For the past few years, video game adaptations have had a pretty solid run. The Last of Us made waves on television, The Super Mario Bros. Movie redeemed itself decades after its abysmal 1993 predecessor, and the Sonic the Hedgehog series has thrived on screens big and small. Unfortunately, not all of these attempts can be success stories, and it seems like the upcoming Minecraft movie, simply called A Minecraft Movie, will take movie goers back to a time not so long ago. A time when adapti??ng gaming favorites to the big screen was something that ?Hollywood just couldn't quite figure out.

At the time of this writing, the Minecraft trailer has been out for a minute, allowing those on the internet to collect themselves, take a deep breath, and let the minds behind it know just how much they dislike it. From the live-action elements to the dialogue to the bizarre casting of Jack Black as Steve, there have been loads of critiques levied against this film that won'?t even hit the cinema until next year. For as much of a misfire as it might seem, at least some surface level attempts were made to resemble the iconic source material. By that, I mean the trailer is full of mobs.

Strange live-action characters aside, the inaugural Minecraft trailer showcases a few hyper-realistic animals, monsters, and creatures that have roamed? to the games landscapes for ages. He?re are all the ones included in some form or another throughout.

Sheep

As our human cast enters the world of Minecraft, they have a lot to take in. Everything is suddenly ?blocky, vibrant in color, and very much resembles a warped version of the world they know. Of course, that's just talking about the angular clouds and brick-like ground. Then they come across their first living creature in this odd new world, that being a pink sheep, which bleats in their direction with its opposite-facing eyes, uncanny body proportions, and enlarged teeth.

If you've played Minecraft at virtually any point since its 2009 introduction, odds are you've stumbled across the odd sheep. These docile farm animals have been an integral part of the game's DNA nearly since the day it launched. They come in a variety of colors, supply wool to help make vital items like beds, and they can be used as a food source, commonly dropping raw mutton when killed. Hopefully, for the sake of the kids in the audience, A Minecraft Movie won't depict such a scene.

Piglin

Stepping into the world of Minecraft is daunting for the movie's human characters. Though we don't know the circumstances of their arrival yet, their bewilderment and the twinge of fear in their eyes once they arrive indicates they have no reason nor desire to be there. Making the situation worse, th??ey're quickly shown how hostile this place can be as a group of Piglin arrive with likely evil intentions in their minds, armor on their bodies, and weapons of all kinds in hand.

Not to be confused with pigs or Zombie Pigmen, Piglin are bipedal, human-like pig creatures found in the Nether. Though they're typically pretty neutral in-game, they're often found holding weapons, and they're not afraid to use them if provoked. They can also be found in another variety, the Piglin Brute. Not only are these Piglin far stronger than their contemporaries, but they're considerably more hostil?e. Based on the trailer, it seems that the filmmakers are electing to make all Piglin generic evil henchmen.

Ghast

Not only do the Piglin feature pretty prevalently in the first Minecraft trailer, but there are some anomalies about them that fans couldn't help but notice. As mentioned, all varieties seem equally disgrun?tled and dangerous, but going a bit further, they're shown to be traveling outside the Nether for an unknown reason. What's more, they're shown attacking by air via makeshift hot air balloons. Only, there aren't any balloons involved, but rather Ghasts.

Much like the Piglin, Ghasts are residents of the Nether, and like most things there, these creatures are not very nice. They have no qualms about attacking with fireballs, and the fact that they fly can make them a difficult enemy to retaliate against. Strangely, in the film, they seem to be depicted as large, fleshy, jellyfish-like creatures, where in the game, it has been established that they are actually a form of ghost. This change was likely made so they could be used to carry the Piglin around, which is also something not present in Minecraft without mods.

Wolf

It's no shock that the Minecraft trailer doesn't shy away from showing off the game's arguable most beloved neutral mob. In a brief clip, a rectangular dog creature is shown from a side profile howling at the moon. As anyone could likely guess, this is a wolf. They have been a part of the game since 2011, and in that time, they have become adored by Minecraft players everywhere. Why? It's simple, becau?se who doesn't want a dog at their side as they explore the unexplored?

Sadly, for those hoping to see more out of wolves in the Minecraft trailer, all we receive is the small snippet confirming that they are in fact in the film. One has to imagine that the feature will include them prominently, possibly with one of the live-action characters domesticating one during their perilous journey. We can only hope that the movie version of the Minecraft wolf doesn't turn out as u?ncanny as the Sheep appears to have.

Creeper

When you think of Minecraft, a few associated mental images likely spring to mind. Steve, of course, maybe a pickaxe of some kind, or, if you're of a certain age and have spent a certain amount of time on the Internet, some problematic YouTube stars. In truth, I think we all know that there is one singular image that has come to define Minecraft more so than any other. That is the g??reen frowning face of the games most famous enemy, the Creeper.

There's truly no denying the Creeper's place in Minecraft lore. The explosive mob has been the bane of gamers' existence since the game's first year, ruining homes, farms, mines, and so much more with a brief hiss and a boom. The Minecraft trailer simply wouldn't have been complete without the appearance of one, and it delivered. For a brief moment, we see a very fuzzy-looking Creeper, well, creep up beh??ind Jason Momoa's character in the middle of the night, likely intending to do what it does best based on Momoa's terrified expression.

Llama

Toward the end of the Minecraft trailer, we get the big reveal that Jack Black is indeed Steve, blue t-shirt and all. While this may seem like a good point to end the trai?ler on, those who put it together opted for a different stinger. It focuses on a llama chewing on some grass when an arrow flies out of the sky and sticks into the ground next to it, with a crowd of Piglin then running past. The animal stands there in shock and stops chewing before going back to its meal.

Similarly to sheep, llamas don't really do a whole lot in Minecraft. They stand around, chew on grass, and are occasionally found on leashes alongside Wandering Traders or grazing freely with a handful of other llamas. If you're interested, and feel pa?rticularly motivated to do so, you can actually domesticate llamas. All you have to do is continually attempt to ride them and be bucked off until they let you stay on. Surely this mechanic won't be a source of comedy in the movie.

Enderman...maybe?

For the most part, we get a decent look at all of the aforementioned mobs in the Minecraft trailer. Some of them don't get a lot of time to shine, nor are their designs fully revealed, but they still get even the briefest spotlight. Meanwhile, there's potentially one more iconic mob hiding in the Minecraft teaser. ??At the center of the frame, way in the background of the shot with all of?? the Piglin together in the Nether, there's a foreboding set of what could be purple eyes.

While this could be a trick of the lights and it's merely just another Piglin, it could be an Enderman. These unsettling mobs are defined by their long, slender silhouette, magical aura, and purple eyes. They've been a part of Minecraft for years, walking around ominously picking up blocks, and viciously attacking those who provoke them by hitting them or staring them directly in the face. They are known to appear in the Nether, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that one does appear in the Minecraft trailer way in the background.

Odds are we've only seen but a small sampling of the mobs A Minecraft Movie has to off?er so far. We'll have to?? see which others made the cut, and if the whole production is as rough as the trailer makes it seem, when the movie arrives on April 4, 2025.

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The script for Constantine 2, the long-awaited sequel to the 2005 supernatural/superhero cult-classic Constantine, is finally done, bringing the film one step closer to an official release. And one of t??he film's producers is too scared to even read it. As the titular detective would say, "Bloody hell."

Constantine 2's producer has the script... but he's too scared to open it

Constantine 2 has been through every circle of production h-e-double-hockey-sticks in the years that've passed since the original film's release. Earlier this year, at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, ComicBook.com landed an exclusive with Constantine 2's producer, Lorenzo ??di Bonaventura. In it, Bonaventura claimed that the film's script was being written as he spoke and that fans of DC's ever-suffering occult detective would get a mor??e concrete update soon.

Said update came when ComicBook.com talked to Bonaventure to promote the impending release of Transformers One. The second Constantine 2? and the promise he'd made in their earlier interview came up in the conversation, Bonaventure revealed he'd gotten his hands on a copy of the film's script. However, he hasn't read it yet because he fears what he'll see on the pages.

"You know it's in my inbox right now. Funny enough, I'm too scared to read it, though. I want it to be good so bad. I'll probably read it in the next few days. When I get on an? airplane."

Quote from ComicBook.com

Constantine 2 is coming in time to join James Gunn's DCEU reboot

While it is disheartening to hear that Bonaventure isn't jumping at the chance to read Constantine 2's script, I understand his trepidation. The first Constantine isn't a fantastic movie, barring an exceptional leading performance from Keanu Reeves. Still, there's an earnestness to its production, a low-budget "first season of Supernatural" genuineness that's become scarce in our current age of cinematic universes. Seeing that innate, authentic charm swapped for mediocrity or de?speration for mainstream appeal would be a shame.

It doesn't help that the hype around Constantine 2 has heated considerably since DC handed their rebooted Extended Universe over to James Gunn. Warner's kicking off this new incarnation of the DCEU with a healthy slate of new movies and shows, and a new Constantine-themed project would allow them to explore the magical side of the DC Universe. The existence of projects like The Batman's The Penguin spin-off proves that Gunn's willing to ge??t experimental, so Constantine 2 would fit into this new, multi-faceted DCEU nicely.

It's hard to say whether a direct sequel to a film that was released over a decade ago will do well with audiences. That said, Keanu Reeves is a huge name now, and I'd be curious to see what kind of energy he'd bring as an older ?C?onstantine, especially one who got a new lease on life after having terminal lung cancer ripped out of his lungs by the devil.

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The newest trailer for Venom: The Last Dance gave us our first look at the film's villain, and it's not another of Venom's children. In the final chapter of his titular trilogy, Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) faces off against Knull, Lord of ??the Abyss and creator of all symbiotes.

If you're a Marvel Comics fan, you already know why the sound of his name was enough to make the Venom Symbiote want to peel themselves off Eddie's skin. If you don't know who Knull is, worry not! I'm h?ere to tell you everything you need to know about Marvel's most terrifying deity and what his introduction could mean for Sony's Spider-Man universe.

The tale of Marvel's Knull

Knull is a relatively recent addition to the Marvel universe, fully debuting in 2018 within the pages of Donny Cates' Venom. This is ironic, since Knull is one of the oldest beings in the Marvel Universe. Born from the primordial darkness sandwiched between each iteration of the cosmos (Marvel lor??e is wild), Knull is the embodiment of the void, and in classic dark god fashion, all he wants is to bask forever in the infinite blackness he spawned from.

Unfortunately for Knull, his eternal slumber ended abruptly when the deific Celestials began laying down the framework of the universe. As the god of nothing, Knull looked at things like color, warmth, and dreams, and said, "Yeah, I'm not about this." So he did what any rational eldritch horror would do: create a living sword from his shadow and declare war on everything.

With the newly-forged All-Black, the Necrosword, Knull decapitated the first Celestial he saw, becoming the universe's first murderer. Arm?ed with the raw, cosmic power of the Celestial's head, Knull brought an army of dark dragons to life, linked to him through an intricate hive mind. These dragons would become the first generation ??of Symbiotes, and Knull used them to drown galaxies in darkness and bring entire pantheons of gods to their knees.

After untold eons, Knull's campaign came to a screeching halt when one of hi??s dragons made its way to Earth in the Middle Ages. This dragon, Grendel by name, crossed paths with a young Thor and got a face full of Mjolnir for its troubles. The electricity from Thor's blow rippled up the Symbiote hive mind, hitting Knull head-on and knocking the Lord of the Abyss into a coma.

Free from their tyrannical proge??nitor's influence, the Symbiotes sealed Knull away within the core of his throne world, which they would name "Klyntar." Despite the Symbiotes' best attempts to erase any lingering trace of Knul??l from the universe, their efforts would ultimately be in vain.

S.H.I.E.L.D. eventually unearthed Grendel's remains and used them to create a platoon of Symbiote-bonded super-soldiers. Grendel's return kicked off a series of Symbiote-related events, culminating with Knull's resurrection at the hands of Cletus Kasady. Knull launched an all-out symbiote invasion of Earth in the 2020/2021 King in Black crossover event, in which the Lord of the ?Abyss finally met his end at the hands of a divinely powered Eddie Brock.

Knull's debut in Venom: The Last Dance could save Sony's Spider-Verse... or destroy it

Knull is one of the most potent threats ever to menace the Marvel universe, and I'm honestly surprised he's showing up in Venom 3. Hardy's spent most of his tenure as Venom fighting other Symbiote hosts, and Venom 3's first few trailers made it look like that pattern could continue. If my earlier summation didn't clarif??y it enough, Knull's anything but "another Symbiote villain."

With deific strength, a healing factor, and command over a legion of Symbiotes, Knull's easily the most powerful villain to appear in Sony's Spider-Verse. He fought gods and won countless times, and his ability to control Symbiote in the universe means he always has an intergalactic army at his beck and call. With that much power at his command, Knull could become the Big Bad the Sony Spider-Verse has neede??d ??for a while.

