Rueben's Ramblings

The fourth and final day of New York Comic Con 2018 got underway today with loads and loads of panels, focusing on upcoming movies; new, streaming and returning TV shows; special salutes to young adult novels and so much more.

Naturally, it’s impossible to focus on every single panel that took place today, but the following includes brief details, pictures and/or trailers for just some of the panels that were on the schedule; and some cool pictures of just some of the cosplayers.

Riverdale (The CW)

The new season of The CW series Riverdale will find Jughead’s mom and sister returning to town. It was announced during their panel that actress Gina Gershon will play his mom Gladys and newcomer Trinity Likins will play his sister Jellybean, nicknamed “JB.” They will debut in the December 12 episode.

Gladys is a “businesswoman” who runs the salvage yard, which doubles as a Serpent compound; she is a Serpent with a GED, who acts as Fagin to a crew of teenaged car parts thieves. Meanwhile, JB is wise beyond her years and is quite
the little con artist herself.

The cast members who were part of the panel included KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, Luke Perry and Mädchen Amick as well as Executive Producers Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Jon Goldwater.

Riverdale returns for the start of its third season on The CW on Wednesday, October 10. (Deadline)

Riverdale Season 3 Trailer:

Gotham (FOX)

The 5th and final season of the drama will be making further strides toward turning the teenaged Bruce Wayne (series regular David Mazouz) into the world’s greatest detective. In fact, the series finale will jump forward 10 years, meaning the billionaire wunderkind will be donning cape and cowl for the first time.

Among the reveals made during this panel included the confirmation that Shane West (Nikita) will be playing Bane; that Bane will break Alfred’s (series regular Sean Pertwee) back and that several key villains will be coming back: Mr. Zsasz (Anthony Carrigan), Mad Hatter (Benedict Samuel), Scarecrow (David W. Thompson), and Hugo Strange (BD Wong).

An official airdate has yet to be announced, but it’s rumored that the premiere may air on March 15. (Superherohype.com and Deadline)

Gotham Trailer:

Cobra Kai (You Tube)

Cast members Ralph Macchio and William Zabka as well as screenwriters Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg discussed the first season of the series, while in the midst of shooting Season 2. A clip was shown during the panel that found the younger members of the cast giving a tour of the Miyagi Dojo, a major set piece for the second season. One of the most iconic props from the original Karate Kid movie will also factor into the storyline.

“[It] includes all the cars, including the wax on/wax off car,” Macchio said, referring to the infamous 1947 Ford Convertible that was an integral part of Daniel LaRusso’s earliest lessons.
“In the essence of our story, you learn that [Mr. Miyagi] was always a big part of LaRusso’s life, and keeping martial arts in the fabric every day,” Macchio said. “He’s the human Yoda of the Karate Kid universe.”

Macchio also promised some new characters, though any specifics were kept under wraps, as well as “some Easter eggs and some exciting fight sequences” to keep things interesting.

Cobra Kai will return to YouTube for Season 2 in Spring 2019. (Gamespot and Syfy Wire)

Midnight, Texas (NBC)

The panel featured a screening of the second season premiere and a Q&A with cast members François Arnaud, Dylan Bruce, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Jason Lewis, Peter Mensah, Arielle Kebbel as well as author Charlaine Harris.

Some reveals that were made during the panel was that this season will feature a new pet and the last three episodes will be mythology-driven, partially centered on a mysterious disembodied head. Episode 8 of the new season was warned as the harbinger of death and doom, with intensity so high that it was hard for cast members to discuss the script.

Midnight, Texas returns on Oct. 26. (Syfy Wire)

Midnight, Texas Trailer:

Entertainment Weekly: Brave Warriors

The Gifted (FOX)

The audience got to see a sneak peak of the next episode of the show; then got to see cast members Emma Dumont, Amy Acker, Coby Bell, Jamie Chung, Sean Teale and Grace Byers as well as series creator Matt Nix take to the stage to talk about the new season.

Season 2 will deal with the emergence of X-Men staples The Morlocks, who dub themselves “the real underground,” and the anti-mutant hate group known as The Purifiers. “Traditionally, the world of the X-Men is something that reflects a lot of the issues going on in our own world,” shared Nix. “We’re not the news, but we really wanted to use the show as a widow into what’s going on in our world now.”

