Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi are slated to star in Emerald Fennell’s upcoming film Wuthering Heights, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film is an adaptation of Emily Brontë’s book of the same name. The film is currently in pre-production and set to start shooting in the United Kingdom next year. Robbie will play Catherine Earnshaw, the main female protagonist of the novel. Elordi will portray Heathcliff, the Earnshaws’ foster son.

MRC and LuckyChap Entertainment are producing the film along with Fennell, who will also be writing. Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Josey McNamara founded the production company LuckyChap Entertainment. Among the films LuckyChap has produced are I, Tonya and Barbie, both of which have won an Academy Award and star Margot Robbie.

Fennell announced her intention to make a Wuthering Heights adaptation in July through a social media graphic. The Wuthering Heights adaptation will be Fennell’s third film with LuckyChap Entertainment. Fennell has previously directed LuckyChap Entertainment-produced films, Promising Young Woman and last year’s Saltburn. Fennell’s social media sensation Saltburn saw Elordi as one of the main actors. Elordi gained recognition for starring as Nate Jacobs in the teen drama Euphoria and as Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla. Elordi will appear in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, which is filming now.

Robbie is an actress and producer most known for her titular roles in last summer’s box office hit Barbie. Barbie was the highest-grossing film of 2023. Additionally, Robbie earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for I, Tonya. Robbie will be appearing in Kogonada’s A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, releasing May 2025.

Filmmakers have adapted Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights into film multiple times in various languages. Famously, the Academy nominated the 1939’s Wuthering Heights for Best Picture. Most recently, in 2011, the book was adapted into a film starring Kaya Scodelario.

The post Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi Cast in Upcoming WUTHERING HEIGHTS Adaptation appeared first on Nerdist.

Focus Features launched a Piece By Piece LEGO Minifigure Generator to celebrate the upcoming Pharrell William animated biopic Piece by Piece. The film is about the renowned producer’s life, as shown through LEGO bricks. Academy Award-winning director Morgan Neville is set to direct the movie. The Minifigure Generator is available on both mobile and desktop platforms.

The Minifigure Generator allows fans to be able to create their own Minifigure character with seven skincare options and over 60 hairstyles to choose from. Additionally, 90 clothing options are available to choose from, including exclusive pieces from Pharrell’s fashion brand, Billionaire Boys Club. Facial expressions from scenes of the film inspired the expressions available in the Minifigure Generator. After designing your Minifigure, users can download a picture of their creation with Pharrell’s Minifigure or its own.

The Minifigure Generator comes after LEGO released Over the Moon, a collaborative set with Pharrell. Over the Moon was co-designed by the LEGO Group and Pharrell. The set features a space shuttle with a rainbow jet stream inspired by Pharrell’s love of space. The set featured the widest range of Minifigure skin tones ever included in a LEGO product at seven.

Matching the name of the upcoming film, Pharrell released a new original song titled “Piece By Piece.” Pharrell is a producer, songwriter, recording artist, and the Creative Director of Louis Vuitton. He is also a two-time Academy Award nominee for his song “Happy” from Despicable Me 2 and for producing the film Hidden Figures. The film, produced by 13-time Grammy winner’s company i am OTHER in partnership with LEGO, centers on his life and upbringing. Piece by Piece releases in theatres Oct. 11.

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In the ‘90s, Scream led to a swath of teen ensemble horror franchises like Final Destination and I Know What You Did Last Summer. It’s now officially back into the game with last year’s hit movie and another film coming soon. So, it is not surprising that the franchise is inspiring others to dust off their dormant universes and return back for more gore. Deadline reports that an I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel will release on July 18, 2025.

And, we now know that Freddie Prinze, Jr. is officially returning for the I Still Know What You Did Last Summer sequel and reprising his role as Ray Bronson. The jury is still out for Jennifer Love Hewitt but she is expected to return… and Brandy also wants in on this movie.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Brandy basically says “I wanna be down” with the upcoming I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel (more of a reboot, maybe?) action. We do love us come Karla Wilson, who survived the events of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.

“I need them to give me a call because I survived in that movie!” Brandy affirmed. “I came out in the end, bloodied up, ready to go. I did not die in that film… Jennifer, Freddie, hit me up.”

We don’t know if Brandy will be a part of it or not. But we do know that Camila Mendes of Riverdale fame won’t be in the I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot. According to Deadline, she’s going to be very busy with her new role as Teela in Masters of the Universe and the production dates between the two projects do not work.

We will have to wait and see what this next terrible summer includes. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Madelyn Cline, Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers and Jonah Hauer-King are all in talks to star in the movie. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson is set to direct this sequel.

If the original stars do come back, the I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel will likely follow a format similar to what we saw in Scream (2022). Legacy characters like Julie James (I guess) and Ray Bronson will return to help newer people get through a horrific antagonist is a win for longtime fans and new ones, too. It would be interesting, though, considering that the last time we saw these I Know What You Did Last Summer characters, it seemed that the hooked killer was about to murder them. Of course, this could have simply been Julie’s bad dream.

Thankfully, a canceled fourth film with their confirmed deaths didn’t take place. If both Julie James and Ray Bronson come back for an I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel, it will be interesting to see if they are still together and what their lives are like decades later.

Originally published on February 7, 2023.

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Check out the latest odds and ends of entertainment news.

Voltron: Legendary Defender

Netflix’s Voltron: Legendary Defender has experienced many ups and downs during the course of its existence. But now reports indicate it could leave Netflix in December of 2024. That would be a blow to fans because the series was created for Netflix. However, as always with TV series, there are many cooks in the kitchen and complicated contractual nuances in play.

Official accounts have weighed in the question of whether Voltron will be removed from Netflix, noting “Discussions are ongoing. When we know, you’ll know.”

Mr. Crocket

Get ready for a creepy children’s show to come to life, complete with an eerie jingle. Mr. Crockett is here to snatch children and kill parents. Yikes!

YouTube

YouTube will soon allow creators to organize their contents by “season” and “episode” on its platform. YouTube Chief Product Officer Johanna Voolich shares in a blog post, “To help our creators’ content shine on TVs, they will soon be able to organize their content into seasons and episodes, making it easy for viewers to tune into the new must see TV… We’re making other improvements to the TV experience with immersive content that plays directly from a creator’s channel, streamlined subscription options and easier access to links in descriptions.” This update will arrive in 2025.

Time Bandits

Alas, although fans were excited about the Time Bandits series reboot/adaptation of Terry Gilliam’s cult favorite movie and seemed to like it overall, it was not meant to be. Joining a pile of other Apple TV+ series that somehow didn’t manage to make a big mark despite a big budget and a good amount of star power, Time Bandits has been canceled after one season. It seems like Time Bandits just didn’t garner a large enough audience. And so, to the canceled heap it goes. We barely knew you!

For the interested, The Time Bandits season one synopsis shared:

Guided by Lisa Kudrow, the eccentric crew of bandits embark on epic adventures while evil forces threaten their conquests, and life as they know it. As the group transports through time and space, the gang stumbles upon fascinating worlds of the distant past while seeking out treasure, depending on Kevin to shed light on each situation. The “Time Bandits” witness the creation of Stonehenge, see the Trojan Horse in action, escape dinosaurs in the prehistoric ages, wreak havoc during medieval times, experience the Ice Age, ancient civilizations and the Harlem Renaissance, and much more along the way. 

Spirit Halloween

Spirit Halloween is here to make Halloween miracles come true. Now you can dress like a Cinnabon Box or an Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Nuggets Cup. Isn’t that what every little kid dreams of? We just have to wonder if these costumes also include a Cinnabon and Auntie Anne perfume spray to really set the scene.

The Lord of the Rings

Wētā Workshop can’t recall how many Hobbit feet its made, but does recall Elijah Wood looking for his perfect fit.

MCU – Beast

Kelsey Grammer surprise reprised his role as the X-Men’s Beast in The Marvels. But Grammer can’t say much about whether his Beast will return to the MCU in the future. He notes that there have been “some conversations” about Beast returning to the Marvel franchise. These, he seems to imply, are bolstered by the “overwhelming” response to his cameo. In full, Grammer shares, “There’s nothing I can talk about. What I do know is that there was a huge sort of outburst when I showed up at the end of The Marvels; I guess it was. The response was really almost… it wasn’t unexpected. There’d be some response, but it was pretty overwhelming, and so there are some conversations.”

MCU – Scarlet Witch

Elizabeth Olsen recently gave voice to what some MCU fans of the character have themselves felt. She noted, “It’s a character that I love going back to when there’s a way to use her well, and I think I have been lucky that when I started I was used well. I think people didn’t know what to do with me for a second there… if there’s a good way to use her I’m always happy to come back.”

She seems to imply Marvel wasn’t super sure what to do with her character for a time, but the good news is Olsen is always happy to return as Scarlet Witch… If there’s a reason.

MCU – RDJ’s Return

We were shocked when it was announced Robert Downey Jr. would return to the MCU as Doctor Doom. And we weren’t the only ones. MCU co-star Don Cheadle shared his reaction was about the same. He revealed, “I was like, ‘What the f*ck?’ I think that’s exactly what I said,” 

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom almost had a much more spoilery name. Producer Eiji Aonuma shared more about the title in Tears of the Kingdom‘s art book. In it, Aonuma notes, “One of the candidates for the title that made it to [the] end [of development] was ‘Tears of the Dragon,'”But it would be a bad idea to have the keyword ‘Dragon’ in the title, and we wanted to have dragon patterns in the logo, but decided otherwise. It’d emphasize the Light Dragon, after all.”

The game’s development team didn’t want to emphasize the Light Dragon too heavily in the title because it would have pointed to a huge game spoiler. The Light Dragon is, of course, Princess Zelda herself. To save her kingdom and restore the Master Sword to its full power, Zelda sacrifices her humanity and becomes the dragon. In this way, Tears of the Kingdom also makes perfect sense but doesn’t draw too much attention to The Light Dragon and her identity.

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The Fantastic Four’s main cast it all set. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Marvel doesn’t have many big roles left to fill in the MCU. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any. Recently, Brad Winderbaum, Marvel Studios’ Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation, shared which character he would want to green-light an MCU series for immediately if he could. He revealed, “I would wanna do the Danny Ketch era of Ghost Rider. I think there are a lot of people who would be here for some Ghost Rider.”

And he’s right, there are a lot of people who would be here for it. And that includes one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, who still wants to play one of the few remaining standout characters yet to debut in the franchise. Ryan Gosling still hopes Kevin Feige picks him to play Ghost Rider.

Last year, the Oscar-nominated Barbie actor (and star of both Drive and Place Beyond the Pines, it should be noted, considering the character) told Josh Horowitz he wants to play Ghost Rider in the MCU. While interviewing Gosling and Emily Blunt for The Fall Guy, Horowitz pointed out to Gosling he personally relayed the actor’s Ghost Rider dream to Kevin Feige. That means the MCU head honcho knows he has two A-listers vying for the role. Because, another person who would be here for some Ghost Rider is Keanu Reeves. When asked to name his ideal role, Reeves has also said he wants to play the character, too. Reeves has actually wanted to play Ghost Rider since he was 10!

Will Feige choose either when the time comes to cast the role? He should choose both! What’s the point of a multiverse if you can’t have both Gosling and Keanu play Ghost Rider.

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“Lucius, take your father’s strength. His name was Maximus, and I see him in you.”

Gladiator II‘s newest trailer dropped an epic bombshell in the Colosseum. Lucilla’s son Lucius is really the child of General Maximus from Gladiator. That familial bond will give Lucius’ story as Rome’s unlikely new hero greater meaning. But is this previously unknown connection simply a retcon? Or is it confirmation of something the original film was clearly suggesting? The answer depends on how good of a liar you think Lucilla really is.

Gladiator never revealed exactly what led to Maximus and Lucilla breaking up many years before the start of the film. All we learned was they had once loved each other very much when they were younger. We also learned they never really stopped caring for one another.

We don’t know the specific reason they broke up. The movie hints at some possibilities, none of which have to do with Lucius. It’s obvious things did not end well between them, though. Each had “wounded” the other deeply. Their first few interactions also showed Lucilla and Maximus both still felt the pain from their split. They experienced the kind of hurt you can only suffer from losing someone you truly cared about.

Both did move on, though. Lucilla eventually got married and she and her late husband had a son “nearly eight years old,” the same age of Maximus’ son with his wife.

Rewatching that conversation now, the first between the two in Gladiator, with the knowledge Lucius is Maximus’ son makes this revelation feel like a retcon. (As do all of the other times they talk about either of their children.) The scene is full of obvious animosity and distrust. An uneasy Maximus tries to walk away from her multiple times. It’s only when they talk about their kids that both Lucilla and Maximus show actual warmth towards one another. Their anger and awkwardness fades away for that brief moment.

In print, that might sound like evidence Lucilla was keeping the truth from him, but it doesn’t play that way in Connie Nielsen’s performance onscreen. It comes across as though their children are the one thing that separates the former lovers because neither child is connected to the other. Their shared pain comes from their previous relationship. Their kids were not a part of that. And at no point in the film, which implies the two broke up more than a decade ago, does Maximus ever think he’s Lucius real father. They don’t look alike, either.

That reading also works within the context of the story, because shortly after this moment Commodus orders the murders of Maximus’ wife and son. The loss of his own child helps motivate Maximus to work with Lucilla, whom he resents yet cares for. Her entire motivation in the film becomes protecting her son from his maniacal Emperor uncle. She doesn’t care about avenging her father or making Rome a republic once more. She only wants to keep Lucius safe. And she convinces an angry and untrusting Maximus she needs help by appealing to him as a parent. That helps win over the honorable Maximus.

But while the scenes where Lucilla discusses her son with Maximus make Gladiator II‘s revelation feel like a retcon, they’re not definitive proof they are for some very compelling reasons.

(Note: We’re talking retcon in a strictly in-world sense rather than what Ridley Scott originally planned nearly 25 years ago. This might be a true retcon off-screen, but were evaluating this question purely on-screen.)

Lucilla told Maximus she had “felt alone all my life” except when she was with him. She also told him her brother was jealous because both her and her father loved Maximus, and their love was the one thing Commodus craved. And she knew better than anyone her brother was completely unhinged and not even she could control him if in certain cases. That’s exactly why she never would have—or even could have—told Maximus Lucius was his child while Commodus lived. Her number one motivation after her brother killed their father was to keep Lucius safe, and the number one thing that would have endangerd her boy was that fact getting out.

She trusted Maximus to keep her song safe, but until Commodus was dead and Maximus ruled Rome, it was too dangerous to tell the General the truth. If Commodus ever found out his beloved nephew was really the child of the man he detested it would have meant Lucius’ head. Commodus would have done it, too. After the new Emperor found out his sister betrayed him he convincingly promised to kill his nephew if Lucilla so much as looked at her brother the wrong way ever again.

Could Lucilla have kept such an important secret from everyone for so long, even Maximus, while her dad was alive? It would have been easy for the eight or nine previous years before Gladiator. They didn’t see one another during that time. It would also explain why two people who loved each other so much split up and had so much animosity for one another. (Especially Maximus, who had far more anger for her than she did for him.) The unwed daughter of the Emperor getting pregnant with a Spanish soldier’s son would put them all at risk. Especially Maximus. Burying the truth was the only way to protect him.

If she broke up with him without telling him the actual reason why it’s easy to understand why she wounded Maximus so much. It’s also obvious why she would have kept that secret forever from Maximus. The general died moments after he killed Commodus.

Whether or not Gladiator II is truly retconning the identity of Lucius’ father comes down to one question: Could Lucilla have convincingly kept the truth from both him and the audience? There’s not even a hint of Lucius’ secret parentage in her words. There’s not even a slight look that suggest that. If it was always true she concealed it so well that even after decades of rewatching Gladiator we’re wondering if this is a total creation of a sequel desperate for meaning and connections to the original film. So could she have really been that good of a liar?

Everything we learned about her in the film says yes. Her father gave her the highest praise when he told her, “If only you had been born a man, what a Caesar you would have made.” That spoke to her political skills and tactfulness. Senator Gracchus also extolled her self-control under pressure during a tense meeting with Commodus. He told Lucilla, “Your lightest touch commands obedience.” She also conspired against her brother while simultaneously manipulating him. And when an angry Maximus grabbed her throat and accused her of lying, she calmly explained how she’d lived every day since her father’s murder in quiet fear. Sharing her real emotions would only imperil her son. But she was always able to manage those, even from those she loved.

Lucilla was smart, cunning, capable, and disciplined. And she desperately loved her son. If anyone could hide the dangerous truth about Lucius’ father from Maximus, Rome, her own father, Commodus, and everyone watching Gladiator it was her. So while you might rewatch Gladiator and think its sequel’s big revelation is a retcon, it’s still a totally believable one because we can believe Lucilla was so good at keeping a dangerous secret.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist who saw Gladiator in the theater four times when it came out. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Although it will not belong to the main on-screen DC Universe, we were very happy to hear that The Batman – Part II will continue on in DC’s new world order. Under James Gunn and Peter Safran, The Batman – Part II will belong to DC’s Elseworlds Projects. These projects will take place in TV, movie, or game form but will not factor into the main universe story. Still, they play a critical role in keeping the DC Universe varied and interesting.

