​Guys! It’s Shark Week!? Did you know that? I knew that. I really feel like Shark Week should really be Shark Month. Wait... a whole month of Sharks!? That might be too much Shark. So instead, we’re gonna talk about what Sharks have taught me. And by Sharks, I mean Shark media. Granted, my media experience with sharks is somewhat limited, since I’m not really a big fan of things that can eat me. So, if you didn’t know this about me, I’ve lived in some tropical areas in my day. Both Florida and Hawaii have been my homes respectively for some time. My Shark experience was never made personal, thankfully. But hey, we’ve all heard of those scary instances, right!?

Jaws is likely one of the most well-known Shark movies. Actually, it’s probably safe to say that Jaws is the Shark movie. That movie has probably been responsible for so many fears of the water…I know for a fact that it scared me for a bit. Come on, a blood thirsty Shark picking off people one by one? Jaws taught me that if you hear some pretty intense music, you should get out of the water. Or something’s chasing you. Or both. Also, did anyone else notice that Jaws got larger and larger as the movie went on? I never did until I was forced to analyze it for a class on film. Jaws not only gets bigger, but hungrier and far more murder-y. Shark bites aren’t anything to laugh at, but I always loved the scene at the end where we see this massive shark eating a boat. I felt bad for the captain though…I don’t want to be eaten whole by a shark. Jaws also taught me that you should not try and kill the people-eating shark infesting your waters, because it will most likely kill you. Seriously. It’s just really bad for everyone involved. 

Jaws also taught me that sometimes, the only way to kill a human eating monster is to blow it up with giant oxygen tanks, and a massive spear. I’m pretty sure that’s some kind of animal cruelty, but it did eat people. And boats. There was no stopping this massive shark. I’m also willing to bet that Jaws was really just a metaphor for something, but it could also just be a literal monster. Jaws 2 taught me that there was a sequel to this movie. That… I never watched. I presume more people get eaten?

​Sharknado taught me that if you have a tornado near an ocean, you get a massive twister filled with sharks, and that just makes being on land ten times deadlier. Also, who knew tornadoes needed to be more terrifying. Did Syfy sit down and have a conversation? ‘Hey guys, what could make a tornado scarier? Oh! I know! Let’s add sharks!’ Well, it worked. Not only am I scared of Sharks and Tornadoes, now every time there’s a bad storm, I’m scared there’s going to be a tornado raining sharks.

Of course, I can’t sit here and ignore all the shark documentaries that have been on TV lately. It’s hard to flip through and not turn on one and watch it for hours. Not only are sharks utterly efficient killing machines, they’re also horrific, transforming, nightmares! Anyone else seen the Goblin Shark?! I have! It’s fascinating! I don’t want to like it, it scares me, but it is pretty cool. Tiger sharks are my favorite though, just because of how ruthless they are. I mean, even before they’re born, they kill their siblings. And eat them. Yes, that’s gross and I apologize, but it’s also a massive life lesson. Be nice to your siblings; especially if you’re a twin!

Above all, I’ve learned to be lucky I’m not a shark. And to stay out of the ocean. I’m just not an ocean fan period, so that’s kind of okay with me. Sharks are scary and not to be messed with. Unless they’re the ones from Finding Nemo. Which taught me that sometimes sharks have support groups and try not to eat fish. Kind of like AA meetings, but less successful. I’m pretty sure real sharks never sat down and thought ‘hey, let’s not eat fish!’. The Little Mermaid was my first introduction to sharks, and the big one that tries to eat Ariel was pretty scary. Especially when I was little. I guess that’s a good thing since I’ve never felt the need to go hug a shark, or even try to befriend it…

One would think that science fiction and crime stories, wouldn’t go together in the slightest. After all, science fiction is hopeful and forward thinking in nature and crime dramas examine the darkest parts of the human condition, meaning that neither of those genres have a single thing in common. But as the creative world has proven time and time again… with the right story anything can be accomplished. Since we’ve been treated to stories that fuse these genres together seamlessly and wow us in the process and well… the wonder of that fusion is top of mind today for one reason and one reason alone.
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For earlier today, Realm Media announced that Harry Shum Jr. is going to Executive Produce and star in a brand-new Crime Thriller Podcast for the network, entitled, Echo Park. A story that brings together wonder of Los Angeles Detective Noir with the flair of science fiction courtesy of a unique and engaging plot that involves… well… it’s best we let Realm Media inform you of the details of what will be another fantastic fusion of sci-fi and crime-themed storytelling, courtesy of this synopsis and trailer.

