Nerd News | Ant-Man and the Wasp trailer

If you were curious what's coming next from Marvel post-Infinity War:

Definitely a departure from the tone of IW, but it seems spot-on for an Ant-Man movie. (Which is a good thing.) I have a theory that—highlight to reveal; I don't want to spoil IW for those who haven't seen it—Ant-Man and the Wasp takes place at the same time as IW, and that's where Scott was. (Still unsure about Hawkeye, though.)

Have you seen IW? Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments, just please add a spoiler tag (<spoiler>text</spoiler>) tag around anything that's, well, a spoiler. I'll have a Haiku Revieu up soon!

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Also of note:

• While we're talking Marvel: Clark Gregg, Lee Pace, and Djimon Hounsou have all joined Captain Marvel. (The movie takes place in the 90s, so the Avengers still don't know Coulson's alive. *grumble*)
• And here are 57 YA book recommendations based on the MCU movies. Some of my favorite books/book series are on this list! (Also, some duds. Happy to tell which is which, if you are interested.)
• The next Abramsverse Star Trek movie will be the first to be directed by a woman.
• The Fast and Furious spin-off starring The Rock and Jason Staham is a go. Also, there's a Fast and Furious cartoon—yep, you read that right—coming soon. 
• "The Five Types of Nicolas Cage Movies."

Happy First Contact Day!

On this day in 2063, the human race boldly goes where no human has gone before.

Live long and prosper, nerds!

Nerd News | SDCC goodness

It was hard keeping up with the news coming out of San Diego over the past few days, and but here are some highlights. If I missed anything important, add it in the comments!

Is it November 3 yet?

I loved Pacific Rim. (I'm still longing for a Jaegar pilot bomber jacket.) So I'm super stoked for the sequel. However, it was an actual shock to hear John Boyega's real accent in this teaser; I'm so much more used to him sounding like Finn.

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Also of note:

• The Avengers: Infinity War concept art posters show a bearded Steve Rogers. Here 👏🏻 for 👏🏻 iiiiiitttttt 👏🏻.
• Captain Marvel will be set in the 90s. 
• Michelle Pfieffer has signed on for the next Ant-Man movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp.
• This new Inhumans trailer hints at some serious plot points.
• Here's a new Justice League video. I'm only supporting this movie for Wonder Woman.
• Speaking of, Wonder Woman 2 (plus a bunch of other DC movies) was officially announced at the con.
• Syfy's working on a Man of Steel prequel series called Krypton; here's a teaser. 
• Noah Hawley (Legion) is working on a Doctor Doom movie.
• A Harley Quinn/Joker spinoff film is in the works.
• Stargate returns in a new prequel series! 
• Here's a look at some props/costumes from Star Trek: Discovery.
• Lots of changes ahead for The 100's season five.
• Bright, a Netflix movie about orc cops, is not a joke. I'm totally going to watch this.
• Added to my Christmas List: Toys-R-Us is releasing a kid-size Star Wars landspeeder.
• Here's some scoop on the Doctor Who Christmas special.
• And not out of SDCC, but nonetheless entertaining: The Rock x Siri Dominate the Day.

Nerd News | Star Trek: Discovery trailer

The first trailer for Star Trek: Discovery has dropped:

The teases of the story we get here don't quite blow me away, but man if I didn't get emotional watching ladies—and POC ladies at that!—taking the lead.

I'm going to reserve judgement until I actually see the show (unlike the YouTube commenters ... yeah, I peeked), but one gut reaction I have: James Frain is not Sarek.

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Also of note:

• This GQ profile of The Rock is absolutely delightful, natch.
• The Blade Runner 2049 trailer looks good.
• Spider-Man will have a part in the fourth Avengers movie.
• The Psych gang will reunite for a holiday TV movie.
• Hot Topic has a new Wonder Woman collection. Do I need the Armor Faux Leather Jacket or do I need it?
• FYA has a bunch of news from this week's TV Upfronts.
• The Dark Crystal is getting a prequel series on Netflix.

Nerd News | Thor: Ragnarok trailer

YOU GUYS.

This is me right now, if not literally, then definitely on the inside.

