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04/17/23 @ 12:37 pm EST
 DF Interview: Sean Phillips’ art brings to life a Jekyll-and-Hyde noir thriller in the ‘Night Fever’ graphic novel By Byron BrewerWho are you, really? Are you the things you do, or are you the person inside your mind? In Europe on a business trip, Jonathan Webb can't sleep. Instead, he finds himself wandering the night in a strange foreign city with his new friend, the mysterious and violent Rainer, as his guide. Rainer shows Jonathan the hidden world of the night, a world without rules or limits. But when the fun turns dangerous, Jonathan may find himself trapped in the dark. The question is, what will he do to get home? Night Fever is a pulse-pounding Jekyll-and-Hyde noir thriller about a man facing the darkness inside himself. This riveting tour of the night is a must-have for all Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips fans. I sat down with artist and buddy Sean Phillips to do more of a deep dive into this epic graphic novel. Byron Brewer: Sean, first: thanks as always for doing this interview. I don’t think I have missed you for a Brubaker/Phillips graphic novel adventure yet! And, as Ed has said, this IS “a weird one”. Second: For your tried-and-true fans, a little from my high school teachers: Compare and contrast your coming Night Fever with the B/P OGN it is closest to in style and tone (if there is one close to it). Sean Phillips: I’m always too close to these books to be that objective about them, but with a few weeks’ hindsight after finishing drawing Night Fever, I think it might be closest to Incognito in feel. Some of the parts definitely remind me of that. Not in the plot or characters but just in the weirdness. Otherwise, it’s just another of our books about a confused middle-aged man. Byron: Ed has said that this book contains “the best art of Sean’s entire career, which feels almost unbelievable. But it’s true.” Modesty accepted, your response or reaction? Sean Phillips: Well, hopefully I get better with each project but I’m never sure I accomplish what I set out to do. With this book, I had some things I wanted to try. As it is set in Europe in the 1970s, I thought I’d take some things from some of my favorite French comics from back then. A lot of French comics including Blueberry were drawn in two halves, with a horizontal gutter on every page. I thought that might be a subtle thing to work with, instead of the three tier grid I always use on my creator-owned books with Ed. I found it made for some interesting page layouts but Ed found it too different to write for that rhythm so we’re back to our usual grid on the next book. Because each page was drawn in two halves, I could draw them bigger too. Usually I work at 125% of print size but these are 200%. That means I could draw more detail while keeping to my usual pens and brushes. Byron: Talk about the world you are building here with Ed. What canvas will you be setting the readers down in when the graphic novel goes on-sale in the summer of 2023? Sean Phillips: Ed set the story in an unnamed Western European country so I decided to base it on the town of Angouleme in France as I’ve been there a few times for the comic festival and I thought it offered all the things the story needed visually. Also doesn’t hurt it’s chances of being published in France too! Byron: Introduce us to Jonathan Webb and his new friend, Rainer. Who are these men, and what is/will be the relationship between the two? Sean Phillips: Jonathan is an American editor at a book fair in France. When he can’t sleep because of jet lag, he goes out into the night where Rainer offers him a glimpse of all nocturnal treasures the city has to offer. It doesn’t go well for either of them… Byron: If my info is correct, this tale’s scribe was inspired by old Black Lizard noir novels and weird [that word again!] and sexy European comics from the ‘70s. What has been your muse, your inspiration for this new book? Sean Phillips: I looked at a few of my favorite European artists. Moebius, Bilal and Toppi all influenced me a little, but I’m way out of their league obviously. Mostly drawing this book was a great excuse to look at a lot of French comics. Byron: Can you give readers an overview of this novel, what it’s all about without spoilers? Sean Phillips: It’s about an uptight American middle-aged man who gets seduced by the bright lights of an exotic foreign city and gets in way over his head. Byron: Was there a character design or a set piece that you either really loved in the OGN or that presented unexpected difficulty? I know each of these characters is special, but was there one you could not wait to render? Sean Phillips: None of the characters were more difficult to draw than in other books but mostly I enjoyed drawing the old buildings of a French town rather than the American streets I usually have to draw. It always takes a lot of research whatever it is though. Byron: Sean, what other projects are set to rise from your artistic horizon soon? Sean Phillips: Ed and I are already deep into our next book, out in December. Apart from that, nothing else planned. Dynamic Forces would like to thank Sean Phillips for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions. Night Fever from Image Comics is slated to be on sale June 14th! For more news and up-to-date announcements, join us here at Dynamic Forces, www.dynamicforces.com/htmlfiles/, “LIKE” us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/dynamicforcesinc, and follow us on Twitter, www.twitter.com/dynamicforces. 05/03/24 @ 2:09 pm EST
