News

Yesterday, Warner Bros. released the first trailer for »Wonka«. The film is based on the character of the same name from the children’s book classic »Charlie and the Chocolate Factory« by Roald Dahl which has already been adapted twice. In 1973, Gene Wilder played chocolatier Willy Wonka in Mel Stuart’s film. In 2005, Tim Burton took on directing and Johnny Depp played the eccentric candy manufacturer. In the prequel »Wonka« Timothée Chalamet puts on the top hat and plays the young Willy Wonka, who meets the Oompa-Loompas on a journey and takes up the fight with a powerful chocolate cartel. You can find the high-calorie trailer here:
https://youtu.be/otNh9bTjXWg

The trailer has an engaging, fairytale vibe. And director Paul King has already proven with the »Paddington« films that he has a knack for family entertainment. Of course, we also want to see Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa. In short, this seems like the perfect movie for this holiday season. The theatrical release is Mid-December.

We are also very excited to see whether there will be Wonka collectibles under the Christmas tree. So, dear manufacturers, who will grab the license? That would be a treat!

Are you ready for a holiday in this heat already 🥵? If not, our July postcard might just change that. It exudes a real summer feeling ☀️!

This super-cute motif was captured by Sammi aka Pika (@pikachus_adventures_photograph) from New Mexico who brought Pikachu to a self-made beach for the occasion. Of course, ice-cold drinks and sufficient sun protection are a must. This makes sandcastle building extra fun 🏖️🌴!

If you're a fan of Pokémon, Pikachu or even just Toy Photography, be sure to check out Sammi’s account!

And if you want this great postcard, all you have to do is order a package from us in the month of July 📦. So get yourself a nice cool down and then hit the keys!

Yesterday, the first trailer for »Napoleon« by master director Ridley Scott with Joaquin Phoenix in the role of the pugnacious Corsican was released. His queen of hearts, Josephine, is played by Vanessa Kirby (to be seen very soon in »Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One«). Here you can get a first impression:
https://youtu.be/OAZWXUkrjPc

That looks very high-class and promises huge battle scenes. The trailer awakens real »Gladiator« vibes for us and we’re looking forward to an epochal epic that bursts the screen. Legendary director Scott is just the right man for it and exceptional talent Joaquin Phoenix is always worth a visit to the cinema.

Sony is expected to bring the film to theaters in November. Since »Napoleon« was co-produced by Apple TV+, it will be available in the streaming provider's program some time after.

In 2013, James Wan awoke the haunted house genre from its slumber with »The Conjuring« and showed that cleverly used jump scares can also give you goosebumps. The story based on "true events" about the demonologists Lorraine and Ed Warren, embodied by Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, then also established, as is so popular these days, an entire cinematic universe that now sees the release of its 9th movie with »The Nun II«. Here's the trailer to set the mood:
https://youtu.be/QF-oyCwaArU

In addition to good and passable films, the franchise offered cash grabs and a few releases at which well-versed friends of the horror genre will probably only turn up their noses contemptuously. »The Nun« had a nice atmosphere here and there, but it's considered one of the weaker films in the series so our expectations of the sequel aren't exactly euphoric either. But let’s wait and see - »Annabelle: Creation« was also significantly better than »Annabelle«...

Whatever one's take on the »Conjurverse«, one has to concede that this series has created some highly recognizable creatures. Above all, the possessed doll Annabelle and the demon Valak, better known as the eponymous nun.

Of course, both have also inspired a whole range of collectibles:
https://www.space-figuren.de/products_all.php?filter%5B2%5D%5B0%5D=688

Have they found their way into your horror hall of fame?

Whenever a manufacturer plans to release a new collectible, producing a prototype is one of the first steps. This serves to coordinate with the licensor and usually also opens the pre-order phase at the same time. Of course, the company assigns its best people to making the prototypes or hires talented and sought-after freelancers for modeling and painting. After the final agreement with the licensor, taking into account any requests for changes, mass production follows based on the prototype. In this process, quality control is an important building block towards the final collectible. The big and well-known players in this game take this very seriously and so the mass product usually comes pretty close to the prototypes.

