Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington don their togas in the first trailer for Ridley Scott‘s long-coming sequel movie, Gladiator2.
Starring Mescal, Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn (looking very sickly) and Connie Nielsen, the film is director Scott’s follow-up to his Oscar-loaded, 2000 epic Gladiator that starred Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix.
Set several decades after the events of the first movie in ancient Rome, Gladiator II centers on Lucius (Mescal) — the grandson of former Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and now the grown-up son of Emperor Commodus — who resides with his family in Numidia. After ending up in slavery following an invasion led by Roman general Marcus Acacius, Lucius follows the inspiration of Maximus (played by Crowe in the original Gladiator) and competes as a gladiator.
Paramount debuted footage from the sequel at CinemaCon earlier this year, where Scott said of the new film: “It is possibly even more extraordinary than the first.” From the impressive set pieces and action glimpsed in the trailer, we’re tempted to believe him.
The trailer, in an inspired choice, is set to Kanye West (now Ye) and Jay-Z’s “No Church in the Wild”.
Gladiator 2 will be released by Paramount Pictures in cinemas from November 22nd. Watch it below:
Kathryn Hahn is back as the dark witch Agatha Harkness in the long-awaited first trailer for the Disney+ and Marvel series, Agatha All Along. The spinoff series from the 2021 show WandaVision — which has been renamed from House of Harkness, to Coven of Chaos, to now Agatha All Along after the song of the same name — hails from creator Jac Schaeffer.
Per the official synopsis, “The infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches’ Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down The Road…”
Granted, the trailer makes it appear as though it’s Aubrey Plaza’s Rio Vidal that encourages Hahn’s character to break from the spell the Scarlet Witch trapped her in, not Joe Locke’s teenage character, but no doubt all will become clear in time. In all, the show looks like it’ll be a humorous, dark, spooky series fit for its titular witch.
Joining Hahn for the Marvel Television project are Aubrey Plaza, Patti LuPone, Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Maria Dizzia, Paul Adelstein, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Okwui Okpokwasili and Debra Jo Rupp.
Agatha All Along premieres September 18th with the first two episodes. The rest of the nine episodes will release weekly to Disney+. Watch the trailer below:
Rejoice, John Cho fans, because he’s back and battling a futuristic HAL-9000 technology in the trailer for Afraid, coming to cinemas on August 30th.
Sony released the first trailer this week for writer-director Chris Weitz‘s thriller film, formerly known by the title They Listen. Coming from Columbia Pictures and Blumhouse Productions, Afraid centers on Curtis (Cho), whose household is selected to test a groundbreaking digital family assistant called AIA. Taking smart home to the next level, once the unit and all its sensors and cameras are installed in their home, AIA seems able to do it all. She learns the family’s behaviours and begins to anticipate their needs. However, the family soon realizes that AIA might have become a bit too… involved in the family’s lives, both inside and outside the home. Katherine Waterston stars opposite Cho.
Havana Rose Liu, David Dastmalchian, Lukita Maxwell, Keith Carradine and Riki Lindhome round out the cast. Weitz, Jason Blum and Andrew Miano serve as producers. Meanwhile, Beatriz Sequeira, Paul O. Davis, Dan Balgoyen and Britta Rowings are on board as executive producers. Chris Weitz is best known for directing The Golden Compass, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and Operation Finale.
While the plot for Now You See Me 3 is still being kept in the disappearing magic vanishing box, the film promises to bring back the thieving illusionists known as the Four Horsemen for another adventure, while introducing a new generation of clever magicians. Earlier this week, Lionsgate announced that the third instalment to the hit franchise will be released in cinemas on November 14th, 2025.
Cast members Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, and Mark Ruffalo are all set to reprise their roles from the first two films in this latest instalment, with franchise newcomers Justice Smith (Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, I Saw The TV Glow), Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers), Ariana Greenblatt (Ahsoka, Barbie), and Rosamund Pike also aboard. It’s unclear whether Lizzy Caplan, who took over as the Fourth Horseman in the second film from Isla Fisher while the latter was pregnant, will return in this third instalment. Also unconfirmed is whether Morgan Freeman will appear.
Ruben Fleischer will direct Now You See Me 3 from a script by Seth Grahame-Smith, Gavin James, and Michael Lesslie. Principal photography on the project is expected to commence sometime within the next three months, so stay tuned for further information as we hear it!
