While Hollywood continues to reel from the devastating L.A. wildfires, the WGA is honoring some of the film industry’s best and brightest by announcing the 77th annual Writers Guild Awards nominees. The yearly celebration of excellence in film, TV, new media, news, radio, and promotional writing is always a highlight of the year, as the event brings attention to many hard-working individuals across a broad spectrum of entertainment.

Anora, A Real Pain, Challengers, Civil War, and My Old Ass are among the films nominated for the Original Screenplay category, while shows like The Boys, The Diplomat, Fallout, Mr. & Mr.s Smith, and Shōgun compete for Drama Series excellence.

The WGA plans to announce the winners on February 15 in New York at the Edison Ballroom and in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton.

Here are the nominees for the 77th annual Writers Guild Awards:

Screenplay

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

A Real Pain, Written by Jesse Eisenberg; Searchlight Pictures

Anora, Written by Sean Baker; Neon

Challengers, Written by Justin Kuritzkes; Amazon MGM Studios

Civil War, Written by Alex Garland; A24

My Old Ass, Written by Megan Park; Amazon MGM Studios

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

A Complete Unknown, Screenplay by James Mangold and Jay Cocks, Based on the Book Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wald; Searchlight Pictures

Dune: Part 2, Screenplay by Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts, Based on the Novel Dune by Frank Herbert; Warner Bros. Pictures

Hit Man, Screenplay by Richard Linklater & Glen Powell, Based on the Texas Monthly Article by Skip Hollandsworth; Netflix

Nickel Boys, Screenplay by RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes, Based on the Book The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead; Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios

Wicked, Screenplay by Winnie Holzman and Winnie Holzman & Dana Fox, Based on the musical stage play with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, From the Novel by Gregory Maguire; Universal Pictures

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

Jim Henson: Idea Man, Written by Mark Monroe; Imagine Documentaries

Kiss the Future, Screenplay by Bill S. Carter, Story by Bill S. Carter and Nenad Cicin-Sain; Fifth Season

Martha, Written by R.J. Cutler; Netflix

War Game, Written by Tony Gerber & Jesse Moss; Submarine Deluxe

Television, Streaming and News

DRAMA SERIES

The Boys, Written by Geoff Aull, Jessica Chou, Paul Grellong, Eric Kripke, Ellie Monahan, Judalina Neira, David Reed, Anslem Richardson; Prime Video

The Diplomat, Written by Peter Ackerman, Eli Attie, Debora Cahn, Anna Hagen, Julianna Dudley Meagher, Peter Noah; Netflix

Fallout, Written by Jake Bender, Karey Dornetto, Zach Dunn, Kieran Fitzgerald, Chaz Hawkins, Lisa Joy, Carson Mell, Jonathan Nolan, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Gursimran Sandhu, Graham Wagner; Prime Video

Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Written by Carla Ching, Adamma Ebo, Adanne Ebo, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Schuyler Pappas, Francesca Sloane, Yvonne Hana Yi; Prime Video

Shōgun, Written by Shannon Goss, Maegan Houang, Rachel Kondo, Matt Lambert, Justin Marks, Caillin Puente, Nigel Williams, Emily Yoshida; FX/Hulu

COMEDY SERIES

Abbott Elementary, Written by Quinta Brunson, Ava Coleman, Riley Dufurrena, Justin Halpern, Joya McCrory, Chad Morton, Morgan Murphy, Brittani Nichols, Rebekka Pesqueira, Kate Peterman, Brian Rubenstein, Patrick Schumacker, Justin Tan, Jordan Temple, Garrett Werner; ABC

The Bear, Written by Karen Joseph Adcock, Joanna Calo, Rene Gube, Will Guidara, Matty Matheson, Alex Russell, Catherine Schetina, Christopher Storer, Courtney Storer; FX/Hulu

Curb Your Enthusiasm, Written by Larry David, Jon Hayman, Justin Hurwitz, Carol Leifer, Stephen Leff, Jeff Schaffer, Nathaniel Stein; HBO | Max

Hacks, Written by Genevieve Aniello, Lucia Aniello, Guy Branum, Jessica Chaffin, Paul W. Downs, Jess Dweck, Ariel Karlin, Andrew Law, Carol Leifer, Carolyn Lipka, Joe Mande, Aisha Muharrar, Pat Regan, Samantha Riley, Jen Statsky; HBO | Max

What We Do in the Shadows, Written by Jake Bender, Max Brockman, Zach Dunn, Shana Gohd, Amelia Haller, Sam Johnson, Jeremy Levick, Chris Marcil, William Meny, Sarah Naftalis, Marika Sawyer, Paul Simms, Rajat Suresh, Lauren Wells; FX/Hulu

NEW SERIES

English Teacher, Written by Brian Jordan Alvarez, Wally Baram, Jake Bender, Emmy Blotnick, Zach Dunn, Dave King, Stephanie Koenig, Jonathan Krisel, Paul Simms, Samantha Shier; FX/Hulu

