What if Superman had turned out to be evil? That was the idea explored by director David Yarovesky’s super-powered horror film Brightburn, which was released back in 2019. Even though the movie made under $33 million at the global box office, the budget was low enough (somewhere in the range of 6 to 12 million) that producer James Gunn said they were talking about a sequel just a couple months after the film reached screens. Then four years went by, but last September production company The H Collective, which was also behind Brightburn, confirmed that a sequel is in development. If they are moving ahead with a Brightburn 2, they must be doing so without the involvement of Gunn, because when he was asked on Threads when we’ll be getting a Brightburn sequel, he replied, “No plans at all for this right now.“
Scripted by Gunn’s brother Brian Gunn and cousin Mark Gunn, Brightburn has the following synopsis: A couple’s prayers are seemingly answered when an object crash-lands on Earth, carrying a life-form that looks like a baby boy. As the years pass and the alien grows older, it starts to use its mysterious powers in sinister and destructive ways.
James Gunn’s Slither star Elizabeth Banks was also the star of this one, and was joined in the cast by David Denman, Jackson A. Dunn, Matt Jones, Steve Agee, Becky Wahlstrom, Stephen Blackehart, and Meredith Hagner.
I did not like Brightburn at all myself, so it doesn’t mean anything to me whether or not a sequel gets made, but I know it went over well with a good number of genre fans.
Are you a fan of Brightburn, and have you been hoping to see Brightburn 2 make its way out into the world one of these days? Are you disappointed to hear that James Gunn has no plans of being involved with the sequel? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
The H Collective’s Brightburn 2 plans were revealed in announcement that they’re launching a new label called H3 Entertainment, which “intends to incorporate new technology into the production process of projects it has in development, including a sequel to horror movie Brightburn.” The new technology in question being AI, Metaverse, and Web3.
Well, this is a semi-dangerous decision. Yes, I’m starting with The Twilight Zone 80s. Niki, haven’t we been telling you to do OG Twilight Zone… why are you doing this? A couple of reasons, the first being that this has been on repeat for me the past 6 months or longer, with Tales from the Crypt never being too far behind it. The other being that I felt like it. You’re lucky I didn’t start with Night Gallery, or maybe that’s what you wanted. So let’s talk 80s Twilight Zone, or New Twilight Zone, or Twilight Zone reboot/revival, whatever you choose to call it.
The reason to give it another go was simple. Rod Serling, my personal hero, sold the rights to Twilight Zone after the show ended its run in 1964. The studio bought the rights even though they weren’t exactly ready to start it up again. They figure when they do decide to get the ball rolling that they will end up making more cash by buying it outright instead of trying to do their own reinvent thing. What was interesting was that even though Francis Ford Coppola and even Rod Serling and original partner, Buck Houghton fanned the flames to get the show going again, CBS were still on the fence about it. It wasn’t until films like ET and Poltergeist came out in 1982 that CBS started to take their responsibility seriously. When Twilight Zone: The Movie came out and did okay, that’s when the studio was finally like, “Okay. I guess this is what people want to see…maybe.” So, in 1984 *laughs* they finally got on it… reluctantly. That’s the story of 80s Twilight Zone.
What I love about this one is that it’s still engaging just like the original. You also have a ton of amazing talent backing it in front of and behind the camera. Let’s just name drop: Bruce Willis, Harlan Ellison, Frances McDormand, Morgan Freeman, Wes Craven, Martin Landau, William Friedkin, Jon Gries, J. Michael Straczyniski, Helen Mirren, and there’s so many more.
Episodes:
The Beacon: Okay, so if you like Walking Distance from the original run, then you will enjoy this one. There’s a captivating magic in straying from your planned route and embracing the spontaneity of following wherever your intuition leads you. However, the outcome doesn’t always have the charm you intended. This journey certainly does not. The poor well intentioned, Dr. Barrows, played by Charles Martin Smith, didn’t realize that some weird light controlled by some spirit overlord named Seth would be his undoing. Writing and thinking about it now, it’s almost like this weird blend between The Village and The Lighthouse. The bonus is you get Martin Landau, who makes an appearance in two of my columns as of recently, and the slightly underrated Giovanni Ribisi who is about 11-years old here. I, on the other hand, at this time am unable to ingest solid foods or even comprehend what a television is.
