Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

© Paramount Pictures

Collaborating with Brands Like Coolhaus and Funko, the Iconic Media Franchise Will Be Honoring This Momentous Occasion by Bringing Custom Sweets, a Khan-Inspired Collectible, Screenings of the Film, a Curated Khan-Centric Selection of Episodes and Movies on Paramount+, and More to “Star Trek” Fans

Paramount’s “Star Trek” Franchise Group presents a Summer of Sweet Revenge, in celebration of “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”’s 40th anniversary on Saturday, June 4, to fans across the country and beyond. They are teaming up with various brands to commemorate the film’s birthday with a suite of activities that include pop-ups in New York City, Los Angeles and at San Diego Comic Con, as well as screenings of the film and activations in select cities. Fans are also able to find out how they can join in on the celebration by visiting WrathOfPKhan.com, a specially curated online hub with details on the activations, digital engagements and more.

Throughout the years, “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” has continued to be a compelling and iconic film, so much so that it has been referenced in many popular titles such as “Seinfeld,” SOUTH PARK, “Saturday Night Live” and “The Big Bang Theory,” to name a few. The portrayal of the film’s antagonist Khan Noonien Singh by Ricardo Montalbán inspired the most infamous moment: William Shatner’s scream of the name “KHAAAN!”

“Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”’s 40th anniversary Summer of Sweet Revenge will include collaborations with household name brands like Funko, Coolhaus and more. Additional details on each of these activations can be found below.

SUMMER OF SWEET REVENGE ON PARAMOUNT+

Bringing the celebration to viewers at home, Paramount+ is curating a special selection of Khan-centric and “revenge”-themed “Star Trek” episodes and movies to incorporate even more fans into the fun.

The episodes and movies will be featured in special carousels on Paramount+ on June 4 and the curated list will also be shared on “Star Trek’s” official social channels (@StarTrek and @StarTrekOnPPlus).

To learn more about the 40th anniversary celebration, please visit WrathOfPKhan.com or “Star Trek’s” official social channels, and stream your favorite “Star Trek” episodes and movies on Paramount+, the home of the “Star Trek” Universe.
 

WRATH OF KHAN FUNKO

In collaboration with collectibles brand Funko, the media franchise will be incorporating fans into the celebration by having them pick their favorite design of a Funko inspired by Khan on the official “Star Trek” shop (shop.startrek.com). From May 31 to June 3, “Star Trek” lovers around the world will be able to vote on whether the Funko should exhibit “Battle Ready Khan” or “Post-Battle Khan.” The winning design will then be announced to all participants on June 4, the film’s anniversary, and the Khan Funko will be available for pre-order on June 6.

WRATH OF P’KHAN COOLHAUS ICE CREAM TRUCK

To further celebrate the 40th anniversary of the film, women-owned ice cream brand Coolhaus will be bringing consumers in New York City limited-edition Wrath of P’Khan ice cream sandwiches via a branded truck. The film-inspired wrapped truck will be visiting fans in SoHo at Prince Street and Green Street on June 4.

Ringing in National Ice Cream Day on July 17, the Coolhaus vehicle will make its way to Los Angeles’ busiest spot, Santa Monica at 2nd Street and Santa Monica Boulevard, in the peak of summer to bring the celebration and custom ice cream to “Star Trek” lovers in the City of Angels.

The ice cream truck will also be heading to San Diego Comic Con this year with streaming service Paramount+. They will be handing out Wrath of P’Khan ice cream sandwiches and celebrating the anniversary with fans of the franchise at the largest convention of its kind in the world.

“WRATH OF KHAN” FATHOM FILM SCREENINGS

To provide added honor on the momentous occasion, Paramount Home Entertainment and Fathom Events are partnering to bring “The Wrath of Khan” to the big screen during the TCM Big Screen Classics series on Sept. 4, 5 and 8. This will include over 2,500 screenings of the film across the three-day event.

