Newstime: The Stories You Might Have Missed This Week

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

TV

The trailer for Netflix’s The Dark Crystal dropped overnight, promising fans a series full of visual curiosities familiar to the look and feel of the original film.

Hellboy creator Mike Mignola has shot down recent rumours of Hellboy making its way onto Netflix as an original series. Despite all our hopes, it doesn’t look like Big Red will be making his way onto our TV screens after all.

As far as we know this is not true…

— Mike Mignola (@artofmmignola) May 25, 2019

Sony recently formed its own film and television studio called PlayStation Productions with the aim of adapting their own video game franchises, and one of their first projects is a TV adaptation of the Twisted Metal game series where participants take part in demolition derbies using vehicles armed with weapons.

Update: PlayStation Productions is working on a Twisted Metal TV show (confirmed during Sony’s IR Day 2019) pic.twitter.com/kED0OCySZI
— Nibel (@Nibellion) May 21, 2019

DC Universe has just wrapped up their second original series Doom Patrol in the US, and are moving straight onto their third, Swamp Thing, this weekend. They’ve released a trailer showing their best look at the horror-themed series so far. Meanwhile, we’re all still keeping our fingers crossed that Doom Patrol will shortly make its way onto Netflix like Titans already has.

One show that we do know is heading to Netflix in the very near future is the third and final season of Jessica Jones, which has now been confirmed to drop on June 14. This marks the last of Marvel’s offerings to the streaming platform before all their IP migrates to the highly anticipated Disney+ service coming out at the end of the year.

Closer to home, it’s been announced that Nashville star and Aussie actor Clare Bowen will lead a new four-part SBS original supernatural series titled Hungry Ghosts, which is currently filming in Melbourne.

FILM

In a recent interview, Kingsman director Michael Vaughan has confirmed that filming for the third movie will begin either later this year or early next, and that the film will serve as the final chapter for the relationship between Taron Egerton’s Eggsy and Colin Firth’s Harry Hart.

In other Kingsman news, the prequel film titled The Great Game, which will explore the spy organisation’s early days, has reportedly cast Liam Neeson in a key role.

Ridley Scott’s classic sci-fi horror Alien turned 40 this month, and it looks like it will be getting another prequel soon. Plans for a follow-up to Scott’s 2017 Alien: Covenant were put on hold during the Fox/Disney merger, but with the deal now complete it looks like it’s finally moving forward with Variety reporting that the script for the next film is currently being written and Scott is expected to return to the director’s chair.

The internet is rife for movie rumours, and sometimes it can be hard to tell which ones are true and which are simply fan wishes. One person, who has proven himself highly sceptical of recent rumours circulating that Deadpool may be introduced to the MCU through a Spider-Man film, is none other than Deadpool creator himself, Rob Liefeld.

WANT it as much if not more than anyone. I mean, could you imagine the impact?? But rightfully skeptical. https://t.co/MLC5z29xLR

— robliefeld (@robertliefeld) May 28, 2019

Universal Studios has already had a couple of attempts at kick-starting a shared cinematic universe based on its classic monster franchises, and now are gearing up for their third crack. Reports indicate that filming for The Invisible Man will begin in July and will take place in Sydney with an eye for a March 2020 release.

If you thought recasting Han Solo was a controversial move, you should hear Harrison Ford’s thoughts on the idea of recasting Indiana Jones. In an interview with USA Today, Ford was asked who he would like to see take on the role of the whip-cracking, fedora-wearing archaeologist when he was finally done with the role. His response was that: “Nobody is gonna be Indiana Jones. Don’t you get it? I’m Indiana Jones. When I’m gone, he’s gone.”

Look out Thanos, it looks like DC are finally bringing Darkseid to the big screen! DC’s current Batman writer Tom King is teaming with director Ava DuVernay to put a New Gods screenplay together.

Hey ⁦@TomKingTK⁩. Ready to write NEW GODS, buddy? A. ✨✨✨ pic.twitter.com/FFpLDt75mm
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) May 29, 2019

Warner Bros has set a May 21, 2021 release date for their latest live-action anime adaptation Akira, which will see Thor: Ragnarok’s Taika Waititi assume the director’s chair. This date will put the film in direct box office competition with the recently announced John Wick 4.

Mad Men’s Jon Hamm has recently spoken about his upcoming role in the new Top Gun sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, alongside original stars Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer. According to Hamm, the “aerial footage is mind-blowing”, and the filmmakers are forgoing CGI in favour of using real fighter jets for as much of the flight sequences as possible. “Those guys are really up in planes and getting thrown around in multiple Gs”.

GAMING

There have been some major announcements from huge developers this week, the biggest of which is the trailer drop for Hideo Kojima’s new game, Death Stranding. A statement from Kojima on the PlayStation blog says: “Death Stranding is a completely new type of action game, where the goal of the player is to reconnect isolated cities and a fragmented society. It is created so that all elements, including the story and gameplay, are bound together by the theme of the ‘Strand’ or connection.” After being announced three years ago, the game now finally has a release date, too! November 8 for PS4, and PC.

