Last week in pop culture: “Blue Beetle film”, Play Station announcements and more

Angel Manuel Soto, the director behind “Charm City Knights”, will helm “Blue Beetle” for Warner Bros. The film will be based on the comic book character of Jamie Reyes, the third Blue Beetle introduced on the pages of the comic books published by DC Comics. The Wrap reports that the film will be written by a Mexican screenwriter Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer. This will be DC’s first superhero film starring a Latino character, which is a huge step for diversity. I can’t wait for more news on the project.

PlayStation’s Jim Ryan gave a lengthy interview to GQ Magazine. Here are some snippets:

a follow-up to Playstation VR is being developed,
the Play at Home campaign offering free games for everyone is back with “Ratchet & Clank” and a three-month trial to Funimation,
“Days Gone” will be ported to PC and “a whole slate of PlayStation games” will follow suit,
COVID pandemic delayed some of the games — e.g. “Gran Turismo 7” will now come out in 2022,
the “Uncharted” feature film and “The Last of Us” series, however, are on track.

Speaking about PlayStation, Sony held their State of Play virtual event last week, revealing a few new titles and dates for previously announced ones. You can watch it below…

…or read a quick recap:

„Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time” is coming to PS5 on March 12 with improved graphics, the use of adaptive triggers, and track progress. Players who purchased the game for PS4 will be able to upgrade for free.
“The Returnal” — a rogue-like science-fiction psychological horror/shooter will premiere on April 30.
“Sifu”, an intense kung-fu brawler from the creators of “Absolver” is coming in 2021.
“Knockout City” is coming for PS4 and PS5. The multiplayer action game is entering the beta stage before its May 21st release, and you can sign-up here.
New gameplay was shown for “Solar Ash” and the game looks beautiful.
The first gameplay video was shown for “Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach”. It looks like it will be a great step forward for the franchise, bringing it up to par with some bigger titles.
“Oddworld: Soulstorm” is arriving on April 6th, and will be available free of charge for PS Plus subscribers.
A new trailer was shown for “Kena: Bridge of Spirits” and it looks like it is going to be a game I will fall in love with. Can’t wait for that one. It will be released on August 24th.
Arkane’s “Deathloop” — a groundhog day-like shooter — is coming on May 21st and a new trailer was shown.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade arrives on PS5 June 10 offering upgraded graphics and performance as well as a playable bonus with Yuffie.

DNEG Feature Animation and director William Joyce are preparing an animated adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”. The novel, which entered the public domain this January, will be adapted to screenplay by Brian Selznick. Certainly, an animated version of this particular story might look amazing, so it’s worth to keep an eye out for this one.

In a lengthy interview with Deadline, directors Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart revealed that they are working on an animated series for Apple TV. The creators of the “Irish Folklore Trilogy” („The Secret of Kells”, “Song of the Sea”, “Wolfwalkers”) said that it’s going to be “epic because it’s feature-quality, hand-drawn animation across 12 half-hours, and then a big, hour-long special at the end”. I love Moore and Stewart’s style and I’m very excited about the project.

Netflix released its first teasers for “Jupiter’s Legacy” — the live-action adaptation of Mark Millar’s comic. The series is set for release on May 7 2021.

Konami’s “Frogger” will become a game show for Peacock because of reasons.

Sony and Marvel thought of a funny marketing stunt. Spider-Man’s stars Tom Holland, Zendaya and Jacob Batalon shared first photos from the latest film as well as its title. Well, titles.

Wyświetl ten post na Instagramie.

Post udostępniony przez Tom Holland (@tomholland2013)

Wyświetl ten post na Instagramie.

Post udostępniony przez Jacob Batalon (@lifeisaloha)

Wyświetl ten post na Instagramie.

Post udostępniony przez Zendaya (@zendaya)

They all proved to be fake, of course — a joke on Holland’s tendency to tell a tiny bit too much. The joke continued a day after the actors’ Instagram post. Sony released a video of the actors in the studio and, this time revealed the real title of the film.

So, “Spider-Man: No Way Home”. With all the news and rumours of it being an ambitious, multiverse crossover, I hope this one will finally do justice to the “Spider-Man” mythos. And if not, there’s always “Into the Spider-verse”.

ViacomCBS have announced their plans for Paramount+, yet another subscription-based VOD platform. Here they are in a super-short summary.

