Tag: Press Conference

Interview, Marvel, Movies

Springing into Action at the ‘Black Widow’ Press Conference

Mike Manalo

There’s honestly nothing in this world that makes me happier than Marvel Studios does. And naturally, we have not done a press conference for an MCU film since Endgame back in 2019. And I know we’ve had three shows to kick off Phase 4, of course; one of which I was lucky to attend a press conference for. But to be honest, there’s something different and special about the films that just represents everything we love about this universe. And to be able to say we’ll have the chance to return to theaters and see the MCU play out on the big screen again? That’s just incredibly exciting and wonderful!

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Interview, Movies

Furious Fun at the ‘F9’ Press Conference

Mike Manalo

Very few franchises have had an enduring 20 year lifespan that’s still revving up the box office. But back in 2001, we were introduced to Dominic Toretto and his family, and since then, movie theaters have never been the same. When you think about The Fast Saga, it is an unparalleled accomplishment; a franchise in Hollywood that was written off after its third installment, before making a monumental comeback after reinventing itself as an ensemble heist/spy series that was capable of enduring 15 more years.

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Animation, Movies, Streaming

Endless ‘Pasta’bilities at the ‘Luca’ Press Conference

Mike Manalo

The countdown is on! In approximately one week, Luca, Pixar’s latest masterpiece, will be hitting Disney+ on June 18. The film, helmed by first-time feature director, Enrico Casarosa, the film tells the coming of age tale of two sea monsters who spend an unforgettable summer in the one place they’re not supposed to be; the monster-hunting Italian village of Portorosso. To celebrate the release of the next one-of-a-kind masterpiece from the studio, cast members Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Maya Rudolph, and Jim Gaffigan — along with Casarosa and producer Andrea Warren — virtually gathered before members of the press to talk about the film, and take questions about what it took to bring it all together.

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Marvel, Streaming

Kevin Feige Knew He Wanted to Bring Loki Back During ‘Endgame’

Laura Sirikul

Marvel President Kevin Feige didn’t know if they were going to expand Loki’s story after the character’s tragic death at the hands of Thanos in Infinity War. It was only until they brought the character back for Endgame that they realized there was a story behind bringing Loki back from the dead.

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Marvel, Streaming

Marvel’s ‘Loki’ Series Style Inspired By ‘Se7en’ and ‘Silence of the Lambs’

Laura Sirikul

In the global press conference today for Marvel’s Loki, director Kate Herron and writer Michael Waldron revealed the style of the drama-crime series was inspired by the films, Se7en, Zodiac, and Silence of the Lambs. The series does have a dark aspect — muted colors around the series — which Herron used to highlight similar film noir aspects.

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Movies, Sci Fi

First Trailer for Lisa Joy’s ‘Reminiscence’ is Finally Here

Keith Chow

The Greatest Showman stars Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Ferguson genre-swap the technicolor movie musical for sun-kissed film noir as they reunite for the mind-bending action thriller, Reminiscence. Lisa Joy takes her Westworld sensibilities to the big screen, making her directorial debut — and re-teaming with Thandiwe Newton — with another project that has characters navigating between reality and reverie.

Check out the first trailer for the noir-ish thriller below!

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Comics, DC Comics

Milestone Relaunch: Press Conference with Denys Cowan and Reginald Hudlin

Patrick Strange

Milestone is back! Again! But… seriously, this time! Hey, it’s Kuya P, long time Milestone fan and I know we’ve been here before with Milestone and DC Comics but it is finally happening folks! I recently had the pleasure of attending a virtual press conference with Denys Cowan and Reginald Hudlin to discuss the release of Milestone Returns #0: Infinite Edition, the history of Milestone and some of the new talent working on the titles and more! Originally, I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it, so I called on fellow NOC, Jamal Michel to attend and as it turned out, we both had the luxury of talking and speaking with the Milestone team. Check out our thoughts coming out of the conference along with some of the information that was shared!

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Interview, Movies

The Talent Behind Disney’s ‘Cruella’ Talks Creating Her Origin Story

Sophia Soto

Set in the vibrant punk era of ’70s London, Cruella is the origin story of the stylishly villainous Cruella de Vil. The all-new live-action film reveals the fascinating tale of how a gifted, nonconforming, and rebellious young girl evolved into one of cinema’s most notorious villains. The talented cast includes Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, Emily Beecham, Mark Strong, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and Tipper Seifert-Cleveland.

