His journey, their battle, our cartoon? Fans of The WB/CW’s Smallville may get a chance to revisit the adventures of Superman and company, albeit in animated form, as a project of this scope is in talks with some key players.
While Michael Rosenbaum – who played Lex Luthor to great effect on Smallville – didn’t say the animated series was officially a go, there is a lot of support for it from the cast and crew. Speaking with Screen Rant, Rosenbaum kept details close but said, “All I could share is that it’s a great idea. We have Al [Gough] and Miles [Millar], the creators of Smallville backing us up. When it’s the right time, we’d like to go and do this; pitch to Warner Bros. It has to be the right time, and right now is not the right time,” citing the ongoing Hollywood strikes and the emergence of James Gunn as the head of DC. “When the time’s right, I think it’s something that’s a no brainer, unless they have other ideas. We’d like to do it — the whole cast would like to do it. They would voice their own character from the show, and we have a concept of what the show is.”
While far from official considering the animated Smallville series hasn’t even been brought up to the higher-ups, Rosenbaum’s update shows definite progress from previous comments by Gough, who suggested it didn’t make sense to revisit the character when he’s constantly evolving in the DC universe.
While Gough does have a good point – how many Supermans (Supermen?) do we need at once? – certainly an animated Smallville could absolutely work while James Gunn gets his own Superman movie going. It could exist in its own universe as DC establishes its “reboot”, giving fans of the original series and that scale of storytelling something to look forward to as well.
Smallville ran for 10 seasons and 200+ episodes, making it the longest-running series in the franchise ever, topping the original Adventures of Superman and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.
Would you be game for an animated Smallville series or is it best left where it is? Give us your take below!
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will hit theaters in just a few days, and box office projections are looking bright, with the sequel set for a $45 million opening.
This number puts Frozen Empire roughly on par with Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which earned a $44 million opening upon its release in 2021. Afterlife went on to gross $204 million worldwide, but I can only assume that Sony hopes Frozen Empire goes a little further, particularly as they have plans for more installments of the franchise. Frozen Empire will also push the Ghostbusters franchise past the $1 billion mark at the box office within a week of release, with the previous four movies generating $945.2 million.
Here’s the synopsis for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire: “The Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who’ve developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.” The film stars Queen of Physical Media Carrie Coon, as well as Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Celeste O’Connor, Logan Kim, and Annie Potts. The original Ghostbusters, consisting of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson, will also appear, and director Gil Kenan has said that they will be treated like “actual characters” this time around.
Our own Chris Bumbray recently caught the sequel, and while he had fun, he didn’t feel as though it was as good as Afterlife. “I was a big fan of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Jason Reitman’s film skillfully blended nostalgia with a new take on the franchise that opened up the Ghostbusters universe in an inclusive way. It welcomed new fans without alienating old ones, something the 2016 reboot notoriously failed at,” Bumbray wrote. “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire seems to be aimed at building the franchise out more extensively. While it’s still a fun, nostalgia-driven return to the Ghostbusting universe, it’s not as good as the last film and spreads itself too thin to do the new characters justice.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s review right here.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will hit theaters on March 22nd.
Very sad news today as it’s been reported that M. Emmet Walsh has died at the age of 88. No matter the size of the role, the prolific character actor always made a unique impression throughout his long career, which spanned six decades.
M. Emmet Walsh is best known for playing Bryant in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, the captain of the Los Angeles Police Department who tasks Deckard with tracking down the replicants at the beginning of the film. He told THR that the cast and crew weren’t quite sure what the make of the movie when they first saw it. “I don’t know if I really understood what in the hell it was all about,” Walsh said. “We all sat there and it ended. And nothing. We didn’t know what to say or to think or do! We didn’t know what in the hell we had done! The only one who seemed to get it was Ridley.“
He also played Loren Visser in Blood Simple, the first film directed by the Coen brothers. The unscrupulous private detective is one of Walsh’s best-known roles. “Every time, you [have to] try to figure something individual that works for the character,” Walsh told The Guardianin 2017. “If you’re playing a villain, you don’t play villain… Visser doesn’t think of himself as particularly bad or evil. He’s on the edge of what’s legal, but he’s having a lot of fun with all that. He’s a simple fella trying to make an extra buck and going a little further than he’d normally go in his business enterprises.“
Walsh made appearances in movies such as Midnight Cowboy, Little Big Man, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, What’s Up, Doc?, Serpico, The Gambler, Slap Shot, Airport ’77, The Jerk, Brubaker, Raise the Titanic, Ordinary People, Red, Missing in Action, Fletch, Critters, Back to School, Harry and the Hendersons, Raising Arizona, Red Scorpion, Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home, Romeo + Juliet, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Wild Wild West, The Iron Giant, Christmas with the Kranks, and Knives Out.
