Well, it’s official: the most recent writers’ strike is over. After reaching a tentative deal with Hollywood’s studios, the leadership of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) unanimously voted to accept a new three-year contract, which includes major gains in the areas of artificial intelligence, streaming data transparency, and minimum room sizes.

While the WGA’s membership still needs to vote to accept the contract, the guild’s leadership officially ended the work stoppage on Wednesday, giving writers full permission to leave the picket lines and head back to work after 148 days. That means that the development that was halted all the way back in May can now continue – but there’s a slight catch.

Hollywood’s actors remain on strike. Although they’re set to resume negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents Hollywood’s studios, next week, we have no idea if that will lead to the end of that media work stoppage. So what this means is that, while the work of writing can be done – from early development to script rewrites – filming that involves actual actors (which is, uh, most of it) cannot.

So what does that mean for you, who’s just waiting for the final season of Stranger Things or Superman: Legacy? Let’s break it all down as best we can as the actors’ strike continues, and we’ll update as we know more as well.

What can immediately head back to air

In the very short term, the major late-night shows are an obvious thing to point to. As they were impacted the most immediately when the strike was called, with writers working daily to keep up with current events in time for the episode’s evening airtimes, they’re also the first to bounce back.

Several late-night hosts, including Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Kimmel, all announced that they’re returning next Monday, Oct. 2, preparing to release their first non-rerun episodes in five months, while John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight will also return this Sunday.

The five hosts, who launched a podcast together in August in benefit of the Hollywood strikes, announced the news in an enthusiastic joint statement.

A note from @StephenAtHome @JimmyFallon @JimmyKimmel @SethMeyers & @IamJohnOliver! ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/wsCde7DDf7

— Strike Force Five (@StrikeForceFive) September 27, 2023

Comedy Central’s The Daily Show will return on Oct. 16 with guest hosts until a new permanent host is found following Trevor Noah’s exit.

Bill Mader, meanwhile – who courted quite a bit of controversy when he said he would return while the writers’ strike was still happening – will have a new episode this Friday, he announced. Speaking of controversy, Drew Barrymore garnered a lot of backlash for also saying her show would return amid the writers’ strike, and Variety reports that it will also return next month, as will The Talk and The Jennifer Hudson Show, per Deadline.

Okay, but when am I getting The Last of Us Season 2?

As far as the biggest scripted series, those can now continue with development – with the aforementioned caveat of not being able to continue filming that would involve actors. The Last of Us’ second season, for example, was still deep into the writing process when the strike was called in May, and showrunner Craig Mazin has been open about his eagerness to return to the scripts. In July, he said he was keen to keep Season 2 on track for a 2025 release even amid the strikes.

Sure enough, he posted on Threads shortly before the strike lifted that the team will “spring into action” as soon as they’re given the go-ahead (though, taking care to clarify that “action” means simply “writing” for now).

Sure enough, Variety reports that HBO will focus on completing new seasons of The Last of Us, Euphoria, and The White Lotus in 2024, rather than starting up new projects.

Meanwhile, IGN has learned that House of the Dragon Season 2 completed filming amid the strikes, which was possible because the scripts were complete prior to the writers’ strike and most of the British cast aren’t represented by the American guild SAG-AFTRA. Per Variety, they’re targeting a summer 2024 release date and keeping in mind a yet-to-be-ordered third season.

But just about equally as anticipated is the fifth and final season of Netflix’s mega-hit Stranger Things. There was speculation that Stranger Things was near the finish line writing-wise, with filming to begin in June, according to star David Harbour (Harbour would add in a more recent interview that he’s seen some of the scripts). Showrunners the Duffer brothers, however, were quick to come out after the WGA strike was called and point out that “writing does not stop when filming begins,” setting the record straight that they would not move into production amid the writers’ work stoppage.

Via a post on X/Twitter, however, the Stranger Things writers’ team confirmed that they’ve returned to work post-strike with a simple “we’re back.” They’ve also shared what are technically some “first looks” at Season 5 in the form of fairly silly pre-vis shots – which, despite being a little unserious, are still very cute.

Hope the studios make a fair deal with SAG soon or else season 5 is looking like this: pic.twitter.com/GC2ok142jJ

— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) September 28, 2023

Variety also reports that Stranger Things is top of mind for Netflix, needing to crank out Season 5 before the actors age too much to be believable high schoolers, in addition to the second season of their hit Wednesday.

As for Netflix’s well-received adaptation of One Piece, IGN has reached out for clarification, but we can safely assume that’s moving along in development for its recently announced second season. There’s been a little bit of conflicting information about where those scripts are currently – producers with Tomorrow Studios previously told Variety that the scripts are “ready” should the series be renewed, while One Piece creator/show executive producer Eiichiro Oda encouraged patience as it’ll "still take awhile to get the scripts ready.” Still, there’s little doubt Netflix will want to get moving, given its continually solid viewership numbers.

Over on Prime Video, Variety reported that The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power finished filming before the SAG-AFTRA strike was called, so that should be mostly unaffected. We’re still waiting for an update on The Boys Season 4, however; despite many of the actors having finished filming pre-strikes, showrunner Eric Kripke said Season 4’s release date “depends on how long the #WGA Strike goes.” When reached by IGN, Prime Video clarified that they have “nothing to share at this time” on Season 4, but we wouldn’t be surprised if an update came soon.

