Latest news with #TheMandalorian
Buzz Feed
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
People Are Sharing Interesting Celebrity Encounters And Secrets They Discovered After Being Face-To-Face With Hollywood Stars
Earlier this month, a Redditor asked the community, "People who've been around celebrities for work, what are some behind-the-scenes truths?" And the stories did not disappoint! 1. Pedro Pascal "Ahh, finally my time to shine: My sister has worked on all the seasons of The Mandalorian show so far and is also helping with the movie. Pedro got to befriend her, and ONE DAY, while I'm on the damn toilet in the morning, I get a FaceTime call from her. I answer going, 'Heeeyyyy bitch!' And what do I get in return? A very classy, VERY sweet, 'HEEEEYYYY BIIIITTTCHH!' from fucking PEDRO PASCAL! We talked for 15 mins and he was super fucking nice, man. He complimented my sister, we talked about his time on GoT, and then he peaced out to shoot some scenes." — u/Duvoziir 2. Jamie Lee Curtis "Jamie Lee Curtis asks crew members to wear name tags so she can greet and thank everyone by name." — u/PerspectiveNo1313 3. Henry Winkler "When my wife and I were in New York, we were standing outside waiting for a Broadway show, and Henry Winkler walked by. We waved and said hi, and he stopped and started talking to us. My wife was pregnant with our twins at the time, and we told him he was the first person we were telling, besides our parents, who already knew. He was so genuinely excited for us and stood there and spoke with us for another five minutes before he headed home. We got our picture with him, and then something else happened. About 5-6 weeks later, he was doing TV interviews at local stations. I work at a local TV station, and when I popped into the green room, I said, 'You aren't going to remember this, but a few weeks ago, my wife and I saw you, and she was pregnant...' He stops me and says, 'You're having twins, I remember!' It was one of the most incredible moments I've had with a celebrity, and I've had a few working in this industry." —Anonymous BuzzFeed Community Member 4. Megan Fox Jerod Harris / Getty Images for Uber "Megan Fox always had great breath, like, notably minty fresh, 100% of the time." — u/lmNotaWitchImUrWife 5. Jay-Z "Jay Z has incredibly soft hands, softer than you're than a very soft child. His hands are almost unnervingly soft." — u/Original_Campaign 6. Amanda Joy "AJ" Michalka from Aly & AJ "I once got into an argument with AJ from Aly & AJ. This was in 2017 so some of the details are a bit fuzzy lmfao. Someone who clearly didn't like her gave her a fake dictionary book that was used to store money as a birthday gift. She came into my store begging to return it. I told her she couldn't return it without a receipt, and she said, 'I'll take cash, thanks.' I repeated the policy, thinking maybe she didn't hear me the first time, and that's when she threw a full-on white girl fit. The item cost like $20, yet she was acting like it was draining her bank account. It got so heated that I had to walk out of the room. AJ's old ass boyfriend had to step in to calm her lmfao. She was incredibly rude and condescending. I let my manager deal with her snarky attitude while I was trying to decompress in the backroom. At one point, my manager came to get me because AJ wanted me back on the register just so she could put me in my place. She never got a refund. Instead, we just exchanged the item and gave her another one of those dumb fake dictionary books. I went from fan to hater overnight. 7. Paul Rudd Kyle Rivas / Getty Images "Paul Rudd makes sustained eye contact in a way that makes you feel like you're the only person in the room. But everyone in the room feels that way. The charisma just drips off of this man, it's wild." — u/lmNotaWitchImUrWife 8. Bebe Rexha Dave Benett /for The Gentleman's Journal "I knew Bebe Rexha before she got famous. I really don't have any dirt because she was always super nice to everyone. I was friendly with her at school and let her cheat off me in English. We snuck off a few times and she showed me songs she was writing. She always liked my music. She used to work at the MAC store, and I'll never forget one day she sat behind me in English and just went, 'Your skin is so emollient,' and I was like, 'I don't know what that means, lmao.' But it was a good thing; she was always complimenting other people. I never saw her have a diva moment or anything even close to that. I really have no notes. We weren't besties, but we had a lot of classes together and sat in chorus together. We were both sopranos. Wish she'd throw me a bone, but that's probably selfish and unrealistic. But girl, you cheated off me! Let me cheat off you! I'm just real." — u/parasyte_steve 9. Jesse McCartney Michael Buckner / WWD via Getty Images "Another celebrity I met back in 2017 was Jesse McCartney. He grabbed a few clothing items and politely asked to be let into the fitting room. He was super nice. I helped hang his clothes in the fitting room and closed the door behind him. Then a coworker walked up to