SOULM8TE is already slated for a January 2nd, 2026 release at Universal. Kate Dolan, who directed the 2021 thriller You Are Not My Mother, is attached to helm the feature, after rewriting the script from an original draft by Rafael Jordan. The story hails from Wan, Ingrid Bisu, and Jordan.
Described as an erotic thriller, SOULM8TE sees a man acquire an A.I. android to cope with the loss of his recently deceased wife. In an attempt to create a truly sentient partner, he inadvertently turns a harmless love robot into a deadly soulmate.
“Fundamentally, I view this film as an exploration of relationships and loneliness,” Dolan said in a statement. “Despite technological advances, there are enduring human truths we cannot escape, and I am looking forward to delving into those depths.”
M3GAN 2.0 will release on June 27th, 2025, with stars Allison Williams and Violet McGraw returning.
Brandy Norwood navigates a difficult mother-in-law in the first trailer for A24’s psychological horror, The Front Room. The feature, which hails from directors Max Eggers and Sam Eggers – the twin younger brothers of Robert Eggers, director of The Witch, The Lighthouse, The Northman,and the much-anticipated upcoming Nosferatu– is set to release in cinemas on September 6th.
The story focuses on an expecting couple whose lives change dramatically after they allow the husband’s (Andrew Burnap) stepmother (Kathryn Hunter) to stay in their home , and supernaturally-tinged chaos ensues. Or, as the official synopsis reads: “Everything goes to hell for newly-pregnant Belinda (Brandy) after her mother-in-law moves in. As the diabolical guest tries to get her claws on the child, Belinda must draw the line somewhere.”
Hunter is best known as a character actress who recently starred in Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbethand in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things. Brandy Norwood is best known for her globally successful music career, but has also done film and television work, including starring in the series Moesha and appearing in the horror sequel film I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.
Sam and Max Eggers both write and direct The Front Room, which is based on the short story of the same name from author Susan Hill.
Watch the darkly funny trailer for The Front Room below:
Warner Bros. Animation and DC Studios are developing an animated series based centred on Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle, which would follow on the 2023 feature film that starred Xolo Maridueña as the titular character.
Miguel Puga is serving as showrunner and director on the animated series, with Cristian Martinez writing. The Blue Beetle film’s writer, Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, and director, Angel Manuel Soto, are on board as executive producers, alongside John Ricard and Galen Vaisman. There’s no word yet on whether Maridueña or other members of the film’s cast will reprise their roles in the animated show.
In the DC feature film Blue Beetle, “Jaime Reyes suddenly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology called the Scarab. When the Scarab chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he’s bestowed with an incredible suit of armour that’s capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero Blue Beetle.”
It’s a good thing that this superhero is getting another go-around, considering it looks to have no place in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s reboot of the DC movie universe. As STARBURST’s very own Paul Mount wrote in his review, “fast, funny, colourful, and genuinely exciting, Blue Beetle deserves a better fate than to be left on the DCEU scrap heap. It’s a genuine shame that the world’s first onscreen Latino superhero – a cultural marker that the film bears proudly but without feeling the need to shout about it – seems doomed to crash and burn into the wreckage of DC’s brasher, stupider cinematic mistakes.”
Fingers crossed the project makes it out the gate, and stay tuned for updates on this Blue Beetle animated series as we hear them!
A sequel to the 1980s parody film Spaceballs is in early development at Amazon MGM Studios, with Josh Gad and Mel Brooks (who co-wrote, directed, and produced the original) attached to the project. Gad is expected to star, with Josh Greenbaum directing the comedy from a script jointly written by Gad, Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez. The latter two are writing partners best known for their work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Pokemon Detective Pikachu,and the upcoming Disney+ special Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy – appropriate that they’d be tapped for this project then, since Spaceballs was conceived as a Star Wars spoof.
Plot details for the sequel have not yet been revealed. Originally released in 1987, Spaceballs starred Bill Pullman, John Candy, Rick Moranis and Daphne Zuniga, as well as Joan Rivers in a voice role as C-3PO in a wig. In Spaceballs, “heroic mercenary Lone Starr (Pullman) and his alien sidekick Barf (Candy) rescue Princess Vespa (Zuniga) of Druidia and her droid, Dot Matrix (Rivers), from being captured by the Spaceballs, led by President Skroob (Brooks), who wants to use Vespa as ransom to obtain Druidia’s air for their own planet. However, the heroes get stranded on a desert moon, where they encounter the wise Yogurt (also Brooks), who teaches Starr about the metaphysical power known as “the Schwartz”. Meanwhile, Spaceball commanders Dark Helmet (Moranis) and Colonel Sandurz (Wyner) lead the search for them but are hindered by their own incompetence.”
Though primarily a parody of George Lucas’ franchise, Spaceballs also takes jabs at other popular films and franchises like Star Trek, Alien, The Wizard of Oz, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Planet of the Apes, and even Transformers.
Josh Gad previously teased his work on the project in a cryptic Instagram post, in which all relevant details were blacked out. “Just handed in a film script that I think may be the funniest and best thing I’ve ever worked on and I am so freaking excited,” Gad captioned.
The world’s most played tabletop roleplaying game, Dungeons & Dragons, has a new edition on its way; it’s now available for pre-order. This 50th-anniversary edition is wholly compatible with the incredibly popular 5th Edition while also promising to do something new.
The history of D&D is full of revisions; the game is constantly being refined and tinkered with, though the 2024 editions promise to clarify and make the game more balanced and accessible. The future of D&D is incremental change rather than radical shifts; time will tell if that truly does become the future of this iconic game.
The new Player’s Handbook (PHB) has some pretty interesting changes. For a start, it no longer assumes that you know how to play the game. The old model was that the PHB was something you picked up as you got into D&D, either through a friend or through one of the many starter sets. This assumption has been abandoned in favour of the brightly illustrated ‘how to play’ chapter. This isn’t new to RPGs, but it is something we’ve never seen in D&D.
The PHB also revises and changes character creation. Character options are much more flexible. The upshot of this means that players are likelier to pick elf, human or dwarf characters because that’s the story they want to tell rather than for a mechanical advantage. Feats (special abilities) have become tied to your characters background, and are designed
Character classes have also been overhauled. Of the twelve character classes you can play, each has four sub-classes, for a total of 48. This does mean that Wizard and Cleric characters only get four subclasses each, and traditionally those types of characters get a whole laundry list of options. Don’t panic. This new edition is completely compatible with the older iteration of the game, so the multi-class Grave Domain / War Magic character you have planned is still totally doable.
Monk and Ranger classes have been overhauled to be more attractive to players (previously, they were the least popular options), and at least sixteen of the subclasses have been radically changed to be more fun and interesting to play.
They’ve brought in the old ‘shopping catalogue’ style of presenting equipment; this was one of the more interesting bits of the older versions of the game, as you could actually see what the difference between a spear and a javelin was. There are more illustrations throughout the three core books than in the previous version. The Players Handbook, Dungeon Masters Guide, and Monster Manual all promise to be prettier.
Fans of D&D’s fourth edition will be delighted to hear that the Dungeon Master’s Guide also brings back solid advice on how to run and manage a campaign (something the fourth edition did very well.) In addition, it contains a sample campaign, namely Greyhawk, D&D’s very first setting and the default world for the first edition of the game. It will also contain rules on Bastions; basically a way for characters to build a power base in the game world. This feature was part of the game primarily back in the 1970s and ’80s and is an artefact of D&D’s origins as a wargame. This style of gameplay has been missing from official D&D since the ’00s and it’s reintroduction might offer hints as to what is to come. Is a “diplomacy, politics, trade, construction and war” style game of D&D (such as 1995’s Birthright) on its way? Time will tell.
For now, the new books look like guides, even the Monster Manual, which has 500+ monsters, including 75 new ones.
The new Player’s Handbook comes out on September 17th , the Dungeon Master’s Guide on November 11th, and the Monster Manual on Feb 18th, 2025, keeping another tradition of releasing the big book of bad guys till much later. You can pre-order them now.
Terry Matalas, the showrunner who helmed the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard, has been tapped to write a remake of the 1985 cult sci-fi movie Enemy Mine, for 20th Century Studios.
Set in a future where mankind is warring with a reptilian alien species, Enemy Mine starred Dennis Quaid as a human pilot and Louis Gossett Jr. as an alien who crash land on a desolate planet. Both have deep-seated hatred for one another, but are forced to overcome their prejudices to survive. Things are taken up a notch when the human pilot must take care of the alien’s baby when the reptilian is no longer able. The original film was directed by Wolfgang Petersen, and was based on a novella by sci-fi writer Barry B. Longyear, which itself was originally published in Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction magazine.
No producer or director is currently on board Matalas’ remake. Though best known for his work on Picard, Matalas was also the creator and showrunner behind the 12 Monkeys television series and the showrunner of season four of the rebooted MacGyver series. Which means, not only has he got plenty of practice in the sci-fi sphere, but he’s earned his stripes with remakes and reboots, too.
Stay tuned for more information on the reboot of Enemy Mine as we hear it.