About the “Star Trek” Universe

In the 55+ years since the legendary creator Gene Roddenberry introduced the world to a “Star Trek” universe where “Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations” remains its proud legacy, the series has continued to break barriers – inspiring generations of fans with a celebration of cultural diversity and inclusion, scientific exploration, and the pursuit of uncharted frontiers. Today, the “Star Trek” canon continues to thrive through film, television, animation, games, publishing, podcasts, experiences and most recently children’s programming. Available in over 190 countries worldwide, the “Star Trek” franchise of 11 TV series, 13 films and over 800 episodes has been a mainstay in generating stories that are both exciting and thought-provoking, as well as vastly contributing to the pop culture lexicon throughout the years. Phrases originating from “Star Trek” have been incorporated into popular vernacular such as “live long and prosper,” “set phasers to stun,” “beam me up, Scotty” and many more. Over its more than five decades, the media franchise has also influenced countless technologies including the first flip phones, as well as being the inspiration behind the name of the first U.S. space shuttle. Additionally, the famous Vulcan salute from the original “Star Trek” is a universal cultural symbol. The “Star Trek” series, including STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, STAR TREK: PICARD, STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS, and the animated series STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS and STAR TREK: PRODIGY on Paramount+ are produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Executive producer Alex Kurtzman oversees the “Star Trek” universe across all platforms.

About Paramount+

Paramount+, a direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service from Paramount Global, combines live sports, breaking news and a mountain of entertainment. The premium streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel. The service is also the streaming home to unmatched sports programming, including every CBS Sports event, from golf to football to basketball and more, plus exclusive streaming rights for major sports properties, including some of the world’s biggest and most popular soccer leagues. Paramount+ also enables subscribers to stream local CBS stations live across the U.S. in addition to the ability to stream Paramount Global Streaming’s other live channels: CBS News Streaming Network for 24/7 news, CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis, and ET Live for entertainment coverage. Subscribe below!

Survivor 42 S42E11: Battle Royale

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Survivor delivers an unneeded twist in an episode of big moves and big mistakes.
by Jeremy Fogelman

This week on Survivor, our dear Drea was voted out but the reason was unfortunately easy to understand: she was a strategic threat already and she foolishly gave away her advantage info to Omar which directly led to her getting voted out. If Drea had simply kept her foreknowledge to herself, her new enemy Mike might’ve gotten voted out instead.

Dear Drea was a strategic threat, but unfortunately an all too obvious one -- her Terminator-like behavior at tribal of repeating “I observe” certainly didn’t sound that friendly or non-threatening. At this point in the game she had merely survived already being a target, so she really needed to outplay the others -- and revealing to Omar was a huge mistake.

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However, her outing of Omar’s betrayal as she entertainingly dragged most of her fellow contestants might spell the end for Omar’s under the radar strategy. She gave Mike the “kiss of death” by calling him as the likely winner if he makes it to the end, but also praises Lindsay and Maryanne. So even for vote out mastermind Mike (and actual vote out mastermind Omar), he suffered from poor optics this episode.

Alas, the Survivor gods shined brightly this week on one person, and one person alone: Lindsay, as she beat the odds in her Monty Hall “Do or Die” twist and stayed in the game despite having (as she noted) made a foolish mistake competing in the immunity challenge. Although this twist is not as bad as the Sinister Hourglass twist, I still don’t like having it ultimately come down to a game of chance.

© CBS

Still, I was certainly tense about the winner of the immunity challenge, especially as Lindsay had been getting built up as the only one that can stand against Jonathan in challenges. The big man didn’t have the best episode either, despite having won immunity -- he was clearly annoying people to the point where they wanted him gone, regardless of any immunity prowess.

As for the rest of the gang, Maryanne continues to play the well considered non-threat game -- she considers the double edged sword of being not seen as a threat also meaning that people wouldn’t vote for her to win. She’s definitely a thoughtful player of the game, and certainly a very entertaining one.

At this point I really only see Romeo and Jonathan as the “can’t win” players, as people actively disliked by other players -- which is the real kiss of death for the final winning vote. Omar’s stock went down a bit while Lindsay’s rose a bit, while Mike stayed steady and Maryanne moved up -- Romeo and Jonathan went further down.

Overall, despite the annoying twist, it was quite the fun episode, losing a great player that will clearly become the case until the finale because it’s nearly all great players left. Quite a place to be in.