Fallout, Written by Jake Bender, Karey Dornetto, Zach Dunn, Kieran Fitzgerald, Chaz Hawkins, Lisa Joy, Carson Mell, Jonathan Nolan, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Gursimran Sandhu, Graham Wagner; Prime Video

Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Written by Carla Ching, Adamma Ebo, Adanne Ebo, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Schuyler Pappas, Francesca Sloane, Yvonne Hana Yi; Prime Video

Nobody Wants This, Written by Barbie Adler, Jane Becker, Jack Burditt, Vali Chandrasekaran, Craig DiGregorio, Erin Foster, Lindsay Golder, Steven Levitan, Pat Regan, Niki Schwartz-Wright, Neel Shah, Noelle Valdivia, Ron Weiner, Ryann Werner; Netflix

Shōgun, Written by Shannon Goss, Maegan Houang, Rachel Kondo, Matt Lambert, Justin Marks, Caillin Puente, Nigel Williams, Emily Yoshida; FX/Hulu

LIMITED SERIES

The Penguin, Written by Vladimir Cvetko, Breannah Gibson, Erika L. Johnson, Lauren LeFranc, Corina Maritescu, Megan Martin, John McCutcheon, Shaye Ogbonna, Nick Towne, Noelle Valdivia, Kira Snyder; HBO | Max

Presumed Innocent, Written by Miki Johnson, David E. Kelley, Sharr White; Apple TV+

Ripley, Written by Steven Zaillian; Netflix

Say Nothing, Written by Clare Barron, Joe Murtagh, Kirsten Sheridan, Joshua Zetumer; FX/Hulu

True Detective: Night Country, Written by Katrina Albright, Alan Page Arriaga, Namsi Khan, Issa López, Chris Mundy, Wenonah Wilms; HBO | Max

TV & STREAMING MOTION PICTURES

The Great Lillian Hall, Written by Elisabeth Seldes Annacone; HBO | Max

Prom Dates, Written by D.J. Mausner; Hulu

Rebel Ridge, Written by Jeremy Saulnier; Netflix

Terry McMillan Presents Forever, Written by Bart Baker; Lifetime

ANIMATION

“Bottle Episode” (The Simpsons), Written by Rob LaZebnik & Johnny LaZebnik; Fox

“Cremains of the Day” (The Simpsons), Written by John Frink; Fox

“Night of the Living Wage” (The Simpsons), Written by Cesar Mazariegos; Fox

“Saving Favorite Drive-In” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Katie Crown; Fox

“The Tina Table: The Tables Have Tina-ed” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Greg Thompson; Fox

“Winter Is Born” (Blood of Zeus), Written by Charles Parlapanides & Vlas Parlapanides; Netflix

EPISODIC DRAMA

“Anjin” (Shōgun), Written for Television by Rachel Kondo & Justin Marks; FX/Hulu

“The Beginning” (Fallout), Written by Gursimran Sandhu; Prime Video

“Fear of the End” (Evil), Written by Rockne S. O’Bannon & Nialla LeBouef; Paramount+

“First Date” (Mr. & Mrs. Smith), Written by Francesca Sloane & Donald Glover; Prime Video

“Olivia” (Sugar), Written by Mark Protosevich; Apple TV+

“Pilot” (Elsbeth), Written by Robert King & Michelle King; CBS

EPISODIC COMEDY

“AGG” (Somebody Somewhere), Written by Hannah Bos & Paul Thureen and Bridget Everett; HBO | Max

“Bulletproof” (Hacks), Written by Lucia Aniello & Paul W. Downs & Jen Statsky; HBO | Max

“Linda” (English Teacher), Written by Jake Bender & Zach Dunn; FX/Hulu

“Napkins” (The Bear), Written by Catherine Schetina; FX/Hulu

“Once Upon a Time in the West” (Only Murders in the Building), Written by John Hoffman & Joshua Allen Griffith; Hulu

“Petiole” (The Sticky), Written by Brian Donovan & Ed Herro; Prime Video

COMEDY/VARIETY SERIES – TALK OR SKETCH

The Daily Show, Head Writer Dan Amira Senior Writers Lauren Sarver Means, Daniel Radosh Writers David Angelo, Nicole Conlan, Devin Delliquanti, Zach DiLanzo, Jennifer Flanz, Jason Gilbert, Dina Hashem, Scott Hercman, Josh Johnson, David Kibuuka, Matt Koff, Joe Opio, Randall Otis, Zhubin Parang, Kat Radley, Lanee’ Sanders, Scott Sherman, Jon Stewart, Ashton Womack, Sophie Zucker; Comedy Central

John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A., Writers Anna Drezen, David Ferguson, Fran Gillespie, Langston Kerman, Jeremy Levick, John Mulaney, Alex Scordelis, Rajat Suresh; Netflix

