The Nerdist

⚡ Quick Take

• Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean reopened with an all-new audio-animatronic.
• The first-of-its-kind tech combines real-time front projection with a traditional figure.
• This provides a new way for Imagineers to tell stories within stories.

Disney attractions temporarily shut down for routine maintenance all the time. Few of them ever reopen with an entirely new type of technology. That’s exactly what guests will find on Disneyland’s iconic Pirates of the Caribbean after its recent refurbishment. The ride now features a brand new type of audio-animatronic that will change how Imagineers can tell stories. It seamlessly combines real-time front projection with a traditional moving mechanical head.

After months of being shuttered, Disney has reopened its famous pirate ride. It was worth the wait. When guests head out on their boats they’re going to find a new mini-story within the grand tale of piracy. An old figure has returned with a very modern upgrade. The skeleton pirate in the grotto room, forever sitting atop a treasure he’ll never spend, looks (and sounds) very different.

Rather than just seeing bones in pirate clothes, visitors will see a first-of-its-kind audio-animatronic. Imagineers have transformed a static skeleton into a dynamic lively pirate. He’s holding a cursed coin that abruptly turns him into a frozen skeleton. That ghastly figure, once full of life, then drops the coin, bringing him back to human form. That cycle that will repeat forever, as the greedy pirate never realizes what’s happening to him.

Disney

To create this effect Disney patented a whole new tech. Imagineers use a physical animatronic, just as it has since the park opened, along with Epic Games’ Unreal engine to front project a face onto a sculpted animatronic head. The system also simultaneously controls the animatronics movements, a hybrid of old and new.

This is a much needed upgrade. Front projection is found throughout the parks. In recent years Disney has used facial projections onto flat surfaces with both new and updated rides. It’s led to mixed results. EPCOT’s Frozen Ever After recently switched to more traditional audio-animatronics, whereas Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom still employs it. But this new format adds much more depth, nuanced, and expressive capabilities because rather than a flat face it projects onto a sculpted mechanical face.

It maintains its real-time match thanks to markers invisible to guest but that the computer can see. (We also love they installed a backup system to make sure it’s always running.)

As this happy cursed pirate shows, this provides a new way for Imagineers to tell stories within stories. That’s why this first-of-its-kind audio-animatronic will soon just be the first of many.

The post Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean Reopens With Patented New Animatronic appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Sheila Atim will play Akasha, Queen of the Damned and mother of all vampires in The Vampire Lestat.
• But who is Akasha in Anne Rice’s books? Among many things, she is the source of all vampire power, and if she dies, all vampires die.
• Ahead of her arrival in The Vampire Lestat, we breakdown Akasha’s history, her relationships with Marius and Lestat, and more.

One of the major players that AMC’s Anne Rice Immortal Universe has been teasing since season two of Interview with the Vampire, Queen Akasha, will soon arrive as a character on The Vampire Lestat. She’ll be played by The Woman King’s Sheila Atim, and is sure to wreak much havoc. Many fans only know Akasha thanks to her portrayal by the late Aaliyah in the film version of Queen of the Damned. But that iteration only scratched the surface of her character. Before Akasha arrives on The Vampire Lestat, here’s the millennia-spanning existence of the Queen of the Damned.

Alfred A. Knopf/Ballantine Books Akasha Is First Introduced in The Vampire Lestat Book

In the Anne Rice lore, Akasha was first introduced in her 1985 novel The Vampire Lestat. Our titular undead narrator learns about the fabled Mother of all Vampires from her keeper, Marius de Romanus, who has tended to her care for nearly two millennia. She is an enigmatic figure in The Vampire Lestat, and doesn’t say much. Or even move much. But the follow-up novel, The Queen of the Damned, featured Akasha in a far more prominent role. And in that novel, she nearly destroyed the world as we know it.

The Mortal Life of Queen Akasha in Ancient Egypt

Akasha was born into mortal life over 6,000 years ago in the Kingdom of Uruk, in what is now present-day Iraq. At a very young age, her father married her off to the King Enkil of Kemet, which is now Egypt. This was long before the first pyramids. At the time, some local tribes practiced ritualistic cannibalism, which meant eating their dead in elaborate funeral feasts. Akasha considered this act barbaric and banned it. But this angered some of those tribes, and one of those tribes had two resident witches, red-haired twins named Maharet and Mekare.

How Akasha Became the First Vampire Warner Bros.

The red-haired twins, Maharet and Mekare, were able to communicate with powerful spirits who would obey their commands. When Akasha and Enkil’s forces attacked their village, the twins got their revenge by calling on a particularly powerful entity, Amel, to attack their kingdom. After Amel caused much destruction, there was a rebellion among Akasha and Enkil’s subjects. Mutinous soldiers stabbed the King and Queen in an assassination attempt. But as they lay bleeding, the spirit Amel entered Akasha’s body, fusing with her blood. She was not alive or dead, but an entirely new being. Akasha, we learn in The Vampire Lestat, became something we now call a vampire.

Queen Akasha and King Enkil Become “Those Who Must Be Kept”

Akasha now had an uncontrollable thirst for blood, one which she could not contain. She discovered that by spreading her blood to others, her hunger became less, as the spirit of Amel spread across more and more people. Akasha made her husband Enkil into a vampire right away, and then together they made more and more. But the more vampires she created, the less she herself needed to drink blood. But Akasha was vulnerable to the sun and fire. Eventually, she and Enkil were captured by the very vampires they created. These vampires kept them locked away because, it turns out, Akasha is the holy source of all vampire power. As the source, if Akasha dies, all other vampires will die as well in the world of The Vampire Lestat. And so Akasha and Enkil “Must Be Kept,” in order to keep all of vampire kind alive in Anne Rice’s world.

Akasha and Enkil Become Isis and Osiris in Egyptian Mythology Warner Bros.

Most vampires don’t know that Akasha is the source of their power and the keeper of their existence. In Anne Rice’s universe, Akasha and Enkil pass into legend, mythologized as Isis and Osiris. The vampires who are aware of this facet of vampiric existence kept both Akasha and King Enkil locked away for centuries, believing both of them to be the fountains of vampire power. In this state, Aksha and Enkil eventually stopped feeding, and then they stopped moving entirely. They were still alive, but essentially became frozen, like statues. Once again, in this state, they are the legendary “Those Who Must Be Kept.” Akasha and Enkil need to be kept, because should they get destroyed, their entire race would instantly die along with them.

Akasha Spends 2,000 Years in the Care of the Vampire Marius AMC

One of Akasha and Enkil’s keepers in the late Roman era finally went mad after observing them for centuries, and watching as neither ever moved an inch. One day, he left them out in the baking Egyptian sun. However, Akasha and Enkil were too old and powerful to die by the sun after 4,000 years. Instead, their skin became darkened and hard, furthering their appearance as statues, not living beings. But while they did not die, younger, less powerful vampires all across the globe burned up and were destroyed. Only those as old as Akasha also survived. Akasha rose from her centuries-long sleep and killed her keeper, but soon, she and Enkil had a new guardian, the newly made Roman vampire, Marius.

RELATED ARTICLE

Major Changes AMC’s THE VAMPIRE LESTAT Makes to Anne Rice’s Books

Marius cared for Those Who Must Be Kept in a secret shrine, moving them from country to country. He did this for over 2,000 years. In the 18th century, Marius decided to entrust the young vampire Lestat with the truth about Akasha and Enkil, under the promise that he would never reveal the truth to anyone, vampire or mortal. As Akasha was the source of all vampires’ power, she needed protection from the outside world. Marius swore Lestat to secrecy. He could tell no vampire or mortal the secrets of the undead lineage, or where their power truly was contained.

The Vampire Lestat Awakens Akasha (Temporarily) Warner Bros.

On his last night with Akasha, Lestat played the violin for her. This woke Akasha from a centuries-long slumber, and she allowed Lestat to drink her blood. This act made Lestat far more powerful than any vampire of similar age. But this short-lived lovefest between Queen and Brat Prince ended when a jealous Enkil also awoke and tried to kill Lestat. Marius was able to save him, but told him to run away from the secret sanctuary as fast as he could. He wound up in New Orleans not long after, encountering Louis for the first time. All with deep secrets he could tell no one, living or dead.

Queen Akasha Begins Her Reign of Terror in The Queen of the Damned

In the modern era, which we now see in AMC’s The Vampire Lestat series, Lestat finally threw caution to the wind and revealed all his long-held secrets about Akasha through song and music videos as a rock star.  This eventually awoke the Queen again—this time permanently. First, she killed her husband Enkil with one swift blow. She then used her Fire Gift to set nearly every vampire in the world ablaze. Akasha spared only those who were too old (which took far more effort) and those Lestat loved, like Louis, Gabrielle, and Armand. The vampire race was reduced to a mere handful. She made Lestat her new Prince Consort, seeing him as the only vampire equal to herself in terms of ambition.

RELATED ARTICLE

The Weird History of Anne Rice’s Vampires in Comic Books

However, Akasha’s true intent was truly heinous. She planned to use her Mind Gift to kill 99% of all men on Earth, because, as she saw it, men were responsible for every grand injustice for the last several thousand years. She would keep just enough alive to continue breeding the species, and she would name herself “Queen of Heaven” and rule over humanity. A humanity where only women ruled. The remaining vampires find a way to stop her genocidal plan, all while keeping the source of the vampiric existence intact. But we won’t spoil that yet, as that is the literal plot of Queen of the Damned. We’ll see if Akasha’s story unfolds as it did in Rice’s novels in The Vampire Lestat series. Assuming we get a fourth season (perhaps with a new name).

