Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 4

DEATH STRANDING Anime Spinoff Movie Unleashes Stylish Teaser Trailer

Imagine you started watching Lost midway through season three without knowing anything about the show. Now imagine you got hit in the head with a large cartoon mallet during your first episode. That’s how I feel watching anything from Death Stranding. I find it beautiful, surreal, and wholly confusing. From what I understand, a lot of people who actually played the video game feel the same way. And yet my general bafflement at the franchise isn’t stopping me from enjoying the first teaser for its anime spinoff movie, Death Stranding Mosquito, which looks as exciting as it does weird.

Earlier this summer, we reported on a second Death Stranding movie going into production. In addition to the live-action adaptation starring the game’s cast, we’re getting an anime film written by Raised by Wolves‘ Aaron Guzikowski. It’s not based on the game or its characters. Death Stranding Mosquito, which is only a working title as of now, takes place in the world of Hideo Kojima’s bizarre land where the living and dead share a strange connection.

Now Kojima Productions has given us our first look at the stylish movie from director Hiroshi Miyamoto. The Death Stranding Mosquito trailer opens with a haunting sequence underwater before going to the surface where strange creatures roam. It then ends with a brutal fight.

Kojima Productions/ABC Animation

If you know exactly what us going on here and, more importantly, what it means, we just want to say hello to you, Hideo Kojima. What an honor to have you reading this piece. If you only sort/kinda/maybe know a fraction of what’s going on here, well, we don’t believe you.

When will we find out if you were in fact right? We’re not sure, either. This teaser trailer does not hint at a possible release date. Of course it didn’t. If there’s one thing we know about Death Stranding it’s that you never really know what’s going on. Like this trailer, you just know what’s ever is happening is exciting and weird.

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Zach Cregger Gives Update on WEAPONS Aunt Gladys Prequel

No one can predict what will or won’t connect with audiences, even if they think they can. “Mark my words” is a death knell in more cases in Hollywood than you’d guess. That said, I’m sure on some level, Weapons writer-director Zach Cregger had to guess the central witch figure at the center of the movie, Aunt Gladys (Amy Madigan, in full force), would turn out to be a modern horror icon. Even as the movie was first enjoying success this summer, discussion of a Gladys prequel persisted. Speaking to Fangoria recently ahead of the Weapons home release, Cregger confirmed the rumors are true.Warner Bros.

“It is real, and I’ve been talking to Warner Bros. about it,” Cregger told Fangoria. “There’s a story and I’m pretty excited about it. It’s not bullshit. I was ready. I had it kind of in my pocket before the movie came out.”

Speaking to yours truly during the same home media press junket, Cregger spoke about Madigan’s performance and developing Gladys’…distinctive style.

Nerdist: When the movie was coming out, we were really trying hard not to spoil anything. But now everybody can speak about how great Amy Madigan is in the movie. I wonder if you could talk a little bit about working with her and kind of developing Gladys as a character that seems both real and intensely scary at the same time.

Zach Cregger: Amy, just has the ability to operate at such a high level in these two extremes. This kind of firecracker, sparky, Midwestern, down-home Chicago, yay. And then she has this total reptilian, laser-sharp focus, and she can shift between them so easily, and I kind of knew at the moment I met her in person. I was like, “Oh my God, I’ve just been looking for you for this since I had the idea.” She just was it, I mean, honestly, to the point where it’s like everything I was imagining when I was writing it was like it is as if I didn’t know I was writing it for her. You know what I mean? It really didn’t feel like that.

When I met her, I was like, this is the absolute manifestation of this, but she already existed, so what does that mean? I don’t know. Yeah. And then she was such a joy to work with. She’s such a pro, and she just elevated everything, and yet she was also so trusting half the stuff in that scene with Marcus in the principal’s office. It’s just me sitting behind the camera, just throwing out things for her to do. It was like, “Hey, laugh really big.” And she would just be and just do it and it would

Just no ego and so easy. And I think that’s just a testimony to how incredibly good she is as an actor. She’s so skilled. She is so talented that she can just kind of do anything instantly. She’s a miracle.

Warner Bros.

