The Nerdist

⚡ Quick Take

• The second episode of X-Men ’97 season two changed the iconic opening credits to showcase X-Force.
• The episode, “A Force to be Reckoned With,” is all about Cable’s team of Mutant mercenaries.
• The government-sponsored X-Factor are the antagonists.

After two long years, X-Men ’97 is finally back, and they dropped us right in the middle of the action with our time-lost X-Men. But it was the second episode of the season, “A Force to be Reckoned With,” that was perhaps the most fun, because it introduced us to the animated version of X-Force. And as X-Men ’97 often does, it gave us a new opening credits scene just for this episode, focused solely on the cyborg soldier Cable’s mutant black ops squad. But the amazing theme music is thankfully the same. You can watch the X-Force ’97 opening credits below:

X-Force '97 Opening Theme (X-Men '97 Season 2) pic.twitter.com/xuBn6B7pR7

— Blaze Binges (@BlazeBinges) July 1, 2026

So what’s different in this opening sequence? Quite a bit. We see Cable, a.k.a. Nathan Dayspring Summers, fighting off a battalion of Sentinels. Jubilee’s intro in the credits is much the same, with the young X-Man lighting off fireworks. However, her costume is different. Sunspot is wearing his ’90s Marvel Comics uniform, and finally lands a spot in the opening credits. Psylocke prowls the rooftops of Japan, and Archangel flies into the sky and shoots razor-sharp projectiles from his wings. We then get clips from past X-Men: The Animated Series episodes, like Cable fighting Apocalypse, and Warren Worthington’s transformation into Archangel.

Marvel Television

The opening credits also fill in some missing story beats from the actual episode. We see Psylocke training Jubilee in a combat scenario, with Jubilee blindfolded, Luke Skywalker style. It looks like they are in a military hangar somewhere. After all, without a Danger Room, X-Force had to train somewhere. Finally, the famous “running at each other” moment before the title card goes up is now X-Force vs. Apocalypse and his Horsemen, instead of the X-Men vs. Magneto’s forces. Now, X-Factor also played a big role in this episode. Does that mean they’ll get a title credits scene of their own? We’ll have to wait and see as X-Men ’97 season two continues.

The post X-MEN ’97’s Opening Credits Turned to X-Force for An Episode appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• PlayStation will stop making physical game discs.
• New games made after January 2028 will not have a physical option.
• Digital downloads account for 80% of PlayStation game purchases.

Now’s the time when Grandpa Kyle gives you a tale of the 1990s. Back then, if you were lucky enough to have a home video game console, you coveted your library of games. You’d have to keep them free of dust, you’d add new ones and make room on your shelf or cupboard. And renting a new game? Oh, it would make or break a weekend. If you didn’t have the game in your hands, you couldn’t play it. Cut to now when the rise of digital downloads has made owning a physical copy of a game rarer and rarer. Add the word “obsolete” when discussing physical games and that’s where we are now as PlayStation has announced it will no long produce physical game discs.

The news comes via a blog post on the PlayStation site. Physical copies will cease production beginning January 2028.

Sony

Sid Shuman, Senior Director of Sony Interactive said, in part:

In response to shifting trends in consumer preference, new games will be released on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only.

Shifting trends is right. Digital downloads of new games has completely overtaken physical, as a tweet from Daniel Ahmad illustrates. What started as roughly 10% of sales in the PS4 days has ballooned to 80% of total game sales, DLC not included.

It's no secret that digital captures a higher % of full game sales each year (no, this figure doesn't include DLC).

What started during the PS4 (less than 10% digital at the start), has evolved into 80% of full game sales being digital on an annual basis. pic.twitter.com/fn2bpDo5sB

— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) July 1, 2026

Evidence and behind the scenes scuttle also indicates PlayStation 6 and Xbox’s Project Helix will not have a disc drive option. If you, like me, use your PlayStation has 4K disc player in addition to a way to play games, you’re SOL.

So, what does this all mean? If 80% of players already download their games rather than buy them physically, this doesn’t seem like that big of an issue, right? Well, it goes toward a growing trend of the ephemeral nature of media. Maybe not the huge, giant popular titles, but smaller games, indie games, or weird games might suddenly disappear from your library when Sony loses a license. This happens all the time. You can never actually own digital media. You merely rent it. A $70+ rental.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

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⚡ Quick Take

• The A24 New Wave: Empowering Artists, Transforming Modern Cinema takes an in-depth and well-researched look at A24’s history and influence.

If you’re a modern cinephile, then you have certainly watched at least one A24 film. The independent production company was founded in 2012, and has quickly made an industry-shifting impact in that short amount of time. A24’s approach to delivering unconventional and niche audience driven films has led to over two dozen Academy Award wins as well as a fervent fanbase complete with active Reddit threads and its own official fanclub. How did A24 rise among status to compete with mainstay giants like Lionsgate? That’s what A24 superfan, writer, and pop culture expert Aaron West explores in The A24 New Wave: Empowering Artists, Transforming Modern Cinema. This book takes an in-depth and well-researched look at A24’s history and how the company continues to influence film trends and pop culture at large. 

CineJourneys

Nerdist received a copy of this book and couldn’t wait to dive into its contents. It explores A24 from a very holistic viewport, including its business practices that toe the line between independent film and mainstream. There are plenty of stories about some of A24’s biggest films, like The VVitch as well as directors who have helped shape its success, including Barry Jenkins, Ari Aster, and Robert Eggers. From its approach to genre trends to its unique aesthetics, A24 has created a unique standard for brave filmmaking and storytelling.

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The A24 New Wave can feel a bit like “information overload” at times, but if you are deeply into the history of filmmaking and the trends that have shaped its trajectory, this book is absolutely engaging. West himself is a moderator of the A24 subreddit and spent years piecing together the origin story of A24 following a successful Kickstarter.

In the future, there will be a digital component to the book, a website that will allow for further exploration with “excerpts, bonus chapters, sneak previews into future editions, and also journeys (aka film club) about A24 directors and their films, online classes, and so forth.” 

The A24 New Wave: Empowering Artists, Transforming Modern Cinema is currently available with both signed and unsigned copies.

The post THE A24 NEW WAVE Book Explores The Film Company’s Meteoric Rise appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Assad Zaman spoke to us about The Vampire Lestat‘s Armand and how he compares the relationships between Marius and Daniel Molloy.
• In Anne Rice’s books, there wasn’t much similarity between Daniel and Marius, but in The Vampire Lestat, the two have more in common, causing Zaman to muse about how Armand subconsciously considers them.
• Marius joins The Vampire Lestat this season, but it’s not yet clear if he will meet Armand and Daniel in the past or present timelines.

It has been a tumultuous time for the Vampire Armand. In Interview with the Vampire season two, Daniel Molloy unraveled his long-running lies to the purported love of his life, Louis de Pointe du Lac, bringing their relationship and life together to a resounding end. Sometime after that, in a fit of worshipful punishment, Armand turned Daniel into a vampire, creating his first ever fledgling in over 500 years of vampiric life. Armand has always found the act of creating a vampire to be abhorrent, but, suddenly, in The Vampire Lestat, he finds himself a vampiric maker, a position he likely never thought he would be in. Speaking with Assad Zaman about The Vampire Lestat, Nerdist was curious to know whether becoming a vampiric maker for Daniel had Armand considering his own vampiric maker, Marius. And the answer to that question was quite fascinating.

Nerdist

We asked Zaman whether “becoming a vampiric maker is making Armand think about his relationship with his own vampiric maker, Marius?” and Zaman noted, “That’s really good. Yes, absolutely. And I totally thought about that whilst I was there.” When asked what it was he thought about it, he shared, “I mean, there are parallels here that are, I guess, accentuated a bit more than they are in the books between Daniel and Marius. They’re closer in age, and they’re sort of…”

Bogosian interrupts the train of thought briefly to interject, “You like those daddies, huh?”

