Snoochie Boochies! While Kevin Smith announced last year that a third Jay and Silent Bob movie would be hitting screens, he provided some more details on the threequel this weekend, telling his audience at the San Diego Comic-Con that the movie will officially be titled Store Wars.
While little was revealed, Smith did say that the next movie will find Jay and Silent Bob opening a weed dispensary — presumably in Smith’s home state of New Jersey — and finding some stiff competition with a rival joint.
For the die-hard fans of the View Askewniverse, the confirmation of a third Jay and Silent Bob outing will be just what they need. Personally, I think the way 2019’s Jay and Silent Bob Reboot ended was a fitting farewell to the characters, showing a perfect mixture of maturity with Jay’s parenthood and some-things-never-change mentality with old school hijinks, leading directly back to where it all started: the Quick Stop. But if Smith is indeed going to make the characters’ saga a trilogy, I’ll definitely be there to see what the dudes are up to.
Some might be pleading for Kevin Smith to hang up the backwards cap on his Jay and Silent Bob characters, but we must admit that he has found a nice balance between that View Askewniverse – something it took him until Jersey Girl to venture away from – and other projects that draw him in. Come on, a Clerks trilogy andTusk – that’s some diversity right there! Smith’s next flick – smack dab in the middle of two View Askewniverse pictures – The 4:30 Movie, comes out this year.
Judging by what we know of the plot so far, Jay and Silent Bob: Store Wars does seem like it would try to ground the characters (played by Jason Mewes and Smith himself) in a territory and plot they are more comfortable in. The weed biz has been an endeavor of the duo’s the past couple times around, so centering around that – and not, say, a cross-country trek – should work. It seems that Smith learned his lesson with Clerks III as well, as he says he won’t be killing off any characters this time around…
Are you down for another Jay and Silent Bob movie? Let us know below!
This week, Ubisoft released a statement addressing what might generously be called a “controversy” about the upcoming Assassin’s Creed game, Shadows. Let’s be real, though. It’s just the latest salvo from a reactionary hate movement. You can read our thoughts on that, the terrific texture of Yakuza 0, the missteps of N…
This week, Ubisoft released a statement addressing what might generously be called a “controversy” about the upcoming Assassin’s Creed game, Shadows. Let’s be real, though. It’s just the latest salvo from a reactionary hate movement. You can read our thoughts on that, the terrific texture of Yakuza 0, the missteps of N…
Comic Con’s Marvel panel is now in the rearview mirror, and suffice it to say, the MCU is heading in a very different direction. The Kang Dynasty has been scrapped, and now the next big Marvel bad is Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr as (presumably) an alternate, evil version of Tony Stark. But what reveal has you the most pumped? Let us know in the poll below!
What Comic Con Marvel Reveal Has You The Most Excited?
As the San Diego Comic-Con nears its end, we are happy to report that Marvel has followed through on their grand return to Hall H. And it is here that some of the most anticipated news of the entire week has come out, with Captain America: Brave New World bringing footage and word that Giancarlo Esposito would be Sidewinder, while Thunderbolts* unveiled a trailer courtesy of Florence Pugh and company. But Marvel also has a few other projects lined up, in case ya didn’t know…
It was on Saturday that Marvel revealed that the upcoming Fantastic Four movie has officially been titled The Fantastic Four: First Steps
The Fantastic Four director Matt Shakman got things rolling in Hall H, saying that it is set in an alternate 1960s inspired by the work of Syd Mead, the famed designer who helped bring Alien, Blade Runner and more to life.
Attendees also got to see a sizzle reel that took a unique approach in promoting the style of The Fantastic Four. For example, we got Pedro Pascal’s Mr. Fantastic hosting a retro kids science show alongside Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), who plays off of Mr. Fantastic’s vibe. There, too, of course, is Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), who remains shy, and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who sticks with a more cynical attitude. All of this period footage maintains a 1.33:1 aspect ratio and 16mm stock…until a certain iconic Marvel villain turns up. That’s right, it’s Galactus, played by Ralph Ineson!
Just announced in Hall H:
Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps begins production on Tuesday. Only in theaters July 25, 2025. #SDCCpic.twitter.com/iPAlXlajnr
As for the title, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, it does feel like it works in a couple of different possible ways. One, that the movie is set during the ‘60s (or, at least, a version of it) calls to mind the Apollo 11 moon landing, in which Americans first set foot on the moon. Another ties into family, as in a baby’s first steps. As Quinn put it during the panel, “We are all collectively going to bring an essence that is a family…Rather than thining about what individually we are going to bring, it’s a team sport. We are going to work very hard to bring a feeling of family to this film.” The Fantastic Four begins filming on Tuesday, July 30th and is part of Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“New mask, same task.”
