Shows / The Nerds of Color
The Nerds of Color
Pop culture with a different perspective since 2013 — film, TV, comics, and gaming for fans of color. As seen in the New York Times and Vanity Fair.
Episodes
- The Nerds of Color
‘Dune: Part Three’ Trailer Reveals a Galactic Coup d’état
We dig into the final trailer for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three, which teases a conspiracy to overthrow Paul Atreides -- with Chani potentially playing a…
- The Nerds of Color
Emily Hampshire on ‘VisionQuest’ and E.D.I.T.H.’s Backstory
Emily Hampshire opens up about discovering E.D.I.T.H.’s painful backstory alongside her character, and what it meant to bring Edith Marks to life in Marvel…
- The Nerds of Color
The Nerds of Newport Non-Spoiler Review of ‘The Gilded Age’ Season 4
The Nerds of Newport are back with a full non-spoiler review of Season 4 of The Gilded Age, recapping where we left off and sharing our thoughts ahead of the…
- The Nerds of Color
Eric Bauza’s Legacy: The Voice that Carried Generations of Animation Forward
Remembering Eric Bauza, the Filipino Canadian voice actor who brought beloved characters to life and helped shape the future of animation.
- The Nerds of Color
NOCs of the Roundtable Review ‘Avatar: Seven Havens’ Episodes 7-9
Lauren, Victoria, and Swara discuss the immensely consequential seventh through ninth chapters of Book 1: Survival of Avatar: Seven Havens, diving into the new…
- The Nerds of Color
Volunteering as Tribute with the Cast of ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’
We spoke with Mckenna Grace, Ben Wang, Maya Hawke, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Lili Taylor about introducing a new generation to the world of Panem in The Hunger…
- The Nerds of Color
How LAIKA’s Artists Brought Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis’ ‘Wildwood’ Vision to Life
We sat down with costume designer Deb Cook, FX lead Ollie Jones, animation head Brad Schiff, cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, and Wildwood author Colin Meloy…
- The Nerds of Color
‘Hellcat’ is a Nasty Little Horror Mystery That Sputters to the End
There is something immediately unsettling about waking up injured in the back of a moving trailer with absolutely no idea how you got there. That is where…
- The Nerds of Color
NOC Week in Review #16: 10/17-23/2026
This week: Midnight Mass with Sana Saeed, the cast of Crystal Lake, Wildwood, Avatar: Seven Havens, Jimmi Simpson on Dark Matter, and a profile on…
- The Nerds of Color
Travis Knight, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, and Jacob Tremblay on Bringing ‘Wildwood’ to Life
Travis Knight, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, and Jacob Tremblay on bringing LAIKA's 16-years-in-the-making Wildwood to the big screen.
- The Nerds of Color
The Middle Geeks Episode 82: The Harrowing Relevance of ‘Midnight Mass’ with Sana Saeed
Joining us to speak on all the various themes of Flanagan's piece is acclaimed journalist and media commentator Sana Saeed, who discusses the use of religious…
- The Nerds of Color
NOCs of the Roundtable Review ‘Avatar: Seven Havens’ Episodes 4-6
Lauren, Swara, and special guest Maryam review and discuss the episodes 4-6 of Avatar: Seven Havens, breaking them down in full spoilers.
- The Nerds of Color
Michael Joseph McDonald on Holding a Camera Responsibly in ‘6,000 Waiting’
Michael Joseph McDonald did not come to filmmaking because he grew up obsessed with movies. In fact, he barely watched them. What eventually pulled him behind…
- The Nerds of Color
NOC Week in Review #15: 10/10-16/2026
This week on the NOC: reviews for Ray Gunn, Avatar: Seven Havens, VisionQuest, dispatches from Hexed, Street Fighter, Whalefall, and Tenzing. Plus another Dark…
- The Nerds of Color
Genden Phuntsok and Tom Hiddleston Discuss the Brotherhood of ‘Tenzing’
Genden Phuntsok and Tom Hiddleston star in Tenzing, which is now playing in select theaters and streaming on Apple TV. We discussed what stood out to them…
- The Nerds of Color
Project CETI’s Biology Lead Shane Gero on ‘Whalefall’ and Whale Research
Whale biologist and Dominica Sperm Whale Project founder Shane Gero joins us to break down whether Whalefall's premise could really happen, and what his…
- The Nerds of Color
NOC Recaps ‘Dark Matter’ S2, E8: Something Special
Episode eight’s bottle-episode detour finally gives Margo Martindale’s Laurel an origin story -- and somehow turns into one about being a parent, which pairs…
- The Nerds of Color
‘VisionQuest’ is a Digital Fugitive Thriller in Search of Identity
VisionQuest reunites Paul Bettany and James Spader as Vision and Ultron in a genre-bending, cyberpunk fugitive thriller that brings Vision's existential…
- The Nerds of Color
‘Whalefall’ Team Dives into Relationships, Perseverance, and Emotion
Whalefall is a gripping and emotional examination of grief, relationships, and moving forward through hardship. We had a chance to speak with actors Austin…