However, while I am excited to see what Kelly Marcel does with Knull in Venom 3, I'd be lying if I said I'm not a little worried. Knull was a slow-burn villain in the comics, giving readers plenty of time to stew in dread and morbid curiosity before the foretold "God of the Symbiotes" finally appeared. If there's one thing a villain of Knull's scale deserves, it's a good amount of build-up, and the previous two Venom movies didn't mention him at all. It'd be a shame to see the mystique and morbid majesty of Knull restricted to a single film?, even if it is a series-ending threequel.

A tweet from Alec Perez of My Cosmic Circus implied Sony has big plans for Knull, so Venom 3 may not be the last time we see the God of the Symbiotes. We'll have t??o wait until the movie comes out on October 25th to find out.

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I never imagined Sonic the Hedgehog would become the star of a cinematic universe, but here we are. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is whipping out the big guns, pitting Sonic against his greatest rival in a big-budget adaptation of the storyline that forever changed the Blue Blur's video game series.

Hot off the heels of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (and the Paramount+ meme-fest that is Knuckles), Sonic the Hedgehog 3 sees Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves) emerge from the, well, shadows, to menace the world. As the film's surprisingly epic trailer explains via voiceover, Shadow was born out of Project Shadow, a sinister government operation with shocking ties to Sonic's (Ben Schwartz) archen??emy, Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey??).

Project Shadow is a pivotal moment in the Sonic series' deceptively expansive lore, weaving plot threads the franchise still follows today. Whether you're a Sonic veteran looking for a refresher or a newer fan wondering what the actual heck's happening in Sonic 3, I've got the answers you seek.

Project Shadow's video game history

Introduced as the inciting incident of Sonic Adventure 2, Project Shadow is the stuff of conspiracy theorists' wildest dreams. Started by the United Federation, Project Shadow was a research program created with the outbound goal of achieving immortality. Of course, being a top-secret study funded?? by multiple superpowers, Project Shadow had a secret aim: creating the ultimate lifeform.

Knowing they’d need the finest mind in the world to pull off this ambitious scientific endeavor, the United Federation sought none other than Robotnik’s grandfather, Gerald. Gerald had a personal reason to accept the U.F.’s proposal: his granddaughter, Maria, suffered from a fatal genetic condition tha??t only something as radical as Project Shadow could hope to cure.

Gerald’s research, conducted inside an orbital medical center named Space Co??lony ARK, didn’t go well initially. His early experiments birthed a runty reptile known as the Biolizard, who mutated into a volatile monstrosity Gerald and his colleagues couldn’t control. With his superiors?? threatening to slash the program, it looked like Gerald’s efforts would come up to nothing. Then aliens happened. Really.

Somehow, Gerald came into contact with Black Doom, the leader of a violent race of extraterrestrial conquerors? known as the Black Arms. Desperate to save Maria, Gerald wrote up a devilish pact with Black Doom, offering to give the interstellar warlord control of Project Shadow’s final product if he agreed to lend Gerald some of his blood so he could complete his research??. Being a complete monster bent on galactic domination, Black Doom agreed, unaware (or unconcerned) that Gerald never planned to fulfill his end of the bargain.

Using Black Doom’s DNA, Gerald finally created the ultimate lifeform: Shadow the Hedgehog, who ??formed a deep bond with Maria. Unfortunately, the U.F. caught wind of Shadow’s sheer destructive potential and started having second thoughts on the whole “unkillable bioweapon�?thing. The U.F??.’s military, the Guardian Units of Nations, ended up taking matters into their own hands, launching an all-out assault on the ARK. In the ensuing chaos, a G.U.N. soldier fires a fatal shot into Maria, setting Gerald and Shadow on the path of vengeance.

Project Shadow opens up exciting opportunities for the Sonic film series

Project Shadow is one of the grimmest plot points in Sonic canon, and it looks like Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will adapt it faithfully. While Gerald will appear alive and well (physically, at least) in Sonic 3, one of the final shots confirms Maria will suffer a similar fate to her g??ame counterpart. These developments leave a Sonic fa?n like me to wonder what other bits of Project Shadow lore will make it onto the big screen.

The Biolizard, Shadow’s surrogate brother, didn’t appear in Sonic 3’s trailer. However, Sonic and Shadow’s last fight against it in Sonic Adventure 2 is one of the most iconic boss battles in the series, so I’m willing to bet Sonic 3’s climax will end up using it as a template. Since Shadow gets cold feet about Gerald’s plan to (spoilers) crash the ARK into Earth, Gerald could call in his first “child�?to fini??sh the job Shadow won’t, forcing Sonic and Shadow to work together to save the world.

The Black Arms' involvement in Shadow’s creation also goes unmentioned in the trailer, which is odd since Sonic X Shadow Generations looks like it's picking this plot beat back up after almost two decades. However, that might be because Paramount wants to save that revelation for a later Sonic project. The Knuckles proved that a Sonic side-series can be successful, and I doubt the company will pass up the chance to give Reeves�?Shadow a spin-off where he goes up against the Bl??ack Arms, fully completing his transition from villain to hero.

I’m very interested to see what Sonic 3 does with Project Shadow?? once the movie hits theaters on December 20, 2024. And now maybe you are too, if you weren’t already.

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Video game-based movie adaptations often prove disastrous, but Sonic the Hedgehog managed to avoid joining that club. The rather unsightly first looks at the titular Blue Blur broke the Internet, but Sonic (Ben Schwartz) was redesigned, his live-action blockbuster debut? turned out to be a massive hit, and now, his beloved video game series has become the basis for an entire franchise.

Following up both Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and the Paramount+ streaming series Knuckles is Sonic the Hedgehog 3. This time around, Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves) stands as the central antagonist, givi??ng Sonic, Tails (Coll?een O'Shaughnessey), and Knuckles (Idris Elba) a run for their money. Thus, they're left little choice but to form an uneasy alliance with their longtime enemy, Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), who's also set to go on quite a journey of his own.

As revealed in the Sonic 3 trailer, Robotnik will come face to face with his equally scientifically-inclined grandfather, Gerald Robotnik (Carrey). If you're not too familiar with the extensive and sometimes complicated lore of the Sonic video game franchise, but want to learn a bit about Gerald ahead of Sonic 3, you've come to the right place.

Gerald's video game history

Though his brief appearance in the inaugural Sonic 3 trailer may indicate that Gerald Robotnik is a bit of a goof, much like his grandson, that's not quite the case. Since making his debut in the 2001 platformer Sonic Adventure 2, it has consistently been shown that Gerald is a brilliant scientific mind. He w?as specifically sought out to lead the secretive research program Project ??Shadow under the direction of the United Federation. He accepts, ultimately doing so to unlock the secret to immortality. With trial and error, he eventually creates Shadow the Hedgehog himself.

Unfortunately, his time as one of the leading minds of Project Shadow comes to a swift end. As he completes Shadow, the government gets cold feet and deems his work a danger to humanity. This eventually leads to him be??ing sequestered on Prison Island, where he's left with no choice but to continue his research under the government's close watchful eye. Shadow, now completed, initially escapes custody but is soon brought to Prison Island and kept in suspended animation. Dr Robotnik later releases him from this imprisonment long after Gerald loses his mind and is executed.

Maria Robotnik and the future of the Sonic film franchise

Seeing as the movies don't follow the exact canon of the games, Gerald Robotnik could be up to all sorts of things in in Sonic 3. Surprisingly, there's a good chance that his story in the film coul?d be similar to that of his video game counterpart.

In addition to potentially aiding in the creation of Shadow the He?dgehog, the plot may hint at the tragic fate of another character: his granddaughter Maria Robotnik (Alyla Browne), who has been confirmed to appear in the threequel in some capacity. She's the main motivating factor behind Gerald's decision to join Project Shadow and, unintentionally, his descent into madness.

When he signs up, she's terminally ill, and he wants to use his research to save her life. Sadly, his involvement in the program leads to the exact opposite. With Project Shadow crumbling, troops from the Guardian U??nits of Nations, or G.U.N., are sent to the Space Colony ARK, where Gerald is conducting his research. With armed personnel swarming, Maria and her friend Shadow are forced to flee.

Shadow makes it out, but Maria is shot and killed by an ARK soldier, which sends Gerald into a tailspin and manifests in his plan to destroy the world using Shadow. It's entirely ?p?ossible he could seek revenge for her death in the film and use Shadow as the means to do so, or she has yet to be killed and will be over the course of the film, setting up a fourth movie.

All in all, Gerald Robotnik, despite not being the most well-known character in the Sonic canon, remains one of its most vital. It will be interesting to see how he's used on the big screen when Sonic the Hedgehog 3 premieres on December 20, 2024.

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It was over 35 years ago that Michael Keaton's Beetlejuice first terrorized cinemas across the globe. Now all these years later, the Ghost with the Most is back on the big screen. Director Tim Burton's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is nearly here, and even as many grow tired of the se??emingly endless? stream of legacy sequels that no one asked for, among many in the general audience and, naturally, longtime fans of the 1988 original, anticipation is high for this pre-Halloween spooky theatrical endeavor. Based on promotional material, there seems to be a great amount of new in this long-awaited continuation of the horror comedy classic.

Now decades beyond the events of the first Beetlejuice film, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice focuses on a grown-up Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder), who now has a daughter of her own, Astrid (Jenna Ortega). Within the walls of the Deetz family home, the two are pulled into a paranormal adventure full of frights, Sandworms, and blasts from the past, chiefly The Juice himself. Unfortunately, for those hoping for an overload of Beetlejuice nostalgia in the form of returning main characters, to some exte?nt, your needs may not be entirely met.

For Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, th??ere are several key characters from its predecessor that will not feature in ??its narrative. Here's what we know about their absences.

Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin as Barbara and Adam Maitland

Even though their names aren't in the title, the Maitlands, Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara (Geena Davis), are situated squarely at the center of Beetlejuice. The loving couple dies in a car accident, and the two are forced to live eternally in their house as specters, watching as the Deetz family moves In and turns their happily ever after into a nightmare. The two are responsible for the presence of Beetlejuice in the story as they try to scare off the Deetzs and reclaim the house that was all theirs before their untimely passing. All of that is to say the Maitlands are incredibly important to the story of Beetlejuice, so why, as far as we know??, are they not in the long-await??ed sequel?

As it happens, Geena Davis has spoken on the potential reason for Barbara's exclusion from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. She told Entertainment Tonight her theory that ghosts don't age, so it would be hard to bring the Maitlands back as she and Baldwin have aged as humans do since the first film. Since Davis brought her hypothesis forward, Burton himself has given his reasoning for leaving the Maitlands out this time around. "I didn't want to just tick any boxes. So even though they were such an amazing integral part of the first one, I was focusing on something else,�?he told People, explaining that it w??as a deliberate creative ??decision.

Glenn Shadix as Otho Fenlock

She's brash, abrasive, and set in her ways, not to mention has quite the unique (for lack of a better term) sense of interior design. Delia Deetz (Catherine O'Hara) is the perfect foil for the Maitlands, but she doesn't play secondary antagonist alone. Alongside her throughout the film is her judgmental and arrogant friend and one-time paranormal researcher, Otho Fenlock (Glenn Shadix), who not only helps her decorate her new home but aids in her attempt to turn the ghosts living within it into an attraction. This all makes him quite the important presence throughout Beetlejuice, at least up until his fear sends him packing.

By the end of the 1988 favorite, Otho's dark dreary outfit is transformed into a bright and cheery one by Beetlejuice, leaving him to embarrassedly run and scream all the way home. Sadly, this is the last moviegoers will ever get to see of Glenn Shadix's Otho. The character actor passed away on September 7, 2010, at age 58, having fallen while at home and sustained fatal blunt trauma to the head. His final live-action role was that of Monsieur Vollard in the 2010 movie Finding Gauguin. Seeing as Shadix and Burton were frequent collaborators, c??hances are the director did not elect to recast the Otho role for the upcoming movie.

Jeffrey Jones as Charles Deetz

As his wife Delia tears apart their dwelling, setting up her art projects and running around g??host hunting with Otho, Charles Deetz (Jeffrey Jones) takes a vastly different approach to settling in. He spends time in his study, which he's very adamant is to remain untouched by his wife and her friend, bird watching, and doing everything to enjoy the serenity of their rural abode. Unfortunately, he does get caught up in Beetlejuice-related shenanigans, but by the time the credits roll, he's once again able to kick back and relax, comfortable in the knowledge that only kind ghosts populate his residence.

Throughout advertising for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, fans have seen clips of a funeral, with Lydia and Delia wearing black as a coffin is lowered into a burial plot. One can assume that this is Charles being lowered into his final resting place. If this is the case, it's likely a response to the real-life legal issues of Jeffrey Jones. Not only was he arrested fo?r the possession and solicitation of sexually explicit p?hotographs of a minor, but he was later arrested twice for failing to update his sex offender status. Considering the heinous nature of these crimes, it's no surprise that Jones was not asked to return as Charles for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Sylvia Sidney as Juno

Once the Maitlands come to terms with the fact that they are indeed dead, they have to come up with a plan to get their house back from the Deetzs. They study up on The Handbook for the Recently Deceased and reach out to those wi?th a bit more experience in the whole afterlife thing for help. On one end, there's the malicious and scheming Beetlejuice, and on the other is his former boss, the afterlife caseworker Juno (Sylvia Sidney). She does her best to guide the couple along and dissuade them from working with the supposed "Leading B?io-Exorcist," all while working on other high-stress cases.

