News broke last week on Collider.com that the showrunners of popular HBO series Game of Thrones will be writing and directing a brand new Star Wars trilogy, presumable after Episode 9.
On the surface, it’s sort of like, cool, these guys have some Emmy’s under their belts and have made a fantasy series into a household name and visually, Game of Thrones is gorgeous to look at, from costume design to sets to character minutiae. It’s been wildly successful, so why not be joyous these dudes are gonna have a go at one of the richest universes in sci-fi?
That’s where it gets complicated for me.
It’s not a secret I love A Song of Ice and Fire and its television counterpart Game of Thrones (as evidenced by our Youtube series A Game of Theories). However, I can love something and criticize it at the same time, much like I already do with Star Wars. The handing over of a trilogy to Benioff and Weiss means it’ll be that much longer before a director of color or a female director gets a shot at expanding the universe. While it might not matter to some, for me, and other people of color like me, it feels like a missed opportunity at the least.
“But they have a fantastic resume!”
Do they, though? Benioff wrote X-Men: Origins in 2009 (which most of were very lukewarm towards), and Weiss hasn’t done much in the way of big budget films.
My point is, something like Star Wars in the hands of someone with a different lens on life would be refreshing. Plus, a successful trilogy does wonders for the resume of someone who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to helm them. I’m not suggesting anyone in particular here, but it’s something I would love to see, sooner rather than later.
My main issue is how they have portrayed women.
Game of Thrones is known for pushing the envelope. Mostly in a negative way regarding female characters. In a series where rape and incest is prevalent, it makes zero sense to add MORE. A strong character does not need a traumatic backstory based in assault of some kind. I understand that seems to be a mindblowing concept, but I’m loathe to embrace a Star Wars universe in where this could be allowed. I have some trust in how iron of a grip Kathleen Kennedy has on the property as a whole, but her endorsement of Benioff and Weiss gives me some pause. No, I don’t think we will see rape onscreen, but based on their track record, it’s safe to say we will get a Disney friendly, Whedonesque rapey backstory for whoever the female character may be.
“But Leia, there’s not any mention of rape in Star Wars!”
Maybe not outright, but I guess Oola the slave girl, just danced and didn’t encounter any sexual assault ever. I guess Leia didn’t encounter any sexual assault while she was Jabba’s prisoner. I guess Rey didn’t encounter anything against her will by Kylo.
Look, I’m always a diehard for Star Wars, but I’m hesitant about this development. I’m hesitant that we will get Confederate (their so far failed HBO series about what if the South had successfully seceded and slavery became legal and modernized, oh wait, that’s the prison system, isn’t it), but in space cause there ARE slaves in the Star Wars universe.
I’m just plain hesitant.
It’s that time of year again! No, not Halloween (though that is sneaking up on us faster that I realize). I’m talking about New York Comic Con time! Though not as prolific as San Diego Comic Con, NYCC is the East Coast’s biggest comic and media convention, boasting hundreds of exhibitors and tens of thousands of attendees.
Just like its West Coast counterpart, NYCC attracts countless collectors and, as such, has become a haven for exclusive merchandise. This is where Funko comes in. Over the summer we showed you all of Funko’s SDCC exclusives, the Pop!s, Dorbz, Rides and Vnyls that were only available at the con. Luckily, they’re bringing a pretty strong game to New York Comic Con as well.
Since they’re revealing all of their exclusives in waves so make sure to check back often as we update to see everything you can expect to find at NYCC.
San Diego Comic Con is just about a month away and there’s a ton of stuff that we’re excited to see come out of the show, like the big announcements from all of the major movie and TV studios and comic book big (and little) shots. However, one of the major draws to the West Coast mecca for geek culture is the exclusive toys that are available at the show.
Over the last couple of weeks, Funko, the purveyor of fine Pop! vinyls, has announced their lineup of SDCC exclusive figures. We have compiled everything right here for you so you can decide before you go which ones you can’t live without (or salivate over the exclusives you’ll need to hunt down on eBay if you can’t make it to San Diego).
Eagerly anticipating the final episode of Telltale’s Game Of Thrones? Or have you been waiting for a physical copy to pop in your console so that you can binge the entire series at once? You don’t have to wait much longer.
The final of six episodes in the season, ‘The Ice Dragon’ will be available starting Tuesday, November 17th on PC/Mac from the Telltale Online Store, Steam, and other digital distribution services, the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 in North America (SCEA) and Europe (SCEE), the Xbox Games Store for Xbox One® and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and on compatible iOS and Android-based devices. This marks the first time in Telltale’s release history that a finale will be available to download simultaneously across all console, PC/Mac and mobile platforms, day and date, worldwide.
Based on the award-winning HBO television drama series, Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series tells the story of House Forrester. Caught up in the events of The War of the Five Kings, they are placed in a precarious position where members of the household must do everything they can to prevent the house from meeting its doom. Your story is about to come to an epic conclusion. With House Whitehill tightening its grip on Ironrath at the behest of Ramsay Bolton, the remaining Forresters must give their all to save the family, whether through diplomacy, subterfuge, or violent force. In the frozen wilds beyond The Wall, Gared learns the secrets of the mysterious North Grove, and Mira discovers that political games in a King’s Landing controlled by Cersei Lannister often involve the highest stakes of all.
The game series is based on the world, characters and events seen in HBO’s TV show, which in turn is based on George R. R. Martin’s books (A Song of Ice and Fire). The events in the game series begin towards the end of Season Three of the series, and end right before the beginning of Season Five. Players will visit familiar locations such as King’s Landing and The Wall, as well as unfamiliar locations such as Ironrath, the home of House Forrester.
The game is played from five different points of view. Each is a member of House Forrester; either a direct family member, or a person in service to the House. Scattered across Westeros and Essos, each will play their part in seeking to save House Forrester from destruction.
The season will also debut on disc at retailers in North America beginning November 17th on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, and Xbox 360 for the suggested retail price of $29.99 USD or equivalent; and beginning November 20th in Europe on these consoles as well as for PC.
When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. Your choices, your story: you decide.
Funko is gearing up for a huge showing at New York Comic Con 2015. Never before has Funko had this much buzz around NYCC as they unveil some of their hottest exclusives. We’re here to count down our top picks for collectors and enthusiasts. (more…)