Halo Season 2 hit a major high point with Episode 4 and the Battle of Reach - including some shocking character deaths. That left Halo Season 2 Episode 5, "Aleria" facing the daunting challenge of at least keeping the momentum going, even when all the fighting finally died down.

What we got was arguably one of the more balanced episodes of this Halo TV series yet - mix of some thrilling action, harrowing drama, and a lot of developments for an ensemble of characters that is quickly dwindling down to some key players. There was a lot packed into this episode - here's the full breakdown, scene by scene.

Halo Season 2 Episode 5 "Aleria" Recap (Spoilers)

Fight Or Die - There's no time for a single breath as Master Chief John-117 (Pablo Schreiber) regains consciousness in the midst of battle. Vannak has been killed in Chief's brutal duel with the Covenant Elite (we now confirm is the Arbiter), and Master Chief is rattled, to say the least. Chief's fellow Spartans Soren-066 (Bokeem Woodbine) and Riz-028 (Natasha Culzac) are holding the line against the advancing Covenant forces. Meanwhile, Dr. Catherine Halsey (Natascha McElhone) is traumatized by the death of her ex-husband Admiral Jacob Keyes (Danny Sapani) during the fight in Episode 4 Halsey tries to convey to Chief that all hope is not lost: the evacuation of Reach is happening as they fight, with numerous escape crafts taking off in the distance, beyond the exploded hangar bay they're fighting in. Chief gets back on his feet and grabs his gun - but everything goes silent until Soren foolishly calls out, asking if that's all the Covenant has for them. The answer is a hammer-swinging armored Covenant Brute, who crashes in through the ceiling and thrashes the unarmored Spartans. The group is only saved by the arrival of Soren's ship, with his wife Laera (Finnoa O'Shaughnessy) piloting and Kwan Ha (Yerin Ha) shooting a heavy canon that blows out the Brute's armor, killing the beast. Riz and Soren get Halsey and Master Chief onboard, while Kwan covers the extract with a barrage of minigun fire. Riz will not leave without Vannak's body and jumps into a fog of Covenant forces to retrieve her dead teammate's corpse. She heroically comes running back to the ship carrying Vannak, but takes a Covenant plasma blast to her lower back, while getting him on the ship. The group barely gets everyone onboard and take off as Reach is being annihilated. Chief looses consciousness while Halsey tries to stabilize him, suffering visions of the moment he was separated from Cortana and Makee's message to him on Sanctuary. It's revealed that Cortana was taken out of Master Chief and given to ONI director Admiral Margaret Parangosky (Shabana Azmi), who struck some yet-unknown deal with the AI entity. When Chief finally succumbs, he sees Riz being hooked up to an oxygen tank, her fate unknown.

[Opening Title and Credits Play]

Art Thou Still Blessed? - We find Makee (Charlie Murphy) on her ship viewing the ruins of Reach and conversing with Var 'Gatanai (Viktor Akerblom), the Elite warrior that has repeatedly dueled Master Chief and killed Vannak. Var is unhappy that Makee stopped him from killing Master Chief during his duel on Reach - just as she did on Sanctuary in the Season 2 premiere. The Arbiter accuses Makee of having sympathy for "The Demon" (Master Chief), saying that his nemesis' death is the only "higher purpose" he's interested in - not Makee's religious prophecies. The Arbiter is curious about what Cortana is, exactly - especially after Makee made a point to steal it from Reach. Makee craftily offers her death if she's deemed useless or traitorous to Var, and then plays down what Cortana is, calling it a repository of human knowledge. The Arbiter leaves her to play with her human tech, for the time being...

What Was I Made For? - Master Chief wakes up to see Riz laid out on a medical table, body broken and barely hanging on. Chief is attended to by Halsey, and he quickly turns angry with her, demanding to know what she truly made the Spartans for, and how she views them: As actual people, or just tools of war. Chief demands to know how Halsey sees Riz, and denies her the easy out of saying Spartans are "people," as Spartans don't have any personal lives or ties that would qualify them as "people" by any traditional definition. John nearly gets violent with Halsey, but she stands firm, commanding him to let her go. Master Chief's rage quickly turns to anguish over how the UNSC and ONI left him and Silver Team on Reach without armor or backup. Master Chief then finds out he's been unconscious for two days; Riz is in a coma, Kai is still MIA, and Reach has fallen. Chief is still badly hurt and feverish from his wounds and starts to spiral out over how he could have stopped the Fall of Reach if he'd had Cortana and his armor. After giving him a sedative, Halsey warns Chief that ONI left them for dead as part of a plan - and that they must stay in the shadows to survive. Chief wants to know how and why Halsey thinks they're a team now, before passing out.

Makee v. Cortana - Makee tries all kinds of arcane summoning to bring Cortana online - but Cortana (voice of Jen Taylor, body of Christina Bennington) appears, stating she needs no prompts, just the push of a button. Makee confirms that Cortana has been captured by Var 'Gatanai, "The Arbiter," of the Covenant (a name Halo fans have been waiting to hear since the show began). Makee wants to look into Master Chief's memories that Cortana recorded to find the information about the Halo ring she needs - but Cortana makes it clear that she cannot be coerced. Makee turns the tables on Cortana's defiance by taking the vulnerable stance that her own survival is dependent on producing something useful from Cortana - if Makee is not useful, then Cortana is not either, and they will both be doomed. Cortana takes herself offline, but it's clear Makee has made a point worth considering.

Survivors Club - Master Chief finally wakes up after three days of rest to find Soren, Laera and Kwan at his bedside. The group is landing on the mining planet Aleria to retrieve Soren's son Kessler, whom Kwan sent away for safekeeping while rescuing Laera on The Rubble and Soren on Reach. Soren and Laera head out to get their son; Kwan takes Master Chief to see Vannak, but Chief refuses to look at the body, coldly claiming an empty corpse is not the same as his friend. Riz is rushed into what passes for a surgeon's office on the planet, with Halsey overseeing the operation. Master Chief takes in the desolate barren lands of Aleria, while Soren, Laera, and Kwan go to a local merchant to investigate. Soren drops heavy coin for info, but the merchant doesn't quite believe that Soren and Laera are the loving parents they claim to be - hinting that children can become valuable commodities in a place like Aleria. Still, the merchant produces a record of recent arrivals, and Laera spots one entry that seems to match Kessler, giving them a real lead.

Spartans Don't Go to the Grave - Kwan approaches Master Chief about doing the duty of burying Vannak, but Chief refuses, saying Spartans don't get buried: when a Spartan becomes a Spartan, they leave their old life behind, meaning they are already dead, in a sense. Kwan is upset by this idea, saying she would give anything to have the chance to bury her own family. She conveys (without saying directly) that putting people in the ground isn't just a ritual to honor the dead - it allows the living to move on by symbolically leaving the dead behind, instead of carrying their ghosts with them.

Be Where I Am - Soren and Laera are riding a commuter truck across the Alerian wastelands, where Soren is trying to make conversation. Laera expresses her frustration with her husband's jovial nature, as they are supposed to be looking for their son, she is in torment, and he should be right there with her. Laera call out Soren for running from every perilous situation, starting with the Spartan program - and that right now, he's not properly processing the loss of Reach; the home and power they lost at the Rubble; or Kessler being missing. Laera moves to the other side of the truck bed and takes off her white-haired wig, tossing it over the side, while Soren twists on his wife's barbed words.

No Fight Left - Riz finally wakes up in the "hospital" center on Aleria. She sees Halsey at her bedside and recalls the memory of how she came out of her Spartan augmentation process to the same sight. She remembers that Halsey told her that only "1 out of 3" candidates survive, and she was one of them. Halsey breaks the hard news to Riz that her injuries have diminished her capabilities of being a Spartan, she'll "have to work harder." Riz looks out the window at her new surroundings, lost in thought and consideration.

Battle Scars - Kwan lugs Vannak's body to a clearing, complainingly asking the dead man why he was so big. She starts digging the hole for him, and the scene cuts to Riz, asleep under a blanket looking very much dead as well, with Halsey updating Master Chief that her injuries are debilitating, but that she's viable as a fighter. Chief and Halsey discuss what happened on Reach - and how Admiral Parangosky made the fall of the planet her statement that she is still the controlling power of the UNSC in this war. Kwan has a whole monologue with Vannak's corpse while trying to bury him, admitting that grieving all of Reach is impossible - as is mourning all the family and friends she's lost - so Vannak must become the vessel of all that grief. Mysterious robed figures carrying torches come out of the shadows of the night and approach Kwan. Chief recalls to Halsey that Parangosky was there when Cortana was taken out of him - something that Halsey thinks should be impossible for him to remember. Chief describes the hole that's been left since Cortana's been gone - and follows up a hint from Cortana to ask Halsey why he, specifically, was chosen to be a Spartan. Halsey will not let her mask slip even a bit, maintaining that John matched a genetic profile they created for an ideal Spartan candidte. Kwan and the robed figures are in a loud argument outside, so Master Chief intervenes; Kwan objects to the group taking Vannak's corpse away, but the religious figures claim that they just want to burn the body, as a proper send off. During the commotion, the sheet covering Vannak's corpse slips off; John is finally affected on a human level by seeing his friend dead and suddenly reverses course, acquiescing to Kwan that the religious group can "Put him in the sky" (i.e., cremation). Kwan explains to Chief that there is a difference between "death" and "loss," and that he is finally feeling the latter.

Little Human Trafficking - Soren and Laera are taken out to an old factory facility in a dark and snowy part of the wasteland. They find two women there armed with guns, who claim to be running the place to protect wayward children. The two girls insult Laera and Soren, claiming that the little boy who came to them looked abused - and the two "parents" are the ones responsible. Laera freaks out, but Soren carries her outside to cool off and heads back in to try a friendlier negotiation. While Soren talks to the women, Laera spots a little boy running in the shadows with a Spartan helmet on his head. She pursues the boy, thinking it's Kessler, only to find out that it's a different boy, who was given the helmet by Kessler, to make him feel brave when he was afraid. Soren leaves his negotiation claiming the women have agreed to let see Kessler - it's left ambiguous whether or not he did something brutally violent to the women running the facility to get his answer. It's a moot point: Laera confirms that Kessler never made it there, and they are back to square one.

Funeral for Friends - The funeral rights for Vannak are carried out by Master Chief, Kwan, the religious group, and Halsey, who leads the eulogy. Chief can only stand to listen to her talk for a moment about Vannak, the boy she first met, before stepping in to take over, eulogizing Vannak as more than the boy he began as; once Vannak became a Spartan, that was everything he was - and as a Spartan, he never truly dies, because his fight is not done. Master Chief pledges to become the weapon that carries out retribution for his lost friend, by killing the Arbiter, the Covenant, and the ONI leaders (Ackerson, Parangosky) that betrayed them. Chief sets Vannak's body ablaze and limps off into the darkness leaving the others to mourn. Halsey follows, calling out Chief for having more rage than an actual plan. Halsey finally confesses that she never "chose" John to be Master Chief, she discovered his unique potential after he made contact with one of the Halo keystones as a boy, and that connection made him the prized candidate for Spartan augmentation. She lobbies John to not go after ONI out of revenge and instead help humanity discover possible salvation through the Halo ring. Master Chief doesn't fear ONI killing him, as "I'm already dead" to them.

Grave Warning - Kwan is watching Vannak's body burn when she's pulled into a vision. The old woman/religious leader that Master Chief met on Sanctuary (and watched die there) appears to Kwan, claiming she is a speaker for all planets - including Kwan's lost home of Madrigal. The woman warns that the "monsters" are close and that Kwan has lost her path and purpose as the last of Ha family: to be a protector of life. Kwan recalls the memory from the Season 2 premiere ending of her in a cave on the Rubble, viewing cave paintings of a Flood Gravemind, and takes it as a warning that the parasitic species of the Halo Universe is about to be set loose. The vision ends, and Kwan is back at the funeral pyre, with only Riz noticing her freaked-out demeanor.

No Charity Here - Makee runs onto the bridge of the Arbiter's ship to confirm that they have been recalled to High Charity, the Covenant capital city/space station. Makee knows that the Covenant leaders The Hierarchs will kill them for failing to unlock the Halo and kill "The Demon" (Master Chief); however, the Arbiter's devotion makes him ready to face all consequences as punishment for his perceived failure. Makee lobbies Var to consider that the Hierarchs are false prophets - that she and the Arbiter are the true chosen ones of the prophecy of the Great Journey. Arbiter is about ready to strike Makee down, but Cortana intervenes by showing them both a projection of John's memory of Halo's surface. The Arbiter wants to know what vision he is seeing, and Makee uses the moment of confusion to inspire him with the idea that it is a divine vision, that he should heed. The ruse pays off: together, Makee and Cortana get the Arbiter to break ranks and take his ship out to find Halo - knowing that the Covenant will inevitably come to hunt them down.

New Riz, New Life - Riz finally gets on her feet and sees some locals on Aleria constructing a new building together. It looks like the kind of new life she can embrace.

New Negotiations - Laera returns to the merchant who first pointed them toward the settlement of wayward kids. Laera gets gloves, and wraps a large pipe in barbwire before recalling to the merchant the day she realized she would do any monstrous thing to protect her son. Laera emerges from the shop and tells Soren that she's discovered that the UNSC took Kessler. Like with Soren, it's left unanswered whether or not Laera used brutal violence to get her answers.

My Fight's Over - Master Chief tries to get Riz back on Soren's ship for the next part of their mission - but Riz states that she's staying on Aleria, and that her fight is over. Chief tries to use Vannak and Kai's memories to push his soldier, but Riz is serene and at peace with her decision. She stand to face Chief, only to let him know that her "revenge" is living a life - but Chief can't let go of his guilt and pain. Riz calmly confirms that pain is just a burden to either carry or be crushed by if you cannot know peace to balance it - and she wants that peace. Chief pleads that Riz is the only family he has left, but she's resolute. Halsey tries telling her she's no one now - but Riz smiles at that, and joins the local building the new structure, leaving her Spartan dog tags behind. Halsey and Master Chief join Soren, Laera, and Kwan on the ship, ready to depart.

New Kai, New War - A final scene takes us to "Onyx" and "Camp Currahee," where Col. James Ackerson (Joseph Morgan) is debuting Spartan Kai-125 (Kate Kennedy) as the new commander of his ONI-brand Spartan unit. Kai steps out of a facility door onto a massive military staging tarmac, at the head of her battalion of specialized soldiers and a fleet of UNSC Pelican and Condor aircraft lifting off for flight. "Winter Contingency" seems to be underway.