Obviously. Her look is very distinctive and becomes a jump scare at multiple times in the movie. But I was wondering, it’s also silly. It’s over the top on purpose. How much kind of tweaking was there to get? It’s like, okay, this is too scary. This is too silly. Do you know what I mean?

We never veered into too scary, I can tell you that. I don’t think we did. We were never going to give her fangs or anything like that.

It was really just about which wig feels like Gladys. And it was like when we found the bangs, we liked the bangs. That’s what it is. And kind of that weird shape. So we went through a lot of wigs and we went through a lot of different mockups of different, she’s got a fake nose and fake ears and fake teeth, so everyone kind of had their own little imprints into it.

New Line Cinema

Honestly, the idea kind of launched from two things. Cindy Sherman, the photographer and Self Portraits, which I’ve always been a big fan of. And then in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, when McLaughlin gets off the plane, and this woman in a crazy outfit is on the tarmac, kind of doing that dance. And when I was a kid, I saw that, it just scared me to death. I don’t know why it’s not, I don’t know if that scene is even supposed to be scary, but it terrified me, and so I just was really hungry to play in that sandbox.

Weapons is available for digital rental and purchase now. Physical media release drops October 14.

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 Letterboxd.

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Disney+ Sets Price Hikes Across All Levels & Bundles

Why did Disney decide to bring Jimmy Kimmel Live back? Was it primarily an ethical decision made in the name of free speech? Or was it more of a business one following widespread outrage, boycotts, protests, and mass cancellations of the company’s streaming services? We might never know. Or we might have just found out. Just one day after announcing its signature late night ABC show is returning, the Mouse House made another announcement. It’s increasing prices on most of its packages for Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select. Yep, another Disney+ price hike is here.Disney

For the fourth straight year Disney is raising the price for the majority of its Disney+ streaming options. A basic Disney+ subscription with ads is going up by two dollars to $11.99 per month. As is the Disney+ and Hulu combo, which will now run you $12.99 a month. Most bundle packages, featuring some combination of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select (some with, some without ads) are going up three dollars. The cost for a yearly subscription to Disney+ Premium is increasing by $30. Just a few bundles, including options with NFL+ Premium, are remaining the same. You can see the status of your package here. The price increases go into effect next month on October 21.

You can also check out a quick breakdown of the most important price increases to our readers at the bottom of this piece.

RELATED ARTICLE

Every Streaming Cost Increase In 2025: Disney+ Chooses Interesting Moment for Price Hike

This news comes one day after Disney said Jimmy Kimmel is returning to airwaves. Independent journalist Marisa Kabas of The Handbasket, who first reported on the coming increases last night, said the timing of those two announcements was far from a coincidence. On Bluesky she wrote, “Part of the reason Disney/ABC may have rushed to sort things out with Kimmel is because tomorrow they have a planned price increase for Disney+ streaming, a Disney source tells me. With subscriptions hemorrhaging since last week, they couldn’t risk losing more users with this announcement.”

SCOOP — Part of the reason Disney/ABC may have rushed to sort things out with Kimmel is because tomorrow they have a planned price increase for Disney+ streaming, a Disney source tells me. With subscriptions hemorrhaging since last week, they couldn’t risk losing more users with this announcement.

— Marisa Kabas (@marisakabas.bsky.social) 2025-09-22T22:20:12.473Z

Jimmy Kimmel is coming back. That much is true. But while it’s hard to pinpoint one specific reason why, it’s impossible to deny that you can’t raise prices while everyone is cancelling their subscriptions.

Disney+ Price Increases Coming to YouDisney+ Standalone Plan Price Hikes: Disney+ (With Ads) will increase from a monthly cost of $9.99 to $11.99/month on 10/21/2025.Disney+ Premium will increase from a monthly cost of $15.99 to $18.99/month on 10/21/2025.Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle Price Hikes:The Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle (With Ads) will increase from a monthly cost of $16.99 to $19.99/month on 10/21/2025.The Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle (No Ads) will increase from a monthly cost of $29.99 to $32.99/month on 10/21/2025.

