Just because Hellboy wasn’t badass enough as is, he’s now getting a mecha upgrade: creator Mike Mignola is reuniting with artist Duncan Fegredo for Giant Robot Hellboy, a three-issue mini-series where – you guessed it – our favourite red boy is a robot. The first issue will drop from Dark Horse Comics in October, breaks THR.
“Giant Robot Hellboy is my very obvious nod to all those Japanese giant monster movies…which I actually have no particular love for,” Mignola said in a statement. “I had the idea for this one a long time ago but figured it was too silly to actually do,” the writer continues. “Then the pandemic came along and I started to do all those sketches I would post online. I had never given a serious thought to what a giant robot Hellboy would look like but I knocked out a few sketches and I liked them. The thing started to seem like something that could actually be done.”
Plot details are being kept sparse, but we do now that GRH will see Hellboy kidnapped and hooked up to a massive mecha-Hellboy for a mission on a mysterious, faraway island.
Comedy king Dan Harmon’s upcoming animated series Krapopolis has launched its official trailer, ahead of a September 24th premiere on Fox.
Krapopolis is set in mythical ancient Greece and tells the story of a dysfunctional family of humans, gods and monsters that try their hand at running the world’s first cities – without trying to kill one another, that is.
Hannah Waddingham, Richard Ayoade, Matt Berry, Pam Murphy and Duncan Trussell are among the series’ voice cast. Ayoade voices Tyrannis, the King of Krapopolis and the mortal son of a goddess. Waddingham plays Deliria, Tyrannis’ mother, goddess of self-destruction and questionable choices. Berry voices Shlub, Tyrannis’ father, a mantitaur (that’s a half-centaur, half-manticore, i.e. bits of horse, human, lion and scorpion). Murphy voices Stupendous, Tyrannis’ half-sister, daughter of Deliria and a cyclops. Trussell plays Hippocampus, Tyrannis’ half-brother, son of Shlub and a mermaid, which gets physiologically complicated.
Alanna Ubach also holds a recurring role, while big stars such as Susan Sarandon, Will Forte, Michael Urie, Jane Lynch, Amber Stevens West, Yvette Nicole Brown and Dave Franco are confirmed as guest stars.
Krapopolis is created and executive produced by Rick & Morty and Community creator Harmon, with Jordan Young serving as showrunner. Watch the trailer below:
This week Dynamite Entertainment announced that, after more than three decades since the horror classic hit cinema screens, Ash Wiliams will be returning to the world of Evil Dead once more, this time to explore Army of Darkness’ alternative ending in the form of a comic book: Army of Darkness Forever.
The end of the original movie sees Ash returning to present-day (at the time) Michigan, but as fans know all too well, at first the finale was meant to be much different. The original ending saw Ash fail the ritual that would send him back home, and instead waking up 100 years into the future. In this dystopia, most of humanity and the world around them have been wiped out. However, in favour of the happier ending set in the aisles of S-Mart that we eventually got, this was scrapped.
The comic series will pick up straight from where the movie left off, but will be swapping between three separate narratives timelines: S-Mart during the ’90s, the post-apocalyptic hellscape of 2093, and the Middle Ages. Speaking on the original ending of the movie, and his inspiration for starting the project, writer Tony Fleecs (Stray Dogs) detailing in the Dynamite Press Release that, “Instead of Ash ending up back in 1990s Michigan, fighting Deadites at S-Mart, he wakes up 100 years after the end of the world in 2093. I remember the first time I saw it on DVD, my mind just exploding at the possibilities. Ash vs. the post-apocalypse?! But then the theatrical ending has that iconic action scene and last line: “Hail to the King, baby.” So, you don’t want to lose that either.”
Fleecs is collaborating with artist Justin Greenwood (Stumptown) on the series. “He’s one of the funniest guys in person,” says Fleecs. “A real raconteur. And that comes through in the way he draws Ash. They both feel like blue-collar guys with interesting jobs to do.”
To accompany the series, Dynamite is also releasing the Army of DarknessMovie Adaptation 30th Anniversary Edition, featuring artwork from John Bolton (X-Men). It also features a new interview with star Bruce Campbell, conducted by comics legend Kurt Busiek.
Another accompanying release will be Army of Darkness 30th Anniversary Trading Cards, featuring a range of new photo and artwork cards, and rare hand-drawn sketch cards to hunt down.