AMC

Which makes Zaman laugh before he offers, “I like my daddies. What can I say? But I think that I’m not sure how aware Armand is about self-reflecting on himself, seeing that [about Marius and Daniel], but I think he’s seeing something in Daniel that reminds him of Marius in some ways.”

Coming back in to think more seriously on the topic, Bogosian adds, “That’s pretty interesting because the Daniel that you [Armand] met in the ’70s has no accomplishments and is kind of a loser. And the Daniel that you’re dealing with now is a lot closer to Marius in that he actually has done something with his life. Although not through supernatural means, which is what Marius did. Marius built a whole empire on that.” He hastens to add, “A horrible empire of bad things.” And while Marius certainly has quite a list of bad things to answer for, this remains an interesting path for Armand’s thoughts to take.

AMC

For now, as we learned in Interview with the Vampire season two, Armand thinks that his maker, Marius, is dead. Although readers of the book know, of course, that it is not so, and Marius remains alive, unbeknownst to Armand. Marius will, in fact, appear in The Vampire Lestat, played by Christopher Heyerdahl. But we don’t yet know in what capacity. No information has yet been offered on whether we’ll see Marius interact with Armand at all, in the past or present, or learn more about how the series will portray this intense relationship. Still, it’s clear from Zaman’s answer that, having become a Vampire Maker himself, the phantom of his own maker looms over Armand.

In a piece about Armand’s backstory, we shared the following about Armand and Marius’ backstory:

Slavers sold Arun to a brothel, until his vampiric maker, Marius de Romanus, bought him. Marius renames him, Amadeo, meaning “one loved by God.” In Interview with the Vampire season two, Armand notes of his memories of Marius, “My maker’s purchase. His renaming me. His reluctance to share the Dark Gift, knowing what it would do to his beloved Amadeo. I served him with all my heart. Basked in his mercy, his worshipful mercy. Still… Amadeo had a skill. And if a friend wandered into town, I was occasionally… donated. Meatier in the forearms, but then this was… seven years before I was stricken with illness, before I was turned, and imbued with my powers.”

Regardless of some of the clear pains of his memories, Armand speaks of Marius as though he loved him greatly. He posed for paintings for his master, and Marius only gave him the dark gift when he became very sick and was near death at age 27. In the novels, he was 17, and dying from a violent attack. Later, the Roman coven burned Marius alive for being a heretic, and took Amadeo and brainwashed him into their Satanic coven. Renamed again as Armand, they eventually sent him to run the Paris coven that Magnus, Lestat’s maker, had abandoned.

Marius remains alive after the fire, as mentioned above, but he has not, to date, made himself known to Armand, nor did he attempt to save him from any of the hardships that ensued after his alleged death. So, as mentioned, the litany of bad things is clear. And yet, it’s also clear that Armand believes he loves his maker and that the relationship deeply impacts him.

AMC

Going down the other direction of this lineage of blood, in The Vampire Lestat, Armand initially abandoned his fledgling Daniel to his own devices. A bit of an irony, although one that Armand can’t understand, considering Armand’s own situation with his maker. But we’re hoping that doesn’t last very long now that Armand has confessed his love to Daniel and made himself known to him once more.

If we continue down the thought line of Armand comparing Marius and Daniel, we hope to find, at the end of it, the idea that in Daniel, Armand has finally chosen someone for himself who (hopefully) chooses him back. Assad Zaman did share that in episode seven of The Vampire Lestat, Armand is finally fully understood for the first time. And there is much in The Vampire Lestat book about Armand and Marius’ past that we haven’t seen discussed yet in this season of TV. Could the arithmetic of the variables that are Marius, Armand, and Daniel, and Armand’s considerations of them both, equate to this moment of Daniel (we assume) understanding Armand?

RELATED ARTICLE

THE VAMPIRE LESTAT Review: Devil’s Minion Edition

And as for all three of these troubled characters who share blood… Will we actually see Daniel, Armand, and Marius in a room sometime in The Vampire Lestat or beyond? The possibility seems high. And what Armand will think and feel at that point will certainly be a beyond complex mix of emotions. But complicated is what this series does best.

The Vampire Lestat airs at 9 pm ET/PT on AMC and AMC+. You can also read The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice today as you wait for the next episode of the series to air.

Rotem Rusak is the Editor-in-Chief of Nerdist. She is ready for Devil’s Minion to become even more canon in The Vampire Lestat, so one of her ships can fully sail.

This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!

The post Assad Zaman on Armand Comparing Marius and Daniel in THE VAMPIRE LESTAT appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Water Park Shark is bringing Sharknado vibes to the pool its first trailer, which is as ridiculous as you’d imagine it to be.

Move over, Project Hail Mary and The Odyssey! The greatest film of 2026 is coming to streaming this month, actually. Anthony C. Ferrante, the director of the Sharknado franchise, is blessing us with a summer smash called Water Park Shark, and we cannot stop watching its trailer. Suspense, humor, a host of potential victims, some sharks, and a water park. This is the fun we need in the world right now. 

Water Park Shark stars David Chokachi and Chelsea Gilson, and here’s a synopsis to go along with that trailer: 

No running. No diving. No escape. When mutated Great White Sharks invade a Cape Cod water park, a lifeguard and the police chief must stop the carnage before opening day becomes a feeding frenzy. The film also stars Matthew Dame, Kacie Patricia, Michael Shaun Sandy, Snow Feng, Hector Becerra, Brigdon York, and Rob Eubanks.

While I was kidding about Water Park Shark being the next Oscar contender, I am not joking when I say I love the absurdity of the Sharknado franchise. And now, I am ready to see some sharks take on unlucky guests at a water park.

Chroma

How did they get there? Why are they killing machines? Why can’t people simply get out of the water and run for their lives? Can the sharks fly? I do not know those answers. Bring on the screams and the big battle to survive, please. 

Water Park Shark will be available digitally on July 3 on Apple TV, Prime Video, and Fandango at Home.

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⚡ Quick Take

• Amber Glenn and Lena Lemon take on a lesbian version of Heated Rivalry to celebrate Pride Month and it is AMAZING.

Move all the way over, Heated Rivalry. A new queer sensation is sweeping the nation. Kidding! There’s enough room for gay hockey Heated Rivalry and lesbian figure skating Heated Rivalry—does that mean we’ll get bi curling Heated Rivalry soon, as well? We digress. To celebrate the end of Pride Month, HBO released a STUNNING commercial for Heated Rivalry, which featured Olympic gold medalist Amber Glenn and Lena Lemon recreating moments from Heated Rivalry with a steamy figure skating montage. This incredible lesbian take on Heated Rivalry featured sexy skating, steamy costume unzipping, and intense lacing sequences. We are OBSESSED. Greenlight it immediately, HBO. This is the kind of thing queer people want and need.

In 2019, Amber Glenn publicly came out as a bisexual and pansexual athlete. Something that is still sadly a rarity across all sports. But we could not cheer harder for Glenn. Glenn revealed that she actually watched Heated Rivalry at the Olympics. And, previously, made a pitch for Yuri (that’s lesbian), Heated Rivalry to become a reality. (Starring her, of course!) We love to see dreams come true.

“i want yuri ‘heated rivalry’ please! hire me! i can fall in love with my co-star, please!”

remember, amber has always made history pic.twitter.com/c3BwRCdy28

— n (@hudsstorrie) June 30, 2026

While Glenn’s lesbian Heated Rivalry likely will remain only in this short form, we hope Glenn can come onto Heated Rivalry season two in some fashion. Additionally, we’d like to take this time to remind all the studios that the success of Heated Rivalry didn’t come from the fact that it involved winter sports. No, Heated Rivalry is so popular because it’s QUEER. So, greenlight lesbian Heated Rivalry, bi Curling Heated Rivalry, and whatever other rivalries you want. But for crying out loud, make them GAY. Please and thank you.

HBO

If you need us, we’ll be watching this queer masterpiece again and again and bopping along to “All the Things She Said.” (That’s a lesbian anthem to begin with, we’ll point out.) Glenn and Lena Lemon’s work deserves to be appreciated. Heated Rivalry is streaming on HBO.

The post HEATED RIVALRY Goes Lesbian with Amber Glenn appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• After the flagrant use of “daddy” in The Odyssey’s trailer, the internet is shipping Tom Holland’s Telemachus and Robert Pattinson’s Antinous.

And who can blame them? Listen, the internet has shipped less for less. But the new trailer for Christoper Nolan’s The Odyssey has definitely set people on a course to ship Robert Pattinson’s Antinous with Tom Holland’s Telemachus. And, I mean, Pattinson’s unsavory suitor Antinous DID use the internet’s cardinal buzzword “daddy” when getting all up in Holland’s Telemachus’ space. Antinous is trying to be Telemachus’ step-father, in a fashion, so there’s that, but isn’t that really what the ancient Greeks would want from new myths born from their old ones? We think, yes. Enemies to lovers, here we come!

Careful research of our sacred texts, ArchiveofOurOwn.Org, reveals that there are already 52 works in Antinous son of Eupeithes/Telemachus (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), but nearly 700 (?!) works in Antinous/Telemachus (EPIC: The Musical). So fans of mythology have walked these roads before. Although we will say, the trailer has been live for some hours at the time of this writing, and not yet a fic about Holland’s Telemachus and Pattinson’s Antinous in The Odyssey. We’re going to call that slacking!

Universal Pictures

But, we’re sure that will right itself VERY soon. Because, as we said, the tension between the pair can be cut with a knife—especially since Antinous is trying to marry Telemachus’ mother and steal all his land and fortune. And he’s being pretty rude about it, to boot. So safe to say Telemachus HATES Antinous. But, as far as shipping goes, the enemies part is always more of a suggestion for the lovers part to follow. And, obviously, you can’t reasonably ask the internet not to ship Holland’s Telemachus and Pattinson’s Antinous when the latter has shifted close to the former, tilted his head, and murmured, “You’re pining for a daddy you didn’t even know,” into his ear. Okay? Okay!

And, don’t worry, Robert Pattinson knows EXACTLY what he’s doing to Tom Holland. In an interview, he shared, “I always end up doing these slithery things with Tom, and I don’t know why. This was just a fun part to play: ‘I just want to be your daddy. I want to be your daddy. That’s all I want!’”

Now, we know “daddy” might be a little anachronistic, but come on, give it to the internet girlies. There might be no fanfics yet, but the internet is cooking about these two. Here are some first-hand accounts.

oh i can already see the telemachus/antinous enemies to lovers ao3 fanfics this movie will give birth to https://t.co/HiJsXUAESf

— gio (@janemargclis) May 5, 2026

I'm sorry, but this gives me lovers' vibes. 😭 pic.twitter.com/jgJ25XT6pY

— Barbie ~🌷 (@Barbiehlld) May 5, 2026

oh i can already see the telemachus/antinous enemies to lovers ao3 fanfics this movie will give birth to https://t.co/HiJsXUAESf

— gio (@janemargclis) May 5, 2026

we were so scared of the telemachus x athena romance plot that we were blind to the possibility of antinous daddy kink https://t.co/3kFENNvpYj

— lake (@kettrikcen) May 5, 2026

ngl wasn't expecting antinous x telemachus yaoibait yet here we are…. https://t.co/ppbASMUSGJ

— しおかぜ🪷 (@jinriora) May 5, 2026

their rivalry is gonna feed ao3 authors for the next decade pic.twitter.com/Wr3SUhnXAt

— ★ (@POPin4k) May 5, 2026

Okay, friends, see you soon on AO3. (Make sure to also revisit the source material, if you’d like)! The Odyssey (and whatever tension will live between Holland’s Telemachus and Pattinson’s Antinous) releases in theaters on July 17, 2026.

This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!

Originally published on May 5, 2026.

The post The Internet Ships THE ODYSSEY’s Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson After Flagrant Use of ‘Daddy’ appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Project Hail Mary will stream on Prime Video starting July 3.

Project Hail Mary thrilled audiences with its heartfelt sci-fi adventure starring Ryan Gosling. In fact, Nerdist staff universally loved this film, which is why it is already on our best films of 2026 list. Fans were looking forward to seeing it come to streaming so they could watch it on a loop, and it did arrive. However, it was on MGM+, a streaming service that a lot of people don’t use. But, we have good news. Project Hail Mary is finally coming to Prime Video on July 3. That means you can spend your holiday weekend hanging out with Rocky. Amaze amaze amaze! 

Prime Video revealed the news with a new clip from the film, which you can check out above. And, if you’re not super familiar with this film yet, here’s a synopsis to get you up to speed: 

Science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction… but an unexpected friendship means he may not have to do it alone. 

Jonathan Olley/Amazon MGM Studios

How can you not love it? Mystery, science fiction, an alien engineer who looks like a rock, and our beloved Ryan Gosling. It is a great time indeed. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll be able to get your hands on a Rocky plushie to hold while you’re watching Project Hail Mary on Prime Video.

The post PROJECT HAIL MARY Is FINALLY Coming to Prime Video in July appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• The Odyssey has released a full trailer for the upcoming Christopher Nolan movie. It brings death, love, and a ton of stars to the screen.

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is sailing toward theaters. And we have every reason to believe this movie has it all. For once, it has almost every major star we can imagine. Zendaya, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, Lupita Nyong’o, and more. For another, it promises both “thunder, fire, and death” and “a wife, a son, a home.” Love and war, pain and death, blood and beauty. Of course, it also features Robert Pattinson calling Tom Holland “Daddy,” so the full spectrum of incredible is truly reached. You can watch a glimpse of this epic adventure with the full The Odyssey movie trailer, below.

Nerdist Take: The Odyssey Trailer Lives Up to the Hype

We’ve all heard the tale of The Odyssey in some form throughout our lives. But we’ve probably never seen it like this. We get chills just watching this The Odyssey trailer unfold. And Zendaya as Athena already feels pitch-perfect to us. Tom Holland as Telemachus, naive and hot-headed, is hitting all the right notes in these brief glimpses. Anne Hathaway delivers both intense anguish and severe aloofness. And then there’s Robert Pattinson, who is ALWAYS having a good time. We just feel like it would be incredibly hard to go wrong with this set of folks, plus, of course, Christopher Nolan.

Click To View Gallery Universal Pictures Universal Pictures Universal Pictures Universal Pictures

The trailer gives us the impression that the best way to watch The Odyssey is as god and Christopher Nolan intend—on the biggest screen you can find. The film was shot using brand-new IMAX film technology. And it will release in IMAX, and on 75 and 35 MM.

More About The Odyssey Movie

The Odyssey‘s synopsis simply reads, “Christopher Nolan’s next film, The Odyssey, is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX® film technology. The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX® film screens for the first time. The Odyssey stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson and Lupita Nyong’o, with Zendaya and Charlize Theron.”

Universal Pictures

The Odyssey releases in theaters on July 17, 2026. Catch it in your hometown. Tickets are available now. If you need us, we’ll be watching this The Odyssey trailer another thousand times.

