Category: Press Releases

BURBANK, CA (November 16, 2016) — To battle unparalleled supernatural forces, Batman must combine efforts with a new team of heroes – led by occult specialist John Constantine – in the next DC Universe Original Movie, Justice League Dark. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment, the full-length animated film arrives from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on February 7, 2017.

Justice League: Dark will be available on Blu-ray™ Deluxe Giftset ($39.99 SRP), featuring an exclusive Constantine figurine; Blu-ray™ Combo Pack ($24.98 SRP); and DVD ($19.98 SRP). The film will be available to own on Digital HD ($19.99 HD, $14.99 SD) starting January 24, 2017.

When innocent civilians begin committing unthinkable crimes across Metropolis, Gotham City and beyond, Batman must call upon mystical counterparts to eradicate this demonic threat to the planet. Enter Justice League Dark, reluctantly led by the Hellblazer himself, John Constantine. Like Batman, Constantine is a cunning, often cynical loner who is the best at his chosen profession – but quickly realizes the sinister forces plaguing the planet will require help from other supernatural alliances. Forming a new “league” with sorceress Zatanna, otherworldly Deadman, and Jason Blood and his powerful alter ego Etrigan the Demon, this team of Dark Arts specialists must unravel the mystery of Earth’s supernatural plague and contend with the rising, powerful villainous forces behind the siege – before it’s too late for all of mankind.

Actor Matt Ryan, who set the standard for the role of Constantine on the Warner Bros. live-action television series, returns to the role in animated form alongside Jason O’Mara (Terra Nova, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) as Batman, Camilla Luddington (Grey’s Anatomy) as Zatanna, Nicholas Turturro (NYPD Blue) as Deadman, Ray Chase (Final Fantasy XV videogame) as Jason Blood/Etrigan, Roger R. Cross (24, Arrow) as John Stewart/Swamp Thing, Jeremy Davies (Justified) as Ritchie Simpson, Rosario Dawson (Daredevil, Sin City) as Wonder Woman, Jerry O’Connell (Stand By Me, Crossing Jordan) as Superman, Enrico Colantoni (Flashpoint, Veronica Mars) as Felix Faust, and Alfred Molina (The Da Vinci Code, Spider-Man 2) as Destiny.

Justice League Dark is directed by Jay Oliva (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns).  Story by J.M. DeMatteis and Ernie Altbacker (Green Lantern: The Animated Series) and teleplay by Ernie Altbacker.  Sam Register is Executive Producer.  Benjamin Melniker & Michael Uslan (The Dark Knight trilogy) are co-executive producers.  James Tucker (Batman Bad Blood, Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders) is Supervising Producer.

“The chance to bring to life these amazing, complex characters–Constantine, Zatanna, Deadman and Swamp Thing – and the potential for their future adventures makes Justice League Dark a very exciting entry into the DC Universe Original Movies canon,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing. “We are especially excited and honored to have Matt Ryan reprise his TV role as Constantine in this animated film.”

Justice League Dark Enhanced Content

Blu-ray™ Deluxe Giftset and Blu-ray™

• A Sneak Peek at Teen Titans: The Judas Contract: An advance look at the next DC Universe Original Movie, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract.
• The Story of Swamp Thing (Featurette): Born out of the imagination of Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, Justice League Dark’s Swamp Thing had his own solo adventures throughout the history of DC. This documentary reveals the rich history of this fan favorite.
• Did You Know?: Constantine origin, Color of Magic, Black Orchid, and Deadman Casting (Featurette): The creators of Justice League Dark will reveal surprising behind-the-scenes tidbits about thecharacters – and the actors providing their voices – during production of the film.
• 2016 NY Comic Con Panel (Featurette): A look inside Justice League Dark’s panel at New York Comic Con.
• Sneak Peek at Justice League: Gods and Monsters
• Sneak Peek at Justice League: Doom
• From the DC Vault – Two Bonus Episodes –
• Batman: The Brave and the Bold, “Dawn of the Dead Man!”Batman: The Brave and the Bold, “Trials of the Demon!”

DVD

A Sneak Peek at Teen Titans: The Judas Contract: An advance look at the next DC Universe Original Movie, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract.