[End Credits Roll]

Halo Season 2 releases new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+.

It's easy to argue that Doctor Who has been a distinct part of the genre TV landscape, with the long-running science fiction program charming fans for decades. Over the years, the show has continued to fold in an ever-growing number of Doctors and companions, and it looks like three of the show's alumni have joined forces in an unexpected way. Karen Gillan, who played Amy Pond on the series, recently shared a TikTok of herself, Clara Oswald actress Jenna Coleman, and former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat at a recent event. The video shows Gillan and Coleman trying to convince Moffat to start dancing, as the trio recreate some of the moves popularized by Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor.

This is the latest unofficial Doctor Who reunion that Gillan has hosted on her TikTok, after she went on a "mother-daughter" shopping trip with her onscreen daughter, River Song actress Alex Kingston, in a video posted late last year.

@karengillan

We might have had a few red wines...but look WHO it is! #doctorwho

? original sound - Karen Gillan

Will Karen Gillan Return to Doctor Who?

In previous years, Gillan has hinted that she would return to play Amy Pond again, if the circumstances worked out. Still, this past year she spoke to RadioTimes about the show's upcoming trajectory, praising both Fifteenth Doctor actor Ncuti Gatwa and Ruby Sunday actress Millie Gibson for helping modernize the show even further.

"My first reaction to both of them being cast was excitement," Gillan explained "I sort of feel like they're going to inject a whole new lease on life -- like it really got my attention. When I saw both of them, I was like, 'OK, I'm ready to jump into this now.' And it's just exciting, and it's new, and he's clearly brilliant because I've seen him in other things. So, I think it's a really good piece of casting."

Who Will Be the Next Doctor Who?

Gatwa, whose work includes Barbie and Sex Education is set to play the Fifteenth Doctor in the upcoming 60th anniversary season of Doctor Who, beginning with a brand-new Christmas Day special titled "The Church on Ruby Road". The new batch of episodes will be showrun by returning executive producer Russell T. Davies, who previously worked on Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant's tenures on the character. In addition to Gibson as Ruby Sunday, the cast of the new season will include Jonathan Groff, Jinx Monsoon, and Indira Varma.

"She is very cool," Gibson explained with a laugh in a recent interview with TotalFilm. "I've said this before, but I think her dynamic with the Doctor is very much like two girls at school gossiping. They're very cliquey. I think the Doctor's not had that sort of dynamic before. It's really beautiful to see come alive when you do watch it."

What do you think of this new surprise Doctor Who reunion? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Avatar: The Last Airbender's composer had some praise for the attention to detail in the new Netflix show. Takeshi Furukawa took some time to speak at length about the musical choices in the live-action adaptation. ComicBook.com asked the composer about some favorite moments in Avatar: The Last Airbender. While the Netflix show does manage to capture a lot of what people loved about the Nickelodeon animated classic, there are some details that live-action allows to flourish. Furukawa had to single out the sequences of Omashu and how they worked with small touches in the score.

"Absolutely. It's really the small details," he began. "You know, I think we were amazed when we first started seeing the first visuals. I was talking to my music editor and we were saying like, 'My gosh, the details on this.' And my music editor is a very seasoned. His name is Micha Lieberman. He's worked on many, many big epics. It's like these small things."

"Like someone in the costume department paid attention to that button right there, where like no one is gonna notice the button, except probably the costume people who put a lot of care and attention in detail to the authenticity," Furukawa added. "But it's these small things that really add up and just makes the difference. And that's where the craft is. That's where the difference is and that's where the craft is. And, that's where the expertise is. It's very important, so we made sure we paid attention to that as well in the music side."

Live-Action Avatar's Best Moment

Furukawa took some time to discuss his favorite moments from Season 1 as well. There's a whole lot of stuff jammed into the first outing on Netflix. Despite the pressure from our interviewer, the composer did point out that everything that happens in Omashu was a highlight for him. Episode 4 seems to be the personal highlight for Furukawa. However, he would go on to mention the finale's climactic battle as well. Check out what moments he decided to single out.

"This is this is such a difficult unfair question almost as if you're asking me to pick a favorite child," Furukawa laughed along with us. "Can I just give you some random highlight for me? Highlights for me: I loved Omashu. I loved scoring that entire world building and that arc."

"There is a couple of really high points in episode 4. There are a couple of, really high points in Episode 4. You'll know what I'm referring to when you watch it, I think," he added. "And then also Episode 6, for me, is is the highlight. It's a very very emotional episode. I know I sound like a broken record, but emotion to me is everything in score and music. I think it really is the key. And whenever I'm able to cut loose with the emotional arcs, emotional moments of the music, that's just the highlight for me. But then also, you know, I'd be remiss to not mention the epic battles that take place towards Episodes 7 and 8, at the end of season one. So yeah, I love everything."

What's your favorite detail from Avatar? Let us know down in the comments!

Norman Reedus revealed when fans can expect the next chapter in the Walking Dead Universe. In October, the first season finale of his Walking Dead spinoff ended with a teaser trailer announcing "Daryl Dixon season 2 coming 2024." While an exact release date has yet to be announced by AMC Networks, the series star and executive producer confirmed today that The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol -- starring Reedus as Daryl and Melissa McBride as Carol -- is set to premiere this summer on AMC and AMC+.

Reedus announced the news on Instagram by sharing what looks like a sneak peek from an unreleased trailer: the words "season 2, summer 2024." It's likely that the Daryl & Carol trailer will air with The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, the new six-episode event series reuniting Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes and Danai Gurira's Michonne.

"I've known there was much more to be told of Carol's story as I felt her so unsettled when we last saw her, as she watched her best friend, Daryl, ride away [in The Walking Dead series finale]," McBride said in October when announcing she had joined Daryl Dixon as series regular and executive producer. "Apart or (hopefully!) together, their stories run deep, and I'm so excited to continue Carol's journey here. This team of storytellers have done amazing work to land these two established characters in an entirely new world to them, and I'm loving the discoveries!"

Both seasons are shot and set in France, where Daryl washed ashore after the events of the Walking Dead's "Rest in Peace" series finale. McBride reprised her fan-favorite role in the Daryl Dixon season finale when Carol traveled to Freeport, Maine, to track down the missing Daryl.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol stars Reedus, McBride, and first season cast members Cl?mence Po?sy as Isabelle, Louis Puech Scigliuzzi as Laurent, Laika Blanc Francard as Sylvie, Anne Charrier as Madame Genet, Romain Levi as Codron, and Eriq Ebouaney as Fallou. The second season is executive produced by showrunner David Zabel, Scott M. Gimple, Reedus, McBride, Greg Nicotero, Angela Kang, Brian Bockrath, Daniel Percival, Jason Richman and Steve Squillante.

"It was always the hope and the desire that we would get Melissa onto the show in season one, in whatever version she was ready to do. That was always what I wanted to do and what everybody wanted," Zabel previously told ComicBook. "Norman wanted it, Scott [Gimple] wanted it, we all wanted it. So it was just a matter of working out what the show was going to be and then seeing how we could include her. Because we love the character, and we love Melissa, and we love the dynamic of Daryl and Carol together. So from the point where I started participating on the show, that was always the conversation."

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol premieres this summer on AMC and AMC+. Stay tuned to ComicBook/TWD and follow on Facebook for more TWD Universe coverage.

Rick and Morty Season 7 ended with the titular duo reaching a new status quo as characters, and series co-creator Dan Harmon teased how that finale could be seen as a "rebirth" heading into Season 8! Rick and Morty Season 8 is currently in the works for a release some time next year, and there is currently no gauging where the two of them will be heading in the new episodes. With Rick defeating Rick Prime and Morty reaching a new understanding of himself as Season 7 came to an end, the duo is now heading into a new kind of status quo.

Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon opened up to Variety about where Season 7 left the titular duo when it came to an end, and noted how the team wants to continue to balance the inclusion of a serialized narrative while making sure to have fun with its episodic stories. Teasing what is coming in Season 8 of the series, Harmon explained that with the end of some of its major canonical storylines the series is now open to have more ideas spark further serialization down the line.

Rick and Morty's Rebirth After Season 7

"There's obviously been a lot of shakeups and transitions that have happened that are luckily coinciding with some of these canonical storylines being resolved," Harmon began. "If I could set a framework for fans of the show, it's the old characters and all these things, but it's like, this is an opportunity for a rebirth. I mean, the kind of canonical things like searching for Rick Prime, these are things that come out of the ether, and then they acquire this gravity, and then they become a canonical serialized story."

Elaborating further, Harmon noted that this "rebirth" means that more of the new random ideas could end up becoming huge canonical storylines of their own, "I think people should expect more random embers shooting off of that fire and turning into organically gigantic serialized things of their own." But still, Harmon is still aiming for episodic stories. "I will always target the episodic personally. Because, like, your job is to fight gravity. And gravity is serialization. That's what happens organically; gravity is a great thing. But you're supposed to want to fly."

What kind of stories are you hoping to see more of in Rick and Morty Season 8? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on X (formerly known as Twitter)!

HT - Variety

The last three years have been an interesting period of time for TV's most iconic reality competition. Survivor has been in a self-proclaimed "new era" for the last five seasons, featuring all-new players and removing the individual season themes. This has brought a lot of great new players to the game, and delivered a few twists that fans have come to love. On the other hand, there have been so many new advantages and twists that many viewers have felt the series could stand to take a step back to a more simpler game.

According to host and producer Jeff Probst, there's a reason for all of the madness. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly ahead Wednesday's Survivor 46 premiere, Probst revealed that the blitz of advantages over these last few seasons was an effort to create a new kind of game, one that rewarded contestants for actually playing the game and not just surviving.

"This is the sixth iteration of this new era," Probst explained. "And I think players are starting to figure out, 'Okay, here are the elements that are in this game. How can I use them to my advantage? How should I be prepared in case one befalls me?' And that really goes back t the grand design of the new era, which was to create so much uncertainty that even if we never put an idol or twist in the game, it would still have the impact that they were in the game because you don't know if they are in the game or not, so you have to play as though they are, and that makes you make a move."

Probst went on to say that the style of play they've been trying to design with this new era of Survivor is one that prevents players from being idle. Not only does the threat of so many advantages and twists force them to make moves, but it also keeps an idle player from winning at the end. With all of these different elements, it's nearly impossible to coast and still be seen as a winner by the jury.

"That's the idea behind creating this blistering attack of advantages and all these changes that everybody said, 'Oh my God! its too much! It's too much,'" Probst continued. "Well, now I think we're going to start to see the reason we were doing that is to create this world, and the ultimate idea is that it will give the player permission to play because you have to play. You can't be idle in this version of Survivor. You won't win even if you get to the end."

Survivor 46 debuts Wednesday night at 8pm ET on CBS.

Avatar: The Last Airbender has debuted its live-action series with Netflix, but the new adaptation really missed out by not including a very important scene with Sokka and the Kyoshi Warriors. When Avatar: The Last Airbender was getting closer to its release, the staff and cast behind the series made sure to note that they were taking out the more sexist elements from Sokka's character that were seen in the original animated series. This caused a major debate among fans as his early sexism is what formed the core of his character arc for the series, and the live-action series has offered a different story for Sokka in its place.

In the original animated series, Aang and the gang's journey to played out much differently than seen in the live-action show. Sokka's run in with Suki started out a lot more prickly as he ridiculed the Kyoshi Warriors' strength. But eventually his learning respect the Kyoshi Warriors' training is the first major step in changing Sokka as a character. It's then cemented with his giving full respect to them by dressing like a Kyoshi Warrior himself. But that didn't happen in the Netflix series, and it's something that could come back to bite this adaptation later.

Why Sokka Needs to Be Sexist

Removing Sokka's sexism might seem like a good idea on the outside, but it completely misreads the function of his character arc in the grand scheme. The live-action version of Sokka is much different than the animated series. In the original, Sokka was loud and boastful but was ultimately ridiculed at many moments to undercut his comments (to further demonstrate to the audience how ridiculous he was being). His losing to Suki was humbling, and it was the kind of initial jostling he needed to get on that path of maturity we see by the end of the third season.

Sokka then realizes his mistake and instead of running from his weakness, he humbles himself before the Kyoshi Warriors and completely dons their garb (as Suki forces him to) in order to properly train with someone stronger to get on the path to being a true warrior. This was the first real indication that Sokka was at least open to change, and his first real experience with someone outside of the Southern Water Tribe helped him start that path to true growth. It's why Suki's eventual romantic feelings for him felt earned because Sokka realized the error of his initial ways.

It's not the same in the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender at all. While Sokka does not ridicule the Kyoshi Warriors for being girls, his loss to Suki has a completely different vibe. When he loses to her and gets embarrassed, it's almost as if Suki has to help him realize how strong he already was. She needed to tell him he was already competent, and that's not really supposed to be Sokka's function at all. His role in Team Avatar is to steadily learn to be a proper warrior and leader, but the live-action show seems to start him out at this point.

His loss to Suki then sees her almost catering to him and raising him up rather than the other way around. Suki loses her initial function as a warrior, and instead seems like she's there just to tell Sokka he's doing great. Sokka's never humbled to the point of needing to fully immerse himself in a new culture, and thus means he'll likely be less challenged in other ways as the live-action series continues.

Sokka's journey reflects the world's changing as Aang and Team Avatar continue to impact the lives of those they come across. His path to maturity as an adult is one of the big reasons the original animated series success, and missing out on big moments like this seems to indicate that the live-action series might be misreading Sokka's journey in their adaptation as well. It's just a different character entirely.

But what do you think? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on X (formerly known as Twitter)!

The Lord of the Rings series The Rings of Power took a distinct approach to J.R.R. Tolkien's mythos, leaving fans very curious to see what future seasons might have in store. As a new update surrounding series creators J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay reveals, the long-awaited premiere of The Rings of Power Season 2 might be on the horizon.

Buried within the announcement of Payne and McKay's exclusive deal with Amazon MGM Studios is confirmation that Season 2 of The Rings of Power "is expected to debut later this year." The report also reveals that although The Rings of Power has yet to be officially renewed for Season 3, Payne and McKay "have started to break the initial story outline."

What Will The Rings of Power Season 2 Be About?

Filming on Season 2 of The Rings of Power began just months after Season 1's premiere. Filming reportedly wrapped this past June, even as many other shows shut down production altogether amid the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. Plot details have yet to officially be revealed, although it has been safe to assume that it will play off of last season's Sauron reveal, and could possibly introduce characters such as Tom Bombadil.

"We want the shortest time possible between seasons, but we want to keep the bar just as high," Amazon's Jennifer Salke said in an interview last fall. "So it'll take what it takes. But there's been some urgency around moving quickly, which is why these guys have been writing all through their hiatus. We're moving fast."

What Is The Rings of Power About?

The Rings of Power is set thousands of years before The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, during Middle-earth's Second Age. It begins during a time of relative peace following the defeat of Morgoth, Sauron's master. The series chronicles the lives and adventures of its ensemble cast and promises to visit the Misty Mountains, the forest elf-capital of Lindon, and the shores of the island kingdom of N?menor. The series features an ensemble cast that includes Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Maxim Baldry, Nazanin Boniadi, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz C?rdova, Charles Edwards, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Lloyd Owen, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, Daniel Weyman, and Sara Zwangobani.

J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay lead the series as executive producers with Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, J.A. Bayona, Bel?n Atienza, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Bruce Richmond, and Sharon Tal Yguado. Ron Ames and Christopher Newman are producers. Wayne Che Yip is a co-executive producer and directs along with J.A. Bayona and Charlotte Br?ndstr?m.

Are you excited for Season 2 of The Rings of Power? What do you think of this new release update? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

In a press release today it was announced that The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power showrunners Patrick McKay and JD Payne have signed a an exclusive overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios. This new deal will include exclusivity on TV rights and is set to last three years. Buried in the release however of the news was confirmation that McKay and Payne's work on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues in a big way, including confirmation that season two of The Rings of Power "is expected to debut later this year" but also that "the showrunners have started to break the initial story outline" for The Rings of Power season 3. The press release also notes that when production eventually begins on The Rings of Power season 3, the series will shift production hubs once again and move from Bray Studios to a brand new production facility at nearby Shepperton Studios in the UK.

"We began this remarkable journey with JD and Patrick more than five and a half years ago and have never looked back," said Vernon Sanders, head of television, Amazon MGM Studios. "We continue to be amazed by the scope and scale of their vision and the enormous global success achieved by The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power in its record-breaking first season. We can't wait for Prime Video customers to experience the epic adventure and high-stakes drama that JD and Patrick are continuing to build throughout season two and beyond. Naturally, the studio is thrilled to extend our overall deal with these brilliant creative minds as they continue to deliver on their passion for great storytelling."

The Emmy-nominated Prime Video series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premiered its first season in the fall of 2022 breaking all Prime Video records, making it the most-watched Amazon Original in every region of the world as well as debuting at #1 on the Nielson streaming chart and remaining in the Top 4 through every week of its initial run.

When does Rings of Power take place?

The events shown in the first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and beyond are all set in "Second Age" of Middle-earth's timeline. As of the end of season one, the events seen, including the creation of the titular Rings of Power, is still about 2,000 years before the defeat of Sauron at the hands of Isildur. Those events are seen in the opening minutes of the first Lord of the Rings movie and mark the ending of the Second Age.

As for how this relates to the events of The Lord of the Rings, all of that takes place in the Third Age, but the One Ring itself was lost for over 2,000 years before it made its way to Gollum and then Bilbo Baggins. One thing that has been clear about The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power however is that the showrunners have revealed they're okay with remixing things and moving the timeline up and down on major events. In short, what we see in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power takes place thousands of years before the events of The Lord of the Rings proper.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cast

Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will see a few new faces join the cast, including Gabriel Akuwudike (Hanna), Yasen 'Zates' Atour (The Witcher), Ben Daniels (The Crown, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Amelia Kenworthy, Nia Towle (Persuasion), Nicholas Woodeson (Paddington 2), Oliver Alvin-Wilson (Wonder Woman 1984), Stuart Bowman (Bodyguard), Gavi Singh Chera (The Lazarus Project), William Chubb (The Sandman), Kevin Eldon (Game of Thrones), Will Keen (My Lady Jane), Selina Lo (Hellraiser), and Calam Lynch (Bridgerton). The series has also recast a major role with Orc leader Adar set to be played by Sam Hazeldine in Season 2, Joseph Mawle previously filled the role in season 1.

Amazon Prime Video previously touted the success of the first season of the show, claiming it was viewed by more than 100 million people worldwide, with more than 24 billion minutes streamed and 25 million global viewers on its first day. These impressive numbers continued to be spread by the streamer, but other reports have since cast doubt on the show's popularity.

The entertainment world is mourning the loss of Richard Lewis, after the prolific actor and comedian passed away due to a heart attack on Tuesday, February 27th. Lewis, who passed away at the age of 76, has been most recently known amongst TV fans for his stint on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, in which he played a semi-fictionalized version of himself since the show's inception in 2000. Shortly after Lewis' passing, Curb Your Enthusiasm star and producer Larry David released a statement reacting to the death of his co-star and friend. David, who first met Lewis at summer camp as children, revealed that he is "like a brother" to him.

"Richard and I were born three days apart in the same hospital and for most of my life he's been like a brother to me," David wrote in a statement Wednesday, shared by HBO. "He had that rare combination of being the funniest person and also the sweetest. But today he made me sob and for that I'll never forgive him."

Born on June 29, 19447 in Brooklyn, New York, Lewis entered the stand-up comedy community in the early 1970s, making appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in a matter of years. By 1979, Lewis made his onscreen debut in 1979's NBC TV movie Diary of a Young Comic, a film that he also co-wrote. In addition to multiple comedy specials and late night talk show appearances, Lewis thrived in the late 1980s and early 1990s through projects like the sitcom Anything But Love alongside Jamie Lee Curtis, as well as Daddy Dearest, Hiller and Diller, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

Outside of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Lewis' onscreen roles in the 21st century included 7th Heaven, Alias, Two and a Half Men, Vamps, Sandy Wexler, The Dead Zone, Code Black, BoJack Horseman, and 'Til Death. Lewis stepped away from his role on Curb Your Enthusiasm in 2021, in order to recover from multiple surgeries.

"Two years ago, I started walking a little stiffly. I was shuffling my feet and I went to a neurologist and they gave me a brain scan and I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. And that was two years ago," Lewis revealed last year. "But luckily, I got it late in life and they say it progresses very slowly if at all. And I'm on the right meds so I'm cool. I just wanted you to know that's where it's been at. I'm finished with stand up. I'm just focusing on writing and acting. I have Parkinson's Disease, but I'm under a doctor's care, and everything is cool. And I love my wife. I love my little puppy dog. And I love all my friends and my fans and now you know where it's been at the last three and a half years."

Our thoughts are with Lewis' family, friends, and fans at this time.

Get excited, NCIS fans, "Tiva" is back. On Wednesday, it was announced that Paramount+ has ordered a new NCIS spinoff centered around fan-favorite pairing Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo). The announcement of the currently untitled series comes on the heels of Weatherly's brief return to CBS's NCIS for a special tribute to late cast member David McCallum. Both Weatherly and de Pablo are set to star in the new series as well as serve as executive producers. The series is slated to start production later this year in Europe.

As NCIS fans will recall, Ziva left the team -- and Tony -- in Season 11 and was reported dead in Season 13. Tony also departed in Season 13 to raise his and Ziva's young daughter, Tali. However, during the Season 16 finale, Ziva revealed to Gibbs that she was alive, and was ultimately reunited with Tony and Tali in Paris. The new Paramount+ series will open on the family in Paris, but "when Tony's security company is attacked, they must go on the run across Europe, try to figure out who is after them and maybe even learn to trust each other again so that they can finally have their unconventional happily ever after."

"We've been talking about this story for many years, and now with John McNamara at the helm, we are ready," Weatherly and de Pablo said in a statement (via TVLine). "The world of Tony and Ziva (and daughter Tali) promises to be an action-packed roller coaster fueled by love, danger, tears, and laughter. We also want to acknowledge and thank the fans from around the world who supported the 'TIVA' movement for years. To this day, they say hello in grocery stores and on the street to tell us how much these characters mean to them and ask what Tony and Ziva are up to now. This is for you."

John McNamara wrote the premiere episode and will serve as showrunner. He will also executive produce along with Weatherly, de Pablo, Laurie Lieser, Christina Strain, and Shelley Meals.

"I'm incredibly excited to step into the NCIS universe with Cote and Michael and thrilled to explore it from a few new angles," said McNamara. "Given that the franchise is such a global sensation, I think it's phenomenal that CBS Studios and Paramount+ have given us the green light to shoot in Europe. As to the title of this series, if I told you what it is, I'd be violating the Espionage Act."

CBS Recently Ordered an NCIS Prequel Series

In addition to Wednesday's news about the "Tiva" spinoff for Paramount+, CBS recently announced a prequel series set to debut in the 2024-2025 season, NCIS: Origins. The series will follow young Leroy Jethro Gibbs -- played by Mark Harmon in the main NCIS series. NCIS: Origins will be set in 1991 so Harmon won't be reprising his role but will serve as the show's narrator.

"In the series, Gibbs starts his career as a newly minted special agent at the fledgling NCIS Camp Pendleton office where he forges his place on a gritty, ragtag team led by NCIS legend Mike Franks."

David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal co-write the prequel's pilot and are set to take on the roles of executive producers and co-showrunners. North and Monreal wrote on NCIS for a decade, and North currently serves as the co-showrunner on the long-running series.

Are you excited for the new NCIS series for Paramount+? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.

Rick and Morty is now at work on returning to Adult Swim with Season 8 of the animated series next year, and the co-creator and showrunner debunked a major villain theory heading into the new season! Rick and Morty Season 7 ended some big stories for Rick with the defeat of Rick Prime, and had essentially reset the table for the next wave of episodes to come as Rick and Morty are now at much different places heading into the future. But that also means that with a new status quo also comes the potential for some new major villains.

A major villain that fans had expected to see was Mr. Poopybutthole, who left Rick and Morty Season 7 with an ominous post-credits scene that teases him seemingly going backward on his growth. With the YouTube channel the Film Theorists taking this theory to a new level and expanding on it further, Variety asked Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon and series showrunner Scott Marder on their thoughts of that theory and the two explained that while it's a great theory, it's not the plan they have in mind for the character.

Rick and Morty: Is Mr. Poopybutthole the Next Villain?

"Shit. Well, now we can't do that, or he can sue us, right? Good job, internet! You blew it again!" Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon stated to Variety when asked about the Mr. Poopybutthole villain theory. "No, in all seriousness, I do love that guy so much; I want to encourage those kinds of theories. I love, love that stuff. I love him, particularly the amount of energy he puts into that stuff," Harmon stated. Marder added that while he thinks it's an interesting theory and that he "always love[s] what fans take and run with in any show" he clarified that it's "not their plan for him."

Rick and Morty Season 8 is currently in the works for a release with Adult Swim in 2025, and you can check out the first seven seasons of the series now streaming with Max and Hulu. Rick and Morty: The Anime will be hitting Adult Swim some time later this year, and will likely be introducing all kinds of unique new villains and characters to the wider multiverse for the franchise.

Do you think Mr. Poopybutthole would make a good Rick and Morty villain in the future? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on X (formerly known as Twitter)!

HT - Variety

Avatar: The Last Airbender debuted a new live-action take on elemental bending with its new series on Netflix, and fans have gotten to see a look at how they made it all happened with a new behind-the-scenes video! Avatar: The Last Airbender has been dominating Netflix's charts ever since it made its debut around the world last week, and fans are already sharing their hopes of seeing the series return for a new season. One of the major reasons why is how the new live-action series interprets the various bending styles of the original animated show.

Avatar: The Last Airbender fans have been sharing their love of how Netflix's series showcases its own take on the various bending styles, and it's a blend of visual effects and stunts that helped pull it all together. Sharing a better look at how Avatar: The Last Airbender brought all of its bending to life, Netflix has shared an in-depth behind the scenes video of the steps they took to bring the bending styles to life. You can check out the special Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender behind the scenes video below:

Will Avatar: The Last Airbender Get a Season 2?

It has yet to be announced if Avatar: The Last Airbender will be getting a second season as of the time of this writing. The end of the first season seems to drop some big cliffhangers for the future, however, and with all of the support the series has been getting on Netflix so far, there could very well be a new season of the series before long. For now, you can check out the original eight episode series on Netflix as it adapts the first season of Nickelodeon's original animated series.

ComicBook.com's own Megan Peters said the following about Avatar: The Last Airbender in our official review, "...Avatar: The Last Airbender deserves to move forward. The live-action adaptation is the antithesis of Hollywood's blighted attempt from years ago. The adaptation takes big risks with its changes, but they all serve the story in an authentic way. Despite its gritty aesthetic, Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender realizes a new and faithful take on Nickelodeon's greatest series, but if you are an Avatar purist, this bold adaptation might not be up your alley."

What did you think of the bending in Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Richard Lewis, the legendary comedian known for playing himself on Curb Your Enthusiasm, has died at age 76. Lewis revealed last year that he had Parkinson's Disease and was leaving stand-up. Deadline reports that Lewis died in his home last night after suffering a heart attack. His passing has since been confirmed by his publicist, Jeff Abraham. While Lewis had stopped performing live, he has been seen in the latest season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Lewis' death comes only about a week after appearing in the episode, "Vertical Drop, Horizontal Tug."

"His wife, Joyce Lapinsky, thanks everyone for all the love, friendship, and support and asks for privacy at this time," Abraham shared.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Englewood, New Jersey, Lewis got his start in comedy in 1971. Within a few years, Lewis had appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and became known for his "brutally honest" approach to stand-up, having been declared a "new breed" of comedian. Lewis' first acting gig came in 1979 when he starred in the TV movie Diary of a Young Comic. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Lewis became a well-known comic and made many appearances on big talk shows in addition to starring in his own comedy specials, including Richard Lewis: I'm in Pain, Richard Lewis: I'm Exhausted, Richard Lewis: I'm Doomed, and more.

Lewis' film credits also included The Wrong Guys (1988), Once Upon a Crime... (1992), Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), Drunks (1995), Leaving Las Vegas (1995), Game Day (1999), Vamps (2012), She's Funny That Way (2014), and more. Lewis was also known for starring in the sitcom Anything But Love opposite Jamie Lee Curtis, which ran for four seasons from 1989 to 2002. His television credits also included Daddy Dearest (1993), Tales From the Crypt (1994), Rude Awakening (1996), Alias (2003), Two and a Half Men (2004), 7th Heaven (2002-20024), The Dead Zone (2004), The Simpsons (2006), and more.

In addition to over 60 film and television credits and a longstanding stand-up career, Lewis was well known for appearing in all 12 seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm. He's been involved with the series since its inception in 1999 and played a huge role in the show's pilot, "The Pants Tent," in 2000. The show is coming to an end this year, but it's currently unclear how many more episodes will feature Lewis.