me and said, ' Did you see Jesse McCartney? Damn, he got fat. He really let himself go.' I just stood there, frozen, mouthing, ' He's in there!' (Fucking embarrassing!). He definitely heard the entire conversation. I'll never forget the way Jesse came out of that fitting room, his shoulders slumped, and his whole demeanor had shifted. I walked him over to the register. He ended up leaving almost all the clothes behind and just bought a hat and a couple of shirts. Then, when it came time to pay, he pulled out loose bills and coins from his wallet. He looked at me and said quietly, 'I don't have enough,' and started putting items back. I could tell he was going through it financially. I told him, 'Don't worry about it, I'll give you a discount,' and he looked so relieved. It was honestly really sad. I could just tell he was hurting, and that moment stuck with me. Fame comes at you fast. I hope he's doing better." — u/Eventherich 10. Ariana Grande ROBYN BECK / AFP via Getty Images 11. Daniel Radcliffe Bruce Glikas / FilmMagic "Daniel Radcliffe hides at comic cons in full costumes. While he handed me his ID, I thought it was a Spencer's prop. He was dressed in a Spider-Man costume." — u/x65kos 12. Gwyneth Paltrow Ivan Romano / Getty Images "Gwyneth Paltrow brings her food pre-prepared most places in really nice glass containers. She then leaves the containers wherever she ate them and walks away. I had a set of her containers for a while, but I left them at my parents' house." — u/woolfonmynoggin 13. Jason Momoa Samir Hussein / Samir Hussein/WireImage "Met him at a [Comic] Con, in the elevator. I was in a wheelchair and looked up at him. My face must've done something amusing, because he looked down at me and deadpanned, 'I'm not that guy, I'm just a really good cosplayer.' He held it for a minute and then laughed really hard. He was a total sweetheart, and when my floor came up, he insisted on taking me out of the elevator, even though that meant he'd end up on a floor that wasn't his and having to wait for another elevator to come up. I squeaked out a request for a pic, and he happily complied. Nicest guy ever." —Anonymous BuzzFeed Community Member 14. Gisele Bündchen Harold Cunningham / Getty Images for IWC Schaffhausen "I worked in a garden connected to a property that had a ton of McMansions, and Gisele Bündchen had a home there, and her family would stay at it occasionally. I was alone and closing for the day, and suddenly she and her posse and children showed up right at closing time. I knew who she was instantly, but wasn't about to give her special treatment for it lol. So, as I'd do with any other visitor, I went over and kindly greeted them and let them know I'd be closing up in a few minutes. She pushed past the rest of her posse and loudly announced who she was, as if it were the secret password to letting her do whatever she wanted. Her kids then proceeded to go crazy in the chicken coops, breaking eggs and trying to grab chickens. While she had an impromptu social media photoshoot with an onion, she pretended to harvest it. She stayed a while after closing time, but I ended up not minding too much, as it was honestly hilarious to witness. No joke, it was one of the most comical experiences dealing with a 'celeb' I've had.' — u/hands_in_soil 15. Coolio Greg Doherty / Getty Images "Coolio (RIP) let me drink on his tab for knowing the lyrics to 'Gangsta's Paradise.' He told my boss to give me a raise. Also, he was rocking the same hairstyle as the music video, and that was impressive dedication." — u/thin_white_dutchess 16. Lastly, Donald Trump Bloomberg / Bloomberg via Getty Images "My father was a limo driver in the late '80s/early '90s. He drove talent for NBC and CBS. Donald Trump wasn't the insufferable a-hole he is now and offered my father a job chauffeuring his kids around. My father turned it down." — u/Soinclined2think Did any of these surprise you? Or do you have an interesting celebrity encounter that you want to share? Let me know all about it in the comments or in our anonymous Google Form.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Walt Disney quietly makes major Disney+ content change
When Disney+ first launched, it was a golden age for people who loved Star Wars and Marvel content. Walt Disney knew that it had massively popular brands that would draw a subscriber base. During that first year or so, there was pretty much a new Marvel or Star Wars show every few months. "The Mandalorian" not only help Disney+, it reignited interest in Star Wars at a time when the brand had suffered some missteps. It was a return to storytelling that was both grand and deeply personal. Related: Iconic grocery chain makes huge move to help shoppers on a budget Most of the Marvel shows did not perform as well. That may happen because of superhero fatigue, or, perhaps, nobody actually needed to see She Hulk in a sort of comedy. Disney's massive content splurge to launch it streaming service with sort of a one time thing. If you give Star Wars fans a series as good as "Andor" once a year, and maybe one other pretty