The post THE ODYSSEY Trailer Delivers ‘Daddy,’ Death, and Deadly Adventure appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Netflix is using AI to recreate Gene Wilder’s voice for its upcoming competition series Wonka’s The Golden Ticket.

For some reason, Netflix is making a competition reality show based on Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. No, it is not about an eccentric rich man who kills children and gets away with it. This show will have 12 golden ticket winners who have to “navigate a series of Wonka’s games, tests, and temptations designed to challenge them physically, mentally, and morally.” The sets take inspiration from the infamous 1971 movie starring Gene Wilder as the titular character. And, in groan-inducing news, Netflix will use AI to recreate Gene Wilder’s voice for Wonka’s The Golden Ticket. 

You can check out a taste of what to expect in this show in the video above. Apparently, Netflix and Eureka Productions got permission from Gene Wilder’s estate to use an AI generated version of his voice. Wilder passed away in 2016 before AI really started to gain the foothold it now has in the entertainment industry. We don’t know what his feelings would’ve been about this choice. But we are sad that he doesn’t get to have a choice about his likeness in this show. However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, his wife is in charge of his estate and made a statement supporting this move.

Netflix/Paramount Pictures

“More than five decades after Gene brought Willy Wonka to life, people of all ages and backgrounds around the world continue to find joy, laughter and inspiration in his performance,” said Karen B. Wilder, Gene Wilder’s wife, on behalf of the Gene Wilder estate. “Gene had a remarkable ability to bring humor, wonder and heart into people’s lives, and that connection has endured for generations. We are delighted that Wonka’s The Golden Ticket celebrates the warmth and imagination that he brought to the role, introducing that magic to a new generation while honoring the fans who have cherished it for decades.” 

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Wonka’s The Golden Ticket will premiere on Netflix on September 23.

The post Netflix Recreated Gene Wilder’s Voice With AI for WONKA’S THE GOLDEN TICKET appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• DC’s Absolute series, featuring Batman, Catwoman, Wonder Woman, and more, have become their most popular lines.
• Now, Green Arrow joins them with his own gritty alternate storyline.
• Issues #1 and #2 have come out, told from the perspective of Absolute Black Canary a.k.a. Dinah Lance.

It is no secret that DC’s new Absolute comic line is doing well. From Batman to Wonder Woman, classic heroes are getting their time to shine in alternate, gritty storylines. Absolute Green Arrow is one of the newest installments in the series, and its first issue officially surpassed Absolute Batman‘s in preorders. According to PopVerse, the first printing of the first issue was 300,000 copies. With each selling at $4.99 an issue, that is over $1.4 million to DC on a first printing. It sold out immediately, and its second printing came out on June 17.

DC Comics

The Absolute series is all about changing canon, essential character-building events in the lives of heroes. In Absolute Batman, this means Bruce Wayne grew up in Crime Alley, creating Batman without the unlimited budget. He doesn’t kill, but he definitely doesn’t show as much restraint as other iterations of Bruce Wayne. He is brutal and unforgiving. In Absolute Wonder Woman, Circe raised Diana in Hell. The circumstances in the Absolute series change the characters in fundamental ways, but also answer the “what if” questions.

Absolute Green Arrow is a ruthless killer, targeting corrupt and predatory billionaires. Absolute Evil, released in October 2025, was our introduction to this version of Green Arrow, an entry-level vigilante hoping to kill the DC equivalent of Jeffrey Epstein. It also showed that the group labeled the “Justice League” in this universe is made up of billionaire villains. That comic revealed the “Justice League” had murdered Oliver Queen. Now, audiences are curious who, if not Queen, will take the helm from this murderous Robin Hood. Or, did Queen somehow survive? Is it a group hiding behind one unified identity? The story is told from the perspective of an ex-lover, Dinah Lance, a.k.a. Absolute Black Canary. This ex-MMA fighter-turned-bodyguard takes on investigating a series of killings linked to Oliver Queen and committed with his trademark green arrows.

RELATED ARTICLE

ABSOLUTE BATMAN Should Launch a New Animated DCU

The series brings in horror elements, too. We have seen that style developed in other Absolute series, which don’t shy away from blood, suspense, and disgusting monstrosities of villains.

The preorder frenzy on Green Arrow is more than just a testament to the public’s love for Oliver Queen—it says a lot about the popularity of the Absolute series itself. Audiences are loving these gritty reimaginings of their favorite heroes. Green Arrow came at a great time for the comic line, especially with Absolute Batman getting an animated series. This popularity may open the doors for the series to continue to grow.

Issue #3 of Absolute Green Arrow is expected to come out sometime in July.

The post ABSOLUTE GREEN ARROW Presales Surpassed ABSOLUTE BATMAN 1 appeared first on Nerdist.

The Adventure Zone: Balance is coming to an end all over again! The Adventure Zone: Story and Song is the final volume of the graphic novel adaptation of the critically acclaimed actual play podcast. To celebrate, Dan Casey sat down with Griffin McElroy, Clint McElroy, Justin McElroy, and Travis McElroy to dive deep into what to expect from the final volume; saying goodbye to Taako, Magnus, and Merle all over again; and much more.

The Adventure Zone: Story and Song is available from Macmillan and 23rd St. on July 14, 2026: https://bit.ly/TAZStoryAndSong

Listen to more of The McElroy Family’s excellent work at https://www.themcelroy.family/

Learn more and sign up for the Geek & Sundry newsletter at ⁠https://www.geekandsundry.com/⁠!

Subscribe to Geek and Sundry: ⁠http://goo.gl/B62jl⁠

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#podcast #boardgames #author #adventurezone

The post Quests N’ Answers: The Adventure Zone w/ The McElroy Family appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Lionel Messi, a fútbol star known for playing for Barcelona and France, appeared in the new Spider-Man: Brand New Day teaser.
• The ad used the hype around the 2026 FIFA World Cup and Messi’s star status to promote the movie.
• Brand New Day will come out July 31.

Tuesdays are for spiders and soccer, with a new teaser trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day coming out featuring a prominent fútbol star. Lionel Messi, known for his many years spent on the Barcelona national team (and a few with France), starred in the advertisement.

Marvel Studios

In the trailer, Peter Parker sees Messi using the Spider Tracker in hopes of spotting Spider-Man in New York City. Peter immediately goes, “gets” Spider-Man, and takes Messi for a swing around the city. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup underway, the advertisement was perfectly timed.

Who’s got next?#SpiderManBrandNewDay is in theatres July 31. Get tickets now. https://t.co/Gm9mNYmuub pic.twitter.com/uiQOtcBElX

— Spider-Man Movie (@SpiderManMovie) June 30, 2026

Brand New Day is the fourth Spider-Man movie in Tom Holland’s run playing the hero. The past three explored how he became Spider-Man, with the help of Iron Man. The most recent, No Way Home, brought in Marvel’s “multiverse” idea, with Peter Parker working with Doctor Strange to return the multiverse to normalcy. Past Spider-Men (Spider-Mans?) made cameos during the movie and worked with Holland’s Spider-Man to save their universe.

Brand New Day comes after the events of No Way Home, which erased the memory of Spider-Man’s identity from the entire world. This includes Peter Parker’s closest friends, Ned and MJ. It also killed off Aunt May. This Spider-Man is now a lone wolf.

A forgotten Peter Parker lives alone as a full-time Spider-Man until mounting pressure triggers a dangerous change, and a powerful new enemy emerges.

Well, he’s not entirely alone. The trailer features cameos from characters like Jon Bernthal’s Punisher and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk. Bruce Banner, the Hulk’s alter ego, is a science professor who helps Parker manage the changes occurring in his DNA. The Punisher also fights alongside Parker in his own anti-hero way.