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‘Wookiee of the Sea’: Scientists Name Furry Deep-Sea Coral After Chewbacca

We’re used to seeing the Star Wars universe revolve around the infinite expanse of outer space. However, the franchise’s widely-recognizable Chewbacca goes subaquatic as a team of researchers officially name a new species of deep-sea coral after the beloved furry character.

Initially spotted off the waters of Moloka’i in 2006 and the Mariana Trench in 2016, the shaggy coral is characterized by its long, hairy branches and upright appearance. Upon discovery, scientists immediately thought the species—with its shiny exterior and fur-like silhouette—bore a striking similarity to the famed Wookiee. They subsequently dubbed it Iridogorgia chewbacca—and the resemblance is uncanny.

Iridogorgia chewbacca, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

University of Hawai’i professor emeritus Les Watling and his colleagues officially catalogued the fuzzy coral this September in the journal Zootaxa. The species belongs to the genus Iridogorgia. Its flexible, hair-like branches can grow up to 15 inches long, with the specimen itself found to grow anywhere from 20 inches to four feet long.

Closeup of Iridogorgia chewbacca, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

“Seeing this coral for the first time was unforgettable,” Watling said. “Its long, flexible branches and shape immediately reminded me of Chewbacca. Even after years of deep-sea work, discoveries like this still make me stop and take notice.”

When carried by the ocean’s current, the swaying movement of the coral’s branches gives the illusion of fur. This leaves no doubt its unmistakeable likeness to the iconic character that bears the same name.

I. chewbacca lives deep below the sunlit zone, usually found as a solitary colony. Because of how difficult it is to reach and sample, much of the Wookiee-resembling specimen remains a mystery. Still, it is fun to know that our favorite intergalactic furry friend has a deep-sea doppelgänger!

The post appeared first on Nerdist.

Matthew Lillard Says SCREAM’s Billy and Stu Are the ‘First Husbands of Horror’

Anyone who is a fan of the original Scream movie knows that Billy and Stu’s relationship was… interesting, to say the least. The duo came together to commit heinous crimes over the course of a year. And it all happened because Billy was upset that Sidney’s mom and his dad had an affair. It’s a tryst that he only seemed to blame Maureen for. Typical. Even more incredulous is how he got his bestie Stu Macher to get in on a killing spree. The way they’d hang all over each other and their deep dedication to their “us against the world” plan gave queer vibes. And Matthew Lillard couldn’t agree more that Billy and Stu’s relationship is queer coded and, as he says, they are the “first husbands of horror.” Dimension Films

This entire conversation sprang up during an appearance by Lillard and Skeet Ulrich at Silver Scream Convention in Massachusetts. (Thanks to PinkNews for bringing this to our attention!) When asked about the ongoing fan theory that Billy and Stu were gay, Lillard said he agrees with this notion. 

“There’s a lot of hatred in the world right now,” he said. “And I love standing up and saying we are the first gay couple ever in a horror movie, and there’s nothing they can f*cking say about it. You can’t touch it, you can’t take it away.”

He also gave some love to any queer kiddos and said he loves them. And honestly, I love how he feels about Billy and Stu. I’ve always thought that Stu was willing to get into this twisted mess because he was in love with Billy. Now, with Billy, I honestly think he was just too sociopathic to really love anyone. But he likely suspected that Stu loved him and used it to his advantage. It is also not impossible that Billy did have feelings for Stu. He probably felt he had to repress them due to social pressures.

Furthermore, Scream writer Kevin Williamson, who is himself gay, said that he modeled Billy and Stu after real-life gay killers Leopold and Loeb. And, we even get some in-universe suspicion from Randy in Scream 2. Right before his death, he calls Billy a “rat-faced, homo-repressed Mama’s boy.” 

So yep, whether fans like it or not, there are some queer vibes between Billy and Stu and Matthew Lillard loves it.

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Everything We Know About SPIDER-MAN BRAND New Day

If Peter Parker falls off a New York City skyscraper and no one knows who he is, does he make a sound? Please don’t bother trying to answer that very silly question, because we all know Tom Holland’s web slinger is going to cause a ruckus at the box office when he returns as the iconic character in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. What will this new chapter for the (currently anonymous) superhero look like?Sony/CW

Most recently, it was reported that Marvin Jones III will play Tombstone in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Tombstone is recurring Spider-Man villain and one of New York’s worst crime bosses in the Marvel Universe. Marvin Jones III also voiced Tombstone in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures

What will Peter Parker be doing when he wears that super suit? Here’s everything we know about Spider-Man: Brand New Day so far.

TitleMarvel Studios

Tom Holland’s fourth standalone film as everyone’s favorite neighborhood hero is called Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The movie takes its title from the 2008 Marvel Comics series. Its storyline shares many similarities with the current plight of the MCU’s character, as it followed Peter Parker after a universe-changing event undid his marriage to MJ. The series was part of a controversial Spider-Man storyline that upset some fans.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s Plot Marvel Comics

Marvel Studios and Sony have not released any official information about Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘s plot. Tom Holland has called the film ““a fresh start” for the character following the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home. That film, which completed the Spider-Man Home Trilogy, ended with Doctor Strange casting a spell that made everyone in the universe forget Peter Parker existed. While not the same, that monumental event is similar to Peter’s situation in the comic book series the movie gets its title from.

Additionally, Sony shared a very short teaser featuring glimpses of Spider-Man’s suit in Spider-Man: Brand New Day and the description “Something brand new is coming…” This promo marks the one-year countdown until the film’s release.

Following this, Tom Holland took to Instagram to reveal a full look at the new suit! Holland’s Spider-Man is looking quite heroic and definitely all grown up. You can watch the full Spidey suit reveal below.

One unconfirmed synopsis on the film’s IMDb page does provide a believable description of the film, which will take place between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Here’s the unofficial (for now at least) logline:

After Doomsday, Peter Parker tries to focus on college and leave Spider-Man behind. But when a new threat endangers his friends, he must break his promise and suit up again, teaming with an unexpected ally to protect those he loves.

Marvel Studios

That does line up with comments franchise producer/steward Amy Pascal provided about the film. She told Deadline‘s Behind the Lens, “We have to deal with the fact that he decided he was going to give up being Peter Parker, and he was gonna focus on being Spider-Man, because being Peter Parker was too hard. So that’s what the movie is about.”

We also know it won’t be rated R. Kevin Feige has confirmed it will feature a more family-friendly version of Jon Bernthal’s Punisher. Feige revealed, “When Punisher is in the Spider-Man movie, it’ll be a different tonality” than when he’s in his own TV-MA rated Disney+ special. But Punisher WILL appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, shares the Marvel boss.

Behind the Scenes Marvel Studios

Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) is taking over directing duties from Jon Watts.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s Cast Sony/Marvel Studios

Zendaya and Jacob Batalon will return alongside Holland as Peter Parker’s memory-wiped love interest and best friend/guy in the chair MJ and Ned. Sadie Sink will also join the MCU in a still unreleased major role. (Jean Gray, perhaps?)

Netflix

One actor whose role we do know is Jon Bernthal’s. He will make his MCU movie debut as the Punisher, Frank Castle. The vigilante might very well be Peter’s unexpected ally.

Marvel Studios/Netflix Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s Release Date

Spider-Man: Brand New Day will swing into theaters on July 31, 2026.

Originally published on June 23, 2025.

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The Creators of MARVEL ZOMBIES Talk Crafting a Gorier MCU

Back in 2021, during the first season of the animated What If…? series, Marvel fans were introduced to a reality where a zombie apocalypse had decimated the MCU. That episode was loosely based on the comic book Marvel Zombies, by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman. It proved so popular, Marvel Television has spun it off into its own limited series, also called Marvel Zombies. Before the four episode series drops on September 24, we got the chance to chat with Marvel Zombies EP Bryan Andrews, and the head of Marvel Television, Brad Winderbaum, about this gleefully gory version of the MCU.Marvel Television

Nerdist: This is obviously a very different story from the original Marvel Zombies comic. But were there any moments from the comic you definitely wanted to replicate on screen?

Bryan Andrews: Not so much in this iteration of it. There were a few things that we did as a nod to the comics back in the first season of What If…? But once we had done that, then it’s like, “OK, all bets are off.” On this one, we just went for it. So, if we get a chance to ever do another round of Marvel Zombies? Then you never know what stuff we might homage and borrow from the comics a little bit. Just to acknowledge them. But this one pretty much seems to be its own thing, which is still cool.

