Once set up at Netflix, Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy’s production company Intrepid Pictures now has an exclusive multiyear overall series deal with Amazon MGM Studios – and one of the shows they’re working on for Prime Video is Flanagan’s dream project, a series adaptation of Stephen King’s Dark Tower novels. Flanagan also recently signed on to make the next Exorcist movie for Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions, a move that caused some King fans to worry that he’s being distracted from his efforts to bring The Dark Tower to the screen… but during a recent interview on the podcast Talking Scared, Flanagan assured fans that’s not the case.

Flanagan said (with thanks to Cinema Blend for the transcription), “Oh, (The Exorcist) is not in the way. They coexist very well. I think the trick with The Dark Tower is just it’s still just takes an enormous amount of time to get going. But we’re further along than the last time we spoke. It seems to be moving on its own momentum. There’s so much logistical, boring, legal stuff that we have to kind of machete our way through to get that thing moving. But yeah, it has not at all stalled and none of the other work that’s that’s kind of emerged has in any way taken away from it.“

We previously heard that Intrepid was able to get the Dark Tower rights because Flanagan sent Stephen King “a very, very detailed outline of what I wanted to do with it. And it was in response to that, that he gave us the rights. A project like this, I wouldn’t want to be involved in it at all If we were taking it in a direction that was going to be blasphemous to the Stephen King material, but he’s been very, very supportive and very excited about what we’d like to do with it.“

Flanagan has said he envisions The Dark Tower story playing out over the course of five seasons, so here’s hoping that he’ll not only be able to get a first season of the show made, but also that he’ll be able to continue through the remaining four seasons worth of story. He has also said that the five seasons could be followed by two feature films, but he doesn’t want to get too far ahead of himself. The focus right now is on getting the series up and running.

Many of Stephen King’s stories and novels are connected to The Dark Tower in some way, but the Dark Tower series itself consists of The Gunslinger, The Drawing of the Three, The Waste Lands, Wizard and Glass, The Wind Through the Keyhole, Wolves of the Calla, Song of Susannah, The Dark Tower, and the short story The Little Sisters of Eluria.

While we wait to see when Flanagan’s The Dark Tower series will make it into production, his feature adaptation of King’s short story The Life of Chuck is ready to start making its way out into the world and his Exorcist movie is scheduled to reach theatres on March 13, 2026.

Are you glad to hear that Flanagan’s other projects aren’t getting in the way of The Dark Tower?

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If you’re a subscriber to Amazon Prime and watch its streamer offshoot Prime Video, you’ll know what an absolutely ghastly nightmare it can be to use. Shows and movies that you can watch for “free” as a Prime member are muddled with those that you need to buy or rent, and with those that come with add-on subscription…

Read more…

If you’re a subscriber to Amazon Prime and watch its streamer offshoot Prime Video, you’ll know what an absolutely ghastly nightmare it can be to use. Shows and movies that you can watch for “free” as a Prime member are muddled with those that you need to buy or rent, and with those that come with add-on subscription…

Read more…

Harley and Arthur trip the light fantastic in the latest Joker: Folie À Deux trailer, bringing a smile and song to faces worldwide. The new preview for Todd Phillips’ highly-anticipated sequel arrives ahead of San Diego Comic-Con weekend, setting the tone for what’s sure to be a deluge of nerdy goodness, shiny previews, and surprises!

In today’s new Joker: Folie À Deux trailer, Arthur (Joaquin Phoenix) and Harley (Lady Gaga) form a twisted union after falling madly in love while incarcerated in Gotham’s Arkham Asylum. As the duo explores their “compatible crazy,” they continue fanning the flames of Arthur’s reputation, whipping influential Gothamites into a frenzy that could bring the crime-ridden city to its knees. The fuse is lit, and the revolution is well on its way as Arthur and Harley dance through the streets, leaving chaos in their wake.

Joker: Folie à Deux has some big clown shoes to fill, especially after the first movie received 11 Academy Award nominations and became the first R-rated flick to gross over $1 billion worldwide. Warner Bros. has pumped a lot of money into the sequel, with reports stating the budget has grown to nearly $200 million, quite the leap from the $60 million budget of the first movie.