Fans of the franchise will likely be wondering how The Penguin ties into The Batman – Part II. In answer to that, Matt Reeves shares, “there’s a period of time” that The Batman – Part II will jump to, and “Oz does become one of the entry points into the movie… I can’t tell you where it goes from there, except to say that we’re super excited about it.”

Here’s everything we know about The Batman – Part II.

Title

For now, the sequel to The Batman carries the descriptive title of The Batman – Part II.

The Batman – Part II‘s Plot

We don’t know much yet about The Batman – Part II‘s plot. But we do know that a cinematic universe is building for The Batman. Next up, we’ll see a Penguin series on HBO Max, and that will tie directly into the coming sequel.

One thing is clear about The Batman – Part II; its focus will stay on Batman, a.k.a Bruce Wayne. Reeves shares:

To me, the thing that I really feel is that I also believe that Rob [Pattinson] is so special in the role. My goal has always been to do these point-of-view stories that allow the character to always be the emotional center of the story. Because a lot of times what happens is, after you do the first one, then suddenly other Rogues Gallery characters come in, and they kind of take over, and then Batman takes a backseat sort of character-wise, or emotionally.

The Batman – Part II‘s Cast

For now, we know Robert Pattinson will return as our Bruce Wayne/Batman. It just wouldn’t be a The Batman movie without him. In addition, an article in GQ notes that Matt Reeves has confirmed Andy Serkis’ return as Alfred Pennyworth in The Batman – Part II.

A February 21, 2024 interview on Vanity Fair also confirmed Barry Keoghan—who had a brief cameo in the first film as the Joker—will return, presumably in a much bigger role, for The Batman – Part II.

Behind the Scenes

Matt Reeves is returning to write the sequel to The Batman. But this time, he will find a co-writer in Mattson Tomlin. We assume Reeves will also direct The Batman – Part II.

The Batman – Part II Release Date

The Batman – Part II will release on October 2, 2026.

Originally published on February 8, 2023.

The post Matt Reeves Says Oz Cobb Is an Entry Point Into THE BATMAN – PART II and Its ‘Specific Time Period’ appeared first on Nerdist.

The upcoming Thunderbolts film from Marvel Studios is slated to introduce one of the most powerful characters Marvel Comics has ever produced, the Sentry. Essentially, he’s Marvel’s Superman, but with a dark secret. He’ll be portrayed by actor Lewis Pullman in the upcoming MCU film, and we officially have our first look at Pullman as the character from the MCU’s Thunderbolts* trailer. But who is Sentry, a (relatively recent) Marvel character, and what is his strange origin story, both on and off the page?

The Bizarre Backstory of Marvel Comics’ Sentry

The Sentry began his comic book existence as an elaborate trolling by Marvel Comics editorial. Back in the ’90s, the Marvel Knights line of comics helped save the company after bankruptcy. Edgy titles like Kevin Smith’s Daredevil got critical acclaim and big sales. In 2000, creators Paul Jenkins and Rick Veitch came up with the Sentry series for Marvel Knights, about a superhero in a more classic DC Comics mode than a Marvel one. His costume suggested Superman’s, or Shazam’s. Although he’s not the only analog for Superman at Marvel (Hyperion predates him) he is the most powerful. He may be stronger than Superman himself.

Sentry, The “Lost” Stan Lee Marvel Hero

When the Sentry mini-series was announced, Marvel touted the series as a discovery of a “lost” concept by Stan Lee and a forgotten artist named Artie Rosen from the early ’60s that never made it to print. When Rosen “died” in 1999, writer Paul Jenkins discovered his original creation with Lee, a classic hero named the Sentry. He decided it was time to give the hero a proper Marvel debut in his own mini-series. Marvel EIC Joe Quesada even used the octogenarian Stan Lee himself as part of the promotion, giving interviews to comic book media about how even he had forgotten he co-created this hero. Of course, all of this was complete nonsense. Sentry was a pure creation of Jenkins. The whole backstory was a marketing gimmick.

Sentry Is Marvel’s Superman, with a Dark Side

In the Sentry original limited series, we meet Robert Reynolds. He’s an out-of-shape, middle-aged man living a bleak existence. Reynolds starts remembering a superhero career in his younger days, when he was the Sentry. Having taken “the Golden Sentry Serum,’ an advanced version of Captain America’s Super Soldier Serum, he now had “the power of a million exploding suns.” His arch nemesis was a dark presence called “The Void.” He was a contemporary of early Marvel heroes like the Avengers, Spider-Man, and the Fantastic Four. In fact, he was very close friends with Reed Richards, the Fantastic Four’s genius leader. As he encountered each Marvel hero in the present, they all slowly began to remember him. But why did they forget him in the first place?

After a deadly attack by the Void that resulted in high casualties during his heroic heyday, Sentry disappeared from the Marvel Universe when his mind was wiped, along with the memories of everyone on Earth, to make everyone forget that he ever existed. This was because of Reed Richards and Doctor Strange realizing that the Void was not just Sentry’s arch-foe, he was also a part of him. The only way to get rid of the Void was to make everyone forget that both Sentry and Void existed, including Bob Reynolds himself. So for years, he lived a life of anonymity, forgetting his heroic past entirely.

Sentry Becomes the Mightiest Avenger

In the New Avengers series in 2005, writer Brian Michael Bendis brings Sentry back to the Marvel Universe. We see Reynolds in a cell inside the supervillain prison the Raft, where he has voluntarily imprisoned himself for murdering his wife, Lindy Lee. When a huge jailbreak occurs, the Avengers catch several of the escaping villains. During this time, Daredevil finds the Sentry, and the powerful hero saves several others from Carnage, whom he flies into space and rips in half. Later, the Avengers discovered that X-Men villain Mastermind, who was at fault for Jean Grey’s descent into Dark Phoenix, was responsible for what happened to Sentry. He implanted a psychic virus in Robert Reynolds’ mind that created the delusion of the Void, but it was all really an aspect of his own repressed personality, unleashed by the serum.

Readers learned that the psychic virus does not allow Reynolds to remember his life as he lived it. Instead, he subconsciously implants his memories into the mind of comic book writer Paul Jenkins, a meta-commentary on the real-life creator of the same name who invented Sentry. Eventually, the Avengers show Reynolds that his wife, whom he confessed to murdering, is still alive. Sentry runs away, going to a house in the suburbs he shares with his wife Lindy. The Marvel heroes find him there, and attempt to reason with him. But he insists the Void is coming, and will destroy the world. Ultimately, X-Men telepath Emma Frost frees Reynolds from the psychic virus and restores his memories, and the Sentry joins the Avengers. The rest of the world does not regain their memories of Sentry. To them, he’s a brand new hero and new addition to the Avengers.

The Many Powers and Abilities of Sentry

The Sentry is one of the most powerful superheroes in the Marvel universe, even more powerful than his DC counterpart Superman. His powers supposedly came from a more advanced version of Captain America’s super soldier serum. Later, they revealed that an alien intelligence actually infused itself with the serum, making Reynolds its host body. Whatever the true origins are, Sentry has super strength, enough to subdue the Hulk at his most powerful. He can fly, has super speed, has telepathy, and can even shapeshift. He can also project light and project energy blasts. Sentry can also pass on a portion of his power, as he did to his kid sidekick, Billy Turner, a.k.a. Scout, an amalgamation of DC’s Robin and Captain Marvel. Jr. He even passed on powers to his Welsh Corgi, Watchdog, a riff on DC’s Krypto the Superdog. Sentry is the definition of the phrase “OP.”

Sentry’s Death and Rebirth

Sentry remained an Avenger for many years, although he constantly battled the emergence of the Void, a symptom of his own mental illness. Eventually, he joined former Green Goblin Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers, as Osborn’s secret weapon. Thanks to Norman’s mental manipulations, he is able to break down the barriers that keep Robert Reynolds’ darker Void persona at bay. In the Siege storyline, Osborn and the Dark Avengers, together with Loki, attack Asgard itself. Osborn uses the powers of the Sentry to destroy Asgard, which was hovering above Oklahoma at the time.

The Dark Avenger Ares, the actual Greek god of war, attacks Sentry for his loss of control. Then, Sentry literally rips the god in half. (It’s a pretty gross panel too). Sentry then murders Loki, although he is eventually reborn as Kid Loki. Realizing what he’s done, upon reverting to his Bob Reynolds persona, Sentry asks the Avengers to kill him. Thor obliges, and carries his body to the sun to be cremated. But Sentry is effectively immortal, and can’t truly die. He eventually merges his Sentry half with his Void half, now seemingly more in control, but also elevated to godhood. In the comics, it seems it is the destiny of the Sentry to effectively never die.

Sentry in the MCU’s Thunderbolts* Movie

The MCU Thunderbolts* trailer officially gave us our first look at Lewis Pullman as the Sentry. But we really don’t know too much about him yet. All we know about Sentry in the MCU for now is that he’ll be a part of the Thunderbolts* film. We have no idea what role he’ll play, but we imagine a scenario similar to the comics. We foresee a situation where Sentry is assigned by the government to the Thunderbolts team. Perhaps to be their public face? But when the ultra-powered hero loses control of his darker half, the former assassins will have to find a way to stop him. But that’s just us guessing. We’ll know for sure when Thunderbolts hits theaters in 2025.

Originally published on February 2, 2024.

The post THUNDERBOLTS* Trailer Reveals First Look at Lewis Pullman’s MCU Sentry (A.K.A Bob) appeared first on Nerdist.

Here’s an idea that definitely makes sense: Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans co-starring in an action-comedy. No-brainer, really. Sign us up. Now here’s an idea that…uh…we’re not as sure about (to be polite): Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans co-starring in an action-comedy Christmas movie that looks like a fake Saturday Night Live sketch. Who would produce such a strange film about a manhunt for Santa Claus? Amazon MGM Studios. We know because there are multiple trailers for Red One.

Buff Santa Claus is missing and the North Pole needs help. As do we after seeing this trailer, which is really silly, really cheesy, and really unbelievable. No, seriously, we’re having a hard time believing it. We’re positive this isn’t a practical joke, right? The official press release we got would indicate it’s not. As would the movie’s official synopsis:

After Santa Claus – Code Name: RED ONE – is kidnapped, the North Pole’s Head of Security (Dwayne Johnson) must team up with the world’s most infamous bounty hunter (Chris Evans) in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.

Directed by Jake Kasdan (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle) the script comes from longtime Fast & Furious scribe Chris Morgan. The film also stars Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, Bonnie Hunt, Kristofer Hivju, Nick Kroll, Wesley Kimmel, and J.K. Simmons as Old Swole Nick.

We pretty much like everyone involved in this film, so we’re not dismissing it out of hand. It could prove to be the good kind of silly. But hoo boy some of the “jokes” in this trailer are truly painful. If saying so gets us put on the naughty list so be it. Or at least that’s what we would say if we weren’t so scared of buff Santa and his giant head of security.

Red One comes to theaters just in time for the holiday season, on November 15, 2024.

Originally published June 25, 2024.

The post RED ONE Trailer Sends Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans on a Hunt for Santa Claus appeared first on Nerdist.

James Wan continues to keep his strong foothold in the horror world. His Atomic Monster company is producing Teacup, an upcoming Peacock series based on Robert McCammon’s bestselling novel Stinger (1988). I love nothing more than a teaser that gives little to no information but still piques the viewer’s curiosity. That’s what we get with Teacup’s dark trailers.

The synopsis for Teacup doesn’t give us much to support the trailer, either. 

Teacup follows a disparate group of people in rural Georgia who must come together in the face of a mysterious threat in order to survive. Inspired by the New York Times bestselling novel Stinger by Robert McCammon. 

I continue to maintain that small towns are the scariest places on Earth. So, let’s talk a little more about what goes down in the book. Of course, there will likely be liberties taken in the Teacup series but at least this will give you a better idea of what’s happening here. This is the synopsis for Stinger: 

The story takes place during a single twenty-four hour period in Inferno, Texas. Inferno is a town in trouble, driven to the brink by racial tension, gang violence, and a collapsing economy. But things can always get worse, and they do so with astonishing speed when an unidentified spacecraft crash lands in the desert outside of town, followed by a second craft bearing the alien being who will soon be known as Stinger. Stinger is a kind of interstellar hunter on a mission he intends to complete, whatever the cost. He brings with him an endless array of technological marvels and an infinite capacity for destruction that threaten the existence of Inferno, its inhabitants, and the larger world beyond.

What Is the Release Date for Peacock’s Teacup Series? 

The first two episodes of Teacup will hit Peacock on October 10, followed by two episodes weekly through Halloween to complete the eight episode season. Until then, we will be patiently waiting for a full Teacup trailer to arrive soon.

Originally published August 15, 2024.

The post TEACUP Trailer Brings Otherworldly Terror to a Torn Community appeared first on Nerdist.

Maximus Decimus Meridius bravely gave his life to fulfill an old man’s dying wish. Unfortunately Gladiator II shows that Rome did not become a Republic again following the General’s sacrifice. That doesn’t mean it was made in vain, though. His legacy did live on. And in more than one way. The new trailer for Ridley Scott’s sequel shows how terrible Emperors make a formidable enemy who personally witnessed how Maximus stood up to an Empire. Now he’s bringing more than just his own quest for vengeance to the Colosseum. He’s bringing real war. And he’s doing so with the memory of his father by his side.

Scott’s star-studded sequel looks as epic as the Empire it’s about. From wild primate and water battles inside the Colosseum, to political intrigue and a conquering army outside, a war for the very heart and soul of Rome is on the line. But how did a young prince end up a gladiator in the first place? Did it have anything to do with Lucius being Maximus’ actual son!? Here’s the film’s official synopsis from Paramount Pictures:

From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.

Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal as the grownup Lucius, SON OF MAXIMUS. (Sorry, we’re very excited about that reveal.) The film also features Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, and Denzel Washington, the most stylish subject of Ancient Rome ever. Original stars Derek Jacobi and Connie Nielsen are also back for more swords and sandals fun. The script comes from David Scarpa (Napolean, All the Money in the World.)

The hope to returning Rome to a republic once more came from Marcus Aurelius. And the inspiration to actually make that happen came from Maximus.

We’ll find out if that dream finally comes true when Gladiator II arrives for war on November 22.

The post GLADIATOR II’s New Trailer Sends Maximus’ Son into the Colosseum appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s here. And we don’t just mean the return of Bucky Barnes’ long hair. (Although we’re thrilled to pieces to see that as well.) The teaser trailer for the MCU Thunderbolts* movie has arrived. This exciting MCU entry promises to be “not like other movies” as it features a team that’s “not like other teams.” These unlikely antiheroes are all coming together to become more than the sum of their parts. And the soundtrack is already rocking.

Check out the teaser trailer for the MCU’s Thunderbolts* movie below.

Thunderbolts*, of course, will tell the story of Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine, Ghost, Red Guardian, Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes (a.k.a Winter Soldier), US Agent, and Taskmaster. But how will all these very different characters from very different movies come together into one team? Well, it’s not so different than how the Avengers did when you get right down to it. Thunderbolts* first teaser trailer gives us a glimpse. (And yes, this is the Thunderbolts* trailer that was shown at SDCC.)

Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine is playing the role of Nick Fury tonight, and she’s assembling her antiheroes. There are no good guys and bad guys; she tells her motley crew. There are only bad guys and worse guys. Honestly, that’s fair enough. Because if you break down the collateral damage of each MCU hero and the trouble they got themselves and the world into… That idea really tracks.

Marvel has indicated that this movie will have a different tone than other MCU movies. And the teaser trailer for Thunderbolts* does seem to indicate something a little more grounded on the horizon. All our antiheroes are drifting and kind of lost as they look for a direction to head in. Everyone’s favorite depressed-in-bed anthem even plays in the background. (Pixie’s “Where Is my mind.”) But that’s not to say there isn’t still room for laughs. There’s a ton of banter… and Bucky Barnes’ arm in a dishwasher. Bless.

Of course, this teaser trailer leaves us with a key question… Just who is Bob? For now, the trailer doesn’t reveal it. But it appears that Bob is actually the MCU’s Sentry. Also, why is Bucky shooting at a car containing Yelena, Red Guardian, and US Agent? Trouble is definitely afoot.

The release for Thunderbolts* that accompanies the teaser trailer plays at the emulating the tone of this snarkier MCU entry as well, by sharing:

Today, the teaser trailer and poster for the upcoming feature film,  “Thunderbolts*” debuted.  Marvel Studios and a crew of indie veterans who sold out present “Thunderbolts*,”an irreverent team-up featuring depressed assassin Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) alongside the MCU’s least anticipated band of misfits. 

The film also returns to the screen Marvel Cinematic Universe characters Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), in addition to some exciting new faces.

“A crew of indie veterans who sold out present.” Yep, we feel that acerbic tongue-in-cheek energy in spades. It looks like Yelena will be at the center of this one and more Florence Pugh is always a good thing. And we’ll just have to wait to understand more of the story that this Thunderbolts* teaser trailer begins.

Thunderbolts* releases on May 2, 2025.

