Tuesday, May 21, 2024

Kung Fu Panda 4 ON DIGITAL, 4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAY™ AND DVD MAY 28, 2024 FROM UNIVERSAL PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT



Universal City, California, May 21, 2024 – The search for the new Dragon Warrior is on! Po learns he must face his biggest villain yet and embarks on a hilarious mission with his new team of misfits in KUNG FU PANDA 4, available with over an hour of extras on Digital, 4K UHD, Blu-rayTM and DVD May 28, 2024, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The never-before-seen bonus content includes dumpling making with Jack Black, Bad Bunnies commentary, deleted scenes, as well as the original animated short “Dueling Dumplings”!


Emmy winner and Golden Globe® nominee Jack Black (The Super Mario Bros. Movie, School of Rock) returns as Po, the world’s most unlikely kung fu master, in this butt-kicking new chapter from DreamWorks Animation’s beloved action-comedy franchise: KUNG FU PANDA 4. After learning he must find a new hero to take over as Dragon Warrior so that he may fulfill his destiny as the next spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace, Po decides to take one last adventurous mission. He teams up with a quick-witted thief named Zhen, voiced by Awkwafina (Migration, The Bad Guys), a corsac fox, to discover the truth about recent sightings of villains he’s defeated in the past. In a journey that puts both to the test, it will take a wicked, powerful sorceress, The Chameleon, voiced by Oscar® winner Viola Davis (Ender’s Game, The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), to bring them together and remind Po that heroes can be found in the most unexpected places.
 
With the release of KUNG FU PANDA 4, the franchise has grossed over two billion dollars at the global box-office.

BONUS FEATURES on 4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAYTM AND DVD:

  • Dueling Dumplings – In this original short introduced by Jack Black and Awkwafina, Po and Zhen battle over whose dumplings reign supreme.
  • Mastering the Dumpling – Jack Black learns how to make dumplings with influencers Phil and Helen of WongFu Productions.
  • Bad Bunny Review – The Bad Bunnies give their unedited opinion on some scenes from the film. Set up as a “Screening Room” style piece, the Bad Bunnies add their own commentary.
  • Deleted Scenes
    • Dads on the Trail
    • Mahjong
  • Kung Fu Talking – Voicing an animated movie takes time, time spent in a small booth being spoken to through headphones as you try to inhibit a character that might not actually exist beyond a few simple sketches and under that pressure, crazy things often happen! And we’ve captured them, put them to music and serves them up for your pleasure in this hilarious montage of off mic moments!
  • Meet the Cast – From the Dragon Warrior himself to newcomer, Zhen, and a full cast of amazing characters in between, we get to know the voices behind some of our favorite roles in this series of short featurettes. Discover what attracted them to the role, what their motivation was and what parts of the character they took away with them after recording had finished.
    • Po
    • Zhen
    • The Chameleon
    • The Dads
  • Kung Fu Panda 4 All!! – Join us as we go behind the scenes to see how the fourth installment in the franchise was brought to life, what makes it different from the previous films and where we find Po and the gang in this new escapade. Featuring interviews with the filmmakers and cast as well as a plethora of concept art, storyboards, animation tests and ADR footage.
  • How to Draw – Enter our virtual dojo and join one of DreamWorks Animation’s talented artists as they show fans of the film “How to Draw” some of the characters in the film, and then watch in amazement as they come to life before your very eyes in a Shadow Puppet Theater.
    • Po
    • Zhen
    • The Chameleon 
    • The Bad Bunnies
  • Shadow Puppet Theater – Using the amazing illustrations from the “How to Draw,” we will teach fans of the film how to create their very own Shadow Puppet Theater so they can bring Po and the gang to life and continue their many adventures.
  • Feature Commentary with Director Mike Mitchell, Co-Director Stephanie Ma Stine, Production Designer Paul Duncan, Head of Story Calvin Tsang, and Head of Character Animation Sean Sexton

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Max Renews CONAN O’BRIEN MUST GO For A Second Season

 

Max Renews CONAN O’BRIEN MUST GO For A Second Season
  • Today, Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO and Max Content, announced that Max has renewed the critically acclaimed original travel series CONAN O’BRIEN MUST GO for a six-episode second season during the Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront presentation.
     
  • Logline: CONAN O’BRIEN MUST GO features the Emmy®-winning host visiting new friends he's met through his podcast, “Conan O’Brien Needs a Fan,” where he dives deep with listeners from around the world. Making stops in Norway, Thailand, Argentina, and Ireland, O’Brien surprises some of his most memorable fans while also taking in local culture, cuisine, and sights.
     
  • The four-episode first season marked the legendary host’s return to television with a “delightful” (Variety) and “side-splitting” (NPR) comedy that is full of “smartly stupid fun” (The Hollywood Reporter).
     
  • Nina Rosenstein, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Late Night & Specials, quote: “Conan’s ridiculousness knows no bounds. Our audience told us in no uncertain terms that four episodes of CONAN O’BRIEN MUST GO is not nearly enough. To which we say, be careful what you wish for.”
     
