THE HUNGER GAMES: SUNRISE ON THE REAPING Teaser Drops

the hunger games sunrise on the reaping poster

The first teaser trailer and poster for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping have dropped, a full year ahead of the film’s release, currently slated for November 20th, 2026.

The sequel to 2023’s The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes returns to Panem, this time following a young Haymitch Abernathy, 24 years before the events of The Hunger Games and beginning on the morning of the reaping for the Second Quarter Quell.

Francis Lawrence, who helmed the previous four instalments, directs this latest franchise entry from a script by Billy Ray (also the writer on the first Hunger Games), based as always on the novel by Suzanne Collins.

Though the film adaptation was announced to be in production on June 6th of last year, the novel was only published on March 18th, 2025.

The film stars Joseph Zada as Haymitch, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, Ralph Fiennes as now-President Cornelius Snow, an unrecognisable Glenn Close as Drusilla Sickle, Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Maya Hawke as Wiress, Lili Taylor as Mags Flanagan, Billy Porter as Magno Stift, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee.

Check out the teaser trailer and poster for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping below:

GRIM Comic Adaptation In Works From WEDNESDAY Creators

grim comic cover

Wednesday creators Al Gough and Miles Millar have been tapped to turn Boom! Studios’ horror-fantasy comic Grim into an adult animated series for Netflix. Gough and Millar are working on the project alongside Love, Death + Robots supervising director Jennifer Yuh Nelson.

Grim, written by Stephanie Phillips with artwork by Flaviano, is a supernatural saga that follows Jessica Harrow, a newly recruited Reaper tasked with ferrying souls to the afterlife. Unlike her fellow Reapers, Jessica has no memory of her death or her life before. Her search for answers quickly pulls her deeper into the invisible architecture of the afterlife, revealing hidden forces, cosmic secrets, and a shocking connection to Death itself.

Millar and Gough will also executive produce for their banner, Millar/Gough Ink, alongside the company’s Head of Film Aaron Schmidt and Yuh Nelson. Stephen Christy and Adam Yoelin executive produce for Boom! Studios, with Mette Norkjaer co-executive producing. Phillips and Flaviano also co-executive produce.

The news of an adaptation comes after the Grim comic ended its 25-issue run this month, having debuted in 2022.

Further to Wednesday, Gough and Millar’s writing credits include Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, I am Number Four, and the iconic television series Smallville.

Next On The Toy-To-Movie Projects List? LABUBU

labubu toys from pop mart getting movie adaptation from sony pictures

You hate to see or hear it, but the toy line of cute-ugly dolls, the dastardly Labubu, may well be getting their very own film. Sony Pictures has picked up the screen rights to the Chinese doll brand with the aim of making a movie, several outlets have reported.

Created in 2015 by artist Kasing Lung, Labubu was born from his The Monsters series, drawing on influences from Nordic mythology. The dolls really exploded in popularity once Pop Mart began selling the figures in blind-box format in 2019, a model that has driven collector frenzy around the world and turned the scruffy plush toys into a fashion statement with Gen Zers.

At this stage, Sony’s Labubu film is still very early in development. No director, writer, or producer has been attached yet, and it’s not yet clear whether the adaptation will be animated or live-action. According to reports, the studio also sees the potential for a larger franchise, should the planned movie find success.

Whether the film will lean into the eerie, Nordic-inspired roots of Kasing Lung’s illustrations or go for a more playful, branded-vignette feel remains to be seen. One thing’s for sure, this will only boost sales for Pop Mart.

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA Drops First Look At Live-Action Film

bo bragason as zelda in the legend of zelda

Nintendo has cracked open the gates to Hyrule’s next great adventure, leaping from a console to the big screen in the movie adaptation of The Legend of Zelda. First-look images have been released via the Nintendo Today app, offering a sunny peek at Bo Bragason’s Princess Zelda and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth’s Link, the iconic duo sporting lovingly realised Hylian costumes.

At the helm of this long-anticipated quest is Wes Ball, the filmmaker behind Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and the Maze Runner trilogy.

Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto, who is producing the film, revealed the casting earlier this year, writing: “I am pleased to announce that for the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda, Zelda will be played by Bo Bragason-san, and Link by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth-san. I am very much looking forward to seeing both of them on the big screen.” If Miyamoto is giving his seal of approval, likely that fans can breathe a little easier about this adaptation.

Bragason was previously seen in BBC One’s Three Girls and The Jetty, Disney+’s Renegade Nell, and the vampire comedy The Radleys. Ainsworth, meanwhile, voiced the famed puppet in Robert Zemeckis’ Pinocchio, and appeared in The Haunting of Bly Manor and Netflix’s The Sandman.

The Legend of Zelda will debut in cinemas on May 7th, 2027. Check out the first-look images below:

Lamberto Bava Heading to Romford for World Wide Weird Special

World Wide Weird marks its tenth anniversary of bringing cult vultures together for psychotronic double bills to fans in London, often with very special guests attending. But that’s nothing quite as elaborate as the irresistible line-up on offer this December at Lumiere cinema in Romford. Lumiere is one of the most exciting independent cinemas in the UK that also specialises in all things cult that is easily accessible from London via the Elizabeth Line.

