DCEU stars will not be returning to their roles in James Gunn’s DCU

Ahead of the much needed reset of DC films, under the helm of James Gunn, into the DC Universe, there have been many questions of whether people are staying or going from the already existing DC Extended Universe, which is set to conclude in December with Aquaman and The lost Kingdom.

Already various reports have swirled of Gal Gadot staying on as Wonder Woman, before they were debunked, and then placed on the table once again (madness). Ezra Miller’s status as The Flash has been seriously brought into question, after this year’s rough ride of a press tour for The Flash film. While James Wan has allegedly said there were plans in place for a possible Aquaman 3 with Momoa, so who the hell is staying? And what the heck is going on?

Well, Gunn himself has already confirmed that John Cena’s Peacemaker, Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller and Xolo Maridueña’s Blue Beetle are staying put, but there has been no word on some of the big name DCEU stars’ status, barring Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck, who were both pretty much ruled out of returning early on. A fact seemingly confirmed by the announcement of a new Superman in David Corenswet, and the fact that Andy Muschietti is helming a new Batman film in The Brave and the Bold for Gunn’s DCU.

Well, according to a new report from Variety, it would seem that amidst all this DC drama that seemingly never ends, we finally have a clear answer. The Justice league as we know them are no more. Per Variety, this clean slate for Chapter One: Gods and Monsters in Gunn’s announced DCU line-up extends to anyone cast by Zack Snyder, which would mean that all these characters will be recast, and this will indeed be virtually a complete reset. Which is probably wise.

That said, the report notes that just because the likes of Gadot and Momoa are not back as their respective DC superheroes doesn’t mean that they may not return to Gunn’s brave new DC world to play different characters. Momoa has been in talks to play alien bounty hunter Lobo in Gunn’s 2025 film Superman: Legacy, so some of these stars may be back in a very different capacity altogether. 

However the big takeaway here, is that these popular heroes will be back, but the actors we know will not be donning the capes, cowls and armour again, so indeed the DCEU as we know it will end this December. Let’s hope it’s on a high. 

Take a Dip into the Trailer for NIGHT SWIM

Based on the acclaimed 2014 short film by Rod Blackhurst and Bryce McGuire, Night Swim is heading to UK cinemas on January 5th, 2024. You can check out the trailer and poster below. It stars Wyatt Russell (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) as Ray Waller, a former major league baseball player forced into early retirement by a degenerative illness, who moves into a new home with his concerned wife Eve (Oscar nominee Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin), teenage daughter Izzy (Amélie Hoeferle, this fall’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) and young son Elliot (Gavin Warren, Fear the Walking Dead).

Synopsis:
Secretly hoping, against the odds, to return to pro ball, Ray persuades Eve that the new home’s shimmering backyard swimming pool will be fun for the kids and provide physical therapy for him. But a dark secret in the home’s past will unleash a malevolent force that will drag the family under, into the depths of inescapable terror.

Night Swim is the latest supernatural thriller from Atomic Monster and Blumhouse, the producers of M3GAN. Written and directed by Bryce McGuire, it also boasts James Wan (Saw) and Jason Blum (The Invisible Man), and is executive produced by Michael Clear and Judson Scott for Wan’s Atomic Monster and by Ryan Turek for Blumhouse.

No running. No diving. No lifeguard on duty. No swimming after dark.

Night Swim is in UK cinemas on January 5th, 2024.

Exclusive: Check Out the Trailer for Cannibal Horror BITE

bite trailer

Following its screening at last year’s FrightFest, director James Owen’s cannibal shocker Bite will be hitting digital platforms just in time for Halloween. We have an exclusive reveal of the shocking trailer and new artwork below…

Synopsis:

Pursued by a dangerous criminal after a failed theft, con artists Nina and Yaz get way more than they bargained for when they target a seemingly innocent elderly widow called Beryl.
Incarcerated in a nightmare version of suburbia and consumed with fear, Nina and Yaz find themselves fighting desperately for their lives against Beryl’s family of deranged and hungry psychopaths!

Bite’s director, James Owen, was a surgeon for 30 years, so you can be sure what you see on screen is as viscerally accurate as possible!

Bite is available on digital platforms from October 30th. You can check out our review here.

[Updated] Gruesome Images Unveiled Ahead of World Premiere of THE WELL

the well images

The Well, the latest film from Federico Zampaglione (Tulpa: Demon of Desire), received its world premiere at the Sitges Film Festival on Friday, October 6th and we have some gnarly images to share.

Updated to include the poster and even more images!

