The opening weekend for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is far bigger than anyone expected. The domestic tally for the animated film was $120.5 million, winning the box office for the week and topping Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 by $2.1 million for the opening of a summer tentpole film this year. And it did just as well globally, surpassing its estimated $150 million with $208.6 million. This also makes it the third best opening for a Spider-Man movie behind Spider-Man: No Way Home $260.1 million and Spider-Man 3 $151.1 million. It’s the best start ever for a Sony Animation film. And the studio has to be chomping at the bit at the idea of the third film releasing next year on March 29th. The rest of the top five rounds out with The Little Mermaid with $40.6 million in it’s second week, The Boogeyman opened with $12.3 million in third, Guardians hung on to fourth place with $10.2 million and Fast X took fifth with $9.2 million in its third week. It will be interesting to see how these films do over the next two weekends with he release of Transformers: Beast Wars on June 9th and The Flash on June 16th. 

There is an internet rumor that DC is looking for a middle-aged man to play the Batman in the new DC universe being created by James Gunn and Peter Safran. And while this rumor has been prevalent for some time now, I was never able to figure out where it was coming from. The impression was that it was something Gunn had said, but the only thing I could find was Gunn saying that Batman would be a few years older than Superman. This might also stem from the idea that Brave and the Bold, the film Batman is supposed to be in, will also feature his son, Damien Wayne as Robin. But Batman could easily be in his mid-thirties and have a teenage son. Well, in a recent post being made by another “internet scooper” who claimed they were looking for an older Batman, Gunn responded by saying “BullS**t”. He would go on to add, “Sometimes the rumor folks get information wrong – but other times they seem to just make stuff up for clicks out of whole cloth. This is one of those times.” Gunn has stated in the past that no casting would take place until a script was completed and approved and he has confirmed that the only two DC projects in pre-production right now are Supergirl: The Woman of Tomorrow and Lanterns, both of which have had casting announcements. At this point there is no script nor director for Brave and the Bold. 

If you’re a film nerd, you’ve probably heard of a “second unit” that goes out and gets shots that are needed for a film but may not need the main director and cast. It’s a way to speed up the filming process. On the second Dune film, Denis Villeneuve had a film unit, lead by his wife, Tanya Lapointe, who spent 44 days filming the crucial sand worm riding scenes. They called this the “worm unit.” Villeneuve spoke of this at the London Film Festival, “I realized that, the way I wanted to approach this, I didn’t want to compromise. Most important with visual effects is, how will you shoot it? And I wanted to shoot it with natural light. And I realized it would take months to shoot it. Each shot was very complex. Each shot took sometimes half a day, sometimes a day, sometimes a week for one shot because of the complexity. If I had done it myself, I would still be shooting.” The most important part of being a director is putting together a good crew. 

We first go to know Corey Michael Smith as he took on the role of Edward Nigma aka The Riddler on the FOX series Gotham. He’s back this weekend taking on the role of Chevy Chase, a comedic actor that meant a lot to him, in the new film Saturday Night. The film focuses on the ninety minutes before the very first episode of Saturday Night Live aired on October 11th, 1975 and Smith very much wanted to get his portrayal right. “I have loved Chevy Chase since I was a kid. He’s one of my favorite comedic actors. It was such an honor that I did not want to mess this up, and I didn’t want to mess my career up. So I really dove in, and for about two months I would only let myself watch Chevy Chase. I just was like, I have to know how this man would say every line, what his body and face would be doing instinctually and sort of deprogram myself and my instincts from this, or else I would feel fraudulent the whole time, which just would not be okay.” Smith was not able to meet with Chase prior to filming, but we know that Chase has seen the film at this point. “I do hope that he saw a younger version of himself, which maybe that’s a joyful experience or not,” said Smith. “But this man played such a huge part in me wanting to be a performer and loving movies, so it was an honor to play him.” Saturday Night is in theaters now. 

The big reveal at the end of Agatha All Along episode five had to do with Joe Locke's ‘Teen’. And while they never come out and say his name, Agatha says he’s just like his mother and then we see him with an impressive crown and using blue colored magic to control Lilia and Jennifer before pushing them with it as well. But since they don’t call him by name yet, I won’t either. Though I think we all know who he is. As for the crown, the shows costume designer Daniel Selon talked about it on his Instagram feed, saying: "This crown was a result of a beautiful and exciting collaboration between Prop Master Russell Bobbitt and my team. We pulled inspiration from the concentric lines in Damascus steel and also ripples on the surface of water. With a beautiful blue chrome ómbre paint treatment we finally arrived at this powerful Crown." I don’t think the shot we got really did the crown justice, but I’m sure we’ll see a lot more of it and potentially his costume as Selon went on to say, "You’ll just have to wait to see what else is revealed as his full identity emerges in the coming episodes..." His identity is something many people were guessing early on and there was a toy leak that said the same thing… but this has still been a really strong reveal so far. 