On the film side, there are countless big upcoming movies that can now continue with development. Variety reports that Paramount is “hoping” to have writers fine-tuning scripts for the planned Star Trek reboot and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, while Universal is looking for a new draft of Fast X: Part 2, and Warner Bros. is looking toward Matt Reeves to deliver his The Batman sequel. Deadline, meanwhile, reports that Marvel Studios is in early development on a new X-Men movie, eyeing to set up talks to hire a screenwriter soon.

Speaking of Disney, there were a lot of movies that were in development that had to be halted amid both strikes. In June, Disney announced a massive reshuffling of its release calendar, pushing back Marvel movies Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts, Blade, and Fantastic Four. Those movies that were delayed due to needed work on scripts, like Blade, can now continue.

The many Star Wars projects in development, too, can now move forward in writing, including Lando (which is now being developed as a movie instead of a TV show) and the three new films that were announced at Star Wars Celebration. A source told IGN back when the writers’ strike was announced that Leslye Headland’s The Acolyte was scheduled to finish filming in May, so should be largely unimpacted. But Andor – along with many other productions that were filming amid the writers’ strike – basically remains unchanged while the actors remain on strike.

What about productions that had already finished writing, but not filming?

The previously mentioned Andor was just a couple of weeks away from finishing production on Season 2 before they had to halt for the SAG-AFTRA strike, per Deadline, so that likely remains on ice until that strike is resolved. And that’s the case for plenty of other films and TV shows.

Looking at James Gunn and Peter Safran’s upcoming reboot of the DCU, Gunn had already completed the script for Superman: Legacy, and cast his Superman and Lois Lane just before the actors’ announced their strikes. It’s likely that he’ll work on putting finishing touches on the script while he awaits the go-ahead to move into production. IGN has learned that WB has no current plans to alter the previously announced roadmap for the first phase of the revamp, titled Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters, barring necessitated delays from the ongoing actors’ strikes.

Shows like Daredevil: Born Again and DC's Max series The Penguin were both put on hold for the duration of the writers' strike, despite being in the thick of filming. Since they obviously need their actors to film, those series with both likely remain paused.

And then there are movies like Deadpool 3, which has been alllll over the place with both big Hollywood strikes. Deadpool 3 continued filming amid the writers’ strike, having completed scripts, but was forced to halt when the actors’ strike was called. Producer Shawn Levy recently told Deadline that they were about halfway through filming before the actors’ strike was called.

As for other movies that were delayed during the SAG-AFTRA strike, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse was put on hold indefinitely in July, as the cast couldn’t finish recording their dialogue before the work stoppage in time to make its previously scheduled March 29, 2024. That remains on hold, although any tweaks that need to be made on the script can now be worked on.

Other movies that were in the thick of filming but had to stop amid the actors’ strike including Gladiator 2, Mortal Kombat 2 (per Variety), Wicked (per Broadway World), Mission: Impossible 8, Venom 3 (per THR), and Beetlejuice 2 (per Variety). Those movies are still paused.

There were also movies that completed writing and filming but were delayed due to the studio wanting to use actors on the press tour, like Kraven the Hunter (per Variety) and Dune: Part II. Those, too, remain unchanged.

We know that’s a lot to dissect, but hopefully that sheds some light on when all your most anticipated movies and TV shows are coming back. In the meantime, brush up on where the strikes are now with our chat with members of SAG-AFTRA about the potential video game strike.

Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.

Some thrillers coast on mood. Reptile slowly drowns in it. For nearly two-and-a-half hours, this plodding murder mystery sustains a single note of hushed unease. Every scene has the same vibe, a pinprick of vague dread amplified by the low hum of what the Netflix subtitles refer to as "tense music." A man walking into a building? Ominous. A couple dancing at a bar? Ominous. A detective admiring an automatic kitchen faucet? Believe it or not, that's ominous too. Because the film never strays from this atmosphere of impending doom, it quickly loses its persuasiveness, like a boy crying wolf one too many times.

For a little while, though, it's an effective approach. The opening minutes have a seductively sinister pull, efficiently drawing you into the apparent New England dream life of two young real estate agents, Summer Elswick (Matilda Lutz) and her boyfriend, Will Grady (Justin Timberlake). It's not just the overcast lighting scheme that clues us to storm clouds forming on the horizon. There's also the way Juice Newton's timeless "Angel of the Morning" rises triumphantly on the soundtrack, only to be swiftly cut off by an opening door. The movie's first and arguably only true shock arrives just as abruptly, as Will comes home to find Summer brutally stabbed to death. The title slams dramatically across the whole screen, obscuring our view of her mutilated body.

Seasoned detective Tom "Oklahoma" Nichols (Benicio del Toro) catches the case and works it, very gradually. The pool of suspects is small but almost comically filled with plausible psychos. We can't rule out the boyfriend, thanks to how close to the chest Timberlake plays his emotions. There's a dirtbag ex-husband (Karl Glusman) who looks like a police sketch personified, with his pencil stache bracketed by sharp cheekbones. And what gumshoe wouldn't turn his magnifying glass on Eli Phillips (Michael Pitt), a townie who pulls the classic serial-killer move of appearing among the gaggle of onlookers outside the crime scene and holds a grudge against Grady's local real-estate dynasty? Eli also has the misfortune of being portrayed by Pitt, the frequent onscreen creep who gave TV's Hannibal and the English-language Funny Games remake some additional notes of distress; how obvious the movie will become hinges partially on whether he's the culprit or an easily profiled red herring.