The Kelly Clarkson Show, Head Writer Jordan Watland Writers Kevin Hurley, Nik Robinson; Syndicated

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Senior Writers Daniel O’Brien, Owen Parsons, Charlie Redd, Joanna Rothkopf, Seena Vali Writers Johnathan Appel, Ali Barthwell, Tim Carvell, Liz Hynes, Ryan Ken, Mark Kramer, Sofia Manfredi, John Oliver, Taylor Kay Phillips, Chrissy Shackelford; HBO | Max

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Head Writers Ariel Dumas, Jay Katsir Writers Delmonte Bent, Michael Brumm, Aaron Cohen, Stephen T. Colbert, Paul Dinello, Glenn Eichler, Gabe Gronli, Barry Julien, Michael Cruz Kayne, Eliana Kwartler, Matt Lappin, Caroline Lazar, Pratima Mani, Felipe Torres Medina, Opus Moreschi, Carley Moseley, Asher Perlman, Michael Pielocik, Tom Purcell, Kate Sidley, Brian Stack, John Thibodeaux, Steve Waltien; CBS

Saturday Night Live, Head Writers Alison Gates, Streeter Seidell, Kent Sublette Writers Rosebud Baker, Dan Bulla, Megan Callahan-Shah, Steven Castillo, Michael Che, Mike DiCenzo, Alex English, Jimmy Fowlie, Martin Herlihy, John Higgins, Steve Higgins, Vannessa Jackson, Colin Jost, Erik Kenward, Ben Marshall, Dennis McNicholas, Lorne Michaels, Jake Nordwind, Ceara O’Sullivan, Josh Patten, Gary Richardson, Pete Schultz, KC Shornima, Asha Ward, Auguste White, Celeste Yim; NBC

COMEDY/VARIETY SPECIALS

The 77th Annual Tony Awards, Written by Dave Boone; CBS

A Closer Look with Seth Meyers: Primetime Live Election Special, Head Writer Alex Baze Writing Supervised by Mike Scollins Closer Look Writing Supervised by Sal Gentile Written by Alex Baze, Bryan Donaldson, Sal Gentile, Matt Goldich, Allison Hord, Mike Scollins, Seth Meyers, Mike Shoemaker; NBC

Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die, Written by Nikki Glaser; HBO | Max

Ramy Youssef: More Feelings, Written by Ramy Youssef; HBO | Max

QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

Jeopardy!, Writers Marcus Brown, Michael Davies, John Duarte, Mark Gaberman, Debbie Griffin, Michele Loud, Robert McClenaghan, Jim Rhine, Steve Tamerius, Billy Wisse; ABC

Pop Culture Jeopardy!, Writers Marcus Brown, Buzzy Cohen, Michael Davies, Chip Dornell, John Duarte, Mark Gaberman, Debbie Griffin, Michele Loud, Traci Mack, Amy Ozols, Louis Virtel, Billy Wisse; Amazon Prime

DAYTIME DRAMA

Days of Our Lives, Head Writer Ron Carlivati Writers Sonja Alarr, Kirk Doering, Christopher Dunn, Jamey Giddens, David Kreizman, Henry Newman, Ryan Quan, Dave Ryan, Katherine D. Schock; Peacock

General Hospital, Head Writers Elizabeth Korte, Chris Van Etten Writers Nigel Campbell, Ashley Cook, Emily Culliton, Suzanne Flynn, Charlotte Gibson, Lucky Gold, Kate Hall, Catherine LePard, Patrick Mulcahey, Dan O’Connor, Shannon Peace, Stacey Pulwer, Anne Schoettle, Scott Sickles, Micah Steinberg; ABC

The Young and the Restless, Head Writer Amanda L. Beall Writers Susan Banks, Jeff Beldner, Marin Gazzaniga, Lindsay Harrison, Marla Kanelos, Rebecca McCarty, Madeleine Phillips, Dave Ryan; CBS/Paramount +

CHILDREN’S EPISODIC, LONG FORM AND SPECIALS

“A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers” (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), Written by Rick Riordan & Jonathan E. Steinberg; Disney+

“I’m Pogey” (Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock), Written by Charley Feldman; Apple TV+

Out of My Mind, Written by Daniel Stiepleman; Disney+

“The Sign Language ABCs” (Sesame Street), Written by Jessica Carleton; HBO | Max

“Welcome to Spiderwick” (The Spiderwick Chronicles), Written by Aron Eli Coleite; Roku Channel

SHORT FORM STREAMING

Die Hart 3: Hart to Kill, Written by Tripper Clancy; Roku Channel

Tiny Time Travel, Written by Annabeth Bondor-Stone, Cynthia Furey, Tim McKeon, Nikki Palumbo, Connor White, Moujan Zolfaghari; PBS Kids

DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT

“The American Vice President” (American Experience), Written by Michelle Ferrari; PBS

