Some Indiana Jones fans will go into The Dial of Destiny merely hoping for something better than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Those people will be very happy. The fifth and (supposed) final installment in the series is a big improvement over the fourth. But those who go in with loftier aspirations—viewers eager for a return to the experience and feeling delivered by the first three entries—won’t be so lucky. Because while Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has some truly great stretches and leading man, it has fundamental problems, too. An average script and a lack of joy combine to only dig up the franchise’s most “okay” film.

If you’ve ever watched an Indiana Jones movie and wished its titular archeologist was very sad, uh, good news? The Dial of Destiny features a depressed, lonely Professor Jones. After a truly amazing life, his only remaining companion is the bottom of a bottle. He does have a good reason to be miserable after suffering an unthinkable tragedy (yes, you can guess exactly what that is), but the state of his life casts a shadow over the entire movie. This is a very serious film that is downright dark at times. It’s just very different in tone than its predecessors. It’s not that the movie is entirely joyless. This isn’t Indiana Jones Goes Emo. It’s just not joyful. That’s a missing foundational piece of the magical Indiana Jones formula.

The film is also not especially funny. It has lighthearted moments, for sure. They’re mostly delivered by Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Helena Shaw whose energy stands in stark contrast to the older Indy. She’s his rogue goddaughter whose nefarious activities leads him to take one last adventure. But like Ford himself who outshines the film’s writing, Waller-Bridge’s charming performance as a dashing woman who is equal parts brilliant and reckless can’t give the movie the kind of levity it so desperately needs. The end result is a story that feels like too much of a course correction after the overly silly Crystal Skull rather than a return to form.

The movie, as absurd as this will sound, also suffers from too much action. The Dial of Destiny mostly operates at a proverbial 9 or 10 at all times, same as Waller-Bridge. But both her and the script would have greatly benefitted from an influx of quieter moments. (The few moments like that we do get are really effective, among the movie’s best.) That might sound antithetical to an Indiana Jones movie, but it was greatly needed with such a serious script. It’s just as much a drama as it is an adventure story. Once the movie opted to introduce a sad Indy it needed a different approach to telling that kind of story.

(It also could have used far fewer car chases. Or at least made some of them shorter. Eventually I started to wonder if I’d accidentally walked into a Fast & Furious prequel.)

The film does provide a fun MacGuffin for everyone to chase. The actual Dial of Destiny is an ancient device of Archimedes that legend says will let its user travel through fissures in time. That’s the driving desire of Mads Mikkelsen’s villain, a former Nazi scientist named Jürgen Voller now helping the U.S. land on the Moon. He wants to control “yesterday” so he can win a war he thinks Hitler foolishly lost. Mikkelsen’s stoic baddie makes for a worthy antagonist, but isn’t especially memorable like the franchise’s best villains.

What is scary (in 2023 especially) is the thought of surviving Nazis going back in time to change the outcome of the war. But the film’s use of its premise isn’t as good as the premise itself. The movie spends a lot of time driving to the fireworks factory only to set off a fraction of the fireworks it should when it arrives there. For an entry with a series-long runtime of over two hours and thirty minutes, it doesn’t use all that time as well as it should. That results in an ending that is not especially satisfying.

There are also basic storytelling mistakes that are so obvious they’re inexplicable. Great moments you think are being obviously foreshadowed don’t get payoffs. Meanwhile important moments that should be foreshadowed aren’t. There’s simply more promise in this script than there is payoff. If only someone could use the Dial of Destiny to go back and give the screenplay another pass…

So why isn’t the movie outright bad if it has so many problems? For one, none of its issues are true disasters. They all have a high floor that tend to go no lower level than mediocre rather than being outright awful. But more importantly, the film has a lot of great elements, too.

The first 25 minutes (set in 1945) are among the best in Indiana Jones history. If the whole film matched the quality of its start, we’d be discussing this as the best entry ever. There are also other sequences, like a lengthy chase through Tangier in Morocco, that is everything you’d want from one of these movies. The Dial of Destiny also features what might be the best de-aging in Hollywood history, a technological feat that genuinely enhances the plot. And its callbacks and Easter eggs to previous films never feel forced or overwrought. It not only gives us the right amount of them, they all feel like well-earned rewards for loving these movies rather than fan service.

And, even if we don’t like seeing him sad, its always fun spending time with Dr. Henry Jones Jr. Especially when Harrison Ford’s moving performance shows how much he clearly still cares loves the character and these movies. Indy might be heartbroken, but there’s still a lot of heart left in him. That comes across throughout the film and makes it better. It just would have been a lot more fun to see him again under better circumstances.

For some viewers that serious tone will be too much for the movie’s successful elements to overcome. For others it will absolutely work. They’ll love getting a new type of Indiana Jones story, one that is meaningfully different than the other four. But for most it will just make for an okay viewing, which is exactly what Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny ultimately is.

⭐ (3 of 5)

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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From one M.K. to another, Moon Knight‘s head writer Jeremy Slater will soon pen Mortal Kombat 2. In news we first saw on Deadline, we learned that New Line will move ahead with a sequel to their gaming blockbuster. Simon McQuoid will also return as director, per the publication.

Mortal Kombat released in 2021, to the delight of the game’s many fans. Of course, no movie adaptation will please everyone. But the world of Mortal Kombat is rich and beloved. And a sequel can continue to explore that in film form. And hopefully, whatever lessons the first Mortal Kombat film learned, Mortal Kombat 2 can improve upon.

The first movie featured a blend of new and familiar characters. And likely, a sequel will follow the same format and introduce new characters for the audiences to meet. But a sequel will probably make sure to continue to add in Mortal Kombat franchise Easter eggs for die-hard fans.

We don’t yet know what story Mortal Kombat 2 will tell. Or who it will spotlight. But last we saw the characters, Shang Tsung (Chin Han) was undeterred by his losses and determined to proceed with his plans for a tournament. Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) ordered his warriors to recruit new champions to defend the Earthrealm. And Cole headed off to Hollywood, hoping to find Johnny Cage. Johnny Cage, of course, is a well-known figure from the games—one of the original characters from the first Mortal Kombat arcade game. Recently, it was reported that Karl Urban was in talks to play Johnny Cage.

Additionally, You‘s Tati Gabrielle is in final talks to play the assassin, Jade. Jade is a character from Mortal Kombat II and serves as a confidant and protector of Princess Kitana. Speaking of the latter, Adeline Rudolph will portray Kitana. Rounding out the cast are Martyn Ford, Desmond Chiam, Ana Thu Nguyen, and Damon Herriman

So, all in all, things feel well set up for a sequel. Raiden’s warriors will find new characters from the games. Johnny Cage will arrive. Probably, we’ll see a tournament. And there you have it, Mortal Kombat 2. Hopefully, we’ll hear more about the plot and production of the new movie very soon. Until then, we have one movie and a rich history of games to keep us occupied. A win/win scenario for us all. A flawless victory, as it were.

Originally published on July 21. 2022.

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John Wick: Chapter 4 recently dominated the box office, with Keanu Reeves delivering hours of action. And we loved it here at Nerdist. The fourth installment in the successful John Wick franchise was meant to be the end of Baba Yaga’s tale. And honestly, he deserves some rest, considering how quickly all of this mess went down for him. That’s a lot of pain and killing in a span of only a few months. But the smell of success is an intoxicating scent that lures executives in for more. So, it looks more and more likely that John Wick 5 could happen in the future, which is interesting considering how the fourth film neatly wraps up Wick’s story.

John Wick 5 Is in Early Development at Lionsgate

At a recent Lionsgate’s earnings call discussing Q4 of 2023, Motion Picture Group chairman Joe Drake addressed the John Wick franchise (via Comicbook.com). Not only did he confirm there were video games and TV series spinoffs in the works for John Wick, but he noted that John Wick 5 was actually in development. Well, we aren’t surprised. Here is his full quote:

We’re now moving across that franchise, not just in the AAA video game space, but looking at what the regular cadence of spin-offs, television really growing that universe so that there is a steady cadence of a franchise that there’s clear appetite by the audience. What is official is that, as you know, Ballerina is the first spinoff that comes out next year. We’re in development on three others, including John Wick 5 and including television series. The Continental will be airing soon. And so, we’re building out the world and when that five movie comes, will be organic — will be organically grown out of how we’re starting to tell those stories. But you can rely on a regular cadence of John Wick.

Drake also recently told The Hollywood Reporter: 

There’s a will and there’s an openness. And you could certainly interpret that ending in different ways,” said Drake. “We’re all going to take a tiny rest here and then scratch at ideas about whether there’s a credible way to get into five. But there’s no guarantee.

Whether John Wick 5 Happens Is Up to Reeves and Stahelski

Additionally, John Wick producer Basil Iwanyk recently told Deadline that “a lot more will be known by September. That’s when director Chad Stahelski and star Keanu Reeves head to Japan where, Iwanyk said, they will split a couple bottles of whiskey.”

Iwanyk shared:

Once they get through their hangovers, if Keanu and Chad have figured out something cool, if they’ve an organic way back in that doesn’t feel like bullshit, then there will be a John Wick 5. That trip to Japan, it’s like waiting for a boat to emerge out of the smoke, but that’s the impetus. These movies are really hard for Keanu and Chad, and everybody. By the time each one is over, most involved have said, never again, this is too hard and we’re not getting any younger. Then time goes by, you see it embraced by fans, and after working together every year for 11 years, it’s become a family and in some demented way, and we miss each other. But I totally defer to Chad and Keanu to figure out what and if that story is.

He also added, speaking to IGN, “John Wick 4 was embraced enough by the critics and the audience that it’s kind of an organic and natural next step to do John Wick 5. I think that there’s no question that it’s in development, but right now the story isn’t there yet. And until the story is there, it isn’t… It’s real on something we’re trying to figure out. But we haven’t settled on what that movie looks like or feels like.” Hopefully, that’s where Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves come in.

John Wick 5 Not Yet a Sure Thing

None of this, of course, is a confirmation that a John Wick 5 movie will definitely happen. Maybe Keanu Reeves will decide that he’s tired of shooting people and running in dress shoes when he meets with Stahelski. Early development doesn’t mean a definite yes, either. Either way, this isn’t the end of the universe. There’s already a secret Wick movie in the works, and we have the Ballerina flick coming later this year. But we wouldn’t mind seeing more John Wick at all, just as long as John Wick 5 tells the right story.

Originally published on March 27, 2023.

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Over twenty years ago, Ginger, Rocky, and the rest of the chickens fled the Tweedy farm to live their lives in freedom. And Netflix is celebrating the stop-motion classic’s two-decade-plus anniversary in the best way. The streaming site has announced that Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget is coming to Netflix in 2023. In addition, the streaming service dropped a few more important nuggets: a teaser, the voice cast and the release date.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget Teaser Trailer and Release Date

The movie will find Ginger and Rocky, now parents, having to upend their safe human-free life in paradise to do the unthinkable. They have to go back. And now know when they’ll do it. Chicken Run 2 will officially release on December 15.

In addition, here’s the official synopsis from Aaardman and Netflix:

Having pulled off a death-defying escape from Tweedy’s farm, Ginger has finally found her dream – a peaceful island sanctuary for the whole flock, far from the dangers of the human world. When she and Rocky hatch a little girl called Molly, Ginger’s happy ending seems complete. But back on the mainland the whole of chicken-kind faces a new and terrible threat. For Ginger and her team, even if it means putting their own hard-won freedom at risk – this time, they’re breaking in!

Chicken Run 2‘s Voice Cast

The film features a mixture of new and returning actors. But most notably, both Ginger and Rocky will have new voices in Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget. Thandiwe Newton and Zachary Levi will voice Ginger and Rocky, respectively. The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey is Molly. Rounding out the cast are Jane Horrocks, Imelda Staunton, Lynn Ferguson, Josie Sedgwick-Davies, David Bradley, Romesh Ranganathan, Daniel Mays, and Nick Mohammed.

Sam Fell (director of Flushed Away and ParaNorman) will direct Chicken Run 2 with a script from Karey Kirkpatrick, John O’Farrell, and Rachel Tunnard. Nick Park (creator of Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep), Kirkpatrick, Peter Lord, and Carla Shelley are executive producing.

More About the Chicken Run Sequel

The biggest surprise of this news might be that Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget won’t get a theatrical release. Especially given that the original grossed over $224 million at the worldwide box office, and remains one of the most successful stop-motion animated films ever. Not that we’re complaining. We’ve waited two decades for a Chicken Run sequel to take flight. And now we’ll get it without even having to leave the coop.

The project was first announced in 2020, on the 20th anniversary of Chicken Run‘s debut. While initial reports over the years indicated Chicken Run 2 was a go, the official report certainly had us sighing with relief. As mentioned, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget will officially release on Netflix in December of this year.

Originally published on June 23, 2020.

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The last movie by our beloved Carrie Fisher now officially has a release date. According to Deadline, Wonderwell, a fantasy film, will get a limited run in AMC theaters on June 23 with a digital release afterward. It has been a long journey to this moment—seven years, to be exact. The Star Wars icon wrapped filming just six weeks prior to her death in 2016. And between Fisher’s demise, COVID, and the costly visual effects challenges of crafting a fantasy epic, the delay grew beyond what director Vlad Marsavin imagined. But things are thankfully in the clear now, and we will be able to see Carrie Fisher in her last role when Wonderwell hits theaters and digital platforms.

For those who aren’t familiar, here’s a quick Wonderwell synopsis: 

Set between contemporary Italy and a fantastical realm, the coming-of-age story follows Violet (Kiera Milward), an inquisitive girl living in Italy with her American parents and her beautiful older sister, Savannah (Tiger Free). When Savannah is selected to be the face of world-renowned designer Yana’s (Rita Ora) fashion label, the family travels to an enchanting medieval village for a photo shoot. Neglected and bored, Violet wanders from the ancient Tuscan town into a nearby forest where she meets the enigmatic Hazel (Carrie Fisher), who warns her about Yana’s beleaguered stepson, Daniele (Sebastian Croft). Guided by Hazel to a mysterious portal, Violet is offered a glimpse of what her future might hold. 

The movie itself sounds very good. And it seems that Carrie Fisher had a great experience while filming her last movie. Marsavin said she celebrated her 60th birthday with the cast and crew of Wonderwell in Italy, partying until the wee hours of the night. That’s the kind of energy that we know and love about her and what we will surely see in Wonderwell when the movie finally releases.

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The fear of something unknown or scary coming to get you is a big part of our childhoods. We imagine a monster is under our beds or something is lurking in the dark corner of our rooms. Or perhaps we hear strange, creaking sounds and think something sinister is waiting for us. It usually turned out to be our very active imaginations but some stories suggest otherworldly happenings. That’s what we get with Cobweb, a horror thriller starring Lizzy Caplan, Antony Starr, and Woody Norman with a very creepy trailer. 

In the clip, we meet Norman’s character Peter. He’s eight years old and hearing knocks from his bedroom wall. Predictably, his mom Carol (Caplan) says his imagination is out of control. But there’s something surely happening from his perspective as he sees (and draws) very scary s**t. Meanwhile, his dad Mark (Starr) tells him that hard decisions must be made to protect family. We don’t know what that means in the context of their situation, but something’s not quite right with Mark. Then again, Starr does play Homelander so it is very easy to see him as a villain.

The trailer for Cobweb promises many jump scares and plot twists ahead, which isn’t shocking considering the creative minds behind this film. Samuel Bodin of Marianne fame is the director and Chris Tomas Devlin (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) penned the script. The production team has hits like Barbarian and It under its belt. What is haunting poor Peter? Probably the ghosts of his parents’ mistakes. The answers will come when Cobweb hits theaters on July 21.

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Original reporting by Melissa Miller

It’s been 13 years since Avatar came out and it still remains the highest-grossing movie of all time. Expectations are sky-high for the first of the long-awaited sequels. Here’s everything you need to remember about the world of Pandora before seeing Avatar: The Way of Water. 

Avatar’s Main Characters 

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington)

Jake is an ex-marine that uses a wheelchair because of a spinal injury. His twin brother, a scientist who signed up to travel to Pandora, was killed just a week before leaving. Jake takes over the job so he can afford surgery to help him walk again. 

Neytiri (Zoë Saldaña)

Neytiri is one of the Na’vi indigenous to Pandora. She knows some English and saves Jake when he is lost in the wilderness. Her parents are the chief and spiritual leader of the Omitacaya clan. They task Neytiri with teaching Jake how to hunt, fly, and connect with the world around him.

Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver)

Grace is a botanist who has worked on Pandora for years, studying how the lifeforms are all interconnected. She used to run a school teaching English, but it was closed down when the miners starting having more run-ins with the Na’vi.  

Dr. Norm Spellman (Joel David Moore)

Norm arrives with Jake for a six year tour on Pandora. He is a scientist who trained alongside Jake’s brother. Norm is jealous of Jake’s acceptance by the Na’vi, but is dedicated to protecting Pandora. 

Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang)

The colonel is former military and works as head of security. Jake is his double agent, reporting on how to entice the Na’vi to leave their home so the mining company can take over.

Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi)

Parker is the head of the RDA (Resources Development Administration) mining operations on Pandora. He does not appreciate the natural beauty of the planet or its importance to the Na’vi.

New Way of Water Characters

Jake and Neytiri have children in the sequel. Kate Winslet also joins the cast as a Na’vi. Humans arriving on Pandora include Jemaine Clement as a marine biologist and Edie Falco as a general. 

The World of Pandora, Explained 

The Na’vi, the People of Pandora 

The Na’vi are deeply connected to the other lifeforms on Pandora through Eywa, a Mother Nature-like deity. They physically bond with trees and animals using their feathery braids. The Na’vi are about twice as tall as humans and have long tails. They use arrows dipped in neurotoxin to hunt prey and defend themselves.

Pandora’s Animals and Creatures 

Life on Pandora is beautiful, with many plants and animals glowing colorfully at night. The Na’vi ride creatures similar to dragons and horses, using a physical bond to communicate with them. In the jungle, there’s also diverse animals that resemble bugs, lemurs, rhinos, and lions.

Pandora’s Environment 

Humans can’t breathe the air on Pandora, which is actually a moon. Though most of the story takes place in the jungle, there are multiple biomes including floating mountains, plains, and vast oceans.  

Pandora’s Relationship with Humans 

The Na’vi call humans the Sky People. The story takes place in 2154 and humans have known of Pandora for at least a few decades. The scientists work in avatar bodies and try not to interfere with the Na’vi. But the RDA’s quest for unobtanium has taken over, creating more conflicts. The ore, valued at $20 million per kilogram, is about 350 times more valuable than gold.

An Overview of the 2009 Avatar Movie Plot 

After nearly six years in cryo sleep, Jake and Norm arrive on Pandora to join Grace’s scientific avatar program. Jake learns that the Na’vi have three months to evacuate their Home Tree before mining operations reach the area, which is rich in unobtanium. He is accepted by the Na’vi and learns their ways, falling in love with Neytiri in the process. But he also provides information that helps the RDA’s attack and is excommunicated by the Na’vi when they find out. The miners imprison Grace, Norm, and Jake when they fight on behalf of the Na’vi. But they escape and Jake rides in on a toruk, a large flying creature, and earns the Na’vi’s respect. Grace is injured and they try to heal her through Eywa, but she dies. The Na’vi round up other clans to fight back.

The Ending of 2009 Avatar Movie 

The climatic battle swings in Pandora’s favor thanks to the animals joining the fight against the humans. The colonel tries to kill Jake in both his avatar and human forms, but Neytiri kills him and rescues Jake. The Na’vi send the humans back to Earth, though they allow Norm and some of the other scientists to stay. Jake undergoes a ritual to switch into his avatar body and join the Na’vi for good.

How Many Avatar Movies Will There Be, and What Do We Know About Them?

James Cameron has written scripts for four Avatar sequels, and they’re on Disney’s release calendar through 2027. More recently, he said that they may not pursue the rest if The Way of Water flops. The story may end there or with a third movie to wrap things up. But it seems like the movie will be profitable enough to continue the franchise.

If things go well, as they seem to be, Cameron has implied that there may yet even be an Avatar 6 and 7. Although likely, if the franchise had that many movies, Cameron would not personally oversee them all.

Avatar 3

We don’t know too much about what’s next for the franchise, but Cameron has teased that Avatar 3 may see the Na’vi as villains in the narrative. He notes:

I want to reveal the Na’vi from another angle because [so far] I have only shown their good sides. In the early films, there are very negative human examples and very positive Na’vi examples. In Avatar 3, we’ll do the reverse.

He adds, “We will also explore new worlds, while continuing the story of the main characters. I can say that the last parts will be the best. The others were an introduction, a way to set the table before serving the meal.”

These villainous Na’vi will be called “The Ash People.” According to Cameron, Game of Thrones‘ star Oona Chaplin will play Varang, the leader of the firey Ash People who are an “aggressive, volcanic race.”

Avatar 4 and Beyond

Avatar 4, meanwhile, will feature a time jump.

Additionally, if Cameron reaches Avatar 5, than the Na’vi will finally visit Earth. He notes, “We go to it to open people’s eyes, open Neytiri’s eyes, to what exists on Earth.” And offers that “there’s over-population and a depletion of our natural resources that make life harder” on Earth. But the purpose of the movies is not to create a bleak image of the world, but to offer a vision that things can be changed.

Cameron also shared that future movies would have a different narrator attached them. While Jake Sully narrated Avatar and The Way of Water, his son, Lo’ak would soon take up the mantle and there would be “a different narrator for each of the subsequent films.”

Finally, those who have seen The Way of Water can rest easy because Payakan, Avatar‘s whale-like Tulkun creature, will be back in the action. Cameron shares, “We view Payakan as a character, not just as a creature… We will continue to explore his relationship with Lo’ak.”

Avatar 3 is currently slated to release on December 19, 2025.

If you watch Avatar again before seeing the sequel, just remember that it’s 2 hours and 42 minutes long. The Way of Water, which hit theaters December 16, 2022, is 3 hours and 10 minutes.

Originally published on November 21, 2022.

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I am willing to watch pretty much anything with Jamie Foxx, John Boyega, or Teyonah Parris in it. So, I am triply willing to watch a film with all three of these powerhouse actors leading the way. Imagine this trio in something that is conspiracy-laden, weird AF, and comedic with a heavy dose of sci-fi action. That’s what we get with They Cloned Tyrone, an upcoming Netflix film with a trailer that hilariously explores a government cloning experiment.

Boyega is Fontaine, a hustler down on his luck who gets into shenanigans with Foxx’s pimp character Slick Charles. Parris also comes into play as Yo-Yo, a “pro” with an outfit that is truly cosplay gold. Fontaine sees someone in his neighborhood being kidnapped and, after some investigating, discovers some nefarious things. There’s an entire secret lab where a clone of him exists. They realize that there’s something in everything they consume and decide to fight to save their neighborhood. It’s kinda reminiscent of Vampires vs. the Bronx where a disenfranchised and predominantly Black neighborhood bands together to fight against a common enemy.

I love everything about the They Cloned Tyrone trailer, especially the use of Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me.” I need to see it immediately. And thankfully, the wait won’t be too long. They Cloned Tyrone will hit the streaming service on July 21 for a dose of chaotic summer fun.

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Wes Anderson is a vibe. People always know what they’re going to get with a Wes Anderson movie, and a lot of people like to slag him off because of that. But what’s wrong with having a distinct style? Why shouldn’t filmmakers have their thing to make them stand apart? Almost since his very first film, 1996’s Bottle Rocket, he’s played with the inherently artificial nature of cinema as an artform. In the course of his next 10 films—and 27 years—Anderson’s filmography has gone ever further away from “realism,” into stories, performances, and aesthetic wholly borne out of finding the believable heart at the center of the weirdest of premises.

His latest film, Asteroid City, is not your typical Wes Anderson film. Or, maybe more accurately, it’s the most Wes Anderson film. It hides the real story under layers and layers of artifice and distance to give us a treatise on the American Theatre, UFO culture, and mid-century emotional stunting. It’s also super goofy and plays like a greatest hits of previous Anderson films.

Asteroid City has probably the most packed cast Anderson has ever worked with. His movies always draw attention to their star-studded ensembles. In this movie, he draws your attention to these stars who play characters within characters within framing stories within deliberate obfuscations. Asteroid City is not merely a movie; it’s a documentary about reenactments of behind-the-scenes stories of putting on a stage play called Asteroid City, which we then get to watch in a massive, real outdoor landscape set that couldn’t possibly exist on a stage. Get it?

Ostensibly, the story finds a number of families arriving in the impossibly tiny desert town Asteroid City for a special presentation for scientifically gifted youngsters. Among these families include Jason Schwartzman’s Augie Steenbeck, a grizzled war photographer who recently lost his wife, his genius son (Jake Ryan), and trio of blonde hellion girls. We also have screen star Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson) and her genius daughter (Grace Edwards). Tilda Swinton plays a scientist, Jeffrey Wright a military general, Steve Carell an enterprising motel manager, Matt Dillon a mechanic. Tom Hanks takes on what would probably be the Bill Murray role as Augie’s rich father-in-law.

In addition to all of these characters, these actors also play the actors playing these characters. Remember, this is meant to be a play from the mid-20th century. So we throughout see these people as the “real” versions of themselves. Unlike the actual play, which is in color and widescreen, the behind-the-scenes stories look more like stage play scenes, in black-and-white, and in Academy ratio. Additionally, people like Adrien Brody appear as the play’s beleaguered director, and Edward Norton as its ascot-adorned scribe. All of this comes with Bryan Cranston as a Rod Serling-esque narrator popping in and out to set various scenes.

Each of these different levels of unreality have their own narratives and character arcs. They overlap each other, vying for importance. It’s clear Anderson is playing with the ’50s Actor’s Studio-style living theatre stuff. We have a Thornton Wilder or Tennessee Williams playwright and an Elia Kazan-inspired director. Willem Dafoe plays the analog to a Lee Strasberg-esque acting teacher. These feel less like their own full movie and more like snapshots of the era to give you an understanding of and commentary on the “play” at the center. The way Anderson weaves these stories and characters and layers of reality together constantly reminds you, none of this is real.

And this is why I think, days later, I’m still thinking so much about Asteroid City. I keep thinking this movie will put off people with just how not-real the story at the center is. But that’s entirely the point. Narrative cinema is not real life. It’s fiction. The people in the story are actors. Why should we accept Scarlett Johansson playing Natasha Romanoff but get annoyed that she’s playing a character playing a character in this?

The movie constantly keeps us at arm’s length. It almost dares us to connect with the characters within the play Asteroid City as if they were just people in Asteroid City, even when outlandish things happen. Yet I still did care about the conversations they had, the hopes and dreams and fears. In spite of everything Anderson threw at me to make me not connect, I still did.

So, will Asteroid City work for you? I guess it depends how much you get on board with Anderson’s schtick of late. This seems a natural progression in his live-action work. It’s not just a fake-looking movie with weird characters; it’s a fake-looking movie with weird characters about a fake-looking movie with weird characters. Some people will find it insufferable, some will find it fascinating, others might get something more. But at the very least, you owe it to yourself to see how he peels this particular onion.

Asteroid City ⭐ (4 of 5)

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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If there’s one thing horror has taught us, it is to not take things that don’t belong to you. Seriously, leave that creepy book, weird relic, and especially that pot of gold alone. If you do, you will be at the mercy of some evil entity, like a leprechaun. And we aren’t talking about the Lucky Charms dude. We mean one hell bent on revenge. The 1993 horror comedy Leprechaun introduced us to its titular figure, a wrinkled and super creepy killer who wants his gold back immediately. Three decades later, the Leprechaun franchise has eight films under its belt and there’s another one on the way. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a Leprechaun sequel is in the works with another movie that will reimagine this frankly ridiculous universe for a new generation of fans. 

The upcoming Leprechaun film will be directed by Felipe Vargas. He’s known for the stunning short film Milk Teeth. Mike Van Waes is penning the script. Producer Roy Lee of Barbarian fame is also on board for this sequel. Of course, we don’t know any further details at this time. But we are almost certain that many fans are hoping to see Warwick Davis reprise his role as The Leprechaun. It is possible that he won’t desire to come back considering he hasn’t been in the last two films. Either way, this Leprechaun sequel movie is quite unexpected but not too shocking. There are, after all, a ton of reboots and reimaginings in the world. Refreshing a classic story for a new audience certainly worked for the Scream franchise. Let’s see how this vengeful character will show up next.

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Fast X was supposed to be the beginning of the end for the Fast & Furious franchise. The film was announced as the first of a two-part finale for the series. But buckle up, because Vin Diesel just turned on the NOS. At the Fast X premiere in Rome, Dominic Toretto dropped a blockbuster. Diesel said Fast & Furious might actually say farewell with a trilogy, and that would mean the high-octane franchise will race to the finish line with Fast 12. And, most recently, he seemed to tease that the next entry into the Fast & Furious world already has a release date.

April 4, 2025. That seems like when we’ll get more Fast and Furious. Whether this is Fast 11 or Dwayne Johnson’s Fast 10.5 is not clear. But at least we have a date to keep our eyes on. Diesel also teased a couple pieces of concept art which seem to show Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and Cipher (Charlize Theron) surviving in treacherous conditions and perhaps getting rescued.

Either way, there may yet be even more after this outing. Variety reports Vin Diesel unexpectedly turned Fast X‘s red carpet into a red press conference. He said Universal Pictures’ reaction to the film is so good they asked about extending the franchise for one more installment than were previously planned.

Diesel said, “Going into making this movie, the studio asked if this could be a two-parter. And after the studio saw this one, they said, ‘Could you make Fast X the finale, a trilogy?’”

Diesel and his longtime co-star Michelle Rodriguez then refused to confirm a twelfth film was definitely happening. Diesel walked away from the follow-up question saying he was going to get “in trouble.”

If, like me, you’re a fan of this franchise both on-screen and off, you know this is the most Vin Diesel Fast & Furious moment ever. He absolutely, 100% might be talking entirely out of his tailpipe. This whole “here’s some major news I won’t actually confirm” could simply be a ploy to pressure Universal into making another film. Or that might be exactly what the studio wants and now has planned. Maybe Fast X really is so good they want to make an extra film and he just couldn’t help himself from announcing it.

Both options are totally in play. I don’t actually care which one is true, though, because all I care about IS GETTING THAT TWELFTH MOVIE! Twelve is better than eleven! I don’t even know they’re going to stop them in the first place! The franchise is more absurd than ever and I mean that in the best way possible.

The last one sent a normal car to space. A normal car drove in space. But there’s still so many more ridiculous roads to travel on: aliens, time travel, the multiverse, other movie franchises. Forget ending with Fast 11 or 12. I want to see what happens with Fast 37. Could that movie take place inside Fast 5?!

The possibilities are endless. So you keep up the pressure, Vin Diesel. Don’t hold back on the proverbial NOS. Not now, not ever. Not while the family of Fast & Furious fans wants you to keep going.

Originally published on May 12, 2023.

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Back in 2022, Sony had a busy day at CinemaCon. Among many other announcements, Sony had exciting news for two other franchises, Venom and Ghostbusters. Although we wouldn’t exactly call it shocking news, Sony shared that Venom 3 and Ghostbusters 5 were officially on the way. This year at CinemaCon, we didn’t get any news on Venom 3, but the Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel saw a fresh tease.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife Sequel

We still don’t know too much about Ghostbusters 5. But at CinemaCon 2023, we saw video footage from the set of the new Ghostbusters movie. The video featured Director Gil Kenan, writer Jason Reitman, as well as the core cost of the Afterlife sequel, Paul Rudd, Mckenna Grace, Carrie Coon, and Finn Wolfhard. The cast was all dressed in the iconic Ghostbusters uniforms. The Hollywood Reporter notes that the set video “revealed they would be living under one roof in New York at the Ghostbusters firehouse.” The movie has also revealed a new logo. It hints at a chilly time to come.

We previously learned the movie would follow Afterlife and continue the story of the Spenglers. At Ecto-Fest, Jason Reitman shared we will see “the next chapter in the Spengler family story.” Additionally, this upcoming movie will take place in New York City. The thought of more heart-filled, ghost-busting shenanigans have us ready to head to the theater. Here’s hoping that Ghostbusters 5 will continue the legacy Afterlife left for it.

As noted above, Jason Reitman will not direct this next Ghostbusters installment. Instead, Gil Kenan will take the helm. Kenan co-wrote Afterlife’s script with Reitman, and the pair also co-wrote Ghostbusters 5. Additionally, per Deadline, the Ghostbusters: Afterlife has cast Kumail Nanjiani And Patton Oswalt. James Acaster, and Emily Alyn Lind have also reportedly joined the cast, but no word yet on their roles.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, we also learned that Ghostbusters 5 will arrive just in time for Christmas next year on December 20, 2023. It’s a no-brainer that it comes during a season of joy, given that Ghostbusters: Afterlife hit such a high note among fans. We need things to look forward to these days.

In the meanwhile, we’ll revisit Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Honestly, two very quality movies. In a world of sequels and franchises, these absolutely stand out. And with more on the way, we have to get ready to dive back into these excellent worlds. Here’s hoping for some casting news, release date information, and maybe even some footage sooner rather than later. But for now, we’ll content ourselves with the news that this duo of movies will grace our screens.

Venom 3

As far as Venom 3 is concerned, fans of the franchise rejoiced at the news of a third movie. Venom and Eddie went on some multiversal travels when we last saw them. And they jumped back and forth from Sony’s world to the world of the MCU. Some fans feared this would mean the duo would get swallowed up into the world or separated permanently.

Most recently, Deadline reported that Chiwetel Ejiofor will co-star alongside Tom Hardy in Venom 3. But no further details were revealed. The publication also reported that Ted Lasso‘s Juno Temple is in negotiations to join the cast of Venom 3. It seems she is set to play a lead role.

Additionally, Tom Hardy recently shared a post that indicated he had a hand in creating the story for Venom 3.

Fingers crossed for more intel on Venom 3 very soon. 

Originally published on April 22, 2022.

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The following is less a spoiler for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and more a spoiler for future movies.

