Tag: Disney

NME

The first season of hit drama series Shōgun is set to conclude tonight (April 23), but will there be a second season? Read on for all of the latest info. 

The ten-episode first series premiered back on February 27, and the climactic final episode airs tonight. It is available to be streamed via Hulu and FX in the United States. UK viewers, meanwhile, can watch the show via Disney+. 

Shōgun depicts Japan in the year 1600, and some have labelled the series as the “new Game of Thrones”. In it, Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) is fighting for his life as his enemies unite against him, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby village, where the character of John Blackthorne (Jarvis) is introduced. 

The historical drama is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by James Clavell, which had previously been adapted into a 1980 American miniseries. This version has been overseen by the husband-and-wife creative team of Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, the latter of whom was a co-writer of Top Gun: Maverick. 

Last week’s ninth episode ‘Crimson Sky’ was hailed by some critics as the “best TV episode of the year”. 

Will there be a Shōgun season two? 

Given that the show is based on a pre-existing novel, and the 10 episodes cover the entire narrative span of the book, there is not much room for manoeuvre when it comes to a second season. 

The show’s co-creator and producer Justin Marks has appeared to confirm that there will be no season two when he spoke to The Hollywood Reporter. 

“We took the story to the end of the book and put a period at the end of that sentence,” he said. “We love how the book ends; it was one of the reasons why we both knew we wanted to do it — and we ended in exactly that place. And I’ve been party to this in the past with shows like this, where you build a whole factory, and it only pumps out 10 cars and closes up shop. It’s a bummer.” 

Clavell did write five further books in his ‘Asian Saga’, each one taking on a different time period in the histories of countries including Iran and Hong Kong. If the producers wanted to pursue one of those novels as a spiritual successor to Shōgun, then that option is open, although it would be made as an entirely separate production. 

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NME

The full trailer for Marvel‘s Deadpool & Wolverine has finally arrived – watch it below.

• READ MORE: ‘Deadpool 2’ review: a near perfect package

Released last night (April 22), Marvel – and Ryan Reynolds – has at long last released a full trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine that finally showcases Hugh Jackman‘s Wolverine. In the action-packed trailer, we’re introduced to Logan/Wolverine as he sits in a bar before being propositioned by Deadpool to join him on a world-saving mission.

The pair don’t seem to get along, trading blows before finally uniting to save Deadpool’s world. Throughout the rest of the trailer – soundtracked by Madonna‘s ‘Like A Prayer’ – we get blink-and-you’ll-miss-it glimpses of other mutants, such as Lady Deathstrike, Azazel and event Ant-Man… sort of.

Deadpool & Wolverine will feature elements of multi-verse traversal, with a closing shot of the trailer showing the pair jumping through a portal commonly used by Doctor Strange and his fellow sorcerers.

Additionally, we see Paradox (Succession‘s Matthew MacFayden) tell Deadpool that the Wolverine he’s dealing with “let down his entire world.” Elsewhere in the trailer, Deadpool remarks that he’s familiar with older versions of Wolverine having trouble getting their claws out.

Deadpool & Wolverine is due for release on July 26 in cinemas.

It will mark the third Deadpool movie, as well as Hugh Jackman’s ninth outing as Wolverine after previously saying he’d retire from the role following 2017’s Logan. Reynolds and Jackman’s upcoming film will mark their on-screen reunion for the first time since 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Deadpool 2 scored a four-star review from NME‘s Nick Reilly upon its release in 2018. Reilly wrote: “Deadpool 2 is the near perfect package, creating a second chapter that maintains the anarchic spirit of the original while offering some surprisingly successful lamentations on the nature of love, loss and vulnerability. A third installment, you sense, makes perfect sense.”

Earlier this month, Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy addressed rumours that Taylor Swift could appear in the film. The singer has been at the centre of speculation over a potential surprise appearance in the upcoming Marvel film as superhero Dazzler.

However, when asked by Entertainment Tonight about the rumours, Levy replied: “That is hardly confirmed nor denied in this interview. I’m going to literally walk out of the frame and save myself, otherwise Ryan [Reynolds]’s taking a hit [out] on me.”

The post Watch the action-packed ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ trailer appeared first on NME.

NME

Warning: spoilers ahead

The latest episode of Shōgun is receiving high praise from critics, with one calling it “the best TV episode of the year”.

The Japanese series has so far been hailed as “the new ‘Game of Thrones'” thanks to its “cunning” plot twists, but has also been praised for its “elegant” production. It’s expected to run for ten episodes, with its latest episode ‘Crimson Sky’ having just aired.