Nix also teased a number of new ways viewers will see the mutant world expand in Season 2, including looks at younger versions of Blink and the Frost sisters, and the “rise of the Purifiers,” seen, in part, through the eyes of Jace.

The Gifted will air its next new episode of Tuesday, October 9 on FOX. (Syfy Wire)

Entertainment Weekly: Breaking Big

Charmed (The CW)

During today’s moderated panel, a number of things became clear about the reboot of this popular series:

It’s proud of its political stance. Although the writers and executive producers originally considered turning the new series into a prequel of the original Halliwell Sisters story, the events of 2016 pushed the executive producers to turn it into a fully independent reboot so that it could take on issues of the current day.

It’s still a series for everyone. In spite of its clear political perspective, the actresses who play the new Charmed sisters hope that it will also be a series with cross-generational appeal.

This is not a dark, gritty, self-serious kind of reboot. The new Charmed is full of monsters, and its pilot episode makes clear that it will be dealing with intense emotional territory.

It has an all-female producing team, who you may know from another CW hit. Charmed is a co-production by Jennie Snyder Urman, Jessica O’Toole and Amy Rardin, who have all worked together in the past on Urman’s current CW series Jane the Virgin. Although Charmed will have a different vibe than Jane, much of its driving ethos will feel familiar to Jane viewers.

According to its three lead actresses – Melonie Diaz, Madeleine Mantock and Sarah Jeffrey – who took part in the panel, the new series will replicate the original series’ tension between solving an ongoing mystery and introducing demon-of-the-week characters that need dispatching in each episode.

Charmed will air its debut on The CW on October 14. (Vulture)

Charmed Trailer:

Doctor Who (BBC America)

On the day of the global simulcast, the 13th Doctor – Jodie Whittaker – took to the stage along with new showrunner Chris Chibnall and executive producer Matt Strevens to talk about the much-anticipated new season.

There were no shortages of Doctor-inspired outfits or sonic screwdrivers in the audience. There were many 4’s, 10’s, 11’s, and 12’s… but more than anything else there were so many 13’s. Whittaker’s (soon-to-be-iconic) look was everywhere, and her new companions (Tosin Cole’s Ryan), Mandip Gill’s Yasmin, Bradley Walsh’s Graham) were also represented.

Representation and inclusivity surfaced during the panel with Chibnall saying that the topics were very much on his mind. “We’ll tell stories from perspectives that perhaps the show hasn’t before,” he said.

As the cast took questions from the audience, they remained mum on a few (would the Doctor’s Wife, River Song, ever return? No comment) and gamely answered others. That included one about Whittaker’s influences, which, as she cited, included “Jennifer Connelly in Labyrinth; Mikey from The Goonies and Flight of the Navigator.” It wasn’t, she noted, “the heroics in the grownups, it was the heroics in the kids. That’s what I want to bring to the Doctor.”

Whittaker also touched on the misogynistic backlash following her casting, nothing that the angry voices “might be louder,” but not the majority at all. She added, “The reason I don’t let it get me down is because it’s daft.” One fan managed to say it best when stepping up to the mic with a message for Whittaker: “We have waited a long time for you, and we are so glad you are here.” (Syfy Wire)

COSPLAYERS GALORE

[Photo Credit: Gamespot]

[Photo Credit: IGN]

[Photo Credit: iOneDigital-HipHopWired]

[Additional Photo Credit: This Is Insider]

Until next year!

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The third full day of New York Comic Con 2018 got underway today with loads and loads of panels, focusing on upcoming movies; new, streaming and returning TV shows; special salutes to young adult novels and so much more.

Naturally, it’s impossible to focus on every single panel that took place today, but the following includes brief details, pictures and/or trailers for just some of the panels that were on the schedule; and some cool pictures of just some of the cosplayers.

Good Omens (Amazon)

An angel and a demon work together to save the world, what could possibly go wrong? David Tennant (Doctor Who) and Michael Sheen (Masters of Sex) star as the leads in the dark comedy based on the Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett 1990 novel.

Gaiman, Tennant and Sheen were on-hand at the event, unveiling the trailer, with director Douglas Mackinnon and additional cast members Jon Hamm and Miranda Richardson.