- - “Halo” TV series will move from Showtime to Paramount+.
  - Apart from the revival of “Criminal Minds”, a true-crime docuseries “The Real Criminal Minds” is also in development,
  - The animated “Star Trek” series, “Prodigy”, is going to debut on Paramount Plus later this year.
  - Jeremy Renner will star in “Mayor of Kingstown” from the co-creator of “Yellowstone” Taylor Sheridan. Sheridan will also develop: “Yellowstone” spinoff 6666 (working title), “Land Man” and “Yellowstone” prequel “Y: 1883”.
  - “Love Story”, “Fatal Attraction”, “Flashdance”, “The Italian Job” and “The Parallax View” will be remade as Paramount+ series.
  - “Younger” will end with season seven, which will premiere on Paramount+.
  - There is a “Frasier” revival in the works.
  - Paramount+ comedy slate includes: “The Weekly Show with Trevor Noah”, Untitled Beavis & Butt-head Movie, “Inside Amy Schumer” specials, “Reno 911!”, “The Hunt for QAnon” and a “Workaholics” movie.
  - A non-scripted series based on Virginia Hanlon Grohl’s book “From Cradle to Stage: Stories from the Mothers Who Rocked and Raised Rock Stars” is among the music-centred content for the platform, which also includes “MTV Unplugged”, “Yo! MTV Raps” special and the return of “Behind the Music”.
  - Paramount’s theatrical hits, such as “Mission: Impossible 8” and “A Quiet Place Part II” will hit the platform 45-days after they debut in the cinemas.
  - “Paranormal Activity” and “Pet Sematary” will receive new entries available directly on Paramount+. Additionally, Arie Posin’s The In Between will also become available through the platform.
  - “RuPaul’s Drag Race” singing contest spin-off, “Queen of the Universe”, “The Real World Homecoming: New York”, “Road Rules” and “The Challenge: All Stars” will be part of the ViacomCBS streamer’s reality slate.
  - A new version of “60 minutes”, “60 minutes+” is coming to the platform.
  - An anthology series, “American Tragedy”, will build on the 2018’s miniseries “Waco”.
  - “Dora the Explorer” and “The Fairly OddParents” will get live-action series remakes.
  - “Rugrats” are coming back with the original cast.
  - Nickelodeon is opening Avatar Studios — a division that will create projects set in the world of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “The Legend of Korra”. The projects will then premiere theatrically, on Nickelodeon, Paramount+ or on a third-party platform. Currently, there is a theatrical film in the works.
  - “Ray Donovan” will get a feature film, which is supposed to bring a satisfactory ending to the abruptly ended series.

Henry Cavill shared a photo on his Instagram, teasing a secret project. There is a piece of paper with some blurred text on the photo. See it below.

Wyświetl ten post na Instagramie.

Post udostępniony przez Henry Cavill (@henrycavill)

Of course, it just begged for online sleuths at Gamepressure to use super-focus filters or some other photoshop magic to basically make the text relatively readable. And it revealed something really interesting: words like “Cerberus”, “Reaper”, “Geth” or “Tali’Zorah”. Ringing a bell? Yep, sounds like “Mass Effect”. Is a live-action adaptation of the games coming, with Cavill taking part in it? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Disney has made quite a few announcements during the latest TCA press tour. Here’s a quick summary.

- - The evil corporation has set spring and summer dates for its series: “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: Season 2” (Friday, May 14), “The Mysterious Benedict Society” (Friday, June 25), “Turner & Hooch” (Friday, July 16), “Chip ‘N’ Dale: Park Life” (Friday, July 23).
  - The projects connected to bigger franchises also have their debut dates: “Star Wars: The Bad Batch” (Tuesday, May 4), “Loki” (Friday, June 11).
  - “Zenimation” returns for season 2 o Friday, June 11, while “Monsters Inc.” sequel series “Monsters At Work” will launch on Friday, July 2.
  - Kevin Feige was very ambiguous about the possible return of the characters introduced in Jeph Loeb’s Marvel Television projects such as “Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and the Netflix shows, even saying he’s “not exactly sure of the exact contracts”. Sure, Jan.
  - It looks like “Deadpool 3” is on its way.

Halle Berry will star in Matt Charman’s new film, “The Mothership”, which is in development for Netflix, the Collider reports. She will play a fearless woman whose husband unexpectedly goes missing. She will then find a mysterious extraterrestrial object beneath her home. The discovery will push her to unearth the truth behind her husband’s disappearance and find him. And there may be the CIA involved in the matter. The premise sounds really promising and with an actress as good as Berry the film may turn out great entertainment.