With the Deetz family once again having to traverse the paranormal world, Juno seems like the kind of presence they could use on their side. She's knowledgeable, and she has first-hand experience with Beetlejuice. Based on its marketing, however, it doesn't appear that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will feature Juno in any capacity. The actor behind her, Sylvia Sidney, passed away on July 1, 1999, at the age of 88, with her cause of death listed as esophageal cancer. Though there's a slim chance that Juno could be recast, considering the snapp??iness and attitude Sidney expertly brought to the role, it ju??st wouldn't be right to bring the character back without her.

With its stacked cast of a few returning favorites and newcomers to the franchise in tow, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice hits the silver screen on September 6.

The post Which main characters from the original are missing from Beetlejuic?e Beetlejuice? appeared first on Destructoid.

August 16 marked the return of the Alien saga to the big screen after a seven-year absence. Director Fede Álvarez's Alien: Romulus sprung into theaters everywhere and has since made waves in both ways good and bad. While it has drawn critique for its perceived over-reliance on franchise hallmarks and callbacks, others have showered the film with praise. Numerous critics and moviegoers alike were intrigued by the story, satisfied with the frights and overall content to call it a solid entry in the Alien canon.

Despite plenty of people out there believing it to be one of the film's greatest weaknesses, countless Alien die-hards were happy to see so many references and allusions to previous installments. After all, Romulus is an indirect sequel to director Ridley Scott's 1979 classic, Alien, which sta??rted it all. In fact, the USCSS Nostromo, where Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and her companions are ambushed by the Xenomorph in said film, is a principal location in Romulus. At the same time, Alien isn't the only project in the series that informed Álvarez's terri??fying feature.

According to the director himself, the horror video game favorite Alien: Isolation played a pivotal role in the crafting of Romulus in more ways than one.

Isolation kickstarted Álvarez's interest in making an Alien movie

Released on October 7, 2014, and set 15 years after the events of Alien, Alien: Isolation follows the daughter of Ellen Ripley, Amanda (Andrea Deck), who is trying to pinpoint her mother's whereabouts following her disappearance. She doesn't get very far, however, before she encounters Xenomorphs, facehuggers, and more dangers. All in all, Isolation is an excellent survival horror title that has grown especially adored by Alien fans and gamers who are up for a spooky challenge. Evidently, Fede Álvarez is quite a fan as well, hence why he put so much of it into the DNA of Alien: Romulus.

Álvarez revealed as much during a conversation on the Inside Total Film podcast (via Games Radar), where he explained that the entire foundation of his film was created thanks to Isolation. �?em>Alien: Isolation was kind of what made me see that Alien could truly be terrifying and done well [today],�?he explained, noting that he first picked Isolation up around the time his 2016 film Don't Breathe was coming together. As he played, he began yearning to tell an Alien story at the movies. Thankfully for him, it didn't take long for such an opportunity to arise. Once it did, he not only made it a priority to capture the tense, chilling tone of Isolation, reigniting the horror that made Alien such a hit 45 years ago, but to honor the game in the form of a ?fun yet meaningful Easter egg.

Continuing, Álvarez explained that emergency phones, which act as checkpoints in Isolation to save your game, are prevalent throughout Romulus. As it turns out, though, he didn't merely want to toss them in as a fun nod to the almost decade-old game. “The movie is set up in a way [that] every time something bad is about to happen, you will see a phone,�?he said, warning those that haven't seen Romulus that they should "brace for impact" every time a phone appears on screen, just as they would while using one in the game. In Isolation, they t??ake time to use, leaving Amanda vulnerable to Xenomorph attacks as the?? save completes.

Isolation took inspiration from Alien

For the most part, much like Alien: Romulus, Alien: Isolation does try to blaze its own trail. It takes the established lore of the Alien series and builds on it while simultaneously honoring what came before. Interestingly, the folks behind the game did the inverse of what Fede Álvarez did by looking to an existing movie to create a video game. Speaking to PC Gamer in January 2015, a few months after the game was released, Isolation creative lead Alistair Hope revealed that he and the team pulled heavily from the original Alien mo??vie, emulating what made it and continues to make it such a pop culture sensation.

�?em>Alien is unmistakably Fox’s property, but from the moment we pitched the original concept to them, they’ve been completely behind us. I think because we were trying to stay true in spirit to the original, they felt like it was in safe hands," Hope told the publication, touching on the relationship between Isolation's development house, Creative Assembly, and the now-Walt Disney Company-owned 20th Century Fox. This positive collaboration led Fox to share key assets, from costumes to props to miscellaneous production material, with Creative Assembly to make Isolation? as tr?ue to the trend-setting science fiction feature as possible.

Romulus is effectively a movie inspired by movies and a video game, which is also inspired by a movie. Perhaps the chain will continue, and we'll someday get a new Alien game with elements attributed to Álvarez's emergency phone-laden ??creation.

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Paramount has released the first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and n??ot only does it provide insight into the plot of the third installment, but it also serves as the first glimpse of the newest and long-rumored member of the cast �?Shadow. Oh, and Keanu Reeves speaks in this a??s Shadow, too.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 arrives in movie theaters on December 20, and sees the return of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, following their efforts to defeat Shadow, who seems to ??have escaped confinement. Amid the ensuing chaos, Sonic decides that teami??ng up with a depressed Doctor Robotnik is the best way to reach their goal. 

This is, of course, the return of Jim Carrey as Doctor Robotnik, who at one point in the trai??ler says “if I can’t rule the world, I might as well save it�? But let’s be honest, the big excitement ?here is Keanu Reeves. 

Rumors of Reeves�?role in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 began right back with the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which featured a short clip of Shadow at the very end. Many names were thrown into the ring as Shadow’s possible voice actor, but Reeves quickly became the go?-to guess for many people.

Reeves' involvement was confirmed back ?in April, but it’s nice to finally see Shadow get some moments to shine during the trailer. We’re going to get a lot of information about Shadow’s backstory, and many action-packed battles between not only good and evil on the streets of London, but also inner battles as well. 

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The epic conclusion of Attack on Titan is set to rumble through theaters later this year with a newly announced finale compilation film titled Attack on Titan The Movie: THE LAST ATTACK. This cinematic event will combine the two parts of the Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS into ?one colossal 145-minute film, offering fans the chance to experience the story's breatht?aking conclusion in a single sitting.

Alongside the announcement of THE LAST ATTACK, a teaser trailer was released, providing a glimpse of what fans can expect. A visual for the film has also been revealed, which ?sets the stage for its November 8 release in Japan.

Directed by Yuichiro Hayashi, the mastermind behind the final season, THE LAST ATTACK is more than just a simple re-edit. According to Crunchyroll, Hayashi shared that the original storyboards for THE FINAL CHAPTERS were conceived with a movie format in mind, making this theatrical release a "dream come true" for him. The visuals have been updated from the ori??ginal television broadcast to take full advantage of the big screen, ensuring that viewer??s will experience the series' climax in the best possible way.

Attack on Titan follows the story of humanity's desperate struggle for survival in a world w??here giant humanoid creatures known as Titans have decimated civilization. The series centers around Eren Jaeger and his friends Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert as they join the military to fight back against the Titans and uncover the dark secrets behind their existence.

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It has been 45 years since director Ridley Scott's Alien first?? blew moviegoers away, and its cultural impact doesn't seem to have diminished in the slightest. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is still an icon, ?the Xenomorphs are still terrifying, and the franchise it has launched is still going strong.

Having taken a few years off after some disappointing and confusing entries, the Alien franchise has finally returned with director Fede Álvarez's Alien: Romulus, a film that certainly has its ups and downs and has even generated some division among Alien enthusiasts since debuting on August 16.

For the most part, Romulus brings the Alien series back to ba??sics. It introduces a new crew of space colonist characters, led by Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny), who take it upon themselves to scavenge the wreckage of a nearby abandoned ship, the USCSS Nostromo. Little do they realize once they board the ship that it's not entirely empty. Before they know it, they're set upon by alien hordes, forced to fight for their lives and do everything in their power to escape before it's too late.

Is it the most lore-heavy or game-changing installment in the Alien saga? Not quite, but there's still plenty to enjoy and plenty to study up on before seeing it. If you want to get the most out of Alien: Romulus, these are the films in ??the franchise you should check out first.

Prometheus comes first

Compared to most other Alien movies, 2012's Alien: Prometheus is quite ambitious. It's not so much a straight-up science fiction horror movie as much? as it is a massive, epic lore dump explaining where the Xenomorphs came from, how and by who they were created, and what their earliest interactions with humanity were like. While there are plenty of moviegoers and critics out there who fi??nd the film to be a bit of a drag, the film isn't a total swing-and-miss.

Prometheus does an excellent job providing an origin story for the Xenomorphs in all of their biomechanical horror and offers some truly compelling performances. Most notable is Michael Fassbender as the android David. Additionally, Prometheus is a visual spectacle with grand yet spine-chilling settings, excellent camera work, and breathtaking costumes. To top it all off, the plot, while a bit messy at times, is fascinating and sure to Intrigue those new to the Alien series.

At the end of the day, Prometheus doesn't have many deep-cut connections to Romulus as it is set a while before it in the year 2093, but it does lay the groundwork for both it and the other Alien films.

Alien: Covenant is worth checking out, but not overly-essential

Moving ahead roughly 11 years after the events of Prometheus, we get 2017's Alien: Covenant. While still maintaining some of the grandeur of its predecessor, Covenant leans more into the hallmarks of the Alien saga.

A group of colonists land on a remote planet that seems to be nothing short of perfect. Of course, having seen Prometheus, we, as audience?? members, know that the ?presence of Fassbender's David is not a good sign. In short order, the colonists have to defend themselves from far more Xenomorph-looking Xenomorphs than those present in the 2012 film.

Even though in tone and style, Covenant angles into what made the Alien films so beloved and recognizable. It very much maintains the narrative thread of the somewhat tonally distant Prometheus while revealing more about the evolution of the Xenomorphs. This may be fascinating for some, especially those who found Prometheus engaging, but to others, this could make Covenant entirely skippable.

Much like Prometheus, Covenant isn't too closely tied to Romulus outside of its larger lore connections. So, if you're into the lore of the franchise, it's definitely worth checking out before Romulus. If not, you could watch it for entertainment value, but it'?s not quite essential.

Alien is a must before Romulus

With Prometheus and Covenant behind us, we now move on to what is either the best or the second-best film in the entire Alien saga, depending on your personal taste.

1979's Alien started it all, with the crew of the USCSS Nostromo being picked off one by one by a mysterious and frightening alien e??ntity. In the end, Ripley is the one brave enough to stand toe-to-toe with the Xenomorph, defeating it once and for all...or so ??she thought.

As has been said for decades, Alien is a masterclass in horror, science fiction, and the intersection of the two, but those aren't the only reasons why you should check it out before giving Romulus a try. It's quite literally a prequel to the new film, set 20 years before Romulus in the year 2122.

As you've likely pieced together already, the USCSS Nostromo Rain and her companions investigation in Romulus is the exact wreckage left behind by Ripley, her fellow crew members, and the Xenomorph in Alien. It doesn't get much more direct than that, but in all honesty, even if they weren't connected, no Alien series re?watch of any kind is complete without this film.

What about the Alien vs. Predator duology?

On paper, a crossover between the Xenomorph of the Alien franchise and the Yautja from the Predator franchise should be a match made movie heaven. In truth, these legendar??y silver screen creatures' two meetings on the big screen have left much to be desired.

Sure, seeing them come to blows in Alien vs. Predator and its sequel, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, is a fun novelty, but as far as full movies go, they miss the mark in multiple ways. The human characters are forgettable, the plots are uninspired, and for the mo??st part, they don't do much to push either franchise forward.

The only reason the AVP duology is even being discussed here is because they supposedly take place in the year 2004, nearly a full century before Prometheus. Thus, one might imagine that they're needed to understand all of the films that have been mentioned on this list. In reality, the existence of Prometheus effectively erases them from the Alien franchise canon. If you want to watch them anyway for one reason or another, feel free, but just because they're set before Romulus does not mean that watching or not watching them will impact your understa??nding of the new mov??ie.

With that, your pre-Romulus viewing guide is complete. Once you've watched it, you'll be in a good spot to give Ro??mulus a go. The feature is now playing exclusively in theaters.

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The first Borderlands game burst onto the scene in 2009. It brought fast-paced action, comedy, and intrigue as players navigate Pandora and all of its dangers in pursuit of sweet, sweet loot. In time, Borderlands became the starting point for an?? entire gaming franchise, of numerous beloved and not-so-beloved gam?es,

Now, at long last, the long-running series has made the jump to live-action, following in the footsteps of other recent video game adaptations such as Twisted Metal, The Last of Us, and Fallout, to name a few. Early critic impressions of the Borderlands movie are in, ?and well, they're not very positive.

Borderlands misses the mark for the majority of critics

To say that critics haven't held back on Borderlands and its supposed cacophony of misst?eps would be an understatement. The film has been widely panned before? it even hit theaters.