As the long-running Saturday Night Live enters its 50th season this year, there is a film hitting theaters this weekend called Saturday Night from Jason Reitman that focuses on the original first broadcast of the show from 1975. The film is receiving incredible reviews but none more telling than that of former SNL alum Dan Aykroyd who was part of that inaugural airing. The Ghostbuster creator took to social media to say, “Cracking a Head to applaud Jason Reitman’s triumphant SNL film. Wow! What a propulsive, engaging, funny, beautifully cast and acted, suspenseful, adventurous, music-filled ride. A perfect window into the creative process at its highest level.” He went on to say, “Pretty accurate too. I was there that night and got to relive it wonderfully again. Congratulations Gil [Kenan, co-writer], Jason and [producer Jason Blumenfeld]. Don’t miss it whether you know the show or not. It is a stand-alone masterpiece and surefire candidate for Best Picture.” Reitman, the son of Ghostbuster director Ivan Reitman, said of the new film that Aykroyd was the hardest role to cast, and they spent a year “looking for Dan” before deciding on Dylan O’Brien. Reitman helped O’Brien find the ‘character’, saying “I know Dan really well. I grew up with Aykroyd and I’ve now directed him, so I feel like I could write any scene for Dan Aykroyd at this point. I know his voice well enough. And when I gave Dylan a couple keys to find Aykroyd, suddenly it just clicked open and that was the final piece of the puzzle.” 

That didn’t take long. After crossing the $100 million-mark last weekend, a sequel for Wild Robot is now in the works for Dreamworks Animation with filmmaker Chris Sanders already confirmed to be at the lead. He told Deadline: “100% yes there are absolutely plans for a second one.” The writer/director has a strong pedigree with three Oscar nominations for his previous work on things like How to Train Your Dragon, The Croods and Disney’s Lilo & Stitch. The film is based on a trilogy of books by Peter Brown with the first being The Wild Robot and the second The Wild Robot Escapes. The film tells the story of ROZZUM unit 7134 or Roz, voiced by Lupita Nyong’o, who gets shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and learns to adapt to its surroundings and care for the animals it comes in contact with, including becoming an adopted parent to a gosling. 

BOOM! Studios, in collaboration with leading toy and game company Hasbro, today revealed a first look at POWER RANGERS PRIME #1. Groundbreaking POWER RANGERS writer, and scribe behind Darkest Hour Melissa Flores, along with acclaimed artist Michael YG (Iron Fist), colorist Fabi Marques, and letterer Ed Dukeshire ushers in a new era into the Rangers Mythos with an unmissable first chapter in the new ongoing series POWER RANGERS PRIME! Coming November 2024. POWER RANGERS is BACK and better than ever! Angel Grove University students face a difficult choice after crossing paths with a fugitive straight out of legend. The consequences for hiding her are dire…but her existence may not stay secret for long. In the wake of Darkest Hour, prepare yourself for a bold new era and a brand-new story unlike anything that’s come before! A perfect “Day One” jumping on point for new readers and old fans alike! POWER RANGERS PRIME #1 features a main cover by the incomparable Dan Mora, with variants by Doaly (Radiant Black), Juni Ba (The Boy Wonder), InHyuk Lee (Mighty Morphin), Bon Bernardo (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), Joëlle Jones (Catwoman) with Jordie Bellaire, and Rafael Albuquerque (American Vampire). POWER RANGERS PRIME is the newest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to critically acclaimed original series, including BRZRKR by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt, and Ron Garney; Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera; bestselling horror anthology Hello Darkness; Grim by Stephanie Phillips and Flaviano; Stuff of Nightmares by R.L. Stine and A.L. Kaplan; A Vicious Circle by Mattson Tomlin and Lee Bermejo; Ghostlore by Cullen Bunn and Leomacs; Rare Flavours by Ram V and Filipe Andrade; Underheist by David and Maria Lapham; Animal Pound by Tom King and Peter Gross; Minor Arcana by Jeff Lemire; and the upcoming Vicarious by Ryan Parrott and Eleonora Carlini; and The Creeping Below by Brian Azzarello and Vanesa Del Rey. The imprint also publishes popular licensed properties, including Dune: House Corrino from Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Simone Ragazzoni; and The Expanse: Dragon Tooth by Andy Diggle, Rubine, and Francesco Pisa. POWER RANGERS PRIME #1 will be available in comic shops November 13, 2024. It is available for pre-order at your local comic shop. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including Kindle, iBooks, and Google Play.

