Jack Black Became a YouTuber Because of a Failed TV Project
Jack Black decided to become a gaming YouTuber after his pitch for a Tenacious D animated series, “Post-Apocalypto,” was rejected by Amazon, HBO, and Netflix. Black’s 13-year-old son Sammy teased him about the pivot onstage at E3 Wednesday night. The pair runs the channel Jablinski Games, which is also produced by Taylor Stephens.
“Okay, the truth hurts. But ‘Post-Apocalypto’ is my pride and joy. I feel like it’s an undiscovered masterpiece. Someday, long after I’m gone, people will rediscover ‘Post-Apocalypto,’” Black joked in the wake of his son’s observation.
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“It’s very awkward, now,” he added.
For months, the actor-cum-rocker resisted his son’s proposal that they post gaming videos on YouTube. “I was very protective of my brand,” he said.
Black had begun working on “Post-Apocalypto” in 2016; it premiered at the LA Film Festival on Sept. 24, 2018. “You were making ‘Post-Apocalypto,’ and when it didn’t do good, you were like, ‘Fine,’” Sammy recalled.
Jablinski Games launched in December 2018 and currently has more than 4 million subscribers. “[But] hope springs eternal that there will be more Tenacious D adventures,” the actor said, teasing that he’d one day like to make a sequel to the 2006 film “The Pick of Destiny.” The live-action stoner comedy grossed just $13.9 million.
“It was a flop. It was a disaster. I never watch it anymore,” Black’s Tenacious D bandmate, Kyle Gass, reflected in 2017. At the very least, Black said, the duo plans to record another album.
The E3 Coliseum talk was moderated by Game Awards host Geoff Keighley, who obliged when Black asked that the Jablinski team be introduced a second and then a third time.
The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known as E3, takes place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 11 to 13. As is tradition, however, things kicked off early on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET with Electronic Arts’ EA Play event, which was held at the Hollywood Palladium on June 8 and 9. Microsoft had its big Xbox E3 2019 Briefing on Sunday, June 9, at 4 p.m. ET.
E3 2019 is coming to Los Angeles on June 11 through 13, and we’ll cover all the highlights of the event here at Variety as well.
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