Serial Box has released its Black Panther: Sins of the King series in conjunction with Marvel. The partnership has been something people have been looking forward to for a while.

Ira Madison III is aboard as a writer with Mohale Mashigo, Geoffrey Thorne, Tananarive Due, and Steven Barnes. The series also features narration by William Jackson Harper.

With Serial Box, you can download the audio of the Black Panther tale or read along at your own pace. Most of the first episodes are usually free to explore as well, so you can figure out if you’re down for a larger investment.

This particular project will be releasing new chapters for months to come. (via ComicBook)

Synopsis: “The Black Panther has a terrible secret. T'Challa strives for excellence—to be a fair and worthy king, a global citizen, an Avenger. But when an army of undead threatens Wakanda, The Black Panther turns to his long-lost father in the fight against his most lethal opponent yet—the demons of his past.”

Skydance Media is looking to relaunch a classic family franchise as sources tell Deadline it has optioned the rights to reimagine the successful Spy Kids franchise alongside Spyglass Media Group and creator Robert Rodriguez. Rodriguez will return to write and direct the next film which will revolve around the activities of a multicultural family.

Spyglass owns the Spy Kids franchise and in recent months Skydance became intrigued in the IP as it looks to diversify its slate. For this next installment, Skydance will serve as the lead studio and oversee development and production while Spyglass’ Gary Barber and Peter Oillataguerre will executive produce.

Prior to launching the Spy Kids franchise, Rodriguez was better known for his adult action films like Desperado and From Dusk Till Dawn but wanted to do something for his kids. He came with the idea of a group of siblings who took up the family business to save their secret agent parents from danger. The first film was a massive hit grossing $112 million at the domestic box-office and launched three sequels that collectively have earned over $550 million at the worldwide box-office.

HBO Max is shaping up to be a major player in the world of DC Comics adaptations, between becoming home to the former DC Universe shows and developing other shows and potential movies for the streaming service such as Peacemaker, Green Lantern Corps, and Strange Adventures.

One of the most buzzworthy projects on that list is Justice League Dark, which was revealed to be in the works last April as part of J.J. Abrams' overall deal with WarnerMedia.

Since the initial announcement surrounding the series, updates have been relatively slim -- but it sounds like that shouldn't be a cause for concern. A recent report confirms that Justice League Dark is still in development for the streaming service.

This will surely delight fans who have been eager to see that corner of the DC universe be explored in live-action, something that has not really come to fruition after years of movie iterations have failed to come to pass. HBO Max executive Kevin Reilly revealed shortly after the initial announcement that Abrams himself was actually responsible for pitching the series.

Rumors late last year indicated that Abrams could also become involved with solo shows for Zatanna and John Constantine - two of the characters best associated with Justice League Dark. (via ComicBook)

Variety reports that a new documentary about Frankenstein actor Boris Karloff is in the works.

Voltage Films is currently in production on the feature documentary Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster. Co-produced and co-written by Ron MacCloskey and Thomas Hamilton with Hamilton directing and Tracy Jenkins producing, the film offers a fascinating portrait of Karloff, examining his illustrious 60-year career in the entertainment industry and his enduring legacy as one of the icons of 20th century popular culture.

The film follows on from the acclaimed 2010 biography Boris Karloff: More Than A Monster, written by Karloff’s official biographer Stephen Jacobs, who serves as the film’s historical consultant.

The doc is scheduled for release in October to coincide with the 90th anniversary of Universal’s Frankenstein in November 2021.

DC has announced more stories on the way for its REPRESENT! digital series, adding another five digital “chapters,” releasing weekly beginning February 1, 2021. The chapters will be available on participating digital platforms, including Comixology, Apple, Amazon Kindle, Google Books, and others.

This past September, DC took an evolutionary leap forward in graphic storytelling with this digital-first series featuring stories from underrepresented voices, spotlighting personal stories outside the regular comic book medium. The debut story, “It’s A Bird,” was written by Christian Cooper with art by Alitha E. Martinez and Mark Morales; the story was inspired by Cooper’s viral encounter with a Central Park dog owner while bird-watching.

“REPRESENT! is the kind of innovative and personal storytelling I’ve always believed in,” said Marie Javins, DC editor-in-chief. “Throughout history, stories have been catalysts to expand hearts, minds and culture; having the chance to do so with this group of talented writers and artists has been invigorating and has been embraced throughout DC.”