Unlike some (many?) people, I do like the Thor movies—and, no, not just for Tom Hiddleston's Loki. They're not at the top of my Marvel Cinematic Universe movie ranking, but they're not at the bottom either. (I'm looking at you, Iron Man 2. And don't even get me started on The Incredible Hulk.) They've never really stood out among the other movies, however ... until now.

This trailer is so much more epic than either of the previous movies. I don't know what that means for the film itself, but I now have high, high hopes.

Excuse me while I go watch it again. Then go find all the GIFs. Then watch it again.

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Also of note:

• Also super excited by this Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer.¹
• Not so much for this Justice League trailer, though. Regardless of the Jason Momoa.
• In perfect casting news: Rainn Wilson will play Harry Mudd in Star Trek: Discovery.
• The Raven Cycle—one of my fave YA series—has been optioned for a TV show.

¹ Thanks, Colt!

Happy First Contact Day!

Break out the cheese pierogies and old school rock and roll records—it's First Contact Day!

Live long and prosper, friends.

Nerd News | American Gods trailer

Dayum, son—this trailer looks AMAZING.

I read American Gods years ago, so I don't remember many details, but I do remember loving it. (I'm a huge Neil Gaiman fan, in general.) I'm wavering on whether I want to read it again before the show airs; on the one hand, I'd help myself remember the characters and plot, but on the other, there's that whole "adaptations aren't always accurate" issue.

We'll see. There's time before April 30.

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Also of note:

• Here's a new Wonder Woman trailer that gives a bit more insight into Diana's "origin." (I'm going to stop watching trailers for this starting ... now.)
• And a new trailer for series 10 of Doctor Who. I'm really, really sad that I no longer get excited about this show.
• Jason Isaacs has joined the cast of Star Trek Discovery.
• EW released the first photos from Thor: Ragnarok, featuring a very short-haired Thor. Also: Did we know Jeff Goldblum was in this movie? 
• And here's a teaser trailer for Pixar's next movie, Coco.

Nerd News | Logan trailer + Sherlock series 4

A couple of unrelated, yet equally exciting news bits for you today.

First: the trailer for the upcoming (last?) Wolverine movie, Logan, which totally didn't have me tearing up at my desk last week or anything.

And, second: Happy news for Sherlock fans—series 4 will premiere Jan. 1!

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Also of note:

• Donald Glover has been cast as young Lando Calrissian in the Han Solo origin movie. This is fantastic.
• This Logan trailer redux—with X-Men cartoons—is a lot of fun. (And still makes me a little verklempt. I'm going to be a mess during this movie.)¹
• Gilmore Girls Netflix series trailer! I'll admit—I never fully watched the final couple of seasons. But I'm excited, regardless.
• Not exciting: Bryan Fuller is out as showrunner for Star Trek: Discovery, but he'll stay on as executive producer.

¹Thanks, Colt!

Guest post on Nerd•ily | 11 Awesome Star Trek names

Hey friends!

As part of her celebration of Star Trek's 50th Anniversary, Mickey of Nerd•ily asked me to write a guest post. It took me a bit to come up with an idea—the sky, appropriately, was the limit—but I finally realized that I should just go with what I know: i.e., great names from the Star Trek franchise.

Spoiler alert: Amanda is on the list.

Click on over to Nerd•ily to check out my list of "11 Awesome Names from Star Trek!"

Nerd News | Rogue One trailer

After how much I adored/adore The Force Awakens, I find it near impossible to not get excited about anything Star Wars movie-related. Seeing this full trailer for Rogue One during the Olympics* yesterday only added to the hype.

I am excite. I love the idea of getting to know the ragtag bunch of rebels who take on the mission of their lives for the good of the galaxy, and look forward to the nods to the original trilogy that are sure to be peppered throughout this film.

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Also of note:

• Tom Hiddleston is now on Instagram, and his first (and currently only) post is an utter delight. (I even made a desktop wallpaper for my computer with it.)
• Bryan Fuller revealed more details about the upcoming Star Trek: Discovery series recently, and I am super stoked that my namesake Amanda Grayson will be involved.
• The Flash and Supergirl are planning a musical crossover event.
• The cast of Ocean's 8, a new female-led movie in the Ocean's 11 franchise, has been announced, and it's chock-full of fabulous ladies.
• Maggie Stiefvater, author of The Raven Cycle—a truly fantastic YA series, which you should read ASAP if you haven't—wants to write a trilogy about Raven Cycle character Ronan Lynch.

