Check out the latest images revealed from Hasbro in the upcoming Disney+ series The Bad Batch.
Introducing the Hunter Figure from The Bad Batch - Kenner's Newest Star Wars Vintage Collection Figure
Star Wars fans and collectors alike will be delighted to hear that Hasbro has announced the newest addition to their Star Wars Vintage Collection - the Hunter figure from The Bad Batch. This highly detailed 3.75-inch toy is modelled after Hunter's appearance on the Disney+ series and comes with the classic Kenner-inspired box art that fans know and love.
This figure is sure to be a great addition to any Star Wars collection and a must-have for all fans of The Bad Batch.
Who is Hunter?
Hunter is a genetically defective clone of Jango Fett and the leader of Clone Force 99, also known as the Bad Batch, a squad of clone commandos who each bore genetic mutations where Hunter possessed great tracking abilities and is a character in the Disney+ series. He is a Hasbro action figure, part of the Star Wars Vintage Collection.
Hunter only slightly resembles other clones due to his unique genetics, however, his combat abilities are superior to most.
What does the figure look like?
This action figure comes complete with a detailed sculpt and multiple points of articulation so you can pose the figure in any way you like. Whether you're a fan of The Bad Batch or a collector of Star Wars memorabilia, this figure is sure to be a hit!
Check out images from the upcoming collectable below.
What is the release date?
Although the exact release date for Hunter from The Bad Batch Star Wars Vintage Collection figure is yet to be announced, we anticipate a drop between the second and third quarters of 2023. The release date could be slightly earlier or later, with more announcements to be made later this year for the remaining Clone Force 99 squad.
What are people saying about it?
Reactions to the new Hunter figure have been overwhelmingly positive, with many fans praising the attention to detail and iconic Kenner-inspired box art. Fans of the Bad Batch series are especially excited about the chance to own a piece of the show in physical form. With the release date still to be announced, collectors everywhere are eagerly awaiting the chance to get their hands on the figure and add it to their collections.
Are You Ready to Get Excited About the Super Mario Bros. Movie?
When news of the release date for the upcoming Super Mario Bros. film dropped, there was a buzz of excitement in the World of Kidz office. Yes, on April 7th 2023, we'll all be finding the nearest big screen and grabbing our popcorn to jump into the Super Mario world anew.
We're pretty certain that we won't be alone in this adventure. In fact, for franchise followers everywhere, it's impossible not to be giddy about this release. After all, Mario has been with many of us since his first appearance in Donkey Kong back in 1981—a lifetime for plenty of mushroom power-up-seeking Nintendo fans!
As we count down to the big day, what do we know so far about The Super Mario Bros. Movie? It's time to set your Nintendo Switch aside and join us as we level up with the latest news about Super Mario characters and details—including who will voice Donkey Kong, Bowser, Mario and Luigi—and so much more.
What's the Word on the Brand New Mario Movie?
Whether you first fell in love with retro games like the iconic Super Mario World or started by rescuing Princess Peach on your Nintendo Switch in Super Mario Odyssey, the time has come to see Mario and Luigi save the day within an entirely new computer-animated medium.
All signs indicate that The Super Mario Bros. Movie is set to give us a little taste of everything we crave, including fantasy, adventure, action, and comedy. Amazingly—considering the hundreds of Mario games in the Nintendo archives—this will only be the franchise's third film adaptation, following a Japanese anime film in 1986 and the live-action Mario movie flunk of 1993 (something that we'll come back to later).
We know that many fans are excited about this cinematic revival as it will surely remind them of childhood and the joy that the Mario franchise brought to many households over the years, along with classic games like Sonic and Street Fighter, and iconic TV shows like Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Thunder Cats.
Yep, this movie will surely feel like a blast from the past with a modern twist and in an animated form. Plus, if the phenomenal trailer is anything to go by, we feel utterly confident that the upcoming feature will carry the torch for Nintendo's incredible Mario legacy thanks to its epic aesthetic and a star-studded ensemble cast.
Which Mario Characters Will We See in The Super Mario Bros Movie?
Some were sad to hear that Charles Martinet, who voices Mario in the games, won't be taking the lead for The Super Mario Bros. Movie. However, we were stoked to hear that Chris Pratt will be voicing Mario—a sure win after his work voicing Emmet in The LEGO Movie and Barley Lightfoot in Onward. Not to mention, Super Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto shared that Martinet will still be with us as he voices “surprise cameos” in the movie adaptation.
Building out the amazing Super Mario Bros movie cast, we also have Seth Rogan portraying Donkey Kong, Jack Black voicing Bowser, and Anya Taylor-Joy playing Princess Peach.