“The Cancer Detectives” (American Experience), Written by Gene Tempest; PBS

“Part One: Inferno to Paradise” (Dante), Written by Ric Burns and Riccardo Bruscagli; PBS

“Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal” (American Experience), Written by Jamila Ephron; PBS

The Space Race, Written by Mark Monroe; National Geographic Channel

NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT

“Alabama IVF Ruling Sends Shockwaves Across America” (CBS Evening News), Written by James Hutton, Rob Rivielle; CBS News

“Assassination Attempt” (CBS Evening News – Special Weekend Edition), Written by Craig Wilson, James Hutton, Claudine Cleophat, Joe Clines, Rob Rivielle; CBS News

“Willie Mays Tribute” (CBS Newspath), Written by Gerald Mazza; CBS News

NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY

“Finding Cillian Murphy” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Nicole Young, Kristin Steve; CBS News

“Fine Print: Carl Hiaasen” (CBS Sunday Morning), Written by Richard Buddenhagen, Lesley Stahl; CBS News

“History Repeats Itself in Northern Gaza One Year Later” (Ayman), Written by Rajaa Elidrissi; MSNBC

“The Resistance” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Nicole Young, Kristin Steve; CBS News

“Understanding Travel Advisories” (ABC NewsOne), Written by Erik Pierorazio; ABC NewsOne

DIGITAL NEWS

“The Food That Makes You Gay” Written by Jaya Saxena; Eater

“Mise-en-Seine: A Paris Olympics Diary”, Written by Henry Grabar; Slate

“Sent by God”, Written by Molly Olmstead; Slate

“The Unraveling of Nancy Mace”, Written by Jim Newell; Slate

“What Is Hamas Thinking Now?”, Written by Akbar Shahid Ahmed; HuffPost

Radio/Audio

RADIO/AUDIO DOCUMENTARY

“Art on Trial” (One Year: 1990), Written by Evan Chung; Slate

“Deadly Exes: Domestic Violence Awareness with Annie Elise” (Serial Killers), Written by Maggie Admire; Spotify Studios

“A Hotbed of Homosexuality” (Slow Burn), Written by Christina Cauterucci; Slate

“If You Give a Mouse a Cookie… Will He Want a Welfare Check?” (Decoder Ring), Written by Cheyna Roth and Patrick Fort; Slate

RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT

“6:40am News – November 6, 2023”, Written by Philip Pilato; 1010 WINS AM & FM

“12-15-2023, World News This Week”, Written by Joan B. Harris; ABC News Radio

“Inside a Gaza Hospital” (What Next?), Written by Mary Harris and Rob Gunther; Slate

“Passages: Three Women Who Made A Difference”, Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio

“World News This Year 2023”, Written by Robert Hawley; ABC News Radio

RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY

“The Athleticism and Empathy of Horses” (Press Play 2024), Written by Robert Hawley; ABC News Radio

“The bleeding edge” (Unexplainable), Written by Byrd Pinkerton; Vox

“Charles Osgood Remembered”, Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio

Promotional Writing

ON-AIR PROMOTION

“Fortune Favors the Bold. Promotions for Tracker and King & Conqueror”, Written by Molly Neylan; CBS

“LC Voting Ads”, Written by Desireena Almoradie, Angad Bhalla; YouTube

“NCIS: Season 21 Legacy, Launch and Beyond Trailers”, Written by Erial Tompkins; CBS

“NYSNA AMC Campaign”, Written by Adrianna Hernandez Stewart, Angad Bhalla; YouTube

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Djimon Hounsou is pulling the curtain back on an injustice in the film industry. After 30 years of entertaining audiences on screens big and small, Hounsou told CNN‘s Larry Madowo he’s “struggling financially,” despite featuring in tentpole films and receiving two Oscar nominations. Commenting on African representation in cinema, Hounsou says, “Yes, quite a bit has changed,” but not enough to keep him from worrying about his future’s stability.

“When I came out with Amistad, I was nominated for a Golden Globe, but they ignored me for the Oscars, talking about the fact that they thought that I had just came off the boat and off the streets where Steven Spielberg used me for this film,” Hounsou told Madowo.

“This conceptual idea of diversity and all that, it still has a long way to go. Systemic racism don’t change like that anytime soon,” he added.

Djimon Hounsou is an actor I have always enjoyed seeing. Two nights ago, I watched Furious 7, where he plays Mose Jakande, a terrorist leader and mercenary who secretly worked with Cipher (Charlize Theron). Hounsou spends much of the movie chewing scenery and making trouble for Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his extended family of death-defying speed freaks. Hounsou is a delight, much like he is in films like Amistad, Blood Diamond,  Constantine, Push, Captain Marvel, and more.

