Daniel Bruhl and Emily VanCamp in Talks for FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER

Daniel Bruhl Emily VanCamp

With Falcon and the Winter Soldier getting their own team-up miniseries as part of the impending Disney+ streaming service, now comes news of a couple of names who may be joining these heroes in the show.

Via Deadline, it’s being reported that Daniel Bruhl and Emily VanCamp are in talks to join the six-episode offering. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Bruhl played Helmut Zemo in Captain America: Civil War, while VanCamp has appeared as Sharon Carter – aka Agent 13 – in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War.

To get you up to speed, the MCU’s Helmut Zemo is a Sokovian terrorist who managed to turn the Avengers against each other. In the comics, Baron Zemo is a longstanding foe of Captain America and then later Falcon and the Winter Soldier. As for Agent 13, Sharon Carter is the niece of Peggy Carter and is a comic book love interest of Cap’s and also one of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s finest agents.

Additionally, The Handmaid’s Tale’s Kari Skogland has signed on to direct all six episodes of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, with the plan being for the miniseries to premiere in August 2020.

The current belief is that Falcon and the Winter Soldier will follow on from what we saw towards the end of the stunning Avengers: Endgame. Just in case for some reason you’ve yet to check out the truly magnificent Endgame, we won’t go into any further details for fear of spoilers.

Expect more on Falcon and the Winter Soldier as it continues to develop.

DOCTOR WHO Virtual Reality Game to be Released this September

We were going to start this off by saying “It’s been a fair while since there was a decent Doctor Who videogame,” but when we think about it, there hasn’t been a single one, has there? The old BBC Micro/home computer games were ropey enough at the time and are certainly showing their age now, the Doctor’s most recent console outings (back in the PS3 / Wii days) weren’t exactly anything to write home about, and subsequent attempts to put the Doctor in the palm of our hands were confined to mobile devices which don’t really count. Following the recent reveal of the “animated VR experience” Doctor Who: The Runaway, it’s been announced that a fully-fledged interactive virtual reality Who game is in the works, in the shape of Doctor Who: The Edge of Time.

Developed by fledgling studio Maze Theory, led by former employees of Activision and PlayStation, The Edge of Time promises to transport players to a world filled with aliens, monsters and mystery. The game features the current incarnation of the Doctor, voiced by Jodie Whittaker herself, being hurled through time to the end of the universe where a virus threatens to destroy reality. Players will need to travel across time and space to retrieve some powerful crystals that will eventually repair time and, ultimately, save the universe. Along the way, there will be encounters with some familiar friends and foes from Who’s 55-year history, alongside brand new never-before-seen monsters, created specifically for the game. And, yes, you get to play around with the Sonic Screwdriver!

Marcus Moresby, Creative Director of Maze Theory, had this to say:

“Maze Theory is committed to re-defining storytelling through awesome, innovative and immersive experiences in virtual reality. Doctor Who is an incredibly exciting and timeless franchise with a passionate and committed global fan base. We are looking to give them an entirely new experience; an opportunity to team-up with the Doctor and feel like they are in the show. This of course includes piloting the TARDIS, a dream come true for fans!”

It certainly sounds like we’re in good hands with this one. The Edge of Time is set for release on PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, HTC VIVE, and the upcoming VIVE Cosmos this September. No further information has been released at this point, but we’ll be sure to bring you news, updates, and all that other good stuff as soon as it becomes available. And before we go, here’s the trailer for The Runaway in case you missed it!

John Hillcoat and Nicolas Winding Refn Developing WITCHFINDER GENERAL Remake

Witchfinder General

Each and every week seems to bring word of another movie getting the remake or reboot treatment, and now comes word on a new take on a Vincent Prince classic.

Via Deadline, a remake of 1968’s Witchfinder General is now moving forward once more. If you remember, Drive’s Nicolas Winding Refn was attached to direct just such a redo several years ago, and Refn is indeed still involved in the project. Instead of directing, however, Refn will be producing the effort. Now stepping in to direct will be The Road and Lawless’ John Hillcoat, with a script in place from The Woman in Black 2’s Jon Croker.

Michael Reeves’ 1968 Witchfinder General itself was actually based on Ronald Bassett’s 1966 novel of the same name in which a 17th century lawyer is tasked with locating and killing those who dabble in witchcraft and sorcery.

The current plan is for this new Witchfinder General to begin to assemble its cast ahead of starting production later this year.

Deathstroke Getting His Own CW Seed Animated Offering

Deathstroke Arrow

Following in the footsteps of Vixen and The Ray, now comes word that Deathstroke is getting his own animated CW Seed offering.

The CW’s Mark Pedowitz recently revealed the news, with no further details known on the project at this stage. As such, it’s not yet known whether Manu Bennett will be on vocal duties as Slade Wilson. Bennett, of course, having played Deathstroke in the live-action Arrowverse in which these CW Seed efforts exist.

For those unfamiliar with the character of Deathstroke the Terminator, he was first introduced as a Teen Titans villain back in 1980. A badass assassin, the villain-turn-occasional-antihero would go on to become a major favourite of many a comic book fan over the subsequent decades.

In addition to being magnificently played by Manu Bennett in Arrow and the shared Arrowverse realm, Joe Manganiello turned up as Deathstroke in a Justice League post-credits scene. That was due to Deathstroke being lined up to be the villain of The Batman when Ben Affleck was still involved to write, direct and star in that Caped Crusader picture. With Affleck out and Matt Reeves instead developing his own script for The Batman, it looks as if Manganiello’s Slade Wilson will now no longer be appearing in The Batman.

Elsewhere, DC Universe’s brilliant live-action Titans has recently cast NYPD Blue’s Esai Morales as Deathstroke for the show’s upcoming second season.

As ever, expect more on this CW Seed Deathstroke project as we get it.

THE TICK Cancelled After Two Seasons

Tick

In some news that’s sure to disappoint many a genre fan, Amazon has decided against renewing The Tick for a third season.

Creator Ben Edlund took to social media to confirm the news, although it appears that the hunt is on to find a new home for the series away from Amazon.

It was only last month that The Tick premiered its second, ten-episode season. And now, the Peter Serafinowicz-starring series has gone the way of the previous Patrick Warburton incarnation of The Tick. The 2000s show only managed to last for nine episodes before being cancelled, mind.

Still, as mentioned, it looks as if there may still be life in The Tick if Edlund has his way. For fans of the show, it’s a case of crossing fingers, toes and other crossable body parts in the hope that The Tick can find a home elsewhere.

As ever, expect more on a possible third season of The Tick if and when the series gets picked up by another platform or network.

Details on the Villains of Matt Reeves’ THE BATMAN

Catwoman

With the news that Robert Pattinson is in talks to play the Caped Crusader in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, now comes an update on which villains the World’s Greatest Detective may be encountering in the movie.

Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, the film will reportedly have at least two villains, with Penguin and Catwoman said to be involved in the action. Reeves is currently still finalising The Batman’s script, and it’s believed that the picture may actually feature up to six bad guys.

This wouldn’t be the first time that we’ve seen Penguin and Catwoman on the silver screen, of course, with Danny DeVito and Michelle Pfeiffer playing the duo in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns, not to mention Burgess Meredith and Lee Meriwether tackling the respective roles in 1996’s Batman. In more recent years, Anne Hathaway played Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises.

As mentioned, Twilight’s Robert Pattinson is said to be in talks to play the titular Dark Knight in The Batman, although Nicholas Hoult and Armie Hammer are also said to be on Warner Brothers’ shortlist for the gig.

To be written and directed by War for the Planet of the Apes’ Matt Reeves, The Batman is currently booked in for a June 2021 release.

Bruce Campbell Confirms a New EVIL DEAD Video Game

Ash Williams Evil Dead

Despite Bruce Campbell “retiring” as Ashley J. Williams earlier this year, there have still been recent rumblings about something Evil Dead being on the way. And now, it looks as if we may have an update on just what that something is.