Akasha’s Future in AMC’s Anne Rice Immortal Universe AMC Networks/Warner Bros.

In AMC’s The Vampire Lestat, it remains to be seen how much we’ll see of Akasha outside her unmoving, frozen form. For now, she hasn’t yet arrived in the narrative, although Lestat has dropped the fact that he has “the blood of Akasha inside of him” more times than we can count.

pic.twitter.com/p768dipgbj

— xander (@BRATLEST4T) June 18, 2026

We imagine we’ll see Lestat awaken her by playing the violin, and her feeding her own powerful blood to him. But if there’s a fourth season adapting Queen of the Damned, then she’ll soon have a starring role. We can’t wait to see what Sheila Atim brings to the role and witness her onscreen chemistry with Sam Reid’s Lestat.

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

Eric Diaz is a staff writer at Nerdist and a life-long Anne Rice fan. Yes, he is a member of the OG fan club.

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 Who Is Akasha? THE VAMPIRE LESTAT’S Queen of the Damned, Explained appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• We dove into Halloween Horror Nights 2026’s INVASION: Alien Abduction House and got exclusive insights about this scary, original adventure.
• INVASION: Alien Abduction House doesn’t want to make aliens comedic or campy, it is going to make them terrifying.
• This Halloween Horror Nights 2026 House will utilize new technologies and scares, including a vibrating floor and tentacles that can snatch you.

Our favorite time of year is almost upon us. That’s right. It’s Halloween ALL year, but it’s only Halloween Horror Nights for SOME of the time. And we can’t wait to return to the incredible world of fabulous mist, gore-gous horror, and incredible scares. Universal Orlando Resort is still announcing its full Halloween Horror Nights line-up. But so far, we could not be more enchanted. A Sinners House? We can hardly wait. And today, it’s Nerdist‘s honor to give you an exclusive look at a new original House coming to Halloween Horror Nights 2026 at Universal Orlando, INVASION: Alien Abduction. In the wake of this exciting House annoucement, we spoke to Charles Grey, one of the show directors and creators of this incredible House.

Universal Orlando Resort

The description for Halloween Horror Nights’ 2026 INVASION: Alien Abduction House is simple enough, “Guests witness a terrifying encounter with an aggressive, unseen alien craft that has abducted a family and its livestock from a remote homestead…and they are now plotting to tear everyone apart.” But as we delved into its depths with Grey, we learned just how foundational, scary, unexpected, and NOVEL this House will be. These aren’t your campy, comedy aliens. Oh no. True horror is coming to Halloween Horror Nights in the form INVASION: Alien Abduction House. And that’s complete with tentacles, claws, home invasion, claustrophbia, a vibrating floor, and an incredible amount of delicious chaos. Read our full interview with Charles Grey below and get excited for Halloween Horror Nights 2026 like never before.

Nerdist: We’re always so excited about Halloween Horror Nights, and especially the original houses, which are always so beautiful and so thoughtful. So it’s our pleasure to hear exclusively from you about INVASION: Alien Abduction. It feels like it’s been some time since we saw an original Halloween Horror Nights house take on aliens. What made it the right time to bring aliens back to your original houses?

Charles Grey: We’d actually been talking about this for, gosh, the last five years. And every time we got together as a group, because what we normally do is a bunch of us get together in a room and kind of toss ideas around for what’s best for which year, they’ve never quite made it to the forefront. The reason being is when you do the little gray men or the aliens, it can quickly get humorous. It can quickly get kitsche and cheesy. And we’ve done that type of house before or Scare Zone, too, but, in INVASION: Alien Abduction, we really wanted to tell a story of the horrific moment at night when they are coming to take you. And that’s frightening. We had talked about it and talked about it and finally, I think we came up with a story that really encapsulates that almost home invasion type of horror and fear.

But they have this technology and kind of layering out what the aggressors are. So yes, we have the little gray men, but also there’s different types of little gray men. As you go through the INVASION: Alien Abduction Halloween Horror Nights house, you won’t see the same character over and over again. We have a diverse group of aliens coming at you.

And then we also had the issue of “How do you create a giant, two-football-field-sized alien craft?” So what we decided to do is really use lights to become the character. And then also what is coming out of the ships is an important question?

So we have these big, giant tentacles. And then, out of those big giant tentacles, come these little organic claws that can puncture you, pull you into the ship. So it’s really gory, really violent, and just put that aesthetic on everything. And it really changed our story and we got very excited about it. And just one little nugget of difference, too. It’s always like some Midwestern place in these stories. We’re like, what if it takes place in the Southwest? So it’s got a little bit of that kind of turquoise and cactusy flavor to it. That’s the area where I kind of grew up. So I was like, oh, let’s do that.

RELATED ARTICLE

SINNERS Heads to Halloween Horror Nights 2026

Many original Halloween Horror Nights Houses connect into lore that’s been started or teased in other Houses or Scare Zones. Do you feel like INVASION: Alien Abduction connects directly into existing Halloween Horror Nights lore in any way, or is it starting new lore for you?

Charles Grey: Something interesting we’ve done in the past on anniversary years, because this will be an anniversary year for us… We always incorporate a lot of stories into past, but if you’ll notice, in our history, there’s usually one or two foundational news stories we’re telling during an anniversary year. And INVASION: Alien Abduction is one of those foundational stories. We didn’t want to tie it to anything because most of the event is tied to a something or another tale or a prequel or things like that. So we really wanted this to be the first chapter. And so we’re really excited about that. And then we’ll see what happens after this.

And speaking about the overall theme of this year’s Halloween Horror Nights, the Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, how do you feel INVASION: Alien Abduction has fits into that stained glass window of Halloween Horror Nights this year?

Charles Grey: Well, between the two iconic aggressors we have of Jack and Oddfellow, they represent chaos and control, but are the two sides of the same coin really. And this one most definitely leans towards the chaos. It is super chaotic. We just did an audio walk last week and there’s this stuff all over the place and it’s a very particular audio that draws your attention one way, but then something chaotic’s happening over here. So we’re drawing your attention over here. It really ping pongs you through the experience and people are getting pulled up into the spaceship left and right. So it’s going to be awesome.

RELATED ARTICLE

STRANGER THINGS 5 Is Coming for Blood at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights

That sounds amazing. So you’re almost making these mini-movies when you create these Halloween Horror Nights Houses. What was the character design process like for all your different aliens here? Like you were saying, aliens can mean all kinds of things. There’s the stereotypical alien, but it sounds like you have a few kinds of aliens. What was the creature creation like for INVASION: Alien Abduction?

Charles Grey: Well, what we wanted to do is tap into people’s expectations, think about what they expect to see. And in a lot of stories, you always see the silhouette outline of the little gray man. So we took that, but then what’s inside the outline is not what you expect.

We get claws, teeth, just very horrific. So if you see it back lit, you’d be like, “Oh, this is what I expect to see. I’ve seen this before.” And then once you get closer, it gets really horrific, especially when they’re right on top of you.

I was especially curious about the part of the description that noted that the aliens abducted some livestock. Are we going to be possessed by alien, terrorized by possessed cows and how do you bring the animal aspect to life here?

Charles Grey: And again, when we were talking about how we create this and what’s the story we want to tell, are these aliens sinister? We thought that the scariest thing would be that they just don’t care. They’re grabbing animals, people. It’s almost like the little kid with the magnifying glass kind of thing. It’s just like they don’t see us as they’re not there to terrorize us. They’re there to take us and they don’t care what wall they puncture through, what kind of animal it is. They just want to do their experiments or whatever, but that’s what makes us so violent is these big tentacles just breaching through walls and grabbing whatever their heat-seeking device sees. So goats and cows and people, it doesn’t matter. They’re just grabbing them all.

RELATED ARTICLE

If You’re a Weirdo and You Haven’t Been to Halloween Horror Nights, WHAT Are You Waiting For?

Halloween Horror Nights is always evolving with its scares. I know you mentioned these grabbing tentacles in INVASION: Alien Abduction, but did you feel like you invented any kind of new scares or utilize any new technologies or effects in this?

Charles Grey: Yes, we have two new things, but I can’t talk about them. That’s the problem. I can’t give away the scare. But we have one technological thing we’re experimenting with this year and one new scare for this location. So I can say that much.

To me, some of the most resonant parts of Halloween Horror Nights is how you create a true immersion of horror. Can you tease any unexpected sensations we might encounter in the house like scents or textures or temperatures?

Charles Grey: One thing I can share is we found a way to use vibration and floors, so it’s a little bit, we’re trying to work with what you’re feeling below you. A lot of times with subwolfers or anything low tone, you feel how it kind of hits you in the chest, but a lot of times it just gets eaten up by the people and the scenic parts and things like that. We’re trying to incorporate it into the floor itself so that way you feel the ship and the power of the scanning lights just really shaking the house apart, which is actually part of the story as you go through scene by scene, you’ll see more and more destruction.

Can you give us an overall idea of how brave you need to be to go through this house? Do you think INVASION: Alien Abduction will be one of the scarier Houses at the park during this year’s Halloween Horror Nights?