The force will be strong on devices across the nation today as Mark Hamill’s Pop Culture Quest comes to Comic–Con HQ. Mark Hamill has been collecting comic books, original artwork, toys and other mementos since the early 1970s and now he gets to share his passion and enthusiasm for collecting in his new web series.

“I’ve been a collector all my life,” said Hamill. “This show is a natural outgrowth of that passion. Now I have an opportunity to collect other people’s collections! I can’t wait to see what’s out there and share it with the world. Collectibles are a living history of who and what we are, so we just might learn something…but there’s no doubt we’re going to have fun!”

This series kicks off at the DC Comics headquarters with the legendary Jim Lee, as the co-publisher and Mark trade favors and end up with their very own pieces of pop culture history. Join Mark throughout the season as Mark Hamill’s Pop Culture Quest uncovers comic book memorabilia, film props, Godzilla, pinball machines and beyond with special guests including monster amasser Scott Zilllner, famous collector Bob Burns and many more!

Hamill will once again team with his friend and Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi producer Howard Kazanjian.  Kazanjian was Executive Producer on Raiders of the Lost Ark and served as VP at Lucasfilm during the dramatic expansion of the company in the 1980s. Producer Darren Moorman, whose film Same Kind of Different as Me will be released next year, and longtime collector and vintage show promoter Scott Kinney will round out the producing team as Executive Producers on the series.

San Diego Comic-Con is only once a year, but Comic-Con HQ is year-round! The new subscription video – on – demand destination is available at Comic-ConHQ.com via web browsers, iOS/Android devices, Roku, AppleTV and Amazon Channels, with more to come.

To celebrate, the first episode is available to fans worldwide via DC Comics. In the pilot episode, “Joker’s Favor,” Mark Hamill heads to DC Comics Headquarters, home to one of the greatest collections of comic book memorabilia and one of the most celebrated artists in the world, Jim Lee. Join them as they share their stories of pop culture collecting and trade favors to end up with their very own pieces of pop culture history.

Mark Hamill’s Pop Culture Quest: Episode 1 – Joker’s Favor

With Mark Hamill as your guide, explore the most exclusive pop culture collections in the world! Join Mark on his weekly quest to track down the rumored rocket-firing Boba Fett, the original Time Machine, the last surviving armature model used to animate the original 1933 King Kong, the 1992 Batmobile, and so much more! Mark travels inside pop culture’s vaults to uncover why we are so fascinated with collecting and what our passions say about us

Tune in next week on Comic-Con HQ as Mark’s affinity for Godzilla and giant robots leads him to collector Scott Zillner, whose passion transcended his home – filled with thousands of monsters and robots – and led to the creation of Power Morphicon!

Star Trek Beyond, Paramount Pictures’ third installment in the rebooted series, has received a poster from Mondo, executed by artist Matt Taylor to celebrate the Digital HD and Blu-ray release of the film, which came out this week.

This limited edition poster is not for sale so fans will have to look for contests or other opportunities to acquire a copy. ComicMix was provided with one, which will be auctioned off for charity at Farpoint in February 2017.

Star Trek Beyond, starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, was directed by Justin Lin and was critically acclaimed as a much needed course correction after the disastrous Star Trek Into Darkness. The $185 million production underperformed at the box office although a fourth film in the series has already been announced, with Chris Hemsworth returning as George Kirk, father to Pine’s James T, Kirk. No screenwriters, director, or other details have been released. With Anton Yelchin’s tragic death, it is expected to have Chekov not be recast but removed the Enterprise crew. At the earliest, fans should expect this film to be released in 2019, following the three to four year pattern since the 2009 Star Trek from director J.J. Abrams, was released.

SCREAM QUEENS – SEASON ONE
Get hooked on TV’s mischievous and addictive new series – SCREAM QUEENS – that will make you scream with delight! In the thrilling new series, a mysterious “Red Devil” killer wreaks havoc at
Wallace University’s Kappa Kappa Tau sorority, putting every pledge on edge. Tension mounts as it becomes clear that anyone could be the murderer – or the next victim! Meanwhile, Dean Cathy Munsch (Jamie Lee Curtis) forces Kappa’s tyrannical fashionista president, Chanel Oberlin (Emma Roberts), to accept anyone who wants to join the sorority. Also starring Lea Michele, Keke Palmer and Abigail Breslin, “SCREAM QUEENS” is “whip-smart and wickedly funny” (Andrea Cuttler, Vanity Fair). Get all 13 outrageous season one episodes — along with more killer moments and special features that grant you access into Kappa House – with the arrival of Season One on DVD.

