The Headlines

Updates from the film & entertainment industry

🎥 Films, TV & Streaming

Killers of the Flower Moon

Early reviews are claiming Scorsese is operating at the height of his power and that this might be Leo’s best performance. Mix in the cast of De Niro, Gladstone, Plemons and Fraser and we’re cooking up something special.

The film is projected to open at $30M, which is great given that this is a 3.5-hour R-rated historical piece. KOTFM has the firepower to dethrone Oppenheimer for some Oscar nominations. Review next week. Read.

More

• The 1960s Ocean’s 11 prequel with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling is moving forward in production.

• People have found AI crowd members in a new Disney+ movie…This is what SAG-AFTRA is fighting against.

• Netflix is set to open mini theme parks that will serve food & drink, sell merchandise and include immersive experiences for their titles.

📽️ Must Watch

• Napoleon | Official Trailer 2… a stylistic and heavy, film based on Napoleon the Great…led by Joaquin Phoenix and Ridley Scott. (Nov 22)

• Ferrari | Official Trailer… Michael Mann, Adam Driver and the dramatic storytelling behind Formula 1. (Dec 25)

• The Zone of Interest | Official Trailer - disturbing, unsettling drama from A24 based during the Nazi reign. (Dec 8)

• Wonka | Official Trailer 2… this second trailer builds on the whimsical vibes and separates itself from other iterations. (Dec 15)

• The Iron Claw | Official Trailer… I’m not a wrestling fan, but I am a fan of Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White and A24.

The Franchise Report

Comicbook content, big franchises and our favorite IPs

🦸‍♂️ Cape Shit & Franchises

Avatar: The Last Airbender (Netflix)

We got a new look at the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series on Netflix, featuring the Fire Nation cast. I’m hesitant to be all in on this due to the original creators leaving the project, but the production looks decent and the casting looks great.

I’m much more interested in the new animated projects the original creators are building, but it won’t be another year or two until we get those…so I’ll settle. See here.

More

• The budget for the upcoming Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians is between $12M and $15m per episode, on par with The Mandalorian.

• Tony Stark officially died on October 17, 2023.

📽️ Must Watch

• Invincible Season 2 | Official Trailer… the first season of this show is one of my favorite seasons of TV EVER, and they stepped up the animation here. Stoked. (Nov 3)

• Monarch: Legacy of Monsters | Official Trailer… Set in the world of Godzilla, what’s not to love? (Nov 17)

The Gaming Industry

Updates from the world of gaming & esports

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 PS5 Releases October 20, 2023

The story told between Marvel’s Spider-Man PS4 and Miles Morales is a masterpiece. Insomniac mastered the ability to make you feel like Spider-Man and I believe they crafted one of the greatest Spider-Man narratives in modern media while providing excellent gameplay mechanics.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for PS5 promises to deliver an emotional, brilliant installment into Insomniac’s New York and build on the success of its predecessors. Based on some early reviews, I think we’re getting something special. For a good breakdown of the story so far, watch here and for the full launch trailer, watch here. My body is ready.

More

• Geoguessr is an esport???

• Apex Legends and Post Malone are teaming up for an event.

• 23 years ago, Pokemon Gold and Silver were released in North America. Man, I’m old.

The Quick Hits

⚡ What To Watch

The Town (2010) | American Crime Drama | Prime Video ($3.79)

A bank robber falls in love with a former robbery hostage and decides he wants out of the life. With the Fed closing in, he must choose: betray his friends or lose the woman he loves.

I rated this one 4.5/5 stars and is a film I revisit often…I consider it a must-watch. Affleck is fantastic in front and behind the camera and Jeremy Renner delivers a great performance. Just trust me here, you need to see this.

Doug MacRay: I need your help. I can’t tell you what it is, you can never ask me about it later, and we’re gonna hurt some people.

James Coughlin: …Whose car are we gonna take?

📺 My Watchlist

Loki S2 E2 - The start of this season has been absolutely fantastic. After focusing on an exposition-heavy E1, E2 comes back and reminds us that the cast and character moments are just as good as the story beats. Thank god for Owen Wilson and Tom Hiddleston.

Gen V E5 - I'm not sure what magic they’ve captured with this series, but Gen V has the goods. It’s great watching a coming-of-age story in this fucked up world and the emotional experiences driven by the characters make you feel it. A+ for mystery and intrigue.

The Creator - I was fully prepared to fall in love with this, walking out of the theater blasting 5 stars. Unfortunately, outside of a masterclass in cinematography, there wasn’t much else to grab onto…but sometimes the cinematography and vibes are all I need. 4 stars. Full review here.

Ghost In The Shell (1995) - The 90s animation is beautiful but there’s not enough between the establishing shots and world-building to make me care for the characters. I'm a simple man - I see a cyberpunk city in the rain, I watch it. 4 stars. Full review here.

💣 The Timeline

• A great skit - nightmare post-game after the bar scenario, but make it a horror video game. Both Part 1 and Part 2 are MUST WATCH.

• In honor of KOTFM releasing this weekend, here’s Scorsese trying to learn Gen Z slang from his daughter. Gold.

• They’ve added BD droids to Disneyland…you know where to find me.

• A 4th-grade teacher ‘accidentally’ showed his students Winnie The Pooh: Blood & Honey (the horror film) in class…fireable offense.

• From now on, I’m pretending my dog sounds like Kratos.

• If you can’t afford therapy, watch these films.

• The Pokemon Emerald music bangs, don’t lie.

🐦 Tweet of the Week
Relatable.

👀 Keep An Eye Out

• Oct 19 | Loki E3

• Oct 20 | Killers of the Flower Moon

• Oct 20 | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 PS5

• Oct 20 | Gen V E6