Making his feature debut, director Grant Singer fits a profile, too. He stages scenes just like a guy who cut his teeth on music videos: obsessed with surface effect, less so with how well his story tracks from one carefully composed image to the next. The clipped editing, seedy overhead illumination, and periodic plunges into file cabinets mark Reptile as another entry, like The Little Things or Prisoners before it, on the growing log of David Fincher imitations. In fact, the movie often plays like the work of someone who caught Zodiac or Gone Girl on cable years earlier and is trying to recreate it from memory, getting some of the sickly sleekness down but remaining foggy on the specifics.

This movie could really use a Gillian Flynn pass. It has the veneer of a Fincherian procedural, but not the density of clues or complications or studiously observed lead-chasing. Singer, who also cowrote the screenplay, portentously stretches out his ho-hum mystery, which gets less interesting the closer the detective comes to solving it. (The biggest revelation, the one that cracks the whole case, is uncovered thanks to laughable carelessness on the guilty party's part.) Padding out the protracted runtime are scenes of the detective's intersecting personal and professional lives. That his wife, played by Alicia Silverstone, is an encouraging, unofficial partner is a nice subversion of police-movie convention. A more playful thriller might have some fun with their dynamic instead of folding it into the general gloom.

There's some craft to admire at least. The cinematographer, Mike Gioulakis, supplies some of the same creeping menace he previously lent films by Jordan Peele, David Robert Mitchell, and M. Night Shyamalan. He has an expert eye for the evil lurking in the cracks and crevices of suburban life. Beyond the polished imagery, it's the performances that prop Reptile up. Del Toro, especially, draws you close with his understatement. He downplays everything, raising an eyebrow but never his voice, even when threatening the man flirting with his wife. Is that lawman strategy or essential temperament? There's much more intrigue in the actor's carefully subdued delivery than what the whodunit provides.

Then again, maybe he's just drowsy. The audience probably will be. Reptile drones through its mystery, almost daring viewers to zone out, perhaps in hopes that we might miss a few key details and walk away thinking we've seen something more suggestive and complex than we have. The film has no ups or downs, just a flatline of disquiet connecting one identically inflected moment to the next. It's the detective thriller as foreboding white noise machine.

For a moment, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie does something genuinely unprecedented in the realm of maddening kid-targeted entertainment: It apologizes to parents and caregivers in the audience. “To all the parents out there, I’m sorry,” a newscaster (Lil Rel Howery) says as an aside after announcing the proliferation of even more PAW Patrol merchandise opportunities during the second feature film starring the preferred animated babysitters of so many under-five children. It’s not a blanket mea culpa for, say, the earwormy and incessantly repeated PAW Patrol theme song, or the continuing prominence of particularly smug police-pup Chase, but at least it acknowledges two key tenets of PAW: It’s a global merchandising phenomenon moreso than it is a vehicle for stories the whole family can enjoy, and unlike some of the better kid-friendly entertainment out there, it’s not something that even attempts to entertain the parents who’ll get dragged along.

If the primary question is whether kids will like it, the answer is “almost certainly.” The pre-K target audience will be rapt, and even younger elementary-school-aged kids may have lived with the pups long enough to generate their own nascent version of earlier-childhood nostalgia. Then again, the most hardcore PAW Patrol fans in that demographic would probably enjoy watching old episodes of the show on Paramount+ just as much, so a new movie may or may not even register with them. So perhaps it’s best to ask a secondary question: What degree of parental torture are we talking about here?

The answer is that it’s relatively mild, assuming parents have built up a tolerance for the day-saving pups in the first place. By cribbing from the superhero movie playbook – retelling how the pups acquired various themed superpowers from a meteor – the movie imposes a bit more structure on their second big-screen adventure than we saw in the 2021 movie. Unlike that first movie or the similarly superpowered made-for-TV special PAW Patrol: Supercharged from 2018, The Mighty Movie does not feel like three or four episodes stitched together. It has a clearer premise than the diffuse first film, strategically deployed action sequences, two villains who team up halfway through, and even a couple of montages.

The Mighty Movie gives fan favorite Skye (voiced for the movie only by Ghostbusters: Afterlife star Mckenna Grace) her own traumatic backstory, following Chase’s central role in the first movie. She’s apparently struggled with physical smallness all her life, and one of The Mighty Movie’s few genuinely clever moments of kid empathy has Skye chafe at being picked up and manhandled by grown-ups who think she’s cute. Her new powers give her a major confidence boost, but she meets a formidable adversary in the form of mad scientist Victoria Vance (Taraji P. Henson). Meanwhile, Liberty (Marsai Martin) copes with her own lack of powers by training a trio of smaller prospective members of the Patrol, one of which is voiced by North West, whose mom Kim Kardashian reprises her cameo role from the first film.