Early on in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, we learn Noah Diaz—the lead human character, played by Anthony Ramos—is a former soldier. Though just a private, we learn how highly decorated he was. He was forced to leave the Army because of his sick little brother. I wondered if this was just because of the rampant military propaganda present in the Transformers movies. It never seemed to matter too much in the movie; he definitely didn’t need to be a soldier to be brave enough to save the day. However, the end of the movie explained things a bit.

The final scene finds Noah going to another job interview for a security job. This one takes him to a seemingly normal shipping and/or laundry business. He goes into the back room for the interview, where he meets a character played by Michael Kelly (House of Cards). This character asks him about his thin resume and gets Noah to describe the work he recently did in South America. This guy reveals he knows all about Noah teaming up with the Transformers in Peru. He’s impressed.

So this guy, it turns out, works for a secret government agency and wants Noah to join. The normal-looking conference room then opens up and we see a massive hangar full of high-tech vehicles. The man hands Noah his card. On the front we see the name Agent Burke and when Noah flips it over we see the very familiar brand logo of G.I. Joe.

Following the release of the film, EW revealed quotes from producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura about the surprise crossover. “We’re introducing Joe characters into the world that we’re dealing with, on whatever our characters are gonna go do,” Di Bonaventura tells EW of the next planned film. “We’re also not through with the Maximals, so I imagine in the next movie we’ll have Maximals, Autobots, and Joes.”

“The idea of trying to do the whole Joe world at the same time is a little daunting,” Di Bonaventure confirms. “This is a way to bring them into our world, remind people of who they are, and they’ll have a role in the plot.”

Now this is both surprising and not at all surprising. Hasbro and Paramount have long desired to create a proper cinematic universe for its many toy properties. While three live-action G.I. Joe movies have come out in the past 14 years, none have even approached the success of the Transformers. So, establishing that G.I. Joe not only exists in the Transformers universe, but is the S.H.I.E.L.D.-esque agency which investigates the weirder entities makes a lot of sense. Talk for years has speculated that MASK, ROM, and Visionaries would join Transformers and Joe in a cinematic universe.

So, we now have not only a new G.I. Joe organization but evidently a new, more senior Duke leading the team. In the ’90s, too, since Rise of the Beasts takes place in 1994. We shall see where all of this goes!

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival is one of the best genre film festivals in North America. Its weeks-long celebration of international horror, sci-fi, action, and more will present its 27th such offering this July. The first wave of titles it’ll screen hit us last month. Among those films are vampire reinvention movie Empire V, time-bending sci-fi drama Aporia, and Larry Fessenden’s werewolf romp Blackout. Now Fantasia has its second wave of titles and they include a steampunk anime, a body-swapping romance, and Nicolas Cage! Here are some of our favorite standouts from this second list.

The festival’s opening night movie will be the North American premiere of Red Rooms from Quebec filmmaker Pascal Plante. The story follows the high-profile case of serial killer Ludovic Chevalier, which has just gone to trial. Kelly-Anne is obsessed. When reality blurs with her morbid fantasies, she goes down a dark path to seek the final piece of the case’s puzzle.

Next up, we have Sympathy for the Devil, which has Nic Cage opposite Joel Kinnaman from director Yuval Adler. The festival info says it’s one of Cage’s “most intense performances,” which is quite a claim. After being forced to drive a mysterious passenger at gunpoint, a man finds himself in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse where nothing is as it seems.

The aforementioned steampunk anime is Kurayukaba. Equal parts crazy cartoon caper, shadowy film noir, nostalgic escapade, and steampunk fantasy, the movie is a retro-flavored anime reimagining of the freewheeling Taisho era, Japan’s equivalent of the Roaring Twenties.

Filmmaker Zach Clark brings the fascinating, lo-fi sci-fi comedy The Becomers. This movie is a romantic tale of two body-swapping aliens trying to find their place on this big, dumb planet. As much a love story as a dark comedy satire on American life. Our favorite!

One of my very favorite Fantasia movies from 2021 was Junta Yamaguchi’s Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes, a one-take time-loop comedy. It really blew me away both with its ingenuity and its heart. He revisits the concept in River, which culminates into a multifaceted portrait of a place as the various guests, employees, and hosts band together to solve the mystery of the valley stuck in time.

I’ve become a huge fan of folk horror from around the world. This is why I’m so stoked to see the Bangladeshi folk horror movie Pett Kata Shaw. The movie is an anthology of stories of Bangladesh’s ghosts and unforgiving spirits, all tied to the country’s history of injustice and societal dread. Relatable, innit?

Filmmaker Joe Lynch (Mayhem) will pay tribute to the late, great Stuart Gordon with an H.P. Lovecraft adaptation featuring actress Barbara Crampton, producer Brian Yuzna and writer Stuart Paoli. Gordon had a trio of excellent Lovecraft movies with Re-Animator, From Beyond, and Dagon. Lynch’s Suitable Flesh will adapt Lovecraft’s “The Thing on the Doorstep,” starring Heather Graham and Judah Lewis. A psychiatrist falls into a downward spiral of sex, possession, and death when a young patient shows up at her door with symptoms that are of another world. This will be the Canadian premiere of the movie.

To see the rest of the second-wave titles for the film festival, check out Fantasia’s website. The festival will run from July 20 to August 9, 2023.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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Most adaptations of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein famously feature a scene that doesn’t appear in the novel. It’s an infamous moment when an angry mob chases the “monster” through the streets. We don’t know if that exact hunt will happen in the next film to take inspiration from the sci-fi horror classic, director Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, but we doubt it. Not because we’re positive it won’t take place, but rather because his creation is far more likely to dance through the streets instead of running. The film’s newest trailer focuses on the growth of Emma Stone’s Bella Baxter, a woman who must learn how to live so she can truly live.

Even if we didn’t know this movie comes from the director of The Lobster and The Favourite we think we’d probably be able to guess he’s behind it. This visually stunning film looks weird and surreal, but also entirely humanistic. And it’s themes of individualism, family, feminism, bigotry, love, and self-discovery should make for a rich story. Plus it has Willem Dafoe playing a mad scientist with a reconstructed face. That’s more than enough to get us into a theater seat.

What exactly is happening here? This is the film’s official synopsis from Searchlight Pictures.

From filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and producer Emma Stone comes the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.

Poor Things also stars Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael, and Christopher Abbott. It dances its way into theaters this fall, September 8. If it lives up to the promise of this trailer there won’t be any angry mobs leaving the theater.

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Is Nicolas Cage secretly playing Lucifer in Sympathy for the Devil? Because he’s giving a performance befitting of the darkest demonic hellspawn. But in true Nicolas Cage style, the performance is over-the-top and hilarious and yet somehow chillingly unhinged, all at once. Of course, Nicolas Cage could just be a regular person gone wrong in Sympathy for the Devil— humans are the most dangerous creatures after all. Or, in a twist of fate, perhaps it is the meek driver, played by Joel Kinnaman, who is actually the devil for whom we will feel sympathy. The Sympathy for the Devil trailer plays with all these ideas and more while letting Nicolas Cage be his purest self. Take a look below:

The description for the trailer doesn’t share much more about Sympathy for the Devil. It only notes:

After being forced to drive a mysterious passenger (Nicolas Cage) at gunpoint, a man (Joel Kinnaman) finds himself in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse where it becomes clear that not everything is as it seems.

But that does not even begin to capture the manic energy of the movie we see before us. Nicolas Cage’s character may not need any stress put onto his night, but he’s truly bringing the tension. And this trailer really does invite us all to wonder what we would do if we were in this intense situation. Will the driver make it to the birth of this child? What does the passenger want? Will Nicolas Cage recover the 50% sexy he lost throughout his night? To find out, we’ll have to watch Sympathy for the Devil when it releases in theaters and on-demand on July 28.

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British post-apocalypse flick 28 Days Later hit American theaters on June 27, 2003, when psychological thrillers and re-imagined horror franchises ruled the box office. The zombie/undead sub-genre had been largely relegated to indie projects and B-movie status until 28 Days Later brought it back (sort of) with a story featuring running, raging infected humans. But, the real gift in this universe is Selena, played by Naomie Harris—a Black horror heroine worthy of all the praise.

In many horror films, the audience witnesses the leading lady’s evolution from normal to confused terror to a trauma-fueled rush of bravery and resilience as they take on whatever dark entity or situation comes their way. When viewers meet Selena, she is already deep into this transition after 28 terrifying days in the apocalypse. She has no grandiose hopes for a cure nor a desire to make big plans. And she certainly would never be a sacrificial lamb to make sure her White counterpart survives.

Selena’s Fiery Introduction in 28 Days Later

Selena’s introduction is aligned with her personality—energetic, fiery, calculated, and bold. She runs in with fire bombs to save Jim, a clueless man wandering the streets after waking up to a dangerous new world. Selena and her sole accomplice Mark are decked out in layers of clothing and gas masks before stripping down to reveal themselves to Jim. The former chemist breaks down the young apocalypse’s history in pragmatic fashion before assuring Jim that his family is dead.

Jim gets an advanced lesson on how brutal this world can be during an attack from “the infected” at his house: when Selena and Mark come to his rescue, Mark becomes wounded, and Selena wastes no time killing him with her machete. Of course, Jim is horrified by her swift action and challenges her response to the situation. Selena is undeterred by his emotion and explains why she killed Mark.

“Look, if someone gets infected, you’ve got between 10 and 20 seconds to kill them. It might be your brother or your sister or your oldest friends. It makes no difference. And just so you know where you stand, if it happens to you I will do it in a heartbeat.”

The Mind of Selena and How It Is Perfect for the Apocalypse

Selena’s self-preserving ideology, quick adjustment to a changing world, and ability to make split-second decisions based on facts are critical to their survival. She makes the logical choice to kill someone who would have become an inhuman terror in seconds. What’s interesting about this is that when men exhibit these traits they are often perceived as smart, capable leaders. Meanwhile, she’s seen as someone who went from being callous to a more “palatable and loving” person by the end of the film.

Further dialogue reveals that Selena is written specifically as a Black woman, which is important. Generally speaking, society often labels women, specifically Black women, as difficult or hard for simply standing their ground and saying what’s on their minds. Selena’s straightforward, assertive, and sometimes ruthless persona probably make Jim, a White man, feel quite uncomfortable because she’s a woman. He (and some of the audience) can’t see past her exterior to realize that Selena’s wonderful balance of survival instincts, tenacity, heart, and compassion are always present throughout the film.

She knows Jim’s parents are likely dead but she accompanies him to his home so he can have closure. Jim’s lack of knowledge and naïve outlook makes him a liability but she takes him under her wing anyway. Selena also shows genuine concern for his health as they climb tower stairs and questions why he didn’t say he say he was feeling unwell. She saves Jim from his own stupidity multiple times (why would he light a candle with zombies on the prowl?) and makes the choice to help Frank and Hannah go to Manchester even though it’s a risky plan.

If she were truly cold and unfeeling, she would have left the dad-daughter duo (and Jim) to their own devices. But, like most other people on Earth, she still wants to be connected to others. And as much as she talks about leaving people behind, she always uses the world we, signifying that they are a unit.

Selena finds joy in midst of bleakness through small moments: strolling through a grocery store, enjoying food, soaking up quiet time, and watching Frank and Hannah interact with each other. She becomes protective over her small group, especially Hannah. Similar to Alien’s Ellen Ripley and Newt, Selena comforts, guides, and protects Hannah after her Frank’s death. The group ends up in the hands of soldiers in Manchester, who are intent on sexually abusing women and girls. Frank and Jim really should have listened to Selena.

A Shifting Dynamic in Selena’s Apocalypse Saga

There are countless stories of abuse towards women in our “normal” world, so to have it present in a devolved society isn’t a far-fetched choice. It’s clear that a woman’s worst enemy in pretty much every apocalypse scenario is vile men. Selena is outnumbered, outgunned, and weaponless, but she uses her brains to try to make the situation better. She gives Hannah pills to emotionally numb her but keeps her own head clear during an escape attempt. Jim predictably becomes a trap-setting, stealth hero capable of tricking military-trained men (and raging infected people) so he can save the day. It’s a dynamic shift that stirs up mixed emotions.

Black women are always expected to be “strong” heroes who save everyone else, so it’s a change to see someone step up and come to her defense. (It’s the least he could do after she saved him multiple times.) But it’s somewhat frustrating to see Selena’s agency reduced so Jim can become the protagonist and ultimate hero. The fact is, Selena’s influence is what drives him to become the person he needs to be in that moment.

Selena’s Next Chapter Takes the 28 Days Later Universe to New Heights

Selena’s film story ends with her, Jim, and Hannah’s rescue, but that’s only the beginning for this character. In 2009, BOOM! Studios gave Selena her own comic series and expanded her characterization with a story that would have been incredible in live-action. In the 28 Days Later comic, Selena is alone again after Jim is set for execution for murdering the soldiers and Hannah was adopted by a German family (umm, what?). Those narrative stretches aside, the story sets Selena on a new path when she leaves a Norway refugee camp to guide American reporter Clint and his crew into London.

Clint is working on a story about NATO forces restoring the city and he needs Selena survival expertise to help guide him there safely. The comics stay true to her blunt persona but also allow readers to learn more about her life before and after the film’s events. According to notes from the film, director Danny Boyle and Naomie Harris created a background for Selena involving her killing her infected mother, brother, and father, but it was never explicitly explored onscreen.

However, the comic reveals via flashbacks that Selena had to kill her loving husband David after he became infected. She checks the attitudes of people in the groups, encounters gruesome dangers on the road, and grapples with coming to terms over David’s death.

In the end, she was able to properly process her emotions, grieve, and leave her machete behind for a new life in an American safe zone. It would have been incredible to watch Naomie Harris reprise her role for the kind of arc that allows Selena to be the primary protagonist and leader. Selena was given the space to not only survive but process her losses and define what it means to thrive in this world.

Selena’s journey is about the delicate balance between the ruthless actions needed to stay alive and maintaining a connection to the humanity within herself. She was prototype of The Walking Dead‘s Michonne and countless other women braving an infested world with a weapon in hand. There are a lot of sides to choose, and Selena’s is the right one to be on.

Originally published on June 26, 2020.

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Cassandra Webb— better known as Madame Web—is finally weaving her own web of adventure in an upcoming solo movie. The Spider-Man ally is a fave among comic fans, even though she historically hasn’t gotten a lot of action in her own right. The details about this addition to Sony’s growing Spider-Man universe have been mostly mum, but surely more will unfold in the near future. Here’s everything you need to know about the Madame Web movie. 

Title 

The title for this film is simply Madame Web. 

Madame Web’s Plot

The film’s creatives are keeping a lot of plot details under wraps at the moment. However, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura promises that there will be a new Madame Web origin story. “It’s really the story of Madame Web,” said di Bonaventura in a Comicbook.com interview. “So, in that respect, if you’re a Spider-Man fan, you’re gonna love the character because you know it from the comic books, which she doesn’t really have that big a character in the comic books, we’re doing the origin story of Madame Web. And so you meet her before she’s actually the person that you know in the comic book and you come to understand how she becomes that person. So, I think that’ll be a really fresh new terrain for the fans.”

In the comics, Cassandra Webb was an elderly woman who helped Spider-Man through her clairvoyant visions. She was blind with telepathic mutant powers who used a life support system that looked like a web. So, it will be interesting to see what route they take with this character in this movie. 

Behind the Scenes 

S.J. Clarkson will direct Madame Web with Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama penning the script. In addition to di Bonaventura, Palak Patel and Eric Howsam will also produce this film. It was shot in several locations throughout Massachusetts (including Boston) and NYC, with initial filming wrapping in early 2023. 

Madame Web’s Cast 

Dakota Johnson will star as Cassandra Webb/Madame Web alongside Sydney Sweeney as Julia Carpenter/Spider-Woman. Celeste O’Connor, Zosia Mamet, Emma Roberts, Isabela Merced, Mike Epps, Tahar Rahim, and Adam Scott are all a part of this film in undisclosed roles. 

Madame Web’s Release Date 

Madame Web will hit theaters on February 16, 2024.

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Solidarity is in the air, and we feel happy to see it. In May, the Writer’s Guild of America went on strike after the studios refused to meet proposals for better pay and equity. And now, a second strike is possible. SAG-AFTRA, the Screen Actors Guild, voted recently on a strike authorization for members of the organization. This means that a SAG-AFTRA strike is now also possible. In fact, like with the Writer’s Guild, the Screen Actors Guild voted in overwhelming numbers in favor of a strike: 97.91% of SAG-AFTRA approved.

So what does this mean? Well, as SAG-AFTRA’s official website explains, this does not mean that the guild is calling a strike yet—merely that a strike is possible should the studios and SAG-AFTRA be unable to meet an agreement. The SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Contracts currently in place will expire at midnight on June 30. If no new contracts are accepted, as was the case with the WGA, then a strike will begin. Should a SAG-AFTRA strike occur, all union productions must stop filming.

Like with the writers of our favorite movies and TV shows, actors are facing times of unprecedented challenges. SAG-AFTRA’s website notes, “Streaming, inflation, and out-of-control self-taping requests have actors working longer and harder than ever, struggling to make ends meet.”