World Wide Weird is present a day of cult cinema with screenings of Macabre (1980), Hell of the Living Dead (1980). and Sayara (2024) featuring special guests director Lamberto Bava, actor Margie Newton, and director Can Evrenol. Each guest will be doing a post screening Q&A covering the films their careers and meeting fans offering table selfies and autographs for a fee. Autograph and Selfie: Lamberto Bava £30, Margie Newton £30, Can Evrenol £20.

Guests will sign items brought to their table and will also have a limited quantity of their own, individually priced merchandise and photos for sale. Limited numbers of signed Cannibal Worlds published by Pulse Books will be available for sale price.

Schedule of the day (TBC)

11.30 pm Hell of the Living Dead
1.30 pm Q&A with actor Margie Newton
2.30 pm Q&A with author Eugenio Ercolani – UK Launch of Cannibal Worlds
4 pm Macabre
5.30 pm Q&A with director Lamberto Bava
7.30 pm Sayara
9.10 pm Q&A with director Can Evrenol

Tickets must be presented at the Lumiere box office on the day to receive a wristband, which must be shown to enter the screenings and Q&As. You can order your tickets here.

Hideo Kojima’s DEATH STRANDING Gets Series Adaptation

death stranding isolations cover image concept art

Hideo Kojima’s beloved video game franchise, Death Stranding, is expanding to the small screen. A new animated series adaptation is heading to Disney+, due to premiere sometime in 2027.

Launched in 2019 by Kojima Productions, Death Stranding became a bestseller and instant classic among video game fans, who praised its deep world-building and stunning cinematic visuals. The game was also highly estmeed for featuring renowned actors like Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, Léa Seydoux, Margaret Qualley, Troy Baker, Tommie Earl Jenkins, and Lindsay Wagner in prominent roles. A sequel game, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, was released this summer. There’s also the previously announced feature film adaptation in the works at A24.

Kojima is confirmed to executive produce the animated series. The show will be directed by Takayuki Sano (Bullet/Bullet, Gridman Universe) with new concept art by Ilya Kuvshinov, who served as character designer for Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045.

Presenting the project in Hong Kong, Kojima also promised the series would have new and different characters. He revealed the series would employ traditional hand-drawn 2D animation style, with top Japanese animation studio E&H Production currently working on the project.

Per the synopsis: “Once, there was an explosion… Lonesome souls of the dead manifest in the physical world, reaching in search of the living. However, the connection they create triggers a massive explosion that eradicates anything of this world—a phenomenon referred to as the Death Stranding. These events wipe out nations, as well as civilization itself. People who remain are now isolated, withdrawn, and without connections. As humanity stands at the brink, a legendary porter set out to transport both cargo and wishes of its senders, reconnecting people in the hope that they might still be saved…

“[The series] follows in the footsteps of the original in spirit and ideas and depicts the world of Death Stranding through a bold and yet subtle touch and top-class hand-drawn animation.

“Somewhere in North America, just as Sam Bridges walks through the continent in order to save America, the someones are also trying to deal with their isolation in their own way. An old man trying to realise salvation through ways outside of the connection advocated by Bridges. A female warrior who tries to kickstart a world of constant fighting. A boy with a grudge against Bridges. A girl who embraces loneliness. On the precipice of the end of humanity and the world, their fates and hopes converge, as another story of Death Stranding begins.”

Check out the Disney+ poster below:

GUY FAWKES: BLOOD AND FIRE Gets an Explosive Teaser

The teaser trailer for Guy Fawkes: Blood and Fire is here, giving us the first look at the latest release from Shogun Films and director Benjamin David (The Testing Point).

Synopsis: When an ancient mask is unearthed during excavations on a construction site, it triggers a terrifying series of deaths by spontaneous combustion. An insurance investigator and a psychic medium must uncover the terrifying truth of an evil prophecy dating back hundreds of years and prevent the spirit of Guy Fawkes from opening a gateway to hell and ripping apart the fabric of time itself. 

The film is in production now and stars Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott, Charlie Woodward (grandson of Edward Woodward), Jonathan Oliver, Tony Sands, Pierse Stevens, and Paul Preston, with Paul Terry as Fawkes. Written by Dominic Philpot, with Ross Yeandle as director of photography.

Producer Jonathan Sothcott for Shogun Films commented: “Guy Fawkes: Blood and Fire continues our commitment to making ambitious, original ‘instant cult’ genre movies using the best of British talent. This is a clever, Dan Brown style thriller with a supernatural twist rather than a slasher movie, playing into our deep-seated horror of spontaneous combustion with lashings of Omen style folklore. A superb cast and an incredibly talented creative team lead by Ben David are crafting something very special indeed.  I’m delighted to usher Guy Fawkes into the movies and look forward to seeing him light up the screen, quite literally.”