That’s just part of The Mighty Movie flaunting a starrier cast than the first film. In addition to Kardashian, Howery, and Henson, Chris Rock contributes a one-line gag cameo and Kristen Bell seems to be doing an Edie McClurg impression, presumably in a bid not to confuse young Frozen fans into thinking Anna of Arendelle has relocated to Adventure City. These familiar voices are supposed to delight parents, but they mostly seem more like items in a celebrity gift bag – hence Kardashian securing her daughter North and son Saint their very own PAW Patrol vanity parts.

More than ever, most of the liveliness comes from silly villains, whose colorful goofiness at times recalls the outsized antagonists of the ’60s Batman TV series, if only briefly. Henson clearly has a ball voicing Victoria, who meets the irrepressible Mayor Humdinger (Ron Pardo) and his pack of disdainful cats in jail.

Rather than marveling over the vaguely familiar vocal tones or appreciating the handful of decent villain gags, bored parents can spend some time considering how The Mighty Movie follows the fine tradition of superhero adventures creating screwy continuity. On the still-ongoing TV show, the pups live in Adventure Bay and occasionally transform into the superheroic mighty pups; in the movies, they make their home in Adventure City, and the reconfigured mighty-pup origin now includes a meteor crash apparently explosive enough to garner a PG rating. Though the destruction is indeed more intense than it is on TV, urging any caution for a preschool-targeted movie is another strange MPA decision. If a PAW Patrol movie can’t receive a G, it’s hard to imagine what could.

Regardless, the destruction of their high-tech base of operations doesn’t matter much to the unflappable pups. Though they’re momentarily aghast – “Our vehicles!” one of them cries, though they restrain themselves from lamenting the loss of their awesome accessories – they simply relocate to a second, already-built playset, er, high-tech base (reminiscent of The Transformers: The Movie back in 1986, where characters were killed off and replaced with cool new products). These canine characters exist in a kiddie utopia where toys (and, to a lesser extent, their human, benevolent taskmaster Ryder) replace parents as the true authority. No matter what kind of shenanigans the pups get into, someone offscreen will always buy them more PAW Patrol junk.

Ahead of its West Coast premiere at Beyond Fest on September 30, IGN can exclusively debut the teaser trailer for Legendary Entertainment’s The Toxic Avenger. “Eyewitness Toxie,” as the red band teaser is designated, can be watched via the player above or the embed below.

Written and directed by Macon Blair, The Toxic Avenger is a contemporary reimagining of Troma Entertainment’s 1984 cult classic of the same name created by Lloyd Kaufman. This film features a stellar ensemble, led by Peter Dinklage in the title role, that includes Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Julia Davis, Jonny Coyne, Elijah Wood, and Kevin Bacon.

Wood’s makeup transformation into villainous Fritz Garbinger set the Internet ablaze when it was revealed last week, with Blair describing the look as “sort of Riff Raff from The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the Danny DeVito Penguin mixed together." (Get a look at Wood and the other cast in the gallery below.)

According to the official synopsis, Blair’s film “follows the story of struggling everyman-janitor Winston Gooze, who is transformed by a horrible toxic accident into a new evolution of hero: The Toxic Avenger!

Now with super-human strength and wielding a glowing mop for his unconventional weapon, he must race against time to save his son and stop a ruthless and power-hungry corporate tyrant bent on harnessing toxic superpowers to strengthen his polluted empire.”

The Toxic Avenger is produced by Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, Lloyd Kaufman, and Michael Herz. The executive producers are Andrew Pfeffer, Jay Ashenfelter, and Macon Blair with casting by Mark Bennett and Julie Harkin.

The talent behind the camera includes director of photography, Dana Gonzalez; production designer Alexander Cameron; editors Brett W. Bachman and James Thomas; visual effects supervisor Chris Ritvo; costume designer Vanessa Porter; with music by Will Blair and Brooke Blair.

The Toxic Avenger had its world premiere at this month’s Fantastic Fest. In her Toxic Avenger review, IGN’s Amelia Emberwing said the film “manages to be quite heartwarming: At the end of the day, it’s just about a dad trying to win over his son. Sure, maybe he does a murder now and again, but all of that is in the spirit of self-defense or the protection of his family. And OK, maybe that one guy was just a huge jerk. But if you were shot, dumped in toxic waste, and became a lumpy oddball with super-strength and corrosive piss, you’d probably be pretty cranky too!”

Latinx superheroes have made an explosive entrance onto the big screen recently. America Chavez teleported into the MCU in 2022, while Miles Morales and Jaime Reyes have powered their way through this year’s summer box office. And there are many more Latinx heroes — some we can even expect to see in upcoming movie and TV projects.

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (also referred to as Latino Heritage Month) we’re highlighting some of our favorite Latinx heroes, a handful of memorable caped capers that only scratch the surface of the lively and fascinating history of Latinx superheroes.

Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle

With the release of a major blockbuster in theaters this summer, Blue Beetle has zipped his way into the spotlight. DC’s critter-caper has a long history, seeing three separate men take up the mantle since 1939. However, the version depicted in the film – and most often outside of the comics – is none other than Jaime Reyes. Jaime debuted in 2006, appearing for the first time in Infinite Crisis #5 as a mysterious scarab fuses with his spine after the death of his predecessor Ted Kord. He’s a reluctant hero at the start – a Mexican-American teen living in El Paso, Texas, his life is drastically changed by the sentient scarab, which doesn’t always make clear if it's friend or foe. One thing that is clear, however, is that Jaime has unlocked the powers of the scarab in ways never seen before.