"Eli Roth’s fiasco is so drearily routine and slapdash that even an A.I. would deem it too plagiaristic," wrote The Daily Beast's Nick Schager of the film's uninspired and rushed writing. Over at The Hollywood Reporter, David Rooney expanded on this, specifically di??scussing the feature's lack of emotional resonance: "Since the characters remain one-dimensional �?not much more than cartoonish gamer avatars �?we’re never terribly invested in their survival, or their quest to get to the vault first."

Highlighting the film's overabundance of needle-drops and sci-fi action, Empire's Dan Jolin notes, "Borderlands so wants to be Guardians Of The Galaxy...but it doesn’t come close to capturing the same Guardians space-magic." Vicky Jessop of the London Evening Standard even put it in contention for worst movie of 2024, claiming that it calls back to a bygone era of absolutely atrocious video game adaptations. Alistair Ryder over on AwardsWatch d??oesn't even think it has the makings of a future cult classic with its?? lack of originality and style.

What does Borderlands have going for it?

Seems like a lot of critics find Borderlands to be a derivative, style-less, action flick that's impossible to emotionally invest in and harkens back to the dark ages of video game adaptations. That's a pretty bleak description, but is there any silver lining here? Is there anything that gives Borderlands even the slightest bit of merit ?in the eyes of critics? As ?it turns out, yes. Miraculously, some feel there are some bright spots in what appears to be one of the biggest cinematic misfires of 2024.

Well, so far, pretty much the only positive is the portrayal of Lilith by the historically excellent in just abo??ut everything Blanchett.

Though she finds the character's writing a bit lacking, Beyond the Trailer's Grace Randolph likes what Blanchett does with the Lilith role: "I got a kick out of Blanchett starring in a movie like this - and doing a great job!" Danny Leigh agreed in his Financial Times review, calling Blanchett's charisma one of the few "faint, stubborn signs of something more interesting" in the movie. "Sadly, Borderlands is an unworthy vehicle for [Blanchett's] swaggering performance," added Screen Daily's Tim Grierson.

A long road to the Borderlands

Borderlands' road from the gaming world to Hollywood is a long one. Talks of the games being adapted date back to 2011, though, evidently, progress on such a creative endeavor was slow. Leigh Whannell was initially said to be handling writing and directing duties, Aaron Berg and Oren Uziel took a crack at the script, and at one point the film was envisioned as R-rated. Eventually, Eli Roth was selected as director, casting began in 2020, and after over a decade in development limbo and weeks of reshoots under director Tim Miller, Borderlands has become a viewable reality.

On paper, Borderlands seems poised to become a hit. Roth and Miller are seasoned directors, an??d they led a stacked cast consisting of such A-listers as Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jack Black. Once trailers and promotional images arrived, however, not even the presence of game staples like Lilith (Blanchett), Krieg (Florian Munteanu), and Claptrap (Black) and some of Pandora's signature imagery could dispel the notion that the adaptation?? looked underwhelming and uninspired. All early impressions have done little to counter those feelings.

At the end of the day, these critic reactions only comprise a small portion of folks who have seen and will see Borderlands. Time will tell if their critiques of the movie are widely-held, or if it will find its footing with general audiences as it kicks off its theatrical run. Sadly, Borderlands has severely struggled whe?n it comes to selling tickets so far, so we'll have to see if people even bother going? to see the movie to form an opinion on it.

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HBO has published a new trailer for Dune: Prophecy, a prequel to the Dune movies. While the first teaser featured broader strokes about the Bene Gesserit, this new teaser shows the internal politics, scheming fo??r power, an?d the early days of the Sisterhood.

The Dune: Prophecy trailer revealed glimpses of how the Bene Gesserit train, and shows the Sisterhood in its fragile stages. Set 10,000 years before the birth of Paul Atreides from the movies, this series extensively focuses on the journey of the Bene Gesserit to become the revered Sisterhood that we have s??een in the ?movies.

Director Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies featured the Bene Gesserit at a time when their position in the Imperium is firm. The Bene Gesserit essentially act as advisors and counselors to rulers by the time we see the storyline of Paul Atreides unfolding. However, the new teaser reveals that the upcoming series is set in a time when their existence and r??ising power were being questioned.

Emily Watson will be in the lead role, portraying Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen. Mark Strong will play the role of Emperor Javicco Corrino, who seems to be a central part of the story. Popular Indian actress Tabu is also set to be a part of the series and will portray Sister Francesca, and the Dune: Prophecy teaser offered a first look at the actr??ess in her new role.

Part of the plot also involves the Sisterhood’s attempts at putting one of the Bene Gesserit on a throne in the Imperium, and it remains to be seen how that attempt pans out. Dune: Prophecy will be released in November 2024 ?on Max, HBO?’s streaming service.

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Beetlejuice became a pop culture icon from the moment he appeared in his self-titled 1988 movie. Sure, he's crass, crafty, and a sight for sore eyes, but the afterlife's leading bio-exorcist is undeniably charming and hilarious. Now he's finally returning to the movies with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, along with a host of beloved ch??aracters from the previous film.

While this is great for his fans, it shouldn't be the only return he's making in the 21st century. As animated and over-the-top as he is, it's surprising that the colorful and macabre world of Beetlejuice hasn't gotten its own modern video game. After all, not only is anticipation high for his next big screen outing, but the closest thing he's gotten to a modern gaming spotlight, a 2017 LEGO Dimensions ?expansion ?pack, proved that there's plenty of fun for the character to have in such a format.

Beetlejuice's previous games are incredibly dated

LEGO Dimensions add-on aside, Beetlejuice's gaming appearances are entirely confined to the 1990s. He made his gaming debut in 1990 via Adventures of Beetlejuice: Skeletons in the Closet, a DOS game based on the animated Beetlejuice series. Taking place on a giant checkerboard, you play as Beetlejuice as he defeats various monsters with loogies while Lydia Deetz cleans up their remains. It's a good time-killer and very much evokes the look of the show, but it's hardly a definitive Beetlejuice gaming adventure.

The following year came Beetlejuice for the Nintendo Entertainment System, largely based on the 1988 movie. This title puts Beetlejuice in a platforming environment, where he runs from one fantastical stage to the next, squashing bugs and planning to cause mischief for the Deetz family. This is a pretty standard platformer from the era with little to write home about. With the likes of Super Mario World on the market at the time, this one was pretty easy to pass over?, and its fortune hasn't improved with ag?e.

1992's Beetlejuice: Horrific Hijinx from the Neitherworld! is a Nintendo Game Boy offering based on the Beetlejuice cartoon, and, unsurprisingly, it woefully misses the mark. It's sluggish, and the limitations of the hardware prevent it from capturing the look and feel of the?? show. Like its contemporaries, it'??s entirely unremarkable—another big miss.

For such a popular character, one would think that Beetlejuice would have at least one solid game to his credit already, but no such title ?has made it t??o consumers yet. All the more reason for a modern Beetlejuice game to come along, giving the character his gaming due and rectifying his past blunders.

Classic horror-comedy properties have worked as modern video games before

One of the great things about gaming as a medium is that there's a little bit of everything out there. Want a serious, character-driven story? How about something light and comedic? Atmospheric? It's all out there, and more often than not, these games find their audience and thrive. One has to imagine that a horror-comedy game adaptation of Beetlejuice would find the same success, especially since similarly-toned properties from de?cades past have performed well when brought to the format.

A prime example is 2009's Ghostbusters: The Video Game from Atari Interactive. The game has players join the original movie's Ghostbusters as the new recruit, embarking on an adventure between the first two films. It's funny, action-packed, and visually impressive for the time, striking just the right chords with Ghostbusters fans. In fact, with the legacy cast at the forefront, many out there long considered it the true Ghostbusters 3 before Ghostbusters: Afterlife came along in 2021, despite its place in the timeline. Dan Aykroyd even referred to it as such in a 2009 interview with SciFiNow.

If Ghostbusters can get a video game continuation long after a series entry last graced the big screen, and hit a home run with franchise fans, gamers, and critics alike in doing so, surely Beetlejuice could do the same.

A new Beetlejuice game could be all kinds of crazy fun

When it comes to Beetlejuice, the name of the game is fun. The film and the cartoon are full of rich colors, wacky environments, and other-worldly characters that fans can't forget. These elements are perfectly suited for a modern video game,?????????????????????????? with hardwar?e finally available that can render such visuals in stunning detail.

Unlike previous Beetlejuice games, voice acting is now very much a thing in video games, too. It's now possible for Beetlejuice and his companions to craft and sell a compelling narrative, build on existing lore, and crack? all kinds of jokes while?? you play.

Of course, what are stories and vi??sual elements without solid gamep?lay? Given the character's off-the-wall nature, Beetlejuice can fit into virtually any gaming environment. A goofy platformer could allow for colorful, inventively-designed levels in both the netherworld and the land of the living.

Meanwhile, a more open-world angle can do the same with an emphasis on exploring such fascinating environments and getting acquainted with their residents. Even a linear game could prove enjoyable, putting the main narrative and the charac?ters within it front-and-center. Naturally, any and all of these options could allow Beetlejuice himself to shine with his undead abilities weaved into traversal, puzzle-solving, combat, and more.

All in all, Beetlejuice deserves the modern video game treatment. He and his world are tailor-made for it, and if?? anything, so long as it's done right, such a title would go a long way in washing the taste of his previous games out of gamers' mouths. The only question is, which, if any, developer will step up to once again let the Juice loose on the gaming landscape?

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The Thursday Murder Club, the massively successful ??novel by Richard Osmon, is getting a movie adaptation. The film doesn't have a release date just yet, but it's got its cast all set, ready to take the story from page to screen in style. 

The Thursday Murder Club is the first book in the so-far four-book Thursday Murder Club series and revolves around a group of crime-fighting old-age pensioners who all reside in the same luxu??ry retirement complex. As such, it should come as no surprise that the majority of the currently known stars are on the older side, staying true to its source material.

On his Podcast, The Rest is Entertainment, Osmon detailed that ??Elizabeth Banks will be played by fan favorite Helen Mirren, so??meone who many fans have shouted at Osmon in the streets as their casting choice, as he went on to say in the episode of the Podcast. 

Alongside Mirren, the following incredible line-up of stars are joining the cast of The Thursday Murder Club:

• Pierce Brosnan as Ron Ritchie
• Sir Ben Kingsley as Ibrahim Arif
• Celia Imrie as Joyce Meadowcroft
• Naomi Ackie as Donna de Freitas
• Jonathan Pryce as Stephen Best
• David Tennant 
• Daniel Mays
• Henry Lloyd-Hughes

While it hasn’t been confirmed as of yet which roles the final three names on this list will play, there’s no arguing that this is a very exciting line-up. On the latest episode of The Rest is Entertainmant, Osmon said that this might be the “greatest British cast since the Harry Potter movies�? and I have to admit I can’t find any r??eason to disagree. 

Away from the cast themselves, the power behind The Thursday Murder Club is also pretty impressive. The Netflix movie will be written and directed by Christopher Columbus, of previous Harry Potter and Home Alone fame, while the movie rights belong to Amblin Entertainme?nt, led by St??ephen Spielberg.

Filming is set to begin this summer, with a hopeful release date at some point in 2025. As a fan of the books, I’m really impressed by this line-up and hopeful that the screen adaptation of The Thursday Murder Club will do the books justice.

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I read the first Harry Potter book when I was eight years old and they quickly became a favorite of mine, remaining so to this day. As such, I’m very excited about the Harry Potter series and the possibilities it brings. 

If you’ve only ever watched the Harry Potter movies, I’m sorry to tell you that ?you’re missing out on the details which make the wizarding world so popular. There are so many features and subp?lots in the books that are either altered or entirely omitted from the movies. However, the series does offer a chance for these things to get the spotlight they truly deserve. Hopefully.

Peeves

Peeves is the resident Poltergeist of Hogwarts and, as a Poltergeist, he gets into all manner of mischief. He’s a comic relief character who has a complete disregard for authority in all forms, helps?? to spread gossip among students, but is absolutely loyal to Hogwarts itself. 

He fears the Bloody Baron (another character entirely excluded from the movies), respects Albus Dumbledore (but doesn’t listen to him), and shares a bond with the Weasley twins due to their shared love of pranks and chaos. When Fred and George leave Hogwarts during The Half-Blood Prince, Peeves follows their instruc??tions to cause problems for Delores Umbridge and actually salutes them in front of the entire school as they leave.

The Weasleys visiting the Dursleys

During The Goblet of Fire, in order to collect Harry and take him to the Quidditch World Cup (which also suffere??d during the movie adaptation), the Weasleys attempt to arrive at the Dursley’s house via Floo Powder. However, the Dursley’s have blocked up their fireplace, leaving the Weasley’s trapped behind a stud wall. 

What follows is a glorious scene where the Dursley’s break through the wa?ll, destroy the pristine living room in 4 Privet Drive, and the twins give ??Dudley a Ton-Tongue Toffee which makes his tongue swell to insane proportions, terrifying the Dursleys. 

S.P.E.W.