*Also exciting. But so stressful!

Haiku Revieu | Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek Beyond
★★★★1/2

You Go, Enterprise
Faster and Furiouser
RIP, Anton

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The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a new ruthless enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.

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It should come as no surprise that I am a huge Star Trek fan who comes by the fandom genetically. (I was named Amanda for a reason, after all.) But there's been contention in our familial ranks over whether the newest movies actually remain true to the franchise. (My mom can't stand Zachary Quinto, and thinks he makes a terrible Spock. I disagree, but am not going to argue with my mother. I also come by my stubbornness genetically.)

I was totally on board with the first movie in the new series—Star Trek—but was then super disappointed in Star Trek Into Darkness. My biggest peeve: Why, when you've created a completely new universe/time stream with endless possibilities for stories, would you re-do what is possibly the most well-known and well-loved Star Trek movie (i.e., Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan)? Why would you not seek out new stories and go where no movie has gone before?

Thankfully, Star Trek Beyond took a lesson from the failure of its predecessor and gave us fans a new, new movie. Of course, it still sticks with the most basic premise of all Star Trek movies and TV shows—the crew of the Enterprise (/Voyager/Deep Space Nine/etc.) work together to battle the evils of the universe—but it felt fresh. And really, really fun.

I particularly enjoyed the renewed focus on the crew, and how they all work together. There's obviously a lot of focus on the main three—Kirk, Spock and Bones—but the rest of the crew got more screen time than in previous movies. There were also more nods to the crew's relationships, both with their fellow Starfleet officers and their partners, which I enjoyed. (Sulu's family is PRESH.) Additionally, I think the filmmakers did a great job at showing what a diverse and complex universe these people live in, which I think would make Gene Roddenberry, and his reasons for creating this world in the first place, proud.

Of course, these new movies are action-oriented, and Star Trek Beyond didn't disappoint in that arena either. Directed by Justin Lin, the film was full of space battles and chase scenes. (Fast and Furious on a galaxy-size scale? YES PLEASE. It's like this movie was made just for me.) There's one scene that I wish I could watch over and over again; it's such ridiculous fun. (If you've seen the movie, I'm thinking of the "Sabotage" scene.) 

If you, too, were disappointed with Into Darkness, but don't yet want to give up on Star Trek, definitely check this one out.

Check it out:

Nerd News | Comic Con round-up

If you pay attention to the nerdy side of the Internet—which, I'm assuming, most of you do—you know that this past weekend/half of last week was Comic Con in San Diego. It is a time of huge reveals, massive crowds, and lines that go on for days, and it's one of the most amazing experiences I've ever been a part of. (We went a few times a few years ago; sadly, we haven't been in much too long.)

While being awesome, the event can also be utterly overwhelming, particularly if you try to follow every newsy bit that's announced. That said, I'm very thankful for the news outlets that do cover everything (or almost everything), because it makes me feel a little less like I've missed out.

I'm highlighting a few of my favorite things from the event below, but do let me know if I missed any of your faves in the comments!

Wonder Woman

This looks really, really, really good.

Star Trek: Discovery

As much as I enjoy the movies, I'm super excited that Star Trek's going to be back on the small screen. More details here.

Doctor Strange

This looks very Inceptiony. And .. that's basically the extent of my knowledge about this, haha. Other than that I'm excited Benedict's joined the Marvel 'verse. More details here.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

It's not exactly new Harry Potter, but it's close enough (and looks fun enough) for me. More details here.

American Gods

I read this book many years (and many books) ago, so I barely remember the plot. But I do remember loving it, and Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite people, so I'm here for this for sure. More details here.

Sherlock

The three words revealed about the show's fourth season? "Thatcher, Smith and Sherrinford." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ More details here.