The post THUNDERBOLTS* Teaser Trailer Reveals the Creation of an Unlikely MCU Team appeared first on Nerdist.

Horror continues to take some inventive swings in this post-Get Out era. From Smile to Barbarian, there are some premises that truly stand out from the crowd. And it looks like we will be able to add Netflix’s Don’t Move, a film produced by the legendary Sam Raimi, to the list. It gives us quite the tough question to answer. What would you do if you only had 20 minutes to escape a serial killer while your body is slowly shutting down from paralysis? Well, I honestly don’t know besides run as fast and far as I can and try to find a place to hide until the awful meds wear off… if they do wear off. The first trailer for Don’t Move is fantastic, giving us intense action without giving away too much of the movie. That’s certainly key with a seemingly on-the-nose premise like this one. 

In the clip, we see a woman who is watching a timer on her phone and trying to escape peril. There are several shots of her running, hiding, and even trying to speak to people before her body totally shuts down altogether. We don’t know her name nor why this man is trying so hard to kill her. Well, besides the fact that he’s just psychotic. He even explains exactly what will happen to her at certain points, which means he’s a pro at this awful game of cat and mouse. 

Here’s a synopsis for Don’t Move to accompany that intense trailer: 

A grieving woman hoping to find solace deep in an isolated forest encounters a stranger who injects her with a paralytic agent. As the agent gradually takes over her body, she must run, hide, and fight for her life before her entire nervous system shuts down.

What Is the Release Date for Netflix’s Don’t Move Horror Movie? 

The film stars Kelsey Asbille, Finn Wittrock, Moray Treadwell, and Daniel Francis. Don’t Move will hit Netflix just in time for Halloween on October 25.

The post DON’T MOVE Trailer Teases a Timed Cat-and-Mouse Game with a Twisted Serial Killer appeared first on Nerdist.

Halloween Horror Nights is an incredible tradition. Not only does it bring the spirit of Halloween to life in full, but it’s also an exquisite meeting of screams, scares, art, theater, craftsmanship, and delight. Halloween Horror Nights brings weird to the forefront, which we could not mean in a more complimentary way. It’s honestly a boo-tiful thing. At Nerdist, we had the pleasure of visiting Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando this year during the park’s media preview. And we were absolutely stunned by the eerie array of delights. From delectable themed treats (that were as terrifying as they were delicious) to a ton of thematic atmosphere to huge crowds of horror fans passing out friendship bracelets and celebrating their favorite genre, Halloween Horror Nights had it all. But, of course, the main thing on offer was the theme park’s Haunted Houses. While they were all spectacular, we wanted to share our final rankings of Universal Orlando’s 2024 Halloween Horror Nights haunted houses with you.

It’s hard to rank Universal Orlando’s 2024 Halloween Horror Nights Houses from worst to best. That wouldn’t be right. But we’ll just rank them from awesome to TOO AWESOME TO FOR WORDS instead. Here we go.

10. Major Sweets Candy Factory

Major Sweets Candy Factory is one sweet scare. This house is actually a prequel to Universal Orlando’s 2022 Halloween Horror Nights House, “Sweet Revenge.” In that house, Major Sweets gave kids some candy and they went rabid and murderous. Major Sweets Candy Factory takes place prior to that and tells the tale of a field trip from Progress County to the candy factory. Guests of horror nights are the chaperones on the field trip, but alas, the children get samples of some of the sweets, and the results are deliciously murderous.

This was a fun house and very gory. But I felt it could have leaned into the candy theme a little more. I was imagining something a bit more Willy Wonka-esque (and maybe a little bit more aesthetic), but instead, it was really more just GROSS. For some, that might mean a lot of fun. But for me, it wasn’t the most immersive house I visited. Still, the presence of GATS or “Guest Activated Triggers” made for some excellent surprises! And this house absolutely put some yuck in the yum of candy, in a good way. There was also some intense rattling and slamming, which gave me quite a jump.

9. Triplets of Terror

Triplets of Terror pic.twitter.com/qJdw8xlYvI

— Rotem Rusak 🔜 NYCC (@Moondancer1626) September 18, 2024

Unfortunately for Triplets of Terror, I just so happened to visit it after I visited my favorite house, which you can scroll down to learn more about. And so, I think the comparison just made this house feel a bit flatter. The story is that the Barmy triplets killed their entire family on their 9th birthday, and every ten years, they reenact the murder, killing more people throughout. In 2024, they’re celebrating the 40th anniversary of the deaths, so they are out for some blood. The house was definitely creepy and very bloody, and the jump scares were a lot of fun.

But for me, the story wasn’t that salient, making me less connected overall. Once again, I think I’m just more naturally drawn to houses that are a bit more fantastical. This one felt of a slasher movie and had a very realistic energy, which could work well if that’s your taste!

8. The Museum: Deadly Exhibits

The Museum: Deadly Exhibits pic.twitter.com/t8yoTqrUPS

— Rotem Rusak 🔜 NYCC (@Moondancer1626) September 18, 2024

Prepare to rot! The Museum: Deadly Exhibits features a museum of folklore (not the Taylor Swift album) that has received a new exhibit, the Rotting Stone. The Rotting Stone has a hold not only on the people but also on the museum itself, rotting it from the inside out. For me, this Halloween Horror Nights Universal Orlando 2024 hour was a sleeper hit. I’m not really a person who goes in for rot, mold, and pestilence. But it turns out the museum was done up with all kinds of historically oriented art and decor; it really told a compelling tale of the Rotting Stone throughout the ages and took us on a very resonant adventure. The attention to detail was honestly iconic.

Not to mention, the rot was really artfully created in a way that worked for me. Unlike Major Sweets’ factory, this gruesome exhibit leaned into the beauty and seeping terror of its decay. That said, I will say this house had a bit less space than some of the others, and many people were in it with you at once, which made the experience a bit more crowded and a little less magical.

However, I did enjoy the true sense of urgency and tension inside The Museum: Deadly Exhibits, with alarm bells and frantic security system recordings that were very immersive. As I said, I expected very little from this one and was pleasantly surprised. It also definitely called to mind The Last of Us, with some mushroom-like creatures invading the world of the house.

7. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire pic.twitter.com/cOcwWERH96

— Rotem Rusak 🔜 NYCC (@Moondancer1626) September 18, 2024

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire was absolutely a delightful haunted house! For me, it’s in the middle of the pack because while I enjoyed its homages and very clever Easter eggs (Hello Slimer!), it wasn’t really very scary. And that makes a ton of sense. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is more about fun and nostalgia than true overwhelming fear. The house was super cute and some of its effects, like its falling snow, were nothing short of amazing. It was also quite hard to tell the difference between animatronics and scare actors, which is a real credit to the experience. Also this house brought in Garraka to great effect. This ancient deity was serving, and I loved it.

6. Slaughter Sinema 2

Slaughter Sinema 2 pic.twitter.com/4bu07P8BUn

— Rotem Rusak 🔜 NYCC (@Moondancer1626) September 18, 2024

Slaughter Sinema 2, baby! This is another example of a 2024 Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights House that ranked much higher for me than I thought it would. Slaughter Sinema 2 is the sequel to the 2018 Slaughter Sinema Horror Nights House. Both are about B-rated movies, where B obviously means best. But this time, the camera has turned to show us some true cinematic fun.

The truth is, B-rated movies are not preferred horror movies, either. But Slaughter Sinema 2 totally won me over; it is a cheesy, gory, good time. I just had a blast in this house, and the ideas are so, so good. Slaughter Sinema 2 hits at all the best tropes: a Western horror movie, a shark scare, killer clowns, evil machines, cannibals, aliens, mermaids, I could go on. Of course, the mummy strippers sold it. You’re still getting scared, of course, but you’re giddy to be so.

Slaughter Sinema 2 was so camp and so queer. I absolutely adored it.

5. Goblin’s Feast

A Goblin’s Feast pic.twitter.com/0fI0pOWPnV

— Rotem Rusak 🔜 NYCC (@Moondancer1626) September 18, 2024

A Goblin’s Feast is the winner of my heart, but not my top-ranked house, objectively. But this Halloween Horror Nights Orlando 2024 haunted house really understood me. If you love dark folklore or Dungeons & Dragons, this house is for you too. In it, the goblins and orcs are celebrating their favorite holiday. But when an orc is cooking, you’re on the menu. It might be a good time to mention that I’m an orc apologist. This house was super beautiful and took care to build out its fantastical nature scenes. It made you feel like you’d wandered right into a treacherous fairy tale of the best kind.

A Goblin’s Feast brought high-spirited energy to the table; it was all about a celebration, after all. Additionally, the monsters were crafted with such care (and there were so many of them) that you really did believe you stumbled into a Goblin Thanksgiving. I also felt like I really got to know the culture of these creatures as I screamed, and that was beautiful to me.

Also worth noting is that the exterior of Goblin Feast was the absolute best. The house turned into a snug little fae cottage with a cozy chimney blowing smoke. I was obsessed with it.

In sum, witches, goblins, and forest spirits, oh my!

4. A Quiet Place

A Quiet Place pic.twitter.com/SiUpV7hPqG

— Rotem Rusak 🔜 NYCC (@Moondancer1626) September 18, 2024

The A Quiet Place house at Halloween Horror Nights Universal Orlando 2024 tells the story of the first two A Quiet Place movies and the Abbott family. Of course, the house beautifully and hauntingly brought you through to all your favorite scenes and settings from the movies. Most importantly, it created absolutely wild versions of the monsters from A Quiet Place that were point-perfect to the terrifying creatures in the films. There was also a lovely incorporation of American Sign Language throughout the house, which Halloween Horror Nights took great care to get right.

But the bar-none best part of the house was that it let you answer for yourself the question that A Quiet Place makes us all ask ourselves. Could I keep quiet? When I was in this house, everyone was deadly silent. No one wanted to be the one who wouldn’t make it through the movie. I myself did not scream once. But this personal challenge brought to life really added stakes to this house. And that’s why A Quiet Place is up there in my rankings of Universal Orlando’s 2024 Halloween Horror Nights House offerings.

3. Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America

Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America pic.twitter.com/80wIS5BhmU

— Rotem Rusak 🔜 NYCC (@Moondancer1626) September 18, 2024

Monstruos, wow. Monstruos is an incredible Halloween Horror Nights haunted house. At its core it brings us three myths from Latin America: Tlahuelpuchi, a vampiric witch, La Lechuza, a witch who can shapeshift into an owl, and El Silbón, a damned lost soul. Death, of course, is our guide. This house was gory. There are no two ways about it. There was blood seeping and carnage at every turn. But it was magnificent. Some parts of this house manifested fear, some, tragedy, and others still, beauty. Gorgeous music accompanied your screams at every turn. And the creatures themselves were a sight to behold. It was an aesthetic nightmare, and that’s all I want from my haunted houses. The surreality of Monstruos makes it one Halloween Horror Nights House I would want to return to over and over again.

2. Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines

Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines pic.twitter.com/PcD3L6Ihfz

— Rotem Rusak 🔜 NYCC (@Moondancer1626) September 18, 2024

Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines, BABY! Never has a haunted house has been so exquisitely queer. In it, you follow the story of Saskia Van Helsing, the last surviving member of the Van Helsing family, who takes down monsters. She is getting revenge for the murder of her family. On her quest, she teams up with an unlikely ally in the Bride of Frankenstein, together they take down Dracula’s daughter, She-Wolf and many others. This house has an all female cast, female show director, female hair and makeup, and it shows. Because damn, you feel like the heroine of dark romance as soon as you set foot in it.

A haunted cathedral in the snow is one of the first sights that greet you. And that has stayed with me. The gorgeous gothic sensibilities of this house, its elegant decay, and its epic monsters come together to make it one of my highest-ranked houses from Halloween Horror Nights 2024.

1. Insisidous

Insisidous pic.twitter.com/6bw8fVW89w

— Rotem Rusak 🔜 NYCC (@Moondancer1626) September 18, 2024

Insidious: The Further is everything. So many of the houses were scary, campy, fun, and gorgeous, but Insidious was emotional. It resonated. You could feel everything locked in the movies inside of you as you traversed through. And that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t super scary. All of Insidious‘ best demons came out to greet you. The Long-haired Fiend, The Bride in Black, The Lipstick Face Demon, and more were all present and terrifying. I don’t think I’ve ever screamed so much in such a short period of time. But something about this house felt deep and moving.

It felt like there was a story aching there at every turn in the house. In one of the rooms, Insidious‘ iconic fairy lights lay on the bed, a little light in the darkness. And that really touched my heart. Insidious stayed in my heart the whole night, even though it was the first house I visited. And that’s why it’s a the very top of my Halloween Horror Nights Universal Orlando house rankings.

The post We Rank the 2024 Houses at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights appeared first on Nerdist.

The legend of the 300 Spartans is one of the most thrilling in all of Ancient Greece. A small army against a billion guys? How ’bout it! Several movies have featured the story, but the 2006 version from Zack Snyder is very probably the one that will live in people’s memories forever. The film—an adaptation of Frank Miller and Lynn Varley’s graphic novel—effectively put Snyder on the map and led to his long career of comic book adaptations. Makes perfect sense, then, that Warner Bros. Television would bring Snyder in for a television series adaptation.

In a recent interview with Comicbook.com, Zack Snyder confirmed that the 300 series is moving forward but it is in its early stages. “We’re just getting ready to dive in and get to work on it. It’s super fun, I love the world,” Snyder said. “And even just in the preliminary meetings we’ve had talking about, like, ‘What if this happened or that happened,’ just a lot of it’s just really fun to like go, wow, it’s a rich standard. It’s similar to this [Twilight of the Gods] in a weird way. As far as there’s a lot of underpinnings.”

The 300 TV series is reportedly a prequel, which makes sense considering that we saw all the soldiers die in the film. It could follow the Spartans led by King Leonidas before they went to war with Xerxes. We will see what the actual plot is in the future.

According to Variety, Snyder and his producing partner (and life partner) Deborah Snyder will executive produce the project, with Zack taking on directing duties. Other info is sparse, and no writers or cast are on board. It’s likely an exciting prospect for fans of Snyder’s directing style, to get a full series of his speed-ramping action.

Originally published May 31, 2024.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

The post Zack Snyder Says the 300 TV Series Is in Progress appeared first on Nerdist.

Door-to-door evangelizing seems like a lot of hard work. You have to be out in the elements and spreading the word of your Lord and Savior, often to people who really don’t want to hear it. I’d imagine there are a ton of people who either ignore you, slam the door in your face, or curse you out. And, if you’re a woman, there’s always that extra risk of a guy doing or saying something to make you feel super uncomfortable. But I never thought that a missionary occupational hazard would be running into a lunatic who holds you hostage in their house for weird mental games. That’s what happens in Heretic, an A24 psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, Yellowjackets’ star Sophie Thatcher, and Chloe East with a trailer that teases a house of horrors. 

In the clip, Thatcher and Chloe are two young missionaries trying to spread knowledge about Jesus Christ. Their somewhat meek demeanors mean they are dismissed by most people. Nevertheless, they continue to bike around town and try to save souls. They go to a random, secluded house (red flag #1) where Grant’s far-too-friendly Mr. Reed lives. He invites them inside (red flag #2) and insists that it’s okay because his wife is there (red flag #3).

Things soon go down a dark path when they realize they are locked in. Mr. Reed says they can go but they have to choose between two doorways: one for believers and one for those who do not believe. I’m pretty sure there are terrible things behind both doors. The Heretic trailer is a fun peek that doesn’t give away too much but gives us the gift of a diabolical Hugh Grant. We love when he plays a villain.

Here’s the synopsis for Heretic: 

Two young missionaries are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse.

What Is the Release Date for A24’s Heretic Movie Starring Hugh Grant? 

Heretic will hit theaters on November 15, 2024.

Originally published June 25, 2024.

The post Hugh Grant Holds Missionaries Hostage in a Horror House in HERETIC Trailer appeared first on Nerdist.

Soon, the world will meet a new Clark Kent in Superman. (Formerly titled Superman: Legacy). DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are rebooting the most famous superhero in the world as they transition the franchise from the DCEU to the DCU. Who will play the Man of Steel on the big screen this time around? What kind of story will we see him in? And who will bring it to life? We’re keeping track of all these answers and more.

Of course, if there’s one thing everyone wants more of in any superhero movie, it’s a friendly dog. Recently, comic book writer Mark Waid teased one appearing in James Gunn’s Superman movie. He noted on the Capes and Lunatics podcast “I have a good feeling about this movie… I like James Gunn. I like his reverential approach by and large to this kind of stuff. And reverential without taking it too seriously. The movie has a dog in it, a super-powered dog with heat vision, so there’s only so much… It ain’t Zack Snyder.”

Sounds like it could be Krypto to us, but we’ll take any super-powered dog, honestly.

Here’s everything we know about Superman so far.

Title

The DCU’s first official movie (though not its first official release) is now titled simply Superman. Of course, the movie began its life as Superman: Legacy. It will kick off the film side of what James Gunn has called the franchise’s first chapter, “Gods and Monsters.” He has also called this movie “the true beginning” of the DCU.

Superman‘s Plot

While the film still has no official synopsis, Warner Bros. did provide a description of what we can expect from the story, which James Gunn says is not an origin tale.