Miles Morales/Spider-Man

Miles Morales also made waves at the box office this year with the much-anticipated and technically ambitious Across the Spider-Verse. And we’ll soon see him fighting alongside Peter Parker in the fast-approaching PS5 game Spider-Man 2. Proudly Puerto-Rican, Miles is one of few Latinx — and even fewer Afro-Latinx — heroes. He’s become a vital mainstay of the Spider-Man compendium after his 2011 debut. As a child of New York, Miles’ Brooklyn roots are integral to his character, but the Spider-Verse movies have introduced some multiversal messes that have whisked him away and back again.

Maya Lopez/Echo

One of a handful of Marvel’s deaf characters, Maya Lopez has the ability to perfectly mimic any physical action she sees. Echo is a fitting name for Maya as she harnesses this power to adopt the fighting styles of powerful enemies. Taken in by crime boss Wilson Fisk after the death of her father, she’s manipulated into believing Daredevil is his killer. Maya eventually discovers Fisk’s treachery but not before she goes toe-to-toe with Matt Murdock a few times. While Maya’s mother is Latina, her father is Cheyenne, and Maya’s indigeneity is the linchpin of her character and, it seems, a focus of the forthcoming Disney+ series.

America Chavez/Miss America

This queer Latina heroine packs a punch. Raised in a Puerto Rican family, America Chavez boasts super-strength, invulnerability and interdimensional teleportation via star-shaped portals. The details of her origin story vary depending on the source, but the mainstays have remained relatively the same: America is born in a peaceful dimension known as the Utopian Parallel, raised by two mothers until they sacrifice themselves for the sake of America and the multiverse. These origins are explored heavily in America, marking both the character’s first solo series and Marvel’s first ever Latina-led series. Since her introduction, she’s joined several super-squads, including the Young Avengers. America also recently made her MCU debut in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, where she was played by Xochitl Gomez.

Jessica Cruz/Green Lantern

A relatively recent recruit into DC’s Green Lantern Corps, Jessica Cruz is one of Earth’s sworn protectors. Cruz also marks the “first official female representative” of Sector 2814. A traumatic incident in her past sends Jessica into a spiral of intense PTSD and triggers the chaotic events that eventually see her fight alongside other Green Lanterns “in brightest day, in blackest night.” Jessica’s story is all about overcoming fear for the good of others, making her a pretty inspirational addition to our list.

Roberto Da Costa/Sunspot

This Brazilian firebrand is one of Charles Xavier’s New Mutants. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Roberto Da Costa can harness and convert solar energy into immense power. Marvel has received criticism for its whitewashing of the character, erasing his blackness in various runs of the comics and outside of them – especially problematic given his 1982 origin story sees him gain his powers after racist and colorist harassment. Most recently, concerns arose over a leak potentially claiming the casting of a non-Black Brazilian in the upcoming X-Men ’97 animated series. While it remains unconfirmed, we’re certainly hoping Roberto’s Afro-Latino heritage and familial history remain an enduring part of his character moving forward.

Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099

We’d be remiss not to mention Miguel O’Hara, the brooding kinda-antagonist of Across the Spider-Verse. Mister “que maravilla” himself has become the subject of many a TikTok edit after his magnetic appearance in the animated box office hit – owed in no small part to Oscar Isaac lending his voice to the character. That said, Miguel claimed the role of Spider-Man 2099 long before his Spider-Verse debut. An engineer born to a Mexican mother and Irish father, Miguel first appeared in 1992’s Spider-Man 2099 #1 with unique spider powers that included talons and fangs.

Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl

The Hawkgirl mantle originates from a line of reincarnations born of the angel Shrra. One of these iterations includes Kendra Saunders, a young Latina whose relationship to her alter ego is a complex one. In a deviation from the typical transference of the Hawkgirl persona, Kendra receives her powers after her own suicide attempt leaves her as a vessel for the winged warrior. Hawkgirl’s history is a long and muddled one and – with Isabela Merced cast to play the character in James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy – it’ll be interesting to see how Kendra’s story is explored outside of the comics next.

Robbie Reyes/Ghost Rider

A charmer in a Dodge Charger, Robbie Reyes is one of the many heirs to the Ghost Rider legacy. Just as Miles Morales and Peter Parker are New Yorkers to their core, Robbie is quintessentially LA. It's this version of the character — played by Gabriel Luna — that appeared in several episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Balancing his life as a mechanic, guardianship of his younger brother, and his exploits as the fearsome and fiery crime fighter, Robbie is definitely a worthy wielder of the Ghost Rider moniker.

Who are your favorites? Let’s discuss in the comments!

Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson are among those who have paid tribute to Sir Michael Gambon after his death aged 82.

The veteran actor was honoured across social media on Thursday following the news of his passing. The official Harry Potter account on X was among the first to pay tribute to Gambon, remembering his beloved role as Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the Wizarding World movies from 2004 to 2011.

"We are incredibly saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Michael Gambon," the post read. "He brought immeasurable joy to Harry Potter fans from all over the world with his humour, kindness and grace. We will forever hold his memory in our hearts."