He was equally as prolific on the small screen, with roles in TV shows such as All in the Family, Bonanza, McMillan & Wife, The Rockford Files, Baretta, Starsky & Hutch, Little House on the Prairie, AfterMASH, The Twilight Zone, Tales from the Crypt, Home Improvement, The Outer Limits, The X-Files, NYPD Blue, Frasier, Damages, Empire, Sneaky Pete, The Righteous Gemstones, and more.
You will be missed, Mr. Walsh. Our thoughts go out to your family and friends. Might have to fire up Blade Runner tonight.
From Friends to Fright, David Schwimmer is set to star in the second season of Goosebumps, the Disney+ series based on R.L. Stine’s popular series of books.
Disney renewed Goosebumps for a second season last month, with the series transforming into an anthology series rather than continuing the story of the first season. Here’s the logline for season two: “Teenage siblings discover a threat stirring, triggering a chain of events that unravel a profound mystery. As they delve into the unknown, the duo find themselves entangled in the chilling tale of four teenagers who mysteriously vanished in 1994.” The new season of Goosebumps will find David Schwimmer playing Anthony, “a former botany professor and divorced parent of teenage girls who is juggling the responsibilities of overseeing an aging parent while having his kids for the summer.“
Rob Letterman, who directed the first Goosebumps movie, developed the series with Rob Letterman (Detective Pikachu) and serve as executive producers alongside showrunner Hilary Winston (Community). The new season will consist of eight episodes, two less than the first season.
When the series was renewed for a second season, Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, said: “Audiences everywhere fell in love with the series’ chills, thrills, heart and humor, making it one of Disney Branded Television’s most-watched shows of last year. We can’t wait to dive deeper into the brilliant mind of R.L. Stine, and to collaborate once again with Sony Pictures Television, Scholastic Entertainment, and our fantastic creative team to bring an entirely new mystery to Disney+ for season 2.“
Katherine Pope, president of Sony Pictures Television Studios, added: “We are incredibly proud of the work of our writers, producers, cast and crew and the vision they brought to season 1, which a new generation of fans are loving alongside those who grew up in R.L. Stine’s iconic world. Like when you cracked open a new book in the Goosebumps series, we can’t wait to see how the writers flip the show on its head as we explore the series as an anthology. Thanks to Disney Branded Television, who remain steadfast partners throughout this wonderfully chilling journey.“
Earlier today, 20th Century Studios unveiled a teaser trailer for Alien: Romulus, director Fede Alvarez’s contribution to the Alien franchise that is set to reach theatres on August 16th. (You can watch the teaser HERE.) We’ve previously heard that the story takes place between the events of the original Alien and its follow-up Aliens, but also that the movie is not connected to the other films in the Alien franchise. During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Alvarez confirmed that the story is set to between Alien and Aliens, but also made sure to clarify that this movie isn’t meant to ignore any of the films in the franchise. He also revealed that both Alien director Ridley Scott (who is a producer on this film) and Aliens director James Cameron have seen Alien: Romulus, and they both gave him notes.
When this project was announced near the start of 2022, it was said that Alvarez pitched the idea to Ridley Scott years ago and it stuck with Scott. So in late 2021, he called Alvarez and asked if he still wanted to make an Alien movie. Clearly, the answer was yes. While talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Alvarez said that he didn’t intend to pitch a movie to Scott, it just happened during a conversation when Scott was gearing up to make Alien: Covenant. Alvarez went into fanboy mode and told Scott what he would like to see in a new Alien movie, while mentioning that he had an idea that occurred to him while watching James Cameron’s director’s cut of Aliens. Alvarez said, “I remember watching an extended cut of Aliens, and there’s a moment where you see a bunch of kids running [and riding a big wheel] around the corridors of this colony. And I thought, ‘Wow, what would it be like for those kids to grow up in a colony that still needs another 50 years to terraform? There’s no sunlight and there’s no real life, except to just take the place of a parent and do the same job they did.’ In my movies, I’m always interested in those characters. Maybe it’s because I grew up in the small country of Uruguay. I think it connects to a lot of people who grew up in small towns and think that all the important things are happening somewhere else. So when I saw those kids, I remember thinking, ‘If I ever tell a story in that world, I would definitely be interested in those kids when they reach their early twenties, and what they want to do and where they want to go.’ And when it comes to having them encounter the creature, the dynamics are completely different. So that might be the reason why we managed to make it.“
As for the film not being connected to the other films, “The way we crafted it is if you haven’t seen any of them, I’m jealous because you’ll have an incredible experience. You’ll have all these worlds of Alien coming at you, and you’ve never experienced any of this. You don’t know how the creature is born, and you don’t know any of these things. That’s fantastic. You’ll have a blast. Now, if you’ve seen the others, then it’s a completely different experience in a way, because you’ll see and you’ll find those connections with the other movies. And if you’re a fan, you’ll be that person who annoys your friends in the theater, by telling them that you know what this is from and where that gun is from and what the characters are talking about. So it is crafted in that way, and hopefully it works that way for everybody, but it is connected to all of them. I love all of those movies. I didn’t want to omit or ignore any of them when it comes to connections at a story level, character level, technology level and creature level. There’s always connections from Alien to Alien: Covenant.” So Alien: Romulus may not feature characters from movies (and it takes place before some of them), but it still exists within the world established in the other films.
Alvarez also confirmed that Ridley Scott has seen Alien: Romulus and spent an hour telling him how much he enjoyed the movie. “As intimidating as it is, that’s the best part of being able to work on something like this. For all of us and whatever it is that we do, the dream is to sit down with the masters of our craft and have a conversation about what we do and learn how to do it better. And the process of making this film definitely gave me that experience with Ridley. At the story level, we first told him what I was planning to do, and then when he read it, I discussed the script with him. And later, when he watched the movie, I discussed my cut with him. So I consider each one of those moments and creative conversations with Ridley to be a highlight of my career and my life. James Cameron is also someone I’ve met through the years, and when he learned that I was doing it, we started chatting about it. So I also had that conversation with him at the script level. He’s now seen the movie and loved it. It’s also fascinating because [Cameron and Scott’s] notes and comments are completely different. (Laughs.) They wouldn’t repeat a note. Whatever Ridley said, Cameron said something different. They were all super smart comments, notes and thoughts on the film and the filmmaking, et cetera, but both of them have completely different approaches. So the fantastic part of being able to make this film is to have the chance to work with them.” To read the full interview, click over to The Hollywood Reporter.
Alien: Romulus has the following official logline:
The sci-fi/horror-thriller takes the phenomenally successful “Alien” franchise back to its roots: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.
The film stars Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla), David Jonsson (Industry), Isabela Merced (Madame Web), Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone), Spike Fearn (The Batman), and Aileen Wu (Away from Home).
Are you looking forward to Alien: Romulus, and are you glad to hear that it doesn’t ignore other entries in the franchise and went over well with Ridley Scott and James Cameron? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
One upcoming Alien project that won’t be acknowledging the prequel films Prometheus and Alien: Covenant is the Alien TV show, as the show’s creator Noah Hawley didn’t like the back story those Ridley Scott-directed prequels gave to the Xenomorph, and also felt that the technology on display was too advanced.
Earlier this month, it was reported that The Office showrunner Greg Daniels was meeting with writers for a potential follow-up to the acclaimed comedy series, and the project seems to have taken another step forward. Deadline reports that Daniels has teamed up with Michael Koman, co-creator of Nathan For You, for this new Office series.
The new series would not be a reboot of The Office but take place in the same universe, just set in a new office with new characters. This would potentially allow for cameos or guest spots from cast members of the original series, but sources tell Deadline that a full-blown reunion isn’t in the cards. Daniels has said that the new series could follow a film crew doing a documentary about a different subject, which could mean just about anything.
Based on the BBC series of the same name created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, The Office was a mockumentary sitcom that followed the everyday work lives of the employees of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. The series ran on NBC from 2005 to 2013 for a total of nine seasons consisting of 201 episodes. Although the series came to an end over a decade ago, it remains just as popular as ever, especially on streaming services. The series racked up some big numbers on Netflix before it departed for Peacock, with NBCUniversal paying Universal Television $100 million per year for the next five years.
There was an attempt to keep The Office going with a spin-off that would have followed Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) running a bed-and-breakfast and beet farm. The backdoor pilot aired during the show’s ninth season, but NBC ultimately decided not to move forward with the series. Leslie David Baker, who played grouchy salesman Stanley Hudson, was also developing a spin-off revolving around his character and even launched a Kickstarter campaign that raised over $300,000. However, after three years of delays, the project was shelved and the money was refunded.
“When you die, will people notice,” Charlie Croker (Jeff Daniels) asks in Netflix‘s teaser trailer for the upcoming limited series A Man in Full. The question is as old as time and something people often ask themselves when contemplating a swift exit from this mortal coil. What would prompt a real estate mogul to have such macabre thoughts? His bankruptcy and inevitable downfall, of course.
Here’s the official synopsis for A Man in Full courtesy of Netflix:
When Atlanta real estate mogul Charlie Croker faces sudden bankruptcy, political and business interests collide as Charlie defends his empire from those attempting to capitalize on his fall from grace.
A Man in Full is based on the New York Times best-selling novel by the late Tom Wolfe, who died of an infection in Manhattan in 2018. The six-episode limited series hails from David E. Kelley Productions and Royal Ties Productions Inc. Regina King, Matthew Tinker, Tommy Schlamme, Thomas C. Wolfe, and Alexandra Wolfe executive produce, with Kelley also acting as the show’s showrunner and writer.
A Man in Full boasts two directors across six episodes. Regina King directs episodes 101, 105, and 106, while Tommy Schlamme helms episodes 102, 103, and 104.
Jeff Daniels (Dumb and Dumber, Arachnophobia), Tom Pelphrey (Mank, Banshee), Diane Lane (Unfaithful, The Outsiders), Lucy Liu (Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Charlie’s Angels), William Jackson Harper (The Good Place, Midsommar), Aml Ameen (I May Destroy You, Yardie), Sarah Jones (Damnation, Alcatraz), Jon Michael Hill (A Mighty Wind, Best in Show) and Chanté Adams (Bad Hair, Roxanne Roxanne) lead the cast.
Netflix’s A Man in Full teaser trailer finds Jeff Daniels’ Charlie Croker taking a moment to prepare himself for what I assume is a press conference about how his company is on the brink of collapse. Meanwhile, the images included with today’s teaser show lavish parties, fancy dress, courtroom drama, and moments when Charlie looks exhausted by life and its many surprises. I feel you, Charlie.
We’ll have to wait for a longer trailer for more details. In the meantime, check out the images gallery for A Man in Full below:
Once set up at the Max streaming service, the TV series Dead Boy Detectives, which is based on characters Neil Gaiman created for DC Comics in the pages of The Sandman issue #25, is now calling Netflix its home, having moved away from Max last year because it “doesn’t fit with DC executives James Gunn and Peter Safran’s plans for the DCU.” Today, Variety was able to confirm that Netflix has set an April 25th premiere date for the show.
Since these characters were introduced in the comic book The Sandman, it seems fitting that they ended up on Netflix, as the streamer is also home to the live-action The Sandman series.
George Rexstrew, making his screen debut, and Jayden Revri of The Lodge play the title characters in Dead Boy Detectives. The third lead of the show will be Kassius Nelson of Last Night in Soho. The eight one-hour episodes of the series will follow the Dead Boy Detectives — Charles Rowland (Revri) and Edwin Paine (Rexstrew) — who decided not to enter the afterlife in order to stay on earth and investigate crimes involving the supernatural. They are joined by Crystal Palace (Nelson), a living psychic medium.
Also in the cast are Lukas Gage (Euphoria) as Thomas the Cat King, who can transform into a Siamese cat and is always happy to make a deal, but shouldn’t be trusted; Briana Cuoco (The Flight Attendant) as Jenny, described as a mildly punk butcher and a confidant of Crystal Palace; Jenn Lyon (Justified) as Esther, described as a witch obsessed with youth and immortality; Yuyu Kitamura (The Expatriates) as Niko, a boarding school student intent on joining the Dead Boy Detectives agency who now lives above Jenny’s butcher shop; Caitlin Reilly (Hacks) and Max Jenkins (Dead to Me) as Litty and Kingham, who are “tiny foul-mouthed dandelion sprites who are a rude annoyance to the Dead Boys,” and Ruth Connell (For the Love of George) as Night Nurse, a demon that controls the flow of souls in the afterlife.
Connell is a carry-over from Doom Patrol, as she previously played Night Nurse on that show. But Charles, Edwin, and Crystal were played by Sebastian Croft, Ty Tennant, and Madalyn Horcher on Doom Patrol.
The pilot for Dead Boy Detectives was written by Steve Yockey, who also serves as executive producer alongside Jeremy Carver and Berlanti Productions’ Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and David Madden. Yockey and Carver previously worked together on Supernatural. Yockey was co-showrunner on The Flight Attendant, while Carver was showrunner on Doom Patrol.
