News

Exclusive: Nacelle is partnering with comedian and ventriloquist Jeff Dunham on a new eight-episode docuseries that takes viewers on a family-friendly ride through the history of some of the most exciting cars ever built.

Dunham will be joined by puppet friends like Peanut, Walter, and Bubba J, as he unearths the rich history of cars, starting with his personal collection consisting of over 130 collectible vehicles from around the world. As an avid collector, Dunham’s knowledge of automobiles is extensive and has granted him access to the industry’s biggest players. Some of the most sought-after items, which are frequently loaned to museums like the Petersen Automotive Museum, can be found in his garage. Cars covered on the series range from the stunning Corvette Stingray to the ill-fated Vector W8.

In addition to hosting, Dunham will produce alongside Brian Volk-Weiss, Cisco Henson, Ian Mallahan, Benjamin J. Frost, Robert Hartmann, Matt McNeil,...

Brian Volk-Weiss made headlines at New York Comic Con when The Nacelle Company announced they'll be producing Star Trek action figures. Not only is Nacelle turning out the first new line of figures in some time, they're swinging for the fences with great character choices that haven't been done before. And Volk-Weiss, who's established himself as a pop culture expert from Nacelle's TV series like Icons Unearthed and The Toys That Made Us, isn't stopping there.

In Part 2 of his interview with Cbr, Volk-Weiss explained why certain figures were chosen for Wave 1 and what people can expect when they hit shelves in 2025. He also discussed the initial reaction from Trekkies at Nycc and how Nacelle plans to address their feedback. Plus, hear about his major plans for the future of Star Trek action figures, as he's determined to give fans an incredible run. Part 1 of the interview can be found here.

Innovation and vision meet opportunity in Game Changers. The Discovery Channel limited series tells the origin stories of iconic games. After the premiere shows featuring Nintendo and EA (Electronic Arts)-Madden, other episodes will tackle everything from Monopoly and Atari to Minecraft and Call of Duty. Inventors, journalists, video game enthusiasts, authors, and more talking heads sit down to break down the monumental moves and dirty deals that brought these games to store shelves and into the hands of the public. Who better to take viewers on this fun ride through gaming history than Nacelle CEO and series director, Brian Volk-Weiss. The mastermind behind similar projects like The Toys That Made Us, The Movies That Made Us, Behind the Attraction, and Icons Unearthed. Here Volk-Weiss delves into the show that digs into cornerstones of this billion-dollar industry. What kind of feedback have you gotten so far about Game Changers so far?...

Game Changers is a new docuseries from The Nacelle Company coming to your devices on November 5. The Nacelle Company has made a name for itself in part through its documentary work, with past shows including The Toys That Made Us, Disneys Behind The Attraction, and Icons Unearthed. With Game Changers, the company continues its exploration into pop culture through interviews with inventors, journalists, authors, and more. The series will not only reveal the inspiration behind some of pop cultures biggest gaming landmarks, but also uncover the sometimes shocking stories of their creation.

Screen Rant is happy to offer first details about The Nacelle Companys new series, Game Changers. Directed by The Nacelle Company founder and Icons Unearthed director Brian Volk-Weiss, Game Changers will detail the significance and creation of nostalgic gaming touchstones, from board games to the biggest video game franchises in the world. Read on for a deeper look...

Exclusive: Comedy Dynamics, the world’s largest independent stand-up comedy production and distribution company, has launched a 24/7 free ad-supported TV channel dedicated to stand-up on Amazon Freevee.

The Stand Up Channel will be carefully curated by the Comedy Dynamics team, and feature new and classic stand-up comedy specials, Amazon original specials, and new acquisitions as they become available. Among the comics you can expect to see highlighted are Jim Gaffigan, Tiffany Haddish, Tom Segura, Jeff Dunham, Eddie Griffin, Iliza Shlesinger, Jimmy O. Yang, Bill Hicks, Maria Bamford, Larry the Cable Guy, Anjelah Johnson, Lavell Crawford, Russell Peters, Kathleen Madigan, Gary Owen, Whitney Cummings and more.

Comedy Dynamics launches its new Fast channel following success with the Comedy Dynamics channel, the company’s first Fast channel, which similarly showcases their vast stand-up comedy library to Amazon customers. All Fast channels available on Freevee can be accessed through the Freevee app, as...

We’re getting more episodes of The Toys That Made Us! An announcement was made during San Diego Coic-Con that the popular Netflix docuseries would be returning for two additional seasons. Tttmu fed the appetites of fans who grew up collecting everything from Barbie and He-Man to Hello Kitty and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Each episode brought nostalgic goodness through origin stories told in such a unique and entertaining way. The winning formula of Brian Volk-Weiss and The Nacelle Company led to offshoots like The Movies That Made Us and other programs including Icons Unearthed. It’s hard to believe it has been almost five years since Season 3 dropped. And ever since Volk-Weiss has been asked if or when the show was coming back. Fast forward to the recent news that he is doubling down with topics tackled including Ghostbusters, Hot Wheels, Fast Food Toys, Pokemon, Polly Pocket, Super Hero Toys,...