The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare was Hermione’s ill-thought attempt to help the House Elves escape servitude. In The Goblet of Fire, Hermione starts her v??ery own club, with the acronym nam?e of S.P.E.W., makes badges, and tries to recruit members to her cause. 

What she failed to take into a??ccount, however, was that House Elves actually enjoy serving their wizarding folk, for the most part, and there was even an entire army happily working away in the Hogwarts kitchens. 

Harry and Cho’s disastrous date

Although we do see a small glimpse of Harry’s ill-fated relationship? with Cho Chang during the movies, the best part of the ?terrible coupling is omitted. 

During The Half-Blood Prince, Harry a?nd Cho have a romantic date at Madam Puddifoot’s in Hogsmeade on Valentine’s Day. Sadly, it’s a d?isaster and after Harry mentions that he plans to meet up with Hermione afterward, Cho flies off the handle and cries before storming off. 

Honestly, this whole pairing is just cringeworthy, but that doesn’t come across in the movies the same way it does in the book??s. 

St. Mungos

St. Mungos is a magical hospital based in London and has four floors dedicated to the treatment of magical maladies and injuries, plus another which houses a tea room and gift shop. Sadly, the entire building is removed from the films, despite the fact that we actually visit the hospital during The Order of the Phoenix, after Arthur Weasley?? gets attacked by Nagini in the Department of Mysteries. 

It’s also know??n that both of Neville’s parents, Alice and Frank Longbottom, are long-term residents a??t St. Mungos due to their extended exposure to the Cruciatus Curse at the hands of Bellatrix LeStrange. 

However, perhaps the best thing missed in the movies is the fact that Professor Lockhart becomes a long time resident after the events of The Chamber of Secrets, when a memory wiping charm aimed at ?Ron backfired and he took the hit himself. 

The Gaunt memories

During The Half-Blood Prince movie, a huge part of the backstory is lost due to the omission of the memories of the Gaunts, which are viewed through the pensieve in the book??. The Gaunts are the ancestors of Tom Riddle, and the memories tell ?the story of how Tom Riddle came to be born. 

In short, his mother was a poor woman named Merope Gaunt who used a love spell to trap an?d marry a wealthy muggle named Tom Riddle. After becoming pregnant, she lifts the spell and Tom Riddle Sr. abandons her, only for her to die shortly after giving birth to the child wh??o would go on to become Lord Voldemort. 

Winky and the rest of the Hogwarts House Elves

There is a whole section of Hogwarts that is never visited during the Harry Potter movies �?the ki?tchens. They’re filled with House Elves who work night and day to prepare the huge amount of fo??od needed to feed all the students and staff at Hogwarts. 

One notable House Elf is Winky, who came to Hogwarts after being dismissed by Ludo Bagman during The Goblet of Fire. Feeling depressed at being dismissed, she turns to drinking and we end up with what ?is essentially an a??lcoholic yet incredibly lovable House Elf. 

Ginny Weasley’s feisty personality

After seeing her portrayal in the Harry Potter movies, fans of the franchise were enraged by how badly Ginny Weasley came across. Her entire personality is lost, wit??h her fading very much into the background despite being a huge part of the books. 

She’s supposed to be feisty and very much a miniature version of her mother, Mol??ly. She comes ?armed with a well refined Bat Bogey Hex, which we never see in the movies, and is loyal to a fault. They really did her dirty in the movies, so I hope we see more of her actual personality in the series. 

Nearly Headless Nick’s deathday party

I’ve always been angry that Nearly Headless Nick’s entire deathday party is removed from the movies, ??and I’m hoping that we actually get to see it in the series. 

The deathday party is entirely populated by ghosts (except for Harry, Ron and Hermione), with rotten food being available for them to enjoy, an explanation as to why Nearly Headless Nick isn’t named Entirely Headless Nick, and also the whole Headless Hunt fiasco. Nick deserved so much better, on all?? fronts.

Interactions with the Muggle Prime Minister

Maybe I’m biased, but I can’t help but find it hilarious to imagine the Prime Minister? being accosted by a wizard to discuss the relations between worlds. Imagine the President, sitting in the oval of?fice as a Wizard tries to explain why muggles need to be careful because a murderer has escaped wizarding prison. 

While it isn’t a huge part ??of the story, it does build a bridge between the muggle and wizarding worlds, something which ??helps to build the world and establish where everything fits.

Percy and his redemption arc

While Percy’s? treachery towards his family is touched on in the movies, it’s very much glossed over with him suddenly bei??ng gone and then reappearing later. 

However, in the books, his behaviour is deplorable and he easily becomes a hated character for how he treats his family. He completely blanks them in public, humiliates them, and sides with Cornelius Fudge to call?? them crazy when they ba?ck Harry’s announcement that Voldemort is back. 

When he finally does come back, during the Battle of Hogw??arts, the family are celebrating when Fred is killed by an explosion, never seeing Percy return to the family.

Firenze teaching Divination

In the movies, the most we see of the Centaurs is the strange repeated sentence “Mars ?looks bright tonight�? However, at least one Centaur plays a much bigger role in the books. 

During The Half-Blood Prince, after the dismissal of Professor Trelawney by Umbridge, Firenze becomes Divination teacher at Hogwarts and remains in the position for two years, teaching students about fortune telling. I’m not sure what else ??to say about this, except ??I desperately want more for the Centaurs than the small role they have in the movies.

Charlie Weasley

The Weasleys have seven children, though if you’ve only watched the movies, you could be forgiven for thinking on??e of them doesn’t exist. 

Charlie Weasley is the oldest of those seven children and he works in Romania with Dragons. T??his is touched upon in the movies, with Ron saying as such, but he never appears in person. He��s glimpsed in the holiday photo from Egypt, but despite the fact that he was supposed to come pick up Norberta, he never shows his face.

The backstory of the Vanishing Cabinet 

Remember the Vanishing Cabinet which is used by the Death Eaters to gain entry to Hogwarts during the final battle? That piece of furniture has an entire backstory interwo?ven through previous books. 

It first appears in The Chamber of Secrets, when Harry is accosted by Filch for leaving muddy footprints in the freshly cleaned halls. Nearly Headless Nick convinces Peeves to create a distraction, and ?he breaks the cabinet. 

Then, in The Goblet of Fire, Fred and George Weasley shove a Slytherin called Montague into the Cabinet and he gets stuck between Hogwarts and Borgin and Burke’s. When he escapes, he tells Draco Malfoy what happened, p????roviding Draco with the idea to repair the Cabinet and get the Death Eaters into the castle.

However, none of this features in? the movies, and this entire subplot is lost.

Harry funding Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes

In return for winning the Tri-Wizard Tournament during The Goblet of Fire, Harry receives 1,000 Galleons. However,?? Harry has an entire vault filled with Galleons in Gringotts and has no use for the money. Instead, he ?hands it over to Fred and George Weasley.

They, in turn, use this money to purchase a shop in Diagon Alley and build th??eir wizarding joke empire, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Without Harry, they would not have been able to start their shop and live out their prankster dreams, albeit for a short time in Fred’s case.

The post 15 book features I hope actually appear in the ??Harry Potter TV series appeared first on Destructoid.

If you’re a Hunger Games fan, it’s time to rejoice - we’re getting another dive into the dystopian world of Panem, created by Suzanne Collins, in the shape of Sunrise on the Reaping. Interestingly, we know not only the book release date, but the movie release ?date too. 

Sunrise on the Reaping will be set 40 years after the events of the last title, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, during the Second Quarter Quell (otherwise known as the 50th anniversary of the first Hunger Games). We already know that Haymitch Abernathy won the 50th Hunger Games, so the book will likely focus on him and his experience during the years' games.?? 

On June 6, it was revealed that the Sunrise on the Reaping book is set to release on March 18, 2025 and with all of the previous books receiving epic movie adaptations, it will come as no surprise that the fifth instalment will also be getting one too. Also on June 6, Lionsgate revealed that Sunrise on the Reaping already has a release date, coming 18 months late??r than the book on November 20, 2026, around the same time of year that all of the movies were released aside from the first. 

It’s unusual for a book and its mov?ie adaptation to be announced simultaneously, but it should come as no surprise given the ?huge box office success of the previous movies:

Thanks to the popularity of Haymitch during the original trilogy, where he became Katniss Everdean’s mentor during the 74th and 75th Hunger Games, it’s likely that Sunrise on the Reaping will outshine The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, prov??iding the focus is a??ctually on his character’s hardships as expected. 

While we know that Francis Lawrence will be returning as Director for Sunrise on the Reaping, no casting choices have been made for the movie as of yet??. It’s also worth noting that with such a long time to go before the currently expected release date, there may be some changes to this originally planned date.

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Steve Carell, the voice of Gru in the Despicable Me movies, has unveiled the "Megaverse". The newly released Despicable Me 4 trailer features Carell introducing the Mega Minions in a planned universe where many movies and shows will expand the lore around the Mega Minions. Through the trailer, Illumination and Carell took a cheeky dig at the superhero franchise model from Marvel Cinematic Universe, which features l??oads of movies and shows that are interconnected and part of a main storyline that goes on fo??r many years.

Illumination took the joke a step further by revealing an official website where the planned timeline of movie releases and an official synopsis are listed. While the joke began with superhero movies and Marvel in particular, the quips expand to other movies as well, with clever nods to Star Wars, Jerry Maguire, James Bond, Mad Max, and more.

The official movie titles include Mega Minions Legacy, where the movie's plot states that the heroes must return “after the Anti-Villain League’s quarterly earnings dramatically miss estimates.�?/p>

Another hilarious movie is simply slated as an Untitled Mega Minion Spin-off and its outlined plot suggests that the story will be "determined based on rigor??ous market testing and ad hoc decision-making."

The movie names and the Megaverse announcement are clearly a parody, but it would be interesting to see some of these many movie ideas come to f?ruition.

Despicable Me 4 will ??have the super-powered Mega ??Minions at least, and the movie is slated for a release on July 3, 2024.

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Jeremy Renner, who played William Brandt in the Mission: Impossible movies, has now revealed why he turned down the opportunity to return to the franchise. Renner was offered a role in Mission: Impossible - Fallout but bowed out because he did not agree with the direction his character in the film was he??adi??ng towards.

Renner was recently on the Happy, Sad, Confused Podcast where he was asked to explain why Brandt was missing in Mission: Impossible - Fallout, which came out back in 2018. He said that he declined to return because his character?? was going to be killed off in the movie.

“If you’re going to do this, and you’re going to use my character, you’re goin?g to do it right,�?he said.

The actor further explained, “I remember they tried to bring me over[seas] for a week so they could kill my character, and I was like, ‘No, you don’t get to do that. You’re not going to drag me over there and just kill my character,�?like get out of here!�?/p>

Renner said he yelled at the director, telling him, “Dude, you’re not going to do this to me like that; you’re not going to do me wrong.�?/p>

The actor also r??evealed that he had left the franchise because he wanted to focus on his resp??onsibilities as a father, and it was hard to spend time with the family since the filming took place overseas. 

While this ??sounds like Renner is not going to make a return to the franchise, all hope is not lost. He said during the podcast that he is open to returning as William Brandt. However, it is clear that the role must have significance for Renner to conside??r it.

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Sony and Columbia Pictures have revealed the first trailer for the upcoming Venom movie, giving us a look at the final Venom film in the tril?ogy. Tom Hardy’s Venom appears all set for another round of mayhem, and the action-packed trailer teases the fight ahead.

The first trailer do??es hint towards what fans can mostly expect from the movie, as the alien Venom symbiote warns Eddie Brock about an invasion of Earth by the beings from its world. The beings are none other than Klyntar, the alien race created by Knull, one of the oldest villains in the Marvel comics.

The final movie’s official synopsis has also been revealed, explaining that “Eddie and Venom are on the run...�?and that both of them are being hunted by humans as well as the Klyntar, forcing them “into a devastating decision that will ??bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie's last dance."

While the trailer does not dig into why exactly the Klyntar have shown up on Earth and are hunting down Eddie Brock and V??enom, it look?s like it's an uphill battle for the duo against the Klyntar. The final Venom movie has yet to divulge its big, bad villain yet, and it remains to be seen if Venom will only be taking the fight up against the Klyntar.

Interestingly, Sony’s Shared Spider-Man Universe does not seem to be introducing Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and finally have him face to face with Venom?. The idea was certainly teased in the post-credit scene from the previous Venom movie, but the trailer’s plot looks miles away from that reality. Even if we somehow do see Spider-Man, it’s likely going to be a small cameo to introduce him in this Universe rather than seeing him play a crucial part in the final movie.

Anyway, it is all speculation at best at the moment. Venom: The Last Dance will be hitting t??heatres on October 25, 2024.

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Since 1979, George Miller's Mad Max series has transformed from a schlocky B-rate post-apocalypse story to one of the most beloved action franchises of all time.?? 

Mad Max is set in Australia sometime after the world has been desolated by plagues, economic collapse, and ecological die out. The dregs of humanity hang onto life and go to war over the remaining food, fuel, and shelter. The humans in Mad Max also? spend a good chunk of their time creating spike-covered vehicles that can patrol the wastes and duke it out in high speed battles. It’s a goofy premise that takes itself entirely too seriously, but ?that’s part of the appeal. 