We are incredibly saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Michael Gambon. He brought immeasurable joy to Harry Potter fans from all over the world with his humour, kindness and grace. We will forever hold his memory in our hearts. pic.twitter.com/1CoTF3zeTo

— Harry Potter (@harrypotter) September 28, 2023

Gambon made his first appearance as Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in 2004, taking over the role after the death of Richard Harris. Co-star Daniel Radcliffe paid tribute to Gambon in a press statement, hailing the stage and screen legend as "one of the most brilliant, effortless actors" he has worked with.

"With the loss of Michael Gambon, the world just became considerably less fun," Radcliffe said, per Variety. "Michael Gambon was one of the most brilliant, effortless actors I've ever had the privilege of working with, but despite his immense talent, the thing I will remember most about him is how much fun he had doing his job.

"He was silly, irreverent and hilarious. He loved his job but never seemed defined by it. He was an incredible story and joke teller, and his habit of blurring the lines of fact and fiction when talking to journalists meant that he was also one of the most entertaining people with whom you could ever wish to do a press junket.

"The sixth film was where I got to spend the most time working with Michael, and he made the hours spent in front of a green screen together more memorable and joyous than they had any right to be. I'm so sad to hear he has passed, but I am so grateful for the fact that I am one of the lucky people who got to work with him."

Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley in the films, posted a touching tribute to Gambon on Instagram, writing: "So sad to hear about Michael. He brought so much warmth and mischief to every day on set. He captivated me as a kid and became a personal role model of mine for finding the fun and eccentricities in life."

Emma Watson, who starred as Hermione Grainger, shared a heartfelt remembrance of "kind, kind Michael Gambon" via an Instagram Story, which read: "You never took it too seriously but somehow delivered the most serious moments with all the gravitas. Thank you for showing us what it looks like to wear greatness lightly."

Other Harry Potter actors also shared tributes to Gambon on social media, including Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy in the films, and James Phelps, who starred as Fred Weasley. A further tribute from Jared Harris, son of Richard Harris, described Gambon as a "fitting" successor to his father for the role of Dumbledore.

Magnificent Michael Gambon has died. I learned what acting could be from Michael in The Singing Detective - complex, vulnerable and utterly human. The greatest thrill of being in the Potter films was that he knew my name and shared his fearless, filthy sense of fun with me.

— Jason Isaacs (@jasonsfolly) September 28, 2023

Very sorry to hear about the passing of Michael Gambon. He was, on and off the camera, a legend. Just a little memory of Michael pic.twitter.com/4M6E6inWMy

— James Phelps (@James_Phelps) September 28, 2023

Hilarious! A brilliant actor. I saw him on stage several times, and he lives unforgettably in my memory. He took over Dumbledore from my father, which was fitting as he over took Brando as my father’s favourite actor. https://t.co/BMGDDTtM2w

— Jared Harris🎭 (@JaredHarris) September 28, 2023

Harry Potter fans gathered outside the Hogwarts Castle at Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando to pay tribute to the actor on Thursday. A video posted on Instagram by @UniNewsToday shows the crowd raising their wands in memory of Gambon — a custom originating from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince when characters put their "wands up" to honour the passing of Dumbledore.

A prolific actor, Gambon made his screen debut in Othello in 1965 alongside Laurence Olivier and Maggie Smith, going on to forge a career spanning over 60 years. He amassed a total of 148 film and TV credits alongside stage performances in the likes of Richard III, King Lear, Anthony and Cleopatra, and Uncle Vanya.

Gambon was knighted for services to the entertainment industry back in 1998 and won the BAFTA for Best Actor four times, notably for The Singing Detective.

He will be fondly remembered by all who knew him, particularly his family and loved ones. Gambon is survived by his wife Anne, their son Fergus, and two other children.

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

It’s official: The Marvels is the shortest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

A new listing on AMC Theaters has revealed that the upcoming superhero team-up clocks in at just 105 minutes long — that’s a brisk 1 hour and 45 minutes.

The Marvels beats the previous shortest MCU flick record by seven minutes — that’s The Incredible Hulk and Thor: The Dark World, which both clocked in at 112 minutes long.

But to get an idea how The Marvels really stacks up, we should take a look at some of Marvel’s other superhero team-ups…

The Avengers debuted in 2012 with a 145-minute runtime (2 hours and 25 minutes). Of course, it had a lot to cram in, with debuts from some of Marvel’s biggest heavy hitters, and the Avengers movies tend to sit around the same kind of runtime.

Age of Ultron followed at 141 minutes (2 hours 21 minutes) with Avengers: Infinity War at 149 minutes (2 hours 29 minutes). Avengers: Endgame was, understandably, the longest MCU movie with a staggering 181-minute runtime (3 hours 1 minute). Considering the epic scale of it all, that’s not surprising.

Some of Marvel’s other multi-hero movies have also outrun The Marvels. Captain America: Civil War clocked in at 147 minutes (2 hours 27 minutes). Even Spider-Man: No Way Home, which featured the first ever team-up of three Spider-Men, ran for 148 minutes (2 hours 28 minutes).

So, what’s the deal with The Marvels? We’ve already had a deep dive into Captain Marvel’s past with her solo film, and Ms. Marvel recently headlined her own six-part TV series. That leaves Monica Rambeau as the only hero yet to properly debut her powers, which likely leaves a lot less backstory to tell.

Either way, the film’s runtime is no measure of its quality. The Marvels getting a breezy runtime that’s well under two hours could give us the light, entertaining popcorn flick we’ve been waiting for.