♫Jeepers Creepers, where’d you get those peepers?♫
Remember the Creeper? He will come back in a film titled “Jeepers Creepers: Reborn” this fall. This will be the first entry of the series not directed or written by the controversial Victor Salva. Instead, Sean Michael Argo penned the sequel and “Iron Sky’s” Timo Vuorensola helmed it. According to Variety, the story will be set during the Horror Hound festival in Louisiana and will see horror fanboy Chase and his girlfriend Laine face-off against the Creeper.

“My Little Pony” is going to Netflix. A new, CG-animated film will be released this autumn on Netflix, and an animated series will follow. Here’s the film’s official synopsis:

„In the new movie, the pony world of Equestria has lost its magic. Friendship and Harmony have been replaced by paranoia and mistrust, and Ponies now live separated by species. Sunny — a feisty and idealistic young Earth Pony — is convinced there’s still hope for this divided world, but her slightly misguided and often hilarious efforts to change hearts and minds have led to her being branded a misfit. When Sunny befriends a lost Unicorn named Izzy, who wanders innocently into the Earth Pony town of Maretime Bay, the town has had enough. Izzy and Sunny must embark on an epic adventure that will include a daring jewel heist, outrageous conspiracy theories, elaborate musical numbers, and the world’s cutest flying Pomeranian. Their adventures will take them to faraway lands and force them to challenge the status quo by facing their fears and making new friends out of old enemies. The world Sunny has dreamed of her entire life could finally become a reality as Sunny and her newfound friends fight to prove that even little ponies can make a big difference.

Jon M. Chu’s schedule has just got even busier. Besides directing “Wicked”, he will no also helm “The Great Chinese Art Heist” for Warner Bros. The film will be based on the GQ article by Alex W. Palmer, which follows a series of museum art robberies in Europe. The Chinese antiquities, which were stolen during these robberies, ended back in China, begging one question: is the Chinese government behind this? The film could be a thoughtful examination of who gets the right to cultural heritage and I’m happy Chu was chosen to helm this picture.

Amazon released the first teaser for Barry Jenkins’ “The Underground Railroad”.

Eva Green, Mark Strong and Chai Fonacier will star in “Vivarium”, Lorcan Finnegan’s psychological thriller about a fashion designer suffering from a mysterious disease, which confuses her doctors and frustrates her husband. And then a Filipino carer comes and reveals a horrifying truth. Count me in!

Disney released the first trailer for Pixar’s “Luca” and it looks like it will be a lesson of tolerance and acceptance — something I love when pop culture explores.

HBO’s new adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger’s “The Time Traveler’s Wife” has found its stars: Rose Leslie and Theo James. This will be the second time the book comes to the screen after Warner Bros. film adaptation. Hopefully, this one is better.

Rachel Zegler who will debut in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” has been cast in “Shazam!: Fury of the Gods”. The actress will play a key role, although the details are currently kept secret.

Hulu has announced the release date of “The Handmaid’s Tale’s” season 4. June will continue to struggle with Gilead on April 28th. Here’s the trailer.

American McGee will reimagine “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” for TV and Games. See the details in the tweet below.

Happy to announce "OZ: Adventures" our twist on the original Oz books, is now with Radar Pictures.

They are developing the concept for TV and Games. We revealed this news and talked about the potential for this project over on our latest Twitch Stream:
https://t.co/hfqL6aOObD pic.twitter.com/UPcaDSOUKq

— ⚓ American McGee 🏴‍☠️ (@americanmcgee) February 25, 2021

Hopefully, this is something worth waiting for.

After the first two films, “Terminator” has struggled to find its footing. After endless failed reboots, however, there may be hope yet. Mattson Tomlin, who wrote “Project Power” for Netflix, and Production I.G. are developing an anime series based on James Cameron’s films. Hopefully, this time’s a charm!

“Wu Assassins”, a 2019 kung-fu series, will continue as a feature film subtitled “Fistful of Vengeance”. The film will reunite the original’s stars: Iko Uwais, Lewis Tan, Lawrence Kao and JuJu Chan; as well as include some new names: Pearl Thusi, Jason Tobin, Rhatha Phongam and Francesca Corney.

Netflix has released the first trailer for its “Shadow and Bone” adaptation.