Well Go USA has snatched up North American distribution rights to the Chinese action movie Striking Rescue, starring Thai martial arts hero Tony Jaa. The film is produced by Chinese streamer Youku, which is releasing the film to its subscribers in China on Friday. It will be the first film from Youku to get a U.S. theatrical release. The project is a first step in Youku’s planned expansion into theatrical film production for international markets.

Directed by Cheng Siyi, the action revenge movie follows An Bai (Jaa), a veteran Muay Thai expert who goes on a take-no-prisoners mission of revenge after his wife and daughter are brutally murdered by mysterious forces. The film co-stars Chinese actors Hong Junjia and Shi Yanneng.

One of the last great martial arts stars, Jaa is a three-time Muay Thai champion famous for his explosive and inventive action sequences. (via The Hollywood Reporter)

Elizabeth Olsen (His Three Daughters) has closed a deal to join Julia Roberts in Panic Carefully, a new Warner Bros. film that Sam Esmail will direct from his own script.

Described as a paranoid thriller in the vein of Esmail’s Emmy and Golden Globe winner Mr. Robot, as well as The Silence of the Lambs, the film’s logline is being kept under wraps.

The project went out to assorted studios and streamers near the top of this year, with Warner Bros prevailing in a heated bidding war, in part due to its commitment to a theatrical run. The film reunites Esmail with Roberts following Leave the World Behind, their hugely popular apocalyptic thriller, based on the 2020 novel by Rumaan Alam, which premiered on Netflix in November 2023 and stands as the streamer’s fifth most popular English-language film of all time, with 143.4 million views.

Production is slated to kick off in England in January. (via Deadline)

Today Skybound and Image Comics, in collaboration with leading toy and game company Hasbro, revealed the lineup of variant covers for TRANSFORMERS #16, the two-time Eisner Award winning series from writer Daniel Warren Johnson (Extremity, Do a Powerbomb), artist Jorge Corona (Middlewest), and colorist Sarah Stern (Batgirls). The next chapter of the tentpole Energon Universe story will be available on shelves in comic book shops January 8, 2025.

In addition to the main cover by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer, the lineup of variant covers for TRANSFORMERS #16 includes an open-to-order cover B by series artist Jorge Corona & Mike Spicer, a 1:10 incentive variant continuing the connecting cover series by Karl Kerschl (Adventures of Superman), a 1:25 incentive variant by cover by Manabu Yashiro (Tank Chair), and a 1:50 incentive variant by cover artist Homare.

TRANSFORMERS is the cornerstone of the Energon Universe, the crown jewel of the historic collaboration between Hasbro and Skybound, who has introduced a brand-new era of the TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE franchises in one shared comic book universe. Other Energon Universe titles include the ongoing series Void Rivals by writer Robert Kirkman (Invincible, The Walking Dead), artist Lorenzo De Felici (Kroma), and colorist Patricio Delpeche (The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country) and the new G.I. JOE by writer Joshua Williamson (Superman, Dark Ride), artist Tom Reilly (The Thing), and colorist Jordie Bellaire (W0rldtr33). The Energon Universe also includes G.I. JOE miniseries Duke, from Joshua Williamson, Tom Reilly and Jordie Bellaire; Cobra Commander from Joshua Williamson, Andrea Milana (Impact Winter: Rook) and Annalisa Leoni (Oblivion Song); Scarlett, from writer Kelly Thompson (Black Widow, Birds of Prey), artist Marco Ferrari (Frontiersman), and colorist Lee Loughridge (I Hate This Place, Killadelphia); and Destro, from writer Dan Watters (Loki, Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives!), artist Andrei Bressan (Dark Ride, Birthright), and colorist Adriano Lucas (Dark Ride, Birthright), which introduce the iconic characters of the G.I. JOE and Cobra factions to the Energon Universe. Fans should expect can’t-miss moments from every issue of the Energon Universe, as secrets are unveiled along the path to answering the BIG questions from some of the biggest franchises in comics today.

TRANSFORMERS #16 (Lunar Codes Below $3.99) will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.