Robert Downey Jr. surprises Hall H to announce his return to the MCU as Doctor Doom. pic.twitter.com/j1SEjzse3p
Now, onto The Avengers…and there are some bombshells here, folks! It was confirmed on Saturday night that the Russo Brothers will be directing both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, with the first featuring Robert Downey Jr. as supervillain Victor Von Doom, undeniably a replacement for Kang following Jonathan Majors’ various issues. With Secret Wars slated for 2027 and Doomsday 2026, that will allow a perfect set-up of RDJ as the latest – and perhaps greatest – threat to the MCU!
No doubt Marvel set a new precedent for SDCC and Hall H…But with that being a wrap on Saturday’s festivities, all we can say now is…Bye Bye Bye!
Saturday night at San Diego Comic-Con is always a rush. While I’m huddled up in my home office listening to Sleep Token and Iress on repeat, attendees of one of the year’s most exciting entertainment events are witnessing Marvel history as the studio takes charge of Hall H to astound and amaze fans with a unique look at the future of superhero cinema. While riding the wave of Deadpool & Wolverine‘s success at the box office, Kevin Feige and his merry band of creatives are ready to blow minds and tease what’s to come from the House of Ideas!
The Marvel panel opened with a full choir singing Madonna’s 1989 hit “Like a Prayer.” A parade of Deadpools danced on stage, with one dressed like Bob Ross. It was a homoerotic display, with lots of gyrating and enthusiastic thrusting. Some crowd members did not know what to make of the scene. Deadpool and Wolverine began dancing around as Kevin Feige took the stage with Rob Delaney (Peter) to be the panel’s moderator.
The Marvel panel opened with a full choir singing Madonna’s 1989 hit “Like a Prayer.” A parade of Deadpools danced on stage, with one dressed like Bob Ross. It was a homoerotic display, with lots of gyrating and enthusiastic thrusting. Some crowd members did not know what to make of the scene. Deadpool and Wolverine began dancing around as Kevin Feige took the stage with Rob Delaney (Peter) to be the panel’s moderator.
The panel quickly moved into talk about Captain America: Brave New World as Anthony Mackie and Giancarlo Esposito took the stage. Esposito’s character has been a mystery until now, as the duo revealed he’s playing Sidewinder, the King of the Serpent Society.
Addressing the crowd, Mackie said Tom Holland teased him years ago, saying Falcon didn’t have his own movie. Years later, Mackie says the character has his own movie, and Holland is still 5’11. Additionally, Mackie’s Captain America is more cerebral than Steve Rogers, as he doesn’t have the advantages of super serum. Feige says Captain America: Brave New World is similar to The Winter Soldier.
Meanwhile, Giancarlo Esposito says it’s a dream come true to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unfortunately, Julius Onah has COVID-19, so he could not attend the show. In a clip shared with the audience (the same one from CinemaCon), President Ross (Harrison Ford) presents the discovery of Adamantium. The scene cuts to President Ross trying to get Captain America to help him rebuild The Avengers. Ross says the country needs the Avengers. The clip ends with Ross turning into Red Hulk, and it looks wild! People in the crowd went ballistic! When Ford joined his co-stars on stage, he mimicked his character’s mighty roar (shown below).
For Marvel’s Thunderbolts presentation, David Harbour appeared as Red Guardian but was mock upset when he entered and no one else dressed up. The whole Thunderbolts cast is there with the film’s director, Jake Schreier. If Ford plays Thunderbolt Ross, what is their relation to him? The asterisk on the title relates to that fact, but “you have to see the movie.”
Sebastian Stan says the best part about playing Bucky after nine years is he feels like a cat and hopes he has nine more lives. Harbour says he loves the whole cast, but Florence Pugh is his favorite (who could blame him). He says it’s “electric” to work with their relationship’s complexity this time. Their dynamic goes between warmth, humor, and pathos.
Next, Marvel showed a Thunderbolts trailer, as presented by Florence Pugh. The Midsommar and Black Widow actress says Thunderbolts is “so wonderful, bizarre, and brave. The bloody stunts! Oh my God!”
The Thunderbolts trailer opens with Yelena coming to find Red Guardian, who is a mess and thinks she works for DoorDash. She recruits him – and like everyone else on the team, they drift without purpose. You can tell Yelena is still a killer. The trailer moves to her at odds with the U.S. Agent and the others, but they unite to find out who is trying to kill them. Scored by The Pixies “Where is My Mind,” the Comic-Con crowd is going nuts. “The are bad guys and worse guys.” It appears as if Julia Louis Dreyfus’s Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is the villain.