Shelter Skelter: Doomsday Prepping. Something I only heard about when I was young because of infomercials and the media, is now something my next door neighbor may very well be doing right now. Speaking of stacked episodes, we have Joe Mantegna, Jon Gries, Joan Allen, as well as 90s crush favorite, Danica McKellar. Though I joked about my neighbor possibly stockpiling corn and baby wipes, this story doesn’t seem too far from the truth. I have no doubt that there is a guy just like Mantegna’s character, Harry. Actually, I’m certain there are more people out there who share the same beliefs than I initially thought. What I really like about this episode is Sally’s, portrayed by Allen, “good for her” ending. I really appreciate how the writer juxtaposed Sally and the children’s freedom outside the peace dome with Harry’s continued entrapment inside. It adds depth to the story and makes you think about the consequences of Harry’s actions in a haunting way. I also just love Jon Gries playing any role ever.
Shatterday: I’ve met Bruce Willis. That’s how I’m starting this out. I have a recording of him calling me out for blushing and it’s the greatest thing I will ever own. If you’re gonna reboot Twilight Zone in 1985, you better kick it off with Bruce Willis because he’s practically the epitome of the 80s. The second choice here would have been Tom Cruise. Imagine disconnecting so much that you’ve created a rift in the space time continuum and you’ve created another version of yourself that has to mend all of your fuck ups until eventually your version of you doesn’t exist anymore. Yeah, that’s a lot. Thank you Harlan Ellison, I can’t wait to have an existential crisis in another dimension. The role of Peter Jay Novins is essentially perfect for someone like Willis, who has proven that he can actually play a complex character when compared to his peers of that era. Not a jab, but you remember the 80s, right? Essentially, an episode like this one doesn’t get much better when you have Willis, a story from Ellison, and the direction of Wes Craven.
Her Pilgrim Soul: Yes, I’m going with another Wes Craven directed episode, but this one is worth the entry on this list and then some. Craven directing it is the cherry on top. While it may not be creepy, it is a rather haunting episode due to its lasting themes and strong emotions. I want to make jokes here, but I feel like that would diminish the significance of this episode so I’m going to be good. The mix of sci-fi with the depth of feeling makes for a powerful combination in the episode. The effects are quite impressive for the time. They’re not flashy, but they don’t detract from the story either. Kristoffer Tabori and Anne Twomey, in the leads of Kevin and Nola, reel us into the story. They make it feel like you are right there experiencing everything alongside them. While sequentially it is after the last episode I’m about to offer up, I’d suggest you keep it that way.
Examination Day: This is the worst thing I’ve ever fucking watched. When I share this with others, they give me strange looks because I’ve intentionally exposed myself to this episode multiple times. I do have to partake in a light brain-washing afterwards. In this case, I found myself going through the same emotional journey as I do when watching Time Enough at Last. They lead you on, tease a bit of hope, and then suddenly bring you crashing down. This one hurts in a different way though especially if you have kids. It’s one of those scenarios where you reassure yourself, “No, that could never happen,” yet a part of you remains doubtful. If you’ve never seen it, or read the original short story from Henry Slesar, I would advise it. I wondered if I should tell you all about how this one goes, but I am going to let you seek it out. My apologies ahead of time.
Where to Watch:
This one is readily available even to those who are boycotting any subscription based platforms. Heck, I don’t blame you. We might as well return to cable at this point. At least I might get an even jazzier form of The Weather Channel back. If physical media is your jam, you can easily acquire it on DVD, though I’ve heard the transfer quality isn’t optimal and the special features are limited.
What Happened? Where is it now?
The destiny of this version and the original paralleled each other; dwindling viewership and rising production expenses brought our exploration into the unknown to an end. But that’s alright because, as you’re aware, we were treated to another continuation in 2002 and then once more in 2019, led by fellow superfan Jordan Peele. Technically, we could now do a column on each of these versions. *Awwwww* But guess what, we’re going to do the original run this year, which excites me because I’ve been waiting forever.
That’s the thing, right? The Twilight Zone is the kind of series that you eagerly anticipate returning in new forms, whether as a reboot, continuation, or fresh series. Though I’ll be honest, the 2002 series wasn’t the same in terms of rewatch quality as the others.
