Future Stories

Image: Frank Frazetta/Wizards of the Coast The cards of Magic: The Gathering have spent decades bringing horrifying monsters, incredible vistas, and mystical spells to vivid life, earning the game a veritable gallery rich with fantasy art . But now, the legendary card game is going to celebrate another equally legendary body of artwork . io9 has your first look at the next drop on Wizards of the Coasts’ Secret Lair site , a dedicated store for limited time special card collaborations between Magic: The Gathering and a wide range of others, including  Fortnite and Warhammer and artists such as Metal Gear icon Yoji Shinkawa and Junji Ito. Celebrating the work of sci-fi and fantasy maestro Frank Frazetta, the new drop will feature five cards reprinted with iconic pieces of classic Frazetta artwork , selections inspired by the original cards. Image: Frank Frazetta/Wizards of the Coast The five cards in the set include the white creature Field Marshal (which you can see abo...

Willow is back on Disney+ Image: Lucasfilm At least they aren’t going to Sauron it. Willow , the Disney+ series that’s the long-awaited follow-up to the 1988 George Lucas/Ron Howard film, is finally here and during the first episode, a mystery emerged . One fans have been thinking about for decades . What happened to Elora Danon? Elora Danon, of course, is the baby from the first Willow : a young girl prophecized to defeat the evil Queen and who Willow and his friends swear to protect. A baby who, at the end of the movie, is still a baby with a very mysterious, wide-open future. So when the show picks up 900 moons later, we don’t know who Elora grew up to and the first episode leans into that, offering up multiple options as to Elora’s identity. Showrunner Jon Kasdan and his team could’ve easily kept that mystery going all season like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power did with the identity of Sauron , but they do not. Which is most welcome. Then, with the simultaneous...

Keri Russell and the titular star of Cocaine Bear. Image: Universal You can look at the words “Cocaine Bear” and think you know what they mean . But until you’ve seen those words through the eyes of director Elizabeth Banks , you won’t truly be prepared for what they actually entail. Cocaine Bear is the title of a dark comedy from the Pitch Perfect 2 director that’s coming to theaters February 24. It is, in fact, about a bear that does cocaine—more specifically, it’s based on the true story of a real bear that gobbled up tons of drugs after encountering the aftermath of drug runner’s plane crash. But what would those drugs do to a bear? Could they just kill it? Would the bear get angry? Would it start talking and running after ambulances, flying through the air in slow motion? Who is to say? Find out for yourself in the absolutely bonkers trailer for Cocaine Bear. Cocaine Bear | Official Trailer [HD] Now, you may not be surprised to learn that despite Banks directing here, th...

Here is a three-hour talk on quantum computing and quantum theory reality and hype. Scott Aaronson is a professor of computer science at University of Texas at Austin and director of its Quantum Information Center. Previously he received his PhD at UC Berkeley and was a faculty member at MIT in Electrical Engineering and Computer ... Read more

Wicket in Return of the Jedi Screenshot: Lucasfilm While promoting his new Disney+ series , Willow , which brings back a beloved character he first played in the 1980s , star Warwick Davis was asked about another beloved character of his from that era, Return of the Jedi ’s Wicket the Ewok. Specifically: mockumentary Return of the Ewok , shot behind the scenes of the Star Wars film and never officially completed nor released. Speaking to Uproxx , Davis sounded enthusiastic about the idea of finally releasing the doc. Shot by Jedi assistant director David Tomblin, it follows the actor as a young teen, playing a fictionalized version of himself as he gets into character, and was apparently intended to be used for promotional purposes—sort of a precursor to the Blu-ray extras we’re so used to seeing today. But Davis also cautioned that it’s not as simple as him asking Lucasfilm to dig the footage out of storage and slapping it on Disney+. “I think the challenge with Return of the ...

Image: Orbit I devoured C.L. Clark’s The Unbroken last year—it was part of the sapphic trifecta that came out in 2021, which also included The Jasmine Throne (Tasha Suri) and She Who Became the Sun (Shelley Parker-Chan). So I am thrilled to be able to reveal not only the cover for the second book in the Magic of the Lost Trilogy, but an exclusive look at the first chapter . C.L. Clark’s The Faithless is going to be incredible, and I’m genuinely delighted to show off this emotionally devastating cover. The Faithless by C.L. Clark is about... The rebels have won, and the empire is withdrawing from Qazal. But undoing the tangled web that binds the two nations will not be easy, and Touraine and Luca will face their greatest challenge yet. Luca needs to oust her uncle from the Balladairan throne once and for all and take her rightful place as Queen. But he won’t let go of power so easily. When he calls for a “Trial of Competence” and Luca’s allies start disappearing from her ...