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Interview

The Artisans Behind ‘Dickinson’ Share Their Advice for Anyone Wanting to Join the Industry

Sophia Soto

All episodes of Dickinson season 2 are available now, and The Nerds of Color got to attend a virtual press conference with some of the incredible artisans behind the series. Participants included James Calleri (Casting Director), Martin Czembor (Re-Recording Mixer), Billy Henry (Editor), Ian Hultquist + Drum & Lace (Composers), Suzy Mazzarese-Allison (Hair Dept Head), Jennifer Moeller (Costume Designer), Tim Orr (Cinematographer), Neil Patel (Production Designer), Luciano Vignola (Supervising Sound Editor), DeVoe Yates (Music Supervisor), and Ande Yung (Makeup Dept Head).

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Interview, Television1 Comment

Sarah Drew on Her Return to ABC’s ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and April’s Impact

Sophia Soto

Sarah Drew made her highly anticipated return to Grey’s Anatomy in episode 17×14, “Look Up Child.” Fans were thrilled to see April Kepner back on their screen after Drew’s departure in season 14. Despite April seemingly getting her happy ending with Matthew before leaving the show, many still secretly (or maybe not so secretly) hoped that before the show ended, Jackson and April would reunite and possibly end up together after everything they went through. Well, now, it’s safe to say that there is a very strong chance that Japril is, in fact, endgame.

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DC Comics, Movies, Streaming1 Comment

Bringing the ‘Wonder’ Back with Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot of ‘Wonder Woman 1984’

Mike Manalo

You may be looking at the title of this article and saying to yourself, “yeah… but what does that really mean?” Truth be told part of it was my self-indulgent way of pretending to be clever by using the double entendre about the long-awaited screen return of Diana Prince, courtesy of the amazing duo of director Patty Jenkins and star Gal Gadot. But the other part of said entendre is truly to acknowledge the truth about how challenging this year has been, and that after all we’ve been through, we deserve the treat and comfort of a celluloid (or digital) superhero spectacle at a time like this — particularly in the most appropriate form of Wonder Woman; a hero who embodies love, compassion, and understanding. And by bringing Wonder Woman 1984 to theaters and into our homes on December 25, so we can enjoy the continuing adventures of Princess Diana of Themyscira, that’s exactly what Jenkins and Gadot have done.

We had the great honor of participating in a conversation with these two powerful filmmakers recently to discuss their upcoming Christmas present to us, and what it means to them (as well as us fans). Here’s what they had to say:

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Fantasy, Movies, Sci Fi3 Comments

The New ‘Dune’ Trailer has The Spice! Plus Q&A from the Cast and Director

Mike Manalo

This morning, Warner Bros. unveiled the first trailer for the most anticipated movie event of the year — the long awaited, big budget adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune. Directed by visionary master, Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, Sicario), and starring literally every big name in Hollywood — Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem — the trailer gave us our first glimpse of the members of House Atreides, Arrakis (the planet commonly referred to as Dune), and of course, giant motherf**king sandworms! Given Villeneuve’s work visually and thematically, as well as the charismatic, strong leads anchoring his vision, I think it’s safe to say WB has a utter game changer on their hands! See for yourselves:

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Movies, Streaming

How Disney+’s ‘The One and Only Ivan’ Reflects Life in Quarantine

Laura Sirikul

This is the first of many virtual press conferences the cast and creatives of Disney+’s upcoming film The One and Only Ivan had to deal with in the new age of COVID-19. Veteran actress Dame Helen Mirren, who voices Snickers the talented Poodle in the film, said in the virtual press conference of this new experience, “That’s the amazing thing about our job is that we’re always constantly exposed to completely new experiences, as this is this digital press junket. It’s a first for all of us.”

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Animation, Interview, Movies

Going On a Quest with the Cast and Crew of ‘Onward’

Mike Manalo

This Thursday, Pixar will unveil their latest adventure — a fantastical bromance of humor and emotion that will surely get your eyes soaking wet with tears, as par for the course from this studio. I’m speaking of course of their latest film, Onward, starring Tom Holland and Chris Pratt. You can check out our NOC review here. Additionally, The Nerds of Color was recently invited to the press conference of the film, to hear from Pratt and Holland themselves, as well as director Dan Scanlon, and producer Kori Rae. Here’s what the party had to say about the new film. Here’s what they had to say about the film.

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Animation, Movies

Arendelle Antics at the ‘Frozen II’ Press Conference

Mike Manalo

We made it folks! It’s been a few months and our countdown is at last complete! Frozen II has arrived! That’s right, give yourselves a big pat on the back for sticking with us! To cap off everything, we wanted to take you all inside, perhaps, the most fun press conference we’ve ever covered here at The Nerds of Color. We got the chance to hear from (and bask in the glory of) national treasures Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Evan Rachel Wood, Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Bobby Lopez, and Peter Del Vecho! Here’s how the magic went down.

