The Duffer Brothers & Netflix Announce Expanded Slate Including New Stranger Things Projects

 

THE DUFFER BROTHERS ANNOUNCE NEW PRODUCTION COMPANY UPSIDE DOWN PICTURES

Hilary Leavitt Joins Upside Down Pictures

Duffer Brothers and Netflix Announce Expanded Slate Including New Stranger Things Projects

• The Duffer Brothers today announced their new production company, Upside Down Pictures, for film and television projects as part of their overall deal with Netflix. 

• Hilary Leavitt (Orphan Black, Ozark) has been hired to run the company.

• According to The Duffer Brothers, Upside Down Pictures will “aim to create the kind of stories that inspired the Duffers growing up - stories that take place at that beautiful crossroads where the ordinary meets the extraordinary, where big spectacle co-exists with intimate character work, where heart wins out over cynicism.”

• The Duffer Brothers and Netflix also announced their growing slate of projects in active development:

• An all-new live-action television adaptation of the renowned Japanese manga and anime series Death Note

• An original series from creators Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance)

• A series adaptation of Stephen King and Peter Straub‘s The Talisman alongside Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment and Paramount Television to be created by Curtis Gwinn

• A new stage play set within the world and mythology of Stranger Things, produced by prolific and multi award-winning producers Sonia Friedman, Stephen Daldry (The Crown, Billy Elliot, The Reader), and Netflix. Daldry will also direct. 21 Laps serves as Associate Producer. 

• A live-action Stranger Things spin-off series based on an original idea by The Duffer Brothers, with Upside Down and 21 Laps producing.

• The Duffer Brothers most recently released the fourth season of their hit Netflix series Stranger Things, which they wrote, directed, and executive produced. Stranger Things 4 is now #1 on Netflix’s (all time) Most Popular English TV list with an astounding 1.15Bn hours viewed in its first 28 days – only the second series to cross the billion hour viewing mark, with the final tally expected to be higher as Vol. 2 reaches the 28-day viewing period. The third season released in 2019 still holds at #3. Stranger Things 4 record-breaking highlights include: 

• It was the biggest premiere weekend ever for an English-language TV show on Netflix with 286.79 Million hours viewed.

• It hit #1 on the Top 10 lists in 91 countries, a first for an English TV series

• It became the most viewed season of English-language TV in a single week on Netflix with a staggering 335.01M hours viewed. 

• It entered the Most Popular list at #3 with 621.80M hours viewed just 10 days after its premiere, setting yet another record as the fastest English-language series to break into the Most Popular list. 

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES : Hall H and Tavern Experience at SDCC 2022

Paramount Pictures brings Paramount and eOne’s DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES to kick off the in-person return to San Diego Comic-Con with the FIRST Hall H panel of SDCC 2022! The Hall H panel takes place on Thursday, July 21^st at 12:00pm PT. Join the party and watch for exciting developments as cast and filmmakers appear on stage! 

Hall H panel attendees will receive an exclusive, collectible DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES poster. 

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is in theaters March 3, 2023.

Mad Cave Studios at San Diego Comic Con 2022

Mad Cave Studios is headed to San Diego Comic-Con International (July 21-24), with exciting exclusives, signings, live drawings, and more at booth #2306! 

Exclusives include 50 limited signed hardcovers of Nottingham Vol.1: Death & Taxes, four Variant Exclusives for SDCC with a print run of 50 each, two of which are early looks to the just announced fall and winter titles from Mad Cave with covers by Joseph Schmalke and Natasha Alterici! These variants feature Issue #1 of A Legacy of Violence, a 12-issue horror/mystery maxi series by Cullen Bunn (Harrow County, The Sixth Gun) and Andrea Mutti (Nottingham, Bunny Mask); and Issue #1 of Nature’s Labyrinth by Zac Thompson (The Brother of All Men) and Bayleigh Underwood.  

These fantastical titles focus on the human condition, and hold tales of characters who face insurmountable odds and astounding adventures; an all-new tier of illustration and masterful storytelling.