"Two years ago, I started walking a little stiffly. I was shuffling my feet and I went to a neurologist and they gave me a brain scan and I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. And that was two years ago," Lewis revealed last year. "But luckily, I got it late in life and they say it progresses very slowly if at all. And I'm on the right meds so I'm cool. I just wanted you to know that's where it's been at. I'm finished with stand up. I'm just focusing on writing and acting. I have Parkinson's Disease, but I'm under a doctor's care, and everything is cool. And I love my wife. I love my little puppy dog. And I love all my friends and my fans and now you know where it's been at the last three and a half years."

Many famous names in comedy have already posted about Lewis' passing, including Patton Oswalt, who shared a photo of the comedian on Instagram. Our thoughts are with Lewis' friends and family at this difficult time.

Photo by Tibrina Hobson/FilmMagic

Rick and Morty isn't done with Evil Morty yet - as series showrunners Dan Harmon and Scott Marder are now confirming in no uncertain terms.

Harmon and Marder are doing a deep-dive into Rick and Morty Season 7 (which finished its run in December and is streaming on Max), and painting a teaser-style roadmap into Season 8. During that talk with Variety, Marder states that when it comes to Evil Morty, "We can expect to see him in the future. We certainly have plans and grand designs with him, for sure."

That quote comes in the larger context of Harmon and Marder discussing the balance of the show, going forward. Harmon has maintained that he's still very much an anti-canonized, serialized, kind of storyteller, while Marder assured fans that Rick and Morty's advancement of core storylines in recent seasons won't be changing:

"[Season] Eight will have a lot of similar flow and vibes to six and seven, which is like a cool balance of silly and one-up canonical stuff," Marder said. "That's the stuff I want as a fan. And that's the stuff that Harmon and I work on all jammed together. I'm really proud of these last couple of seasons; they're sort of the perfect blend of what I look for as a fan."

SPOILERS: Rick and Morty seemingly made the evil version of Morty its primary villain, as far back as Season 1. He came into the show under the mask of being an Evil Rick's assistant, before a cliffhanger ending revealed it was Evil Morty who was the real wolf, hiding in sheep's clothing. In Season 3, fans got the surprise twist of an entire episode dedicated to Evil Morty, as he rose to power through a coup at the Citadel of Ricks. As "President Morty," Evil Morty lured Rick-137 and his Morty into a trap during the Season 5 finale, using the knowledge in Rick's head to complete a portal gun that helped him achieve his master plan: escaping the Finite Curve of reality that Rick sectioned off, where he is always the smartest man in the universe.

In Rick and Morty Season 7, we got another big shock twist: Evil Morty returned from his new home outside the reality curve and allied with Rick-137 and Morty to take out Rick Prime, the true canonical nemesis of the series. We got the full origin story of Evil Morty, and the episode ended with Evil Morty furthering his agenda: namely stealing Rick Prime's "Omega Device," which can erase a person from every reality.

With all that on the table going into Rick and Morty Season 8, fans should be prepared for Evil Morty's next move to be his biggest and best move yet - and it can only mean bad things for Rick and Morty.

Rick and Morty is streaming Season 1-7 on Max.

If you have been out of the loops for awhile, you should know AI is all over headlines these days. From generative artwork to copyright strikes, artificial intelligence has as many doubters as it does proponents. When it comes to the anime fandom, fans are admittedly wary of how AI could dull the industry, so all eyes are on Crunchyroll now that it is looking into the tech.

Recently, the president of Crunchyroll sat down with The Verge for an interview about all things tech. It was there Rahul Purini confirmed generative AI is being tested behind the scenes.

According to Purini, Crunchyroll is looking into how AI can bolster subtitling creation and closed captions. The internal tests are being done to "optimize processes" behind the scenes in an effort to release anime even closer to its Japanese release. Purini said AI could also become a tool to better suggest titles to users. And for employees, generative AI can be used to create different workflows.

As you can imagine, this confession has Crunchyroll users and anime fans doing double takes. It would put things lightly to say AI is controversial, and that stance is doubled in creative fields. AI and anime have not mixed well to date, so netizens are admittedly confused about why generative AI is being tested for subtitles.

After all, AI is still a juvenile tech, and subtitling is anything but easy. From translating to localizing, there is great nuance in subbing an anime. Back in October, Crunchyroll faced harsh criticism for its so-called lazy subtitles on The Yuzuki Family's Four Sons. After complaints were lodged, Crunchyroll fixed the subs, and the incident has fans on high alert. So as you can imagine, netizens aren't sure what to make of this latest confession.

What do you think about this Crunchyroll update? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

When it comes to Bleach, the shonen anime stands leagues above its peers. Back in the day, the hit series was often dubbed one of anime's biggest series, and creator Tite Kubo oversaw its solid start. Sadly, things for Bleach began to wobble in its later years as the anime indulged in filler content. These days, Bleach is back in business thanks to a special sequel, but it seems Kubo hasn't given up hope on the original series.

After all, Kubo reached out to fans recently through his blog where he often takes questions from fans. When asked about the legacy of Bleach's original anime, the creator said he would like to see a remake happen.

"I'd like to make that happen," he shared. Continuing, Kubo said he wants a Bleach remake that "faithfully follows the original work". So as you can imagine, the creator of Bleach is probably more eager in a remake than he's let on.

Of course, there are no official plans for Bleach to get a remake, but that doesn't mean the series is dead. The manga wrapped a few years ago, but not all of it was adapted for the screen. These days, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War is airing as a way to adapt the manga's final act. You can catch Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War on Disney+ as well as Hulu. And as for the manga, Viz Media oversees the publication of Bleach in English.

Want to know more about Bleach? No sweat! You can read up on the series below courtesy of its official synopsis:

"Ichigo Kurosaki never asked for the ability to see ghosts-he was born with the gift. When his family is attacked by a Hollow-a malevolent lost soul-Ichigo becomes a Soul Reaper, dedicating his life to protecting the innocent and helping the tortured spirits themselves find peace."

What do you think about this Bleach update? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

The third season of Hacks began production early last year but was briefly put on hold after Jean Smart had a health scare. The production was halted once again when the WGA and SAG strikes went into effect. However, the show has since been put back on track, and a new lineup of guest stars was recently revealed by Variety. The show's previous season saw some exciting additions, and the upcoming third season will be no exception.

According to the report, the third season of Hacks will feature appearances by Helen Hunt (Mad About You), Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), Dan Bucatinsky (Scandal), George Wallace (Clean Slate), and Tony Goldwyn (Scandal). You can read the official logline for the new season below:

"A year after parting, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) is riding high off the success of her standup special while Ava (Hannah Einbinder) pursues new opportunities back in Los Angeles."

In addition to Smart and Einbinder, the new season will also see the return of Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Kaitlin Olson, Christopher McDonald, Mark Indelicato, Rose Abdoo, and Lorenza Izzo. Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs will also be returning, and have been promoted to series regulars.

It was announced back in 2022 that Hacks had been renewed for Season 3 by HBO. The series stars Smart as an aging stand-up comedienne in Vegas, who takes on a spunky young assistant and co-writer (Einbinder).

"We congratulate Hacks' extraordinarily gifted executive producers and cast, and our partners at Universal Television," Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Content, HBO Max, said back then the show was renewed. "We are overjoyed at the audience and press response to the new season, and glad to give viewers more of this gorgeous, hilarious, moving show."

Erin Underhill, President of Universal Television added, "The first two seasons of Hacks - expertly crafted by Lucia, Paul and Jen -gave us beloved, complex characters who make us laugh and feel deeply. We're thrilled that our HBO Max partners have renewed this standout series for a third season, and we can't wait to see what's next for Deborah, Ava and the rest of our outstanding ensemble."

Hacks was created by Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello, and Jen Statsky, who all serve as showrunners. Since its debut, the show has won six Emmys.

Stay tuned for more updates about the upcoming season Hacks.

Hasbro has revealed that a Star Wars The Black Series Nite Owl figure inspired by the character that appeared in season 3 of The Mandalorian will launch as a Walmart Collector Con exclusive on March 14 at 7am PT / 10am ET. At the time of writing, we also expect that the Black Series R4-6D0 announced last October during Hasbro's 10/27 and MCM London Comic Con events will be among the Star Wars exclusives reserved for the upcoming Collector Con.

The Star Wars The Black Series Nite Owl and R4-6D0 figures will be available to order here at the Walmart Collector Shop after the launch time on March 14th priced at $24.99 each. Look for additional exclusives from Hasbro's Transformers, G.I. Joe, and Marvel Legends lineups to debut at the event. A preview of what will be up for grabs is set to be revealed via the Collector Shop link on March 7th.

From the official description: "STAR WARS fans and collectors can imagine scenes from the STAR WARS galaxy with this 6-inch STAR WARS: THE BLACK SERIES MANDALORIAN NITE OWL figure, inspired by the character's appearance in season 3 of STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN. A group of mostly female Mandalorian warriors spearheaded by Bo-Katan Kryze, the Nite Owls joined forces with Children of the Watch to reclaim Mandalore. Fans and collectors can display this fully articulated figure featuring premium detail and multiple points of articulation in their collection. Includes figure and 2 entertainment-inspired accessories including a jetpack and blaster."

A Mandalorian & Grogu Movie Is On The Way

Disney and Lucasfilm recently announced The Mandalorian & Grogu, a new Star Wars movie bringing Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin and his Mandalorian apprentice to the big screen with director Jon Favreau. The Mando movie will begin production this year and is further along than Dave Filoni's untitled New Republic movie and James Mangold's Dawn of the Jedi movie announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023. A Rey Skywalker movie is also in the works, that is being touted as having "a different direction":

"So I thought about it for a little bit and once I knew what the story was and everything, I knew it was something I really wanted to do," Ridley revealed to AlloCin?. "I think it's a really fantastic exploration of the Star Wars world. It's a really cool way of taking the story on in a bit of a different direction."

"That was actually quite last minute. I was actually making my own film last year and Kathy Kennedy said she wanted to have breakfast," Ridley detailed. "And I thought we were just having breakfast, so I was literally eating my breakfast, and she said, 'Oh, we might do another one.' I was like, '...Okay.'"

After seven seasons of Donovan drama on the streets of Los Angeles and New York, Paramount+ has ordered a European Ray Donovan spinoff series from director and executive producer Guy Ritchie. "Loosely based" on the Emmy-winning Showtime crime drama that starred Liev Schreiber as a professional Hollywood "fixer," The Donovans is based in London and follows a family of fixers who clean up -- and cover up -- messes of their high-profile clients. Top Boy creator Ronan Bennett scripted the 10-episode series set to premiere on Paramount+ later in 2024.

The synopsis: "With the most powerful clients in Europe, The Donovans will see family fortunes and reputations at risk, odd alliances unfold, and betrayal around every corner; and while the family might be London's most elite fixers today, the nature of their business means there is no guarantee what's in store tomorrow.

"We're going to deliver a show which provides massive thrills, entertainment and a huge rush of adrenaline for audiences around the world," Bennett said in a statement. "At the same time, I'm totally focused on exploring real characters, in body and in soul, and I'm committed to writing stories with deep dramatic impact. We're going to get under the skin of the criminal underworld, in a way which will show you the bone-deep truths of how they live and how it sometimes will - inevitably - impact on our own lives."

The Donovans is Ritchie's latest TV effort following his Netflix series The Gentlemen, a spinoff of his 2019 film of the same name, and Gracie, an upcoming ESPN Films docuseries described as an "epic family saga" about the Gracie family that developed Brazilian jiu jitsu.

Added Chris McCarthy, President of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios: "Guy Richie and Ronan Bennett are the ideal dream-team to create a new global hit franchise with The Donovans. Guy's riveting and stylish directorial approach combined with Ronan's captivating and brutally authentic writing will transfix audiences into a wild and twisted world full of new adventures."

Richie and Bennett serve as executive producers on The Donovans alongside Yellowstone EP David C. Glasser, who produced 1883, Lawmen: Bass Reeves, and the crime dramas Tulsa King and Mayor of Kingstown for Paramount+. Also on board as executive producers are Ron Burkle (Paramount+'s Special Ops: Lioness), Bob Yari (Showtime's Waco: The Aftermath), David Hutkin (Paramount+ original movie Finestkind), and Guy Ritchie producer Ivan Atkinson (Wrath of Man, The Covenant).

Ray Donovan spanned 82 episodes across seven seasons, and concluded with the Showtime original Ray Donovan: The Movie in 2020.

You can try Paramount+ with Showtime for free by signing up here.

Avatar: The Last Airbender has found a new home at Netflix, and we have its live-action adaptation to thank. After years of work, the project went live this month to solid reviews from fans. While critics were more reserved about the live-action feat, Avatar: The Last Airbender is a hit at Netflix, and all eyes are on its future. After all, many fans want a season two, and it seems like work is already underway on it.

The report comes from Forbes as the publication broke down Avatar: The Last Airbender's success in a feature. It was there Forbes said a source informed its team that season two of Avatar: The Last Airbender is already being written.

"While Netflix hasn't announced anything official yet... the second season of the show has already been worked on in the writers' room for several months now... it indicates faith that the show will be renewed," Forbes shared.

Of course, this update is hardly surprising. Netflix has put significant resources into Avatar: The Last Airbender. From its costuming to its visual effects, there is no denying the quality of Netflix's adaptation. The main gripe critics took with Avatar: The Last Airbender was its writing to be honest. So hopefully, the crew behind Netflix's writers room is listening.

Beyond the investment Netflix has made, Avatar: The Last Airbender has also performed very well. Not long ago, data from Netflix confirmed the show amassed over 21 million views in its first four days. This record thrust Avatar: The Last Airbender beyond Netflix's One Piece which earned 15 million views in its first four days. Plenty of people tuned in to Avatar: The Last Airbender upon its debut. And given One Piece's season two order, you can see why fans are confident in Avatar's chances.

If you have not seen Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix, the live-action series is available to watch now. As for the original show, you can catch the animated series on Paramount+ as well as Netflix. Next year, Avatar's animated series will make a comeback thanks to Nickelodeon. The team at Avatar Studios will release the show's first film in 2025 starring Aang and his friends as young adults.

What do you think about this latest Avatar update? Have you checked out the Netflix series yet? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

As Saturday Night Live nears its milestone 50th season, viewers of the live sketch comedy are wondering if Lorne Michaels will soon retire and pave the way for a new figurehead to the show. Amid speculation Tina Fey is someone who could take Michaels' spot overseeing Studio 8H, Adam Sandler says he doesn't think his former boss will ever retire.

