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‘Jurassic World’ VelociCoaster To Open at Universal Orlando Resort This June

In December, Universal Orlando had revealed the first look at their epic new roller coaster coming to Universal’s Island Adventures. For over a year, fans waited eagerly with bated breath as the VelociCoaster took its shape in the Jurassic Park section of Island Adventures. Now the wait is finally over. The Jurassic World VelociCoaster will open at Universal Orlando Resort on June 10.

The VelociCoaster was designed by the Universal creative team in partnership with Universal Pictures filmmakers and Amblin Entertainment. The new coaster will be the first coaster in the world based on the Jurassic World franchise and will expand on the story of the films. This new species of roller coaster will catapult thrill-seekers up to 70 miles an hour and up to 150 feet in the air, as they join alongside a pack of Velociraptors on a hunt. Riders will be flying across 4,700 feet of tracks with 12 seconds of air time with heart-stopping launches and close calls with only a lap bar to restrain them in their car.

You can find more information on Universal Orlando Resorts’ newest roller-coaster and everything else the park has to offer by visiting the park’s official website.

Netflix Reveals Epic Action-Packed ‘Jupiter’s Legacy’ Trailer

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Netflix has released the trailer for its upcoming superhero series Jupiter’s Legacy!

Based on the comic series by Mark Millar and Frank Quitely, Jupiter’s Legacy follows a group of teenagers in the height of the Great Depression who visit an island in the Pacific where they receive superpowers. Upon returning home to the United States, they see so much despair. So, naturally, they use their powers for good and officially take on the role of superheroes. Now, the heroes are the revered elder guard passing the torch onto their kids who have big shoes to fill to live up to their parents.

Jupiter’s Legacy stars Josh Duhamel as The Utopian, Ben Daniels as Brain-Wave, Leslie Bibb as Lady Liberty, Andrew Horton as Brandon Sampson, Elena Kampouris as Chloe Sampson, Matt Lanter as Skyfox, Mike Wade as The Flare, Ian Quinlan as Hutch, Anna Akana as Raikou, and Tyler Mane as Blackstar.

Jupiter’s Legacy releases May 7 on Netflix.

Interview: Marlon Espino Talks Composing Score for ‘Every Breath You Take’ and More! [EXCLUSIVE]

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Nerds and Beyond got the chance to sit down and speak with Marlon Espino, a composer whose credits include the likes of Moana, Planes, August Rush, The Lion King (2019), and Inheritance. We got to chat with Marlon about his work on his latest project, Every Breath You Take.

Every Breath You Take is a psychological thriller that follows psychiatrist Philip Clark (Casey Affleck), whose career is jeopardized when a patient of his involved in a controversial case study takes her own life following a tragedy in his own personal life. When he invites his patient’s surviving brother James (Sam Claflin) into his home to meet his wife, Grace (Michelle Monaghan), and daughter, Lucy (India Eisley), his life and family are suddenly thrown into turmoil, and Dr. Clark becomes fixated on finding and taking down the mysterious force that is tearing his family apart.

Without further ado, lets jump into our conversation with Marlon!

*This interview has been edited for clarity*

Nerds and Beyond: With credits like Moana and Planes, some of your best known work is in the animated-film industry, where songs are for the most part lighthearted. Did you find it difficult to transition into the darker territory of dramatic thrillers like Inheritance and Every Breath You Take, and how did you have to adapt your process and mindset when you shifted into a different genre of film?

Marlon Espino: Hi! Thanks so much for having me. This is such a great question. To transition between genres, it really has taken three things.

First, having a great collaborative team. The working environment with Vaughn Stein is inspiring, encouraging, thought-provoking, and moving. Vaughn is a captivating storyteller, and the greatest to work with. Also, my partnership with Mark Mancina, who has done it all! Watching and working with Mark on everything from Broadway musicals, action, animation, comedies, to video games and more has given me a trained foundation of flexibility. I’ve refined my capability to give each project its own attention, without carrying the process, the emotion from the prior film, which brings me to the next means of adapting to each genre.

I treat each project uniquely; the excitement from working collaboratively with artists, yielding a chance to explore new directions and new sounds, inspiring an audience to feel new emotions, or surprising the listener with something they haven’t heard before keeps me motivated and engaged in each unique project.

Lastly, my own personal musical background. I grew up in a musical family that was heavily influenced by Latin sounds. I played many different instruments in different capacities in my life. Approaching music for each film (or project) has come naturally, and in a way has been something I’ve done my whole life.

Nerds and Beyond: In tracks like “Betrayal,” you do a great job of gradually building tension as the song crescendos to its main peak. However, the culmination of the entire score seems to lie in “Discovery and Death,” which is also significantly longer than the other pieces and has a much more sinister tone. What do you believe makes this song the score’s pièce de résistance?

Marlon Espino: Another great question! The film does a great job of keeping you engaged while slowly unraveling. A nice slow burn. I tried to develop the themes and build on them just as the character development happened throughout the story. I went through the script and found the two moments where I felt the characters began and ended their journey. I wrote the end of the journey first and then worked backward so that it felt like the music was growing with each character. Earlier in the film, Vaughn and I wanted to explore themes of grief and tragedy. Once we were deep in the film around the “Discovery and Death” cue you mention, we were in full thriller territory. The music shifted from less subtle to sinister with the goal of trying to keep everyone on the edge of their seats.

Nerds and Beyond: The soundtrack for Every Breath You Take has an underlying ethereal quality in each and every song. How do you feel that the contrast between the drawn out deeper tones and lighter notes from instruments such as the flute work together to build a beautifully suspenseful sound for the movie?

Marlon Espino: Thank you for the kind words. There is a real atmospheric quality to the score. I wanted to be very careful not to lean on synths and electronic elements, which are the go-to when creating those types of sonic landscapes. I would process organic instruments such as cellos, vocals, woodwinds, and guitars to create drones and textures. So that made it much easier to blend with flutes and other more traditional instruments. All the textures and drones that would normally be electronic are being played by musicians, giving it a feel that, for me, is really special. I think it really helped keep the score organic and intimate, yet ethereal.

Nerds and Beyond: Which item on this track was your favorite to compose and why? 

Marlon Espino: Grace’s theme. Grace’s character, played by Michelle Monaghan, who gave an amazing performance, is at the center of the story. She is the grieving mother of a family in crisis and is trying to navigate through grief and tragedy. Personally, I experienced loss within my own family recently. While I am sure almost everyone can relate to the difficulties we have all faced in the past year or so, I felt a connection with Grace and her heartache. Writing Grace’s theme felt genuine, authentic, and real.

Nerds and Beyond: What was your favorite part about working on the score for Every Breath You Take?

Marlon Espino: My absolute favorite part of the process was developing the “sound” of the score. It was an opportunity to experiment with concepts until something stood out, unifying the picture, emotion, and story. Again, working closely on a collaborative team with such a talented force like Vaughn Stein is always inspiring, and producer Richard Barton Lewis, who has a wealth of experience, pushed the evolution of the score from our early ideas to its current state, which I am really thrilled with.

Nerds and Beyond: What elements in your everyday life and the world around you inspire and inform your music?

Marlon Espino: In the everyday! Sharing in the excitement of life with my family gives me a continual supply of inspiration. While, grief, tragedy, and loss (like the family in the film Every Breath You Take) are universal, savoring the everyday moments together (where most of our lives are lived) is where I take inspiration from the most.

Nerds and Beyond: Who do you believe has been your most influential mentor or role model, both in the music industry and in your personal life?

Marlon Espino: Again, the master, Mark Mancina. I’ve gotten to work closely with Mark for almost 15 years now. My partnership with him has given me a unique perspective, experience, and instinct on music within the industry.

Nerds and Beyond: Is there any particular project or even genre that you’ve always dreamed of working on?

Marlon Espino: Funnily, the thriller genre is a favorite of mine! Really, any project that can grab and surprise an audience! Thrillers (and exciting stories in general) lend creative freedom, and that’s where the excitement happens!

Nerds and Beyond: Growing up in such a musical family, with your grandmother playing piano and your father playing the sax and keyboard, must have undoubtedly influenced your love of music from a young age. Do you feel like any other significant factors, such as geographic location, have impacted your perception and interactions with music, and if so, how?

Marlon Espino: Absolutely! Geographic location is a big one, it gave me my voice. Having grown up in a small town in West Texas, I’ve found it has directly influenced my instrumentation, and how I play. I have a special connection with the sounds of West Texas, both explicit and implicit sounds. There is beauty in strong cultural connection and family, and for me, music is a part of that beauty.

Nerds and Beyond: And finally, I heard that you and your wife welcomed a new daughter into your life in 2018, congratulations! How do you feel that the concept of family, especially becoming a father, has influenced the way you perceive music as a whole?

Marlon Espino: Family is the greatest gift. It has definitely changed my perspective. Well, maybe not “changed” it, but more enriched my perception of music. I get to experience life through the eyes of my daughter and share in the excitement of living life with her. There is more depth to my life, and depth to my music.

A big thank you to Mr. Marlon Espino for taking the time to speak with us! You can check out the score for Every Breath You Take along with the movie itself now in select theaters and Premium VOD.

Ruth Connell Added To DarkLightCon Online 2

The second edition of the Supernatural virtual event organized by People Convention is taking place this weekend and our favorite Queen of Hell, Ruth Connell, has been added to the guest list.

Alongside Rob Benedict, Richard Speight, Jr., and Misha Collins, Ruth will appear on April 10, the first day of the event. The actress will participate in a meet-and-greet, one-on-one sessions, and a solo panel. She will also be part of a panel with Rob and Richard at the end of the day. Fans can also buy personalized videos from Ruth. Tickets for all activities are available here.

Rob Benedict will perform a concert on Saturday. Guests for Sunday, April 11 are Jim Beaver, Adam Fergus, and David Haydn-Jones. Tickets for their activities can also be purchased in the store.

You can read Ruth’s announcement here:

The schedule for the event is already available here. All activities are scheduled according to Paris time.

E3 To Return This June With Completely Free and Virtual Event

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The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) revealed today that E3 will return this year for a free all virtual event set to take place June 12-15.

E3 is a yearly event that showcases new and upcoming releases in video games and adjacent products. Along with the return announcement, Nintendo, Xbox, Capcom, Konami, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive, Warner Bros. Games, and Koch Media have already confirmed attendance with more to be announced at a later date.

Because the expo is completely virtual this year, that means there will be greater opportunities for people to participate. In a statement to the press, Stanley Pierre-Louis, President and CEO of the ESA, described the excitement for the reimagined event.

“We are evolving this year’s E3 into a more inclusive event, but will still look to excite the fans with major reveals and insider opportunities that make this event the indispensable center stage for video games.”

While this year’s event is virtual, they are still holding out hope that an in person expo will take place in 2022. For more information, head to the E3 Expo website.

The Legends Are (Almost) Back! The CW Reveals Season 6 Episode Titles for ‘DC’s Legends of Tomorrow’

Our favorite group of misfit superheroes are returning to our screens in less than a month for season 6 of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Ahead of the premiere, The CW has unveiled the episode titles for the first 13 episodes of the season.

The upcoming episodes will see three Arrowverse actors step behind the camera as directors, two of which also star in the show. Caity Lotz (Sara Lance) and Jes Macallan (Ava Sharpe) will direct episodes 5 and 11, respectively. David Ramsey, who played John Diggle in Arrow, will direct episode 8.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow will return on Sunday, May 2 at 8 p.m. ET, taking over Batwoman‘s time-slot (which will air at 9 p.m.). Check out the episode titles below!

#6.1 “Ground Control to Sara Lance”
Written by James Eagan & Mark Bruner, Directed by Kevin Mock

#6.2 “Meat: The Legends”
Written by Matthew Maala & Morgan Faust, Directed by Rachel Talalay

#6.3 “The Ex-Factor”
Written by Grainne Godfree & Tyron Carter, Directed by David Geddes

#6.4 “Bay of Squids”
Written by Phil Klemmer, Directed by Sudz Sutherland

#6.5 “The Satanist’s Apprentice”
Written Keto Shimizu and Ray Utarnachitt, Directed by Caity Lotz

#6.6 “Bishop’s Gambit”
Written by James Eagan & Emily Cheever, Directed by Kevin Mock

#6.7 “Back to the Finale Part II”
Written by Morgan Faust & Mark Bruner, Directed by Glen Winter

#6.8 “Stressed Western”
Written by Matthew Maala, Directed by David Ramsey

#6.9 “This is Gus”
Written by Tyron B. Carter, Directed by Eric Dean Seaton

#6.10 “Bad Blood”
Written by Grainee Godfree, Directed by Alexandra La Roche

#6.11 “The Final Frame”
Written by James Eagan and Ray Utarnachitt, Directed by Jes Macallan

#6.12 “Bored On Board Onboard”
Written by Keto Shimizu & Leah Poulliot, Directed by Harry Jierjian

#6.13 “Silence of the Sonograms”
Written by Phil Klemmer & Morgan Faust, Directed by Nico Sachse

Michael B. Jordan Seeks Revenge in Final Trailer for ‘Without Remorse’

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In just a few weeks, the new action-thriller Without Remorse will make its way to Amazon Prime Video, and the final trailer has been released.

When elite Navy SEAL John Clark’s pregnant wife if murdered, he sets out to seek justice for her. He eventually joins forces with a fellow SEAL and a CIA agent, and together the group unwittingly exposes a conspiracy that threatens to pull the United States and Russia into war. The movie stars Michael B. Jordan, Jodie Turner-Smith, Jamie Bell, and Guy Pearce. It was adapted from the Tom Clancy novel by Taylor Sheridan and Will Staples. Stefano Sollima directs.

The new trailer showcases more of what viewers can expect to see, boasting an action-packed and explosive movie. It also gives a greater look at the lengths John Clark (Jordan) is willing to go avenge his wife and complete his mission. Watch it below.

Without Remorse releases on Amazon Prime Video on April 30.

Recap: Zoey Turns 30 in ‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’ Season 2, Episode 8 “Zoey’s Extraordinary Birthday”

This week’s episode of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist was full of emotion, tension, and amazing songs including the show’s first ever original song! Centered on Zoey’s 30th birthday, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Birthday” is just that. Let’s jump right in!

Zoey’s 30th birthday week kicks off with a family dinner as Zoey talks to baby Miles and Maggie, David, and Emily cook a nice dinner. Zoey protests celebrating at all but Maggie reminds her 30 is a big birthday and Mitch would want them to have a huge party. Zoey agrees to a big party at Maggie’s house as David teases her about being able to even fill up a house with guests. She argues that she has lots of close friends, and the next morning at work she invites Alicia, the SPRQ Point receptionist who didn’t realize Zoey even knew her name to the Saturday night party.

Zoey then sets her sights on Simon and the two flirt a bit as she informs him of the party and he agrees to wipe his calendar of any world saving plans in favor of attending her party. Energized by the interaction (who wouldn’t be with Simon smiling at them like that), she proceeds to invite the entire fourth floor as well and everyone looks excited at the prospect. Tobin quickly asks the man to lady ratio (an important detail, obviously) and Zoey tells him it depends on how many women he invites, basically giving him free rein to invite whoever he wants. He takes it as a personal assignment. Zoey also announces that Danny Michael Davis wants the company to revamp their signature phone and is accepting pitches from everyone. She hopes that the winning design will come from engineering. Tobin questions how they can do this with Leif away at a conference, but McKenzie quickly says she’s got this. Competitive as ever, Tobin also sets to work in his own idea.

Meanwhile at MaxiMo, Mo talks with Perry the fire marshal about the newly installed fire alarm, “We’re newly committed to fire safety.” Perry tells Mo it looks great but didn’t require a visit from him, if Mo wanted to see Perry he should have just asked. Perry says he would say yes to a date as he leaves. Mo has quite a twinkle in his eye. Zoey arrives to fill Mo and Max in on her birthday party plans. As Max and Zoey chat, Rose arrives and Max rushes over to help with her coat. Max introduces them, but Zoey then gets to hear a duet heart song between Max and Rose, “Need You Tonight” by INXS with some very sexy choreography. Obviously a bit flustered, Zoey declines Max’s invite to join them for dinner. That evening at their building, Zoey unloads what she witnessed to Mo. She’s clearly bothered by it, and Mo points out that they haven’t actually discussed any rules on their relationship “pause.” Zoey is clearly thinking about others (Aidan and Simon) and so is Max, so Zoey agrees she and Max need to talk this out.

David and the band jam at Aidan’s garage and overshares that he and Emily have been… getting along much better at night since he joined the band. Aidan tells him he doesn’t need to share those details as the band takes a break. Aidan’s a little down and David insists he confide in him about his relationship troubles. Aidan says a girl ghosted him (hint: it’s Zoey) and he can’t get her out of his head. David encourages him to write a song about it, even providing a helping with lyrics “her hips, her lips, her fingertips.” He leaves Aidan to his writing.

Max arrives at Zoey’s for their “mature conversation” and he confesses he was thrown by her wanting to discuss it. Zoey tells him she heard him sing with Rose and Max gets defensive and upset that she once again knows everything about his emotions without him sharing it. She tries to explains she wants them to be on the same page with expectations involving other people prompting Max to ask who is in her world. Zoey confesses that she had a “flirty thing” with Aidan and has also started to have feelings for Simon and that’s the final straw for Max. He’s upset by everything and thanks her for trying to clarify their rules so she can run off with Simon. Zoey tell him that’s not what’s happening, but she can’t just stop talking to him to avoid hearing heart songs. He doesn’t know the answer either but tells her, “I’m so tired of storming out of fights with you, so I’m going to maturely walk away” and leaves.

Zoey arrives on Mo’s doorstep the next morning to inform him she’ll be cancelling the party. Mo begs her not to; he’s already invited the hot fire marshal to be his date but Zoey is persistent, sharing that she and Max fought. She’s upset and goes forward with the cancellation. At work, Tobin invites her to check out his and McKenzie’s pitch boards for their phone ideas: The Mega Phone and the Micro Phone. One guess which one is Tobin’s idea (hint: it’s the Mega Phone). She’s pre-coffee but Tobin keeps talking as they walk to the food bar and everyone starts to gather around. Simon shouts surprise and the Zoey Bar full of red and pink candies, cookies, and cakes is launched with everyone chanting “Zoey!” She’s speechless for a moment and thanks everyone (it was Simon’s idea), but she announces that she’s cancelling the party. To her shock everyone is upset. Simon asks her why but she doesn’t want to tell him it’s because of the fight with Max. She’s then treated to a heart song from Simon and the whole floor of “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” She’s so moved by it that she decides to have the party anyway and everyone is excited.

At Maggie’s, Maggie finds Zoey upstairs crying. She forgot earrings and found the pair Mitch got her for her 16th birthday. Maggie tells her that Mitch loved parties and she often stepped out of her comfort zone for him. Those moments turned out to be some of her favorite memories. With that pep talk, Zoey puts on the earrings and gets ready for her big bash.

Tobin and McKenzie arrive at the party together (do we smell a romance brewing?) arguing about their phone ideas. “It’s literally man spreading for your electronics,” McKenzie points out about Tobin’s massive phone idea. They hand their jackets off to David and Emily who are making out in the office. Mo shows the fire marshal around the house while he counts the number of exits, just as Zoey makes her way downstairs. Mo introduces Zoey to Perry and they head off to find drinks. Zoey turns to the doorway as Max arrives. She tells him she’s happy he came and asks if she can open her gift now. It’s personal, so they go upstairs where they can be alone. Max bought her a signed record display of “A Moment Like This,” their song. Zoey is touched and thanks him for the present. She doesn’t want to hold him back and tells him he should pursue Rose if that’s what he wants. Max also doesn’t want to get in the way of whatever Zoey wants.

Back downstairs, Zoey finds Simon who just arrived with Tatiana. She’s a flustered by this development and goes to find Mo, who is unsure how her date is going. Perry is playing it cool, almost too cool, so it’s hard to read. This, of course, is when Zoey hears a huge heart song number of “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer sung by Mo and Perry, Emily and David, and (surprisingly) McKenzie and Tobin. The end of the song is sung by Tatiana, though Simon noticeably doesn’t sing back. Zoey tells Mo he’s probably good to go with Perry after that number but is sad no one is singing to her. Maggie gives a toast and announces a surprise for Zoey. Aidan’s band is debuting a brand new song for her that is… about her. Aidan wrote a song all about Zoey and her “hips, lips, and fingertips.” Hilariously, David realizes this half way through and it’s clearly difficult for him to finish the song. Zoey’s not super thrilled at this development and gets everyone to cheer for the band.

Mo asks Perry if they should make their exit after the cake but Perry tells him he actually needs to leave now to go pick up something from his ex-husband. When Mo presses, Perry reveals that he has two children. He’s not interested in random hook ups and wants Mo to know all the facts. Perry tells Mo to think about it and call him later if he didn’t already scare Mo away. Meanwhile, Aidan finds Zoey to see if she liked the song. She has to tell him that there’s not going to be anything more than friendship between them. Aidan leaves just as everyone begins to sing “Happy Birthday,” but she interrupts it and proceeds to blow out the candles. People trickle out, Tatiana being one of them and Zoey’s confused why she’s leaving without Simon. She levels with her and asks if they have anything romantic going on and Tatiana tells her they are just friends and she thinks Simon might be into someone else (it’s Zoey). In the kitchen, David apologizes again for not realizing Aidan’s song was about Zoey and Emily agrees that he has to quit the band. Max graciously makes an exit as well, leaving Zoey and Simon alone in the kitchen where she tells him she’s happy he is still there. They nearly kiss before the crew come back in.

Early the next morning, Mo arrives with brownies for Zoey’s actual birthday. Mo shares that Perry has kids and Zoey jokes that he definitely go out of his comfort zone for the nice man who makes him giddy. David checks in with Maggie about the party and she confides that it was nice to bring life back into the house and wouldn’t mind hosting future get togethers for friends. At MaxiMo, Max and Rose go on another date while Mo and Perry visit at Mo’s apartment. Across the hallway, Simon and Zoey share a drink after dinner and Simon gives her a final birthday surprise: a cheesequake. She blows out the candle and Simon sings a beautiful rendition of “Into You” by Ariana Grande with sensual choreography from both Simon and Zoey. It’s obvious they are both into one another and after he sings, she pulls him in for a kiss.

Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist airs Sundays on NBC.

Andrew Garfield and Maya Hawke Grapple With Influencer Fame in ‘Mainstream’ Trailer

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IFC Films has released the trailer for Mainstream, its latest dark comedy directed by Gia Coppola that stars Andrew Garfield and Maya Hawke.

These days, social media is part of everyone’s daily lives, for better or for worse? That’s up to you to decide. The movie may be satirical, but there is truth in the overall message and how internet culture has morphed itself over the last decade.

The trailer sees Garfield take on the role of Link, a one-man vlogger who by Jake’s (Nat Wolff) standards, “promotes a lifestyle of doing and saying nothing.” When Frankie comes into the story, much like Link, she too feels as though she has no direction. After bumping into Link a few too many times, she uploads a video of him that goes viral that projects Jake, Frankie, and Link to new heights. Along the line a love triangle between Frankie and Link blossoms, which only makes their circumstances worse.

Mainstream also stars Kalena Yiaueki, Johnny Knoxville, and Jason Schwartzman.

Mainstream is set to open in theaters and On Demand starting May 7.

‘The Circle’ Releases New Season 2 Trailer

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The Circle is sliding back into our hearts soon.

On April 14, season 2 of the hit Netflix reality show will be released on the streaming platform. Eight new contestants are moving into the apartments the show provides in order to compete for $100,000.

The Circle follows the eight contestants and how they interact with a special social media app. There are different challenges and they have to communicate via DMs and group chats during the entire season to get through the challenges. There are even some surprise celebrity cameos, such as the appearance of NSYNC’s Lance Bass. Michelle Buteau (Always Be My Maybe) is returning to host the 13-episode season.

The first four episodes will be released on April 14 on Netflix.