Rory McCann is joining the cast of ‘Star Wars: Ahsoka.’
He’ll inherit the role of Baylan Skoll from the late Ray Stevenson.
Rosario Dawson plays the title role.
Fans of genre actors and anyone who enjoyed the work of charismatic Northern Irish actor Ray Stevenson were stunned at his untimely death last year at the age of 58.
Stevenson, who appeared in movies such as ‘Punisher: War Zone’ and the first three ‘Thor’ outings, had been busy promoting his role as former Jedi Baylan Skoll in ‘Star Wars: Ahsoka,’ including an appearance at Star Wars Celebration in April that year.
His role as Baylan Skoll went on to receive great acclaim, the praise tinged with sadness that he wouldn’t be able to return should ‘Ahsoka’ score a second season.
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Executive producer Dave Filoni said this about Stevenson’s role:
“I think he would’ve been over the moon. The big regret here is that he didn’t get to experience that. I’m glad he was at Star Wars Celebration with us, that he got to see the trailer and get a taste of that from the fans. And they’ve been nothing but wonderful about Ray and the character.”
‘Ahsoka’ was indeed renewed for a second batch of episodes and naturally, speculation has been whether Skoll –– who had been set up to play a key role in the story going forward would be re-cast, or if some way would be found to change the plotline.
Now, according to reporter Jeff Sneider, the plan is for someone to step into the role. That someone is ‘Game of Thrones’ actor Rory McCann, who became known for playing the hulking Sandor Clegane (AKA the Hound), one of Westeros’ most lethal fighters.
Though McCann stands three inches taller than Stevenson did, it’s not hard to imagine him playing the role of the conflicted, ambitious warrior.
What else is in development for ‘Star Wars’ on big and small screens?
(L to R) Director James Mangold, Dave Filoni, and director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
While ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ movie is flying into first position, we do know that Dave Filoni is still putting the pieces together for his own film, while one that continues the story of Rey (Daisy Ridley) is in development from director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy but appears to keep hitting stumbling blocks and has been removed from the schedule for now.
And then there’s James Mangold’s film, which explores the origins of the Jedi and early force users and is awaiting a release date.
“The Star Wars movie would be taking place 25,000 years before any known ‘Star Wars’ movies takes [sic] place. It’s an area and a playground that I’ve always [wanted to explore] and that I was inspired by as a teenager. I’m not that interested in being handcuffed by so much lore at this point that it’s almost immovable, and you can’t please anybody.”
We’d guess that while Filoni (who promoted earlier this year to Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm) is still going full speed ahead on his movie, he’s also been busy figuring out this second season of ‘Ahsoka.’
Here’s what he said about that:
“I’m so well into that as well… I’ve been writing it, and I’m still the single writer on it, and so I’ve been enjoying doing that, but it’s a challenge, of course, and working some of these arcs through has been a challenge and making sure it’s all going to come out in a way that I think is exciting for fans. I know that they’re interested in where some of the things I developed in Season One. I’m pretty happy with it… Love working with Rosario [Dawson], so I can’t wait to get back to that.”
(L to R) Reed Northrup as Belly, Nicholas Cirillo as Burny and Austin Zajur as Brian David in the Romantic Comedy, ‘The 4:30 Movie’, a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Ralph Bavaro.
(L to R) Siena Agudong as Melody Barnegat and Austin Zajur as Brian David in the Romantic Comedy, ‘The 4:30 Movie’, a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Ralph Bavaro.
Moving away from the deconstructed horror and near-nihilistic meta comedy of his past few films (including the pure despair of his last one, ‘Clerks III’), Kevin Smith seems to be in a much better mood with ‘The 4:30 Movie,’ a semi-autobiographical teen comedy that draws heavily from his own early life and finds just enough of a sweet spot between his usual tasteless humor and some genuinely earnest coming-of-age romance to keep the film interesting and perhaps even attract a few new viewers to his walled cinematic garden.
Smith’s latest joint benefits from nice performances by his young cast as well, which partially counteracts his usual tendency to park the camera and let scenes roll on for too long. At the same time, he can’t help but include a bunch of his trademark raunchy humor, and the list of guest stars from the vast canon of his View Askewniverse can be equal parts distracting, irritating, and funny.
Story and Direction
Director/Writer Kevin Smith behind the scenes of the Romantic Comedy, ‘The 4:30 Movie’, a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Ralph Bavaro.
For those of us of a certain age who grew up in the New York/New Jersey area – as Kevin Smith did – “The 4:30 Movie” was a holy after-school ritual every day. Broadcast on the local ABC-TV affiliate (Channel 7, back in the prehistoric days when cable was something you towed a car with and streaming was what rain did down your windows), the program fit both theatrical and made-for-TV films into a daily 90-minute timeslot. The show’s themed weeks, in which it would show all five ‘Planet of the Apes’ films or a string of Godzilla features, were an essential part of many grade-schoolers’ film education.
We suspect Smith was a fan of that ‘4:30 Movie’ too, but that’s not the nostalgia that his new film ‘The 4:30 Movie’ harvests, sadly. Instead, the title refers to the showtime of a new R-rated film playing at the local multiplex in the New Jersey town of Atlantic Highlands (near where Smith grew up) that three friends – film-obsessed Brian (Austin Zajur), ladies’ man Burny (Nicholas Cirillo), and seemingly dim yet observant Belly (Reed Northrup) – plan on sneaking into after paying to see an earlier PG movie they’ve watched before. But there’s a new wrinkle to the plan: Brian has also invited his crush Melody (Siena Agudong) along. After failing to go to second base (with her encouragement and permission) in her pool last summer, Brian has remained infatuated with Melody and wants to take her on a proper date…with his two best friends along for the trip.
‘The 4:30 Movie’ takes place in the summer of 1986, right in the midst of Smith’s teen years and clearly inspired by events from his own life (the film was shot at the cineplex in which it takes place, which Smith now owns). As with all Smith films, the plot is only a loose framework on which to hang a bunch of character interactions and random incidents, most of which feature walk-ons from Smith regulars like Rosario Dawson, Jason Lee, Justin Long, Harley Quinn Smith, and of course ‘Clerks’ stalwarts Jeff Anderson, Brian O’Halloran, and Jason Mewes (spoiler alert: they don’t play their regular characters here, but the movie is very much set in the View Askewniverse).