But there are also disappointments every now and then, where we look at the end result and ask ourselves: How was it possible to just wave this through? Was there no final quality control? 

On the other hand, we have also seen final products look even better than the previously shown prototypes, which may be due to improvements made during the process.

Prime 1 Studio and Blitzway keep their promises and can actually say "What you see is what you get." So far we have only been dissatisfied once when the final hairstyle of the Jimi Hendrix 1:6 figure unfortunately did not do justice to the work shown previously.

It is always commendable when manufacturers also show pictures of the final product at the end of production. Two days ago, Blitzway posted 10 prototype-to-final comparison photos of the announced ELLEN RIPLEY »Aliens« 1/4 scale statue, which was made in cooperation with Prime 1, on Facebook. Have a look:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=648124084005901&set=pcb.648124227339220

We think they are rightfully proud of their work and the pictures show that they needn't fear this comparison.

The images really make us want to see this fantastic statue of our favorite sci-fi heroine, due for release in the last quarter of the year. Here is the pre-order link: 
https://www.space-figuren.de/Movies/Alien/1-4-Scale-Ellen-Ripley-Ultimate-Premium-Masterline-Statue-Bonus-Version-Aliens::23402.html?language=en

Yesterday, Paramount Pictures released the second trailer for »Killers of the Flower Moon«. A new Martin Scorsese film is always an event. The impressive trailer also bears witness to this. We’ll go so far as to say this is going to be a modern classic!
https://youtu.be/nFoIg72KGIk

The trailer gets us excited right away. The epic camera work in every frame, a production design to die for and the grandiose set design bring a chapter of American history to life. The film is a true-crime story based on journalist David Grann's non-fiction book »Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI« about the murder of members of the Osage tribe under mysterious circumstances on the Osage County Reservation in Oklahoma in the 1920s after large oil deposits were discovered beneath their land.

This film unites some fantastic actors, led by Scorsese's regulars Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, as well as the already acclaimed Lily Gladstone and an illustrious cast of great supporting actors, including Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser and John Lithgow.

We'll keep guessing and say this will be one of the big favorites at the next Oscars. We are really looking forward to the film, which of course should be seen on the big screen. The three and a half hour epic is expected to be released in October. The film which is co-produced by Apple TV+ will then be available in the streaming provider's program, where we will be happy to watch it a second and third time.

There was surprising news for fans of anime and DC Comics this week, as Warner Bros. Japan announced a new anime series together with WIT Studio at the Anime Expo in LA: »Suicide Squad ISEKAI«! No specific plot details have been announced yet, but we can look forward to seeing the popular DC villains catapulted into an unknown fantasy world. The first teaser from DC looks really promising and the character design of Harley Quinn and the Joker is definitely convincing. The release date is not yet known but we are already excited!
https://youtu.be/XSaBR58f7I0

Other animation studios also used the Anime Expo in Los Angeles as an opportunity to announce new releases. MAPPA showed the official trailer for the last season’s finale of »Attack on Titan« in a joint panel with Crunchyroll. The final season was split into four parts, the first of which aired in 2020 and the third in March of this year. Now, in the fall, the fourth part entitled »Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 2« will complete the series after a decade. You can watch the epic trailer here:
https://youtu.be/8pEg8NrdL_Y

When we think of brawny action heroes of the 80s, the two big competitors, Arni and Sly, naturally come to mind.

