Marvel Comics: The Untold Story (PDF)

Marvel Comics: The Untold Story is a 2012 book by Sean Howe, based on the history of Marvel Comics and published by HarperCollins. Howe decided to write the book because the stories comic creators told in fanzine interview always seemed different from the official narrative. It starts with the comics published during the golden age, the characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and then follows with the later decades. The information presented draws on over 150 interviews conducted by Howe. 

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Regular Nick Shorts: Netflix To Premiere 'The Casagrandes Movie' In 2024, Spider-Man’s Restarting High School In This Upcoming Disney+ Cartoon And Marvel Studios Unveils Black Panther Prequel Eyes Of Wakanda

The Casagrandes is being revived

The news was announced by WrapPRO, which profiled Netflix Animation and their current and future efforts in the space. Midway through their piece, they reveal a first look (pictured above) and confirmation that The Casagrandes Movie will be released sometime in 2024.

Nickelodeon revealed that The Casagrandes Movie, a brand new film based on The Casagrandes, was in the works earlier this year. Although not much else about the movie has been said since the original announcement, Miguel Puga, a co-executive and director on Nickelodeon's hit animated series, hinted in November that production on The Casagrandes Movie had wrapped!

According to WrapPRO, The Casagrandes Movie is directed by Miguel Puga and written by Tony Gama-Lobo and Rebecca May, Lalo Alcaraz and Rosemary Contreras. The movie was produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studios Inc.

Spider-Man stars in a new series

Spider-Man is one of the hallmarks of Marvel. Of course, he’s had multiple cartoon iterations over the years, from the 90s rendition to the Spectacular series. And now, he’s going back to Freshman year.

Announced in 2021, Spider-Man: Freshman Year – or as it is now called, Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man – is one Marvel Studios animated project that fans don’t know a lot about, despite getting some details at 2022’s San Diego Comic-Con.

Sadly there isn’t a concrete release date, but Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has been confirmed to premiere on Disney+ sometime in 2024. It will also run for at least one additional season after its first.

Black Panther prequel makes a landing

In March 2023, rumors began to swirl that Black Panther director Ryan Coogler’s Proximity Media production company had begun developing an animated series for Marvel Studios. As Marvel Studios revamped their streaming slate and skipped out on SDCC ’23, the series, said at the time to be referred to as The Golden City, remained nothing but a rumor until now. During a press event for Season 2 of What If…? held at the Walt Disney Studios Lot, head of streaming, television and animation for Marvel Studios, Brad Winderbaum, revealed that the new series will hit Disney Plus in 2024.

Titled Eyes of Wakanda, the animated series will tell the story of “brave warriors” who “throughout Wakandan history have been tasked to travel the world retrieving dangerous vibranium artifacts.“

NCPD And Marvel Unite For Call To Celebrate Youth With Disabilities

The National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) today announced that it has joined forces once again with The Walt Disney Company Africa to bring awareness to and celebrate children and youth across the country.

Inspired by the Marvel retail campaign of the same name, the Marvel Heroes Unite initiative kicks off this month with a call for all South Africans to show their support for youth with disabilities. From 16 May 2023, fans are able to purchase specially branded wristbands from www.ncpd.org.za for R30.00 each.

On Youth Day, 16 June 2023, those who have purchased the wristbands are invited to wear them, showing their support and celebration of inclusion and equity for children and young persons with disabilities. Schools in particular are invited to show their support with learners encouraged to wear their wristbands on 15 June 2023, with a chance to win prizes for both the schools and individual learners. Wristbands will be available to purchase throughout the remainder of 2023.

Participants are welcome to share their support on social media by using the hashtag #NCPDHeroesUnite #Marvel and tagging @vavaiyouth on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. It is through these channels that you can enter the photo competition with fabulous prizes to be won.

Driven by the youth-focused project of the NCPD, Vava iYouth, the campaign seeks to further build on the long-term objective of facilitating full economic and social participation, rights and enjoyment for youth with disabilities. Funds raised from the campaign will go towards funding, education and training, as well as seeking opportunities for self-representation for this sector of the population. Ultimately, the long-term goal is ensuring that youth people with disabilities have equal access to resources and opportunities, leading to meaningful and fulfilling participation in society.

“Marvel Super Heroes showcase attributes such as heroism, relatability and community, with an openness in an interconnected world,” says Luke Roberts, General Manager, Consumer Products, Games and Publishing, The Walt Disney Company Africa Consumer. “We are excited to lend our support to the NCPD, after two successful collaborations under the Disney Princess banners, and bring this powerful campaign to life, all in an effort to showcase and celebrate young South Africans with disabilities.”

“The Heroes United campaign is a reminder that when we join in unity we can achieve great things and make the world a better place for everyone. It demonstrates that age, gender, race or ability do not have to be barriers to working together towards a common goal. Indeed, real life heroes do exist, they are ordinary people who show kindness and who are not afraid to advocate for social justice. So, let’s stand hand-in-hand and work to create an inclusive society that values and celebrates diversity.” Ado Bakasa, NCPD Coordinator Youth Affairs: Vava iYouth.

Inspired by the diverse, heroic, inspirational Marvel Super Heroes, the campaign seeks to show that the attributes that make the characters who they are – strength, endurance, kindness, courage, etc. – are found in all of us. In addition, it is when our characters unite that they are able to overcome all obstacles. Retailers are currently celebrating Marvel Heroes Unite across the country.

Marvel Heroes Unite wristbands are available online at https://ncpd.org.za for R30 and bulk orders are available to organisations and schools who would like to support. All funds will go directly to the NCPD.