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Star Wars, Streaming, Television

‘The Mandalorian’ Serves Up a Bunch of Easter Eggs

Laura Sirikul

Star Wars fans are already excited over the anticipated release of Disney+ on November 12 because it will premiere the first episode of The Mandalorian, a whole new story about a lone Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) five years after the fall of the Empire.

With an entire new story and new characters, Star Wars fans may be looking for any reminiscence of the Star Wars canonical history.

“I didn’t realize there were a lot of [Easter eggs]. I guess there is,” Executive producer and writer Jon Favreau mused during The Mandalorian press conference last month.

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Guest Post, Movies

‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’ is All About Family and Growing Up

Guest N.O.C.

By Esther Kim

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil reunites Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) and Aurora (Elle Fanning) as they face their biggest challenge: growing up.

Sure, there are the fey people wanting to come from behind the shadows and a potential battle between them and humans, especially with an evil queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer) pulling the strings from behind the throne. But the main story is really the relationship between Maleficent and Aurora.

“I feel the huge part of the success from the first film is that it had a strong emotional core,” said director Joachim Rønning during the global press conference in Beverly Hills. “I think that was the most important to me to continue telling that story. The story about Maleficent and Aurora. That’s what I can relate with as a parent, myself.”

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Animation, Movies

Things We Learned From Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ Press Conference

Laura Sirikul

Disney’s live action film The Lion King‘s press conference kicked off on Wednesday afternoon in Beverly Hills with a live performance of ‘The Circle of Life’ by original 1994 singer Lebo M and Clydene Jackson (who replaces Carmen Twillie for the new soundtrack).  They were accompanied by the choir who were also part of the film’s soundtrack.

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Movies

‘Aladdin’ Cast and Creatives on Adding Inclusive Stories for Women and People of Color

Laura Sirikul

Disney’s Aladdin will be the first live-action Disney film that showcases people of color in starring roles. The cast and creatives of the film know this and appreciate the effort. Starring Egyptian-Canadian actor Mena Massoud as the title character, British Indian Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine, and Will Smith as the Genie, Disney wanted to be sure the characters in the beloved story represented the Aladdin origin story (which also included East and South Asian origins) as well as the animated film.

“I think it is critically important to be able to pull stories and colors and textures and tastes from around the world,” said Smith during the Aladdin press conference. “I think that in this particular time in the world, that kind of inclusion and diversity will be a critical part of turning our connectivity, because we have more connectivity than ever, but transitioning that connectivity into harmony is going to be really critical. And, I think these kinds of interactions in these types of movies are a powerful global service. It was critical and important to me. I spent a lot of time in the Middle East also. So this one particularly was critically important in that way.”

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Movies

Making an Elephant Soar with the Director and Stars of ‘Dumbo’

Mike Manalo

The joyous sounds of Casey Jr, rolled into Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon. The huffing and puffing of the rustic steam engine was an indicator that closely following by would be the promise of magic and wonder as soon as it arrived. For on that train came the legendary cast and director that would bring one of Disney’s most beloved animated classics to life, Dumbo.

Tim Burton, the legendary ringmaster led to the stage his circus troupe of experienced acting veterans. A veritable who’s-who of extraordinary talent — many of whom served as Burton-alumni from various projects — crossed the stage following Burton, including Colin Farrell, Nico Parker, Finley Hobbins, Eva Green, Danny DeVito, and Michael Keaton.

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Animation, Movies

‘The LEGO Movie 2’ Introducing New Meta-Universes and Animation Techniques

Laura Sirikul

The 2014 mega-blockbuster hit The LEGO Movie was full of nostalgic characters and plenty of laughs. It also concluded the story with learning that the world of Bricksburg was all from the imagination of a little boy named Finn. At the end of the film, Finn’s hard-headed father allowed Finn to play with his LEGO collection, but must also allow his little sister, Bianca, to play as well.

This is where we begin with The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part.

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Movies, Music

“Tripping a Little Light Fantastic” with The Cast of ‘Mary Poppins Returns’

Mike Manalo

On an unusually grey and overcast December day in the typically cheery city of Beverly Hills, a stage was set with early 20th century lamplights and trees covered with cherry blossoms. The backdrop of the stage featured a gorgeously blue, cloudy horizon over a beautiful Depression-era English city, setting the magical mood that would transport guests of the Mary Poppins Returns press conference from a modern city in California to a timeless and familiar place underneath the lovely London sky: No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane — a location everyone had visited so many times in their childhood days.

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