The sequel departs significantly from the original because it has some major musical elements. Joker: Folie à Deux will be “mostly a jukebox musical, including at least 15 reinterpretations of very well-known songs.” In hindsight, it would have been hard to imagine Joaquin Phoenix returning for more of the same, no matter how many dump trucks full of money they drove to his house.

In addition to Phoenix and Gaga, the film also stars Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Jacob Lofland, and Harry Lawtey. Zazie Beetz returned to reprise her role as Sophie Dumond from the first movie, a love interest for Arthur. Official plot details remain a mystery, but the trailer paints a pretty picture, and it’s been said that much of the sequel will occur within Arkham Asylum, where we left Arthur in the last film. Joker: Folie à Deux will hit theaters on October 4th.

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The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that the Venice Film Festival has officially released its screening lineup. The 81st Venice Film Festival is set to commence on August 28 and will run through September 7. The festival’s program will feature upcoming big releases, some will be in competition. Titles such as Angelina Jolie’s new film, Maria, will be screening for competition. Per THR, Maria is a “new biopic from Chilean director Pablo Larrain (Jackie, Spencer), in which she stars as famed Opera diva Maria Callas.” The cast includes Kodi Smit-McPhee, Haluk Bilginer, Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, and Valeria Golino.

The big title on the slate is the much-anticipated sequel to 2019’s Todd Phillips film Joker. Joker: Folie à Deux will bow in Venice this year. The follow-up takes on the musical genre and adds Lady Gaga to the story as the Harley Quinn to Joaquin Phoenix’s Authur Fleck, who is the Joker. Recently, the movie’s casting director was teasing that Gaga’s performance will “blow your mind.” Francine Maisler, the casting director, would profess, “She’s so good in it, you guys. She’s going to blow your mind. […]  I saw it and I was really surprised. I mean, we all knew what she could do in A Star is Born, but I thought, ‘Oh, well, that’s kind of in her wheelhouse.’ Something she could do and just be real. But this… Man, she’s good. Joaquin blows your mind, but that she could keep up with him, and be real — and not just wiped off the screen by what that role is and what the performance is — shows she’s good.”

Another big film that will be screening at the festival will be the new George Clooney/Brad Pitt crime comedy Wolfs. This film, however, will not be in competition. Jon Watts (Spider-Man: No Way Home) directed and wrote Wolfs, which centers on two lone-wolf fixers assigned to the same job. Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams, and Poorna Jagannathan star alongside Clooney and Pitt, and the project hails from Sony Pictures Entertainment. The film reuintes Clooney and Pitt as rival fixers called into to dispose of a corpse by their shadowy employer, only for the corpse to be far from dead, and in the possession of a massive amount of drugs. Going by the teaser trailer, the film has serious buddy-comedy vibes, mixed with a bit of gunplay and action.

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PLOT: A small time wrestling company accepts a well-paying but too good to be true gig in a backwoods town only to learn, too late, that the community is run by a mysterious cult leader… and their event is now a pay-per-view fight to the death.

REVIEW: Filmmaker Lowell Dean’s Wolfcop remains criminally underrated, despite myself and others singing its praises to no end. It’s got just the right amount of humor mixed with some downright nasty gore. So to see Dean enter the world of pro wrestling and give it a horror twist, got me excited. Then add Future Hall of Famer Chris Jericho to the mix and I’m first in line! As a fan of both wrestling and cult cinema, Dark Match seems marketed directly toward me. But does it get over?

Following a small-town wrestling company, Dark Match focuses on the indie side of professional wrestling. Once they’re invited to a strange show in the middle of nowhere, the situation is not as it appears. The plot can get a bit convoluted at times, with some unnecessary rampups to add drama. I would think that wrestling to the death would be high enough stakes, but apparently not. As much as this goes horrific, they do a great job of setting up a realistic and blue collar world. The cast of wrestlers is affable and interacts in a fun way. I could have spent more time with them and their exploits.

Most people on the planet will know Steven Ogg as Trevor from Grand Theft Auto V, but he’s fantastic as Mean Joe Lean. I’ve always felt he deserves so much more than just bit parts and character roles and he really makes the most of it here. I really like Chris Jericho but he’s chewing up the scenery in a way that only a wrestler can manage. I’ve seen Jericho’s promos for over 25 years so I’m used to his delivery but it’s an acquired taste when it transfers over to film. The Prophet/Leader is a pretty over-the-top character and allows for some menacing moments. He’s got a large hat and jacket that makes him look either like The Creeper from Jeepers Creepers or Randall Flagg in The Stand.