There was also a stack of Pokémon announcements this week:

• Pokémon Masters was announced for mobile devices, a game where you battle against and alongside Trainers from all across the game series.
• Pokémon Home was announced for Switch and smartphones, a companion app that is basically the next evolution of Pokémon Bank from the 3DS, which let you store Pokémon from previous games in one place, to transfer them to Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. In this case, it will be compatible with Sword and Shield, Let’s Go Eevee, and Let’s Go Pikachu.
• Pokémon Sleep got announced, another companion app for smartphones that tracks your sleep time, and will allow the player to “wake up with their Pokémon, and “turn sleeping into entertainment.”
• And finally, a Detective Pikachu sequel was announced! The cliffhanger ending of the first game will finally be wrapped up on the Switch!

Today, we’ll be announcing 4⃣ exciting new Pokémon projects.

Who’s ready to learn more? #PokemonPressConference pic.twitter.com/vBIQpi9GGD

— Pokémon (@Pokemon) May 29, 2019

ANIMATION

We’ve been given our first look at upcoming Disney-Pixar film Onward, starring Tom Holland, Chris Pratt and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as elves. Set for release in 2020, the film’s synopsis reads: “Set in a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers embark on a quest to discover if there is still magic out there.”

It has been announced that Arnold Schwarzenegger will produce and star in children’s cartoon Superhero Kindergarten, one of the final projects from the late comic book legend Stan Lee.

Stan Lee was a hero of mine. I’m so, so proud of this project. https://t.co/wOWJYCpZuS
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) May 29, 2019

Adult Swim only just recently announced that Rick & Morty season four would be released later this year, and thankfully it would seem we won’t need to wait as long as we have for season five to follow. The show’s creator, Dan Harmon, has recently shared a behind-the-scenes pic showing ideas they’ve been brainstorming for season five, including a planet powered by chips and salsa, and a woman made of fish.

A new poster and trailer have been unveiled for Weathering With You, the next film from beloved director Makoto Shinkai which is set to premiere in Japan on July 19.

It might feel like it’s been 3,689 years and 158 days to manga fans, but the Dr. STONE anime series is finally slated for release this July, with Crunchyroll dropping an exhilarating new PV earlier in the week.

This summer’s going to ROCK 🔥@DrSTONE_EN comes to Crunchyroll this July from @tmsanime!! pic.twitter.com/55d4GbKBR4

— Crunchyroll 🔜 Dr. STONE (@Crunchyroll) May 29, 2019

Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco has released a new poster for her animated Harley Quinn series, due out later this year.

COMICS

The Justice League is updating its logo in celebration of their 60th anniversary. First appearing in The Brave and the Bold #28 in 1959, the Justice League has gone through numerous iterations; however, the original logo was used from 1960-1987. The brand new logo will, according to DC’s website, “feature clean lines and a signature star that has appeared on many of the Justice League logos through the ages.”

In anticipation of the second season of Krypton, SYFY and DC Comics have teamed up with writer Bryan Edward Hill and artist Jason Badower to release a three-page online comic depicting events occurring between the two seasons. They’ve also created an inside look at the making of the comic, including pencilling, inking, and colouring. Krypton season two is scheduled to premiere June 12.

The original Star Wars comics line by Marvel will be picking up where they left off 33 years ago. First launched in 1977, the legendary series ran for 107 issues, before abruptly ending in 1986 and remaining dormant until now. On May 29, writer Matthew Rosenberg has teamed up with a huge range of artists to kick off issue 108 with a bang. Before you read the new issue, check out Marvel’s helpful guide to the last 107 issues.

Diamond Comic Distributors has confirmed that this year’s Free Comic Book Day was an absolute hit! Over 5.2 million comic books were distributed worldwide, and over 2,200 comic book shops took part. Thanks to the combined efforts of comic book retailers, publishers, Diamond Comic Distributors Inc. and fans, an estimated $4 million was generated in free publicity for the comic book industry. Next year’s event will occur on Saturday, May 2, 2020.

COLLECTABLES

Hasbro has unveiled its new role-play item as part of the Star Wars Black series line. Any fans who have wanted to join the rebellion and jump into the cockpit of their own X-Wing fighter can now do so, thanks to the Luke Skywalker 1/1 Premium Simulation Battle Helmet. Expected to go on sale later in the year, the helmet is similar to the previously released Poe Dameron helmet. Luke Skywalker’s helmet will feature highly-detailed deco, movie-inspired design, interior padding, lights, and sound effects. The helmet also has three internal speakers, which create a surround sound experience, and synchronized LED lights inside the visor to simulate the blasts of enemy vehicles.

LEGO will also be releasing a new Star Wars set, one that’s a bit different to anything previously released in the Star Wars line. The BOOST Droid Commander set will allow LEGO fans to build R2-D2, a Gonk droid and a Mouse droid, and also program them to complete certain tasks. This new set will be released around September, but currently, no price has been announced.          

Mega Construx is reigniting everyone’s He-Man nostalgia, with a 3600 piece Masters of the Universe Castle Greyskull set. Including a functional drawbridge and elevator, active weapons and launchers, and six action figures, the full set is available on sites like Amazon.

Lead image: Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones.