News

The morning starts with sad news - not only for Dragon Ball fans, but for the whole manga fan community worldwide. Akira Toriyama, mangaka, Dragon Ball creator and source of inspiration for many, passed away on March 1st at the age of 68.

We bow down before one of the greatest artists of our time 🧡🙏.

Time flies, guys, doesn't it?. On Sunday, it will be 20 years that Zack Snyder's »Dawn of the Dead« celebrated its world premiere in Los Angeles. There are many negative examples of bad remakes of classic films, which means that remakes have a rather dubious image, especially in the horror genre. So what about »Dawn of the Dead«?

The original by George A. Romero from 1978 is rightly considered the great classic of the zombie genre alongside his film »Night of the Living Dead«. And Romero is hailed as the inventor of the zombie horror sub-genre. Although there had been films with zombies before, starting with »White Zombie« from 1932 with Bela Lugosi in the lead role, the pre-Romero zombies were always victims of some kind of voodoo magic. The Romero films are remembered not least because he always managed to incorporate socially critical subtext into the movies, from criticism of the Vietnam War in »Night of the Living Dead« to criticism of consumer society in »Dawn of the Dead«. With its success, the film then triggered a whole wave of horror movies. In particular, the Italian productions of the early 80's by Lucio Fulci & Co. were not very squeamish, and so not very compatible with the masses taste but rather good for gore hounds. In relation to the mainstream, the zombie sub-genre ended up in a dirty corner, which of course also affected Romero's social satire.

In the early 2000's, zombies were still considered box office poison and at the same time, Romero's film was something of a sacred cow among die-hard fans. The fact that the former music video director Zack Snyder and his screenwriter James Gunn chose »Dawn of the Dead« for a remake showed that they weren't exactly suffering from a lack of self-confidence. But that could only go wrong ... right?

We think Zack did a good job! The larger budget is good for the film. And if we're honest, with all due respect, the grey-painted, skulking zombies of the original don't seem very threatening from today's perspective and are sometimes unintentionally goofy. Snyder's version therefore is one of the praiseworthy exceptions and represents one of the few truly successful remakes. The term remake isn't entirely correct either, because apart from the shopping mall as a location and the cameos of three actors from the original in other roles (Tom Savini, Scott H. Reiniger and Ken Foree), as well as a few scenic quotes and Easter eggs, there are hardly any similarities between the films. Fun fact: Ken Foree, as a television preacher, recites the famous tagline from the original: “When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth!”

Although Snyder's film lacks Romero's socially critical touch, it is simply exciting and entertaining and hits the accelerator straight away. When designing his undead, Snyder doesn't take Romero's creeping zombies as a model, but rather takes his cue from the infected from »28 Days Later«, Danny Boyle's 2002 plague horror film.

A good two and a half weeks after »Dawn of the Dead«, »Shaun of the Dead« by Edgar Wright celebrated its premiere in London on March 29th 2024. The comedy was seen as a homage to the genre created by Romero. Both films together were something like a rejuvenation treatment for the ailing genre and brought it out of obscurity. And it's no coincidence that George A. Romero was able to direct »Land of the Dead« in 2005 with a budget that was quite generous for his standards. By the way, Romero thanked Edgar Wright and his leading actor Simon Pegg by including them in a cameo as photo booth zombies in his film. Great gesture!

Another five years later, the undead made their way into the flicker box with »The Walking Dead« and had finally arrived in the mainstream.

We are totally in the mood for some zombie flicks now and we of course congratulate especially Zack Snyder for the 20th birthday of his »Dawn of the Dead«!

Starting today, you can stream the eight episodes of Guy Ritchie's series »The Gentlemen« on Netflix.

Eddie Halstead (Theo James) unexpectedly inherits aristocratic title and estates from his father and is then astonished to discover that there, or rather underneath, lies a drug empire and a gigantic cannabis plantation. Of course the syndicate has no plans to leave Eddie's family home. He tries to beat the gangsters at his own game and enjoys the dirty work.

The series is loosely based on the 2019 Guy Ritchie film of the same name, but features a completely new cast. The master himself directed the first two episodes. The series presents us with a “best of” what we love about Guy Ritchie gangster films: bizarre characters, crazy costumes, even crazier complications, a firework of rapid-fire dialogue, fast pace, lots of action and evil wit 😈.

If we believe the first reviews, after a lot of tiring and forgettable pure content productions, Netflix has finally landed a real series hit. To warm you up, here's the trailer again:
https://youtu.be/wyEOwHrpZH4

This summer, we will get a new interpretation of »The Crow« with Bill Skarsgård as Eric Draven and FKA twigs as Shelly Webster. Last week, Vanity Fair released three pictures of the upcoming movie:
https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/first-look-the-crow-flies-again-with-bill-skarsgard-and-fka-twigs

As expected the movie community wasn't too happy with the impression they got by the shown pictures. In other words: The feedback was devastating. This has to do with the emotional impact the original »The Crow« movie had on its fanbase. Melancholy, dark aesthetics and Brandon Lee, who died under tragic circumstances. The 90's movie had all the necessary ingredients for a cult classic.

Director Rupert Sanders (»Snow White and the Huntsman«, »Ghost in the Shell«) knows about the sensitivities of the die hard fans. And so he always mentions that his movie isn't just a remake of the original one, but a new interpreation of the original »The Crow« comic books by artist James O’Barr. If this statement will help to calm down the crowd, needs to be proofed. It also doesn't help that the director's previous movies aren't giving hope that »The Crow« will be a masterpiece. What do you think about the upcoming new »The Crow« interpreation? Will Bill Skarsgård be a worthy Eric Draven?

All passionate DC fans of course have it on their radar: A new interpretation of the Man of Steel awaits you next year. James Gunn, the Co-CEO of DC Studios, recently announced the production start of the superhero movie. Previously, the title was »Superman: Legacy«, but now Gunn decided to simply name it »Superman«.

Not much is known so far about the plot of »Superman«, which will be released in July 2025. It won't be about his origin story, Gunn and his fellow Co-CEO Peter Safran already told. After all, they want to launch the new DC Universe with this movie. David Corenswet, who's known for his role in the Netflix series »The Politician«, will be starring as Superman. At his side we will see Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. Nicholas Hoult plays Lex Luthor.

We're looking forward to the new adaption of »Superman« under James Gunn 🤩.

Attention, deal hunters: In our PRIME 1 SALE we are currently offering high-class collectibles with discounts of up to 80 % 🤩! Throughout the whole month of March you can grab premium statues from this manufacturer in our shop.

Just check out our sales category - we have awesome pieces in different scales from Marvel and DC, Lord of the Rings and Jurassic Park to anime and gaming on offer:
space-figuren.de/sale

Poor Mr. Frodo! Not only does he have to carry the load of the One Ring, no - in March 2024, he also has the burden, or let's say the honor, to shine as our 💥 product of month 💥.

More than 20 years after the release of »Lord of the Rings« trilogy, the enthusiasm of us hard-core fans and collectors is still unbroken. When it comes to collectibles from Middle-earth, the focus usually is straight on New Zealand. That's where the artists of Weta Workshop delivered us the beautifully crafted Frodo Baggins »Ringbearer« statue in 1:6 scale this month.

With this collectible, Weta dove into one of the most emotional scenes from »The Fellowship of the Ring«. The battle at Amon Hen came to an end and Frodo separated from his companions to make his way towards Mordor. At the riverbank of Anduin, the hobbit made a stop to reflect and think of the conversation he had had with his presumed dead friend Gandalf ...

We are getting pure goosebumps when both watching this movie scene and looking at this statue! Frodo's desperate look, the One Ring on the necklace in his palm, the Elven Leaf brooch on his cape - this collectible is touching. Compliments to Weta and thanks for this enrichment of any »Lord of the Rings« collection!

Today Netflix has a surprise in store for you. Most people know Adam Sandler as an actor with a special sense of humour and a tendency towards weird stories. But this time, you can see him in a more serious environment: up in space!

The movie »Spaceman« is based on the novel of the same name and is about the astronaut Jakub, who has started a solitary research mission six months ago. At the edge of the solar system he has to deal not just with loneliness, but with the uncertainty of whether his wife Lenka is still waiting for his return. A spider-like creature called Hanuš helps him fight his doubts.

If you’ve never seen Adam Sandler in a serious role before, you should watch the official trailer:
https://youtu.be/rNZ0xKaCdus

And the title alone is a reason to watch the film, right ;)?

In February, we can present another episode of 🚀 ABGESPACED 🚀 to you! In this video, Sven and Eva show you a colorful mix of amazing collectibles, from »The Lord of the Rings« and »Star Wars« to MOTU, »Stranger Things« and many more exciting topics 😁.

We also have really cool stuff for you in the other categories. You can look forward to 3 first looks, 3 wonderful postcards, a great goodie, interesting news and trailers and, most of all, our product of the month, the impressive 1/4 Kurt Cobain Superb Scale Statue by Blitzway 🎸. Check it out - now on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/EarMLqHlX54

Yesterday Warner Bros. Pictures released the first long (3:15 minutes!) trailer for »Horizon: An American Saga«, the epic chronicle about the settlement of the American West by and with Kevin Costner. »Horizon« is intended to be a big hit and will span four films. The first part is expected to start in the USA on June 28th. Part 2 is scheduled to hit theaters on August 16th. Unfortunately, in our country we have to wait a little longer for the epic. Part 1 is scheduled to start on August 22nd and part 2 will follow on November 7th. Parts 3 and 4 probably depend largely on the success of the first two films.

Costner has proven in the past that he has a knack for westerns with films like »Dances with Wolves« and »Open Range« and he has stood for the "Westerner" on screen like no other since the 1990s, be it in his own films, or be it as »Wyatt Earp« or in shows such as »Hatfields & McCoys« and most recently in the neo-Western series »Yellowstone«, which he left, incidentally, to realize his passion project »Horizon: An American Saga«.

The trailer is, in a word, HUGE - accompanied by a musical theme that screams EPIC with every note and manages to give you goosebumps. This could become a modern classic of western cinema. See for yourself:
https://youtu.be/YYsReoZMj1k

Finally the time has come! After a postponement due to the writers' and actors' strikes in Hollywood, »Dune: Part Two« is finally coming to cinemas tomorrow, four months late. The six-time Oscar-winning first part of Denis Villeneuve's epic based on Frank Herbert's novel only had one drawback, and that was the abrupt end. Trapped in the world of the desert planet, we all naturally wanted to stay there and immediately experience how the story continues. Now the wait is over and we are traveling again to the fantastic and unique world of »Dune«.

We are also very much looking forward to the hand-picked cast with stars such as Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgård and Charlotte Rampling.

Before going to the cinema (and you should definitely see this masterpiece there), it of course makes sense to refresh your memory and revisit »Dune: Part One«. The film is even being shown as a double feature in some cities. What a feast! For us in the small village, who unfortunately don't have this option, streaming will have to do. The first part can currently be viewed on Netflix.

We'll go to the cinema well prepared because we're sure that film history will be written as of tomorrow! Here's the visually stunning trailer again:
https://youtu.be/U2Qp5pL3ovA

The list of notable collectibles from the films is guaranteed to grow even longer in the next few weeks and months. Check back every now and then:
https://www.space-figuren.de/dune

»Shōgun« is a novel written in 1975 by James Clavell that takes us to feudal Japan in the year 1600. Those of you who are a little older may still remember the five-part series adaptation of the same name from 1980 with Richard Chamberlain (»The Thorn Birds«) in the role of the navigator John Blackthorne, who was stranded in Japan, and Toshirō Mifune (»Seven Samurai«) as Yoshi Toranaga.

Today a new adaptation starts streaming on Disney+, the 10-part miniseries »Shōgun« from the channel FX. This time, Cosmo Jarvis (»Lady Macbeth«) takes on the role of John Blackthorne. Toranaga is played by Hiroyuki Sanada (»The Last Samurai«).

The fictional story definitely has historical precedents, by the way. John Blackthorne refers to William Adams, who came to Japan in 1600 on a Dutch trading expedition. The role models for the lords Toranaga and Ishido are Tokugawa Ieyasu and Ishida Mitsunari.

The trailers give us hope for an epic adventure story. And even the credible Samurai themed channels on YouTube are all enthusiastic about what we’ve been shown so far. It all looks and sounds very promising! The episodes are broadcast weekly. To get you in the mood, here are the trailers:
https://youtu.be/yAN5uspO_hk
https://youtu.be/HIs9x49DK7I

And while we're on the subject of samurai: Don't miss out on the great Toshirō Mifune 1/6 scale figures from Kaustic Plastik!
https://www.space-figuren.de/Kaustic-Plastik:.:166.html?filter%5B2%5D%5B0%5D=1188

Arigatō!

Attention, »Demon Slayer« fans! As of today, we can finally watch the new film about Tanjirō, Nezuko and the Demon Slayers, at least partly.

»Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - To the Hashira Training«, the newest offshoot of the »Kimetsu no Yaiba« franchise, comprises a part of the already aired »Swordsmith Village Arc« as well as a part of the next chapter, the »Hashira Training Arc«, in which the Demon Slayers will go through a special training to prepare for the impending fight against Muzan Kibutsuji.

We can’t wait to see how the story continues and whether the training will pay off.

How excited are you for the next chapter?

The AMC series »The Walking Dead« first aired in 2010 and finally anchored zombies in the mainstream. The series had a total of 11 seasons and 177 episodes. The first series offshoot, »Fear the Walking Dead«, followed in 2015, which ran for 8 seasons and 113 episodes. With »The Walking Dead: World Beyond« a third series launched in 2020. However, it was not very successful and ended after 2 seasons and 20 episodes.

The big hype about the walking dead declined over time. But when the original series ended in 2022, it was far from over and ,like the roaming zombies, the »The Walking Dead« universe just can't be killed.

Currently, the sixth spin-off »The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live«, is starting to air/stream. Before that, there was a 6-episode anthology series »Tales of the Walking Dead« which aired in 2022. Two other series focused on individual characters from the main series. »The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon« follows Daryl, who ends up in France. And »The Walking Dead: Dead City« continues the story of Negan and Maggie.

»The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live« now brings us back Rick Grimes, who we lost in season 9. And after the 10 years that have passed since his disappearance, he is reunited with Michonne.

Like the other three most recent offshoots of the »The Walking Dead« world, »The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live« is available for streaming on Magenta TV. The current IMDb score is a fantastic 9.3, which shows us that quite a few people were looking forward to the long-announced return of Rick & Michonne. Here is the trailer:
https://youtu.be/CSiSA-D207o

Did you stay tuned or did the »The Walking Dead« universe lose you at some point?

»Lisa Frankenstein« is hitting cinemas right now - a coming-of-age love story between a high school student and an accidentally reanimated Victorian corpse. The story is set in the late 1980s. The script comes from Diablo Cody, who wrote a modern classic with »Juno« and made a contribution to the horror genre that was only recognized relatively late with »Jennifer's Body«. The horror-savvy Zelda Williams, daughter of Robin Williams, makes her feature film directorial debut.

Film reviews often reveal a tendency that helps us assess a film and decide whether it’s worth watching or whether it’s better to avoid it. However, opinions differ when it comes to »Lisa Frankenstein«. Exuberantly good reviews and bad reviews are roughly balanced. Quite a few supporters are already celebrating it as a future cult film, while the opposing faction considers it, in the worst case, a waste of time and advises that it would be better to look at the film's godfathers like »Weird Science«, »Edward Scissorhands«, »Fido« or »Warm Bodies«.

So we have no choice but to see for ourselves when we go to the cinema to satisfy our curiosity. Please let us know how you liked the film. Maybe the trailer can help you decide as well:
https://youtu.be/POOeA3zCuUY

After weeks of speculation, we finally got our answer yesterday: the long awaited DLC »Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree« will be released on the 21st of June.

With this announcement, we were also served a first, very epic trailer by Bandai Namco and FromSoftware:
https://youtu.be/qLZenOn7WUo

This made us really hyped for this game again and we can hardly wait for the release. How about you?

We’d like to present to you three shows that are starting to stream right now.