“After 30 years, let’s say maybe the first 10 years was really trying to acclimate myself to the industry,” he said. “I’ve been in this business and making films now over two decades, and still, with two nominations, Oscar nominations, been in many big blockbuster films and yet I’m still struggling financially to make a living. I’m definitely underpaid.”

When Madowo expressed concern and surprise about Hounsou’s situation, the actor added, “That’s a sign for you that systemic racism is not something that you can deal with lightly. It’s so deep, inserted in so many things that we do across the board, and you don’t overcome it.”

What’s sad is that this is not the first time I’ve heard Hounsou talk about Hollywood’s unfair and unfortunate treatment. It’s a sign that despite people’s efforts, an imbalance persists within the film industry that studios, executives, and filmmakers must address. One day, I’d like to hear Hounsou share a different, more rewarding story. He’s certainly paid his dues and is worth every penny.

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Sebastian Stan plays a major role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; his character, Bucky Barnes, has been in several MCU films and will next be seen in Thunderbolts*, which is set to reach theatres May 2, 2025. Now, Variety has confirmed that Stan is attached to another comic book / graphic novel-based project, one that he has been rumored to be involved with for at least three years: they wrote that Stan is “currently developing a film adaptation of Ed Brubaker’s graphic novel Reckless.”

What is Reckless? It’s a series that’s published by Image Comics, and they provided the following description: Sex, drugs, and murder in 1980s Los Angeles, and the best new twist on paperback pulp heroes since The Punisher or Jack Reacher. ED BRUBAKER and SEAN PHILLIPS, the modern masters of crime noir, bring us the last thing anyone expected from them—a good guy. Meet Ethan Reckless: Your trouble is his business, for the right price. But when a fugitive from his radical student days reaches out for help, Ethan must face the only thing he fears…his own past.

There is franchise potential here, as the original Reckless has been followed, so far, by Friend of the Devil, Destroy All Monsters, The Ghost in You, and Follow Me Down. Here’s some information on each one – Friend of the Devil: It’s 1985, and things in Ethan’s life are going pretty well…until a missing woman shows up in the background of an old B-movie, and Ethan is drawn into Hollywood’s secret occult underbelly as he hunts for her among the wreckage of the wild days of the ’70s. Destroy All Monsters: It’s 1988, and Ethan has been hired for his strangest case yet: finding the secrets of a Los Angeles real estate mogul. How hard could that be, right? But what starts as a deep dive into the life of a stranger will soon take a deadly turn, and Ethan will risk everything that still matters to him. The Ghost in You: It’s the winter of 1989 and Ethan is out of town, so this time, Anna has to tackle the job on her own. When a movie scream queen asks her to prove the mansion she’s renovating isn’t haunted, Anna will stumble into the decades-long mystery of one of Hollywood’s most infamous murder houses…a place with many dark secrets—some of which might just kill her. Follow Me Down: In the wake of the 1989 earthquake, Ethan takes a trip to San Francisco to search for a missing woman. But almost immediately, he finds himself going down a path of darkness and murder in a case unlike anything he’s faced before.

I haven’t read the Reckless books, but I am a fan of Sebastian Stan and all of this sounds very cool to me, so I look forward to seeing how the movie adaptation is going to work out.

Are you interested in Reckless? Let us know by leaving a comment below – and if you have read any of the graphic novels, tell us what you thought of them.

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The first teaser trailer for Spartacus: House of Ashur has entered the arena! Starz‘s sequel series welcomes a new era of gladiatorial combat drama to the stage, along with an autumn release window.

Here’s the official synopsis for Spartacus: House of Ashur courtesy of Starz:

“What if Ashur (Nick Tarabay), hadn’t died on Mount Vesuvius at the end of ‘Spartacus: Vengeance?’ And what if he had been gifted the gladiator school once owned by Batiatus in return for aiding the Romans in killing Spartacus and putting an end to the slave rebellion?”

Created, written, and executive-produced by Steve DeKnight, Spartacus raised its sword and shield on Starz in 2010 with its first season, Spartacus: Blood and Sand. A prequel series followed called Spartacus: Gods of the Arena in 2011, with Spartacus: Vengeance dropping in 2012 and Spartacus: War of the Damned in 2013. The original series, Blood and Sand, revolved around the life of Spartacus, the gladiator who led a rebellion against the Romans. From his time as an ally of the Romans to his betrayal and becoming a gladiator to the uprising he led and its outcome.

Starz announced plans for Spartacus: House of Ashur in 2023. The latest chapter of the Spartacus series finds Steve DeKnight returning as the project’s showrunner and executive producer. Rick Jacobson and Aaron Helbing are also executive producers.

Today’s Spartacus: House of Ashur teaser trailer offers a first look at the sequel series starring Simon Arblaster as Proculus, Daniel Bos as Balbus, Mikey Thompson as Musicus, Stephen Madsen as Creticus, Joe Davidson as Logas, Cameron Rhodes as Uvidus, Eden Hart as Elata, Nick E. Tarabay as Ashur, Lucy Lawless as Lucretia, and more.

It’s been 12 years since the last chapter of Starz’s Spartacus series. Given the warm reception for Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, audiences are still hungry for armored beefcakes, political intrigue, backstabbing, and gladiatorial combat that will have you questioning the morals of humankind. Audiences once went wild for the Spartacus series, and perhaps they will again when Spartacus: House of Ashur comes to the Starz network this Fall.

Are you excited about Spartacus: House of Ashur? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Best known these days for directing Home Alone and the first two Harry Potter movies, Chris Columbus was also the screenwriter behind two enduring ’80s classics: Gremlins and The Goonies, both of which were released by Warner Bros. and executive produced by Steven Spielberg. Now, according to a new report on Deadline, Warner Bros. is developing new Gremlins and The Goonies films, with Columbus attached to at least one of those projects.

Deadline wrote that, at Warner Bros., “Franchise hopes abound down the road in Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, Practical Magic 2, DC’s Clayface and Supergirl, Drew Goddard’s incoming script for a new Matrix, a new Gremlins from Christopher Columbus and a Goonies treatment.”

Directed by Joe Dante from Columbus’s script, Gremlins had the following synopsis: A gadget salesman is looking for a special gift for his son and finds one at a store in Chinatown. The shopkeeper is reluctant to sell him the `mogwai’ but his grandson sells it to him with the warning to never expose him to bright light, water, or to feed him after midnight. All of this happens and the result is a gang of gremlins that decide to tear up the town on Christmas Eve. Released in 1984, Gremlins spawned a 1990 sequel called Gremlins 2: The New Batch… and the insanity of that one managed to bring the series to an end for a while. Several years ago, Columbus worked with Disturbia writer Carl Ellsworth on a Gremlins 3 script, but the film didn’t make it into production. Instead, focus shifted over to an animated prequel series that can be found on the Max streaming service. Now, it sounds like Warner Bros. is interested in making another Gremlins movie again.

The Goonies came along in ’85, scripted by Columbus and directed by Richard Donner. The synopsis: Old-fashioned yarn about a band of adventurous kids who take on the might of a property developing company which plans to destroy their home to build a country club. When the children discover an old pirate map in the attic, they follow it into an underground cavern in search of lost treasure but come up against plenty of dangerous obstacles along the way. There have been rumblings of a Goonies follow-up for decades, but the project never went anywhere and it seemed to have been shelved permanently when Donner passed away in 2021. Apparently, that’s not the case.

Are you glad to hear that Warner Bros. wants to make new Gremlins and Goonies movies? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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A couple years ago, Spider One – the frontman of Powerman 5000 and the brother of fellow musician/filmmaker Rob Zombie – made his feature directorial debut with the horror anthology Allegoria. Last year, his second feature – a horror film called Bury the Bride – was released through the Tubi streaming service. His third film, which is called Little Bites, recently secured a worldwide distribution deal through RLJE Films and the Shudder streaming service – and, having received a theatrical and VOD release in October, Little Bites is now set to start streaming on Shudder as of February 21st!

Written and directed by Spider One, Little Bites centers on Mindy, a young widow and mother who tries to protect her daughter Alice from a flesh eating monster named Agyar. Mindy has been secretly sacrificing her own life by allowing the creature to feast on her body as she keeps Alice hidden away at her grandmother’s house.

Krsy Fox of Allegoria and Bury the Bride plays Mindy and is joined in the cast by Elizabeth Phoenix Caro (The Christmas Chronicles) as Alice and Jon Sklaroff (Gifted) as Agyar. Also in the cast are Chaz Bono (American Horror Story), Lyndsi LaRose (Frank), Mark Kelly (The Hot Zone), Christopher Alvarenga (Last Girl Standing), and genre icons Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator), Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street), and Bonnie Aarons (The Nun).

Bono, who also worked on Bury the Bride, serves as an executive producer on Little Bites alongside his mother, Cher, as well as Ian Hoge, Tyler Connolly, and Wendy and Mark Berry. Spider One and Fox’s company OneFox Productions produced. 

Spider One told Deadline, “Little Bites began with an unflinching look at my own experience as a parent. An experience that has been and continues to be a complex mess of love, pain, success and failure. Where the best of intentions are constantly countered by the dark forces of self doubt and the external judgment of others. In the film, Mindy’s relationship with her monster, Agyar, is clearly my allegory for parenthood. His bites are her pain. His words are her insecurities. His intentions are to prove Mindy’s failure as a parent. Krsy Fox and Jon Sklaroff delivered beyond my wildest expectations with their portrayals of Mindy and Agyar and I can’t wait to once again team up with Shudder/RLJE and let horror fans to sink their teeth into Little Bites.“

We recently heard that Spider One was working on his fourth film, Big Baby.

Will you be watching Little Bites when it reaches Shudder? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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When news broke that various children’s properties would enter the public domain and be made into cheap horror movies, most of us expected films that would straight to DVD or Streaming. And while that is the case for many of these releases, not the case with the Poohniverse. Starting with Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, this cinematic universe has found success with its brief theatrical runs. So much so that we’re being treated to a whole slate of films that include Bambi, Winnie the Pooh and Pinochio. The latest entry, Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare, releases in theaters for only three days (just like the Blood and Honey films) so be sure to check it out in theaters if you want more. My review will go up the night of release.

I was excited to chat with director of Neverland Nightmare (and star of Blood and Honey 2), Scott Chambers to discuss all things Poohniverse. What surprised me the most was that the first Blood and Honey was simply one of dozens of horror films that they made that year. Its viral success has allowed the filmmakers to focus on less projects; all of them leading to an Avengers-style teamup film which is set to be released next year. I’m really impressed with the sheer determination of Chambers in getting these films done. This also served as the first interview where the person ended up being a fan of my work, so that was a real “pinch me” moment. Scott also offered to kill me off in a future Poohniverse film so here’s hoping that actually comes to fruition. Like any horror fan, the dream is to be killed on screen in a horror film. Check out the rest of the interview in the embedded video above!

Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare plot:

The newest entry into the Poohniverse follows Wendy Darling as she strikes out in an attempt to rescue her brother Michael from the clutches of the evil Peter Pan who intends to send him to Neverland. Along the way she meets a twisted Tinkerbell, who is hooked on what she thinks is fairy dust.

From Jagged Edge Productions and ITN Studios, Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare arrives in theaters for three days only starting January 13, 2025 until January 15, 2025 only from Iconic Events Releasing. Buy your tickets now at Iconic Events.

Related

Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare Review: Why so serious?

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Seven years went from the time when director Coralie Fargeat made her feature directorial debut with a very cool revenge movie that was appropriately titled Revenge – you can read our 8/10 review of the film at THIS LINK – and when she came back with an “explosive feminist take on body horror” called The Substance, which stars Demi Moore (Ghost) and Margaret Qualley (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood). Fargeat’s second movie was worth the wait (you can read our 9/10 review HERE), and has been streaming on the MUBI service since Halloween. Qualley wore some major prosthetic makeup for some sequences in the film – and during a new interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, she revealed that it took a year for her skin to recover from the irritation caused by those prosthetics.

The film is gory, but also humorous, and it’s quite a wild ride. Here’s the official synopsis: It generates another you. A new, younger, more beautiful, more perfect you. And there’s only one rule: You share time. One week for you. One week for the new you. Seven days each. A perfect balance. Easy. Right? If you respect the balance… what could possibly go wrong? The Substance has been rated R for strong bloody violent content, gore, graphic nudity and language.

A press release provides more information: Demi Moore gives a career best performance as Elisabeth Sparkle, a former A-lister past her prime and suddenly fired from her fitness TV show by repellent studio head Harvey. She is then drawn to the opportunity presented by a mysterious new drug: THE SUBSTANCE. All it takes is one injection and she is reborn – temporarily – as the gorgeous, twentysomething Sue (Margaret Qualley). The only rule? Time needs to be split: exactly one week in one body, then one week in the other. No exceptions. A perfect balance. What could go wrong? Deliriously entertaining and ruthlessly satirical, Coralie Fargeat’s Cannes sensation turns toxic beauty culture inside out with a be-careful-what-you-wish-for fable for the ages. Explosive, provocative and twisted, THE SUBSTANCE marks the arrival of a thrillingly visionary filmmaker.

Moore and Qualley are joined in the cast by Dennis Quaid (Lawmen: Bass Reeves), who plays the studio head Harvey. At one point, Ray Liotta was attached to appear in the film as well, but he passed away soon after his casting was announced. He was replaced by Quaid, who dedicated his performance to Liotta.

Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan produced The Substance for the company Working Title. Alexandra Loewy of Working Title and Nicolas Royer of A Good Story serve as executive producers.

Qualley told Happy Sad Confused (with thanks to Variety for the transcription) that Fargeat had to avoid showing her face in some scenes because her skin was so irritated. “At the end, when they’re shooting up my skirt in the beginning credits, and it’s like the palm trees all around and they have all these long lenses from the bottom, that’s just because my face was so f*cked up. They couldn’t shoot my face anymore. … It took me probably a year to recover physically from all of it.” From The Substance, Qualley went on to work on Yorgos Lanthimos’s Kinds of Kindness, where the acne caused by the The Substance prosthetics was left uncovered for one of the four characters she played. “So, you know the character that has all that acne? That was just my acne from the prosthetics. And I was like, ‘Oh this is kind of perfect. I’m playing all these different characters. For one of them, we’ll use all my crazy prosthetic acne.’“

Margaret Qualley, Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons in new clip from Yorgos Lanthimos’ ‘KINDS OF KINDNESS’

In theaters June 21. pic.twitter.com/vRWrsPPrX7

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) June 11, 2024

If you’d like to catch The Substance on the big screen, you’ll have another chance soon, as the film is returning to US theatres this Friday, January 17th. Are you a fan of this film, and of Margaret Qualley’s work in it? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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While the attention should be rightfully paid to the first responders and the victims of the recent ongoing wildfire devastations in Los Angeles, a lot of rearranging is also being thrown around in the entertainment industry, which has been in the warpath of the blaze. This past week has seen events like movie premieres and awards shows getting either canceled or delayed until further notice. Earlier today, it was announced that the Critics Choice Awards has been pushed back a second time as the situation rages on.