A sure-to-be must-read for Evil Dead fans, Army of Darkness Forever #1 is slated to hit shelves in October 2023, along with the hardcover film adaptation and trading cards.
It’s been revealed at San Diego Comic-Con this week that 2000’s satirical thriller American Psycho, based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel of the same name, is getting a new sequel in the form of a four-issue comic book run. As per Deadline‘s recent report, the series will have a dual narrative; one storyline showing a new perspective of Patrick Bateman’s murder spree “with a twist”, while the other presents us with a modern-day arc featuring “surprising connections to the past”. This modern story will introduce us to “an all-new psychopath as social media obsessed millennial, Charlie (Charlene) Carruthers, goes on a downward spiral filled with violence.” When drug-fuelled partying leads to bloodshed, “Charlie leaves a trail of bodies on her way to discovering the truth about her dark nature.”
LA-based comic publisher Sumerian has acquired the rights from movie producer Pressman Films and novelist Ellis to create the sequel, as well as to use Christian Bale’s likeness for the character of Bateman. The series has been written by Michael Calero (Quested), with art by Piotr Kowalski (The Witcher) and colour by Brad Simpson (Kong of Skull Island).
The first issue will be released in print and digital on October 11th, 2023.
The second The Marvels trailer has dropped after a dramatic countdown on the studio’s social media accounts. The first trailer was released back in April.
Brie Larson returns as Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, and is joined by Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau (first introduced in WandaVision) and Iman Vellani as Kamala Kahn, aka Ms. Marvel. Candymanhelmer Nia DaCosta directs this 33rd film in the MCU, which also stars Zawe Ashton, Gary Lewis, Park Seo-joon, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, and Samuel L. Jackson.
Per the film’s official synopsis, The Marvels follows events after Carol Danvers has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilised universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan, Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team-up and learn to work in concert to save the universe as “The Marvels.”
The next chapter in the sprawling Marvel movie universe releases in cinemas on November 10th. Watch the second The Marvels trailer below:
The Knocking is a tense and terrifying eco-horror rooted in the forests and folklore of Finland from directors Max Seeck and Joonas Pajunen. It screens at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest on Friday, August 25th and Sunday, August 27th, before hitting digital platforms on September 4th.
Synopsis:
When three adult siblings return to their childhood home, where their parents were allegedly murdered many years ago, their plan is to get the house and estate ready to be sold, but they soon discover a primordial evil is trying to prevent them from doing so.
The Knocking is the directorial debut of Joonas Pajunen and Max Seeck, an international and New York Times bestselling author who has previously won the Finnish Whodunnit Society’s Debut Thriller of the Year Award.
As Pigeon Shrine FrightFest is on the horizon, and for the sixth time, the festival is running its New Blood campaign.
FrightFest has once again teamed up with Giles Edwards of Queensbury Pictures in its mission to find emerging UK-based writers dedicated to the genre and nurture their projects from script to screen. Anyone who reaches the final selection is expected to send a rough draft of the first ten pages of their script since Queensbury Pictures seeks to acquire scripts ready for production rather than just an idea.
The successful eight shortlisted applicants will workshop their ideas in a group setting under the guidance of top industry professionals and genre experts. Joining Giles Edwards as this year’s mentors are actor, writer, and director Andy Nyman (Ghost Stories), Jennifer Sheridan, director of Rose: A Love Story and Disney+ show Extraordinary and writer, producer, director, actor Toby Poser (The Deeper You Dig, Where The Devil Roams)
Applications are open from Thursday, July 20th, with potential participants asked to submit a 400-word proposal through the dedicated New Blood page on the FrightFest website, and if selected, each writer is expected to submit the first ten pages of their script idea.
The deadline is Friday, August 4th. All successful applicants will be notified by Monday, August 7th and then will be requested to send over their sample script pages. All participants are expected to pay for their own travel to, and accommodation in, London.
The New Blood networking and workshop event will be held on the morning of Thursday, August 24th, the opening day of this year’s festival, in a Central London venue.
To date, the scheme has delivered two new projects: Broadcast Signal Intrusion, written by Phil Drinkwater and Tim Woodall and directed by Jacob Gentry (The Signal) was produced by Greg Newman, Nicola Goelzhaeuser, and Giles Edwards at Queensbury Pictures and premiered to enormous acclaim at FrightFest 2021. The Change, written by Carina Rodney, has been optioned by another acclaimed UK producer.