The next chapter, “Heritage,” is written by Jesse Holland with art by Doug Braithwaite. Holland is a former Associated Press journalist, host of C-Span’s “Washington Week,” editor of the upcoming Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda prose anthology and the author of the Black Panther: Who Is the Black Panther? prose novel, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award in 2019. Braithwaite is a fan-favorite DC penciller, inker and cover artist whose notable works include the recently released Generations: Shattered, Future State: The Next Batman, Justice and others.

“Heritage” is based on Holland’s Mississippi farm, which has been in his family since their first ancestor was freed from slavery—tended by his grandfather and his father before him. But as Jesse grows into a man, he’s unsure if a patch of land in the Piney Woods and a life of tilling soil is his true destiny. But destiny can mean so much more than dirt and a tractor…

Future stories include:

Book Three: “Food for Thought,” written by Regine Sawyer, art by Eric Battle

Sawyer, a comic book writer and founder of Women in Comics Collective International, and artist Battle have both contributed to DC individually and have united to tell the story of Lanice, whose passion for cooking and desire for a career in the culinary arts is challenged by the source of her inspiration—her father—who is concerned about his only daughter working in a kitchen, like so many Black Americans before her.

Book Four: “Believe You,” written by Nadira Jamerson, art by Brittney Williams

Howard University alumni Jamerson makes her comic book debut with Williams, who recently provided art for DC’s middle grade graphic novel Lois Lane and the Friendship Challenge. A young mother, Mai, has been struggling with her health ever since the birth of her daughter, Dira. She’s exhausted, gaining weight and experiencing shooting pain through her legs, and she wakes up with numbness spreading across her entire body. She is in constant agony. But the doctors don’t think anything is wrong with her—she’s stressed, she’s a hypochondriac, it’s just fatigue—and despite everything Mai does to make herself better, she still feels alone. Until she finally finds a way to advocate for her health and finds an ally who does more than prescribe…they listen.

Book Five: “My Granny Was A Hero,” written by Tara Roberts, art by Yancey Labat

Roberts, a National Geographic Storytelling Fellow, MIT Open Documentary Lab Fellow and avid scuba diving enthusiast, teams up with DC Super Hero Girls artist Labat in a story of a little girl realizing her dreams of heroism.

A little girl with Afro puffs, a potbelly, and a gap-toothed smile dreams of being a hero. She reads adventure books voraciously; she practices sword strokes and judo kicks in her bedroom in case she ever has to fight a dragon; she devours superhero movies, cartoons, and popcorn with big eyes. And every night, she looks out of her window and wishes upon the moon with all her heart to be called upon to help someone in a big way…when she discovers the story of her great-grandmother Cocu, and how Cocu’s superpower led to a heroic struggle for freedom.

Book Six: “The Lesson,” written and drawn by Dominike “DOMO” Stanton

=Stanton has been drawing comics for the last ten years; most recently, he provided art for House of Whispers, part of Neil Gaiman’s celebrated The Sandman Universe line of titles.

Stanton’s protagonist Dom got his butt kicked in school a lot…like…a lot a lot…for no reason. He got caught up in fights that had nothing to do with him or would get jumped simply walking the halls of his school or waiting for the bus home. Fed up and angry, he decides to join a local gym and learn how to box. But what starts out as a mission to fight back turns into something greater, and Dom is given the opportunity to stand up for himself in more ways than one.

Each new 10-page digital chapter will be available on Mondays for $0.99 each.

Among the 2021 movies featured on a new promo trailer released by Warner Bros. Studio today was the coming Mortal Kombat reboot film. It features the same small clip released before, but new bits included in this latest trailer seem to feature Sonya Blade, Scorpion, and Sub-Zero.

The release of the trailer follows the studio's controversial decision to bring all of 2021's movies to theaters and HBO Max at the same time.

The Mortal Kombat film is currently scheduled to release on April 16th on both HBO Max and in theaters.

Trailer: https://twitter.com/i/status/1354398837448847368

After playing a video game avatar in two Jumanji movies, Kevin Hart has officially signed on for another type of gaming adventure, with the actor closing his deal to star in Lionsgate's adaptation of Borderlands, THR reports.

Hart will play the skilled soldier Roland in what will be a more serious acting turn for the star, who is known worldwide for his comedy chops. He had been in negotiations for months, with those talks first becoming public in December.

Eli Roth is directing the Borderlands movie, which also has Cate Blanchett set to star as legendary thief Lilith. Emmy-winning Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin penned the script.

The Borderlands video game launched in 2009 to acclaim, with Gearbox Software and publisher 2K debuting Borderlands 3 in September 2019. The series has sold more than 66 million units.