The Mad Max movies are beloved for good reason, but even super fans like myself have to admit that some of them are quite a bit better than others. They might not all be worth a rewatch, but they’re definitely wort??h ranking. 

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

Beyond Thunderdome is arguably the most iconic Mad Max movie thanks to the titular combat arena and a truly memorable performance from Tina Turner. At the same time, this movie is a lot worse than your memory might lead you to believe. There’s less time spent watching post-apocalyptic gladiators duke it out than there is watching Max interact with a group of semi-feral children. Digging into various factions and the plight of kids in the wasteland definitely gives Beyond Thunderdome ?a different feel than the other movies, but that’s not really to its benefit. 

Mad Max

The original Mad Max still holds up, but I’d be lying if I said that nostalgia had nothing to do with this ranking. Truly an example of low-budget filmmaking at its finest, Mad Max is about as stripped down as you can get. We learn about Max’s origins as a sort of police officer in an apocalypse-lite society (the world doesn’t become completely desolate until the sequel). The gang leader Toecutter is still the most memorable villain of the series, and the stunt performers who absolutely risked their lives while filming deserve much of the credit for making Mad Max so good.  

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

In some ways, Furiosa is more like Beyond Thunderdome than any other Mad Max movie. Furiosa tells a grandiose story set over more than a decade, and it spends lots of time building up various factions and locations in the wasteland, which is why you should probably catch up on the series before watching it.

That said, the stories it weaves together are much more interesting than the ones presented in Beyond Thunderdome, and the action scenes that link all the brooding and worldbuilding moments together are top-notch. Furiosa doesn’t provide quite the same thrill ride as other movies in the series, but it definitely tells the most cohesive story and gives us a clear visi?on of the wasteland that the other movies don’t really explore. 

Mad Max: The Road Warrior

It almost doesn’t get better than The Road Warrior. The sequel to the original Mad Max opens up the world and brings the apocalypse to the forefront of the story. There aren’t cops any more, just roving bands of car-obsessed raiders and the people who desperately try to avoid them. The Road Warrior ups the ante on all the action shown off in the first film and truly sets the tone for the rest of the series. Some of the storytelling is a bit clumsy, and there’s the Mel Gibson of it all to get past, but The Road Warrior still stands out as the best of the original Mad Max trilogy.

Mad Max: Fury Road

It feels a little weird to put a legacy sequel at the top of this list, but it’s also hard to deny that Fury Road is a masterpiece. The movie basically functions as one giant chase scene, and it manages to capture everything that makes the Mad Max franchise great. From beginning to end, it’s packed with clever world building details, breathtaking shots, and some of the most well-choreographed action scenes ever put to film. Everything the earlier movies did well, Fury Road does better, so if ??someone? was only ever going to watch a single entry in the series, this is the one I’d recommend.

The post All the Mad Max movies, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

With the long-awaited release of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the overall Mad Max franchise has once again been thrust into the mainstream spotlight. The series started its engine way back in 1979 with director George Miller's Mad Max. Since then, it has become a multimedia juggernaut recognized the world over and beloved for its unique look and many weird and wild characters.

At the same time, just because it has a colorful cast and a sprawling world doesn't mean the Mad Max franchise is perfect. The lore and overall timeline is a bit confusing, and there's? a lot of ground to cover with ancillary media like novels, video games, and comics.?? Therefore, it can appear daunting for those new to Miller's post-apocalyptic creation.

If you're one of those newcomers who was beckoned by the chaotic, action-packed Furiosa but doesn't want to watch every single Mad Max movie in order to prepare, here's what you should wat??ch at the very least ??before checking out Miller's latest creation.

Mad Max: Fury Road makes for a good starting point

Released in 2015, Mad Max: Fury Road is a hard-hitting, visually-stunning watch. It centers on Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy), who gets swept up in a feud between the vile ruler of the Citadel, Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), and Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron). This marks her first appearance in the Mad Max series, and between the action, drama, and worldbuilding the film brings, it's quite an impressive one. After all, it got Hideo Kojima to go see it four times.

In terms of the Mad Max timeline, Fury Road takes place years after Furiosa, so there's an argument to be made that it should be saved for after a Furiosa screening. However, giving it a watch first can make Furiosa a more interesting viewing. Knowing the title character and who she ultimately becomes ahead of time adds a layer of intrigue to her origin story. It can be rewarding to know her final form and watch what she goes through to reach it. Think witnessing Anakin Skywalker's journey to become Darth Vader in the Star Wars prequels decades aft?er the completion of the original trilogy.

Not to mention, if you're a bit unsure if what you're getting into stylistically with Furiosa is for you, Fury Road is similar in aesthetic and tone. It can act as a good primer in that regard as well. If you like what Fury Road has to offer and want more, then you can go scratch that itch with Furiosa afterward.

The original Mad Max trilogy is optional

There's no denying the pop culture influence and overall science fiction awesomeness of the original Mad Max trilogy. Mad Max, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome are all worth a watch decades after their premieres, and Mel Gibson's rendition of Max Rockatansky remains iconic. With that said, these movies aren't all that essential to one's viewing of Furiosa.

The main reason why you can watch Furiosa without having seen the Mad Max trilogy is time. Furiosa and Fury Road are set in the mid-21st century, with the original trilogy spanning the mid-1980s to somewhere between the late 1990s to the early 2000s. These sets of films are so far apart chronologically and their casts are so radically different that, in terms of the core narrative, passing on the trilogy won't impact your understanding of Furiosa much at all.

The original trilogy may not be related to Furiosa at all

Then again, what if you simply want to learn as much about the lore of this universe as possible? Well, you might still be better off skipping the trilogy, or looking at it as its own entity. Whether the first three Mad Max movies truly are in the same continuity as Furiosa and Fury Road rem?ains a hot topic. Miller hasn't shared a concrete?? verdict, and fans continue to debate if Gibson and Hardy are the same Max, if they're related, or if the name is more of a mantle passed from person to person.

All of that is to say that ahead of Furiosa, you could watch all of the existing Mad Max movies to prepare if you so desire. If you're seeking narrative cohesion and nothing more, though, your best bet is to stick with Fury Road alone. It ties in the closest to Furiosa, forming a highly entertaining duology with it.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is now playing exclusively in theaters.

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Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga from director George Miller has finally premiered on the big screen, with emphasis on finally. The latest entry in the weird and wild Mad Max universe, starring Anya Taylor-Jo?y and Chris Hemsworth, has been in development for some time, but the project wasn't initially planned as a movie. Rather, Miller envisioned it as an anime series almost a decade ago, only for ??this idea to crumble.

The story of Furiosa dates back to the creation of Mad Max: Fury Road, which itself was worked on for decades. Per Miller during a chat with Time Out, Mel Gibson, the star of the original Mad Max trilogy, was even considered t?o return as Max Rockatansky at one point.

Come the mid-2010s, however, Miller's first Mad Max title since 1985's Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome became a reality with Tom Hardy as the lead. The film also received a tie-in comic, a Mad Max video game, and a tale st??arring one of the feature's new characters, Charlize Theron's Imperator Furiosa, was being laid out.

Miller revealed to Polygon that Furiosa's story was actually completed before Fury Road even started shooting, recalling, “So we wrote a story about Furiosa from the time she was taken as a child, as she refers to in Fury Road?, until she became the Imperator Furiosa. That e??nded up as a full screenplay, with concept art and so on."

With that, he decided the anime route was the best option to bring Furiosa's origin to life. Fury Road concept artist Maeda was then enlisted to create the show's aesthetic. Unfortunately, with the delay of Fury Road, the Furiosa anime was put on the back burner and eventuall??y scrapped entirely.

Miller told Polygon he felt "there was no point in making an anime" due to Fury Road's halt. In time, some of Maeda's artwork made ?it online, giving fans an idea of what could've been. Meanwhile, Miller maintained that a Furiosa-centric story should come to fruition, and come to fruition it did??.

After a dispute regarding unpaid salaries on Fury Road was resolved, Miller began developing the ill-fated Furiosa anime as a movie. He overhauled the plot entirely, rec??ast Taylor-Joy for the lead instead of de-aging Theron, and assembled a supporting cast of f??ranchise veterans and newcomers alike. It was a long, winding road to get here, but at last, Furiosa has a gritty, post-apocalyptic spotlight all her own.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is now playing exclusively in theaters.

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Unless you were living under a rock in 2018, you wouldn’t have been able to miss the phenomenon that was Bird Box on Netflix. The movie, starring Sandra Bullock as the wishes-she-were-blind main protagonist, was based on a book of the same name by author Josh Malerman. 

Here’s the TLDR; the world suddenly becomes host to some form of Creature, one which remains unseen by the audience, which drives people insane, suicidal, and homicidal when sighted. Malorie, having given bir??th and also all but adopted another child on the same day (hats off to her,? honestly) during this crisis, raises the two children and then takes a blindfolded trip down a river to what she hopes is safety. 

The movie doesn’t actually tell us much about the Creatures, leaving it all up to the imagination, which is arguably part of the reason that the movie became as huge as it did. However, as I said, the movie is based on a book (Bird Box, 2014) by Josh Malerman. There’s also a direct sequel novel, Malorie, which w??as published in 2019 (and is absolutely not based in Barcelona). 

So, like the ever-diligent researcher I am, I watched the movie (twice), ordered both books and read them in the space of a single weekend to try and figure out some facts about the Creatures. This information is mostly from the books, and there’s some interes??t??ing discoveries. 

A word of warning, this will feature a lot of spoilers, particularly from Malorie. ??There’s some parts of the movie which were heavily changed from the source material, too, so if anything here doesn’t quite make se??nse in relation to the movie - that’s why.

They’re described as infinity

This is alluded to in the first book, when Tom is describing what the previous owner of the house, George, saw before he took his own life after seeing one. However, the theme returns much more heavily in Malorie. Without going into too much detail, the concept is that they are something w?e are incapable of?? comprehending, and that itself drives us insane. 

As Gary says in the second book, imagine growing up with no knowledge of the existence of Whales. Seeing one, so huge and daunting, would be enough to cause a crack in ??anyone's idea of reality.

Some people are immune to them

In the second book, Malorie, it�??�s revea??led that Olympia (the child) is immune to the effects of the Creatures, likely due to Olympia (the mother) seeing one while the baby was still attached to her by the umbilical cord. 

This means that, for her entire life, Olympia (the child) has been able ??to traverse without a blindfold, looking directly at the Creatures without any form of madness ta?king over. This explains the very bizarre moments in the movie which are never explained, and also alludes to a genetic component, which gives hope for the future of humanity in the story's universe.

Some people are also immune based on their level of comprehension. This would explain why peop??le with mental illnesses who have a hallucination symptoms can view them without being driven insane - they’re already used to seeing things that they can’t explain, so why would this be any different?

They’re capable of growth and reproduction

Perhaps ‘reproduction�?is the wrong word. There are multiple instances in the second book where the Creatures are described as “not necessarily taller than they were before, but wider�? and we’re informed as readers that there are three times as many of them as there were during Bird Box. 

With Malorie being set approximately 12 years after Bird Box, this seems to mean that?? the Creatures ar??e either multiplying, or more of them are arriving from whence they came. 

Despite the effect they have on humans, they’re not violent

The only cases of purposeful attacks on humans are recorded as having happened in densely populated areas that already had an abnormally high prevalence of violent crime, which says to me that the Creatures were either trying to defend themselves, or they were a scapegoat for other violent acts. As stated in Malorie, “Th??ere a??re no verifiable accounts of a Creature forcing a person to look at it�?

No, rather than attacking humans, the Creatures seem to be on Earth more as observers. In the second book, after it’s revealed that O?lympia can view them safely, it’s also revealed that multiple creatures have been living alongside Malorie and the kids in the lodge which became their home. Never attacking, never harming, simply watching. Often, the Creatures seem to shy away from human contact as much as?? we avoid contact with them. 

They congregate in densely populated areas, such as Indian River

The eventual destination of the second book, Indian River, is densely popul??ated by a group of people who are trying to find a method to safely look at the creatures while avoiding madness in the hopes of returning to some form of pre-creature normalcy. While traveling on the Blind Train (yes, that’s a thing), the owner tells Malorie that there are far more Creatures surround?ing Indian River than in any other location in the length of Michigan. 

Perhaps this goes hand in hand with the previous fact, that the Creatures a??re here to observe and are drawn to bigger populations, which would also explain why cities were affected first in the first plac?e. 

You don’t hear them move, you hear the world move around them

In the second book, Malorie, there is a list of things that are known abou??t the Creatures. Here’s what it says:

“They make noise, though not traditional sound. There is no flat-footed cr?eak upon floorboards. Rather, it’s as if the floorboards themselves momentarily morph before returning to their natural state�???

This suggests that rather than hearing the movement of the Crea??tures, you hear the world around them adapt to their presence. The gra?ss crunches under their feet, if they have any, rather than the sound of that foot stepping down onto the grass. 

