Netflix has decided not to move forward with its Resident Evil series, which will end with only one season that was made available back on July 14th. The series hasn’t had a strong following as the streamer hoped for, as it wasn’t dominating its Top 10 category and it seems that the viewing numbers just weren’t there either. To be fair, the idea of releasing anything after the monolith that is Stranger Things also didn’t help and undercut the project’s release which hit a decent 72.7M hours viewed at the #2 spot. It didn’t quite get the word-of-mouth they may have hoped as it dropped in its second weekend and was no longer in the Top 10 after three weeks.
Netflix’s model isn’t very friendly to new projects starting out, as their expectations are extremely high for any project, and the higher the budget, the more retention it needs to show. Even The Sandman which has had one of the slowest drops for any series may not get a renewal simply for how high the expectations are for this project. There is still quite a bit out there for those looking for their fill, but keep that in mind that binging the show and keeping it high is important to keep it going. Wednesday, One Piece, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and more are good contenders for more IP-based offerings with growing potential.
Resident Evil was created by Andrew Dabb and takes place 14 years after the virus hit. We explore Jade’s story, the daughter of Albert Wesker, as she uncovers the connections between her father and the Umbrella Corporation. While the series had some creative elements, it didn’t quite go viral as The Sandman did with most people pointing out the random dancing sequence, which ended up getting shared on social media platforms like Tik Tok. It also shows that an IP name doesn’t ensure success for these projects.
DC and Warner Bros. Discovery are in the headlines for many different reasons. While mostly the reception to whatever WB is currently up to has been quite negative, the drama surrounding Ezra Miller wasn’t helping. After scandals started piling on, many feared or wondered what exactly the future has in store for the long-in-development The Flash film. As it turns out, Miller has now had a sit-down with the studio executives to discuss everything that has been going on.
There are no exact details on what was discussed in the meeting, but given the recent circumstances, it’s not hard to imagine. They sat down with executives Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca joined by their agent, who recently took over the motion picture division from Toby Emmerich. As many different issues are coming together and a project with a massive budget of $250M is on the line, there’s a lot to ensure.
It seems that the potential scrapping of the project has also pushed Miller to seek help, which is a good sign and shows how committed they are to the character. It seems this was the first time they’ve talked since they took over the division especially as the film is still in its post-production stage. Warner Bros. Discovery believes in the project as it has tested as high as Christopher Nolan‘s Batman films, which is definitely something they are striving to ensure makes its way into theaters. So, here’s hoping everything works out moving forward.
The long-in-the-works The Crow reboot is finally in production. The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Danny Huston is the latest to join the cast of the reboot. He’ll join the previously announced Bill Skarsgard and FKA Twigs. The reboot is described as a modern reimagining of James O’Barr’s popular graphic novel, with Skarsgard playing the titular character. Details surrounding Huston’s role are currently unknown.
Director Rupert Sanders is directing the film, which is reportedly weeks into production in the Czech Republic. This marks a return to blockbuster filmmaking for Sanders who found himself in the midst of controversy after Snow White and the Huntsman. He’s directing The Crow from a script by Zach Bayli.
Huston has built up a rather impressive resume throughout his long-standing career. He’s appeared in films such as The Aviator, 30 Days of Night, and Marie Antoinette. On the small screen, he’s starred in shows like Magic City, American Horror Story, Yellowstone and Succession. Comic book fans, however, might know him best for his appearance as Stryker in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
As of now, The Crow reboot does not have a release date.
Amanda Fix and Avan Jogia have been cast in lead roles opposite Krysten Ritter for AMC’s Orphan Black sequel series, Orphan Black: Echoes. The news comes courtesy of Deadline with the outlet reporting that Fix will play Jules, a salty teen trying to find herself. She’s a newly adopted daughter of a wealthy couple and is described as being both reckless and brutally smart. While Jogia will portray Lucy’s (Ritter) boyfriend Jack; the character has devoted his life to his daughter, and soon finds the woman he loves is withholding a life-changing secret.