RELATED ARTICLE

SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY Trailer Gives Us Hulk and the Punisher

The trailer indicates some fundamental changes to the version of Spider-Man that Tom Holland has been playing. It will also introduce a more adult version of Holland’s Spider-Man after playing a high-schooler for six movies.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day comes out in theaters on July 31.

The post Fútbol Star Lionel Messi Appears in BRAND NEW DAY Teaser appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Gordon Cormier chatted with Nerdist about bringing Aang to life in Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender season two.

It’s time to dive back into a familiar world we love in a whole new way. Yes, Netflix’s live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender season two has arrived—and once again, it delivers the perfect blend of fantasy and realism. This season, the Gaang is older, and the stakes are higher. War is all around, and our favorite squad has seen battle in ways they never have before, a truth which threatens to steal away their hope and light. And still, within one another, there is the beautiful solace of friendship and love. In celebration of the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender season two, we spoke to Gordon Cormier, who beautifully plays Aang in the series, about returning to the role and breathing life into the Avatar.

Netflix

As we stop from season one to season two of Avatar: The Last Airbender, what do you think has changed most about Aang, and what has kind of stayed the same?

Aang is a lot more grown-up physically, and I think that he’s matured quite a bit mentally. He can waterbend now, and he’s honestly just a lot more powerful, but I think the one thing that would stay the same is like his fun childlike spirit, his curiosity, and his seeking for adventures.

And season two of Avatar: The Last Airbender, as you said, is a much darker, more adult chapter for Aang and Team Avatar than season one was. What do you think is driving Aang in season two, and what is he struggling with the most?

This season, he’s worried about the Great Comet that’s going to come back, and that’s what the Firebenders originally used to wipe out all the air nomads. I feel like that’s what’s driving him forward. Now there’s actual pressure, and we need to defeat the Fire Lord fast. There’s a time limit and a deadline. We don’t necessarily know how long this deadline is, but it’s definitely placing some pressure on him.

Netflix

Although the enemies become a bit more dangerous in season two, the most painful fights are the ones between the friend group. What do you think is the sort of cause of this friction that really seems to form between everyone this time around?

It definitely seems like a lack of communication and quite a bit of mistrust. I feel like all the characters are learning more about themselves. Like Katara and Sokka came from a small village in the Water Tribe. Aang was raised as an air nomad. Toph has been sheltered her whole life, so we’re all introduced to this giant city. All of a sudden, we realize that we all want different things, and we go out and seek what we want. We notice that we’re not really out for the same stuff. We all want something a little different. And then when we find out what we’ve all been doing, neither of us definitely agrees with each other about it, and it gets us in a lot of trouble, so it causes us to fight.

What do you think Aang learns that he wants in Avatar: The Last Airbender season two?

Well, Aang, weirdly enough, is searching for a father figure in season two of Avatar: The Last Airbender. For example, Long Feng, that’s kind of the person that he clings to. And when he finds out that Long Feng is actually the enemy and not a friend… It’s quite heartbreaking for him and the audience, but I feel like he’s searching for something that he had at one time, maybe with Gyatso, but he’s hoping that it’s something he can recreate.

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Zuko and Iroh’s Relationship Is Even Better in Live-Action AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER

Aang also ends up spending some time with Uncle Iroh toward the end of this Avatar: The Last Airbender season. Do you think that he sees some of that energy in Iroh, and how does that relationship work with the sort of Fire Nation clashing?

Well, funny enough, I think that Iroh and Gyatso are, to just to Aang, but just in general, quite similar as people. But I think that with Iroh sitting on the other side, like he’s quite loyal to Zuko, not really loyal to the Fire Nation necessarily, but he definitely is Fire Nation… There’s just a little bit of clashing going on there. At the end of the day, though, he’s one of the good guys. He’s part of the White Lotus. He’s not one of the enemies, and he makes it quite clear.

In season one, I feel like the show really fleshes out the idea of a friendship possibility between Zuko and Aang. I feel like we spent more time with them on a camaraderie level in season one, maybe more than even in the cartoon, at that point. How does Aang feel about Zuko in season two of Avatar: The Last Airbender?

It’s a tricky one because in season one, yeah, Aang did try and reach out for that friendship, but it didn’t really work. Obviously, Zuko’s trying to capture me throughout almost the entire series, but I feel like Aang is definitely very forgiving. He’s the type to always give second, third, maybe fifth chances. But I think that if Zuko ever came around, he would definitely be skeptical, but I don’t think Aang’s heart would be closed off to

Netflix

And the relationship between Toph and Aang is also so fun and exciting to experience in live action. What do you think the relationship with Toph brings to Aang that he didn’t have before?

Tough love, honestly. Katara is like so nurturing, and Sokka is kind of like just the funny guy, but he’s not necessarily … He contributes so much to the show, but he doesn’t train Aang. That’s something that Katara, Toph, and Bumi have, Zuko eventually, that’s so special. But I think that she brings this educational experience, but also literally just the third element. She brings Earth to the TV show. When she shows up all of a sudden, that’s what it’s about. It’s about learning the third element, and that’s new for Aang, considering he’s only been working on the first two.

Earthbending is such a different movement set and look than water or airbending. What was it like to take on the task of kind of learning that style of movement?

Honestly, it was quite easy. I’ve wanted to learn earthbending from the start. Season one bootcamp, I remember I wanted them to teach me how earthbending looks so bad because I thought it just looked so cool. So I’ve been getting glimpses of it and almost studying it for the past two years, honestly, or the two years leading up to when we shot it. But Toph’s style of earthbending is also a little bit different, which is cool. She’s not necessarily super like… She’s not in the widest dance. She’s not always closed fist. She has this interesting style of earthbending, which definitely took me a second to pick up, but I feel like I was so excited to learn it that it just became easy.

Netflix

The best part of an adaptation is retaining some of the original moments but changing others. What is your favorite Aang moment this season that’s straight from the Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon, and what is your favorite kind of original to the live-action moment that you got to experience?

If I’m being honest, I can’t really recall any one-for-one line or one-for-one shot, but I remember the training montage from season two, which we kind of recreated. For example, in the animated series, this training montage was with Aang and Toph in the desert. And it was kind of all the same stuff, but in our live action, it’s within our little… It’s in our home in the backyard. I’m basically getting trained. But our training montages are very similar, just in different locations because of changes that we’ve made to the series. But I really like the way that we did it, and I think it gives us this fresh perspective, or I don’t know, almost like a new training montage is what it feels like, but it breathes life into the old one, at the same time.

It lets us see it twice, I feel like. We got to see it in the animated series and we don’t need to watch it exactly the same again. Now we get to watch a slightly different version, but it’s new. It’s different.

Losing Appa is a really harrowing experience in the cartoon, but even more devastating in live action, but of course, you don’t actually have an Appa to build a relationship with on set. So what were those scenes like to bring to life?

When I was interacting with Appa, it was always like a tennis ball, a giant blue circle, or sometimes a giant blue opa, but it really just helped me train my work with my imagination. I feel like that’s a very useful tool for an actor to have, and I had a lot of time to practice and develop it on this show, which I’m really grateful for. Hopefully, I could carry it on to whatever is next. But I learned a lot about just really building what Appa would look like in live-action in my head, studying photos of him so I could actually see him there on the day, even though I’m really just looking at a blue screen, a tennis ball, or someone in a blue tube.

Netflix

Stepping into this older Aang this season, what do you think he ultimately fears the most, and what do you think gives him hope in Avatar: The Last Airbender season two?