The full list of variant covers is below:

TRANSFORMERS #16 Cover A by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer (Lunar Code: 1124IM384)

TRANSFORMERS #16 Cover B by Jorge Corona & Mike Spicer (Lunar Code: 1124IM385)

TRANSFORMERS #16 Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive) (Connecting) by Karl Kerschl (Lunar Code: 1124IM386)

TRANSFORMERS #16 Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive) by Manabu Yashiro (Lunar Code: 1124IM387)

TRANSFORMERS #16 Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive) by Homare (Lunar Code: 1124IM388)

Since making her big move to the 616 earlier this year, Gwen Stacy’s super hero career has taken a wild turn! New villains, hints of romance, and the overarching mystery behind her permanent dimension hop has made writer Stephanie Phillips and artist Paolo Villanelli’s SPIDER-GWEN: THE GHOST-SPIDER one of the hottest launches of the year. This March, the series continues to go where no Gwen Stacy has gone before in a new arc titled “Ghost-Spider Beyond!”

Kicking off in SPIDER-GWEN: THE GHOST-SPIDER #11, the thrilling saga sees Gwen take off on grand quest into the Marvel cosmos! There, she’ll come across unimaginable power and the only thing stopping her from using it to fix all her life’s problems is Loki! During the storyline, Gwen will debut a new space suit designed by SPIDER-GWEN: THE GHOST-SPIDER’s superstar cover artist Mark Brooks.

GHOST-SPIDER BEYOND! Gwen has something King Loki wants, and she’ll do everything in her power to keep it from him. The god of lies and deception knows his strength lies in words over brute force, so he intends to convince Gwen to give up the artifact willingly. It’s the most unlikely team-up ever as Ghost-Spider and King Loki embark on an intergalactic adventure for the ages!

"I envisioned a Gwen and Loki storyline from the beginning of my work on Gwen, so this arc feels like the culmination of everything we’ve been building toward,” Phillips shared. “Taking Gwen to space has allowed us to explore some unexpected elements of her character, especially as her optimism and hope clashes with King Loki's nihilism. Paolo and I have worked hard to make this a unique sci-fi adventure—one that’s dark and very personal to Gwen."

Check out Brooks’ cover along with his design sheet for Gwen’s new look and preorder SPIDER-GWEN: GHOST-SPIDER #11 at your local comic shop today! To catch up on Phillips’ run, pick up SPIDER-GWEN: THE GHOST-SPIDER VOLUME. 1 – HAUNTED, on sale this January!

It’s “Joy to the World” for Doctor Who fans this Christmas as Disney and the BBC unveil a trailer for the latest holiday special (below).

Featuring Ncuti Gatwa and Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan, Joy to the World follows the title character checking into a London hotel in 2024. She opens a secret doorway to the Time Hotel — discovering danger, dinosaurs and the Doctor. But a deadly plan is unfolding across the Earth, just in time for Christmas.

Gatwa of course returns as the Doctor. Coughlan, who is known globally for her role as Penelope Featherington in Netflix’s Bridgerton, has been trailed to be appearing in Doctor Who for some time. Others to feature include Steph de Whalley as Anita, Jonathan Aris as Melnak, Joel Fry as Trev, Peter Benedict as Basil, Julia Watson as Hilda and Niamh Marie Smithas Sylvia.

The Christmas special will precede the second season of episodes of Doctor Who under its regenerated Disney-BBC deal with Russell T Davies back at the helm. That deal is yet to be re-upped beyond its second season. (via Deadline)

Trailer: https://youtu.be/B2ndr6SnILI

One of the stars of Daredevil: Born Again confirms there is indeed a time jump from the third season of Daredevil ending on Netflix, and when the upcoming Disney+ show begins. Next spring is the release of Daredevil: Born Again, which brings back everyone’s favorite Marvel street-level characters like Matt Murdock, Wilson Fisk, Karen Page, Foggy Nelson, Punisher, and Bullseye.

And Wilson Bethel, who plays the villainous Bullseye, has revealed new details regarding how much time takes place between Daredevil and its coming successor.

Speaking at Fan Expo San Francisco, Bethel dropped a bombshell that Daredevil: Born Again will feature a time jump.

