NYX UK Brings 12 Slays of Christmas This December

As we enter the festive season, NYX UK, the only free-to-air dedicated horror channel, has unveiled the 12 Slays of Christmas, which will run from December 14th to Christmas Day. At 9pm each night, viewers can watch a different Christmas-themed horror movie.

The movies in the season are Christmas Evil (1980), Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972), Tales from the Crypt (1972), Santa’s Slay (2005), A Christmas Carol with Vincent Price (1949), Don’t Open ‘Till Christmas (1984), Santa Claus (1959 Mexican classic in which the jolly red-suited fella faces a red foe – Satan!), Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964), Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984), Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 (1987), All the Creatures Were Stirring (2018), and ending on the big day with Black Christmas (1974). The channel will also have tweet-alongs on @nyxtvuk for Santa’s Slay and Silent Night, Deadly Night.  

New Year’s Eve isn’t left out either, with a cult double bill of Lamberto Bava’s Demons 2 and the Jamie Lee Curtis-starring Terror Train to ring in 2025.

Other channel premieres include Death on Scenic Drive (2017), the Mexican shockers Robot vs the Aztec Mummy (1958), The Brainiac (1962), and The Bloody Vampire (1962), hairy Spanish terror as Paul Naschy’s tragic werewolf character Waldemar Daninsky returns in Curse of the Devil (1973), and gruesome goings-on in the superb Joe D’Amato film Beyond the Darkness (aka Buio Omega, 1979).

If that’s not all, on weekdays at 4pm there’s the animated TV series The Wicked! making its debut on NYX UK. Based on the popular Australian children’s book series by Paul Jennings and Morris Gleitzman, this quirky, supernatural adventure follows two stepsiblings, Rory and Dawn, who can’t stand each other but are forced to team up when they uncover strange and menacing happenings in their town.

You can find NYX UK on Freeview 271, the Channelbox and Distro TV apps, and TCL TVs.

VOLTRON Adds Sterling K. Brown, Rita Ora and More

team voltron

Sterling K. Brown, Rita Ora, John Kim, Alba Baptista, Samson Kayo and Tharanya Tharan have boarded the live-action feature Voltron. Marshall Thurber is helming the adaptation of the mecha anime for Amazon MGM Studios. The six actors join Henry Cavill and Daniel Quinn-Toye in the ensemble cast. Filming on the project is due to begin next month in Australia.

Voltron is based on the Japanese sci-fi series Beast King GoLion and Kikou Kantai Dairugger XV. World Events edited and dubbed the series as a syndicated show in 1984, naming it Voltron: Defender of the Universe. The series centred on five young pilots in a battalion named the Robot Lions, which are vehicles that join together to form a giant super-robot, Voltron.

While plot details remain unannounced, Thurber shared at VoltCon that: “I want to make sure that we stay true to the heart and the spirit of Voltron. In this film, we’re going to be introducing an entirely new generation of pilots. We’ve reimagined Voltron for the live-action world, but we’re going to stay true to … those iconic elements that you love, that I love.” Thurber wrote the script with Ellen Shanman.

Sterling K. Brown was recently seen in Atlas, American Fiction and Biosphere. Rita Ora is primarily a singer-songwriter, but has acted in the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise and appeared in Pokémon: Detective Pikachu. John Kim has appeared in a number of series, including Cruel Intentions and 9-1-1. Alba Baptista broke onto the international stage with Warrior Nun for Netflix. Samson Kayo is likely best known for his work on Our Flag Means Death. Lastly, Tharanya Tharan is a relative newcomer who has appeared in More Than This and Year Of.

LILO & STITCH Live-Action Remake Launches Teaser Trailer

lilo & stitch live-action film teaser trailer

Disney has just released the first teaser trailer for its live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch. Marcel the Shell With Shoes On helmer Dean Fleischer Camp directs this new version of the beloved 2002 animated feature, which is set to release on May 23rd, 2025. The film stars Maia Kealoha as Lilo, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong as Nani, and Kaipot Dudoit as David Kawena. Rounding out the cast are Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, Courtney B. Vance and Hannah Waddingham, while original voice stars Chris Sanders, Tia Carrere, Amy Hill and Jason Scott Lee all return.

The original film focused on a young Hawaiian girl named Lilo who adopts a dog that turns out to be a genetically engineered extra-terrestrial being with a nefarious purpose. Similarly in this upcoming remake, per the official Disney synopsis, “the bond formed between a lonely human girl named Lilo and a dog-like alien named Stitch, who is engineered to be a force of destruction. Pursuing aliens, social workers and the idea of the bond of family figure into the proceedings.”

Lilo & Stitch is just the latest in a long line of live-action remakes being prioritised at Disney. Barry Jenkins’ prequel film, Mufasa: The Lion King releases to cinemas next month, while the Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot-led Snow White is set for release in March 2025.