I think Aang fears failure. The idea of failure is really scary because his failure is the world’s failure. The Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes, I was going to say Air Nomads, but, no. Everyone is kind of relying on him to claim the victory, but if he doesn’t do that, the Fire Nation takes over, and everything’s really bad. So I feel like that’s his fear, that’s what’s driving him forward. But I hope he finds it in his friends. I think that his friends give him a lot of hope. I think that if he was doing this by himself, I don’t think he would be able to do it. I think that his friends drive him forward, they motivate him, and they honestly just keep him in check.

And finally, looking ahead to season three, are there any moments that you’re particularly excited for people to get to see going forward?

Honestly, the end of the season two cliffhanger, like the end of season two ends with Aang maybe dying. Yes, we’ll figure that out. But if he’s alive or dead where it picks up, like if he’s alive, how is he going to rebuild? How is he going to go forward? How is he going to defeat the Fire Nation? Are there going to be any more avatars? He died in the avatar state. That’s like a crazy thing. That could be the end of the Avatar Cycle… Or not. We don’t know. So I think just the cliffhanger that Netflix left everyone on for season two, it’s going to carry on in season three and be super awesome. And I’m really excited for the fans to see it.

Avatar: The Last Airbender season two is now streaming on Netflix.

The post Gordon Cormier Talks Breathing New Life Into Aang for AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER Season 2 appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Topps celebrates Doctor Doom in new One World Under Doom cards for their Marvel Chrome 2026 trading cards.
• The cards depict a famous series where Doom becomes Sorcerer Supreme to fight vampires.
• The cards will drop July 1.

He’s been Marvel Comics’ greatest villain since he first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 way back in 1962. And few can challenge him for that title. We’re talking about Victor von Doom, the iron-fisted ruler of Latveria, and occasional God Emperor of Battleworld. Soon, Robert Downey Jr. will portray the mad monarch Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, raising his popularity profile even more. But before that, Topps Trading Cards honors one of the greatest modern Doctor Doom stories of recent years, One World Under Doom, with a new series of Chrome 2026 Marvel Comics cards. And you can exclusively check out several first images in our gallery down below:

Click To View Gallery Topps/Marvel Comics Marvel Comics/Topps Topps/Marvel Comics Marvel Comics/Topps Topps/Marvel Comics Marvel Comics/Topps Topps/Marvel Comics Marvel Comics/Topps Topps/Marvel Comics Marvel Comics/Topps Topps/Marvel Comics Marvel Comics/Topps

And below is the card back description for the Topps Doctor Doom One World Under Doom cards:

To stop a vampire onslaught, Doctor Strange gave up the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme to Victor von Doom. Later, Doctor Doom magically takes over every broadcast medium on the planet and declares himself Emperor of the World and ruler of this new United Latveria. As Earth’s Mightiest Heroes like the Avengers and the Fantastic Four scramble to fight back, world leaders shockingly welcome him with open arms. All hail Emperor Doom! 

These insert cards spotlight key figures and scenes from the recent One World Under Doom event, by writer Ryan North and artist R.B. Silva, capturing the scope and impact of Doctor Doom’s reign. This insert features a variety of cover art from the event, which was published in 2025. The artwork features iconic moments from the Marvel Comics event. This includes Doom wielding his full Sorcerer Supreme magic against the Dark Lord Dormammu, and fighting Red Hulk. Of course, Doom also takes on his oldest adversaries from the Fantastic Four, like Reed Richards and the Thing.

Topps/Marvel Comics

Fans can collect a dynamic 200-card base set filled with iconic heroes, villains, and fan-favorite characters pulled from across Marvel’s rich comic history. The new One World Under Doom cards appear in the 2026 Topps Chrome Marvel Comics, dropping on July 1.

The post Doctor Doom Reigns in New Topps Chrome Marvel Cards (Exclusive) appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• The Vampire Lestat’s Sam Reid and Jennifer Ehle talk about Gabriella and Lestat’s relationship.
• Ehle reveals that Gabriella has had an agenda for Lestat since she first came to him.
• Reid notes that Gabriella tries to fit Lestat into the mold she wants him to fit, but it doesn’t always feel right to Lestat.

In The Vampire Lestat/Interview with the Vampire, murmurs of the Great Conversion have existed since the series’ earliest season. But up until The Vampire Lestat, none of our main vampires appear to have given it too much thought. Louis idly discussed the Great Conversion as a disorganized movement, Armand never really brought it up, and Lestat seemed to disdain the thought of it… Or at least he did. Only Talamasca agent Raglan James seemed truly concerned by the proposition. And now, it seems like that concern has merit. Because we finally have a vampire who is interested in the Great Conversion, and she’s a dangerous one. The Vampire Lestat‘s Gabriella has been bringing up the Great Conversion every chance she gets this season. And in episode four of The Vampire Lestat, Gabriella finally makes a play to convince Lestat to really fuel the vampiric movement. She wants him to offer communion to the lost vampires out there. But where will this desire for the Great Conversion lead Gabriella, Lestat, Louis, and the rest of the vampires out there? Here’s what Jennifer Ehle and Sam Reid had to say about it.

AMC

Jennifer Ehle reveals that the Great Conversion was always on Gabriella’s mind in The Vampire Lestat. “I think in this season, when she comes for Lestat this time, from the end of episode one, when he’s called her, and she arrives, I think she definitely has an agenda.” Ehle shares of Gabriella from the very beginning. “She wants to realize what she has wanted for a couple of hundred years, which is to sort of flip the power on earth and erase all morality and mortality, really.”

And we see, as Ehle suggests, that indeed Gabriella’s hunger for “the devils to rule” stretches all the way back to her time alive in the 1800s. But at that time, Lestat seems to feel her vision of a decimated world is just an idle fantasy, a whimsy of where their lives may go. But Gabriella, instead, abandons him for many years after expressing her wish.

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Why the Beach Scene in THE VAMPIRE LESTAT Is Significant

Now, though, things are different. Gabriella comes to Lestat at the end of The Vampire Lestat episode four, just when he’s ready to give up on his band and music, and suggests, “You’ve been hearing them. You’ve been reaching them. They are lost, and angry, and tired of enduring. Your music speaks to them. They long for communion.” Clearly, she’s not ready for Lestat to stop consolidating the vampiric collective with his songs. And Lestat appears to bend to her cajoling, returning to make more music that speaks directly to the vampire soul at the end of the episode.

But, as Sam Reid shares, “Sometimes the suit that Gabriella puts in him in does… He sort of outgrows and doesn’t really fit anymore, and Lestat keeps returning to it, because that is, unfortunately, a very safe space for him, because he’s looking for that maternal acceptance and love. So, actually, the actor, the rockstar, the Brat Prince, the leader, all of these things, that is the kind of vicarious life that Gabriella’s built for him, so she can kind of use that as a conduit to experience it himself.”

And Jennifer Ehle agrees with this assessment: that, largely, Gabriella is thinking first of herself and is keenly aware that her hold on Lestat is not as absolute as she hopes it could be. She notes, “She wants to use him very much. She needs him very much to realize her dream of vampires living in the light.” But that could all fall apart if someone who sees Lestat better than she can, namely, Louis, interjects.

About Louis and Lestat’s relationship, Ehle notes, “I think she’s threatened by it. She’s threatened by it as somebody who loves him and who wants to be the primary relationship in his life, wants to be the most important person to him in any room, but there is somebody else. And Louis having Lestat’s ears can really just sap her power.”

For now, Lestat and Louis aren’t speaking on The Vampire Lestat, and Gabriella is back in control of Lestat, aiming him toward the Great Conversion. But will she succeed? And what are the ultimate consequences if she does? We’ll have to wait and see.

The Vampire Lestat airs Sundays at 9 pm ET/PT on AMC and 12am PT on AMC+. You can also read The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice today as you wait for the next episode of the series to air.