good show, that audience isn't going anywhere. The same could be said for Marvel, where one really good Daredevil revival has probably done more for member acquisition and retention than having a bunch of shows built around secondary characters Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter But, Walt Disney has taken away, it has also added. Disney+ subscribers, no longer get as many original series based on the companies's intellectual property. They are, however, getting other things to help round out the app and make it a better value proposition. Disney has experimented by airing some of it, digital content on ABC and other platforms. That's something you only want to do sparingly because if people knew they were going to be able to see the adventures of baby Yoda, Grogu if you must, simply by waiting, they might be willing to wait. But, airing selective shows on broadcast or cable, perhaps before a new season arrives, can also sign ups. It's a tricky path to navigate and Disney has also started using Disney+ as a hub for all the content it owns, The Mouse House has been leveraging Hulu and ESPN to build out the Disney+ service. Related: Lululemon makes surprising store move "The presence of Hulu embedded in Disney+ basically from a user experience perspective and the addition of sports content is definitely having an impact, definitely having a positive impact. Not only is engagement up, but churn is down and significantly. And as we look ahead, it's obviously our desire and in fact, we're optimistic about being able to execute against it to turn the streaming business into a true growth business," he shared during the company's first-quarter earnings call. Iger thinks Disney's vast holdings allow him to build something no other company offers. "So when you consider the Disney brands that are part of Disney+, the general entertainment that's part of Hulu and the volume, and then the live sports that will be part of the experience. In a way, there's nothing like it in the streaming world. It's unrivaled in terms of quality, in terms of volume and just in terms of variety. We're very excited about it," he added.. While Disney wants consumers to bundle Disney+ with Hulu, and ESPN+, the company clearly wants to make sure it protects its namesake streaming service. To do that, it has added a daily Disney+-specific edition of SportsCenter as well as some Hulu originals. Iger spelled out the plan to keep Disney+ strong and grow the business. That includes leveraging some Hulu and ESPN content on Disney+ for everyone, and integrating the platforms for people who buy the full bundle. "And as we see it, there are three ways to do it. One is, what we've just talked about, which is to continue to put Disney+ and Hulu together as a user experience. You'll see more of that in the months ahead. In addition, we plan when we launched ESPN direct-to-consumer to be really smart about bundling that. And for those that bundle, the experience will be fully integrated, that will be another big step," he shared. Iger was also clear that Disney+ needs to offer a better user experience. "We're also hard at work in improving our basically the tech side of that business. We've taken a lot of steps already, including paid - including paid sharing, which we're just kicking in with Hulu that's also starting to work. A lot more in terms of personalization and customization, a lot on the ad-tech side and much more coming," he added. Related: Video: Why Costco may not be a value for struggling Americans The CEO also has his eye on the entire world. "And of course, the third pillar of growth will be investment in content, particularly outside the United States where we know that we need to invest more in local content and we've already started that process. It takes time and we don't really end up booking those costs until the shows air, but we're already starting to develop more aggressively in very, very targeted markets outside the United States. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Adam Sandler reveals ‘painful' reason why he had to rewrite ‘Happy Gilmore 2'
We'll miss you, Chubbs. Carl Weathers was set to reprise his role as Derick 'Chubbs' Peterson in the upcoming sequel to 'Happy Gilmore' before he died at age 76. 'We had a painful change. Carl Weathers had a massive part,' Adam Sandler, 58, revealed in a new interview with Collider. 'I would talk to Carl, and we were excited, and then Carl passed away.' 8 Carl Weathers, Adam Sandler in 'Happy Gilmore.' Getty Images 'We had to rewrite a lot of the stuff, and even what the story was,' the comedy actor continued. 'We made a lot of nice references to how great Chubbs was in the movie. That was the biggest change.' In 1996's 'Happy Gilmore,' Weathers played the golf mentor to Sandler's Happy Gilmore. Sandler told Collider that Chubbs had a bigger part in the sequel when they were drafting the initial scripts. 8 Adam Sandler in 'Happy Gilmore 2.' AP 'In the first version that we came up with, he had a son,' Sandler revealed of Weathers' character. 