The full list of topics have been revealed for the next two seasons of the docuseries The Toys That Made Us. They were first announced at San Diego Comic-Con by The Nacelle Company.

The first season of the docuseries debuted on Netflix in 2017. In the previous three seasons, various toy lines were showcased, including collectibles made for various brands including Star Wars, Barbie, G.I. Joe, Star Trek, Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Hello Kitty, professional wrestling, and more. Superhero toys will be kickng off the upcoming fourth season, with some of the other topics including Ghostbusters, Pokemon, and fast food toys, like the ones seen in McDonald's Happy Meals. The complete list can be seen below, along with an announcement teaser touting the new topics.

Seasons 4 and 5 of The Toys That Made Us Topics Superhero Toys Nerf Pokemon American Greetings Hot Wheels Ghostbusters Polly Pocket Fast Food Toys

By...

Five years after the third season arrived on Netflix, the team behind “The Toys That Made Us” has announced that fourth and fifth seasons of the nostalgic series are coming soon.

Season 4 & 5 episodes were revealed during Comic-Con on Saturday, and they include:

Ghostbusters Hot Wheels Fast Food Toys Pokemon Polly Pocket Super Hero Toys Nerf American Greetings

In “The Toys That Made Us,” the minds behind history’s most iconic toy franchises discuss their billion-dollar creations. You can stream all three available seasons on Netflix.

Topics covered in the first three seasons include Barbie, Star Wars, He-Man, G.I. Joe, Star Trek, Transformers, Lego, Hello Kitty, Power Rangers, Tmnt, My Little Pony and pro wrestling.

Watch the announce trailer for “The Toys That Made Us” Seasons 4 & 5 below!

The post “The Toys That Made Us” Will Return With ‘Ghostbusters’, ‘Madballs’ & More! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Nearly five years since the last episode aired, The Toys That Made Us is coming back for a fourth and fifth season. The lively documentary series from Nacelle is a highly entertaining and nostalgic look at the most popular toys of all time, with an often humorous look at their history. According to a report by Deadline, series creator Brian Volk-Weiss made the announcement during a panel Saturday at the San Diego Comic Con.

According to Volk-Weiss, each season will feature four new episodes each, and are currently in production. He later posted his thanks to everyone who attended on Instagram, stating, "Thank you to everyone who came to our Toys That Made Us panel!!! What an awesome time we had speaking with everyone who asked questions and Im so relieved everybody liked the brands were covering!!"

View this post on InstagramA post shared by Brian Volk-weiss (@brianvolkweiss)

During the panel,...

Exclusive: Nacelle, the Burbank-based diversified media company known for Netflix’s The Movies That Made Us, Disney’s Behind the Attraction, and the upcoming animated series Biker Mice from Mars (co-produced with Ryan Reynolds) and RoboForce (with Dwayne Johnson), is bringing The Toys That Made Us back for at least two additional seasons, which are currently in production.

From 2017-2019, Nacelle released three seasons on Netflix, aimed at peeling back the curtain on childhood wonders and the design, manufacturing and marketing that resulted in little pieces of plastic morphing into cultural phenomena. All previous episodes of The Toys That Made Us can currently be seen on Netflix. No deal has been announced for the new seasons as of this writing.

The new episodes of The Toys That Made Us are being directed by company founder Brian Volk-Weiss, and Nacelle will officially reveal the toys that will be covered in new...

Walmart is launching a new wave of retro toys based on a fan-favorite cartoon show from the 1990s. Biker Mice from Mars action figures will drop ahead of the reboot adaptation of the 1993 animated series.

The Nacelle Company announced the launch of new NacelleVerse action figures in partnership with retailer giant Walmart. Nacelle, the media company behind the documentaries The Toys That Made Us, The Movies That Made Us, and Behind the Attraction, is also poised to jumpstart an animated universe based on 1980s and 1990s animated shows RoboForce and Biker Mice from Mars. The new NacelleVerse toy line will be sold at select Walmart stores starting during the summer of 2024. Business Wire reports that Walmart aisles will also have end caps dedicated to NacelleVerse toys by October.

Related Street Sharks Returns With Retro-Style Figures for 30th Anniversary

Mattel marks the 30th anniversary of Street Sharks with a brand-new line...

Exclusive: Brian Volk-Weiss’ Nacelle Company on Wednesday announced Billy Corgan’s Adventures in Carnyland, an eight-episode unscripted series that’s set to premiere on The CW app and cwtv.com on May 14th.