In this episode, viewers watched Lady Mariko, Lord Yabushige and John Blackthorne attempt to escape as hostages in a truly nail-biting episode filled with twists and turns, including Mariko’s shock death.

Esquire was impressed with the “brilliance” of the episode, calling it “the best TV episode of the year so far.”

“Of all the insane deaths I’ve seen on Shōgun so far—Nagakado slipping and shattering his head on a rock, Yabushige boiling a prisoner alive, and even Hiromatsu stabbing himself in the gut—I never thought Mariko would die, let alone by dynamite! Somebody call me an ambulance—I’ll need some major recovery before I see you all next week.”

Meanwhile, Vulture agreed episode 9 was the “best of the series so far”, adding: “Rather than be taken alive, [Mariko] stands against the door and makes a last protest against Ishido. And, with that literally explosive moment, the episode ends. Remember, Shōgun warned us from the start it would break our hearts.”

The New York Times also had lofty praise for the episode, saying it was “a deception by which even the ingenious Lord Toranaga would be impressed”. “So no, there’s no battle for the future of Japan to be found here, or at least not the kind we’ve been conditioned to expect,” they wrote.

“There’s just one woman, her mind and soul stretched to their limit by the overlapping dictates of her faith, her family, her society, and her own heart, pulling herself together for one final defiant act. In death, she finds the purpose she felt she lacked in life. It is both a triumph and a tragedy.”

The AV Club branded the episode with an A grade, writing: “This is the kind of death Mariko has wanted all along, not a shoddy seppuku job and not some weird joint suicide with her husband she doesn’t even like. She declares, “I, Akechi Mariko, protest this shameful attack by Lord Ishido… and by my death—” she is cut off by the explosion, her body absorbs it, and the others are thus spared.

“Martín’s melodic chanting plays over the credits. Our dear Mariko, heart of the series, is gone. But on her own terms. What will our Anjin do now?”

Check out some more reactions to episode nine of Shōgun below:

The post ‘Shōgun’ just released “the best TV episode of the year”, according to critics appeared first on NME.

NME

Warning: spoilers ahead

The latest episode of Shōgun is receiving high praise from critics, with one calling it “the best TV episode of the year”.

The Japanese series has so far been hailed as “the new ‘Game of Thrones'” thanks to its “cunning” plot twists, but has also been praised for its “elegant” production. It’s expected to run for ten episodes, with its latest episode ‘Crimson Sky’ having just aired.

In this episode, viewers watched Lady Mariko, Lord Yabushige and John Blackthorne attempt to escape as hostages in a truly nail-biting episode filled with twists and turns, including Mariko’s shock death.

Esquire was impressed with the “brilliance” of the episode, calling it “the best TV episode of the year so far.”

“Of all the insane deaths I’ve seen on Shōgun so far—Nagakado slipping and shattering his head on a rock, Yabushige boiling a prisoner alive, and even Hiromatsu stabbing himself in the gut—I never thought Mariko would die, let alone by dynamite! Somebody call me an ambulance—I’ll need some major recovery before I see you all next week.”

Meanwhile, Vulture agreed episode 9 was the “best of the series so far”, adding: “Rather than be taken alive, [Mariko] stands against the door and makes a last protest against Ishido. And, with that literally explosive moment, the episode ends. Remember, Shōgun warned us from the start it would break our hearts.”

The New York Times also had lofty praise for the episode, saying it was “a deception by which even the ingenious Lord Toranaga would be impressed”. “So no, there’s no battle for the future of Japan to be found here, or at least not the kind we’ve been conditioned to expect,” they wrote.

“There’s just one woman, her mind and soul stretched to their limit by the overlapping dictates of her faith, her family, her society, and her own heart, pulling herself together for one final defiant act. In death, she finds the purpose she felt she lacked in life. It is both a triumph and a tragedy.”

The AV Club branded the episode with an A grade, writing: “This is the kind of death Mariko has wanted all along, not a shoddy seppuku job and not some weird joint suicide with her husband she doesn’t even like. She declares, “I, Akechi Mariko, protest this shameful attack by Lord Ishido… and by my death—” she is cut off by the explosion, her body absorbs it, and the others are thus spared.

“Martín’s melodic chanting plays over the credits. Our dear Mariko, heart of the series, is gone. But on her own terms. What will our Anjin do now?”

Check out some more reactions to episode nine of Shōgun below:

The post ‘Shōgun’ just released “the best TV episode of the year”, according to critics appeared first on NME.

NME

Disney has stated the reason behind their decision to dismiss Gina Carano from The Mandalorian.