Additionally, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland shared the following about the strike authorization:

I could not be more pleased with this response from the membership. This overwhelming yes vote is a clear statement that it’s time for an evolution in this contract. As we enter what may be one of the most consequential negotiations in the union’s history, inflation, dwindling residuals due to streaming, and generative AI all threaten actors’ ability to earn a livelihood if our contracts are not adapted to reflect the new realities. This strike authorization means we enter our negotiations from a position of strength, so that we can deliver the deal our members want and deserve.

As with any form of labor, people deserve, at base, to make a living wage from their work and to be given respectful benefits and protections. We hope to see the solidarity between the guilds continue and a fair resolution for SAG-AFTRA and the WGA achieved soon.

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After delivering the biggest box office grosses yet for a Mission: Impossible movie with its last installment, Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie are returning for two more. McQuarrie will write and direct Mission Impossible 7 & 8, which are being shot back-to-back.

Here’s everything we know about the upcoming Mission: Impossible films.

Title

In Mission: Impossible tradition, we expect these films’ titles to feature a colon and an em dash. And, in fact, Mission Impossible 7‘s official title has been revealed to be Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. We assume this means Mission Impossible 8‘s title will be Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two. But we will have to wait a little bit for that confirmation.

Mission: Impossible 7 and 8‘s Plot

We don’t yet know too much about the plot of the upcoming Mission Impossible movies. But judging by the franchise’s history, they’ll like involve a lot of action, many stunts, and at least one daring escape.

Most recently, we got a special look at Mission: Impossible 7. This Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One featurette revealed what is said to be “the biggest stunt in cinema history.” Take a look at the antics below.

He’ll also be fighting atop a train.

In addition, we got a new look at the movie and its stars with a fresh set of images courtesy of Entertainment Weekly.

McQuarrie teases Pom Klementieff’s character, sharing, “She is somebody who, at the start of our story, is partnered with Esai and represents this malevolent force that Ethan is opposed to.” Meanwhile, speaking about Hayley Atwell, he notes, “She was somebody we were interested in for Rogue Nation. It took us a while to find just the right character, just the right opportunity, for Hayley to really play to her strengths.”

Behind the Scenes

Christopher McQuarrie is returning to write and direct both Mission: Impossible 7 and Mission: Impossible 8. He previously who previously wrote and directed Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation and Mission: Impossible — Fallout. Like the franchise’s fifth and sixth installments, the next two are filming back-to-back.

Mission: Impossible 7 and 8‘s Cast

Naturally, Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt, as is the other franchise staple Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell. Also reprising their characters in the upcoming films are Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Angela Bassett and Frederick Schmidt. One major returning figure is Henry Czerny’s Eugene Kittridge, who hasn’t appeared in the franchise since the first installment in 1996. Kittridge was the IMF director hunting Ethan, under the impression he was the agency’s mole. McQuarrie confirmed Czerny’s return on Instagram.

Among new faces joining the franchise, which McQuarrie also announced on Instagram, are Hayley Atwell, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Charles Parnell, Indra Varma, Mark Gatiss, Rob Delaney, Cary Elwes, Shea Whigham, and Lucy Tulugarjuk. Morales will play Ethan Hunt’s next foe, replacing Nicholas Hoult, who departed due to scheduling conflicts.

In August, we learned that Nick Offerman and Janet McTeer would join Mission Impossible 8. We don’t know details about their roles yet. Hannah Waddingham is also joining Mission Impossible 8 (via Variety) in an unspecified role. Additionally, Mariela Garriga will come aboard both films as well.

Recently, Christopher McQuarrie revealed a character from the first Mission: Impossible movie, released in 1996, would also return to the franchise. Yes, Rolf Saxon will return to the Mission: Impossible franchise as William Donloe.

For those who need a refresher Rolf Saxon’s William Donloe was the CIA Analyst from whom Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt stole the Non-Official Cover list of the Impossible Missions agents, which revealed their locations around the world, their real names, and their code names. As punishment, Donloe was exiled to work at a desolate station in Alaska. So we guess he probably doesn’t feel to happy about that. Could Rolf Saxon bring William Donloe back as one of Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part Two‘s villains? It feels likely.

Mission: Impossible 7 and 8‘s Release Date

The upcoming pair of Mission: Impossible films are caught up in yet another wave of pandemic-related delays. Mission: Impossible 7 will debut on July 12, 2023. Mission: Impossible 8 will now open on June 28, 2024. 

The Franchise’s Future Beyond the Next Two Installments

No official word yet if these two films will serve as the “series finale” for the franchise. But Variety is indicating that this is, indeed, the end for Ethan Hunt and his comrades. A report from the trade suggests that Mission: Impossible 8 will wrap up the long-running franchise. Paramount Pictures has not commented on the news but Nerdist has reached out for confirmation.

If it is the end for the franchise it’s quite a feat—one that lasted eight films and nearly thirty years. Tom Cruise will be over sixty by the time Mission: Impossible 8 hits theaters, so its the perfect time to hang up his Ethan Hunt coat, and hopefully go out on a high note. And we mean a literal high note, as he’ll probably be going out while hanging off the side of a mountain or a skyscraper one last time.

Originally published on January 14, 2019.

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It is time to face your demons. No, not that paralysis one that jolts you awake at night. (Or is that just a me problem?) I mean the ones that still haunt your dreams from the first two Insidious movies. Who can forget the terrors that the Lambert family experienced as demonic forces took over their son Dalton? The first Insidious film struck a nerve with horror fans back in 2010, leading to a sequel and two prequel films to follow. Now, we are back with Josh, Renai, and Dalton (who is still giving off wonderfully creepy vibes) in Insidious: The Red Door and, whew, is the film’s trailer scary as hell. It was high time to give those first two films a proper sequel.

This final trailer truly reminds us that the end of this family’s story is near. Watching that creepy entity crawl up on Josh Lambert is very, very wild, indeed. While this may mark the end of the Lambert family saga, we know that there is another tale coming from this universe. So the Further is far from being done with us. But, for now, we can also enjoy the clip above as well as the initial trailer, which really amps up the horror factor.

In addition to the trailers, here’s a quick synopsis of Insidious: The Red Door to get you up to speed: 

Set ten years after the end of the previous first two films, Josh Lambert heads east to drop his son Dalton off at an idyllic, ivy-covered university. However, Dalton’s college dream becomes a nightmare when the repressed demons of his past suddenly return to haunt them both.

As we see in those Insidious: The Red Door trailers, the family wants to forget The Further. But that’s just not working out for them. The only way they can move forward is to go deeper into the depths of darkness. They will have to face their past and more terrors that are behind the red door. Think of it as an unhappy anniversary celebration. The film welcomes back original cast members Patrick Wilson (who is also the director and is known for fighting the Moon), Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Andrew Astor, and Lin Shaye.

Insidious: The Red Door hits theaters on July 7.

Originally published on April 19, 2023.

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There’s nothing that says “horror” more than a creepy object that ends up being a portal to something sinister. It is always a good idea to leave that weird book, suspicious puzzle box, old relic, strange doll, etc., the hell alone. It is never, ever worth your soul to satisfy your curiosity. The characters in A24’s upcoming thriller Talk to Me obviously don’t know this, based on what we see in its first and second trailers. 

We meet a young woman (Sophia Wilde) who lost her mom. She gets together with friends, and they decide to have her connect with an embalmed hand in a ritual that will open and close spiritual doors with the command, “Talk to me.” She says it and discovers that the hand allows her to see on the other side, where her mom is trying to reach out.

Well, at least she thinks it is her mom. The figures she keeps seeing in the Talk to Me trailer look far from the norm. Apparently, she didn’t quite close that open door, and her life quickly takes a downward spiral. We can see even more of the chills to come in Talk to Me‘s second trailer.

Supernatural forces unleash themselves for what looks like quite the harrowing adventure. What is the deal with that hand? How will they close this portal? So many questions that need answers.

The Talk to Me trailers certainly grab hold of you and refuse to let go. The movie stars Sophie Wilde, Joe Bird, Alexandra Jensen, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, and more and comes from directors Danny and Michael Philippou. Talk to Me will hit theaters on July 28.

Originally published April 11, 2023.

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The novelty of seeing robots turning into cars and vice-versa on the big screen doesn’t seem to have worn off for people in the 16 years since the first Transformers movie. Despite the subsequent four movies having pretty paltry critical and audience appreciation, they still made grips of money for Paramount and Hasbro. They are toy commercials after all, so literally seeing toys fighting each other on screen seemed to be all they needed. 2018’s Bumblebee was a shot in the arm the franchise needed. While the five Michael Bay-directed movies got bigger and louder, Bumblebee made it smaller, and gave it more heart.

Now, for the seventh movie, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, they seem to try to split the difference a bit. It takes bits of what worked in Bumblebee and gives us another loud, Earth-ending plot. And the result is fine. It’s enjoyable enough; it’s a lot more of the same. But if you had hoped for either more of Bumblebee‘s tone, or a proper rise of Maximals, you will find yourself a bit disappointed.

The movie takes place in 1994, seven years after Bumblebee. Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos) is a former decorated soldier who quit the Army when his little brother got sick. Now he’s having trouble paying medical bills and can’t catch a break in the job department. He finally agrees to help his lowlife friend Reek (Tobe Nwigwe) steal a fancy car. That car, a Porsche, happens to be a Transformer. Mirage, to be exact, who sounds exactly like Pete Davidson. New Yawwwwwk.

Seems the Autobots (Optimus, Bumblebee, and Arcee) have a problem. They need to find a way home and a beacon, recently uncovered by a museum intern named Elena (Dominique Fishback), is their key. Unfortunately, it’s literally a key to bring Unicron—the planet-eating Transformer—to Earth. Unicron’s number-one, Scourge (Peter Dinklage) has come to collect, and seems more than a match for the Autobots. Fortunately for them, Airazor (Michelle Yeoh), a Maximal, comes to aid. Together, all the goodies go to Peru to meet the other Maximals and try to thwart Scourge and Unicron.

Lotta names, lotta MacGuffins. It even has a big laser thing shooting up toward the sky. It’s all done well enough, with loads of action and destruction and most of the time enough focus on the characters so you can actually see what’s going on. We get to know a fair amount about our human characters, which I’m sure comes from director Steven Caple Jr. (Creed II). The Maximals, on the other hand, the titular beasts? They don’t factor in much at all. This is still an Autobot movie, for better or worse.

The biggest issues I had with Rise of the Beasts came down to clashes in focus. The movie seems to think the central relationship is Noah and his little brother; it also thinks it’s Noah and Mirage becoming buds. But then it also wants us to care about Noah and Elena, and Noah and Optimus, and Elena and Airazor kind of? None of them really seem to land aside from that first one.

The second biggest issue is that Pete Davidson is very prominent in the movie and just doing his usual schtick but this time as a big car robot. Mirage is a neat enough character, but making him a bro with a questionable romantic history was a strange choice. (Part of that is not in the movie.) And the third biggest issue, for me, a big fan of 1996’s Beast Wars, is just how little the movie actually has for the Maximals to do. Airazor is the exposition, and Optimus Primal (Ron Perlman) offers his namesake a different view on humanity. Other than that, they barely feature. Cheetor and Rhinox might as well not have been there at all. Also Unicron. It’s weird Unicron is in this.

Ultimately, I can’t be too mad at a Hasbro movie made to sell Hasbro stuff. It was probably a little much to ask for a ton of Beast Wars continuity, anyway. So Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is definitely not the worst Transformers movie. I had fun watching it, even if the final act devolves into a robot punch orgy. The soundtrack, made up of ’90s and late-’80s hip-hop absolutely rules. Ramos is good (too good, if I’m being honest) and your kids or younger relatives will have fun. And there’s no oil pee or car farting or whatever, so that’s a step in the right direction. Have I talked myself into liking it? Not really. I’m gonna go have a sandwich.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts ⭐ (2.7 of 5)

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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Come on, Barbie, let’s go party. Whether we want it to or not, that iconic Aqua song is pulsing through our veins as we anticipate the upcoming big-screen Barbie movie. She is no stranger to the screen, though. The iconic Mattel doll is, after all, the star of a whole animated cinematic universe. But now she’s getting the Hollywood treatment with a live-action film. Margot Robbie stars as the titular blonde girlboss, and she has a whole lot of star power with her—both in front of and behind the camera.

The movie is bringing many elements of Barbie to life. And one of the most important things we’ll see in this live-action vision of the doll is Barbie’s Dreamhouse. A recent article in Architectural Digest walks us through the surreal home.

For starters, “There are no walls and no doors,” in Barbie’s Dreamhouse, according to director Greta Gerwig. “Dreamhouses assume that you never have anything you wish was private—there is no place to hide.” And what a meditation on Barbie that is. Production designer Sarah Greenwood and set decorator Katie Spencer discuss more about the Dreamhouse. They note that the scale of the Barbie creation was very odd. Gerwig adds, “The ceiling is actually quite close to one’s head, and it only takes a few paces to cross the room. It has the odd effect of making the actors seem big in the space but small overall.”

Greenwood adds “It’s very definitely a house for a single woman.” And that might not be such a bizarre notion now. But when Barbie’s first Dreamhouse was created in the ’60s, it was a revelation.

In sum, Gerwig shares, “I wanted to capture what was so ridiculously fun about the Dreamhouses… Why walk down stairs when you can slide into your pool? Why trudge up stairs when you take an elevator that matches your dress?… Maintaining the ‘kid-ness’ was paramount. I wanted the pinks to be very bright, and everything to be almost too much.” The article notes Greenwood even shared that Barbie’s Dreamhouse and world “caused an international run on the fluorescent shade of Rosco paint.” “The world,” she notes, “ran out of pink.” 

Here’s everything we know about Barbie, the movie.

Title

Warner Bros. and Mattel are keeping it simple with this one, calling the movie Barbie.

Barbie‘s Plot

So far, Warner Bros. and Mattel are keeping on the down low about Barbie‘s plot. But given the castings we know the ensemble film will include at least a few familiar figures from the Mattel world. In addition to the titular character, her on-again/off-again boyfriend Ken is a major figure. And there may even be more than one. Plus, this is a film from Greta Gerwig (and Noah Baumbach). So it wouldn’t be too surprising if they throw in a couple surprises. Will we see a wistful or melancholy Barbie in the movie, trying to move on from her himbo love? Or will we follow Barbie on a coming-of-age journey as she figures out what her dream job really is? With Gerwig at the helm and this stacked cast, we’re game for just about anything.

Barbie‘s first teaser offered us a lot to think about as well. You can watch below and check out our full breakdown of Barbie‘s trailer, including its 2001: A Space Odyssey references and recreations.

Barbie‘s second trailer, meanwhile, brought us something a little bit more conventional, but no less excellent.

Most recently, Barbie shared a slew of witty posters with us, teasing its full cast of Kens, Barbies, humans, and more. We definitely can’t wait to see how they come together in the movie. We have a feeling we will soon enter a fantastic world like no other.

pic.twitter.com/MFACUgHRr6

— Barbie Movie (@barbiethemovie) April 4, 2023

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— Barbie Movie (@barbiethemovie) April 4, 2023

Behind the Scenes

Greta Gerwig will write and direct the film, with real-life partner Noah Baumbach co-writing the script for the Barbie movie. Robbie and Tom Ackerley are also producing the film through their LuckyChap Entertainment production company. Mattel’s Robbie Brenner and David Heyman also produce.

Barbie‘s Cast

 As stated above, Margot Robbie, who is also producing the movie, is Barbie. Ryan Gosling is playing Ken. Joining them are Simu Liu, America Ferrera, Alexandra Shipp, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rhea Perlman, Ncuti Gatwa, Emerald Fennell, Sharon Rooney, Scott Evans, Ana Cruz Kayne, Connor Swindells, Ritu Arya, Jamie Demetriou, Kate McKinnon, Ariana Greenblatt, Emma Mackey, Issa Rae, Michael Cera, and Hari Nef. Dua Lipa has all come aboard. It is quite a cast, to say the least!

In addition, we now know that Will Ferrell will play “the CEO of Mattel.” According to the actor, the role is “that guy who’s just insensitive but weird.” At CinemaCon 2023, we also learned that John Cena would play the role of mermaid Ken. Sounds exciting.

Barbie’s Release Date

Barbie releases on July 21, 2023.

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Chris Hemsworth gave us the gift of a powerful yet loving cinnamon roll of a god known as Thor. Who didn’t absolutely enjoy Thor: Love and Thunder?! But we know he can do more than wield a mighty hammer. He’s also great at punching men to their knees. In fact, he gave us a whole movie doing just that when Extraction hit Netflix in 2020. Talk about some great pandemic entertainment. Now, Chris Hemsworth is back and punchier than ever in Extraction 2. He’s also joined by Thor co-star Idris Elba in a new clip from the movie. And make sure to check out the full Extraction 2 trailer for some teases of a softer side.

It seems like Chris Hemsworth and Idris Elba are about to have a lot of fun together. And it’s always good to have a team, especially given what’s in store in Extraction 2. Take a look at a fuller sneak peek at the series below.