Directed by Volk-Weis and Ian Roumain, the series pulls back the curtain on how the legendary frontman of alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins takes on the world. When he isn’t churning out albums and touring the world with his band, Corgan works as a wrestling promoter through his storied National Wrestling Alliance, which he intends to restore to its former glory. As if being a rock star navigating the demanding politics of running both a band (Pumpkinworld) and a group of eccentric wrestlers (Carnyland) isn’t tricky enough, he’s also a father of two — and he’s planning a wedding to his longtime partner, Chloe Mendel. Can he possibly keep all these balls in the air?...

It wasn’t until I started writing this article that I remembered something. A new Hellboy movie, titled Hellboy: The Crooked Man, is coming soon, likely to see release sometime this year.

Ketchup Entertainment acquired the rights last year to Millennium Media’s reboot, which will star Jack Kesy in the title role. But we’ll report more on that project in the coming months.

In the meantime, Deadline has announced today that a documentary on Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, titled Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters, is also coming soon.

Deadline reports that Nacelle (“The Toys That Made Us”) has acquired the doc, with no release date announced at this time. The documentary “tells the story of Mignola — one of the most successful independent comic book creators, who has inspired generations of writers and artists — and how he came to create a world-renowned comic book universe.

“The film includes never-before-seen interviews...

Masters of the Universe: Revolution is both a sequel to past He-Man stories and a show for new audiences to discover the character. From the character design to vehicles used to narrative elements, Masters of the Universe: Revolution features "deep cut" reference to the franchise's past. What makes this impressive is how almost every element introduced was instrumental to the story Masters of the Universe: Revolution told over its five episodes.

The following contains spoilers for Masters of the Universe: Revolution Season 1, now streaming on Netflix.

The most interesting thing about Masters of the Universe as a 40-year-old franchise is its origin. Instead of a wild idea from writers, animators or filmmakers about barbarians from space who battled with technology and magic, it was created by Mattel to sell toys out of desperation. Masters of the Universe: Revolution is the new series on Netflix that's all about honoring the past,...

Transformers One breaks tradition by casting Chris Hemsworth as Optimus Prime instead of veteran voice actor Peter Cullen. The animated film explores the origins of Cybertron and the transformation of Optimus Prime and Megatron's friendship into enmity. While Hemsworth's star power may boost marketing, his performance might not live up to the iconic role established by Cullen's strong and recognizable voice.

The next installment in the Transformers movie franchise, the animated Transformers One, is breaking an Optimus Prime casting tradition after 37 years. Directed by Toy Story 4’s Josh Cooley, Transformers One will explore the origins of Cybertron and chart how Optimus Prime and Megatron went from being close friends to being mortal enemies. The Transformers franchise arguably belongs in animation. The live-action movies have struggled to depict the Autobots and Decepticons in a way that isn’t hideous, but they always look great in cartoon form.

The star-studded voice...

Discontinued is a new show that explores the biggest flops and failures of recent decades, including the BlackBerry and Legends of the Hidden Temple. The show was originally conceived years ago and had a different pilot episode that was ultimately canceled. However, the show has now been revived with the help of Ryan Reynolds' Maximum Effort and host Bruce Campbell. Maximum Effort's involvement in the show has elevated its quality and added a darker comedy vibe. The show aims to cover multi-generational topics and iconic products, while also highlighting some bizarre and unsuccessful ideas, such as Harley-Davidson cologne.

Discontinued is a new show from The Nacelle Company and Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort that takes a look back at some of the biggest flops, failures, and fade-aways of recent decades. The first episode covered a number of cultural landmarks from the 1990s and early 2000s including the BlackBerry, the Furby,...

No matter what your pop-culture obsession is, there's a good chance a documentary series somewhere is doing a deep dive into it. Netflix's The Toys That Made Us examines some of our most popular toy lines, while its sister show, The Movies That Made Us, tackles our biggest movie blockbusters. Disney's Behind the Attraction looks at Disney's historic theme-park rides, while Vice TV's Icons Unearthed delves into our longest-running franchises. What may surprise you, however, is that all of these shows come from the same guy — writer, director, and producer Brian Volk-Weiss.

In the new series Discontinued, it's not a matter of where Bruce Campbell finds himself but when. Stranded in the year 2037 in a fancy bunker filled with relics of times gone by, Campbell serves as host for the new pop-culture documentary, which looks back at various products and phenomenons — things like the Furby, the BlackBerry device, and even Disney's Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel — that may have been successful for a while but eventually faded from the public consciousness. Directed by Brian Volk-Weiss, the creator of The Toys That Made Us and The Movies That Made Us, and produced by Ryan Reynolds' Maximum Effort, Discontinued premiered on the Maximum Effort Channel on Fubo last week and is now streaming new episodes each Wednesday.

