Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 172

ADVENTURE TIME Will Release An All New Comic Series in 2025, Check Out Our Exclusive Cover Reveals and More

If you’re like us, you might be looking at 2025 unfurling before you and dreaming not only of all the new adventures you’ll have but of all the new Adventure Time adventures you’ll have. After all, it wasn’t so long ago we heard an Adventure Time Movie, known as The Adventure Time, was on the way. And there was also news of a whole bunch of spinoff series in the works. But what’s actually going to take you back to The Land of Ooo in 2025? Why, that’d be a brand new Adventure Time comic series from Oni Press. Yes, coming this April (that’s April 2025), fans can get excited for a new monthly series of Adventure Time comics. It’ll all kick off with Adventure Time #1, which hits shelves on April 9.

At Nerdist, we feel thrilled to exclusively reveal this Adventure Time comic series announcement, as well as share three incredible variant covers for Adventure Time #1.

Oni Press/Nick WinnA New Adventure Time Comic Series Is on the Way

So, what should you know about this new Adventure Time comic series? Well, for one, it will feature all of our very favorite characters, including Finn, Jake, Marceline, Princess Bubblegum, and many, many more. We’ll see these Adventure Time heroes go on brand new, fantastical adventures throughout Ooo, which we’ll tell you all about below. Of course, the comic series will feature all of Adventure Times‘ biggest stars on the page, but a rotating roster of creative all-stars brimming with talent will also go to work behind the scenes.

Among others, the monthly series will bring on acclaimed cartoonist and animator Nick Winn (Bloody Mary), 2024 Eisner Award winner Caroline Cash (PeePee PooPoo), Asia Simone (Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur: Wreck and Roll), Jorge Monlongo (Over the Garden Wall: Hallow Town), Brenda Hickey (My Little Pony) and former Adventure Time writer/storyboard artist and 2024 LA Times Book Prize Finalist Derek Ballard (Cartoonshow) to bring its tales to life.

Series editor of the Adventure Time comics, Megan Brown, shares, “We’re thrilled to welcome readers back to distant lands with all new adventures featuring their favorite Adventure Time characters. The land of Ooo has long been home to some of the most radically unique comics, and we’re excited to add to their rich legacy with an incredible creative team crafting a story that is full of friendship, heart, and wild new challenges for Finn & Jake to overcome.”

We Exclusively Reveal Adventure Time #1’s Variant Covers

To help build the hype for the first issue of the Adventure Time comic series, we’re excited to exclusively share Adventure Time #1’s three variant covers. Cover A is by Nick Winn. Cover B is by David Nakayama. And Cover C is by Trung Le Nguyen. All three options perfectly capture the whimsical wonder that is Adventure Time and promise us a heartfelt, colorful, joyful story where friendship is truly at the center. We love all these covers equally, but Winn’s cover and its elaborate fist-bump between Finn the Human and Jake the Dog really touches us. No image could more iconically capture what Adventure Time is all about.

Oni Press/Nick WinnOni Press/David Nakayama Oni Press/Trung Le NguyenAdventure Time #1 Begins a New Comic Adventure, “Best of Buds,” Plus Release Date Details and More

And speaking of the glorious friendship between Finn the Human and Jake the Dog, the story at the heart of Adventure Time #1 will be aptly titled “Best of Buds.” The first comic in this new series will begin part one of the “Best of Buds” story arc. The official description for the story notes that Adventure Time #1 “will kick off in whimsical force as it rushes headlong into an unexpected new quest for Finn the Human and Jake the Dog that will bring new challenges, new creatures, and a brand-new princess crashing into their path.” That description doesn’t give us too much to work off yet, but for lovers of the universe, it feels like there is a ton of fun world-building and new delights in store.

Series writer and artist Nick Winn shares, “Adventure Time was such a huge part of me growing up. Not only was it hilarious, but it had such an emotional intelligence that very few shows could pull off back then. Being able to revisit the land of Ooo through Oni Press has really been such a joy and a challenge to build something new while still keeping the energy and charm the show cast on me in middle school!”

Meanwhile, Brown offers this thought about the series’ first story arc, “BEST OF BUDS is the perfect jumping-off point for new readers—and a return to form for old friends!”

It sounds like exactly the kind of story we’ll need to make this new year amazing. Adventure Time #1 is written by Nick Winn with Derek Ballard, with art by Nick Winn with Derek Ballard. It will be on sale April 9 and retail for $4.99. The first issue of the new Adventure Time comic series will contain 32 pages.

It feels like the right time to celebrate with a fist bump to us.

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CREATURE COMMANDOS Finale Adds King Shark from THE SUICIDE SQUAD to the Team

From the very first episode of Creature Commandos, the Max animated series had very explicit ties to both James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. These ties extend to characters like Amanda Waller and John Economos, to Task Force M itself being an extension of Task Force X. And in the season one finale of Creature Commandos, we get another addition from Task Force X over to Task Force M, in the form of the ever dim-witted King Shark. The finale shows him as one of Waller’s recruits for the squad in season two. This half-human/half-shark creature stole the show in many scenes in Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. And it looks like he’s now officially a Creature Commando.

Warner Bros. Animation

In The Suicide Squad, the voice of King Shark came from none other than Rocky and Rambo icon, Sylvester Stallone. We doubt he’s coming back for Creature Commandos. However, James Gunn has stated he wants his animated voice actors to be the same as the live-action performers. At least as much as he possibly can. So maybe we hear Sly as King Shark once again. James Gunn has the opportunity to do the funniest thing possible here. He could have King Shark on the same team as the Shark, another “shark mutated into a humanoid” DC villain. The Shark was technically a Green Lantern bad guy.

DC Comics

King Shark first appeared in 1994’s Superboy #0, before making his first full appearance in Superboy #9. He becomes a recurring enemy for Superboy, as well as Aquaman (naturally). King Shark’s real name is Nanaue. At first, everyone believes him to be some kind of mutated great white shark. But he is actually the offspring of a mythical shark god named Chondrakha and a human woman. Another iteration has him raised by Amanda Waller in a lab from birth, which may be the origin Gunn uses. None of this is really touched on in The Suicide Squad, so maybe season two of The Creature Commandos will give us Gunn’s version of King Shark’s tragic backstory. Whatever that bizarre story may be.

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The DC Comics Monsters We Hope to See in CREATURE COMMANDOS Season 2 (and Some We Don’t)

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Creature Commandos has ended its first season, and as we saw in the finale, Task For M isn’t going anywhere. Not only are they coming back for a second season, but from the looks of things, with an expanded roster too. But which DC Comics monsters might get drafted by Amanda Waller? There is no shortage of monsters from DC history that James Gunn could utilize. Here are some DC monsters we hope join Creature Commandos in season two, as well as a few we hope DC Studios holds out on.

DC ComicsDC Monsters We Want to See in Creature CommandosSolomon GrundyDC Comics

Solomon Grundy is an iconic DC villain, who started out as a Golden Age Green Lantern foe, eventually becoming part of Batman’s rogues’ gallery. A simple-minded (but nearly indestructible) pasty white zombie, Grundy originally was a man named Cyrus Gold. The wealthy Cyrus was murdered and dumped in the swamp in the late 19th century. Resurrected over decades by mystical swamp gasses, he became the undead creature nicknamed Solomon Grundy. In a future season of Creature Commandos, Solomon Grundy would make for the perfect “muscle” member in Task Force M. And his slow-witted responses to just about everything could make him comedy gold. Grundy has been comedic relief in everything from Justice League Unlimited to Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Besides, we know Gunn can’t resist a good lumbering zombie.

GigantaDC Comics

This classic Wonder Woman villain, who became iconic as a member of the Legion of Doom on the animated Super Friends, may look human but she’s a lot more than that. Giganta was actually an ape, mutated into looking like a human woman. It just so happened this woman could grow up to be several stories tall. If Wonder Woman villain Circe shows up in a Creature Commandos show, why not Giganta? We think James Gunn would have a blast writing about an ape in the body of a glamorous-looking woman. And if Grundy becomes a member of Task Force M, then it would be a Legion of Doom reunion for both villains.

Mister MindDC Comics

Remember when Shazam! introduced the villainous Mister Mind in the first movie’s post-credits scene? And then nothing happened with him in the sequel? Well, maybe James Gunn can do something interesting with the classic Captain Marvel villain, a genius-level sentient worm from the planet Venus. (Look, Golden Age comics were all kinds of goofy.) We can’t think of a more ideal fit for a show like Creature Commandos than Mister Mind. He is just is the kind of silly bad guy we could see James Gunn having a ball with. And it’s not like there’s going to be a Shazam! 3 anytime soon. Might as well make him a part of Task Force M.

DC Monsters We Don’t Want in Creature Commandos (Yet)Man-BatDC Comics

An iconic and tragic part of Batman’s rogues’ gallery, the Man-Bat has long been a persistent foe for the Dark Knight. He even starred in an early and iconic episode of Batman: The Animated Series. Scientist Kirk Langstrom tried to use bat DNA to change his genetic code but instead transformed into a terrifying were-bat creature. Of course, the Man-Bat would fit right in with the Creature Commandos, but we hope that James Gunn is waiting to introduce this character into the DCU with a proper Batman project. Nothing against animation, but Man-Bat is overdue for a live-action tussle with Batman. He shouldn’t make his DCU debut in Creature Commandos.

Etrigan the DemonDC Comics

The creation of none other than Jack Kirby, DC introduced the demonic Etrigan in the ‘70s. This was around the same time as Kirby’s New Gods series. A reptilian and yellow humanoid creature, Etrigan was an ancient rhyming demon. Etrigan actually shared his corporeal form with a medieval human named Jason Blood. The wizard Merlin cursed him with this demonic existence after betraying Camelot. Much like Man-Bat, the Demon Etrigan is just too cool a character to introduce as a supporting player in Creature Commandos. He can (and should) carry his own project, be it live-action or animated. He should fight them (or join them) at some point, but only after his own solo series or film.

Killer CrocDC Comics

Waylon Jones, the crocodile-skinned metahuman and former carnival freak named Killer Croc, has been a thorn in Batman’s side since the early ‘80s. He already appeared in the first Suicide Squad movie, played by actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. But we’re really not sure how that movie even fits into DCU continuity anymore (if it does at all). While Croc would technically fill the requirements for Task Force M membership, we feel they should wait to add him. As with Man-Bat, when they do introduce Croc, it should be in something Batman-related.

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The Biggest Questions We Have for SEVERANCE Season 2

Severance will finally return for its second season at Apple TV+ on January 17. When the series clocks back in at Lumon after a lengthy hiatus from work it has some major questions to answer. Trailers have already addressed a few, like will Mark, Dylan, Irv, and Helly actually return to the office (yes), but much bigger ones await. What are we most hoping to learn when our Outies tune in? These are the biggest questions we have ahead of Severance season two.

What’s really going on with Lumon’s soap?

Before it became the world’s biggest biotechnology conglomerate, Lumon Industries was a topical salve company. Lumon’s original logo featured a flask, spoon, and drop, a symbol of its original purpose that current CEO Jame Eagen still wears on a signet ring. Founder Kier Eagan, who cared about hygiene, also met his wife Imogen while she was working as a “swab girl” at an ether factory. A modern Lumon soap store in town is named for her former job.

Apple TV+

Severed employees are also instructed to wash their hands with the company’s soap ten times a day. It’s important enough that one of the manager’s first jobs every day is refilling the soap dispensers. Yet, as a distraught Irv Innie pointed out that soap is the only thing not labeled on the severed floor. Meanwhile, Lumon uses a “bad soap” to punish employees in the Break Room.

What exactly is going on with Lumon and soap? Is it even actual soap? Or is it a more nefarious product the company uses to keep employees in line? We don’t know, but our bet is whatever is going on with that green goo is vital to Lumon’s real agenda.

Why was Irv’s Outie repeatedly painting the door to the Testing Floor and keeping a map of severed employees?Apple TV+

The most prim, proper, and loyal severed employee (at least initially) seems to have an Outie counterpart trying to bring down Lumon. John Turturro’s art loving Irving Bailiff spends his free time away from work repeatedly painting the dark ominous hallway to Lumon’s Testing Floor. He also has a locked chest of anti-Lumon news stories, employee records, and a map of severed co-workers’ homes. That map included a big spot for his former office love interest Burt (Christopher Walken).

Why does Irv’s Outie seem to hate Lumon and is trying to destroy it? Is he trying to communicate with his Innie, which is why he keeps himself awake all night so his Innie dozes off at work? How does he even know about the Testing Floor, the level below the severed floor Lumon sent Ms. Casey? And why does he say he has worked there for three years yet his record indicates he’s been at Lumon for nine?

Apple TV+

Has Irv been severed more than once? Did he not only work in Optics and Design where he already knew (and maybe loved Burt) previously, did Irv paint those Kier Eagan pictures he reveres so much? There’s so much going on with Irving and his past could help reveal what Lumon has really been up to since he got there.

Did Lumon fake Gemma’s death or take advantage of it?Apple TV+

There is no doubt from Mark, Devon, and Ricken that Gemma died in a car crash. Mark even visited the tree she during an emotional scene. And yet, Gemma is alive and working as severed Lumon employee Ms. Casey. How? Did the company fake her death, either with a staged accident or after a real one? We know Lumon has its claws in everything in town (which is why Devon told Mark not to go to the police). If any company could steal a patient and fake their death, or fake an accident and steal a human, it’s Lumon.

But if they did that, why is Ms. Casey so weird as she admitted? Other severed employees are still relatively normal. Why is Ms. Casey so drastically different from the rest of her co-workers? And why does she descend to the Testing Floor that Outie Irv is obsessed with? Why has she only been “alive” for 107 hours total? Why does Lumon keep her locked away and only conscious for so little time?

Apple TV+

Is it because Gemma actually did die and Lumon somehow used her corpse to make Ms. Casey, an employee with no other identity? Is that why she goes to the Testing Floor we know nothing about? And is that where other part-time employees (like the ones who danced as the Four Tempers for Dylan) also go at the end of work?

That might be the most extreme possibility, but it’s not improbable. Some might even say it’s likely. Especially when considered alongside another major question we have for Severance and Lumon’s CEOs.

Who is really on the Board and what happens at a Lumon CEO’s “revolving?”Apple TV+

Outside of one single “yes” Lumon’s Board is a completely silent, unseen group that makes its presence felt by listening in on meetings via an intercom. So who are these powerful figures running a worldwide cult/company and why do they operate entirely through intermediaries? And what might that have to do with the mysterious “revolving” ceremony current CEO Jame Eagan mentioned to his daughter Helena? His statement seemed to imply the “revolving” will be when she succeeds him, but we know with Lumon nothing is ever so innocent or direct.

Are these mysteries directly connected? Is the Board actually made up of past Lumon CEOs from the Eagan family? Are they still alive in stasis? Other bodies? Is that why their life-sized statues are placed in an area called “perpetuity,” because their ultimate goal is to live in perpetuity? If so, are they currently digitized. That would explain why no one can ever see them? Did they reach this pseudo state of existence via “revolving?”

No theory is too wild for the Eagan clan, a weird, evil cult interested in bringing severance to all humanity.

What exactly is the “mysterious and important” work being done by Macrodata refinement employees?Apple TV+

One of the most prominent, oft discussed mysteries of Severance‘s first season is what exactly severed macrodata refinement employees do. We know the four employees each correlate to one of the Four Tempers, Kier Eagan’s obsession. We also know they look through troves of seemingly meaningless numbers until they find groups that elicit an emotional response like fear. They then fence that group off into digital “buckets” that are also connected to the Four Tempers. Those files do have expiration dates, though no refiner knows why. All they know is the work is “mysterious and important.”

Why would random numbers elicit any emotion? And why would they need to get fenced off from a file with an expiration date? Is that because they’re connected to humans? Or at least, people who used to be human? Is that why the refiners’ work is so mysterious and important, because it has to do with digital versions of past Lumon CEOs?

This all sounds wild, and yet nothing is off the table at Lumon. Especially when they’re raising baby goats down the hall.