Penguins can’t fly but Hall H was soaring with news and behind-the-scenes stories related to DC’s upcoming series centered around Oswald Cobblepot aka Gotham’s Penguin. Spin-offs can be hit and miss, but as it turns out, Matt Reeves found the perfect way to ensure that “Oz” could breathe outside of a traditional sequel. And if you don’t believe him, maybe the official trailer for The Penguin will convince you.
In the trailer for The Penguin, we see Colin Farrell’s Oswald comforting his mother (Deirdre O’Connell), assuring her he will find a better life. Of course, this “American Dream” is a “hustle”. But The Penguin is up to the task, positioning himself as the face of Gotham. We also get a better idea of just what sort of role Cristin Milioti’s Sofia Falcone – daughter of the late Carmine (who was killed in The Batman – will play in the series.
While Colin Farrell was not in attendance for the SDCC panel (he is currently filming a movie in Macau, China), he did Skype in to support both The Penguin and those who could make it, partaking in the conversation. It was during the panel that it was revealed that the original plan was for The Penguin’s transition into a full-on mob boss occur at the beginning of The Batman – Part II. Things changed, however, when it was decided that he could be marketed as a “marquee character”; thus, The Penguin – the show, that is – was born.
The transformation that Farrell has taken is truly stunning and helps usher in the character for this generation. Funnily enough, Matt Reeves mentioned that he has only seen Farrell outside of his Penguin makeup a few times. Farrell, too, wound up being totally sold on the new look of the character once Reeves showed him a computer simulation. From there, Farrell – who wasn’t completely sold on playing the iconic Batman villain – knew he had to portray the character, adding that his makeup test was a highlight of his career. As for the three and a half hours of actual makeup work he had to get done every day – well, that sounds grueling. Farrell also noted that he is a huge fan of every mainstream Penguin so far, namely Burgess Meredith and Danny DeVito (too bad DeVito still votes his as better!). A shoutout, too, was given to Robin Lord Taylor, who portrayed Oswald Cobblepot on Fox’s Gotham series, with Reeves saying he deserves to be in the conversation of classic Penguins as much as Meredith, DeVito and Farrell.
But it’s not just all about makeup – or, thankfully, CGI. The team also noted that practical effects play a huge role on the series, with Matt Reeves noting that CG and AI just don’t have that “visceral” feel needed for such a project.
Perhaps as expected, Hall H attendees were able to get the first look at the trailer for The Penguin, which is slated to debut on HBO – after a shift from Max – on September 19th.
The surprises keep coming at Paramount‘s Star Trek Universe as the time-honored sci-fi franchise takes San Diego Comic-Con’s Hall H by storm! In addition to multiple announcements for Star Trek: Brave New Worlds, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, and Star Trek: Below Decks, a Star Trek: Section 31 teaser trailer is here to inspire Trekkies to “get in formation” as Michelle Yeoh does her best to come off as a “bad bitch” of the cosmos.
The project stars Michelle Yeoh (The Brothers Sun, Everything Everywhere All At Once) as Emperor Philippa Georgiou, who made her Star Trek debut in the first season of Star Trek: Discovery. Hailing from the Mirror Universe, Yeoh’s commanding character is an agent of the Federation spy group Section 31. Trekkies have waited years for Emperor Philippa Georgiou to return to the beloved sci-fi soap opera, and it’s finally happening! In Star Trek: Section 31, Emperor Philippa Georgiou must protect the United Federation of Planets while confronting the sins of her past.
The trailer is set to Beyoncé’s “Formation,” days after presidential hopeful Kamala Harris declared the Queen B’s Lemonade track her battle cry for the upcoming election. The Star Trek: Section 31 teaser trailer gives edgy vibes compared to other Star Trek fare. The preview has attitude, a stylish, almost Blade Runner meets Cyberpunk 2099 look, and a cast of misfit characters played by actors Omari Hardwick, Sam Richardson, and Kacey Rohl.
Section 31 will include a younger version of Rachel Garrett, the future captain of the USS Enterprise C, introduced in Yesterday’s Enterprise, one of the best episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The character was briefly seen as a statue in Star Trek: Picard but hasn’t been seen in the flesh since that TNG episode. She’ll be played by Kacey Rohl (Hannibal) in Section 31. The addition of Rachel Garrett puts the timeframe of Section 31 somewhere between the TOS movies and the beginning of TNG, an era that hasn’t been explored much.