Power Rangers Prime #1 A Main: SEP240015

Power Rangers Prime #1 B Variant: SEP240016

Power Rangers Prime #1 C Spoiler Variant: SEP240017

Power Rangers Prime #1 D Foil Stamp Variant: SEP240018

Power Rangers Prime #1 E Blank Sketch Variant: JUL247380

Power Rangers Prime #1 F 1:10 INCV: SEP240019

Power Rangers Prime #1 G 1:25 INCV: SEP240020

Power Rangers Prime #1 H 1:50 INCV Foil Stamp Variant: SEP240021

Power Rangers Prime #1 I 1:75 INCV: SEP240022

Power Rangers Prime #1 J 1:100 INCV: SEP240023

Power Rangers Prime #1 K FOC Reveal Variant: SEP240024

Power Rangers Prime #1 L Unlockable Variant: SEP240025

Prolific writer J. Michael Straczynski has graced nearly every corner of the Marvel Universe with his masterful storytelling skills, including acclaimed runs on Amazing Spider-Man, Thor, Fantastic Four, and more. Starting this January, follow Straczynski to wherever his imagination takes him next as he pens a new line of standalone one-shots that co-star two Marvel icons of his choosing—either in unexpected team-ups or action-packed showdowns! In the spirit of recent best-selling comics like Jonathan Hickman and Sanford Greene’s Doom and Chip Zdarsky and Daniel Acuña’s Avengers: Twilight, Straczynski’s new one-shots invite all fans—new and longtime readers alike—to enjoy timeless and rousing stories featuring some of today’s most beloved and talked about Marvel characters. Joining Straczynski will be a lineup of incredible artistic talent: Will Robson, Bernard Chang, Elena Casagrande, Germán Peralta, Juan Ferreyra, and Phil Noto. Straczynski and Robson kick things off in DOCTOR DOOM & ROCKET RACCOON where Doom does the one thing he never wants to do: ask for a favor! What awaits Rocket in Latveria? Mischief, miscommunication and an emotional journey across space and time in the Mighty Marvel Way! Following that, Volstagg recruits the Sentinel of Liberty in Straczynski and Chang’s CAPTAIN AMERICA & VOLSTAGG. When a war breaks out in the Nine Realms, Volstagg of the Warriors Three turns to the only man skilled enough to end it: Steve Rogers, Captain America!

And that’s only the beginning, see below for a full list of the titles and pairings:

· DOCTOR DOOM & ROCKET RACCOON

· CAPTAIN AMERICA & VOLSTAGG

· NICK FURY VS. FIN FANG FOOM

· HULK & DOCTOR STRANGE (plus a backup story starring AUNT MAY & AGATHA HARKNESS!)

· GHOST RIDER VS. GALACTUS

· SPIDER-MAN VS. DOCTOR OCTOPUS

“I like to go where the fun is, and the idea of putting together Marvel characters who had either never been paired before, or only minimally, seemed like it would be a ton of fun, and it was even more of a blast than I anticipated,” Straczynski explained. “For the first time we could see the original Nick Fury in China along with the Flying Tigers taking on a newly awakened Fin Fang Foom...go to the edge of time and space with Rocket Raccoon and Doctor Doom...see the Ghost Rider slugging it out with none other than Galactus...Aunt May caught in the midst of a supernatural battle alongside Agatha Harkness...the more unlikely the pairing, the more eccentric the combo, the more fun it was to see it come to life. I've been sitting on news of this series for over a year and I'm so excited to know it will finally be hitting newsstands starting in January.”

Henry Cavill, the former Superman actor and star of The Witcher, has come aboard Voltron to topline the live-action feature based on the mecha anime that Rawson Marshall Thurber is directing. The actor joins Daniel Quinn-Toye, the newcomer who impressed the studio and director with his West End work opposite Tom Holland, in leading the roll call. Voltron is based on the Japanese sci-fi series Beast King GoLion and Kikou Kantai Dairugger XV. World Events edited and dubbed the series as a syndicated show, naming it Voltron: Defender of the Universe, which ran in the mid-1980s. The premise centered on five young pilots in a battalion named the Robot Lions, which are vehicles that join together to form a mega-robot known as Voltron. The plot details for the new version is unclear. Thurber wrote the script with Ellen Shanman. (via The Hollywood Reporter)

Scream TV, the free new horror channel launching on Oct. 13, just announced a spooky programming run for its launch. Per a press release, “Halloween is finally on the horizon and Scream TV’s Oct. 13 launch is just around the corner. The brand new, free-to-air and free-to-stream (or scream!) TV channel dedicated to horror will be bringing viewers the very finest in horror entertainment from around the globe as well as celebrating the golden years of genre cinema. So get ready for the dark ride of your life, and don’t forget it’s all free to view.” For launch month, Scream TV is running some popular titles, including “Halloween” and “Freaks,” classics like “White Zombie” and “The Last House on the Left,” essential cult titles like “Motel Hell” and “Demons 2,” and more recent fare like “Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire” and “Restitution.” (via Variety)