I’ve mentioned the original Twilight Zone several times in this discussion, which is probably not surprising. I believe the 80s continuation did a decent job and didn’t give the impression that it was tarnishing the legacy of the original series.
A couple previous episodes of Horror TV Shows We Miss can be seen below. If you’d like to see more, and check out the other shows we have to offer, head over to the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!
Back in January, it was revealed that frequent collaborators Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan – who have worked on Fruitvale Station, Creed, Black Panther, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever together as director and cast member, and have other collaborations that Coogler didn’t direct – have been developing a new project in secret. Coogler has written the script for this project, which is being described as a genre picture that Coogler will be directing and Jordan is attached to star in. The movie found a home at Warner Bros., and we’ve heard that it’s expected to have a budget of $90 million. Now we know when Warner Bros. is going to send it out into the world, as Deadline reports that it’s scheduled for a theatrical release on March 7, 2025.
Deadline hears that “the script is a period genre film that is a true star vehicle for Jordan.” There is so much secrecy surrounding this genre project, it was previously reported that “executives and buyers were forced to make the pilgrimage to the Beverly Hills offices of WME, the agency that represents Coogler and Jordan, in order to take a gander on the script and get details.” When the project was looking for a studio, there was talk of “potential co-ownership of the IP,” so it sounds like Coogler and Jordan could be aiming at starting a franchise.
There have been rumblings and rumors that this could turn out to be a vampire movie, but that hasn’t been confirmed.
Coogler (who is also developing a reboot of the TV series The X-Files) will be producing the film with Proximity Media partners Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian. Rebecca Cho serves as executive producer alongside Will Greenfield and two-time Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Goransson (who won his first Oscar for his work on Coogler’s Black Panther and his second for Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer). Production is set to begin in April.
Are you interested in this mysterious genre project from Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan? Are you hoping it does turn out to be a vampire movie when it reaches the big screen in 2025? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
The 1979 children’s fantasy classic will be getting new life as a rebooted series of films. The new franchise will be coming from Michael Ende Productions and will be based on his source material. The novel saw a live-action adaptation in 1984 with Wolfgang Petersen co-writing and directing the film. Then, in 1990, George Miller (not Furiosa‘s George Miller) would direct a sequel that starred Jonathan Brandis. And finally, a third movie starring Free Willy‘s Jason James Richter would follow in 1994.
According to Deadline, the series of films are set to be produced by Iain Canning and Emile Sherman for their production company See-Saw. Meanwhile, Roman Hocke and Ralph Gassmann will also be on board for Michael Ende Productions. Michael Ende Productions and See-Saw are set to collaborate with Lorenzo De Maio, who will serve as an executive producer on all the films. Wolf-Dieter Von Gronau, See-Saw’s Simon Gillis and Helen Gregory are also set to serve as EPs on the upcoming franchise.
The producers, Canning and Sherman, expressed their excitement for the project, saying, “The Neverending Story is a beloved book that has captured the imagination of generations of fans all over the world. Bringing literary worlds to screen is part of See-Saw’s DNA, and we are passionate about cinematic storytelling and entertaining audiences. We have such love for the book and are honored to be working with Michael Ende Productions on this collaboration to bring audiences back to Fantastica.”
Roman Hocke would add on, “The Neverending Story is more than just a story. It is THE story of all stories, because it tells us, alongside the breathtaking journey of Atréju and Bastian in a fantasy world, the real reason why stories play such an important role in our lives that we want to internalize them in all shapes and forms throughout our lives. Without stories, there would be no individuality, no personalities, no sense of meaning in the world. We want to transform this unique story into a great cinematic work of art for a wide audience. We feel lucky to have See-Saw Films by our side for this great task!”
PLOT: After having relocated to NYC to fight ghosts, the Spengler (Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, McKenna Grace & Finn Wolfhard) find themselves tangling with an old nemesis of the Ghostbusters, Mayor Walter Peck (William Atherton), who wants to shut them down for good. Meanwhile, an ancient evil will be unleashed over the city, releasing all the spirits caught over the last forty years.
REVIEW: 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. 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.