- The Nerds of Color
‘Street Fighter’ Cast Lightning Kicks Its Way to Theaters
We sit down with Street Fighter stars Andrew Koji, Noah Centineo, and Callina Liang to talk training, their characters, and bringing the beloved fighting game…
- The Nerds of Color
NOCs of the Roundtable Review the First Three Episodes of ‘Avatar: Seven Havens’
Lauren, Swara, and special guest Neebz of the Salaam Nerds Podcast give a full on SPOILER review for the first three episodes of Avatar: Seven Havens, diving…
- The Nerds of Color
NOC Review: ‘Ray Gunn’ is a Brad Bird Blast
Ray Gunn is Brad Bird's first film since 2018's Incredibles 2. So does it soar to the same heights as his classics? Let's just say in a movie that features…
- The Nerds of Color
NOC Week in Review #14: 10/3-9/2026
This week at the NOC: Lauren reflects on The Crow and accountability, Edward reviews China’s answer to the Iraq War film, Mike goes deep on Flanagan’s Carrie…
- The Nerds of Color
The Cast of ‘Carrie’ on the Bloody Truth About Bullying
The Nerds of Color sat down with the ensemble cast of Mike Flanagan's Carrie — Amber Midthunder, Matthew Lillard, Alison Thornton, Josie Totah, Joel Oulette…
- The Nerds of Color
CatCon 2026 is Coming To Pasadena Right Meow on October 10-11
If you're a cat lover in the Los Angeles area, you're going to love CatCon as it is the world's largest event dedicated solely to the intersection of cats and…
- The Nerds of Color
NOC Recaps ‘Dark Matter’ S2, E7: Running
The latest episode of Apple TV’s Dark Matter starts to pick up some of the dangling plot threads from earlier
- The Nerds of Color
Amanda Brugel Discusses Her Journey Through ‘Dark Matter’ Season 2
Amanda Brugel, who plays Blair in Dark Matter Season 2, on hiding in the retro world, the pull of identity across universes, and her pitch for Season 3.
- The Nerds of Color
Mike Flanagan, Summer H. Howell, and Samantha Sloyan Reinvent ‘Carrie’
Mike Flanagan, Summer H. Howell, and Samantha Sloyan on reinventing Stephen King's most beloved horror story for Prime Video's new adaptation.
- The Nerds of Color
‘Once Upon a Time in the Middle East’ is China’s Anti-Imperialist Answer to the Iraq War Film
What immediately sets Once Upon A Time in the Middle East apart from a plethora of war dramas that deal with Southwest Asian conflicts is that not only is this…
- The Nerds of Color
How Eric Draven of ‘The Crow’ is an Advocate for Girls and Women
It’s seeing these conversations play out, feeling the warranted anger towards every perpetrator involved in this case, that I find myself thinking about a…
- The Nerds of Color
NOC Week in Review #13: 9/26-10/2/2026
This week at the NOC: Dominic goes claws-out with Insomniac’s Wolverine game, Forgotten Island keeps the conversation going with a spoiler roundtable and a…
- The Nerds of Color
NOC Recaps ‘Dark Matter’ S2, E6: Waiting for Stevie
We pair “Present Tense” and “Waiting for Stevie” with Dark Matter’s latest hour, as Daniela searches for herself at a cabin, Jason starts chasing a life he…
- The Nerds of Color
On the Red Carpet for ‘The Sixty-Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television and the World’
We hit the red carpet at the premiere of The Sixty-Year Mission to talk with William Shatner, Terry Farrell, Nana Visitor, John de Lancie, and more about six…
- The Nerds of Color
Feeling the Music of ‘Forgotten Island’ with Composer Nathan Matthew David
We sat down with composer Nathan Matthew David to talk about scoring Forgotten Island -- and how he drew on his own Filipino heritage, and a research trip back…
- The Nerds of Color
NOCs of the Roundtable Spoiler Review ‘Forgotten Island’
Lauren, Mike, Michael, and Swara review the latest film out now from DreamWorks, Forgotten Island, directed and written by Januel Mercado and Joel Crawford and…
- The Nerds of Color
NOC Review: The ‘Wolverine’ Game is a Haunted Story of Love and Death
We spent a full playthrough of Insomniac’s Wolverine, and like the Spider-Man games before it, the takeaway is simple: they nailed the X-Men -- a gore-heavy…
- The Nerds of Color
NOC Week in Review #12: 9/19-25/2026
This week at the NOC: Brad Bird gets a two-part deep dive for Ray Gunn, LAIKA opens its doors for Wildwood, Mike and Lauren hit a historic red carpet for…
- The Nerds of Color
A Historic Night at the ‘Forgotten Island’ World Premiere
We were there as Forgotten Island made history as the first film to world premiere at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art -- and as the first Hollywood animated…
- The Nerds of Color
NOC Recaps ‘Dark Matter’ S2, E5: Upper Hand
This week’s Dark Matter recap goes off-script in the best way, following an alternate Jason’s years-long detour through grief, family, and reluctant love --…
- The Nerds of Color
LEGO Pokémon Brings Its ‘SMART Play’ Experience To Los Angeles This Weekend
Pokémon celebrates its 30th Anniversary, and The LEGO Group is celebrating by launching the LEGO Pokémon SMART Play Experience in Los Angeles.