Rotem Rusak is Editor-in-Chief of Nerdist. She is in awe of the beautiful season of TV that is The Vampire Lestat.

This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!

The post Jennifer Ehle and Sam Reid on Gabriella, Lestat, and The Great Conversion in THE VAMPIRE LESTAT appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Stranger Things: The Complete Scripts, Season 5 is the perfect addition to your collection that will help you relive the final season.
• This book has a forward by the Duffer Brothers that reveals how they came to the show’s conclusion.
• It will release on July 14, but pre-orders are available now.

Stranger Things 5 gave fans a bittersweet ending to a series that captured hearts a decade prior. We literally watched this ensemble of kids grow up on our television screen as they told a powerful story about friendship, love, and heroism. It was indeed like watching a D&D campaign unfold each season. Of course, there are many quotes and epic moments that the Duffer Brothers gave to us, and now you can read through every line and scene with Stranger Things: The Complete Scripts, Season 5. 

Random House Worlds/Netflix

This book is the latest and final one in the collection of complete scripts from Random House Worlds for this beloved Netflix series. The blue bracelet on its purple cover is significant as the one that Hopper’s daughter Sara once wore that he passed down to Eleven. It’s a representation of their unbreakable bond and love, which became such a foundation of the series. We don’t know if Eleven is truly alive or not but if she is, we are sure that she keeps this with her to remind her of the found family and friends that she made in Hawkins. 

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Stranger Things: The Complete Scripts, Season 5 gives fans a deep behind-the-scenes look at every episode as well as a foreword from the Duffer Brothers. The duo talk about how they knew that the story would end with one last D&D game before Mike and his friends closed the chapter on their childhood. And, while they didn’t foresee Holly’s major role in season five, they did know that she would pick up the D&D mantle with her new friends. Will we get more stories about them in some fashion? Maybe. We’d love to see Delightful Derek again. But, even if we don’t, we can read through that emotional scene as much as we want to with this script book. It’s the perfect addition to a collection, indeed. 

Random House Worlds

Stranger Things: The Complete Scripts, Season 5 arrives on July 14, but you can order your copy right now.

The post STRANGER THINGS: THE COMPLETE SCRIPTS, SEASON 5 Book Is a Collector’s Dream appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• One Piece season three confirms it will take on the beloved Alabasta arc in 2027. We can’t wait for One Piece: The Battle for Alabasta.
• One Piece season three has released a sneak peek.
• The series has also confirmed it has wrapped production on its third season.

One Piece season three was confirmed before One Piece season two ever aired. And that was a wise choice because One Piece season two absolutely crushed it. Now, Netflix has given us a sneak peek at the upcoming season, no doubt knowing that we cannot WAIT for more from the live-action adaptation. In this new look at One Piece season three, Netflix confirms what we already knew. One Piece season three will take on One Piece‘s famed Alabasta arc, bringing together powerful villains, emotional bonds of friendship and family, political intrigue, and a whole lot of adventure. Up until now, One Piece‘s episodes have been focused on island hopping through character backstories and tales. But now, we have our crew, and we’re ready to set sail into one breathtaking plot. Here’s what we know about One Piece season three and its journey into the Alabasta arc.

See you in 2027, Straw Hats! 🏴‍☠️ The battle of Alabasta is approaching. pic.twitter.com/ciAnbHnB6N

— ONE PIECE(ワンピース) Netflix (@onepiecenetflix) April 7, 2026

Netflix reveals, “In this upcoming season, war is coming for Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat crew in the desert kingdom of Alabasta, Princess Vivi’s homeland. A rebellion threatens to tear the nation apart, fueled in secret by one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the ruthless Sir Crocodile, and his underground syndicate Baroque Works, who seek to conquer Alabasta for themselves. In a season defined by unbreakable bonds and impossible choices, the Straw Hats must face a brewing civil war and a powerful warlord to save Vivi’s kingdom before it crumbles into the sand. Fans can look forward to formidable new enemies and brand-new worlds where the stakes have never been higher.”

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Joe Tracz and Ian Stokes, ONE PIECE co-showrunners add, “The Alabasta saga is one of the best-loved stories in all of ONE PIECE — and one of our personal favorite arcs — so it’s a huge honor to bring it to life. Season Three builds on everything we’ve done before to tell a war story that’s epic and emotional, spectacular and surprising. We can’t wait for fans to join us in Alabasta, where the stakes are high… and the ducks are big.”

THE DUCKS ARE BIG. We are seated.

Netflix

We don’t want to spoil too much of the Alabasta arc for you—but we do have a character explainer for Sir Crocodile, who will prove to be a most important character in this arc. Additionally, we’ll remind everyone that Xolo Maridueña has been cast as Portgas D. Ace for One Piece season three. And, in short, Ace is basically another important member of Luffy’s found family. Will we see any other members of Luffy’s extended community appear? What about his blood family? We don’t know yet. But we do know that more Baroque Works agents are on the horizon.

RELATED ARTICLE

ONE PIECE’s Baroque Works, Explained (A Spoiler-Free Guide to the Agents and Organization)

One Piece season three: The Battle for Alabasta will arrive in 2027. Production on the season is also officially completed.

The cameras have stopped rolling, but the journey is far from over.
ONE PIECE Season 3 has officially wrapped production. 🏴‍☠️

No further questions about the wall behind us. pic.twitter.com/egBZlkXPg6

— ONE PIECE(ワンピース) Netflix (@onepiecenetflix) June 30, 2026

Hold onto your sails, kids, this one is going to be EPIC. You can stream seasons one and two of One Piece on Netflix right now.

Originally published on April 8, 2026.

The post ONE PIECE Season 3 Sails to Alabasta in Sneak Peek appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• The Vampire Lestat’s Sam Reid discusses the complicated relationships between Lestat and his two companions, Louis and Gabriella.

In Interview with the Vampire, Louis de Pointe du Lac took the helm as our vampiric narrator, and we learned of his many convoluted relationships with the Vampires Lestat, Claudia, and Armand. Now, in The Vampire Lestat, Lestat de Lioncourt will take over the telling of the tale. And he brings with him a whole new cast of characters. Without getting too spoilery, for us, having watched the first six episodes of the season, one of the most interesting aspects of the show this time around was looking at Lestat and his two main (current) vampiric companions, Louis and his mother/lover/fledgling Gabriella. But how does Lestat’s relationship with each of these important beings in his life manifest? And how do they impact him? In the lead-up to The Vampire Lestat, Sam Reid gave us some incredibly insightful answers about the complicated swirl of relationships that exists between Louis, Lestat, and Gabriella.

AMC

Reid shared the following about the relationships that live between Lestat and his two immortal companions, Louis and Gabriella:

How does Lestat’s relationship with Louis and Gabriella define him and bring out different… I mean, yeah, it’s very different, but I think you get the sense that the relationship with Louis is actually … They’re on a level ground. They accept each other for who they are. They go through hell and fight each other, but they come back to each other. They keep recircling each other and there’s a lot of the performative nature, particularly of Lestat is kind of stripped away with Louis because he can’t really hold it up. Whereas Gabriella, it’s different. She’s been there in very formative years and so she has helped build him and kind of build the foundations and the structure that is Lestat. And Lestat has spent his entire life performing and building these characters and these archetypes that are built around the situations that he finds himself in.

And sometimes the suit that Gabriella puts in him in does… He sort of outgrows and doesn’t really fit anymore and Lestat keeps returning to it, because that is unfortunately a very safe space for him, because he’s looking for that maternal acceptance and love. So actually the actor, the rockstar, the Brat Prince, the leader, all of these things, that is the kind of vicarious life that Gabriella’s built for him so she can kind of use that as a conduit to experience it himself. Whereas Louis is different.