'He was coming back to me a lot in my dreams, and he had a son who was mad at Happy for causing the death of daddy.' 8 Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, and Rich Eisen promote 'Happy Gilmore 2' at Netflix Tudum 2025. Getty Images for Netflix 8 Christopher McDonald and Adam Sandler in 'Happy Gilmore 2.' AP Weathers died of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in Feb. 2024, seven months before the sequel started shooting. 'A true great man. Great dad. Great actor. Great athlete,' Sandler wrote on Instagram in his tribute to Weathers at the time. 8 Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore and Carl Weathers as Happy's coach, 'Chubbs' Peterson, in 'Happy Gilmore.' 'So much fun to be around always. Smart as hell. Loyal as hell. Funny as hell,' Sandler continued. 'Loved his sons more than anything. What a guy!! Everyone loved him. My wife and I had the best times with him every time we saw him. Love to his entire family and Carl will always be known as a true legend.' Earlier this year, 'Happy Gilmore 2' director Kyle Newacheck acknowledged the sequel wouldn't be the same without Weathers. 8 Carl Weathers at the NBC Universal winter press tour in 2017. AFP via Getty Images 'You can't make Happy Gilmore without Chubbs Peterson, it doesn't exist,' Newacheck, 41, told Collider. 'You can be assured his spirit is throughout the film. He may not be by Happy's side anymore, but he's on his shoulder.' 8 Adam Sandler in 'Happy Gilmore.' ©Universal/courtesy Everett While filming 'Happy Gilmore,' Weathers suffered a serious injury that caused him back pains for the rest of his life. 'I didn't tell anyone because, you know, I'm tough, man,' he recalled to GQ in 2020. 'Yeah I hurt my back and actually, to this day, it still really bothers me, because it was right on the spine.' 8 Carl Weathers attends 'The Mandalorian' premiere in LA in 2019. The 'Rocky' star explained that he got hurt during a 'blind fall' stunt and his body 'got trapped' by two stunt bags that crushed on his spine. 'I felt the pain and the burning sensation immediately,' he said. 'But again, I'm an athlete, I'm tough, I'm an actor, let's keep going.' Netflix's 'Happy Gilmore 2,' also starring Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Ben Stiller, Bad Bunny and Benny Safdie, debuts Friday.
WIRED
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- WIRED
Brightness Overload? Hisense's Beautiful, Brawny U8QG Pushes QLED to the Limit
Of course, last year's U8N was similarly potent, within the visual margin of error for most folks. It's no small feat to push the brightness even further, but I would've preferred Hisense focus instead on some of the U8's hang-ups, like poor off-axis viewing, a common issue with LED TVs, or its penchant for oversaturating reds. That extra red tint was particularly noticeable in HD shows like Breaking Bad (yes, I'm rewatching for a third time) with the Warm1 color temperature, while Warm2 looked too cool. In one scene from Season 2, Jesse's nuckles look positively painted red as he plays with a beetle. In another, a certain someone is looking for a funeral dress, pulling out a 'blue' one that looks unequivocally violet on the U8QG—but proper blue (with some purple tint) on my LG C1 OLED. The TV's tendency to flatten shadow details is less of an issue, thanks to its mostly solid reflection handling and the ability to pep up dark areas with Peak Brightness or settings like Dark Detail. Scenes like the dark depths of Mandalor from The Mandalorian or the torturous hilltop shot from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows proved easy to zip up even in challenging environments. Photograph: Ryan Waniata The U8 also seems to have stepped up its picture processing this year. Image clarity can be hard to quantify, but the TV does a good job rendering sharp 4K images and upscaling HD video, while mostly minimizing moiré, the sort of glittering effect on fine patterns that can be a problem with budget-forward TVs. You'll find solid motion response, especially with a touch of motion smoothing, and decent screen uniformity, too. My review model revealed only minor blotches in challenging test patterns and moving skylines. Perhaps the U8QG's biggest brag is that there just aren't a lot of TVs that perform this well in its price tier, in multiple sizes (though performance between sizes will vary). TCL's rival QM8, currently in our testing rooms, usually costs more, and prices go up from there for anything close to this level of brightness from premium brands, like Sony's incredible Bravia 9 (9/10, WIRED Recommends). That could make the U8QG the default TV for brightness lovers on a budget, especially once the U8N is gone. As usual, it all depends when you buy. Until recently, a 65-inch U8QG cost $1,500, on par with the QM8K and bougier OLED models from last year like the LG C4 (9/10, WIRED Recommends). The C4 is no nuclear titan, but it provides much better accuracy, clarity, off-axis performance, etc. At $1,000 or less, the U8QG is a lot friendlier, and well worth considering for those after eye-blasting brightness.