Star Trek: Section 31 screenwriter Craig Sweeny knows that the black-ops organization has been controversial with fans since its introduction in Deep Space Nine. “The concept is almost antagonistic to some of the values of Star Trek,” Sweeny said in March. “Famously, there’s a spot for everybody in Roddenberry’s utopia, so I was like, ‘Well, who would be the people who don’t quite fit in?’ I didn’t want to make the John le Carré version, where you’re in the headquarters and it’s backbiting and shades of gray. I wanted to do the people who were at the edges, out in the field. These are not people who necessarily work together the way you would see on a ‘Star Trek’ bridge.”
While the feature-film side of Star Trekstruggles to engage its warp drive, the television side has been doing great, with various live-action and animated shows to expand the franchise. The Star Trek Universe took to Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con to tease what’s coming for the long-running franchise.
During the panel, Paramount+ unveiled a first-look clip and photos for the third season of the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds series. There to make Hall H attendants lose their collective minds were Star Trek alums Rebecca Romijn and Ethan Peck, executive producers Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, and Henry Alonso Myers. Paramount seized the opportunity to announce Cillian O’Sullivan’s appointment as a recurring guest star in the upcoming season, playing the legacy role of Dr. Roger Korby, first introduced in Star Trek: The Original Series and played by Michael Strong. Dr. Korby is an accomplished archaeologist and scientist known for advancing the arena of medical archaeology.
In addition to adding Dr. Korby, Scotty, the chief engineer of the starship USS Enterprise, will be a series regular for Season 3. Strange New Worlds is set around a decade before the original series and follows Captain Christopher Pike, the Captain of the USS Enterprise, before James T. Kirk’s service.
Paramount screened a clip from the upcoming season of Strange New Worlds (shown above), featuring Pike and three other crew members temporarily transforming into Vulcans by taking a serum. The transformed Vulcans mock Spock for being only half-Vulcan, but Spock has the last laugh when the formula doesn’t wear off. The clip features Number 2 in the captain’s chair, with Pike leading various away missions. Paramount also teased a Hollywood murder mystery-themed episode.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which has already been renewed for a fourth season. The series has quickly become a fan favourite and hasn’t been afraid to take some big swings, including a musical episode and a crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks. Speaking of Lower Decks, the animated series got some love at Comic-Con as well, although the series will sadly be coming to an end with the upcoming fifth season.
Paramount also shared the premiere date and teaser trailer for the fifth and final season of the animated series Star Trek: Below Decks. The season premieres on Paramount+ with two episodes on Thursday, October 24. New episodes of the 10-episode series will be broadcast every Thursday on Paramount+ leading up to the finale on Thursday, December 19.
Season 5 of Lower Decks finds the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos tasked with closing “space potholes”—subspace rifts causing chaos in the Alpha Quadrant. Pothole duty would be easy for Jr. Officers Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, and Rutherford…if they didn’t also have to deal with an Orion war, furious Klingons, diplomatic catastrophes, murder mysteries, and, scariest of all, their own career aspirations.
Star Trek: Lower Decks focuses on the support crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, in 2380. Ensigns Mariner, Boimler, Rutherford, and Tendi have to keep up with their duties and their social lives, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies. The Starfleet crew residing in the “lower decks” of the U.S.S. Cerritos includes Ensign Beckett Mariner, voiced by Tawny Newsome, Ensign Brad Boimler, voiced by Jack Quaid, Ensign Tendi, voiced by Noël Wells and Ensign Rutherford, voiced by Eugene Cordero. The Starfleet characters that comprise the ship’s bridge crew include Captain Carol Freeman, voiced by Dawnn Lewis; Commander Jack Ransom, voiced by Jerry O’Connell; Lieutenant Shaxs, voiced by Fred Tatasciore; and Doctor T’Ana, voiced by Gillian Vigman.
Surprisingly, Akiva Goldsman announced that a Star Trek: Strange New Worlds musical could happen. “We’re in the very early stages of figuring out whether we can bring a version of that to the stage,” Goldsman said when asked if there will be any more musical episodes like episode 209 “Substance Rhapsody.” The announcement got a big reaction from Romijn, who said, “Akiva, I can’t believe you just said that!” The “Substance Rhapsody” episode revolves around an accident with an experimental quantum probability field, causing everyone aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise to burst into song as other crew members become affected by the expansion of the field, an unforgettable mission unfolds, making Star Trek history as the storied franchise’s first musical episode.