Superman tells the story of Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.

Gunn announced the film with art from the cover of All-Star Superman by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely. Whether or not that means the story is influenced, inspired by, or adapted from the 12-issue comic series in any way is unclear. What Gunn has said is the movie will focus on “an earlier part of Superman’s life,” where he is still old enough to already be working for the Daily Planet.

We also have our first look at David Corenswet as the DCU’s Superman.

Superman‘s Cast

David Corenswet will play Superman, while Rachel Brosnahan will play Lois Lane.

In addition, four more actors have joined the cast of Superman. Isabela Merced will play Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi will play Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion will play Green Lantern Guy Gardner, and Anthony Carrigan will play Metamorpho. María Gabriela de Faría will play the villain The Engineer in the movie. Also known as Angela Spica, the character has nanotechnology built into her body. Additionally, Sara Sampaio will play Eve Teschmacher, Skyler Gisondo will play Jimmy Olsen, and Wendell Pierce will play The Daily Planet boss Perry White. Saturday Night Live‘s Beck Bennett will play The Daily Planet‘s sports journalist Steve Lombard. James Gunn has also confirmed that Nicholas Hoult will play Lex Luthor.

Gunn also recently confirmed the casting of Ma and Pa Kent on Threads. Pruitt Taylor Vince (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) will play Jonathan Kent, a.k.a. Pa Kent. Meanwhile, Neva Howell will play Martha Kent.

Behind the Scenes 

James Gunn wrote the (definitely completed) script and is directing.

Superman‘s Release Date

Superman will soar into theaters faster than a speeding bullet on July 11, 2025.

Originally published on April 11, 2023.

The post We Have Another Krypto the Superdog Tease From DCU’s SUPERMAN Movie appeared first on Nerdist.

Parasite came out in 2019. That’s a lot longer than it feels, right? Not if you’re one of the many moviegoers who’ve been dying to see what director Bong Joon Ho will do as a followup to his Best Picture winner. It turns out he’ll be making Robert Pattinson die. A lot. The first trailer for Mickey 17 introduces an “expendable” employee in the most literal sense. His job requires him to give his life to his employer. And then he has to give it again. And then again, and again… in a film that looks like it will be more than worth the long wait it took to get another Bong Joon Ho movie.

Everything about this trailer is perfect. Visually it looks incredible. It also features an amazing premise, as it’s based on Edward Ashton’s novel Mickey 7. And it also boasts an incredible cast that will excel in a sci-fi comedy that will also deliver scathing social commentary. It’s basically everything we want in a movie. Also, if you’re a huge Robert Pattinson fan, it essentially has more than what you want since it has extra hims.

In addition to its not-so-expendable star, the movie also features Naomi Ackie (The Rise of Skywalker), Steven Yeun (Nope), Toni Collette (Hereditary), and Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things).

Bong Joon Ho also produces the film along with an equally impressive group. That includes fellow producer and longtime collaborator Dooho Choi (Okja, Snowpiercer). The film’s other producers include Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, who both worked on Moonlight and 12 Years a Slave.

Mickey 17 will come to theaters in the U.S. on January 31, 2025. The rest of the world will get a head start when it debuts outside North America on January 28. Will it prove to be as successful as Parasite? That’s a tall task for any employee, but we’re dying to find out.

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Talk about a Lando Calrissian spinoff movie starring Donald Glover began when 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story arrived in theaters. Eventually a potential Lando Calrissian movie became a greenlit series. In 2020 Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy announced the development of a Lando show for Disney+. Since then fans have waited for Disney to kick things into hyperdrive. Now the Lando series’ latest update might be the clearest sign yet it will really happen, just not anytime soon. Donald Glover himself will now co-writing the show for Disney+ with his brother Stephen Glover. But it’s possible the Lando series will actually return to its original movie form.

Haunted Mansion director Justin Simien’s week took an unexpected turn a while back. It was revealed that he was no longer writing the Lando series for Disney. That might not have been as big a surprise for him as we thought. Shortly before the news about the Glover brothers broke, Simien told The Hollywood Reporter he was still attached to pen the series. Since then Above the Line, who broke the news of Glover’s new role, reports Simien left the project last summer because of his Haunted Mansion duties. (Why be evasive about the Lando series? Simien likely didn’t want to announce news Disney didn’t want out in the world just yet.)

In September 2024, Glover spoke to The Wall Street Journal (via IGN) about the series, which he hopes will bring a bit more fun to the current state of Star Wars.

“As a Star Wars fan myself, I think it’s important that there needs to be fun being had. It’s very hard to have fun right now. It’s tough because there are very serious things happening and those are the only things that connect us, weirdly. So I get why things are serious, but part of the human experience, I believe, is we have a responsibility to have enjoyment. And I just feel like we’re lacking in that department.

“Star Wars, I love it, but sometimes it can be super serious. Sometimes it be, like, way too serious. Everything that has to do with the Skywalkers is like so serious. [With] Lando, I think the best part about him is he’s a scoundrel. And I feel like people can relate to that, and he’s probably like ‘man, this war is whack. I need money,’ which I feel everyone can relate to. I want to bring fun to Star Wars. I just want it to be fun.”

Questions arose as to the timetable of when Glover and his brother Stephen, with whom Donald has collaborated with before (Atlanta, Swarm), agreed to write the show despite the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in place at the time of the announcements. Disney hired the two before either began. But until each has resolved, we’re no closer to actually seeing the Lando series than we were before this report came out.

Additionally, it’s possible the Lando series won’t even be a series anymore. Recently, Stephen Glover noted on an episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out, which we saw via Deadline, “It’s not even a show…The idea right now is to do a movie.” Although we’re still unsure what kind of a project the Lando one is, Donald Glover recently noted that it will have a very specific perspective. He shared with The Hollywood Reporter, “I feel like I have enough control. And maybe you get painted as a control freak, but it’s like, yeah, control allows for the vision to be singular. And if the vision is singular, people want it more. The less it’s singular, the less people want it because they feel like they could’ve made it.” It certainly sounds exciting.

The good news is that Donald Glover’s new role in series, movie, or whatever else essentially guarantees he’ll reprise the role as young Lando Calrissian. That was still technically in doubt. Whether Glover’s involvement in the Lando series means Billy Dee Williams will also appear as the elder hero of the Rebellion is yet unknown. (But we hope he will.) Just getting one of them back in the smuggler’s cape will be a better than getting neither of them. Hopefully, Disney will stop changing the deal and get Lando off the ground.

Originally published on July 28, 2023.

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Breaking! A Joan of Arc movie, titled Jehanne d’Arc, is on the way, and it’s coming from, drumroll please, Baz Luhrmann. Honestly, we couldn’t have picked a better director for a Joan of Arc movie. We’re sure it will be extravagant and lushly surreal. It’s what any good woman warrior tale deserves. (We’re also keeping our fingers crossed that it’s a queer film.) For now, we just know the broad strokes of Luhrmann’s Joan of Arc movie—that it will tell the tale of a young French peasant who believed God commanded her to lead an army that would save France from the Hundred Years’ War.

No more specific plot than that has been released so far. But casting for Jehanne d’Arc has begun. A casting call notes that it’s seeking a young woman to play, “the ultimate teenage girl coming of age story, set in the Hundred Years’ War.”

Well, if Luhrmann needs inspiration for his Joan of Arc movie, we’ll just point him to Chappell Roan’s performance of “Good Luck, Babe!” at the 2024 VMAs.

We can’t wait to hear more about this movie. Maybe Roan can come aboard for the soundtrack.

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These times are uncertain for streaming services. Platforms that were once separate have merged. Various streaming services have increased prices and brought in ad tiers. Let’s not even get into various crackdowns on password sharing. But in a turn of events we could not have seen coming, Disney Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery announced a new streaming bundle. This streaming bundle comes with Disney+, Hulu, and Max and is now available. What times we live in. Perhaps they are joining forces to fight Netflix.

A Disney+, Hulu, and Max bundle obviously brings a lot of brands together. The release points out it encompasses ABC, CNN, DC, Discovery, Disney, Food Network, FX, HBO, HGTV, Hulu, Marvel, Pixar, Searchlight, and Warner Bros. among others. Customers will be able to purchase the bundle on any of the three streaming platform’s websites and choose between ad-supported and ad-free plans. It’s not yet clear if subscribers will be able to access the bundle through a single interface or separate services. If it’s a single interface, we can’t wait to see that design and how they make it not overwhelming.

Joe Earley, President, Direct to Consumer, Disney Entertainment, said in a release:

On the heels of the very successful launch of Hulu on Disney+, this new bundle with Max will offer subscribers even more choice and value. This incredible new partnership puts subscribers first, giving them access to blockbuster films, originals, and three massive libraries featuring the very best brands and entertainment in streaming today.

During a Warner Bros. Discovery earning call, JB Perrette, CEO and President of Global Streaming and Games shared that this bundle would be “priced very attractively for the consumer.” Additionally, Perrette revealed that Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery were unlikely to invite any other streamers beyond Disney+, Hulu, and Max into the bundle, noting, “We don’t feel like we need anybody else in that package to make it incredibly compelling.”

How Much Does the Disney+, Hulu, and Max Streaming Bundle Cost?

The Disney+, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle will be cost $16.99 a month with ads and $29.99 for the ad-free service. According to a Deadline report, that’s an overall 38% savings. Still, the continuous games of streaming baffle us. You can sign up here and get more information.

More Disney+ Bundles Could Be on the Way

Nami Patel, Disney’s senior vice president of strategy and business development recently shared that the Disney+, Hulu, and Max bundle strategy is “working really well” for the streamer. Specifically, Patel noted, the streaming bundle has seen “viewers spending more time on the platforms and has reduced subscriber churn.”

Based off this success, more streaming bundles might be just around the corner. Patel noted in conclusion, “Partnerships will always be a key benefit to consumers, and I think we’ll see more and more of that.” Bundling, she shares is a “great alternative” to going it alone.

Well, that’s not the first time the industry has come to that realization. But, it turns out, ultimately people didn’t like cable that much after a while. So we’ll have to wait and see where this goes.

Originally published on May 8, 2024.

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It’s time to say Sul Sul and O Vwa Vwaf Sna to a new movie adaptation of a beloved game. But this one might be just a little different than the recent gaming adaptations we’ve been seeing. Yes, Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap company will be producing a new The Sims movie directed by Loki‘s Kate Herron, and Amazon MGM has officially confirmed the movie is on the way. And if Barbie is any indication, this upcoming The Sims movie is going to be truly weird, filled with existential dread, and a lot of fun. Honestly, we feel really good about it. Although The Sims is very much a game that lives in the eye of the beholder, it also has a few touchpoints that any player will recognize and a few core throughlines that can easily take it into the comedic and yet absurd/horrific space.

The Sims Movie From Margot Robbie and Katie Gerron Is Officially In the Works

EA Entertainment President Laura Miele recently announced:

As we approach the incredible milestone of 25 years of The Sims – which is an incredible feat of longevity in today’s world of entertainment and pop culture – I am thrilled to confirm that The Sims will be coming to the big screen. Teaming up with renowned Hollywood powerhouses, this exciting new chapter for The Sims will bring its magic to millions more fans. It’s a testament to the enduring power of this beloved franchise, which has captivated more than 500 million players for a quarter of a century. Our commitment to innovate across The Sims universe of experiences and products will inspire all generations of Simmers.

What Will The Sims Movie Be About?

Meanwhile, EA’s vice president and general manager of The Sims franchise Kate Gorman revealed more about what The Sims live-action movie will be about. Gorm shared:

What I will tell you is it’s very much rooted in The Sims universe. And what we want is to have a truly authentic Sims experience brought to a theatrical release. So what you’ll see from us is that we have been wanting to get this right. We wanted the right partners and to make an impact the size of something like a Barbie movie is exactly what we want. And we know there’s so much love and nostalgia, probably beyond what we would even realize, for The Sims and so many people like us have played throughout generations. So we want this to be an experience that reflects all that amazing history and play of so many people in this world, but also is something that you can share across generations and to be part of pop culture and culturally relevant.

Additionally, Gorman notes “there will be a lot of lore” and shares:

You will see a lot of The Sims universe come to life, and you will see a lot of the classic experiences that our players have in the games come to life in the movie. And that’s what we really want to deliver on, is just an authentic Sims experience, and really have the most expansive Sims offering we’ve ever had to bring that delight and share the experience of playing The Sims with so many people or their friends or families who may not have actually played The Sims, but you can help tell that story through watching a theatrical release about The Sims universe.

Of course, The Sims Easter eggs in the movie are a given. Gorman reveals, “There will be Freezer Bunnies. I’m sure a pool without a ladder is somewhere in there, but we haven’t finalized any of those details. But that’s the idea, is to say that it lives within this space. It’s a nod to all of the amazing play and creation and fun that people have had over the last 25 years within The Sims.”

We’re Excited About The Sims Live-Action Movie

Now that we’re thinking about it one The Sims movie isn’t nearly enough. Although one The Sims movie from Margot Robbie might go pretty far. Which direction will the story go? Will the movie feature a set of Sims suddenly realizing all their life choices are being made for them? The horror. The Sims does get a little dark if suddenly your characters have actual consciousness as will surely happen in the movie.

The Sims movie might also see Sims getting set on fire and drowning in a pool with no ladder as Gorman mentions above. (Don’t look at me like that; that’s not how I play the game, but I know it’s how you do!) But it’s not all doom and gloom. We bet there will be a fun Build Mode montage. And maybe we’ll visit Willow Creek, Forgotten Hollow, Glimmer Brook, Sulani, Chestnut Ridge, and more. Will we see a new The Sims game upgrade mid-movie, and suddenly, the visuals are entirely different? What happens when someone adds a new expansion pack? We definitely need to leave space for entering cheat codes in The Sims movie. Cha-ching. It’s a lot to think about.

One thing feels likely: that recognizable blur of nudity will emerge at some juncture, and maybe even some suspicious cover shifts. But this will probably go the way of Barbie and Ken talking about reproductive organs, to which we say, woohoo! We also feel curious to see whether The Sims movie will partially be in Simlish. And what about mods gone wrong? Eerie ghosts? And climbing the career ladder? Someone tell Margot Robbie we need an anthology of The Sims movies.

For now, we know that Margot Robbie, Josey McNamara, and Tom Ackerley’s LuckyChap will produce The Sims movie alongside Roy Lee for Vertigo Entertainment. Loki director Kate Herron will direct the movie and co-write a script with Briony Redman. 

We wonder what cinematic masterpiece the trailer for The Sims movie will reference. Regardless, jadosi!

Originally published on March 21, 2024.

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The cast for Prime Video’s upcoming action-comedy Brothers is reason enough to watch. It stars some of our favorite performers. The film features Peter Dinklage, Josh Brolin, Marisa Tomei, Glenn Close, and Brendan Fraser. But Brothers‘ new trailer provides more than just some famous faces as a convincing selling point. Dinklage and Brolin play twins looking to cash in on one final, outrageous job. If they succeed it could change their lives forever. Failure could mean ruining what they have. But if they want to get rich they’ll have to survive each other first. That won’t be easy when they’ll also have to survive dealing with their long-lost mother, too.

You can check out the official trailer for Brothers (and all of Brolin and Dinklage’s antics) below.

Emotional, funny Josh Brolin is everything we need in life, which makes everything else going on in this wonderfully absurd trailer a true bonus. What’s going on between these two siblings? In addition to the trailer, here’s Brothers‘ official synopsis from Prime Video:

Brothers tells the story of a reformed criminal whose attempt at going straight is derailed when he reunites with his sanity-testing twin brother on a cross-country road trip for the score of a lifetime. Dodging bullets, the law, and an overbearing mother along the way, they must heal their severed family bond before they end up killing each other.

Brothers comes from director Max Barbakow (Palm Springs), with a script from Macon Blair (The Toxic Avenger). It also stars the late, great M. Emmet Walsh, as well as Taylour Paige and Jennifer Landon. And there’s also a big friendly primate named Samuel who we would steal any jewels for.

While Brothers will debut in “select theaters” on October 10, it will hit Prime Video everywhere one week later on October 17. That’s not too far away now, but just enough time to rewatch Brothers‘ trailer another hundred times. Will the twins Jady and Moke (truly amazing names) make it even a week together? That might depend on how long their mother is also with them.

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Batman is about to receive an honor usually reserved for actors, directors, and musicians just in time for his 85th birthday. Believe it or not, Batman is receiving his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce will honor the Dark Knight with the 2,790th star on Thursday, September 26. It will sit right next to Batman ’66 star Adam West’s star and the character’s co-creator Bob Kane’s star. In addition to the star on Hollywood Blvd., they will also induct Batman into the Guinness Book of World Records as the first superhero character with his own star.

Batman might be the first superhero with his own star, but it’s not his first time in the Guinness Book. His original comic book series, Detective Comics, was inducted as longest-running comic book. Back in 2012, they recognized Batman as the most adapted comic book hero in live-action movies. Back then, he’d appeared in eight live-action films. (It’s now twelve films, in case you were wondering.) That record beats Iron Man and Wolverine by a hair. He’s also the superhero with the most Oscar winners who have played him. Former Caped Crusaders George Clooney, Christian Bale, and Ben Affleck all have won Oscar gold. Batman will actually receive his new honors in front of the Guinness Museum.

In collaboration with Funko, an all-day fan event on September 26 will take place alongside the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony at the Funko Hollywood store. DC’s Chief Creative Officer (and notable Batman artist) Jim Lee will be on hand to participate in an exclusive one-hour meet and greet and signing for fans at Funko Hollywood from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Perhaps no fictional superhero is more deserving of a star on the Walk of Fame than Batman.

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Former X-Men ’97 showrunner and creator Beau DeMayo has shared what he claims was the original plan for Wanda Maximoff in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. He says that version of the film would have featured Wanda as a great hero rather than the film’s greatest threat. At least she would have been until a shocking ending that saw her kill a beloved MCU character. The abandoned plot line is a fascinating and tantalizing glimpse of what could have been. The question is whether or not DeMayo’s account of the narrative is entirely true.

Marvel Studios shockingly fired Beau DeMayo in March, right before X-Men ’97 premiered on Disney+. Since then the acrimony between the two sides has only increased. That doesn’t mean DeMayo is lying about the original idea for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, though. It just means we can’t take what he says about Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff and Doctor Strange 2 as the absolute truth just yet.

But a lot of what DeMayo says sounds very possible and fits with official reports that aren’t in question. A lot of what he says about Wanda’s narrative also sounds very good.

DeMayo took to social media to comment on a story from ComicBookMovie.com about the scrapped plans for the Doctor Strange sequel. The post covered something said by Twitter/X user @MyTimeToShineH who wrote that concept art teased a dramatically different story than what the MCU delivered. In the first version, Wanda Maximoff and Doctor Strange would have teamed up immediately to chase down the movie’s main villain. Instead of Scarlet Witch, it would have been Nightmare. Ultimately, though, they said Kevin Feige wanted to go in a totally different direction.

While that claim about Scarlet Witch’s story is unverified, it would explain a big change behind the camera that happened. The original film’s director Scott Derrickson left the sequel in 2020. He cited “creative differences” and has since confirmed that’s really what happened.

Sam Raimi eventually signed on to direct, instead, with Loki writer Michael Waldron penning the script. (His own screenplay also underwent major changes.) In the final version of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wanda Maximoff was the main antagonist from the start. But now DeMayo has added even more behind-the-scenes insights into the original plot of Doctor Strange 2 that flesh out the abandoned idea a whole lot more. It went to a very dark place.

In a series of tweets DeMayo laid out how the “OG drafts” for the Doctor Strange sequel did Wanda Maximoff “justice.” That included a cliffhanger twist that would have served as one of the most iconic moments in MCU history. DeMayo shares the following about Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange 2 in his thread:

Wanda was with Strange recovering after Westview, feeling bad about what she did. She helps him, Wong and Chavez (who she tutors) beat Nightmare across Multiverse, where she also sees her variants happy with her kids.

Still, Wanda resists and she — not Chavez — helps Strange save the day against Nightmare, who turns out to be a Darkhold-corrupted Strange variant. Also, she used her experiences in WandaVision to warn Chavez about abusing her power.

Only after saving the day, unable to resist finding a multiverse where she can be with her kids, does Wanda — sobbing — break from Strange and accidentally beheads Wong, who tries to stop her from fleeing into the multiverse. That was film’s cliffhanger.

…Damn. That all sounds great, including the Nightmare/Doctor Strange Variant twist.

DeMayo also added he thinks this story “made far more sense” than what we ultimately got. “Even when she flees,” he wrote, “Wanda is torn up by guilt in classic comic book fashion and keeps apologizing to Strange as she vanishes and leaves him with his dead friend’s body.”

Whether you agree with DeMayo or not (or don’t believe him), at minimum this is a fascinating “what if.” But even if that Wanda Maximoff plot line would have made for a better film (and sequel), we can all take comfort in one thing: Wong is still with us.

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Despite all the rumors, none of the OG cast of the Fox X-Men films appeared alongside Hugh Jackman in Deadpool & Wolverine. Not even Patrick Stewart as Professor X came back, who was the odds-on favorite to return. We have speculated that it’s because they are planning for the original X-Men cast to return in Avengers: Secret Wars. Or maybe they will return as early as Avengers: Doomsday. Recently, Comic Book Movie asked Halle Berry if Marvel asked her to return as Storm. This was while she was promoting her film Never Let Go. Her response: “You never know. We’ll find out!”

So that’s not a yes, but certainly not a “no” either. To be fair, even if they cast her in a future MCU Multiversal Avengers project, she couldn’t say anything at this stage. But when you add Halle Berry playing coy to Kelsey Grammer’s recent comments about returning as Beast after his cameo in The Marvels, you start to think there’s a plan afoot here. Grammer recently said he’s had “some conversations” about Beast returning. This is thanks to an “overwhelming” response to his cameo. Of course, he was also sure to say, “There’s nothing I can talk about.”

Earlier this year, when asked about a return as Cyclops in the MCU, James Marsden answered by saying “That’s a bit of a Pandora’s box.” With Channing Tatum stealing our hearts as Gambit, and Hugh Jackman back as Logan, we’d only need Halle Berry as Storm, James Marsden as Cyclops, Famke Janssen as Jean Grey, Patrick Stewart as Xavier, Anna Paquin as Rogue, and Kelsey Grammer as Beast to have the complete adult members from X-Men: The Animated Series. If we see them in Doomsday or Secret Wars taking on the Avengers in battle, especially wearing their classic costumes? Well, then we’re pretty sure the internet might literally explode.

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Cobra Kai‘s final season is not the end for The Karate Kid franchise. A new featured film starring familiar faces will soon continue the martial arts story on the big screen. Who else will join Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan in this latest chapter? How will it connect different eras? And who will bring it to the screen and when?

One thing is for sure: Ralph Macchio is a little nervous about being opposite of Jackie Chan. Cobra Kai actor Jacob Bertrand told GamesRadar+ that Macchio said it was intimidating to fight against the martial arts legend.

“[Macchio] said that Jackie Chan still moves like he’s a 20-year-old, and it’s really scary to fight with him,” Bertrand said. “But you know, he’s obviously a master and is so cool to work with. He was just talking about being nervous to fight Jackie Chan, ’cause Jackie Chan is freaking Jackie muh-fricking Chan. But he said the fights went super well and that all his stuff was great, and I’m stoked for the movie.”

We love when friends give us some secondhand inside scoops.

Here’s everything we know about the next Karate Kid movie so far.

Title

The original film was titled The Karate Kid but we are not 100% certain what this new film’s official title will be. With our luck, it will have the same title but perhaps they will just go with Karate Kid.

Karate Kid‘s Plot

Sony Picture’s still-untitled Karate Kid featured film will see Ralph Macchio (Daniel LaRusso) and Jackie Chan (Mr. Han) return to the franchise, in a story that combines their different eras of The Karate Kid movies. The studio has not yet released an official synopsis for the film. Sony has only said it will “continue the mythology of the original franchise.”

Early reports indicate it will take place on the East Coast rather than in California, and that it will center on on a teenage from China “who finds strength and direction via martial arts and a tough but wise mentor.”

Behind-the-Scenes

Jonathan Entwistle (I’m Not Okay with This) will direct. The screenplay comes from Rob Lieber (Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day).

Cobra Kai co-creator Jon Hurwitz is not involved with the film. He also confirmed the movie is not connected to his TV series.

Karate Kid‘s Cast

In addition to Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan, the film will also feature the great Ming-Na Wen. And after announcing the movie with a global talent search for its young star, Sony picked American Born Chinese‘s Ben Wang as its new martial arts student.

Karate Kid‘s Release Date

The newest Karate Kid won’t take long to reach theaters. It will premiere on May 30, 2025.

Originally published March 8, 2024.

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With legacy sequels all the rage, rumors have been floating around for years about a sequel to The Goonies These rumors picked up steam this week when several online reports surfaced that The Goonies 2 was already greenlit. Then, original The Goonies star Sean Astin added fuel to the fire when he posted this:

However, at least for now, we have to throw some cold water on those rumors. Via Variety, we’ve learned that two original cast members have now debunked these reports of a Goonies 2 sequel movie. And they are letting the fans know via social media. The first cast member to speak up was Martha Plimpton, who said the following on Instagram:

People, there is no ‘Goonies 2’ script, there is no one ‘attached.’ Spielberg is not directing, it’s not real. What IS real is CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION AND VOTE!!!!

Original Goonies star and the ’80s most in-demand child actor Corey Feldman also posted that he’s that he had “no information” whatsoever of a Goonies sequel movie. So that’s now two original stars that are debunking this widely circulating story about Goonies 2. Next year will be the film’s 40th anniversary, so if ever there was a time to release it, 2025 would be the year. But it would have to be filming now for such a thing to happen. And that is simply not the case.

Rumors of a Goonies sequel picked up serious steam back in 2014. This was when Sean Astin said of a Goonies 2 movie, “I’m 1,000% certain there will be a sequel. I will bet my children on it.” But since then, original Goonies director Richard Donner has passed away. And Steven Spielberg has been focusing less on popcorn movies, and more serious fare. Also, the asking price of original actors like Ke Huy Quan and Josh Brolin has likely gone way up. With the big box office of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Top Gun: Maverick and other ’80s classics, you’d think Warner Bros. would be all over this. But alas, it seems Goonies 2 might be one that forever remains on our wish lists.

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Venom: The Last Dance‘s last trailer was the first time we got to see the film’s main villain. It’s the biggest one in Venom comics history, Knull. As exciting as that reveal was, inexplicably, that promo was also the first time the people who actually created Knull found out that he’s in the movie. And now that Knull’s creators know the symbiote creator is making his live-action debut in Venom‘s third outing, they’re hoping to see something else soon: money.

Following the release of Venom: The Last Dance‘s latest and final trailer, two of the creators behind Knull took to social media. They revealed something genuinely shocking. Sony never informed them of their character’s inclusion in the film. The first of the posts (which we first saw at IGN) came from Ryan Stegman. He penciled the issue of Marvel Comics where Knull made his debut. On Twitter, he wrote that since Knull is the movie’s big bad, he expects a big payment.

A lazy river moat at home does sound nice.

Meanwhile the writer of the comic, Donny Cates, was far more direct with his thoughts. He posted a photo of the word “MONEY” alongside “lol.”

Not a whole lot of mystery around how either of them feel. These creators gave life to Knull on the Marvel Comics page. Now that he’s appearing in a live-action film, they want to be paid accordingly.

Without question or reservation, they should be.

Hollywood has not exactly treated comic book creators fairly. (Which is truly an understatement.) By going public with this blatant absurdity, Stegman and Cates are drawing attention to the latest example of money-printing companies taking advantage of people they owe everything to. There would literally not be a Knull to put into Venom: The Last Dance if not for comic book writers, artists, and other creators.

The fact Sony didn’t even tell them Knull is in the movie is not a great sign for future payment. But public outcry can change that. Hopefully, it will. Hopefully, this will stop happening to comic book creators entirely. We want to root against Knull when we see him in Venom: The Last Dance. But not for this reason.

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Beetlejuice Beetlejuice isn’t a perfect movie, but it sure is a wildly entertaining one. It’s also a return to form for Tim Burton. The Ghost With the Most helped the director find some of his old mojo. That has led many to wonder what other franchises Burton could return to next. The most popular—and most obvious—choice has been another one his Beetlejuice star also headlined. And you know what? That should absolutely happen. Warner Bros. Discovery, right now, should sign Tim Burton and Michael Keaton to make a third and final Batman movie together.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice‘s already massive box office haul is proof moviegoers, even after waiting for decades, will turn out in droves to see Michael Keaton in a Tim Burton movie. And that was with a property not nearly as guaranteed to find success as a new Batman film would be. Superman is not DC’s single most bulletproof cinematic superhero. It’s the Caped Crusader. Every time Warner Bros. makes a solo Dark Knight, film people show up.

A third Burton Batman wouldn’t pose any problems for James Gunn’s burgeoning DCU, either, even though that cinematic universe will soon introduce its own Bruce Wayne. Movies set outside of the DCU, like Joker: Folie à Deux, fall under a separate “Elseworlds” banner. And it’s not as if anyone would confuse Burton’s surreal Gotham with Matt Reeves’ far more grounded and grittier “Battinson” Elseworlds franchise, either. There’s room for all of them. Especially since Burton and Keaton would almost certainly only be making one final Batman film.

But ticket sales are a concern for the studio, not fans. Just as the multiverse and canon questions are something for James Gunn to worry about. The best reason Burton and Keaton should bring back their Dark Knight is the only one that actually matter: the movie itself.

Burton’s two Batman films are distinct, memorable, and fantastic in their own ways. He created a stylish, heightened universe that stands out from every other live-action adaptation of Batman. His Gotham is a comic book full of iconic characters come to life. The director’s films also feature what many consider to be the greatest Batman ever. For an actor who was a “controversial” pick at the time, Keaton delivered a perfect Bruce Wayne for Burton’s vision. The Flash also showed Keaton still has great Batman performances left to give. (After Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, it’s obvious Michael Keaton can put on any old costume and it will seem like he never took it off.)

Yet, the two never got to finish their story. Batman Returns is not a satisfying conclusion in any way. It’s ending is a somber setup for another entry. And as much as DC would like us to think George Clooney and Val Kilmer’s turns as Bruce Wayne served continuations, no one really believes that. Joel Schumacher’s far sillier, far more “family-friendly” Gotham was definitely not Tim Burton’s, which is even more beloved and appreciated now than it was when him and Keaton walked away from the franchise.

The very long delay for a third film could also end up being a huge blessing. It could help Burton and Keaton make something special. Had they returned for Batman 3 in the ’90s, they would have told another chapter in the same story. It would have been the same Bruce Wayne dealing with a new problem. But decades later, Keaton’s Caped Crusader would be so much older and different in meaningful ways.

What would that mean for him? How would he have changed? Did failure harden him? Did loss soften him? How would he have reacted to age and diminishing strength? How would experience and wisdom have shaped him over the years? Did he train someone else to take over as Gotham’s hero?

There are plenty of great stories about an older Bruce Wayne, including Batman Beyond, that Burton could take inspiration from while crafting his own tale, just as he did with his first two films. The possibility alone is enough to that DC should greenlight this movie tomorrow without a script. Simply returning to that version of Gotham is, too. Just as seeing Michael Keaton as that Batman, and not his multiversal counterpart, is.

But there’s one final reason Beetlejuice Beetlejuice should lead to Batman 3. Burton’s two installments are among the most important movies ever made. Yes, movies, not just superhero movies. The genre now dominates Hollywood, and superheroes would not be as ubiquitous on the big screen without Keaton’s time in the cowl. Few movie franchises have left behind a legacy like that. And even fewer are worthy of a legacy sequel.

Parents upset about McDonald’s toys should not have deprived Tim Burton from closing out his time in Gotham the way he wanted. It should not have made Michael Keaton walk away from Wayne Manor. They should have been able to drive off in the greatest Batmobile ever they way they wanted.

Tim Burton spent decades away from the afterlife, but when he returned there with Michael Keaton they found cinematic magic once more. Now that they have it’s time to finally let them do the same in Gotham City.

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The Black Phone caused some division and stirs among horror fans for quite a few reasons. But one thing that people cannot deny is how darn creepy Ethan Hawke was as The Grabber, a 1970s era child abductor and murder who wears frightening masks. He is a classic boogeyman for sure. Either way, the film did well enough that Universal Pictures and Blumhouse are giving us a sequel to The Black Phone. For now, it is being called The Black Phone 2 and has a growing cast as well as a spooky release date. 

The Black Phone 2’s Cast and Crew

The Black Phone‘s original cast will all return for its sequel, which includes Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, and Miguel Mora. In addition to them, Deadline reports that Demián Bichir will join The Black Phone 2’s cast as well. His face is pretty familiar to horror fans from films like The Grudge (2020), The Nun (2018), and Alien: Covenant (2017). Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill will also return to write The Black Phone 2. 

The Black Phone 2’s Release Date 

The Black Phone 2’s release date is currently October 17, 2025.

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The long journey towards the Salem’s Lot film that’s coming to Max is almost over. The infamous Stephen King story will take us to Jerusalem’s Lot for a terrifying tale involving vampires. After a long wait, we finally have a trailer and release date for Salem’s Lot and we cannot wait to see Lewis Pullman’s take on Ben Mears. 

The clip gives us everything we’d expect: attempts to control demons with crosses, bloody shirts, writing bodies, and all-around terror. I’ve long maintained that small towns are the scariest places on Earth and that’s true here. Just imagine going home to spark your creativity only to find yourself in the middle of a real life horror situation. Sucks to be Ben. 

Here’s a quick summary of Salem’s Lot to go with that trailer: 

Ben Mears is a writer who returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration, only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a vampire, leading him to band together with a ragtag group to fight it.

What Is the Release Date for Salem’s Lot? 

Salem’s Lot will skip theaters and head straight to Max on October 3.

In the meantime, read more about Salem’s Lot here.

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L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz got turned on its head with Gregory Maguire’s Wicked. The 1995 book put the spotlight on Elphaba and her life, often one full of hardship, until Dorothy kills her. Wicked became a Broadway musical in 2003 and has since become the fourth longest-running Broadway series. And this journey through Oz doesn’t stop with a musical: we’re getting a two-part film adaptation from director Jon M. Chu.

Wicked‘s New Release Date

Wicked was slated to be released on November 27, but it will now release a little earlier on November 22. Meanwhile, Wicked Part Two has also already moved its release date. It was meant to release on November 26, 2025. But Wicked Part Two‘s official release date is now November 21, 2025. This move could be thanks in part to avoiding a battle with Disney’s Zootopia 2, which releases on November 26.

Watch the Wicked Movie’s Trailer

There’s a fresh trailer for Wicked that really gives us a better look at Elphaba’s life, including a romance and some events leading up to her death.

The Wicked trailer shows off a beautifully cinematic version of Oz and the beginning of Elphaba and Glinda’s fateful and witchy friendship.

Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba and Ariana Grande plays Glinda. They meet as students at Shiz University and become close friends. Elphaba and Glinda could not have more different backgrounds. Those backgrounds definitely put a thorn in the side of the friendship. As Wicked‘s synopsis explains:

The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

We’re glad to see the Wicked movie trailer embrace its roots and even tease the movie’s version of the many iconic musical songs. We can’t wait to hear them in full.

You Can Also Check Out the Wicked Trailer in LEGO Form

In case the real version of Wicked‘s movie trailer left you wanting more, you can also check out a LEGO version. Who doesn’t love LEGO Oz?

Wicked Movie Featurette and First-Looks

Wicked is an epic and long story. Is it a story that needs two movies? Only time will tell. Happily, it does seem like the cast and crew of the movie are very passionate about it.

In addition to Erivo and Grande, the cast for Wicked includes: Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible; Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero; Ethan Slater as Boq; Marissa Bode as Nessarose; and Jeff Goldblum as the legendary Wizard of Oz. Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, and Keala Settle also star. Most recently we learned that Peter Dinklage would Dr. Dillamond, a goat with the ability to speak. You can see more first-looks from the movie, below.

We really love this Wicked featurette with Chu taking us into building the world of Oz.

Here Are Some New Looks at Wicked‘s Cast

Wicked arrives in theaters on November 22, 2024. Wicked Part Two will follow on November 26, 2025.

Originally published on February 12, 2024.

Featured Image: Universal

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The end is here for Eddie Brock and his symbiote better half. The only question is whether or not Venom: The Last Dance will also be the end for all of Earth. The film’s final trailer makes clear humans can’t survive Symbrock staying together after Venom’s home world finds their way to his new one. But even before they’ll have to make the difficult decision whether or not to split up, they’ll have to deal with their most dangerous foe ever. This final look at their final film introduces the franchise’s most dangerous villain yet, Venom’s creator Knull.

Yes. YES! Venom: The Last Dance is basically a nightclub Stefon would tell us about. This trailer has everything: hippies, an alien invasion, gambling addictions, a symbiote horse, Juno Temple.

It obviously won’t be all fun and casino games for Eddie and Venom, though. It’s all out war, as the symbiote’s evil creator Knull makes the jump from the pages of Marvel Comics to the big screen. What exactly is going on? Here’s the official synopsis for Venom: The Last Dance from Sony Pictures to pair with this trailer:

In Venom: The Last Dance, Tom Hardy returns as Venom, one of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters, for the final film in the trilogy. Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.

The film also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rhys Ifans, Peggy Lu, and Alanna Ubach. Stephen Graham is also back as former detective Patrick Mulligan. It comes from writer-director Kelly Marcel​​. Venom: The Last Dance arrives in theaters on October 25, which means you don’t have much time left to prepare for the end of Symbrock.

Honestly, it’s probably best if Knull destroys Earth during this film. Who wants to live in a world where Eddie and Venom can’t be together?

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The continued popularity of Transformers as a media franchise doesn’t surprise me in the least. It’s giant robots that turn into cars and jets and stuff. No-brainer. Genius concept. But the continued success of the film franchise has been a total shocker. The first movie in 2007 was a fun anomaly. None of the next four were any good. People loved Bumblebee, oh yay, a new beginning! But then last year’s Rise of the Beasts, which I reviewed, was just visual noise… and noise-noise. So now we have Transformers One, a fully animated prequel, and guess what? It’s kinda great.

One of the reasons I ended up not enjoying Rise of the Beasts that much is they made a big deal about the Maximals coming to prominence but then spent most of the runtime with Bumblebee, Optimus, and the rest of the car-based Transformers. I had gotten tired of all those characters, somehow. But what Transformers One has in its favor is a fresh take on those old G-1 characters. We’d never seen the origins of the Transformers we know on Cybertron, in all its vibrant, bustling glory. I think, even 40 years later, Transformers is just better suited to animation.

The story takes place in the distant past of Cybertron. The energon rivers have dried up and the massive city of Iacon is really starting to feel it. Ages ago, the ruling council of Transformers, the Primes, fought against an alien threat and lost, with the Matrix of Leadership missing. Only Sentinel Prime (Jon Hamm) remains to protect Iacon and its citizens from the constant threat of destruction.

Zoom in on a couple of hapless mining bots, best friends Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry). They dig down, down, down into the core of Cybertron attempting to find more energon, day in and day out. Orion is a dreamer and a troublemaker while D-16 is a rule follower to the utmost. Despite their meager lives, Orion believes the two of them together can make a difference.

A chance discovery among rubble and garbage leads them to travel to the surface in the hopes of tracking down the Matrix of Leadership. Along the way they recruit mining shift leader Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson) and motormouth trash sorter B-127 (Keegan-Michael Key) and eventually discover terrible truths about their lives and eventually grow to be the bots we all know they can be (if you’ve ever seen any Transformers media).

So it’s no secret, really, who all of these characters will become. They don’t look that dissimilar to the iconic versions. The fun of the movie is seeing how they get there, and why certain characters go the way they do. Often times prequel or origin movies feel like foregone conclusions. That’s partially the case here. We know where everything ends up, but the journey is enjoyable enough to hold your attention, especially with how dark it gets.

The biggest positive of the movie is the gorgeously vibrant and tactile animation. Iacon is enormous and busy, like what New York was like in 1997’s The Fifth Element but 40 times larger and with way more realistic graphics. I was blown away by sequences like a massive F-Zero-style race through the city early in the film, or fast-paced train escape later on. It’s a blast. Letting the visuals and sound wash over you is just a delight. Transformers One is not attempting artistic heights like the Spider-Verse films or even TMNT: Mutant Mayhem, but what it’s doing succeeds fully.

Now to some less positive parts. Tonally, the movie isn’t at all consistent. Early on, Orion and D-16 get into silly shenanigans, and B-127 says goofy lines constantly, and the movie just feels like it’s totally for kids. Totally fine in and of itself, I love kids movies. However, as the story progresses, the tone gets progressively darker and more upsetting as the lines between good and evil feel more clearly defined. This too isn’t a problem. The stakes are enormous, it only makes sense for it to feel weighty. The problem is, when we get a stray joke or bit of slapstick in the second half, it feels completely at odds with the rest of the movie.

I’m a 40-year-old, so naturally I dug the more outwardly Transformery stuff we get in the second half of the movie. The action is big and exciting and packs a wallop while friends become enemies and enemies become friends. But the early part of the movie is clearly aimed at a younger audience, which I thought was just okay. I’m not saying this is good or bad. I’m merely saying, it gives the movie a bit of an identity crisis.

That said, Transformers One is a fun reminder of why we all liked the robots who were more than meets the eye in the first place. It doesn’t touch the artistic crossover heights of Spider-Verse or Mutant Mayhem but that doesn’t mean it isn’t pretty darn great. The voice cast do an admirable job assaying younger, unrefined versions of established characters. The growth of Orion and D-16 lands more than it has any right to. The movie is just solid. Bumblebee aside, easily makes for the best of the big screen Transformers. Low bar, I know, but it clears it easily.

Transformers One ⭐ (3.5 of 5)

Transformers One hits theaters on September 20.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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If streaming numbers are anything to go buy, our collective fascination with serial killers and horrifying true crime has all but taken over our lives. People who find bloody action movies distasteful might spend hours every evening hearing about depraved and grisly murders in explicit detail and think nothing of it. It’s an odd fixation we collectively have. How could someone, your neighbor or coworker, do something so heinous? That fixation and central question lies at the heart of Red Rooms one of the most upsetting and pulse-pounding thrillers I’ve seen in a long time.

Red Rooms garnered festival acclaim in 2023 and, as with many smaller titles, finally gets a wider release this year. Writer-director Pascal Plante focuses on the kinds of people—young women in this case—who become obsessed with serial killer cases and even in some instances become infatuated by the accused monsters. His lead character Kelly-Anne (Juliette Gariépy) and her motivations are so unknowable and seemingly disturbed and disturbing, and yet so fascinating, that we can’t take our eyes off of her.

The story revolves around the trial of accused serial murderer Ludovic Chevalier (Maxwell McCabe-Lokos). He is suspected of not only the brutal torture and murder of three school girls but of filming his actions. Those tapes went to the highest bidder on the dark web, in so-called Red Rooms. Only two of the videos have surfaced, to screen in the courtroom. While the media has roundly decided Chevalier is guilty, reasonable doubt makes the trial less open-and-shut.

Kelly-Anne, a model and Montreal local, camps out every morning in order to secure a seat in the courtroom to hear all the gory details and observe the accused in the stocks and the families of the victims. Kelly-Anne lives an otherwise modest existence. She’s a fashion model, yes, but her apartment is small and sparse. She spends most of her free time either playing racquetball alone or surfing the dark web. We soon learn she is obsessed with finding the final murder video, but to what end we don’t know.

Not long into her routine she meets Clementine (Laurie Babin), a young runaway who made her way to Montreal for the trial with next to nothing but a strong belief in Chevalier’s innocence. Despite herself, Kelly-Anne starts spending time with Clementine and the two spark a very strained friendship. Has Clementine found an ally in Kelly-Anne? Or is Kelly-Anne merely using Clementine’s fanaticism for her own strange purposes? Like with most everything in Red Rooms, Plante plays everything close to the vest.

We spend so much time with Kelly-Anne but, credit to Plante and to Gariépy’s incredible performance, we never get a sense of her true motivations. We don’t know if she believes in Chevalier’s innocence or is merely obsessed with the crimes themselves. Or if she believes he did it but idolizes him all the same. All we get are Kelly-Anne’s actions which go from confusing to troubling to downright shocking as the movie progresses. People throw around Taxi Driver whenever they talk about a lone, unhinged protagonist. While that’s apt here, the fact that this isn’t the “typical” creepy loner is part of what makes Red Rooms so compelling.

Plante displays some absolutely bravura filmmaking here. The film’s opening is a seven-minute unbroken shot of the two attorneys giving their opening statements to the jury. The camera floats around as we hear the depraved and horrendous fates of the three young victims. We get an absolute sense of the geography of the courtroom, the faces of the major players, before finally resting on Kelly-Anne’s stoic, unmoved face. It’s an amazing way to give us the circumstances, and to show us our protagonist’s unreadable expressions amid all of this horror.

The film also contains one of the tensest sequences of someone typing alone in their apartment I’ve ever seen. I won’t spoil what happens or why, but as the climax of the movie, Kelly-Anne going back and forth between illicit websites, and again the tremendous performance from Gariépy, is as breathlessly exciting as anything you’d find in a Mission: Impossible movie. One review from last year said Red Rooms “Out-Finchers Fincher” and this scene is exactly what they mean.

I think Red Rooms is an incredibly poignant and profoundly upsetting movie. I never thought a thriller about true crime junkies would be this effective, but I cannot stop thinking about it. I’m sure you won’t either.

Red Rooms is in limited release now. If you get a chance to see it, don’t miss it.

Red Rooms ⭐ (4.5 of 5)

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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After waiting for over 35 years, the “Ghost with the Most,” better known as Beetlejuice (government name: Betelgeuse) is back. With Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice cleaning up at the box office, everyone is going to want Michael Keaton’s iconic bio-exorcist as part of their spooky season decorations this year. Thankfully, Home Depot just released a new life-size Beetlejuice Halloween decoration that will be the envy of everyone on your block this spooky season. Heck, maybe even in the Netherworld too. You can see images of Home Depot’s new 6-foot-tall Beetlejuice right here:

Click To View Gallery

The 6.4 ft./3 ft. wide Beetlejuice arrives all decked out in his classic striped suit and green hair. He is intended to be displayed indoors only. This new animated Beetlejuice has a spinning head, and speaks nine different phrases from the movies, sure to startle all your trick or treaters on October 31. This amazing Beetlejuice Halloween décor collapses for easy storage. It includes everything needed for setup, which only takes a mere fifteen minutes. This Beetlejuice has a motion and sound sensor, and a plug-in power adapter included.

Home Depot has other amazing animated life-size Halloween mascots available this year, including Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas. That’s for all of you who might want your Beetlejuice to have another Tim Burton friend to scare house guests with. There’s also a “Victorian Vampire,” which basically is another way of saying “Nosferatu.”

The company also has the most classic of spooky season icons, like the Frankenstein monster. That one’s 7 feet tall, and it costs a little bit more than the others. And there are even other horror icons. The 6-foot-tall animated Beetlejuice will set you back $199.00. You can buy one for your home now at the official Home Depot website.

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The issue of recreating the likenesses of dead actors is certainly one that is on the minds of many in the entertainment industry. In the most recent Alien: Romulus movie, for instance, the digital recreation of Ian Holm caused quite a bit of controversy. As AI becomes increasingly popular and technology improves, the idea that actors could be resurrected digitally for complex scenes has become a practical reality. Of course, given the newness of this particular ability, the legal practicalities are still catching up. And now, it seems a new court case regarding a familiar instance of likeness recreation is set to address the issue. Film producer Kevin Francis is suing Lucasfilm (and, by proxy, Disney) over the reproduction of Peter Cushing’s image in Star Wars: A Rogue One Story. In the film, the deceased actor was digitally resurrected to take a post-humous turn as Grand Moff Tarkin.

Here are the details of the case. Kevin Francis, an old friend of Peter Cushing, claims to have a signed agreement from Cushing in which “the actor agreed not to grant permission for anyone to reproduce his appearance through special effects without his [Francis’] authorization.” As such, Francis is suing Lucasfilm and Lunak Heavy Industries (UK) for “unjust enrichment” and is seeking less than £500,000.

According to a report from The Times, Peter Cushing signed an agreement that states he would not allow his image to be used without Francis’s permission in 1993. The pair were working on a TV movie called A Heritage of Horror, which it seems never got made.

Although this all seems to be a bit extraordinary, Disney could not successfully have the case over Peter Cushing’s recreation in Rogue One dismissed by the High Court in London. A judge, Master Francesca Kaye, originally rejected Disney’s petition to have the case dismissed last year. And though Disney appealed, Judge Tom Mitcheson upheld the original ruling this week. He noted that he was “far from persuaded” that Francis would emerge victorious in the case. However, Judge Mitcheson also revealed, “I am also not persuaded that the case is unarguable to the standard required to give summary judgment or to strike it out” and additionally, wisely remarked, “In an area of developing law it is very difficult to decide where the boundaries might lie in the absence of a full factual enquiry.” And so it seems this legal suit over Peter Cushing’s CGI recreation in Rogue One will continue.

For its part, Disney/Lucasfilm claims that it does have the right to reproduce Cushing’s CGI image and digital likeness/appearance in its properties. The report notes, “The Disney companies claim they did not believe permission was required to recreate Cushing because of the terms of his contract in the original film and the nature of the special effects.” Additionally, Disney paid around £28,000 to Cushing’s estate for the use of his image in Rogue One. As such, Disney notes there is no “unjust enrichment” at hand. And that instead, Disney is the “bona fide purchaser for value” for the rights to Cushing’s likeness and digital resurrection.

Of course, how one can judge the worth, cost, and ownership of dead person’s image is quite a complex question. But we’ll cross our fingers that as time goes on, there will be clearer pathways to establish this in the law, ones that respect the humanity of those who have passed away. The California senate recently passed a law requiring consent “for the use of dead performers’ likenesses for AI-created digital replicas.” And we can only hope to see more legal precedents established on such matters. For now, we’ll have to wait and see what happens with his lawsuit over Peter Cushing in Star Wars: A Rogue One Story and how it might impact future cases.

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Spooky season is here, complete with all the ghosts and monsters. And although they live in a galaxy far, far away, the Star Wars universe has plenty of dark-sided beings that fit in perfectly for Halloween. Kids have been dressing up as Darth Vader and other dark side characters to go trick or treating since 1977. To celebrate two great tastes that go great together, RSVLTS is offering up a new Star Wars Spooky Collection.

The Star Wars Spooky Collection includes an incredible lineup of seasonal, spooky, and zombified designs, all available on RSVLTS signature Kunuflex material. They are available across classic (unisex) and women’s styles/sizing, with select designs available across youth and preschooler sizes/styles as well. There are even doggy bandanas and golf accessories, including two club headcovers featuring Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. You can check out images and pricing for each item right here:

Day of the Dark Side

A little Day of the Dead meets the Sith, this one comes in classic, women, youth styles/sizes, and also a dog bandana.