Marvel Comics

Brad Winderbaum: Yeah, I think we definitely had the tone of Robert [Kirkman] writing and Sean Phillips’ amazing art kind of set. You know, it was on our minds a lot. Obviously, we love those books. But also we’re playing off the MCU, while the comics were playing off the classic 616 universe. So, the lore is different, and it’s a different set of rules. However, I will say that tonally, we really were trying to stay in that same vein.

Marvel Television

This isn’t really a spoiler, since you showed this footage at D23, but Shang-Chi figures prominently in these episodes. With this being the first time we’ve seen him and Katy since their movie four years ago, was there extra pressure to make sure this first Shang-Chi sequel of sorts did them justice?

Bryan Andrews: Well, I wouldn’t say it was pressure. I would say it was like a gift to us that we got to work with these characters. Yeah, we knew early on that we wanted Sean in there, and a bunch of the peeps that he hangs out with in the San Francisco area. Who knew at the time when we were making it, like how quickly they would or would not do , or any of these types of things. We’re just doing our thing. But working with them is fantastic. We love those characters, and we’re really just glad we can get them in there.

Was there a mandate at all on how bloody this show could be? Because it does go hard, but I wouldn’t say it was excessive either.

Bryan Andrews: Like, I don’t think it’s over the top. That was just a choice for us. Kevin [Feige] was pretty much saying “You guys got this, just be rad.” And so to our taste level, it’s like, “Yeah, we wanted it to be TVMA. And we don’t want to pull any punches.” But also, we don’t want to be gratuitous in that way. Like an adolescent that is just nerding out on the wrong thing and forgetting the storytelling. So we want there to be a good balance, you know? We want the shock value, but we also want the drama and the emotion as well.

Marvel Television

Some of the best stuff Marvel Television has put out over the last few years has been animated. Series like X-Men ’97 and Eyes of Wakanda. Are there some Marvel characters that haven’t been done yet in live-action that you think would just work better in animation?

Brad Winderbaum: I don’t know if they work better in animation, but there are some characters I’m excited to explore. And certainly, we could do that with Marvel Zombies. What’s great about it is that when we looked at characters that were on the playing field for us at the beginning of the story, it was like, “Wait a second, it’s Red Guardian, it’s Yelena. You know, it’s Sean, and it’s Katie, it’s Kate Bishop.” It suddenly starts to ignite your imagination into all these amazing avenues with these characters.

Marvel Television

And there’s still plenty [of characters] to use. There are number of them. The story originally was much, much larger, and there was no room to put them all in. But we have certain things figured out for what other individuals are doing in other places that were going to factor into the story. But we didn’t want to shortchange their stories by barely acknowledging them, and then having them suddenly show up. So we thought, “Let’s just carve them out.” And we really hope that if we do get a chance to do another one, well, we’ve got a ton of material we’re ready to do as the next thing. So yeah, there are other characters that did not show up in this that we were dying to have. Hopefully, they have their moment in the next one if we get it.

Anyone specific?

Yes, but don’t wanna tell you. Because what we want is to be able to subscribe to Disney+ and find out [laughs]. Demand the next one and the next season. Then we’ll get in and we can surprise you a whole other second time around.

Marvel Zombies arrives on Disney+ on September 24.

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Universal Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights 2025 Scare Houses, Ranked

Universal Studios in Orlando gets the lion’s share of the attention when it comes to Halloween Horror Nights. And deservedly so. But the original Universal Studios in Hollywood is also pretty great, even if we get fewer haunted houses, mainly because of lack of real estate at the California park. 2025 marks their 25th HHN, and they had plenty of good scares to offer in their haunted houses this year. We rank all eight haunted house attractions at this year’s event, from the least great to the top-most terrifying.