- The Nerds of Color
Brad Bird and Michael Giacchino on the Long Road to ‘Ray Gunn’
Brad Bird and longtime collaborator Michael Giacchino open up about their decades-long creative partnership, the hand-drawn animation Bird still champions, and…
- The Nerds of Color
Inside the Making of ‘Ray Gunn’ and Brad Bird’s Vision of a Noir Future
Nearly 30 years in the making, Brad Bird's Ray Gunn blends Buck Rogers pulp with Maltese Falcon-style noir, and we got an inside look at the character design…
- The Nerds of Color
The Filmmakers of LAIKA on Handcrafting ‘Wildwood’
We sat down with Wildwood’s costume designer, character FX lead, rapid prototyping director, production designer, and head of animation to talk puppets…
- The Nerds of Color
NOC Week in Review #11: 9/12-18/2026
This week: Dark Matter’s Leighton breaks down his many faces, Tony Weaver Jr. on manga over Marvel and DC, Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift’s supercharged…
- The Nerds of Color
Chris Butler, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, and Jacob Tremblay on How ‘Wildwood’ Found Its Voice
We caught up with Wildwood writer Chris Butler, along with stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Jacob Tremblay, to find out how LAIKA’s next film found its voice.
- The Nerds of Color
NOC Recaps ‘Dark Matter’ S2, E4: Won’t Tell
Dark Matter episode four takes its cue from Pearl Jam’s “Won’t Tell,” and we dig into how the song’s themes of doubt and self-forgiveness echo through Jason2…
- The Nerds of Color
Universal Creative VP Jon Corfino on Bringing ‘Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift’ to Life
During Media Day for the opening of Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift, we had the opportunity to speak with Jon Corfino, Vice President of Universal Creative…
- The Nerds of Color
Witnessing the Wonders of ‘Wildwood’ at LAIKA Studios
We went behind the scenes at LAIKA’s Hillsboro, Oregon studio for an up-close look at how the artists, animators, and craftspeople behind Wildwood are bringing…
- The Nerds of Color
Why Tony Weaver Jr. Chose Manga Over Marvel and DC
In this special NOC Conversation, we sat down with Tony Weaver Jr. to talk about the stories that shaped him, the power of representation, Black boyhood and…
- The Nerds of Color
Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ Stays True to the Games Without Faithfully Adapting Them
After six films and one reboot, Sony Pictures gave the iconic video game franchise another chance, this time by handing the reins to Zach Cregger and letting…
- The Nerds of Color
‘Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift’ Scintillates with a Supercharged Media Day
The long-awaited opening of Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift has finally arrived at Universal Studios Hollywood. From early morning rides, to a reception and…
- The Nerds of Color
Summer of Horror: Thoughts From Watching Various Horror Films for the First Time
We spent the summer catching up on horror classics we'd somehow never seen -- from The Lost Boys and Queen of the Damned to The Craft and Lisa Frankenstein --…
- The Nerds of Color
Dayo Okeniyi Breaks Down the Many Faces of Leighton in ‘Dark Matter’ Season 2
Season two of Dark Matter splits its central antagonist across the multiverse. We caught up with Dayo Okeniyi to talk about playing multiple versions of…
- The Nerds of Color
NOC Recaps ‘Dark Matter’ S2, E3: Wreckage
Episode 3 of Dark Matter season 2 commits to the Pearl Jam bit and name checks the song "Wreckage" — while the Dessens settle into retro-world life, Ryan and…
- The Nerds of Color
The Creators of ‘Disney Dreamlight Valley’ Take Us to ‘The Keepsake Sea’
At D23 Expo 2026, we sat down with Gameloft's Riley Wignall and Joshua Labelle to talk mermaids, pirates, and Milo Thatch ahead of Disney Dreamlight Valley's…
- The Nerds of Color
The Directors of ‘Forgotten Island’ Take Us Back to Nakali
We sat down once more with Forgotten Island directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado to dig into the friendship, inspirations, and Filipino roots behind…
- The Nerds of Color
‘Jamarcus Rose and Da 5 Bullet Holes’ Director on Finding Truth in Storytelling
Jamarcus Rose and Da 5 Bullet Holes is a film about how dreams can be snuffed out in an instant. We spoke to writer/director Marcellus Cox about the film, his…
- The Nerds of Color
Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights Terrifies Terrifically
Halloween Horror Nights opened to an epic eight-house event this past Thursday. We were hosted by Universal Studios and invited to the Media Night opening to…
- The Nerds of Color
Returning to ‘Forgotten Island’ with Liza Soberano, H.E.R., and Dave Franco
We sat down once more with Forgotten Island stars Liza Soberano and H.E.R., plus Dave Franco, now that we've finally seen the finished film, to dig deeper into…
- The Nerds of Color
NOC Week in Review #9: 8/29-9/4/2026
This week, we go deep on Lanterns and Forgotten Island, take a look at a doc about Disney animator Ron Husband, recap Dark Matter and chat with its star Alice…