Warner Bros‘ feature musical Wonka arrived on three-week-out tracking this week with a revised industry projection of $35M-$40M when it opens on Dec. 15, Deadline reports. That start is in the vicinity of Sony’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle ($36.2M) which opened before Christmas on Dec. 20. While going pre-Christmas is always risky for any movie, family branded pics are quite safe and remain a powerful distraction for families who are still in the throes of shopping.The Timothée Chalamet movie is great with women right now, under and over 25. Unaided awareness is 22-23 with women which is the category by which respondents cite a movie’s name to pollster’s without being prodded (it’s evidence that a movie’s promo machine is working on a title). Those numbers are a point above the unaided awareness for females on Illumination/Universal’s Super Mario Bros Movie. In first choice at 12 for women under 25, and 15 for women over 25, Wonka is more than double in each category ahead of the first choice for Trolls Band Together ($30M) and Mary Poppins Returns ($23.5M 3-day, 5-day $32.3M). The Paul King-directed movie began screening to the media this past week with a world premiere set for Nov. 28 in London.

Actor Gaten Matarazzo has revealed that his character, Dustin, will be dealing with some heavy duty grief when Stranger Things Season 5 rolls around.

Dustin's time in Season 4 didn't go very smoothly. While he made a new best friend in Joseph Quinn's Eddie, sadly, his new bestie sacrificed himself to the Demobats in the Upside Down to help save the day.

In an interview with The Direct while promoting his new series LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, Matarazzo was able to briefly tease Dustin's journey in Stranger Things' upcoming Season 5.

"... He's still the guy we know and love, but there is a context of that trauma and that weight of loss that seems to carry on with him through the early process of the season," the Dustin actor said, "and hopefully, that's something that people like to see, see him grow through that arc, and see him start to deal with intense grief at a young age."

Stranger Things is now streaming on Netflix.

The Pokémon Company International and stop-motion studio Aardman have revealed they’re working on a “special project” together.

Few details were revealed. The project is now slated to land in 2027 and “the collaboration will see Aardman bringing their unique style of storytelling to the Pokémon universe in brand-new adventures.”

More information is “planned to be shared in the future,” the companies said in a press release.

“This is a dream partnership for Pokémon,” said Taito Okiura, VP of Marketing and Media at The Pokémon Company International. “Aardman are masters of their craft, and we have been blown away by their talent and creativity. What we have been working on together ensures our global Pokémon fans are in for a treat.”

Sean Clarke, Managing Director of the UK-based Aardman, said: “It’s a huge honor to be working with The Pokémon Company International — we feel sincerely privileged to be trusted with bringing their characters and world to life in a brand-new way. Bringing together Pokémon, the world’s biggest entertainment brand, together with our love of craft, character and comedic storytelling feels incredibly exciting." (via Deadline)

“Kraven the Hunter” could get declawed in its big screen debut.

The comic book spinoff, set in Sony’s universe of Marvel characters, is targeting a paltry $13 million to $15 million from 3,200 theaters its opening weekend. Based on projections, “Kraven the Hunter” could contend with February’s misfire “Madame Web” ($15.3 million debut) for the ignominious distinction of the lowest start among Sony-produced Marvel adventures.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as the eponymous antihero in the R-rated film, which faced a litany of pandemic and strike-related release date delays on its long and winding journey to theaters. “Kraven” cost an upward of $110 million to produce (it was greenlit for $90 but ballooned after last year’s writers and actors strikes), which ended up being considerably more than the $80 million price tag for “Madame Web” but far less than rival studios like Disney or Warner Bros. typically pump into superhero tentpoles. “Kraven,” the first in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe with an R rating, was co-financed by TSG.

Directed by J.C. Chandor, “Kraven the Hunter” explores the origins of Sergei Kravinoff, the comic book character’s alter ego, including his rocky relationship with his crime lord father (Russell Crowe) and his quest to become the greatest hunter. “Kraven” is Sony’s third Spider-Man adjacent superhero adaptation of the year, arriving a few months after October’s “Venom: The Last Dance.” The alien symbiote trilogy, led by Tom Hardy, has proven itself critic-proof and commercially successful, although the third and final movie didn’t live up to the box off heights of its predecessors. Sony has otherwise yet to produce a comic book hit with characters. The studio also stumbled in 2022 with “Morbius,” a vampire-inspired thriller with Jared Leto as the fanged villain — one of Peter Parker’s notorious foes. (via Variety)

For millennia, cats have been linked to the supernatural and the afterlife, and in THE GHOST WHISKERERS, the newest middle-grade graphic novel from John Carpenter Presents Storm Kids, a young boy named Daniel learns the truth about cats, ghosts and the Great Beyond. THE GHOST WHISKERERS is available February 5, 2025.

