Netflix Renews BLACK MIRROR For Season 7

black mirror season 7 renewal at netflix confirmed

Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror anthology series will return for a Season 7 at Netflix, as the streamer renews the show five months after premiering its sixth season.

The five-episode season, released in June 2023 after a four-year hiatus, featured a star-studded cast including Salma Hayek, Annie Murphy, Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, Ben Barnes and Paapa Essiedu. Season 5 was even shorter, comprised of only three instalments and starred Andrew Scott, Anthony Mackie, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Topher Grace and Miley Cyrus.

No casting has been confirmed yet for Season 7 but Variety, who broke the news of Black Mirror’s renewal, reports that the show is set to go into production later this year with Brooker, Annabel Jones and Jessica Rhoades believed to be returning as executive producers. Plot details and the number of episodes are still being kept under wraps. Regardless, it’s safe to assume Black Mirror Season 7 will contain its usual blend of existential angst, prescient social commentary, and talented actors.

There are currently 27 episodes of Black Mirror across six series and one special (2014’s White Christmas), in addition to the interactive film Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. The first two series aired on Channel 4 in 2011 and 2013, before moving to Netflix for a further four seasons released in 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2023.

Nicholas Hoult In Talks To Star In SUPERMAN: LEGACY

nicholas hoult as nux in mad Max: fury road

It appears Superman: Legacy has found its Lex Luthor, with Nicholas Hoult in talks to star as the DC villain. James Gunn is writing and directing Superman: Legacy, the first film in his and Peter Safran’s rebooted DC Universe.

As previously announced, David Corenswet will star as Clark Kent/Superman, and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. Nicholas Hoult was reportedly one of the finalists for the role of Superman, even as he was being eyed for Luthor.

Superman: Legacy has a release date of July 11th, 2025 (bar any delays in the post-strike calendar), with Gunn expecting to film early next year. The casting search now continues for a number of characters, including the superheroes The Authority, who are expected to debut in Legacy before starring in their own film.

This won’t be Hoult’s first venture into the superhero genre: he previously played the Marvel and X-Men character Beast/Hank McCoy in multiple franchise entries, the most recent being the poorly-received X-Men: Dark Phoenix. He’s also starred in a number of high-profile genre features like Mad Max: Fury Road and zombie romance Warm Bodies. He was recently seen in horror-satire The Menu, the biopic Tolkien, and gave a hilarious performance as a modern-day Renfield opposite Nicolas Cage’s Dracula.

HARLEY QUINN Returns For Fifth Season

harley quinn renewed for season 5

Max (formerly known as HBO Max) has renewed its adult animated comedy series Harley Quinn for a fifth season.

The fourth season, which finished its run a couple of months ago, follows notorious antiheroine and raunchy badass Harley Quinn (voiced by executive producer Kaley Cuoco) as she strikes out on her own following her breakup with The Joker (Alan Tudyk). With help from Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) and a ragtag crew of DC castoffs, Harley attempts to work her way into the Legion of Doom, before an identity crisis sends her on a larger quest to find her true place in Gotham City.

In addition to Cuoco, Bell, and Tudyk, the voice cast includes Christopher Meloni, Ron Funches, JB Smoove and Tony Hale.

“The talented Harley Quinn team has once again succeeded in delivering a season that builds on everything that has come before while still feeling fresh and inventive,” said Suzanna Makkos, Executive Vice President of Original Comedy and Adult Animation, at Max and Adult Swim. “They continue to provide hilarious, heart-warming, and deranged stories with our lovable group of DC misfits, and we couldn’t be more excited for the fans to see what they’ve accomplished in season 5.”

Max also recently announced a new Harley Quinn spin-off series, titled Kite Man: Hell Yeah!. The animated series will be debuting in 2024 and sees Kite Man and Golden Glider take their relationship to the next level by opening a bar together in the shadow of Lex Luthor’s Legion of Doom.

IMAGINARY Trailer Sees A Fuzzy Terror Unleashed

chauncey the bear in imaginary trailere

Just a short time after it was announced that Jurassic World Dominion star DeWanda Wise would be leading the film, Lionsgate has unveiled the first full trailer for its Blumhouse-produced horror-thriller Imaginary.

The supernatural horror, which is co-written and directed by Jeff Wadlow (Fantasy Island, Truth or Dare), will follow Jessica (Wise) as she moves back into her childhood home with her family, as her youngest stepdaughter Alice (Pyper Braun) develops an eerie attachment to Jessica’s old stuffed bear, Chauncey. Alice begins to play games with Chauncey that become increasingly sinister, until Jessica feels the need to intervene, to dangerous effect. Imaginary explores the joyful innocence of imaginary friends and poses an unsettling question: are they mere figments of children’s imaginations, or is something more ominous going on beneath the surface, like… a Nosferatu-silhouetted demon who’s just a little pissed off about being left behind?