The film stars Lauren LaVera (Terrifer 2) as a budding art restorer who travels to a small Italian village to bring a medieval painting back to its former glory. Little does she know she is placing her life in danger from an evil curse and a monster born of myth and brutal pain.

Also starring in The Well are Claudia Gerini (Diabolik), the late Giovanni Lombardo Radice (City of the Living Dead) and Taylor Zaudtke (Sadistic Intentions).

Zampaglione commented: “I’m more than thrilled to have the world premiere of The Well in Sitges, a festival that I truly love. Being part of the Midnight X-treme section is very exciting and it’s the perfect home for my new movie … since THE WELL  is actually very, very extreme! Get ready companeros!“

We can’t wait to see this one!

the well images

CollegeHumor Becomes DropOut

In a move that will surprise pretty much no one, online gag peddlers CollegeHumor will be no more, as they rebrand to DropOut – which is also the name of CollegeHumor’s online subscription service.

CollegeHumor was founded in 1999 and is best known for its pastiche of fannish things such as The Lord of The Rings, Transformers and various video games. The brand has had an interesting journey. It began as a scrappy, ad-supported comedy website drawing on Los Angeles-based comedic talent. It was sold to a larger holding company and, in 2018, launched a subscription service. Sam Reich, who was CollegeHumor’s Chief Creative Officer at the time, purchased the majority stake in the company back in 2020, effectively saving the site from closure.

The ad-free subscription-only service has since grown from strength to strength, with a substantial and growing cult following. The channel has become a haven for American comedic talent, featuring a diverse and interesting cast of comedians, actors, hosts and Dungeon Masters.

Reich himself has been the face of Dropout, hosting the popular Game Changer quiz show, clips of which can be easily found on TikTok and YouTube. The service includes Dimension 20, a Dungeons & Dragons improv show which is best known for its charismatic host, Brennan Lee Mulligan. Other shows include Troopers, Bad Internet, Um Actually, Make Some Noise, and Play It By Ear.

You can find out more via https://www.dropout.tv/series


Manchester Animation Festival 2023 to Feature Scott Pilgrim, Aardman, and More

The programme for the UK’s largest animation festival, the Manchester Animation Festival (MAF), has launched. 

Films at the festival include the Hungarian sci-fi feature White Plastic Sky and the French sci-fi feature Mars Express. The line-up includes an advanced screening of Netflix’s brand new series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off and the festival premiere of Aardman’s sequel to Chicken Run, subtitled Dawn Of The Nugget‘.

Other events include a 50th Anniversary screening of the sci-fi classic Fantastic Planet, a talk from Juan Pablo Reyes (Disney’s Encanto and Wish) and a Book to Screen session with Nimona/She-Ra creator ND Stevenson. 

The event will run from November 12th to 17th on-site across Manchester and then continue online until the end of the month. Booking information can be found here.

Festival director Steve Henderson said: “It’s been a big, exciting year for MAF with news of our Oscar Qualifying status, and the momentum hasn’t stopped! Myself and the team are delighted to be bringing the world of animation to Manchester this November and, presenting some of the best films from across the world and giving our audiences the chance to hear from the best people in the world of animation! We look forward to welcoming audiences to Manchester to see something amazing.“

John Cena Among Those Reprising Their Roles In James Gunn’s DCEU

john cena to reprise role as peacemaker in new dc universe

As DC Studios co-head James Gunn has explained at length, the new DC slate of projects will wipe the slate completely clean, with none of the studio’s previous films or series being considered canon going forward. There are, it turns out, a few exceptions to the rule.

Gunn took to Threads this week to address fan inquiries about the developing universe, including a question about whether actors from previous DC projects would be reprising their roles in Gunn’ and Safran’s new world order. The answer is yes, and threefold: Gunn writes, “Xolo Maridueña will continue playing Blue Beetle in the DCU, as Viola Davis will Amanda Waller, and John Cena will Peacemaker.”

Maridueña debuted as Jaime Reyes, aka Blue Beetle earlier this year, while Viola Davis has starred in Suicide Squad, The Suicide Squad, as well as appearing uncredited in Black Adam and Peacemaker. John Cena, of course, is known for his hilarious take on Peacemaker, with a second season of his titular show on the way at Max.

Gunn further explains: “And, yes, some actors will be playing characters they’ve played in other stories & some plot points might be consistent with plot points from the dozens of films, shows & animated projects that have come from DC in the past. But nothing is canon until CC [Creature Commandos] and Legacy.”

“Nothing is canon until Creature Commandos next year — a sort of aperitif to the DCU — & then a deeper dive into the universe with Superman: Legacy after that. It’s a very human drive to want to understand everything all the time, but I think its okay to be confused on what’s happening in the DCU since no one has seen anything from the DCU yet.”

Omega Rangers Coming To UK

Fans of all things Power Rangers related will be delighted to learn that the Omega Rangers are coming to the UK in toy form. Omega Rangers is a blend of new and old, using the classic stylings of the original ’90s TV show and updating them with 2020’s cool.

Inspired by the comic book of the same name, the new set of toys can be found via HASBRO Pulse. They can be posed pretty much any way you want, and the multipack of four rangers comes with 17 accessories, including four sets of alternate hands.


These high-quality toys are just the start of things to come, as HASBRO have many cool Power Rangers-related things to put on your shelf for 2024. Watch this space for future news.

Schedule Unveiled for Pigeon Shrine FrightFest 2023 Halloween Event

The annual Pigeon Shrine Halloween event takes place on Friday, October 27th and Saturday, October 28th, and the line-up has been unveiled with nine UK premieres.

Opening proceedings on Friday is Sam Clemens’ feature debut, The Waterhouse. Sam is the son of the legendary writer/director Brian Clemens (The Avengers) and will be attending with the cast.

Next up is another debut, this time from James Morris. He Never Left is a Halloween-based slasher. Rounding up Friday is Maria, and Argentinian revenge horror from Gabriel Grieco.

Saturday kicks off with flesh-eating horror-musical Eldritch USA, and co-director Ryan Smith will be there to introduce it. Teresa Sutherland’s feature debut Lovely, Dark And Deep is a mix of folk horror and psychodrama.

Danish thriller Superposition is a twist-heavy, spooky flick from Karoline Lyngbye. This is followed by Hood Witch, from French director Said Belktibia. One not to miss is the eagerly awaited The Last Video Store, which promises to be The Monster Squad meets Clerks.

Topping the night off is the world premiere of the ghostly thriller Blue Light, directed by Andy Fickman (Heathers: The Musical).

Alan Jones, FrightFest co-director, said: “We’re thrilled to announce our Halloween 2-day extravaganza. We’ve assembled nine new genre titles to make this year’s Halloween event a happy haunting ground with all treats – no tricks – to satisfy your jaundiced appetites”.

Passes and tickets go on sale at noon on Saturday, September 30th. 
Prices: Two-day pass – £70 | Friday 27th day pass – £35 | Saturday 28th Day pass – £55
Single tickets – £15

All tickets are subject to ticket costs.

To book, head to: https://www.frightfest.co.uk/Halloween2023/frightfesthalloween.html (Online booking only)

Festival of Fantastic Films Announce 2023 Schedule   

guests fantastic films

The weekend line-up for this year’s Festival of Fantastic Films has been unveiled. Held in Manchester from Friday, October 20th to Sunday, October 22nd, the much-loved event hosts special guests and unique screenings in a very friendly, inclusive atmosphere.

Amongst the film screenings and Q&As, there are two book launches this year. The first is literary legend Ramsey Campbell’s personal tribute to the comedy troupe The Three Stooges, Six Stooges and Counting. As well as selling and signing the book, Ramsey will be talking about his love of the knockabout legends, and there will be a (sadly 2D) screening of the short Spooks! Also launching is Headpress Publishing’s eagerly awaited look at Nigel Kneale’s TV series, Beasts. Written by Andrew Screen, The Book of Beasts is a comprehensive overview of the much-loved 1976 anthology series. Andrew will be in attendance to sign copies.

Guests of honour this year include Andy Nyman, co-writer of Ghost Stories and Madeline Smith, the Hammer legend who also appeared in Live and Let Die, as well as working with Frankie Howerd and The Two Ronnies. Ghostwatch writer Stephen Volk, Jenny Runacre, star of The Final Programme and Jublilee, and TV veteran Jane Wymark (daughter of actor Patrick Wymark), who appears in the Beasts episode Baby. Also returning once more will be the ever-charming David McGillivray.

Screening over the weekend will be a varied mix of classic, obscure, and brand-new movies. Tom Lee Rutter’s The Pocket Film of Superstitions has its northern debut, and there’s a special screening of the fabulous short Pareidolia to accompany the opening ceremony with director Aaron Truss and producer Stuart Morriss in attendance.

You can view the full lineup below (click to expand) and purchase festival passes here.

The Festival of Fantastic Films takes place at the Pendulum Hotel and Conference Centre, Manchester, on October 20th-23rd. You can find more information on the Festival website. We’ll see you there!