The Black Sunday Film Festival is back for a one-day mini-fest at the Chelmsford Odeon on Saturday, July 20th. It promises to be a day filled with fantastic horror features and shorts from some of the best indie filmmakers the world has to offer.
Feature film screenings include the UK premiere of indie darling Sigil from director Jacob Perrett, starring Karlee Mihailov and Isabella Rodriguez. The Essex premiere of festival hit Haunted Ulster Live from writer/director Dominic O’Neill, starring Aimee Richardson, Mark Claney, and Siobhan Kelly. The UK premiere of the mesmerising The Buildout by writer/director Zeshaan Younus and stars Black Sunday favourite Jenna Kanell and Hannah Alline. The Essex premiere of Custom from cult writer/director Tiago Teixeira, starring Abigail Hardingham, Rowan Polonski, Brad Moore, and Samantha Steel.
In addition to the feature line-up, we have eight incredible short films on offer, including Black Samphire from Alexander Vanegas-Sus and Cathy Wippell, Cakes! from Johnny Herbin, Cassandra from Paula Granato, Dead End from Dima Barch, Hallowed from Olivia J Loader, Have a Good Day from Lisa Soper, and Les Betes from Michael Granberry.
In time-honoured Black Sunday tradition, Midsummer Scream will close with the Cult Film Secret Screening, a rare big-screen presentation not to be missed!
Local hotspot Voodoo Keller will once again host the Black Sunday After Party for all filmmakers and attending guests from 10pm till late.
Full-day passes, which give you access to every film on offer, are on sale now. A small number of single tickets are also available for each block. All tickets include admission to the Black Sunday After Party.
For more information on the Black Sunday Film Festival and its upcoming events, visit www.blacksundayff.com. You can also book tickets here.
Jeffrey Reddick, creator and writer of the iconic horror franchise Final Destination, is teaming up with producer Todd Slater on Bloody Mary: Origins, a new spin on the infamous urban legend. Lane Shefter Bishop, best known for The Venice Murders, is set to direct and produce from a script by Reddick and the late John Stancari.
Bloody Mary: Origins is based on the New York Times bestselling novel Mary: The Summoning, by Hillary Monahan. The upcoming horror centres on “a group of teenage girls who discover an ancient spell that conjures the real Bloody Mary. When the terrifying entity pulls one of the girls through the mirror, she becomes trapped in the past living out the real Mary Worth’s last days. With time running out, the others must discover a way to save their friend in the past while vanquishing a terrorizing Bloody Mary in the present.”
Slater explained in a statement: “The script brings Reddick’s signature blend of suspense, humor and horror to a completely new take on the urban legend my friends and I used to play as kids. Much like Final Destination created a theatrical franchise that generations have enjoyed, our goal is for ‘Bloody Mary’ to generate ongoing films with the same impressive longevity.”
One of Europe’s longest-running sci-fi film festivals, the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival, is accepting submissions for the 2024 edition via FilmFreeway.
Trieste Science+Fiction Festival presents and promotes ‘fantastic’ productions from all over the world in Italy and its neighbouring countries, focusing particularly on science fiction and fantasy movies and audiovisual works.
Awards and Prizes
The Festival features the following competitive sections:
• Asteroid Award – competition for best international science-fiction and fantasy feature-length film;
• Méliès d’argent Award – competition for best European feature-length and short film from the fantastic genre;
There are also the following non-competitive sections:
• Spazio Italia – selection of Italian productions from the fantastic genre open to both feature-length films and short films (Spazio Corto);
• Fantastic Shorts – selection of international short films from the fantastic genre;
• Mondofuturo – selection of international science (-fiction) documentaries, public meetings, and lectures.
• Education Program – a selection of international feature-length and short films from the fantastic genre. Programmes are targeted according to audience age, from 3 to 8. The section features educational activities and workshops open to students of schools and universities, educators, and families.
• Artificial Universe – selection of short films incorporating Artificial Intelligence (‘AI’) tools.
• premieres and special events;
• retrospectives and special programs.
The Selection Committee selects and invites the films, assigning them to the competitive and non-competitive sections of the Festival.
Organised by the Italian film centre La Cappella Underground, the festival is supported by Ministry for the Cultural Heritage – DGC, Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Municipality of Trieste, and the University of Trieste. The first festival was in 1963, and Trieste Science+Fiction Festival has been a member of the M.I.F.F. (Méliès International Festivals Federation) since 2005.