Watch the teaser trailer below:

POPEYE THE SLAYER MAN Sets Slasher In Spinach-Canning Factory

popeye in horror flick popeye the slayer man

None of your childhood faves are safe from the horror movie treatment: not contented with taking Winnie the Pooh & friends away from us, the genre world is going after a certain spinach-munching sailor, the legendary Popeye. Popeye the Slayer Man, a new horror feature exploring an alternate backstory for the famed figure, will release sometime next year.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the public domain slasher is only one of two Popeye horrors in the works, with another film titled Popeye coming from ITN Studios.

In the film, for which the trailer has just been released, “a group of friends sneak into an abandoned spinach canning factory to film a documentary on the legend of the ‘Sailor Man’, who is said to haunt the factory.”

“We can’t wait for audiences to get a load of this gory and scary version of Popeye,” says producer Jeff Miller. “We went old-school and focused on using real practical effects, and not relying on CG for the gore.”

Jason Stephens plays the titular role, with Ouija Witch filmmaker Robert Michael Ryan directing from a screenplay by John Doolan. Popeye the Slayer Man also stars Sean Michael Conway, Elena Juliano, Mabel Thomas, Marie-Louise Boisnier, Jeff Thomas, and Steven McCormack, along with Angela Relucio and Sarah Nicklin.

Watch the trailer for the upcoming flick below, courtesy of Bloody Disgusting, and scroll down for the poster:

Idris Elba To Join MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE

idris elba to play man-at-arms in amazon mgm studios live-action masters of the universe

Idris Elba is in final negotiations to help power up the Masters of the Universe film for Amazon MGM Studios. The British actor would play Duncan, also known as Man-at-Arms, in the live-action feature adaptation of the Mattel toy line. He joins Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man, Camila Mendes as Teela, and Alison Brie as Evil Lyn.

In the director’s chair is the founder of indie film studio Laika, Travis Knight, best known for directing Kubo and the Two Strings. The screenplay hails from Chris Butler, following initial drafts by David Callaham, and brothers Aaron and Adam Nee.

Plot details are unconfirmed, but the project centres on the character of Prince Adam of Eternia who, thanks to his Power Sword, can turn into He-Man and be imbued with superhuman strength and abilities. Alongside his allies, he defends his planet from the evil Skeletor and his armies. For Elba, the role of a Man-at-Arms (there were multiple) is to advise the ruling planetary monarch and the Royal Guard on military and police affairs.

Idris Elba will soon be on the big screen, reprising his voice role as Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. He’s also known for features such as Pacific Rim, Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw, The Suicide Squad, and Beast, as well as series Luther and Hijack.

Masters of the Universe is due to release in cinemas from June 5th, 2026.

MINOR THREATS Comic Book Universe Adds New Anthology

minor threats welcome to twilight comic cover cropped

The universe of Minor Threats, actor and comedian Patton Oswalt and TV writer Jordan Blum’s cult hit comic book, is expanding: the story centring on the trials of D-list villains has attracted some high-profile creators for an upcoming anthology mini-series.

As THR reports, Matt Fraction, known for award-winning work on Marvel’s Hawkeye, and Miles Morales co-creator Brian Michael Bendis and artists Michael Allred and Gene Ha, are working on an anthology mini-series set in the Minor Threats universe. Writers Gail Simone and Gerry Duggan and artists Soo Lee and Mark Torres are also involved in the four-issue project titled Welcome to Twilight City.

“Doing an anthology felt like the perfect way to expand the universe and explore new subgenres within this world of heroes and villains,” said Blum. “We seem to focus on stories and characters who would fall through the cracks at Marvel or DC. The underdogs who often get overlooked. Our books are incredibly character focused and anthologies really allow you to spotlight one at a time in really unique ways.”

Said Oswalt, “I know this is gonna sound cliche but sometimes the spinoff ‘chooses’ us — a writer or artist, or both, will come to us with ideas they have about a character or dangling storyline from a previous Minor Threats arc. We’ve also gone out to our dream roster of writers and artists, asking if there’s anything they’d like to play with in the world. The responses have been insane.”

The Minor Threats comics are also in development at Netflix as a live-action series, with Oswalt and Blum serving as writers, showrunners and executive producers.

The first issue, From the World of Minor Threats: Welcome to Twilight City No. 1, will hit stores on March 12th, 2025 courtesy of Dark Horse Entertainment.

Courtesy of Dark Horse Entertainment

Daniel Craig And Luca Guadagnino In Talks For DC Studios’ SGT. ROCK

sgt rock dc comics character

Daniel Craig is reportedly in talks to star in the DC Studios feature Sgt. Rock, with Luca Guadagnino as director.

The film adaptation of the DC Comics character is in its early stages, and no deal is yet in place for Craig or Guadagnino. Justin Kuritzkes, who penned both Challengers and Queer for Guadagnino, wrote the script.