"I don't see that happening," Sandler said in a recent chat with Entertainment Tonight. "I don't, maybe somebody said he might, but I talked to Lorne, I don't think he's saying enough. He's rocking. He loves it."

Michaels himself previously said he intends to stay with the show through its 50th season, hinting in 2021 talks were already happening to find a successor.

"You know, I think I'm committed to doing this show until its 50th anniversary, which is in three years," the producer told CBS Mornings at the time. "I'd like to see that through, and I have a feeling that'd be a really good time to leave. But ... I won't want the show ever to be bad. I care too deeply about it. It's been my life's work. So I'm going to do everything I can to see it carry on."

"Of course, I have a sense of where we're headed with that, you know," he added. When pressed for more information, he added "I'm not going to go on about it -- it's three years away."

Who is in the Saturday Night Live cast?

Cast members for Saturday Night Live season 49 include almost the entire cast from season 48 of SNL. Returning stars include Michael Che, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, James Austin Johnson, Punkie Johnson, Colin Jost, Ego Nwodim, Sarah Sherman, Kenan Thompson, and Bowen Yang. Featured players that are part of the cast include returning stars Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker, plus the show's only fully new cast member for the year, newcomer Chloe Troast. The comedy troupe Please Don't Destroy, made up of Ben Marshall, John Higgins, and Martin Herlihy, are also a recurring part of the series.

Saturday Night Live Season 49 is ongoing now with new episodes airing on both NBC and Peacock, starting Saturdays at 11:30 PM ET. All 48 seasons of Saturday Night Live are also now streaming on Peacock.

After a months-long delay due to the writers and actors strikes, the network TV season is in full swing, and that means hit shows like Abbott Elementary are back on our screens every week. While the series is just as funny as ever in its third season, there is one big difference caused by the timing of the strikes. Season 3 was planned to be a 22-episode season, as is the norm for popular network TV shows, but the strikes pushing the season premiere from September to February required some major changes in the writer's room, as the episode count went from 22 to 14.

With fewer episodes in Season 3, Abbott Elementary won't be exploring some of the individual stories that the show was able to focus on in Season 2. For example, many fans believed that Season 3 would give us some insight into Ava's life outside of school, like it did for Janine and Melissa. That won't be the case.

Speaking to TVLine, Abbott Elementary co-showrunner Justin Halpern was asked about the exploration of Ava's home life. He explained that the trimming down of the season's episode count resulted in a story that remains more focused on what actually happens at the school.

"When we were first planning out the big building blocks of 22 episodes, there was a lot of room to do [that]," Halpern said. "But now we have 14, and you don't have the ability to have that one episode that's like, 'Let's drill down on this one thing in this character's life!' But we do get into some stuff with [Ava] that I find really interesting."

Fortunately, there will be more time to explore Ava and other characters in Season 4. ABC has already renewed the Emmy-winning Abbott Elementary for a fourth installment.

What is Abbott Elementary About?

The synopsis for Abbott Elementary reads, "A workplace comedy following a group of dedicated, passionate teachers -- and a slightly tone-deaf principal --as they navigate the Philadelphia public school system. Despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life, and though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do -- even if they don't love the school district's less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children."

[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.] It took one episode for The Walking Dead to separate Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) -- and a single episode to bring them back together. Sunday's "Years" premiere of new series The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live spanned Rick's eight-year absence after the Civic Republic's army helicoptered him away back in season 9 of The Walking Dead, and the episode ended explosively when someone shot down Rick's chopper.

In a full-circle moment, a CRM helicopter came crashing down to reunite Rick and Michonne eight years after a CRM helicopter airlifted him up and away. It was a moment that fans have been waiting for since 2018 -- and one that network AMC wanted to prolong a little while longer.

"I saw people worrying [Rick and Michonne] were only going to meet in episode 6," Gurira, who co-created the six-episode series with Lincoln and showrunner Scott M. Gimple, said during a panel at New York's 92nd Street Y. Gimple penned the premiere's teleplay from a story he co-wrote with Gurira and Lincoln, with the three collaborators choosing to end the episode on a cliffhanger that will continue from Michonne's perspective in episode 2.

"There was a lot of tug of war -- not between us -- with that structure," franchise overseer Gimple said diplomatically. "It was AMC, I don't care," Gurira interjected to laughter.

Gurira, also an executive producer alongside Gimple and Lincoln, added that Dan McDermott, AMC's President of Entertainment and AMC Studios, conceded that the trio made the right decision to reunite Rick and Michonne at the end of the first episode. "'That was great what you guys decided to do with that,'" Gurira recalled, laughing. "It's like, 'Aren't you glad we didn't listen to you?'"

Gurira and Gimple explained the episode's ending in an interview with EW, saying that their decision to structure the Richonne reunion this way "made sense."

"Because we had to get into the meat of the story, which is: What happens when these two people who obviously have been changed by all this time apart come back together? What does that look like with this massive barrier and obstacle of the CRM being between them? How do they get through that? What is it going to be?" Gurira said. "We can't do that until we connect them."

She continued: "I love that the audience gets thrown by the fact that BOOM -- there she is! Just as they think Rick is settling and accepting the fact that Rick is basically broken and going to stay here and not fight it anymore -- just as they feel like they've lost him, he's found. In my mind, that's good drama. So I think that was what was behind the decision."

Eight years after the couple last saw each other at the bridge, Gimple added, "They look like two different people. They are two different people. And I don't mean from each other, I'm saying from themselves. They're different than when the audience last saw them and when they last saw each other. They're completely different people than who they were."

New episodes of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live premiere Sundays on AMC and AMC+. Stay tuned to ComicBook/TWD and follow on Facebook for more TWD Universe coverage.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is absolutely dominating Netflix around the world with the debut of its new live-action series adaptation, and one big moment proved that Kyoshi needs her own spin-off show next! Avatar: The Last Airbender fans have been waiting to see how the Netflix series would bring the classic animated original to life, and it's because there are some elements of the animated original fans were hoping to see more of. One of these aspects is more of the past Avatars before Aang, and the one with the most intriguing history of all happens to be Avatar Kyoshi.

Kyoshi has been a fan favorite among classic Avatar: The Last Airbender animated fans because of the impact she had on the original and how different of a ideology she had from Aang. It's gotten to the point where the years since have seen spin-off novels and comics fleshing out more of Kyoshi's life story, and after her live-action debut in the Netflix series, it's even more clear now that there is quite a lot of potential to explore with a solo spin-off show.

Why Kyoshi Needs an Avatar: The Last Airbender Spin-Off

Kyoshi makes her debut in Episode 2 of Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender as the first Avatar of the past that Aang comes into contact with on his journey. Wondering about the path he should take next, he seeks out her advice only for this past Avatar to chastise him for his lack of power and holding back aggression. As Aang continues to fight back against the idea that he needs to be the Avatar, Kyoshi decides to show him what the Avatar's power is truly capable of by taking over his body.

Avatar: The Last Airbender then showcases Kyoshi's command over all four elements through Aang's body, and through the series' later episodes it's revealed that Kyoshi's a much different Avatar than the others. It's clear that she has more extreme views on the use of her power, and it's why she was such a standout character in the original despite getting so little screen time. Now that this live-action version has brought her back to the spotlight, it's time to finally see more of that mysterious past in her own show.

Would you want to see Kyoshi get her own Avatar: The Last Airbender spin-off with Netflix? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on X (formerly known as Twitter)!

DC Universe announcements could be coming soon in a variety of formats. Taking a break from pre-production on Superman: Legacy, DC Studios boss James Gunn has spent some time Tuesday responding to fan questions on Threads. In one of the inquiries, a fan asked if more DCU announcements would take place either at San Diego Comic-Con or during a livestream.

"Those are our only two choices?" Gunn responded, hinting announcements could surface through means other than a Hall H panel or social media video.

Post by @jamesgunn

View on Threads

The fan question comes just days after Warner Bros. boss David Zaslav teased impending announcements regarding the franchise, though he didn't set a clear timetable on more announcements.

"I've had a glimpse into what James and Peter are doing, and it really does serve as an exciting indicator of where the new DC is headed under their leadership," Zaslav said in the company's latest earnings call. "There'll be more you'll hear from them in the months ahead...We'll have James and Peter take you through in the next few months a full spectrum of what they see over the next 10 years."

What Is Superman: Legacy About?

Per DC Studios, Superman: Legacy tells the story of Superman's journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and a better tomorrow, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.

"It's not an origin story," DC Studios co-head Peter Safran told reporters last year. "It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Superman represents truth, justice, and the American way. He has kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned."

The DC Universe officially kicks off with Creature Commandos, which has yet to set a release date, and Superman: Legacy, which enters theaters July 11, 2025.

What part of Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters excites you most? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter!

Tiny Toons Looniversity is coming back for Season 2, and has finally announced its release date for Max that will be hitting sooner than expected! Tiny Toons Looniversity debuted last year as Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery teamed up on a brand new rebooted take on the classic Tiny Toons Adventures animated series. This rebooted take offered new versions of Babs and Buster Bunny along with the rest of the second generation of toons, and ended its first season with fans hoping there would be more someday. Luckily, it's finally been confirmed that new episodes of the series will be coming soon.

Tiny Toons Looniversity is coming back for Season 2, and Warner Bros. Discovery has announced that Season 2A of the rebooted animated series will be streaming with Max beginning on March 8th. It has not been revealed how many episodes will be included the with the first half of this new season, but it has also been announced that a new special titled Tiny Toons Looniversity: Spring Break will be streaming on the same day as the new season so there will be plenty for fans to enjoy.

How to Watch Tiny Toons Looniversity

If you wanted to check out the first season of Tiny Toons Looniversity before the new episodes hit on March 8th, you can now stream the series with Max. Warner Bros. Animation and Amblin Television tease the reboot animated series as such, "At the esteemed institution of higher hijinx learning, they form long-lasting friendships with one another and perfect their cartoony craft while studying under the greatest cartoon characters in history, the Looney Tunes."

The voice cast for the series includes the likes of Ashleigh Hairston as Babs Bunny, Eric Bauza as Buster Bunny, David Errigo Jr. as Hamton J. Pig and Plucky Duck, and Tessa Netting as Sweetie Bird. They are joined by returning Looney Tunes mainstays such as Jeff Bergman as Bugs Bunny, Sylvester and Foghorn Leghorn, Bob Bergen as Porky Pig, Eric Bauza as Daffy Duck and Gosamer, Candi Milo as Dean Granny and Witch Hazel, Fred Tatasciore as Taz and Yosemite Sam, and Cree Summer returning to reprise Elmyra.

Will you be tuning into Tiny Toons Looniversity when Season 2 hits Max next month? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on X (formerly known as Twitter)!

The Harry Potter franchise has been a cultural juggernaut, with its initial series of films grossing billions of dollars at the box office. Last year, Warner Bros. Discovery announced plan to reimagine Harry Potter for a whole new generation, with a live-acton reboot television series in the works and eyeing a 2026 premiere date. Updates around the Harry Potter TV reboot have been few and far between thus far, but it sounds like the series might be one step closer to finding its showrunner.

According to a new report, Francesca Gardiner (Succession), Tom Moran (The Devil's Hour) and Kathleen Jordan (Teenage Bounty Hunters) are all in contention to lead the Harry Potter reboot. The report indicates that Gardiner, Moran, and Jordan will all have "the next couple of months" to fine-tune their pitches, with Warner Bros. planning to announce the showrunner at some point in June. Martha Hillier (The Last Kingdom) and Michael Lesslie (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) were also previously reported to have pitched on the project, but are no longer in contention.

What Will the Harry Potter Reboot Be About?

The Harry Potter television series would cover the entirety of J.K. Rowling's book series, with executives previously hinting they hope the series spans a decade. Rowling would be involved with the new series in some capacity to ensure that it "remains loyal to her original material."

"We have been trying to be very close to the vest," HBO chief Casey Bloys previously said of the search for a showrunner. "We haven't gone out to agencies. We have our own internal process where we've been thinking about people but we have not wanted to go out into the world. Now that the news is out there, we will start working with the Blair Partnership and we'll start going out to the business."

When Will the Harry Potter Reboot Be Released?

During a recent quarterly earnings call, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav indicated that the plan is for the Harry Potter reboot to premiere exclusively on Max at some point in 2026.

"We spent some real time with J.K. and her team," Zaslav added during the earnings call. "Both sides are just thrilled to be reigniting this franchise. Our conversations were great, and we couldn't be more excited about what's ahead. We can't wait to share a decade of new stories with fans around the world on Max."

Will Daniel Radcliffe Appear in the Harry Potter Reboot?

As original Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe told ComicBook.com last year, he doesn't think he will -- or probably should -- return in the Max reboot.

"My understanding is that they're trying to very much start fresh and I'm sure whoever is making them will want to make their own mark on it and probably not want to have to figure out how to get old Harry to cameo in this somewhere," Radcliffe confirmed with ComicBook.com. "So I'm definitely not seeking it out in any way. But I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world and I'm very excited to have that torch passed. But I don't think it needs me to physically pass it."

What do you think of the newest details surrounding the Harry Potter TV reboot? Who do you want to see showrun the series? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

h/t: Deadline

Prolific comic book writer Brian Michael Bendis is bringing some of his original creations to Prime Video. The former Marvel and DC writer has a lengthy catalog of titles not associated with the "Big Two" of comics, which all live under his Jinxworld comic book imprint at Dark Horse Comics. Along with his collaborators, Bendis has created the bounty hunter love story Jinx, the alternate-world gangster drama Murder Inc., and the equally gang-themed Pearl. According to Variety, all three comics are currently in development at Prime Video, with Brian Michael Bendis signing a first-look deal with Amazon. Bendis is an executive producer on all three projects, with co-creator Michael Avon Oeming also an executive producer on Murder Inc., and co-creator Michael Gaydos also an executive producer on Pearl.

"Brian has had immense success throughout his career, with a hand in some of the most culturally impactful comics in recent memory," said Nick Pepper, head of U.S. SVOD wholly owned development at Amazon MGM Studios. "We are thrilled that he is bringing his captivating storytelling to Amazon MGM Studios."

"I am thrilled to be part of Amazon's stellar lineup of storytellers," Brian Michael Bendis added in a statement. "Their vision for the future of media is SO damn exciting, and they have already honored us with these incredible showrunning partners. The readers have been cheering our original Jinxworld creations on from the get-go, and we are so excited to take them to a screen near you."