Roundups #141: Peppa Pig's Glasses Show Has Been Deemed Inappropriate For Facebook's Guidelines, Marvel Studios Reportedly Set To Debut Two Series Within 2023 And Telemundo Set To Debut First Original Series In March 2023, Game Of Lies

Peppa Pig has become a laughing stock

During the week, Peppa Pig got some much needed attention after a Facebook user called Daily Nick uploaded a clip to one of the episodes titled Glasses Show and the Facebook rodents swooped in and deemed it sexually inappropriate.

Taking to account that Facebook has become an absolute joke and if there's one thing Elon can save it's Facebook. It's currently a trainwreck waiting to happen if Peppa Pig glasses is inappropriate then posting about the weather is deemed violent.

Peppa Pig has been having a run since 2004 and has been a part of gags, jokes and has even made various appearances take for instance Family Guy where she has killed in a car accident or Robot Chicken where she was deemed a criminal to society.

All of this makes me feel as if she was being targeted about Facebook's latest rant with the character is something to laugh about.

Regular Nick:
- Wonder Pets revival might be in the works for Nickelodeon
- Peacock greenlights two new animated series
- Boomerang to go dark on the DStv platform next month
- Disney Junior and Disney+ to debut new Star Wars series in May

Marvel might be putting the breaks on new content

Marvel's big MCU Phase 5 reveal at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 revealed six shows would likely be arriving on Disney+ in 2023, that number allegedly may drop to only two with Loki Season 2 and Secret Invasion being the only "sure bets" for this year.

As reported by THR, this news follows comments by Disney CEO Bob Iger, in which he said the company needs to be "better at curating" franchise content that is "extraordinarily expensive.

Marvel content obviously doesn't come cheap, and Disney was planning on potentially releasing Loki's second season, Secret Invasion, What If... ?'s second season, Ironheart, Echo, and Agatha: Coven of Chaos in 2023. If these changes are to go through, sources say Loki and Secret Invasion may be the only ones to make it out, even though shows like Echo and Ironheart have wrapped their productions months ago.

“There is going to be a level of rigor on Marvel and across the entire company,” one company insider says. “Numbers matter now, and costs are going to be outlined and enforced.”

Telemundo still lagging behind schedule

For several months, Telemundo has been lagging behind in terms of original programming leading repeat padded African feed of the channel seen on MultiChoice's platforms to sought content from Colombian broadcasters Caracol Television and RCN Television.

Caracol Television had worked with the channel on Hidden Passions including the second season and is supplying the upcoming Ana's Revenge while RCN Television has Nurses and The Scent Of Passion with Until Money Do Us Part rolling out in the coming month.

After a long while since the channel struggled to obtain original programming, it was announced from the main feed that Telemundo will be rolling out a new show from March 7th 2023 titled Game Of Lies (Juego De Mentiras) starring Arap Bethke and Altair Jarabo.

The story is set in the city of Los Angeles and San Clemente, California, Game Of Lies follows the footsteps of César Ferrer, a hard working man who always dreamed of having his own family and who gives his life for his own daughter Noelia.

Everyday Novelas:
- Zee World to add an additional 3 shows to their lineup
- Second Chance and Hart Van Goud coming soon to Zee One and eExtra respectively
- Queen Of The Night and How Do I Say This? coming respectively to Timeless Dizi Channel and Zee World
- New Series Alert: eMedia Investments Acquired Broadcasting Rights To Turkish Romcom, Aşk Mantık İntikam

Roundups #114: Spider-Man Spin-Off Silk: Spider-Society Greenlit By MGM+ And Amazon Prime Video, Ultra Violet And Black Scorpion Cancelled On Disney Channel After One Season And Looney Tunes Cartoons Cancelled On Cartoon Network And HBO Max

The Spiderverse continues its expansion

Superheros are taking the television world by storm, and Amazon Prime Video is taking this opportunity to get in on all the action. The first confirmed Spider-Man spinoff will be Silk: Spider Society, but it won't be the only one according to Sony.

For those who remember, Sony and Disney didn't see eye to eye when it came to the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies. After the second installment, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Sony and Disney had a hard time coming to a financial deal, leaving many to wonder if the third film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, was going to happen. However, the two companies came to terms with the fact that Sony will hold the screen rights to all of the Spider-Man films and characters, which is now allowing Sony to jump in on creating spin-offs of its own.

Amazon Studios and Sony will introduce audiences to Cindy Moon, a.k.a. Silk. While no one is sure how many shows fans are getting, one is Silk: Spider Society, which will be the first to kick off the new Spider-Man universe when it debuts on MGM Plus domestically before launching globally on Prime Video. There is no word on how exactly the series will portray Moon's backstory, but there should be some excitement around The Walking Dead showrunner Angela Kang, who will also be heading Silk: Spider Society. Kang will also serve as executive producer alongside Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, with whom she developed the series.

Ultra Violet And Black Scorpion Cancelled

Unfortunately, it’s not all confetti and cake. Villains of Valley View may live to fight another day, but its superhero block mate, Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion is heading to early retirement. Disney Channel decided to end the series after only 1 season. It’s a disappointing ending for yet another Latina superhero this year. First Leslie Grace’s Batgirl, now Scarlett Estevez’s Violet? This year has actually been marked by a concerning amount of Hispanic-led series cancelled too soon.

First announced way back in January 2020, it was intended to star professional wrestler Blue Demon Jr. and have a heavier luchadore / profesional wrestling influence. The pandemic and other behind the scenes issues resulted in a long road to get the show off the ground. The first major issue is that the pandemic left the series from receiving full greenlight until January 2021, one year later. At that time, Scarlett Estevez joined the series as Ultra Violet.

For reasons unknown, Blue Demon Jr. departed the series along with the original producer and it was retooled as Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion. In August 2021, J.R. Villarreal tagged in as Black Scorpion to replace Blue Demon and the series finally filmed. Disney could have aired a special sneak peek of the pilot during Hispanic Heritage month in 2021, but did not. When it finally premiered this past June, it seemed that they’d been holding it back for a few months already. Then, it felt like they were burning it off when they dropped the entire summer’s set of 10 episodes on Disney+ right away. The television ratings certainly suffered from this decision.

Looney Tunes Cartoons is officially on its way out, this is the version of the series that premiered on HBO Max

Developed by Pete Brown (Creator of Uncle Grandpa), he wanted Looney Tunes Cartoons to go back to the basics. These didn't go out of the way to reinvent Bugs Bunny and everyone else. Instead, it was more of an update to the 1940s Looney Tunes era which isn't a bad thing.

These characters are timeless, thrown in any time period and setting and maybe change a few things here and there it's still fun to watch.

While the reception of this show is positive, Pete revealed something on Instagram:

Today was a final mix of the 209 Looney Tunes Cartoons shorts we created. Congratulations to all involved. That's all folks.

The end of this version doesn't mean the end of the franchise as Looney Tunes has got a ton of upcoming projects such as Bugs Bunny Builders, Tiny Toons Looniversity, Tweety Mysteries and The Day The Earth Blew Up.

Roundups #106: Rihanna To Make Her Comeback To The Music Industry In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Monster High: The Sequel In Development At Nickelodeon And A Script For A Second Season To Telemundo's The End Of Paradise Is Said To Be In Development

Rihanna to release a new single dedicated to Chadwick Boseman

Apparently the rumors are true: Rihanna is back with new music thanks to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Rihanna is releasing two songs for the movie, which both show up in the end credits. The first song is called “Lift Me Up” and will be released on Friday morning.

“Lift Me Up” is set to come out at midnight ET on the morning of Oct. 28, according to a tweet from Rihanna on Thursday. The song will show up on most major streaming platforms including Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music, and Apple Music.

The popstar’s other song for the movie is called “Born Again,” but it’s unclear if that one will get an early release as well. This music comes as the first preview of the Black Panther sequel’s soundtrack. The accompanying album for the first movie, which included songs curated by Kendrick Lamar, turned out to be enormously popular in its own regard, with multiple hits including “All the Stars” which received several Grammy nominations and Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.

Monster High: The Sequel has been greenlit

Nickelodeon's recent hit Monster High: The Movie, a musical based on Mattel's popular line of toys. is getting a new sequel in partnership with Mattel Television.

The toy franchise - which debuted in 2010 with a popular line of dolls and accessories inspired by classic horror movie monsters and creatures like Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon - has inspired a number of related media and merchandise, including web series, games, and a YA book series. Nickelodeon's recent Monster High: The Movie was released earlier this month and directed by Todd Holland.

As reported by Deadline, the sequel will begin production in Vancouver in January and will be ready to air on Nickelodeon and Paramount Plus in time for Halloween 2023. The Monster High film follows Clawdeen Wolf (Miia Harris) as she arrives at Monster High with a dark secret. With the help of her friends Draculaura (Nayah Damasen) and Frankie Stein (Ceci Balagot), she is able to embrace her true monster heart and save the school from total destruction. The film also stars Case Walker, Kyle Selig, Marci T. House, Scotch Ellis Loring, Steve Valentine, Jy Prishkulnik, Lina Lecompte, Justin Derickson, Lilah Fitzgerald and Nasiv Sall.

The End Of Paradise getting a season 2???

In an exclusive interview with People en Español, Carmen Villalobos and Gregorio Pernía have confirm that few chapters have been written for The End of Paradise Season 2.

This is coming after the writer of the story, Gustavo Bolivar came to comment weeks ago in a live broadcast on Instagram that 10 chapters had been written.

After the hasty and open ending of the successful Telemundo saga, The Way to Paradise with The End of Paradise, the followers of the story did not lose hope that there could be a new season to close the plots that were left unfinished.

But now, Gregorio Pernía who gave life to 'El Titi' in the aforementioned story confirms to People en Español "What if there were some scripts written? Yes, there were like 10 scripts written" However, Pernía sees it very difficult for those chapters to be produced since each of the actors who were part of the saga have embarked on new professional paths.

Roundups #102: Trevor Noah To Exit The Daily Show, Hugh Jackman To Return As Wolverine In Deadpool And Keanu Reeves No Longer Part Of Upcoming Series Devil In The White City

Trevor Noah is exiting The Daily Show

It’s the end of the road for Trevor Noah’s tenure at Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. The comedian announced during the September 29 episode that, after seven years as host spanning back to 2015 when he took over for Jon Stewart, he’s decided to move on.

After noting that he recently reflected on fans’ support for the show on an international level, Noah told the studio audience that he found himself “filled with gratitude for the journey. It’s been absolutely amazing. It’s something that I never expected.” He went on: “And I found myself thinking throughout the time, you know, everything we’ve gone through: the Trump presidency, the pandemic, just the journey of, you know … the more pandemic. And I realized that, after seven years, my time is up. But in the most beautiful way. Honestly, I’ve loved hosting the show. It’s been one of my greatest challenges. It’s been one of my greatest joys. I have loved trying to figure out how to make people laugh, even when the stories are particularly shitty on the worst days. We’ve laughed together, we’ve cried together. But after seven years, I feel like it’s time.”

A Comedy Central spokesperson released a statement on Noah’s departure after his announcement was posted to Twitter: “We are grateful to Trevor for our amazing partnership over the past seven years. With no timetable for his departure, we’re working together on next steps. As we look ahead, we’re excited for the next chapter in the 25+ year history of The Daily Show as it continues to redefine culture through sharp and hilarious social commentary, helping audiences make sense of the world around them.”

Hugh Jackman returns to the MCU

The Wolverine is back as Hugh Jackman gets back in the gym to once again sport the muscular frame of the beloved X-Men character. It has now been confirmed that Jackman will reprise the role of Wolverine in the upcoming Deadpool 3, an announcement that came as a huge surprise to Marvel fans.

Hugh Jackman first played the role of Wolverine over two decades ago in the first X-Men outing. While the actor was praised for his portrayal, Jackman has since revealed that he only had a few weeks to prepare. Hence, why his physique is far less impressive than it would eventually become. Jackman has now played the role multiple times, each time putting in the hard work to bring the Marvel superhero to life in live action, with the actor often topping the list of the greatest physical transformations.

While the plot of Deadpool 3 is currently unconfirmed, it is looking more and more likely that the threequel will follow Wolverine and Deadpool embarking on a road trip. Something that Ryan Reynolds seemingly revealed last year.

Keanu Reeves no longer making his first major American television role debut

Keanu Reeves will no longer star in the Hulu series adaptation of “The Devil in the White City,” Variety has learned exclusively from sources.

The show was first put into development at Hulu in 2019 and was officially ordered to series at the streamer in August 2022. It is based on the book of the same name by by Erik Larson.

Per the official logline, the show “tells the true story of Daniel H. Burnham, a demanding but visionary architect who races to make his mark on history with the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, and Dr. H. H. Holmes, America’s first modern serial killer and the man behind the notorious ‘Murder Castle’ built in the Fair’s shadow.”

 

Roundups #97: Harley Quinn Renewed For Season 4 On HBO Max, Till Jail Do Us Apart Currently Streaming On Peacock And Brie Larson On Returning As Captain Marvel

Harley Quinn is bringing on the action

HBO Max has renewed the (very) adult animated DC series for a fourth season, a few weeks ahead of the Sept. 15 finale for season three. The series will also have a new showrunner in season four: Sarah Peters, who has written for Harley Quinn throughout its run and is currently a consulting producer, will serve as executive producer and showrunner, taking over for Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker.

“Patrick Schumacker, Justin Halpern and their incredible team of artists and writers have created something so explosively funny and original, and we are thrilled to continue this journey with them and the show’s legion of fans,” said Billy Wee, senior vp comedy and animation at HBO Max. “It has been amazing to watch the show grow and evolve this season and we could not ask for a more talented and dedicated team of collaborators.”

Season three of Harley Quinn has followed Harley (voiced by Kaley Cuoco) and Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) as they return to Gotham as the new power couple of DC villainy. “Harlivy” strives to become the best version of themselves while also working toward Ivy’s long-desired plan of transforming Gotham into an Eden paradise.

Kate Del Castillo starring in a new Peacock drama series

Kate del Castillo, Roselyn Sánchez, Sylvia Sáenz and Jeimy Osorio star in the new Peacock series, “Til Jail Do Us Part.” The  drama, out Sept. 15, which shows the wealthy women’s husbands unexpectedly getting arrested for being linked to the same criminal organization.

Accustomed to a life of abundance, the four women reluctantly move in together as their previously carefree and luxurious lives are turned upside down. As they begin to get interrogated by detectives in hopes that they tell their husbands’ secrets, they have to get along to get by.

Originally filmed in Spanish, “Til Jail Do Us Part” was dubbed in English by the four leads, “elevating the viewing experience regardless of language preferences,” the press release states.

The future of Captain Marvel

Brie Larson is not sure whether she will be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) after The Marvels. In a recent interview, the actor revealed that she is uncertain about her future as one of the strongest Avengers.

Brie was introduced to the MCU in the 2019 release Captain Marvel. Upon its release, both the movie and Brie received a fair bit of trolling and hate. In fact, the reviews were also largely middling at first. It now has a 79 per cent rating by critics on Rotten Tomatoes, while the audience vote reflects a poor figure of 45 per cent.

Speaking about the Marvel movies and her own participation in it, Brie said, “I don’t know. Does anyone want me to do it again? I really don’t know. I don’t have the answer to that.”

 

Roundups #96: Madagascar: A Little Wild Makes Its Linear Debut On e.tv, The Really Not So Loud House Makes Its Debut On Nickelodeon And First Look Into Spider-Man: Freshman Year

More animation coming to DreamWorks SA

e.tv, South Africa's free-to-air entertainment channel independently owned by eMedia Investments that is home to locally produced series is set to launch another preschool series from DreamWorks Animation on their kids block Craze titled Madagascar: A Little Wild.

Adapting to the Kamp Koral feels, the series looks into the early lives of Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo, as they grow up in a rescue habitat at the Central Park Zoo.

The series ended its run earlier in the year with a combined total of 51 episodes divided between 8 seasons. It's currently streaming on Showmax and Netflix with e.tv set to join the pack on Wednesdays at 14:55 from 28 September.

Lincoln Loud enters the real world

Produced by Nickelodeon Studios, the series follows the success of the live-action movie, A Loud House Christmas, which became TV’s top kids’ entertainment telecast of 2021 when it premiered on Nickelodeon in November. The 10-episode series began filming in June in Albuquerque, N.M. The series was announced by Brian Robbins, President & Chief Executive Officer, Paramount Pictures & Nickelodeon, and Chief Content Officer, Movies and Kids & Family, Paramount+, at Nickelodeon’s annual upfront presentation held at New York City’s Palladium Times Square in March.

The series is also expected to be available to stream on Paramount+.

“As one of Nick’s most beloved animated franchises, The Loud House has made its way into the hearts of millions of fans across the globe,” said Shauna Phelan, Co-Head of Nickelodeon & Awesomeness Live-Action. “When we brought the animated world of Royal Woods to life with A Loud House Christmas, it instantly became a holiday favorite for both new and loyal fans alike, and I just know that they will love what our amazing creative team is preparing for this new live-action series.”

The live-action The Loud House series will follow Lincoln Loud, an 11 year-old boy with 10 sisters, as he navigates everyday life while living with such a large family. Known as the “Man with a Plan,” Lincoln enlists the help of his best friend Clyde McBride to tackle the obstacles and mayhem that they encounter during their daily adventures.

Spidey is coming to Disney+

Disney Plus animated series Spider-Man: Freshman Year will be released in 2024, Marvel revealed during its animation panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday. The show follows a young Peter Parker in his earliest days as the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Spider-Man, and it's set before his live-action debut in Captain America: Civil War.

It'll get a second season titled Spider-Man: Sophomore Year.

The show should answer some of our questions about the web slinger's early days, like the circumstances of the spider bite that gave him his powers and the existence of MCU Uncle Ben. It'll also see him encountering villains like Chameleon, Doctor Octopus, Scorpion, Rhino, Speed Demon and Tarantula. The show will also introduce the MCU versions of Norman and Harry Osborn.

Doc Ock, Norman and Scorpion are fascinating inclusions, since Spidey ran into an alternate universe's Ock and Norman in No Way Home, and Scorpion's comic book alter ego Mac Gargan showed up in Homecoming. Our hero will also team up with Daredevil, who'll be voiced by Charlie Cox, much earlier in the timeline than their civilian identities' encounter.

 

Roundups #91: The Highly Anticipated Series Love By Chance Is Coming To Star Life, MultiChoice To Rollout Spider-Man Pop-Up Channel In Celebration Of 80th Anniversary And Droomvelore To Make A Comeback On eExtra

Destined Love is finally launching on Star Life

Earlier in the year, it was reported that Star Life had picked up rights to Indian drama Love By Chance (initially referred to as Destined Love, Kabhie Kabhie Ittefaq Se) alongside two other series Bold & Beautiful (Divya Drishti) and Unforseen Love (Mehandi Hai Rachane Wali).

Based on the Bengali drama Khorkuto, Destined Love tells the story of a sophisticated upper class girl who gets married to a scholar who lives with a middle-class joint family who educate her about morals and ethics.

The star cast of the show include Yesha Rughani, Manan Joshi, Delnaaz Irani, Yamini Singh and Nishigandha Wad. It airs from September 18th replacing Unspoken Bonds.

M-Net is bringing on the webslinger

To celebrate Spider-Man’s 60th Anniversary, M-Net Movies will be showing all nine Spider-Man movies from Sony Pictures over the course of 10 days, from Friday 23 September – Sunday 2 October on a dedicated pop-up movie channel (DStv 111), streaming on DStv Now and dangling around on DStv Catch Up. The Spider-Man Pop-Up channel 111 will be available to Premium customers and on Add Movies for Compact Plus, Compact Family and Access customers.

Since his debut as a sidekick in Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s Amazing Fantasy #15 anthology comic book in August 1962, Peter Parker has grown from nerdy high school student to troubled college student and from married high school teacher to single freelance photographer – but his mantra that with great power, comes great responsibility has been a constant as he’s used his web-shooters and ‘Spidey senses’ to save the day for six decades.

Starting in 2002 with the most recent instalment in 2021 , the nine films include eight live-action blockbusters and one animated hit: Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), The Amazing Spider-Man (2021), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). Channel 111 will also broadcast the 30min documentary – Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home.

Droomverlore coming soon to eExtra

Last year, it was reported that eMedia Investments had acquired rights to the Turkish romcom Droomvelore (Erkenci Kus) starring Can Yaman and with Demet Özdemir's Verdeelde Liefde scheduled to air on eExtra later in the month.

Sanem is a young girl who works at her father's grocery store in hopes to become a famous writer one day. When her parents give her a choice to either get a proper job or an arranged marriage, Sanem gets a job in the advertising agency her sister works in. From there she meets her boss and love interest, Jan.

Droomverlore is rumoured to replace Begeertes once it finishes on eExtra.

Roundups #89: Megan Thee Stallion Joins The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Selena Gomez Enters Negotiations For Working Girl Reboot, Scrapped HBO Max Series Drawing Interest Of Various Streamers

Megan Thee Stallion joins the cast of She-Hulk

Megan Thee Stallion is following up her role on Starz’s P-Valley with a cameo appearance in Marvel’s She-Hulk: Attorney At Law.

In an upcoming episode, she becomes involved in a legal case that is being handled by attorney Augustus “Pug” Pugliese, played by Josh Segarra. Segarra teased what’s ahead while chatting with Deadline on the red carpet of the show’s premiere.

“A gentleman is being catfished by somebody that lives in another universe, let’s say. Another world,” Segarra said before confirming Deadline’s teasing response that the catfisher is pretending to be a certain recording artist.