According to Luigi actor Charlie Day, much about the Mario movie has been tightly under wraps, with even the cast being kept in the dark about the plot during recording. However, there have been some tempting tidbits along the way, including Jack Black showing off his Bowser voice at last year's New York Comic Con, and Anya Taylor-Joy confessing that playing Princess Peach has finally turned her into a gamer!
Why Was a New Super Mario Bros Film Such a Surprise?
We here at World of Kidz have been following the build-up to this new Super Mario Bros film for quite some time. Our attention was piqued back in 2014 when a Sony Pictures leak revealed that there was a chase for film rights to the Mario franchise underway. But, why did so many find this revelation surprising?
Ultimately, after the commercial and critical failure of the 1993 Super Mario Bros. film, Nintendo wasn't too keen to licence out their beloved intellectual property again. While the live-action adventure starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as Mario and Luigi respectively was certainly ambitious, it didn't chime well with fans, largely due to deviating from the treasured game world's cheery aesthetic, story arcs, and characters.
However, more recently, after Miyamoto got to know Illumination founder and Despicable Me creator Chris Meledandri—who co-produced the new Mario movie alongside Miyamoto himself—it would seem that the time was finally right to bring Mario and Luigi back to the big screen. This time, they'd be staying true to what fans love so much about the franchise.
While Sony didn't ultimately get the scoop, Illumination, Nintendo, and Universal Pictures have collectively coordinated production, while Matthew Fogel handled the screenplay, and Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic jumped into the directors' seats. With such talent driving this upcoming release, we're satisfied that not even Wario and Waluigi could throw a spanner in the works this time!
The Count Down Is On for The Super Mario Bros. Movie
With a few months to go until the new Mario movie, there's plenty of time to pre-emptively boost your HP with some epic Mario merch from World of Kidz. From remote-controlled karts to cute plush toys, we've got you covered for all things Super Mario—alongside all the other most beloved retro games, movies, and more. If that's right down your racetrack, don't forget to get ahead of upcoming news and exclusive pre-orders by signing up for our newsletter!
Have you been chomping at the bit for the next Miles Morales movie as much as we have? The hotly anticipated but frustratingly pandemic-delayed release is finally fast approaching, as enticing insights steadily swing onto the scene to ignite our anticipation even further.
Ever since 2018 when rumours began to swirl of a Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2, those with a penchant for all things lycra-clad and spidey have been casting a periodic web for news of its progress. As with so many of our most yearned-after sequels of late, the freshly-titled Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 2022 release date gradually slid all the way into 2023—and at times felt as if it might never arrive. However, following the epic landing of this key sequel's first look trailer, we here at World of Kidz are finally gearing up for all of the excitement that will accompany this better-late-than-never arrival.
Yes, the second film set in the animated Spider-Verse will soon see Marvel Comics protagonist Miles Morales venture further into the multiverse from his Brooklyn base while also joining forces with fan-favourite Gwen Stacy and an amazing new team of characters. Scaling up substantially from the last instalment, Across the Spider-Verse is already boasting the largest crew ever on an animated movie, tasked with manifesting 240 characters spanning six uniquely illustrated universes.
Expanding on the ground-breaking but singular artistic style of the first film, this feature will up the ante with a striking diversity of visually distinct Spider-realities; each drawing on specific spidery source material—something that franchise fans are bound to relish. Teasing this ambitious evolution on Twitter, producer Chris Miller shared: "The development of new groundbreaking art techniques being done for the next Spider-Verse movie are already blowing me away. It's going to make the first movie look quaint."
When is Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Coming Out?
If kicking back to play the Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales PS4 or PS5 game and diligently rotating through your top Miles Morales wallpaper is no longer keeping the pangs of anticipation at bay, your wait for a return to the Spider-Verse is soon to be rewarded. All of that build-up was pretty inescapable, of course, given that Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was officially announced in 2019 and its animation started back in 2020. Making the wait all the more challenging, the release date was pushed back twice from April 2022 and then again from October 2022. So, when is Across the Spider-Verse out for real?
The great news is that the release date of 2nd June 2023 is looking rock-solid, with a fantastic amount of info emerging on everything from the expanded cast to a new Miles Morales costume. Even more tantalizingly, we now know that this is going to be Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse part 1, with another instalment following pretty closely behind.
What About a Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Release Date Part 2?
Of course, the inevitable next question has to be when can we expect a drop for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse part 2? Well, the first thing to note is that the third instalment is going to be called Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse—a title that surely sets the imagination racing. The next is that the wait for our third dose of the Spider-Verse won't be anywhere near as long, with that release date currently set for 29th March 2024. Better yet, the epic indulgence of not one but two sequels isn't even where the story is likely to end—so read on to hear about another potential off-shoot project towards the end of this article!