Carved Wars

Pumpkin styling, only in the Star Wars tradition. Carved Wars arrives in classic, women, youth & preschooler styles/sizes.

“It’s A Treat!”

No, it’s not a trap (or a trick), it’s a treat! Make Admiral Ackbar proud with this shirt has classic, women, as well as youth & preschooler styles and sizes.

The High Ground

The battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan on Mustafar from Revenge of the Sith comes alive in this all-day lifestyle polo.

Star Wars Spooky “Drip” Logo Dad Hat and Crew Neck Shirt

This “dad hat” and t-shirt give us an ooky-spooky “dripping” version of the classic Star Wars logo.

Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi Golf Club Accessories

These driver and fairway covers showcase Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi before their epic duel.

Each adult button-down shirt retails for $70; $45 for youth sizes, and $39 for preschool. Polos are priced at $70, and $32 for t-shirts, $30 for dad hats, $16 for dog bandanas, and $60 for driver and fairway covers. You can buy these now on RSVLTS’ official site.

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The massive box office success of the video game adaptation Five Nights at Freddy’s last Halloween took everyone by surprise. Though to many, this adaptation of a beloved game has been years in coming. So of course, a Five Nights at Freddy’s sequel is in play. We may get it soon, too. Star Josh Hutcherson, while speaking to Variety, said “I know they’re in the process right now of nailing down the story, and they want to get going as soon as possible.” He added that his The Hunger Games co-star Jennifer Lawrence even texted him after the film’s big success. She told him “My movie’s #1 on Netflix, and yours is #1 at the box office! Let’s go!” This news was recently confirmed at CinemaCon, where Universal revealed the Five Nights at Freddy’s sequel was officially a go.

So, just how soon is soon? Universal and Blumhouse have confirmed the Five Night’s at Freddy’s sequel will have a release date of December 2, 2025. If this seems too soon, remember it’s not uncommon for big horror franchise films. At its peak, the Saw franchise was putting out a movie once a year. During their ’80s heyday, the Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street franchises dropped a movie a year too. For a Five Nights at Freddy’s sequel to shoot in mere months makes sense. And that’s what is happening because, according to Collider, filming will commence in October 2024.

In true Blumhouse fashion, the studio made Five Nights at Freddy’s for only $20 million dollars, and its box office gross finished out at $300 million worldwide. Even more amazing is that the movie made so much at the domestic box office even though it also streamed on Peacock. The fanbase really wanted the theatrical experience for this one. The Blumhouse way has always been about making low-budget horror and getting huge returns on their investments. And Five Nights at Freddy’s is one of their biggest successes in this regard.

Originally published on January 8, 2024.

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Original reporting by Melissa Miller.

The prophecy foretold six seasons and a movie, and now that will come to pass. The Community movie is coming to Peacock! Thanks to a tweet from series star Joel McHale and a report in Variety, we finally know it’s happening. We also know that series creator Dan Harmon will write and produce the movie. However, with the recent writers’ strike, things were on hold for a while. McHale revealed to Variety that Harmon and co-writer Andrew Guest were almost done with the script and had a director in mind before everything came on a halt in May. Harmon, McHale, and other members of the WGA were on strike because the union did not reach a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) over many issues, including streaming residuals. However, now that the writer and actor strikes have resolved, it sounds like the Community movie is back on track.

Community star Alison Brie chimed in to share, “We got a script, which is a major update. We got a script — you heard it here first.” She added of the Community movie. “I’ve read the script, and it’s so funny.” Sounds like good news to us.

And in the latest Community movie update, the film scored a tax credit from the California Film Commission to shoot in the state. According to The Wrap, the expenditure is for $16.3 million and the film will get $3.3 million back as part of the tax credit program. We love to continue to hear such great news.

The Latest Updates on the Community Movie

Creator Dan Harmon also noted to Variety in February that the script was almost done. He shared, “I can confirm Donald Glover’s report that I told him the script was done, but I will also say Donald’s sources are so unreliable because the script is always ‘almost done. What can I tell you about it — it’s set on the campus of Greendale Community College. I’m super excited about it, and we’re almost done.”

Meanwhile, star Joel McHale also shared that the script for the film is done as far as he knows, adding a further update about the movie’s filming. Deadline notes, “McHale said it’s his belief that the Community movie will shoot “this year.” He’ll be “shocked,” he said, if it doesn’t.” And McHale offered, “I really do think it’s happening this year, and probably next week. It’s basically working around Donald [Glover]’s schedule.”

The Cast of the Community Movie

Casting news isn’t official, but McHale tagged fellow stars Alison Brie, Donald Glover, Yvette Nicole Brown, Danny Pudi, and Ken Jeong in his post, as well as Gillian Anderson (but we assume he meant to tag Gillian Jacobs, who played Britta). The series finale gave our beloved characters a nudge towards their next steps in life, but we’ll be perfectly happy to see them all back together at Greendale Community College. Three cheers for the Community movie.

Six Season and a Movie

The show fulfilled half of Abed’s prophecy of “six seasons and a movie” with a final season on Yahoo! after five seasons on NBC. Its 110 episodes, all named like community college course titles, that mostly hit the mark of comedic and meta, takes on adult friendships. We cheered for the tight-knit study group through all the years of puppets, paintball, and pillow forts.

Community gained new popularity, and talk of the movie heated up when the show landed on Netflix in 2020. But it’s been part of the show’s lexicon since long before the series finale in 2015. It’s always a fun rewatch, and it’s never too late to watch the series for the first time.

We can’t wait to hear more official news for the Community movie. Will we finally learn what happened to Troy Barnes after he sailed off with LeVar Burton and was never heard from again? Donald Glover did join in when the cast reunited for a virtual table read in the early days of the pandemic. Happily, Dan Harmon has confirmed Glover would return for the movie. Glover himself also recently told The Hollywood Reporter he was still planning on the Community movie, saying:

Yeah, [Dan Harmon] told me what he wanted, and I was like, “This sounds great.” It’s a college reunion, but Abed [Danny Pudi’s character] is like this big director now, and basically this is his magnum opus. I’m like, “This sounds f**king tight.”

Maybe we’re not living in Abed’s darkest timeline after all.  

Originally published on November 4, 2022.

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When Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse came out in spring 2023, they promised a sequel just one year later. However, that didn’t quite work out. Sony took Beyond the Spider-Verse off the schedule for 2024 before indefinitely delaying it. Rumors then started to surface that Sony had scrapped almost everything so far for the third chapter. Furthermore, the film would not see the light of day until 2027. That’s a full four years since Across the Spider-Verse hit theaters and left a cliffhanger ending. But now, two creatives involved have debunked this rumor.

Via The Hollywood Reporter, we’ve learned that Spider-Verse co-writer and producer Chris Miller has said the following via social media. “Nothing has been scrapped. The reels are coming along nicely.” Meanwhile, composer Daniel Pemberton said “Don’t really ever want to weigh in on this sort of stuff, BUT would you ever believe there could sometimes be stuff on the internet that might not always be particularly accurate? Hmmm.” Both creators are assuring the fans that they are not starting from scratch with the third part of this trilogy.

Of course, Beyond is still not on any schedule. While it may be true that they’re not starting over as rumors suggest, there are clearly changes going on. When Across the Spider-Verse did significantly larger box office than Into the Spider-Verse, as well as getting similar critical praise, the pressure was on to stick the landing. So we might not be waiting to find out what happened to Miles Morales until 2027. Yet it might still be 2026. It would be quite a coincidence if the MCU’s Multiverse Saga and Sony Animation’s Spider-Verse saga both ended within months of each other. Hopefully soon, we’ll get concrete information from Sony Animation on when Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse officially hits theaters.

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We’re currently in the middle of a full-on Sonicssaince. Everyone’s favorite Blue Blur now headlines a big screen live-action cinematic universe that shows no signs of slowing down. It’s a good time to know him. If you do and are lucky enough to get invited to his next red carpet premiere we know exactly what you should wear. OppoSuits latest pop culture creation is a speedy way to look stylish while also celebrating the Sega Genesis icon. The company’s Sonic the Hedgehog suit and tie combo is a colorful, wearable ode to the beloved speedster.

The Sonic the Hedgehog Two-Piece Suit & Tie set from OppSuits is a vibrant flash of color and characters. In addition to Sonic himself, the blue-hued suit and matching neckwear feature franchise favorites like Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Cheese the Chao, and more. Like Sonic himself, this is some seriously flashy attire.

The un-hemmed, 100% polyester suit comes with zip fly flat-front trousers. They have a button-tab closure, slant pockets, and back pockets. The lined jacket is also adorned with notched lapels, four-button cuffs, chest pocket, flap pockets, interior pockets, and side vents. All those many pockets will come in handy when you need some place to store all the gold rings you pick up while wearing it. (We also imagine some people will also give gold rings when they see you run down the street in these clothes.)

You can also some of those gold coins to actually pay for the suit. You can grab yours from Nordstrom’s online shop for $119.99. If you’re wondering how they…ahem…run, the company says its Sonic the Hedgehog Two-Piece Suit & Tie set is “true to size.”

It’s also true to something else: the Sonicssaince. We’re all living in Sonic the Hedgehog’s world these days. It’s only fitting we dress for it.

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At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel fans were left reeling after Kevin Feige and the Russo Brothers revealed that Robert Downey, Jr. will be returning to the MCU to play the villainous Victor von Doom, a.k.a. Doctor Doom. Questions were immediately raised about how Downey could possibly play Marvel’s next big baddie when he already played its top hero, the dearly departed Tony Stark/Iron Man. This chatter led to theories about multiverse variants.

Not long after, Marvel Comics writer Deniz Camp posted a cryptic tease about his upcoming comic series on X/Twitter, writing, “If you want to understand Robert Downey Jr. as Doom, you MUST read Ultimates 4 on sept 4th.” Now that Ultimates #4 is out in the wild, let’s dig into the issue and see what it reveals about the man in the iron mask who will terrorize Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the upcoming films Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

Ultimates Is About a Twisted Version of the Marvel Universe

Ultimates is a new comic book series about Marvel’s rebooted Ultimate Universe. The Ultimate Universe was restored by a villain known as the Maker. This character is an evil version of Reed Richards from the original Ultimate Universe. In order to ensure his rule of this new world, the Maker used time travel to make it so Marvel’s greatest saviors never became superheroes.

Despite the Maker’s best efforts, some heroes slipped through the cracks. Howard Stark became Iron Man and passed on the mantle to his son, Tony Stark. Tony took on the name Iron Lad and scraped together a team of Avengers to oppose the Maker. One of Tony’s allies is Reed Richards, who in this twisted world became Doom instead of Mister Fantastic. Ultimates #4 pulls back the curtain to reveal how a hero like Reed Richards could wind up like his classic nemesis, Doctor Doom.

The Maker Corrupted the Ultimate Doom

Ultimates #4 unveils Ultimate Doom’s backstory and shows how one small change completely altered the fate of the Fantastic Four. As we watch Reed Richards preparing for the team’s first mission to space, the Maker uses time travel to pop into Reed’s lab and sneakily ruin one of his calculations on a whiteboard. The small sabotage has big consequences as it causes the space mission to end in tragedy. Instead of the group gaining wondrous super powers, they each meet a horrific end that aligns with their would-be powers.

The cosmic rays bombarding the space shuttle set Johnny Storm on fire, which kills him. Ben is later found at the bottom of a rock quarry, seemingly dying by suicide. Sue’s health slowly “fades away” in the hospital as she succumbs to radiation poisoning. Reed is the lone survivor but the Maker kidnaps him. The Maker brings Reed to the Dome, his technologically advanced base of operations where he can manipulate the flow of time.

“I can squeeze centuries of pain into just a few thin moments,” he says. The Maker physically tortures Reed with electrocution, melting his face Palpatine-style. He then covers Reed’s face with a burning-hot metal mask. He also psychologically tortures Reed with his perceived failure that brought about the “doom” of his loved ones. Reed eventually snaps mentally and accepts the name Doom to complete the transformation.

How Ultimate Doom Could Explain RDJ Becoming Doctor Doom

The story of Ultimates #4 does indeed appear to offer valuable insight on Downey’s Doom. Even though the comic shows how Reed, not Tony, became Doom, it still demonstrates how a key change in a character’s origin story can drastically alter their life and send them down the path of doom. Perhaps the new character Downey is playing is from a different universe where Tony Stark’s origin story played out differently and he emerged from the cave as an armor-clad villain instead of a hero. Who’s to say he couldn’t reinvent himself by buying a castle in Eastern Europe and taking on the name Victor von Doom? 

Most interestingly, the story of Ultimates #4 asks us to consider the idea that Downey’s character wasn’t supposed to become Doom. Instead, a nefarious force made him Doom. We could see the same thing happen in the MCU. It could be that an evil mastermind saw how Tony Stark became Marvel’s greatest hero in one universe, so they set out to make him its greatest villain in another. If Marvel does go this route for the story, it would mean there’s a secret villain above Doom who orchestrated his creation.

If Marvel wants to wrap up the unresolved Kang the Conqueror storyline, then Kang could take the role of the Maker in this story. He is known for time travel, after all. If Kang does create MCU Doom, then it wouldn’t surprise anybody for Doom to betray Kang and replace him as the next big threat the Avengers must face. Then again, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that Marvel introduces the Maker himself who is an evil version of Pedro Pascal’s Mister Fantastic. This could make sense, considering we will meet Mister Fantastic in next year’s Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Will the MCU Really Get Robert Downey, Jr.’s Doctor Doom Origin Story From the Ultimates Comic?

It is tantalizing to think that the secrets of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s next big bad Doctor Doom are within the comics pages of Ultimates #4. However, it’s hard to believe that Feige would allow his master plan for Downey’s Doom to be in a comic book before the next Avengers movies have even started production. With that in mind, Deniz Camp may have been implying that his story in Ultimates #4 is more of a thematic preview of Downey’s Doom rather than a literal one. The issue speaks to how the theme of loss is core to Doom’s character.

Ultimate Reed became Doom after losing his friends and family. The classic version of Victor von Doom became Doctor Doom after losing his parents. If there’s one thing Camp wants us to understand about Downey’s Doom, it appears to be that loss will be a key element of his character. One can imagine how Tony Stark would have been a very different person if the likes of Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan met a tragic demise. If they weren’t around to help him become the hero who would go on to form the Avengers and ultimately sacrifice himself to save the Marvel Universe from certain doom, then he could have certainly become Doctor Doom. We will see what actually happens in the future.

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Long live the writers! And I’m not saying that just because I write for a living. It’s because Denis Villeneuve revealed he is writing the script for a potential Dune: Part Three. At 2024’s Toronto International Film Festival, the director spoke to Variety who asked about the state of the script. Villeneuve replied “It’s in the works. It’s why I’m not staying here [at the festival] that long.

Villeneuve further clarified that if he makes the second Dune book into a third movie, it won’t be a “trilogy” in the traditional sense. “First, It’s important that people understand that for me, it was really a diptych,” he said. “It was really a pair of movies that will be the adaptation of the first book. That’s done and that’s finished. If I do a third one, which is in the writing process, it’s not like a trilogy. It’s strange to say that, but if I go back there, it’s to do something that feels different and has its own identity.”

Back in April, Villeneuve spoke to The New York Times about Dune: Part Two and all things Muad’Dib-related. Fans of the box office smash will definitely want to hear his thoughts on Paul’s possible Messiah-complex, Lady Jessica’s face tattoos, Chani’s expanded role, and the rules of Fremen intimacy. But the most exciting part of the interview came when he casually mentioned the future. He’s working on the script for a possible third entry in the franchise.

While speaking about how Paul and Chani’s connected stories ended in Part Two, the director said, “[Paul] will try to find a way to save his soul in the third part.” Then, while discussing Chani’s feelings towards Paul at the end, Villeneuve said, “That anger is tremendous. I don’t want to reveal what I’m going to do with the third movie. I know exactly what to do. I’m writing it right now. But there’s a lot of firepower there and I’m very excited about that decision.”

These quotes come just a couple of weeks after Variety reported Legendary Pictures is already developing Dune: Part Three with the director. And it comes as Part Two is returning to IMAX theaters this month. That’s when it’s expected to cross the $700 million box office mark. Those are all great signs for fans hoping to see Villeneuve adapt Dune: Messiah, which he has said he wants to do. But there’s still a long way to travel from “writing” to “Arrakis.”

In the recent interview, he did keep to his promise that Dune: Messiah would be his final outing. “Listen, if Dune: Messiah happens, it will have been many years for me on Arrakis, and I would love to do something else,” Villeneuve said. “I think that it would be a good idea for me to make sure that, in Messiah, there are the seeds in the project if someone wants to do something else afterwards, because they are beautiful books. They are more difficult to adapt. They become more and more esoteric. It’s a bit more tricky to adapt, but I’m not closing the door. I will not do it myself, but it could happen with someone else.”

If he’s already working on the script—in any capacity—viewers can probably at least start at least thinking about what color stillsuit they’ll want to wear to the premiere.