Plot details for Sgt. Rock are still unknown. The character is a World War II soldier who first appeared in comics in 1959, created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert.

The project would reunite Craig and Gudagnino, who collaborated on Queer, the A24 pic that premiered at the Venice Film Festival and is due to hit cinemas from November 27th.

Craig’s other upcoming projects include Netflix’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, which would see him return to the role of private investigator Benoit Blanc. Guadagnino has also been busy, having recently wrapped filming on Amazon MGM Studios’ After the Hunt, a thriller starring Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield and Ayo Edebiri. Also in the works is his new take on author Bret Easton Ellis’ novel American Psycho for Lionsgate.

Sgt. Rock does not yet have a planned release date, but stay tuned for further updates.s

STAR WARS: VISIONS Will Return For Third Volume

still from star wars: visions series

Disney and Lucasfilm have revealed that their animated anthology series Star Wars: Visions is coming back for a third season next year! The update was announced at Disney’s Content Showcase event in Singapore.

The premise of Star Wars: Visions was to create a collection of non-canon animated shorts produced by different Japanese animation studios, and thus featuring different animation styles. The freedom of expression led to some wildly imaginative interpretations of the Star Wars universe and mythos.

Volume three of Visions will see nine new animated shorts from anime studios throughout Japan: they include returning contributors Kamikaze Douga, Kinema Citrus, Production I.G, and TRIGGER. The next volume will also introduce five new anime studios to the world of Star Wars, including ANIMA (in co-production with Kamikaze Douga), David Production, Polygon Pictures, Project Studio Q, and WIT Studio.

The first volume of Visions debuted on Disney+ in September 2021. The season included nine episodes from Japanese studios Kamikaze Douga, Studio Colorido, Geno Studio, Trigger, Kinema Citrus, Production I.G. and Science Saru. Volume two, however, featured work from an international group of studios, including the UK’s Aardman, Spain’s El Guiri, Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon, Chile’s Punkrobot, South Korea’s Studio Mir, France’s Studio La Cachette, India’s 88 Pictures, Lucasfilm in the US, South Africa and Ireland’s Triggerfish, and Japan’s D’art Shtajio.

Live-Action HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON Drops Teaser

hiccup and toothless in live-action how to train your dragon teaser trailer

Meet the live-action Hiccup and Toothless in the first teaser trailer for Universal Pictures’ so-called “reimagining” of How to Train Your Dragon, the acclaimed DreamWorks franchise. Bear in mind that this reimagining is almost a shot-for-shot remake of the beloved animated film, as is made clear in the teaser. Writer-director Dean DeBlois helms the feature, which will be released in theatres on June 13th, 2025.

As an animated trilogy, How to Train Your Dragon centred on the growing relationship between a young, clumsy Viking teen and aspiring dragon hunter named Hiccup and Toothless, an injured dragon he saves. Meanwhile, the female lead, Astrid, progresses from someone prejudiced against dragons to a warrior bonded to one. 

Mason Thames stars as Hiccup and Nico Parker as Astrid. Also in the cast are Gerard Butler, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, Peter Serafinowicz and Murray McArthur.

“Dad, I can’t kill dragons,” says Thames’ Hiccup in the trailer to his father, Stoick the Vast (Butler, reprising his voice role from the animated franchise). Hiccup’s dad responds, “But you will.”

This live-action feature is based on the 2010 animated film that DeBlois had co-directed with Chris Sanders, itself inspired by the book series from Cressida Cowell. DeBlois, Marc Platt and Adam Siegel also serve as producers.

Watch the teaser trailer for How to Train Your Dragon below:

LANTERNS Casts Poorna Jagannathan

never have i ever star poorna jagannathan

HBO‘s much-publicised Lanterns series is expanding its cast with the addition of Never Have I Ever actress Poorna Jagannathan.

Jagannathan will have a recurring part in the show, which hails from DC Studios and Warner Bros. TV. She will play Zoe, a character described as an effortlessly confident and poised woman in any setting, and as composed and cunning as the influential men around her.

Lanterns will star Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Hal Jordan and John Stewart, respectively, in the series from Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and comic book writer Tom King. The show is being executive produced and written by the trio, with Mundy showrunning the eight-episode season. Kelly Macdonald and Garret Dillahunt have also been cast.

The synopsis states the series follows “Hal Jordan (Chandler), a legend amongst the space police force known as the Green Lanterns, as he reluctantly mentors Stewart (Pierre), a younger Green Lantern. The two intergalactic cops get drawn into a dark, Earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.”

Poorna Jagannathan starred in all four seasons of Netflix’s Never Have I Ever and was most recently seen in Apple TV+’s film Wolfs. Her credits include HBO’s The Night Of and the upcoming series Deli Boys. S