In 1982 they competed against each other for the first time with »Conan the Barbarian« vs. »First Blood«. Both are now of retirement age. Sylvester Stallone, born in New York City in 1946, and the Austrian ex-bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger, born in 1947, have a lot in common recently besides muscles and action films. Lately both made their debut as the lead actors in a series - Sly with »Tulsa King« on Paramount+ and Arni in »Fubar« on Netflix where a three-part Schwarzenegger documentary started streaming last month as well. Now the streaming provider is teasing a retrospective documentary about Stallone and his career. You can get a first impression here:
https://youtu.be/5KJw3NRHMBs

Until the release, you will need some patience though, because the film won't be out until November. We are looking forward to it...

What? You don't remember Elvis Presley's »Aloha from Hawaii« concert? Well, to be fair, it was 50 years ago and most of us weren't even planned back then. But luckily we have Blitzway ...

... A manufacturer that takes its cultural education mission seriously and has brought us several pop culture icons in the form of collectibles. With the Elvis Aaron Presley Superb Hybrid statue in 1:4 scale, Blitzway pays homage to the King of Rock'n'Roll and shows him exactly as he stood on stage in 1973 in the Honolulu International Center Arena. The 1-hour concert was broadcast live via satellite to over 40 countries around the globe, which back then was a media sensation never seen before.

Once again, Blitzway makes history you can touch with great attention to detail. Reason enough for us to pick this statue as our Product of the Month July 2023.

Elvis wears his tailored »Aloha from Hawaii« American Eagle jumpsuit (with a flower necklace if you like) and comes with two heads: the authentic Elvis look from 1973 and a younger look if you want your Elvis to be even more hunky.

So It's Now or Never, Don't Be Cruel and jump into your Blue Suede Shoes because We can't help falling in Love (with this statue)!

Indiana Jones has been with us for most of our lives. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg took us on a journey of adventure and gave us many unforgettable hours. Harrison Ford in the title role as the archaeologist with fedora, leather jacket and whip became one of the great icons of cinema. It is said that some archaeological faculties even recorded an increase in enrollments. Whenever we sit together and talk about the films, we get excited. That’s why we’ve already had this day marked in our calendars for a long time, because »Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny« hits theaters today!

Harrison Ford is now 80 years old and the film is definitely his last Indiana Jones adventure. Composer John Williams delivers his congenial soundtrack for the last time as well. Despite all the anticipation for the film and the trust that we have in director James Mangold (»Walk the Line«, »Logan«), we have to admit that we were actually a bit scared. The fourth part of the series from 2008 had disappointed us at the time. Did we really need another Indiana Jones movie? And would this be a worthy farewell? 

The critics are largely unanimous: the film doesn't live up to the first three parts, but it offers good entertainment in addition to the inevitable nostalgia and you will definitely leave the cinema with a smile on your face. We are excited!

Just in time for the theatrical release, Hot Toys presents Indiana Jones as a 1:6 figure in a regular and a deluxe version with a diorama base that will be available for pre-order in the shop soon.

We shed a lot of sweat in the heated S.P.A.C.E studio to be able to present the new episode of 🚀 ABGESPACED 🚀 to you today. This time Sven invited Stefan (@lesgrohl) and chatted with him about the coolest new collectibles and the most exciting news from the film world 😄. And our guest also brought something very special, because this episode is about the highly detailed 1/6 figures from Inart among other things!

We have also unpacked two absolute highlights that will leave the Terminator fans among you speechless and on top of that we’ve got a postcard that will really put you in a summer mood, three first looks, new stickers and much more 🤩. So check it out!
https://youtu.be/rkXEafChAcg

20 years ago today, »Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl« premiered at Disneyland Resort, California.

The pirate film as a subgenre of adventure films has a long cinematic tradition. From the silent film era to the golden 50s, the genre was very successful. Stars such as Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn and Burt Lancaster always found their audience as daring pirates. At some point the hype died down. Attempts to revive it, such as Roman Polanski's »Pirates« with Walter Matthau (1986) or »Cutthroat Island« with Geena Davis (1995) flopped and pirates were considered box office poison from then on.

When producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski set out to make a pirate film based on a Disneyland theme park attraction, a lot of people surely shook their heads in disbelief. It couldn't possibly work!

But everything turned out quite differently because of Johnny Depp who created one of the great icons of modern cinema with his portrayal of Jack Sparrow... pardon... Captain Jack Sparrow. According to Depp, pirates were the rock stars of their time, and so he took Keith Richards as his model for the role of the stumbling, mumbling pirate who shouldn't be underestimated.

There are now five films, video games and also a number of merchandising items from LEGO to HOT TOYS. By the way, the Jack Sparrow figures from the 1:6 top dog are among our all time favorites in the figure world.

Of course we’re wondering how the franchise will continue. Will Johnny Depp take command of the Black Pearl again in a sixth installment in the film series? We can hardly imagine »Pirates of the Caribbean« without Jack Sparrow. Many rumors have been circulating in recent years. From a possible reboot of the series with Margot Robbie in the leading role to the possibility of Johnny Depp's return that can no longer be completely ruled out and a gigantic fee offer from the mouse company...

But we’ll have to just wait and see. For now, let’s raise a glass of rum and celebrate the 20th anniversary of »Pirates of the Caribbean«! Savvy?

On Thursday, »The Witcher« returns to the screens, one of the greatest fantasy sagas - but certainly with a bitter aftertaste for many fans, as the main actor Henry Cavill will leave the series after this third season.

According to showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich, this time the plot is based on the second novel in the Witcher saga by Andrzej Sapkowski. We're curious to see how faithfully it actually follows the book after the previous season deviated significantly from the source material.

This much is known: after the events and revelations of season 2, Geralt (Henry Cavill) has to hide his foster daughter Ciri (Freya Allan) from various factions who want to take her all into their power. And as Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) continues to teach her the art of magic, more and more monsters and enemies advance. The trailer and first released scenes are already revealing glimpses of epic battles that await us:
https://youtu.be/SzS8Ao0H6Co
https://youtu.be/2yYoPTzAN7g

The first five episodes will appear on Netflix in two days. After a break of several weeks, the remaining three episodes will follow on July 27th. We look forward to one last reunion with Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia.

A new NEXT LEVEL SHOWCASE from Prime 1 has been uploaded yesterday. Our jaws dropped more than once and buckets of drool dripped onto the carpet. It's really almost unbelievable which works of art the Japanese manufacturer is nonchalantly presenting to us once again.

In the Anime/Manga department, we really liked the Kenshiro & Yuria statue from »Fist of the North Star« and the three villains statue from »My Hero Academia«.

There was also total sensory overload at DC Comics. Our highlights are the great Poison Ivy, who, like many characters in the Throne Legacy series, gets her own personal throne. We were also amazed with Everybody's Darling Harley Quinn: »Harley Who Laughs« is a morbid masterpiece. If you like it a little sweeter, grab yourselves the "Carnival of Chaos" statue!

The film statues include three »Terminator« novelties, an Endoskeleton, the T-800 and the T-1000. Awesome! To the delight of all »Harry Potter« fans, Professor Severus Snape is joining them.

Prime 1 Studio is also giving a Legacy Throne to the Grande Dame Alcina Dimitrescu from »Resident Evil Village« in the games category. But we were especially blown away by the very dynamic and dramatic statue of Joel & Ellie from »The Last of Us«.

If your health is up to it, take a look: 
https://youtu.be/4Cwb0ix2KJI

Here is a (not quite) short list of upcoming attractions:

ANIME / MANGA

»Fist of the North Star« - 1:4 Scale Kenshiro & Yuria
»Dragon Ball« -1:4 Scale Frieza
»My Hero Academia« - 1:4 Scale Villians with Tomura Shigaraki, Dabi (Toya) and Himiko Toga
»Saint Seiya« - 1:4 Scale Pegasus Seiya
»Evangelion« - 1:4 Scale Mari Makinami Illustrious
»Berserk« - 1:4 Scale Slan on Throne