Written and illustrated by Thomas F. Zahler (My Little Pony, Love and Capes), THE GHOST WHISKERERS offers younger readers a colorful, fast-paced and often mysterious story about Daniel and his family, who move to Tacoma, Washington, from Boston — leaving Daniel to struggle to make friends at school.

But Daniel has two steadfast friends in the run-down but sprawling house his parents intend to renovate: his two cats, Mal and Halloween. The house is old, grand … and filled with mysterious happenings and cold drafts. Daniel soon learns that the house is a portal to the afterlife, and his cats are (in the best cat tradition) tasked with guiding spirits into the next realm. But not all souls want to move on, and when Mal and Halloween have trouble convincing one ghost, they recruit Daniel to help. Delving deeper and deeper into this mysterious world, Daniel soon discovers an unexpected connection … and an emotionally resonant possibility.

“Selecting the right story for younger readers can be tricky, but as soon as Thom shared The Ghost Whiskerers with us, we knew it was a perfect fit,” said Storm King Comics founder and editor Sandy King. “Thom has created a big-hearted, vastly entertaining story that becomes even more special with his candy-colored artwork and delightful characters, who present a story that ultimately lands with deep emotional impact.”

THE GHOST WHISKERERS is written for ages 8 and up, and is the latest entry in the John Carpenter Presents Storm Kids line of graphic novels, which is also physically sized for younger readers.

THE GHOST WHISKERERS will debut in comic book stores and in the direct market February 5, and at book retailers everywhere and online on February 18.

Sony Pictures has released its first trailer for 28 Years Later, director Danny Boyle's long-awaited zombie apocalypse sequel.

In the clip, we see a brief, but bloody, run through of what happened 10,228 days earlier, as a zombie infestation overruns an unsuspecting U.K. “Days became weeks” and then “weeks became years” as we zero in on a remote island of survivors who have seemingly regressed to a more simple society (think bows and arrows for hunting). Somehow the zombies have reached this isolated rural idyll and things go south fast. In the trailer, we also get our first glimpses of Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jodie Comer, and a very bloodied and harassed-looking Ralph Fiennes.

28 Years Later will be released June 20. (via The Hollywood Reporter)

Trailer: https://youtu.be/mcvLKldPM08

Today Skybound and Image Comics announced the all-new Invincible Universe series Battle Beast, which reunites the longtime Invincible creative team of co-creator/writer Robert Kirkman (Void Rivals, The Walking Dead) and contributing creator/artist Ryan Ottley (The Amazing Spider-Man), who first created the fan-favorite character together nearly two decades ago. For the first time a new Invincible comic has been on shelves in seven years, the debut issue of the first-ever Battle Beast series will be available in comic book shops in April 2025.

Perfect for longtime fans and new readers alike, the new ongoing series promises to reveal the secret story of crowd favorite Battle Beast in what is the most demanded Invincible story of all time.

“What can I say? I just can’t get enough of the Invincible Universe!” said Robert Kirkman. “Moving from the comic series directly to the animated series, I haven’t really had a break. That said, while adapting the series to animation, I’ve been itching to do something new! Longtime fans will know there’s a massive gap in Battle Beast’s appearances in the series between Invincible issue 19 and issue 55. There’s a lot of story to tell and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Battle Beast co-creator Ryan Ottley on board to tell it with me!”

"When Robert and I first created Battle Beast way back in Invincible issue #19 as a way to increase Invincible's Rogues gallery, I wasn't sure if he'd be a big character who'd come back throughout the series, or a character who'd die a terrible gory death right away,” said Ryan Ottley. “Robert always kept me and the readers on our toes, he could command a death at any moment, and you know I'd always jump at the chance to carry out the visual execution! Luckily, Battle Beast became a fan-favorite and lived to tell a larger tale! It's amazing to be working with Robert again in the Invincible Universe. A while ago I was telling him I wasn't sure what project to do next, and when he mentioned us doing a Battle Beast series together, I jumped at the idea of being back on a creator-owned book, enlarging the Invincible Universe even more! I'm really happy to be back at Image Comics and Skybound, and can't wait for you to see the story we are fleshing out in this series! I haven't had this much fun since Invincible!”

Cursed with an unquenchable thirst for violence that threatens those he loves, Battle Beast searches the universe for the one warrior mightier than him...so that he may die before harming anyone else. But even in a universe of mighty Viltrumites like Invincible and Omni-Man, it seems that no one may be able to stop the galaxy’s deadliest warrior...unless he does the unthinkable.

"Fans have been literally begging for this series for years,” noted Ben Abernathy, Executive Editor at Skybound. “This book is going to blow minds as Robert and Ryan are putting an insane amount of effort into making the most badass comic possible!”

Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #1 also features a first-of-its-kind blind bag program that allows fans a chance to get ANY of the solicited covers from A through I. However, there are rare SURPRISE comics that may or may not be related to Battle Beast or the Invincible Universe that can be found in these blind bags. Those SURPRISE comics will not be publicly announced in advance of the issue release.

Created by Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker, Invincible #1 debuted to critical acclaim on January 22, 2003. Ryan Ottley joined soon after on issue #8 in late 2003 as the new series artist and contributing creator. Throughout its fifteen-year run at Image Comics, Invincible not only continued for a historic 146 issues, but also spawned multiple spin-off series and even an inter-company crossover with a certain friendly neighborhood superhero. In 2021, the Invincible animated series arrived on Prime Video and quickly became one of the most popular new streaming series, earning praise worldwide for its fresh storytelling. With a second season wrapped and a third on the way, Invincible remains a cornerstone of the pop culture landscape that continues to grow in popularity every year.

Prime Video recently announced that the critically acclaimed adult animated series co-produced by Skybound Animation and Amazon MGM Studios will return for season 3 on February 6, with new episodes airing weekly through March 13. Invincible is available exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories around the world. The first two seasons of the animated series received “Certified Fresh” rankings on Rotten Tomatoes and was awarded Rotten Tomatoes’ Golden Tomato Award for Best Animated Series in 2023. Invincible follows 17-year-old Mark Grayson as he inherits his father’s superpowers and sets out to become Earth’s greatest defender, only to discover the job is more challenging than he ever imagined.

For fans with a thirst as unquenchable for Invincible content as Battle Beast’s is for violence, the new comic book series debuts the month after season 3 of the hit Prime Video series wraps.

Battle Beast #1 (Lunar Codes Coming Soon SRP: $3.99, unless otherwise noted) will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

The full list of covers is below:

Battle Beast #1 Cover A by Ryan Ottley & Annalisa Leoni

Battle Beast #1 Cover B by David Finch

Battle Beast #1 Cover C Blind Bag: Various

Battle Beast #1 Cover D (1:10 Incentive) by E.J. Su

Battle Beast #1 Cover E (1:25 Incentive) by Kael Ngu

Battle Beast #1 Cover F (1:50 Incentive) by Arthur Adams

Battle Beast #1 Cover G (1:100 Incentive) (Foil) by Jonboy Meyers

Battle Beast #1 Cover H (1:1000 CGC Signed/Graded) (Foil) by Ryan Ottley & Annalisa Leoni

Battle Beast #1 Cover I Blank Sketch Cover

Battle Beast #1 Cover J (Battle Beast Die Cut Mask Cover) (Foil) ($4.99) by Ryan Ottley & Annalisa Leoni

Battle Beast #1 Cover K (1:2000 Ryan Ottley Original Art Sketch Cover by Ryan Ottley

Angel Studios is set to produce and distribute “Fablehaven,” a film adaptation of Brandon Mull’s New York Times best-selling fantasy book series.

“Fablehaven” is in the early stages of pre-production and is preparing to shoot in late summer of 2025. Angel Studios reached an agreement with Haven Films, partnering to begin development of the motion picture.

The film will be directed and produced by Cameron Sawyer (“Tim Timmerman: Hope of America”), with the first installment focused on book one in the series, with plans to develop all five of the Mull books to the big screen. The film is slated for a 2026 release.