Next month, Marvel Comics will celebrate Black History Month with MARVEL’S VOICES: LEGACY #1. In addition to the all-star list of creators contributing to the issue, MARVELS VOICE’S: LEGACY #1 will also have a stunning collection of variant covers by some of the industry’s biggest talents. Marvel’s Stormbreaker Natacha Bustos, Olivier Coipel, Ejiwa "Edge" Ebenebe, Ken Lashley, and Ernanda Souza honor Marvel’s legacy of Black heroes in incredible depictions of iconic characters such as Storm, Shuri, Black Panther, Monica Rambeau, and many more.

Featuring a dazzling array of stories by both new and established creators, MARVEL’S VOICES: LEGACY #1 will consist of seven thrilling tales plus an introduction by New York Times best-selling author Nic Stone (Shuri: A Black Panther Novel). Eisner Award-winning writer Nnedi Okorafor (Shuri) pens a Venom story highlighting the importance of heroes who fight for the downtrodden. Explore Blade’s legacy – vampiric and heroic – in a story by writer Danny Lore (2020 Ironheart). And in their exciting Marvel Comics debuts, Ho Che Anderson (King) brings Luke Cage fans an old-school story about the choices that make a hero, author Tochi Onyebuchi (Beasts Made of Night, War Girls) tells an action-packed tale of a wild night in Madripoor with Domino, writer Stephanie Williams highlights family in a light-hearted Monica Rambeau story, and Marvel’s most promising young heroes—Ironheart, Ms. Marvel, and Shuri— team up for an adventure by award-winning novelist Mohale Mashigo (The Yearning)! Lastly, Academy Award winning screenwriter John Ridley closes out this epic issue with a poignant look at the impact of Miles Morales. See these outstanding writers take on their favorite heroes in tales designed to inspire and uplift, featuring interior art by ChrisCross, Valentine De Landro, Sean Damien Hill, Ken Lashley, Natacha Bustos, Chris Allen, and Olivier Coipel.

“I’m deeply appreciative of having had the opportunity to contribute to this amazing collection of narratives,” Ridley said. “Marvel’s Voices reminds us all of the power of words, representation and self-expression. And to be able to add to the growing legacy of Miles Morales…. That’s about as good as it gets.”

See some of the variant covers below as well as the main cover by Taurin Clarke and colorist Jesus Aburtov. This incredible issue hits stands on February 24th!

Deadline reports that Beauty and the Beast Gaston star Luke Evans will play The Coachman in Disney’s live-action retelling of Pinocchio, directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks as Geppetto.

The movie, which was announced at Disney Investor Day in December as making its destination on streaming service Disney+, not theaters, is written by Zemeckis and Chris Weitz. Andrew Miano and Weitz are producing through their company Depth of Field.

The 1940 Disney animated classic tells the tale of a living puppet who, with the help of a cricket as his conscience, must prove himself worthy to become a real boy. Box Office Mojo lists the movie with a lifetime gross close to $122M worldwide; however, the original animated feature has always been a vault cash cow for Disney.

Tian Richards has been cast in the title role of the Nancy Drew spinoff Tom Swift at The CW, Variety reports.

Richards will make his first appearance as the character in an upcoming episode of Nancy Drew. Then, should the Tom Swift standalone series get greenlit at the network, he would star.

The plans is for Swift to crash into one of Drew’s investigations, an event which she interprets as supernatural and he believes to be cosmically paranormal.

The standalone series would follow the titular Black, gay, billionaire inventor who is thrust into a world of sci-fi conspiracy and unexplained phenomena after the shocking disappearance of his father. He takes to the road on a quest to unravel the truth, leaving behind the comforts of his usual moneyed lifestyle, all while fighting to stay one step ahead of an Illuminati-scale group hell-bent on stopping him.

Spider-Man franchise’s Tony Revolori is in negotiations for a lead role opposite Ellie Bamber, Cailee Spaeny and Erin Kellyman in Willow, Disney+ and Lucasfilm’s upcoming TV series follow-up to the 1988 fantasy movie, with the film’s star Warwick Davis reprising his title role, Deadline reports.

The new incarnation of Willow comes from Jonathan Kasdan, who wrote the pilot and serves as co-showrunner alongside Wendy Mericle; the original film’s director Ron Howard and writer Bob Dolman; as well as Lucasfilm, which produced the movie.

Reps for Disney+ and Lucasfilm declined comment.