What’s going on with the goats?Apple TV+

Seriously, what’s the deal with the goats? And why did their caretaker, who wears a suit and tie, get so upset. “They’re not ready,” he yelled. “You can’t take them yet, they’re not ready. It isn’t time.”

Ready for what? Not time for what? Why it going on with that room of goats and which of the questions we need answers are those cute creatures connected to?

Why was Cobel infiltrating Mark’s personal Outie life?Apple TV+

The Board fired Harmony Cobel when they found out she had ingratiated herself into Mark’s personal life. That was a serious enough breach one of those silent unseen figures even spoke at her termination. So why would a loyal worshipper of Kier Eagan do something unsanctioned? And why was that not the only secret she kept from her superiors?

What does Harmony actually want? Has anything she has said about her dead husband or mother true? What does any of that have to do with Mark’s Outie life? Ms. Cobel was doing her own thing for much of season one even while seemingly being loyal to the Founder and his teachings. Why?

Was there really a violent coup from one of the departments?Apple TV+

Two paintings, identical in almost every way except for the identity of its scene’s perpetrators, depicted the same mythical work event at Lumon. “The Grim Barbarity of Optics and Design” and “The Macrodata Refinement Calamity” showed one department brutally attacking and murdering the other.

Why the two paintings? Why did Cobel and Milchick let its refiners ever see it? Also, why did Burt say he didn’t know about them even though one painting was in his department? And, most importantly, did that violent coup actually happen and why? Is that why both departments have so few employees despite their enormous physical space? If so was Irv there for it? Did he participate? Paint the pictures commemorating it?

Apple TV+

Art is a form of control at Lumon. The company uses it to tell its Founder’s story and to manipulate it’s workers. But these two paintings are telling us so much more and we want to know what that is.

Why did the doctor who installed severance chips reintegrate Peter Kilmer?Apple TV+

Dr. Reghabi was the surgeon who performed severance procedures for Lumon. She’s also the person who did the seemingly impossible and reintegrated Peter “Petey” Kilmer. Why did she do it? How did she do it? And what is she ultimately hoping to accomplish by undoing severance? We know so little about her, her past, and her goals that there are questions about Dr. Reghabi we don’t even know to ask yet.

How does Seth Milchick manage so many responsibilities at Lumon?Apple TV+

Sometimes it seems like Seth Milchick is everywhere doing everything at Lumon. Not just on its severed floor we’re he does so much across multiple departments, either. Milchick also helped Helena with Helly R’s arrival. He also takes calls from the employees’ Outies. And he was the person who woke Dylan up in his own home.

Why does the company rely on just one man so much? How is it even possible for him to handle so many responsibilities every day? One of the best theories (for which there’s real evidence) to come out of season one is that there are multiple Seth Milchicks.

Is that possible? He does seem to have many different kinds of personalities (some might even say tempers) depending on the task and situation. But if so, how? Is he a set of twins? Triplets? Clones? If it’s the latter does that have something to do with the goats and Ms. Casey?

Apple TV+

After Dylan bit Milchick’s arms we never actually saw the wound or scar. So like everything in Severance season two we’ll be on the look out for one. Specifically we’ll be looking to see if “Seth Milchick” doesn’t have a scar where “he” should. If Milchick doesn’t that might answer more than just one of these major questions we have.

Of course, we know by season’s end for every answer we do get Severance is going to raise even more.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist, a company that does not believe in severing. Yet. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Chris Evans’ DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Human Torch Now Immortalized as a Collectible Figure

Last year, in Deadpool & Wolverine, Chris Evans made his first MCU appearance since the finale of Avengers: Endgame. Only, he wasn’t playing Steve Rogers/Captain America. His big surprise return was as the Marvel hero he’d played before the MCU, Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch, in 2005’s Fantastic Four. We met Johnny once again in a hilarious cameo in the multiversal Void, where he met an unfortunate and rather gnarly end at the hands of Cassandra Nova. But in his brief return, he got to shout out his iconic catchphrase “Flame on!’ one more time. Now, Hot Toys and Sideshow Collectibles have announced that Human Torch is coming soon, as a deluxe 1/6 scale figure. You can check out the first images right here:

The highly accurate Human Torch collectible figure features a meticulously crafted Johnny Storm head sculpt with separate rolling eyeballs. And yes, it showcases Chris Evans’ muscular physique. Johnny Storm’s Fantastic Four costume is faithful to its screen appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine, and it comes with a battle-damaged cloak. The figure also comes with a series of different flaming effect accessories, attachable to the body, so that Marvel collectors can display the figure in exciting comic book-style poses. It even has a special fire-whirling effect accessory that allows the flame to wrap around him, as well as a stand to showcase the figure properly.

Sideshow Collectibles/Hot Toys

Some fans are saying that the head sculpt doesn’t look enough like Chris Evans. It seems they are forgetting that Evans’ face has changed somewhat since last we saw him as Cap. Even movie star hunks age, folks. You can pre-order the Deadpool & Wolverine Human Torch collectible figure now from Sideshow for $305.00. It’s expected to ship in January to June of 2026. So just in time for Avengers: Doomsday, which will see Chris Evans return again. Probably not as the Human Torch. Although, the Multiverse is an infinite place. Anything is possible.

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JURASSIC PARK Raptors Get Scientifically Accurate Feathers in Fan-Made Video

Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park is a stone-cold classic, even thirty years past its release. But classic or not, some of its depictions of dinosaurs have turned out to not be entirely scientifically accurate. In the three decades since Jurassic Park conquered the world, scientists have discovered several new things about dinosaurs, including that many species had feathers. Among those species were Velociraptors, the scariest dinos in the film. Now, via Comic Book, we’ve learned that a YouTuber named CoolioArt has given a makeover to a couple of raptor scenes from Jurassic Park, and the now feathered-fiends are a whole different kind of scary. You can watch below:

The first remade Jurassic Park moment is the iconic kitchen scene. It’s the scene where Tim and Lex have to hide from the raptors on the loose. We’ll say this, putting black feathers on these critters does not make them any less scary. They are still terrifying, whether they look like giant lizards or giant birds. No matter how many times we watch this scene, it still manages to give us anxiety. A feathered redesign doesn’t change that at all.

CoolioArt

The second redone scene is from the climax of the film, when raptors corner Lex, Tim, Dr. Grant, and Dr. Sattler in the Jurassic Park main lobby. And once again, turning the raptors into “giant turkeys” (as that one annoying kid said at the start of the film) somehow makes them that much scarier. Sadly, this Jurassic Park “special edition” cuts off before the T-Rex comes in to save the day. We’ll just have to wait for part three to see the T-Rex fight with those pesky raptors. The T-Rex does not require a big feathery redesign though. Modern science suggests that they actually were covered in scales, and not feathers. Jurassic Park got that part right at least.

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DOCTOR WHO Spinoff Series THE WAR BETWEEN THE LAND AND THE SEAS Won’t Set Sail Anytime Soon

Almost since we knew Russell T Davies would once again showrun Doctor Who, and that it would be on Disney+ outside the UK, we figured a spinoff or twelve would be in the works. Hell, we even knew one of them would have something to do with UNIT and Jemma Redgrave’s Kate Stewart. Now, as part of the 2024 Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, we know all of this is true. Davies announced the first spinoff of the D+ age will be a UNIT-centric, five-part limited series, entitled The War Between the Land and the Sea. Doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, but there you are. The series will feature the return of classic monsters, the Sea Devils.

BBC/Disney+

The official synopsis is as follows:

When a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean, dramatically revealing themselves to humanity, an international crisis is triggered. With the entire population at risk, UNIT steps into action as the land and sea wage war.

Davies co-writes the series along with Pete McTighe, who had previously written “Kerblam!” and “Praxeus” for the Jodie Whittaker years. Additionally, McTighe has penned and produced several featurettes for classic Doctor Who Blu-ray releases. Directing the series will be Dylan Holmes-Williams, who directed “73 Yards” and “Dot and Bubble” from the most recent season.

Jason Dimmock/Michael Wharley

Starring in the series will be RTD-1-era guest stars Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who will join Redgrave’s Kate Stewart and Alexander Devrient’s Colonel Ibrahim. What we don’t know is whether Tovey and Mbatha-Raw will play the characters they played in the mid-2000s. My guess would be not; Mbatha-Raw played Tish Jones, younger sister of companion Martha Jones. It might make sense for her to be there. However, Tovey played Midshipman Alonso Frame, a space cruise ship crewmember from the distant future. Far less likely, but who can say.

Davies said: “I’m so lucky to work with such a magnificent cast. And this is a huge, muscular, thrilling drama which will shake The Whoniverse to its foundations. When the Doctor’s not in town, the whole of humanity is in trouble.“

BBC

No word yet on when The War Between the Land and the Sea will air, but a recent interview with Davies for Doctor Who Magazine suggests it is not coming anytime soon. (Thank you Inverse for the intel.) However, he does believe that it will be one of his best shows ever. “It’s my job to hype, but the hype for that show is still way, way off — it’s far from transmission,” he said. “Here, right now, in the cool, dry downloads of a distant gaze, I can tell you… that’s one of the greatest shoots of my life and one of the greatest shows of my entire career. You can doubt me and cry hype… and get left behind. Oh my God, it’s good!”

This is an interesting statement for a few reasons. First, it seems that filming is already done for the series and it is perhaps in some stage of post-production. Second, Davies giving the show such hype means he’s pretty confident in its ability to perhaps launch a new era of Doctor Who spinoffs. Third, it seems the series won’t come our way until much later in 2025 or beyond, considering Doctor Who season two is likely arriving this Spring.

This will mark the first Doctor Who spinoff series since the short-lived 2016 series Class. Davies loves him some Who spinoffs, having created both the adult-aimed Torchwood and younger viewer-focused The Sarah Jane Adventures during his original tenure.

Originally published July 26, 2024.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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Quests N’ Answers | Inside Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode Ep. 12

Welcome to Quests N’ Answers, the companion series to Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode! ***Massive spoilers ahead for episode 12***

Join Dan Casey and special guest Ross Bryant (MST3K, Improvised Shakespeare Company, Dropout), as well as cast members Amy Vorpahl, Jason Nguyen, and Danielle Radford as they break down the most memorable episode of Goblin Mode yet in a deep dive into episode 12, “Life After Death.”

New episodes of Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode air every Monday on Geek & Sundry or wherever you get your podcasts: https://lnk.to/goblinmodepod

Learn more and sign up for the Geek & Sundry newsletter at https://www.geekandsundry.com/!

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Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode is a Geek & Sundry production made in partnership with Realm.

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COMPANION Trailer Turns a Sex Bot Into a Killing Machine

“Some day realistic personalized sex bots that think they’re human will rise up against their owners and kill them” is not a future I am interested in for many reasons. But that exact scenario should make for a pretty entertaining horror-comedy. That’s what the new trailer for Companion certainly promises. This bloody look at the film starring Yellowjackets‘ Sophie Thatcher and The Boys‘ Jack Quaid shows what can go wrong when we hack into our own advanced pleasure machines.

Well, relationships are hard…

Companion comes from writer-director Drew Hancock (My Dead Ex, Suburgatory). It also comes from the producers of Barbarian and New Line Cinema. The Companion trailer very humorously notes New Line Cinema is also “the studio that brought you The Notebook.” Needless to say this is a very different type of love story. That should be obvious since most love stories don’t involve murder. (Just some.) But this is also a tale about the perils of AI and looking to machines to make us feel loved.

Turns out that’s a very bad idea, especially when you hack into your sex bot’s hardrive and override its protocols. If you ever have a highly realistic sex bot that looks and feels human in every way, DO NOT free it of its safety mechanisms and raise its consciousness. This is sex bot AI 101 stuff. Probably. If nothing else that seems so obvious, right?

Warner Bros. Pictures

The film also stars Lukas Gage (Dead Boy Detectives), Megan Suri (Never Have I Ever), Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), and Rupert Friend (Asteroid City). Companion arrives in theaters around the world on January 8, but it won’t premiere until January 10 in the United States.

Who should you take to see Companion with you? Based on both this trailer and common sense? A human. Definitely a human.

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SCREAM 7 Is Currently Filming and Potentially Reveals Logo

Despite a slew of controversy over the past two years, the Scream franchise is moving forward with its seventh installment. The previous film left the Core Four and Gale Weathers (we assume, considering she didn’t die) in a relatively good place, with Sam finally moving towards healing and peace after killing Richie’s remaining family. (It’s wild but true.) In an Entertainment Weekly interview, Neve Campbell confirmed a bit about the film’s storyline, saying that it would follow Sidney Prescott as the main character once again.

Kevin Williamson shared a photo of a clapperboard for Scream 7 from day one and gushed about how much he already loved the filming process.

The next film will be interesting, to say the least. Who will don that infamous mask next? Here’s what we know about Scream 7. 

Title

For now, we will call this film Scream 7. It’s likely this will be the title, which could be stylized as Scream VII. As seen on this script from Campbell’s Instagram post, the film does not have an official title yet. 

Scream 7’s Plot Paramount Pictures

As stated above, Sam and Tara’s story came to a neat conclusion in Scream VI. And Sidney is living a happy life with her husband Mark and her daughters. It seems like there was no one else hiding in the shadows who would want to kill Sidney. Her story was complete and she found peace. So, the plot of Scream 7 is really up in the air. Depending on this film’s release, someone from 30 years ago could decide to celebrate the events of Scream (1996) in a sinister way. We shall see. 

Neve Campbell says she expects to get the final script sometime in August, so hopefully nothing will leak before they are ready to tell.

Behind-the-Scenes

Kevin Williamson, the writer of Scream (1996), will direct Scream 7. He is replacing Christopher Landon, who left the film after Melissa Barerra’s controversial (and very upsetting) firing and Jenna Ortega’s exit. Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt, who wrote the last two installments, will pen this sequel. The Radio Silence team will step back from directing duties to executive produce Scream 7. 

In an IndieWire interview, Campbell confirmed that filming will start in December 2024.

“We were supposed to start in September, but we’re going to start in December now because of some scheduling stuff with Kevin and myself and having that all aligned,” she shared. “And actually, I think it’s a good thing, because we’re going to be able to have the time to get it really right. So I’m very excited about it.”

It seems that filming is relatively on schedule. In early January, director Kevin Williamson posted an IG photo raving about having a good time on set with the cast and crew. The clapperboard said that it was day one of filming.

Scream 7’s Cast 

Right now, we know that Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and Mason Gooding are returning from the previous film. The latter is interesting considering Chad Meeks-Martin’s story is closely tied to the Carpenter sisters, neither of whom will be in Scream 7. We don’t know if he will just make a quick cameo or if his story will tie closely into Sidney’s in some fashion. There’s no word on if Jasmin Savoy Brown will reprise her role as Mindy Meeks-Martin, but it would not be shocking at this point.

We assume Roger L. Jackson will return as the voice of Ghostface, respectively. When asked if he might return as Mark Kincaid, Sidney Prescott’s Scream husband, Patrick Dempsey said it was possible. Dempsey noted of reprising his role in Scream 7, “I’m waiting on the script, “There has been a conversation about it. I haven’t seen anything yet, so we’ll see what happens. … It’s always good to have a job.”

Paramount Pictures

We do know that at least one of Sidney’s kids is making an appearance. Deadline reports that Isabel May (1883) will portray Sidney’s currently unnamed daughter in Scream 7. It is not clear if she will be a main target like her mom was back in 1996. Considering the film releases in February 2026, it is possible that someone wants to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original killings by targeting Sid’s kid. She would be at least 14 years old by that time, according to the universe’s timeline.

Deadline reports that Asa Germann, who is currently known for his role as Gen V‘s Sam Riordan, will join the cast of Scream 7 in some unknown role. Maybe he will be one of the next killers. We certainly know he’s not above taking someone out onscreen. In December, Deadline also reported genre staple McKenna Grace has joined the cast in an undisclosed role. Possibly another Sidney kid, or just fodder for Ghostface.

Scream 7 Release Date 

Scream 7 will arrive in theaters on February 27, 2026. The cast and crew shared the release date on social media.

Originally published on March 13, 2024.

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