Next time on Survivor, the Taku four made it to the final six, and Maryanne isn’t a goat to be herded!

Survivor 42 S42E01: Feels Like a Rollercoaster

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Survivor 42 starts off a new season with a new cast of delightful weirdos to cheer for.
by Jeremy Fogelman

As the sun rises on a new season of Survivor, we get our first glimpse of the ragtag set of players that are striving for that big prize. As per usual with most recent seasons, it’s quite a diverse cast of characters, with a common thread that many of these people are fans and sometimes superfans. And so we start with the ending, which is the simple question of:

Why did Zach lose?

© CBS

As per usual, the first few episodes are tricky in terms of getting voted out, because even the smallest of grievances can easily explode in your face to make you an easy target, because everyone is looking for easy targets at the start. So although Zach successfully connected with Romeo, and to a lesser extent, with fellow youngsters Swati and Tori, none of those three were willing to rock the boat enough to try and change the vote.

And Tori was already willing to point fingers, so that wasn’t so difficult -- Romeo had his “older folks” alliance with Rocksroy and Drea, Drea had to be dissuaded from her quest against Rocksroy (who himself was a bit of that annoying “leader” type), and Swati explicitly targeted Zach. Zach didn’t make things any easier with his exhausted immunity performance, where he seemed to be “giving up” (although it’s likely he was just unable to move much) and couldn’t defeat the puzzle as fast as the other two teams.

So adios to our skinny boy superfan Zach, who is representative of one particular type of superfan, but at least he was clearly just glad for the experience. Similarly we get pleasant vibes from Jackson, who shares his own fascinating backstory about reconnecting with his anti-trans father over his mother’s passing, and Maryanne, who is so immediately excited that Jeff Probst does need to point it out.

© CBS

Unfortunately Jackson does get medically evacuated because of a recently disclosed lithium withdrawal issue, leaving his tribe mates Lindsay and Maryanne in tears (with the latter literally crying out loud). As for Maryanne, she’s a self-acknowledged “weirdo” with a clear emotional connection to everyone -- for her it could go either very well or very poorly.

In terms of the rest of the gang, we get a little from everyone here and there. Of note are a few people that give some narration for us. Omar gives us some color, talking about being a secret predator, and Jenny saves her tribe from getting their triangle challenge wrong. Superfan Daniel dislocates his shoulder but continues to “shoulder” through the challenge and seems to be getting along swimmingly with his tribe. And others get little moments to shine too.

In terms of the twists, we get the classic “risk or protect your vote” idea which had mixed results last season, and a revamped 'Sweaty vs Savvy' that heavily pushed players towards the puzzle (which they both got -- 51 triangles exactly!). The dice roll for your life still hasn’t done much except ensure Zach’s departure, so that’s also a bit of a question mark for now. All well and good but the new twist, the shared amulet trap, now that’s a fascinating twist -- there are really so many possible ways that can go. I think it’s one of the better ones in a while.

All in all, a pretty fun new cast and an entertaining episode -- I can see that some players will immediately become divisive and others favorites, but I’m not hitching my wagon to anyone yet. I know how that one goes. But it’s great to see more Survivor with people that really want to play and win.

Next time on Survivor, here’s Maryanne, Tori wants Drea out, and David wants Mike out?

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies Cast and Production Announcement

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Paramount+, the streaming service from ViacomCBS, has announced that principal photography has begun in Vancouver for its upcoming original series, GREASE: RISE OF THE PINK LADIES.

From Paramount Television Studios, GREASE: RISE OF THE PINK LADIES is set to star Marisa Davila as Jane, Cheyenne Isabel Wells as Olivia, Ari Notartomaso as Cynthia, Tricia Fukuhara as Nancy, Shanel Bailey as Hazel, Madison Thompson as Susan, Johnathan Nieves as Richie, Jason Schmidt as Buddy, Maxwell Whittington-Cooper as Wally and Jackie Hoffman as Asst. Principal McGee.

The musical series takes place four years before the original Grease; in 1954 before rock 'n' roll ruled, before the T-Birds were the coolest in the school, four fed-up, outcasts dare to have fun on their own terms, sparking a moral panic that will change Rydell High forever.

