Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 255

DUNE: AWAKENING Gameplay Trailer Immerses You in Arrakis’ Treacherous World, Sets Release Date Window

Dune: Awakening invites you to journey into the world of Arrakis. Of course, anyone who knows anything about the planet knows that won’t be a walk in the park. We’ve learned about the unique story of Dune: Awakening in other trailers, but this time, the immersive and intense gameplay of this MMO is at the center. In its first gameplay trailer, Dune: Awakening walks you through the many epic adventures that await you in this title. From making alliances (or engaging in betrayal) to fighting sandworms to mining Spice, and, of course, playing the political game, Dune: Awakening‘s gameplay will let you live your best Dune life.

Check out the full Dune: Awakening gameplay trailer below.

The official description for the game notes, “Dune: Awakening is an open-world survival MMO set on the most dangerous planet in the universe. Survive the desert by learning the ways of the Fremen. Expand your potential through combat, spice, building, and trade. As guild intrigue and warfare rage, control the spice and cling to power.”

Funcom

And it sure looks like survival is the name of the game. If Arakkis doesn’t get you… the other players might. But for those who love a game that keeps you on your toes, it looks like Dune: Awakening is just the thing. You can even purify the blood of your enemies to make water for yourself. What could be better than that? The world of Arakkis is entirely unforgiving, but the cunning will be able to make their way to the top in Dune: Awakening.

So, cling to power—if you can. Dune: Awakening will be released on PC in early 2025. You can sign up for the Beta of the game here: https://duneawakening.com/. Additionally, you can add Dune: Awakening to your Steam wishlist today here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1172710/Dune_Awakening/.

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Gearbox Announces BORDERLANDS 4 with a Teaser Trailer

Well…I bet Gearbox thought the timing of this announcement was going to be much more triumphant initially. The long-gestating feature film adaptation of Borderlands arrived to abysmal reviews and staggeringly small box office returns. But, silver lining, the player count for 2019’s Borderlands 3 saw a spike on Steam the week of release. And hopefully for the game studio, that interest in the series continues with the announcement that Borderlands 4 is on the way. Take a look at the very teasery teaser.

The teaser, which premiered at Gamescom 2024, came with the equally teasery description:

In this next installment of the definitive looter shooter, players will assume the role of a legendary Vault Hunter as they blast their way through hordes of enemies in search of new treasures to loot on an all-new planet.

Gearbox Studios

So, in other words, it’s a Borderlands game. While the teaser seems very serious, the series has always employed a puerile sense of humor along with its trademark cel-shaded animation. The previous mainline entry of the game got decent reviews and sold over 18 million copies. Meanwhile the two spin-off titles, Tiny Tina’s Wonderland and New Tales from the Borderlands, both from 2022, fared less well.

No release date yet for Borderlands 4 but you can wishlist it on Steam if that’s a thing you like to do. Maybe wait to see some actual gameplay footage first.

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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X-MEN ’97 Season 2 Will Feature 2 Other Marvel Mutant Teams

As every X-Men fan knows, there are many, many X-Men spin-off teams in the world of Marvel Comics. Some of them are almost as iconic as the main group, who operate out of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. Well, it looks like we’re going to see at least two of those other X-teams in action in X-Men ’97 season two. Via Collider, we’ve learned that Marvel Animation’s Brad Winderbaum said the following at a Q&A screening of season one in Los Angeles, which should have fans of Marvel’s other mutants giddy with excitement:

There’s many teams, in Marvel, that have the letter “X” that are followed by a hyphen. I would put it to you like this… there’s two other X teams in Season 2.

Winderbaum stopped short of revealing which teams these were. But at the Marvel Animation panel at D23, both Lorna Dane (Polaris) and Alex Summers (Havok) appeared in the footage. Both were members of X-Factor, a government-sponsored mutant team. They appeared in the X-Men: The Animated Series episode “Cold Comfort.” That episode showed X-Factor working under the leadership of the mutant Forge. With Forge assembling a new X-Men after they disappeared into time in last season’s finale, he may seek the aide of his old team. He even had a photo of them on his wall in X-Men ’97. So we think they are the likely option for at least one new X-team.