Dark Match isn’t as downright funny as Lowell’s other work but it’s still got plenty of humorous moments. The plot can get a little messy and I wish it had been simplified a bit, as each reveal puts the true purpose a little further in the rearview mirror. The wrestling is extremely well shot and Dean clearly seems to be a fan. While the wrestling isn’t exactly required to be good, given where the story goes, but times when they need to pull off moves: it looks great. I almost thought I was watching a Joe Begos movie with all the neon and black lights being used. And the film certainly gets wet with the gore, providing plenty of death and carnage to satiate those gorehounds.

This kind of strange indie horror film is always going to be for niche audiences. Add in the wrestling element and it gets even more confined. But there’s something that works here. Whether it’s the band of wrestlers or the silly way of getting them there, it comes together in a fun package. I really enjoyed my time with Dark Match. I felt rewarded both in my wrestling fandom and my love for weird Satanic Cults in cinema. There are some odd eccentricities that wrestling fans are likely to be accepting of but I’m not sure how mainstream audiences will feel. It won’t be for everyone, but I think those that give it a chance will have a blast!

DARK MATCH IS CURRENTLY PLAYING AT FANTASIA FILM FESTIVAL AND WILL RELEASE ON SHUDDER LATER THIS YEAR.

Chris Jericho

GOOD

7

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Gather ‘round, bubs, because the first reactions to Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine have dropped on social media following its world premiere in New York City and they’re worth staring directly into. Based on these initial mini-reviews, MCU fans are in for a reinvention that will be tough to top. 

Check out the reactions from the premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine below, kicking off with our own Jimmy O, who says “MCU fans will likely delight in the carnage”:

Despite some seeing flaws in the movie perhaps clawing off more than it can chew, overall, Deadpool & Wolverine is just what the MCU needed.

Deadpool & Wolverine continues Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which will also see Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* out next year. Notably, it is also the only Marvel release of 2024, marking the first time since 2012’s The Avengers that the studio only released one movie in a calendar year. As such, the studio has been able to focus on a lot of marketing and campaigning for the movie, from an especially active social media push to vulgar popcorn buckets and beyond.

Some have criticized the latest trailers – arriving even just this week – for giving away too many cameos and special appearances (although it was later revealed some were plants to throw off the real cameos). But the way others have seen it, it only adds to the already-heavy hype, teasing just enough to show that the filmmakers had as much fun exploring the world of Marvel as any MCU entry before it.

I can’t imagine there were too many people who weren’t looking forward to Deadpool & Wolverine – especially now –with any number of reasons landing at the top for any given fan: the return of Hugh Jackman as Logan, the X-Men officially entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it being the first R-rated MCU entry…You name it, there’s something to be excited for over Deadpool & Wolverine. And with these fresh reactions, it’s only elevated.

What do you think of the first reactions to Deadpool & Wolverine? Are they what you expected? Will you be catching it when it hits the masses on July 26th? Let us know in the comments below!

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Eternals was a big departure from anything Marvel had done, and this is a franchise which had already introduced a talking raccoon and actual magic. Still, the story of a group of superpowered individuals who had been on earth for 5000 years proved to be divisive, with the film becoming the worst-reviewed project of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It also struggled at the box office, although it should be noted that the film was released during the height of the pandemic. It’s been nearly three years since the release of the film, but there’s still no movement on Eternals 2, and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has dropped a disappointing update.

“There are no immediate plans for Eternals 2,” Feige said while speaking with Inverse. “There are, and I think you’ve seen maybe in a trailer we’ve released recently, an acknowledgment of some of those events. Certain giant things came out of the ocean.“

The moment Feige speaks of can be found in the new trailer for Captain America: Brave New World, which features a few brief shots of a battle over the remains of Tiamut, the giant Celestial who was defeated by the Eternals. A giant head and hand popping out of the Indian Ocean would surely be big news, but it has barely been referenced in the MCU. Thankfully, it seems that the Captain America sequel touches upon this new landmark, with some reports speculating that Tiamut’s transmuted body could provide the first instance of adamantium in the MCU.