In Imaginary, Wise leads the cast and is joined by Tom Payne, Taegen Burns, Pyper Braun, with Veronica Falcon, and Betty Buckley. The screenplay is by Jeff Wadlow and Greg Erb & Jason Oremland.

Imaginary will be released to cinemas by Lionsgate from March 8th, 2024. See Chauncey the bear in the first official trailer below:

Pedro Pascal In Talks To Star As Reed Richards In FANTASTIC FOUR

pedro pascal in talks to star as reed richards in fantastic four

After a year of rampant speculation as to who may star as Reed Richards in the MCU’s upcoming Fantastic Four, it seems Marvel Studios is in talks with Pedro Pascal to star as the stretchy Mr. Fantastic. THR point to scheduling as a major factor in whether the deal will be finalised.

It would certainly be a good casting move for Marvel, as the MCU seeks to move beyond its Endgame cast of characters and find new heroes (and faces) to anchor the ever-growing franchise. Pedro Pascal is very much the man of the moment, starring in The Last of Us and Disney+’s The Mandalorian, as well as previous roles in DC’s Wonder Woman 1984 and Kingsman: The Golden Circle. He is also due to return to the set of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel now that the actors strike has ended.

Reed Richards was previously played by Ioan Gruffudd in two mid-2000s movies, while Miles Teller stepped into the role for the semi-disastrous 2015 reboot. John Krasinski played a version of Reed in the MCU in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

The other three key roles in Fantastic Four, The Invisible Woman/Sue Storm, The Human Torch/Johnny Storm, and The Thing/Ben Grimm are yet to be cast. WandaVision director Matt Shakman is helming the film, from a script by Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer. Josh Friedman (Avatar: The Way of Water) is working on the latest version of the screenplay.

Fantastic Four is due to release on May 2nd, 2025.

Netflix Cancels SHADOW AND BONE

jessie mei li as alina sarkov not returning for season 3, shadow and bone cancelled

Shadow and Bone has been cancelled, one of five series that will no longer be going forward for more seasons, Netflix has announced. Deadline reports that this is due not only to series’ performance vs. cost, but also to the delays in writing and filming caused by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Shadow and Bone, which hails from creator, writer and executive producer Eric Heisserer and is inspired by the bestselling Grishaverse novels by Leigh Bardugo, aired for two seasons. Set in a war-torn world of magic, the series follows First Army cartographer and orphan Alina Starkov, as she discovers an extraordinary power that could be the key to freeing and uniting the Ravka nation. Jessie Mei Li stars as Alina, along with Archie Renaux, Freddy Carter, Amita Suman, Kit Young, and Ben Barnes.

In an Instagram post, Bardugo wrote that she was “heartbroken and deeply disappointed” after learning that Shadow and Bone had been cancelled and would not receive a Season 3, nor would a Six of Crows spinoff be going ahead (also set within the Grishaverse). However, she goes on to say that “I’m also trying to hold on to my very real gratitude. Most authors never get to see their work adapted. Many who do end up regretting the experience. I’m one of the very few who can look at an adaptation with pride and tremendous joy. I am so grateful to our writers, our crew and our extraordinary cast who are not just wildly talented, but genuinely good people.”

The other series no longer going forward at Netflix are Glamorous, Agent Elvis, Farzar, and Captain Fall.

The MADAME WEB Trailer Is Finally Here

dakota johnson as cassandra webb in the madame web trailer

Sony Pictures have released the first trailer for its upcoming Spider-Man spinoff, Madame Web. The Sony-Marvel picture stars Dakota Johnson in the titular role, alongside Sydney Sweeney, Emma Roberts, Adam Scott, Mike Epps, Celeste O’Connor and Isabela Merced.

S.J. Clarkson directed the film from a script by Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama. Madame Web tells the story of Marvel comic book character Cassandra Webb, a clairvoyant mutant who can foresee the future for Spider-heroes. The trailer sees Cassie, an EMT, unlock strange abilities after a near-death experience.

Per the official logline: “In a switch from the typical genre, Madame Web tells the standalone origin story of one of Marvel publishing’s most enigmatic heroines. The suspense-driven thriller stars Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb, a paramedic in Manhattan who may have clairvoyant abilities. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she forges a relationship with three young women destined for powerful futures… if they can all survive a deadly present.”

Other upcoming Spider-Man spinoffs from Sony include the Aaron Taylor-Johnson-led Kraven the Hunter, and the third film in the Venom franchise; they are set for release in August 2024 and November 2024, respectively. Madame Web is due to hit cinemas on Valentine’s Day, February 14th 2024.

Watch the Madame Web trailer below:

Warner Bros. Shelves COYOTE VS. ACME

Coyote vs Acme film in the works starring John Cena

First Batgirl, now Coyote vs. Acme. Warner Bros. is shutting away another of its films in the studio vaults, THR reveals, despite having completed principal photography for the feature last year.

The live-action, CG animation hybrid stars John Cena (Peacemaker) and was produced by James Gunn, who also worked on the story. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows filmmaker Dave Green directs.

“For three years, I was lucky enough to make a movie about Wile E. Coyote, the most persistent, passionate, and resilient character of al time,” writes Green after news of the film’s shelving. “I was surrounded by a brilliant team, who poured their souls into this project. … Along the ride, we were embraced by test audiences who rewarded us with fantastic scores… I am beyond proud of the final product, and beyond devastated by WB’s decision. But in the spirit of Wile E. Coyote, resilience and persistence win the day.”

Meanwhile, a WB Motion Picture Group spokesperson released a statement expressing that, “With the re-launch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation in June, the studio has shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases. With this new direction, we have made the difficult decision not to move forward with Coyote vs Acme. We have tremendous respect for the filmmakers, casts, and crew, and are grateful for their contributions to the film.”

Candela Obscura Show Launches As Game Hits Shelves

Gothic Horror series Candela Obscura will launch its next chapter later this month. 

The new sequence, called The Circle of Tide and Bone, will be darker in tone and will be available on Twitch and  YouTube from November 30th. 

This actual play horror TTRPG show will use Darrington Press’s new Illuminated World’s system. The games master will be the excellent Aabria Iyengar, and the players are Critical Role’s own Sam Riegel (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, DuckTales) and Liam O’Brien (Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Starfield), alongside Gina Darling (God of Work, Legends of the Multiverse), Ashly Burch (Life is Strange, Attack on Titan), and Noshir Dala (Mortal Kombat 1, Spider-Man 2).

The vibe for this new season is one of older, more experienced investigators taking on some indescribable horror. The team of investigators, known as a circle, is described as ‘bent but not broken’. 

The show continues the story from previous Candela Obscura episodes but is intended to be viewed as a stand-alone show.

Fans of the game will be able to get a full version of the rulebook from November 14th. The 204-page rulebook is available as a standard hardback or in a faux leather version and includes full rules, lavish detail on the turn-of-the-century-inspired setting of the Fairelands, and extensive games master resources from tips to complete assignments for player circles. Digital users should check out demiplane.com for their exclusive digital version of this game.

TTRPG types who still crave more shows may also want to check out the Critical Role Foundation’s Red Nose Day fund-raiser, which will air on Giving Tuesday, November 28, 2023. Featuring Matthew Mercer, Liam O’Brien, Laura Bailey ,  Taliesin Jaffe and some very special guests, members of the public can shape this adventure by going to the poll here, making the wildest choices they can and also donate some money to Comic Relief. You can find out more at https://critrole.com/rednoseday.

Blumhouse Thriller IMAGINARY To Star DeWanda Wise

jurassic world dominion actress dewanda wise to star in blumhouse and lionsgate horror imaginary

DeWanda Wise is set to star in and executive produce the upcoming horror-thriller Imaginary for Blumhouse Productions and Lionsgate, THR reveals.

The film, which is directed by Jeff Wadlow (Fantasy Island, Truth or Dare), will follow Jessica (Wise) as she moves back into her childhood home with her family, as her youngest stepdaughter Alice develops an eerie attachment to Jessica’s old stuffed bear, Chauncy. Alice begins to play games with Chauncey that become increasingly sinister, until Jessica feels the need to intervene – only to realise that Chauncey is no mere stuffed toy.

“DeWanda has been more than a star on this movie — she has been a full creative partner. So much of horror grows out of our most basic fears from childhood, and DeWanda taps into all of that. You know that old saying that the audience’s imagination is scarier than any movie? We’re going to put that to the test,” Wadlow says.

Best known for her starring role in Spike Lee’s 2017 series She’s Gotta Have It, Wise has also appeared in Jurassic World Dominion and The Harder They Fall, as well as Chris Pine’s directorial debut, Poolman.

Imaginary will be released to cinemas by Lionsgate from March 8th, 2024.