Marvel Animation/Marvel Comics

So what about the other X-team? Well, we think we think with Jubilee and Sunspot still in the present, someone like Emma Frost might try to start a new school for the mutant teens. She may even take over as headmaster at Xavier’s. This might be a good time to bring in the New Mutants, or Generation X (or a combination of both). We also could see X-Force, the paramilitary group with Cable as team leader. We have a feeling we have not seen the last of Nathan Summers, and when he returns, he might bring friends. Of course, there’s also Excalibur, X-Statix, and the Exiles. The list goes on and on. We’ll know for sure when X-Men ’97 season two drops on Disney+, hopefully sometime in 2025.

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STAR WARS: THE ACOLYTE Cancelled, No Season Two

The Disney+ era of television series generally means the continuance of a particular show is always in flux. No one expected Loki to have a second season, but, lo and behold it, did. Presumably if Obi-Wan Kenobi had been a monster hit, they may have given that a second season also. Every season could be the last. However, Star Wars: The Acolyte was always designed to have multiple seasons, which makes the fact it has been cancelled…well, I won’t say “surprising,” but possibly evidence that Lucasfilm is listening to audience reaction more than we thought.

Lucasfilm

The news, which Deadline reported, comes about a month following the finale of The Acolyte‘s first (and only) season. The mystery series set during the High Republic era, about a complacent Jedi Order going after a new dark threat, had a pretty solid premiere week but steadily fell down the streaming ratings in subsequent weeks.

While the series met with pre-launch online hatred given the lesbian showrunner and multicultural cast, the uneven nature of the story and the rewriting of familiar lore seems to have driven others away. It also probably didn’t help that most of the show’s characters died in season one. Showrunner Lesley Headland had submitted ideas for a season two and was hopeful for a pickup, but it was not to be.

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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Breaking Down ALIEN: ROMULUS’ Major Deaths

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In the 45 years of the Alien franchise, most films start with a large cast, and then by the end, you’re left with a handful (or one). Only Ellen Ripley and her cat Jones survived the Nostromo in Alien, and only she, Newt, Bishop, and Hicks survived Aliens. Ok, so three of those died in their cryo-sleep between the second and third movies, so maybe we don’t count them. (We’re still bitter about that). But in short, most folks don’t survive their encounter with the Xenomorph. And Alien: Romulus is no different. Here’s the kill count for the latest installment, as well as who survived to the finale.

20th Century StudiosThe VictimsNavarro (Aileen Wu)20th Century Studios

When the crew of the Corbelan accidentally awakens the alien facehuggers, the evil critters scramble for a host to plant their eggs. The first victim is Navarro, the pilot of the cargo ship. In traditional Alien fashion, once the facehugger plants its eggs, the offspring bursts out of Navarro’s chest and scurries away. RIP Navarro. We don’t know your first name, but you seemed the coolest of the crew. But someone had to go first.

Bjorn (Spike Fearn)20th Century Studios

Navarro’s boyfriend Bjorn had a very thick Cockney accent, so we didn’t always know what he was saying. But we really didn’t like him anyway, he kind of seemed like a jerk. Sorry, you just can’t be that mean to lovable android Andy (David Jonsson) and have us like you. In any event, he stumbles on the gestating Xenomorph as it grows to maturity, and he dies when its acid blood drips all over him. Even he didn’t deserve such a gnarly fate.

Tyler (Archie Renaux)20th Century Studios

Tyler is next on the Romulus kill-list. When the Xenomorph takes his sister Kay (Isabela Merced), he goes after it in hopes of saving her. Rain (Cailee Spaeny) finds his sister Kay alive, and then the Xenomorph goes to kill Rain. Tyler jumps in front of the attack and the Xenomorph impales him on its tail. He doesn’t die right away and is dragged into the Xenomorph den where he gets a Xeno appendage right to the head.