Well, "The Marvels" might have been a box office dud, signaling a historic low point for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the franchise will always remain one of the biggest Hollywood success stories of all time. By now, we all know how Kevin Feige and his cohorts took under-appreciated Marvel characters and created a run of obscenely popular blockbusters that dominated the box office for the better part of a decade. But there was a lot more involved than simply whacking Robert Downey Jr. in an Iron Man suit and raking in the dough.

2008's "Iron Man" was, of course, where it all started, with the Jon Favreau-directed film proving a massive hit and changing Hollywood forever. But even getting to the point where they could start producing an Iron Man movie proved to be a journey of its own for Marvel. In 2005 the Wall Street Journal reported that...

Exclusive: Comedy Dynamics is set to produce a new comedy special from Paul Reiser — the first from the veteran performer in more than 30 years, which will tape live at the Newman Center for Performing Arts in Denver, Co on November 17.

Details as to topics he’ll cover in the special haven’t been disclosed. But his latest comes on the heels of Paul Reiser: 3 ½ Blocks from Home and Paul Reiser: Out on a Whim, which were respectively released in 1991 and 1987. “People don’t always believe me when I tell them that getting out and doing standup is the most fun part of all these projects,” Reiser told Deadline. “But it’s always been my first love and I’m so excited to be doing another special!”

Comedy Dynamics Founder Brian Volk-Weiss is directing and will exec produce alongside Cisco Henson, Reiser, and Michael Pelmont. Said Volk-Weiss, “Knowing and working with...

Robo Force, an obscure 1980s toy line, is making a comeback in a new prequel comic as part of the Nacelle-Verse. The comic series will explore the rise of Robo Force and their importance in saving humanity from annihilation. Nacelle and Oni have upgraded Robo Force for the 21st century, fixing the original flaws and providing a fresh start for the line.

Robo Force, one of the most obscure toy lines of the 1980s, are returning to save humanity in a new prequel comic. The Nacelle Company, the masterminds behind hit television shows such as The Toys That Made Us, is set to launch the “Nacelle-Verse,” made up of some of the best, but lesser-known, toys of the 80s and 90s. Robo Force will be part of the new line, and fans can see them in action in a prequel comic from Oni Press.

The one-shot, titled Nacelleverse #0, will be...

Netflix offers a wide range of documentaries on various topics, from nature and true crime to art and politics. "Dirty Money" is a must-watch docuseries that exposes corporate corruption and unethical practices. "My Octopus Teacher" is an uplifting documentary that tells the emotional story of a filmmaker's friendship with an octopus, highlighting humanity's relationship with the planet's ecosystems.

Documentaries comprise a substantial chunk of the streaming content on Netflix. Most viewers are likely to be more familiar with Netflix's roster of shows and movies, but the streamer's growing list of documentaries and docu-series deserve just as much attention from subscribers. From the classic nature, technology, sports, and true-crime documentaries, to ones that dive deep into art, unexplained mysteries, politics, history, and even philosophy, it's all on Netflix.

Whether formatted as a movie or series, Netflix documentaries provide subscribers with entirely new stories and knowledge bases to discover. While the genre...

The 'toy first' franchise of Masters of the Universe has had a spotty history with live-action adaptations of the beloved He-Man character and his endless army of friends and foes. While audiences weren't exactly in unanimous approval of the 1987 live-action film starring Dolph Lundgren as our favorite muscle-bound blend of Conan The Barbarian and Superman, the film has still gained a cult following over the years. The common criticism applied to any actor chosen to play He-Man resides in the realm of physical build.

However, it could be argued that He-Man's most important trait is the ability to go between Prince Adam and He-Man, which was executed impeccably well by voice actor John Erwin in the original 1980s cartoon series. Some may even cite Erwin's importance as on the level of voice actor Peter Cullen who gave us the iconic Optimus Prime performance and later called on again for...

The Expanse action figures by The Nacelle Company offer a first look at characters from the beloved sci-fi show, including Chrisjen Avasarala and Camina Drummer. The attention to detail in the figures, although artist renderings, is impressive, with Avasarala's outfit and Drummer's firearm accurately represented. The first series of action figures will feature other iconic characters from The Expanse, including Josephus Miller, James Holden, Amos Burton, Bobbie Draper, and Naoma Nagata.

Screen Rant is excited to offer a first look at the first-ever The Expanse action figures. The Expanse’s untimely season 6 ending has left a hunger for further exploration of the world first created by author James S. A. Corey, as three of Corey’s novels have not yet been adapted into live-action. The Expanse does live on in projects like the tie-in comic The Expanse: Dragon Tooth, but hopes remain high for an eventual seventh season.

Characters...

Perhaps there's no one more excited to see Biker Mice from Mars getting a revival than Ryan Reynolds, as the Deadpool star has boarded the project to serve as an executive producer.