Like in the original Orphan Black, the series will tackle cloning as it focuses on a near future where science has allowed for the manipulation of human existence. Echoes will see a group of women – two of which are played by Ritter and Fix – as they “weave their way into each other’s lives and embark on a thrilling journey, unraveling the mystery of their identity and uncovering a wrenching story of love and betrayal.” The 10-episode series is being produced and distributed globally by Boat Rocker and is slated for a 2023 release on AMC Networks’ digital platform AMC+.
Orphan Black: Echoes hails from creator, writer, showrunner, and executive producer Anna Fishko. She’ll co-showun the series with Orphan Black‘s co-creator, John Fawcett, who will also serve as a director and executive producer on Echoes. David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg, who executive produced Orphan Black, will also produce Echoes for Boat Rocker.
Fix is a relative newcomer to Hollywood, having appeared in the CW’s Kung Fu and Prime Video’sDaisy Jones & The Six. While Jogia is best known for Twistedand Victorious. He also starred in the film reboot of Resident Evil, titled Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.
After weeks of rumors, Deadline has confirmed that WandaVision director Matt Shakman is in talks to direct Fantastic Four for Marvel Studios. According to the outlet, talks are still early between the two, however, Shakman is the choice for the job following Jon Watts‘ exit back in April. A formal offer has not yet been made for the gig, however, Deadline believes talks are moving in that direction.
Watts ended up exiting Fantastic Four in April due to simply needing a break. Watts, of course, was the man behind all three Spider-Man films set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With the director expected to return for a fourth installment, it was thought he simply wanted a break from superheroes before Spider-Man 4. The director would later sign on to direct a Star Wars series for Lucasfilm starring Jude Law. Since his exit, the studio has been looking at potential hires, with Shakman reportedly having been the one to beat early on because of his work on WandaVision.
True to his word, Kevin Feige over-delivered at SDCC ’22. Fans were given a glimpse at the overarching structure of the multi-phase Multiverse Saga, including titles and dates for the next two Avengers films, The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars. Throw in the announcement of the 18-episode Disney Plus streaming series Daredevil: Born Again, the date for the Fantastic Four reboot and a few other projects, and there was certainly something for everyone. With so much news coming out of SDCC, it’s hard to imagine anything could top it; however, that’s what I’ve been told in no uncertain terms that Marvel Studios plans to do at this year’s D23 Expo. What would it take to top SDCC’s extravaganza? Let’s take a look at what we MIGHT expect when Marvel Studios takes the stage as part of Disney’s Studio Showcase at 10:00 AMPT/1:00 PM ET on Saturday, September 10th.
Fantastic Reveals
Perhaps the biggest move left for the studio to make would be to announce the director and cast for Fantastic Four and bring them out on stage. With a tentative release date of November 8th, 2024 having been set at SDCC ’22, the studio also indirectly set up a production timeline. Traditionally, Marvel Studios prefers to give their director roughly a year to work with the studios before production, so having one on board by early September works nicely. Disney has been targeting D23 for this reveal for quite some time now, so here’s to hoping they have found their fits for the Fantastic Four!
Unbeliveably, Marvel Studios has two holiday specials due to hit Disney + over the last 4 months of 2022 and has yet to officially date either of them. James Gunn has publicly talked about The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and Michael Giacchino has confirmed he’s working on the still-to-be-officially-named-but-called-Werewolf-By-Night special, but D23 should mark the first time fans really get an idea of what to expect. It would be shocking if fans didnt’ get to see some footage of both specials and if they weren’t both given release dates. It’s also reasonable to assume that the cast of these specials could be on hand, especially since in the case of the Guardians Holiday Special, they’ll be able to double dip and hype…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Marvel Studios doesn’t really have “small films” anymore, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is going to see a massive publicity push from the studio and will almost certainly be one Marvel’s most emotional and talked about films since Infinity War and Endgame. If the cast is already on site for the Holiday Special, they’ll take some time to let the crowd salute them and likely show the same footage that was shown at SDCC. It’s a LITTLE early for this footage to become public, so expect this to be kept in the expo.