The Marvels debuts in theaters on November 10, 2023.

Want to read more about The Marvels? Check out the burning questions we have after Secret Invasion as well as everything you need to know about The Marvels.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Totally Killer premieres October 6 on Netflix. This review is part of IGN’s coverage of Fantastic Fest 2023.

Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina may have completed their runs, but Kiernan Shipka is returning to the role of an annoyed teenager ready to take on the world in Prime Video’s Totally Killer. And by “world,” I actually mean a deranged serial killer and 1980s culture, of course. While this type of part isn’t quite new to Shipka, she’s doing what she does best here alongside director Nahnatchka Khan of Always Be My Maybe and Fresh Off the Boat fame in what ends up being something along the lines of Scream meets Disney Channel Original Movie. In case it’s unclear: That is a compliment.

Shipka plays Jamie Hughes, a typical teen who would like her mom to, like, totally chill out, man. But Pam Hughes (Julie Bowen) isn’t your typical mom. She may give strong “very involved in the PTA” vibes, but she also survived the 1987 murder spree of the so-called Sweet Sixteen Killer. Three of her classmates weren’t so lucky, so Pam’s got a pretty solid reason to be Overbearing Mom of the Year. But when have teenagers ever cared about their parents’ rationale – especially in the movies?

And what’s one of those movies without a traumatic event that helps the teenager realize all the things they took for granted? When a tragedy strikes the Hughes family, Jamie will stop at nothing to make things right. There’s just one little hiccup: The Sweet Sixteen Killer is back, and he seems extremely interested in the only child of Pam and Blake Hughes (Lochlyn Munro). An altercation between Jamie and the killer sends her throttling back in time to 1987, where she’s given the chance to set things right in the future – if she can avoid the pesky serial killer in the rubber mask, that is.

All of the Back to the Future references you expect are front and center here, but not in a way that’s cloying. What makes Totally Killer’s depiction of the ’80s so refreshing is that it limits the loudest period signifiers to the Sweet Sixteen Killer and the character archetypes – 1987 just looks like 1987, without the exaggerated costumes, hair, and sets we’ve come to expect from other nostalgia pieces. The one exception to this rule is The Mollys – the school mean girls who are obsessed with Molly Ringwald – but it’s for a bit, so it plays.

A lot of Totally Killer’s success is in its heart. That sincerity excuses a lot, like the hokey visual effects of the time-travel sequences – an aesthetic that’s clearly intentional, though it’ll grate on some. The film also earns some goodwill by acknowledging that time travel stories are messy business, and they’re always defying their own logic. If you’re the type to take teen slasher comedies super seriously (why?), fair warning: Totally Killer defies its own logic a lot in the third act. But Shipka’s patented brand of earnest-kid-who-screws-up-sometimes-but-loves-incredibly-hard does a lot of work here.

Bowen and Munro do a lot with a little, too. This is Jamie’s movie, so their screentime is incredibly limited, but Bowen makes you fall in love with her domineering mom character immediately, and Munro continues his hilarious trend of playing suspicious teen-girl dads who are most definitely not the killer. Probably. Maybe. (Also we love a Riverdale/Chilling Adventures of Sabrina reunion!) High praise also belongs to both timelines’ version of Lauren Creston (played by Kimberly Huie in the present and Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson in the ’80s). Lauren is the mother of Jamie’s best friend, Amelia (Kelcey Mawema, who also performs admirably here), and she’s tied to the teens’ survival more than you could possibly imagine at the outset.

Ultimately, Totally Killer isn’t reinventing any wheels, but it’s still a dang good time at the movies. It pays plenty of homage to the slashers that came before it, and the story’s emotional throughline and cast carries it successfully. It’s not quite “intro-horror,” as some of the kills may be too advanced for some younger audiences, but it’s a good one to show to teens curious about the genre, and is an easy watch for all ages.

Do you want to know if Saw X has a post-credits scene? We'll tell you right here: There is one after-the-credits scene in the movie.

Be sure to check back on Friday night for a full breakdown of what the scene means for the future of the Saw franchise (including the producers' thoughts on the ending)!

Saw X is a prequel which tells a story from the early life of Jigsaw/John Kramer (Tobin Bell). Bell is back after not being a part of the previous film, and director Kevin Greutert returns as well, having previously helmed Saw VI and Saw 3D (and edited several films in the series as well).

Read on for our Saw X review.

Does Saw X Have a Post-Credits Scene?

As noted above, Saw X has one scene after the credits.

Check back on Friday for more on Saw X's ending, including the film's producers' thoughts on what it all means. And check out how to watch Saw X as well!

The UK's famous Sycamore Gap Tree, also known as the Robin Hood Tree from the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, has been cut down in what authorities are saying was an act of vandalism.

Northumberland National Park authority and the Northumbria Police both confirmed the situation in a statement today, saying the tree had been felled at some point last night, and that the act was not done by or with the authorization of the National Trust, the National Park, or any of their partners. A police investigation is ongoing, with the BBC reporting that a 16-year-old boy has been arrested in conjunction with the act.

Officers have condemned the vandalism of an iconic #Northumberland tree and vowed to bring anyone responsible to justice.