Here’s a quick Extraction 2 synopsis to get you up to speed with this sequel: 

After barely surviving the events of the first movie, Rake is back as the Australian black ops mercenary, tasked with another deadly mission: rescuing the battered family of a ruthless Georgian gangster from the prison where they are being held. Hemsworth reunites with director Sam Hargrave, with Joe and Anthony Russo’s AGBO producing and Joe Russo writing. Golshifteh Farahani reprises her role from the first film, with Daniel Bernhardt and Tinatin Dalakishvili also co-starring.

The Extraction 2 trailer shows us all we need to see. What is that? Chris Hemsworth punching and tossing grown men like they are puppets. And sometimes cheesily winking in a very dad way. Extraction 2 will hit Netflix on June 16.

Featured Image: Netflix

Originally published on May 16, 2023.

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Believe it or not, it has been almost five years since Bird Box hit Netflix. The post-apocalyptic thriller starring Sandra Bullock and (a very hot) Trevante Rhodes became a bonafide hit for the streaming service thanks to its many meme-able moments. But, much like The Walking Dead and The Last of Us’ gnarly universes, we’ve always wondered what things are like in other places. How did this mysterious force that causes a person to die violently by suicide affect the rest of the world? Bird Box Barcelona aims to answer this question with a teaser trailer that sets up another dark quest for survival. 

The Bird Box Barcelona clip has a lot of what we are expecting in this follow-up film. People running all over the place in a panic before we zero in on a few key people who are trying to survive. The curious powers of these deadly entities also seem to be changing, which makes sense in this kind of world. It’s very much like The Last of Us having various types of Infected.

Our main man, Sebastian, will form terse alliances and try as hard as he can to get the hell out of Barcelona as another threat looms over them. As we can see in the Bird Box Barcelona teaser trailer, that’s going to be an arduous task. Very intriguing, indeed. 

Are you ready to see (this movie?) If so, you won’t have to wait long. Bird Box Barcelona will arrive at Netflix on July 14.

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The Sanderson sisters are officially coming back for another round! Last year, the Hocus Pocus trio returned nearly three decades after the original film’s 1993 release. While the sequel got some mixed reviews from fans, most people agreed that it was a delight to see Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy revive those kid-hungry witches in a Hocus Pocus sequel. Now, Walt Disney Pictures president Sean Bailey confirmed to The New York Times that Hocus Pocus 3 is a go.

In that profile, the article simply reports, “Yes, Hocus Pocus 3 is happening.” This film is in addition to other live-action developments, including Moana, Hercules, and Lilo & Stitch. Of course, there are no further details about what we can expect. But surely we will get the three leading actors back as those silly witches once again.

When Hocus Pocus 2 came out, screenwriter Jen D’Angelo did hint at a sequel including original protagonist Max Dennison (Omri Katz) and his girlfriend Allison Watts (Vinessa Shaw). Hopefully, those actors will reprise their roles in Hocus Pocus 3. Maybe they are married, and their child will light the black flame candle. There is, after all, a 2018 book where they have a daughter named Poppy. We’d also really, really love to see Dani Dennison (Thora Birch) come back in some capacity, if possible. 

Grab your broomsticks and prepare to fly once again with more Hocus Pocus on the way. We hope to hear more about Hocus Pocus 3 sooner rather than later.

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For decades now, we’ve heard rumors about a sequel to Beetlejuice, Tim Burton’s 1988 hit which cemented his signature style. The story of a young goth girl (Winona Ryder) who tries to help two ghosts in her haunted home scare her parents away. The ghost they hire is a “Bio-exorcist” named Beetlejuice to do the deed. A cult classic to this day, plans for a sequel have always been rumored. During the ’90s, they even floated “Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian” to Kevin Smith.

But now, some 35 years after the original hit theaters, a sequel to the adventures of the “Bio Exorcist” is finally on the way. Original star Michael Keaton, director Tim Burton, and Scream and Wednesday star Jenna Ortega have all signed on.

Recently Keaton opened up about returning for the sequel after so long in development limbo. He told Empire, “Beetlejuice is the most f–kin’ fun you can have working. It’s so fun, it’s so great. And you know what it is? We’re doing it exactly like we did the first movie… There’s a woman in the great waiting room for the afterlife literally with a fishing line – I want people to know this because I love it – tugging on the tail of a cat to make it move.”

That does sound like a lot of fun. Keaton adds, “[Burton] and I were talking about it years and years ago, never telling anybody. I said, ‘if it happens, first of all, we’ve both said we’re doing it many times. We both agreed, if it happens, it has to be done as close to the way we made it the first time. Making stuff up, making stuff happen, improvising and riffing, but literally handmade stuff like people creating things with their hands and building something. F–kin’ great. It’s the most fun I’ve had working on a movie in I can’t tell you how long.”

So bust out that Handbook for the Recently Deceased; here is everything we know about the upcoming Beetlejuice sequel.

Title

We have no idea what the Beetlejuice sequel will be titled. At least not yet. It might just be a very basic Beetlejuice 2. But we’re hoping for Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! That way, if they ever make it a trilogy, they can call the third one Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! and Michael Keaton will magically appear when summoned, just by saying the title.

Beetlejuice Sequel Plot

We don’t know much about the plot either, aside from it centering on the daughter of Lydia Deetz from the first film. And somehow, the previously unknown wife of Beetlejuice will play a part as well. We think it’s safe to say that both ghosts and the afterlife will play a rather large role.

The Beetlejuice Sequel Cast

The cast for the Beetlejuice sequel is shaping up to have a combination of stars from the original, and other actors that Tim Burton has recently worked with. Michael Keaton will return as the titular character, joined by Jenna Ortega, who recently worked with Burton on Wednesday, as the daughter of Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz character from the first film. Winona Ryder is returning as well, as so is Catherine O’Hara as her stepmother. Other original cast members, like Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin, are likely not returning.

New to the cast is Willem Dafoe, who is playing a law enforcement officer in the afterlife. Another new face is Justin Theroux, in an as-yet undisclosed role. Could Lydia have married, and he’s now the father of Jenna Ortega’s character? Of course, that assumes Lydia has a significant other. It’s all a mystery still. Also new to the world of the afterlife is Monica Bellucci, who will play the previously unknown wife of Beetlejuice. This will be the first time working on a Tim Burton project for all three actors.

Behind the Scenes

Returning behind the camera is original filmmaker Tim Burton. Al Gough and Miles Millar, the creators of the hit Netflix Burton/Ortega collaboration Wednesday, wrote the screenplay for the sequel. And Tim Burton’s longtime friend and collaborator Danny Elfman is returning to compose the score. It just wouldn’t feel like Beetlejuice without an Elfman score, would it?

Beetlejuice Sequel Release Date.

The long-awaited sequel to the Tim Burton horror/comedy classic Beetlejuice hits theaters on September 6, 2024.

Originally published on May 15, 2023.

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One of life’s greatest wounds is death and the subsequent grief that follows. It is the steep price we pay for the honor of communing and sharing our soul with another living being. Their absence forces us to accept and acclimate to a new version of normal, one with a landmine of triggers that can slice our emotional flesh at any given moment. And, for some of us, death and loss are repetitive, cyclical hells that threaten to completely consume us at any moment like an invasive disease. But, what if death itself were a disease that could be cured? Would we want the antidote, even if it came with bloody ramifications? That is the crux of Bomani J. Story’s horror drama The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster, a oft-bleak meditation on systemic oppression and violence, heartbreak, and death.

The film borrows general inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein but shifts its setting to a disenfranchised project housing development. At its center is Vicaria (Laya DeLeon Hayes), a gifted Black teenage scholar whose life has been marred by her surroundings. After losing her mother years prior and her brother Chris (Edem Atsu-Swanzy) recently to gun violence, Vicaria sees death as a disease and is on a mission to cure it. Unfortunately, her environment provides ample test subjects as she desires to bring her brother back to life. She’s the polar opposite of Dr. Frankenstein’s classic depiction as a wealthy privileged white man who is, in a sense, playing God because he can. 

She’s jokingly called the “mad scientist” and the moniker fits. This is especially true when she pulls flesh apart and reassembles it while disturbingly chuckling at her own brilliance. But, this is not about exploitation or satisfying a need to create something world-changing. Instead, Vicaria wants to bring balance to a community that is constantly in flux and soothe her palpable pain. A stroke of genius, luck, and, yes, electricity resurrects her brother… but there is a price to pay. Chris is not fully himself, but rather an entity hellbent on revenge. He seemingly reacts from a place of crushing residual pain from his life that ended far too soon. But, Vicaria’s pain and motivations provide further fuel for his actions, too.

DeLeon Hayes delivers a stunning performance as the titular and righteously angry Black girl. She dips between morbid curiosity, panicked fretting, paralyzing terror, and unbridled confidence with ease. Her heartbreaking rationale and ever-changing currents of grief will resonate with viewers as she parses through her grief. Vicaria fights against the ills of society with the only tools she has: her mind and determination.

The always-stunning Chad L. Coleman makes every second of his screen time count as Vicaria’s loving and protective father Donald, who struggles with drug usage and regrets. And, Denzel Whitaker’s Kango is a solid deuteragonist who is both a part of the problem and the solution. Whitaker and DeLeon Hayes go for several verbal sparring rounds with the final one packing a mighty punch. It is perhaps the best scene in the entire film that blurs the lines between hero and supposed villain.

The film’s version of the Modern Prometheus, however, is a mixed bag. Much of the resurrected Chris’ time depicts him as a vengeful boogeyman whose actions increasingly affect those who loved him. In a sense, this presents the conundrum about what it means to be alive. It surely is more than jolts of electrical energy through our bodies that make our hearts pump. Chris is breathing, walking, and can even say a few words but the essence of him is no longer present.

The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster uses Chris’ twisted body and exploits to lean into its horror. He presents as a shadowy hooded figure with a gravelly voice. His twisted fingers creep around a corner, a single eye peeking from an abandoned space to watch in silence. Story’s professed adoration for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Shining are crystal clear. There’s no holding back on the brutality he delivers but the gore is realistic vs. a more splatter approach to match the film’s overall tone. Unfortunately, the interactions between Vicaria and her resurrected brother lack the frequency and connection to truly drive home the film’s points about his humanity and motivations.

Despite a rather lean 92-minute runtime, The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster painfully sags in the middle. The focus wanders too far away from its primary plot, losing the steam that it successfully built in its first act. Thankfully, things wander back on course for the third act with an intense, surprising, and thought-provoking finish. Overall, The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster is an innovative take on a Gothic tale with sharp dialogue, solid performances, and a protagonist who wields a mighty power.

The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster will hit theaters on June 9. It will hit on Demand and Digital on June 23 before it later finds a home on Shudder and AllBlk.

The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster ⭐ (3.5 of 5)

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In the next obvious move, Mattel has released a collection of Barbie dolls and accessories from the upcoming Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Now all we need is a movie about the Barbie movie Barbie dolls, and we’ll have gone full Barbie-ception. Of course, the merchandise line for the Barbie movie had to happen, but we also feel there’s a funny kind of irony to the collection. We have a feeling the movie will poke some fun at Barbie as a brand and her doll-like fantasy existence. But she got us because we’ll still take her home to play with anyway. From full Kenergy, pastel-striped Ken to Barbie’s dreamhouse (no walls or doors here), check out the Barbie the movie doll collection.

Barbie the movie’s Mattel doll collection gives you everything a Barbie (who is everything) and Ken (who is just Ken) could want. There’s President Barbie, Pink Power Pantsuit Barbie, Denim Matching Set Ken, and even a couple of corvettes. There’s even a Hot Wheels Corvette you can actually drive. We have to wonder if Hot Wheels will cameo in the Barbie movie.

Click To View Gallery

What we don’t see is John Cena’s mermaid Barbie… And “wrangling with the concept of death” Barbie and “Existential Crisis” Barbie are also nowhere to be found in this movie line. And honestly, if Mattel could put out some Barbie dolls with that Kenergy, we would be first in line.

The Barbie movie releases on July 21.

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I was inordinately excited for Hideaki Anno’s very long-awaited Shin Kamen Rider. Not only a 50th anniversary tribute to the 1971 original Kamen Rider series—delayed because of the darn pandemic—but another entry in the writer-producer’s reimaginings of Japanese pop culture legends. Shin Godzilla, which he co-directed with Shinji Higuchi, was the first truly singular Japanese Godzilla movie in decades. Shin Ultraman, which Higuchi solo directed, was a lovely and touching update of the 1966 original series. So a new take on the o.g. Kamen Rider, of which I’m a big fan, made me hope it would be the best yet. It isn’t. It’s not bad; but if you’re looking to get into Kamen Rider, or even see what it’s all about, this ain’t it.

The legendary mangaka Shotaro Ishinomori created Kamen Rider for TV in the early ’70s. During its initial 98-episode run, the style and tone changed pretty drastically. Starting as a dark, moody horror-inspired superhero show, it eventually lightened up considerably. The lead character changed, then changed back, and the legend of cybernetic, insect-themed motorcyclist grew. Anno tried to squeeze too much of that into a single two-hour film. The pace is about 20 mph over breakneck. As a result, the movie loses a lot of nuance, especially in the baddie department.

Shin Kamen Rider begins literally in the middle of a chase. Ruriko Midorikawa (Minami Hamabe) and Hongo Takeshi (Sôsuke Ikematsu) speed away on a motorcycle away from big semi-trucks. Only after they get away to a safehouse do we, and Hongo, get a sense of what’s going on. Ruriko is the daughter of Professor Hiroshi Midorikawa (cult filmmaker Shin’ya Tsukamoto). The professor is a scientist working for the SHOCKER organization, who had promised to help humanity but, go figure, are actually plotting to steal humanity’s life force via human cyborgs with animal themes.

Midorikawa and Ruriko have decided to thwart SHOCKER and designed the latest cyborg, Hongo, to fight them as the Masked Rider. From there, we begin a succession of Hongo and Ruriko attempting to fight the various other “Augs” with beast themes. These follow roughly the same order as the first 13 episodes of the series. A spider, bat, scorpion, chameleon, mantis, and wasp all trek through quickly. All the while, the pair get closer without ever really speaking above a low monotone.

Part-way through the movie, we meet Ichimonji Hayato (Tasuku Emoto), a second grasshopper-themed cyborg whom SHOCKER has successfully brainwashed. People who know the original series will know that he doesn’t remain brainwashed for long.

It’s entirely possible that via reading this you’ve realized one of the major problems with Shin Kamen Rider: way too much plot but almost no story. It’s just learning about the evils of SHOCKER, quick banter with the various kaijin one-by-one, a high-velocity fight sequence, rinse, repeat. On the surface, this is not entirely a bad way to do it, but this outline totally misses some of the best parts of every Kamen Rider episodes. The build up to the showdown, seeing the villain do villainous things is more than half the fun. Yes, the show hangs its hat on its hand-to-hand fight sequences, its monster designs, and the visceral thrill of seeing Kamen Rider in action. But we need to know the stakes and care about the characters for any of it to matter.

I don’t want to compare Shin Kamen Rider to Shin Godzilla or Shin Ultraman too much, but I think the other major problem is entirely down to them. This movie uses the same cinematographers as the previous two movies and has largely the same style of shooting. Government types sit around computers or talk in rooms while big monsters attack and/or a big alien hero fights them.

As a property, Kamen Rider does not lend itself to this type of depiction at all. The action sequences work decently, but are way too dependent on CGI rather than the hallmark of the franchise, which is martial arts battles heightened to a ridiculous degree. Hongo even finds himself tentatively working with anti-SHOCKER government types, which simply does not fit. The surveillance-style shooting that worked so well for Godzilla and Ultraman just doesn’t work here. We need more atmosphere, we need passion and scares. We need some kind of heart! It felt surprisingly cold.

This isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it at all. The redesigns of the suits are excellent, the sounds and music are all spot-on. I really like the subtle way the beginning of the movie focuses on extreme violence and slowly it becomes less monstrous by the end, much the same way the show did. And moments certainly made the rabid fans I saw it with cheer. References and allusions to the classic series (and other Ishinomori creations) are fun for those who get them. Would it matter at all to anyone who doesn’t?

And maybe that’s ultimately the reason Shin Ultraman spent a year in the festival circuit before becoming a Fathom Event while Shin Kamen Rider bypassed festivals entirely. This isn’t the kind of movie that encapsulates the ethos of the show while replicating some of the best episodes. This movie is for people who know Kamen Rider already and just want to see people put on and take off helmets 500 times while punching viscera out of thugs like so many juiced memberberries.

Shin Kamen Rider ⭐ (2.5 of 5)

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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Dwayne Johnson once declared he would never again return to the Fast & Furious franchise under any circumstances. His issues with former co-star Vin Diesel were not the not-so-secret reason why. But something dramatic happened because The Rock made a surprise return during Fast X‘s mid-credits scene. Now we might know what helped convinced him to drive home: Universal Pictures gave him another spinoff to star in. Dwayne Johnson will return as Luke Hobbs in a Fast & Furious spinoff film that will serve as a bridge in the main series’ final entries.

Johnson announced on Twitter “Hobbs is back,” and he doesn’t just mean for a single scene. According to him in the “next Fast & Furious film you’ll see the legendary lawman in will be the HOBBS movie that will serve as a fresh, new chapter & set up for Fast X: Part II.”

Chris Morgan wrote the script. He penned seven previous entries for the franchise, including its only previous spinoff, Hobbs & Shaw.

How did Johnson go from swearing off the entire franchise to headlining another installment? On Twitter he wrote (in classic Fast & Furious style), “Last summer Vin and I put all the past behind us. We’ll lead with brotherhood and resolve – and always take care of the franchise, characters & FANS that we love.”

Sure that explains it! (No, wait, it’s the money. Actors get paid money.)

This off screen reconciliation doesn’t mean the two will be sharing one on screen just yet, though. Reports say as of now there are no plans for Diesel to appear in the new Hobbs spinoff, which is not a sequel to Hobbs & Shaw. However, other franchise members are expected to join Johnson in the film. And Diesel will serve as a producer on the movie.

It’s also not clear if Dwayne Johnson himself will appear in Fast 11 (or a possible Fast 12) movie after this spinoff adventure. But that doesn’t mean they won’t appear on screen together at some point. Obviously no one should ever say “never” when it comes to this franchise.

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The Insidious franchise is back in full swing with Insidious: The Red Door. The film will bring the Lambert family back for presumably their final round against the dark forces of the Further. But that doesn’t mean this universe is done haunting us quite yet. Thread: An Insidious Tale will bring forth a new terrifying tale with Mandy Moore and Kumail Nanjiani leading its cast. Here’s what we know so far about what’s coming next.

According to Deadline, this sixth film will not be a continuation of the current storylines but instead an offshoot. In this Insidious sequel, Mandy Moore and Kumail Nanjiani will portray a husband-wife duo who use a spell to travel back in time to prevent their daughter’s death. As you can probably guess, this leads to some disastrous consequences. Time travel with the aims of a resurrection never did end particularly well for anyone. But at least the cast is killer.

At this point, we don’t know when this Moore and Nanjiani-led Insidious film will come out or any additional details about it beyond the short plot synopsis. But what else do you need to know when it comes to this universe? The Further awaits your arrival once again.

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Lucasfilm is mainly famous for three franchises; Star Wars, Willow, and of course, Indiana Jones. But for various licensing reasons, the four existing Indiana Jones films starring Harrison Ford have not been part of the Disney+ library. Until now, that is. In anticipation of the release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Disney+ has brought all four Indy films—Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, Last Crusade, and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull—along with the entire The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones television series, to the service. And they are now available to watch. Disney+ even cut a special trailer for the release, which you can watch right here:

Well, that brief trailer sure makes us want to marathon the whole series for the millionth time. For those wondering why it took so long for this iconic Lucasfilm property to make it onto Disney+, the films were distributed by Paramount Pictures. Which meant they had the release rights to the films, whether Lucasfilm produced them or not. And so, they’ve been on Paramount+ for the last several years. But now, they’ve come home, so to speak. Hopefully, they stay there, as many non-MCU Marvel films come and go from the service without warning.

In celebration of the Indiana Jones movies and series launching on the service, Disney+ subscribers in the US will receive special access to must-have Indiana Jones merchandise on shopDisney. This promotion goes from May 31, 2023 – June 8, 2023. For a limited time, US Disney+ subscribers can purchase highly anticipated items from the franchise before the general public. During this special window, eligible subscribers can visit shopDisney to check them out.

Originally published on May 16, 2023.

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The first official trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem gives our favorite turtles a whole new vibe. For one, the animation style of Seth Rogen’s Ninja Turtles movie is a departure from the usual bold colors and graphic forms of the Ninja Turtles. Instead, the trailer for Mutant Mayhem treats us to something more artistic. The animation feels almost scribbly but in a good way. And it calls to mind parts of the popular Spider-Verse films. For another, these Ninja Turtles are at the earliest stages of their heroic journeys in Mutant Mayhem. And they still have a long way to go… And some important choices to make.

Take a look at the trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem below:

A synopsis for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie reveals more about the plot, shedding more light on the trailer. Here’s what we can expect from Mutant Mayhem:

After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.

Our favorite teenage turtles just want to be heroes. And, of course, they want to feel loved. It’s understandable since they’ve been living in the sewers. But should they even be defending the human world from harm? Maybe the super-villainous Superfly has a point in this Mutant Mayhem trailer, as villains so often do. The normal humans out there probably will never accept them. But we assume somewhere along the way, the TMNT gang will learn that they only need to accept themselves. And that anyone worth knowing will accept them as well. It’s an important lesson, but not as important as remembering not to say the phrase “rat me out” in front of a humanoid rat.

The movie also features a star-studded cast that includes, among many other names, John Cena as Rocksteady, Jackie Chan as Splinter, Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman, and Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko. We can’t way to see this team in action.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem will release in theaters on August 2. As they say, cowabunga!

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Disney isn’t the only studio looking to their animation catalog for live-action inspiration. Universal is adapting DreamWorks Animation’s popular How to Train Your Dragon as a live-action movie (via Deadline). Director Dean DeBlois, who helmed the three How to Train Your Dragon animated films, will write, direct, and produce the live-action version. The adaptation already has a release date, too: March 14, 2025. That’s just about 15 years after the animated film premiered. According to The Hollywood Reporter, How to Train Your Dragon has found its human riders as well with Mason Thames and Nico Parker starring as Hiccup and Astrid, respectively. Thames’ recent turn in The Black Phone and Parker’s short yet pivotal role as Joel’s daughter Sarah in The Last of Us make them familiar faces to audiences.

How to Train Dragon released in the United States on March 26, 2010. The film, which DeBlois co-directed with Chris Sanders, tells the story of a young Viking named Hiccup. Based on the book of the same name by Cressida Cowell, we watch as Hiccup meets Toothless the dragon and decides to help him instead of hunt him. Subsequent films in the trilogy further explore the relationship between the Vikings and the dragons, as well as Hiccup and Toothless’ bond.

The How to Train Your Dragon adaptation will mark DeBlois’ live-action directing debut. We don’t know yet if Universal has further plans to adapt the entire trilogy.

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Some truly legendary items from fan-favorite films will soon have the ability to be a part of your private collection. If you can shake out a few million quarters from under the couch cushions that is. The folks at the Propstore are about to start their next big auction, and it might actually outdo some of their earlier ones by a country mile. For this latest auction of iconic movie memorabilia, they’ve got items from Star Wars, the MCU, Nolan’s Batman films, and even Titanic. Here are some items that will soon be up for sale.

The Star Wars item for this auction was actually worn by Hollywood royalty, a princess on and off camera, Carrie Fisher. They also have Princess Leia’s final awards ceremony gown, from the finale of A New Hope.

For MCU fans, the Propstore has Peter Quill’s helmet from Guardians of the Galaxy. Not to mention the reforged hammer Mjolnir from Thor: Love and Thunder, wielded by Jane Foster.

From the DC side of things, this auction will make the Batpod from The Dark Knight available. Imagine having this baby parked in your garage for all to see. (Better get a good Bat-tarp).

This auction’s offerings also will not disappoint horror fans. Not only do we get the infamous “spider-head” from John Carpenter’s The Thing, but also an original puppet from Gremlins. Perhaps most iconic is Jason Voorhees’ actual hockey mask from Friday the 13th Part VII, and the toy clown from Poltergeist that gave an entire generation a lifelong fear of clowns.

Interested fans can head on over to the Propstore’s official site for more information. This Propstore auction will start the live online bidding on June 28-30. The full catalog should be available in the first week of June, but you can check out the premiere pieces for this action already.  

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Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when a new Avatar: The Last Airbender movie was announced. Yes, we’re getting a cinematic outing that will continue the story of all our favorite characters from the original series. The Gaang, a.k.a Aang, Katara, Sokka, Zuko, Toph, and company, will grace our screens again in a brand new movie coming in 2025.

Of course, a key question in everyone’s minds is whether the original voice cast will return for this new Avatar: The Last Airbender movie. And while we still don’t know the answer for sure, Toph’s original voice actress Michaela Jae Murphy, also knowns as Jessie Flower, noted she didn’t believe the original cast would return. She said, via Game Luster:

Yeah, I mean, listen, if you’re an actor, you’re always interested in being called back for a project… I think they’re going to be recasting for pretty much everything, and, you know Mike [DiMartino] and Bryan [Konietzko] do what they want. So it’s not like people are going to clamor and be like, ‘Bring back the originals!’ and they’re just going to change their minds. Not that I’m thinking that’s gonna happen. But they very much have a vision and this is something they feel is best for the show and so they do it.

That’s what happened with the original. It was three seasons and then people were like ‘make a fourth, make a fourth!’ and they were like ‘no.’ They did make a new show [The Legend of Korra], but they were like, ‘We are not going to mess with the integrity of the story just to give you a fourth season.’ So they have a vision and they execute it the way they want to… I’m sad because of course I would come love to come back and do stuff but, you know I’ll be cheering from the audience with everyone else!

Of course, there’s not yet official confirmation the original voice cast won’t return, either to their original roles or in other capacities. Hopefully, they will have a role to play yet.

Here’s everything we know about the new Avatar: The Last Airbender movie.

Title

The upcoming movie doesn’t have a title yet. So, for now, we’re simply referring to it as the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie.

The Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie‘s Plot

There hasn’t been too much revealed about the plot of the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie. However, a glimpse at artwork from the film revealed at CinemaCon 2023 showed us all our favorite characters looking a little older than we left them. Possibly the group is somewhere in their late 20s. That will certainly be an interesting age to explore the dynamics between them all.

We assume the movie will reveal to us Aang, Zuko, and pals’ continued quest to bring peace to the four nations after the intense upheaval Fire Lord Ozai wreaked upon the world. A lot still needs fixed, after all. We hope this movie can continue the series’ legacy of delivering exactly the right story to its fans.

Additionally, we know that this movie is one of three animated Avatar movies that Nickelodeon’s Avatar Studios will create. Avatar Studios is “a newly formed division designed to create original content spanning animated series and movies based on the beloved world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.” We don’t know, however, if the movies will serve as sequels to one another or each will be a stand-alone.

What we do know, though, is that we better see more of Appa and Momo. In fact, sign us up for a full Appa and Momo movie. We know from the series that they can carry it. Just think of the cuteness overload.

The Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie‘s Cast

We don’t have any word yet on who will voice our heroes in the movie, but we hope to see some of our original favorites reprise their roles. Dante Basco is Zuko, after all.

Behind the Scenes 

Lauren Montgomery will direct the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie. Additionally, series co-creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino will produce the film alongside Eric Coleman.

The Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie‘s Release Date

One thing we do know is when we can expect the new Avatar: The Last Airbender animated movie. The movie will release on October 10, 2025.

Originally published May 2, 2023.

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One of director Quentin Tarantino’s most beloved films is finally making it to 4K UHD in 2023. And just in time for its 20th anniversary. Via Variety, we’ve learned that Kill Bill Volume 1 and Kill Bill: Volume 2 will release in a newly remastered version later this year. Lionsgate has gained the release rights to the film, along with another Tarantino classic, Jackie Brown. This news means that Lionsgate has the largest collection of Tarantino films under its umbrella. They also own the rights to Reservoir Dogs, Death Proof, Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained, and The Hateful Eight.

There is no word yet on extras for the upcoming Kill Bill release. But we can tell you one thing fans of Uma Thurman’s Beatrix Kiddo definitely want to see. Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair. Originally, Tarantino meant for Kill Bill to be one long film. Indeed, he shot it that way. But when the running time hit nearly four hours, the studio convinced Tarantino to split the film in half. But Tarantino had a print with the longer version, which screened once at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004, and again at his own LA theater the New Beverly in 2011 and 2015.

This edited-together version had some minor changes, such as a full-color action sequence in the House of the Blue Leaves. That was changed for the U.S. market to receive an R-rating. At one point in the 2000s, they displayed box art for a home video release of Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair at Comic-Con in San Diego. But they never released it, and that company no longer has the rights. Tarantino had always planned to add a new animated sequence to the film, but never got around to it. Maybe it’s finally happening? Even if it’s not, it will be great to finally have this iconic movie in a properly remastered format.

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We’ve been on the edge of our seats wondering just what the highly-anticipated Barbie movie will actually be about. We’ve seen a few atmospheric teases but nothing that gives us as good a look at the movie’s plot as this latest trailer. And now that we have more of the story in front of us, it makes perfect sense. Barbie is a Barbie girl in a Barbie world in the Barbie movie. But she’s about to take on reality, whether she likes it or not. There might be some cold showers and flat feet to endure in the real world, but we have a feeling Barbie is about to learn that there’s also real beauty outside the enduring nature of plastic. However, as the Barbie movie trailer beautifully puts it, “Humans only have one ending. Ideas are forever.”

Take a look at this joyous and mildly existential-crisis-inducing trailer for the Barbie movie below.

We already love every Barbie and every Ken in this movie. Although we must admit, this Barbie trailer gives us some Life-Size vibes. Not that that’s a bad thing. The official description for the Barbie movie shares:

To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken.

Honestly, that’s exactly what we got out of Barbie‘s trailer. We can’t wait to find out what truths Barbie will discover in her movie. And, of course, we’re sure she’ll teach some important lessons along the way. Ken, however, is probably doomed to stay exactly as he is for life. But that’s really what we need out of Ken, when it comes right down to it.

This film, written and directed by Greta Gerwig, stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, among many other famous faces. The Barbie movie releases in theaters on July 21. And we have our best heels (or flats, this is the real world, after all) ready for the occasion.

The post Barbie Takes on the Real World, Death, and More in BARBIE Movie Trailer appeared first on Nerdist.

Fast X was definitely not the best entry in the franchise. But was it the worst? Fans of the franchise know that’s not the right question to ask. It’s not even an important one. Fast & Furious films aren’t defined by whether they’re objectively good or not. They’re defined by how awesome they are. So we ranked all the Fast & Furious installments, from the least awesome to the most awesome. Which movie reigns supreme? Let’s hit the NOS and find out.

11. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

The franchise’s only spinoff (thus far) has some great set pieces and its two titular stars have real chemistry together. But despite the script’s best efforts Hobbs & Shaw doesn’t have the heart of the primary movies. It all feels a little hollow, and in turn less awesome. The fact this Fast & Furious film is ranked at the bottom spot is a pretty good indication of how high the floor is on these movies, though.

What’s really awesome about this movie: Vanessa Kirby, who like her onscreen mom proves the Shaw woman are way cooler than the Shaw men.

10. Fast X

Fast X has a whole lot of problems, even if it does have some truly amazing action sequences and a tremendous supporting cast that prevent it from being bad. Despite also having both the most absurd resurrection and most shocking return in series history, it’s not enough to overcome the story’s malaise and the repetitive beats of its recurring characters, all of which are decidedly not awesome.

What’s really awesome about this movie: Jason Momoa’s Dante Reyes, a charming, flamboyant sociopath and the franchise’s best villain.

9. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

Drifting? Really freaking awesome. The locale? Also awesome. The worst lead performance in franchise history? Not awesome. I still love this movie (honestly), because it features arguably the best street races in the franchise alongside a truly absurd story, but the other movies are just a lot better.

What’s really awesome about this movie: It gave us Sung Kang’s Han, one of the coolest characters in history.

8. The Fate of the Furious

The fact this is one of the franchise’s most interesting stories (this is the God’s Eye one) is partly why it comes in lower on the awesome scale. The eighth entry forces Dom to temporarily turn his back on his family after Charlize Theron’s Cipher kidnaps the son he didn’t know he had. It also brutally kills off Elena. (Until they decide it didn’t.) There’s still a lot of great, entertaining stuff to love in this intense film. But this Fast & Furious list is highly competitive, therefore it gets a low ranking.

What’s really awesome about this movie: They blow up a submarine and make friends with their old enemies. I love this franchise.

7. 2 Fast 2 Furious

It sometimes feels like the second Fast installment gets overlooked, even though the franchise wouldn’t exist without it. Without this fun, bright, light Miami-based entry Vin Diesel would never have come back and pretended he’s the reason they keep making these movies. It also introduced Roman and Tej to the Fast world, which is a really big deal! And it also features a fantastic Eva Mendes performance. This movie is awesome and its relatively low ranking is a huge compliment to the films above it.

What’s really awesome about this movie: The title. “They should have sent a poet…” Or rather two of them. 2 Sent 2 Poets.

6. The Fast and the Furious

The movie that started it all—a wildly entertaining starter with great characters and incredible street racing action—has only grown in awesomeness thanks to its many sequels. How did that happen? Watching this film now is one of the funniest things a fan can do. The people who started out robbing DVD players on the highway are now all global superhero genius spies. The Fast family makes Steve Rogers’ transformation look lame.

What’s really awesome about this movie: “I live my life a quarter mile at a time.” Thank you, Dominic Toretto, for giving us this all-time quote. Truly.

5. F9

F9 is just as much a comedy as it is an action-movie. Some of its funniest elements include Roman figuring out they’re basically all made of plot armor and nothing can ever hurt them, “Mr. Family” Dom Toretto having a secret brother he disowned after their dad died, and John Cena’s Jakob taking the world’s longest and funniest zipline ride. There’s just a lot to enjoy here on top of all the ludicrous action.

What’s really awesome about this movie: They brought back Han for one. And they finally did “it.” This movie actually went to space.

4. Fast & Furious 6

Some people will say this film is too high. Those people are wrong. The sixth installment is awesome. It’s only problem was having the unenviable task of following the fifth, which few action movies ever can compare to. But that doesn’t mean Fast & Furious 6 is not incredible. It has Brian getting himself imprisoned, Letty’s amnesia story (LOL), and the big cargo plane sequence. History will prove this ranking correct.

What’s really awesome about this movie: This is the one with the tank chase on the highway. Yeah, like we said, awesome.

3. Furious 7

The saddest installment gave Paul Walker—the true heart and soul of the franchise—one of the best, most moving farewells in history. Before Brian drove off to the life of a dad, though, he was part of one of the most entertaining films in Fast & Furious history. This globe-hopping adventure includes him and Dom jump a car between the Etihad Towers in Dubai and yet somehow isn’t the most incredible stunt in the film. That goes to them parachuting real cars out of a real plane in real life! Gah! The awesomeness is glaring!

What’s really awesome about this movie: Jason Statham and Kurt Russell. As always.

2. Fast & Furious

The last film before the series went from somewhat realistic to the land of superheroes is also one of its best, most enjoyable installments. Fast & Furious 4—which reunited Dom and Brian—really hit the NOS on what the franchise could be: an over-the-top series defined by heart, humor, and action. Future films might be bigger with more incredible stunts, but to this day the fourth entry still features some of the best driving sequences.

What’s really awesome about this movie: The chase through the tunnels, which is unlike any other car scene in the franchise.

1. Fast Five

The best film is also the most awesome entry in the franchise. Fast Five, which elevated the Fast & Furious to a whole different stratosphere of quality, belongs in a very small group of best action-movies ever.

What’s really awesome about this movie: Literally everything and everyone. Fast Five is so good it should be a synonym for “awesome.”

As in, “This list is really Fast Five.”

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post Every FAST & FURIOUS Film Ranked by Awesomeness appeared first on Nerdist.

Original Reporting by Melissa Miller

MoviePass, the once-popular movie subscription service, is officially back in action. Potentially for good this time? If you’ve been itching for a return to the movies, you can see if the new MoviePass Beta, now available to the public, works for you. MoviePass has launched nationwide in over 4,000 theaters. And these include AMC Theatres, Cinemark, and Regal Cinemas. Currently, there are four different plans available to choose from. Here’s what we know about the new MoviePass.

Per a report in Variety, we learned that Stacy Spikes returns to run the service. MoviePass filed for bankruptcy in 2020. In its last few years, subscribers were frustrated by changes to plan options and blacked out showings. There were also service disruptions and lawsuits claiming bait-and-switch practices.

But chronic moviegoers may give the service a second chance. According to the official website, the service will work at all theaters that accept credit cards. MoviePass reveals there are four different plans: Basic, Standard, Premium, and Pro. And these will let you watch anywhere from one to 30 movies per month. According to MoviePass’ website, the price point for these plans ranges from $10-40 per month. However, if you live in NYC or Southern California, the cost of MoviePass’ new offerings ranges from $20-60 instead. That’s the price you pay, we suppose.

The plans each feature a certain amount of credits that can be used to watch a movie. How many credits a movie costs will depend on factors such as time, day, and, eventually, screen type. Additionally, “Up to 2 months of your unused credits will roll over. For example, if your plan is for 23 credits per month, you can have up to 46 credits in your account.” Right now, this Beta only includes 2D screens, but “access to large format & premium screens is coming soon.”

MoviePass’s popularity prompted big theater chains like AMC to create their own subscription services. AMC’s Stubs A-List club is still running. It offers up to three movies per week, including IMAX releases. It also allows for seeing the same movie multiple times and more than one movie per day, both features that the previous version of MoviePass didn’t include. AMC’s price point is $19.95 per month, but again varies based on zip code. The priority line for popcorn may be the best perk, though. We’ll see if MoviePass can compete.

Originally published in

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Fast X might have been the first of a two (possibly three) part finale for the main franchise, but that didn’t stop it from raising a whole lot of questions. From the fate of main characters and the potential return of others, to missing figures and questionable allegiances, there’s still so much we need to learn before Dominic Toretto turns the NOS off forever. But which ones are the most pressing? These are the “X” biggest issues the Fast & Furious needs to address before it drives off into the sunset.

I: Did Tej, Roman, Han, and Ramsey really die in that plane crash?

C’moooon. We all know the answer: absolutely not. Those four are 100% alive. But there’s still intrigue around that plane crash. Exactly how did they survive? Did they have a tiny little glider like Jakob? Also, what awaits them on the ground? Will they now come to Dom and little Brian’s rescue? And how will all of this impact Han’s dating life? Those are actual Fast X questions that this furious franchise needs to give answers to.

II: Did Jakob do permanent emotional damage to little Brian in Fast X by having his nephew murder people?

We’re comfortable also giving this one an unequivocal “no,” because there are rarely any real stakes or long-lasting consequences in this franchise. But this moment was so absurd it would be professional pop culture malpractice not to address it. Jakob really, really shouldn’t have let his young nephew murder people when he could have simply fired his car cannon himself. So why did he do it? That should cause serious, lasting emotional damage to a child. It won’t, but it should!

Oh, yeah, he also saw his Uncle Jakob blow up. And a madman kidnapped him before trying to crush him with two semi-trucks. We’re very worried about young Brian and hope to find out he’s miraculously un-phased by all of this.

III: Will Dom and Little B survive Dante’s dam flood?

Okay, obviously some of these Fast X questions are not really up for debate. That burst dam is more likely to drown Jason Momoa’s Aquaman than it is the invincible Fast & Furious Superman known as Dominic Toretto. The intrigue around Fast X‘s big cliffhanger is exactly how he and his son will avoid certain death from a literal dam-sized flood. We’re expecting their escape will be absurd, physically impossible, and a whole lot of fun. So, you know, exactly what we love about these movies.

IV: Did John Cena’s Jakob really die in Fast X?

Wow, a question that doesn’t already have a definitive and obvious answer! Now we’re driving with NOS! In any other franchise entry we’d say there’s no way Jakob actually died. Letty and Han both survived exploding cars. But the end of the main franchise will likely need some permanent deaths for it to have a real emotional impact. And those previous fake-outs weren’t shown in slow-motion like Jakob’s apparent sacrifice, so there’s reason to think this one was really different.

Obviously John Cena can come back (we won’t argue with those who believe he definitely will), but this might be the rare Fast & Furious death that sticks.

V: Is Isabela Neves’ sister Elena really dead?

Speaking of dead characters, Fast X revealed the late Elena Neves had a younger sister named Isabela. She’s a talented street racer and a literal member of the Fast family. (She’s little Brian’s aunt.) With the Neves clan taking on a bigger role in the franchise, is it possible Elena will be the next character to come back from the dead? It wouldn’t even be that hard to explain. Cipher is twisted enough to have faked Elena’s death specifically sho she could use her as leverage over Dom a second time.

VI: Where is Tess’s Dad Mr. Nobody?

The world is on the brink and yet Mr. Nobody remains MIA. Is he hiding, dead, captured, or trapped in a Cyclops’ cave? (Wait, strike that last one. Wrong Nobody.) We don’t know where the Agency’s former leader is or what happened to him. All we know is his fast-driving associates and their new ally Tess, his own daughter, could really use his help stopping the maniacal Dante. So where is Mr. Nobody and why hasn’t he been around for multiple movies? The answer to this question might be the most important one in the whole franchise.

VII: What other targets of Dante Reyes’ vengeance will return to the franchise?

Dante Reyes wants to make any and all associates of Dominic Toretto suffer. His vision board showed countless faces from Dom’s past, including Eva Mendes’ Monica Fuentes. Will she return to the franchise like Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs has? What other figures from Fast‘s past will also return for this final ride? Luke Evans? Anyone who ever bought a crappy tuna sandwich from Mia? Everyone who has ever known Dom and his friends is now in danger and therefore a candidate to come back. Except for the guy in the tightey whities Deckard Shaw beat up.

VIII: Why did Gal Gadot’s Gisele return now?

We covered this absurd resurrection in-depth. It’s possible (likely?) Mr. Nobody helped Gal Gadot’s Gisele go into hiding just as he did with Han previously. But who aided her isn’t as important as why she faked her death in the first place. And why did she choose to come out of hiding now? We have a million questions about Gisele’s missing ten years, and somehow her showing up on giant submarine isn’t even in the top 900,000 things we’re confused about.

IX: Is Charlize Theron’s Cipher a part of the Fast family now?

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, but does that make them family? That’s the question Fast X raised about the franchise’s longtime villain Cipher. After a brutal fight her and Letty worked together to escape an Agency black site in Antarctica where a waiting Gisele found them. Are they formally working together against Dante? If so, does that mean Charlize Theron’s Cipher now part of the Toretto extended family the way so many other franchise foes have joined up with them? We hope not, but we can’t rule it out, especially if it turns out she didn’t actually kill Elena.

X: Will we ever see Brian return (in any way) on screen?

Ever since Paul Walker’s death the franchise has explained his character’s absence by saying Brian is keeping his kids safe when things get dangerous. But with the Fast & Furious coming to an end will we actually “see” Brian in some capacity? Could Walker return to help save the day via CGI or old footage like Carrie Fisher in The Rise of Skywalker? Or will they show Brian (maybe played by one of his brother’s again like in Furious 7) from behind, possible walking with his wife Mia or hugging Dom?

The Fast franchise has never forgotten its friend Paul. Will it also keep a role open for Brian in their farewell? It’s been a long time since he rode with them and it feels like we’ll see him again before this family’s story comes to an end.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at  @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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The Machine star Bert Kreischer sits down with Nerdist’s Dan Casey to reveal his secret obsession with tomahawks, knives, and so much more on today’s episode of Secret Obsession!

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It’s been a while since we stepped into the world of The Hunger Games. But now we have a chance to see the origins of the treacherous world we’ve come to know. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes takes us back in time to the 10th Hunger Games and introduces us to a young Coriolanus Snow, who has not yet stepped into his full evil. For context, the first The Hunger Games movie takes place during the 74th Hunger Games. The Hunger Games prequel movie takes place 64 years before.

Here’s everything we know about The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.

Title

The title of The Hunger Games prequel movie is The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. This is the title of the prequel novel on which the film is based and alludes, of course, to the deep machinations of predator and prey we’ll see in the movie. The songbird refers to Lucy Gray Baird’s singing abilities. But the movie also poses a larger question, asking us to think about who the snakes and songbirds really are in the story.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes‘ Plot

Since The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is based on a novel by Suzanne Collins, many details of its plot are available. But here is what the official synopsis reveals about the movie.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray’s charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor. Battling his instincts for both good and evil, Snow sets out on a race against time to survive and reveal if he will ultimately become a songbird or a snake.

Additionally, we now have the first full trailer for the movie. It gives us a glimpse of the twists and turns of the tale we’ll soon see play out.

Behind the Scenes

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes will be directed by Francis Lawrence; Lawrence previously directed The Hunger Games’ Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part One, and Mockingjay Part Two.” Additionally, according to a release “it will be shepherded by franchise producer Nina Jacobson and her producing partner Brad Simpson, along with Francis Lawrence.” Suzanne Collins, the author of the series, will serve as executive producer. Michael Lesslie and Michael Arndt wrote the screenplay.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes‘ Cast

In addition to many other talents, Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés  Rivera, Jason Schwartzman, and Viola Davis star in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes‘ Release Date

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes will release on November 17.

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No one knows for sure if the main Fast & Furious franchise will end with 11 or 12 films. Except for me. I know the truth: it will never end. Some day, probably much sooner than later, Vin Diesel will go on Instagram and post something like, “My brothers and sisters, the time has come for us ride once more. I’m calling on all Fast & Furious fans around the universe to call on Universal to organize the greatest BBQ in history and bring our family back. Coronas up now and forever!” Then we’ll get a nine-part story that ends with Dominic Toretto going back in time so he can storm the beaches at Normandy in his Dodge Charger. (Fast & Furious: D(ominic)-Day will make $40 billion. Domestic.)

I can’t wait. But in the meantime Diesel says we’re getting spinoffs, including a female-led film. So which Fast & Furious characters can carry their own movies after the main series “ends.” These are the people we want to see get behind the wheel of their own standalone stories.

(Warning: This post contains some spoilers for Fast X.)

The Shaw Family Fast & Furious Spinoff: Helen Mirren (Queenie), Vanessa Kirby (Hattie), Luke Evans (Owen), and Jason Statham (Deckard)

The only Fast & Furious spinoff thus far was partly a Shaw family reunion. Vanessa Kirby joined the franchise as Deckard’s sister in Hobbs & Shaw. But we deserve to see the whole clan together. No other group in the franchise is skilled as the original cast, and the Shaws already have that ever important F&F family element. These four characters alone can carry multiple movies.

Plus, having Helen Mirren’s delightful Queenie around for whole movies instead of one scene or two is reason enough to greenlight this spinoff yesterday.

Sung Kang (Han) and Gal Gadot (Gisele)

The franchise’s best (and best-looking) couple seemed destined to be Fast & Furious‘ most tragic tale. You know, on account of them both dying. But this franchise doesn’t believe in death, so they’re now both back. And that means they can star in their own spinoffs. Han can make snacking seem like the coolest thing in the world, so hitting the NOS on him and Gisele (whom he was always at his best with) getting their own adventures sounds like an easy win.

Brie Larson (Tess Nobody) and Kurt Russell (Mr. Nobody)

Mr. Nobody’s daughter Tess proved more than capable of filling her missing father’s shoes in Fast X. No surprise, since the younger Nobody was played by Oscar-winner Brie Larson. She knows a little something about playing a hero in a larger-than-life fantasy series of superheroes. Now we need to see her star opposite the legendary Kurt Russell so we can really see what a couple of famous Nobodys can do together.

(Note: Their first film should take place in Greece, which is where we believe the family is from. “Nobody” is a pretty famous Greek name, after all.)

Eva Mendes (Monica Fuentes)

Yeah, remember!? Eva Mendes was a big part of 2 Fast 2 Furious as undercover U.S. Customs Agent Monica Fuentes. She then returned for a post-credits scene with Dwayne Johnson in Fast Five. Well, even if you forgot all that, Dante Reyes didn’t. Dante included Fuentes as an associate of Dom Toretto on his vision board in Fast X. Sounds like Mendes could be returning for the next film (at least), but why stop there when you have a big star playing a great character who can work undercover? Give Mendes her own Fast & Furious spinoff which can literally go anywhere.

Especially if it also means bringing Ryan Gosling to the franchise. Specifically as his character from Drive, yes, obviously.

Daniela Melchior (Isabel Neves) and Elsa Pataky (Elena Neves)

World-class driving skills? Check. Family? Check. A hyper sense of right and wrong? Check. A character who is definitely dead suddenly turning out to be alive? That will be a major check if Elsa Pataky returns as Elena. And why wouldn’t she? With Daniela Melchior joining the series in Fast X as her younger sister Isabel, the Neveses have literally everything we’d want from a Fast & Furious film. Or five of them.

Ryan Reynolds (Victor Locke) and Dwayne Johnson (Luke Hobbs)

I mean, it’s Ryan Reynolds. The guy can carry a franchise. He was also really funny as CIA Agent/best friend Victor Locke in Hobbs & Shaw, where he had incredible chemistry with Dwayne Johnson. Now that The Rock is officially back in the franchise, these two seem like an ideal pairing for another spinoff.

And when their films crossover with the Shaw Family series they’re going to make Avengers: Endgame look quaint.

John Cena (Jakob Toretto)

Did Jakob definitely die in Fast X? Yes. Does that mean he’s definitely dead? Hahaha, sorry, we just wanted to see what that looked like in print. Jakob can and probably will be back, and considering how much fun John Cena had playing the part the second time hopefully when Jakob Toretto returns he also gets a spinoff of his own.

The Fast & Furious Kids in Their Own Spinoff Adventure

Dom is teaching his son Brian to be better than him. Those lessons obviously include understanding the value of friends and family above all else. So someday, as Fast X teased, it seems certain little Brian will hit the road with big Brian’s children for a whole new generation of Fast & Furious stories.

Vin Diesel will definitely be in those. Spinoffs or main series, it doesn’t matter. He’s going to keep making these movies forever.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Ray Stevenson, whose career spanned 30 years and included roles in well-known television shows and movie franchises, sadly has passed away at the age of 58. He is survived by his son Sebastiano Derek.

Italian news channel Sky TG24 first reported Stevenson passed away unexpectedly on Monday May 22. Additional outlets have since confirmed his death on the Italian island Ischia. Sky TG24 said Stevenson was first rushed to a nearby hospital on Saturday afternoon after getting seriously ill while filming. He was there shooting director Frank Ciota’s Cassino a Ischia. While his cause of death is still unknown, the actor’s condition apparently grew much worse shortly before passing.