“So there’s kind of like this funny thing stepping back after five years where Born Again will pick up with that amount of time having transpired." Bethel said. "The show doesn’t pick up the day after we last saw it. It picks up five years later. And so in theory, these are characters who have all lived five years of life and all of the twists and turns that you take in the meantime. So whether or not even those stories are necessarily on screen, there’s just that little extra bit of life in there, which I think is… as an actor, it gives you an opportunity to bring whatever your own journey has been in that time and they get sort of a little longer in the tooth.”

Daredevil: Born Again debuts March 4, 2025 on Disney+. (via ComicBook.com)

Maverick, Mad Cave Studios’ young adult imprint, announce SARAH and DARAH from acclaimed writer David Pinckey and illustrator Pia Prado.

Scandals and heartache are coming to the prestigious PLACESIDE HIGH where only the best of the best attend. As senior year is about to start and the graduates embark on their futures, with some attending college and others focusing on burgeoning careers, Darah has returned for senior year and will start a war against her rival, her former best friend, Sarah. Tempers flare and the truth is revealed in this compelling high school drama.

At age 12, Darah, the exiled daughter of Thomas Benson, the butler of The Havenmeyers, returns after five years to seek revenge on Sarah Havenmeyer, the girl who “destroyed” her life. It was Sarah’s misinformation that made her parents exile Darah to Alaska where she had no life whatsoever. Now, Darah has returned, and the school has erupted in a frenzy--isn't Darah The Placeside Pyro? Why has she returned? Sarah won't let anyone get between her and her esteemed social standing. But as it turns out, Darah won't back down from a fight, and she is ready to destroy Sarah by knocking her off her social pedestal...and telling everyone the truth.

"Sarah and Darah was a challenge to put together,” David Pinckney said. “We wanted to tell a story with relatable themes that don’t get touched on often in all-ages media and present them in a unique way that was engaging and accessible. Working closely with the editors to shape how we wanted to deliver these messages and coupled with art and letters that compliment the story beautifully, I think we made something that will truly resonate positively with readers.”

Marla Eizik, the book’s editor at Maverick, said, "I think a lot of readers will see themselves in these characters. I know I was certainly brought back to high school while reading this story! Sarah and Darah have a complicated friendship, but what I like about them both is that while they might get distracted by high school rivalries and class differences, they always return to trusting their own instincts and points-of-view, instead of following the crowd. That's a lesson I'm excited for young readers to take with them after reading this beautiful book."

"Sarah and Darah delivers a high-stakes drama that goes beyond the usual high school rivalries, diving deep into themes of betrayal, redemption, and the transformative power of trust. This title captures those intense core moments and emotions that aren't always highlighted but are a huge part of coming of age, exploring the complexities of forgiveness and the courage it takes to rebuild fractured relationships. We’re thrilled to bring this story to life, knowing it will leave a lasting impression on readers," said Allison Pond, Mad Cave Studios Director of Marketing.

“Working on "Sarah & Darah" was a delightful experience for me,” said illustrator Pia Prado. “I love drama-centered storylines, and what I really liked about this story, in particular, is that the conflict between the characters has many dimensions. It's not only about friends having disagreements but also about family dynamics, socioeconomic issues, and more. I also love the story's comedic timing! It's so fun. I'm grateful I could draw this story with such great characters and a surprising plot line.”

SARAH and DARAH (9781952303630; $14.99) is slated for release in trade paperback on May 13, 2025 and is now available for pre-order from Maverick wherever books are sold, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.

T.R. Knight, Alex Breaux and Gabrielle Nevaeh will be among those joining the previously announced Louis McCartney in Broadway's upcoming production of Stranger Things: The First Shadow.

Knight (Grey’s Anatomy) will play Victor Creel, Breaux (Stranger Things Season 5 will play Dr. Brenner, and Nevaeh (Nickelodeon’s That Girl Lay Lay) will be Patty Newby. Other cast members announced today are Rosie Benton (Broadway’s Patriots) as Virginia Creel; Nicky Eldridge (Broadway debut) as Bob Newby; Andrew Hovelson (Broadway’s Lucky Guy) as Principal Newby; Alison Jaye (Shameless) as Joyce Maldonado; and Burke Swanson (Back to the Future: The Musical) as James Hopper, Jr.

