After a three-year hiatus following the conclusion of the Prime Video series, the Dad TV king is officially back, but this time he’s trading the small screen for a R-rated cinematic swan song. Amazon MGM Studios has released the first trailer for Jack Ryan: Ghost War, a feature-film continuation that promises to push the franchise into darker, more visceral territory than ever before.
The biggest takeaway from the trailer? Jack Ryan is officially shedding its TV-MA skin for a hard R-rating. While the series was never shy about violence, Ghost War is being described as a real-time thriller that leans into “violence and language“.
John Krasinski, Wendell Pierce, and Michael Kelly (Mike November) are all back, providing the emotional continuity fans loved in the series. The film introduces Sienna Miller as MI6 officer Emma Marlowe. She’s framed as Jack’s equal—razor-sharp, savvy, and his primary partner as they navigate a “treacherous web of betrayal”.
Jack Ryan is reluctantly thrust back into the world of espionage when an international covert mission unravels a deadly conspiracy, forcing him to confront a rogue black-ops unit, and the clock is ticking. Operating in real time with lives on the line and the threat escalating at every turn, Jack reunites with battle-tested CIA operative Mike November (Michael Kelly) and former CIA boss James Greer (Wendell Pierce), their combined experience the only edge they have against an enemy who knows their every move. Backed by an unlikely new partner – razor-sharp MI6 officer Emma Marlowe (Sienna Miller) – Jack and the team navigate a treacherous web of betrayal, facing a past they thought was long put to rest – making this the most personal, high-stakes mission any of them have ever faced.
-Official synopsis for Jack Ryan: Ghost War
The trailer highlights this shift with a sequence showing James Greer (Wendell Pierce) narrowly surviving a brutal explosion orchestrated by a rogue black-ops unit. This isn’t the slow-burn geopolitical chess match of the early seasons; this is a desperate, 105-minute sprint.
Reluctantly pulled back into the field, Jack is forced to hunt down a rogue black-ops unit that seems to have deep ties to his and Greer’s past. The “real-time” aspect of the story suggests a ticking-clock energy—think 24 meets Clear and Present Danger.
With an official premiere date of May 20, 2026, the countdown to the “Ghost War” has officially begun.
On the heels of winning San Diego Comic-Con with the Avengers news that shook the fandom, and with a film at the box office in Deadpool and Wolverine which is breaking records, the MCU is riding high. And this weekend’s D23 event may provide an additional jolt of enthusiasm about the franchise. However, with only Agatha All Along on Disney Plus to sustain content appetites for the rest of the year, we can expect to see some loss of momentum, particularly when the next shoe drops with respect to the beleaguered Blade film.
2. Game of Thrones (WBD)
This weekend’s House of the Dragon finale will likely cap a season that undoubtedly restored the feeling for the television franchise that reigned over the monoculture like a Targaryen Dynasty. And with additional spinoffs in the works, all skepticism about sustainability has been melted away with dragon flame. Warner Brothers Discovery’s flagship franchise is flying high, and we continue to whistle that iconic theme.
3. Star Wars (Disney)
The mixed reaction to The Acolyte and the continuing Culture War noise surrounding this franchise have really left Star Wars vulnerable. A Skeleton Crew trailer release is imminent, and maybe an infusion of Stranger Things energy into the graying, embittered fandom will do it some good. This is a franchise built on childlike wonder, and much of the recent content has been lacking in that regard.
4. The Boys (Amazon)
Head-to-head against The Acolyte, the most recent season of The Boys held its own in terms of mindshare, and even though Season 4 didn’t hit the highs of previous seasons, that hasn’t stopped Amazon from greenlighting a prequel spinoff to go with the Mexico-set spinoff announced a while back. The fact that the next season will be its final one will center it even more firmly in the discourse, as fans and critics will wonder if it can “stick the landing.” If anything, The Boys’ biggest Achilles heel might be the extent to which real-life steals its absurdist thunder.
5. Dune (WBD)
With one of the most critically and commercially successful films of the year, a sequel expected to be fast-tracked, and the spinoff prequel Dune: Prophecy series set for November on HBO, 2024 has been quite the year for the Dune franchise. And that’s before the memes. However, it does still remain to be seen how far the franchise climbs in the pop cultural consciousness, or whether this year will be its apex, given that other franchises were hobbled by the pandemic and the strikes, and given that things get extra weird on Arrakis from here on out.
6. DC Elseworlds (WBD)
While James Gunn‘s DCU prepares to pull out of the station, fans of those characters will get to visit Gotham twice this fall, as the HBO series The Penguin returns us to the world of Matt Reeves’ The BatmanEpic Crime Saga. And although Robert Pattinson’s Batman is unlikely to feature heavily in the series, his shadow will likely loom over the story. And at the cinema, the highly anticipated sequel to the billion-dollar grossing Jokerwill offer us another glimpse into Todd Phillips’ Scorsese-tinged hyper-reality, as Lady Gaga‘s Harley Quinn enters the fray. Other alternate universe projects have yet to be announced, and details remain limited on the proper sequel to The Batman, but needless to say, the more successful these two projects are, the more likely that others will also see the light of day.
7. DCU (WBD)
Supermanhas recently wrapped, the first teaser trailer for Creature Commandos(dropping in December) has been released, and news items about upcoming projects continue to surface. Still, while anticipation for what James Gunn is cooking up remains high, excitement is muted. There was no SDCC panel, and it’s possible that audiences won’t get non-set leak Supermanfootage until 2025. So for the remainder of 2024, we could very well be in “wait and see” mode.
8. Star Trek (Paramount)
Although it’s been many years since the last Star Trek film (despite Quentin Tarantino‘s best efforts to give audiences “Hard R Trek”), the franchise has been flourishing on streaming, with a number of well-regarded series on Paramount Plus, and more on the way. And the recent announcement of the first live-action comedy in the franchise’s history could push Star Trek further into the mainstream than it’s been in years.
9. MonsterVerse (Legendary/WBD)
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was moderately successful at the box office, and the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters streaming series was well-received, albeit underappreciated, with a second season on the way. This franchise still has its drawing power, but its days at the top of the zeitgeist may be behind it.
10. Spider-Verse (Sony)
Tom Holland‘s MCU Spider-Man franchise is represented elsewhere, but through the power of the Spider-Verse franchise, every possible Spidey and Spidey-adjacent character — be they in the Amazon researching spiders before dying, bonding with goopy alien symbiotes in San Francisco, or…doing whatever Kraven is doing — is connected via multiversal web. And Beyond the Spider-Verse very well might connect these divergent threads. There’s still no word on when that movie will drop, but for now, fans of the Venom films can look forward to the conclusion of that trilogy in Venom: The Last Dance, which releases in October.
11. Transformers/GI Joe (Paramount)
Last year’s Transformers: Rise of the Beastsrevealed that the two franchises were being merged, and while there’s a degree of uncertainty as to when we’ll get that film, next month’s Transformers: One animated film will give longtime fans the robot-centric big screen adventure they’ve clamored for since they first discovered Stan Bush’s “The Touch.”
12. Lord of the Rings (WBD/Amazon)
While technically, the rights to the Tolkien books have been bifurcated, and the Rings of Power series will likely never cross over with the LOTR projects in the works at Warner Brothers, each is capable of elevating the overall excitement around the stories told on Middle Earth. But unfortunately, Season 1 of Rings of Power, despite its budget and the advertising blitz around it, never really hit the mainstream, and it’s hard to see Season 2 breaking through.
13. Jurassic Park/World (Universal)
Yes, they’re still making these, and yes, the films still have a billion-dollar upside. But with less than a year until the next film, directed by Gareth Edwards and starring Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali, is slated to hit theaters, it’s hard to see what new ground this franchise could stake out to fire up the fanbase.
14. Harry Potter (WBD)
Putting aside the toxic JK Rowling of it all, this franchise needs a cultural reset, and indeed, WBD is looking to introduce a new generation to the world of wizards and wands. They’re still a few years away from getting that project out, though, and who knows what nonsense JK could say or do to further sully the franchise’s legacy before then.
15. Anne Rice Immortal Universe (AMC)
Yes, The Walking Dead has been an AMC mainstay, but while that seems to be limping along, the series based on the Anne Rice novels seem to be gathering momentum. However, despite their highly engaged fan followings, particularly forInterview With the Vampire, the media landscape for these shows doesn’t seem favorable for a jump into the mainstream anytime soon.
Honorable Mention:
The Walking Dead (AMC), Mission: Impossible (Paramount), Fast &Furious (Universal), Mad Max (WBD), John Wick (Lionsgate), Ghostbusters (Sony), James Bond (EON)
Following the sweeping success of the live-action adaptation of the video game franchise Fallout, Prime Video has made the determination to move ahead with another adaptation of a popular franchise. As part of its 2024 Upfront presentation, Amazon MGM Studios announced a new streaming series set within the Tomb Raider universe. The series, which had been in development for over a year, will be written and produced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
The legacy continues. Amazon MGM Studios and Crystal Dynamics to expand the TOMB RAIDER universe. Phoebe Waller-Bridge set as Writer and Executive Producer for the new series coming to Prime Video. pic.twitter.com/THO4tyRd8s
— Amazon MGM Studios (@AmazonMGMStudio) May 14, 2024
According to trade reports, the studio will now begin the search for their Lara Croft who has been previously portrayed in live-action by Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander.
If I could tell my teenage self this was happening I think she’d explode. Tomb Raider has been a huge part of my life and I feel incredibly privileged to be bringing it to television with such passionate collaborators. Lara Croft means a lot to me, as she does to many, and I can’t wait to go on this adventure. Bats ‘n all.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge on the Tomb Raider live-action series
Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios, had the following to say about the new series. “I’m so happy to announce that we have ordered the epic, globetrotting series Tomb Raider from the incredibly gifted Emmy-award winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge and the team at Crystal Dynamics. Fans and newcomers can look forward to exhilarating adventures that honor the legacy of this iconic character.”
Amazon is also developing a live-action Tomb Raider film and working with Crystal Dynamics on at least one more game in the franchise. “Amazon MGM Studios and Amazon Games are incredible collaborators with a massive reach across the globe enabling us to expand our Tomb Raider franchise with multiple new adventures and a shared passion for creating impactful, entertaining, emotional experiences for players and viewers throughout every facet of this universe,” expressed Scot Amos, Head of Studio at Crystal Dynamics.
Nicolas Cage‘s Spider-Man Noir was one of many bright spots in 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and now he’s set to bring the character into live action. After months of speculation and negotiation, the Academy Award-winning actor has agreed to star in MGM+ and Amazon Prime’s Noir. With Cage signing on, the project has been given a full series order rather than just a pilot episode.
The story of an aging and down on his luck private investigator in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life as the city’s one and only superhero.
Synopsis for Noir, via Prime Video
Development of the series first began in 2023 with Oren Uziel taking on writing and executive producer duties alongside the Spider-Verse team of Phil Lord and Chris Miller. In late 2023, Steve Lightfoot boarded the project as a co-showrunner alongside Uziel. According to Deadline, Killing Eve director Harry Bradbeer has struck a deal that will see him helm the first two episodes.
The story of an aging and down on his luck private investigator in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life as the city’s one and only superhero.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have Nicolas Cage starring in this series! No one else could bring such pathos, pain, and heart to this singular character,” said President Sony Pictures Television Studios, Katherine Pope. “Along with our brilliant producers and partners at Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video, we couldn’t ask for a better team to explore this reimagining of such an iconic character in Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters.“
Amazon MGM Studios head of television, Vernon Sanders, said “Expanding the Marvel universe with Noir is a uniquely special opportunity and we are honored to bring this series to our global Prime Video customers. The extremely talented Nicolas Cage is an ideal choice for our new superhero and the accomplished producing team with Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Amy Pascal, and the incredible team at Sony is dedicated to expanding this franchise in the most authentic way.”
According to the trade report, the series will first debut on MGM before streaming on Amazon Prime.
Bumblebee director Travis Knight is on the precipice of unlocking the gates of Castle Grayskull. According to a trade report, Knight is Amazon’s top choice to helm the long-gestating live-action Masters of the Universe film that would put Mattel’s He-Man on the big screen for the first time since 1987.
After Mattel debuted its Masters of the Universe toy line in 1982, Filmation produced He-Man & The Masters of the Universe, one of the decade’s most popular animated series. Though it only ran for two seasons, the property led to spinoffs, reboots, Dolph Lundgren‘s aforementioned film and revivals such as Kevin Smith’s Netflix series. The vast mythology of the franchise has expanded in other media as well, with multiple comic book series having been created over the past 40 years. The characters, locations and catchphrases are etched in the brains of children of the 80s and have taken on a new life through memes, providing Amazon with the opportunity to market Knight’s new film to a wide age range.
Amazon MGM studios has been in negotiations to acquire the rights to produce a live-action Masters of the Universe film since 2021 when Netflix bailed on their attempt to get one off the ground. That project was based off a script by David Callaham and Adam and Aaron Nee and it looks as though the new version will be getting a fresh script by Chris Butler. According to the trade report, Knight’s version will see a young Prince Adam sidelined on Earth for two decades before returning to Eternia to face off against Skeletor and find out that he does indeed have the power.
The classic action-packed romantic comedy Mr. and Mrs. Smith is set for a modern-day reboot, and the casting choice has fans buzzing with anticipation. This time around, the charismatic and multi-talented Donald Glover is stepping into the shoes of the lead character, promising a fresh take on the beloved spy thriller.
Donald Glover as the New Mr. Smith
Donald Glover, known for his versatility as an actor, comedian, writer, and musician, has gained widespread acclaim for his roles in projects like Atlanta, Community, and his musical persona Childish Gambino. His inclusion in the Mr. and Mrs. Smith reboot brings a unique blend of charm, humor, and talent, promising a captivating performance that will undoubtedly put a fresh spin on the iconic character first played by Brad Pitt.
Amazon Prime’s Adaptation: A Modern Reimagining
The Amazon Prime adaptation of Mr. and Mrs. Smith is expected to offer a modern reimagining of the classic storyline. While the core elements of the plot – a married couple secretly leading double lives as skilled spies – are likely to remain, Glover’s interpretation of the character is sure to bring a new dynamic to the narrative. Fans can anticipate an infusion of contemporary humor, wit, and style that align with Glover’s distinctive creative approach.
Release Date: When Can Fans Stream the New Mr. and Mrs. Smith?
When Amazon’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith was first announced, understandably hesitant. It simply didn’t seem as though the film needed to be reimagined, and yet, that was precisely what Amazon was looking to do. But with talent like Donald Glover and Francesca Sloane on board, it was hard not to be a bit excited to see what the series would ultimately look like. While the show isn’t a complete homerun, it’s enjoyable enough and offers up a nice action piece for both Glover and his leading lady, Maya Erskine.
The pilot episode opens with a hell of a bang featuring Alexander Skarsgård and Eiza González. The duo might not have much screentime, but audiences are sure to still feel their presence by the end of the episode. It was a wonderfully choreographed action scene that is powerful, despite its limited dialogue. Unfortunately, with an opening like that, it’s easy to downhill rather quickly. The episode does, naturally, seem to lag as most pilot episodes do. While it, understandably, needs to introduce viewers to the latest iteration of Jane and John Smith, Erskine and Glover, respectively, the dialogue at times does drag the episode down. Thankfully, it does find its footing in the end and delivers an explosive ending to the first episode. Hopefully hooking viewers eager to see what is in store for the spy couple.
The premise of Mr. and Mrs. Smith is simple enough. So, it was never a question of whether or not it could be developed properly as a series. Ultimately, many were curious to see Glover and Erskine, who came on later in the project to replace Phoebe Waller-Bridge, could become the combative partners we’ve come to know courtesy of the film. Those that are doubtful of the duo’s ability to shine in an action setting will be thrilled to see how easily they slip into these roles. The action shots are well done, with Glover and Erskine working wonderfully together, and the character development for both is well-done. If there was one big issue that stood out in the series, it wasn’t its leading couple, but rather the use of its incredible guest cast.
With big names like Skarsgård, González,Ron Perlman, Sarah Paulson, Michaela Coel, and Paul Dano, one would expect big things from the supporting cast. Unfortunately, most of the guest stars often feel wasted. (Dano, Paulson and Coel being the exceptions.) Given the show tackle a new case each episode, at times, it felt like a game of “Who’s the Latest Guest Star?” That being said, there is some filler in the series. This is to be expected with eight near hour-long episodes. But the filler is, oddly enough, still enjoyable even if it slows things down.
If viewers can give the show time to do its thing, they’ll find that Amazon’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith is a delightful action series that showcases its leads as action heroes in the making. The character work is well-handled, as are the action scenes, and it’s clear Glover had fun making this series. We can only hope he’s given the chance to do more projects like Mr. and Mrs. Smith down the road — same can be said for Erskine.
After partnering with Sony, Amazon behan dipping their toes in Marvel waters with Angela Kang’sSilk: Spider Society. Earlier this year, Amazon gave Oren Uziel the green light to develop a live-action Spider-Man Noir streaming series. Now, they’ve enlisted someone intimately familiar with a Marvel character who first appeared in a Spidey comic to serve with Uziel as the co-showrunner.
According to Variety, Steve Lightfoot, who was the showrunner for both seasons of Netflix’s The Punisher, has agreed to board the project and share duties with Uziel.
Based on an alternate universe Spider-Man created in 2008 by David Hine and Marko Djurdjevic, Spider-Man Noir will follow the adventures of a non-Peter Parker Spidey in 1930’s New York. Actor Nicolas Cage voiced a version of the character in 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Though Kang’sSilk series has been in development for some time, no timeline for the debut of the series on the streaming service has been given. It’s believed that Amazon’s deal with Sony has also generated several other ideas that are at different points in their development.
If there is one unspoken rule in Hollywood, it’s keeping classic IPs alive with various spinoffs, revivals, or whatever they can turn a project into. Amazon is seemingly mapping out a variety of new IPs under its umbrella as TV series and films for the future. So, let’s go down the IP reboot road to see what exactly Amazon has planned.
Besides a potential revival of the long-dormant Stargate franchise, one of the big reveals is the revival of RoboCop. This would mark the second reboot of the franchise since 2014 which took a more modern approach to the 1987 classic but wasn’t as well received. The character has recently appeared in the Mortal Kombat gaming franchise and still remains a classic.
They are also seemingly hoping to bring back Legally Blonde as a series and also a film. It seems they have been trying to revive it for quite some time as a third entry in the franchise has been in development for almost five years. They also are hoping to bring a TV series to life based on Fame, Barbershop, The Magnificent Seven as well as new films based on the Pink Panther (potentially animated) and Poltergeist.
There are many iconic space-based series with the name “Star” in them. Star Wars and Star Trek have been among the most prominent in the Internet’s IP-infected watercooler chatter. Yet, there’s another series that had quite a cult following and a very respectable run on television, Stargate SG-1.
It seems Amazon sees the potential of bringing the franchise back, as Deadline has reported there are currently talks on reviving it with a TV series and even as a film. There’s no word how exactly they’d build upon it or if that’ll act as a direct reboot to the original taking place in modern times. To be fair, they also have no talent attached so it’s unclear when the series might get released.
The series ran for ten seasons on Showtime and the SciFi Channel before ending on Sky1 in 2007. What makes the franchise so interesting is that it was initially a film by Roland Emmerich that spun out into a unique series. That was just the beginning, as the Stargate SG-1 series had a variety of spinoffs.
The series had two direct-to-DVD films The Ark of Truth and Continuum. There was also a direct spinoff series Stargate Atlantis that featured some of the original cast members throughout its run. Stargate Universe was a unique spinoff taking place in the same world but was completely removed from the original series and ran for two seasons. There also was a web miniseries called Stargate Origins that acted as a prequel.
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