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Also of note:

• The first Justice League footage was shown at the con. (Two thoughts: 1. It looks better than Batman v. Superman. 2. That's really not saying much.)
• Here are some details on what's to come in season 4 of The 100.
• The upcoming Riverdale series—based on recent Archie comics, made for The CW—sounds very interesting.
• Sharing #becauseTomHiddleston: A trailer for Kong: Skull Island.
• Here's a trailer for the new Marvel/FX mutant series, Legion.
• Kurt Russell will play Ego the Living Planet—or the human form of said living planet—in Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Also revealed: images of his costume.
• Marvel also revealed more info about the Black Panther cast and officially announced Brie Larson as Captain Marvel. 
• Spider-Man: Homecoming will be kinda like Freaks and Geeks?
• Here's a trailer for The Lego Batman Movie.
• Here's some info on the various Marvel/Netflix series: Daredevil, Luke Cage, The Defenders, and Iron Fist.
• Ghost Rider will appear in the next season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 
• And here's what's in store for season 2 of Supergirl (which, reminder, will now be on The CW).

Happy Captain Picard Day!

Today, we honor one of—if not the—best captains to ever serve in Starfleet.

Make it so!

And by make it so, I mean please share your favorite Picard moments and/or GIFs in the comments.

Happy First Contact Day!

On this day in 2063, first contact was made between humans and an alien species, the Vulcans.

Let's all have some cheese pierogies and listen to some good old fashioned rock and roll.

Nerd News | Star Trek Beyond and The 100 trailers

It's been an absolute smorgasbord of trailers recently—but I'm certainly not complaining! This new teaser trailer for Star Trek Beyond came out yesterday, and I'm totally treating it like a belated birthday gift.

via Birth.Movies.Death

I'm honestly relived. It looks like so much fun! And the trailer is both action-packed and a little goofy, which is, honestly, what I want from my Star Trek movies. (No more of that "too serious" Star Trek Into Darkness business, please.) 

The combination of the teaser, plus Justin Lin (the director, who also directed Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6) and Simon Pegg (who helped with the script) makes me super hopeful. (Perhaps the new franchise just has the opposite issue of the first movies?)

THIS also came out yesterday:

Me, currently:

The riches, you guys! They are bountiful.

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Also of note:

• While we're talking trailers, one for the Independence Day sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence, also came out over the weekend. It looks better than I expected? But they might just be sucking me in with the use of the best pop culture presidential speech ever.
• Related: This is what happened to Will Smith's character.
• And here's a trailer for High-Rise starring Tom Hiddleston and a very creepy dystopian apartment building.
• And a very teasery teaser for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
• Apparently, it's actually good for you—and the person on the receiving end—to be sarcastic.
• Lest you think I'd forgotten what the end of this week brings, here's a new Star Wars: The Force Awakens "holiday special" from Funny or Die.
• Add a lightsaber to your Facebook profile picture!

Nerd News | New Star Trek show coming in 2017

YOU GUYS.

CBS Television Studios announced today it will launch a totally new Star Trek television series in January 2017. The new series will blast off with a special preview broadcast on the CBS Television Network. The premiere episode and all subsequent first-run episodes will then be available exclusively in the United States on CBS All Access, the Network’s digital subscription video on demand and live streaming service. ...

The brand-new Star Trek will introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations, while exploring the dramatic contemporary themes that have been a signature of the franchise since its inception in 1966.

Alex Kurtzman will serve as executive producer for the new Star Trek TV series. Kurtzman co-wrote and produced the blockbuster films Star Trek (2009) with Roberto Orci, and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) with Orci and Damon Lindelof. Both films were produced and directed by J.J. Abrams. (via)

This is such awesome news.¹ Star Trek, specifically The Next Generation, was my first nerdy love, and I'm so excited to hear that the franchise is returning to the small screen. (Although I really liked the "reboot" Star Trek movie, I was super disappointed in Star Trek Into Darkness, but that's a discussion for another time.)

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Also of note:

• Here's a full-length trailer for Netflix's Jessica Jones. Q: How excited am I to see David Tennant as the villain? (A: Very.)
• You can read about the Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice opening scene here.
• The self-lacing Nikes from Back to the Future will be reality next year. Now ... where are our hoverboards?

¹ Thanks, Colt!

5 Fandom Friday | Five Fictional Vehicles I'd Love to Travel in

Considering that my tattoo features six spaceships* (and one other "method of travel,"), this prompt, seemingly, is right up my alley. But GUYS. There are so many awesome fictional vehicles. So many more than my six/seven.