8. FalloutUniversal Studios/Nerdist

Prime Video’s Fallout was the breakout hit of last year, and the video game has been successful for years. Everyone loves this post-apocalyptic world stuck in a decayed 1950s. But we have to admit, the Fallout haunted house at HHN Hollywood was among our least favorites of the year. It’s not bad per se, there were indeed some cool bits. You had the giant vault door, the irradiated wasteland, and some great creepy ambiance that evokes the series. And of course, the Ghoul appears a few times (although we wanted more). But there are some long stretches without any jump scares or scare actors. We did like giant mutant bear, though. Now that was really cool. We just think Fallout deserves something grander than we got.

7. Five Nights at Freddy’s Blumhouse Productions/Nerdist

I’m not a Gen Zer, so my familiarity with the Five Nights at Freddy’s phenomenon is minimal. I know it’s about a haunted Chuck E. Cheese knock-off called Freddy Fazbear’s, and there are ghost children and evil animatronics. I will say I think the theming for this haunted house is amazing. You really feel like you’re walking into an abandoned pizza place from the ‘80s. The animatronics look incredible, too. So why is this one so low on the list? Well, as good as the animatronics look, they’re not very scary. And there’s just not enough scare actors, aside from a few random ghost kids, to make up for it. For as huge a property as this is, this haunted house is just over four minutes long. So an A+ for theming, but a C for actual scares.

6. WWE Presents: The Horrors of The Wyatt Sicks Nerdist/Universal Studios

As someone not into wrestling at all, I had no clue who/what the Wyatt Sicks are. And when I saw the name of this haunted house, I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t crazy about HHN’s tendency to give celebrities who have nothing to do with horror and mold attractions around their “vision.” Last year, it was the Weeknd. Although I later learned that the Wyatt Sicks are indeed horror-adjacent wrestlers. But actually, WWE Presents: The Horrors of The Wyatt Sicks had lots of creepy vibes, and more than its share of decent jump scares. I noticed less wrestling and more “Texas Chainsaw,” but that’s not a bad thing. I can’t really tell you the “story,” if there even is one, but it hits most of the bullet points to qualify as a decent haunted house this year.

5. Jason UniverseJason Universe/Nerdist

It’s always good when Jason Voorhees makes an appearance at Universal Halloween Horror Nights. This year, the Friday the 13th haunted house (not using that name, for legal reasons) came roaring back with Jason Universe. Even though the Friday the 13th name is not used, this attraction features a greatest hits approach to the Camp Crystal Lake slasher’s many kills, from his many movies. Plus, we get nods to every Jason look, from burlap sack to iconic hockey mask. This haunted house had just the right amount of jump scares per second and was a nostalgic trip down memory lane. What more can you ask for?

4. Scarecrow: Music By SlashNerdist/Universal Studios

One of HHN’s original haunted houses returning in a new form is Scarecrow: Music By Slash, which features some classic country horror, where guests wander into a remote farmhouse filled with (you guessed it) a lot of creepy scarecrows. Not to mention other assorted nightmare fuel hillbillies. Last year, it was called Scarecrow: The Reaping. This time, HHN royalty and heavy metal icon Slash created the music for this one. We’re not quite sure how much Slash’s guitar riffs add to the overall vibe, but we appreciate how classic Americana Halloween this all feels. It’s also genuinely creepy, with a good amount of scare actors for every corner you turn.

3. Poltergeist Warner Bros/Netflix

As a Gen Xer, Poltergeist was THE formative horror film for me. So I was thrilled that HHN took this one out of mothballs and brought it back after eight years. All the elements of the classic ’80s Tobe Hooper film are present, from the killer tree, to the guy ripping his face off, to a metric ton of that evil clown doll that mortified a generation. This Haunted House has plenty of the clown jumping out at you, and the finale with all the raised corpses makes for a fitting finale. Yes, I even found myself screaming, “You left the bodies but only moved the headstones! Why???” It really evoked the film in every way. The only reason this one doesn’t rank higher is that it’s basically a replica of the HHN 2017 maze, with nothing new really added. But it’s still fantastic.

2. Monstruos 3: The Ghosts of Latin AmericaNerdist/Universal Studios

This is the third year with Monstruos: The Ghosts of Latin America. And this original haunted house has been top-notch every time. 2025 is no different. Once again, this haunted house, which showcases the creepy legends south of the border, simply rules. We love the El Muerto figure that looms in the catacombs, and La Llorona, both as a scare actor and as a giant animatronic, show the best of the best of what HHN can provide. If we have a complaint, it’s that this is called Monstrous 3, which implies it’s a sequel to the last haunted house of the same name. It’s actually just the same one, with a bit of parts one and two mixed in. But it still rocks, so we give them a pass. We hope 2026 gives us a Monstrous 4.