“I am a big fan of the book. And life did what it did and pushed Neil in to my path,” shared Jon Hamm. “I got a chance to meet Neil in a social setting and we got to talking and professing our fan ship for one another. A few years passed and got an email from Neil while shooting a film in Atlanta. It said, ‘We are doing “Good Omens” and there is this part that is not really in the book. Would you consider?’ And I just wrote back, ‘Yes! I don’t care what the part is. I just know it will be awesome.’” (Variety)

Good Omens Trailer:

Legacies (The CW)

This is the first event that the whole cast – Danielle Rose Russell, Matthew Davis, Kaylee Bryant, Jenny Boyd, Quincy Fouse, Aria Shahghashemi and Peyton Alex Smith – have attended together, along with Executive Producers Julie Plec and Brett Matthews.

During the panel, Julie Plec confirmed viewers will find out what happened to Klaus and Elijah in the series finale of The Originals.

Legacies will debut on The CW on October 25 at 9 PM. (JustJaredJr.com)

Marvel’s Daredevil (Netflix)

A new teaser was unveiled during the show’s panel, focusing on the mysterious man (Wilson Bethel from Hart of Dixie) posing as Daredevil, who is called “Agent Dex,” a former FBI agent tired of being admonished for doing the same thing masked vigilantes like Daredevil do. But fans are more familiar with his other name: Bullseye.

Jeph Loeb confirmed that season 3 is an origin story for how Benjamin Poindexter becomes the villain Bullseye. “I think it’s safe to say that maybe the worst kept secret in the history of Marvel is that this season we would be telling an origin story for one of the more iconic characters and I think we all want to have the opportunity to be able to say his name, but I think Wilson has earned the right to tell people the story of who you’re going to become.” (Entertainment Weekly)

Video of Cast Q&A:

Meet Agent Poindexter Trailer:

Future Man (Hulu)

Future Man Panel Video:

Hellboy (Box Office Movie Reboot)

A first look at next year’s reboot – featuring exclusive footage only available to those at the con (SORRY!) – confirms that Hellboy is a monster movie.

According to star David Harbour (Stranger Things), “there are a lot of CGI elements but also a lot of practical stuff, like, crazy practical make-up.”

Asked to name some of the monsters that might be dropping by Hellboy for a cameo, Harbour made a long, pained explanation of how Lionsgate wouldn’t allow him to reveal such things, making a claw-like gesture through most of his refusal. At least one person in the crowd yelled, loudly, “Lobster Johnson!” Whoever might play Lobster Johnson – or whether the character even has pinched a scene in the upcoming film – neither that character nor the actor who might or might not play him were onstage today.

Hellboy is set to release in theaters on April 12, 2019. (Deadline)

Outlander (Starz)

Fans of the Starz drama in the audience for this panel got to see the new opening title sequence, introduced by Outlander franchise author Diana Gabaldon, who joined cast members Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Sophie Skelton and Richard Rankin as well as executive producers Ronald Moore and Maril Davis on stage.

The opening – which you can see further below – offers glimpses of what Jamie and Claire’s new life in the Colonials looks like — from a log cabin to a Colonial mansion, deer, Native Americans, and Claire’s real-life brush with a slave.

The season four opener will bring forth darker tones for some characters, and although executive producer Ronald D. Moore said that they don’t intend to use the show “as a platform for political ideas,” sometimes they can’t help but be influenced by the world.

The love story between Jamie and Claire will always be front and center in the show, as evidenced by the titles’ final image — a distant shot of Jamie and Claire embracing and overlooking a new horizon. “This season there is such a contentment of the two of them being together. You see them have a life together. There are always going to be external forces. I don’t think there are cliffhangers anymore as to whether they should be together,” shared Balfe.

Outlander will air its season 4 premiere episode on Starz on November 4. (Deadline and Variety)

Watch the new title sequence below:

https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/starz-previews-outlander-season-4-opening-titles-at-new-york-comic-con-watch-1202971222/

Entertainment Weekly’s Conversation with Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones and Dark Phoenix)

The Game of Thrones actress shared during this panel that she’s “still processing” that playing Sansa Stark, the role she held for nearly a decade — is all over. “I still don’t accept that it’s done. It’s basically been the majority of my life. I’m still very much processing it.”

Turner also shared she was lucky on her last day on set that she was “surrounded by a lot of cast members. Great pains were taken to keep the final season a secret, she further shared.

As for Sansa, she “really comes into her own this season. It’s a whole new series for her. She’s been kind of lost. She doesn’t know who she wants to be or who (she) wants to surround herself with. This season, she is very self-assured.” (Entertainment Weekly)

The Passage (FOX)

When it came time to adapt Justin Cronin’s The Passage trilogy as a Fox television series, showrunner Liz Heldens chose to open up the time-spanning show by doing a deep dive into a central relationship: Brad (Mark-Paul Gosselaar from Pitch and Saved By the Bell), a transporter who brings humans — generally prisoners, who are dubbed cargo — to a secret government facility, and Amy (Saniyya Sidney from Fences and Hidden Figures), a young girl who has been flagged as key to potentially save humanity.

With the first season encompassing the first book of the series, the writers have room to expand the world, including the test experiments in the facility. “We get to take a deeper dive into the original 12 death row inmates,” Heldens said. “It’s like a bench of supervillains we have [to play with]. Some are sympathetic, but some are just bad.” (The Hollywood Reporter)

The Passage Trailer:

Roswell, New Mexico (The CW)

The reboot of The WB’s ‘Roswell’ made efforts at diversity in front of and behind the camera and will place itself very much in the contemporary world. “I wanted to make sure there was a reason to reboot it, and that it felt very grounded in 2018 and what we are dealing with presently,” creator and executive producer Carina Adly Mackenzie shared.

“There wasn’t a reason to update it unless we made it really current, and I think one of the important things I wanted to do was (to) take Liz Parker back to Liz Ortecho, and create a show with a Latina lead and a really diverse cast.” It should also be noted that Shiri Appleby, who starred as Liz Parker in the original series, will direct an episode of the series.

The panel followed the world premiere screening of the show’s atmospheric pilot.

The new show centers on Liz Ortecho (Jeanine Mason), who returns to her hometown of Roswell after more than a decade away. She reconnects with her high school crush Max Evans (Nathan Parsons), who has spent his entire life hiding the fact that he’s an alien with superhuman abilities. From the very first scene of the pilot, bigotry and anti-immigrant sentiment emerge as major themes.

While the show will be markedly different from the original, MacKenzie is aware that “we’re venturing into territory that means a lot to a lot of people, and I don’t take it lightly.” The first season will encompass some Easter eggs and references designed to please longtime fans.

Roswell, New Mexico is set for a midseason premiere on The CW. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Roswell, New Mexico Trailer:

Blindspot (NBC)

The audience for this panel were treated to a screening of the premiere episode followed by a moderated panel featuring lead stars Jaimie Alexander and Sullivan Stapleton.

They detailed the fun and intrigue of this cat-and-mouse married couple game, while Alexander revealed her own work building up that character in her head. They both teased some of the action and twists that season 4 will bring, praising the writing team for finding their way out of potential plateaus and keeping things fun for the cast.

Alexander also teased that viewers will see Remi and Jane going up against one another, and “duke it out”. She promised it will be much crazier than a similar sequence seen in season 2.

Blindspot will air its season premiere on NBC on Friday, October 12. (ComicBook.com)

Deadly Class (Syfy)

Deadly Class follows a group of students enrolled at a San Francisco high school in the 1980s as they train to become assassins for a global coalition of crime families. It’s the kind of high-concept idea that has made Image Comics one of the standout publishers of original comics.

One of the surprise announcements made during the panel was that Henry Rollins and Ice-T will appear in undisclosed roles. Comic book writer Rick Remender revealed that the series was inspired by DIY punk rock ideology and Henry Rollins’ spoken word, along with how everyone’s life is curated by Instagram and Twitter.

Deadly Class will premiere on Syfy on January 16, 2019. (Syfy Wire)

Deadly Cast Trailer:

The 100 (The CW)

The season five finale of The 100 left viewers reeling with Clarke (Eliza Taylor) and Bellamy (Bob Morley) discovering a new planet and traveling through time over 100 years into their future. Obviously, a lot will be changing in the show’s 6th season; and how will new character Russell (JR Bourne from Teen Wolf), a new faction leader, destined to become romantically entangled with Clarke, come into play?

A video previewing the old season and what fans should be prepared for in the new season was shown and then Taylor, Morley and executive producer Jason Rothenberg took to the stage. Taylor and Morley shared that the new planet brings “a new energy” to the series. “It’s fully realized, with a new culture the landing party will need to adapt to,” said Rothenberg, who added that “they are the aliens,” when referring to the show’s heroes.

The panel also teased that Morley’s performance in the season’s second episode will be unlike anything he’s done before, and will also be behind the camera as well. This inspired Taylor to petition to direct an episode of her own, saying that after being in front of the camera for 18 years that “it’s time” for her to sit in the director’s chair.

The 100 will return to The CW sometime next year. (Syfy Wire)

You can see more photos from The 100’s panel here.

Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access)

The panel unveiled a trailer for season two, introducing new cast member Anson Mount as Captain Pike and Ethan Peck as a bearded Spock, who says he’s been having visions of the “Red Angel” since he was young and only now does he know where it’s pointing him towards.

According to Mount, “the writers did a very good job of creating a new Captain Pike,” while exploring what we already know about him. “His greatest asset in his crew. He’s not afraid to admit that he’s stumped [which] makes for great bridge scenes.” He added that he wanted to make the performance his own from the very start, despite the fact that Christopher Pike’s been around since the ‘60s. Since fans don’t know too much about Pike and his backstory, he had an easier job than Peck, who’s got a little more baggage with Spock.

If you’re a fan of the character Saru (cast member Doug Jones), you’re in luck, because the alien character will be learning a shocking piece of information about himself that Jones could not spoil. Nevertheless, he could give up that we’ll be visiting the Kelpien homeworld of Kaminar and meet his sister in one episode. (Syfy Wire)

Star Trek: Discovery Trailer:

Project Blue Book (History Channel)

The series is inspired by the personal experiences of Dr. J. Allen Hynek (Aidan Gillen from Game of Thrones), a brilliant college professor recruited by the Air Force to spearhead the titular clandestine operation that researched thousands of cases — more than 700 of which remain unsolved to this day. Each episode will draw from the actual case files blending UFO theories with authentic historical events from one of the most mysterious eras in U.S. history. Delving into such themes as trust, instinct, real news vs. fake news and government cover-up, the series straddles the world of science and the exploration of the unknown, History said.

The 10-episode series – focused on cased from 1952 to 1969 will also star Michael Malarkey (The Vampire Diaries), Neal McDonough (Arrow), Ksenia Solo (Lost Girl and Turn) and Laura Mennell (Haven and The Man in the High Castle).

Project Blue Book will debut on the History Channel on January 8, 2019. (Deadline)

Project Blue Book Trailer:

WBTV Panel Block: Manifest (NBC)

The new NBC drama screened some new footage during this panel – that also focused on Blindspot and The 100 –giving fans another taste of the mystery.

The panel included creator Jeff Rake and lead stars Melissa Roxburgh and Josh Dallas, who dished on the trajectory of its — still-limited — series order, stating: “This initial order of 13 [episodes] is building towards a really significant card turn.”

When asked when fans will get the meaty answers, Rake shared they’re just trying to get over the initial episode order from NBC, to get to a larger storyline. He teases that episodes 12-13 will be a “major car turn” where we begin to get some first real answers.

Rake also teased that “Shadow Man” or “The Smudge” from Cal’s drawing in episode 2 will get some more explanation in the very next episode. Roxburgh and Dallas teased that the big death that just went down will push Michaela and Ben into a stressed place. Ben will spiral into paranoia that there’s a conspiracy and they’re being watched; Michaela doesn’t want him playing cop, and has to try to keep him calmed down so Ben doesn’t actually become a target. Ben will have to meet his wife’s new man, and try to reconnect with his teen daughter.

Roxburgh teased that Michaela will have to deal with her own traumas, the betrayal in her romantic life – and teased that there are more deaths coming up in the next batch of episodes. Her traumatic car accident will get more explanation soon. We’ll also see Michaela’s world expand, with more characters, like Lourdes’ parents.

Manifest airs on NBC Monday nights at 10/9c. (Syfy Wire and ComicBook.com)

MORE COSPLAYERS

[Photo Credit: CNet]

[Photo Credit: Gamespot]

[Photo Credit: IGN]

Final convention coverage coming tomorrow…

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