They call each other out on their bullshit more often than not and also really hurt each other and the hurt is reciprocated. I think Lestat finds it very hard to hurt Gabriella. He wants to hurt her and also he wants to hate her and she won’t let him. She won’t let him go whereas Louis will let him go and Lestat will let Louis go and they’ll have years where they’re not together and they’ll be like, “Whoa, I lost that one.” And then they come back, he’s like, “No, okay, you grew a little bit. I grew a little bit. Who are we now? We’re still the same people.” Whereas Gabriella won’t ever let Lestat out of her orbit. And just when he thinks, “Okay, I’ve got some time,” she comes right back in. She knows. She’s very clever, but that’s how he learns the great art of manipulation.

In the words of Jacob Anderson, “Come on. He said it all.” And indeed, he did. Reid’s words here really poignantly capture the beauty of the relationship between Louis and Lestat. And why, at base, although they can clash and end up in bitter fights at times, their relationship is never truly over. The fact that they can honestly offer their feelings, even their hurts, to one another, then withdraw to allow each other the time and distance to grow and heal, is superbly beautiful. And we can definitely see it manifest this season in full.

Conversely, in opposition to Lestat and Louis, we can also see what Reid means when he talks about Gabriella never letting Lestat truly loose from her clutches. And how she has these goals and aims that she strives for in The Vampire Lestat, but often tries to enact them through Lestat, by the mechanism of using and manipulating him, rather than building toward them with him.

AMC+

The stark differences between the two relationships truly come to vivid life in The Vampire Lestat this season. And when all three of these vamps are in a room, it’s some of the most riveting subtextual dynamics we’ve ever seen on our screens. Everyone is at the top of their game. And we’re definetly curious to see how the dymanics between Lestat, Louis, and Gabriella continue to unfurl as the story continues.

The Vampire Lestat airs at 9 pm ET/PT on AMC and AMC+. You can also read The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice today as you wait for the next episode of the series to air.

Rotem Rusak is Editor-in-Chief of Nerdist. She is in awe of the beautiful season of TV that is The Vampire Lestat.

This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!

The post Sam Reid on How Lestat’s Relationships with Louis and Gabriella Define Him in THE VAMPIRE LESTAT appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• A new YouTube video shows the progression of Darth Vader’s costume.
• From the 70s to now, small changes have made him a recognizable villain.
• The video goes over design adjustments from film to film, and how he became the Vader we know and love (to hate).

The Star Wars franchise’s popularity is rivaled by very few. Since A New Hope came out in 1977, its characters have become cultural icons, and none have been more significant than Darth Vader, the franchise’s primary villain.

Darth Vader is immediately identifiable. His formidable all-black costume is made up of a curved helmet with a distinct face-covering, a long cloak, and almost cyborg-like electronic accents.

A YouTube video by Rocket Riley goes over the suit’s full history. The costume, as the video discusses, was the result of a lot of creative thinking and last-minute changes. It also changed a lot before even debuting onscreen, and has continued to be altered over time, as more Star Wars content has continued to come out.

Initial Conception/Episode IV: A New Hope

George Lucas’s first imagining of the character was far less… heavy and metallic than how we now imagine Darth Vader. He was robe-clad, covered in draping fabrics. Then, after a script read, Ralph McQuarrie, the movie’s concept artist, realized Vader would have to breathe in space, and created a mask/head covering.

The mask itself went through various iterations before obtaining the rounded yet aggressive features we all have come to know. The first sketches featured a much sharper snout and more narrowed eyes. George Lucas loved McQuarrie’s design and, with small tweaks, implemented it as a permanent fixture for the character.

The full suit was comprised of a motorcycle suit as the base, a robe over top, the belt holding it all together, and a dramatic cloak slung over his shoulders. The original mask was hand-sculpted and asymmetrical.

LucasFilm

Details like the buttons on the belt and his chest plate are also essential to the costume, and do serve a purpose. Within the Star Wars story, the suit also functions as a life-support device for a burned and broken Anakin. It is, unfortunately, as the video discusses, a painful experience to wear, with needles puncturing Anakin’s skull, allowing him to control his robotic limbs.

Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

A reportedly bigger budget for the franchise’s second movie allowed for an upgrade to the suit. The helmet was much glossier, and the lenses in his goggles changed from red to pure black. In addition, his upper-body armor was on full display with his robe tucked under instead of hanging over it.

501st Legion Costume Reference Library

YouTuber Rocket Riley noted even smaller changes, like the color of the buttons on Vader’s chest plate (the top right one changing from green to blue).

Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

The interior of the helmet was finally shown in the third movie, when Luke Skywalker removed it from Vader’s face. The helmet was designed with a locking system to allow this to happen onscreen.

501st Legion Costume Reference Library

All three of the original movies, despite updates to the paint, used the asymmetrical helmet. Not much changed between Episode V and Episode VI, but the glossiness of the helmet in both movies, compared to Episode IV, really made Vader feel more menacing and robotic. The gloves also get noticeably less chunky and cartoonish over the course of the three movies. It seems the costumers were continuously working towards making the character as menacing as possible.

In Return of the Jedi, the glossiness had also extended aggressively to the chest plate and the boots.

Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

The first two episodes followed Vader’s (Anakin Skywalker) background, and in Episode III, we finally see the suit for the “first” time, at least in the new trilogy. The helmet has been updated and is symmetrical, being perfected using computer graphics.

501st Legion Costume Reference Library

The original actor for Darth Vader was 6 feet and 6 inches tall, with the new actor (Hayden Christiansen) measuring 6 inches shorter. The suit was built specifically for him, with internal padding and lifts used in order to keep Vader at his original height.

There is also a clear internal shot of the helmet, showing Vader’s electronic display. The suit also utilizes more silver accents to make his chest plate stand out.

Rogue One/Kenobi

The sequels created a new hurdle: previous iterations of the suit were stiff and made it difficult for the actors to move around in. The script called for a suit in which Vader would be able to act out action sequences.

Vader’s suit for Kenobi was entirely rebuilt using flexible, modern fabric. It allowed him to fight in a menacing, aggressive way, which he had never done before.

LucasFilm

Rocket Riley showed the lightsaber fights of the original trilogy at 5:57 in the video, where he pointed out the stiff, stunted action of the battles. Then, he juxtaposed a fight from Episode VI of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, where Vader has a full range of motion and is able to look like he is actually fighting.

In Rogue One, the designers had a different goal. They wanted Vader to look as 70s as possible, down to the asymmetrical helmet. They made him stiff again, with an exaggerated neck-piece, and brought back the red lenses in his helmet. His interior cloak was made out of a more structured fabric that allowed pleating, creating more detail on his torso.

501st Legion Costume Reference Library Infinity Comics

This costume never appeared on screen, but the video did describe it in length. In one Star Wars Infinity comic, a series which covers non-canon “what if” hypotheticals, Vader turns to the light side. To show this, he is portrayed wearing a fully white suit.

LucasFilm (Star Wars Infinity: Return of the Jedi)

He became “a symbol of hope” rather than “a symbol of fear.” Some people love this idea, and some people hate it.

Where He Stands Now…

Darth Vader’s costume upgrades have led to some seriously cool sequences, both visually and in terms of action. When Vader inevitably appears in live-action again, there has now been a flexible suit that allows him to both look as menacing as he always has while also letting him actually move.

One thing is for sure—every iteration has remained pretty loyal to the A New Hope version of Vader. Once designers found the sweet spot for his look, it became ingrained in the public memory as a representation of who he is. Darth Vader remains one of the most recognizable villains across pop culture, and his costume is the reason why.

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