Get ready to smile real wide with the first teaser trailer for Paramount Pictures’ Smile 2. Director Parker Finn’s sequel to the 2022 hit is set to release in cinemas on October 18th, and sees Kyle Gallner return as Joel alongside newcomers Naomi Scott, Lukas Gage, and Rosemarie DeWitt.
In Smile 2, per the official synopsis: “About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.”
Finn both writes and directs the sequel, with Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner and Robert Salerno serving as producers. Smile centres on a psychiatrist (Sosie Bacon) who is tormented after witnessing a traumatic incident with a patient. Until the full trailer releases for this sequel, why not check out STARBURST’s interview with writer-director Parker Finn about helming the box office hit, or with actors Sosie Bacon, Jessie T. Usher, and Kyle Gallner about starring in the horror film?
Watch the official teaser trailer for Smile 2 below, ahead of its October 18th release:
The hilarious animated family film Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow will be released in UK and Irish cinemas on June 21st. It recently received an exclusive early screening at MCM London Comic Con.
Starring the voice of comedian Ronny Chieng, outside his comedy shows and specials, filmgoers will know him from Kung Fu Panda 4, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Crazy Rich Asians and most recently Jerry Seinfeld’s Unfrosted. He often hits lines with a hilarious delivery, which works well for the dry, yet good-natured, comic tone of this arachnid inspector.
Playfully described as A Bug’s Life meets Poirot, this animated mystery is set in 1934 and follows the titular sleuth. After being fired from his detective job after a case gone wrong, Inspector Sun boards a luxury plane from Shanghai to San Francisco for his next job, a very secret mission. Shortly after departure, a murder takes place and the killer – or two, or three – are still onboard. As the passengers, assorted bugs and beasts, are wined and dined, also on board is Inspector Sun’s foe, the Red Locust. A web of intrigue will follow for our famous spider detective! Blending humour with intrigue and lively animation, the film takes a fun, creative spin on old genre tropes.
Dazzler Media presents Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow in cinemas from June 21st.
One of the most eagerly-awaited horror films of the year is Damien Leone’s Terrifier 3. Hitting cinemas on October 11th, we now have a first-look image and teaser poster to whet our bloodthirsty appetites even more. Check them out below…
The synopsis for the third film is: Art the Clown is set to unleash another round of chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve. Starring David Howard Thornton (Terrifier), Lauren LaVera (Terrifier 2), Daniel Roebuck (Final Destination), Elliot Fullam (Terrifier 2), Bryce Johnson (Pretty Little Liars), Samantha Scaffidi (Terrifier) and Chris Jericho (MacGruber), Terrifier 3 is written and directed by Damien Leone.
TERRIFIER 3 is only in cinemas on October 11th. Distributed by Signature Entertainment
Launching in 2025 in association with the BFI, the LONDON SOUNDTRACK FESTIVAL will be a yearly celebration of the sonic side of cinema, TV, and video games. Under wraps until early this afternoon, the first details have now emerged for this incredible new event, including the announcement of headliner Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings), and a myriad of special guests such as Shore’s frequent collaborator David Cronenberg himself. Other notable composers in attendance for the varied events include Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Natalie Holt, The Martian’s Harry Gregson-Williams, Joker’s Hildur Guðnadóttir, and Star Trek Picard’s Stephen Barton, with more to come.
The capital’s first annual Festival dedicated to celebrating the music of film, TV and games, in association with the BFI, will take place from 19 – 26 March 2025. The programme will feature live performances, panel discussions, in-conversation screenings, composer Q&As and masterclasses with some of the biggest names in film, TV and games music, including:
Howard Shore:
Headliner Howard Shore is one of the most successful and popular film composers. His soundtrack for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, for which he won countless awards (including three Oscars and three Grammys), is some of the most beloved film music of the last 25 years. Shore’s discography is vast and wide-ranging, scoring films such as Mrs Doubtfire, Silence of the Lambs, Se7en, and six films with Martin Scorsese including The Departed and The Aviator. In recognition of his constant originality, creativity and craft, Shore will become the first recipient of the Gunning Inspiration Award, which will be presented to him by director David Cronenberg as part of the LSF’s central Gala Concert.
Cronenberg and Shore have worked together for over 45 years, creating some of film’s most memorable, startling, moving and controversial moments. As part of a special Q&A event at Royal Festival Hall, Cronenberg and Shore (in conversation with journalist Jon Burlingame) will discuss their extraordinary collaboration, featuring Videodrome, The Fly, Dead Ringers, Crash, M Butterfly, Eastern Promises, A History of Violence, Naked Lunch and their 17th and most recent film together, The Shrouds. Shore will also introduce exclusive screenings of some of his most iconic scores, with further details to be announced.