Ken Jeong as Manager Mike in the Romantic Comedy, ‘The 4:30 Movie’, a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Ralph Bavaro.
There are plenty of moments, characterizations, and jokes in ‘The 4:30 Movie’ that fall flat, just as there are others that are crude or, in the case of the overbearing, self-important multiplex owner Manager Mike (Ken Jeong), borderline offensive. But there is a sweetness at the heart of the movie, exemplified by the relationship between Brian and Melody. He is shy, horny, and immature, but respectful where it counts, while she is self-possessed, confident, wise beyond her years, and direct in her eagerness to be Brian’s girlfriend. Their blooming romance comes into direct collision with Brian’s relationship to his two bros, Burny and Belly, with Burny in particular having a dim view of the female species that one hopes he’ll eventually grow out of. The situation brings the friendship between the three to a head, changing their dynamic in ways they don’t see coming.
Those are the best parts of ‘The 4:30 Movie,’ where Smith hits at some genuine emotional truth among teenagers who are just starting to brush up against the feelings and experiences that mark their transition to adulthood. Smith’s empathy for that, as well as his genuine affection for the time, place, and cultural zeitgeist in which the film is set, makes this one of his better movies in recent years. The rest of it – the inert camerawork, staid compositions, jokes that just dangle helplessly in the air – in a weird way, they’re part of the charm too this time.
The Cast
(L to R) Reed Northrup, Nicholas Cirillo and Austin Zajur in director Kevin Smith’s ‘The 4:30 Movie’. Photo: Saban Films.
Whether it’s the aging semi-professional slackers of ‘Clerks III’ or the insipid leads of ‘Yoga Hosers,’ Kevin Smith has a knack for casting people it can sometimes be difficult to watch. With ‘The 4:30 Movie,’ however, his two leads – Austin Zajur as Brian and Siena Agudong as Melody – are two of his better choices. Agudong in particular is a potential star in the making, radiating intelligence, charisma, and warmth, while Zajur is quite effective himself as a teen pulled in several directions while trying to find his own.
Nick Cirillo and Reed Northrup both show their own flashes of wit and depth as Brian’s friends, with Northrup in particular having a standout scene late in the game. As for the rest of the cast – well, it’s a wonder than Ken Jeong manages to eke out some memorably funny lines and even a moment of humanity or two as the otherwise abrasive Manager Mike, while Genesis Rodriguez gets a brief spotlight as a box office cashier with a secret of her own. Everyone else – Smith’s usual coterie of pals and repertoire players – more or less walks through and waves.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) Reed Northrup as Belly, Austin Zajur as Brian David and Nicholas Cirillo as Burny in the Romantic Comedy, ‘The 4:30 Movie’, a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Ralph Bavaro.
As we said above, ‘The 4:30 Movie’ is not likely to be a game-changer for Kevin Smith – he might gain a few more viewers for this one, but his style of filmmaking is what it is, and his fanbase is pretty much entrenched. When you sit down for a Kevin Smith film, you know what you’re going to get, and you’re either open to navigating that or not.
Having said that, this movie does have a lot more warmth to it that his last few outings, and while Smith always pours his heart into his films, that heart comes through a little more clearly here. It’s an ode to what he himself describes in a long end-credits thank-you list as a “happy childhood,” and there are moments that many of us can relate to here (including sneaking from the PG movie into the R-rated one). Now we’d like to see a film about ABC’s “4:30 Movie” as well.
‘The 4:30 Movie’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.
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What is the plot of ‘The 4:30 Movie’?
Three teenage friends (Austin Zajur, Nicholas Cirillo and Reed Northrup) map out an afternoon outing to the local cineplex in the summer of 1986, but their plans to sneak into a new R-rated movie could be disrupted by the irritating theater owner and a host of other characters — not to mention one of the boys bringing his dream girl to the cinema as well.
Who is in the cast of ‘The 4:30 Movie’?
Austin Zajur as Brian David
Nicholas Cirillo as Burny
Reed Northrup as Belly
Siena Agudong as Melody Barnegat
Justin Long as Stank
Jason Lee as Brian’s dad
Kate Micucci as Melody’s mom
Genesis Rodriguez as Usher
Ken Jeong as Manager Mike
Director/Writer Kevin Smith behind the scenes of the Romantic Comedy, ‘The 4:30 Movie’, a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Ralph Bavaro.
We’ve had further movie sequels of varying quality and diminishing returns (even 2019’s ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’, which roped Cameron back in as producer, couldn’t crack the quality/box office appeal factor with anything like the success of the first two efforts).
Indeed, one of the more respected ‘Terminator’ treatments has been on TV, where ‘Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’ ploughed its own furrow for a couple of seasons, with Lena Headey playing Sarah.
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But despite the seeming “Terminator Curse”, that hasn’t stopped other companies from taking a shot, and the latest is Netflix, which has animated series ‘Terminator Zero’ due in a couple of months.
2022: A future war has raged for decades between the few human survivors and an endless army of machines. 1997: The AI known as Skynet gained self-awareness and began its war against humanity.
Caught between the future and this past is a soldier (Mizuno) sent back in time to change the fate of humanity. She arrives in 1997 to protect a scientist named Malcolm Lee (Holland) who works to launch a new AI system designed to compete with Skynet’s impending attack on humanity.
As Malcolm navigates the moral complexities of his creation, he is hunted by an unrelenting assassin from the future which forever alters the fate of his three children.
Dawson is Kokoro, an advanced AI and Japan’s answer to Skynet, if brought online, Kokoro will be endowed with the same power as Skynet. Kokoro must calculate for itself: is humanity the plague Skynet believes? Or are human beings worth saving?
Dowd plays The Prophet. In the future, the Prophet is the philosophical guide for the human resistance, a light shepherding survivors in the darkness of the unknown future ahead.