Starring Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie, Eternals followed “a group of ancient heroes from beyond the stars who had protected Earth since the dawn of man. When monstrous creatures called Deviants, long thought lost to history, mysteriously return, the Eternals are forced to reunite in order to defend humanity once again.“

There have been rumblings of an Eternals sequel since the release of the first movie, but they always get shut down. Although Feige doesn’t count Eternals 2 among any of Marvel’s future projects, the inclusion of Tiamut in Captain America: Brave New World shows that they haven’t completely abandoned the Eternals story.

Would you still like to see Eternals 2?

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Deadline reports that Robert Pattinson is in negotiations to star alongside Jennifer Lawrence in Die, My Love, a thriller set to be directed by Lynne Ramsay (You Were Never Really Here).

The film is set in a remote, forgotten rural area and follows “a mother who struggles to maintain her sanity as she battles with psychosis.” It’s not known who Pattinson will play in the movie, but you would expect Lawrence to play the mother. In addition to directing Die, My Love, Ramsay also co-wrote the script with Enda Walsh (Small Things Like These). Lawrence will produce alongside Martin Scorsese, Justine Ciarrocchi, and Andrea Calderwell.

Pattinson will next be seen in Mickey 17, a sci-fi movie written and directed by Bong Joon-ho based on Mickey7 by Edward Ashton. “Whenever there’s a mission that’s too dangerous—even suicidal—the crew turns to Mickey,” reads the description. “After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact. After six deaths, Mickey7 understands the terms of his deal…and why it was the only colonial position unfilled when he took it.” In addition to Pattinson, the film also stars Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo, and Holliday Grainger.

Beyond a short teaser released in 2022, we haven’t seen much of Mickey 17. Our own Chris Bumbray did catch a new trailer for the film at CinemaCon earlier this year, with the consensus being that it could be “totally amazing or a complete disaster.” The release has been delayed several times, with some rumours saying Warner Bros. won’t let Bong Joon-ho release his director’s cut as they want to release a “more accessible” version instead. The film is currently slated for a January 31, 2025 release.

Pattinson is also set to collaborate with Smile director Parker Finn on a remake of Andrzej Żuławski’s Possession. At the moment, Pattinson will produce through his Icki Eneo Arlo production company, but it’s possible he may star in the film as well once the script and schedules develop.

Should Robert Pattinson sign on to star in Die, My Love with Jennifer Lawrence, it will mark the first time the two actors have worked together.

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After eight episodes, The Acolyte has come to an end, but will there be a second season of the Star Wars series? While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland didn’t have an optimistic response when asked about a potential season 2.

When asked what she’s heard about the show getting the green light for a second season, Headland said, “Nothing.” While this might come as bad news for those who would like to see more of the show, Headland doesn’t see it that way.

“You have to take a break,” Headland said. “Especially after something like this. I don’t even know how many years my brain has been going, Star Wars, Star Wars, Star Wars, Acolyte, Acolyte, Acolyte — just constantly solving problems, constantly thinking about it. It is very weird to now be in a place where I don’t need to do that. I always say to budding writers, ‘The most important thing that you can do is sit around and do nothing. Because the second you start to manufacture a story, you’re going to get stressed out, and the story can’t start that way.’“

If and when Lucasfilm does set The Acolyte season 2 in motion, Headland has plenty of ideas for the next stage of the story, including learning more about Vernestra Rwoh (Rebecca Henderson) and the Stranger (Manny Jacinto). “I think if we’re allowed to continue telling this story, you’ll see more of Vern’s history with the Stranger and how that’s affecting the decisions she’s making now,” Headland said. Although there were plenty of threads left untouched, Headland wanted to make sure that the major storylines did get a resolution. “We wanted to answer a lot of questions,” Headland said. “We wanted to show Qimir’s master. We weren’t going to wait a second season for that. We wanted to wrap up the twin storyline. We were not going to leave everybody hanging. They’ve sat through all of this, and we want to reward people for watching.” Those big cameos in the finale would also be something that would be developed in a second season.

Disney doesn’t give out official numbers regarding The Acolyte‘s viewership, and while the show has done well, it is one of the least-watched Star Wars shows on Disney+. Combined with the hefty $180 million budget, you can understand why Lucasfilm might be doubting whether a second season is worth it.

Would you like to see The Acolyte season 2?

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