Star Trek alum Jonathan Frakes is set to direct a six-episode series adaptation of Paul Preuss’ novels, “Arthur C. Clarke’s Venus Prime”. Frakes joins a producing team that already includes showrunners and executive producers David Cromican and Dwayne Hill.
Arthur C. Clarke’s Venus Prime is a series of sci-fi novels written by Paul Preuss, based upon stories written by legendary British author Sir Arthur C. Clarke. They tell the story of Sparta, a young woman with superhuman abilities, her search for the truth about her origins, and her battle against the cult known as the Free Spirit. Comprising six stories, the show will presumably assign one episode for each novel.
“When the materials for ‘Arthur C. Clarke’s Venus Prime’ were presented to me, I couldn’t help but devour them,” Jonathan Frakes is quoted saying in Variety. “When asked if I wanted to direct what I read — my answer was a resounding and immediate ‘Hell, yes!’ Working on such a tremendous piece of IP from the mind of another sci-fi legend (who is also a contemporary of the true #1 Gene Roddenberry), will be both an honor and a dream for me.”
Production on the series is due to begin later this year in Canada.
Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino, attempts to survive a post-apocalyptic world in the new trailer for sci-fi comedy Bando Stone & The New World, which the multi-hyphenate artist and filmmaker stars in and directs.
The trailer includes neither a release date nor official synopsis, but it does state that the feature’s original motion picture soundtrack is by, you guessed it, Childish Gambino. This is his first time helming a feature film, though he has flexed his directorial muscles with Swarm, Atlanta, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The trailer features the artist’s upcoming song “Lithonia”, due to release in full on July 2nd.
The trailer sees Donald Glover as Bando Stone, a former pop star unprepared for a post-apocalyptic world that includes oversized and raging animals, weird laser constructions, and dinosaur-esque monsters. Jessica Allain also stars, alongside Glover’s eldest son, Legend.
The lack of information surrounding this film raises questions as to whether Bando Stone & The New World is a ‘real’ film, or whether this is an elaborate way of promoting Childish Gambino’s upcoming album. The fact that the project credits Evi Wilder as the screenwriter just adds to the mystery around the feature, as Wilder has no previous film credits listed.
Writer-director and actor Tom Sainsbury, known for superb as Wellington Paranormal and Guns Akimbo, shows his hidden passion for thrillers and human drama with Loop Track, his latest movie, which is a collaboration with Chillbox Creative. Check out an exclusive clip from the film below and read on for details of the feature-packed Blu-ray!
Synopsis: Highly anxious Ian Thompson (Sainsbury) sets off on a solo trek in the New Zealand bush for some respite from the stress of everyday life. His plans for uninterrupted solitude are scuppered; however, his paranoia is only exacerbated when he encounters Nicky (Hayden J Weal) and other hikers. As Ian’s grip on reality weakens, he becomes convinced they are being followed. Miles from civilisation, their journey turns into a fight for survival as Ian’s fears manifest into a surreal battle against an unseen threat lurking in the wilderness. Is it all just in his head? Or is someone, or something, really out there?
Having already triumphed twice in the challenging 48Hours film competition, Tom Sainsbury delivers a gripping and tense psychological thriller that deftly explores the subjects of isolation and paranoia. Intertwining thrilling scares with moments of off-kilter humour, Loop Track is an unforgettable experience that lingers in the mind well beyond the closing credits.
LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY CONTENTS
• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
• Original stereo audio and 5.1 surround audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• New audio commentary with director, writer and lead actor Tom Sainsbury alongside producer and editor Gabriel Lunte
• The Story, director and writer Tom Sainsbury introduces the story behind Loop Track
• Tom’s vision, director and writer Tom Sainsbury discusses where the idea behind the film came from
• Origins of the Film, the producers of the film discuss the origins of the film following their short film (Time) Travel Centre
• Characters and the Cast, Tom Sainsbury introduces the cast
• The Creature, featurette detailing how The Creature came to be
• Production, the crew discuss the feature production
• Cinematography, producer and Director of Photography Milon Tesiram discusses the look of the film
• Original Score, composer Mike Newport discusses the score
• The Hut, featurette on the construction and design of the cabin
• Eyers Forest Park Promo, promotional video for the Eyers Forest Park trails
• (Time) Travel Centre, Tom Sainsbury’s 2016 short film, winner of the 48Hours Film Festival
• Image gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Dare Creative
• Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Dare Creative
• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by film critic and author Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, director’s notes and project background.
Loop Track is released on Blu-ray, Digital, and ARROW in the UK on July 8th.