1. Terrifier Nerdist/Universal Studios

I have to say right off the bat, I have never seen any of the Terrifier movies. I heard a review once mention “a diarrhea scene,” and I decided right then and there I was never going to watch them. Having said that, I have to give this house serious points for being the most disturbing. I don’t need the context of seeing the movie to freak out over a scary clown murdering people and slicing them in half. This maze has plenty of “Art the Clowns” popping out at every corner, some truly disgusting areas (one was a dirty bathroom. I’ll leave it there). And while I truly hate bad smells pumped into these mazes, it sure worked to make Terrifier a properly unpleasant experience. But isn’t that what we pay to see? For its effect as a full-on haunt experience, we give Terrifier the top spot.

Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights is running until November 2, on select nights.

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ABC Brings Back Jimmy Kimmel’s Show After Mass Protests

And just like that, Jimmy Kimmel Live! is back on the air. Via Variety, we’ve learned that Disney and ABC will bring talk show host Jimmy Kimmel back to their schedule starting Tuesday night. ABC yanked Kimmel’s show off the air last week after affiliates Nexstar Media and Sinclair said they would preempt the popular talk show following Kimmel’s monologue on September 14, where he made jokes about Trump’s reaction to Charlie Kirk’s death. At first, the suspension was “indefinite.” This suggested that FCC Chair Brendan Carr had pressured ABC to cancel the series for good. Now, Disney and ABC have released a statement saying the following:

Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country.  It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tuesday.

ABC

Whether one was a fan of Kimmel or not, what happened last week became a lightning rod for free speech. It seemed that between Kimmel and Colbert, the executive branch was waging war on anyone who dared mock the President on public airwaves. But then, thousands of people canceled their Disney+ subscriptions in protest. Additionally, others began canceling their Disney vacations, losing the company some $5 billion in just days. All of this clearly had an effect.

It will be fascinating to hear Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue on Tuesday night, and just how much he’ll talk about it all. One thing’s for sure — certain high-profile people are not going to be happy about it. As for the rest of us, we just can’t wait to hear the jokes.

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An Interactive Hologram of the Late Stan Lee Is Coming Soon

Chalk this story up as another “Weird stuff the 21st century has given us that we didn’t ask for” example. According to The Hollywood Reporter, at this year’s L.A. Comic Con, fans will be able to interact with dearly departed comic book legend Stan Lee….as an A.I. hologram. That’s right, con attendees will have the opportunity to speak with a hologram at the Stan Lee Experience, inside a 1,500 ft. enclosed booth. And like any celebrity at a convention, you’ll be able to take photos with “Stan.” Or even have a three-minute, one-on-one conversation with him, for only $15-$20. Stan Lee passed away in 2018 at the age of 95.Proto Hologram

The Stan Lee estate had to approve all this, of course. And even though we think it’s all super off-putting, we also know Stan was the kind of guy who probably would have loved this. After all, how many dead characters did he bring back in his comics as robots or holograms? More than a few. Bob Sabouni, Head of Stan Lee Legacy Programs for Kartoon Studios, said, “We’ll never put words in his mouth that aren’t in line with things he spoke about in his lifetime. Fortunately, with decades of footage capturing his thoughts on so many subjects, we can build a voice that stays true, not always word for word, but always faithful in spirit, context, and intent.” The company Proto Hologram created the Stan Lee simulation.

According to the original report, the booth is not the only place the Stan Lee hologram may appear at L.A. Comic Con. It may also appear randomly throughout the con, we suppose like a high-tech ghost of the comics legend. The Lee hologram may also introduce a panel, which we imagine to be a Marvel Comics panel. Although given the mixed feelings many people have about using A.I. to bring back the dead, Marvel might want to avoid the controversy altogether. We’ll just have to wait and find out. The Los Angeles Comic Con runs September 26-28 at the L.A. Convention Center.

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