One thing fans are excited about is that the original surviving Ghostbusters have more screen time. That’s partly true. Ernie Hudson’s Winston and Dan Aykroyd’s Ray are part of the ensemble here, with significant arcs of their own. Murray, as Venkman, is still turning in more of a glorified cameo, with his role welcome but ultimately inconsequential. It’s too bad because the OG guys still have the dynamite chemistry that made the original film such a hit. Murray seems like he’s having fun, especially when Annie Potts suits up as Janine towards the end, and it’s great to see that the old gang still has it.
But, it can’t be denied that they can’t help but steal the thunder of the new cast, as when they show up at the end, you forget about the new characters, some of whom have very little to do in this instalment. Finn Wolfhard, in particular, seems to have a limited role, with him primarily busy chasing Slimer around the old firehouse and barely figuring into the plot. The same goes for Celeste O’Connor and Logan Kim, who return as Lucky and Podcast, with the plot stretching to explain why these Oklahoma kids are suddenly in New York.
A lot of the new screen time is swallowed by Kumail Nanjiani, who seems like he’s being soft-launched as the potential star of his own spinoff, playing the hapless, ne’er-do-well descendant of an ancient family with a connection to the movie’s big bad, a spirit named Garraka that can freeze people to death with the power of fright. Nanjiani is likeable and funny, but with so many characters, the under two-hour running time is packed. His role, coupled with a lot of time devoted to Winston’s high-tech ghost-busting organization, all feels almost Marvel-ish in how transparent they are about planting the seeds for future spin-offs.
McKenna Grace’s Phoebe remains the defacto lead, with her going through some growing pains because she’s being sidelined from the family biz due to William Atherton’s Peck and his machinations. Her subplot is the most affecting part of the film, especially once she becomes involved with a tragic ghost (played by Emily Alyn Lind) with a link to Garraka, who ultimately doesn’t amount to much of a villain. Making the bad guy a giant CGI creature doesn’t do the film any favours, as if you think of the classic Ghostbusters villains, like Gozer and Vigo; they always had recognizably human avatars.
Even Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon feel like they have less to do this time, as both have become these kinds of idealized parental figures, as opposed to the more complicated versions they played in the last film. They just go with the flow here, although Rudd and Coon can’t help but be likeable. I wish co-writers Jason Reitman and new director Gil Kenan did more with them.
All that said, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is still entertaining, even if it takes a solid hour of exposition for the film to feel like it’s moving. Gil Kenan does a good job directing, even if it lacks the unique American Graffiti meets Ghostbusters vibe Reitman brought to the last film. This one feels more like a run-of-the-mill studio film, although I like that they’re still using many of the old Elmer Bernstein themes on the soundtrack, along with Ray Parker Jr’s song.
Another plus is that Ernie Hudson has his meatiest Ghostbusters role to date, and the idea of Winston, Ray, Janine and Venkman all still being pals in their golden years is touching, as is the idea here that – just because someone’s gotten old doesn’t mean they have to pass the torch. The film is being billed as a Ghost Corps production, which I suppose means Sony will try to make this an MCU-style franchise. If they want to make a spin-off, doing a proper Ghostbusters 3 focused on the now-elderly original characters would be amazing. Everyone still seems game, and if you let them do their own thing in another movie, maybe it would give the new characters established in these new movies a chance to come into their own in a Creed 3-style follow-up.
Boy is about to meet Doc, as it has been announced that a documentary on the popular series Boy Meets World could be headed our way. But before you get too excited about revisiting Cory, Topanga and Shawn, those behind the project aren’t even sure if and when it will come out.
Appearing at 90s Con, Pod Meets World hosts Danielle Fishel (Topanga Lawrence), Will Friedle (Eric Matthews) and Rider Strong (Shawn Hunter) unveiled that a crew is indeed working on a documentary about Boy Meets World, compiling what little behind-the-scenes footage there is and interviewing fans. As Fishel put it, “We aren’t even sure if it’s ever gonna go anywhere or not. We’re not necessarily intending on doing anything with it…It really kicked into high gear last year when we started the podcast and we started doing some live shows.”
Strong encouraged the project, adding, “I think there’s going to be a time whether it’s in five years, 10 years or another 30 years where we’re going to look back on the experience that we’re all having now and wish we could relive it and experience it again.” As will fans, so here’s hoping that a Boy Meets World doc could be made available for us and not just kept as a visual memory book for the cast.
