on star Hailee Steinfeld, but given her character’s bond with the Transformer, he gets plenty of screen time, too. We see what a special relationship they have, and it’s pretty darn touching. Not only does Steinfeld describe Bumblebee as her character’s best friend, she says that “he would do anything to save Charlie.”
Perhaps the best moment is when she asks Bumblebee if he has any family and he points to her. We’d say you’d have to be a robot not to be touched, but clearly at least some robots in this film are capable of strong feelings.
Watch below.
“Bumblebee” is a prequel to the Transformers series and takes places in 1987. It follows Charlie and Bee after she buys him in a junkyard, thinking he’s an ordinary VW bug. She soon discovers he’s not, of course, and the two face significant threats.