Additionally, there will be 50 Battlecats #1 legacy variants by Dan Panosian, 50 Nottingham #1 variants by Shane Connery Volk, as well as the return of the Mad Cave Mystery Boxes – this time including (2) Trades, (1) Set of Single Issues, (1) Event Variant, (2) Surprise Variants, with a chance to receive ⅕ sketch covers illustrated by Shane Connery Volk or Andrea Mutti, ⅓ CGC graded issues, 1/10 blank sketch covers of Nottingham issue #1, 1/11 creator signed issues. A collector’s dream comes true! 

Prepare to be left in an awestruck state of wonder, as you descend into madness...

NBA Star De'Aaron Fox Heads To San Diego Comic-Con

Comic book publisher, eigoMANGA has teamed up with Sacramento Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox to showcase a riveting basketball comic book "Swipa The Fox" at 2022 Comic-Con International: San Diego, the nation's largest comics convention.

De'Aaron Fox, drafted 5th overall in the 2017 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings quickly rose to become the Kings' franchise player and team leader. Fox will make a special in-person appearance in eigoMANGA's booth (#5532) at Comic-Con International: San Diego. De'Aaron Fox will appear in eigoMANGA's booth on Saturday, July 23 from 3:30-4:30pm to meet fans and sign autographs.  

De'Aaron Fox will also take part a panel for Comic-Con International: San Diego to discuss his fandom for anime, manga, and how it intertwines with his basketball career. Fox will be joined by his "Swipa The Fox" comic book creative team; together, they will discuss the fundamentals of writing comic books centered around basketball.

The "Swipa The Fox" comic book is about De'Aaron Fox accidentally venturing into a basketball video game while his video game counterpart causes havoc in the real world. Fox has to harness all of his world-class basketball skills to play his way out of the digital game and return to reality. The Comic-Con International panel with De'Aaron Fox is called "NBA Players Are Anime Fans Too" and is scheduled on Saturday, July 23 at 5:15 pm.

RISE OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: THE MOVIE Trailer Debut

Continuing the tale from the hit Nickelodeon series, Raphael, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Donatello are back in action and up to their teenage antics in this comedic adventure that raises the stakes higher than ever before. The Turtles are put to the test when a mysterious stranger named Casey Jones arrives from the future to warn the mutant brothers of an impending invasion·of the most dangerous alien force in the galaxy - the Krang! Can the team rise up to become the heroes they are destined to be, or will their teenage foibles get the better of them? What unfolds is the most adventurous, emotional, and epic story ever told of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. www.netflix.com/teenagemutantninjaturtles

 

HOT TOYS' SCOUT TROOPER AND SPEEDER BIKE

Sideshow's latest UNBOXING VIDEO reveals the stunning new Scout Trooper™ and Speeder Bike™ 1/6 Scale Figure Set by Hot Toys.

The highly accurate Star Wars™ Scout Trooper collectible figure is based on the character’s appearance during the thrilling speeder bike sequences in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi™. It features a newly developed helmet and armor with weathered effects, a finely tailored fabric bodysuit, a blaster pistol, and a blaster rifle. The articulated figure comes with a variety of gloved hands to allow for a range of pose options.

The expertly crafted Speeder Bike showcases the technical details of the vehicle with meticulous paint application, articulated foot pedals, steering vane, and engine flaps — all of which allow for a variety of poses. It also comes with a cargo bag and a themed display stand reminiscent of the terrain on Endor™.

This Scout Trooper and Speeder Bike collectible set is a wonderful addition to any Star Wars collection and can be pre-ordered via Sideshow.com.

The Scout Trooper can also be purchased separately from Sideshow.com.

 

Golden Girls & For All Mankind SDCC Exclusives From Icon Heroes

The Golden Girls Four on a Couch Bobblehead Set

Icon Heroes presents The Golden Girls Four on a Couch Bobblehead Set based on the hit 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls, debuting exclusively at San Diego Comic Con!  Blanche, Sophia, Rose, and Dorothy are sculpted in 8 inch scale sitting on their iconic living room couch. This bobblehead set is hand painted and includes a Certificate of Authenticity.
Limited Edition of 500

$150

 

For All Mankind Season 3 Patches Set

Icon Heroes presents this set of sixteen (16) embroidered patches from Season 3 of the hit Apple TV series For All Mankind! Each patch measures approximately 3.5 inches and is embroidered with a blend of cotton and polyester and includes an iron on backing for easy attachment.

