FEAR TWD Season 4 Premiere Date Confirmed

Fear the Walking Dead

With Lennie James’ Morgan now revealed as the Walking Dead character who’ll be appearing in the upcoming new season of Fear the Walking Dead, we’ve now got confirmation of when Fear will be returning to UK screens.

As officially announced by AMC, Fear the Walking Dead’s fourth season will debut in the UK on Monday, April 23rd at 9pm. The AMC channel is exclusive to BT customers. For US viewers, Fear returns on Sunday, April 15th.

You can find the full press release of this news below:

AMC announced that the original series “Fear the Walking Dead” from AMC Studios will return for its fourth season on Monday 23rd April at 9:00pm, available exclusively to BT customers.

AMC is available free of charge in the UK to BT customers on channel number 332 on BT TV, and to BT Sport Pack subscribers on Sky channel 192.  AMC is also available in HD on both BT TV and Satellite with an HD subscription1.

In season four of “Fear the Walking Dead,” we will see the world of Madison Clark (Kim Dickens) and her family through new eyes – the eyes of Morgan Jones (Lennie James), joining the story from the world of “The Walking Dead.” The characters’ immediate past mixes with an uncertain present of struggle and discovery as they meet new friends, foes and threats.  They fight for each other, against each other and against a legion of the dead to somehow build an existence against the crushing pressure of lives coming apart.  There will be darkness and light; terror and grace; the heroic, mercenary, and craven, all crashing together towards a new reality for “Fear the Walking Dead.”

Produced by AMC Studios, “Fear the Walking Dead” is executive produced by Scott M. Gimple, showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg, as well as Robert Kirkman, David Alpert, Gale Anne Hurd and Greg Nicotero. The new season will consist of 16 episodes with the final half of the season premiering later in 2018.

Help MANDY THE MONSTER HUNTER Battle the Spindly Man

Mandy the Monster Hunter: Legend of the Spindly Man

Here at Moonbase Alpha, one of our favourite discoveries of the past several years has been the guys over at Hellbound Media. Putting out vibrant and vicious horror content reminiscent of yesteryear, Hellbound have proven themselves to be must-have content for horror hounds. And now, their latest outing for Mandy the Monster Hunter is in the middle of a Kickstarter campaign.

As a character, Mandy was first introduced to comic book fans back in 2011. More recently, we were lucky enough to check out Mandy the Monster Hunter: The Face in the Curtain – a title we described as “perfect for younger comic book fans or those looking for a warm-hearted, well-meaning horror tale, The Face in the Curtain is another example as to how versatile the horror output of the guys at Hellbound Media – the team behind the likes of the gloriously depraved Slaughterhouse Farm – can be, and again reiterates that this is a group of talented, twisted individuals to keep your eye on.”

And a group of talented, twisted individuals to keep your eye on they still are, which is why we’re eager to see what’s up next for Mandy. That ‘up next’ just so happens to be Mandy the Monster Hunter: Legend of the Spindly Man #1; a project that has Matt Warner and Dr Mark Adams on writing duties, Lyndon White providing art, and Nikki Foxrobot on lettering.

The new title is in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign and promises to be Mandy’s most intimidating challenge to date! In fact, when your humble scribe positioned the idea of the famed Monster Hunter putting the Spindly Man in his place, Hellbound made it clear that this won’t be a stroll in the park for Mandy. As they put in on Twitter, “You never know, maybe Mandy the Monster Hunter has met her match? This is His story, His legend, and His rules…”

To fully get you up to speed on what to expect from Mandy the Monster Hunter: Legend of the Spindly Man, the synopsis on this new title reads:

Children are vanishing. The police have no leads. A small town holds its breath in anticipation of the next disappearance. The children know what hunts them. An entity dismissed by adults, but that feeds on the fear and trauma of those around it. The Spindly Man has come, a modern legend given life, the terrified children as its prey.

Mandy hunts Monsters. Her name is whispered on the playground, a legend among the children of the world. Whatever creature troubles you, when the adults won’t listen, it is Mandy that can help you out. All you need to do is draw a picture of the beast, and it will reach her.

She’s the thing that the things in the dark are afraid of… until now.

Because the Spindly Man is a force unheard of, terrifying away the monsters that merely aim to give children a fright… and stealing the souls of its victims. Inspired by both the internet tale of “Slender Man” and the hit art-house horror “The Babadook”, “The Spindly Man” draws on these, and our own original mythology to create a deliciously dark modern monster.

With 18 days to go, you can help out the brilliant guys at Hellbound Media by visiting their Kickstarter page for this latest of hotly-anticipated projects.

Several More Confirmed for This Year’s HALLOWEEN

Halloween Jamie Lee Curtis Michael Myers

One of the most hotly-anticipated films of 2018 for many horror hounds is the return of the Halloween franchise. With several key players long announced for The Shape’s ominous return, there’s now been a whole bunch of other cast members revealed.

As per Bloody-Disgusting, Marvel’s Runaways’ Virginia Gardner, Mozart in the Jungle’s Miles Robbins, Mudbound’s Dylan Arnold, and Stranger Things’ Drew Scheid have all been brought in to play school friends of Andi Matichak. If you remember, Matichak is playing Allyson, the granddaughter of Laurie Strode.

This past weekend saw the film – seemingly just titled Halloween at this stage – start production, and anticipation is certainly high for the return of Michael Myers.

It’s not only the return of Michael that has fans excited, of course, for both Jamie Lee Curtis and John Carpenter are also returning to this most beloved of horror franchises. Curtis is back as Laurie Strode, the poor soul tormented by Myers in the first two Halloween films and then years later in Halloween H20 and Halloween Resurrection. However, this new Halloween effort will completely ignore anything that happened after that original 1978 movie. For Carpenter, he’s on board as an executive producer, in a creative consultancy capacity, and the legendary Horror Master will also be providing the score for the film.

Elsewhere, Jurassic World’s Judy Greer is playing Karen Strode, the daughter of Curtis’ Laurie. The aforementioned Matichak is Karen’s daughter Allyson. Then there’s Nick Castle, who played Michael Myers in that ’78 picture. In a surprising move, he’s another who’s returning for this latest movie, sharing Michael duties with stuntman James Jude Courtney.

The early synopsis on this latest Halloween picture reads:

Laurie Strode comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.

To be directed by David Gordon Green – and written by Green and Danny McBride – Halloween is set for an October 19th, 2018 release.

THE WALKING DEAD Renewed for Season 9; New Showrunner Announced

The Walking Dead

While AMC’s The Walking Dead continues to see its ratings drop, the genre juggernaut is still easily one of the most watched shows on the box – the most watched in certain markets. And now, the network has moved to confirm the series for a ninth season in addition to announcing the showrunner for said Season 9.

Due to current showrunner Scott M. Gimple being promoted to CCO, the decision has been made to elevate Angela Kang to the showrunner position for the show’s ninth season. Kang has been involved with the series as far back as 2011, which is quite impressive given how The Walking Dead only debuted in 2010.

You can find the full press release below:

AMC today made a number of announcements related to The Walking Dead, the highest-rated cable series in history and the #1 show on television for the last six seasons and counting. The series is being renewed for a ninth season, to premiere in late 2018; current showrunner Scott M. Gimple is being elevated to Chief Content Officer, overseeing the entire “Dead” television universe, including The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, and potential brand extensions on a variety of platforms; and Angela Kang, who has been a writer on the show since 2011 and co-executive producer since 2013, is being promoted by Gimple to executive producer and showrunner of The Walking Dead Season 9.

“This is an enormously important day for the entire ‘The Walking Dead’ television universe. We are proud to acknowledge Angela’s significant contribution to the series and to set a clear path forward for a ninth season under her direction. Further, with gratitude and admiration, we also recognize Scott’s broad impact on, and leadership of, the content that fuels our TWD universe. Together, we will dream bigger and more broadly than ever before,” said Charlie Collier, president of AMC, SundanceTV and AMC Studios. “I know I speak for Angela, Scott and everyone at AMC when I say thanks most of all to the fans and the many talented people who have helped AMC play ‘Dead.’”

“‘The Walking Dead’ is a special show which started in an entirely different era of TV, and continues, in this new era, to confidently take chances to tell compelling stories that excite audiences and make them deeply connect with its characters, adapting Robert Kirkman’s brilliant comic book,” Gimple said. “As the show closes in on its tenth year, I’m honored to keep working with the talented, dedicated people behind and in front of the camera to make it all it can be, while expanding the world of ‘The Walking Dead’ with new narratives like ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ and a whole host of truly cool stories ahead. Angela is a big part of the heart and soul of ‘The Walking Dead,’ and I’m thrilled to help facilitate her vision of the show’s next era.”

“I am beyond thrilled to be stepping into this new role with ‘The Walking Dead.’ Working on this series and having the opportunity to adapt Robert Kirkman’s amazing comic has been a fangirl dream come true for me,” said Kang. “I’m excited to continue working with Scott and the wonderfully supportive folks at AMC, and can’t wait to share the next chapter of the story with our fans next fall.”

The Walking Dead is due to return for the second half of its current eighth season on February 25th.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 Arriving in 2020

Guardians of the Galaxy Peter Quill

With writer/director James Gunn having long confirmed a third Guardians of the Galaxy movie, the charming Gunn has revealed just when we can expect to see the final piece of his Guardians trilogy.

Taking to his Twitter account, a 2020 release has been seemingly confirmed:

Marvel Studios has already got three untitled pictures booked in for 2020, with the dates of said films set as May 1st, August 7th, and November 6th. Logic dictates that one of these dates has now been nabbed by Star Lord and Co. for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

James Gunn has already gone on record to say that Guardians 3 will be the final movie for this current incarnation of the Guardians team, and it’s believed to be a further launching point for Marvel’s Cosmic Universe. Of course, it’s not been ruled out that there will indeed be more Guardians efforts, just that if they happened then they’d involve a different line-up to Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Racoon, and Groot.

Up next for the Guardians, of course, is this May’s Avengers: Infinity War. That movie will see the ragtag bunch – including Nebula and Mantis – team-up with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes as Thanos finally steps out of the shadows. As well as that, the Guardians are also expected to be a part of May 2019’s Infinity War follow-up.

JOHN WICK-Driven TV Series in Development

John Wick

It seems that wherever you look these days, there’s some sort of shared universe being fleshed-out. From the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to the DC Extended Universe, to The CW’s Arrowverse, to Universal’s planned monster movie-verse, to Paramount’s plans to incorporate the likes of Micronauts, Visionaries, ROM, and M.A.S.K. in to a shared realm alongside G.I. Joe. And now, John Wick is getting the shared universe treatment.

Last year saw rumblings from Lionsgate of an expanded universe spinning off from John Wick 2, and now there’s been some concrete developments on this front. As per Deadline, the Starz network is developing The Continental, a TV series set in the same realm as John Wick and a show that will centre on a hotel which serves as a safe haven of sorts for assassins.

Keanu Reeves will be serving as an executive producer on the series and is expected to make at least a brief appearance at some point in the show.

Starz CEO Chris Albrecht explained that “the show and the movies exist side by side” and that The Continental will be “truly unlike anything else on TV.” Giving fans an idea of what to expect, he added that the series “promises to include the thunderous fight sequences and intensely staged shootouts between professional assassins and their targets that fans have come to expect in the John Wick movie franchise as well as introducing some new, darkly compelling characters who inhabit this underground world.”

Chris Collins – best known for his writing work on The Wire, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Sons of Anarchy – is tasked with writing The Continental in addition to serving as showrunner.

SHAZAM Set for April 2019 Release

Shazam

After much speculation, David F. Sandberg’s Shazam has finally been given a set release date of April 5th, 2019. Warner Bros. Pictures confirmed the news, adding that the film will also be shown in IMAX.

The future of Warner Brothers’ DC Extended Universe is a little murky right now, with behind-the-scenes rejigs throwing doubt over just which already-announced movies will actually see the light of day. For Shazam, though, it’s full steam ahead as the film continues to flesh-out its cast.

Already on board for the picture are Zachary Levi as Shazam and Asher Angel as Billy Batson. For those not familiar with this particular hero, young Billy is able to turn in to the world’s mightiest mortal with the abilities of plentiful gods simply by uttering the word “Shazam”.

Elsewhere, youngsters Jack Dylan Grazer, Grace Fulton, Ian Chen and Jovan Armand as signed on as friends of Billy’s, while Mark Strong is set to play the villainous Doctor Sivana.

Despite Sandberg being best known for Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation, the current plan is for Shazam to be a light and breezy affair that will do its best to steer clear of the oft-dark and gloomy tone previously seen in the DCEU.

Conan Returning to Marvel in 2019

Conan the Barbarian

In some news that’s sure to put a smile on the face of longtime fans, Conan is returning to Marvel!

Marvel Entertainment and Conan Properties International have announced the news, with Conan and his supporting players returning to Marvel in 2019.

From 1970 through to 2000, Marvel featured titles such as Conan the Barbarian, Conan the Adventurer and Conan the Savage, with said titles racking up over 650 issues at the comic-book powerhouse.

On this news, Marvel’s C.B. Cebulski enthused, “From Barry Windsor-Smith to John Buscema to Neal Adams, a legendary line-up of amazing artists brought Conan to life in the pages of Marvel comics. It’s a legacy we’re now going to live up to with the talent we have lined up for the Cimmerian barbarian’s homecoming in early 2019. We’re excited!”

As are we, C.B. As are we.

From Conan Properties’ perspective, Fredrik Malmberg added, “We’re thrilled to be working with Marvel and look forward to the new adventures in store for Conan. As the most well-known and creative publisher in the industry, we think Marvel is a great fit for our stories.”

Expect more on all of this as we get it.

Leonardo DiCaprio Joins Tarantino’s Manson Movie

Leonardo DiCaprio Quentin Tarantino

As it happens, your humble scribe was in the Tarantino zone yesterday, making the foolish idea of putting The Hateful Eight on at 1am. Cracking film, stunning in fact, but the 3-hour run time wasn’t exactly the wisest of plans for that time in the morning. But we digress. What we’re here to discuss today, though, is the first piece of confirmed casting for QT’s next picture.

We’ve known for a little while now that Tarantino’s next effort was to be based in and around the infamous Manson Family murders, and we’d heard plenty of names being rumoured for the film. Well now, one of those names has officially signed on the dotted line; the name being Leonardo DiCaprio.

Deadline broke the news, and this will mark the second time that DiCaprio and Tarantino have worked together; the duo previously having teamed up for Django Unchained. In this new to-be-titled effort, DiCaprio will play an aging actor.

Set in 1969, the early word from Vanity Fair on the film reads:

Set in Los Angeles in the summer of 1969, Tarantino’s upcoming movie, according to a source who read the script, focuses on a male TV actor who’s had one hit series and is looking for a way to get into the film business. His sidekick – who’s also his stunt double – is looking for the same thing. The horrific murder of Sharon Tate and four of her friends by Charles Manson’s cult of followers serves as a backdrop to the main story.

As well as DiCaprio, other names previously rumoured for the picture range from Samuel L. Jackson, to Brad Pitt, to Tom Cruise, with Margot Robbie reportedly eyed for the Sharon Tate role.

With Sony producing the film, Tarantino’s next picture is currently booked in for an August 9th, 2019 release.

DOCTOR WHO’s Osgood Announced For Sci-Fi Ball

ingrid oliver

The Sci-Fi Ball has announced Ingrid Oliver, who plays Doctor Who’s Petronella Osgood as their latest special guest to appear at their 24th annual convention, which takes place over three days from February 2nd – 4th at the Grand Harbour Hotel, Southampton to raise vital funds to help the extraordinary work of the Teenage Cancer Trust.

From the press release:
Ingrid Oliver is a British actress and comedian, and one half of the comic double act Watson & Oliver. She is known for playing Petronella Osgood, a supporting character in the BBC television series Doctor Who. Her character also became one of the main leads in the UNIT: The New Series audio anthology, she played Helen in the Big Finish, Doctor Who audio story Project: Destiny and Lt Baraki in Earth Aid, she read the short story Cinderella and the Magic Box and contributed to the charity reference book Behind the Sofa: Celebrity Memories of Doctor Who.

Most recently Ingrid, after three consecutive sell-out runs as part of double act Watson and Oliver, returned to Edinburgh with the premiere of her new character comedy solo show SPEECH! She has starred in Peep Show, Plebs and Lead Balloon amongst many other credits and she has just completed a film for Warner Brothers starring Anne Hathaway to be released this summer.

Ingrid will be appearing at the Sci-Fi Ball during the Friday evening cocktail party and taking part in all of the Saturday activities including a guest talk, autograph/photography sessions as well as attending the famous three-course black-tie banquet and cabaret. She will not be appearing on the Sunday due to work commitments.

The not-for-profit convention brings together fans of Science Fiction and Fantasy to ensure they have a truly out of this world
weekend. It offers parties every night, special guest panels, fan-built and actual props and sets, autograph and photography sessions with the stars, roaming Daleks, two new large heated exhibition marquees filled with authors, artists, a special cosplay stage, table-top gaming, exhibits and games from the Victorian Steampunk Society, Lego Science Fiction creations from the Southern Lego Train Society, out of this world collectable merchandise, a Sci-Fi pub quiz, karaoke, a retro-games arcade provided by Portsmouth’s Game Over Video Game Café, special ticket holders can even enjoy a three-course black-tie dining experience including cabaret, an exclusive cocktail party with the stars of the small and silver screen featuring live steel-pan music from Dr. aRt and activities for the whole family to enjoy with further guests and attractions yet to be announced.

This February sees the Sci-Fi Ball celebrate twenty-four years of raising money for charitable causes by celebrating Science Fiction, bringing their total donations to the Teenage Cancer Trust to over £41,000. The Sci-Fi Ball is sponsored by The Horror Channel, STARBURST Magazine – The World’s Longest Running Magazine of Cult Entertainment, Bees Marquees, Game Over Café and White Light.

For more information and to book tickets, please visit www.sfball.com.
For more information about the Teenage Cancer Trust, please visit http://www.teenagecancertrust.org.