Selena Gomez might be joining another reboot

Selena Gomez and 20th Century Studios are partnering for a reboot of Working Girl.

Gomez is in talks to produce a remake of the 1988 comedy that starred Melanie Griffith as a Long Island woman who secretly takes over her boss’ job while she recovers from a broken leg. Harrison Ford and Sigourney Weaver also starred in the original film, which was directed by Mike Nichols and was a massive success, earning Oscar nominations and an impressive $100 million box office haul.

It is unclear if Gomez would also star in the project, which is eyeing a release on Hulu.

Batman is gaining traction

While Bruce Timm, Matt Reeves, and J.J. Abrams' Batman: Caped Crusader won't be coming to HBO Max, the animated series is reportedly very much alive and drawing interest from Apple, Hulu, Netflix, and more.

As reported by THR, Batman: Caped Crusader was one of six animated titled that was pulled from HBO Max's upcoming slate and will no longer be produced by the company. It was stated that these shows were not necessarily canceled, but instead would be shopped to other studios.

According to THR's sources, "it is believed that the various Warners divisions making the show and movies will make more money on the titles by selling them to other outlets than having them on Warners’ own streamer."

 

Marvel Reveals Phase 6 MCU Plans, Including 2 New Avengers Films

After beginning its Saturday Comic-Con panel by revealing that Phase 4 will end with this year's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Marvel Studios blew through Phase 5 announcements, right into its post-2024 plans with some Phase 6 updates.

Yes, that's right, we got updates on three Marvel Cinematic Universe phases from Marvel.

Similar to The Infinity Saga -- the name given at the end of Phase 3 to refer to the first phases of films -- the next trio now has a name of its own (thanks in part, we assume, to Kang!): The Multiverse Saga.

 

Just three films were shown onscreen during the Phase 6 announcement, however, including two Avengers films:
•Fantastic Four will release Nov. 8, 2024
•Avengers: The Kang Dynasty on May 2, 2025
•Avengers: Secret Wars on Nov. 7, 2025

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige told Deadline after the panel that the Russo brothers aren't involved with the next Avengers project. Feige also declined to name the "thematics" of the announced phases, telling Deadline that the studio doesn't usually like to discuss each phase until it's complete, because "all of our stories are both interconnected and hopefully stand apart."

We may also get more insight into those open dates at D23 this September, but for now, we might as well bask in the possibilities. Earlier in panel, Marvel announced its Phase 5 schedule as well:
 

•Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania : Feb, 17, 2023
•Secret Invasion (Disney Plus show) : Spring 2023
•Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: May 5, 2023
•Echo (Disney Plus show) : Summer 2023
•Loki, season 2 (Disney Plus show): Summer 2023
•The Marvels: July 28, 2023
•Ironheart (Disney Plus show) : Fall 2023
•Blade: Nov. 3, 2023
•Agatha, Coven of Chaos (Disney Plus show, name changed from Agatha: House of Harkness): Winter 2023-24
•Daredevil: Born Again (Disney Plus show) : Spring 2024
•Captain America: New World Order : May 3, 2024
•Thunderbolts: July 26, 2024

We'll have a lot of Marvel to get through in the coming years.

Genius Brands Signs 20-Year Deal with Marvel Studios to License “Stan Lee” for Use in Future Feature...

“Stan Lee Universe, LLC,” Genius Brands International’s “Genius Brands” (NASDAQ: GNUS) controlled venture with POW! Entertainment, has signed a 20-year deal to license the name and likeness of Stan Lee to Marvel Studios for future feature films and television productions, as well as use in Disney theme parks and experiences worldwide.

 

“We are proud to be the stewards of the incredibly valuable rights to Stan Lee’s name, likeness, merchandise, and intellectual property brand,” said Andy Heyward, Chairman & CEO of Genius Brands. “And, there is no better place than Marvel and Disney where Stan should be for his movies and theme park experiences. As we enter the centennial year of Stan’s birthday, December 28, 2022, we are thrilled to see his memory and legacy will continue to delight fans through this new long-term agreement with Marvel.”

Under the terms of the deal, Marvel Studios has acquired rights to use Stan Lee’s name, voice, likeness and signature in movies and television projects, as well as use images, existing footage and existing audio recordings featuring Stan. Exclusive rights to use Stan Lee’s name, voice, likeness and signature in theme parks, water parks, cruise lines and in-park merchandise were included for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products as part of the deal.

 

“As Stan’s longtime business partner and friend, I’m looking forward to commemorating his work in this new way,” said Gill Champion, President of POW! Entertainment. “Building a connection with his fans is important to us and it’s a privilege to get to do that on his behalf.”

Stan is one of the most prolific and legendary comic creators of all time. As Marvel's editor-in-chief, Stan "The Man" Lee helped build a universe of interlocking continuity, one where fans felt as if they could turn a street corner and run into a superhero from Spider-Man to the Fantastic Four, Thor, Iron Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and more. Stan went on to become Marvel’s editorial director and publisher in 1972, and was eventually named chairman emeritus.

 

Stan also appeared in some of the most popular films of all time. His well-known cameos in Marvel films began in the 1989 telefilm The Trial of the Incredible Hulk. After the release of X-Men in 2000, he appeared in nearly every Marvel film and television project until his passing in 2018.

Among Stan’s many awards is the National Medal of Arts, awarded by President Bush in 2008, and the Disney Legends Award, received in 2017. He was also inducted into the comic industry’s Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame and Jack Kirby Hall of Fame.

