Patrick Wilson Joins Amy Adams In CAPE FEAR

the conjuring star patrick wilson cast in cape fear series

Apple TV+’s Cape Fear series adaptation has just added The Conjuring franchise veteran Patrick Wilson to its cast. The 10-episode series hails from Nick Antosca, best known for Channel Zero, who serves as showrunner, writer, and executive producer.

The official logline reads: “A storm is coming for happily married attorneys Anna and Tom Bowden when Max Cady, a notorious killer from their past, gets out of prison.“ The series is described as a tense, contemporary thriller that examines America’s obsession with true crime in the 21st century. In it, a storm is coming for a pair of married attorneys when an infamous killer from their past gets released after years in prison.

Amy Adams will play Anna Bowden, and Javier Bardem is set to play the villain, Max Cady. Wilson’s role in the series is still unknown, though he would likely play Anna’s husband, Tom Bowden.

Filmmaking heavyweights Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg serve as exec producers on the series, which is based on John D. MacDonald’s 1957 novel The Executioners, which was adapted into 1962’s Cape Fear starring Gregory Peck, and Scorsese’s 1991 remake with Robert De Niro. 

Further casting news are expected to emerge soon, so stay tuned.

Nicolas Cage Stars In THE SURFER Trailer

nicolas cage in the surfer trailer

The psychological thriller The Surfer, from Vivarium and Nocebo director Lorcan Finnegan, has debuted an official trailer. Nicolas Cage stars in the Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions film, with a screenplay by Thomas Martin.

Per the synopsis, when a man (Nicolas Cage) returns to his beachside hometown in Australia, many years since building a life for himself in the U.S., he is humiliated in front of his teenage son by a local gang of surfers who claim strict ownership over the secluded beach of his childhood. Wounded, he decides to remain at the beach, declaring war against those in control of the bay. As the conflict escalates, the stakes spin out of control, taking him to the edge of sanity.

Julian McMahon, Nic Cassim, Miranda Tapsell, Alexander Bertrand, Justin Rosniak, Rahel Romahn, Finn Little and Charlotte Maggi star opposite Cage.

“Lorcan’s movie is a stunning visual experience with an incredible palette, coupled with Nicolas Cage at his absolute best,” Lionsgate’s Lauren Bixby said in a recent statement. The film had its world premiere at the 77th Cannes International Film Festival, where it received a six minute ovation.

A cinema release date has not yet been provided. Watch the trailer for The Surfer below:

Mantic’s Christmas In February Campaign Funds Immediately

Nottingham-based games company Mantic have successfully funded their Advent Calendar Board Game Crowdfunder, bringing the joy of Christmas to the cold month of February.

The campaign is to fund four advent calendars. Each Calendar forms a unique board game when completed. It includes a game based on The Walking Dead comic book, another based on the cult video game Worms, a space combat game called Deep Space and a fantasy game called Bar Room Brawl. Those who back all four also get a set of terrain for miniature gaming.

The campaign ends on March 10th, and the games will be delivered in November, so there is plenty of time for Christmas. So, if you really like planning ahead, check out the campaign here.

HASBRO Brings Marvel Games To Life

Hasbro Pulse has announced new toys for its Marvel Legends Series Gamerverse figures, which put much-loved video games into your hands.

Inspired by the highly anticipated Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 video game, this new wave brings premium toys to your shelf. Obviously, this includes Miles Morales in his stunning Brooklyn 2099 Suit in the futuristic 2099 style. The new release will also include the Upgraded Suit Style  Miles Morales, as well as the Boricua Suit.

Peter Parker in his iconic Black Suit, as seen in the new game. This fully articulated figure allows collectors to pose Peter in dynamic web-slinging stances, complete with alternate hands and a web accessory. The Peter Parker Anti-Venom Suit Style figure is also available for those with bolder tastes.

Fans of Black Cat will also be delighted to see Felicia Hardy’s character added to the range, looking iconic.

You can find out more about it via Hasbro Pulse.

Last Airbender Announced For Magic: The Gathering

MagicCon Chicago happened this weekend, and with it, a host of new announcements for the world-famous card game Magic: The Gathering.

First up is the announcement that the Magic: The Gathering: Avatar The Airbender set is due for November 2025.  Given that both settings use fire, earth and water-themed magic, it seems like a logical set-up. Expect a similar set-up to the Doctor Who tie-in, with themed commander decks and boosters aimed at collectors and deck-builders.

April will see the release of Tarkir: Dragonstorm. In the world of Magic: The Gathering, Dragonstorms are confluences of raw magical energy. The set will feature five dragon-riding clans fighting for dominance and survival.

Finally, we got a sneak peek of Edge of Eternities, a space fantasy setting set in the Blind Eternities, set to release in August. It will tie into a lot of deep lore, and “explore distant planets.” Similar to the recent Aetherdrift realise, it sees Magic leaning more into Space Fantasy.

Monster Manual Completes D&D Triology

The Monster Manual, the third ‘key’ book in any new version of Dungeons & Dragons, is out now and is selling faster than predicted.   The classic fantasy roleplaying game recently updated its rules set, the first major update since 2014. With the 2024 versions of the Dungeon Master’s Guide and Player’s Handbook already receiving rave reviews from the fans, the keenly anticipated Monster Manual completes the set by providing over 500 monsters for players to interact with.