Speaking to TV Insider, Campbell has now revealed that a new Evil Dead video game is in development.

As the genre icon put it, “We’ll see more Evil Dead, that’s for sure. There is an Evil Dead video game out. A fully immersive video game probably within a year. I’m not sure about the day. There will be variations of that. There won’t be the original Ash anymore. That guy is done.”

On what platform or what the specifics of the game are, we’ll have to wait and see. The one thing that we do know is that a new Evil Dead game is definitely happening, and that is all kinds of groovy with us.

This won’t be the first Evil Dead game to come around, of course, with Evil Dead: Hail to the King, Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick and Evil Dead: Regeneration having been released previously. Then there’s the fact that Ash has recently turned up as a playable character in Dead by Daylight.

Expect more on this new Evil Dead offering as we get it.

MORTAL KOMBAT Movie Set for 2021 Release

Mortal Kombat

With the latest installment in the video game franchise – Mortal Kombat 11 – having recently landed on various platforms and wowed gamers, now comes a major update on the long-gestating new Mortal Kombat movie.

Courtesy of Variety, Warner Brothers’ James Wan-produced Mortal Kombat reboot has now been given a set release date of March 5th, 2021. At this stage, the only other picture booked in for that date is Sony’s impending Masters of the Universe redo.

Having been in serious development since 2015, Halo’s Simon McQuoid is on directing duties for Mortal Kombat. The current plan is for the movie to start pre-production later this month ahead of shooting in Australia later this year.

The Mortal Kombat video game franchise sprung to bloody and brutal life back in 1992, forever changing the landscape of fighting games. With elements of sci-fi, fantasy and horror, gamers were given an experience that was full of the sort of bloodshed and brutality never before seen.

Of course, not just a hugely successful video game series, Mortal Kombat fans have since been, err, treated to two Mortal Kombat movies and the genuinely impressive Mortal Kombat: Legacy webseries.

As ever, expect more on this Mortal Kombat reboot as it continues to develop.

Hitchhiker’s Guide Quintessential Phase Coming to Vinyl

quintessential

Demon Records has announced that the next four BBC Radio episodes of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy will be released on Friday June 28th following the successful release of the first four phases on vinyl earlier this year.  The Quintessential Phase vinyl (episodes 23 – 26) is available to pre-order now from Amazon. First broadcast in 2005, the Quintessential Phase is based upon Douglas Adams’s fifth Hitchhiker’s novel, Mostly Harmless. This is the first ever publication of the original radio edits of the Quintessential Phase, as heard on their original BBC Radio 4 broadcast.

The brand new first-time vinyl edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: Quintessential Phase comes on heavyweight pink vinyl, packaged in the lavish style of the preceding LP releases.

The Amazon UK Exclusive Edition includes a print signed by Arthur Dent himself… Simon Jones. Limited to 500 copies.

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE Movie Secures Release Date

Universe

Given the years of countless rumours and false starts, Masters of the Universe fans have ended up waiting an Eternia for a new live-action movie based on the popular property. But with the casting of He-Man recently confirmed and now the official release date a lock, everybody can start to get excited that their hero is about to return to screens anew!

Sony have revealed that March 5th, 2021 will herald the beginning of a major new cinematic franchise. Or at least, they ‘hope’ it will be the beginning of a major new cinematic franchise. (We’re just hoping it’s better than the misguided, budget-bereft Cannon effort of the ‘80s.)

As previously reported, Noah Centineo has been cast as He-Man for some reason (are they going to buff him up with CGI?), and behind the camera will be Adam and Aaron Nee (Band of Robbers), directing from a script that’s been handed down from the ubiquitous David S. Goyer (seemingly every DC superhero movie ever) to the writers of this month’s Men in Black International, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway.

Stay tuned for more developments as the Masters of the Universe movie finally holds aloft its magic sword and begins to miraculously transform from script to screen. In the meantime, go get your MotU fix with She-Ra and the Princesses of Power on Netflix – it’s pretty damn great (read our review here)!