As an added bonus, fans can channel their inner “SCREAM QUEEN” with limited edition nail wraps, available as a gift when purchasing the Season One DVD while supplies last!

“SCREAM QUEENS” – SEASON ONE DVD Special Features Include:

• Rush Kappa
• Between Two Queens
• Style Queens

“SCREAM QUEENS” – SEASON ONE DVD
Street Date: December 6, 2016
Prebook Date: November 2, 2016
Screen Format: Widescreen 16:9 (1.78:1)
Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH/Spanish/French
Total Run Time: 570 minutes
U.S. Rating TV-14
Closed Captioned: Yes

Last week, Marvel Studios selected the latest winner of their STEM-based internship program in conjunction with the theatrical release of Marvel’s Dr. Strange on 11/4. The theme of this most recent program was The Magic of STEM, challenging girls to explore science and technology that may have once been considered “magic.” The winner of the internship was 16-yr-old Ashley Qin, whose project revolved around wearable biosensors and how they can function as non-invasive glucose monitors.

This is the 4^th challenge that Marvel Studios has put forth to elevate and celebrate inspirational young women who are interested in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics), with each activity tailored to the themes of different Marvel films. Since 2013, thousands of girls across the country have taken part, submitting projects ranging from the creation of hybrid solar thermal collectors to a study of the origins of prosthetic limbs.

Earlier this year, Maia Dua took part in the Girls Reforming the Future Challenge on behalf of Marvel’s Captain America Civil War (now on Blu-ray & Digital HD). Her project was the creation of an affordable “seeing eye-bot,” which uses ultrasonics to “see” objects and help the visually impaired navigate their surroundings.

Maia shares her experience in this inspiring video, where she recounts her visit to the Siggraph 2016 Conference, spends time with the Disney Imagineers, and shadows Victoria Alonso, Executive Producer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

DETAILS ON MARVEL’S S.T.E.M. PROGRAM

MARVEL STUDIOS S.T.E.M. based programs for girls began in 2013 with MARVEL’S THOR THE DARK WORLD ULTIMATE MENTOR ADVENTURE.  The ULTIMATE MENTOR ADVENTURE was supported by: Dolby Laboratories, Underwriters Laboratories, the Discovery Science Center, the Science and Entertainment Exchange, a program of National Academy of Sciences, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The ULTIMATE MENTOR ADVENTURE challenged high school age girls to go out into the real world and ask successful women in science, technology, engineering, or math related fields about what they do, how they got where they are today, and how to follow in their footsteps.

10 girls were selected, from over 300 applicants to travel to California for the premiere of MARVEL’s THOR THE DARK WORLD and to spend a week meeting incredible women working in all areas of STEM.  The girls and a parent met with over 30 amazing women while getting behind the scenes experiences at Dolby Laboratories, Scarborough Farm, Silver Lake Farms, Underwriter’s Laboratories, Discovery Science Center, Wildlife Learning Center, Disneyland, the set of MARVEL’s Agents of Shield,  and the Disney Studios.

In 2015 MARVEL STUDIOS presented the ANT-MAN MICRO-TECH CHALLENGE as their next program to promote STEM to young girls.  The MICRO-TECH CHALLENGE was a nationwide competition challenging teenage girls to use readily available micro-technology components to design and build a DIY project that could inspire other young girls to develop an interest in STEM and STEM careers. The CHALLENGE was supported by:  Dolby Laboratories, Visa Signature, and Raspberry Pi.

The CHALLENGE winners came to California to attend the premiere of ANT-MAN and to participate in a specially designed technology workshop predominately presented by female designers, engineers, artists, and managers from across The Walt Disney Company.  The winners returned to their communities and lead workshops for local girls, sharing their experiences and teaching the next generation of girls to build their projects.