Charles Grey: I do because I do because of the unexpected amount of gore and violence and also the tightness and levels of attack, we’ll say. I think we’ve done a good job of keeping things confined and feeling very close to you, which works to our advantage

We also did some video shoots and we created a unique way for these aliens to move, too. So they’re shuffling and moving in their own way, which is something that was fun to work with the performers on. And it looks really creepy when they’re moving towards you.

And gore wise, if you have a weak stomach, you should prepare?

Charles Grey: Yes, you’ll be hanging onto your friends very tightly, but you’ll have a great time.

Every Halloween Horror Nights House has hidden Easter eggs and it can be hard to find them all when you’re busy being scared. Do you have a favorite small Easter egg from INVASION: Alien Abduction that you can tell us about and maybe alert our readers to where they might keep their eyes out for it?

Charles Grey: I’ll say look at family photos.

What’s your favorite memory of putting this House together?

Charles Grey: Just that it took a while for it to grow legs and I’m just excited to finally see it happen. I’m excited to see what a lot of us had championed, a lot of creators and scenic designers. So again, it sounds stereotypical, but it takes a village. It really did. It took the whole farmhouse to create this one.

What would you tell longtime fans of Halloween Horror Nights to get them excited about this original INVASION: Alien Abduction House?

Charles Grey: For longtime fans, I would say this has the flavor of old HHN. It really does. This is most definitely kind of a love letter for those who’ve been here for coming back for a long time and also the guy or the lady who’s coming in and bringing their kid for the first time that they’ve been for a long time. I would say this is most definitely for that fan to be like, “Hey, this reminds me of when I first came to the park and let me share this experience with you.”

And then conversely, what would you tell to somebody who’s never been to Halloween Horror Nights to get them excited about coming to this original house?

Charles Grey: Well, for somebody new, and I think of myself here, because my daughters are very new to this event, this will only be their second year. I think the facade and the tone and just before you get into the House itself will be quite the adventure. You’ll be able to feel and hear the story before you get into the House, and I think will be something new fans of Halloween Horror Nights could really appreciate, that storytelling before you even encounter the first scare.

Well, if we weren’t excited before, we are EXCITED now. INVASION: Alien Abduction comes to Halloween Horror Nights this year at Universal Orlando Resort. Tickets for the event are on sale now.

The post INVASION: Alien Abduction Will Make Aliens TERRIFYING at Halloween Horror Nights 2026 appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Nerdist Features Editor Tai Gooden spoke with writer and pop culture figure Preeti Chhibber about Scarlet Witch: House of Harkness, a witchy YA graphic novel.
• The story follows Wanda Maximoff as she attends a magical new school where Agatha Harkness is the queen bee.
• Together, they solve a big issue by combining their forces.
• Preeti talks about this graphic novel, what she nerds out about, and how sports fans and nerd fans are more alike than most people think.

When it comes to comic book characters, there’s endless possibilities for the types of stories that writers and artists can tell. Sure, there may be certain timelines and story beats that a film universe or TV franchise must abide by. But graphic novels have the choice to create wholly unique backstories and adventures that are separate from established canon, whether in previous comics or in current on-screen appearances. That’s exactly what we get with Scarlet Witch: House of Harkness, a YA graphic novel written by longtime Marvel collaborator and pop culture mainstay Preeti Chhibber, with artwork by Jodi Nishijima and Kiichi Mizushima. 

Scholastic/Marvel/Jodi Nishijima

The story follows Wanda Maximoff, a 16 year old student who just arrived at House of Harkness, a famed school of magic for talented teens. Things quickly go awry when she makes a fast enemy of Agatha Harkness, whose family just so happens to own the school. Their ongoing feud soon takes a back seat to a bigger mystery that forces the duo to combine their powers to save everyone. We caught up with Chhibber to chat about crafting this wonderfully witchy tale and so much more. 

Nerdist: Tell us about House of Harkness and why this witchy adventure between Wanda and Agatha felt like the right one for you to write.

Preeti Chhibber: It is a magical kid alternate universe with all of our favorite magic users from Marvel where a lot of them have been de-aged to being teenagers. There’s this mystery that’s going on at the school. Wanda’s the new kid, and Agatha’s the legacy. Marvel approached me and was like, “We want to do this kind of dark academia YA, manga-inspired Scarlet Witch story.” I was like, “That sounds awesome! I’m super into it. ” 

One thing I’m really interested in on the kidlit side of storytelling is the heightened experience you have with friendships and relationships when you’re in school. And so bringing some of that fraught energy that exists in the comics between Wanda and other people, including Agatha, into a school setting was something I was really excited to do.

It’s also a great entry point for kids who maybe don’t know where to start with Marvel. What’s so fun about comics is that there are a lot of ways you can come into it. But in this day and age, it can feel really daunting to find a place to begin. So I hope this is a really fun intro to the characters that will inspire kids to be like, “Oh, I want more. Let me go see what else is out there.”

I love that! Of course, a graphic novel isn’t a project that a writer tackles alone. How did you partner with the illustration team to craft something that feels both narratively and visually compelling? 

Chhibber: [Artist] Jodi Nishijima came on board and created these incredible character studies for a lot of the main characters like Wanda, Agatha, Stephen Strange, and Loki. Jodi thought about the look and feel of the uniforms and how they would be wearing them differently given their personalities. And we all went back and forth. She sent over a bunch of ideas and we were like, “Oh, we like this one. We like the pants from this one, the shirt from this one.” 

When I write my scripts, what I hope for is a true partner. I try to leave some room where I drill down what I need in a panel for the story to keep going. And then everything else is like, have fun with it as the artist!

Courtesy of Preeti Chhibber

It all came together beautifully, you make a great team. And I love that all of the students are diverse. There’s queer representation, which is so important for kids because it reflects the world they live in and maybe their own identity, too. What were some of your favorite characters to develop, outside of Wanda and Agatha? 

Chhibber: Loki was particularly super fun. I was so excited. When I pitched the idea, I was like, “This is going to be Team Wanda. This is going to be Team Agatha.” Team Chaos always existed as is with Nightmare and Loki. Loki was really fun. And then also I love Nico Minoru in Runaways, and so I wanted to bring her in. I’m sure some people might be like, “That’s kind of a weird pairing between her and wildly different characters from wildly different eras of comics.” 

But that’s the great part about comics! You can create alternate realities and play with known characters. I love the way that Wanda and Agatha teamed up together to solve a big problem, which I’ll let people figure out when they read it. The ending does leave room for more stories. Do you have plans to continue with these characters or is this more of a one-shot deal?

Chhibber: I would love to! I left it open because I think the characters are so fun and it would allow for the opportunity… I think it’ll depend largely on if people will come to the table for this kind of book. Will it get a foothold with younger readers? And that will dictate if there’s more, but there’s definitely ideas for more.

Very fair. Let’s have a little fun. Which House of Harkness character are you most like and which one would you want to be more like? 

Chhibber: I mean, obviously I wish I was more like Wanda. I think Wanda has such confidence and she has true belief in her own abilities. A lot of us, including me, have to deal with imposter syndrome and things like that. Wanda has her moments of wondering, “Did I do the right thing?” But largely she really believes in herself and she believes in her work, which I love. In terms of who I’m really most like in the book, I don’t know. I think there are aspects of me in Shri and Loki. Some of the more kooky chaos pieces are me, but also some of that part of Agatha where she has to question everything that her parents have told her. That re-learning what the truth is and how you engage with that when all of a sudden your worldview is shifted.

RELATED ARTICLE

The Tarot Deck From AGATHA ALL ALONG Is Finally Available

Yeah, that part of Agatha’s story will definitely resonate with teens and adults, too. Sometimes, kids can see their adults as infallible or not capable of making really bad choices. They have to reconcile that and it may come a time where they have to push back against authority figures in their lives in the name of what’s right. 

Chhibber: Yeah, I think learning your parents are people and people make mistakes and difficult choices and maybe choices you don’t see as right. And what do you do when that happens?

Right. I know you’re a big comic fan, obviously a big Marvel and Wheel of Time fan. But, of course, we know that nerding out goes far beyond those things. What do you nerd out about that most people wouldn’t expect you to? 

Chhibber: I am deep into the World Cup right now. I love the World Cup, my friends, and I do a draft every year, every World Cup. Sports are maybe not necessarily expected from me. But I like to be a nerd about everything that I like! Crafting, LEGO, sports, this is what it looks like for me. 

You can totally be into all sorts of sportsball in a nerdy way. I think there’s more overlap to how sports fans interact with each other and celebrate their favorites and how, say, nerdy fandoms interact with others and celebrate what they like. People are basically cosplaying at NFL games.

Chhibber: Yeah! Everything has a narrative. There’s a reason I love sports movies and shows. I love them because it’s the triumph, it’s the determination, and the training montage. I love all of that. And when you have real life sports like volleyball or basketball or whatever, there are these wonderful story narratives that come out of it like the Knicks.

I’m not a huge basketball person, but I love the sort of joy and excitement and the culmination of catharsis that came out of that win for New York City. And that is all narrative and story and the connection you feel. And that through line absolutely exists with all fandoms.

I totally agree. If you could describe House of Harkness in three words, which ones would you use?

Chhibber: Friendship, magic, and chaos.

Scarlet Witch: House of Harkness will release on July 7, and you can order your copy right now.