DC COMICS

1:4 Scale - Batman vs. Killer Croc
1:4 Scale - Poison Ivy Seduction Throne
1:3 Scale - Harley Who Laughs
1:3 Scale - Dark Nights Metal - Murder Machine
1:4 Scale - Harley Quinn Carnival of Chaos
1:4 Scale - The Joker Carnival of Chaos (on Throne)
1:4 Scale - Superman Fortress of Solitude (on Throne)
Batman Berserk Dark Age Saga

FILMS

»Terminator« - 1:3 Scale Endoskeleton
»Terminator« - 1:3 Scale T-800
»Terminator« - 1:3 Scale T-1000
»Harry Potter« - 1:4 Scale Severus Snape
»Jurassic Park« - 1:6 Scale Velociraptor Male / Female
»Transformers: Rise of the Beasts« - Optimus Primal

GAMES

»Devil May Cry« - 1:4 Scale Dante
»Devil May Cry« - 1:4 Scale Vergil
»Resident Evil Village« - 1:4 Alcina Dimitrescu (on Throne)
»The Witcher« - 1:3 Scale Yennefer
»The Witcher« - 1:3 Scale Ciri
»The Last of Us« - 1:4 Scale Joel & Ellie

We're already bringing you the next episode of 💫 NEUES AUS DEM FIGUREN UNIVERSUM 💫! This one is a bit longer again but it's worth it because we've got a whole firework of awesome collectibles for you 🎆. Among them are several great LOTR pieces from Weta including two incredible Masters Collection Statues, the magical Zatanna Premium Format Figure from Sideshow, the stunning T-1000 Art Masks from PURE ARTS and many more treasures 🤩.

Check it out - now on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/A4R7JVq7J5c

The six-episode Marvel series »Secret Invasion« is released today on Disney+ and brings us a reunion with Nick Fury, of course once again embodied by Mr. Cool Samuel L. Jackson. The trailer has great spy thriller vibes. Who do you trust when you're dealing with a secret invasion by the Skrull, an alien species with shape-shifting abilities? This reminds us pleasantly of good old paranoia cinema:
https://youtu.be/Tp_YZNqNBhw

As we know, the universe and the cinematic MCU in particular is expanding. As a non-hardcore fan it’s easy to lose track of things. If you want to refresh your knowledge about the Skrull topic, you should rewatch »Captain Marvel« and the post-credit scene from »Spider-Man: Far From Home«.

After some disappointing shows, we have a feeling that Marvel has hit the nail on the head with this one. We're also looking forward to the Nick Fury figure from Hot Toys which is sure to come.

Don't you want to know why they call me ...

Nope, not Kraven - it is a second Marvel character besides Sergei Kravinoff aka Kraven (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson) who we will encounter in the latest Sony Spider-Verse flick KRAVEN THE HUNTER. Here's the first trailer:
https://youtu.be/rze8QYwWGMs

That looks basically pretty cool, as we think! Let's keep the fingers crossed that the movie won't fall through the spider web like »Morbius« when hitting cinemas in October.

The Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos has been on our cinematographic map for several years. After his multi-nominated and award-winning works »The Lobster«, »The Killing of a Sacred Deer« and »The Favourite«, he now returns to the big screen with »Poor Things«.

The film is based on the novel of the same name by author Alasdair Gray and is the director’s third collaboration with the fantastic Emma Stone, who already featured in »The Favourite« and his short film »Bleat«. It tells the incredible tale of Bella (Stone), a young woman brought back to life after her suicide by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Despite her brain and her body not being in synchronicity, she is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking under Baxter’s custody, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation. 

Why don't you check out the trailer:
https://youtu.be/RlbR5N6veqw

We were immediately captivated by this beautifully photographed frankensteinian story and Emma Stone is, as always, an absolute vision. The film hits theaters on September 8th in the US and UK. There is no official German start date yet, but we expect the film to be released in September or October here as well. Will it draw you into the cinema as well?