The Age
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
An antidote for dark times: The quiet politics of the new Fantastic Four
A superhero film, with lavish sets and dazzling special effects, does not at first glance seem like an overtly political work of art. But in the fictional, fantastical worlds of Marvel and DC Comics, and of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the art-as-realpolitik is sometimes more about what is not said. It should come as no surprise that The Fantastic Four: First Steps lands, 'Barbenheimer'-style, with an intentionally aspirational Superman as its cinematic stablemate. When the world's stage feels dark, art often serves up a subconscious antidote. 'I feel raised by commercial entertainment and Hollywood stories, for better or worse,' Pedro Pascal, Hollywood's 50-year-old Chilean-born man of the moment, says. 'And what I love is that [ The Fantastic Four and Superman ] work and provide a kind of adventure-in-storytelling that was able to imprint itself into my childhood experience growing up.' Such stories, Pascal says, 'teach me that caring about people and wanting to save humanity and to have the opposite of moral injury-through-leadership, but inspiration and love for humankind in a non-hero-worship way, in positive messaging that reminds you of stories about caring for one another.' In The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Pascal – who has become Hollywood's most in-demand actor off the back of stunning performances in everything from The Mandalorian to The Last of Us – is joined by Vanessa Kirby (The Crown), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear, Andor) and Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things, Gladiator II) in the third big-screen outing of one of Marvel's most valuable comic book assets. With the planet in peril, who better to call on than Mister Fantastic (Pascal), Invisible Woman (Kirby), the Thing (Moss-Bachrach) and the Human Torch (Quinn)? Created by one of Marvel's most significant partnerships – writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby – The Fantastic Four is unusual in comic book history. Its heroes are not broken, or haunted by dual identities, common tropes in the genre. In the comic book canon, they are celebrities, known by both their real names, Reed, Sue, Ben and Johnny, and their superhero monikers. Much in the same way the comic book did in the '60s, the new film reboot promises something quite remarkably unlike everything you've seen before. That's clear in the storytelling. It's also clear in the audience's reaction to both the film's trailer and the world promotional tour the cast has been on for the last month, including Sydney this week. Pascal's X-factor melted the thermometer long ago. But the ensemble – Kirby, Moss-Bachrach and Quinn – is also electric. They are greeted by thousands of fans at every stop, and the collective conversation has been a revelation, says Kirby. 'I think we felt it from the start. I've never experienced the level of care and love that's [coming at us]. People that are really excited about seeing the movie, but also have a deep history with these characters, you know.' While the film is plainly a big-ticket, blue-chip action blockbuster, with a budget that is probably in the $US200 million-plus range, it is also a quite nuanced character film which dives deeply into the emotional world of its protagonists. What sets The Fantastic Four: First Steps apart, says Kirby, is its humanity. 'The film actually looks at what it's like to feel all the conflicting things that we feel as humans,' she says. 'We have good days. We have bad days. Sometimes we feel like we have a superpower. Sometimes we feel like we're the very opposite. And we have both light and dark within us, and there's something amazing about playing real family dynamics and not feeling like you're a superhero. 'We've found it really interesting to look and think about otherness and how they feel other, because of the change in identity and how we all struggle with that. I struggle with that all the time. And as you move through your life and you feel like 'this is a version of me', and then it changes and you look back. There's something about coming to terms with difference in yourself and confronting that, that I think the film is really asking us to look at.' Pascal says the film carves out'a singular identity while still honouring and staying connected to the world that we all know'. 'We met Iron Man in such a unique way and the Guardians of the Galaxy and even in the middle of an arc of a familiar character we shake it up with some new style, and this is just really coming in with its own identity and I love that.' To that end, the actors were given more latitude than they had anticipated, particularly for a film in the superhero genre, and with a story structure where so much of the narrative would be dictated by the needs of the film's special effects. 'More room than I was expected to ever have to fill, actually,' says Pascal. 'They've been incredibly collaborative and we had a beautiful sort of theatre-like rehearsal process before we started shooting the movie, sitting around the table and working with the script and the writer and getting on our feet.' Dial the clock back almost a year, and we are standing inside a sound stage at London's Pinewood Studios. This is the spiritual home (and filming location) of some of the most famous films of all time: various James Bonds, Star Wars, the Christopher Reeve Superman, Aliens and, if you're old enough to remember, Britain's Carry On films. To say the grounds and stages are filled with artistic ghosts would be an understatement. It is here that director Matt Shakman – with production designer Kasra Farahani, set decorator Jille Azis and prop master Ty Teiger – created the alt-1960s world of the film. The intersection of architecture and mid-century style is critical, says Pascal. Loading 'That informs the character-building in a big way,' Pascal says. 