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6 GAME OF THRONES Standalone Movies We Want to See

Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly discussing a possible Game of Thrones spinoff movie. It’s so early in the development process that no one is attached to the project because the studio doesn’t even know what the project might be. Fortunately for those executives, we have plenty of great ideas for them to consider. Here are six Game of Thrones standalone movies we’d love to see on the big screen. (Each one works on its own as a single story while still having a meaningful connection to Westeros’ most important tale.)

HBOLann the Clever, Founder of House LannisterHBO

House Lannister is one of the most important families in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, and like all the other ancient major houses caught up in the author’s game of the thrones, they trace their own story back to a famous founder. Legend says Lann the Clever stole Casterly Rock from House Casterly during the Age of Heroes long ago. The myths don’t agree on exactly how he pulled that off, though. Those different versions, each tantalizing in their own way or even combined, all work as a terrific standalone film. (A TV show would better serve Bran the Builder, founder of House Stark.)

Lann’s story is complex, important, and fun, but short enough to be told in a solo film. Yet it still involves everything we love about this world: familial intrigue, subterfuge, seduction, and murder. But no matter the ultimate truth about Lann (or whomever was ultimately the first Lannister), he put his family on course to be a major player in Westeros for millennia. Knowing the origins of Tywin, Jaime, Cersei, and Tyrion’s family would also enrich their stories.

Elissa Farman and Asshai

Asshai-by-the-Shadow might be the single most interesting city in Martin’s fantasy world. It’s certainly a place we’ve longed to see, as it has yet to officially appear in any of Martin’s five books or HBO’s TV shows. Mysterious and dark (both literally and metaphorically), no kind of magic or sorcery is off limits in this ancient port city at the edge of the world. It’s where notorious figures like Melisandre and Mirri Maz Duur learned their dark arts. Some believe it’s also where the last hero Azor Ahai came from and where dragons first appeared in the world. It’s also a place Daenerys was told in the novels that she must travel to. If she does, she’ll be one of the few characters who ever has. Fortunately there’s one perfect figure to bring us to that land of wonder and intrigue: the daring Elissa Farman.

Lady Elissa Farman was a great seafarer and lover of Princess Rhaena Targaryen. (Not the Rhaena from House of the Dragon.) When Rhaena denied Elissa’s request to set sail on a grand adventure, the noblewomen stole three dragon eggs from House Targaryen and fled on her ship. It was a massive scandal and King Jaehaerys ordered a massive hunt for both Elissa and the eggs, but neither were ever seen again.

HBO

The closest anyone ever came to getting answers about the sharp, alluring, and brave Elissa came during the second of nine great voyages by House of the Dragon‘s Corlys Velaryon. He traveled to Asshai on a trip where he “lost his love and half his crew.” While in the port city he saw Elissa’s ship Sun Chaser decades after she was last season in Westeros.

How did Elissa Farman end up there and what happened when she arrived? Not only would her own tale make for a fascinating solo film, it would also be the perfect excuse to learn some of the vital, world-changing secrets hiding in the shadows of Asshai.

Jenny of Oldstones

Not every great story from Westeros involves dragons, ice demons, or war. The Seven Kingdoms is also home to many great love stories. That includes Jenny of Oldstones, the beloved figure Podrick Payne sang about the night before the Battle of Winterfell on Game of Thrones. Jenny is at the heart of one of the Seven Realm’s most revered romances. What makes that romance worthy of its own movie over most others is that it is also one of the most important.

The heir to the Iron Throne, Duncan Targaryen, fell in love with Jenny, a beautiful peasant girl who might have been a witch. The Prince of Dragonstone gave up his birthright to marry Jenny, and while that meant he would never become King the royal court did learn to accept his beautiful wife who also brought her closest friend with her to King’s Landing.

That friend came to be known as the ghost of High Heart, a fascinating figure who appears in Martin’s novels. The short albino woods witch, who Jenny said was one of the Children of the Forest, who sees accurate visions of both the past and future. She was also the one who foretold which line of Targaryens would produce the Prince That Was Promised. The ghost of High Heart was also present at the notorious Tragedy of Summerhall, one of the saddest in House Targaryen’s history and the night Jon Snow’s father Rhaegar was born.

The woods witch survived, but no one knows what happened to Jenny that night. A movie that combines romance, political turmoil, witches, and a tragic fire would not only give us answers about both Jenny and her mysterious friend. It could also reveal the secrets of what happened at Summerhall that night. And it would delve deeper into the world’s most important prophecy.