Bendis' comics resume also includes co-creating the fan-favorite characters Miles Morales, Jessica Jones, Maria Hill, and Riri Williams for Marvel Comics, and Naomi for DC. One of his previous creations with Michael Avon Oeming, Powers, was previously developed into a TV series for PlayStation Network.

What are Brian Michael Bendis' Jinx, Murder Inc., and Pearl about?

Amazon provided descriptions for Jinx, Murder Inc., and Pearl. Executive produced by Brian Michael Bendis with showrunners Ayelet Waldman and Michael Chabon (Star Trek: Picard, Unbelievable), Jinx is a crime-ridden love story unfolding on a high stakes treasure hunt. Our players are: Jinx Alameda, a bounty hunter at the top of her game who's tired of her grimy life; Goldfish, a charming con man and wanted felon who falls head over heels for Jinx; and Columbia, Goldfish's loose-cannon partner, who has big criminal dreams. Their paths join when they're pulled into a search for missing mob money -- a payout so big that it lures them away from the familiar streets of Cleveland, into a dangerous, unpredictable misadventure that will change the course of their lives.

Murder Inc. has Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming (Powers) as executive producers, with Tze Chun (I'm a Virgo) set as the showrunner. Set in an alternate world where five families never lost their stranglehold on the country, Murder Inc. follows Valentine Gallo, a newly "made man" whose first task for the mob ends with an explosion--sending him on the run from rival gangsters and the CIA, according to its logline. Dragged into the fray is Jagger Rose, a normally cool, young hit-woman who was tasked with supervising Valentine, and has wound up with a target on her back too. Just when Valentine thinks his initiation into organized crime couldn't be more of a disaster, he learns that his mother is conspiring with the FBI, and has promised them-since his birth-that he'll be an informant. That was definitely not his plan. But for now, he and Jagger need to find a way to come together and fight for control of their territory, and their fate.

Finally, Bendis, Michael Gaydos (Jessica Jones), and showrunner Chris Collins (The Man in the High Castle) are the executive producers of Pearl. The description states that Pearl is about Pearl Tanaka, an outsider among outsiders -- a Japanese American with albinism, born into a world ruled by the American yakuza. Now she uses her unequaled skills as a tattoo artist to make an honest living in San Francisco. That all changes the day that she meets another tattoo artist, Rick Araki, and saves his life. Rick has made enemies of a different yakuza clan, and by interfering with their hit on him, Pearl might just have ignited a deadly gang war. And worse, Pearl has inadvertently revealed to her yakuza bosses one of her deepest secrets: she has a real talent for killing. Now, to pay off her debt, she must become their assassin.

When Morales nicknamed Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) "helicopter boy" on the first season of The Walking Dead, the moniker referred to the sheriff's deputy's attempt to flag down a helicopter he saw flying over downtown Atlanta in the early days of the zombie apocalypse. Call it prescience. Call it coincidence. But eight years after an injured Rick was airlifted away aboard a Civic Republic Military chopper, "helicopter boy" moved through the ranks to become Sergeant Major Rick Grimes: a CRM soldier and helicopter pilot.

CRM Lt. Col. Donald Okafor (Craig Tate) recruited and trained Rick to change the secret army that helicoptered him away from his wife Michonne (Danai Gurira) and daughter Judith on season 9 of The Walking Dead -- a mission made possible after Jadis/Anne (Pollyanna McIntosh) saved Rick's life by handing him over to the CRM. While Jadis was ultimately the link between Rick and this expanded world over on The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, helicopters have been a recurring motif going back to the very first episode of The Walking Dead.

Season 1 Episode 1: "Days Gone Bye"

After waking up in an abandoned hospital, Rick walked past a graveyard of military vehicles and aircraft -- including a black helicopter. Rick later saw the reflection of an operational helicopter when he rode into zombie-overrun Atlanta on horseback.

Season 2 Episode 13: "Beside the Dying Fire"

The season 2 finale began with a walker herd forming on the streets of Atlanta after trailing the helicopter that Rick saw in the pilot. The herd eventually made its way to rural Georgia to overrun and destroy the Greene family farm.

Season 3 Episode 3: "Walk With Me"

The Governor (David Morrissey) of Woodbury came across a crashed National Guard helicopter that Michonne and Andrea (Laurie Holden) watched go down in smoke.

Season 4 Episode 1: "30 Days Without an Accident"

After Rick's group settled into the prison, Michonne, Daryl (Norman Reedus), Glenn (Steven Yeun) and others went on a supply run into a Big Spot store with a crashed helicopter on its roof that eventually gave way to falling walkers.

Season 7 Episode 10: "New Best Friends"

When Rick first encountered Jadis and the Scavengers at the junkyard, eagle-eyed viewers spotted two background details: a helipad among the heaps and a flying object that some speculated was a helicopter. Savior Simon (Steven Ogg) later questioned Jadis about the helipad in the season 8 episode "The Lost and the Plunderers," which marked the first appearance of the three-ring symbol that we later learned represented the CRM and the Alliance of the Three.

Season 8 Episode 5: "The Big Scary U"

Rick was en route to Jadis' junkyard when he heard and then briefly saw a black helicopter fly overhead before disappearing behind the trees.

Season 8 Episode 14: "Still Gotta Mean Something"

The three-ring symbol was visible on the helicopter that Jadis summoned to the junkyard where she planned to trade Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) for extraction. After a struggle ensued and her flare snuffed out, the CRM helicopter turned around and left without its pickups.

Season 9 Episode 2: "The Bridge"

19 months after Jadis assimilated into the Alexandria Safe-Zone, she was on lookout duty when she saw lights and heard the whirring blades of a circling helicopter in the night sky.

Season 9 Episode 3: "Warning Signs"

When Saviors started going missing and then turning up dead, Jadis was suspected to be the culprit. She tried to convince Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) to run away with her to "another place": the first indirect mention of the Civic Republic. "It's far from here, but if we go together, we can get there. It can be different for us. There's only one thing. You can't tell anyone," she told Gabriel of the hidden city of 200,000 survivors eventually revealed on The Walking Dead: World Beyond. "But if you can trust me, and help me with one small part of the deal, we can have a life like you can't imagine."

But Gabriel was going to alert Rick that she'd been trading people, so Jadis knocked him unconscious and told Gabriel: "And all this time... I thought you were a B."

Season 9 Episode 4: "The Obliged"

After designating a captive Rick and Negan as "A's," Jadis planned to have Gabriel bitten by a walker and trade him to the helicopter after she was told extraction required an "A." She ultimately spared Gabriel and abandoned the junkyard.

Season 9 Episode 5: "What Comes After"

Rick was bucked off his horse and impaled on a rebar pipe while trying to reroute a walker herd in "The Obliged." As he passed in and out of consciousness, Rick's hallucinations brought him back to the hospital where he woke up after the outbreak. Outside his window was a flock of helicopters foreshadowing his fateful airlift.

Season 9 Episode 5: "What Comes After"

Rick washed up on a riverbed after blowing up his bridge to save the communities from being overrun and destroyed by a walker herd. Jadis found him and radioed the helicopter pilot: "I have a 'B.' Not an 'A.' I never had an 'A.' He's hurt, but he's strong. Can you help him?" She then insisted that she was trying to save a friend who saved her... and the CRM helicopter airlifted Rick from Virginia to a military hospital at the Civic Republic of Philadelphia. After multiple failed escape attempts, Rick spent the next six years working in consignment on the outskirts of the city, and another two years training as a soldier and pilot in the Civic Republic's military.

Read our rundown on everything you need to know about the CRM, our Rick & Michonne timeline explainer, and our recap about Rick's eight-year disappearance. Stay tuned to ComicBook/TWD and follow on Facebook for more TWD Universe coverage.

One Piece has been around for decades now, and its cast has kept steady since day one. Few of the main players in the One Piece anime have tagged out since the start. Of course, fans have long admired this consistency though some have wondered privately how One Piece will continue when its leads retire. And after a recent episode, Japanese netizens made their worries public about Franky's voice actor.

The situation, as detailed by Jisin, came to light when One Piece fans hit social media after One Piece began its new arc. The site documents reactions to episode 1090 as it followed Franky and Jinbei argue over the steering the Thousand Sunny. When forced to take the helm, Franky said he's "gotta do it", and the line stirred up fans.

After all, netizens say Franky's line was downright hard to understand. The scene wasn't articulate in terms of line delivery, and other fans went on to question its quiet volume. Taking to social media, netizens began speculating whether actor Kabuki Yao is doing alright.

"Franky, or rather Kazuki Yao's performance, seemed quite taxing. Is he okay," one fan asked. In recent weeks, this concern has continued on social media has netizens say Kazuki's performance has yet to improve between episodes 1090 and 1094. And given Franky's role in the Egghead Island arc to date, he has some big moments coming up.

Of course, fans are wishing Kazuki the best as his work as Franky moves forward. It isn't easy acting, and Kazuki has been at the gig for decades. The 64-year-old actor began working around 1970, and he's worked on a number of high-profile shows. From Mobile Suit Gundam to Death Note and Hunter x Hunter, Kazuki is no stranger to acting. Of course, his work with One Piece stands firm as he's overseen characters like Franky and Bon Clay for ages. So hopefully, his performance as Franky gets back to normal before long.

If you are not caught up with One Piece these days, the anime is easy to watch. From Netflix to Hulu and Crunchyroll, the One Piece anime is everywhere. So for more information on the hit series, you can read its official synopsis below:

"Monkey. D. Luffy refuses to let anyone or anything stand in the way of his quest to become the king of all pirates. With a course charted for the treacherous waters of the Grand Line and beyond, this is one captain who'll never give up until he's claimed the greatest treasure on Earth: the Legendary One Piece!"

What do you think about this latest One Piece debacle? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Sh?gun is now streaming on FX on Hulu, and there's a lot of hype surrounding the show after the first glowing reviews called it the next Game of Thrones. With many viewers coming to Shogun expecting the next big mainstream TV series hit, they may be surprised to find out that much of the series features Japanese dialogue conveyed through English subtitles.

So is there an option to watch Shogun with an English Dub instead of subtitles?

In short answer: Yes. yes there is.

How to Watch Sh?gun English Language Dub

If you want to watch Sh?gun with English Dub voices instead of the Japanese dialogue and subtitles, you just have to select that option from the menu on Hulu. The homepage for Shogun actually offers the main "Episodes" column for the standard Japanese subtitled version of the show, and then an "English Dub" column that offers the dubbed version of the series. There is also an additional column for the official podcast attached to Shogun - although, you can also get that here on our ComicBook Nation podcast!

Obviously, cinephiles and "purists" will want to advocate for the Japanese dialogue version - but it is a smart move on the part of FX and Hulu to make the English Dub available, as well. Since 2020 and the Squid Game phenomenon, television productions from the Eastern region (Japan, China, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, India) have garnered exponentially more fame. Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming platforms have offered English Dub options to a lot of those TV shows and movie imports; a show like Shogun, with this much hype behind it, definitely wants to appeal to the widest audience possible - and language shouldn't be a barrier.

The two lead actors of Shogun - Cosmo Jarvis and Hiroyuki Sanada - told ComicBook.com that actors overcoming their language barriers during production only helped to enhance their performances in the show:

"In the beginning, despite the language barrier that was prevalent in the beginning, it was a good thing to use to the advantage of the scenes... because that's what they demanded," Cosmo Jarvis explained. "So there was a lot of just communicating without using language, which was very useful."

Sh?gun: How to Stream + Cast & Crew Info

Sh?gun will be a 10-episode limited series and is now streaming on Hulu.

Shogun stars Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis, Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano, Hiroto Kanai, Takehiro Hira, Moeka Hoshi, Tokuma Nishioka, Shinnosuke Abe, Yuki Kura and Fumi Nikaido. It was created for television by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks - with Marks serving as showrunner and executive producer. Michaela Clavell, Edward L. McDonnell, Michael De Lu and Kondo all executive produce, and Hiroyuki Sanada also serves as a producer.

Sh?gun will premiere on FX on February 27th.

It's happening, like it or not. Years ago, Hollywood made an infamous misstep with Avatar: The Last Airbender with a live-action movie. Now, Netflix has reclaimed the show with an impressive live-action adaptation. The show has been met with mostly favorable reviews, and now, Netflix has confirmed the adaptation racked in some serious ratings after going live.

The update comes from Netflix as the company released its data on Avatar: The Last Airbender. It turns out season one earned 21.2 million views globally in its first four days. That number pushes past Netflix's One Piece last year. Back in August, the live-action anime drew in 18.5 million views which was impressive to say the least. So of course, you can imagine Team Avatar is stoked right now.

Adding on to those ratings, Netflix confirmed Avatar: The Last Airbender is the #1 show in the world on its platform. This information tracks given what we've seen from Netflix's Top 10 charts. The adaptation topped Netflix's chart in 84 different countries. There is no denying the power of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and fans are enjoying the view.

Of course, Avatar: The Last Airbender has a long way to go if it wants to live up to Netflix's most famous originals. Squid Game still reigns supreme at Netflix as fans watched 1.6 billion hours of the series in its first 28 days of release. Stranger Things season four followed with 1.3 billion hours watched while Wednesday, Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, and Money Heist followed.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is no doubt a solid reimagining of the original series, and interest in the animated show has risen in the wake of Netflix's release. It is satisfying to see the Avatar Universe make a comeback after so many years lying low. As far as this adaptation goes, well - the future is unclear. No word has been given on Avatar: The Last Airbender season two, but reception to Netflix's series has been pretty solid. And if One Piece earned a season two order with its ratings, it is hard to see Avatar: The Last Airbender fading into black.

What do you think about Netflix's latest original? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Last week Halo brought the epic fall of Reach to life, and now the survivors of the Covenant's invasion aren't getting much of a chance to breathe. That goes double for Soren and Laera, who are trying to locate their son Kessler. Kwan managed to get Kessler away from those who betrayed Soren earlier this season, but now it's time to reunite their family, and we've got an exclusive clip of their journey to that reunion right here. In the clip, Soren and Laera confront someone who might know their son's whereabouts, and though this person isn't very forthcoming, Soren lets him know very quickly that his decision is a mistake. You can watch the exclusive clip in the video above.

Soren (Bokeem Woodbine) and Laera (Fiona O'Shaughnessy) have been a part for much of season 2, as Soren was betrayed and turned into ONI and James Ackerson. He was taken to Reach, which led to a reunion of sorts, as Ackerson had Soren put in the same cell as Halsey (Natascha McElhone), who he had been searching for previously.