As for Olyphant? He has the title role, in a version that sounds like the original movie’s killing machine: The Terminator is still out there. It still can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you’re dead (though we’re promised a fresh take on the iconic character).
Leading the creative team on the new show is Mattson Tomlin, who worked on 2022’s ‘The Batman’ with Matt Reeves and is co-writing the sequel with him.
Here’s Tomlin on ‘Terminator Zero’:
“Anyone who knows my writing knows I believe in taking big swings and going for the heart. I’m honored that Netflix and Skydance have given me the opportunity to approach Terminator in a way that breaks conventions, subverts expectations, and has real guts.”
When will ‘Terminator Zero’ be on our screens?
Netflix previously announced that the new show will hit its screens on the well-chosen date of “Judgement Day” from the movies –– which means August 29th if you’re not keeping track.
Quite a finale for ‘Ahsoka’, the latest ‘Star Wars’ spin-off series, eh? The show, which wrapped its first (and so far only; there has been no announcement of a second yet) season on Tuesday has already generated plenty of debate between those who found the ending a fun wrap up to the story (albeit with a tantalizing cliffhanger) and others who feel it left much to be desired.
But what if you were left mostly confused about certain elements –– what, for example, is Grand Admiral Thrawn’s (Lars Mikkelsen) plan now he has reached the planet Dathomir? What is that giant statue that Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) was standing on at the end? Where does Ahsoka go from here?
You have questions. We have… well, perhaps not answers, but certainly some compelling theories. Take a read!
What is Thrawn’s plan at the end of ‘Ahsoka’ Season 1?
Grand Admiral Thrawn managed to complete his plan and escape the planet Peridea with his Star Destroyer, his legions of Night Troopers, the Great Mothers of the witchy Nightsisters and… a whole lot of something in his cargo hold.
Exactly what is in those cargo containers remains to be seen, but unless Thrawn is particularly fond of Blue Milk or really needed lots of power converters to sell at Toshi Station, our best guess at this point is that it contains Nightsisters, either dead or in suspended animation.
After all, he’s back in the regular ‘Star Wars’ galaxy, (at the sisters’ home planet of Dathomir, no less) and if he hopes to crush the New Republic, he’s going to need troops and/or weapons. What better than powerful witches to help his crusade? Even if he’s ultimately doomed to fail.
Through the later episodes of the show, it became clear that former Jedi, now mercenary Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson, often one of the best things in the series) had his own plans once transported to the planet Peridea. He essentially ditched his apprentice, Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno) and went off to find a giant statue.
It’s one of three statues that depict the Ones, a family of Force gods who dwell on the planet Mortis. As seen in a pivotal story arc on ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’, these characters serve as living embodiments of the Force itself.
The Son (Sam Witwer) is the Dark Side. The Daughter (Adrienne Wilkinson) is the Light Side. The Father (Lloyd Sherr) represents the balance between the two.
Ahsoka, Anakin and Obi-Wan encountered these three beings when they traveled to Mortis, and Anakin was given a brief glimpse of the monster he later became.
And if you’re wondering, Skoll is standing on the statue of The Father. It’s all, apparently in aid of his idea to end the constant conflict between the Jedi and the Sith (though knowing what happens in the sequel trilogy, it doesn’t appear he’s successful.)
The most heartbreaking aspect of the Skoll story, of course, is the fact that Stevenson won’t be the one to continue it. The Northern Irish actor died in May, so assuming Dave Filoni and co. had a future plan in mind for Baylan other than looking like he’s exploring Middle-earth, the role will need to be re-cast.
Shin, meanwhile, who was also left on Peridea, appears to have ambitions as a warlord, gathering support from others on the planet. It seems assured that she and Sabine will meet –– and clash –– again.
Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson), Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and Jedi training droid Huyang (voiced by David Tennant) are left stranded on Peridea at the end of Season 1. So, what happens next?
Right now, that question can only be answered by show boss Dave Filoni and whoever he has discussed it with.
But there are several possibilities –– we could well see a second season of ‘Ahsoka’, which has been a buzzy success for Disney+ ordered before too long.
Ahsoka’s story could be picked up in ‘The Mandalorian’, though that series is already carrying several plotlines of its own.
Filoni and Jon Favreau might be building to some connected big series that weaves the various shows’ plot strands together (after all, who doesn’t want to see Ahsoka Tano hanging out with Grogu again?)
And then there’s the movie that Filoni is developing, as originally confirmed at Star Wars Celebration this past April. Leaving Ahsoka, Sabine and Huyang stranded on Peridea opens up potential new storylines (albeit risky to have a movie kick off with characters that many fans may not be familiar with.
He may opt to have Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) freshly reunited with his other old ‘Star Wars Rebels’ comrade Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) force Thrawn back to Peridea where we could catch up with Ahsoka and co.
Because, cute as they are, a season of our heroes hanging around with the crab-meet-Ewok-like Noti doesn’t exactly hold the same appeal as a big space adventure full of thrilling battles, daring do and giant space whales (depending, of course, on how many of the poor Purrgil creatures are left after their unfortunate run-in with an Imperial mine field.)
Right now, we’re in a holding pattern until Disney and Lucasfilm choose to confirm the future plans for these characters on screens big or small. We were surprised no announcements were made about a new season or anything else but given the sheer number of projects either rumored or announced that have not come to pass, we’re not entirely shocked.
And that’s without the delays likely from the strikes. As Yoda might put it, “clouded this story’s future is…” But hopefully not for too long.
Inspired by the classic theme park ride, Disney’s ‘Haunted Mansion’ is a fun adventure filled with ghastly frights. Directed by Justin Simien (‘Dear White People’), the tale takes place inside a New Orleans manor where a mother and her son stumble upon the 999 happy haunts. This all-age film strikes a good balance of humor and horror with an adequate amount of jump scares that are perfect for the younger audience.
This isn’t the first time the classic ride got the live-action movie treatment. Eddie Murphy starred in the 2003 ‘The Haunted Mansion,’ but the film was criticized by both critics and audiences alike. The 2003 film received a 13% critics score and a 31% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The mansion has also been featured in ‘Muppets Haunted Mansion,’ a Halloween special that was released on Disney+.