On Friday, it was announced by Nacelle that the company has partnered up with Reynolds' Maximum Effort and Fubo to produce the series, which was first announced in January. Executive producing the revival alongside Reynolds is director Brian Volk-Weiss, as well as Cisco Henson, Matt Kravitsky, Michael Goodman, George Dewey, Kevin Hill, Patrick Gooing, David Gandler, and Pamela Duckworth.

Related: Before Green Lantern, Before Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds as -- The Flash?

In the series, per the official synopsis, "On the planet Mars, there existed a race of anthropomorphic mice who enjoyed motorsports and had a very similar culture and society to that of human beings. Eventually, they were all but wiped out by the Plutarkians, an alien race of obese,...

Exclusive: Ryan Reynolds and his company, Maximum Effort, have joined Nacelle’s Biker Mice from Mars animated series, a new iteration of the cult classic series. Nacelle plans to co-produce with Maximum Effort and Fubo.

“Some people know that I am a motorcycle enthusiast, so it was only natural for us to jump on board Biker Mice from Mars,” said Reynolds. “Maximum Effort and Fubo look forward to putting a new spin on this cult classic with our friends at Nacelle.”

The Biker Mice From Mars story: on the planet Mars, there existed a race of anthropomorphic mice who enjoyed motorsports and had a very similar culture and society to that of human beings. Eventually, they were all but wiped out by the Plutarkians, an alien race of obese, foul-smelling, worm-eating, fish-like humanoids who plunder other planets for their natural resources.

Three survivors: Throttle, Modo, and Vinnie, manage to find...

The Nacelle Company and Vice TV’s Icons Unearthed: Marvel continues the Icons Unearthed series with a deep dive into the biggest film phenomenon of the modern era. The series begins with the origins of the Marvel comic book company and the surprising twists and turns that brought it to the brink of 2008’s Iron Man, chronicling key moments that have since shaped the MCU. Icons Unearthed: Marvel also benefits from interviews with a number of key players, including the former head of Marvel TV Jeph Loeb, Phil Coulson actor Clark Gregg, and Hulk icon Lou Ferrigno.

Icons Unearthed: Marvel was directed by Brian Volk-Weiss, who founded The Nacelle Company. Volk-Weiss is behind a number of other well-known deep dive shows, including the other Icons Unearthed seasons (such as one exploring the Fast and Furious franchise), and the Netflix docuseries The Toys That Made Us and The Movies That Made Us.

Exclusive: Nacelle, the studio behind Down to Earth with Zac Efron and Grant, Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black History, has struck a deal to distribute a feature-length doc filmed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The company has taken worldwide rights to Comedy of War: Laughter in Ukraine.

The doc comes from filmmakers Christopher Walters and Krista Liney, who runs producer Maiden, and shows the brutal reality of the conflict through the lens of stand-up comedians touring in war-torn Ukraine. Nacelle plans to take the doc to film festivals before launching worldwide sales.

The documentary follows four rising stars of Ukrainian stand-up comedy, each with a unique perspective on the war currently being waged in their homeland. Performing in converted bomb shelters, they laugh in spite of the war, not at it.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine began almost a year ago and has left tens of thousands dead and millions displaced.

Toys have been a part of marketing for shows and films for a long time. The Masters of the Universe line of action figures came before the animated series, as we learned in the Netflix docuseries "The Toys That Made Us." The first "Star Wars" film toys were part of a mail-away campaign in 1978 before they were ready to be shipped. Toy marketing has also caused controversy in the past. Just think of the #WheresRey campaign when her figure was left out of a "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" Monopoly set.

According to an interview /Film's own Rafael Motomayor did with animation writer Henry Gilroy, toys were a big reason for the cancelation of his animated series "G.I. Joe: Renegades." The show ran on The Hub from 2010 through 2011 for a single 26-episode season before being scrapped. 

It's interesting to note that Hasbro created the G.I. Joe toy line in 1964, and though we had comics,...

Thanks to the massive success of the 1987 animated series "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," toy companies and television networks were all looking for their own anthropomorphic crimefighting animal franchises in the late 1980s and early 1990s. And when they eventually found them, the results were wild. In the words of Guns N' Roses, "Welcome to the Jungle."

"Battletoads" was probably the most blatant ripoff. "Road Rovers" was another swing and a miss. "Swat Kats: The Radical Squadron" had a pretty awesome show, but the toy line didn't deliver as much as the cartoon. Then came "Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa" and "Street Sharks," which excelled in both areas. But when "Biker Mice From Mars" premiered in 1993, both the show and the toys stood head and shoulders above the rest (but always just below Tmnt). The little kid version of me went nuts for this show, as well as the action...

Exclusive: The Robo Force toy line has inspired an animated show and The Nacelle Company has given it a straight-to-series order.

The studio behind The Toys That Made Us, Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black History, 2019’s Mad About You reboot, Icons Unearthed and Behind the Attraction is self-financing its first animated television series based on the 1980s property they acquired back in 2021.