They aren’t evolving, though people once thought they were

The second book begins with Malorie and the children at the School for the Blind for two years, and all ??hell has broken loose after a Creature has managed to get inside. But how could a Creature drive blind people insane? Well, the theory that spread was that the Creatures evolved to ‘infect�?by touch.

However, this isn’t the case. It turns out that people were simply pretending to be blind in order to fit in wi??th the actually blind people around them and not be judged or feared. This, in turn, led to hundreds of fake-blind people at the school being driven insane, killing tho??se around them and then themselves. 

Malorie, though, believed they could infect by touch and went o??n to wear full body coverings any time she was outside for the next ten years. She isn’t happy when Olympia (the child) finally reveals she knew it was unnecessary ??the entire time.

Blindness is the best protection outside of immunity

This is pretty obvious, but if you can’t see at all, then you can’t see the Creatures. This isn’t a fact th?at isn’t revealed in the movie, however, there is one moment in the first book that I just have to talk about. 

Malorie, trying to sa??ve the children when they’re babies, actually considers and almost carries out the voluntary blinding of two babies by pouring paint stripper into their eyes. This is possibly the clearest?? display of the fear instilled in people by the presence of the Creatures.

Animals can sense them better than humans

While ??we already know that birds can sense them, thanks to their use as an alarm system (which, in the books, only happens while at the house and aren’t taken down the river with them), they’re not the only animals who can sense them. 

In the first book, not only does Jules have his own dog called Victor, but he and Tom (the adult) head out in search of more dogs to act as guide dogs. Dogs, as it turns out, are much more able to sense the presence of Creatures and can help protect h??umans by altering them if they venture outside with blindfolds on. 

They can be viewed through two way mirrors

Quite how it took 16 years for someone to figure this out, I’m not sure, but in Malorie it’s revealed that Tom (the child) has invented a visor made from a two way mirror which was once in the lodge they stayed in for 10 years. At the end of Malorie, he tests the visor and, as luck would ??have it, it works. 

The concept behind th?is revelation is that by forcing the Cre?atures to do something we can comprehend and relate to, viewing themselves in a mirror and looking within, we can therefore view them without being driven insane from the other side of said mirror. They’re not beyond comprehension, and therefore we can begin to understand them. 

The post 10 facts about the Bird Box Creatures that the movies don’t tell you appeared first on Destructoid.

??Though this might predict that dire times are right around the corner, ?there's no denying that we're living in a good time for Science Fiction.

If you already love Sci-Fi, or if the Fallout TV series has awakened in you a love for Sci-Fi so deep that not even a list of the best Fallout-like Sci-Fi movies will keep you full, then it's time to share a list of the m??ost hype-wo?rthy Sci-Fi films that'll come out this year.

Alien: Romulus (Aug 16)

Alien sequels are hit-and-miss... and miss. Still, if there's a person for the job, that's likely Fede Álvarez of the Evil Dead remake and Don't Breathe fame. The man can do intimate horror, tension, and claustrophobia �?much more than we've had in the past like five Alien movies if you count the AVP ones and Prometheus. Cailee Spaeny of Civil War leads a cast of little-known names. This casting route is akin to the one taken by the original Alien, which is great a??s I believe it's likely to get us to believe in and empathize with these characters �?even though they're likely all about to die in horrible ways.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (May 8)

After a solid and successful reboot trilogy, the Nu Apes saga will continue with Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes, starring Freya Allan of The Witcher TV series fame. Maze Runner series helmer Wes Ball is directing, and the studio has already boasted about having shot the movie almost entirely on location. That's a breath of fresh air in the green screen and "The volume"-saturated movie lands?cape of today, and also just plain cool that they took the entire cast and crew to shoot on a?? planet that's not Earth �?right?

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (May 24)

Okay, here's one that'll likely be a hit among Fallout fans. The legendary George Miller is back in the director's chair to follow up on the glorious Mad Max: Fury Road and tell the early days of Furiosa, Immortan Joe's coolest genera??l.

This is a prequel, so instead of Charlize Theron, we're getting the younger Anya Taylor-Joy in the main role as we likely learn how she got her metal arm. The film will also star Chris Hemsworth as a seemingly show-stealing villain, and the trailer makes it look as promising as the trailers for Fury Road did ten years ago.

Megalopolis (TBA)

While it's true that Francis Ford Coppola hasn't made a widely-beloved movie in a while, he's the guy behind Apocalypse Now, Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Conversation, and the Godfather duology, so I think we should at least keep an ear out for the movie he's spent 40 years of his life trying to get made. Though we still don't have a confirmed release date, Coppola states that his Sci-Fi epic starring Ada?m Driver as an architect trying to rebuild New York City after a cataclysmic event will come out sometime this year.

Atlas (May 24)

If the mix of Sci-Fi and Jennifer Lopez strikes you as weird, you should consider adding The Cell from 2000 to your watchlist ASAP. Though she's mostly remembered for her romantic films, J Lo can absolutely carry a Sci-Fi film, so I can easily say I'm hyped to see what she'll bring to the genre nearly twenty-five years after her first outing. Atlas revolves around an AI hellbent on ending humanity, and is helmed by Rampage and San Andreas direct?or? Brad Peyton. At the very least, this should be a fun time in your Netflix home theater.

Borderlands (August 4)

I'm the first to admit I didn't much care for the Borderlands movie adaptation when I first saw the trailer, but I also thought the Fallout TV series would bomb hard and? we all know how that turned out.

Director Eli Roth has had far from a spotless career, but he enjoyed quite the resurgence with the gruesomely fun Thanksgiving, so he might really be the one to pull this off. On-??screen, we have Cate Blanchett and the voice of Jack Black, who are enter??taining to watch even in the crappiest movie imaginable, so I have to say my hopes for this one are fully renewed.

Mars Express (May 3)

Mars Express is a French Sci-Fi detective story set in the relatively close 23rd century. Its director, Jérémie Périn, is mostly unknown in the US �?for now �?but he made the Internet airwaves some years ago with one of the most puzzlingly wicked music videos of all time. Unlike most other movies on this list, there's no longer the need to wonder if Mars Express is good, as it has alread?y come out in France where it met an overwhelmingly positive reception.

The Electric State (TBA)

Can the Russo brothers return to the heights of the Endgame and Winter Soldier days after the tumble that was The Gray Man? The Electric State, the duo's first foray ??into the genre, might prove the comeback they need. This adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name tells the story of a boy and a robot friend who must venture through the evil robot-infested US West Coast in search of the boy's brother. It features names such as Ke Huy Quan, Chris Pratt, Stanley Tucci, and Millie Bobby Brown in the main cast.

Kalki 2898 AD (May 9)

Kalki is an upcoming Sci-Fi blockbuster from India set in a post-apocalyptic world based on Hindu mythology. The Nag Ashwin-directed movie was shot in 2022, but the pandemic got it postponed to early 2024, and the need for extra post-production work further delayed it to May 9. The trailer looks cool, so there's no way I'll risk missing out on telling our readers about what could turn out to be the next RRR.

Star Wars Episode 1

I'm sorry to tell you that no, you didn't just wake up from a coma and have been in 1999 all along. It's just that Star Wars Episode 1 is coming back to theaters on May 3 to celebrat?e its 25th anniversary. It's on the list because this is a multi-generational moment of truth waiting to happen.

For nearly two decades, Star Wars fans have loathed this film. Then,?? in what I assume was a knee-jerk reaction to the sequel trilogy, many began talking about how the prequels were good, actually. I don't know about that,?? but there's probably no better way to learn the truth than by counting the number of happy faces and comparing it to the number of sobbing ones as they leave the theater.

The post The 10 upcoming Sci-Fi movies of 2024 we can’t?? wait to wa??tch appeared first on Destructoid.

The Sonic movie franchise ha?s been on a tear over the past four years, earning ove?r $700 million in global box office earnings and adding a couple more titles to the list of successful video game movie adaptations.

They've done so by collecting a cast of stellar actors to play and voice their characters, from Jim Carrey's manic Dr. Robotnik to Idris Elba's indomitable Knuckles. With Sonic 3 on the way and a huge cast of characters still to fill, fans knew there would be more amazing casting announcements in t??he future.

Still, I don't know if anyone expected Mr. John Wick himself, Keanu Reeves, to jo??in the fun.

Shadow the Hedgehog's film series voice actor has been revealed

As stated by the Hollywood Reporter, Keanu Reeves is set to star in Sonic 3 as Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic's dark, edgy opposite. Given? Keanu's recent success as John Wick, we see how the casting may make sense. Shadow is a motorcycle-riding, gun-wielding (sometimes) antihero, turned towards chaos by the death of his longtime companion, Maria Robotnik. Mourning her loss, he originally turns to evil before finding his way back to the good side, though with a 'through any means necessary' moral compass. John Wick toes the same line, originally seeking revenge before turning to dismantle the High Table. The parallels are numerous, and it seems obvious that Keanu should be a perfect fit for the role.

While we don't have access to a Sonic 3 trailer yet, one was shown privately at Cinemacon in Las Vegas, and rumors seem to point to Sonic, Tails, Knuc??kles, and maybe even Robotnik, joining forces to ?stop Shadow's rampage.

Personally, I hadn't been very hyped for this movie. Now? I'm through the roof. I'm so ready to hear Keanu Reeves voice Shadow the Hedgehog as ??he wreaks havoc and causes mayhem in his quest to att??ain the Chaos Emeralds, jumping over buildings on a souped-up motorcycle.

And maybe, if my prayers are answered, they'll give him a gun ??too.

The post Keanu Reeves Cast as Shadow in Sonic 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

This morning brought us our first Sonic the Hedgehog 3 teaser trailer, and with it, indications t??hat Jim Carrey will return as the nefarious Dr. Robotnik.

Paramount Pictures dropped the twenty-second tease this morning which showcased the Sonic 3 logo alongside confirmation of the movie's December 2024 release date. In the background audio of the clip, you can hear Jim Carrey's distinct ??laughter as the iconic Sonic villai??n.

You don't have to merely go on Carrey's Doctor Eggman laugh as proof of his return. Variety also confirmed the news this morning.

Carrey, one of the most prolific comedic actors of all time, revealed in 2022 that he would be retiring from acting. Speaking to Access Hollywood??, Carrey stated "I’m retiring. Yeah, probably. I’m being fair??ly serious."

He went on to note that he likes "my quiet life." Carrey said, "If the angels bring some sort of script that’s written in gold ink that says to me that it’s going to be really important for people to see, I might continue down the road, but I’m taking a break.�?/p>

Carrey's quote came out shortly before Sonic the Hedgehog 2 went on to be wildly successful at the box office. So while the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 script likely isn't "written in gold ink," Carrey's paycheck ??to return as Dr. Robotnik just may be.

You won't have to wait until December to get your Sonic movie universe fix, though. Knuckles, a six-episode live-action series is planned for early 2024 on Paramount Plus. The series will feature Idris Elba returning to voice the warrior Echidna. It will take place between the events of the Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 movies.

The post Jim Carrey returns for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

Fans excited for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 got a nice little tease today. Jeff Fowler, director of both 2020's Sonic the Hedgehog and 2022's Sonic the Hedgehog 2, published a tweet today teasing the emergence of one of the blue blur's most iconic villains, Shadow the Hedgehog in next year's Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

The point of the tweet was twofold. Fowler shared an image teasing the lower half of Sonic's genetically engineered rival, but also confirmed that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was "off and running" with development.

Shadow the Hedgehog was revealed as a tease during the conclusion of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. While his team was searching for Dr. Robotnik, G.U.N. Commander Walters was informed that a 50-year-o?ld file was found that contained coordinates to a secret site hosting something called "Project: Shadow". We then see the black hedgehog open his angry eyes within a containment cell. The background of the image Fowler posted today looks to be that very same site.

Shadow the Hedgehog originally debuted as a foil to Sonic in the Sega Dreamcast's Sonic Adventure 2. Due to the character's popularity, he became a series mainstay, acting as an ?anti-hero of sorts who strives to do g??ood but by any means necessary.

Fowler also confirmed today that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is on track for release in December of 2024. However, that won't be the next time you're able to jump back into this live-action Sonic world. Paramount confirmed in February 2022 that a live-action Knuckles series was in the works with Iris Elba returning. The studio also teased that they were planning to expand the Sonic liv??e-action universe with several other projects as well.

The Knuckles live-action series is slated to arrive on Paramount+ early next year. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 races to theaters on December 20.

The post Sonic 3 movie dir??ector offers a glimpse of S?hadow the Hedgehog as filming begins appeared first on Destructoid.

In the early to mid 2000s, it was popular to turn every survival horror game into a movie. Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and�?OK, maybe there weren’t that many actually. In recent years, the tables have turned with iconic horror films like Friday the 13th and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, both?? receiving video game adaptations. This begs the question, what other horror mo?vies deserve their own game?

Horror movies that should definitively have a video game

Light spoiler warning?? for all items ahead. Go see these movies; they’re well worth it!