"We are thrilled to unveil our new original series that will introduce an incredible cast of young stars in the making, and electrifying musical numbers you will fall in love with," said Nicole Clemens, President, Paramount Television Studios & Paramount+ Original Scripted Series. "Annabel and Alethea have managed to brilliantly capture the spirit of the iconic beloved classic film which like RISE OF THE PINK LADIES, is both set in the past but relevant to the present."

GREASE: RISE OF THE PINK LADIES is written and executive produced by creator Annabel Oakes (Atypical, Transparent), who also serves as showrunner. Marty Bowen will executive produce for Temple Hill, Adam Fishbach will also executive produce, and Alethea Jones (Made For Love, Dollface, Evil) will direct the pilot plus two more episodes and will executive produce. Erik Feig and Samie Kim Falvey will executive produce via PICTURESTART, and it's produced by Grace Gilroy. Choreography by Jamal Sims and music by GRAMMY award nominee and executive music producer Justin Tranter.

The 10-episode season of the series will be available exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. later this year and will launch on Paramount+ in international markets where the streaming service will be available in 2022.  The series is distributed internationally by ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group.

Nickelodeon Announces Voice Cast for Rugrats reboot

© Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon has tapped an all-star roster of voice talent to round out the cast of its new upcoming Rugrats series, a reimagining of the classic '90s hit. Joining the original voice cast of the adventurous toddlers are: Ashley Rae Spillers (Vice Principals) and Tommy Dewey (The Mindy Project), as Tommy's parents; Tony Hale (Arrested Development), as Chuckie's father; Natalie Morales (Dead to Me), as Phil and Lil's mother; Anna Chlumsky (Veep) and Timothy Simons (Veep), as Angelica's parents; Nicole Byer (Nailed It!) and Omar Miller (Ballers), as Susie's parents; and Michael McKean (Better Call Saul), as Grandpa Lou Pickles. Produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio, the all-new Rugrats, a Paramount+ Original Series, is set to debut on the streaming service this spring.

"This incredibly talented group of actors provides a fresh and very funny take on these iconic roles, combining humor with heart to bring the characters to life in a whole new way," said Liz Paulson, Senior Vice President, Talent and Casting, Nickelodeon.

"The all-new Rugrats is packed with comedy, music and adventures that only babies can embark upon, and the role of the grown-ups is an essential piece of the series," added Ramsey Naito, President, Nickelodeon Animation.

Rugrats features: Spillers and Dewey as Tommy's parents, Didi, a passionate artisan and blogger, and Stu, an optimistic inventor; Hale as Chuckie's father, Chas, a neurotic musician; Morales as Phil and Lil's mother, Betty, Didi's best friend and coffeehouse owner; Chlumsky and Simons as Angelica's parents, Charlotte, a busy city councilperson, and Drew, a successful pharmaceutical representative; Byer and Miller as Susie's parents, Lucy, a fun and generous physician, and Randy, an affable and good-natured science teacher; and McKean as Grandpa Lou Pickles, an active senior who enjoys yoga.

The new voice actors join previously announced cast members E.G. Daily (Tommy), Nancy Cartwright (Chuckie), Cheryl Chase (Angelica), Cree Summer (Susie) and Kath Soucie (Phil and Lil), who are all reprising their iconic roles.

The all-new Rugrats is based on the series created by Arlene Klasky, Gabor Csupo and Paul Germain. Eryk Casemiro (Rugrats) and Kate Boutilier (Rugrats) are executive producers and Dave Pressler (Robot and Monster) and Casey Leonard (Breadwinners) serve as co-executive producers, with Rachel Lipman (Rugrats) as co-producer and Kellie Smith (The Fairly OddParents) as line producer. Production is overseen by Mollie Freilich, Senior Manager, Current Series Animation, Nickelodeon. Casting is overseen by Paulson.

The original Rugrats series launched in August of 1991 and instantly became a groundbreaking phenomenon, spawning consumer products and three hit theatrical releases, and cementing its place in pop culture history through its iconic characters, storytelling and unique visual style. Rugrats was in production for nine seasons over the course of 13 years. The series earned four Daytime Emmy Awards, six Kids' Choice Awards and its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.