The Pod Meets World trio was joined by Trina McGee (Angela Moore), the 96-year-old William Daniels (beloved teacher/neighbor Mr. Feeny), William Russ and Betsy Randle (Alan and Amy Matthews), Anthony Tyler Quinn (Jonathan Turner, who vanished after season four’s “Cult Fiction”), and Bonnie Bartlett Daniels (Dean Lila Bolander), who I actually did not realize was married to William Daniels (since 1951!).
That’s a huge chunk of the core Boy Meets World cast, but you might be wondering where the boy was. No, not Stuart Minkus, but rather Ben Savage, who has done just about everything to avoid being part of the continued Boy Meets World fandom, chiefly by entering politics. The team has subsequently said that Savage “ghosted” them. As for Maitland Ward (Rachel McGuire), well, she’s still in the entertainment business…
Did you watch Boy Meets World? Do you hope the documentary gets seen by its fans?
Plot: Professor Charles Xavier is dead, and his Children of X, led by Cyclops and Jean Grey, honor his memory by ushering the X-Men into a new era. When Magneto reveals that Charles left him everything, including the Xavier Institute and a fractured team of mourning mutants, the two sides must work together to overcome adversity and fulfill a promise to their fallen father figure and friend to strive for peace and equality in a broken world.
Review: Please fetch me my flannel, a chain wallet, and a pair of 18-hole Oxblood Dr. Martens because it’s the ’90s all over again! When Marvel Studios announced plans to revive its classic X-Men animated series, childhoods trembled inside fragile minds. Can Marvel recapture the feeling of waking up on a Saturday morning, a respite from educational prisons, to fight for equality alongside mutantkind? Is this series nothing more than a nostalgia play as Marvel hopes to win back fans exhausted by the Marvel Cinematic Universe? I’m pleased to say that fans will pop their claws for X-Men ’97, and there are many reasons to be excited about this revival.
Before we get too deep in the weeds, I’ve only seen the first three episodes of X-Men ’97 Season 1 at the time of this review. I would have happily watched more, but three action-packed episodes were all Disney sent to press outlets. Thankfully, I only needed two episodes to become convinced that what Marvel is doing with X-Men ’97 is nothing short of love letter brilliance.
Smartly, X-Men ’97 is a continuation of the original series. The classic X-Men theme song from the jump transports you back to 1997, when the fifth and “final” season concluded. While not a one-to-one recreation of the original, the art retains the original show’s ’90s aesthetic, though characters and environments are polished. The mixture of hand-drawn art and CGI is seamless, giving the series a look and feel that complements the original presentation. Overall, X-Men ’97 displays a vibrancy the original series could not achieve due to technological restrictions.
For better or worse, the characters look, act, and sound like you would expect or remember. I say “for worse” because I find some personalities grating, like Cyclops’ “boy scout” routine or Morph’s inability to read a room. Still, this is who those characters are, and the writing team does an excellent job of capturing what makes each member of the X-Men iconic, if overtly dramatic, at all times. If you think villain monologuing is obnoxious, wait until Cyclops (Ray Chase) regales you with woes about managing the X-Men in Xavier’s stead. Or, how about Morph (JP Karliak) lecturing you as your dead mentor and father figure before your morning cup of coffee?
The first episode, “To Me, My X-Men,” onboards new viewers, with Roberto da Costa (Sunspot) as a conduit for those who might not be familiar with the mutant struggle. In some ways, X-Men ’97 assumesyou’ve seen the original series. The decision to pick up the story where things left off in 1997 was a blessing and a curse. Yes, you can stream X-Men on Disney+, but what about audiences looking to dive directly into the new stuff or young audiences who missed the original series entirely? I was shocked that Disney failed to provide a recap of pivotal events from the original series before diving into the revival, though maybe that’s part of the official Disney+ launch.
While X-Men ’97 is big on superhero spectacle, personality clashes, and societal strife, it also shares a gripping story about othering, meaning how some people treat others as intrinsically different from themselves. X-Men, at their core, are an allegory for racism and nonconformity. Despite their numbers (which are forever in jeopardy), mutants represent the minority, the individuals who wish to coexist without prejudice and hatred haunting their every step. X-Men ’97 embraces the mutant struggle and confronts it head-on via Roberto’s fear of rejection or Magneto walking a new path based on a promise to a fallen friend.