Born May 25, 1964 on a British army base in Lisburn, Northern Ireland to a British pilot father and Irish mother, Stevenson recently starred as the villain in the global hit RRR. He will also appear on the live-action Disney+ spinoff Ahsoka later this year. The show will mark his second time through the galaxy far, far way. He previously voiced Gar Saxon on Star Wars Rebels. He’s also known for playing Volstagg, one of the MCU’s most famous Asgaradian warriors, in the Thor franchise. Other notable starring roles include Titus Pullo in the HBO drama Rome and Frank Castle in Punisher: War Zone.

Over his lengthy-but-far-too-brief career Stevenson also appeared in famous films and series such as The Book of Eli, The Other Guys, The Three Musketeers, Dexter, Black Sails, Vikings, and Das Boot. In addition to Ahsoka, fans will also see him in a leading role in the upcoming historical drama about Genghis Khan, Gateway to the West.

The actor’s official IMDb bio notes he first dreamed of performing as a child. However, he didn’t pursue a career on screen until age 25 when he left his job as an interior director. That worked well for him and his many fans who now bid him farewell far too soon.

The post Actor Ray Stevenson Has Passed Away Unexpectedly at 58 appeared first on Nerdist.

By day, he’s a mild-mannered archaeology professor with longstanding daddy issues. By night—and, actually, also plenty of daylight hours—he’s a jet-setting, whip-wielding adventurer with a yen for preservation. He, of course, is Henry Jones, Jr., a.k.a. Indiana (after the dog). And he’s gearing up for a fifth cinematic adventure, more than 40 years after his first.

Here’s everything we know about Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

Title

The title of Indiana Jones 5 is officially Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny‘s Plot

Happily, we finally know a little bit more about what will happen in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. According to Empire, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny “finds Indy in 1960s-era New York City.” And he’ll be taking on his most hated foes, the Nazis, once again.

Inspired by the film, the subscriber cover for Empire’s Indiana Jones 5 issue finds Indy in 1960s-era New York City, bathed in golden light, whip in hand. Illustrated exclusively for Empire by Sam Hadley.

READ MORE: https://t.co/LMIMWIF8CS pic.twitter.com/vdP0Y6HvxY

— Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) November 18, 2022

Mads Mikkelsen will, of course, play the villain in the movie, the nefarious Voller. Empire reveals that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny “finds our hero in 1969, living against the backdrop of the space race – but the American effort to beat the Russians to the moon brings with it some uncomfortable truths for Indy.”

Director James Mangold also shares of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny as a whole:

It became really important to me to figure out how to make this a movie about a hero at sunset. The issues I brought up about Indy’s age were not things I thought were being addressed in the material being developed at the time. There were ‘old’ jokes, but the material itself wasn’t about it. To me, whatever you greatest liability, you should fly straight towards that. If you try to pretend it’s not there, you end up getting slings and arrows the whole way.

Joining Indy on his adventure will be his goddaughter, Helena, played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Waller-Bridge notes of Helena, “She’s a mystery and a wonder.” Meanwhile, director James Mangold offers that she’s a “slippery, charming, the girl next door, a grifter.” While Ford adds that Helena is “a pioneer in ethical accounting.” Well, all in all, that doesn’t really tell us much. But we’re excited to stay tuned for more.

When it comes to Indiana himself, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will feature a digitally de-aged Harrison Ford that harkens back to the Indiana Jones of the original trilogy. According to Empire, the opening sequence of the movie “dials the clock back to 1944, set in a castle swarming with Nazis. Through the miracle of de-ageing technology, we’re going back towards Raiders-era Indy.” And then, the clock will fly forward, and the audience and Indy will land in 1969.

The de-aged Indiana Jones will come to life thanks to archival footage of a younger Harrison Ford. This footage will then be matched with newly shot material. Apparently, the original Raiders jacket even came out of storage for the occasion. While de-aging can so often go wrong, the creators of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny hope that fans will see this as a technological marvel and a chance to turn back the clock.

You can take a look at all these ideas in action in Indiana Jones‘ latest trailer.

Make sure to enjoy Indy while you can because Ford confirmed recently that this would indeed be his last outing as Indiana Jones. He told Total Film magazine (via GamesRadar), “This is the final film in the series, and this is the last time I’ll play the character. I anticipate that it will be the last time that he appears in a film.” He went on to add he won’t be involved in the possible Indiana Jones TV series “if it does come to fruition.”

Behind the Scenes

The prospect of a fifth Indiana Jones movie has been underway, formally or otherwise, since shortly after the fourth film. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull released in 2008; middling reception notwithstanding, Steven Spielberg maintained the intention to carry forth with another story.

Given Harrison Ford’s alleged skepticism about the project, early rumblings suggested the graduation of Shia LaBeouf to the starring role; LaBeouf had portrayed sidekick Mutt in Crystal Skull. For one reason or another—or both, or all, or every conceivable—that idea died out before long.

Further development stalled up through Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012. Another three years passed before Kathleen Kennedy confirmed development on Indy 5, just shy of The Force Awakens’ release. (And overwhelming box office success.) Lucasfilm originally scheduled the movie for a 2019 release. However, further shakeups behind the scenes preempted that plan…

The first big switcheroo involved replacing original screenwriter David Koepp. Koepp was enlisted for the script after writing Crystal Skull. In 2018, Koepp left the project and the team brought in Jonathan Kasdan, son of Lawrence Kasdan and co-writer of that year’s Solo: A Star Wars Story. However, Kasdan’s draft was eschewed in favor of a new turn by Dan Fogelman.

Most fans expected that Spielberg, director of every Indy film so far, would return to helm the fifth installment; in fact, it seemed as though Spielberg was considering the job for some time. However, in 2020, the still-unproduced movie fell into the hands of a different director: James Mangold.

At this point, the screenplay saw yet another change of hands. Mangold took the reins in this department alongside screenwriting partners and brothers Jez and John-Henry Butterworth. In a more harmonious fashion (in more ways than one), John Williams is returning to score the picture.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny‘s Cast

Early resistance notwithstanding, Harrison Ford ultimately signed on to revive the character of Indy proper. This time, he’s be joined by a slew of exciting costars. Topping the list: Fleabag creator and No Time to Die writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who costarred in the aforementioned Solo; and Mads Mikkelsen (per Deadline), ever the welcome entry in any anticipated project. Also on board (per The Hollywood Reporter): Narcos‘ Boyd Holbrook and the MCU’s Shaunette Renée Wilson and Thomas Kretschmann. (She played a Dora Milaje; he played Baron von Strucker.) The latest high-profile casting for the movie is Antonio Banderas, per Deadline.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny‘s Release Date

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is set to arrive in theaters on June 30, 2023.

Originally published on May 14, 2021.

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Disney is no stranger to live-action adaptations of its beloved animated stories. The Little Mermaid is the latest in a long line of photorealistic remakes that started with Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book in 1994. Like many before it, The Little Mermaid is at parts a shot-for-shot rehash of its predecessor. But unlike Beauty & The Beast, this take on the fish out of water tale features a cast that can stand up to the original both in acting and musicality.

The Little Mermaid centers on Ariel, a teenaged mermaid who is obsessed with human culture. She collects whosits and whatsits, trinkets from the surface world she longs to explore. When her father destroys her collection, she makes a deal with a witch to become human. We all know this story. And, a lot of us have grown critical of Ariel over the years, as we’ve grown up ourselves and realized she was out of her guppy a** mind.

Halle Bailey is a stunning Ariel! She perfectly encapsulates both the innocent naïveté of a sheltered princess and the fierce boldness of a young woman determined to create her own path. Like Jodi Benson before her, Halle’s vocal performance in The Little Mermaid’s music numbers fully engross you into the story. Nevermind that any of us would love to live in the beautiful underwater world that Ariel is desperate to escape. When she sings about the surface we want to go there too. Jonah Hauer-King is endearing as Prince Eric, and he brings a softness and sincerity that makes him easy to like. Together, they sell a sweet and earnest love story that you genuinely root for.

Daveed Diggs and Awkwafina as Sebastian and Scuttle, respectively, bring the humor. The latter is surprisingly adept in their random unneeded but ultimately fine rap number in the third act. Jacob Tremblay is the sweetest flounder in all seven seas. Triton (Javier Bardem) is perhaps a bit impassive as a strict but loving father. He never feels as big as the moment calls for, even when he’s destroying his daughter’s cave of treasures. Melissa McCarthy on the other hand spends every moment of her screen time doing the absolute most as Ursula. She does a spot-on performance, which could maybe be called derivative, as she perfectly recreates but doesn’t really evolve the character in any way.

The Little Mermaid takes what’s familiar and adds nuance where only nonsense existed before. As full-grown adults, some with teenage daughters, the idea of rooting for a young woman to completely disobey her parents and sign a predatory contract with a known scammer is a hard ask. This film expands on the original story just enough that Ariel’s motivations make sense and are relatable, even to us olds. The romance doesn’t feel forced or rushed, and it’s built on something more substantial than Ariel’s curiosity and Eric’s obsession. In fact, what makes The Little Mermaid work is the build-up of Ariel and Eric’s relationship. You want them to be together because they fit together.

Some story elements expand on the lore but don’t add much to it. There are mentions of Ursula stoking tensions between sea and surface dwellers. We also separately learn that Triton’s hate for humanity is a direct result of his wife’s death. These are almost certainly related, but there’s never any real exploration of them which deprives both characters of much-needed depth. Most of the changes made to the story enhance it, especially in service of the central romance. However, the lack of follow through on these potentially interesting and complicated dynamics is one of the few real disappointments of this film.

The film is photorealistic, but not realistic; it is not nor is it trying to be an Avatar. The underwater world defies any real physics logic. You’ll just have to suspend disbelief when hair lies flat instead of floating wildly. It’s fantasy! The sea life, merpeople, and… whatever Ursula is are all beautifully rendered. And while they are mostly relegated to the background, Ariel’s sisters stun with their gorgeous, culture-influenced fin designs. The sea setting is colorful and vibrant, and is especially gorgeous during the “Under the Sea” sequence—one of the scenes that justifies why this film exists. The surface is equally bright, with a pretty, broadly Caribbean setting and colorful cast of supporting talent.

Composer Alan Menken and lyricist (and producer) Lin-Manuel Miranda do what needs to be done. There are updated song lyrics and three brand new songs—including Eric’s solo, “Wild Uncharted Waters”—that lean much more into LMM’s style. With these new additions, The Little Mermaid stays true to the original while offering something slightly new for the next generation of fans. The new songs probably won’t become staples—I sincerely hope your kids spare you “The Scuttlebutt”—but we can hope the youth have taste and will run the rerecorded classics back.

In a storytelling landscape rife with remakes, adaptations, and remakes of adaptations, one question is consistently asked, but often unanswered: Who is this for? Thirtysomethings who grew up with the original The Little Mermaid will find a lot to love here. There are both perfect recreations of iconic moments and subtle changes that broaden or deepen original scenes. The nostalgia is wielded to near-perfection, every meaningful moment in the original is recaptured, and without the weird icky feeling that comes from overindulgence in fan service. You know it’s meant to trigger the feels, but you enjoy every time it happens.

This is… for us. It’s also for the next generation of fans who will see themselves reflected in the diverse population of merpeople, and believe they can do or be anything because they’ve seen it. I took a moment to imagine what it would be like to watch this with brand new eyes. And I just knew young me would be absolutely enraptured. This film is not perfect and the climax is lacking. But it is charming, funny, and sincere and it makes me want to be part of that world.

The Little Mermaid swims into theaters on May 26.

The Little Mermaid ⭐ (4 of 5)

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The latest Fast & Furious film delivered the franchise’s most absurd resurrection yet. A Fast X mid-credits scene not only brought back Gal Gadot’s Gisele ten years after she seemingly fell to her death, it had her show up in Antarctica on a submarine. But in true Fast & Furious fashion, that somehow that wasn’t even the film’s most shocking, most mind-blowing moment. That honor belongs to another character’s surprise return. Because even though we knew was definitely still alive, Dwayne Johnson swore he would never again play Luke Hobbs for the series main films, yet he is clearly in Fast X.

What does the return of Luke Hobbs during Fast X‘s mid-credits scene mean for the future of the films onscreen? And why did offscreen issues make his Fast return seem impossible? Here’s everything you need to know about the unlikely road back to the Fast & Furious for Dwayne Johnson.

Dwayne Johnson’s Previous Offscreen Issues with His Fast & Furious Male Co-Stars

In 2016, ahead of his last week filming The Fate of the Furious (8) Dwayne Johnson criticized unnamed male co-stars in a since deleted Instagram post. In it he wrote, “Some conduct themselves as stand up men and true professionals, while others don’t.”

Johnson never specified which male colleagues he specifically considered “chicken sh*t” and “candy a**es.” (This is a wresting joke, obvs.) However, reports at the time said “tension” had been building for months between him and Vin Diesel. (Stories about Diesel’s alleged offscreen behavior and demands are notorious. Sources also say he was the reason longtime director Justin Lin abruptly left Fast X.)

Over the years subsequent public comments from the franchise’s stars, as well as a controversial spinoff, narrowed the field of who Johnson did and did not consider a professional.

Hobbs & Shaw Leads to More Offscreen Drama

After the franchise’s eighth film finished Johnson starred in the series’ only spinoff with Jason Statham in 2019’s Hobbs & Shaw. That film, which pushed back the making and release of Fast 9, led an angry Tyrese Gibson to publicly state he would not return as Roman Pearce if Johnson also appeared in the main franchise’s ninth installment. Gibson then reignited the spat two years later with his own now deleted Instagram post. In it he ripped both the spinoff and Johnson after the film’s subpar opening weekend.

But as bad as all of that was, Johnson seemed to finally slam the car door shut on a potential return to the Fast & Furious return in 2021.

The Rock Accuses Vin Diesel of “Manipulation”

In October of 2020 Universal Pictures announced Fast X would be the first part of a two-movie franchise finale. (It may or may not end up being a trilogy, instead.) The Rock, who had been such an important part of the series since Luke Hobbs’ debut in Fast 5, said he would not be appearing in either film.

Despite their obvious issues, Vin Diesel tried to lure Johnson back with an Instagram post of his own. That one—in all its bizarre Vin Diesel-esque glory/shamelessness—is still up. It’s also still shocking in its tone and message.

To the surprise of no one, Dwayne Johnson did not appreciate Diesel’s approach to coaxing/embarrassing him into a return.

The Rock responded in blunt terms about Diesel’s post during an interview with CNN shortly after. He said it “surprised” him because the two had spoken privately and “directly” over social media months earlier. Johnson said he had already told Diesel in “firm yet cordial” terms he “would always be supportive of the cast and always root for the franchise to be successful, but that there was no chance I would return.”

While Johnson wished the franchise, his former co-stars and crew, and fans success, Diesel’s ploy seemed to backfire spectacularly. In December of 2021 it seemed impossible Dwayne Johnson would ever again appear in a Fast & Furious film. How could he after all of that?

Dwayne Johnson Makes a Truly Shocking Return Along with Gal Gadot in Fast X Mid-Credits Scene

Oh, right, we forgot: money exists.

As does forgiveness, mediation, friendship, professional fulfillment, closure, studio side deals/promises, scripts that can keep two actors apart (you know, like Furious 7 and Fast & Furious 8), and a million other valid reasons that can make someone change their mind.

Dwayne Johnson will likely share his with fans eventually, but regardless of whatever offscreen drama still exists between him and his co-stars, what matters for the actual movies is that Luke Hobbs is back for the franchise’s final ride.

What Did Fast X‘s Mid-Credits Scene Reveal About Luke Hobbs?

After finding himself imprisoned for an off-the-book’s mission that went wrong, Luke Hobbs had a chance to get his old job back as Diplomatic Security Service agent at the end of The Fate of the Furious. Instead he told Mr. Nobody he was electing to spend more time with his daughter.

That quality time together didn’t last long. He got called back to action in Hobbs & Shaw, where he worked with his former enemy Deckard Shaw to save the world. Hobbs’ reunion with his family in the film seemed to be where his story would end. But Fast X found him still leading missions for a government agency again. He was part of the team searching through an empty mansion.

Why Does Jason Momoa’s Dante Reyes Hate Luke Hobbs?

Inside he found another one of Dante Reyes’ multi-monitor setups, along with a cellphone. When Hobbs answered the phone Dante let him know that while Dominic Toretto might have brought his father to that bridge it was Hobbs who put the bullets in his dad’s head. Dante is coming after Hobbs, who says he’s not hard to find.

That brief exchange indicates Dwayne Johnson will make a big and meaningful return in Fast 11 (and possibly 12 if it exists). Dante is the series-ending big bad, and he has his eyes set on making Hobbs—a father himself—suffer.

Does this mean Johnson’s beef with Vin Diesel and Tyrese Gibson is over for good? Have they all truly buried the hatchet for good? Or is this simply a professional decision based on what’s best for both their careers and the end of a franchise they all care about?

For fans who wanted to see Luke Hobbs back for Fast X, it doesn’t really matter. Well, so long as Dante doesn’t hurt his daughter.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at  @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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