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

It’s the end of the world and Matthew Broderick is smack-bang in the middle of it, with a bunch of unruly teenagers in a new series from Netflix. The tables have turned for Broderick, who is now playing a high school principal having to deal with adolescent cliques that turn into post-apocalyptic wasteland gangs vying for survival following a nuclear strike. Netflix’s Daybreak begins streaming on October 24.

Netflix’s suite of Marvel shows may have all been unceremoniously cancelled earlier this year, but Ben Barnes, who played Billy Russo in The Punisher, has clearly not forgotten his own turn on the show. Most recently he has Tweeted a rare deleted scene from season one.

Deleted flashback scene from @ThePunisher season 1 where @jonnybernthal & I get into a fight outside a bar pic.twitter.com/144IGm7qID

— Ben Barnes (@benbarnes) September 15, 2019

Continuing in Netflix news, a new trailer has dropped for new dark comedy Living with Yourself, starring Ant-Man’s Paul Rudd. The series follows the exploits of Rudd’s character who, after undergoing an experimental treatment at a day spa designed to make ‘the best version’ of himself, actually finds out that he has been cloned.

It’s not all good news for Netflix, however, Daredevil season one showrunner Steven S. DeKnight has reportedly stepped down from his position of helming a new superhero show for the streaming service. Jupiter’s Legacy, based on the graphic novel by Mark Millar, was about a second generation of spoilt superhero kids, who inherited their abilities from their famous parents. Apparently the show was only half-way through production on its first season before DeKnight exited due to ‘creative differences’.

Last week we spoke of Titan’s showrunner Greg Walker confirming Dick Grayson’s transition into Nightwing during the second season, and now we may actually have a behind the scenes look at his new costume. The show’s official Brazilian Twitter account has recently posted a BTS video shot by Dove actress, Minka Kelly, but keen-eyed fans have spotted a brief look at Dick Grayson in the background sporting his new duds. Go and take a look for yourself and see if you can spot it.

Minka Kelly, Conor Leslie e Brenton Thwaites hoje no set. TODO MUNDO VIU O TRAJE? 👀 #Titans #DCUTitans pic.twitter.com/BvMfxbTTqb
— Titans Brasil (@DCUTitansBR) September 14, 2019

The Winchester brothers are gearing up for their 15th and final season of Supernatural, and a new trailer has dropped online teasing what lies in wait for Dean and Sam in their final outings, which will also see some familiar foes return.

Whilst the pilot episode of for the still-untitled Game of Thrones prequel series has completed filming and is currently awaiting a full series order from HBO, it would also seem a second prequel series may also be in the works. Whilst the prequel we already know about is set some 6000 years before the events of GoT during the Age of Heroes, this second series is rumoured to focus on House Targaryen and would most likely focus on Aegon the Conqueror, who was the first to seize control of the divided kingdoms of Westeros some 300 years before the events of GoT.

Star Wars: Clone Wars and Rebels creator Dave Filoni has offered some interesting comments about his work on the live-action The Mandalorian during a recent interview. His fairly innocuous statement, “Having a character you wrote walk up and talk to you in full costume on a set that you imagined that was a wonderful thing,” may hold deeper meaning when we realise Filoni does not actually have any official writing credits for The Mandalorian, and he may instead be referring to characters that he created for his animated shows. Many fans are already salivating at the prospect of seeing a live-action Sabine Wren, or even Ahsoka Tano pop up.

In breaking news, the upcoming Arrowverse crossover, Crisis on Infinite Earths, just got even more massive, with none other than Supanova alumnus Tom Welling set to reprise his iconic role as Clark Kent! Welling joins fellow Supermen, Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) and Tyler Hoechlin (Supergirl), for what’s sure to be an absolute treat for DC fans of any generation.

Speaking of Tom Welling, this week’s Supanova TV Panel Pick showcased the Smallville Supa-Star alongside his on-screen adversary, Michael Rosenbaum. Throwback to Gold Coast 2018, as the pair discuss their on-set dynamic below.

FILM

In celebration of the digital release of Spider-Man: Far From Home, Sony Pictures has released a new trailer reimagining the film as an official The Night Monkey movie. Check out the official Night Monkey trailer below.