Giles Edwards of Queensbury Pictures said: “Queensbury Pictures is proud to be back around the table with a formidable line-up of mentors for what will be the 6th New Blood session, rousing and inspiring a fresh crop of as-yet-undiscovered, earth-trembling genre talent“
Greg Day, co-director of FrightFest, commented, “For FrightFest to be entering its 6th year in partnership with Giles and Queensbury Pictures is a testament to how important and rewarding the New Blood initiative is. And long may it continue to be. Good luck to the New Blood class of 2023.”
FrightFest 2023 runs August 24th to 28th at the Cineworld, Leicester Square.
Renowned detective Hercule Poirot sails across the high seas for a new, horror-tinged adventure in the official trailer for A Haunting in Venice, a supernatural mystery film from returning director and star Kenneth Branagh.
Branagh’s third outing as the iconic character adapts Agatha Christie’s novel Hallowe’en Party. Set in a post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve, this newest entry in the mystery franchise follows Poirot, now retired in living in self-imposed exile within the floating city, as he reluctantly attends a séance and gets drawn into solving yet another sinister murder.
Branagh directs from a screenplay by Logan’s Michael Green, and brings together another stacked ensemble cast, including Kyle Allen, Call My Agent‘s Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, 6 Underground‘s Ali Khan, Mayor of Kingstown‘s Emma Laird, Yellowstone actress Kelly Reilly, Riccardo Scamarico, and Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh.
Speaking of the upcoming mystery horror, Branagh enthused that “this is a fantastic development of the character Hercule Poirot, as well as the Agatha Christie franchise. Based on a complex, little known tale of mystery set at Halloween in a pictorially ravishing city, it is an amazing opportunity for us, as filmmakers, and we are relishing the chance to deliver something truly spine-chilling for our loyal movie audiences.”
A Haunting in Venice releases in cinemas from September 15th. Watch the trailer below:
Prime Video has released the first trailer for The Wheel of Time season 2, as everyone prepares for the incoming last battle and Rand al’Thor struggles with being The Dragon Reborn. Based primarily on the second novel of Robert Jordan’s fantasy book series The Great Hunt, The Wheel of Time‘s sophomore season will reportedly also draw from the third novel, the Dragon Reborn. Rosamund Pike returns as Moirane Damodred, joined by Daniel Henney as Lan Mandragoran and Josha Stradowski as Rand al’Thor.
The cast of the series also includes Zoë Robins as Nynaeve al’Meara, Madeleine Madden as Egwene al’Vere, Marcus Rutherford as Perrin Aybara, Dónal Finn as Mat Cauthon and Ceara Coveney as Elayne Trakand.
“Everyone has a choice and every choice has a consequence,” the trailer teases. Recalling the events of the first season, Pike’s voice is heard warning: “We didn’t defeat the Dark One, we set him free.”
Per the official synopsis: The lives of five young villagers change forever when a strange and powerful woman arrives, claiming one of them is the child of an ancient prophecy with the power to tip the balance between Light and Dark forever. They must choose whether to trust this stranger – and each other – with the fate of the world before the Dark One breaks out of His prison, and the Last Battle begins.
The Wheel of Time season 2 will premiere on Prime Video on September 1st. Watch the trailer below:
A second trailer for sci-fi thriller The Creator has dropped, courtesy of 20th Century Studios, New Regency, and Entertainment One, teasing a chilling tale of humanity’s war against artificial intelligence.
Gareth Edwards co-writes and directs the feature, which stars Tenetactor John David Washington in the lead role alongsideThe Eternalsstar Gemma Chan, Inception’s Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson, Allison Janney, and newcomer Madeleine Yuna Voyles.
Per the logline: Amidst a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence, Joshua (Washington), a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife (Chan), is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war… and mankind itself. Joshua and his team of elite operatives journey across enemy lines, into the dark heart of AI-occupied territory… only to discover the world-ending weapon he’s been instructed to destroy is an AI in the form of a young child.
We dare not think what would happen to sci-fi cinema if audiences ever stopped fearing artificial intelligence taking over.
The Creator releases in cinemas on September 29th. Check out the trailer below:
