Newstime: The Stories You Might Have Missed This Week

From film to TV, gaming to comics and everything in between, here’s what you might have missed in pop culture news this week.

TV

Footage of the upcoming Watchmen series has surfaced via a HBO 2019 teaser trailer. It might only be five seconds long, but features disturbing masked police officers, a cowboy hat and a mysterious Rorschach wannabe – enough to send the internet into overdrive with speculation. Expected to arrive around mid-2019, the series is supposedly a sequel to the graphic novel. Game of Thrones also features in HBO’s new trailer.

Another animated Star Trek series is reportedly in the works, expected to land on CBS All Access. According to Hollywood Reporter, Star Trek: Lower Decks will focus on the lower ranking members of Starfleet in a comedic fashion.

The Game of Thrones prequel series has finalised its main cast, inviting Naomi Ackie (Star Wars: Episode IX), Denise Gough (The Witcher 3), Jamie Campbell Bower (The Mortal Instruments), Sheila Atim (Harlots), Ivanno Jeremiah (Black Mirror), Georgie Henley (The Chronicles of Narnia), Alex Sharp (To The Bone) and Toby Regbo (Reign) to the cast. The series is expected to begin production soon.

FILM

A new Captain Marvel trailer premiered this week promising big things.

Aquaman continues to ride a mammoth wave of earnings at the global box office, now being declared the highest earning DCEU film. The film has grossed over $950 million worldwide, according to Forbes, and speculation is high that it could break the billion dollar mark.

Star Wars: Episode IX may be under tight wraps, but in an interview on Good Morning America late last week, Todd Fisher (brother to the late Carrie Fisher) revealed there are “a lot of minutes” of General Leia footage and not “outtakes.” The family are also thrilled at the work that has been done in Episode IX.

David Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy) has joined a very different galaxy. Bautista has been cast in the new Dune movie, alongside Stellan Skarsgård (Thor) who will play villain Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.

The world’s favourite symbiote, Venom is making a return to the big screen. According to EW, Sony has greenlit the Venom sequel with writer and executive producer Kelly Marcel returning to pen the script.

Mads Mikkelsen (Rogue One, Doctor Strange) is starring as an assassin in new Netflix film Polar. The film is based on a graphic novel and web comic series by Victor Santos and has unleashed a trailer this week.

Netflix has also released a trailer for upcoming sci-fi flick IO.

It’s official, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a hit! The release picked up Best Animated Film at the Golden Globes earlier this week, while Bohemian Rhapsody picked up Best Motion Picture – Drama. Check out the full list of winners here.

GAMING

Alien: Blackout has been revealed as a new mobile game, allowing players to guide Amanda Ripley’s crew through a crippled Weyland space station while a tireless Xenomorphic creature hunts you and everyone else on board. The Alien franchise celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

ANIME

Animelab has added Dragon Ball Super English dubs for episodes 53 through to 65 this week, as well as Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest, in lead up to the Australian release of Dragon Ball Super: Broly on January 24. As for Animelab’s on-demand service, The Prince of Smiles and The Promised Neverland have started simulcast this week.

COMICS

Hollywood will pay tribute to Stan Lee on Wednesday 30 January at TCL Chinese Theatre. The tribute, titled Exclesior! A Celebration of the Amazing, Fantastic, Incredible & Uncanny Life of Stan Lee, will be hosted by Kevin Smith and will feature Mark Hamill, Rob Liefeld, Michael Uslan, Vincent D’Onofrio, Tom DeSanto and RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan.

DC Comics has signed a deal with Amazon making its books available on Comixology Unlimited, Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Prime Reading. Thousands of DC and Vertigo single issues as well as trade paperbacks and graphic novels will be available to subscribers to these services at no extra cost.

Brian Michael Bendis has teased a Legion of Super-Heroes release for DC imprint Wonder Comics, as well as announcing that he is working on a Young Justice series with a major female creator. DC is also reported to be working on a standalone Batman: The Long Halloween animated film.

Just need to leave this here for a second #wondercomics pic.twitter.com/AoIXe5AekK

— BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (@BRIANMBENDIS) January 8, 2019

THIS WEEK’S PICKS

Criminal #1 (Image) – One of the most beloved crime comics of the 21st century is back! Straight from finishing Kill or Be Killed, acclaimed creative duo Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips return to the hard-boiled tales of Criminal in a new ongoing monthly series.

Young Justice #1 (DC Comics) – Brian Michael Bendis with art by Patrick Gleason unite Superboy, Wonder Girl, Robin, Impulse and Amethyst for the return of the junior answer to the Justice League which sees the nightmare dimension Gemworld invading Metropolois.

Captain Marvel #1 (Marvel) – Ahead of the hotly anticipated Marvel Studios live-action film comes this new ongoing series from Kelly Thompson and Carmen Carnero!

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1 (Marvel) – A new ongoing Spidey title takes a closer look at Peter Parker in his home turf of Queens and his day to day cohabiting with his neighbours! From Supa-Star writer Tom Taylor and artist Juann Cabal.

Turok #1 (Dynamite Entertainment) – Turok needs to rescue his brother from Old West cavalry who have taken Andar to the Badlands, and they’ll all wind up in a lost land inhabited by monstrous and strange creatures. From writer Ron Marz and illustrator Roberto Castro.