InThis Week in Animation News, I’ll take a look at the previous week in the world of animation to get you caught up on everything you might have missed. It’s your one-stop shop for news regarding cartoons, anime, and animated web series. We’re talking movies, TV shows, digital shorts, and everything in between! For the latest animation stories we’ve already covered on the site this week, take a look at the following links....
FilmmakerJames Wanhas taken a somewhat unlikely path to helming a blockbuster superhero movie. Nowadays, it’s almost more common for a director to helm a small-budget Sundance movie and then immediately make the leap to the blockbuster realm, but Wan’s been honing his craft as a director since the early 2000s, when he broke out big with his small-budget horror filmSaw. It wasn’t until 2013’s hugely successfulThe Conjuringthat Wan then began moving into other genres of filmmaking, being tapped to helm thealsohugely successfulFurious 7, which then of course led to the upcoming DC movieAquaman....
“You are ahard-drinking, short-fused, mess of a woman,” Luke Cage (Mike Colter) tells Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter). “But you arenota piece of shit.” Private Investigator Jessica disagrees, as she continues to harbor the pain of her actions during the mind-controlling torture of a man named Kilgrave (David Tennant). This triangle — the pull of the past versus the chance to do right in the present and future — is the main tension that drives Netflix’s excellent new Marvel series,Jessica Jones....
Just last week, our first look atJoaquin Phoenixas “Arthur” in Warner Bros.’ standaloneJokermovie arrived. And now we have our first look at the character in Joker makeup via Warner Bros’s official Twitter—at least we think this is the final makeup.The HangoverandWar DogsfilmmakerTodd Philipshatched the idea to create a standaloneJokermovie set in 1970s New York City, chronicling the origin story of the iconicBatmanvillain with a unique, somewhat original story. He co-wrote and directs the film, which is currently in production, and while we still don’t know exactly what that story entails, reports have swirled that Phillips’ film is inspired byMartin Scorsese’s filmThe King of Comedy....
After weeks of domination,The Accountant 2surrendered the top spot on Prime Video’s global viewership rankings toHeads of State. The action-comedy, starringJohn Cena,Idris Elba, andPriyanka Chopra Jonas, had a solid run, retaining the viewership crown for around a month. But this past weekend,the film was unseated from the number one spot by a rather unlikely competitor, a screenlife adaptation ofWar of the Worlds, starringIce Cubein the lead role. What makes this situation all the more interesting is thatWar of the Worldshas been roundly rejected by critics, and is currently sitting ata rare 0% score on the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes....
Queer EyealumBobby Berkis making his way to HGTV with a brand-new reality series in late 2025. The exciting news comes a day after Netflix announced thatQueer Eyewill be coming to an end with Season 10. Berk’s new show, titledJunk or Jackpot?will see the interior designer in a familiar role, as he helps people sell off their rare collectibles to raise funds for a home makeover. As perPEOPLE, the six-episodeseason will follow Berk supporting his clients as they sort through the clutter in their homesand appraise their precious items....
Keanu Reeveshas been making headlines lately thanks to his performance as Shadow the Hedgehog inSonic the Hedgehog 3, the video game adaptation that hasgrossed over $335 million at the worldwide box officein only a few weeks. He’s also become known for his role asJohn Wick, the iconic action hero withfour movies, a spin-off show, andanother movie on the way. However, two years before he first suited up as the legendary assassin, Reeves starred in one of his biggest bombs ever....
Kevin Costnerhas broken his silence—or rather, kept it remarkably brief, how very John Dutton of him—on theYellowstoneseries finale and the behind-the-scenes tensions that have dominated headlines over the past year. Costner, who departed the Western drama that he had led for 7 years, amid reports of creative disputes with series co-creatorTaylor Sheridan, was candid but typically reserved when recently confronted about the show’s conclusion andcomments made by his former co-starLuke Grimes....
The long-awaited sequel toThe Last of Usfinally arrives for gamers everywhere this May 29th. But a bonus bit of news has popped up today concerning an adaptation of the Sony PlayStation exclusive, one that’s headed to HBO with some top-tier talent behind the scenes. AsTHRreports,The Last of UsTV series is in the works with writers / executive producersCraig Mazin(Chernobyl) andNeilDruckmann(The Last of Usfranchise,Unchartedfranchise). Whether this gets off the ground–or whether it’s just a well-timed media bump ahead of the sequel’s release in a couple months–remains to be seen, but a TV series is a departure from the previous plans ofa possible movie adaptation....
Marvel Television and Marvel Animation are returning toSan Diego Comic-Conwith a jam-packed lineup of panels, signings, and fan-first experiences, includingMarvel’s Cloak & Dagger,Marvel’s Iron Fist,Legion,The Gifted,Marvel’s Avengers: Black Panther’s Questand the brand-new projectMarvel Rising. Their not-to-be-missed panels will include exclusive footage and surprise appearances, as well as star-studded autograph signing sessions, all starting Thursday, July 19th and continuing through Sunday, July 22nd. We’ve gathered together the full rundown of Marvel panels and available content for attendees below....
Ever sinceMatt Smithappeared inDoctor Whoas the youngest actor to ever portray the title character, he has gone on to venture into different projects within and beyond the television terrain. Now, theHouse of the Dragonactor will be starring in another television show, this time inThe Death of Bunny Munro. Sky has unveiled the first-look image for the upcoming six-part limited series, based onNick Cave’s 2009 sophomore novel of the same name....
Last month, it was reported thatMike Flanaganhad been tapped to take over the Exorcistfranchise, after a less-than-stellar performance fromDavid Gordon Green’sThe Exorcist: Believer, the first film in a now-canned trilogy. Rumors first abounded a few weeks ago, but it was confirmed last week that Flanagan is now, in fact, the harbinger of Pazuzu. It was announced that Flanagan is taking the franchise in a"radical new take," meaning he will not be continuing the story that began withThe Exorcist: Believer....
IFC Films has released the trailer forMonday, an alluring new romantic drama starringSebastian StanandDenise Gough(Robin Hood,‘71). The trailer arrives just as the buzz around Stan is heightening once more. In addition toMonday, the actor will co-star in the next Marvel Disney+ seriesThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier, making this a very interesting moment in the actor’s career where his new work is concerned. But, unlike Bucky Barnes, the character Stan plays here — a charming rogue named Mickey — is nothing like the MCU character which means fans will be able to enjoy a whole new side of the actor whenMondayarrives in theaters and on-demand in mid-April....