• READ MORE: ‘The Mandalorian’ season three first look review: Baby Yoda’s back

Carano took Disney to court in February to attempt to win back her role as Cara Dune in the Star Wars spin-off series, as well as more than $75,000 in damages after the company terminated her employment in 2021 following posts she made on social media.

In February 2021, Carano seemed to compare the treatment of the Jewish community during the Holocaust to that of people with differing political views, by reposting a controversial post made by a different user.

On April 9, Disney filed the reasoning behind her dismissal, saying (via Deadline): “Carano’s social-media usage sunk to its nadir on February 10, 2021. On that day, she reposted an Instagram post from user warriorpriestgympodcast. The post read: ‘Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors…even by children. Because history is edited, most people today don’t realise that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbours hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?’”

“Disney had enough. The same day Carano grotesquely trivialised the Holocaust as comparable to sharp political disagreements, Lucasfilm announced that ‘Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future.’”

“Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable.’ A month later, Disney’s former CEO explained that Carano’s views ‘didn’t align with Company values,’ including its ‘values of respect, values of decency, values of integrity, and values of inclusion.’”

Last month, Carano opened up about her termination, and the backlash she faced as a result of the situation.

“It became very popular to hate me and pick on me,” the actor told the The Hollywood Reporter. “The Hollywood press and major news outlets coupled me into this extreme right-wing thing that I am not,” she says.

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NME

A new streaming platform is surging ahead of its rivals and will soon beat Disney+ in streaming, according to a new report.

• READ MORE: The best UK streaming platforms – ranked!

Free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) has been on the rise, and one of these called Tubi – which is owned by Fox – is now outstripping its competitors.

A report from Bloomberg showed that viewers are spending more time watching Tubi than Paramount Plus. The number of people viewing Tubi has spiked in the last year, from one to 1.7 per cent in the last year. Bloomberg suggests if the trend continues, Tubi could surpass Disney+.

One of the big advantages with Tubi is that it is free, which could account for the rise at a time when streaming platforms are increasing their subscription rates.

The prices of streaming services have also increased dramatically in recent years, with companies like Netflix and Disney+ now offering ad-supported tiers in order to keep their prices competitive against the growing competition.

In the UK, there are some free streaming options like Channel 4, My5, ITVX and BBC iPlayer (BBC licence fee aside).

The next cheapest is the ad-supported subscription plans on Netflix and Disney+, which both cost £4.99 a month. These tiers allow you to stream on two devices at once, but only Netflix allows you to download shows on this tier.

For the same price, you can also get a basic subscription to Crunchyroll or subscribe to movie streaming services like Shudder, StudioCanal and Arrowhead.

Above that is Britbox for £5.99, which can be accessed through ITVX. Paramount+, meanwhile, is available at a monthly cost of £6.99.

At the upper end of the spectrum is Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video, which both cost £8.99 a month.

Read NME’s guide to streaming platforms here.

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NME

Shōgun episode seven aired today (April 2), but with a tragic death ending the episode, where does this leave central character Lord Toranaga? Read on for all the information.

Shōgun depicts Japan in the year 1600, and some have labelled the series as the “new Game of Thrones”. In it, Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) is fighting for his life as his enemies unite against him, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby village, where the character of John Blackthorne (Jarvis) is introduced.

The historical drama is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by James Clavell, which had previously been adapted into a 1980 American miniseries. This version has been overseen by the husband-and-wife creative team of Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, the latter of whom was a co-writer of Top Gun: Maverick.

The series will run for a total of 10 episodes, available to be streamed via Hulu and FX in the United States. UK viewers, meanwhile, can watch the show via Disney+.

The first two episodes premiered on February 27, with episode seven premiering on April 2. The season will climax with the final episode on April 23.

Shōgun episode seven: ending explained

At the climax of the new episode, Lord Toranaga’s son Yoshii Nagakado dies in a shocking accident.

Toranaga had intended to go forth with the Crimson Sky plan, which would see him carry out a devastating attack on the castle at Osaka. However, it required the assistance of his brother Saeki Nobutatsu in order to execute the vision. Saeki eventually betrayed his brother, aligning with the Council of Regents.

With Nagakado in pursuit, Saeki finds himself vulnerable to attack, and as Nagakado raises his sword to execute his uncle, he slips and falls, cracking his head on the rocks and bleeding out.

Nagakado’s death may cause Toranaga to rethink his plans, now that there appears to be no scenario in which his original Crimson Sky plan can work.

Toranaga’s men are now disillusioned at their leader’s pursuit of a futile plan and may now question their own loyalty. Blackthorne may choose the moment now to attempt to take the lead himself, using his cannon regiment to go to war, with or without Toranaga’s support.

With three episodes left, the fates of the remaining characters hang in the balance.

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