The Hollywood Reporter has now brought attention to a story that claims the Academy has taken the action of canceling the Oscars this year as this crisis continues. The U.K. tabloid newspaper, The Sun, has reportedly released a story on their website, which was classified as an “exclusive,” that sports the eye-catching headline, “OSCARS THREAT Oscars 2025 on verge of being cancelled as bosses secretly plot major changes to ceremony after LA wildfires.” The story went on to report that “A secret ‘contingency strategy’ is in place for the March 3rd Awards to be called off.” That claim also gave an inaccurate date. Then, they elaborated, “The Oscars awards ceremony is on the verge of being cancelled for the first time in its 96-year history… Official Academy Award committees are monitoring the situation daily, led by stars including Tom Hanks, Emma Stone, Meryl Streep and Steven Spielberg.”

THR has contacted senior figures at the Academy, as well as individuals close to some of the A-listers name-dropped in the article, and the publication has reported that the claims made in The Sun hold absolutely no weight as “no such plan is being contemplated and no such advisory committee exists.”

An official letter from CEO Bill Kramer from last week reads: “Dear Academy members, We want to offer our deepest condolences to those who have been impacted by the devastating fires across Southern California. So many of our members and industry colleagues live and work in the Los Angeles area, and we are thinking of you. Given the fire situation, we want to share some updates regarding an extension to the Oscars nominations voting window as well as updated information on Oscars Shortlist Screenings, Oscars Bake-Offs, and the Academy Museum.“

Kramer continued, “Nominations voting for the 97th Oscars opened this morning at 9am PT. We will be extending the voting window by two days to give members more time to cast their ballots. Voting will now close on Tuesday, January 14 at 5pm PT. As such, our Oscars Nominations Announcement will move from Friday, January 17 to Sunday, January 19. More information on the announcement will follow soon.“

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About a year and a half ago, word leaked out that Maggie Gyllenhaal was set to write and direct a film called The Bride!, a new take on the concept of the 1935 classic The Bride of Frankenstein  (watch it HERE). Once thought to be set up at the Netflix streaming service, this one is actually happening at Warner Bros., and the studio has set the film for a theatrical release, IMAX screens included, on October 3, 2025. Gyllenhaal has assembled a strong cast for the film that includes Penelope Cruz, Annette Bening, Peter Sarsgaard, Julianne Hough, John Magaro, Jeannie Berlin, and her brother Jake Gyllenhaal, with Jessie Buckley as The Bride and Christian Bale as Frankenstein’s Monster. Magaro is currently doing press for the film September 5, where he shares the screen with Sarsgaard, and he told The Hollywood Reporter that The Bride! is wild, fun, and bonkers – and also compared it to some classic films.

The Bride! has the following synopsis: A lonely Frankenstein travels to 1930s Chicago to seek the aide of a Dr. Euphronius in creating a companion for himself. The two reinvigorate a murdered young woman and the Bride is born. She is beyond what either of them intended, igniting a combustible romance, the attention of the police and a wild and radical social movement.

This isn’t a Universal project, but it wouldn’t be the first Bride of Frankenstein remake to be made by a different company. In 1985, Columbia Pictures brought us another movie simply called The Bride, which starred Sting as Baron Charles Frankenstein, Jennifer Beals as Eva (the bride) and Clancy Brown as Viktor (the monster). A few years ago, it was announced that Scarlett Johansson was going to star in a similar project called Bride for A24 and Apple, but that still hasn’t made it into production.

Magaro told The Hollywood Reporter, “Peter [Sarsgaard] was kind enough to recommend me to his wife [Maggie Gyllenhaal] for The Bride!, so I had a really good time shooting it last spring. It’s a wild movie. It’s very different than The Lost Daughter, Maggie’s previous film that she directed. It’s like a mix of a Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers movie, Young Frankenstein, Frankenstein, Bonnie and Clyde, and Badlands. It’s just a wild, fun ride, and at the helm is Christian Bale and the amazing Jessie Buckley. It’s something that people haven’t seen before, and I’m really excited to get it in front of an audience. It’s bonkers.“

What do you think of Magaro’s description of The Bride!? Share your thoughts on this wild ride by leaving a comment below.

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