Guy Fawkes: Blood and Fire coming early 2026 

Colin Farrell To Star In Film Adaptation Of Comic Book ORDAINED

ordained comic book cover art

Colin Farrell as a bloodied-up, ass-kicking priest? Yes, please. Farrell is putting on the cloth for the action-thriller Ordained, a hot new package which will have the actor teaming with the Russo Brothers’ banner, AGBO. The film is based on an upcoming comic book from publisher Bad Idea.

Multiple studios and streamers are said to be in the mix for the project, according to reports. John Wick scribe Derek Kolstad was previously announced to be writing the script for Ordained, and is also on board to produce with Bad Idea’s Dinesh Shamdasani and Benjamin Simpson.

The synopsis, for the comic book at least, is as follows: “Father Royston Craig became a priest late in life, but he’s determined to make up for lost time. Along with his regular duties at his St. Louis church, he also performs the prayers of the last rites to patients on their deathbeds at the nearby hospital.

“One day, he’s called to give these sacraments to Cormac Byrne, who doctors say won’t last the night. Byrne, like many others, has turned to God only at the end; he hasn’t been to church in decades. Father Roy is eager to hear his confession, but what starts as petty crimes from a lifetime ago quickly becomes a horrifying litany of gangland violence and killings.

“Cormac Byrne is no ordinary man. He is, in fact, the head of the Irish mafia. God offers forgiveness to all who truly repent, and Father Roy completes his task by absolving Byrne of his mortal sins, leaving the man to die at peace… until the next morning, when Byrne makes a miraculous medical recovery.

“No longer at death’s door, Byrne is quick to return to his old ways. It’s business as usual, and he’s got loose ends to tie up. First things first: KILL THE PRIEST who now knows where all the bodies are buried. But Father Roy’s collar wasn’t always white, and Byrne is going to learn the hard way that Father Royston Craig was once Chief Petty Officer Royston Craig, a former Navy SEAL who found his faith in the midst of battle.

“Now Father Roy must face vicious gangsters, corrupt cops, and his own inner demons if he is to survive. And while he will be forced to tap into a violent skill set he thought never to again entertain, the one thing Father Roy will not do… is kill.” Farrell will star as Father Craig.

Joe and Anthony Russo will produce for AGBO, with Farrell also producing. The news comes ahead of the December 10th release date of the Ordained comic book, which hails from writer Robert Venditti, illustrator Trevor Hairsine and colourist Dave Stewart.

THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE Trailer Lifts Off

the super mario galaxy movie drops first trailer

Our favourite Italian plumbers are headed to space in the newly released trailer for Illumination and Nintendo’s The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, a follow-up to the 2023 Super Mario Bros. Movie.

The sequel picks up after the events of the first film, which saw Bowser transform into a mini version of himself. In this new story, tiny Bowser is living in a miniature castle, caring for bonsai and practicing art therapy. Elsewhere, Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach venture into the galaxy, travelling to different lands from the fan-favourite video game. The trailer also debuted a first look at two new characters from the franchise: Bowser Jr., voiced by Benny Safdie and Princess Rosalina, voiced by Brie Larson. Plot-wise, the trailer doesn’t give much else away, except that Bowser Jr. wants his dad back.

Returning stars include Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, and Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek. Also returning are the directing duo from the first film, Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, helming the sequel from a script by Matthew Fogel.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will release on April 3rd, 2026. Watch the trailer below:

FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES Directors To Tackle GREMLINS 3

gremlins 3 is in the works

Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, the directing duo behind this summer’s hit horror Final Destination: Bloodlines, have teamed up with Chris Columbus (the original 1984 film’s writer) to write the new feature instalment of the horror comedy franchise Gremlins. Warner Bros. announced last week that the movie about the mischievious monsters would be released on November 19th, 2027.

Columbus is aboard to produce and direct the pic, with Steven Spielberg also returning to executive produce. Kristie Macosko Krieger and Holly Bario of Amblin Entertainment are, too, producing the project, as are Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe via 26th Street Pictures.

Lipovsky and Stein are reportedly working with Columbus as a writing team. A script by the latter has been in development since 2017, with Toby Halbrooks and Carl Ellsworth having penned previous drafts.

In talking about his to return to Gremlins, Columbus said in an interview with THR: “I’m filled with a tremendous surge of inspiration and passion, as I embark on this cinematic journey. It’s an honor to reunite with Steven Spielberg and Warner Bros., as we bring this latest chapter of Gremlins to a brand new generation of moviegoers who will experience all of the thrills of this grand adventure on the big screen.”

The original Gremlins, directed by Joe Dante, told of a young man who receives a unique, cute and furry creature as a present from his father, and who names it Gizmo. The pet comes with three seemingly simple rules: keep it away from light, don’t let it come in contact with water, and don’t feed it after midnight. Of course, those rules are soon broken and all hell breaks loose. Wouldn’t be much of a story otherwise.