Entertainment

Why Netflix’s The Witcher is in good hands with Cavill and Hissrich

They weren’t just randomly chosen for the show

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In case you haven’t heard, Henry Cavill was recently in Manila to attend a press conference for the upcoming Netflix series, The Witcher. Alongside Cavill was series showrunner, Lauren Hissrich, who has also produced notable TV series such as Daredevil, The Defenders, and the widely popular, The Umbrella Academy. The series is scheduled to drop tomorrow, December 20, with Cavill to star as Geralt of Rivia. We were there during the press conference and here’s why the Cavill-Hissrich tandem would be great for the upcoming show.

Netflix’s The Witcher is an adaptation of a series of books of the same name by author Andrzej Sapkowski. And while it already has a series of highly regarded video game adaptations, Hissrich says that the source material will be, first and foremost, the literature; focusing on both the books and the short stories. The Witcher follows the story of Geralt of Rivia and his journey to find a place for himself in The Continent. The show will explore Geralt’s past, the relationships he forms, and dealing with the politics of The Continent.

It’s not surprising that a number of fans are worried about the new series. With The Witcher already having an established fanbase and following, the expectations for the Netflix show are high. But Hissrich, being a fan of the books long before the games came out, is taking good care in establishing the characters as well as their world. “Geralt’s journey is one of a lot of loneliness in the beginning. A lot of being on the outside.” she then continues, “We need to understand what the world was to set that up.”

Cavill’s enthusiasm for the role could not have been more prevalent as well. He mentions how he was already a big fan of the games and when he heard that Netflix was pushing for an adaptation, he constantly badgered his agent to get him an audition. When he did get an audition, he was on vacation. But, with no hesitation, he cut his vacation short and flew to New York to read for Geralt.

When asked about his preparation, he said that “it was a little bit inbuilt” because he had always been a fan. Fans online have already regarded him for his spot-on Geralt voice and the delivery of Geralt’s iconic dry humor jokes. Cavill, who did his own stunts for the show, mentions he also went through a lot of training to be able to nail Geralt’s explosive movements. “Henry takes the job seriously,” Hissrich mentions, “he knows Geralt inside and out, better than I do.”

The Witcher will not only focus on Geralt but also on his family, Yennefer, and Ciri. When asked about her role as a female writer, Hissrich strongly says, “I never think of myself as a female writer, I’m just a writer telling good stories.” She continues, “The stories we tell about women are as dimensional and interesting as the ones we’re telling about men. It’s about making sure that all of these characters are completely fleshed out.”

If you still need more convincing, Hissrich and Cavill talked about how The Witcher author, Andrzej Sapkowski, visited the set and “got tears in his eyes”. Hissrich mentions that as they talked and walked around, Sapkowski was blown away by how his world had come to life.

Also, Hissrich says there will be a LOT of monsters but as to what kind, she kept quiet.

The Witcher stars Henry Cavill as  Geralt of Rivia, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer, and Freya Allan as Ciri and will premiere on Netflix on December 20, 2019.

Photos by Paolo Abad

Entertainment

Transformers One trailer: Get to know Optimus Prime, Megatron’s origin stories

In cinemas September 18

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Transformers One

Paramount Pictures has released the trailer for Transformers One, the upcoming latest installment of the Transformers film franchise.

Before fans get excited for the Transformers and G.I. Joe crossover, this animated film focuses first on Optimus Prime’s relationship with his adversary, Megatron.

The origin story is set in Cybertron, long before the transformers land on earth in the chronological timeline.

The trailer reveals Optimus Prime’s previous name, Orion Pax. On the other hand, Megatron was previously known by D-16.

Joined by Elita-1 and Bumblebee, the two main protagonists journey to Cybertron’s surface, which hasn’t been explored beforehand due to the dangers it is said to have.

On the surface, the crew realizes that right away, but are bestowed the power to transform. After some figuring, they manage to utilize this ability to defend Cybertron from intruders.

Overall, the three-minute trailer gives a lighter and funnier vibe. That’s in contrast to the previous iterations where the story is more serious from the get-go.

The transformers’ appearance also looks simpler and more toned down, giving an old school feel which is appropriate, considering this movie is set an earlier time when Cybertron was more intact.

Transformers One is showing on Philippine cinemas on September 18. The voice cast includes Chris Hemsworth as Optimus Prime, Brian Tyree Henry as Megatron, Keegan-Michael Key as Bumblebee, and Scarlett Johansson.

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Joker: Folie à Deux 1st trailer finally released

The world is a stage

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Joker Folie a Deux

Warner Bros. Pictures has finally released the first trailer for upcoming musical thriller Joker: Folie à Deux. The two-and-a-half minute trailer debuted at CinemaCon. The Todd Phillips masterpiece will hit the big screens in the Philippines on October 2.

Phillips’ own take on a story loosely based from famed characters from DC, Joker: Folie à Deux was originally intended to be standalone film given that it is a musical. However, it eventually became a sequel to the Academy Award-winning Joker movie from 2019. The short clip shows titular lead actor Joaquin Phoenix and, for the first time, Lady Gaga.

Joker Folie a Deux

The trailer aptly starts with Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck character in solitary confinement inside Arkham. If you can recall, the end of the 2019 movie showed the Joker walking with bloodied footprints. This means he presumably killed the therapist he was trying to tell a joke to.

Inside the asylum, Joker meets Gaga’s character Harley Quinn. This is one of the obvious changes to the iconic DC character’s origin story. The movie depicts Quinn as Joker’s fellow patient, instead of being a psychiatrist in the asylum who eventually falls in love and helps her partner in crime escape. The clip eventually transitions to the two protagonists dancing in the streets. Hal David’s “What the World Needs Now Is Love” plays along.

Joker Folie a Deux

Towards the end, Gaga then dons a red blazer with black-and-white diamond checkered top inside. It’s nowhere near the classic Harley Quinn jester costume that Margot Robbie once put on in the first Suicide Squad installment, but it’s obvious that the getup somehow takes some of those elements.

The trailer concludes with Harley Quinn telling Joker, “I wanna see the real you” as she draws the latter’s signature red lips on a glass divider separating the two. It can definitely mean that Fleck is incarcerated for that particular scene, and it could be the scene that jumpstarts the escape from Arkham. Who knows? We can only wait until October to find out.

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Fallout on Prime Video: What inspired producers to create series

From video game to TV series

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Prime Video-exclusive series Fallout is finally streaming next week. Based from the popular video game franchise that has spanned decades, Fallout is set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland world. It is quite reminiscent of the video games’ original environment that is damaged by nuclear war.

If you need quick refresher, Prime Video released the series’ official trailer a month ago. READ: New Fallout trailer dwells upon The Ghoul, brotherhood, more

So, what inspired the producers to come up with the sci-fi adaptation? According to Jonathan Nolan, who directed the first three episodes, the Fallout 3 game became his “entry point.”

“It’s dark, violent, but it’s also satirical and in some places almost goofy. It’s all these amazing things in one. I’ve never really experienced anything quite like it,” Nolan shared.

Bethesda’s 2008 action RPG was the third installment in the main Fallout video game series. The game featured the Great War of 2077, the several underground bunkers called vaults, and a vast wasteland set particularly in Eastern United States. Based on the trailers alone, the creators have worked with these elements for the series version.

Ten years after coming across the title, Nolan then met with Fallout 3 developer Todd Howard to explore the possibility of a TV series. Howard mentioned how Nolan played the game dedicatedly, and that the latter was “in sync” with what he was thinking.

Nolan’s vision led to the recruitment of the series’ two other directors: Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner. The creative trio crafted an original narrative within the Fallout universe that was consistent with the game’s storyline.

Robertson-Dworet added: “We’re not just adapting a game; we’re crafting a new story that delves deep into the complexities of humanity post-nuclear apocalypse.”

The Fallout series begins with a nuclear apocalypse, then a 219-year jump into the future – where life underground offers comfort and order, while the surface is a battleground for survival.

The series stars Ella Purnell as Lucy, Aaron Moten as Maximus, and Walton Goggins as The Ghoul, among others. Fallout premieres on April 11.

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