Howard Shore
Hildur Guðnadóttir:
Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, best known for her scores for Joker (for which she won an Oscar, Grammy, BAFTA, and Golden Globe) and TV series Chernobyl (Grammy, Emmy and BAFTA), is also an LSF Featured Artist next year. Guðnadóttir will lead a pre-concert talk about her work ahead of presenting Hildur Guðnadóttir In Concert at Queen Elizabeth Hall, performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra. The programme will celebrate Guðnadóttir’s film and TV music alongside her influences and inspirations. Hildur has written a new commission for cellist Richard Harwood, who will premiere the piece at Wigmore Hall as part of a lunchtime recital of music by film composers written for the concert hall.
Hildur Guðnadóttir
Gala performances:
At the heart of the Festival is a Gala Concert at Royal Festival Hall from London Philharmonic Orchestra with conductor Ben Palmer, featuring music by all featured artists, with a particular focus on the recipient of this year’s Gunning Inspiration Award, Howard Shore.
BBC Concert Orchestra will perform popular hits from film and television at Alexandra Palace in a live edition of the BBC’s long-running popular programme Friday Night Is Music Night, broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.
Anne Dudley and Friends: Movie Songs Live sees Oscar-winning composer Anne Dudley (The Full Monty, Art of Noise) and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra at The Roundhouse presenting an exclusive night of movie songs and music featuring some very special guest vocalists, still to be announced.
Screenings:
Musician and composer Anna Meredith will introduce a live performance of her score for Bo Burnham’s film Eighth Grade played in sync with a screening of the film at BFI IMAX.
Charlie Chaplin’s masterpiece Modern Times will screen at Cadogan Hall with the original score played live by Covent Garden Sinfonia led by conductor Ben Palmer. The performance will be Introduced by Chaplin’s grandson, Spencer Chaplin.
Throughout the Festival, there will be exclusive screenings of films featuring scores by LSF featured artists, often introduced by the composers themselves. Further details will be announced soon.
Modern Times
Masterclasses and Talks:
Composer Paul Farrer (The Chase, Weakest Link) will reveal his composing and production process in a special masterclass.
Multi-award-winning composer Natalie Holt will present a masterclass exploring her process behind creating scores for TV hits Loki and Obi-Wan Kenobi in a masterclass.
Producers of music notation software Dorico will demonstrate the latest tricks and developments for media music creators in a demonstration session at the Southbank Centre.
And LSF host Jon Burlingame, one of the most respected writers on film and TV music in the world, will discuss his book ‘Music for Prime Time: A History of American Television Themes and Scoring’ with LSF Artistic Director and Founder, Tommy Pearson.
Natalie Holt
Games Music:
An unmissable celebration of Video Games Music will take place at The Roundhouse with Games Music: State of the Art, with masterclasses (by Grammy and Ivor-Award winning composers Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab on their score for Star Wars: Jedi Survivor), demos, autograph opportunities and a panel session with a stellar line-up of Games Music composers, including Borislav Slavov (Baldur’s Gate 3), Ludvig Forssell (Death Stranding) and Harry Gregson-Williams (Metal Gear).
Further events and details will be announced in the next few months.
Unveiling details of the inaugural Festival this morning at BFI Southbank, Festival Founder & Artistic Director Tommy Pearson has said: “It’s really exciting to be bringing this brand-new festival to London – the film, TV and games music capital of the world – and to celebrate the greatest composers working today who create the soundtrack to our lives. For me, it’s the culmination of a lifetime’s love of film and TV music; a chance to give audiences young and old (and everyone in between!) world-class performances, fascinating masterclasses, screenings and events for many years to come.”
Stuart Brown, Director of Programmes and Distribution at the BFI has said: “Music is the spiritual soul of cinema, television and video games, it inhabits our hearts, minds and dreams. We’re buzzing to be working with the London Soundtrack Festival to bring this very exciting new festival to audiences, and to be part of a really meaningful celebration of the incredible talent that brings these art forms to life.”
Howard Shore, composer and recipient of the inaugural Gunning Inspiration Award, has said: “It is an honour to be invited to the inaugural London Soundtrack Festival and to be the first recipient of the Inspiration Award. After many years of recording with the great London Philharmonic Orchestra, I am so looking forward to reuniting with them at the Gala Concert.”
Tickets to the Festival will go on sale in September 2024. For full details of the programme, and to sign up for the newsletter to hear about future updates, please visit londonsoundtrackfestival.com and follow the Festival on social media @LDNSoundtrack.