'There's a lot of style that shapes the way things are played, and it's a … kind of delicate balance of a world that is very nostalgic, a world that's very grounded, something that is very much Reed, Sue, Johnny, Ben, and something that is very Pedro, Vanessa, Ebon, and Joe. It all kind of is a soup of these things, the '60s being the ultimate flavour, I think, even in the playing of it.' At one point, Shakman was considering letting the actors speak in the mid-Atlantic accent of 1960s-era television shows. 'They had to pull me all the way back because I was ready to talk that way the whole time and I loved it, and I mean, I loved it,' Pascal says. Helpful too is the extent to which the world has been realised physically. Which is not to say that The Fantastic Four: First Steps is not an effects-rich film. But a substantial part of the sets and locations have been created physically. 'We were on the set of our world's Times Square. It's one of the most impressive sets I've ever been on, and I've been on some really impressive sets,' says Pascal. 'It just does all the work. Your imagination is activated in the way it was when we were children. That is harder and harder to do as you get older, or within the labour of making a movie. When you are able to actually believe the world in a physical, practical way it is everything.' For Shakman, the project was a labour of love. 'I've loved The Fantastic Four since I was a kid, so this is a dream job and a chance to bring these characters to life … is incredibly exciting. I'm honoured. 'They're each individually wonderful characters, but then together as a group, they're very special. And they are Marvel's first family, which really sets them apart from found families like the X-Men or the Avengers. We have all the good and the bad of a family, all the messiness and the love that comes from that, and that's what makes them very special.' Perhaps the hardest balance to strike was between the humanistic elements of the characters and their superhuman capabilities. There is a general trend in the superhero genre towards slightly more authentic character notes; that feels particularly strong in Fantastic Four, which has a tone and style quite distinct from its Marvel stablemates. 'When you are trying to bring these larger-than-life characters who have such special power sets into the real world, you have to figure out how to ground them,' Shakman says. 'You want them to still be magical, but you need to understand how they work physically, so you need science. 'You need to figure out what does it mean in terms of the anatomy and the musculature for Reed to stretch? What does it mean [for Sue] to turn invisible? We did all sorts of research about things that have that in nature, camouflage. And then what does it mean to be a giant rock man? What does his anatomy look like? How would he move? And certainly the human torch, what does it mean? We looked at all sorts of fire elements and playing around with ways to make that feel as real as possible.' In the greatest cinematic tradition, the film is essentially hand-drawn first. Almost all motion pictures use such 'storyboards', but they seem like a uniquely resonant tool for a comic book-to-movie adaptation. 'We storyboard things, we make beautiful, amazing preview animations, and eventually the special effects department does incredible work,' Shakman says. 'But if you don't base it on a real body, a real human body in motion at some point in the process, it won't feel real. So we need to film actors doing it.' In one sense, a movie is a movie: an illusion carefully crafted out of set pieces, camera angles and a lot of plywood. At the same time, the Fantastic Four universe, like Star Trek and Star Wars, involves very specific props that, in part because of the intangible power given to them by fans, are almost talismanic in nature. 'To bring a Fantastic car to life, or a H.E.R.B.I.E. robot, or these space suits, all of that is a big task,' says Shakman. 'It's a fun task, it's one of the best parts of the job, but also because our movie is a period film set in the mid-'60s, so much of that world informs our design aesthetic. Loading 'We aren't just bringing a Fantastic car to life that is a kind of Platonic ideal of a Fantastic car, the [kind of] specific car that could have been built in this era by the Reed Richards of this era,' Shakman adds. 'So it is equal parts retro-future and Detroit motor excellence coming together, and that's been true for all of our props and all of our sets. We're trying to find something that feels very grounded in this period, but also is informed by retro-future ideas of the time as well.' The Fantastic Four: First Steps comes at a curious juncture in the history of comic book cinema. Several Marvel films have misfired, while a rebooted Superman, off the back of a critically conflicted iteration of DC Comics, has parlayed an optimistic tone into box-office success. With their combination of kindness, brilliance, empathy and strength, this rebooted foursome might be just what the world needs now.