Kay (Isabela Merced)20th Century Studios

Poor Kay. She got pregnant by some jerk she clearly didn’t even like on the planet Jackson’s Star, decided to leave that hellhole, then endures the grossest death of all in Romulus. After narrowly surviving the Xenomorph attack, she chooses to use the experimental Prometheus formula on herself to increase her chances of survival. Unfortunately, it transforms her DNA and she gives birth to an egg that hatches a terrifying part human/part Engineer/part Xenomorph offspring. As if that wasn’t bad enough, it then drains its own mother of her blood, killing her. Usually, pregnant women, children, and pets are safe in horror movies. But not in this one.

Rook (Ian Holm/Daniel Betts)20th Century Studios

Rook is a Weyland-Yutani synthetic, a scientist working in the Romulus lab on the space station. He’s the same model android as Ash from Alien (played by the late Ian Holm) and also a worker in their science division. As a synthetic, he was cut in half by the Xenomorph, but he survived—barely. He finally dies for real when the station is ripped apart by the rocks of Jackson’s Star’s rings. Considering he’s the movie’s actual villain, he deserved a grislier fate if you ask us.

The SurvivorsRain (Cailee Spaeny) and Andy (David Jonsson)20th Century Studios

That leaves our two survivors, escaping on the Corbelan—Rain and her synthetic brother Andy. The Xenomorph injures Andy badly, but he clings to synthetic life at the end. The pair get away after destroying the Kay’s grotesque hybrid offspring and slipping into cryo-pods, hoping to sleep their way to a better world. Given this franchise, we doubt they’ll wake up to anything pleasant.

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Everything We Know About CRYSTAL LAKE, the FRIDAY THE 13TH Prequel Series

A couple of years ago, we got the big news that the Friday the 13th franchise would continue to expand with Crystal Lake, a prequel series about the infamous campground. What would a prequel series entail? Will we learn new things about Jason Voorhees’ childhood and perhaps his psychotic mother Pamela?

Here’s everything we know about Crystal Lake. 

TitleParamount Pictures

The title of this series is Crystal Lake. This could possibly change as the show dives into development and filming. 

Crystal Lake’s Plot 

There are no plot details about Crystal Lake yet but we can speculate a bit about where this show could go. Considering it is a prequel, it is likely that we will get to explore the life of Pamela Voorhees to a greater extent. The first film came out in 1980, so the series will presumably go back to the 1970s or 1960s.

Before exiting the series as showrunner in May 2024, Hannibal’s Bryan Fuller previously hinted at seeing a few familiar “manifestations” of Jason and exploring his life as well as his mother’s. But he did note that A24 was taking things into a different direction. Perhaps they will reveal some lore that changes what we thought about Camp Crystal Lake and the franchise’s original players. 

Behind the Scenes

Brad Caleb Kane, who is also bringing us It: Welcome to Derry, will be the showrunner for Peacock’s Crystal Lake TV series. He is the creator, writer, and executive producer as well. 

Crystal Lake’s Cast

As of right now, there are no casting announcements for Crystal Lake. The last Friday the 13th film in 2009 starred Derek Mills as a very nimble Jason, so perhaps he will reprise his role once again.

Crystal Lake’s Release Date

There is no release date for Peacock and A24’s upcoming series. 

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WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY Has Finished Filming

Benoit Blanc and his Kentucky Fried Foghorn Leghorn drawl is coming back for his “most dangerous case yet.” That’s how Daniel Craig’s brilliant detective described his next outing in the announcement trailer for Rian Johnson’s third Knives Out installment, Wake Up Dead Man. Who will join Craig for some murder-mystery fun this time around? What is the movie about? And when (and where) can we expect to see it?

Netflix

On August 17, 2024, Johnson shared an image of a graveyard with a sign that says “Please be mindful of the graves” to say filming had wrapped.