Originally published April 22, 2024.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

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Alien: Romulus from director Fede Álvarez functions as a sequel to Ridley Scott’s original Alien from 1979, while also referencing his more recent prequel films, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. Álvarez combined elements of both of those films for a wild third act that has everyone talking, because it’s pure nightmare fuel. Here, we’ll break down the ties to the other films in the franchise, and what the future might hold for further Alien installments. Especially after that wild ending left audiences gagged.

Before we dig into it all, here’s a look peek into the horrors of Alien: Romulus and its ending.

How Alien: Romulus Ties into Alien and Prometheus

When Alien: Romulus begins, we see a space probe has discovered the remains of the Nostromo, the mining vessel destroyed at the end of the original Alien. This is some 17 years after the events of that film. As you might recall, before fleeing in her escape pod, Ripley blasted the Xenomorph out of the airlock. As a “perfect organism,” it survived in space with no nutrients by going into a cocoon mode. That same Xenomorph was discovered near the remains of the Nostromo. It is brought back to a space station named the Renaissance, in orbit of the ringed planet Jackson’s Star. This takes us to the year 2142, twenty years after the events of Alien.

The Weyland-Yutani Company Is Once Again the True Villain

The Weyland-Yutani scientists working there try to experiment on the Xenomorph. But of course, it breaks free, killing the crew and creating new baby Xenomorphs, and releasing a metric ton of facehuggers. When labor worker Rain (Cailee Spaeny) and her friends from Jackson’s Star, including her synthetic “brother” Andy (David Jonsson) pilot the mining ship Corbelan to the station in hopes of finding cryo pods to escape to a more hospitable world than their own, they find no one alive on the station. All that’s left is a half-functioning synthetic scientist named Rook, the same model as the android Ash from the Nostromo (played by Ian Holm). He explains to Rain and the others what happened on the station.

The scientists in the Romulus lab aboard the station performed experiments on the captured Xenomorph, discovering a new form of the black goo from Prometheus. In fact, the scientists give that tar-like substance the name “the Prometheus strain.” With this strain, the Weyland-Yutani scientists believed they could reverse engineer it to create a cure for all human illnesses and build “a perfect human lifeform” of their own which they could then exploit on dangerous and inhospitable mining worlds as a labor force. The scientists in the lab synthesized this strain, but all hell broke loose before any samples could leave the station.

The Birth of a Human/Engineer/Xenomorph Hybrid Being

One of Rain’s friends from the Corbelan, Kay (Isabela Merced), was already pregnant when she escaped to the station. As the Xenomorphs pick off the Corbelan crew one by one, one of them captures Kay. Eventually, Rain and Andy find Kay in a cocoon, free her, and take her with them as they try to escape the station. Kay survives her injuries, but she chooses to inject the experimental sample into herself to increase her odds of survival. To paraphrase Aliens, this was a very bad call on her part.

Kay then suddenly gives birth to an egg. It hatches into a rapidly growing human-Xenomorph creature. The terrifying being looks part Xenomorph and also very similar to the Engineers from Prometheus. It kills its mother and nearly kills Andy, damaging him significantly. Rain ejects the cargo pod and the creature onto the asteroid rings of Jackson’s Star, and gets back control of the ship, and manages to escape with the damaged Andy. They go into cryo sleep, hoping to land on a more hospitable world than the hell they left behind. Even if it takes years to get there.

What Happens After Alien: Romulus?

Will someone find the remains of the creature in the rings of Jackson’s Star? And will the Company try again to replicate it? And what happens to Rain and Andy now? Just like Ripley (and Jones the cat) in Alien, they might float in cryo for years or decades. The universe they wake up in might be very different. Fede Álvarez clearly embraces the entire canon of the Alien franchise here. So whatever comes next likely continues building on what’s come before. For all we know, she arrives on Earth in the year 2381 or after, and encounters Ellen Ripley. We’re not saying that’s what will happen, but “going to sleep and waking up in a messed up world” is part of this franchise’s DNA. Anything can happen now.

Originally published August 16, 2024.

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This news might turn some fans into Unhappy Gilmores or into Really Happy Gilmores, but regardless of how anyone feels about it, a Happy Gilmore sequel is heading to Netflix. According to Deadline, Netflix announced that a sequel to Happy Gilmore had been greenlit during its Upfront presentation. Netflix confirmed that Adam Sandler would return for Happy Gilmore 2, which we’re going to call Happier Gilmore for now. But no logline for the movie is available at present. However, we recently received a casting update. Bad Bunny will join Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore 2 and two original actors are also back on the golf course.

In addition to Bad Bunny and Sandler, The Hollywood Reporter shares that Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald are returning for Happy Gilmore 2. Bowen reprises her role as Virginia Venit, the love interest for Adam Sandler’s character, and McDonald is back as Shooter McGavin, the villain of the movie.

For those who are somehow not in the know, Happy Gilmore is a golf movie and one of Sandler’s most famous. Its synopsis reads:

All Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler) has ever wanted is to be a professional hockey player. But he soon discovers he may actually have a talent for playing an entirely different sport: golf. When his grandmother (Frances Bay) learns she is about to lose her home, Happy joins a golf tournament to try and win enough money to buy it for her. With his powerful driving skills and foulmouthed attitude, Happy becomes an unlikely golf hero — much to the chagrin of the well-mannered golf professionals.

Well, we did just see a tennis movie hit our screens, so why not bring back golf? We’ll just have to wait and see what the Happy Gilmore sequel is all about. Maybe it will bring back Sandler’s alien co-star from Spaceman. That would be fun. Happy Gilmore 2, it’s your swing.

Originally published on May 15, 2024.

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There and back again, as the famous saying goes. Bilbo Baggins felt that was the theme of his life in The Hobbit, and now life is reflecting art. We are all going there and back again to the world of The Lord of the Rings. In early 2023, we learned that new live-action The Lord of the Rings movies were in the works at Warner Bros. Discovery. And now, our most recent updates reveal that Peter Jackson will once again craft these fantasy films. Additionally, we will see these new live-action The Lord of the Rings movies sooner than we think. The first of the new The Lord of the Rings films will release in 2026. (Yes, that’s 2026, not 2006, we had to check too.) It will be titled Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum and will focus on Andy Serkis’ Gollum.

Sir Ian McKellen recently shared more about his possible return as Gandalf in The Hunt for Gollum. He notes he expects to see a script in 2025 and then he will decide if he should go back. But more interestingly indicates that this new The Lord of the Rings movie is actually two The Lord of the Rings movies. “I’m told it’s two films.” McKellen says.

Additionally, Orlando Bloom, who plays the elf Legolas in The Lord of the Rings movies, expressed interest in returning for the film. But his tease of what the future would look like had fans raising their eyebrows. Bloom shared, “Oh, man, those things are amazing. Yeah. I don’t know how they’d do it. I guess with AI you can do anything these days. But, if Pete [Peter Jackson] says jump, I say, ‘how high?’ I mean, he started my whole career.”

Bloom also noted, “I really don’t know what [they are planning]… I did speak to Andy [Serkis] and he did say they were thinking about how to do things. I was like, ‘How would that even work?’ And he was like, ‘Well, AI!’ and I was like, ‘Oh, OK!’ It was a pretty magical time in my life, and it’s one of those things where there’s not a downside to it.”

Personally, we’d prefer recasting these iconic roles and giving new actors a shot instead of using AI on actors who have already had their turn, depending on how heavily AI is applied in the scenario. Of course, Bloom was speaking casually, so it’s too soon to understand what level of AI might be involved. Even still though, we feel wary of the note. But we guess we’ll have to wait and see what Peter Jackson has in store.

Here’s what we know about The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum movie so far.

What Will the New The Lord of the Rings Movie, The Hunt for Gollum, Be About?

But what story will this new The Lord of the Rings movie tell? Well, Zaslav initially noted that it will “explore storylines yet to be told.” That could mean many things. But we certainly have a few ideas of what The Lord of the Rings tales we’d like to see on-screen. However, per Variety, the working title of the movie is The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum and it will star Andy Serkis’ Gollum. Andy Serkis will also direct the movie.

“Yesssss, Precious,” shared Serkis, “The time has come once more to venture into the unknown with my dear friends, the extraordinary and incomparable guardians of Middle Earth Peter, Fran and Philippa. With Mike and Pam, and the Warner Bros team on the quest as well, alongside WETA and our filmmaking family in New Zealand, it’s just all too delicious…”   

Warner Bros. Discovery’s Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy further noted, “For over two decades, moviegoers have embraced the Lord of the Rings film trilogy because of the undeniable devotion Peter [Jackson], Fran [Walsh] and Philippa [Boyens] have shown towards protecting the legacy of Tolkien’s works, and to ensure audiences could experience the incredible world he created in a way that honors his literary vision. We are honored they have agreed be our partners on these two new films. With Andy [Serkis] coming aboard to direct Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum (working title), we continue an important commitment to excellence that is a true hallmark of how we all want to venture ahead and further contribute to the Lord of the Rings cinematic history.”

Peter Jackson Will Be Involved in the New The Lord of the Rings Movie

Zaslav also revealed that the genius behind the first set of live-action The Lord of the Rings movies, Peter Jackson, will return for these new films. He notes that Peter Jackson and his writing partners, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens “will be involved every step of the way.” The trio is producing the Gollum movie. Walsh and Boyens will also be writing the script. They will be joined by Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou.

Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens noted of The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, “It is an honour and a privilege to travel back to Middle-earth with our good friend and collaborator, Andy Serkis, who has unfinished business with that Stinker — Gollum! As life long fans of Professor Tolkien’s vast mythology, we are proud to be working with Mike De Luca, Pam Abdy and the entire team at Warner Bros. on another epic adventure!”

Recently, the movie’s creators shared a little bit more about why they chose to center Gollum in the upcoming Lord of the Rings movie.

Will We See Other The Lord of the Rings Characters or Familiar Actors in The Hunt for Gollum?

Peter Jackson revealed a bit of insight into the decision and also noted that it’s too early to tell whether other The Lord of the Rings character will appear in The Hunt for Gollum. He said, “The Gollum/Sméagol character has always fascinated me because Gollum reflects the worst of human nature, whilst his Sméagol side is, arguably, quite sympathetic. I think he connects with readers and film audiences alike, because there’s a little bit of both of them in all of us. We really want to explore his backstory and delve into those parts of his journey we didn’t have time to cover in the earlier films. It’s too soon to know who will cross his path, but suffice to say we will take our lead from Professor Tolkien.”

Serkis also teased a bit about whether other familiar characters and their original The Lord of the Rings actors could appear in The Hunt for Gollum, noting, “That’s a difficult question to answer right at this moment in time, because we’re really in the nascent stages of what it is exactly where we’re doing, and where the story’s going to take us. So I don’t want to commit anything right now. I mean, because it’s so raw and so raw and wriggling, and we are just literally having very early state script discussions and ideas of exactly where and how we’re going to drop anchor with the character and his journey and how he is or comes into contact with other characters, and the characters that we know and don’t know. So still, I would hate to say anything that’s going to commit us at this point, because it’s literally all up for grabs.”

Would Any of the Original Actors Return for the New The Lord of the Rings Movie?

We haven’t yet heard from too many The Lord of the Rings actors, other than Serkis, about a return in the new The Lord of the Rings movie. But Viggo Mortensen did recently reveal that he would return as Aragorn in The Hunt for Gollum if it was right for the character.

Ian McKellen also shared he would happily return as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings movie… as long as he’s alive. McKellen has also noted that production has indicated they would like him to return.

Why Gollum as the Star of this New The Lord of the Rings Movie?

Additionally, Boyens added of selecting Gollum’s story, “Gollum’s story is one of the most compelling to us in terms of a character that we couldn’t go as deeply into as we wanted to before, which sounds strange when you say that, given how familiar he is to everybody. Gollum’s life span takes place in such an interesting period of Middle-earth. When the question was first asked, this was the first story we thought of. Because I can tell you, and people might not believe this, but we had zero expectations of going back to this. It wasn’t something we were looking to do, particularly. So when the question was asked, it was, what would draw you back? And it was about working with the people we we’re working with. It was also about the chance to work with Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy at the studio. Alan Horn is now back at the studio. It just felt right.”

Once the story of the movie settled on Gollum, Serkis was the natural choice for director if it wasn’t going to be Peter Jackson. Boyens adds, “We wanted him to tell the story of Gollum and the hunt for Gollum as soon as we decided, okay, that’s the story. And Pete knew he didn’t want to direct go back into the world of Middle-earth again. [Peter] really enjoyed working with Kenji Kamiyama, who directed War of the Rohirrim. As soon as Pete decided, okay, I’m not going to direct it myself, and it’s going to be Gollum’s story, I swear to God, there was no one else but Andy Serkis.”

Finally, Serkis revealed, “Gollum has always stuck with me throughout all of these years. I’ve read audio books of the trilogy and the Silmarillion and The Hobbit, so Tolkien’s world has never left me in all of that time since we did the first films. And the character particularly has remained such an enormous part of my life. So it’s absolutely thrilling to be able to go back and do a deep dive into his world again, and specifically into Gotham’s psychology. I know we’re all interested in investigating on a deeper level who that character is, and on top of that, to be able to direct and hopefully create a film which has its place within the canon, but also something that’s fresh and new and a different approach.”

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum Is Coming in 2026, Other New Movies on the Horizon

During Warner Bros. Discovery’s first-quarter earnings conference call, which we first saw on Variety, CEO David Zaslav dropped the precious news. He shared that Warner Bros. Discovery is “now in the early stages of script development” for the first of the new The Lord of the Rings movies. And that the company “anticipates” that The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will “release in 2026.”

Zaslav additionally noted, “Lord of the Rings’ is one of the most successful and revered franchises in history and presents a significant opportunity for theatrical business.” With a 2026 release date, we guess we’ll hear more about these The Lord of the Rings movies sooner rather than later. Of course, given the “opportunity” here, we wouldn’t be surprised to hear about more new The Lord of the Rings movies very soon.

Originally published on June 10, 2024.

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Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga, from 2008’s Iron Man through 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, was one of the biggest success stories in Hollywood history. Over 11 years and 23 films, the MCU scored record-breaking box office numbers and critical ratings. But its follow-up, The Multiverse Saga, has not fared quite as well. Oh, it’s still a huge success, don’t get us wrong. Just look at the billion-dollar box-office for Deadpool & Wolverine. But this saga saw Marvel’s first outright flop, and just too much content all at once. Well, according to Marvel’s Brad Winderbaum, the Multiverse Saga won’t go on as long as its predecessor. 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars will mark its official end. Here’s what he told ScreenRant:

I think that’s [what] Secret Wars is going to be, an amazing culmination to the saga, I think it’s going to make the journey feel like it was worthwhile.

Although it was long assumed that Avengers: Secret Wars would mark the end of the Multiverse Saga, this is the first official confirmation from Marvel. The 2015 comic book version of Secret Wars by Jonathan Hickman brought an end to that specific comic book iteration of the Multiverse, so it makes sense for the MCU to follow suit storywise. With Avengers: Secret Wars marking the end of this chapter, it will have lasted less time than the Infinity Saga (three Phases, but eight years overall) but with many more projects as a part of it. At this time, we count 24, with many more on the way before Secret Wars hit theaters.

So what comes after Avengers: Secret Wars, and whatever the RDJ version of Doctor Doom’s evil plot is? We have no concrete idea yet. However, we suspect “The Mutant Saga” is next, with the X-Men officially folded into the MCU and taking center stage. We don’t think the Avengers brand is going away or anything like that. After all, there are way too many Avengers products and Disney theme park lands to put it on ice. But we have a feeling in Marvel Studios Phase 7, we’re going to see way more mutants on the screen. We’ll know for sure when the Russo brothers’ Avengers: Secret Wars hits theaters in May, 2027.

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For the first time in the history of the Spider-Man movies, a fourth official outing with a particular Peter is on the way. The Tom Holland version of the character is one of the standout characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. All three of his solo movies, not to mention his appearances in three others, have made pooploads of money. A fourth movie solo film was inevitable. However, Jon Watts, the director of the previous three, had decided not to return leaving the director’s chair wide open. For whom? Why for Destin Daniel Cretton, it seems!

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cretton, who directed 2021’s Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is in talks to take over webslinging duties. Originally Cretton had been on tap to direct Avengers 5 when it was going to be Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. After Jonathan Majors’ lawbreaking, Marvel changed course, leaving Kang by the wayside in favor of Robert Downey Jr.’s Dr. Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. Cretton stepped aside to give the Russo Bros. room to direct that film. Cretton went back to only working on the Wonder Man TV series and the Shang-Chi-quel.

This is a pretty nice vote of confidence for Cretton’s work on Wonder Man which is in post-production. Shang-Chi was a highlight of the post-Avengers: Endgame landscape of Marvel Studios features. However, the raging pandemic meant not as many people were able to go see it as they might. So if not an Avengers movie, a Spider-Man movie is a pretty great consolation prize.

Marvel’s Kevin Feige and Sony’s Amy Pascal will be back to produce Spider-Man 4, as will Home trilogy screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. Everyone expects the movie to begin filming early next year. More info as it thwips in.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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