For now, all eyes are on the calendar for the Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation release of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, made in association with Marvel and to be distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. You can expect to encounter the touch of an entirely new trio of directors this time around, in Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, plus some additional writing flair from Christopher Miller.
All of this probably leaves you wondering, “Where can I watch Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse?” After cinematic release on 2nd June 2023, we can hope to eventually see this sequel and the next hit many of the same streaming platforms as their predecessor, such as Disney Plus, Netflix, and HBO Plus.
How Did Miles Morales Get His Powers?
If you're feeling a little rusty on the Miles Morales origin story after all this time, you're certainly not alone. We can trace this contemporary take on Spider-Man back to 2011 when writer Brian Michael Bendis and Italian artist Sara Pichelli introduced him in Ultimate Fallout #4. Continuing the legacy of Peter Parker and other spider-centric power possessing superheroes, Miles Gonzalo Morales became the first biracial wearer of a spidey suit.
Since that fateful Miles Morales first appearance, we have learned that he was bitten by another genetically modified spider known as specimen 42, offering similar capabilities to that of Peter Parker, but with a couple of extra bonuses. Plus, in addition to carrying the Spider-Man mantle, he also claimed the undeniably cool alias of Kid Arachnid.
But what are Miles Morales' powers exactly? Well, alongside spider-sense, being able to stick to walls, and enhanced strength, agility, and reflexes, Miles Morales MCU powers include the ability to camouflage himself against any backdrop and the so-called “venom strike”. This latter doesn't actually involve venom but rather a directed energy that can paralyse living targets and break through inanimate ones. We here at World of Kidz anticipate the Miles Morales venom blast becoming a go-to gesture among franchise followers as soon as the next film lands!
Who's in the Cast of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse?
New additions to the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse cast include Issa Rae as Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman; Daniel Kaluuya as Hobart Brown, aka Spider-Punk; Shea Wigham as George Stacy, and Jorma Taccone as The Vulture. As for who is set to be the central Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse villain, all signs point to inter-dimensional mega-villain The Spot who is set to be voiced by Jason Schwartzman.
Of course, to many a Spider-Man fan, the symbiote spidey suit is practically a character in its own right, so plenty have been hungering to know whether we'll see the same kind of Miles Morales suit comics have historically featured. A recent leak gave us a sneak peek at the return of the self-created Miles Morales logo of the first Spider-Verse film, but this time on a sleekly monochromatic black Spiderman suit paired with the distinctly stylised Miles Morales mask.
What Else Lies Ahead for Miles Morales and the Spider-Verse?
The news that not one but two Spider-Verse sequel films are being lined up to make their landing might already have you feeling as if all Christmases have come at once, but the gifts are likely to just keep on coming. What makes us think so? Well, all the way back in November 2018, Sony Pictures shared that alongside developing sequels to the first Miles Morales movie, they were already working on a parallel Spider-Woman project.
The spin-off was poised to focus on three generations of female, Spider-related characters—namely the aforementioned Gwen Stacy; Cindy Moon, and Jessica Drew. In terms of creative clout, Bek Smith was said to be writing, Lauren Montgomery was in talks to direct, and Amy Pascal was set to produce. Here's hoping that the momentum for this additional opportunity to immerse ourselves in the Spider-Verse is still going strong.
In parallel, many franchise followers have their fingers tightly crossed for the manifestation of a live-action Miles Morales movie. To express this wish, one hardcore fan recently got in on the action with a seriously impressive concept version of a Miles Morales picture motion trailer. We at World of Kidz must say, it looks great and I for one wouldn’t mind a live picture film to add to the Spidey verse.
Whether a new era of female leads draws you to the franchise or you've been along for the ride through every iteration of the Miles Morales Ultimate Spider-Man journey so far, the World Of Kidz team is here to keep you in the know. We'll continue to hold our grip on the pulse, alongside being your one-stop shop for must-have Miles Morales collectibles and more. So keep checking back to make sure you get in on the pre-order action—or subscribe to save and never miss a beat! We'll keep you supplied with the perfect accessories to support your own unique journey across the Spider-Verse.
The season of fright kicks off, with the new Halloween Ends movie now widely available in cinemas from 14th October 2022.
So far the Halloween Ends review has come in at 46% Rotten Tomatoes 2/5 Empire | 45% Meta critic.
There are some exciting new collectibles from some of the big brands like Funko, featuring the murderous Michael Myers from the Halloween film franchise. Check out some of the new collectible, now available at worldofkidz.co.uk.