Netflix shared this official description of the show: Meet Edwin Payne (Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Revri), ‘the brains’ and ‘the brawn’ behind the Dead Boy Detectives agency. Teenagers born decades apart who find each other only in death, Edwin and Charles are best friends and ghosts… who solve mysteries. They will do anything to stick together – including escaping evil witches, Hell and Death herself. With the help of a clairvoyant named Crystal (Nelson) and her friend Niko (Kitamura), they are able to crack some of the mortal realm’s most mystifying paranormal cases.
Will you be watching Dead Boy Detectives when it starts streaming on Netflix in April? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
After swinging through New York City streets with Spider-Man and building monster decks in Marvel Snap, all while waiting to pop our claws in Insomniac’s Wolverine, Skydance Media unveiled its trailer for Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, an action-adventure game bringing two of the greatest heroes together for one impossible mission.
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra comes from award-winning game director and writer Amy Hennig, the talent behind games like Jak 3 and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Her latest interactive gaming experience finds Captain America and Black Panther (Azzuri, not T’Challa) coming to blows despite fighting the same enemy, Hydra. You can play as Cap and Black Panther in the game alongside Gabriel Jones, a U.S. soldier and member of the Howling Commandos, and Nanali, a Wakandan spy, as part of the mix. All characters feature different move sets and abilities throughout the explosive journey into enemy territory.
Drew Moerlein voices Steve Rogers / Captain America, with Khary Peyton voicing Azzuri / Black Panther. Marque Richardson voices Gabriel Jones, with Megalyn Echikunwoke playing Nanali and Joel Johnston as Howard Stark.
In addition to the trailer, IGN says Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra uses a combination of Unreal Engine 5 and MetaHuman Animator, the same tech Ninja Theory uses for Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga, one of my most anticipated games of 2024 and the reason I bought an Xbox Series X. MetaHuman lets developers “reproduce any facial performance as high-fidelity animation” on its characters, creating some honest-to-goodness Uncanny Valley sh*t.
Despite featuring four playable characters, Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra remains a single-player narrative-driven experience. I haven’t encountered any live-service elements either, which is excellent news for gamers who’ve tired of the “milk you for all you’re worth” platform. A recent release hurt by the live-service model is Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The game, featuring Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark as playable characters, is underperforming in sales despite having solid bones outside the live-service dreck. When did we start playing $25-$30 for skins? It’s madness. Madness, I say.
Are you excited about Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra? What do you think about the new trailer? I’ll be playing Hennig’s new game on its first release day, and I can’t wait to see what she’s cooked up with these intriguing characters and WWII setting. Let’s go!
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra arrives sometime in 2025.
Anatomy of a Fall actress Sandra Hüller could be making a roast for Akiva Schaffer’s The Naked Gun reboot, so how hot and wet do you like it? A report from industry insider Daniel Richtman says Sandra Hüller is in talks to play the romantic lead in the forthcoming comedy, starring Liam Neeson (Taken, The Grey, The A-Team) as Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Leslie Nielsen’s Lt. Frank Drebin from the Police Squad series and Naked Gun film trilogy.
In the Naked Gun trilogy, Lt. Frank Drebin falls in love with Jane Spencer (Lisa Marie Presley), an assistant for industrialist Vincent Ludwig, utterly unaware of his villainy. After a slapstick-ridden meet-cute, Frank and Jane form a heated courtship accompanied by steamy home-cooked meals, ultra-protected sex, and trips to the baseball field.
How Liam Neeson and Hüller’s characters cross paths in the Naked Gun rebootremains a mystery. We must also wait for the official word about Hüller’s casting before celebrating this potentially fantastic union.
Anatomy of a Fall director Justine Triet and co-writer Arthur Harari won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay at the 96th Academy Awards ceremony, with the intense thriller nominated for five awards, including Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Director, Best Actress (Sandra Hüller), and Best Picture. Hüller plays Sandra Voyter in Anatomy of a Fall, a woman suspected of murder after her husband’s death; their half-blind son (Milo Machado-Graner) faces a moral dilemma as the main witness. Swann Arlaud, Antoine Reinartz, Samuel Theis, Jehnny Beth, Saadia Bentaïeb, and Camille Rutherford star as primary cast members.
Akiva Schaffer directs and executive produces the Naked Gun reboot, with Dan Gregor and Doug Man writing the script draft alongside Schaffer. One of the reasons this is exciting is that the trio partnered for the way-better-than-anticipated Chip n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers film. If you’ve not seen the Rescue Rangers movie, it’s like a spiritual successor to Who Framed Roger Rabbit and worth your attention.
Are you excited about Akiva Schaffer’s Naked Gun reboot? What do you think about Sandra Hüller potentially starring as Frank’s love interest? Let us know in the comments below.