The Walt Disney Company Investing More Than 500 Series For Regional Content For Disney+, This Includes More Regional European Animation and Anime For The Animation Catalog

Disney has previously revealed it has 500 shows in the pipeline outside of the U.S., but on Wednesday, the company broke down for the first time how those planned local-language programs are being dispersed throughout global regions.

According to Christine M. McCarthy, senior executive vice president and chief financial officer, 140 of those shows are in the works in the Asia/Pacific region, including Southeast Asia; 150 are in markets in Europe, West Asia and Africa; 100 are set up in India, and another 200 are being developed for Latin America audiences.

 

 

Elsewhere on the call, CEO Bob Chapek was pressed by analysts on another international topic: Disney’s lack of traction in recent months with getting its movies approved for release in China. Noting that the latest MCU release — “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” — reached nearly $500 million worldwide in its opening weekend without a berth in China, the world’s most populous country, Chapek said the box office split in China is not as generous for distributors as it is in other overseas markets.

 

‘It doesn’t really preclude our success, given the relatively lower take rate that we get in the box office in China compared to the rest of the world,” Chapek said.

Ahead of Disney’s quarterly earnings call on Wednesday, the company reported Disney+ gained 7.9 million customers in the first three months of 2022 to reach 137.7 million subscribers total. That new figure is up 33% year over year. The stat beat analysts expectations, as Wall Street had forecast Disney+ would net 5.2 million new subscribers for the quarter that ended on March 31, per FactSet.

Disney+ is currently available in 64 countries across North America, Europe, Asia/Pacific and Latin America. Disney+ Hotstar is offered by Disney in India.

 

Disney’s trio of streaming services reached 205.6 million globally (a quarterly net increase of 9.2 million, driven by Disney+). As of the end of the quarter, that included 45.6 million for Hulu (up 10% year over year) and 22.3 million for ESPN+ (up 62% year over year). Disney+ subs in the U.S./Canada region netted 1.5 million in the March 2022 quarter, to 44.4 million.

Also during the call, McCarthy said, while Disney had previously expected fiscal ’22 content spending to be as much as $33 billion, it now projects about $32 billion because of a “slightly slower cadence of spending than anticipated” during the first half of 2022.

Roundups #40: Donkey Hodie Renewed For A Second Season On PBS Kids, New Competition Show Gogo For The Gold Coming In May To OUTtv And Captain Marvel Joins Fast And The Furious 10

Donkey Hodie to get a second season

PBS Kids has greenlit Season 2 of Donkey Hodie , a puppet series inspired by characters from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Produced by Fred Rogers Productions in collaboration with Spiffy Pictures, the series is a social-emotional learning series for kids ages 3-5 emphasizing skills to promote resilience, persistence, and problem solving. The new season will consist of 25 half-hour episodes including two specials and is slated to debut in 2023.

Donkey Hodie is set in the whimsical land of Someplace Else. The puppet series follows the adventures of Donkey Hodie, an enthusiastic and charming go-getter and her pals: Purple Panda, her loyal and empathetic best friend; Duck Duck, a practical, quick-witted young; and Bob Dog, an energetic and eager canine.

“Since its premiere last year, Donkey Hodie has brought engaging stories full of fun, humor, and important life lessons to kids across the country, helping them to see a world of possibilities,” shared Sara DeWitt, senior vice president and general manager, Children’s Media and Education, PBS. “We couldn’t be happier to bring a second season of adventures from Donkey and her friends to PBS Kids.”

Jonny McGovern Go Goes For The Gold

It has been over two decades since Jonny McGovern’s moniker The Gay Pimp hit the New York scene with pointed comedy, raunchy gay-themed music videos, and a mission to stir sh*t up. That, he certainly has. Though his modern-day approach to media is less youth-inspired angst, his political, social, and pop culture views are no less visceral and continue to push the envelope. Not afraid to share his opinion, he is more concerned about entertaining and getting his message across than he is in being politically correct, even towards the LGBTQ community. After years of staying ahead of the LGBTQ media curve, this talk show host, podcaster, comedian, writer, producer, and musician is not concerned with who does or doesn’t like him – and his fans can’t get enough.

He debuts his latest project, Go-Go for the Gold for OutTV this May with comments about the show:
"The show is a tongue-in-cheek look for “America’s #1 Champion Gogo Superstar.” It’s a reality competition show based on my many years working in nightlife with go-go boys. It’s so fun, so hilarious and sexy, but has a lot of heart. It really highlights the creativity and ingenuity of go-go boys and shows a wide spectrum of sexy, inclusive of different body types, and a wide range of ethnicities and gender expressions which we all thought was very important to spotlight on the show."

 

Brie Larson is now part of the fast franchise

In an Instagram post by Actor Vin Diesel it was confirmed that actress, Brie Larson will be part of the upcoming Fast and Furious 10 movie, which is set to debut in May of 2023. This new installment of the Fast and Furious franchise marks 22 years since the original movie debuted in June of 2001.

Vin Diesel has been a part of the Fast and Furious movie franchise since the original movie. With work starting on the 10th movie it's clear that his excitement for the franchise is still strong, based on the passionate words in his Instagram post which highlights their newest cast member Brie Larson.

“Yeah yeah yeah… you see this angel over my shoulder cracking me up, you say to your self “ that’s Captain Marvel”. Clearly, there is love and laughter in this image. What you don’t see, however, is the character you will be introduced to in Fast10. You have no idea how timeless and amazing she will be in our mythology. Beyond her beauty, her intellect… her Oscar, haha is this profound soul who will add something you might not have expected but yearned for. Welcome to the FAMILY Brie.”

