Barely Related: Comic-Con envy, Hello Kitty convention
Happy San Diego Comic-Con week, everyone! To the lucky few (thousand) that are actually there, pick up some swag for us, yeah?
Welcome to Barely Related, a conversational Friday column that presents the non-gaming news stories that we, the Joystiq staff, have been talking about over the past week. And no, we're not stopping our focus on industry and gaming news. Think of this as your casual weekly recap of interesting (and mostly geeky) news, presented just in time to fill your brain with things to discuss at all of those weekend shindigs.
Grab a fresh drink, lean back in your armchair, and get ready to talk nerdy with us.
Why go to Comic-Con when all the Comic-Con news comes to you?
Because San Diego Comic-Con is a giant festival of nerdery, free things, exclusive toys, parties and high-profile writers, actors, directors and producers. Other than that, there's no reason to go when all of the delicious Comic-Con news is delivered straight to your screen. Sites such as Comics Alliance and The Mary Sue have a lot of the stories covered, but here are a few stand-up break-outs.
This Game of Thrones blooper reel breaks the tension beautifully:
Benedict Cumberbatch is hanging out with a penguin:
The first woman to conquer American Ninja Warrior takes on the Assassin's Creed obstacle course:
A new image of Batfleck:
The first poster for Ant-Man:
The Behemoth has a booth and a camera, with pictures of day one here.
The first-ever Hello Kitty convention is here to fill your world with adorableness
Hello Kitty Con takes place in the Little Tokyo area of Los Angeles from October 30 - November 2, and we can barely contain ourselves (seriously, this feature should be renamed Barely Contained Glee). The show will feature panels, guest speakers, workshops on how to "Hello Kitty-fy your life," and of course a shop stuffed with products from around the world, among other standard con attractions.
Tickets are $30 a day for people 13 and older, $20 a day for those between the ages of 6 - 12, and free for attendees 5 and younger.
The Death of Superman Lives documentary has a surprising amount of behind-the-scenes footage
The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened? is a documentary that attempts to unravel the mystery behind Superman Lives, the canceled 90s movie with Nicholas Cage as Superman. The movie's messy production history includes Kevin Smith and Tim Burton, and it all could have been really cool.
The documentary is seeking $85,000 in crowdfunding via Fanbacked.
Three actors leave the Ant-Man movie
Patrick Wilson, Matt Gerald and Kevin Weisman have kicked Ant-Man to the curb, leaving Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly still on board. Shaun of the Dead Director Edgar Wright walked away from the film in May and he was replaced by Bring it On director Peyton Reed. As Deadline reports:
"We're told by insiders that Gerald and Weisman's characters were omitted in the newly evolved version of the script. Wilson, on the other hand, had a scheduling conflict as production on the movie got delayed, and that is why he won't be there."
Report: Joaquin Phoenix is in talks to play Doctor Strange
TheWrap says it knows people who know things about the Doctor Strange movie, and Joaquin Phoenix is tapped to play the title role. Previous rumors included mentions of Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy, but it seems Phoenix is the newest, hottest ticket. Doctor Strange is directed by Deliver us from Evil director Scott Derrickson, with Prometheus writer Jon Spaihts in charge of the screenplay.
Guardians of the Galaxy receives 100 percent from critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Yep, 100 percent. That is the freshest, ripest, bestest score a movie can get on Rotten Tomatoes, and Guardians of the Galaxy has secured it handily. Critics got an early look at the film this week, and man, these reviews are making us hungry.
Arsenal brings another bow to Arrow
Arsenal, a character who started fictional life as Green Arrow's handy sidekick, will be in Arrow when that series returns for season three on October 8. His street name is Roy Harper, a character who's been in Arrow previously, though without the awesome hood.
[Images: Eric Charbonneau/Invision/AP, DC Entertainment, Entertainment Weekly]