‘Realm, the largest scripted podcast network that creates immersive, original fiction podcasts and audiobook series, today released the trailer and announced casting for the Realm Original, “Echo Park,” starring and executive produced by Harry Shum Jr.  (“Crazy Rich Asians,” “All My Life”) launching August 18. 
 
This pulse-pounding crime thriller takes place in a lightly futuristic world where Echoes—genetic clones of their sources— exist and live on the outskirts of society. James (Harry Shum Jr.) and Terrance share DNA, but they aren’t brothers. They aren’t even friends. As a civil advisor for the LAPD harboring a secret addiction, James relies on Terrance— his genetic clone—to help him pass mandatory drug testing. But when Terrance suddenly goes missing, and multiple clones end up murdered, a case of mistaken identity forces James to inhabit his double’s life, risking the unraveling of his carefully composed lies.
 
Shum Jr. said: “The team at Realm have created a compelling thriller that cleverly mixes detective noir, sci-fi-what-if's and daringly tackles the social implications of how our future world might look if we were faced with clones of our stranger selves. Excited to help tell this original story through an Asian-American lense and for audiences to experience "Echo Park".
 
Molly Barton, Realm’s founder and CEO, said: “It was an absolute joy partnering with Harry on this project. And his connection with this character was abundantly clear from the minute we began recording.  He's beloved by so many and we believe audiences will fall in love with Harry yet again when they engage with this incredible performance.” 
 
“Echo Park'' episodes release weekly on all podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher, the podcast will also be available in full and ad-free on premiere day for subscribers to Realm+ and Realm Unlimited. 
 
Harry Shum Jr., recently cast in the upcoming 19th season of ABC’s venerable medical drama "Grey’s Anatomy," stars and executive produced “Echo Park. Written by Curtis C. Chen, Monte Lin, Millie Ho, Sloane Leong, and Jenn Reese. Produced by Rhoda Belleza, Fred Greenhalgh, Kailynn West, and Hayley Wagreich. Directed by Pun Bandhu. Executive produced by Molly Barton, Marci Wiseman, Julian Yap, and Harry Shum Jr. Associate produced by Michael Coulter. Starring Harry Shum Jr. and Nikki Tauzon. Loop group actors: David Chen, James Taku Leung, Constance Parng, and Artemis Snow. Sound design by Christa Giametti. Mixing and mastering by Rory O’Shea. Audio editing by Justin DeWald. Original score by Martin D. Fowler. Music supervision by Marcus Bagala. Production Manager: Alexis Latshaw. Production Coordinator: Angela Yih. Casting by Sunday Boling and Meg Morman. Cover art by Kyndal Thomas and Louis Dazy. Executive in Charge for Realm: Mary Assadullahi. Find more shows like Echo Park by following Realm on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at Realm.fm.’

Please enjoy this sneak peek and synopsis from tomorrow’s finale episode of The Co-Founder on Realm!
 
‘Realm’s nine-episode workplace comedy podcast, The Co-Founder, led by the voice talents of Sunita Mani (“Scenes From a Marriage”) and Alexandra Shipp (“Tick, Tick…BOOM!”), plus guest star skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, premieres its gripping and climactic final episode Thursday, July 14. The first eight episodes are available now on all podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.
 
In “The Co-Founder,” Valerie (Sunita Mani) and Juliet (Alexandra Shipp) are more than just best friends: they are business partners in the cutthroat world of Silicon Valley, where their video game startup is on the verge of failure. Between running out of capital and being treated like dirt during their fundraising meetings with big-deal finance bros, they need a win, or it’s game-over. They begin to think that maybe they need…a white guy.
 
It was only supposed to be one meeting; one meeting where neighborhood barista and Random White Dude Toby Johnson pretends to be a co-founder to clinch the investment cash. But one million dollars later, Toby shows no signs of going with grace. Instead, he plots to entrench himself further into their company. Unless Valerie and Juliet want the truth to come out—and to kiss their company goodbye—they have to play along with Toby’s games.  In this finale installment, hear how the two best friends find their way out of Toby’s trap, only to end up in the clutches of Anthony Hawk’s master plan for their company—and Silicon Valley as a whole. 
 
But Valerie and Juliet are experts of the gaming space. That’s why they started a video game company; and to save it, they are willing to break all the rules. 
 
“The Co-Founder” is a Realm production, starring Sunita Mani and Alexandra Shipp and co-written by Alexis Wilkinson, Alexa Wejko, and Mimi Mondal.’ 

Please enjoy this super-sized preview of Moriarty: The Devil’s Game, which makes its debut on Audible on July 7, 2022.