The show also takes time to get personal with some mutants and touch on their inner turmoil. Whether we’re exploring the depths of Rogue’s loneliness and desire to experience physical touch, the nerfing of Storm (you’ll see), or Jean’s identity crisis (again, you’ll see), X-Men ’97 lets characters breathe and develop beyond their part in the ongoing war for equality. There’s also plenty of relationship drama, which I greatly enjoy. Who doesn’t love a toxic mutant love triangle? I can’t tell you how many times I shouted, “Just bone already,” at my monitor. That’s the good stuff.
Speaking of Magneto (Matthew Watterson), the move to position the Master of Magnetism as the new leader of the X-Men and owner of Xavier’s institute is fantastic. Here is a mutant born from rage and hatred who feels honor-bound to his greatest frenemy and all the change that oath brings. Not only must Magneto prove his sincerity to the X-Men, but he must also prove it to himself. This dynamic presents some excellent pathos as Magneto’s memories of genocide and near-extinction stobe inside his skull.
Other members of the team featured in X-Men ’97 include Jean Grey (Jennifer Hale), Rogue (Lenore Zann), Gambit (A.J. LoCascio), Wolverine (Cal Dodd), Beast (George Buza), Bishop (Isaac Robinson-Smith), Jubille (Holly Chou), and Storm (Allison Sealy-Smith), so far. I can appreciate why some fans would take umbrage with select voice actors from the original series not returning for X-Men ’97, though the cast does bring a unique flare to each character. At least Dodd, Sealy-Smith, and Zann return, alongside a handful of others.
Another outstanding aspect of X-Men ’97 is the action. The synergistic displays of power during combat had smiling from ear to ear. Here’s an example: During a fight, Wolverine imbues his claws with Gambit’s pure light kinetic energy, then modifies the classic attack, the “Fast Ball Special,” into a deadly display of explosive power. It’s a real “Holy sh*t” moment, and there’s plenty of them.
When you combine X-Men ’97‘s synthesized ’90s-inspired score with an animation team able to reproduce the look and feel of the original show, you have something special. While I hope X-Men ’97 takes more narrative risks as the story continues, I’m somewhat astonished by what the creative team achieved with this revival. It’s rare for a project this risky to arrive as polished and on-point as I view it to be. The series is off to a solid start, with much room to grow and give everyone a taste of what they want. I’ll definitely tune in for the remainder of the season when it drops onto Disney+, and I look forward to seeing how fans react when one of their most beloved animated series returns for more mutant-related mayhem and sociopolitical commentary.
The first official trailer for Star Wars: The Acolyte was finally released earlier today, and the reaction seems to be fairly mixed, with some loving it and others saying they won’t be watching. However, series creator Leslye Headland told the official Star Wars website that The Acolyte isn’t what you think it is, teasing plenty of mysteries to come.
“Whatever you think The Acolyte is, it’s not that,” Headland said. “It’s a drop in the bucket, baby. Just hang in there and check it out.” The creator also teased that The Acolyte will include more than a few nods to the Star Wars Extended Universe. “There’s also some EU lore that I decided to put in because I thought it was so cool and no one told me I couldn’t,” she said. “There are a couple of really big EU ideas that are utilized both early on in the series and later in the series.“
While speaking with THR, Headland teased the mystery aspect of the series, as well as its samurai-movie influences. “One thing to know about the show is that we’ve been talking about it as a mystery-thriller. It is a serialized story, so each episode gives you more information about the story,” she said. “We were obviously influenced by samurai films and wuxia films, but also films like Rashomon, where you see one story and then you see it done a different way. So, what separates [Star Wars: The Acolyte] from some of the other Star Wars series is that it’s told in that particular way.“
Set hundreds of years before the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, The Acolyte takes place during the High Republic era of the franchise. This era has been explored in books and comics, but Headland said, “You don’t need to know too much to enter the story [of The Acolyte].” The series stars Amandla Stenberg (Bodies Bodies Bodies), Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game), Manny Jacinto (The Good Place), Dafne Keen (Logan), Charlie Barnett (You), Jodie Turner-Smith (Anne Boleyn), Rebecca Henderson (Russian Doll), Dean-Charles Chapman (Game of Thrones), Joonas Suotamon (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker), and Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix Resurrections).