A New Look at Wakanda Forever
The first look at Black Panther: Wakanda Forever came at SDCC ’22. By the time D23 rolls around, that trailer will be 7 weeks old and there will only be 9 weeks left until the film hits theaters. That means it’s almost certainly time for a second trailer for the film and one that gives fans a bit more of an idea of what’s going on. Should the cast and creatives be on hand, it would also provide Ryan Coogler and Dominique Thorne an opportunity to discuss upcoming projects such as the Wakanda-centric streaming series, Ironheart and any other potential properties they might be attached to.
D+ Series Updates
Secret Invasion has completed additional photography and Marvel Studios has three Disney + series at different points in production in Echo, Loki Season 2 and Ironheart. Between Disney Plus Day on September 8th and the Studio Showcase on September 10th, it’s fair to expect major updates on these series and more. Marvel Studios could chose to finally address the casts of these projects, show some footage and give an idea of what might be going on in them. With Secret Invasion set to be the first D+ project in 2023, it’s very likely the footage from SDCC will be shown again and, POSSIBLY, even made public. However, any footage from the other series isn’t likely to hit the web.
Since this is Disney’ own convention, expect them to go big on not only the D+ stuff already in production, but to continue to emphasize how integral the streaming service is to Marvel Studios’ plans by addressing the next wave of projects as well. Details and casting information could drop for Agatha: Coven of Chaos and Daredevil: Born Again and Feige could fill out the empty slot in Phase 6 that currently looks to be made up of 8 streaming series spread out from late-2024 through Summer 2025. This means projects like Wonder Man, the Wakanda-centric project we like to refer to as Midnight Angels and a half-dozen more could be officially titled/announced. This could include second seasons of Ms. Marvel and Moon Knight as well as a handful of projects that have yet to be revealed and that long-awaited update on Armor Wars. Again, expect there to be a heavy D+ push between Disney Plus Day and the Showcase.
Major(s)-mania
Jonathan Majors will be the face(s) of the franchise over the next 3 years. His appearance at SDCC had the crowd on its feet and it’s likely he’ll be in attendance at D23 and get a similar reaction. It’s also likely he will be there with the teaser for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumaniaand it is POSSIBLE that with that film only 5 months away from D23, the studio could let the hype train start rolling by making sharing it on social and YouTube. If Majors in on site, expect some MAJOR teasing about his upcoming roles outside of Quantumania. Majors is a generational talent and Marvel Studios knows it. He’ll be a busy man over the next 3 years.
The Marvels
With a release date just shy of 10 months away from D23, fans shouldn’t expect a teaser to drop publicly, but there should be enough finished footage to give fans in attendance at the Expo something to think about. Maybe it’s part of a larger sizzle reel or maybe it gets its own part of the panel, but it’s hard to imagine Marvel Studios not giving this project a presence at D23, especially since it was largely absent from SDCC.
Blade
With production finally set to get underway in October of 2022, it’s time for Marvel Studios to give an official update on Blade. Other than finally getting a release date, the studios hasn’t provided any information on the film since it was announced at SDCC ’19. If Mahershala Ali were to pop out on stage and join Feige in announcing the cast of the film, it would really renew hype in the project.
Full Phase 5 and Phase 6 Slates
By the end of the panel, it is very reasonable to expect that all of Marvel Studios Phase 5 and 6 projects have been revealed. Much of that work will be done via the D+ announcements, but there are still 3 films (February 2024, February 2025 and July 2025) that haven’t been revealed. Expectations are that Deadpool 3, Shang-Chi 2 and Nova will fill those slots, but there could be another film that slides into one of those spots. However, there’s never been a more fluid time in production schedules than now, so fans almost have to expect dates to shift at this point. It’s also possible that since Feige basically has as much time as he wants (while the Showcase is scheduled to run 2 hours, the stage is open for another 3.5 hours afterwards), he could tease projects such as Captain America: New WorldOrderand Thunderbolts by giving fans a little more info on what they might be about and who might show up.
The Surprise
Nothing contained in this article would come as a surprise to fans who follow Marvel Studios closely, thus the title and the premise that these things can be “expected.” What Feige has excelled at during these types of events, however, is dropping a bomb before heading off stage. At SDCC ’19, it was Blade. At SDCC ’22, it was the Phase 6 slate and the reveal of the Avengers double-feature to end it. What will he bring to D23? It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if anyone could tell fans ahead of time, but given the fact that by the time D23 hits fans will be aware that Bruce Banner/Smart Hulk has left Earth for Sakaar and the rumor that Disney would be able to distribute a Hulk film starting in 2023, it would be fantastic time for Feige to confirm that the rumors of a World War Hulk film are true! Early rumors had the film going into production late in 2022. Even if that slid into early 2023, it would still be possible for the film to meet the February 2024 release date. If not then, a pre-Secret Wars release date would be eminently possible.
It would seem the dragons will reign over Westeros for a little while longer. House of the Dragon, HBO’s first spinoff in the Game of Thrones franchise, has officially been renewed for a second season. The series debuted earlier this week to staggering viewership, drawing in nearly 10 million viewers across all platforms. It quickly became the biggest premiere in HBO’s entire history, with numbers already nearing the impressive 19.3 million viewers who tuned in for Game of Thrones’ series finale in 2019.
House of the Dragon is a prequel series based on George R.R. Martin’s novel Fire & Blood. Set over a century before the events of its predecessor, the show chronicles the lives of the Targaryan family as they rule over Westeros with a fiery fist. It stars Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans, Steve Toussaint, and Eve Best among many others in an ensemble cast.
The fact it gets renewed after just one episode already showcases just how much they believe in this project. Fantasy has reached a whole new level with viewers, but there is something special about the Game of Thrones franchise. Not only did it become the first true “blockbuster” television show when it premiered but its build-up was quite a bit something special. Though the last few seasons had people scratching their heads and may have also brought in a whole new audience curious about where House of the Dragon would land. Going by its critical and fan reception, it’s definitely a show to keep an eye on.
Welcome to the Morning After Huddle. It’s Friday, but things are far from fabulous. The Buffalo Bills have a situation on their hands.
Here’s what you need to know:
To start, Bills punter Matt Araiza is popping up all over news cycles as details unfold about a civil suit related to a potential sexual assault. The Los Angeles Times released a blistering article about an October 2021 incident that allegedly involved Araiza and several other players from San Diego State. The Bills are aware of the lawsuit but are refraining from commenting at this time.
Next on the docket, FanDuel is launching its own network. FanDuel TV includes a linear cable network and a platform, FanDuel+, that is free to download by FanDuel users. The network is pulling in some major stars like Kay Adams, Pat McAfee and Bill Simmons.
Here’s a shocker if it turns out to be true. According to GLHF (via USA Today), Electronic Arts may have been purchased by Amazon. Supposedly, the announcement would follow at some point today, which is perfect timing given how future games are being discussed during GamesCom throughout the week. There are no exact details yet but rumors have been making the rounds for some time that EA was looking for a buyer with Apple and Disney as other alternative buyers.
Amazon has long been trying to move into the gaming market with a stronger dominance and game adaptations have turned out quite successful for one of its main competitors, Netflix. The Witcher and Arcane are iconic franchises brought to life and EA’s library may open up plenty more opportunities for them to do the same. It also continues the trend of media markets being way more streamlined as even larger companies are facing quite a few troubles in the modern landscape.
Right now, there’s no confirmation that this purchase has taken place but it would definitely be a big move similar to how Microsoft recently purchased Bethesda for $7.5 billion. Investments are all the rage right now as many races to get their hands on the next major intellectual property. We’ll have to see how this potentially also influences EA’s future releases, especially their big titles like Madden, FIFA, Apex Legends, and more.
David Zaslav has been on the lookout for “DC’s Kevin Feige” and according to a trade report, he may have found his man. THR reports that producer Dan Lin, who backed hits such as The Lego Movie and the It films, is negotiating for the job.
Zaslav’s tenure as Warner Bros. Discovery CEO has resulted in a veritable blood bath for DC’s film and TV projects. Several projects at varying places in production have been canceled as Zaslav looks to model the future of DC’s film and TV adaptations on the success Kevin Feige has had a Marvel Studios.
According to the trade report, Lin’s success as a film executive and producer and on the TV side helped WB identify him as a prime candidate to lead the 10-year plan described by Zaslav. Lin would seemingly look to put forth a more unified slate of projects after putting the brakes on the previous leadership’s Crisis plans.
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