While he has been searching for Halsey, Soren ends up having to work with her to make it out of Reach after the Covenant attack, and they eventually do make it out of the facility. They end up running into Master Chief and Silver Team, who are defending the transports that are evacuating civilians. They manage to protect them but then are left behind to make their last stand on Reach, which is where episode four ends.

Now the questions become what happens to the remaining members of the group, and will they make it out of Reach? The clip suggests that is the case, at least for Soren and Laera, and we don't have to wait too much longer for more answers. In the meantime, you can find the official description for Halo season 2 below.

"In season two, Master Chief John-117 leads his team of elite Spartans against the alien threat known as the Covenant. In the wake of a shocking event on a desolate planet, John cannot shake the feeling that his war is about to change and risks everything to prove what no one else will believe - that the Covenant are preparing to attack humanity's greatest stronghold. With the galaxy on the brink, John embarks on a journey to find the key to humankind's salvation, or its extinction - the Halo."

Halo stars Pablo Schreiber (American Gods) as Master Chief, John-117, and Natascha McElhone (Californication) as Dr. Halsey, who both serve as producers this season. Additional returning cast members include Jen Taylor (HALO game series, RWBY) as Cortana, Bokeem Woodbine (Fargo), Shabana Azmi (Fire), Natasha Culzac (The Witcher), Olive Gray (Half Moon Investigations), Yerin Ha (Reef Break), Bentley Kalu (Avengers: Age of Ultron), Kate Kennedy (Catastrophe), Charlie Murphy (Peaky Blinders), and Danny Sapani (Penny Dreadful). This season's new cast additions include Joseph Morgan (Vampire Diaries, The Originals) and Cristina Rodlo (No One Gets Out of Here Alive, The Homeless World Cup)."

What have you thought of Halo season 2 so far? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things gaming with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

There is no denying the might of Crunchyroll. The streaming service is the go-to home of anime online, and that title was solidified a few years back with Funimation's help. The latter announced it was being folded into Crunchyroll under Sony's umbrella, and now that merger is nearly done. On April 2nd, Funimation will sunset its services, and Crunchyroll made headlines as it revealed Funimation users' digital libraries will not be supported. So in a recent interview, Crunchyroll president Rahul Purini addressed the situation.

Speaking with Verge, Purini talked about the nuances of Funimation's inlay at Crunchyroll. It was there the president said the company plans to compensate users who lose their digital libraries in this final merger.

"It could be that they get access to a digital copy on any of the existing other services where they might be able to access it. It could be a discount access to our subscription service so they can get access to the same shows through our subscription service," Purini shared when asked about the potential compensation for users.

Of course, no official word has been shared by Crunchyroll on compensation for Funimation users. For years, anime fans would split their fandom funds between Crunchyroll and Funimation given their hold on the industry. The two brands worked together on streaming deals well before Sony moved to merge Crunchyroll and Funimation. With this merger nearly complete, Crunchyroll will be the de facto face of anime streaming, but Funimation spent decades building a fanbase. For those fans, their digital libraries are sacred, so you can imagine how upset they were to learn Crunchyroll would not be supporting these collections. Headlines about the migration quickly went viral online as television lovers reiterated the important of physical media.

Now, Crunchyroll's president has responded to the situation. It is still unclear how Funimation users with digital libraries will be compensated if at all for the loss. Crunchyroll has until April to follow up with fans before Funimation's services close. So hopefully, we get official word before long.

What do you make of this anime ordeal? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Eugene Levy, the beloved character actor and comedian who starred in Schitt's Creek, will team with his fellow SCTV veteran Martin Short for the upcoming, fourth season of Only Murders in the Building. The acclaimed series, which also stars Steve Martin and Selena Gomez, will pick up its fourth season right where its third left off: Sazz (Jane Lynch) has just been killed...in Charles-Haden Savage's (Steve Martin) apartment, presumably making him a major person of interest in the case.

Levy's character will be a recurring guest, along with newcomers to the show Eva Longoria and Molly Shannon. The specifics of Levy's role are being kept secret, per Variety, who first broke the news of his casting.

Short, Martin, and Levy all previously appeared together in 1991's Father of the Bride and 1995's Father of the Bride Part II. Both Martin and Levy also appeared on Primetime Glick, Short's fake talk show on Comedy Central, which ran from 2001-2003.

Besides Schitt's Creek, Levy has been a beloved comic actor for decades, appearing in movies as diverse as Splash, American Pie, Best in Show, and Josie and the Pussycats (in which he played a parody version of himself). Besides being a talented actor and comedian, Levy is a writer, having co-created Schitt's Creek with his son Dan Levy.

Here's the series' official synopsis via Hulu: "From the minds of Steve Martin, Dan Fogelman and John Hoffman comes a comedy murder-mystery series for the ages. Only Murders In the Building follows three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder and employs their precise knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth.

"As they record a podcast of their own to document the case, the three unravel the complex secrets of the building which stretch back years. Perhaps even more explosive are the lies they tell one another. Soon, the endangered trio comes to realize a killer might be living amongst them as they race to decipher the mounting clues before it's too late."

The X-Files creator Chris Carter first brought back the series for new episodes in 2016 and then delivered another season in 2018, with the filmmaker revealing that he'd be open to exploring more adventures in the world of paranormal investigating if stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson were interested in returning. With nearly six years having passed and there having been no momentum on more episodes, along with Anderson distancing herself from the franchise, this would make such a possibility unlikely, though it might come as a relief that Carter is seemingly uninterested unless the original stars were involved. Black Panther director Ryan Coogler is currently developing a new take on the concept.

When asked by TheWrap if he would be interested in another season, Carter admitted, "Oh, if David and Gillian wanted to do it again. Yeah, probably, then I would be inspired."

The series debuted in 1993, a time in which the public was growing more interested in things like UFOs, aliens, crop circles, and all things paranormal. The tech-forward concept also coincided with public access to the Internet, making a perfect storm of a compelling sci-fi series that reflected the niche interests of its audience. The series grew so popular that, between Seasons 5 and 6, the movie The X-Files: Fight the Future hit the big screen.

In Season 7, Duchovny left the series and Robert Patrick joined the fray as John Doggett, though Duchovny's Mulder would ultimately return for episodes in its ninth and final season. The X-Files series finale aired in May of 2002, yet earned another feature film in 2008. Both Duchovny and Anderson starred in that film, while also starring in its two revival seasons.

When looking back on the project, Carter confirms that it was the chemistry between Duchovny and Anderson that solidified its legacy.

"People ask the reasons for its success and the answer I give to them is David and Gillian," Carter detailed. "If it weren't for that relationship, and the actors who portrayed Mulder and Scully, the show would not have been the hit it became."

The Season 11 finale revealed to audiences that Scully's son William, who we were led to believe was also Mulder's son, was actually the result of Scully having been drugged and impregnated by the Cigarette-Smoking Man, disappointing not only longtime viewers, but even Anderson herself. Back in 2022, she expressed how she had moved passed the series and would only be somewhat interested if the material was approached by a fresh set of filmmakers.

"It just feels like such an old idea. I've done it, I did it for so many years, and it also ended on such an unfortunate note," Anderson shared with Variety at the time. "In order to even begin to have that conversation [about another season] there would need to be a whole new set of writers and the baton would need to be handed on for it to feel like it was new and progressive. So yeah, it's very much in the past."

Stay tuned for updates on the future of The X-Files.

Would you like to see Mulder and Scully return? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

The X-Files creator Chris Carter has been an integral component of the series in all its iterations over the last few decades, and with Black Panther director Ryan Coogler set to revive the concept in a new take on the material, Carter confirmed he has given the project his blessing. The filmmaker admitted that, since The Walt Disney Company owned the rights to the franchise, Coogler and company didn't have to seek approval to reimagine the material, though that he will serve as a cheerleader and support whatever form the new project takes. Even without seeking Carter's approval, he admitted that he was "honored" that he was contacted at all about the project.

"I'm not supposed to be talking about it, according to Disney. But I'll tell you, yes. I've had a conversation with him. Yes, he likes to go with a diverse cast. And he's got some good ideas," Carter shared with TheWrap about whether he has spoken to Coogler about the project. In regards to whether he'll get involved in the project in any capacity, he confirmed, "I wouldn't. Only as a cheerleader. They don't need my blessing. 20th Century Fox and Disney owns the show. They are free to do with it what they believe. I'm honored that they came to me and asked me, not for my permission, but my blessing."

The X-Files premiered in 1993 and starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as special FBI agents tasked with investigating seemingly paranormal cases that the rest of the Bureau might not be equipped to exploring. The series earned a total of 11 seasons and two feature films, while also pivoting into other mediums to continue to explore the worlds of these characters. The show also inspired the spin-off series The Lone Gunmen, and while not initially conceived of as a spinoff, Carter's TV series Millennium would ultimately cross over with The X-Files.

As far as whether Carter will watch the new take on the material merely as a fan, he confirmed, "Sure. Yeah. I'm curious. It's not the easiest show to write because of the subject matter. It's not like Law & Order, where you have the crime of the week. You have to imagine 'what if' and that 'what if' is oftentimes hard to tackle."

Few details about the upcoming The X-Files have been revealed, so it's unknown when audiences can expect the project to be released.

What do you think of the filmmaker's remarks? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

"What kind of man wields power in a land like this?" That's the question in Sh?gun, FX's adaptation of James Clavell's bestselling novel that inspired the 1980 mini-series of the same name. Set in feudal Japan, the historical epic starring Hiroyuki Sanada (Mortal Kombat), Anna Sawai (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters), and Cosmo Jarvis (Raised by Wolves) received rave reviews: the limited series has a rare 100% approval from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Below, we've rounded up everything you need to know about when and where to watch Sh?gun.

Shogun Release Time

Sh?gun premieres Tuesday, February 27, at 10 p.m. ET on FX. Episodes 1 and 2 are available to stream now on FX on Hulu and Disney+.

Where to Stream Shogun

New episodes of Sh?gun are available to stream weekly on Tuesdays on Hulu and Disney+ in the United States. The series is streaming via Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ in all other territories. Also available on Hulu are the Sh?gun (English dub) versions
and the first two installments of the official Sh?gun podcast.

Shogun Episode 1 and Episode 2

Sh?gun episode 1, "Anjin": "Destinies converge in Japan after a barbarian ship washes ashore in a poor fishing village. Meanwhile, in Osaka, Lord Toranaga finds himself outplayed by his enemies."

Sh?gun episode 2, "Servants of Two Masters": "Blackthorne's arrival in Osaka stirs up a hornet's nest of rivalries. Mariko is trapped between her cause and her faith when she must translate for the barbarian in Lord Toranaga's custody."

How Many Episodes Is Shogun?

Sh?gun is a 10-episode event series.

Shogun Episodes Release Schedule

Episode 1: "Anjin" -- February 27

Episode 2: "Servant of Two Masters" -- February 27

Episode 3: "Tomorrow Is Tomorrow" -- March 5

Episode 4: "The Eightfold Fence" -- March 12

Episode 5: "Broken to the Fist" -- March 19

Episode 6: "TBA" -- March 26

Episode 7: "TBA" -- April 2

Episode 8: "TBA" -- April 9

Episode 9: "TBA" -- April 16

Episode 10: "TBA" -- April 23

What Is Shogun About?

Sh?gun is set in Japan in the year 1600 at the dawn of a century-defining civil war. Sanada stars as "Lord Yoshii Toranaga" who is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him. When a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village, its English pilot, John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), comes bearing secrets that could help Toranaga tip the scales of power and devastate the formidable influence of Blackthorne's own enemies -- the Jesuit priests and Portuguese merchants. Toranaga's and Blackthorne's fates become inextricably tied to their translator, Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai), a mysterious Christian noblewoman and the last of a disgraced line. While serving her lord amidst this fraught political landscape, Mariko must reconcile her newfound companionship with Blackthorne, her commitment to the faith that saved her and her duty to her late father.

Shogun Series Cast

Along with Sanada, Sawai, and Jarvis, Sh?gun features an acclaimed Japanese cast that includes Tadanobu Asano as Kashigi Yabushige, a notorious backstabber and close ally of Toranaga; Hiroto Kanai as Kashigi Omi, the young leader of the fishing village where Blackthorne's ship was found; Takehiro Hira as Ishido Kazunari, a powerful bureaucrat who is Toranaga's chief rival; Moeka Hoshi as Usami Fuji, a widow who must find new purpose amidst her lord's fight; Tokuma Nishioka as Toda Hiromatsu, Toranaga's trusted general and closest friend; Shinnosuke Abe as Toda Hirokatsu, a.k.a. Buntaro, a stoic samurai and Mariko's jealous husband; Yuki Kura as Yoshii Nagakado, the brash son of Toranaga with a strong desire to prove himself; Yuka Kouri as Kiku, a courtesan renowned for her artistry throughout Japan; and Fumi Nikaido as Ochiba no Kata, the revered mother of the heir who will stop at nothing to put an end to Toranaga and his threat to her son's power.

The crew of Mac, Axle, Brights, Spark, Coop, and Sidecar are the ultimate team, but even they have some issues when facing a transporter that's also a T-Rex! Mattel's Hot Wheels Let's Race hits Netflix soon, and we've got an exclusive first-look clip to get you hyped for the premiere right here! The Ultimate T-Rex Transporter is running amok in Hot Wheels City, and it will take some quick thinking and teamwork to stop its rampage. Unfortunately, not everyone is on the same page at first, but luckily the team finds a perfect way to distract the T-Rex from eating more cars. When you have a car that looks like a giant hamburger and fries, you use it! You can watch the full clip and find the official description for Hot Wheels Let's Race below.

"Inspired by Hot Wheels, the number-one selling toy globally, Hot Wheels Let's Race is an action-packed comedy series for kids, and follows the newest generation of racers: Coop, Spark, Mac, Brights, Axle, and Sidecar as they attend a racing camp that always puts the pedal to the metal. Through mind-blowing races, extreme stunt contests, and thrill-seeking challenges, Hot Wheels Let's Race is a show that kids and the whole family can enjoy."

"Between the show's characters, propulsive cars, and pulse-pounding music, we want to make audiences feel like they're literally gripping the wheel for an unforgettable ride with Hot Wheels Let's Race," said Rob David, Vice President of Content Creative at Mattel Television Studios and Executive Producer of Hot Wheels Let's Race. "Patrick is a one-of-a-kind musical talent, and generous collaborator. We are so lucky to have him as part of the Let's Race family."