Johnson calls the shoot a “VERY special experience” and that he can’t wait to “put this thing together and show you all what we’ve got.” Well we certainly can’t wait either! Let’s go, donut holes!

Here’s everything we know about Netflix’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery so far.

TitleNetflix

Knives Out 3 is officially titled Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. That latter half of that title also appeared in Glass Onion‘s title, much to the chagrin of Rian Johnson.

Netflix reveals, “As it turns out, Wake Up Dead Man shares its title with a 1997 U2 song off their album Pop.” And Johnson adds, “Pop is a very underrated album, and that song is very right for the title. But I’ve had ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ in my head for a long while, and I first heard the phrase in American folk music.” Netflix teases that you should “listen closely” for any clues about the Knives Out movie to come.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery‘s PlotNetflix

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery does not have an official synopsis, but we do have some early clues about what to expect from it. Johnson’s announcement of the film included commentary about how much he loves the malleability of whodunits. Combined with calling it Benoit Blanc’s “most dangerous case yet,” and everything points towards the darkest entry in the franchise yet.

The title and its accompanying font also suggest the film will have something to do with pirates. (Though we can’t rule out the film is about U2. Hopefully The Edge is safe either way.)

Does that mean a good old-fashioned treasure hunt gone wrong? A setting somewhere in the Caribbean? Arr, until we be getting something more official, wese can let our imaginations run wild like the sea. (Sorry.)

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery‘s Cast20th Century Studios/Netflix

Johnson confirmed a report that Mare of Easttown and Alien: Romulus‘ Cailee Spaeny is joining the returning Daniel Craig in the cast. The Crown‘s Emmy winner and Challengers star Josh O’Connor will also join the cast of Knives Out 3. Additionally, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, and Jeremy Renner have come aboard.

The full cast is below:

Daniel Craig (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Casino Royale)Josh O’Connor (Challengers,  The Crown )Glenn Close (Dangerous Liaisons, Fatal Attraction)Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men, Dune)Mila Kunis (Black Swan,  Luckiest Girl Alive )Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker, The Town)Kerry Washington (Scandal, Django Unchained)Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers,  Ripley )Cailee Spaeny (Civil War, Priscilla)Daryl McCormack (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande;  Peaky Blinders )Thomas Haden Church (Sideways, Spider-Man 3)NetflixMarvel StudiosBehind the ScenesLionsgate

For the third time, Rian Johnson is directing his own script in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. He’s also producing the film with his T-Street Pictures partner Ram Bergman.

The film officially wrapped August 17, 2024.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery‘s Release DateLionsgate

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will come to Netflix in 2025. It will also hopefully also come theaters, and for a longer run than its predecessor.)

The movie does not have an official release day yet; however, the first two installments have Thanksgiving weekend releases. Knives Out arrived in theaters Thanksgiving weekend on November 27, 2019. After some film festival screenings, Glass Onion came to theaters for a brief run on Thanksgiving weekend, November 23, 2022. It then started streaming on Netflix, Wake Up Dead Man‘s ultimate home, on December 23.

If Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery follows a similar release schedule, we should expect to see it on the big screen on November 26, 2025. And we didn’t even need to be Benoit Blanc to figure that out.

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Deborah Ann Woll Gives Jon Bernthal a Crash Course in DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

I don’t know about you, but one of the most exciting aspects of Daredevil: Born Again is more Punisher and Karen Page content. I need moments between them like I need to breathe. The chemistry, the tension, it all works for me and plenty of others who ship them. The return of both characters also means we will get more Jon Bernthal and Deborah Ann Woll interviews that show just how nerdy they are. In fact, we love this episode of “Real Ones with Jon Bernthal” where Deborah Ann Woll teaches him about a world we know well: Dungeons & Dragons. 

She explains the basics to Jon, who still seems a bit confused, and how the game influences her acting choices. I could see him getting into D&D considering he’s a comics nerd. Now we need to see them get all the way into it and play together in the future.