Oscar nominee Hugh Jackman (Les Misérables) and Emmy winner Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) are attached to star in a new movie, The Death Of Robin Hood. Pig and A Quiet Place: Day One director Michael Sarnoski is writer-director on the project, which will be among the hot titles on sale at this month’s Cannes market via WME Independent. Arrival and The Prestige producer Aaron Ryder is among the producing team. The film is a darker reimagining of the classic Robin Hood tale. Set of its time, the film will see the title character grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder, a battleworn loner who finds himself gravely injured and in the hands of a mysterious woman who offers him a chance at salvation. Production is due to begin in February 2025. (via Deadline) 05/03/24 @ 2:03 pm EST
Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy will lead the film adaptation of Enid Blyton’s children’s classic The Magic Faraway Tree. The story from the author, based on her The Faraway Tree series of novels for children, follows Polly and Tim and their children Beth, Joe and Fran — a modern family who find themselves forced to relocate to the remote English countryside. Two-time Academy Award-nominee Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick…BOOM!, Hacksaw Ridge) will play Tim and two-time Emmy Award-winner Claire Foy (All of Us Strangers, The Crown) will take on the role of Polly. Screenwriter Simon Farnaby, British star of Wonka and Paddington 2, said: “To have two actors of the quality of Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy is a dream for any screenwriter.” (via The Hollywood Reporter) 05/02/24 @ 10:59 pm EST
Jennifer Zhang (Fetish, Charon) is set to direct sci-fi feature length anthology, Trüebadour. Also written by Zhang, the film stars Gina Su (Autopilot, Blue, Transpo), and Daphne Qin Wu (The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster, Beacon) serves as cinematographer. Based on the sci-fi short Autopilot, Trüebadour follows an enigmatic engineering prodigy who introduces the bombastic founder of a tech start-up to an innovative “storytelling” device that scans its wearer to generate an original work of fiction. No one at the company is prepared for the unsettling stories their minds inspire, nor the disturbing consequences of using the device. (via Deadline) 05/02/24 @ 10:51 pm EST
Louis Leterrier, director of Fast X and several Transporter action movies, has been tapped to direct and produce the sci-fi horror film 11817, based on a script by Matthew Robinson. The genre pic produced by Leterrier’s Carrousel Studios, Rocket Science, Thank You Studios, Chernin Entertainment and 3 Arts Entertainment is now casting. Rocket Science will fully finance, handle foreign sales and introduce the film in Cannes, while CAA Media Finance will handle a North American sale. In 11817, inexplicable forces trap a family of four inside their house indefinitely. As both modern luxuries and life-or-death essentials begin to run out, the family must learn how to be resourceful to survive and outsmart who – or what – is keeping them trapped. (via THR) 05/02/24 @ 10:39 pm EST
Paul Walter Hauser will be making his Marvel debut with a role in The Fantastic Four, The Hollywood Reporter is confirming. No character details are available, but he joins a cast that includes Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing and Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer. The feature has a July 25, 2025 release date and hails from WandaVision director Matt Shakman, with Eric Pearson writing the latest draft of the script. It centers on the characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for the comic book that launched the Marvel Comics universe in 1961. 05/02/24 @ 11:25 am EST
Todd McFarlane Productions and Image Comics will bring fan-favorite "Baby-Spawn" character 'Spawny' back to shelves in an action-packed, five-issue miniseries, Spawn Kills Every Spawn launching in July. Written by John Layman (Chew) and illustrated by Rob “Sketchcraft” Duenas, with colors by Robert Nugent, this bold story brings a hilarious-yet-deadly twist to the world of Spawn. In Spawn Kills Every Spawn, the character baby of ‘Spawny’ attends Spawn-Con, a convention filled with various Spawns from across the Spawn Universe. Unfortunately for Spawny, he discovers that he’s not even close to being the most popular Hellspawn. Instead, he’s the least liked among that group. To battle his identity crisis, Spawny decides to take drastic action: KILL THEM ALL! What follows is a darkly comedic, action-packed adventure that explores the insanity of a convention full of Hellspawn, and the lengths one very sensitive Spawn will go to in his quest to gain fame and recognition. “From the very outset of our first miniseries starring our adorable little maniac, fans have been bugging me to bring him back once again for another series of mayhem," said Todd McFarlane, creator of Spawn and President at Image Comics. "This time around, the wonderful art by Rob puts so much detail into the pages, I think readers will be going back through each book to find all the visual Easter Eggs he has planted within the story. And Jon Layman has brought his own sense of absurd cuteness to this story so that you are both shocked and smiling at what is unfolding in front of you. The overwhelming support for this tiny, little character has been quite surprising to me.” This new addition to the Spawn Universe is perfect for the life-long SPAWN fan, as well as new readers—make sure to grab your copy and join Spawny as he goes on a killing spree like no other! Spawn Kills Every Spawn #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 24, for the retail price of $2.99. The Final Order Cutoff deadline for comic shop retailers is Monday, July 1: Cover A by Duenas - Lunar Code 0524IM237 Cover B by McFarlane - Lunar Code 0524IM801 Spawn Kills Every Spawn is also available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.    