Basically, what I'm saying is—this prompt was hard. I hate having to choose between the people vehicles I love. Four of the five I chose are included on my tattoo, however. I obviously picked them for a reason.

Five Fictional Vehicles I'd Love to Travel In

5 | Serenity, Firefly and Serenity

Although I occasionally might regret signing on to Captain Malcolm Reynold's crew when yet another something goes wrong with Serenity, I'd just have to think about the people I was working with to realize that I'd made a good decision.

4 | The Hogwarts Express, Harry Potter

There's definitely a theme to this list, and this pick stands out as the odd man in the bunch. But not only do I love traveling by train, I also would have loved to attend Hogwarts. I suppose I would have had to settle for visiting, being American and all. But perhaps there was some sort of study abroad program we just never read about?

3 | The Normandy, Mass Effect

In terms of space ships, the Normandy is a cut above the rest. But again, this is a ship I would love to travel on thanks mostly to the crew—or at least the crew that I collected as I played the Mass Effect series. But never, under any circumstance, would you have gotten me to go down to a planet's surface in the Mako. That thing is THE WORST.

2 | TARDIS, Doctor Who

Regardless of if you're a Whovian, I think the idea of having a vehicle that could take you to literally anywhere in all of time and space would be an appealing one. The fact that you get to hang out with the Doctor while doing so is just an added bonus.

*It's not exactly a spaceship, but it travels in space, so ...

1 | The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), Star Trek: The Next Generation

I watched Star Trek: The Next Generation during a time in my life that I was easily influenced and majorly affected by pop culture: from around age 4 to the year I turned 11. The show made a lasting impact on my brain, and my heart, and there's no place I'd rather be (fictionally speaking) than walking the corridors of the Enterprise.

Learn more about 5 Fandom Friday and check out the prompts for July.

5 Fandom Friday | Five Spinoffs I'd Like to See Made

I struggled over this prompt, even though I'm positive that there are way more than five times in my life that I've wished for more from a certain character or characters. But I came up with five that I'm pretty pleased with.

Word of warning: This list is a little random, and pulls from TV, movies and books. (Are new book series in the same universe considered spinoffs? Let's just pretend like they are.)

Five Spinoffs I'd Like to See Made

5 | A new Star Trek or Stargate

I'm kind of cheating here, lumping these two shows together—and yes, I mean the TV versions rather than the movies—but I miss these shows something fierce. I liked the last iteration of Star Trek, Enterprise, (it filled a lot of plot holes from previous series in entertaining ways) but was really let down by Stargate: Universe (it was sorely lacking both silly humor and aliens). Both of these series mean a lot to me, and I'd be super happy if they just kept having new series made forever.

4 | Luna Potter and the [Blankety Blank]

Regardless of how you feel about the epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, if you're a fan, there was a part of you that definitely broke inside when you realized that the books had come to an end. I'd love to learn more about Harry and Ginny as adults, and the rest of the gang we came to know and love, through the eyes of one of the Potter kids. I think having Luna be the main character—rather than James or Albus—would just be an interesting gender switch.

3 | The Paternoster Gang

Numerous spinoffs have already been made from Doctor Who, including The Sarah Jane Chronicles and Torchwood, but I'd love to see a show starring Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint and Strax. Particularly a Victorian-era steampunky one in which the three investigate mysterious incidents that have decidedly timey-wimey bents.

2 | Black Widow

I know this is a hot topic, and for a variety of reasons, but I don't understand the difficulty that surrounds making a female-led solo superhero movie. Most of the Avengers had their own movies long before they teamed up—why does Black Widow have to be relegated to secondary character land? (I'd be totally OK if Hawkeye or Winter Soldier joined her, too.)

1 | The Justin and Jimmy Variety Hour

I don't often watch Saturday Night Live, but I make sure to check in when Justin Timberlake is hosting. He's an amazing comedian, and particularly love when he and Jimmy Fallon are in a sketch together. I think a variety hour starring the two of them would be a huge hit. Or maybe, you know, when he's "bored," Justin could be like Andy Richter was on Conan O'Brien's show.

Learn more about 5 Fandom Friday and check out the prompts for July.

Happy First Contact Day!

P.S.—Happy Easter, too!