#10 - Tusk (2014)

That’s right, this list is starting off weird. Featuring director Kevin Smith and actors who probably owe him a life debt, Tusk explores the horror of a man becoming a grotesque creature of the sea. The movie does a decent job of showing viewers what it would be like to watch a human turn into a walrus. The game will take things one step further by letting players experience the sheer terror of trying to convince humans that they are also human where it counts. All this while flapping flippers and speaking in barks. Think about the existential themes of Detroit: Become Human, and that’s about half of the experience awaiting players in Tusk: Sink or Swi??m.

#9 - They Live (1988)

They Live is a fantastic horror movie that absolutely should have a video game adaptation. The plot of They Live follows a rather rowdy guy who discovers a pair of sunglasses that reveal aliens wearing the face of high level politicians. This would play out very similarly to the Hitman series, where the goal would be to regain power from the alien invaders while keeping a low profile. After dropping into a locale with a primary target, players will only be able to use lethal force on verified aliens. To verify an alien, players would push a dedicated button to?? put on Roddy’s shades. Due to the lack of social etiquette of wearing shades indoors though, this would only stay active for thirty seconds before onlookers start to get suspicious.

#8 - Final Destination (2000)

Final Destination is a fairly well-known franchise, but to sum it up, some dude cheats death’s design, and death gets even�?or something. In the game, players would take on the role of death, as no one wants to play as one of the horny teen characters whose destiny is literally to die. The gameplay would be similar to Tecmo’s Deception, where players will set up a chain of events that result in the death of those who got away—a Rube Goldberg machine where the reward is a gory, bloody pulp where previously, there was ?a human.

#7 - Misery (1990)

Misery is the scariest pick of this list, as it is the most likely to happen and probably already has. A Misery game would see players take on the role of the author, Paul Sheldon, with each day playing out like a twisted game of mist. Taking some creative liberties here and there, Paul must find a way to escape Annie’s clutches by any means necessary. Each day, Paul solves puzzles and find?s items to create a way out while ensuring Annie doesn’t find out. Each night, there's a cutscene of Annie multilating Paul further that makes the next in-game day even more challenging. For example, a pair of freshly broken legs may make Paul move quite ??a bit slower. That’s it! A video game that captures the palpable tension and dread in an event like this will quickly become a bestseller.

#6 - Rec (2007)

REC was originally a Spanish found footage film back when those were the hottest things around. A US version does exist, Quarantine, but credit should go to Rec as it’s a masterpiece of found footage horror. The game's story can follow the movie's events in a Resident Evil 3 style and still be compelling. Weapons would be melee in variety, similar to classic Silent Hill titles, with a climactic boss fight ??????????????????????????in almost complete darkness at the end. Rec is unique because it�??�s essentially a zombie movie that doesn't lean so hard into the genre's usual tropes. Likewise, a horror game with a focus more on survival than smashing zombies would really hit the mark. Not to mention its many questionable sequels.

#5 - Brightburn (2019)

Who doesn't want to play a game about running from a sociopathic Superman who still shops in the kid's section? Brightburn's release was in perfect sync with arguably the height of superhero movies. It took a decidedly darker take on the genre by re-doing Superman’s origin story but evil. That’s pretty much the movie. Well, except Brandon, AKA Brightburn, adopts his evil moniker far younger than when Clark traditionally embraces Superman. This would fit right in with other horror movie video game adaptations, as an asynchronous multiplayer game like Evolve, with a lot better balance. Four players would h??ave to hide while seeking an element that would take Brightburn down.?? Whoever is Brightburn zips around the map, destroying terrain to make the environment more challenging for the survivors to hide in, and crushing skulls of anyone unfortunate enough to be seen. Kids are scary, dude.

#4 - Event Horizon (1997)

Horror fans or just fans of this movie are probably whooping it up, as it just fits so well. Event Horizon is a perfect horror movie that deserves to join the video game medium, if nothing else but for the horrific visions players would encounter while playing. Event Horizon mixes Sci-Fi space travel with demonic hellscapes, and plenty of trippy imagery along the way. Even creating an original story within this universe would work perfectly for the game, as there is so much the movie didn’t go into. This could make for a fantastic survival horror or even a space sim that’s more out there than a second playthrough of Starfield. There are no jokes here, just a strong wish for someone to make ??it. Do it now.

#3 - Twilight Zone : The Movie (1983)

Somewhere in the uncountable dimensions exists an entertainment singularity. A game requiring no game pieces or even imagination to enjoy. And perhaps even odder, this game works by transmitting light through an electronic device fastened onto the human head. But wha??t if this game doesn’t stop once that headset is taken off? What if the gremlins o?n the wing don’t only exist in the game, but reality itself becomes augmented through additional wearable devices? That game, dear reader, does exist, somewhere, in the Twilight Zone.

#2 - Carrie (1976)

Carrie is an odd choice, especially considering the 1999 sequel that ruins its legacy entirely. Think how disappointing Forspoken was to many gamers times ten, and it’d be just under how bad the sequel was. Either way, as a video game, the original Carrie is the total package. With a tragic origin story and a pyrokinetic female protagonist fed up with literally everyone, the narrative writes itself. The gameplay would be similar to Infamous but with fire-based abilities and a fillable rage meter that decimates everyone within eyesight in a glorious blaze. Carrie isn't that scary of a horror movie (well, the bullying was monstrous), so an action game where Carrie goes on a revenge trip would be glorious.

#1 - Annihilation (2018)

Number 1 on this list is one of the most intriguing sci-fi horror movies ever made. Annihilation has everything necessary for a successful video game adaptation to thrive and so much more. A team of badass mercenaries, mesmerizing creature designs, and a full-on mind trip near the end round out the core experience. Just like Event Horizon, this universe has barely been tapped into, leaving room for plenty more stories and games. Hire Remedy to give it the Alan Wake 2 or Control treatment, and Annihilation would easily become a GOTY contender.

The post Top 10 horror movies that should have t??heir own ga??me appeared first on Destructoid.

The video game movie adaptations from the early '00s didn't exactly rule, but they sure weren't formulaic, either. These things were wild, and therefore much more interesting than a lot of the content we get on streaming these days. I invite you?? to try to reappraise video game movies that got unfairly maligned back when we didn't know how bad things would get.

7. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)

First off, I have to say that I don't entirely agree with the opinion that Max Caufield from Life Is Strange expresses above. Hell, I do?n't even bite that she cares about the movie all that much, considering how she gets the name wrong. Still, I remember watching that in theaters when it first came out. The experience was mind-blowing. Why don't more people agree with me? Well, I assume it's because most people didn't see it in theatres.

Square tried hard to make something new and beautiful that would resonate with FF fans and outsiders alike. They sure did make something new and beautiful. It just didn't resonate with anyone. I get that it lacks pacing and that the plot isn't particularly memorable, but experiencing this in theatres felt like what I assume many would only feel ten years later when watching Avatar.

The Spirits Within came out close to the release of Shrek, whose box office success made Square's film feel like a straight-to-DVD release. Still, if you're to watch the two back-to-back nowadays, Shrek isn't nearly as funny, and The Spirits Within remains beautiful, albeit a bit dull �?so basically as fun as watching Shrek as an adult.

6. Tomb Raider (2018)

If you like HBO's The Last Of Us, then you probably should check this one out. Not because they're similar, but because Tomb Raider is also a very safe adaptation. The only big change we get from the game is the third act, which feels a lot like the third act from the original Uncharted game, so that still counts as a safe adaptation.

Also, there's Alicia Vikander, who actually breathes way more life into the character than nu-Lara from? the games.

This film never reaches the highs of Angelina Joli??e's first movie, but it never reaches its lowest lows, either. It's the perfect ??simulation of a dangerous tomb-raiding escapade.

5. Super Mario Bros. (yes, the original one from 1993)

1993's Super Mario Bros. failed to reach the hearts and pockets of fans, but it had the same idea that the best video game TV show adaptations of today all had: doing something original with the sourc?e material.

Too bad they strayed too far from what people felt comfortable with and we ended up with something th??at didn't resonate with?? anyone.

Even though it didn't work out, probably due to a really messed-up production cycle that got worsened by studio meddling, Super Mario Bros. still gave us a bunch of hilarious memes.

4. Silent Hill (2006)

The original Silent Hill film �?definitely not the second one �?is way more beautiful than it needed to be. Christophe Gans, the director whose style feels like it inspired Bloodborne, went all out in terms of eye candy.

Silent Hill could've featured one hundred cheap jump-scares and audiences would have liked it, but Gans said no, and confidently craft??ed a moody film that mostly captures the feel of the game. Though it exists because someone saw its?? money-making potential, I love seeing a "product" that feels so untainted by studio meddling.

I believe that the biggest problem of this film is that it sometimes sticks too close to the formula of the original game, and sometimes gets too far away from it. I wish Silent Hill could've told a new tale set in that town. Still, I'm still quite happy with what we ??ended up getting.

Also, even though his presence in the film makes no sense, that Pyramid Head kill �?you know which one�?is? one of the best that I've ever seen in any horror film.

3. Tomb Raider (2001)

I saw this in theaters back when it came out and never thought much of it. It was only twenty years later that I caught Tomb Raider on TV and naively thought that I'd just watch o?ne s??cene and change the channel. I stayed until the very end of the credits, because even the soundtrack owns.

I don't think I need to talk?? about Angelina Jolie in the role. Everyone understands that she absolutely nailed it.

The rest of the people making Tomb Raider also knew how to make this thing fun. The only problem here, I'd say, is that it was seemingly made through the lens of people who think video games never evolved past the "just blow stuff up" mentality of the '80s. Nearly all of the action scenes here are good, up until the moment when they go too over the top.

Lara doesn't need a training robot just that'?s just there for a bloated opening action sequence. Eve??n Lara herself states that it feels like an unnecessarily dangerous thing to have around.

Cut some of the over-the-top acti??on, some of the unnecessarily expensive CGI, all of the dodgy CGI, the sappy scene with Jon Voight, and this is a legitimately awesome a?ction romp.

2. House Of The Dead (2003)

If you are reading this, it m?eans I have succeeded in reaching you through a secret channel the editors don't know of. Yeah, I'm ranking an objectively bad movie really high, but please hear me out.

Don't watch this one alone. You're gonna have a bad time. I don't mean that because House Of The Dead? is too scary. It's because, just like the original game, this is meant to be a multiplayer affair. This is the kind of experience you want to share with your friends. Otherwise, good luck explainin?g to anyone just how bad it is.

The House Of The Dead movie is an accidentally great adaptation of the source material. The?? incredibly messy action scenes? They play out just like the levels of an arcade game hellbent on killing you to g??et more of your money. The bad acting? Well, that's actually just a perfect recreation of the series' hilariously bad-acted cutscenes.

It's also, I'd imagine, even more bafflingly hilarious to the people who don't know it's based on a video game. Just imagin?e ?how bonkers it'll feel when these unwitting fans-to-be get hit by those action scenes that are intercut with footage from the game?

House Of The Dead never stops upping the ante in terms of stupidity, so it never really gets boring. If your group ends up enjoying this one as much as my group did, then I recommend you get your friends to watch Alone In The Dark next. It's just as "good".

1. Resident Evil (2002)

Paul W. S. Anderson doesn't get the respect he deserves when it comes to horror. None of his movies are straight-up great. Still, his most inspired moments are more than enough to make up fo??r the bad ones.

The original Resident Evil is a surprisingly fun film. I'd say there's even a great movie there if you just remove some of the over-the-top action. It had the right idea of doing something origina?l rather than copying the games. In fact, it could even do away with all the zombie-related stuff. They could've made it just about people trapped in an underground facility that's haunted by the ghost of the Red Queen. You know?, that evil AI behind the awesome corridor laser scene? I'd pay to watch that movie right now.

Too bad they didn't learn their own lesson and just copy-pasted Resident Evil 3 to make the sequel.

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As well as a Hummer for all you fabulous gas-guzzlers*

It looks like two vehicles driven by the most famous doll in the world are preparing to hit the garages of dazzling arcade racer Forza Horizon 5 �?The Corvette and Hummer driven by Margot Robbie in upcoming movie, Barbie, will be arriving in-game at some point in the ?near future.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_RsVstmcls

The two vehicles were noted by Forza fan IdleSloth, who spotted placeholders in the game's Promo menu. The two cars featured are the "1956 Barbie Movie Corvette EV", (featured in the Chevrolet section), and the "2022 Barbie Movie Hummer EV Pickup", (featured under GMC). Videos of the vehicles in Showcase Mode were later uploaded by another Forza devotee, Aziial.

No dates for the drop?? have been announced, so it is assumed the two *electric vehicles will arrive as free downloads or in-game rewards to cross-promote the movie itself, which premieres July 21.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN7qCE4uI_s

Directed by Greta Gerwig, Barbie follows the adventures of the titular doll, as she and her long-time pal Ken (Ryan Gosling) leave Barbieland to visit the "real world" and get a taste of reality. A huge ensemble cast includes Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Will Ferrell, Mi?cha??el Cera, America Ferrara, Issa Rae, and Helen Mirren. Response to recent trailers has been extremely positive, and all that's left is the waiting game before we find out with the talent both in front of and behind the lens can live up to the hype.

Forza Horizon 5 is available now on PC and Xbox platforms. Barbie premieres in U.S. theater??s July 21.

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