The Second Spice War of the Rhoynar and Valyria

As much as we love a good romance, some of the greatest stories in Martin’s world do involve dragons and war. And the biggest of them all would make for one hell of a big screen spectacle. The only enemy to ever put up a real fight against the Valyrian Freehold and its colonies were the city-states of the Rhoyne River in Essos. The two sides fought many wars for many years, with the Rhonyish forces holding out against the dragonlords until their last meeting. That epic clash is known as the Second Spice War.

That epic battle for the ages saw 250,000 thousand (250,000 THOUSAND) Rhoynish soldiers unite under Prince Garin the Great. Valyria’s army countered with its own massive forced accompanied by 300 dragons. Only, Garin had an answer for those creatures of fire: the Rhoyne River itself. Water wizards could use their own kind of magic to raise the sea high in the air to drown their opponents.

HBO

Imagine a battle with hundreds of thousand of soldiers, water magic, and 300 dragons. The visuals alone are reason enough to make this film. But there’s more to the case for the Second Spice War getting a feature film. It is also a vital turning point in the history of the world. It was the last time anyone seriously challenged Valyria, but while the dragonlords when the victory might have ultimately led to the destruction of the empire. A captured Garin is said to have placed a curse on Valyria that manifested as greyscale. Only some think his curse did something far worse. They say Garin caused the Doom of Valyria.

No matter what he did or did not do to punish Valyria, The Second Spice War forever changed Westeros, too. Queen Nymeria helped the surviving Rhoynish sail away, a journey that led them to settle in Dorne.

Founding of the Faceless MenHBO

The servants of the Many-Faced God who reside in the House of Black and White in Braavos are among the most interesting and mysterious figures in all of Martin’s fantasy realm. Yet Game of Thrones only scratched the surface of why. Those secret assassins who can wear another’s face trace their order’s founding to the volcanic slave mines of Old Valyria. There the first of them realized all the slaves from different places with different religions were all calling out to one single god (a god with many faces) with the same prayer. It was a prayer for death. It was in those harsh mines underneath history;s greatest Empire where this unknown figure first gave someone “the gift.”

The tales say the first Faceless Man not only recruited other servants from among the slaves, but they started giving the masters the gift of death, too. Some legends say the Faceless Men ultimately gave all of Old Valyria the gift when they caused the Doom of the Freehold. That nearly killed every remaining dragon in the world. Only House Targaryen fled before the cataclysm, which a Faceless Men founding movie could reveal was no accident as it brings both the grandeur and destruction of the Valyrian Freehold to the screen.

The Doom of ValyriaHBO

Two out of our first five ideas connect to the Doom of Valyria, but the event itself is worthy of a feature film. The Doom happened when the city’s mountain range the Fourteen Flames shot volcanic ash and dragonglass thousands of feet into the sky. It killed dragons and everyone who lived there. The peninsula fragmented, lakes boiled and turned to acid, and all of the secrets of dragon magic vanished. Unimaginable knowledge burned away when the greatest power the world had ever known turned to ash.

What caused the Doom? Faceless Men? Garin’s Curse? Mother nature? The assassination of fire mages by petty dragonlords greedy for more power? Something else entirely lost to time and flames in the smoldering ruin of a cursed land? Even before the actual doom, the film would make for a great personal drama. Valyria was rich and powerful, a magical place rules by many dragonlords. Like Westeros, some of those leaders must have been good, some and, and some in-between. What were there final days like? Did anyone know what was coming like a dragon riding Jor-El in George R.R. Martin’s fiery version of Krypton?

Like all of these ideas, this would work as a standalone Game of Thrones movie because while we already know much about the Doom of Valyria, there’s still so much to learn. So which of these six Game of Thrones standalone movies do we hope Warner Bros. Discovery makes? Isn’t it obvious? All of them.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist who wants to know the truth about Lann the Clever. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Ryan Reynolds Writing Non-MCU Movie To Reunite With Hugh Jackman and DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE Director Shawn Levy

Ryan Reynolds wants to get the Deadpool & Wolverine band back together. That’s not exactly a surprise. The film smashed box office around the globe this year. What is a surprise is that this time he’s trying to book a gig outside of the MCU. Cinema’s Merc With a Mouth has revealed he is going to spend a year writing an all-new movie that will reunite Reynolds with both Hugh Jackman and director Shawn Levy in a film that has nothing to do with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yes, we can anticipate more Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and Shawn Levy press tours in our future.

Ryan Reynolds

Variety reports the actor shared some pretty big news when appeared for an interview on an upcoming episode of the site’s Awards Circuit Podcast. That’s where Reynolds announced his plans to pen a script for a movie starring him and Hugh Jackman that would also get Levy back behind the camera. Reynolds shared, “I’m spending the year writing… I’m writing a movie for myself, Hugh [Jackman] and Shawn [Levy] to do that is not Marvel.” While Reynolds didn’t offer any specifics about the story, Variety says “his enthusiasm hinted at something fresh and unexpected.”

What he did say will likely be enough to create enthusiasm among moviegoers, though. As shared in the quote above, Reynolds reveals that the secret script he’ll work on for the next 12 months has nothing to do with the MCU, but it will still reunite him with the two people he found tremendous success in in the Marvel world. Sounds like a good recipe to us. In addition to bringing Reynolds back in the saddle with Jackman, the movie will also mark the fourth time he teams with director Shawn Levy. The two previously also worked on Free Guy and The Adam Project.

Marvel Studios

Considering the obvious reverence all three have for each other, it’s not surprising that they want to work together again. It’s also not hard to understand why Reynolds, Jackman, and Levy might also like the creative freedom provided by working on a movie outside the MCU. The infinite multiverse comes with a lot of strings attached. But this film doesn’t mean the three won’t return to the MCU at some point. Even if this new movie were to disappoint at the box office, it wouldn’t stop Marvel Studios from bringing any of them back for another.

But no matter their MCU future, the Deadpool & Wolverine band is getting back together. For those who love seeing Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman on screen together, that will be music to their ears.

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The Practical Puppet for Horror Movie PINOCCHIO UNSTRUNG Is Pure Nightmare Fuel

Last year, horror fans met the evil version of Pooh Bear in Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. Then, another beloved icon of childhood, Mickey Mouse, entered the public domain. Which meant we got a horror version of Steamboat Willie too. Via the folks at IGN, we’ve now learned that the “Twisted Childhood Universe” will continue with a horror version of Pinocchio. The new film is called Pinocchio Unstrung, and just cast one of the biggest horror stars ever—Robert Englund. Frequent Rob Zombie star Richard Brake joins the iconic Freddy Krueger actor as Geppetto. And we now have first-look images of the upcoming Pinocchio puppet below:

Jagged Edge Productions

Meet Pinocchio. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/Klly3yIdlS

— Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 (@poohbandh) November 1, 2024

Pinocchio Unstrung directors Rhys Frake-Waterfield and Scott Jeffrey, the duo behind Blood and Honey, enlisted makeup effects artist Todd Masters to create a practical Pinocchio puppet. Masters is the special effects artist whose credits include the remake of Child’s Play and Dune: Part Two. Not to mention cult classics like Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight and James Gunn’s Slither. Although the first Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey was an extremely low-budget affair. Based on the images we’ve seen of this terrifying-looking puppet, we’d say the production budget has gone significantly up since that first Blood and Honey film.

We have to admit, this little evil Pinocchio puppet has legitimately creeped us out. We shall see if the actual movie itself can possibly live up to how disturbing this puppet is. They’ve definitely come a long way when it comes to the practical effects department for these films. Robert Englund is playing Cricket, and now we’re just wondering who will provide that voice for this evil version of the puppet who just wants to be “a real boy.” Pinocchio: Unstrung is currently shooting, aiming for a later 2025 release date,

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New POKÉMON Edition of MONOPOLY Features Four Pokémon Tokens

Everyone loves a good ol’ Monopoly collaboration with an iconic pop culture brand that will sit in the family living room for the rest of eternity. Until it’s pulled out during a reunion. Which brand is Monopoly partnering with next? Pokémon! You gotta catch ’em all, Poké Balls and Pokémon alike. The new board game has a couple of different features from your standard Monopoly.

Hasbro

The Monopoly: Pokémon Edition will have you playing as a Pokémon trainer catching wild Pokémon to fill up tracker mats. Instead of racking up the most cash, you need to collect as many Poké Balls as you can. You can win the game in two different ways. Either by being the first person to complete the tracker mat or the last trainer with Poké Balls left.

There are 48 different Pokémon to catch in the game of eight different types. Getting one of each type will fill up your tracker mat, winning you the game. You can also challenge players who control locations to battles to take ownership from them or explore their location for Pokémon instead.

Hasbro

The game board replaces properties with locations like “Snowy Mountain” and “Beach,” where players can catch corresponding Pokémon. There are four game pieces available to choose from which include Pikachu and Generation 9 starters: fire-type Fuecoco, grass-type Sprigatito, and water-type Quaxly.

For more Pokémon content be sure to check out our sister network Geek & Sundry‘s new Pokémon Trading Card Game series where you can watch actors like Terry Crews and Jacob Batalon play against host Alison Mattingly.

The game supports two to four players and targets ages eight and up. Monopoly: Pokémon Edition is currently available for pre-order on Amazon for $24.99 and releases in Walmart and other major retailers on Dec. 20. Go be the very best!

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New POKÉMON Edition of MONOPOLY Features Four Pokémon Token

Everyone loves a good ol’ Monopoly collaboration with an iconic pop culture brand that will sit in the family living room for the rest of eternity. Until it’s pulled out during a reunion. Which brand is Monopoly partnering with next? Pokémon! You gotta catch ’em all, Poké Balls and Pokémon alike. The new board game has a couple of different features from your standard Monopoly.

Hasbro

The Monopoly: Pokémon Edition will have you playing as a Pokémon trainer catching wild Pokémon to fill up tracker mats. Instead of racking up the most cash, you need to collect as many Poké Balls as you can. You can win the game in two different ways. Either by being the first person to complete the tracker mat or the last trainer with Poké Balls left.

There are 48 different Pokémon to catch in the game of eight different types. Getting one of each type will fill up your tracker mat, winning you the game. You can also challenge players who control locations to battles to take ownership from them or explore their location for Pokémon instead.

Hasbro

The game board replaces properties with locations like “Snowy Mountain” and “Beach,” where players can catch corresponding Pokémon. There are four game pieces available to choose from which include Pikachu and Generation 9 starters: fire-type Fuecoco, grass-type Sprigatito, and water-type Quaxly.

For more Pokémon content be sure to check out our sister network Geek & Sundry‘s new Pokémon Trading Card Game series where you can watch actors like Terry Crews and Jacob Batalon play against host Alison Mattingly.

The game supports two to four players and targets ages eight and up. Monopoly: Pokémon Edition is currently available for pre-order on Amazon for $24.99 and releases in Walmart and other major retailers on Dec. 20. Go be the very best!

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Prime Video Launches Generative AI Recaps for TV Series

Strap in, another new use for AI has arrived, and this time, its focus is on TV recaps. Prime Video has announced a new feature as part of its X-Ray experience, X-Ray Recaps. These generative AI TV series recaps are intended to help users remember where they were in a TV series without ruining the flow of their viewing experience.

Prime Video

In a release, Prime Video reveals:

X-Ray Recaps is a generative AI-powered feature that creates brief, easy-to-digest summaries of full seasons of TV shows, single episodes, and even pieces of episodes, all personalized down to the exact minute of where you are watching. Whether you’re a few minutes into a new episode, halfway through a season, or took a break from watching a series and need a refresher, X-Ray Recaps delivers short textual snippets of key cliffhangers, character-driven plot points, and other details that can be accessed at any point in your viewing experience.

Prime Video further notes that “Guardrails are also applied to ensure the generation of spoiler-free and concise summaries.” Those guardrails had better be strong. Because if this AI starts giving people spoilers, the age of AI will be over more quickly than anticipated.

You can take a look at an example of such a Prime Video AI recap below.

Prime Video

Notably, this is a very straightforward hash of what has transpired in an episode. Most TV recaps written online aim to inject some criticism or opinion into them—to offer the user something in addition to just a review of the straightforward story points. But the results here are a much more rote retelling of what has transpired in a series. Adam Gray, vice president of product at Prime Video, notes that this new AI TV Recap feature, “directly address[es] a common problem customers face when streaming content: forgetting where they left off.”

As a rule, we don’t like to see generative AI content come near creative properties and would prefer to see episode recaps coming from people who have watched and know the series. Not to mention, those recaps could help try to account for the experience of a user who has stopped midway. But we’ll have to wait and see what happens next here. AI aside, it will also be interesting to see whether this form of recap will prove useful to those who can’t really remember what they’ve already seen. If you don’t remember who Nathan and Ingrid are—will a summary like the above be of use? Again, a human touch could go a long way in making it so.

As to when these AI recaps will become available for all? For now, X-Ray Recaps is in beta and will now become available to Fire TV customers in the U.S., “with support for additional devices coming by the end of the year.” Users can receive X-Ray Recaps for all Amazon MGM Studios Original series like Daisy Jones and the Six, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Wheel of Time, and The Boys.“

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Who Is SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW’S Ruthye? Her DC Comics History, Explained

James Gunn’s upcoming Superman film seems to be taking from many different aspects of Man of Steel lore. There seem to be pieces of All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison, and Richard Donner’s classic Superman: The Movie from 1978, among others. But the upcoming Supergirl film seems to be based on one specific comic book, Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow 10-issue DC Comics series from 2021-2022. And one of the main characters, Ruthye Marye Knoll, played by Eve Ridley, is making her live-action debut in the forthcoming film.

DC ComicsSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrow Introduced Ruthye to the DC Universe

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow introduces Ruthye as a 14-year-old girl from a distant alien farming world with a red sun. When Ruthey, who has striking purple eyes and black hair, finds her father murdered by a man known as Krem of the Yellow Hills, she enlists the help of Kara Zor-El, a.k.a. Supergirl, to get revenge on the man who killed her dad. Krem had taken refuge on Ruthye’s father’s rock farm. But when the two men got into a heated argument about their world’s new king, it ended with Krem murdering Ruthye’s unarmed father. Oddly, he left the murder weapon, an ornate sword, behind.

DC Comics

Sword in hand, Ruthye went looking for a mercenary or warrior to help her seek revenge against Krem at a local tavern. After a local warrior bullies Ruthye, Supergirl springs to her defense. Kara is there to celebrate her 21st birthday by getting drunk. Since the planet orbits a red sun, her biochemistry works like a normal person on this planet. So she’s able to become drunk there, unlike on Earth. Famously, Kryptonians only have power under yellow suns, like Earth’s. Impressed with her bravery, Ruthye begs Supergirl to help her kill Krem of the Yellow Hills. At first, Supergirl denies her pleas, but after Krem attacks Supergirl and her Krypto, she reluctantly agrees to help Ruthye.

Ruthye and Kara Zor-El Form a Bond in Supergirl: Woman of TomorrowDC Comics

Ruthye finds she has certain key things in common with her new ally Supergirl. After all, Ruthye lost her only parent at the age of 14, shattering her world. Kara Zor-El lost her entire civilization at the very same age. In their intergalactic quest for justice, Supergirl becomes a mentor figure to young Ruthey. Supergirl tries to convince her that killing her enemy is not the answer, and that vengeance will not quell her pain. During their galactic adventure together, they face many obstacles, and Ruthye acquits herself as a formidable fighter. We won’t spoil how the comic book series (and presumably, its film adaptation) ends, but it’s poignant and beautiful.

Ruthye in James Gunn’s DCUDC Comics

Ruthye has not appeared in any DC Comics since. Will there be differences between Ruthye from the comics, and her live-action DCU incarnation? No doubt there have to be some changes made for a new medium. But as a character that appears in only ten comic books, and whose personality and motivation leave little room for interpretation, we wouldn’t be surprised if she’s one of the closest to the comic versions of a character in recent superhero movies. We’ll all find out when Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow hits theaters on June 26, 2026.

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THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM Teases New Song from Paris Paloma

Decades before Peter Jackson’s live-action The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Ralph Bakshi rendered the epic in striking animation. (Rotoscope is cool, eh?) Now, a new project from New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. returns J.R.R. Tolkien’s sprawling story to animated form. And this time, they’re going the way of anime. This trip into Middle-earth will be The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, fostered by filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama. And now, we finally have our first-look images which show us what The War of Rohirrim will look like. In addition, the first voice cast for The Lord of the Rings anime has been revealed, alongside more story details, concept art from the film, and the movie’s release date. It has even been announced that the story will be narrated by Éowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan.

The War of the Rohirrim Will Recieve a New The Lord of the Rings Song From Paris Paloma

Following in the tradition of other The Lord of the Rings movies, The War of the Rohirrim will receive an epic new single from a talented artist. This time, Paris Paloma will release a song for The Lord of the Rings movie titled “The Rider.” You can preview it below:

Here Is Our First Look at the Art of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the RohirrimWarner Bros.

We finally know what The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will look like. Four first-look images of this anime-style The Lord of the Rings movie have been released. You can also check out our deep dive into the trailer, here.

Warner Bros.

In the images, we see main character Héra, antagonist Wulf, and the legendary king of Rohan Helm Hammerhand and his family, Héra, Haleth, and Hama.

Click To View Gallery Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Warner Bros. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Stars and Synopsis New Line Cinema

Miranda Otto reprises her role as Éowyn in The War of the Rohirrim. She serves as the movie’s narrator as she tells the tale of Rohan’s history. Alongside Otto, Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and Luke Pasqualino have been cast as the leads in the Lord of the Rings anime. Cox will voice the protagonist Helm Hammerhand. Wise will voice his daughter Hera. And Pasqualino will voice Wulf, the presumed antagonist.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Synopsis

A press release describes the new film as an exploration of “the untold story behind the fortress of Helm’s Deep.” The material adds that this feature will “delv[e] into the life and bloodsoaked times of one of Middle-earth’s most legendary figures; the mighty King of Rohan – Helm Hammerhand.” And new synopsis further shares that this Lord of the Rings anime will take place 183 before the events revealed in The Lord of the Rings movies.

The anime movie’s description notes, ” Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg— mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.”

Concept art for ‘THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM’ anime film.

The film is set 183 years before the events of the original LOTR trilogy and will depict the bloody saga behind Helm’s Deep. pic.twitter.com/39zWom08ra

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) June 15, 2022

More About The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

Director Kamiyama shares of this The Lord of the Rings anime movie, “This is the story of the most powerful king in Rohan’s history, someone who defeated his enemies with his bare fists. Why did his lineage have to end with him? I think there is a lesson in hubris there and also for a need for responsibility and awareness in their power. We live in an age where, all over the world, we face the reality of war again. What, then, is power? What is the responsibility of those who possess it? It is something they need to think about by thinking together with those who don’t.” 

Of Helm’s daughter Hèra, producer Philippa Boyens notes, “In the appendices where the story is drawn from, we get these quite interestingly drawn male characters, and then we get this young female character who is never named — and that was really interesting to me. We know Helm has a daughter, and we know that she was central to the conflict that happened. But myself, and especially screenwriter Phoebe Gittins, were drawn to her. We could feel the weight of being that unnamed daughter, which immediately piqued our interest: Who was she? How did she live?”

Finally, who is the antagonist of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Wulf, who is “leading the armies of Dunlendings against Helm’s kingdom.” Boyens shares, “We have an exceptionally great antagonist in this story. He’s been one of my favorite antagonists to have written across all of the films I’ve worked on.”  Wulf is no wizard or powerful being, instead he’s just a human in The Lord of the Rings world. And Boyens reveals, “He speaks so directly to a lot of the crises that we’re facing today. He’s a really fascinating character and exciting too. You don’t know what he’s going to do, and some of the choices that he makes are just breathtaking in a good way.” 

Concept Art From The Lord of the Rings Anime Movie

The below concept art by Weta Workshop certainly hints at those blood-soaked times. That Oliphaunt doesn’t look like it’s there for a good cuddle.

Warner Bros./New Line Cinema/Weta Workshop

Helm, the ninth king of Rohan, was famously defeated—but not killed—at the Crossings of Isen. However, he would survive for just another year, following a lengthy siege alongside his brother. Despite his defeat, Helm maintained a ferocious reputation; he was even thought to live on in some form following official decree of his death. You can check out the rest of The War of the Rohirrim‘s concept art below.

Warner Bros./New Line Cinema/Weta WorkshopWarner Bros./New Line Cinema/Weta WorkshopThe Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Director and Other Cast

The War of the Rohirrim‘s director, Kamiyama, has been imbuing the anime world with color and story since the 1980s. Among his most noteworthy credits, we find several Ghost in the Shell series, as well as the 2019 Ultraman show. Kamiyama recently spoke to Collider about uniting the fandom with this story, sharing:

“Anime has become a movement overseas…I’m grateful for the opportunity to produce The Lord of the Rings through animation… I hope that not only fans of The Lord of the Rings will enjoy it, but also that they will watch it as a Japanese animated film. When I saw the live-action trilogy 25 years ago, I was left with the impression that it was an amazing movie, and I felt that I had to protect that impression [with this film] at all costs …I wanted people to have that experience again. That’s why I ended up drawing it in the traditional Japanese animation style.”

Additional cast for the movie include Lorraine Ashbourne, Yazdan Qafouri, Benjamin Wainwright, Laurence Ubong Williams, Shaun Dooley, Michael Wildman, Jude Akuwudike, Bilal Hasna, and Janine Duvitski.

Peter Jackson will serve as an executive producer of the film.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Release Date

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will debut in theaters on December 13, 2024. At present, Warner Bros. touts Rohirrim as a stand-alone story; as such, we shouldn’t necessarily expect a trilogy born of this project. But given that The Hobbit was originally only supposed to be one film, we might not wish to count anything out, either.

Originally published June 10, 2021 with reporting from M. Arbeiter.

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GEN V Season 2 Has Wrapped Filming

Gen V’s sophomore year is loading and it is going to be one hell of a bloody ride. The show’s first season lived up to the chaos standard of The Boys, taking us into the dark depths of Godolkin University. The Gen V finale left Marie, Jordan, Emma, and Andre locked in a strange hospital room. Meanwhile, Sam and Cate are the (very dangerous) new “Guardians of Godolkin.” We know the events in the Woods played into The Boys season four, but what’s next for these young supes?

We don’t know yet, but we’re one step closer to finding out. Prime Video revealed that Gen V season two has officially finished filming its sophomore season. And the streamer released some adorable images from the second season of The Boys‘ spinoff to celebrate. Take a look at them below.

That’s a wrap on sophomore year 🫡 pic.twitter.com/150al1Wstu

— GEN V (@genv) November 1, 2024

Here’s everything we know about Gen V season two. 

Shane Mahood/Prime VideoGen V Season Two’s Plot 

The plot for Gen V season two is currently unknown for a couple of reasons. First, the events of The Boys season four will have a direct effect on what’s to come for Marie and company. We know that Sam and Cate will show up at Vought and get into some awful supe business with Homelander and the new Seven collective. But we will have to wait and see what happens to characters like Marie, Jordan, Emma, and Victoria Neuman. 

The tragic death of Chance Perdomo, who played Andre Anderson, is also affecting the script for obvious reasons. The actor died at age 27 on the same day the cast was set to reunite for table reads. Producers have confirmed that Perdomo’s role will not be recast and they are actively working on season two scripts to honor his legacy. The Boys creator/showrunner Eric Kripke gave us further insight in an Entertainment Weekly interview.

“So we had to almost rethink everything, and in just a matter of weeks,” said Kripke. “But what I tell people when they say ‘Wow, that’s really crazy or difficult’ [is] that pales in comparison to what his friends and loved ones are going through. It’s the least we could do,” he said.

Behind-the-Scenes

Craig Rosenberg, Evan Goldberg, and Eric Kripke will continue in production roles alongside showrunners Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas. Production will begin in May 2024. 

pic.twitter.com/xMUPkY7gq3

— GEN V (@genv) May 5, 2024

Gen V Season Two’s Cast 

We can assume that Jaz Sinclair (Marie Moreau), Lizze Broadway (Emma Meyer/Cricket), Maddie Phillips (Cate Dunlap), Londor Thor and Derek Luh (Jordan Li), and Asa Germann (Sam Riordan) will all reprise their roles for season two.

Gen V season two will add Hamish Linklater to its cast, according to Variety. He will play Cipher, “the charismatic and charming newly-appointed Dean of Godolkin University. Trained as a scientist, he’s politically brilliant, and has the trust and admiration of officials at the highest level.”

Additionally, according to Deadline, Keeya King, Stephen Kalyn, Julia Knope, Stacey McGunnigle, Tait Fletcher, Wyatt Dorion, and Georgie Murphy will also feature in recurring roles in Gen V season two.

Chance Crawford’s The Deep will also be in the mix of this season in a more significant way. A clip shown to attendees at the con features the God U grad back at his alma mater. It isn’t available quite yet, but Marie and the others arrive back at God U in a prison van. They are welcomed by Cate Dunlap, who seems to feel some remorse for her recent actions. She should, considering supes are ruling over humans, who have to wear badges now. And Marie fights a lot of people with her bloody powers. We will be sure to share it with you when it goes live for all to see.

Gen V Season Two’s Release Date Prime Video

Gen V season two will hit our screens sometime in 2025.

Sophomore year confirmed!!! pic.twitter.com/rxqYzp9vXo

— GEN V (@genv) July 26, 2024

Originally published on May 7, 2024.

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THE WALKING DEAD: DARYL DIXON Season 3 Trailer Takes Caryl to Spain

The Walking Dead is over but, as we know, the end of the flagship series that’s been in fans’ hearts for over a decade doesn’t mean this world is done. The show already has six spinoff series: Fear the Walking Dead, Tales of the Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, The Walking Dead: Dead City, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Most of them are completed; however, there’s a couple that are continuing this franchise with more seasons.

Jump To: The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season Three // The Walking Dead: Dead City S2 // TWD Crossover Event

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season Three Is Coming in 2025

Season two of Daryl Dixon’s series wrapped up his time in France and reunited him with Carol. Laurent has a sweet plane ride to the Commonwealth; however, there wasn’t enough space for Carol and Daryl to ride with Ash. So they are off to England and Spain in a quest to find their way back to the US, which we see in this teaser trailer.

We know the next round is coming in sometime in 2025 and we can assume it will be either late Summer or Spring so it doesn’t overlap with Dead City. There’s already some news about season three of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, including the latest news that The Office creator and comedian Stephen Merchant will join the cast.

It seems the series might even get a fourth round, according to Norman Reedus during a RadioTimes interview. “We’re about to start seasons 3 and possibly 4 in Spain,” he said. “I think I’m allowed to say that. I don’t know. I just said it. But I think we’re going to Spain, to Madrid, for that.”

The Walking Dead: Dead City Season Two Will Arrive in Spring 2025

While this universe is trucking along with Daryl’s adventures, things are slower for Dead City. We’ve known that a second season was coming for a while but didn’t know the release window until now. We will get season two in 2025. Season 1 ended with Maggie trading Negan to get her son Herschel back. Now, Negan is working for The Dama, a dangerous leader in NYC. This next chapter will presumably focus on her organization and Negan’s attempts to escape… if he even wants to do that. Negan no longer has his family and really has no friends either, so he might as well crank up the evil again, right? Well that’s exactly what seems to be the case in the above Dead City season two trailer.

These first-look season two photos bring us right back into the grittiness of this series:

Click To View Gallery AMC AMC AMC AMC

Here’s a synopsis for Dead City‘s second season:

In season two, in the growing war for control of Manhattan, Maggie and Negan find themselves trapped on opposite sides. As their paths intertwine, they come to see that the way out for both is more complicated and harrowing than they ever imagined.

In The Walking Dead: Dead City season two’s latest clip, Negan speaks and says that “power is power” as Maggie ends up returning to NYC at some point. We know that he’s working in Dama and he seems to be having a good time banging his new Lucille against a table. Oh dear…

And, you gotta love these new photos from season two:

Click To View Gallery AMC AMC AMC AMC AMC AMC

Anywho, season two will bring new faces into the mix. Deadline reports that Sons of Anarchy alum Kim Coates will join Dead City‘s cast as Bruegel, the leader of a fierce NYC gang.There are also a few other new cast members joining The Walking Dead: Dead City in season two. I particularly love Dascha Polanco.

Keir Gilchrist (Atypical, It Follows), in the role of “Benjamin Pierce”Dascha Polanco (Orange Is the New Black, Poker Face), in the role of “Major Lucia Narvaez”Jake Weary (Oh, Canada, How to Blow Up a Pipeline), in the role of “Christos”Pooya Mohseni (Law & Order: SVU, See You Then), in the role of “Roksana”

Welcome to the Concrete Jungle! Meet the newest cast members of #DeadCity. pic.twitter.com/gmPK92xIV2

— The Walking Dead (@WalkingDead_AMC) July 26, 2024

The Walking Dead‘s Potential Spinoff Crossover Event and The Ones Who Live‘s Future

As fans know, Rick Grimes was supposed to get three movies, but now it is the limited series alongside Michonne. The Ones Who Live is meant to wrap up their storylines; however, Gimple says there might be more story to tell. “Anything is possible…,” he said to Deadline. “We’re focused on this one right now. But this one came together in a really amazing way, where there were all sorts of plans. And then the world changed and we altered those plans.”

AMC Networks

We obviously know now (and honestly always knew) that Rick did not die in his spinoff. He got to reunite with Judith and meet Rick, Jr., but there are so many reunions that need to happen. Morgan is out there looking for Rick, Daryl will eventually return to the US, and there’s the rest of his found family back home along with Laurent in the Commonwealth. All signs seem to be pointing to a crossover event, which Gimple wants to happen.

“I do have dreams of merging this all together, and I have laid little breadcrumbs toward that, but you never know exactly when and how [it will come together], because of a variety of reasons,” he told TVLine. As long as The Walking Dead franchise is getting money and attention from fans, it will surely keep making more spinoff content. That’s fine with us but please, please don’t follow the comics and kill Rick Grimes if you bring him back in the future.

With Norman Reedus wanting to play Daryl Dixon for several more years, it wouldn’t be shocking if he crossed into some future spinoff series. I wouldn’t mind a Daryl and Connie miniseries. Perhaps he will somehow come across Maggie and/or Negan in their show. Or, maybe he will be the gateway to introduce us to a new character to follow. A crossover event would likely put him front and center as one of this universe’s leading men.

A lot is happening in The Walking Dead universe and there will surely be more details about other spinoffs if they happen. There’s plenty left to explore in the land of the dead, so let’s keep walking right towards these spinoffs.

Jump To: The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 3 // The Walking Dead: Dead City S2 // TWD Crossover Event

Originally published on April 7, 2022.

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