As previously announced, McCartney will play Henry Creel. Further casting will be announced in January 2025.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow begins previews Friday, March 28, 2025, at Broadway’s Marquis Theatre, with an official opening on Tuesday, April 22. (via Deadline)

The National Board of Review has named Wicked as its best film of 2024.

The movie adaptation of the Broadway musical, which has been a critical and commercial hit and hopes to be an Oscars contender, also picked up two other honors from the group. The NBR’s honors are voted on by a group of film enthusiasts, filmmakers, professionals, academics and students.

Wicked‘s Jon M. Chu was named best director by NBR and its stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande received a special spotlight award for their “creative collaboration.”

This year’s NBR honorees will be celebrated at an awards gala at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York on Tuesday, Jan. 7, hosted by NBC News’ Willie Geist. (via The Hollywood Reporter)

A complete list of the 2024 NBR award winners can be found here: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wicked-best-film-2024-national-board-of-review-1236077447/

The Simpsons is coming to Disney+ later this month with a brand new Christmas special, and now fans have gotten the first look at what to expect from this exclusive new episode. The Simpsons is currently working through Season 36 of the long running animated series, and it will actually be celebrating the 35th anniversary of its original debut broadcast. This is all going to be coming full circle with a new, exclusive Christmas special coming to Disney+ that will be releasing on the anniversary of the very first episode of The Simpsons overall. It’s going to be a great time for the holidays.

The Simpsons will be airing a new Christmas special episode on Disney+ this December 17th, and it will be a double sized episode titled “O’Cmon All Ye Faithful.” While it’s yet to be fully revealed what Homer will be up to in the coming special as of the time of this publication, Disney+ has shared the first look at this new special teasing Homer doing his best to be Santa with Ralph hilariously coming along. It’s not clear if this will be directly seen in the coming episode itself, but it’s certainly a fun tease that you can check out more of below. (via ComicBook.com)

Dynamite Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products announce the live launch of an exciting BackerKit crowdfunding campaign, offering ThunderCats fans the chance to reserve the first ever comprehensive collections of the original tie-in comic book series from the 1980s. The campaign is live now!

The beloved ThunderCats franchise will be celebrating four fun-filled decades in 2025, and one of its most popular and vibrant eras in years. Dynamite's new lineup of comic book tales from top creators like Declan Shalvey, Ed Brisson, Soo Lee, Drew Moss, George Kambadais, and more continues to claw its way up the charts each month. The flagship series debut made a huge impact on fans, followed by direct spinoffs and the upcoming sister series SilverHawks.

ThunderCats comics didn't start in 2024 though — they go all the way back to the era of the original animated TV show. Originally published through a different company, the earliest four-color fables for the franchise amounted to 24 issues. These are now all being scanned and remastered, then compiled into new graphic novel editions to bring them back into print, easy to read, and accessible on everyone's shelves. The original back issues from the series can be expensive and hard to find in the aftermarket, and now readers of all generations can enjoy these old school classics through this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.



A wide range of top tier and cult classic creators of the "Bronze Age" of comic books are featured within the pages of the books being offered now on BackerKit. Contributing writers include David Michelinie, Gerry Conway, Tom DeFalco, Dwight Jon Zimmerman, and original show writer Stephen Perry. They're joined by a legion of great artists like Jim Mooney, Jose Delbo, Ernie Colon, Dwayne Turner, Al Williamson, Brett Breeding, and others.

This classic material is being made available directly to fans through BackerKit in two key editions. Either are perfect cornerstones of any ThunderCats collection and ideal additions to every comic reader's shelf, but the crown jewel is the single-volume, complete, oversized hardcover. Alternatively, readers can pick up the same contents across two paperbacks. Options are also available for digital readers. Signed editions are also options for everyone's hauls, featuring Lion-O voice actor Larry Kinney.

A range of extras and add-ons can be opted for, like a lovingly recreated "facsimile" edition of the first issue from the series, collections of the current hit ThunderCats titles from Dynamite, rare variant covers, and more.

CLICK HERE TO PLEDGE FOR YOURS NOW!