Limited Edition of 150 

$135

 

If you are unable to attend this year's San Diego Comic Con, we will have an extremely limited quantity of our show exclusives available for pre-order online July 8, 2022 at 9:00 am Pacific Standard Time.  Pre-orders will be charged immediately but we will not begin shipping pre-orders until after the show, starting on July 25, 2022. www.iconheroes.com

All Elite Wrestling Gets the Diamond Select Toys Treatment in 2022

HUNT VALLEY, MD (July 1, 2022)  – Diamond Select Toys (DST) has long offered “the Best of All Worlds,” but there is one world to which they have never ventured - the world of professional wrestling.  DST is going All Elite, bringing the world-class talent of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) together in a new line of collectibles.

Starting this summer, DST will offer a variety of products based on the stars of AEW, including CM Punk, Sting, Chris Jericho, Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D., Jon Moxley and many more.  Categories will include two-inch Minimates poseable figures, four-inch Vinimates vinyl figures, 10-inch Gallery Diorama PVC sculptures and 11-inch Premier Collection statues.

The all-new line will launch with an exclusive Vinimates two-pack at Comic-Con International in San Diego.  CM Punk and Sting will be featured, wearing their mutual-tribute face paint as seen at AEW’s Holiday Bash in December 2021.  It will be available at Booth 2607 at the convention and on diamondselecttoys.com.

Nacelle's Toy Stores of The World Passport Program Just Reached 100 Stores

The Nacelle Company is excited to announce that in just four months, the Toy Stores of The World Passport program has grown to over 100 participating stores worldwide including 30 states and 6 countries from Australia to Japan and everywhere in between including Billy Galaxy Toys in Portland Oregon, Leicester Vintage in Leicester, England, Spiral Toys in Harajuku, Japan, Kokomo Toys in
Kokomo, Indiana, Lobos Collectables in Thornbury, Australia, Cherry Bomb Toys in Victoria, British Columbia and many more.

Inspired by the National Parks passport, with a few tweaks, The Toy Stores of the World Passport promises to be your new favorite travel companion! The collectible passports and each store’s unique stamp are available at participating vintage toy stores across the globe. Customers are encouraged to purchase the passports at all participating stores, and receive a new and unique location stamp at every toy store they visit! The Toy Stores of the World passport is the perfect way to collect memories (and stamps!) no matter where your toy hunting adventure takes you.

You can find a complete list of participating stores here: https://bit.ly/toystorepassport. “With the passport program, we wanted to try to help bring toy stores across the world together in a way that felt fun and exclusive, but also with something tangible and collectible itself,” said Nacelle Company founder and CEO, Brian Volk-Weiss.

This announcement comes on the heels of the Burbank-based diversified media company’s recent revival of the Robo Force line, their announcement of the Legends of Laughter line featuring Joan Rivers, Bill Hicks and Lenny Bruce, as well as Sectaurs, The Great Garloo and Power Lords.

Apple TV+ to Bring Severance, For All Mankind, See, Invasion, Foundation and Mythic Quest to SDCC

Apple TV+ today revealed a fan-favorite lineup of panels of its celebrated original series, marking its debut at the world’s largest fan-based convention, San Diego Comic-Con International. The panels will feature cast and creative teams from the hit thriller “Severance,” lauded alternate-reality series “For All Mankind” the acclaimed workplace comedy “Mythic Quest,” plus a not-to-be-missed panel featuring some of today’s greatest storytellers from “See,” “Invasion,” “Foundation” and “For All Mankind” to share their world-building insights with fans. 

In addition to these must-see panels, attendees will have the opportunity - if they dare - to get “severed” as they immerse themselves in the world of Lumon Industries at an innovative “Severance” installation at the Hard Rock Hotel. The experience will take new Lumon employees through their first day on the severed floor where all of their senses will be required if they hope to be reunited with their ‘outtie.’ The experience is created in partnership with Ben Stiller and the show producers.

San Diego Comic-Con International is set to take place from Thursday, July 21 through Sunday, July 24. Dates, times and locations for all panels will be announced closer to the event.