The 8-part miniseries »Constellation« starts today on Apple TV+ with the first three episodes. When the trailer was released three weeks ago, we immediately marked the series in our calendar:
https://youtu.be/4dAaLbsQSzI

This is the premise: NASA astronaut Jo Ericsson, played by Noomi Rapace, is the only survivor of a devastating catastrophe on board the ISS space station. Back on earth, she suffers from memory gaps and delusions. She also remembers past events differently than her daughter. What is reality? Is there even a conspiracy?

Noomi Rapace has already gained experience playing an astronaut in »Prometheus«. Her place on a cast list is always a reason to tune in. Jonathan Banks, who we all remember well as Mike Ehrmantraut in »Breaking Bad« and »Better Call Saul«, also plays a leading role as a scientist and mission leader.

We expect that Apple TV+ will once again meet their own high standards and provide us with an exciting slowburn mystery story.

By the way, a large part of the series was filmed in Germany! 

The first episodes of the third and final season of “Star Wars: The Bad Batch” can also be seen on Disney+ as of today. The animated series, which is an offshoot of the show "Star Wars: The Clone Wars", takes place immediately after the Clone Wars and tells the story of the so-called Bad Batch - a group of clone troopers who have acquired special abilities through genetic mutations.

After the events of the previous seasons, the unit is split and the members around Sergeant Hunter, Crosshair and Co. have to defend themselves against threats from all sides in order to reunite the group with the clone girl Omega and fight against the Empire.

We're excited to see how Dave Filoni will finish the story about the Bad Batch. You can stream the first three episodes as of today. The remaining episodes will then appear weekly on Disney+. Here’s a little appetizer:
https://youtu.be/Oa5zeHdSwdQ

With the streaming start of »Avatar: The Last Airbender« on Netflix, the battle against the Fire Nation goes to the next round. As of tomorrow, you can watch Avatar Aang and his friends on the streaming platform.

The trailer promises an epic presentation:
https://youtu.be/ByAn8DF8Ykk

Near the southern Water Tribe the siblings Katara and Sokka discover a 12-year-old boy in the ice. He's not just the last airbender, but also the missing Avatar. After a hundred years the Fire Nation already has burned some parts of the world to ashes. Now it's Aang's turn to restore the harmony of the four elements. But first he has to learn how to bend them.

The animated series of the same name by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko first aired in 2005 on Nickelodeon before it was replaced by »The Legend of Korra« in 2012. Before that, the live action adaptation »The Last Airbender« hit theaters in 2010, which earned a lot of bad reviews. That’s why fans are hoping for a comeback that will honor the work of DiMartino and Konietzko. We're looking forward to it!

Of course, we have some figures and statues of the cartoon heroes for you in store:
https://www.space-figuren.de/Animes-Mangas/Avatar-The-Last-Airbender:::4685_4805.html?language=en

Musician biopics have been popular for several years now. »Bob Marley: One Love« only opened in cinemas last week. This weekend, Studiocanal presented the trailer for the story of Amy Winehouse in »Back to Black«. The film is expected to open in cinemas this April.

https://youtu.be/rYzIOBwyhIU

What a voice! What talent! And a life that ended far too early, marked by psychological problems, drugs and alcohol addiction. Her star burned brightly for eight years before she died of alcohol poisoning on July 23, 2011 in the London district of Camden at the age of just 27, becoming another prominent member of the Club 27 after Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain.

What remains is her incredible presence and voice. We hope director Sam Taylor-Johnson (»Fifty Shades Of Grey«) and leading actress Marisa Abela (»Industry«) will be able to capture the magic of Amy Winehouse on the silver screen.

»Barbie« is the most successful film of 2023. The flick is nominated for an Oscar for best picture as well as in seven other categories. However, director Greta Gerwig and leading actress Margot Robbie came away empty-handed.

If you missed the big "Barbenheimer hype" in the summer, you can catch up with Barbie now, provided you have a Sky or WOW subscription. The film can be streamed there as of today.

As very toy-oriented contemporaries, we particularly enjoyed the loving recreation of the Barbie world, such as the off-scale pink Corvette, various play sets, Weird Barbie and many a creative derailment from the long history of the Mattel toy.