The new NECAMichael Myers Halloween 2 ultimate figure with Dr. Loomis stands at 7 inches tall in his famous dark blue overalls.
In the original Halloween film, the home of the Myers family fell into disrepair over the years, following the young Michael’s murder of his sister. In the wake of the franchise, we have revisited the house from time to time, with 2002’s Halloween: Resurrection taking place mostly inside his old home.
If you can’t get to the cinema, it’s already available to stream on Peacock.
"There is no separation. I wouldn't have anything in my life without Laurie Strode. Nothing," franchise star Jamie Lee Curtis recently said. "I wouldn't have a career. I would not have a family... Everything good in my life came from that s---ty little office on Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood, that was about the size of where these two chairs are, when John Carpenter and Debra Hill cast me in the part of Laurie Strode."
She continued, "I didn't know it then, I know it now. You know one of these days, hopefully not tomorrow, but you know, I'm 64, do the math, it's not in my favor, sooner than later, it's going to say three words: 'Halloween actress dies.' My point is, it is the permanent ink of my life."
Quote from Comicbook.com.
How will you celebrate this slashing classics return to the big screen?
This year we’ve had some awesome products arrive in time for autumn like FunkoPop vinyl figure Hannibal Lecter and upcoming restocks of Michael Myers. Stay tuned for more movie memorabilia with the upcoming Avatar and Wakanda Forver films to drop, setting us up for a interesting Christmas period.
The explosion of eCommerce in the past decade has provided direct access to globalised customers at the touch of your internet-connected device. It sounded like magic. We all talked about how there's access and interconnectivity, and no problems would arise. Well, while there's been an improvement in access, that doesn't necessarily mean an increase in supply which can lead some consumers to ask, should I pre-order?
Collectibles are only more in demand
In the past, getting a collectable was a joy for many. You would go to a convention or get something at an event and wrap it in cotton wool like it was your firstborn! It then evolved into a business model for some, who would start collecting rare items that, through time, became vintage and would go up in price. There would be items that wouldn't ever leave their original packaging and rating agencies that would give in-depth explanations as to the mint condition of collectable cards.
With so many outlets out there to sell your goods, it only helps to improve that access and thus continuously brings more and more value to hard-to-find collectables.
How a pre-order will stop you from missing out
Whether you're looking for the ultra-rare Star Wars Black Series, the next Funko Pop Figures, or the next mid-year Barbie Doll release, you're going to want to consider a pre-order.
What is a pre-order exactly, though? How does it work? It's a straightforward yet very powerful option. What you're doing is you're reserving your spot to receive an item. Either you put down a small deposit and pay the rest upon the item's availability, or you pay for the item upfront in full and wait for the item to become available and receive shipping.
Yet keep in mind while a pre-order works to be a good indicator that you will receive a product, it does not mean that it is always a guarantee. There are a few things that can see a pre-order go wrong.
First, you need to ensure that you're working with reputable businesses that will actually have the item when it comes out. Having a history of Pre-orders, such as ourselves, helps to prove that fact and make it a reality.
Second, there are times when there are simply too many pre-orders, and the actual supply that comes in isn't enough to support the demand. That means if you're set on getting an item, the sooner you pre-order, the better chance you have of getting that item. You're earlier in the queue if that decision needs to be made. Not to mention you're also showcasing the interest to the distributor early on, so they know how many they can offer to a particular store or online outlet.
In the end
Pre-orders are always going to be your best chance to get the rare premium collectable you're looking for. Since you're also working with reputable retailers, you won't have to go to third-party sites as often and haggle or be concerned about anyone pulling a fast one.
Whenever you’re ready – feel free to check out what we’ve got ready for pre-order and secure your action figure or collectable today.
Avatar 2 is Coming: The Rewarding Return of a Revolutionary Franchise
When the first Avatar movie skyrocketed to become the biggest cinematic hit of all time, taking a stellar $2.924 billion at the box office, fans everywhere felt certain that there would soon be an Avatar sequel in the works.
James Cameron's immersive masterpiece carried viewers to a lush alien world and struck a timely chord with themes of belonging, technological advancements, and reverence for the natural world. We were certainly all chomping at the bit for that epic Avatar high to continue, but as it turns out, our own species wasn't yet advanced enough to bring Cameron's vision for Avatar 2 to life.
Roll forward thirteen years and all the necessary moving parts have finally converged, so when is Avatar 2 finally coming out? Well, the Avatar 2 trailer dropped earlier this year and the full movie release date is set for December 16th, making this a very special festive season indeed for die-hard followers of the franchise.