The post Preeti Chhibber on Her New Graphic Novel SCARLET WITCH: HOUSE OF HARKNESS appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Supergirl has had a few origin stories in the pages of DC Comics over the decades.
• The 2026 movie uses the character’s first origin from the Silver Age.
• It ignores many of the changes the comics made in the modern iterations.

The character of Supergirl has existed in DC Comics for almost 70 years, and in that time, the character has had several different iterations of her backstory. Far more than her cousin Kal-El, whose origin story has remained fairly consistent for nearly nine decades. But which origin story is the DCU version of Kara Zor-El, played by Milly Alcock, using as its basis? Director Craig Gillespie went back to the very beginning in Supergirl. And they ignored many of the changes made in the more modern iterations.

DC Comics/DC Studios Supergirl’s Silver Age Origin Has Her Born After Krypton’s Destruction

Supergirl’s first appearance was in Action Comics #252, back in 1959. In this story, Kara explained her backstory to Superman when she landed on Earth. She explained to her cousin that she hailed from Argo City, a domed city that survived the destruction of Krypton. Zor-El’s intention with the dome was to keep Argonians healthier by breathing the purified air of the city. In a very Silver Age convention, we learned that when Krypton exploded, the chunk of the planet with Argo City on it just floated away, containing thousands of Kryptonian survivors alive, thanks to the dome.

DC Comics

Eventually, Zor-El and his wife, Alura, gave birth to a daughter on Argo, named Kara. She grew up there, but the Argonian society began to collapse once Zor-El discovered that the bedrock underneath Argo was becoming Kryptonite. This was during the time Kara hit her teens. Slowly, the Kryptonite in the soil began to poison the population. Zor-El and Alura, to protect their daughter, decided to send her to Earth to survive this second destruction. The 15-year-old Kara rocketed to Earth, where her superpowered older cousin Kal-El welcomed her, and she became the heroine Supergirl.

New Supergirls, New Origin Stories DC Comics

Supergirl famously died in the event series Crisis on Infinite Earths, back in 1985. And she remained dead for almost two decades. In that time, another heroine took on the name Supergirl. But she wasn’t a version of Kara, but an artificial lifeform from another dimension. Superman: The Animated Series introduced a version of Kara where she was Superman’s spiritual cousin, but not his literal one. In the DCAU, Argo wasn’t a chunk of Krypton, but a neighboring world that died when Krypton blew up. Kara was its sole survivor, whom Kal-El adopted as his cousin. But soon, the true Kara Zor-El would return to mainstream DC continuity, with a twist to her origin.

Supergirl’s 21st Century Origin Revision: Now Superman’s Older Cousin DC Comics

In 2004, DC reintroduced Kara, once again Superman’s teenage cousin. But this time, with a twist. This version of Kara was not born on Argo City after Krypton’s destruction. She was born on Krypton before its death, and knew her cousin Kal as a baby. Her father sent her to Earth to protect and raise her baby cousin when she was a teenager. But a meteor shower knocked her ship off course, and she didn’t arrive until her baby cousin was the adult hero Superman. This is the version introduced in 2004 by Jeph Loeb and Michael Turner, in the Batman/Superman story “The Supergirl from Krypton.” Smallville used a version of this origin, and later, the CW Arrowverse Supergirl series used a variation of it as well.

RELATED ARTICLE

The Complete Supergirl Costume History

When DC rebooted its universe in the 2011 series Flashpoint, it resulted in the New 52 universe. And Kara’s origin changed yet again. She was still sent to Earth to raise her baby cousin, but she landed in Siberia of all places. The 2023 Flash movie went with a version of this Kara Zor-El, even keeping her landing in Russia and being kept prisoner. But this new wrinkle was short-lived. In 2021, a high-profile new comic book would shine a light on the classic origin once more.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow Restores the Classic Origin DC Comics

The 2021 graphic novel Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, by Tom King and Bilquis Evely, restored the classic 1959 version of her origin. Which is what the new DCU version is going with. However, this series is not in continuity with the mainline DC Universe. According to the recent New History of the DC Universe by Mark Waid, Kara was a teenager when Kal was born, sent to Earth to raise him, but became stuck in a time warp. That’s the current canon in 2026. But with the DCU version restoring Kara’s classic 1959 origin story, it’s probably only a matter of time before it becomes canon in the comics again as well.

The post SUPERGIRL Doesn’t Use the Character’s Modern Origin appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Supergirl (2026) features its lead character reacting differently to different colors of suns.
• This is very true in DC Comics history.

In Supergirl, Kara Zor-El is exposed to a green sun, which begins to poison her, and rob her of her powers first. But even the most hardcore DC Comics fans out there might not be aware of how different colored suns alter the biochemistry of those from Krypton, like Superman and Supergirl. Just as there are multi-colored Kryptonites, and many colored Lantern Corps besides green, the DCU also has many different suns. And they all have vastly different consequences on those who wear the ‘S’ shield. But let’s start with one of the deadliest suns for super folk, the green one.

Green Suns DC Comics

A green sun is pretty rare in the pages of DC Comics, although we do see one in Supergirl. A verdant star doesn’t just rob a Kryptonian of their powers like a red sun; it does so while slowly killing them. It basically does what green Kryptonite also does to them, only on a larger scale. Kal-El first came across a green sun in Superman #155 from 1962, in the story appropriately titled “Under a Green Sun.” The comic book Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, on which Supergirl is based, introduced the concept of the green sun not only taking her powers away, but also slowly poisoning her.

Yellow Suns DC Comics

Famously, Earth’s yellow sun is what gives Superman and Supergirl their powers. We’re talking about the baseline “Super” powers here, like super strength, invulnerability, flight, x-ray vision, heat vision, super hearing, freeze breath, and super speed. Any being native to a red sun world gains their powers under a yellow star, and that doesn’t just include Kryptonians. The alien Daxamites, like the hero Mon-El, fall under this rule as well. Even animals from red sun worlds get the same powers as humans under a yellow star, as proven by Krypto the Super dog. Yellow stars are why the supers are super.

Red Suns DC Comics

Since Krypton orbited a red sun named Rao, all native beings lose their powers under a similar red sun. A red sun isn’t like Kryptonite, as it won’t kill a Kryptonian. It will just render them powerless, as they would be if they were still on their homeworld. If Superman or Supergirl travels to Earth’s future where the yellow sun has turned red, they will lose all their powers, although not instantly. The first story to show Superman losing his abilities under a red sun world was in 1963, in Superman #164. In that story, Lex Luthor tricks Superman into traveling to a red sun world, so the two can have a fair fight. This story established red suns as taking away Superman’s powers.

Blue Suns DC Comics

In an early 2000s Action Comics story from writer Geoff Johns and Superman: The Movie director Richard Donner, we learned that Bizarro’s twisted version of Earth, actually called Hrtae (you try and pronounce it) orbits a blue sun. So what does a blue sun do to Kryptonians? It actually gives them all new powers, like “Superman vision,” which allows the Man of Steel to shoot beams out of his eyes that give regular folks Kryptonian powers. He gave his own Pa Kent powers this way, albeit briefly. The “extra charge” is supposedly because blue suns are much hotter than yellow ones. But not as hot as the next sun, which can really give Kal-El and Kara a boost.

Orange Suns DC Comics

An orange sun (sounds like a fruit drink) doesn’t strip Superman and Supergirl of their powers, but it does reduce them in half. Which makes all the sense, since it’s right between red and yellow on the spectrum. A trip to an orange sun world will give Kryptonians powers equivalent to Superman’s powers back in the Golden Age. This was back when he could “leap tall buildings in a single bound,” but not actually fly. The most recent example of Superman encountering an orange star was in 2020’s Superman #27, by writer Brian Michael Bendis.

White Suns DC Comics

A white sun is the hottest known sun in the DCU. And what it does to Kryptonians is nothing short of making them gods. A white sun will enhance Superman and Supergirl’s powers to nearly omnipotent levels. Under a white sun, Kryptonians can manipulate time, teleport, and create energy constructs, similar to Green Lantern. It also gives them tactile telekinesis, a power usually reserved for Superboy/Conner Kent. The first instance of Superman getting a power increase like this was in a ’70s issue of Super Friends, with a white dwarf star. It also gave non-Kryptonians (like Jimmy Olsen) powers. In 2023, in Action Comics #1050, DC added even more powers to his white sun upgrade.

RELATED ARTICLE

Christopher Reeve’s 1978 Cape Fabric Used for SUPERGIRL Cape Black Suns

The opposite of a white sun is a black sun. One of these robs a Kryptonian of their powers, but not as a red sun does. Since black suns emit no solar energy, they literally drain away the powers from a Kryptonian. So they don’t just stop powering up Kryptonian cells, they drain them like a battery.

Violet Suns DC Comics

Yes, there are even violet/purple suns in the DC Universe. Although, as far as we can tell, they’ve only appeared in one Superman story, way back in the Bronze Age of Comics. Under a purple star, a Kryptonian can actually warp reality, creating objects merely with their mind. Essentially, a purple sun gives someone from Krypton “mind over matter” powers. In the story “Mind Over Money,” from 1982’s Superman #371, Kal-El flies too close to a violet star going supernova, and absorbs the energy. He can then (temporarily) will what ever he thinks into existence. While we don’t think violet stars are official DC canon after many reboots, back in the early ’80s, it was. We’d like to think the late, great Prince was born under such a star. It would sure explain the musical superpowers.