Aside from the lore of the ghosts, there is an unexpected story of loss and grief. Ben Mathis (LaKeith Stanfield) was very passionate about his work in the paranormal until a tragic event that led to the loss of his wife. Ben became bitter and morose, giving up on his work in the paranormal until Father Kent recruited him to investigate the mansion. Throughout the film, it is revealed why certain spirits are drawn towards Ben and other individuals with a similar story.
The official synopsis for ‘’Haunted Mansion” is below:
Inspired by the classic theme park attraction, Haunted Mansion tells the story of Gabbie (Rosario Dawson), a single mom, who discovers that the home she and her son share is haunted by irksome ghosts. Hoping to restore domestic tranquility, Gabbie recruits a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid the house of the supernatural squatters.
The movie did a great job of adapting the fan-favorite attraction onto the big screen to include many Easter Eggs. Pulling distinguished scenes directly from the ride, such as the Stretching Room and its portraits, the endless hallway, the seance room, and the ballroom scene.
The film also highlighted characters such as Madam Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis), The Hatbox Ghost (Jared Leto), the hitchhiking ghosts, Constance the Bride, and more as some of the spirits haunted Gabbie and crew.
Director Justin Simien was a former Disney cast member, and with the Haunted Mansion being one of his favorite attractions from the theme park, he and writer Kate Dippold made sure the mansion was presented in its truest fashion.
‘Haunted Mansion’ premiered on July 15, 2023, at Disneyland in Anaheim, California and was released domestically on July 28, 2023. The film is no longer in theaters, as it has passed the 45-day theatrical window and is making its way to digital and streaming.
Where to Watch: ‘Haunted Mansion’ Online
The movie will be streaming on Disney+ starting October 4 and available for purchase on platforms such as Prime Video, Google Play, Apple TV, Vudu, YouTube, and more. ‘Haunted Mansion’ has a total runtime of 2 hours and 3 minutes.
Watch the official trailers for ‘Haunted Mansion’ below:
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For those who prefer to bring the film home in physical media, Disney’s ‘Haunted Mansion’ will be available on Blu-Ray and DVD on October 17. It will include never-before-seen bonus features and featurettes such as:
In Disney’s ‘Haunted Mansion,’ Gabbie and her son Travis have just barely moved into their brand new home when they realize something more sinister is afoot. As they continue to encounter the unruly ghosts that haunt the property, they seek help from an unlikely group of spiritual experts to rid them of the spooky souls once and for all.
‘Haunted Mansion’ is a love letter to the iconic theme park ride, filled with references and Easter eggs that will satisfy longtime fans. The horror element is just light enough for a younger audience, with adequate jump scares and ghastly images. LaKeith Stanfield gives a standout performance as Ben, who has an unexpected story of loss and grief that serves as the emotional core of the movie. However, the film focuses on too many storylines, causing the pacing to be uneven.
The screenplay was written by Katie Dippold and directed by Justin Simien, a former Disneyland Cast Member. Unlike the 2003 ‘The Haunted Mansion’ starring Eddie Murphy, which portrayed the mansion in a more cartoony manner, the 2023 adaption properly showcases the Haunted Mansion that is known amongst parkgoers. Essentially, the mansion is a character in itself and is highlighted as so.
In the trailer, the story seemed to center on Gabbie and Travis, the newest residents of the mansion. However, the main focus is really on Stanfield’s Ben Mathis. At the beginning of the movie, Ben is passionate about his work with the paranormal, creating a special camera that spots spirits. Due to unforeseen circumstances, which are later discovered at the end of the second act, a morose Ben emerges, having given up on his supernatural career.
Using Ben’s story and connecting him to the mansion is quite clever. Father Kent, who had heard of Ben’s work, comes to him with a well-compensated offer – to use his special camera to capture the spirits on film. It is only then Ben agrees to visit Gabbie and Travis at the mansion. At first, Ben tries to remain unphased and skeptical through every supernatural encounter. It isn’t until an unexpected spirit that begins making waves in his every life he is forced to return to the mansion. With the help of psychic Harriet, Father Kent, and Professor Bruce, Ben searches for answers on why Gabbie’s new home is a hotspot for ghosts.
By telling Ben’s unexpected story of loss and grief, it provides a deeper meaning than just a cursed manor. It dives into the history of the mansion and the fascinating origins of several spirits that reside there.
Haddish’s hilarious performance stood out with the best story arc. Initially, she was an insecure medium who didn’t feel strong enough to battle the big bad of the mansion, but she came into her own after proving herself capable. Though Haddish’s Harriet was entertaining, the same could not be said with the other characters’ various storylines. There were just too many stories to keep up with, which felt convoluted and unnecessary.
Just like the ride, ‘Haunted Mansion’ has to strike that perfect balance of humor and horror. It succeeds in most parts, giving solid jump scares and eerie elements. However, many emotional scenes were met with a lighter moment to break up the tension. It isn’t uncommon to use this approach in film, though the jokes that follow a heartfelt moment come too quickly, leaving those emotional scenes feeling less meaningful.
When a movie is based on an iconic theme park ride such as ‘Haunted Mansion,’ fans will expect to see references and Easter eggs. What this movie does so well is that it gives nods to the ride without feeling out of place. It happens naturally as the characters explore parts of the mansion and learn of its history rather than being shoehorned in for the purpose of an Easter egg.
Here are some of the Easter eggs you can expect to see:
Fans of the ride will certainly enjoy seeing the iconic Haunted Mansion being properly featured and highlighted on the big screen. Every Easter egg and reference spotted will leave a smile on your face. Stanfield is fantastic in this role, bringing much heart with his emotional performance. The pacing and tonal shift are uneven as it tries to find the balance between humor and horror and juggling too many storylines. Although it is definitely better than the 2003 adaptation and a bit ambitious with the all-star cast, it is still entertaining and fun for all ages.
The three-part original documentary series ‘Superpowered: The DC Story’ premieres July 20th on Max.
