New video game adaptations. Prequels to a popular show and one of the most
famous book and film series of all time. More Star Wars stuff. There’s lots of new
shows coming out this year! How will a Jedi Knight return to our screens? Keep watching to find out.
Fans of J.R.R Tolkien's epic fantasy adventure series and Peter Jackson's subsequent film
adaptations are in for a treat. "The Lord of the Rings" is returning to live-action
once again — this time as an Amazon Prime series. However,
this isn't a simple recreation of the path that's already been well-tread by Jackson and crew.
While there isn't much detail about the plot at all, as of the making of this video,
we do know from Amazon's release of a series companion map that it is set
thousands of years before the events of "The Hobbit" or "The Lord of the Rings,"
during a time when a shadowy evil was attempting to sow its seeds among the hills of Middle-Earth,
much like Sauron’s conquest in the popular trilogy.
The show will, of course, present a wholly new cast of characters with an original story that is
bound to set itself apart from the films that we all know and love. "The Lord of the Rings" series
debuts in September and promises to be one of the most expensive TV series ever made. According to
The Hollywood Reporter, the first season alone has a production price tag coming in at $465 million.
Marvel is plodding along continuing their lucrative vortex that is the MCU, constantly
spitting out all sorts of projects. Disney+ is offering a smattering of new Marvel-centric
shows in 2022, including "She-Hulk." Tatiana Maslany plays the role of Jennifer Walters,
a lawyer for metahumans who ultimately becomes She-Hulk. As part of Phase Four of the MCU,
"She-Hulk" Season 1 will come packed with 10 episodes.
Via Discussing Film, Kevin Feige shared that "She-Hulk" opts to take a bit of a different
tone from the traditional Marvel fair as it will lean heavier into the comedic side of
the Marvel world. "She-Hulk" fans will also see Mark Ruffalo reprise his role as Bruce Banner,
as well as Tim Roth returning as the Abomination, per The Hollywood Reporter.
For those who remember the earliest "Hulk" film in the MCU that originally starred Edward Norton
in this role, Roth played Emil Blonsky, who transformed into the sinister Abomination.
As is typical of Marvel productions, there's likely to be many cameos
and interactions with other MCU characters throughout the show,
as the creators behind Marvel productions are always throwing surprises at audiences.
"The Last of Us" is an ultra-popular PlayStation game developed by Naughty Dog.
The game has earned countless awards for not only its game mechanics, but the depth of the writing
and the journey of the game's lead characters. If any video game was made to be adapted into an
epic drama, it's "The Last of Us." HBO snapped up the property due to its enduring popularity,
and has cast Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in the lead roles of Joel Miller and Ellie.
The story centers around an apocalyptic Cordyceps fungal infection that slowly deteriorates its host
into a ravenous zombie-like monstrosity. Joel is a survivor in the post-apocalyptic landscape who is
tasked with delivering Ellie, a young girl, to an underground organization known as the Fireflies.
The scope of the game follows the bond that Joel and Ellie develop as
well as the revelations that occur along their cross-country adventure. The HBO series is sure
to offer up a raw portrayal of the game's themes and overall plot in pristine live-action glory.
With a Metacritic user score of 8.7 out of a possible 10,
"How I Met Your Mother" is one of the most popular modern sitcoms of all time. For comparison,
"Friends" has a score of 8.5 on the same site. Audiences apparently couldn't get enough of Ted
Mosby telling his children the story of — you guessed it — how he met their mother.
Quite possibly one of the longest stories a father ever told his children about anything,
"How I Met Your Mother" went on to inspire memes, parodies, and pop culture at large.
In 2022, the show receives a spiritual successor in the form of "How I Met Your
Father." Hilary Duff stars as a young Sophie while Kim Cattrall appears as her grown-up counterpart,
once again telling the fabled story of how she met their father to her children.
Like "How I Met Your Mother," the new series follows a group of close friends as they come
into their own as young adults and figure out what they want most out of life. If the show is
anything like its predecessor, there'll be plenty of hijinks, hilarity, and quotable lines
along the way. In the immortal words of Barney Stinson, when the show hits Hulu on January 18:
"It's going to be legen – wait for it – dary! Legendary!"
The ending of "Game of Thrones" was met with weeping and wailing from certain fans. The
show's harshest critics cited a distinct lack of character development and an apparent rush in
narrative structure just to abruptly arrive at the show's ham-fisted final curtain call. Some fans,
however, wished it would simply have continued far beyond the eighth season. Whatever side of
the fence you sit on, perhaps, you're willing to give the brand another shot? The series undeniably
captivated the globe and became one of the most watched high-fantasy epics in television history.
Now HBO hopes those viewers are ready to return for the prequel series "House of the Dragon."