Hot Wheels Let's Race stars Jakari Fraser (Coop), Amari McCoy (Spark), Griffen Campbell (Mac), Risa Mei (Brights), Josh Keaton (Axle), and Charlie Schlatter (Sidecar), and was developed for television by Rob David, Vice President, Content Creative at Mattel Television Studios (Masters of the Universe: Revolution, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Melanie Shannon, Senior Manager, Creative Content at Mattel Television Studios (He-Man and the Masters of the Universe), and Jordan Gershowitz (Sharkdog).

Executive Producers include Rob David, Christopher Keenan (Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go) and Fred Soulie (Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge), with Mike Roberts (Final Space) as Creative Producer and Diane A Crea (Barbie: Epic Road Trip) as Senior Producer. The animation for the series was created by Sprite Animation Studios and OLM Digital.

Hot Wheels Let's Race lands on Netflix on March 4th.

What did you think of the clip and are you excited for the series? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things animation with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

With virutally all of its competition struggling to make ends meet in a competitive streaming space, Netflix is expected to expand its control of the market this year -- and probably to increase its prices to match. That's according to market analysts from UBS Securities, who say in a new Variety article that they expect Netflix to "take a bigger bite out of overall TV viewing" in 2024. Since this is a theoretical hike, it's hard to say when or how much it would be, assuming it actually does happen -- but the idea of Netflix hiking prices is not exactly new.

Last year, Netflix rolled out its first-ever ad-supported tier, which it can now point to as a lower-cost alternative when users complain about price hikes. More recently, Amazon's Prime Video incorporated ads into its standard plan, asking fans who wanted an ad-free experience to pay more. In general, streaming seems to be moving toward FAST (free, ad-supported television) models. So, basically, it's just like when you would record something to your DVR -- except now you can't fast-forward through the ads.

Last October, Netflix increased the price of the Basic plan from $9.99 to $11.99 per month in the U.S. They also hiked prices in some European markets. Per the Variety story, executives at the streamer have not articulated any plans for a rate increase soon, but they have also declined to take the idea off the table.

In June of 2023 -- that's four months prior to the October price increase -- the streamer had claimed they didn't have plans to increase prices again for a year. That's because in addition to introducing ads, Netflix also rolled out a plan to goose revenue by charging its existing users to share their passwords with family members living outside the main house where Netflix is registered.

Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters said in the company's Q4 earnings call that "saw that as a form of substitute price increase," but that now that the program is fully rolled out, they're going to be more or less back to normal.

And because this is how things work on Wall Street, UBS characterized the likely price hike as good news, designating Netflix's stock as a "buy." They explained that the price hike might not be popular, but will likely be tolerated by the audience, because Netflix is so popular and so widely used that people tend to think they're getting value for the money. Nielsen data indicated that Netflix's share of U.S. TV viewing rose to 7.9% in January 2024, up from 7.7% in December of last year.

The producers behind Star Wars: The Bad Batch are commenting on the surprise return of Asajj Ventress. The third and final season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch was officially announced at last year's Star Wars Celebration. The season will look to bring some resolution to the stories of Omega, Crosshair, and the rest of the Bad Batch, but the Season 3 trailer for The Bad Batch also revealed the former Sith Asajj Ventress will also make an appearance. What makes Asajj Ventress' return surprising is she supposedly died in the 2015 novel Star Wars: Dark Disciple while working with the Jedi to take out Count Dooku. So what will Ventress' role be in Star Wars: The Bad Batch? We checked in with the show's producers to find out.

ComicBook.com spoke to Star Wars: The Bad Batch producers Jennifer Corbett and Brad Rau to talk about the final season, where the topic of Asajj Ventress came up. "Without spoiling too much, we have a storyline that requires someone," Jennifer Corbett said. "And she was the best fit for what we needed. But, again, Brad [Rau] and I don't make these decisions. It's very much a conversation, and when Ventress was put on the table we were very excited about it because we're big fans of that character, and we wanted to honor what her character was in Clone Wars, while also honoring Dark Disciple."

How Asajj Ventress' appearance in Star Wars: The Bad Batch connects to Dark Disciple novel

When asked about the possibility of Asajj Ventress' appearance in the third season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch addressing the events of Star Wars: Dark Disciple, Brad Rau responded, "Once we knew we could use this character that we love so much, we immediately were doing lots of research. We went back to unfinished arcs from The Clone Wars that were actually the inspiration for the novel, Dark Disciple, and there were designs created, including her hairdoo, which is so cool, and her lightsaber and the color of the lightsaber. So we honored that for when she shows up in our storyline. We can't go into all of the details, but we can say the answers to your questions - and we know a lot of fans are asking questions - will be answered. They may not all be answered in The Bad Batch, but rest assured, the connections are all there and they will be told. So just hang tight."

What is Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 about?

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 picks up where Season 2 left off. The Bad Batch is still reeling from losing one of their members, Tech, and determined to rescue Omega from capture at Mount Tantiss.

According to a press release from Disney+, in Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3, "the Batch will have their limits tested in the fight to reunite with Omega as she faces challenges of her own inside a remote Imperial science lab. With the group fractured and facing threats from all directions, they will have to seek out unexpected allies, embark on dangerous missions, and muster everything they have learned to free themselves from the Empire."

Avatar: The Last Airbender has a brand new spin with Netflix's live-action adaptation, and the re-telling has thrown in some curveballs for fans of the source material. Leading up to the series, the showrunners haven't been shy about the fact that this live-action series will be making big changes from the original Nickelodeon series. In one particular change, Aang is given a story beat that benefits the character in ways that animation fans didn't experience in the initial animated series.

In an interview last year, Avatar showrunner Albert Kim hinted at the changes that were being made from the source material, "We don't start the show the way the animated series starts. That was a conscious decision to show people this is not the animated series. We had to sometimes unravel storylines and remix them in a new way to make sense for a serialized drama so I'm very curious to see what'll happen in terms of reaction to that." One of the biggest changes to the new live-action series was the inclusion of the Air Tribe's story and its fight against the Fire Nation, which gave Aang a big moment that did not take place originally.

Aang Gets a Live-Action Break

Thanks to giving more time to the Airbender Gyatso, Aang is confronted with the idea that the loss of the Air Tribe wasn't his fault. Even if the Avatar was to stand up to the Fire Nation before he was frozen in a ball of ice, Gyatso assures him that he would have ultimately failed to save his friends. It's a big change for the live-action series, giving Aang relief that he didn't have in the animated series.

Currently, Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender has yet to confirm if a second season is on the way, but the streaming service will have plenty of material to adapt should it return. "Book 2" of the animated series saw Aang and his friends further exploring the Earth Kingdom, running into the blind Earth-bender Toph. Since Aang and company's live-action series hit the top spot for Netflix with its debut, there's a decent enough chance that we'll see the live-action Avatar return.

What do you think of this big change for the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Aang.

As Star Wars: The Bad Batch draws toward its end, Star Wars fans may wonder what's next for Star Wars animation. There's currently Tales of the Jedi, an anthology of connected Star Wars shorts, and Star Wars: Visions, also an anthology, showcasing global animation via shorts set outside of Star Wars canon. ComicBook.com spoke to Star Wars: The Bad Batch producers Jennifer Corbett and Brad Rau about The Bad Batch's final season and asked what the future of Star Wars animation might look like. While they couldn't say anything about upcoming projects, they seem to be anticipating watching what comes next from the Lucasfilm Animation team as fans.

"Obviously, we can't really speak as to if there's something in the works or not, but I will just say that the team at Lucasfilm Animation, it's been a pleasure working with them, because they are so fantastic at what they do, and have such passion for what they do," Corbett says. "If there is stuff in the future I'm going to watch and be a fan because I love all the things that they do."

Rau adds, "Sign me up. I want to watch more.'

What is Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 about?

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 picks up where Season 2 left off. The Bad Batch is still reeling from losing one of their members, Tech, and determined to rescue Omega from capture at Mount Tantiss.

According to Disney+, in Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3, "the Batch will have their limits tested in the fight to reunite with Omega as she faces challenges of her own inside a remote Imperial science lab. With the group fractured and facing threats from all directions, they will have to seek out unexpected allies, embark on dangerous missions, and muster everything they have learned to free themselves from the Empire."

Who is in the Star Wars: The Bad Batch cast?

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 stars Dee Bradley Baker (American Dad!) as the voice of every Bad Batch member and Michelle Ang (Fear the Walking Dead: Flight 462) as Omega. The cast also includes Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider), Jimmi Simpson (Westworld), Noshir Dalal (It's Pony), and Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws).

Star Wars: The Bad Batch is executive produced by Dave Filoni (Ahsoka, The Mandalorian), Athena Portillo (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels), Brad Rau (Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Resistance), Jennifer Corbett (Star Wars Resistance, NCIS) and Carrie Beck (Ahsoka, The Mandalorian), with Josh Rimes (Star Wars Resistance, Star Wars: Visions) as co-executive producer and Alex Spotswood (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels) as senior producer. Rau is also the supervising director, with Corbett as the head writer.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 debuted its first three episodes on Wednesday, February 21st, on Disney+. Here's the entire Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 episode release schedule:

Season 3 Episode Schedule:

• ? 2/21: Episode 301 "Confined," Episode 302 "Paths Unknown," Episode 303 "Shadows of Tantiss" (debut)
• ? 2/28: Episode 304 "A Different Approach"
• ? 3/6: Episode 305 "The Return"
• ? 3/13: Episode 306 "Infiltration" & Episode 307 "Extraction"
• ? 3/20: Episode 308 "Bad Territory"
• ? 3/27: Episode 309 "The Harbinger"
• ? 4/3: Episode 310 "Identity Crisis" & Episode 311 "Point of No Return"
• ? 4/10: Episode 312 "Juggernaut"
• ? 4/17: Episode 313 "Into the Breach"
• ? 4/24: Episode 314 "Flash Strike"
• ? 5/1: Episode 315 "The Cavalry Has Arrived" (finale)

The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon is getting a special 10th Anniversary broadcast. NBC announced that the beloved late-night host is getting a special to commemorate the occasion. On May 14 at 9pm ET, the network will do its best to compile the best of Fallon's decade long run as the man behind that hefty desk. There have been a lot of moments to spotlight over the course of these 10 years. So many interviews, and weird little social media bits to contend with. (Fallon is largely credited with getting these small games into the mix with stars on late-night. Just like James Corden's work singing in cars with famous people.) Fans will have to mark their calendars.

"We're so grateful that we get to do this job, and I want to thank everyone on our staff and crew -- and of course all of you for tuning in every single night for the past ten years," Fallon said last night. "To celebrate, NBC is going to air a two-hour primetime Best of Tonight Show special on May 14th -- the best moments of the Tonight Show from the past ten years, featuring some of our favorite sketches, guests and musical performances. From 'Tight Pants' with Will Ferrell to me almost dating Nicole Kidman, and musical bits like 'Classroom Instruments' with Metallica and Adele - we've had so many fun moments."

Mark Ronson Drops By Fallon's Show

Barbie soundtrack producer Mark Ronson stopped by Fallon's show last night to talk about the massive album. He revealed that when thinking up music for the movie, he kind of stumbled on "I'm Just Ken" during a walk and knew he had gold. The entire story is wild and the late-night show host was absolutely enthralled.

"I knew nothing, I really didn't," Ronson admitted. "You know, we were asked to come in and write two songs, and I wrote "Dance the Night." That became "the" track. That's the jam. So, I was just so inspired. I thought--Greta Gerwig is just so amazing. I love the script. And, so we wrote Ken. And then, we started to do a little bit more and more music for the film. We just loved it and we wanted to do the whole thing."

"That's what we were kind of hoping to do because Ken is like the character, and Ryan Gosling, who's just so incredible in the film. He's so ridiculous, but yet, you feel all his pain, I feel like," he shared. "So, I was walking down the street, and I don't usually write lyrics. I usually come up with the music, but I just had that line. Like, 'I'm just Ken, anywhere else I'd be a ten.' You know? I just thought, this guy is so hot, but he can't get what he needs in life, which is the love of this woman."

Ronson revealed. "So, I came up with that line, went to the piano and came up with some chords. Then, my brother Andrew, my songwriting partner, came over and we wrote the rest of the song."

Other Changes In Late-Night

Over on ABC, Jimmy Kimmel continues his push towards The Oscars this year. However, when talking to The Los Angeles Times, the host admitted he's getting pretty close to the end of his late-night tenure. Kimmel explained how he's looking forward to a period of time where there aren't all these deadlines and there isn't such a push for him to be handling all this stuff.

"Wednesday night, I was very tired and I had all these scripts to go through -- I had to revise and rewrite all these pitch ideas for the Oscars -- and I was literally nodding off onto my computer," Kimmel told the Los Angeles Times. "In those moments, I think, 'I cannot wait until my contract is over.' But then, I take the summer off or I go on strike, and you start going, 'Yeah, I miss the fun stuff.'"

"I think this is my final contract," Kimmel admitted. "I hate to even say it, because everyone's laughing at me now -- each time I think that, and then it turns out to be not the case. I still have a little more than two years left on my contract, and that seems pretty good. That seems like enough."

Will you be watching Jimmy Fallon's special? Let us know down in the comments!

Rapace embraced the idea that life is the sum of the choices you make, and she could have ended up kind of...anywhere, depending on who she was in that hypothetical other timeline. Banks was a little more grounded.

"This is really fascinating because we were actually talking about this at dinner last night," Rapace said. "Where would the other Noomi be now? Would she be happier? Would she be a nicer person? But it brings me back -- I've been lately thinking a lot about choices, and that we are our decisions, we are our choices, and I have the ability to change my course in life any day, any given moment, if I decide to. So I can become that other version of me if I want to."

Banks had a different instinct.

"My knee-jerk reaction...is not a good one, because I know from whence I came, and there was trouble back there," Banks told ComicBook.com. "I grew up in a place that there could have been real trouble."

He contrasted his viewpoint with Rapace's, saying that while she instinctively wonders whether another version of her would have been happier, he thinks things would have gone badly, pointing out that he has always had a hard time focusing.

"I've never been able to sit still," Banks said. "My apprecation -- doing these interviews in this chair over a period of time -- for people who have to sit still all day long...one of my daughters does! I think, 'I don't know how you do this. I've got to be moving.' When I was a kid, I'd look out the window, I could tell you the squirrels and what was out there and what kind of bird was flying by, but I couldn't pay attention. I want to subscribe to Noomi's way of thinking about, let there be something good. In that case, what would I have done? I would have loved to work with kids, with animals. Something where you can help people."

Constellation premiered globally on Wednesday, February 21st with the first three episodes, followed by one episode weekly, every Wednesday through March 27th on Apple TV+.