Whew, January was a long one, wasn’t it? And with the Big Game kicking off February, there’s plenty of entertainment and pop culture news to discuss. Josh Hilgenberg handed me the torch for today’s Studio Coffee Run, but don’t worry — he’ll be back on Friday, so you only have to bear with me for one day. Today’s news round-up includes Scarlet Witch donning her classic costume in WandaVision, a new Bond: No Time to Die teaser, DC giving away a free Harley Quinn comic to moviegoers seeing Birds of Prey, and Owen Wilson joining the MCU, among other headlines.
Plus, Mr. Peanut has been reincarnated, Baby Groot style, except significantly more cursed. I’m sorry.
Let’s get started!
All the news from the MCU
We already reported on new character posters and Twitter emojis for the upcoming Black Widow movie, but of course, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has plenty of other news too.
First up, Variety reports that actor Owen Wilson has joined the upcoming Disney+ series Loki, in an as-of-yet undisclosed role. Conjecture is that he’s playing a major character, but information about the series is too scant to determine who that might be.
Loki is said to follow the titular character, played by Tom Hiddleston, through various periods in time where he meddles with history. There’s no official logline yet, but Disney did tease the upcoming series during a Big Game spot that also featured footage from WandaVision and Falcon and Winter Soldier.
Speaking of which, that trailer has the industry abuzz because of a singular moment: Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) donning her classic costume from the comics. Meanwhile, Sam (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky (Sebastian Stan) pick up Captain America’s shield and maneuver with it, and Zemo returns. There’s not much footage from any of the shows in the teaser, but it’s successfully gotten people talking, which is the whole point.
Hamilton will hit movie theaters in October 2021
The Walt Disney Company, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeffrey Seller, and Thomas Kail announced on Monday that the 11-time Tony Award-, Grammy Award-, Olivier Award-, and Pulitzer Prize-winning Hamilton will be distributed worldwide in movie theaters starting next year. The filmed stage production, which features the original Broadway cast, will first be released in the United States and Canada on Oct. 15, 2021.
“I fell in love with musical storytelling growing up with the legendary Howard Ashman–Alan Menken Disney collaborations — The Little Mermaid, Beauty and The Beast, Aladdin,” said Miranda in a statement. “I’m so proud of what Tommy Kail has been able to capture in this filmed version of Hamilton — a live theatrical experience that feels just as immediate in your local movie theater. We’re excited to partner with Disney to bring the original Broadway company of Hamilton to the largest audience possible.”
The filmed performance is from June 2016 at the Richard Rogers Theater on Broadway in New York City.
DC Comics partners with Regal Cinemas to give moviegoers a free Harley Quinn comic
If you’re planning to see Birds of Prey at a Regal Cinemas location this weekend, you’re in luck! Starting Feb. 6, Regal Crown Club members who purchase tickets for the film using their Crown Club card can download a free digital Harley Quinn comic (Harley Quinn #1, 2016) from DC. Moviegoers seeing it at a RPX location will get a free physical copy of the comic featuring an exclusive cover by Joëlle Jones.
Likewise, IMAX viewers who purchase tickets with their Crown Club card will receive a free inflatable Harley Quinn mallet while supplies last. You can see a full list of Regal Cinemas offers here, including terms and conditions.
Bond: No Time to Die teaser says the movie will change everything
The official Big Game Spot for Bond: No Time to Die, hitting theaters in April, teases fans with big changes to the franchise.
The 25th Bond movie stars Daniel Craig as 007, Rami Malek as the villain Safin, Lashana Lynch as Nomi, Naomie Harris as Moneypenny, Ben Whishaw as Q, Ana de Armas as Paloma, and Léa Seydoux as Madeleinne Swann. The movie also stars Ralph Fiennes, Billy Magnussen, and Christoph Waltz.
Check out the brief teaser below.
Netflix released the first I Am Not Okay with This teaser
Following the success of The End of the F***ing World, adapted from the graphic novel of the same name by Charles Forsman, Netflix is slated to release I Am Not Okay with This on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
The streaming giant released the first teaser for the series on Monday, which shows a first look at the cast in what is sure to be another hit.
Mr. Peanut has returned
Following the highly-publicized “death” of its 104 year-old mascot, Mr. Peanut, Planters debuted a commercial during the Big Game that featured other major mascots, like Mr. Clean and the Kool-Aid Man, crying over the monocle-wearing legume at his funeral.
As if that isn’t weird enough, when the Kool-Aid Man sheds a tear on the fresh dirt that’s just been placed over Mr. Peanut’s grave, the sun shines through the clouds and causes the mound of dirt to grow, beanstalk-like, into a peanut bush that produces a Baby Peanut. He’s wearing his signature top hat, but not his monocle — I guess as an infant, his eyesight is better? (Baby Yoda fever has clearly gotten to people’s heads.)
Anyway. If I had to see this with my eyes, so do you.
That’s a wrap for today’s Studio Coffee Run. We return to our usual programming with Josh Hilgenberg on Friday!