DC Comics

Are there other colored suns out there in the DCU? What would a teal sun do to Supergirl, or a pink sun to Superman? We’d like to think one day, we’ll find out. In the meantime, Supergirl, starring Milly Alcock, is now playing in theaters everywhere.

The post How Different Colored Suns Affect Supergirl and Superman appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Hasbro faces backlash after contractually requiring child actors to sign away the rights to their voices for use by AI.

Hasbro is facing controversy after asking its Peppa Pig child actors to sign the rights to their voices away to AI.

This is not the first time actors—specifically children—are being asked to do this. Because shows want to keep the same sound as long as they run, and children’s voices change as they age, studios are attempting to combat this with AI.

Hasbro

Over 1,000 people have signed an open letter condemning these clauses for child actors. The letter was created by the Agents of Young Performers Association (AYPA), and defends the rights of children to own the rights to their voices.

Though the letter technically named no names, according to Deadline, they were referring to Peppa Pig.

“Any agreement involving a child’s voice should be fully exempt from all AI usage. No child should have their future professional identity shaped by an AI model created before they were old enough to understand its consequences. Their voice should not become a permanent commercial asset before they have the legal and personal capacity to decide for themselves.”

These kinds of deals can have lifelong repercussions for child actors. They get no say in what their parents do with the rights to their voice, and once they reach adulthood, those consequences don’t just go away.

Issues when it comes to child actors’ rights and treatment have been in the public eye of late. After the lengthy Dan Schneider controversy, a whole world of mistreatment of Disney and Nickelodeon kids came to light. Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV was an exposé docu-series about abused child actors. I’m Glad My Mom Died was a memoir by Disney star Jennette McCurdy discussing her mother’s abusive control over her life and stardom.

Hasbro

While this is not quite as immediate a threat to children’s safety, it is one to their well-being and future careers. According to Deadline, Hasbro has acknowledged the letter’s existence.

“The protection of child performers is core to who Hasbro is, it’s part of our DNA. As industry standards around AI continue to evolve, we are committed to engaging with this issue in a responsible and transparent manner.”

There have been no confirmed updates to the contracts.

The post PEPPA PIG Child Actors Required to Sign Voice Rights to AI appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Texas Chain Saw Massacre is returning to theaters this August in 4K quality.
• The original film was released over 50 years ago, but its fanbase is still alive and well.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is one of the great classics in horror movies, without a doubt. One of the first major slashers of the seventies, even 50 years later, this movie is still terribly disturbing. Now, it is returning to theaters for one night only on August 18.

Bryanston Distributing Company

After last year’s Texas Chain Saw Day, the hosts of the event, Dark Sky Films and Fathom Entertainment, have decided to make the event annual.

Five friends head out to rural Texas to visit the grave of a grandfather. On the way they stumble across what appears to be a deserted house, only to discover something sinister within. Something armed with a chainsaw.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre took heavy inspiration from the story of Ed Gein, a real-life murderer and body snatcher. Gein’s odd family dynamic was very significant to why he turned out the way he did. These themes come through in Texas Chain Saw Massacre, with its main antagonist, Leatherface, living in a house with his cannibal family and taking part in chaotic and terrifying dinner rituals. The gross connections between the two stories continue—Gein used tanned human skin in crafty ways, and Leatherface wears a tanned human face. The house shown in the dinner scene also contains furniture made out of human skin and other parts.

Ed Gein inspired other fictional killers. The Silence of the Lambs‘ Buffalo Bill and Psycho‘s Norman Bates both utilized aspects of Ed Gein’s real story.

In 2022, Netflix produced a remake of TCSM. I am of the personal belief that if it ain’t broke, there’s no reason to fix it. Nonetheless, A24 is also working on a “reimagining” of the franchise, with a movie and television series in the works. Obsession writer-director Curry Barker is attached to the movie.

Fortunately, though, the screening on Texas Chain Saw Day is of the original film. Tickets for the event will be available on July 21, so be sure to check your local theaters for a place to participate.

The post See a Classic Slasher in Theaters on TEXAS CHAIN SAW Day appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Genndy Tartakovsky will bring a Conan the Barbarian animated series to our screens.
• Tartakovsky is partnering with Prime Video and Cartoon Network Studios.
• Primal and Samurai Jack were heavily influenced by Conan the Barbarian.

Are you ready to return to the Hyborian Age? In one of the most “DUH, of course” announcements in recent memory, The Wrap is reporting the animation legend Genndy Tartakovsky, together with Cartoon Network Studios, is bringing a new Conan the Barbarian series to Prime Video. The announcement happened via video message at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. The creator behind highly stylized action cartoons like Primal, Samurai Jack, and the original Clone Wars, once pitched a Conan series in 2008. But nearly twenty years later, Tartakovsky will finally bring the Cimmerian warrior to animation.

Cartoon Network Studios/Prime Video

Robert E. Howard’s sword and sorcery hero has been the subject of countless adaptations. We’re talking novels, comic books, and even an iconic movie or two, for nearly a century. But it’s been some time since he’s led a high-profile project such as this. According to the official synopsis, “After finding love in the pirate queen, Bêlit, a battle-hardened Conan defies gods, fate, and even death to save her from a dark sorcery that threatens to destroy everything.” The death of Conan’s love, Bêlit was a defining story in Marvel’s seminal Conan the Barbarian run of the 1970s.

It will be some time before we see this new Conan show hit Prime Video, however. Animation takes time. And Tartakovsky said that maybe next year he’d be able to share some animatics at the festival. And maybe the year after that, some rough animation. He may have been overdoing it for comedic effect, but we doubt we’ll see the first episode of Conan the Barbarian before 2028 at this point. But we’re quite certain, given Genndy Tartakovsky’s track record, it will rule. His series Primal was very Conan-coded. So it’s amazing that he gets to do the character who inspired so much of his aesthetic. We have a strong feeling this one will be worth wait.

The post Genndy Tartakovsky Creating CONAN THE BARBARIAN Cartoon appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Rick finds happiness with bottomless pitchers of beer and food at an alien German beer garden in a preview clip from the next Rick and Morty.

So far everyone’s favorite genius grandpa has spent a whole lot of Rick and Morty‘s ninth season inebriated. That kind of destructive behavior has never been good for Rick or his loved ones. It ‘snot exactly great for anybody. When the smartest man in the infinite multiverse gets heavily intoxicated bad things tend to happen. (RIP Vindicators.) But in a new preview clip, Rick has found a very different kind of vice. He finds true happiness gorging himself at an alien buffet. While drunk. Still very, very drunk.

Adult Swim has provided a fun sneak peak at Rick and Morty‘s next episode, titled “ErickerHead.” That’s a reference to David Lynch’s bizarre 1977 film Eraserhead.

This clip, which almost certainly comes from the start of the episode, ends with an obvious question we should have pondered long ago: why do Rick and Morty ever drive anywhere? Seriously, why do they….?

Before Morty can question the logic of flying someplace when you have access to an interdimensional portal gun, he has to deal with another issue. Him and his sister are stuck watching their grandpa stuff his face at a buffet at an alien German beer garden. It’s a place with bottomless pitcher’s of beer where you can’t hear the sound of galactic genocide the Smith family often deals with.

Adult Swim

Rick’s right, that does sound awesome. No wonder he’s “enjoying life” to the fullest at this beer garden. Of course, he’s getting a little too full on food and adult beverage, as the clip ends with Morty and Summer carrying their grandpa outside only to find his spaceship missing.

Who took it and why? Well find out when “ErickerHead” debuts this Sunday, June 28, at 11 p.m. on Adult Swim. Hopefully Rick will sober up at some point. But if he doesn’t, at least we know he won’t be able to drive drunk this episode.

The post Rick Finds Happiness at an Alien Buffet in New RICK AND MORTY Clip appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• A Donkey movie starring Eddie Murphy’s loud character is officially happening with DreamWorks.
• The film has a June 30, 2028 release date.
• Murphy has already teased some details about its plot.

Shrek 5 is coming our way in 2027 to continue this long-running franchise. It is hard to believe that the first film came out 25 years ago when some of us were teenagers or young adults. Now, a lot of us nerds are taking kids with us to see Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey go on another adventure in Far Far Away. It seems there’s a Shrek renaissance happening overall, because another character is getting his own spinoff. Deadline reports that Universal Pictures is officially making a Donkey movie that will center around Eddie Murphy’s infamously annoying yet loving character from Shrek. 

Universal Pictures

That’s really not shocking to anyone for a few reasons. First, Donkey is one of the most quoted and popular characters in these films, thanks to Murphy’s signature wit. And Murphy himself hinted that a Donkey movie was coming to expand the Shrek franchise. 

“Donkey’s going to have his own movie, own little story with his dragon wife and his kids that are half-dragon and half-donkeys…They’ve written this funny story,” Murphy previously told ScreenRant.  

RELATED ARTICLE

SHREK 5 Trailer Features Gingerbread Twerking and a Back Alley Snowman

I’m cool with it. We could all use a lot more fantasy and funny animated stories in our lives, right? This film is set for a June 30, 2028 release date and we are sure that it will make many, many millions of dollars.