The new book is tightly organised; as it’s available in both physical and digital formats, this is crucial as Dungeon Masters don’t want to scrabble through the book looking for Gelatinous Cube stats only to find it listed under some obscure subtype. Animated Armour is lumped under Animated Objects but is still easy to find. Stat blocks are clearer, and there are even some new monsters to play with.

Lavishly illustrated, the book contains 85 horrors new to D&D, including the arch-hag and a thing called the Blob of Annihilation, which looks a lot worse than you expect it to.  

The Monster Manual is traditionally the last ‘major’ book of any new edition (though this edition is still compatible with the 2014 version, so your old books get to stay on the shelf.)  It is out now.

New D&D Books Includes Magic Crossover

Two new books for the latest edition of Dungeons & Dragons have been announced, and one is a cross-over with the Magic: The Gathering card game.

The first book, Dragon Delves is a series of adventures designed to be used in any fantasy setting (but most likely The Forgotten Realms).  Launching July 8th, this will be an adventure anthology themed around D&D’s iconic dragons, with an adventure based around a chromatic or metallic dragon. Given that dragons in D&D have distinct personality traits and preferences based on what sort of dragon they are, this is a great idea for a scenario book.

A Magic The Gathering cross-over book will also come out in 2025. The setting will be the Lorwyn/Shadowmoor setting, a magical plane that radically switches from day to night every 300 years. This is not the first time D&D has used the Magic: The Gathering game as source material for adventures, both with Strixhaven and Theros settings. Though not confirmed, it is likely that principal games designer James Wyatt is attached to this book, as he’s worked on the previous Magic crossover books.

Dungeons & Dragons TV Show Announced

Dungeons & Dragons fantasy world, The Forgotten Realms, is coming to Netflix, it has been announced. The show will be developed by Deadpool & Wolverine director and Stranger Things producer Shawn Levy, alongside The Grudge 2 co-producer Drew Crevello. The latter was previously attached to Warner Brothers’s cancelled Dragon Riders of Pern project.

Hasbro will be heavily involved in development. We do not yet know if Ed Greenwood, the creator of The Forgotten Realms setting, will be involved. The Forgotten Realms is D&D’s most famous setting; it’s where the Dungeon & Dragons Honor Among Thieves is set, as well as the current home of Eric, Presto, Bobby, Sheila, Diana and Hank from the classic 80’s Dungeons and Dragons cartoon.

The worlds of D&D are no strangers to TV. Back in 2023, Hasbro commissioned a load of D&D-related daytime-style TV shows, including a cooking show called “Heroes Feast”, a comedy improv show starring Matthew Lillard called “Faster, Purple Worm! Kill! Kill!” and an actual play, Critical Role style show called “Encounter Party”. These all were well received by fans but were mostly lost in the scheduling shuffle. The studio responsible (eOne) has since been sold to Lionsgate, and these very obviously Hasbro-branded shows were relegated to streaming service Plex.

The new D&D show, however, appears to be intended as a high-budget affair, capitalising on the wealth of Dungeons and Dragons’ back story that has been developed over the game’s fifty-year history.  

The Forgotten Realms is stuffed with high adventure, angry gods, and even magical schools, as well as some fantastic villains such as Vecna and the Spider Queen. Coupled with Netflix’s dedication to short runs of shows, this could be a great way to have lots of separate D&D adventures in one place, all on the TV screen. Time will tell.

Check Out the Trailer for AMANDA

The new movie from indie filmmaker Gav Chuckie Steel (Preternatural) is on its way, and a trailer has hit so you can get a taste of what to expect.

After a date with the enigmatic Amanda, Joseph wakes up with no memory of the night. As he digs deeper, his reality begins to unravel, and dark secrets come to light.

The latest film from Deadbolt Films, Amanda, is a found-footage film about a date that goes wrong. The full film will soon be available for free on YouTube. Make sure you’re following Deadbolt Films to see it first.

THE PUNISHER To Headline Marvel Special

jon bernthal as the punisher in daredevil born again

The Punisher will headline a Marvel special for Disney+, akin to past events like Werewolf by Night or The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

Jon Bernthal, who first appeared as the vigilante Frank Castle in the second season of Netflix’s Daredevil, before starring in his own spin-off series The Punisher, is due to reprise the role in the upcoming Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again.  

The concept for the special reportedly came about while filming the upcoming series. King Richard filmmaker Reinaldo Marcus Green will direct from a script he co-wrote with Bernthal.

“It’s like a shotgun blast of a story, but also has all the pathos and emotion that you want out of a Frank Castle story,” Brad Winderbaum, the head of Marvel Television, tells Entertainment Weekly. “Bernthal is a generational actor. He’s incredible what he brings to all the roles he plays, but particularly Frank Castle. And he’s a great writer. He knows the character inside and out…. I love Punisher, but I love Jon’s Punisher in particular. The idea that he’s in the MCU and can bring that to the greater universe, especially the more grounded street-level stuff, is a huge opportunity and, as a fan, the greatest thing ever.”

Daredevil: Born Again premieres with its first two episodes on March 4th. Watch the trailer here.