Real Ones/YouTube

We know one person who would join them and it’s none other than Charlie Cox. There’s nothing better than a group of nerdy people playing comic characters, right? 

How can you not love Deborah Ann Woll geeking out with Jon Bernthal about Dungeons & Dragons?!

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TOMB RAIDER: THE LEGEND OF LARA CROFT Trailer Brings the Iconic Adventurer to Animation

It’s been a minute since Lara Croft had a live-action film of her own, or a big push outside of video games. But worry not, all you loyal Tomb Raider fans. The erstwhile archaeologist and adventurer returns at last in a new animated series coming to Netflix this October, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft. This is in addition to a new live-action show coming soon to Prime Video. And we now have our first teaser trailer for the series. It features Marvel’s Agent Peggy Carter herself, Hayley Atwell, providing the voice for Lara Croft. You can watch Lara Croft get in and out of all manner of predicaments in the Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft trailer right here:

Here’s the official synopsis for Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft:

The animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft picks up after the events of the highly successful Tomb Raider video game Survivor trilogy (Tomb Raider; Rise of the Tomb Raider; Shadow of the Tomb Raider), and will chart the globetrotting heroine’s next chapter as the iconic adventurer. More than 25 years after her first appearance, Lara Croft (voiced by Hayley Atwell) continues to explore ancient mysteries and uncover lost truths across breathtaking and dangerous destinations.

Netflix

Joining Hayley Atwell in Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft are Allen Maldonado (Zip) and Earl Baylon, returning as Jonah from the Tomb Raider video games. In the aftermath of the Survivor trilogy, Lara Croft leaves her friends behind for a new round of solo adventures. Yet nothing ever stays uneventful in Lara Croft’s world. Especially when someone steals a powerful Chinese artifact from Croft Manor, and Lara has no choice but to pursue it until she gets it back. She’ll soon discover that the thief in question is someone with whom she has personal ties. (Isn’t that always the way?) Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft drops on Netflix on October 10.

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THE BOYS Star Joins M3GAN ‘Erotic Thriller’ Spinoff Film, SOULM8TE

M3GAN was the surprise horror hit of 2023, creating an instant icon in the dancing killer robot doll. So it came as no shock when they fast-tracked a sequel, M3GAN 2.0. Now, a spin-off of M3GAN is on its way as well, as Atomic Monster, Blumhouse, and Universal are developing SOULM8TE, a new film expanding on the M3GAN universe. SOULM8TE releases in theaters on January 2, 2026. Described as a throwback ’90s style erotic thriller with a technological twist, Kate Dolan will direct the film. The original script is by Rafael Jordan, with the story by James Wan, Ingrid Bisu, and Jordan. 

Universal Pictures

Per Deadline, the movie will star Lily Sullivan and David Rysdahl. Additionally, The Boys actress Claudia Doumit has reportedly come aboard the movie.

According to the official description for SOULM8TE, the story centers on a man who acquires an artificially intelligent android to cope with the loss of his recently deceased wife. In an attempt to create a truly sentient partner, he inadvertently turns a seemingly harmless robot into a deadly soulmate. In short, it sounds like it’s Fatal Attraction meets Short Circuit. And we’re totally here for that. We’re not entirely sure how much the world of this movie will actually connect to M3GAN, although we are hoping we see her pop up in some capacity. M3GAN 2.0 will arrive in theaters first, on June 27, 2025.

We hope that SOULM8TE is the kind of campy fun that M3GAN was, only with a more R-rated adult skew. Back in the ’80s, and especially the ’90s, the erotic thriller was one of the top genres at the worldwide box office. Movies like Basic Instinct enthralled audiences everywhere with their sexy suspense stories. Ok, so they were a little ridiculous too, which is why we still love them. Maybe for today’s audience, the only way to truly bring the genre back is to have an erotic killer robot. Universal Pictures’ SOULM8TE hits theaters on January 2, 2026.

Originally published on June 20, 2024.

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