Premiering on Max July 20th is the three-part original documentary series ‘Superpowered: The DC Story,’ which examines the history and impact of DC Comics. The series was co-directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks (‘100 Years of Warner Bros.’) and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Mark Catalena (‘Johnny Carson: King of Late Night‘), and was narrated by Rosario Dawson (‘Ahsoka’).
What is ‘Superpowered: The DC Story’ about?
‘Superpowered: The DC Story’ takes an unprecedented look at the enduring and influential legacy of DC, allowing fans to rediscover the universe of characters, as well as the iconic comic book company’s origins, its evolution and its nearly nine-decade cultural impact across every artistic medium. The series features a wealth of interviews with the industry’s most prolific creators and the actors who bring their iconic characters from the page to the screen.
Gal Gadot in ‘Superpowered: The DC Story.’ Photograph by Courtesy of Max/Warner Bros.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with co-directors Leslie Iwerks and Mark Catalena about their work on ‘Superpowered: The DC Story,’ making it different from past documentaries about DC, focusing on the good and the bad, what they learned that surprised them, the unique structure of the series, fitting the 90-year history into three episodes, assembling the interview and archival footage, and the importance of diversity in comics.
(Left) Co-directors Leslie Iwerks and (Right) co-director Mark Catalena of the three-part original documentary series ‘Superpowered: The DC Story’ which premieres July 20th on Max.
Moviefone: To begin with, there have been several documentaries about the history of DC Comics in the past, how did you approach making this series different from previous DC documentaries?
Leslie Iwerks: So I think when Warner Bros. came to me to do the DC series and also the ‘100 Years of Warner Brothers,’ they were really inspired by ‘The Imagineering Story’ at Disney for Disney+, and said, “We’d love to have you do an approach for DC that’s very similar to what you did for Disney, in that it was warts and all. Tell the story as is. Be honest. Come at it with your own take on DC through time and where the pitfalls were and where the highs were.” We basically had various layers that we weaved in, which was the artist’s story and the personal stories of the artists, but then also the business story, the competition story, the character story, and then the culture story of what’s going on out in the culture that’s influencing these comics and vice versa. So we had to weave those layers like an onion together. Then early on we talked with HBO, and it was important to them and us to basically not tell this in a totally straight chronological way, but be able to flash forward and flashback so that we could remind the audience that this is present, that these characters still live and breathe today in a different form, but this is the beginning of it. So Mark worked with our graphic designer who I thought did a really great take of this time scroller through the years to sort of remind us of, hey, we’re going back. It wasn’t always like this, or here it is today. So it was challenging to always know which one do we flash forward to and why? What’s the theme there and what’s the point of it? It was like a big puzzle.
Mark Catalena: I just wanted to add one thing to what you were saying earlier, Leslie. I think the other organizing principle for us, is that we wanted to come at it from an inspiration point of view. These are people, these are creators, from their point of view, that at some point during their life, they had a revelation, looking at a DC comic, or watching a cartoon. Something hit them hard to make them want to dedicate their lives to working in this industry and then filter that back out through their experience to inspire the next generation. So I think we wanted to really come at it from, why are these people passionate? How are they passionate? Trying to find the emotion that hit them and then dedicated their lives moving forward. We wanted to make it accessible to people. There are a lot of casual fans out there who know this more through maybe cartoons or movies, but it was important to us to say, look, that might be the entry point, but we want to show you where this all came from. We wanted to have them appreciate the source material, like 90 years of comic books. So I think that was one of our main goals, to approach it that way.
Jim Lee in ‘Superpowered: The DC Story.’ Photograph by Courtesy of Max/Warner Bros.
MF: It seems like Warner Bros. gave you a lot of freedom to tell the story that you wanted and to be able to include the bad with the good. Was there anything that you discovered that you decided not to include for any reason?
LI: That’s a good question. I think, for the most part, we felt like what we included was the most relevant to the overall story we were trying to tell. Whatever subject we do, whether it be Disney and Imagineering or Warner Brothers and DC, you look at the scope of these histories and you go, there’s so many little dramas and infighting that can happen within an artist or a studio or anything. But you have to pick and choose what are the ones that really are going to matter in the scheme of the entire scope of the storytelling, the years, the span of the years? What are the things that are the big turning points versus just little infighting. Those are the things that the media might like to cover. But for something that’s a real timestamp of history and a piece that’s going to sit on a server on a streaming service for a long time, we want to make sure that we’re really hitting the most important things.
MC: I think the other thing is we wanted to not have story points feel repetitive. A creator and a corporate entity, their relationship and the creative tension, that’s a never ending battle, through any creative industry. So I feel like we’re like, let’s pick the one that’s emblematic of that. Let’s focus on it but we don’t have to hit it every single time it happens because it still happens. I don’t think that’s anything new, and I don’t think that’s necessarily something the audience wants to just keep seeing. It would get boring after a while. So I think we approached every story beat in that way of like, when did it really matter? Let’s focus on that one specific, and that’s emblematic of all of the circumstances, all the occurrences.
Dwayne Johnson in ‘Superpowered: The DC Story.’ Photograph by Courtesy of Max/Warner Bros.
MF: The series includes low points in DC history like the poor treatment of Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, lack of diversity and representation, and the financial failures of movies like ‘Justice League’ and ‘Black Adam.’ Was there anything that the studio asked you to not include?
MC: Look, I think there are always sensitivities around companies’ histories. I think we just wanted to approach it in a very matter of fact way and not editorialize, and basically just tell the truth, tell it neutrally and move on. I think the larger point that we kept going back to was, look, each one of these story points could have been its own documentary. It’s huge, it’s deep, it’s rabbit holes that you can fall into. We wanted to stay on the level of the scope. I think when you look at it as a whole, there’s only so much time you can really bring things up. So we’re constantly trying to think, okay, what does that add to the larger story? We would’ve liked to include a lot of stuff, but things just naturally fall away when you keep your eye on that big picture.
MF: With over 90-years of comics, movies and TV shows, there’s a lot of history to fit in and it seemed like almost everything DC has ever produced was represented in the series. Can you talk about the challenges of trying to fit everything in?
LI: I think it’s hard to acknowledge everything, and I don’t think you ever can. I think what we try to do is put things in there that are quick, perhaps, if we can’t go into coverage on them. We at least acknowledge them briefly, or they’re in the background or they’re in a montage or something, so that we can at least say we’ve acknowledged it, but we don’t necessarily have to stop, otherwise it would just become a long, rambling story. So again, it is just choosing your battles.
Mark Waid in ‘Superpowered: The DC Story.’ Photograph by Courtesy of Max/Warner Bros.
MF: As a comic book fan, I know legendary names like Alex Ross, Mark Waid, and Keith Giffen, but a lot of people watching the series may not. Can you talk about the importance of highlighting the comic book creators with this series?
MC: I agree. They’re not household names. I think a large part of it though was, it’s more about what do they represent, and it’s more of their emotion and passion towards this subject that we wanted to come through. We didn’t necessarily plan to say, you need to know Mark Waid‘s entire resume. That doesn’t matter. We want to know, how does he emotionally feel about Superman, how did it affect him, and then how did he then want to affect others? It was more thematic, I think. I mean, look, talking to some of these folks, it was amazing for me. I’m a lifelong DC fan. But just hearing, I think their passion and their approach, like John Ridley and the Gene Luen Yang, there’s such depth there that was really eye-opening for us. That’s what we wanted to come through. Of course, Jenette Kahn and Karen Berger were huge gets for us. We are really happy to have them. Again, they might not be household names, but what they’ve done, if you look at what the comic industry is today, they started it. I mean, they really steered this entire industry in a direction of, we’re going to take something that was considered disposable kids’ stuff, and we’re going to turn it into legit literature and art that can be appreciated by anybody.
LI: (Jennette Kahn and Karen Berger) created graphic novels. Just the way in which people read and consume this art, the storytelling became more sophisticated, the artwork became more sophisticated. The worlds became different. They sometimes became darker, they became more marginalized characters, you name it. I felt like in that era, they were really pushing the envelope to bring new audiences in, but also relate to people that could relate to this very specific sort of world, if that makes sense.
MF: Can you talk about going through the Warner Bros. and DC Comics archives and finding the interviews and footage that you needed for this series?
LI: I think that a big shout-out goes to the archive team and Warner Bros. who would help us to put together material or find material that hadn’t been seen before. But it was Mark and the producers working in tandem every single day to find these gems that hadn’t been seen before. A lot of stuff were old interviews that had to get transcribed and then we would go through and say, what’s the most unique bite that no one’s ever heard before? That’s what we do in the beginning, is just really going through the transcripts and these old archival things and trying to find the gems. Again, the gift of working with Warner Brothers and DC was, they were all equally excited as we were to get as much new cool stuff that no one’s ever seen before.
Robert Pattinson in ‘Superpowered: The DC Story.’ Photograph by Courtesy of Max/Warner Bros.
MF: The series even includes footage of Bob Kane admitting that he co-created Batman with Bill Finger, something that Kane had long denied and took sole credit for. Where did you find that?
MC: Yeah, I agree. When we saw it, we were like, wait, what? Oh my gosh, this is amazing, and kind of refutes the common knowledge in the world that he never acknowledged Bill. This is amazing. So yeah, there were things like that. Even just the old Joe Kubert, Julius Schwartz and Carmine Infantino interviews that we found. Apparently some guy at a Comic-Con just took them in a room and started filming them. It was amazing because we don’t really hear their voices anymore. So finding that stuff was really cool. I would just say also, with all the photos of the old DC offices and how they worked, that was really fun.
LI: I think also for us, we really want to bring you into that world as tangibly as we can. We want you to see the space. We want you to feel what it was like in that office. We want you to know that it was hot and it was tough, and they were struggling, and it was a man’s world, and there was one woman in there. You know what I mean? It’s like, we want you to feel that. So the more we can find those photos and bring that world to you, the better. The other thing too is, a lot of those old archival interviews obviously don’t look good, so that’s always a struggle. You don’t want to have a really low res, blurry image. So we worked with the graphic team to put them into kind of a comic book frame so that it looked more interesting. So I think that’s something Mark and I, and everyone are always trying to innovate documentaries, are always trying to say, how can we innovate graphically? How can we take the documentary form and push the boundaries and tell every new story differently with pacing, with graphics, with music, with shape, and with structure? We’re excited about always trying to be innovative.
MC: Humor as well, and look, this is a colorful subject. We want it to be fun. We want it to be fast and fun and humorous at times. But that’s kind of our approach.
James Gunn in ‘Superpowered: The DC Story.’ Photograph by Courtesy of Max/Warner Bros.
MF: There have been a lot of changes recently at DC Studios with James Gunn and Peter Safran taking over. Gunn appears in the series but there is no mention of future projects like ‘Superman: Legacy.’ At what point did you have to lock the series and were unable to include any new announcements?
MC: I think it was August or September of last year. So it was before the big news of James Gunn taking over and everything. But Jim Lee loved that. He was like, look, we’ve done this. It’s a nice chapter break. Now, there’s going to be a new regime. It’s going to be a new path going forward. That’s a story that’s yet to be told. So yeah, he didn’t mind. I think it is exciting, though, that it’s not a stagnant thing. They’re always trying to innovate. They’re always trying to push, and yeah, it’s a moving target.
MF: DC Comics is more than just Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, it has also included Vertigo, WildStorm, and Milestone comics. Can you talk about highlighting all of those companies in this series, in particular Milestone?
LI: I think that it was very important and timely for Milestone to have a resurgence when it did. When you look back at the original Milestone, that was the biggest comic book sales by Black creators ever. There’s obviously an opportunity to reinvent that, to bring that back, and especially at a time when Black people’s stories needed to be told, and needed to be heard. I think that the more we bring these stories out and make them honest, truthful and relevant to our own lives, then that’s how these comic books formed from the beginning. It’s in the DNA of DC Comics. So I think that it’s exciting to see these different variations, so to speak, of storylines and characters continue to be successful.
Denis Cowan in ‘Superpowered: The DC Story.’ Photograph by Courtesy of Max/Warner Bros.
MF: Leslie, were you a comic book fan before making this series and what did you learn about DC Comics that surprised you?
LI: I didn’t necessarily grow up as a DC aficionado. But I think that to me, I grew up around artists. My family, my grandfather and father are both artists. And myself, I’m an artist. So to me, reading these was inspiring, just from the artistic and story standpoint. But I never really followed the story arcs of these characters necessarily. I did grow up on the ‘Wonder Woman’ Show, though, as silly as that sounds and dates me a bit. But I love the ‘Wonder Woman’ TV show, and I watched the ‘Batman’ show. Those are sort of the campy era when I was a kid watching those. I think it was just, to me, again, the stories that I love to tell are stories about innovators, bold business people and creators who want to push the envelope in the genre that they’re working in. In this case, DC was pushing the envelope and completely reinventing itself time and time again, and finding new ways to keep their characters relevant and fresh. To me, that’s a great business story. It’s a great creative story, and those are the kinds of stories that I like to tell.
Lynda Carter in ‘Superpowered: The DC Story.’ Photograph by Courtesy of Max/Warner Bros.
MF: Finally, Mark, as a comic book fan what did you learn about DC Comics that surprised you, and who is your favorite DC character?
MC: Well, I guess what I didn’t know is that it was surprising to me that, for so long, that the creators weren’t respected. There was a stigma against it. There was a shame associated with it. Then on the fan side, of course, there’s a stigma of having liked these characters. I mean, there’s growing up with, you’re a nerd if you like this stuff and whatever. Because I don’t think people understand now what that was like. It was very much in the shadows. It was very much a secret, and now it’s mainstream. It’s out in the open. So that was a big eyeopener for me, just to hear it from the creators themselves. My favorite character? There’s so many. I don’t want to be boring and say Batman, but I would think that’s probably the one. It’s just something about the fact that this is a real person. We always were like, why do these things endure, right? Why have there been thousands of stories about this one character over 85 years? It’s like, well, he doesn’t necessarily have a superpower. He’s a human. I feel like it’s the humanity that people connect with. So I think, above all else, that’s why these things touch so many people. But man, I have tons of favorites.
Margot Robbie in ‘Superpowered: The DC Story.’ Photograph by Courtesy of Max/Warner Bros.
Spinning off from ‘The Mandalorian’ (and to an even greater degree, the animated ‘Star Wars Rebels’ series), ‘Ahsoka’ promises to be a thrilling adventure series that hews closer to the fun we’ve come to expect from Mando and co, compared to the listless yarn that was ‘The Book of Boba Fett’.
As played in live-action form by Rosario Dawson, the character made an impact on ‘Mandalorian’ and ‘Boba Fett’ and here gets her proper spotlight.
‘Ahsoka’ continues the characters story from both ‘Rebels’ and her live-action adventures. The Jedi warrior, who has effectively turned her back on the order (though still performing heroic deeds).
She’s on the hunt to find both Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) a jedi in training who disappears at the end of the ‘Rebels’ series. And then there’s Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen, who also voiced the character on ‘Rebels’), who is making his own plans to become heir to the Empire and bring the baddies roaring back.
He’s aided by some dark associates including Baylan Skoll (the late Ray Stevenson) and Ivanna Sakhno’s Shin Hati.
Ahsoka reaches out to some old ‘Rebels’ accomplices, including heroic pilot Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) the latter of whom, it’s revealed here, was training to be a Jedi under Ahsoka –– before Tano walked away.
And we can expect to see Hayden Christensen show up, most likely in flashback, as Anakin Skywalker, who helped to train Ahsoka in the ways of the Jedi before… well, you know.
“She’s a wanderer at this point and is in a lot of ways wary of any organization as such because of the power that comes with it as a group. She walks a path that basically died out a long time ago. And there aren’t many like her left, if any. So that’s a lonely thing. What is that life like? If you are a loner, you have a very small circle of friends. What is it like, then, when you try to open back up?”
And he’s also clear about people embrace this character as she makes her full leap to the live-action world.
Filoni adds:
“The biggest challenge was, there’s a whole bunch of audience that know her, and a whole bunch that don’t. But there’s plenty of potential in that. She has one foot in the ‘Star Wars’ that a lot of people know because of her connection to Anakin, and yet she’s all new and can go in her own direction, in her own way. I think that makes her an interesting bridge between what came before and what’s really possible.”
‘Star Wars: Ahsoka’ will launch on Disney+ with its first two episodes on August 23rd.
If you were wondering when the next chunk of small-screen ‘Star Wars’ might be on the way –– we can now offer you an exact date. Yes, following a vague announcement of August, Disney+ has announced that new series ‘Ahsoka’ (or to give it its full title: ‘Star Wars: Ahsoka’) will debut on the streaming service on August 23rd.
Voiced in animated form by Ashley Eckstein, the character is played in live action by Rosario Dawson, who brings the former Jedi warrior to life with all the dual-lightsaber action you might be craving.
Set after the fall of the Empire, ‘Star Wars: Ahsoka’ follows the former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. The character was co-created by George Lucas and Dave Filoni and made her debut as the Jedi apprentice and foil of Anakin Skywalker in the animated TV series ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ and also starred in ‘Star Wars: Rebels’.
In her ‘Mandalorian’ debut, Ahsoka was the person who revealed to Mando (and the viewing audience) that Baby Yoda’s real name is Grogu, and that he was raised in a Jedi temple on the planet of Coruscant. When the Empire came to power following the Clone Wars, Grogu was spirited away into hiding.
Ahsoka refuses to train him as a Jedi but advises Mando that he take the Child to the planet Tython, where there were strong Jedi forces left from an ancient Jedi temple. It’s there that Grogu meets up with Luke Skywalker who trains him further.
When we last met Tano, she revealed that she was on a mission to track down the resurgent Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen), the self-convinced heir to the Empire, and a dangerous threat who is rebuilding the former force.
And the show will also introduce live action versions of fan favorite ‘Rebels’ characters including Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla, plus Chopper the moody droid (voiced though electronic means by Filoni) and Eman Esfandi as Ezra Bridger, who disappeared on a mission in the animated series’ finale.