Tom Stern (Spongebob Squarepants) and Gavin Hignight (Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy) have joined to write and produce as showrunners. The pilot episode will be directed by Brian Volk-Weiss, and the first season is set to have six, twenty-two-minute episodes.

“I didn’t think anything would be more surreal than selling thousands of Maxx 89 and Wrecker figures, but making an animated series come to life takes the suction cup-covered cake… and yes, we will be revealing why Wrecker comes with red roses!” said Nacelle Company Founder and CEO,...

One of this summer’s most surprising television events has been Vice TV’s Icons Unearthed: Star Wars. What makes this program — whose latest episode covering the production of Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones, airs Aug. 16at 10 p.m. Et — so compelling is how it somehow manages to be a treasure trove of new information about George Lucas’ space saga.

Even before the internet made information about the original and prequel trilogy easy to come by, Star Wars was the most dissected franchise in motion picture (and pop culture) history. With every bit of minutiae relating to the film’s production having been analyzed to death by this point, what, if anything, is there to learn about Star Wars that we haven’t already heard a million times before?

Enter Brian Volk-Weiss.

The mastermind behind The Toys That Made Us, The Movies That Made Us and At a Toy Store Near You,...

A year after announcing his farewell tour, comedian Bill Engvall is ready to reveal how he’ll wrap things up: With one final stand-up comedy special. Comedy Dynamics has partnered with Engvall to produce his final stand-up comedy special, which will take place in Salt Lake City at Eccles Theater on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, 2022.

“It’s always great to work with a longtime comedy veteran like Bill, because you know the end product is going to be smart, funny, and an entertaining piece for his dedicated fans worldwide,” said Brian Volk-Weiss, founder and CEO of Comedy Dynamics.

Variety exclusively reported last year that Engvall was signing off with the farewell stand-up tour “Here’s Your Sign, It’s Finally Time,” which launched at the end of last summer and continued into this year.

The comedian/actor/author, who’s also a Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum selling recording artist, is...

Vice TV will world premiere the Nacelle Company’s new Icons Unearthed series July 12, with the first installment of a 6-hour deep dive into the Star Wars Universe.

In Icons Unearthed: Star Wars Marcia Lucas, Oscar-winning film editor and ex-wife of George Lucas, sits down for her first-ever on-camera interview and provides unique insight into the rise of LucasFilm — including her 14-year marriage to and eventual divorce from George Lucas — the editing of the original Star Wars trilogy, the origin of the idea that Darth Vader would be Luke’s father and if there were really originally plans for nine movies.

Icons Unearthed: Star Wars also includes exclusive interviews with Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams, Paul Hirsch, Phil Tippett, Rick Baker, Ken Ralston, John Dykstra, Howard Kazanjian, Julian Glover, Ian McDiarmid, Gus Lopez, Tom Spina and many more. Icons Unearthed: Star Wars is narrated by Michael Pennington, who portrayed Moff...

After announcing its entry into the toy business this past February, the Nacelle Company, the studio behind Netflix’s The Toys That Made Us, The Movies That Made Us, A Toy Store Near You, and Behind The Attraction on Disney+ is revitalizing Robo Force, the 1980’s property with a new television show, books and merchandise starting with the action figures created by the eminent toy designer, David Vonner.

Yes, the Nacelle Company’s first step into the toy world begins with the highly anticipated, reimagined Robo Force action figure line is now available to pre-order on Nacellestore.com

Part of Nacelle’s Very Important Toy Line of 7.5-inch scale figures that come with packaging featuring artwork and a collector-friendly window box, is the first of Nacelle’s action figure line, with fully articulated versions of Maxx Steele and Wrecker. The second wave of Robo Force figures is set for pre-sale...

The Butthole Surfers, one of the bands that influenced some of the biggest rock bands of the 90s including Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers, are getting their own deep dive.

A feature documentary about the band, which was lampooned on The Simpsons and Beavis and Butthead and appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, is currently in the works from director Tom Stern.

Stern is a writer, director, producer and showrunner, whose credits include Netflix’s The Toys That Made Us and Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black History.

The Butthole Surfers Movie will tell the story of the Texas-based band that featured members including singer Gibby Haynes, guitarist Paul Leary and drummer King Coffey. The band hs released eight studio albums since they formed in 1981 including Locust Abortion Technician, Hairway to Steven and the Capitol Records-released Electriclarryland, which spawned a surprising hit single with the song Pepper.

One of Netflix’s most popular shows that I would never consider reviewing — because what would possibly be the point? — is The Movies That Made Us. As befits its status as a spin-off from The Toys That Made Us, The Movies That Made Us is fueled by populist nostalgia instead of cinematic rigor, intended to make you happy about things you (and everybody else) already loved rather than force any examination or introspection about the medium.