The post SHREK’s Donkey Is Getting His Own Spinoff Movie in 2028 appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Krypto, Supergirl’s dog, the Joker, and the Absolute Batman comic series will each appear in their own animated shows.

DC is giving three beloved characters their own animated series. Thursday morning at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, DC Comics announced three new shows coming featuring Absolute Batman, of the bestselling comic series, the Joker, and Krypto, the super dog.

Absolute Batman DC Studios

This is not your run-of-the-mill Batman adaptation. The Absolute Batman comic series answers the oft-asked question of, “Would Bruce Wayne still be Batman if he weren’t a millionaire?” The answer, according to one of DC’s most renowned modern comic writers, Scott Snyder, is yes. However, he is different.

Artist Nick Dragotta illustrates the comics, and his Batman is, frankly, an absolute monstrosity. I mean that as a compliment. He is larger than life, and not only in terms of his intimidating persona. Fans have estimated him to be about 6 feet and 9 inches tall. With that in mind, it makes villains like Bane and Killer Croc who tower over him all the more formidable. The weapons he uses are also incredibly cool. The bat insignia on his chest transforms into a usable axe, the ears of his cowl are removable daggers, and his cape is modeled after a real bat’s wings, including the flexible “Bat-Thumb,” which he can stand on and use to slash opponents. These are just a few examples, too, and each issue reveals more of what his costume has in store.

DC Comics (Nick Dragotta and Frank Martin)

In an interview with SKTCHD, Dragotta discussed coming up with Absolute Batman’s design.

“This is a new Bruce Wayne. He’s not the billionaire playboy. He’s a do-it-yourself-er, engineer, city worker. Every aspect plays into the themes that we’re playing with with the character of Bruce, and you feel it through the costume.”

Needless to say, seeing this unique Batman design animated and these weapons used is going to be an incredible experience. The comic is gritty and gory, and the show is within the “adult” category, so I would expect the show to be as well. And with Snyder signed on as executive producer and Dragotta as producer, the show will very likely stay right in line with the comics.

Joker: Laugh Riot DC Studios

For fans of Batman’s most famous nemesis, look no further than Joker: Laugh Riot. However, if you’re looking for a classic Batman versus Joker face-off, this won’t be for you. The show follows the Joker as he tries to figure out who he is without Batman after the caped crusader dies.

The Joker’s relationship to Batman has been explored in various ways throughout the years, from the Harley Quinn animated series to, don’t laugh at me, The LEGO Batman Movie. Honestly, LEGO Batman probably did it the best, despite the movie’s overly comical and family-friendly tone. I expect this show to be similar in the way their relationship is portrayed, but upscaled and more emotionally deep. That, and very much more focused on the Joker and his psyche as well.

DC Comics

This show is unrated and is not confirmed to be based on any particular comic quite yet. Other than a short synopsis, we’re going in blind. It is listed as “adult,” so we can probably expect some sort of gritty and grungy portrayal of Gotham City. In addition, it is also DC’s first-ever (official) anime! Some could try to dispute that, considering the art style of their My Adventures With Superman series. However, this will be a collaboration with SOLA Entertainment, a Japanese studio, making it an actual “anime” instead of simply “animated.”

Krypto DC Studios

Last but certainly not least, everybody’s favorite super-pup, Krypto, is getting his own series, too! This is for anybody who has ever wondered what a super-dog gets up to when his super-owners aren’t around. This kids’ show will focus on Krypto’s adventures without Superman or Supergirl. Instead, he will work alongside a group of petty criminals, and just may end up redeeming them.

Krypto has only recently moved into DC’s limelight after his appearance in the live-action Superman. And he wasn’t just a pet, but a sidekick to Superman, helping him defeat Lex Luthor and “Ultraman.” Now, fans can’t get enough.

Warner Bros.

Krypto has existed in DC’s comic history since the fifties, and this live-action appearance is clearly the first of many. DC has not made a release date for the show public quite yet, and the series is still in development.

RELATED ARTICLE

Who Is Superman’s Dog, Krypto? The DC Comics History of the Kryptonian Canine

DC has been on a kick with good animation, from Batman: Caped Crusader‘s second season coming out soon, to My Adventures With Superman. We can expect these three series to follow in their footsteps with great animation, and more importantly, stories with real depth. Obviously, the Absolute Batman comics are coming out ahead of the show’s production schedule, so we do know what will happen plot-wise, but the other two will remain mysteries until their trailers drop.

The post DC Reveals Animated Triple Threat: Batman, Joker, and Krypto appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Focus Features unveils the first footage for Robert Eggers gothic horror film Werwulf, which stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Lily-Rose Depp

Robert Eggers is back to give us more gothic and haunting vibes with Werwulf. This Focus Features film will unleash terror in theaters on Christmas Day 2026, and CinemaCon attendees got our first look at what to expect. Eggers, who wrote and directed Werwulf, is quite the horror maestro, but anyone who saw Nosferatu knows that already. Exactly six months before the release of Werwulf, we have our first look image of the film. Hopefully, that means the trailer is not too far behind.

Focus Features

This tale takes place in 13th-century England, and follows a mysterious creature who peruses a foggy countryside. His presence turns folklore into a very frightening reality for a group of villagers.

RELATED ARTICLE

Robert Eggers’ NOSFERATU Coming to Digital and 4K UHD With New Extended Cut

Werwulf stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe, and Lily-Rose Depp. We love it when a director finds their favorite actors and collaborates with them frequently. A house is on fire as a voice says to not dread the darkness but rather embrace it. We see Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s family traveling by foot as we hear an ancient tale about werewolves traversing the countryside. Disfigured bodies and blood about as we see Taylor-Johnson roar and begin his frightening transformation into a beast.

Originally published April 15, 2026.

The post WERWULF’s First Footage Scares Up Haunting Gothic Imagery appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• If you’re a queer fan, or a transformative fan, or just a fan who loves an inclusive space, Flame Con is your can’t-miss, summer destination.
• Flame Con brings fandom to life in the best way, allowing you to experience all the joy of your communities all around you.
• Flame Con is the world’s largest queer comic con. Featuring a two-day comics, arts and entertainment expo, showcasing creators and special guests from all corners of the LGBTQ fandom. It features thoughtful discussions, exclusive performances, screenings, cosplay, and more!

I remember my first Flame Con. Incredibly, that was over ten years ago, back when the con was in its infancy. But from then until now, as a queer lady in fandom always looking for a community with shared interests, I knew I’d found my home. Years of attending various comic cons, including NYCC, SDCC, and others, left me fulfilled but still yearning for something. (And isn’t that the queer lady way?) A yearning that Flame Con, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ comics and pop culture convention, not only acutely understands but fulfills beyond my wildest dreams. You see, in all those other cons, transformative fandom, queer fandom, is always an afterthought. Maybe you cross a cosplay for your favorite ship in the wild. Maybe, among the hundreds of booths at Artist Alley, there will be one that caters to your fandom love of choice in the way you hope for. (A single neon-colored booth popping up among the masses.) Maybe, in the swell of the crowd, you manage to unearth a few like-minded people brimming with love for a work exactly as you feel it. But at Flame Con, those bits and pieces transform into the WHOLE AFFAIR. And so, if you’re a queer person in fandom or, in fact, any kind of fandom lover that engages in fan art, fanfic, and community building, I urge you to put Flame Con at the top of your list of fandom events. You won’t regret it. Flame Con is absolutely your can’t-miss, summer destination.

Flame Con Flame Con Is Like Stepping Out of the Internet and Into a Queer Fandom Reality

As mentioned, there’s a spiritual quality to Flame Con that I don’t think exists anywhere in our reality except at this incredible event. Flame Con is literally the live-event equivalent of distilling your best day in fandom, during your most in-love phase, when the community is on high, and everyone is excited, passionate, and sharing the wealth, and bringing it offline and into the actual world around you. At Flame Con, you are guaranteed to be welcomed no matter who you are, how you fandom, or what you love. But beyond being welcomed, you are almost certain to find friendship there, as your community unfolds around you and you feel the strong bonds of love… IRL, as they say.

Instead of hunting for scraps among a sea of thousands of people who may or may not understand pop culture as you do, the whole affair is designed for YOU. And that includes everything from content to panels to guests to merchandise to event design. And there’s nothing like being in a space that recenters the experience you dream of as a queer fan, or a fan from any other diverse community. While LGBTQ+ fans may be the last to be invited to most other fan spaces, and indeed, are finding the world to be a more and more unfriendly place, at Flame Con, they are uplifted and celebrated. And the queer, fannish joy is uproarious and felt.

Flame Con

As Gay City News writes, “Resistance through queer joy was felt across the event on both days among vendors, attendees and cosplayers. Cosplay, or dressing up like a person’s favorite characters from a story, has proven for many to be an artistic expression of individual empowerment.” A sentiment echoed by Otakus & Geeks, who share, “The best part of this con is just how welcoming, accepting, and accommodating the entire experience is. There was an area for people to chill, if (more like when) all the noise and people were too much, there was free water on site, clearly labeled wheelchair access, and just a general vibe of positivity despite the current climate. I left feeling inspired to consume and create more diverse stories and I hope I can go again next year!”

And Just in Case…

Just in case that was a little too poetic for you, here’s the actual description of Flame Con, as shared by its organizers: “Flame Con is the world’s largest queer comic con. Featuring a two-day comics, arts and entertainment expo, showcasing creators and special guests from all corners of the LGBTQ fandom. It features thoughtful discussions, exclusive performances, screenings, cosplay, and more!”

Flame Con arrives at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square on Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16, 2026. Tickets are available now.

Flame Con Brings You THE Best In Queer Comics (And a Ton of Other Queer Shopping Fun) Flame Con

Okay, that was the sentimental stuff (and that is IS important). But, let me square with you, if you’re in fandom and you want to discover comics and shop in a marketplace that’s designed to cater to EXACTLY your ship of the moment, (and I know you do), I have never found a place quite like Flame Con.

In 2026, there will be over 290 artists, creators, authors, and other makers at Flame Con. That is the BIGGEST year yet. And when I say, this Artist Alley HAS your number. I do not play. When I was in love with Stranger Things‘ Steddie, Flame Con provided. When I wanted nothing more than some Hannigram merch, Flame Con was there for me. When it was Stucky that owned my heart—you guessed it!! And I bet we’ll see so much great stuff this year. The Vampire Lestat creators out there, I am LOOKING at you.

But Flame Con wasn’t just serving me great ship merch (although, oh my god, the endless ship merch is so amazing). There’s also just an awesome, generally queer aesthetic that is tailored to queer people of every kind. I found my favorite clothing maker through Flame Con and bought handfuls of gorgeous enamel pins with flowers, swords, bones, and all those great hallmarks that are just queer, we can’t explain it. Especially queer ladies don’t really get that many designated shopping spaces that see them. And Flame Con’s Artist Alley… It really sees you.

Additionally, Flame Con brings over 20 community tables to support our community from a broader perspective. This year, there will be non-profits, charities, outreach groups, education groups, public health groups, and other similar mission-based organizations attending the event.

Also, the Twisted Spine will be the official bookseller at the con. And you know a con is good if there is an official bookseller.

Flame Con Is Only Growing

Sometimes, it feels like fan-oriented efforts lack a certain level of stability. Can they withstand the test of time against other comic con giants? Well, fear not! Flame Con is celebrating 12 years of existence in 2026. And 2026 also marks its second major moment of growth, as it moves into the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, a hotel which currently hosts the darling of Broadway (and fandom), Stranger Things: The First Shadow.

Flame Con shares, “The motivation for the move was to make more space for an increasingly diverse and inclusive Artist Alley, more tabletops for the Gaymer Lounge, more breakout rooms for panel discussions, and more runway space for cosplay and drag. All weekend long, queer comics artists, animators, and accessory designers will share the convention floor with authors, illustrators, publishers, and performers.”

That means 2026 is the best time ever to attend… And you’ll be sorry to miss out!

Flame Con Is Full of Top Notch Queer Guests and Panels Flame Con

Of course, no con is complete without guests and panels! And Flame Con has brought some of the best of the best queer folks to the stage! Below is just a sampling of the cool queer people you’ll see join you at Flame Con. You can check out the rest of the guests here:

Casey McQuiston, nonbinary New York Times bestselling author of queer romantic comedies including Red, White & Royal Blue, which was adapted to an Emmy-nominated film produced by Amazon Prime Video. In addition to receiving honors from the Stonewall Book Awards, the Lambda Literary Awards, and the American Library Association, McQuiston has been published in Washington Post, New York Times, and Bon Appétit.

Kosoko Jackson, queer Black Lambda Literary Award-winning author of the USA Today bestseller The Forest Demands Its Due.

Al Ewing, the bisexual British comics writer who won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book for Empyre and was nominated twice for his work on Guardians of the Galaxy.

In addition, your fellow queer fandom peers will be running some exceptional panels. The Flame Con panel schedule isn’t yet released, but you can bet it will be full of the topics that are on the tip of your tongue, helpful discussions of queerness in the industry, and more delightful fannish fun.

Flame Con Is for Everyone, and That Includes our Young People

The bottom line is that Flame Con is for EVERYONE. And that also includes our young people. Queer youth need a safe place to exist, and queer elders need to be able to bring their children on their adventures! But rest easy, Flame Con has once again thought of everything.

Sunday, August 16, is actually Youth Day, a day when folks 21 and younger can attend for FREE! Isn’t that just the most incredible idea ever? Youth Day tickets are available in advance on TicketLeap & will be available at the door on Sunday.

Flame Con

Additionally, the con is expanding its youth programming with activities like Zine Making, DIY Pride & Pronoun Pins, cosplay creation, crafting sessions, and an exciting presence from the Queens Public Library. On Saturday night, Flame Con will also host Camp Fire, which is a “cozy Saturday night alternative to the Fire Ball for indoor cats with crafts, group coloring, puzzles, and other fun activities. All activities take place on-site at Flame Con after the floor closes.” This event is an all-ages, sensory-friendly, after-hang on August 16.

Flame Con shares that it “remains committed to being an all-ages event and making sure that young people have the opportunity to engage positively with queer community.” And we can all agree that is one important mission.

“Flame Con prides itself on being a convention for everyone,” says Nic Gitau, Geeks OUT President. “But, at a time when queer and trans youth are being targeted, we want them to know that their community is here for them — now more than ever. We’re excited to expand programming for youth at the show this year, and we hope connections made at Flame Con will stay with our guests long after the show is over.”

Flame Con Is Sweet, But It’s Also a PARTY

Of course, if you want to party, no one parties like folks at a queer fandom gathering! Fireball, the official Flame Con after party, is happening on Saturday, August 16, at Industry Bar. Join your fellow fabulous friends for an evening of wild, geeky, and sexy fun at this 21+ event. Expect geek-themed drag, burlesque, boylesque, dancing, and more! The event will be hosted by Megami, a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16. The event is 21+. And it promises some crazy, sexy, and geeky fun. And hey, what’s better than letting loose in cosplay? Make your own fanfic fantasies come to life.

So, Where and When Is Flame Con?

Okay, let’s give you some of the facts.

• When is Flame Con? Flame Con will take place Saturday, August 15, Noon – 8 PM & Sunday, August 16, Noon – 6 PM
• Where is Flame Con? Flame Con will be held at the Marriott Marquis New York – 1535 Broadway, New York, NY 10036.
• Where Can You Stay During Flame Con? Flame Con offers a special event rate for those who stay at the con hotel. Take advantage of it here.

Snag Your Flame Con Tickets Today

If you’re convinced that this is the right place for you to be, tickets for Flame Con are available now for Saturday, Sunday, and the full weekend. Sunday is Youth Day, which means guests 21 years and younger can attend for free.

Fireball tickets are also available via TicketLeap. If you’d like to volunteer at the con, you can check out how to do so here. If you’d like to be a Flame Con sponsor, you should also reach out.

The Time Is Now to Attend Flame Con

What more can we say? If you’re a queer nerd, a fandom lover, a person who visits AO3 every day, then you DESERVE to attend Flame Con. The event will feed you, heal you, give you hope, and bring you joy. I’ll be there, and I hope to see you soon!

Editor’s note: This post is sponsored by Flame Con

The post Flame Con is Your Can’t-Miss, Summer Fandom DESTINATION appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Will Ferrell is out to recapture old glory and earn golf redemption even if it comes at the expense of his own son in The Hawk’s new trailer.

The world’s greatest golfer, the one known by his animal nickname, is back! Uh, no, no not that guy. We should probably clarify we mean the world’s greatest fictional golfer. And in the new trailer for Netflix’s comedy series The Hawk, Will Ferrell is out to recapture old glory even if it comes at the expense of his own son.

Fly Hawk, fly! Or, at least put on a shirt with some sleeves. You’re not fooling anyone with that look. Besides, this trailer makes clear The Hawk isn’t about trying to hold on to your past. It’s about trying to secure your future legacy with some good old-fashioned redemption. And in this case, that’s a long time coming. Here’s the show’s official synopsis from Netflix.

Lonnie Hawkins, 2004’s number one golfer, struggles on the back nine of his career to recapture his magic. His body says retire, but his heart says he’s not done yet. His ex-wife and his son Lance, golf’s new golden boy, know he’s through. But with one more major to win to complete golf’s Grand Slam, Lonnie refuses to believe he’s anything other than one stroke away from the greatest comeback in golf history.

Netflix

The series also stars Molly Shannon as Lonnie’s ex-wife Stacy. Jimmy Tatro plays his talented son Lance. Fortune Feimster caddies as Sam. Luke Wilson plays his old rival Golden Fisk. The Hawk also features Chris Parnell, Katelyn Tarver, David Hornsby, Gabriel Hogan, and Aida Osman.

Ferrell created the show, the first of his career where he’s the star. He also executive produces alongside T-Street’s Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman, and Nena Rodrigue. Additional executive producers include Gloria Sanchez Productions’ Jessica Elbaum and Alix Taylor, Chris Henchy, Harper Steele, David Gordon Green, and Andrew Guest. And The Hawk made it official by partnering with the PGA Tour.

Will The Hawk complete the career Grand Slam and find the redemption he seeks? We’ll find out when the show tees off at Netflix on July 16, 2026.

The post Will Ferrell Seeks Golf Redemption in THE HAWK Trailer appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Focus Features shares the trailer for Sense and Sensibility at CinemaCon 2026. Daisy Edgar-Jones exudes yearning in this exclusive first look.

Sense and Sensibility brought much yearning to CinemaCon 2026. Coming later this year, Focus Features is adapting Jane Austen’s classic and beloved novel. Nerdist caught the exclusive trailer, which shows the beloved Dashwood family as they vacate their home. Daisy Edgar-Jones is set to play the beloved heroine Elinor Dashwood. Love and yearning is at an all-time high when Elinor becomes taken with the very handsome Edward.

Focus Features’ exclusive look of the upcoming adaption is short and sweet. We see the Dashwood family as they are forced out of their lovely estate. Soon after, Mrs. Jennings (Fiona Shaw) arrives and sets out to have the Dashwood girls married. Edward appears next, struck by Elinor’s beauty and grace, while Marianne falls in love with the handsome John Willoughby. Much yearning follows, including a shot of Mr. WIlloughby carrying Marianna home after hurting her ankle.

Columbia Pictures

Sense and Sensibility is a classically beloved tale about love and heartbreak. When news broke that Focus Features is adapting its own version of the story, hopeless romantics everywhere rejoiced. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles will play the lovely Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne. Elinor is rational and composed, while Marianna is much more emotional and romantic. George MacKay and Frank Dillane will play the girls’ handsome suitors, while Caitriona Balfe is Mrs. Dashwood.

RELATED ARTICLE

This Jane Austen Board Game Is Perfect for Romantics

Daisy Edgar-Jones has proven her romantic acting chops in the past, starring alongside Paul Mescal Normal People (which is arguably more of a horror story than a romance, but I digress). Emma Thompson first portrayed Elinor in the 1995 film, lending Daisy some pretty big shoes to fill. But, with a reportiore like Daisy’s, we have no doubt that she’ll be able to step up.

Columbia Pictures/Mirage

Sense and Sensibility calls viewers to open their hearts and tune into their sense. We can’t wait to see how Focus Features will bring this classic tale of yearning to life. The film hits theaters on October 16, so we will see if it is yet another successful adaptation.

Originally published April 16, 2026.

The post Daisy Edgar-Jones Exudes Yearning in SENSE AND SENSIBILITY Trailer appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• The critically acclaimed live production of Paranormal Activity is now heading to the Broadway stage for a limited 20 week run.

When the found footage supernatural horror movie Paranormal Activity came out back in 2009, who could have believed this little movie that cost $15K would lead to an ongoing franchise? Now Paranormal Activity‘s stage production is coming to Broadway, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter. This will be a limited 20-week engagement. Previews for Paranormal Activity – A New Story Live on Broadway begin August 14, with the official opening night performance on August 25 at the August Wilson Theatre. That opening date is a couple of week earlier than the original September date. Right now, the August Wilson Theatre is home to a new revival of Dog Day Afternoon starring Jon Bernthal.

Polk & Co

Paranormal Activity is written by Levi Holloway (Grey House) and directed by Felix Barrett (Sleep No More). Previously, this stage version played to audiences in London’s West End, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. But a run on Broadway was always the ultimate goal for the show. The play isn’t a direct adaptation of any of the movies or characters from the film. Instead, it’s an all-new supernatural story, in the same vein as the films. Jason Blum, whose Blumhouse Productions made a name for itself with the original film, has come on board as a producer. Down below is the official synopsis for the stage version:

James and Lou move from Chicago to London to escape their past, but they soon discover that places aren’t haunted, people are. With an original story inspired by the film franchise, Paranormal Activity reimagines the modern ghost story with an intimacy that only live theatre can provide.

Audiences have called the previous versions of Paranormal Activity the scariest horror-themed stage production of all time. With its arrival on Broadway, it will no doubt reach its biggest audience yet. With the play hitting Broadway and a reboot of the film coming in 2027, it looks like this franchise may be heading into a new era of prominence once again.

Originally published May 14, 2026.

The post PARANORMAL ACTIVTY Stage Production Heading to Broadway appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Millie Bobby Brown and the Duffer Brothers have a secret pact to not reveal the truth about Eleven’s fate in the Stranger Things finale.
• Brown revealed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that they are the only three people who know the truth
• The audience was hopeful that Eleven survived but Brown didn’t confirm nor deny their thoughts.

Stranger Things wrapped up its fifth and final season at the very end of 2025. For some reason, that feels like a lifetime ago. Maybe it is because some fans are still somehow holding out hope that Conformity Gate is real and that another episode is coming, despite being told many times that this theory is bogus. Or perhaps it’s the ongoing debate about what really happened to Eleven at the end of the series. Did she actually die or is she living someone in solitude and peace to keep her friends safe? Well, there are only three people who really know the answer to that. Millie Bobby Brown said that she has a secret pact with the Duffer Brothers to never, ever reveal the truth about what happened to Eleven in the Stranger Things series finale. 

Netflix

Deadline reports that Brown opened up about this on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. She’s currently on the interview circuit to promote her next project with Netflix, Enola Holmes 3. When speaking with podcast host Josh Horowitz in front of an audience, she said that she’s sworn to secrecy by the Duffers about what happened to Eleven. 

“They were like, ‘Do not tell anyone. Because we made it a secret kind of pledge,’” Brown said. “No one else knows. It’s just us three. And what we do with that information, it’ll be up to them.” 

When asked what they believed Eleven’s fate was, the majority of the audience decided to go the Mike Wheeler route and stay hopeful. This delighted Brown, but she stuck to her pact and did not confirm nor deny any definitive truth.

In my sensitive heart and based on the fact that the Duffer Brothers have a hard time killing kids, I’d like to think that she’s out there somewhere. And who knows? Maybe a reunion special or reboot years down the line could reveal that information. But, for now, we will have to continue to be in the dark about Eleven’s actual ending.

The post Millie Bobby Brown Is Sworn to Secrecy About Eleven’s STRANGER THINGS Fate appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• HALO fans built an enormous version of Reach‘s New Alexandria out of LEGOs, and debuted it at Brickworld Chicago this weekend.

Over 20 people contributed to an enormous LEGO build of New Alexandria, a level from Halo: Reach. The finished product debuted this weekend at Brickworld Chicago. It showcases a glassing attack by the Covenant on the “Reach City,” civilians running for their lives, and rescue efforts.

The city serves as the setting for the eighth level of Halo: Reach, and the LEGO build certainly does it justice. There are plenty of moving parts, with Falcons “flying” above the water, their rotors spinning continuously, and minifigs looking like they were frozen in action, fleeing or in battle.

The build is also well-lit, with interior beacons making the panic of the covenant attack feel real, along with glowing lasers and buildings illuminated from inside, adding to the scene. The builders even added music to pull the piece together and make it immersive.

A post from Instagram user and build collaborator David Ainza (@ainza_builds) lists out the collaborators’ handles.

This comes at a perfect time—Halo: Campaign Evolved comes out next month. The game will be a remake of the 2001 game Halo: Combat Evolved. It will include a revamped version of the old campaign, with improved graphics alongside additional missions and gameplay.

RELATED ARTICLE

Original HALO Remake Heading to PlayStation for the First Time

Brickworld Chicago is an annual, massive showcase of elaborate LEGO builds as well as workshops and panels related to LEGO. The convention began in Chicago but now boasts four locations annually.

Also displayed there this year was a model white house, accompanied by a massive bald eagle, a “framed” Monet’s Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies, and various other scenes set everywhere from the Wild West to space.

Brickworld brings LEGO conventions to Chicago, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, and, this September, the next will appear in Grand Rapids.

The post Fans Built a Huge LEGO Version of HALO’s New Alexandria appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Netflix’s The One Piece anime remake will set sail in February 2027, and there’s new information about what it will show.
• In June 2026, The One Piece finally dropped its first trailer to show off a sleek yet not overly polished animation style.

It is safe to say that Netflix is all in on the One Piece universe. The streaming service’s successful One Piece live-action series made its debut in 2023 and it is already gearing up for a third season, titled The Battle of Alabasta, that’s coming in 2027. A while ago, we got news that Netflix would also have its own anime adaptation for One Piece, and that’s moving forward in a big way. The One Piece will adapt the original manga from the beginning of the East Blue saga and will release on Netflix in February 2027. 

Now, we finally have our first trailer for The One Piece, which looks like a ton of fun. This is a great way for new fans to get into the franchise and for old fans to relive all those early glory moments in a fresh format.

In addition to that trailer, The One Piece also dropped a few first images of some of our favorite characters.

Click To View Gallery Netflix Netflix

This series will have production by WIT Studio and we already know some tidbits about it. Netflix’s The One Piece anime series season one will cover approximately the first 50 chapters of the original manga. It will have seven episodes that lead up to Luffy’s encounter with Sanji, the sous chef of the floating restaurant Baratie. 

Netflix

Additionally, there’s new key art for The One Piece. In it, we see a scene in Windmill Village, where Monkey D. Luffy spent his childhood. It shows Luffy enjoying a lively time at the village bar, aptly titled Party’s Bar, alongside the visiting Red-Hair Pirates captain Shanks and first mate Benn Beckman, and the bar’s owner, Makino. 

RELATED ARTICLE

ONE PIECE Will Get a New Anime Remake at Netflix, THE ONE PIECE to Come From WIT Studio

We cannot wait for this fresh take to set sail when The One Piece hits Netflix in February 2027.

Originally published May 5, 2026.

The post Netflix’s THE ONE PIECE Anime Releases Its First Trailer appeared first on Nerdist.