The 2022 series is specifically based on George R. R. Martin's novel "Fire & Blood," which details
the history of Westeros two centuries before the events of "Game of Thrones." House Targaryen's
is central to the plot as the series covers their downfall as one of the royal families
in Westeros. The cast is entirely new, though some of the characters may have been
referenced during the "Game of Thrones" narrative from a historical standpoint.
Ultimately, the family known for its ties and interactions with dragons is
certain to entertain in a wildly dramatic and bloody fashion as fans have come to expect.
Oscar Isaac makes his grand entrance into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the debut of
the hero Moon Knight in his own 2022 Disney+ series. Once again, Marvel is plunging deep
into its pantheon of characters that might be lesser known to the general populace.
Marc Spector is the identity behind the hero who suffers from dissociative identity disorder. As a
former marine and CIA operative, he is well versed in the art of combat and strategy. But the comic
book realization of the character often depicts him attempting to embrace the moral high ground.
DC and Marvel have finally begun breaking ground
into the realm of live action diversity. Depicting a hero with a mental illness
is another drop in the bucket engaging audiences who can relate with the struggle.
The driving force behind his superhero identity is the Egyptian moon god Khonshu. But ultimately,
the character's abilities are all grounded in his life experiences as a combatant in armed conflict.
The show is sure to offer a fresh take on the superhero genre with DID being a focal point,
and the series promises a lot of action just by the very nature of the character.
One of the biggest video game franchises of all time, "Halo" is set to make its live action
debut on the Paramount+ streaming service in 2022. Fans will be able to sit back and watch
a cinematic retelling of the conflict between humankind and the alien collective known as
the Covenant. Pablo Schreiber from "The Wire" will portray the man behind the iconic armor,
Master Chief Petty Officer John-117. The Spartan soldier leads the charge against the
alien threat and will likely be a driving force in the upcoming live-action series.
Ardent "Halo" connoisseurs will likely take note that the voice behind Cortana in the game series,
Jen Taylor, is reprising her role for the show, according to IGN. Live-action video
game adaptations have often proved to be critical failures or, at the least,
divisive. Only time will tell whether "Halo" proves to be as impactful as its source material.
Hot off the heels of "The Witcher" Season 2, Netflix plans to satiate fans' desire
for more rather quickly compared to the lengthy two-year gap between Season 1 and 2.
“It’s not too late.”
This time, however, audiences will be transported more than a thousand
years into the past with "The Witcher: Blood Origin." With Geralt’s adventures
on hold between seasons, "Blood Origin" will portray the first Witcher ever created.
In fact, speaking with Entertainment Weekly, "Blood Origins" showrunner Lauren Hissrich
said that the prequel will flip the script on the perception that
humans brought civilization to the elves. She added that the events of the six-part
series will shape some of the major arcs for characters in Season 3 of "The Witcher."
The first teaser for "Blood Origin" debuted during the credits of the "The Witcher" Season 2 finale,
and it let audiences know that the setting and action they've come to love
remains intact for the prequel. The miniseries is set to release on the streaming service in 2022.
With a steady stream of new Marvel properties hitting Disney's streaming service in 2022,
it's high time that Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury made a return to the spotlight.
In "Secret Invasion," Nick Fury will return alongside Ben Mendelsohn's Talos and Cobie
Smulders’ Maria Hill. The last time we saw Nick Fury, he was working with the Skrulls off-world.
Talos had shapeshifted and played the role of the former S.H.I.E.L.D. director
to aid Peter Parker in his fight against Mysterio in "Spider-man: Far From Home."
While the Skrulls are seemingly allies in the MCU, the comic book storyline by the same name
depicts the shapeshifting aliens capturing and replacing many superheroes on Earth,
hence the title "Secret Invasion." Throughout the series, it comes as a shock and surprise
finding out which characters are not truly themselves. The six-part series is sure to
garner a lot of interest once it hits Disney's streaming service in 2022.
It's time for the legendary Jedi Knight to receive a bit of attention in the age
of streaming services. Ever since "Star Wars" fans understood that there was a
lengthy gap in Obi-Wan Kenobi’s life missing from the big screen, there were always going
to be opportunities to tell more stories featuring Anakin Skywalker's former mentor.
With Ewan McGregor back in the role, fans are now primed to see a return of one of the most
beloved Jedi warriors in "Star Wars" history. They might even learn how
Obi-Wan kept Luke's identity and presence from the Empire concealed all those years.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi" will also see another famous "Star Wars" actor reprise a former role.
Hayden Christensen will return as Darth Vader.
How much of Christensen's face we will actually see is unknown, however.
“This is the end for you, my master.”
"Obi-Wan Kenobi" is set ten years after the third installment of the prequel series,
"Revenge of the Sith," which portrayed Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader once and for all.
So it stands to reason that much of Christensen's performance could be hidden behind his character's
iconic helmet. Regardless, "Obi-Wan Kenobi" is sure to please anxious "Star Wars" fans in 2022.
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