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The final season of Netflix’s Cobra Kai will be released in three parts with the first premiering on July 18 followed by Part 2 on November 28. The final installment is more of a mystery as the streamer is only teasing it will drop in 2025. The season picks up with Cobra Kai eliminated from the Valley as senseis and students decide if and how they will compete in the Sekai Taikai — the world championships of karate, according to the official description. (via Deadline) Check out the date announcement and teaser: https://youtu.be/WPUGgxf3tx8 05/01/24 @ 9:08 pm EST
The long gestating, live-action Masters of the Universe film is finally getting a release date. Amazon MGM has dated the Mattel film for a June 5, 2026 worldwide theatrical release.The film will follow, according to its synopsis, “10-year-old Prince Adam who crashed to Earth in a spaceship and was separated from his magical Power Sword—the only link to his home on Eternia. After tracking it down almost two decades later, Prince Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain, Prince Adam will first need to uncover the mysteries of his past and become He-Man: the most powerful man in the Universe!”Travis Knight is directing from a script by Chris Butler. Mattel Films’ Robbie Brenner, and Escape Artists’ Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch are producing. (via The Hollywood Reporter) 05/01/24 @ 8:54 pm EST
Chris Stuckmann and Aaron B. Koontz of Paper Street Pictures have added genre specialists Mike Flanagan, Trevor Macy and Melinda Nishioka of Intrepid Pictures as executive producers on their record-breaking Kickstarter-backed horror film Shelby Oaks, which is in post-production.The 2022 Kickstarter campaign for the movie raised $1.39M in under a month, more than doubling the previous record for the most-funded horror film on Kickstarter. A combination of documentary, found footage and traditional film styles, Shelby Oaks centers on Mia’s (Camille Sullivan) frantic search for her sister, Riley (Sarah Durn), who ominously disappeared in the last tape of her investigative series Paranormal Paranoids. As Mia’s obsession grows, she begins to suspect that the imaginary demon from Riley’s childhood might have been real. The cast also includes Brendan Sexton III, Michael Beach, Robin Bartlett and Keith David. There’s no word yet on a release plan. (via Deadline)
05/01/24 @ 8:54 pm EST
BOOM! Studios, together with leading toy and game company Hasbro, revealed a first look at MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: THE RETURN #4, the FINAL issue of the new POWER RANGERS series written by the original Pink Ranger herself, Amy Jo Johnson along with co-writer Matt Hotson and artist Nico Leon (Ms. Marvel), colorist Dono Sanchez-Almara, and letterer Ed Dukeshire. Available in comic shops in May 2024! With the Green Dragon Power Coin in the hands of someone’s identity that will shock the rest of the Power Rangers, a fateful battle on the moon commences! But as climactic events unfold, who will remain to carry on the legacy of the Mighty Morphin Powers Rangers? Will the world still need them? MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: THE RETURN #4 features a main cover by POWER RANGERS fan favorite artist Goñi Montes (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) and variant covers by David Nakayama (Firefly) and Miguel Mercado (Seven Secrets). MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: THE RETURN is the newest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to critically acclaimed original series, including BRZRKR by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt, and Ron Garney; Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera; Grim by Stephanie Phillips and Flaviano; Stuff of Nightmares by R.L. Stine and A.L. Kaplan; Damn Them All by Simon Spurrier and Charlie Adlard; Once Upon a Time at the End of the World by Jason Aaron, Alexandre Tefenkgi, Leila del Duca, and Nick Dragotta; Know Your Station by Sarah Gailey and Liana Kangas; A Vicious Circle by Mattson Tomlin and Lee Bermejo; The Neighbors by Jude Ellison S. Doyle and Letizia Cadonici; Ghostlore by Cullen Bunn and Leomacs; Sirens of the City by Joanne Starer and Khary Randolph; Coda by Simon Spurrier and Matías Bergara; Rare Flavours by Ram V and Filipe Andrade; Underheist by David and Maria Lapham; and Animal Pound by Tom King and Peter Gross. The imprint also publishes popular licensed properties, including Dune: House Harkonnen from Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Michael Shelfer; Mighty Morphin Power Rangers by Melissa Flores and Simona Di Gianfelice; and The Expanse: Dragon Tooth by Andy Diggle and Rubine. MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: THE RETURN #4 will be available now at your local comic shop on May 29, 2024. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including iBooks, Google Play, and Kindle. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #4 A Main: MAR240066 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #4 B Variant: MAR240067 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #4 C 1:10 INCV: MAR240068 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #4 D 1:25 INCV: MAR240069 Fans and readers can purchase copies of MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: THE RETURN SC, collecting the entire four-issue series, in comic shops on December 4, 2024 and in bookstores everywhere December 10, 2024.        
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