  • Conan O’Brien quote: “This latest travel show has been so fun and rewarding that I suspected it was all a cruel prank. My apologies in advance to the next six countries.”
     
  • Credits: Produced by Conaco; executive producers are Conan O’Brien and Jeff Ross.
     

HBO Releases New Images From Season Two Of The Original Drama Series THE LAST OF US

 


  • New images of Pedro Pascal as “Joel” and Bella Ramsey as “Ellie” from the second season of the HBO Original drama series THE LAST OF US were unveiled today by Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO and Max Content, during the Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront presentation. Following a record-breaking first season as the most-watched debut season of a series ever for HBO, the second season will debut in 2025 on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. 
     
  • Season 2 cast: Season two returning cast includes Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, and Rutina Wesley as Maria. Previously announced new cast includes Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, and Danny Ramirez as Manny. Catherine O’Hara also guest stars.
     
  • Season 2 credits: THE LAST OF US is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television and is also executive produced by Carolyn Strauss, Jacqueline Lesko, Cecil O’Connor, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Evan Wells. Production companies: PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog.
     
  • Season 1 logline: Based on the critically acclaimed video game “The Last of Us,” developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation® consoles, the story takes place twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.

Max Original Drama Series DUNE: PROPHECY Debuts This Fall

 

Max Original Drama Series DUNE: PROPHECY Debuts This Fall

First Look Teaser Released

  • During today’s Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront presentation, Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO and Max Content, unveiled a first look teaser of the Max Original drama series DUNE: PROPHECY. The six-episode season debuts this fall on Max.
     
  • Logline: From the expansive universe of Dune, created by acclaimed author Frank Herbert, and 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, DUNE: PROPHECY follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit. DUNE: PROPHECY is inspired by the novel “Sisterhood of Dune,” written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. 
     
  • Cast: Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel, Jodhi May, Mark Strong, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Josh Heuston, Chloe Lea, Jade Anouka, Faoileann Cunningham, Edward Davis, Aoife Hinds, Chris Mason, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Jihae, Tabu, Charithra Chandran, Jessica Barden, Emma Canning, and Yerin Ha.
     
  • Credits: Alison Schapker serves as showrunner and executive producer. Diane Ademu-John co-developed the series and serves as executive producer. Anna Foerster executive produced and directed multiple episodes including the first. Jordan Goldberg, Mark Tobey, John Cameron, Matthew King, Scott Z. Burns, and Jon Spaihts executive produce with New York Times bestselling author Brian Herbert, along with Byron Merritt and Kim Herbert as executive producers for the Frank Herbert estate. New York Times bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson serves as co-producer. The series is co-produced by Max and Legendary Television with Legendary also producing the film franchise that has released two installments to critical acclaim, the first of which garnered six Academy Awards®.

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

HBO Releases Official Trailer For Season Two Of The Original Drama Series HOUSE OF THE DRAGON

 

HBO Releases Official Trailer For Season Two Of The Original Drama Series HOUSE OF THE DRAGON
  • HBO has released the official trailer for the second season of the original drama series HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, debuting SUNDAY, JUNE 16 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO and available to stream on Max.  
     
  • Logline: Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood,” the series, set 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones,” tells the story of House Targaryen. 
     
  • Season two returning cast: Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Tom Glynn-Carney, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans. Additional returning cast includes Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Phia Saban, Jefferson Hall, and Matthew Needham. 
     
  • Season two new cast: Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull, Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers, Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower, Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong, Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull, Jamie Kenna as Ser Alfred Broome, Kieran Bew as Hugh, Tom Bennett as Ulf, Tom Taylor as Lord Cregan Stark, and Vincent Regan as Ser Rickard Thorne. 
     
  • Season two credits: Co-Creator/Executive Producer, George R.R. Martin; Co-Creator/Showrunner/Executive Producer, Ryan Condal; Executive Producers Sara Hess, Alan Taylor, Melissa Bernstein, Kevin de la Noy, Loni Peristere, Vince Gerardis. Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood.” 

DUNE: PART TWO Begins Streaming On Max May 21

 

DUNE: PART TWO Begins Streaming On Max May 21

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ DUNE: PART TWO will make its streaming debut on Max next TUESDAY, MAY 21. The big-screen epic continues the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s acclaimed bestseller Dune with returning and new stars, including Oscar® nominee Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar® nominee Josh Brolin, Oscar® nominee Austin Butler, Oscar® nominee Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Oscar® winner Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Souheila Yacoub, with Stellan SkarsgÃ¥rd, with Oscar® nominee Charlotte Rampling, and Oscar® winner Javier Bardem. 

DUNE: PART TWO explores the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee. 

Directed by Denis Villeneuve from a screenplay he and Jon Spaihts wrote based on Frank Herbert’s celebrated novel Dune; produced by Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Patrick McCormick, Villeneuve and Tanya Lapointe; executive produced by Joshua Grode, Jon Spaihts, Thomas Tull, Herbert W. Gains, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, Richard P. Rubinstein and John Harrison.