And as seen in the latest TV spot for the show, David Tennant –– or at least his voice –– is back playing Jedi droid tutor Huyang, introduced in ‘The Clone Wars’.
As mentioned at the start, ‘Ahsoka’ will debut on Disney+ on August 23rd, though Lucasfilm has yet to announce whether it’ll kick off with more than one episode.
Though it was part of the big TV panel on day 1 of Star Wars Celebration, ‘Star Wars: Ahsoka’ is clearly important enough to Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni, Jon Favreau and the Lucasfilm team that they dedicated a whole panel to it alone on day 2 –– and held over some casting nuggets and other information to justify the special attention.
The series, which focuses on rebellious and headstrong Jedi warrior Ahsoka Tano (introduced in animated form in ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ and played in live-action on ‘The Mandalorian’ and ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ by Rosario Dawson, will follow the title character as she looks to track down evidence that the villainous Grand Admiral Thrawn (voiced by Lars Mikkelsen in the animated ‘Star Wars Rebels’ show that also saw Ahsoka appear) will return to be a big threat for her and her friends.
Grand Admiral Thrawn, as seen in ‘Star Wars: Rebels.’
Who is Grand Admiral Thrawn?
Thrawn was originally created by author Timothy Zahn as part of a series of Star Wars novels released in the 1990s that covered the time period after ‘Return of the Jedi.’ He was a cunning and ruthless Grand Admiral in the Empire who takes control of what’s left of the Imperial fleet and mounts a counter-offensive to take down the New Republic.
But after Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012, Zahn’s novels –– and Thrawn with them –– were removed from Star Wars canon and rebranded as “Star Wars Legends,” in order to make room for the sequel film trilogy starting with ‘The Force Awakens.’
Still, Filoni was able to bring him back for ‘Rebels’ and is now making him the primary antagonist in ‘Ahsoka’.
Dawson was on stage for the panel (along with a physical version of ‘Rebels’ droid Chopper, who will also appear in the new show, and brought up the danger of Thrawn.
Here’s what Dawson had to say,
“That guy… Ahsoka really is driven by trying to do good. I think she recognises a threat that other people aren’t necessarily seeing. He is formidable, and not someone to take lightly. She has sensed that there is something, that these foes are not easily dismissed.”
While fans both in attendance and online had been treated to the ‘Ahsoka’ trailer yesterday, a new version ran during the panel, revealing that Mikkelsen will be crossing over from ‘Rebels’ to play Thrawn in live-action. He was brought up on stage and revealed how thrilled he was to be playing the role again.
He’ll be joined by Diana Lee Inosanto, who debuted the character of Morgan Elsbeth in ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2 and returns as a thorn in Ahsoka’s side here.
Here’s Inosanto on Morgan,
“She absolutely is very loyal to Grand Admiral Thrawn. But we also know she’s a hard worker. You’re gonna learn more about her background, I’m really excited about that.”
We also learned that Ray Stevenson and Ivanna Sakhno are playing villainous characters called Baylon and Shin in the series, but while we know they’ll be collaborating with Morgan and Thrawn, Filoni and the rest aren’t revealing anything else.
And Thrawn/Morgan aren’t the only holdovers planned for the show, as Filoni also revealed that David Tennant is lending his voice to the live-action take on Jedi tutor droid Huyang from ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’. “You have to have him,” Filoni said. “He makes it work.”
Behind the scenes, we also now know that Filoni has directed episodes of the show, with episodes from Steph Green, Peter Ramsey, Jennifer Getzinger, Geeta Patel and Rick Famuyiwa, while Kevin Kiner, who wrote Ahsoka’s theme, and composed the music for most of the animated series, is back to score ‘Ahsoka’.
To date, Disney and Lucasfilm will only confirm that ‘Ahsoka’ will start on Disney+ this coming August.
In related ‘Star Wars’ news, Variety interviewed Kennedy about some of the big film and TV developments as announced yesterday –– including asking about some of the titles and filmmakers that were conspicuous by their absence from the panels.
We learned, for example, that one of the big three new ‘Star Wars’ movies planned by Lucasfilm will see the return of Daisy Ridley’s Rey. Set 15 years beyond ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ the movie, to be directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, is set in an era described as the New Jedi Order and see Rey establishing a bountiful new age of Force-users in the wake of the Skywalker Saga.
Kennedy said this about informing Ridley she’d be back holding a lightsaber again,
“It was a pretty straightforward phone call. I started out by just saying, ‘Hey, I think we’re getting near being ready.’ We’ve been talking a lot about what we’re doing in the movie space and I think we’re getting close to being ready. How would you like to go to Celebration?’ That was really the beginning of it. She was out of her mind excited.”
(L to R) Daisy Ridley and director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
Someone who didn’t take the stage yesterday was ‘The Last Jedi’ director Rian Johnson, who is reportedly interested in returning to ‘Star Wars’ but is currently engaged elsewhere. Should we suspect foul play? Apparently not.
Kennedy had this to say,
“Rian and I talk all the time. He is unbelievably busy. So we’re not actively involved in anything at the moment because he’s doing another one of the ‘Glass Onion’ movies and then God knows what else. But he really wants to step back into the space. It’s a big commitment of time, so that’s really on him.”
Someone who is more actively looking to be part of the ‘Star Wars’ galaxy is ‘Thor: Love & Thunder’ director Taika Waititi, who has been writing a screenplay.
Of the director, Kennedy said this,
“Taika is still working away. He’s writing the script himself. He doesn’t really want to bring others into that process and I don’t blame him. He has a very, very unique voice. So we want to protect that and that’s what he’s doing. But we’re going to make that one day.”
‘Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Poster Courtesy of Disney+
And finally, to bring it all back to TV, Kennedy admitted that Lucasfilm currently has no plans for a second season of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’.
Here’s Kennedy on the show,
“That is not an active development. But I never say never, because there’s always the possibility. That show was so well-received and director Deborah Chow did such a spectacular job. Ewan McGregor really wants to do another. Everybody’s all hands on deck with what we’re doing right now, as you can see by what we showed everybody at the Celebration. We’ll turn our attention to that again maybe down the road.”
President of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