On Saturday night, Netflix hosted the TUDUM Showcase, this time once again live in front of an audience in São Paulo, Brazil. Actors and creators presented new projects and sequels in statements, interviews, new teasers, trailers and clips. The stream lasted almost three hours and delivered an infomercial for the upcoming Netflix program. Many performances started with a “Hello Brazil!!!” followed by thunderous applause. Everyone was “so excited” to be there and “Shooting was so much fun!”. All in all, the information content was rather meager and so the three hours are primarily a waste of time, filled with irrelevant banalities. If you want to watch it anyway, you can find the stream here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/5QoATGUcCcU

A few interesting clips and trailers were shown though and can now be viewed on Netflix's YouTube page. Here are the biggest highlights in our eyes:

There is a first trailer for the live-action adaptation of »One Piece«. In the past, such projects have unfortunately often failed and never experienced a second season. We’re also rather skeptical in this case. How do you like the trailer? Hit or miss?
https://youtu.be/lNMSqxQtO0w

Some material for the upcoming live-action adaptation of »Avatar: The Last Airbender« was revealed as well although it was just a teaser with a logo animation and a few photos. Somehow we’re asking ourselves, why every good anime always needs a live-action adaptation?
https://youtu.be/QOg9LUIvaig

For »Rebel Moon«, the new sci-fi film by Zack Snyder with Sofia Boutella, Charlie Hunnam and Anthony Hopkins, we got a first behind-the-scenes clip which looks quite interesting. We are very excited for the first real trailer!
https://youtu.be/7nc4TDtogcs

We also found the first trailer for the series »3 Body Problem« interesting. But we’ll have to wait and see, because the two showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss fell out of favor with fans with their last season of »Game of Thrones«. Let's see if they can redeem themselves with their first Netflix production.
https://youtu.be/5lj99Uz1d50

Exclusive scenes from the third seasons of »The Witcher« (https://youtu.be/2yYoPTzAN7g) and »Lupin« (https://youtu.be/2dZwsFJh57Y) were shown.

We got the first trailer for the »Money Heist« prequel »Berlin« to further milk the successful series. Let's wait and see if the spin-off is any good.
https://youtu.be/fpeXTzkoT_k

There was also a surprising message from Linda Hamilton (»Terminator«), who introduced herself as a newcomer to Season 5 of »Stranger Things«. We thought that was really cool!

The collectible forge Iron Studios used the Brazilian home game to present some new figures from »Stranger Things« and »The Witcher«. You can already pre-order them here - but be aware of blood!

Stanley Martin Lieber dreamed of one day writing the great American novel. To earn a living, he took a job as a copy assistant at Timely Comics (later Marvel). Soon he was writing his first comics under the pseudonym Stan Lee, mostly westerns ...

So years passed. Stanley still dreamed of his novel and wanted to quit his job at some point. But with the renaissance of superheroes and the success of the »Justice League of America« in the early 1960s, Lee was commissioned to invent a superhero team. Lee created »The Fantastic Four« with artist Jack Kirby. The rest is history. Later on, »The Incredible Hulk«, »Iron Man«, »Thor«, »X-Men«, »Spider-Man« and so many others followed.

Lee's heroes were far from perfect. They had weaknesses and problems, made mistakes, could argue, have temper tantrums, be vain and fail. In short: they were human. They were heroes that readers could identify with. The comic books matured and Stan Lee wrote comic and later film history.

Launching today, Disney+ and Marvel dedicate the documentation »Stan Lee - His origin story. His legacy. In his own words.« to the Marvel veteran who died in 2018 and who would have celebrated his 100th birthday last year.

Here's a little foretaste:
https://youtu.be/rN45yyu_rCw

This is of course a must for all Marvel fans. In the end, Lee never wrote his great American novel, but he made us incomparably richer with his comic work. EXCELSIOR!