Batman & Superman: Battle of the Super Sons

"Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons," an all-new DC Animated Movie arriving October 18, 2022 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons begins as 11-year-old Jonathan Kent discovers he has superpowers, thrusting the half-Kryptonian into the complicated world of Super Heroes and Super-Villains – who are now under attack by a malevolent alien force known as Starro! It’s a race against time as Jonathan must join forces with assassin-turned-Boy-Wonder Damian Wayne to rescue their fathers (Superman & Batman) and save the planet by becoming the Super Sons they were destined to be! 

LEGION M TO HOST FOUR SPOTLIGHT PANELS AND EVENTS AT SDCC

 

Check out Legion M's Panels and Events at SDCC below and make sure to add these to your schedules. 

SHATNER ON SHATNER
Thursday, July 21 | 4:30 - 5:30pm | Hall H

Join acclaimed actor, writer, spoken word artist and astronaut(!) William Shatner and moderator Kevin Smith as they discuss Bill’s illustrious and amazing career, upcoming projects, and his new deep-dive documentary from Legion M by acclaimed pop culture documentarian Alexandre O. Philippe (The People vs George Lucas, 78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene, Memory: The Origins of Alien) that takes an up-close, intimate exploration of Shatner's personal journey over his nine decades on Earth.  Kevin and Bill will be joined by Philippe and producers from Legion M (Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, Mandy) and Exhibit A Pictures (The People vs George Lucas, 78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene) and will end the panel with what promises to be unforgettable Q&A with the audience.

Icon Heroes Announces Ghostbusters & Street Fighter II SDCC Exclusives

Ghostbusters Christmas Wreath Logo Enamel Pin

Icon Heroes presents the Ghostbusters No Ghost Christmas Wreath Logo enamel pin, debuting at San Diego Comic Con! One of the most recognizable logos, the Ghostbusters logo is an iconic piece of pop culture history and now you can celebrate it in joyful fashion!  Made of soft enamel, this pin measures 2 inches tall and 2.2 inches wide.

Limited Edition of 500

$10

 

William Shatner Documentary + SDCC 2022 Hall H Panel

 Legion M and Exhibit A Pictures are announcing a new documentary directed by Alexandre O. Philippe, in which William Shatner takes off the countless masks he's worn throughout his storied career, to reveal the man behind one of the most recognizable faces in the world.

In truly unique fashion, Legion M, the world's first fan-owned entertainment company, is allowing fans to invest directly in the project. Unlike a Kickstarter or IndieGogo campaign, these investors are doing more than just providing the funds to produce the film -- they also own a share of any potential profits the documentary earns. Investment terms have not been released yet, but beginning today fans can sign up to make a non-binding, no-obligation reservation HERE. Reservation holders will be the first to know when the offering opens, and will be given priority if it sells out.

 

The producers will be providing an early look at some of the footage on pop culture's biggest stage later this month during a Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con featuring William Shatner and moderated by actor/director/comedian Kevin Smith (“Jay and Silent Bob” franchise, “Clerks” franchise).

 

At 91 years old, William Shatner is an iconic actor, artist, and astronaut(!) best known for his legendary role in “Star Trek” as Captain Kirk that spanned nearly 30 years across film and television, as well as the titular character in “T.J. Hooker” and the television series, “Boston Legal.”

 

Hot Toys Purge Trooper

Hot Toys' latest Star Wars™ collectible figures draw inspiration from the live-action appearance of the Purge Troopers™ — as seen in the hit Disney Plus series, Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi™.

Purge Troopers are a highly specialized class of Imperial soldier, trained and equipped to assist the Inquisitors™ in hunting down Jedi™ and other Force-sensitive beings who threaten the Empire.

Borrowing tactics and methods first used by the Republic soldiers who accompanied Jedi generals during the Clone Wars™, this elite group is shrouded in secrecy.

The Purge Trooper 1/6 Scale Figure is meticulously crafted and outfitted with a highly detailed and screen accurate helmet, armor, and pauldron. Accessories include a selection of interchangeable swap-out hands for a variety of posing and display options, a blaster rifle, and more!

This new Hot Toys Purge Trooper 1/6 Scale Figure is sure to be an excellent addition to your Imperial display! Available for pre-order now, via Sideshow.com.