The “Fablehaven” series, published by Shadow Mountain, introduces young readers to a world of hidden magical creatures and ancient secrets. The story centers on two siblings, Kendra and Seth Sorenson, who visit their grandfather’s mansion. Unbeknownst to most of the world, that mansion is a reserve for mythical creatures. The grandfather is eventually kidnapped by goblins, forcing the siblings to find and rescue him while a witch named Muriel plans to unleash a powerful demon named Bahamut, which could mean the end of the world. (via Variety)

Jonny Coyne will be reprising his role as Imperial Warlord in Jon Favreau’s feature take of The Mandalorian streaming series, The Mandalorian & Grogu.

Imperial Warlord is part of the hologram Shadow Council in episode 7, season 3 of The Mandalorian in which he and other Imperial ranking officials meet with Giancarlo Esposito’s villain Moff Gideon. Gideon informs them about the Mandalorians’ plans to take back their home planet of Mandalore, while also questioning the whereabouts of Admiral Thrawn, a very notable bad guy in the Star Wars canon. The Shadow Council operates secretly against the New Republic. In that episode, Imperial Warlord tells the group about the opportunities in “plundering the hyperspace lanes.” He’s accused by Captain Gilad Pellaeon that his “hit and run operations are gaining too much notice.”

Favreau co-wrote the screenplay with Dave Filoni. What is known from footage shown at D23 back in August is that The Mandalorian & Grogu features a Hoth-like landscape ala 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back with AT-ATs. Also Babu Frick from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has a cameo along with red alien Zeb from Filoni’s animated series Star Wars: Rebels. (via Deadline)

This past summer in Blood Hunt, Doctor Doom seized the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme—but that was just the beginning! Doom’s ambition knows no limit, and starting this February, Marvel’s most iconic supervillain uses his new power to take over the world in ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM!

Impacting the status quo of the entire Marvel Universe in exciting tie-in issues, ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM will be anchored by a nine-issue event series written by Ryan North and drawn by R.B. Silva. The series takes readers behind the mask as they bear witness to the triumphs and trials of Doom’s rule, as well as Earth’s heroes’ foolish attempts to topple it. Today, fans can peek ahead at ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM #2, on sale in March, where the Fantastic Four will confront their archenemy—with disastrous consequences. Proving no match for Doom’s augmented magic, it’s a brutal defeat that will redefine Marvel’s First Family for the foreseeable future…

Doctor Doom has taken over the world, and Earth’s mightiest heroes have failed twice: first to stop him, and now to overthrow him. But the Fantastic Four know Doom better than anyone, which makes them ideally suited to take on Earth’s new Emperor...except for the fact that he knows THEM just as well. As Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, and Sue and Johnny Storm prepare to face down Doom at the United Nations, Doom pays a secret visit to speak to the only person on Earth who holds both his favor, his respect...and his love. But can Valeria Richards change her uncle’s mind? And if she fails, what will stop Doom from visiting a shocking fate on the Fantastic Four that not even he can undo? And, as the Avengers reel from their losses, the course of the Marvel Universe will change – and Marvel's First Family won’t be the same!

“Things really kick off in ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM #2,” North shared. “Doom is consolidating his power, and of course, the only thing that's really standing between him and his ambitions is the Fantastic Four. So, Doom simply solves that problem. The way he does it will have repercussions for the FF for quite a while! This issue in particular is basically a surprise secret issue of Fantastic Four - and anyone reading that book will not want to miss it.” Check out new covers for ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM #2, including pieces by series artist R.B. Silva and acclaimed artist Jerome Opeña.

Preorder ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM at your local comic shop and stay tuned this week for more ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM news, including new tie-in series announcements.

The Star Wars: Mandalorian & Grogu movie has added The Bear star Jeremy Allen White in the role of Jabba the Hutt’s son, Rotta the Hutt, Deadline has confirmed. It’s a notably sized role; no cameo here.

Big fat, snake-like intergalatic crime boss Jabba doesn’t have any human sons, and if he does, well, that’s a first. Let’s assume White is voicing this creature. Relatives of Jabba the Hutt have appeared throughout Star Wars series (Book of Boba Fett) and movies like Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

White joins already cast Pedro Pascal, who plays Mando, and Ghostbusters actress Sigourney Weaver. Jon Favreau directs and co-wrote with Dave Filoni. The movie hits theaters on May 22, 2026.