The Advent Calendar Image: Shudder You could spend every night of December watching a different Christmas horror movie —heck, there are almost enough Silent Night, Deadly Night entries to fill up an entire week by themselves!—but most of those would hail from America , with maybe a few British and Canadian entries tagging along. This yuletide season, why not dig a little deeper and watch some international films, too? Here are 10 holiday horror films from around the world (including dubbed and subtitled entries) to get you started. The Advent Calendar The Advent Calendar - Official Trailer [HD] | A Shudder Original This excellent 2021 French horror film follows a former dancer who becomes paralyzed after a car accident. To cheer her up, her best friend/frenemy brings her a traditional wooden Advent calendar, which soon reveals itself to be filled not with holiday cheer, but supernatural powers—tricky, nasty, but also maddeningly useful supernatural powers. Rare Exports: ...

Here is a link to my Twitter space on Tesla for 2023. The main presentation and discussion starts 10 minutes after the Twitter space starts. Yes, Tesla and markets are way down but Tesla is setting up for a very strong 2023. There are large boosts to Tesla profits from full self driving sofware, inflation ... Read more

Rainbow Road. Wow. Gif: Universal Even though a second trailer is now here, it’s still a little hard to fully fathom that this is real: Nintendo teamed up with Illumination and made a full-on animated Super Mario Bros . movie. And while the first trailer focused more on the franchise’s villain, Bowser, this one shifts to those lovable Italian plumbers, Mario and Luigi, and the many, many games they lead. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is coming April 7, 2023, and, yes, Chris Pratt is still voicing Mario . We hear a bit more of his controversial accent here, as well as more from his brother Luigi (Charlie Day), the rest of the cast, and many many links to all sorts of Mario games including Donkey Kong, Smash Bros. and yes, even Mario Kart . Check out the latest trailer. The Super Mario Bros. Movie | Official Trailer As you see at the end there, besides Pratt and Day, Anya Taylor-Joy is Peach, Jack Black is Bowser , Keegan-Michael Key is Toad, Seth Rogen is Donkey Kong, Fred Armi...

Screenshot: Disney I don’t know why the Muppets love Christmas so much, but they certainly do. Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and the extended Muppet cast of characters have made nearly a dozen holiday specials, along with a feature-length TV movie and a theatrical movie. That last one is The Muppet Christmas Carol , one of the best-loved adaptations of Charles Dickens’ tale of Ebenezer Scrooge ever made. But I want to talk about the TV movie, which isn’t nearly as famous… but a lot more infamous. It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie aired on NBC on November 29, 2002, or 20 years ago today. Much like The Muppet Christmas Carol , it’s a parody of/homage to another utterly beloved piece of holiday entertainment, namely the Frank Capra-directed, Jimmy Stewart-starring movie It’s a Wonderful Life . On paper, it makes all the sense in the world; the movie is about George Bailey, a man who’s going to lose his family’s Savings and Loan bank if he doesn’t have $8,000 by Christmas. ...

A crop of the poster for Willow. Image: Lucasfilm The original Willow film feels like the first act of a larger story . While it does end with the defeat of the evil Queen Bavmorda thanks to Willow and his friends , almost every other major character and storyline is left dangling. The whole film is predicated on this small child, Elora Danan, being the chosen one who’ll save the world . But in the end, she’s still a child. Did she ever live up to that potential? Is the prophecy true? And what of the brave protector, Willow Ufgood ? Did he become the sorcerer he always dreamed of being? Those are just two of the many, many stories original creators George Lucas and Ron Howard hoped to expand on after the film’s 1988 release. However, the burgeoning franchise to be never was... until now. This week, fans will finally return to the Willow universe and we asked the people behind the series which of those dangling storylines they were most excited to explore. “This was really abo...

Image: Far Horizons CoOp Two major tabletop conventions are happening this weekend: Dragonmeet in London and Pax Unplugged in Philadelphia, and if you’re going to either, I am very jealous and hope you have a wonderful time. So many of my favorites will be there; if you’re in the UK say “hi” to Rowan, Rook and Decard at Stall 41 and if you’re heading to PaxU, be sure to sign up for the Possum Creek Rime Gala!   Featured Designers: Far Horizons Co-Op The Far Horizons Co-Op (formerly San Jenaro) is a publishing group that centers creator ownership, profit sharing, and fair treatment of its writers, artists, editors, and anyone else who may be involved in game creation. The Co-Op has created Brinkwood , Friendship Effort Victory , and the Short Games Digest / Far Horizons Anthology series, as well as the Roleplayer’s Guide to Heists and the Far Horizons’ Guide to Cults. The Co-Op is made up of an international collective of creators who focus on education and support within...