The Acolyte logline reads: “An investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems.” The Acolyte will premiere on Disney+ on June 4th
It’s been a big week for trailers already, with new trailers for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and Star Wars: The Acolyte dropping today, and tomorrow will be no exception. Judging by a tweet from Alien: Romulus director Fede Álvarez, the first trailer for the highly anticipated Alien sequel will finally be released tomorrow. I can’t wait!
Set between the events of Alien and Aliens, Alien: Romulus will follow “a group of young people on a distant world who find themselves in a confrontation 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). In addition to directing the movie, Fede Álvarez also co-wrote the script alongside Rodo Sayagues.
According to recent reports, Spaeny plays Rain, the Ripley-esque lead of the film, while David Jonsson plays Andy, her android brother. It’s been said that the main characters are a group of scavengers who stumble upon an abandoned Weyland-Yutani research ship (which is supposedly where the Romulus of the title comes from), but surprise, surprise, they unwittingly unleash the dreaded xenomorphs.
I’m excited to see a more down-and-dirty Alien movie once again, and I remain hopeful that the director of Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe will bring the goods. To that end, Isabela Merced has teased a rather disgusting scene which caused those watching it to turn away.
“When we were doing reshoots, Fede Álvarez gave me the iPad where he watches playback, and he had the movie pulled up. So I told him I wanted to see parts of it, and he showed it to me,” Merced said last month. “I was the one holding the iPad, and there were ten people around me watching it on the iPad. So there’s a scene that I’m in, and they all had to turn away. Not one person stayed looking at that iPad because it was so disgusting. And I was watching it like this … (Merced pretends to hold an iPad with a mesmerized look on her face.) I was so excited. (Laughs.) I love sci-fi, I do. So he let me watch half the movie on the iPad. I said [to Fede], “If the iPad is heavy, I can carry it for you. I can hold it.” (Laughs.) So I’m really, really excited for that one. Again, I’m lucky enough to be a part of these projects with the best of the best. I can’t believe it. I’m so in shock, and I don’t know when I’m going to wake up.“
Be sure to check back here tomorrow for the release of the first trailer for Alien: Romulus, which hits theaters on August 16th.
Twenty years ago, Jake Gyllenhaal was seriously considered to play Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins. The role may have gone to Christian Bale, but Gyllenhaal still remains a popular choice to play the iconic DC character, particularly with The Brave and the Bold just over the horizon.
While speaking with ScreenRant about Road House, Jake Gyllenhaal was asked if he’d still be interested in playing Batman.
“Oh, man. That’s a classic. It’s an honor,” Gyllenhaal said. “Speaking of playing roles that other incredible actors have played in the past, to me actually roles that other incredible actors have played in the past, which, to me, actually, when I think about it, I’m going to play Iago in Othello with Denzel Washington, and I think about like the history of actors that have played that role throughout time, and I’m intimidated by that. So that’s the first level. That’s what I’m working on right now. But of course. It would be an honor always. Those types of things and those roles are classics.“
David S. Goyer, who co-wrote Batman Begins, has said that Gyllenhaal was his top choice to play the Dark Knight in the movie.
In just a few days, Gyllenhaal will be seen starring in Doug Liman’s much-anticipated Road House remake. Per the official logline: “In this adrenaline-fueled reimagining of the ’80s cult classic, ex-UFC fighter Dalton (Gyllenhaal) takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that this paradise is not all it seems.”
Our own Chris Bumbray recently reviewed the film, and while it was unfortunately more of a “mixed bag” than he had hoped, he still had fun with it. “It’s pretty entertaining, even if it’s not the absolute rollercoaster ride the trailer promised. It has some good fight sequences, but it’s short of action until about halfway in,” reads the review. “When it sticks to punch-ups, the movie is great, but when it spreads out into boat chases and explosions, the streaming nature of the film becomes more apparent. You start to wonder why they didn’t study the original movie closer, which proved car chases, explosions, and gun battles are ultimately unnecessary in a film about people getting kicked in the head.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s review right here. Road House will debut on Prime Video on March 21st.
As for Batman, it sounds like Jake Gyllenhaal is still game, but what do you think? Would you like to see him play Batman in The Brave and the Bold?