MARVEL STUDIOS CAPTAIN AMERICA CIVIL WAR GIRLS REFORMING THE FUTURE CHALLENGE was the most recent challenge.  This CHALLENGE, supported by Dolby Laboratories, Broadcom Masters, and the Science & Entertainment Exchange, a program of National Academy of Sciences, sought to inspire young girls to create positive world change for their generation and beyond through science and technology. The challenge invited girls nationwide, ages 15 – 18 to submit innovative STEM-based projects that had the potential to change the world. Each applicant was asked to submit a short video demonstrating her project and explaining how her science and technology-based project could make the world a better place. Over 1000 girls applied and five finalists were selected to come to California and present their projects to a panel of experts. One exceptional young woman, Maia Dua, was selected to receive a one-week internship with Marvel Studios.

All five finalists had the opportunity to inspire other young girls around the world by participating in a LIVE global Broadcom Masters webinar during which the girls discussed how their STEM skills enabled them to create their projects and become a finalist of the Captain American Civil War: Girls Reforming the Future Challenge.  The webinar gave girls everywhere a peak into STEM skills in action outside the lab and the classroom.

In September 2016, Marvel launched the newest Challenge…Marvel, Dolby Laboratories, & Synchrony Financial sought out inquisitive female superheroes to find the secrets of science once thought to be magic for a chance to win a trip to the world premiere of Marvel Studio’s DOCTOR STRANGE and an opportunity to be mentored by members of the Walt Disney Company’s digital team.

Sequart Organization is proud to announce the publication of The Best There is at What He Does: Examining Chris Claremont’s X-Men, by Jason Powell.

The X-Men franchise is a sprawling comics mythology, to which hundreds of creators have contributed over the past 50 years. The period from 1975 to 1991 is special, however, as the X-Men universe was guided by the voice of one writer, who wrote every single issue of The Uncanny X-Men during that span. His name is Chris Claremont, and he made the X-Men what it is today.

The Best There is at What He Does is an appreciation of the long-term narrative Claremont lovingly crafted month after month, over the course of nearly 17 years. Proceeding chronologically through the issues, this exhaustive overview analyzes the trends, arcs, and themes that emerge throughout his landmark comics opus.

The book is available in print and on Kindle. (Just a reminder: you don’t need a Kindle device to read Kindle-formatted books; you can download a free Kindle reader for most computers, phones, and tablets.) It runs 296 pages and features a foreword by Geoff Klock and a cover by Steven Legge. Find out more on the book’s official page.

Amsterdam – Europacorp, Luc Besson’s film studio, has selected Spil Games to create the official mobile and web game for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, the director’s upcoming $180M sci-fi movie.

The film is in post-production and will be released globally in July next year. EuropaCorp has asked Spil Games to develop a strategy game in parallel with that process, ready for launch a few weeks before the film.

“Spil Games impressed us with their vision and understanding of the world of Valerian,” said Valerian producer Virginie Besson-Silla. “We are very excited and feel they are the perfect partner to help us share Valerian with the gaming universe.”

The quality and creativity of the game is vital for a Triple A Hollywood property like Valerian but the long-term partnership with EuropaCorp also relies on Spil Games’ proven experience in creating and monetizing multi-million-dollar game franchises. The company’s ability to engage with an international audience of more than 120m will be key to the game’s commercial success, but it also opens up cross-marketing opportunities for the film.

“People are talking about this film as the spiritual successor to Fifth Element. It’s going to be huge,” says Tung Nguyen-Khac, Spil Games’ CEO. “We’re excited and honored to be making the game for Luc and I believe we can really intensify the audience experience around the themes and ideas within the movie.”

Engaging an audience in a genuinely immersive game is increasingly important in the movie business.

“It’s no longer enough to make a game that just mimics the movie,” says Tung. “Yes, players want to dig further into the story but the game also has to be cool and fun to play in its own right. The producers of the New Hollywood understand that a game which captivates its audience can massively amplify a movie brand.”

BURBANK, Calif., Oct. 14, 2016 — Pete’s Dragon, a reimagining of Disney’s cherished family film centered on an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliot — who just so happens to be a dragon — comes home on Nov. 29 on Digital HD, Blu-ray™, Disney Movies Anywhere, DVD and On-Demand. And the timing couldn’t be better: Today’s announcement ushers in tomorrow’s World Dragon Day and the heartwarming adventure arrives just in time to entertain the entire family this holiday season.