One of the most exciting projects is the first Star Trek movie developed exclusively for Paramount+. Star Trek: Section 31 will feature the return of Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou, former Empress of the Mirror Universe. Joining up with a secret division of Starfleet, Georgiou is tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets while also facing the sins of her past. The rest of the case includes Omari Hardwick (Power), Kacey Rohl (Hannibal), Sam Richardson (Ted Lasso), Sven Ruygrok (One Piece), Robert Kazinsky (Pacific Rim), Humberly Gonzalez (Ginny & Georgia), and James Hiroyuki Liao (Barry). The film was written by Craig Sweeny and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, and if it’s a success, Yeoh has expressed a willingness to return for more.
Now that Star Trek: Discovery has ended after five seasons, there’s room for a new live-action series to take place. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will take place in Discovery‘s 32nd-century era and follow a new class of Starfleet cadets as they come of age in one of the most legendary places in the galaxy. The series stars Kerrice Brooks (My Old Ass), Bella Shepard (Wolf Pack), George Hawkins (Tell Me Everything), Karim Diané (One Of Us Is Lying), and Zoë Steiner (Significant Others). The cast also includes some heavy hitters, with Holly Hunter (The Incredibles) set to play the captain and chancellor of Starfleet Academy and Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers) as the main villain.
PLOT: Emily and her friends find a Witchboard in the woods. Using it results in deadly consequences. They have to stop it before it’s too late.
REVIEW: Few films in the horror genre are more entertaining than The Blob and A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors. They bring a great mix of over-the-top violence with humor. So I was ecstatic to see writer/director Chuck Russell make his return to the genre for the first time in nearly 25 years. Setting his sights on updating the 1986 film Witchboard, which itself was a play on the popular Ouija board, this seems prime for the modern era. So, it’s upsetting for me to say that 2024’s Witchboard is a bit of a mess.
If you’re hoping for some kind of update to the 1986 story, you’re in for disappointment because we’re instead given a story about a girl finding the board and becoming possessed. Okay, that actually makes it sound more like the original, but add in a whole subplot of opening up a restaurant and a mysterious benefactor. There were times when I had to check and make sure I wasn’t watching a Blumhouse title. From the bland characters to a very stereotypical story, everything about Witchboard feels generic.
Madison Iseman has come and gone from the genre over the years, and she works well as lead, Emily. I’m curious how others will react to her as she essentially is why her friends are roped into this. I always struggle to care about that kind of character. Her complete ignorance of the situation is very frustrating. The Witchboard is clearly influencing her but it also makes it hard to root for her since she comes across as kind of stupid. And the inclusion of her former drug dealer didn’t make things any better. Again, really hard to root for. But Iseman herself does a great job. Aaron Dominguez is our real lead, and he’s decent enough. His love for Emily comes through, even if I’m often going, “What on earth does he see in this girl?” His character is very one-dimensional.
The real standout is Jamie Campbell Bower as Alexander Babtiste. As proven by his performance as Vecna in Stranger Things, Bowers has a voice that can pierce your soul. His role is very stereotypical, but he gives it so much life. He’s sadly underutilized, especially in the film’s finale. He can feel a bit one-dimensionally evil, but it worked for me. While he’s only briefly in the film, Ozark‘s own Charlie Tahan appears as the most relatable character in the film. The only person who, the moment he sees the Witchboard, is immediately against it and wants it as far away as possible. If only they’d listened to the poor guy.
Instead of using a simple ouija board, I liked the inclusion of a newly designed board. While it wouldn’t surprise me if, like the original, it was done for copyright reasons, it has a cool design. New Orleans serves as the setting for this version of Witchboard, giving it a properly witchy aesthetic. The city has a long history of witchcraft so it makes sense to set the film there.
The CGI blood can get a tad out of hand, and I became increasingly frustrated the more it was used. There are even simple moments when something physical could be used, yet they go the digital route, which is a bit disappointing. That’s not to say everything is CGI, as there’s a great throat slash and other moments. They also combine elements to great effect. The film certainly isn’t afraid to get wet. But I was often flabbergasted at the sheer amount of CGI violence. Is it really that difficult to mix some Karo Syrup and red food coloring? And the kills are often very uninspired; they just happen for shock value and without much thought. I was hoping for some Rube Goldberg-style kills but came out sorely disappointed.
Witchboard is very silly and clearly meant to be seen with a crowd. It’s more formulaic than I was expecting, but Russell delivers some great Final Destination-y kills. There aren’t any characters to attach to as they’re busy making bad decisions but the villain is eclectic and fun. I’m sure with another viewing, and rooting against these kids, could have a better return on time investment. But boasting this level of talent and getting this result, means this film is better off on the shelf.
WITCHBOARD IS CURRENTLY PLAYING AT FANTASIA FILM FESTIVAL.