Occupying the vast middle ground between The Movies That Made Us and an ultra-meticulous or ultra-intellectual cinematic essay like Thom Andersen’s Los Angeles Plays Itself or ...

One of Netflix’s most popular shows that I would never consider reviewing — because what would possibly be the point? — is The Movies That Made Us. As befits its status as a spin-off from The Toys That Made Us, The Movies That Made Us is fueled by populist nostalgia instead of cinematic rigor, intended to make you happy about things you (and everybody else) already loved rather than force any examination or introspection about the medium.

Occupying the vast middle ground between The Movies That Made Us and an ultra-meticulous or ultra-intellectual cinematic essay like Thom Andersen’s Los Angeles Plays Itself or ...

(Welcome to ...And More, our no-frills, zero B.S. guide to when and where you can watch upcoming movies and shows, and everything else you could possibly stand to know.)

A spin-off of the hugely successful "The Toys That Made Us," series, "The Movies That Made Us" will be back for a third season. Last week we were able to announce that one of the focuses of the new season would be horror movies, and with Halloween just around the corner, "The Movies That Made Us" will arrive just in time. Here's everything you need to know about "The Movies That Made Us"...

The post The Movies That Made Us Season 3: Release Date, Cast and More appeared first on /Film.

Exclusive: The Nacelle Company (The Toys That Made Us) has greenlighted a documentary about Beanie Babies, the plush toys that became a cultural and economic phenomenon during the 1990s.

The film aims to shed light on how these seemingly simple characters, with little to no backstory, captured the hearts of millions.

H. Ty Warner introduced Beanie Babies to the world in 1993, through his company Ty Inc., seeing the line of collectibles grow into a global fad through the mid-to-late ’90s, due to the air of exclusivity around them. The toys, cited by some as the world’s first internet sensation, were perceived by certain collectors as financial investments because they were deliberately made scarce, each new design produced in only a limited quantity.

Ty Inc. converted its wave of success with Beanie Babies into new technological advancements, including the first business-to-consumer website. The company remains in business to this day,...

Exclusive: The Nacelle Company (The Toys That Made Us) has partnered with Paul Frank via owner Futurity Brands to develop and produce a TV show, centered on its characters.

Paul Frank is a beloved SoCal brand founded in Huntington Beach in 1995 by the American cartoonist, artist and fashion designer of the same name. It’s best known for its character Julius the Monkey—depicted in the logo above—along with other creatures it’s introduced from the idyllic community of Planned Pines.

“In the ’90s and early 2000s, it was nearly impossible to go one week without seeing something from Paul Frank,” said The Nacelle Company’s Founder and CEO Brian Volk-Weiss. “We’re excited to work with these wonderful characters, and hope to help display them to an even larger audience than ever before.”

“Nacelle is the perfect partner for the next chapter of the Paul Frank franchise,” added Futurity CEO Stan Wan.

So many toy stores, so many viewers. The Nacelle Company, which brought us Netflix’s The Movies That Made Us and The Toys That Made Us, is making more toy stories. The studio has given the green light to A Toy Store Near You season 4, which will continue its run on Amazon Prime Video.

Directed by Nacelle Company CEO BrianVolk-Weiss, the series attracted an overwhelming surge of viewership through unexpected times. A Toy Store Near You focuses on the toy collector community, a small and tight knit group, which is apparently growing, partially because of the series.

“People are literally writing to us daily, some even telling us how they’ve quit their jobs and opened their own vintage toy stores inspired by our series. It seemed almost criminal not to make more,” Volk-Weiss said in a statement.

The series premiered during the early onset of Covid-19, and the focus...

The Nacelle Company has partnered with North Maple Productions in a deal intended to broaden Nacelle’s content development strategy with a focus on expanding the company’s reach to historically underrepresented audiences.

Nacelle, founded by Brian Volk-Weiss, is the studio known for developing programs such as “The Movies That Made Us,” “The Toys That Made Us” and “Down to Earth With Zac Efron” for Netflix and “Behind The Attraction” for Disney Plus. North Maple Productions, co-founded by Naisha Arnold and Rushie Perera, focuses on platforming storytellers with diverse backgrounds in regards to race, gender and sexuality. Both women of color, Arnold and Perera work with both emerging and established talent to create both scripted and non-scripted material.

Arnold’s previous experience includes more than a decade of talent management. She also produced Polly Draper’s 2018 film “Stella’s Last Weekend.” Perera has also been working in production and development for over a decade,...

Exclusive: Author and actress Jenny Mollen will see her debut novel published by the Nacelle Company, which also has retained the book’s film and television rights.

City of Likes is the first work of fiction for Mollen, who penned a memoir and a book of essays in the 2010s.