After being wooed by nearly every major entertainment company, The Rise of Skywalker director JJ Abrams and his wife, Katie McGrath, have officially inked a deal for their production company Bad Robot to work exclusively with Warner Bros. studios for the next five years. In a deal estimated to be worth US$250 million, rumours suggest that Apple had offered Abrams much more, but he opted instead to choose Warner Bros. due to the range of IP they had at their disposal. This also lines up with earlier whispers about Warner Bros. courting JJ Abrams to come and help revitalise the DC cinematic universe.

Director Colin Trevorrow has returned to the Jurassic World franchise and has just released a new short film, Battle at Big Rock, online. The short picks up after the events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which saw the pre-historic creatures of Isla Nubla unleashed into the world at large. Trevorrow, who was originally picked to helm Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker before being let go by Lucasfilm and replaced by JJ Abrams, is now preparing to complete the Jurassic World trilogy with the third and final film in the franchise.

In news about another Star Wars director, The Last Jedi’s Rian Johnson has recently spoken to the Evening Standard about the schedule for his own original Star Wars trilogy, to which he has suggested that Lucasfilm is still cementing its schedule and that he might attempt to “squeeze in another film” before he officially starts work on the new trilogy. At the moment, Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are scheduled with their own Star Wars trilogy, slated to be released between 2022 and 2026, so there’s probably a bit more space for Johnson to get started yet.

James Gunn has officially revealed the massive cast line-up for The Suicide Squad, in which returning stars such as Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn), Jai Courtney (Captain Boomerang), Joel Kinnaman (Rick Flagg) and Viola Davis (Amanda Waller) will be joined by a swathe of new faces, including Idris Elba, John Cena, Nathan Fillion and Taika Waititi.

Don’t get too attached. #TheSuicideSquad pic.twitter.com/uITPhrDzz2

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) September 13, 2019

And Jai Courtney is clearly enthused about his return to the role of DC’s Boomerang slinging master-thief, showing off his character’s trademark gold tooth in a recent Instagram post.

Sylvester Stallone’s turn as the grizzled Vietnam vet John Rambo may be coming to a close with the upcoming release of Rambo: Last Blood, but Sly may not be completely done with the character. In a recent interview, Stallone intimated that he currently has an idea for a prequel film which will see a young Rambo aged 16-17 years of age.

DC Comics has given us another look at the three central characters in next year’s Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), by announcing three new trade paperbacks dedicated to each of the film’s stars. The covers, created by artist Tula Lotay, give us a good look at Jurnee Smollett-Bell’s Black Canary, Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Huntress, and of course, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn.

Not to be outdone though, Warner Bros. also followed this reveal with the film’s official poster release.

Few people know geek news like filmmaker and pop culture connoisseur Kevin Smith, and in his recent Fatman Beyond podcast, Smith suggested that the storyline for The Batman movie starring Robert Pattinson will be based on The Long Halloween comic arc written by Jeph Loeb. Released in the ’90s, The Long Halloween comics are set in Batman’s early days as the caped crusader, where he attempts to track down a mysterious serial killer who leaves a fresh trail of bodies on each special holiday. During his investigations, Batman first encounters a number of Gotham’s infamous villains and even sees the transformation of Distrcit Attorney, Harvey Dent, into Two-Face.

Original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman has let some more information slip about his son’s upcoming Ghostbusters 2020 sequel in a recent interview. According to Reitman, Paul Rudd will be playing a seismologist who has come to a small town to investigate a series of mysterious earthquakes, where he will encounter the young siblings played by Mckenna Grace and Finn Wolfhard, and their mother played by Carrie Coon. Most of the original cast, including Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, Dan Ackroyd and Ernie Hudon are also all expected to return in some capacity.

LOCAL SCREEN

It has begun! We’ve been closely following the details of the upcoming Mortal Kombat reboot being filmed in Adelaide, and now, thanks to screenwriter Greg Russo, we have official confirmation that principal photography has commenced. The film is currently slated for a March 2021 release date, and by all reports, this latest cinematic adaptation will not hold back from the graphic nature of the game franchise it is based on.

May the Elder Gods watch over us! #ITHASBEGUN pic.twitter.com/Lkovg7Glwo
— Greg Russo (@WriterRusso) September 15, 2019

The ABC is currently working on a six-part mini-series, set during the 1950s atomic testing at Maralinga. Currently working under the title Fallout, the series is set to star Ewen Leslie and Jessica De Gouw, who played Huntress in the CW Arrowverse.

Congratulations are in order for Aussie comedian Hannah Gadsby, who has capped off a massive 18-month rise to international acclaim by winning an Emmy award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special for her Netflix special, Nanette.

So honored to receive an Emmy for Nanette. My gratitude to the Television Academy for recognizing my work, to Netflix for the embrace of my vision & to my team for their humbling faith in me. If you found strength in Nanette, know that our stories matter; our humanity matters.

— Hannah Gadsby (@Hannahgadsby) September 15, 2019

ANIMATION

First off, we can’t say anything before we send massive congratulations to Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, for his first Pokémon League victory in 22 years. Yes, it’s the talk of every anime fan at the moment, even Ash’s original English voice actor, Veronica Taylor, gave him a shout-out! The trainer recently won the Alolan League in the Sun and Moon anime, and we would be remiss not to congratulate our champ, he’s come a long way from the Trainer he used to be, well done, Ash.

Congratulations to Ash Ketchum on winning the Pokémon League from Ash’s ‘younger’ self, circa 1998…yup, hard work, determination, good friends, and a bit of luck pay off! #pokemon #ashketchum #winning pic.twitter.com/JhgRcGJBEy
— Veronica Taylor (@TheVeronicaT) September 15, 2019

We’ve known for a while that a Blade of the Immortal reboot was in the works for Amazon Prime Video, and now we have our first proper taste at how the anime will look in motion, which looks like it’s going to be gory. While the manga has had some adaptations before, most notably by Production I.G in 2008, this new adaptation is being handled by Studio Linden, most well-known for Berserk (2016).

We’ve had movies based on LEGO, Trolls, Bratz, and a whole franchise on Transformers, so what’s Hollywood cooking up next? That’s right, Funko Pop! collectors, the inevitable has happened and Funko CEO Brian Mariotti has recently confirmed that a Funko Pop! animated feature is currently in development at Warner Bros. The only question we must ask now is whether there will be any new special edition Pops released in celebration of the new project (we predict yes).

Fans of the well-renowned animated show, The Boondocks, will be delighted to hear that HBO Max has greenlit two more seasons of the previously-cancelled show. Aiming for a 2020 release, the original series will also find a home on the platform, and the new seasons will be run by original creator, Aaron McGruder.

Tiger Aspect, the production company behind the animated Mr. Bean, has just gained the rights to producing a Knights and Bikes series. The indie co-op game was only released this year, but already has two print publications to its name, and is now moving on to bigger things. No timeline is available as of yet.

Netflix’s Big Mouth has premiered a new trailer this week, with a surprise appearance from the Fab Five. Filled with plenty of teen awkwardness, Big Mouth season three is scheduled to air October 4.

GAMING

Good news for any Final Fantasy fans that weren’t entirely sold on the real-time combat in the FF7 reboot Square Enix showed off in a recent live stream, as the original turn-based combat has survived, only in a slightly different form. Called ‘Classic Mode’, you can still move your character around, but when the Active-Time Battle Gauge fills up, you can bring all action to a halt, and choose an attack from the command menu. Choosing an attack will make the character do every necessary movement for you. It’s not exactly the same as the original, but that’s a good thing in our book. It’s a remake after all.

A real-life Nintendo theme park is opening! Super Nintendo World is currently under construction in Universal Studios Japan. The first two rides that will open with the park are Yoshi’s Adventure and Super Mario Kart Ride.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate cleaned up at the Japan Video Game Awards this week, taking home five awards in total, including the Best Sales and Outstanding Performance awards, and most importantly, the Grand Prize! Game director Masahiro Sakurai gave a speech that surely made every Nintendo fan tear up, when he revealed that making Smash Ultimate was the final ‘mission’ given to him by his friend and late Nintendo of Japan President, Satoru Iwata.

In a follow-up to its widely acclaimed game Wii Fit, Nintendo has announced its new exercise-based adventure game for the Switch, Ring Fit Adventure. Like its predecessor, it will come with interactive accessories that aim to help you get fit and guide you through the game’s campaign. With the help of the game’s Ring-Con and Leg-Strap, you get to physically run through the levels and beat enemies with fitness moves and yoga poses. Ring Fit Adventure also features a Quick Play mode that allows you to get right into the exercise and focus on different muscle groups. Ring Fit Adventure is running into stores soon on October 18.

Last week at the Tokyo Game Show, Konami previewed its new Castlevania game called Grimoire of Souls. The title features favourites such as Alucard and Simon Belmont in a new story mode that will also allow co-op play and a brand new multi-mode. Grimoire of Souls is still awaiting a release date and will be available on both iOS and Android devices.

In a new subscription-based gaming service announced earlier this year, Apple Arcade launches this week with over 100 games on release. The service will feature some exclusive games from developers such as Square Enix, Ubisoft, Sega and Konami. Apple Arcade will be available on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV devices and comes with controller support for both Dualshock 4 and Xbox One controllers. The full list of games is available on the Apple website.

The first Pokémon: Sword exclusive Pokémon was released this week, reviving a fan favourite, Farfetch’d. In Pokémon: Sword, the lovable duck swaps out his leek for a sword and shield through evolution, becoming Sirfetch’d, a pure fighting type. The release of this Sword exclusive has got fans excited to see what Pokémon variants will be available in Pokémon: Shield.

COMICS

Mark your calendars for a very special birthday. This Saturday is the official 80th anniversary of the Dark Knight himself, and cities all across the globe will begin celebrating International Batman Day with major centres lighting up the Bat Signal and it all begins here in Australia. At 8pm, Melbourne’s Federation Square will be the first location on the planet to light up the signal in a sequence which will stretch all the way around the world. If you’re in Melbourne at the time, be sure to drop by for a special meet and greet with Gotham’s greatest hero while you’re there. You can also track all the global festivities on the official Bat-Tracker.

Cover by Audrey Mok

A variant cover for issue one of the highly-anticipated X-Men, by Jonathan Hickman and Leinil Francis Yu, has been revealed. The cover is illustrated by Russell Dauterman and features various versions of Jean Grey. Jean appears in her great yellow and blue outfit from the 1990s, as well as her green Marvel Girl costume, the green Phoenix outfit, her New X-Men uniform, her Age of Apocalypse gear, the deep red Dark Phoenix attire and, of course, her original 1963 X-Men uniform, along with others. X-Men #1 is set to be released in October.

Popular Archie Comics character Veronica Lodge is back, as a bloodthirsty vampire in Vampironica: New Blood. Bursting onto the pages of a new miniseries, Veronica will return to her own universe, where she will be facing the lies and deception of her ancestors. As a vampire, she will need to overcome the many perils and pitfalls of oncoming maturity, while discovering some things she never knew about herself. Vampironica: New Blood #1 goes on sale December 4.

DC will be ringing in 2020 with some anticipated mischief from its biggest villains. The new one-shot anthology, New Year’s Evil #1, will feature 10 stories by 10 writers and artists celebrating the holiday season through the eyes of DC’s best rascally characters. The stories will feature the Joker, Harley Quinn, Sinestro, Toyman, Calendar Man and so many more. New Year’s Evil #1 arrives on December 4.

Lastly this week, iconic comic strip The Far Side will be returning, this time via a new online medium. At this stage, it is unclear in what way the beloved comic strip will be making its comeback, but according to the website, “Uncommon, unreal, and (soon-to-be) unfrozen. A new online era of The Far Side is coming!” For those who are unfamiliar with The Far Side, it was originally published in 1980 and ran until 1995 when creator Gary Larson retired.

COLLECTIBLES

Hot Toys has released an incredibly screen-accurate 1/6 scale action figure of Mysterio, as seen in Spider-Man: Far From Home. This figure is no illusion! It really is as detailed as it appears, featuring the smoke-filled helmet with additional LED lighting to have it be an absolute standout in your display!

Following the release of IT: Chapter Two, Hot Toys has also unveiled a new Pennywise figure that features interchangeable accessories.

In Funko news this week, an exciting new design of the live-action Maleficent figure has been announced to celebrate the release of the new film Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. The new design features much greater attention to detail in costume and facial features, whilst adding feathered wings that the original didn’t have.

Other notable announcements this week included The Greatest Showman finally getting the Pop! Vinyl treatment of fan-favourite characters, played by the likes of Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron. Funatics saw additions to the Pop! Icons line with Albert Einstein and Edgar Allen Poe, as well as some certainly creepy figures for Scary Stories to tell in the Dark, and a new playful design of Pokemon’s Pikachu.