Roundups #35: Cocomelon Expands To EMEA With Cartoonito, Black Widow And Captain America Partner Up For New Film At Apple And Cosmetology High Launches On St Sino

Moonbug forms a partnership with more Cartoonitos

Moonbug Entertainment has inked its first multi-territory linear deal, partnering with WarnerMedia to air preschool series CoComelon across EMEA.

Under the deal, WarnerMedia has picked up 170 episodes of the popular series to air on the conglom’s fledgling preschool block Cartoonito across more than 115 countries in the area this year. The brand’s 3D-animated musical episodes, which cover educational topics and nursery rhymes, will roll out in multiple languages, including German, French and Italian.

This partnership expands on Moonbug and WarnerMedia’s previous deal to air CoComelon on Cartoonito in the UK , where it rolled out in April 2021. That was the brand’s first move onto linear TV.

 

 

Apple inks new deal with Marvel stars

Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) and Chris Evans (Captain America) are set to star in buzzy new movie package Project Artemis with Ozark star, director and exec-producer Jason Bateman aboard to direct.

Evans and Johansson have been looking for projects to team up on following the end of their Avengers days and came close on Ghosted, another hot package that Apple scooped up .
Johansson fell off after scheduling conflicts with Ana de Armas stepping in. That film is currently filming but everything works out in the end as the two A-listers and old friends get a second chance at teaming up again.

Apple and Johansson are also teaming up on Bride, which the actress is starring in and producing for Oscar-winning director Sebastián Lelio. That project is currently in development

 

Cosmetology High expands to Africa

St Sino is a Chinese entertainment channel offering a variety of content including reality, lifestyle, movies and mainly drama series picked up rights to the costume mystery drama, Cosmetology High.

The play tells the love story between He Lanjun, a beauty expert from the Imperial Physician Department, and Su Lianyi, the owner of a brothel in Tang Dynasty. The series stars Merxat, Zhang Zhehan and Yang Rong.

The series airs weekdays on St Sino from 1st April at 19:50.

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Insidus Content Roundups #3: Moon Knight Begins Debuts March 30th On Disney+, Star Trek: Discovery Has Been Renewed On Paramount+ And Ellen's Game Of Games Cancelled After Four Seasons On NBC

Moon Knight streaming on Disney+ this March

The Moon Knight trailer for the hotly-anticipated MCU TV series has finally dropped, giving fans a first look at Oscar Isaac as the titular character.

“The series follows Steven Grant, a mild-mannered gift-shop employee, who becomes plagued with blackouts and memories of another life,” reads the official synopsis. “Steven discovers he has dissociative identity disorder and shares a body with mercenary Marc Spector. As Steven/Marc’s enemies converge upon them, they must navigate their complex identities while thrust into a deadly mystery among the powerful gods of Egypt.”

According to producer Kevin Feige, Moon Knight will consist of six episodes, each clocking in between 40-50 minutes.

The Moon Knight trailer also confirmed the TV series’ Disney Plus premiere date of 30th March 2022.

Also read:
- Animated series coming to Cartoon Network, Netflix and a variety of other platforms in 2022
- New Bleach anime launches in October
- Totally Spies! revival is in development
- As Africa await for their Disney Channels to close in 2024 Latin America starts with Star Life, National Geographic Wild, Disney XD and FX Movies
- A new Winnie The Pooh animated series is coming to Disney+
- Henry Danger movie is in development
- National Geographic Kids Africa launches in 2022

Star Trek: Discovery has more lives

Star Trek: Discovery has been renewed for Season 5, it was announced on Tuesday afternoon. Season 4, which is streaming on Paramount+, will resume with new episodes starting Thursday, Feb. 10.

The current season finds Burnham stepping into the captain’s chair, and the titular crew chasing a scientific anomaly that poses a major threat to the galaxy — a story partially inspired by the current global pandemic.

Also read:
- 2022 on HBO Max including Peacemaker and a Batman Christmas special
- Disney+ greenlit several African animation
- African Animation Network partners up with Baboon Animation
- 2022 on Paramount+ includes new season of iCarly, Star Trek: Lower Decks and Why Women Kill

“We’re taking the spirit of what we were and are feeling as a global family, and then looking through the eyes of our characters and seeing how they would respond to something that is bigger than themselves,” showrunner Michelle Paradise. “In [this] case, it’s a scientific anomaly. We don’t know at the start of the season what it is, where it came from, what is its nature. Our heroes are going to have to figure that one out.”

Farewell Ellen

Ellen DeGeneres will be saying her goodbyes to famous Ellen's Game of Games.

The show, which otherwise garnered massive TRPS from households, ranking fourth among all primetime entertainment programs in 2019, lost its audience in COVID-19.

The series launched in 2017 and its fourth season and ran through May 2021, featuring 20 episodes.

The news comes after The Ellen DeGeneres Show is also coming to an end after its 19th season.

DeGeneres served as host and executive producer of Ellen’s Game of Games, which includes supersized versions of the most popular games from the talk show.

Also read:
- Kevin 11 series waiting to be get picked up by Cartoon Network and HBO Max
- Why the outdated music brand VH1 Classic was terminated on DStv?
- Could fan made Cartoon Network logo be the future logo for the channel?
- Rio 3 and Ice Age 7 are currently in development for Disney+
- 2022 on Disney+ ahead of launch in South Africa
- Boomerang reportedly closing down across Europe, Middle East and Africa
- Could Galactic: KND be in the works for Cartoon Network and HBO Max?
- Upcoming programming for Cartoonito in Europe, Middle East and Africa

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