Families will be captivated by this magical movie followed by never-before-seen bonus features, including a revealing look at director David Lowery’s personal diary kept during the filming of “Pete’s Dragon,” the design process behind the lovable dragon Elliot, deleted scenes, a tour of the film’s breathtaking production location of New Zealand, audio commentary by filmmakers and actors and hilarious bloopers.

Pete’s Dragon stars Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World) as Grace, a forest ranger in the Pacific Northwest who happens upon 10-year-old Pete, played by Oakes Fegley (This is Where I Leave You). Oona Laurence (Southpaw) is Natalie, the 11-year-old daughter of Jack, a lumber-mill owner played by Wes Bentley (The Hunger Games). Karl Urban (Star Trek) is Jack’s bumbling brother Gavin and Oscar®-winner Robert Redford (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) portrays Mr. Meacham, an old wood carver who delights the local children with tales of a fierce dragon.

The film is directed by David Lowery (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints) from a screenplay by Lowery & Toby Halbrooks based on a screenplay by Malcolm Marmorstein and produced by Jim Whitaker, p.g.a. (The Finest Hours), with Barrie M. Osborne (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring) serving as executive producer.

Writer/director Lowery reveals, “I look back on childhood as an adventure, and I wanted to capture that on screen in the smallest—but also the biggest—way.” The big—the creation of an irresistible 24-foot tall, green, furry dragon that can breathe fire and turn invisible—is brilliantly tackled by the team at the Academy Award®-winning visual effects company Weta Digital (The Hobbit films and The Lord of the Rings trilogy). But it’s the small moments between characters that so beautifully convey the film’s powerful message: the importance of friendship, family and finding one’s place in the world.

Bonus features include*:

BLU-RAY & DIGITAL HD:

• Notes to Self: A Director’s Diary – Director David Lowery narrates the personal diary he kept through the filming of Pete’s Dragon in this intimate and fascinating look at the movie’s making.
• Making Magic – Discover fun facts about what went into designing this spectacular, lovable dragon.
• “Disappearing” Moments – The director shares a montage of the film’s “lost” scenes.
• Welcome to New Zealand – Experience the wonders of New Zealand and learn why it’s a magical place to visit … and to make a movie.
• Audio Commentary – Gain an insider perspective from director David Lowery, co-writer Toby Halbrooks and actors Oakes Fegley and Oona Laurence.
• Music Videos
  • “Nobody Knows” by The Lumineers
  • “Something Wild” by Lindsey Stirling featuring Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness
• Bloopers

DVD:

• Making Magic

DISC SPECIFICATIONS:

Product SKUs: Digital HD/SD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, Disney Movies Anywhere, DVD and On-Demand
Feature Run Time:  Approximately 103 minutes
Rating: PG in U.S., PG in CE, and G in CF
Aspect Ratio: Blu-ray Feature Film = 1080p High Definition / Widescreen 2.39:1
DVD Feature Film = Widescreen 2.39:1
Audio: Blu-ray = English 7.1 DTS-HDMA & 2.0 Descriptive Audio, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks
DVD = English, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks, English 2.0 Descriptive Audio
Languages/Subtitles:  Blu-ray = English SDH, Spanish and French
DVD = English SDH, Spanish and French

Just in time for Halloween, Paramount Home Entertainment has released a video on the makeup effects employed by Star Trek Beyond‘s Makeup Designer Joel Harlow and Lead Makeup Artist Richie Alonzo created for Jaylah. The film is now available via Digital HD and hits disc on November 1.

The Justin Lin-directed feature earned an 84% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes and although it under performed at the box office compared with its preddcessor, Star Trek Into Darkness, thew film was certainly better received by the fans.

Still, the $185 million production earned only $337,896,789 worldwide, probably making it a loss for beleaguered Paramount, which did not have a good summer season. Thanks to licensing and ancillary sales, the film will probably eke out a profit.

A fourth installment, with Chris Hemsworth returning as George Kirk, has already been announced as being in the works although the official green light has yet to be given. At the earliest, it won’t hit theaterrs before 2019, and more likely 2020.