The novel centers on Maddie, an unemployed thirtysomething copywriter whose career has taken a back seat to motherhood. When her family moves to New York, she meets the enigmatic and gorgeous Daphne Cole – an Instagram mommy influencer with millions of followers and a soft spot for Maddie. Maddie finds herself with an unlikely new best friend, getting a taste of the access, fame and unlimited chickpea puffs that power Daphne’s life. But soon enough, Maddie begins to suspect this world isn’t as picture perfect as it seems to be. Will she be able to pull herself out of...

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If you’ve watched any of the many iterations of “Masters of the Universe,” then you’ve probably stopped to think to yourself, at least once: what exactly is Battle Cat? He-Man’s feline companion has the characteristics of a domestic house cat and the stripes and roar of a predatory tiger. But he’s also the size of a horse.

Turns out he was just the last-minute solution to a budgeting issue. When Mattel didn’t have enough money to create a vehicle for He-Man, they repurposed a tiger toy from the Big Jim toy line. The only problem was that what was supposed to be He-Man’s smaller companion came out to be twice his size.

The Nacelle Company is reviving Silverhawks, a sort of space-themed ThunderCats from the mid-eighties.

Silverhawks was a classic animated television show developed by Rankin/Bass Productions and released in 1986. The show consisted of 65 episodes, with a concept that revolved around a team of 29th Century heroes with metal bodies and wings who were tasked to stop an organized crime ring and protect the citizens of the Galaxy of Limbo, which had been overrun by the show’s antagonist, Mon*Star. He ran a mob featuring some interesting characters, including a shapeshifter, a robotic card shark and a man with blades for arms.

The team at Rankin/Bass likely intended to turn the high-concept idea into a space-themed extension of their already-successful ThunderCats, but the show did not enjoy the success of its predecessor.

See the original show’s opening below.

Nacelle produces Disney+’s Behind The Attraction, Netflix’s The Movies That Made Us,...

Exclusive: Producer and publisher The Nacelle Company has acquired the 1980s hit property Robo Force from toy company Toyfinity and said it’s commissioned a script and plans to start producing toys, books and branded merchandise in late 2021 and premiere a TV series in mid-2022.

In 1984, CBS released an animated show based on the toy line and companies from Buena Vista Records (Disney) to Random House, Topps and Hallmark partnered with the network then to support one of the biggest launches in toy business history. Robo Force technology included patented suction cup bases, tubular arms “for crushing action” and a variety of detachable guns and moving parts, Burbank-based Nacelle reminds us, CBS plastered the logo widely from lunchboxes to bedsheets. The Topps collector card company partnered with Robo Force to release a series of trading cards.

The now-defunct Ideal Toy Company created the Robo Force line for CBS in 1984. It...

Everyone wants to be a kid again, and sometimes all it takes is a favorite toy to recapture the magic. Twenty-One Pilots and Megan Thee Stallion both set recent music videos in toy shops. The Nacelle Company explored the power of nostalgia when they gifted us with Netflix’s The Movies That Made Us, The Toys That Made Us, Disney+’s Behind the Attraction, and Down To Earth with Zac Efron. Now Nacelle will premiere A Toy Store Near You season 3 on June 23, on Amazon Prime Video.

Season 1 hit during Covid, and the show showcased store owners fighting to stay afloat in the middle of the pandemic. Each of the shops’ unique history was laid out. Season 2 highlighted the vintage toys. A Toy Store Near You season 3 The travels the globe to visit favorite toy stores and meet the small business owners who keep the vintage toy community running.

“Hard work,...

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Want to know something about the world of nerdy collectibles? You ask Brian Volk-Weiss, the prolific producer and creator of Netflix’s The Toys That Made Us and A Toy Story Near You, two must-watch documentary series that track the stories of the coolest, rarest, and most valuable toys and collectibles ever made and where to find them.

Volk-Weiss isn’t just a documentarian, though. He’s spent years chasing collector’s items for his own personal collection, and he’s learned a few secrets and heard quite a few stories about the high-stakes world of collectibles along the way.

Star Wars collectibles are of particular interest to Volk-Weiss, who has previously written about the rarest, most expensive Star Wars action figure for Den of Geek. But did you know about the secret Facebook group that deals...

Exclusive: The Nacelle Company is boldly going where no man has gone before. Today it unveiled The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek, an eight-episode limited docuseries that it will produce for History Channel.

Created and directed by Nacelle founder and CEO, Brian Volk-Weiss, The Center Seat is described as the ultimate deep dive into the world of Star Trek. Timed to coincide with the iconic sci-fi franchise’s 55th anniversary this year, it will offer Trekkies a behind-the-scenes look at pivotal moments in the franchise’s history — from its inception at Lucille Ball’s production company Desilu through recent film and television adaptations.

“Star Trek, from before I was 10 years old, gave me the closest thing I have to a code to follow in my life,” Volk-Weiss said. “If it wasn’t for the words ‘I don’t believe in the no-win scenario,’ I’d be very alone, broke,...