A full investigation has been launched after the Sycamore Gap Tree was felled overnight in what police believe to be a deliberate act of vandalism. (1/3) https://t.co/gs3mNNYyjq pic.twitter.com/S3E5k3pzaW

— Northumbria Police (@northumbriapol) September 28, 2023

The Sycamore Gap Tree is a famous, several hundred-year-old sycamore tree next to Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland. While already a famous local and national landmark, the tree was also known around the world for its appearance in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and was also referred to as the Robin Hood Tree. It has been suggested to be one of the most-photographed trees in England, and won England "Tree of the Year" in 2016.

"It's been really important since lockdown that everyone accesses the countryside, and about 80%, possibly more of the inquiries we get at The Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre are from people who want to find their way to Sycamore Gap," said Tony Gates, chief executive at Northumberland National Park Authority, in a video. "They want to walk to the famous tree."

The national park authority is asking the public not to visit the site while the investigation is ongoing, and is urging anyone with information on what happened to report it.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Blogroll photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Netflix is being sued over a canceled tabletop RPG tie-in for Rebel Moon, with the game maker claiming that they created extensive world-building for Zack Snyder's upcoming film.

In a lawsuit filed in California Federal Court, Evil Genius Games, best known for Everyday Heroes, says it started working with Netflix in early 2023 on a tie-in TTRPG for Snyder’s space opera. It was scheduled to be released around the end of the year to coincide with the debut of Rebel Moon Part 1: A Child of Fire on Dec. 22, 2023.

The suit claims that, when Evil Genius Games and Netflix started working together, Netflix had a Rebel Moon script, “some rough ideas for the Rebel Moon universe,” and a few graphic assets. But, the suit alleges, it was “missing background information vital to the story as a whole and to the world,” including names and descriptions of alien races and planets, lineages for royal characters, and a “clear storyline for how the Rebel Moon universe originated.”

Evil Genius Games, therefore, filled in “all the missing pieces” of the lore, and “created a cohesive backstory for the entire Rebel Moon franchise,” per the suit. The 228-page document was apparently dubbed the “World Bible” for Rebel Moon, and Snyder himself talked about the TTRPG on podcast The Nerd Queens back in March.

“The one thing that I'm having a really good time with – and I don't really know if I'm supposed to talk about it – is this RPG that we're doing that is just literally insane, and so immersive and so intense and so huge,” he said at the time, adding that it was being done at a “ridiculous scale.”

The lawsuit says that Snyder and Netflix even “indicated” that parts of the World Bible would be incorporated into not only Rebel Moon the film, but also graphic novels, podcasts, animated series, and a novelization based on the movie.

Evil Genius Games apparently put all other projects aside and just about completed a 430-page Player’s Guide and 337-page Game Master's Guide, in addition to the aforementioned World Bible, in order to get the TTRPG ready in time for the movie release.

Things turned awry, however, when Netflix accused Evil Genius Games of breaching confidentiality themselves by releasing confidential Rebel Moon content at a trade show, as well as disclosing unapproved artwork to retailers, accusations the lawsuit calls “baseless.” Nonetheless, the suit says they used this as a means to “terminate the Agreement, assert ownership over Plaintiff’s intellectual property, halt the project, and prevent the game from being released (or potentially release it themselves to avoid sharing the profits with Plaintiff).”

The deal was terminated in May, but the suit says Netflix sent a letter to the TTRPG maker two weeks later, saying the World Bible belongs to Netflix and demanding Evil Genius Games cease use of all “Licensed Property and Netflix intellectual property.” Netflix allegedly offered to pay Evil Genius Games $50,000 to “basically go away, forgive Netflix for its pretextual hijacking of the project, and hand over the game to them.”

Evil Genius Games is suing for breach of contract, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, unjust enrichment, and other claims. IGN has reached out to Netflix for comment.

Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.

When it comes to the legacy of theatrical animation, it's hard to top Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDA). Its co-founder, Walt Disney, remains the record-holder for the number of Academy Awards won (26), the studio itself celebrates its 100th anniversary this October, and Wish will be its 62nd animated film when it releases in November.

Co-directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn and co-written by Jennifer Lee, Wish not only comes out in a momentous, celebratory year for WDA, but it’s also a reunion title for the trio. Buck and Lee co-directed both Frozen films, while Veerasunthorn was a story artist for the franchise. With the two movies combined, Frozen has become one of the animation medium’s most successful franchises, earning more than $2 billion collectively through box office alone – and that’s not even counting what the global phenomenon has collected in merch sales and other revenue sources. Inside all of that success are myriad lessons that Buck, Veerasunthorn, and Lee ultimately used to help shape Wish, they told IGN at a recent press day.

Like Frozen, Wish has a female protagonist, Asha (Ariana DeBose), who is seeking something more for her family and friends in the fictional Kingdom of Rosa. Aside from that commonality, Buck said the young women travel different story paths, as Asha is a commoner and not a princess like the Arendelle siblings.

“With Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel), we always tried to create characters that were believable and that had flaws. They weren't perfect,” he said of what made the sisters stand out with audiences. “Those are the most interesting, male or female, characters.”

Veerasunthorn added that the sisters were naturally multi-dimensional without the filmmakers going out of their way to over-emphasize their strengths.

“It was just about these two sisters and their relationship, and how relatable that is,” she said. “And I think that's what I carry through to all the projects I've worked on, from Moana to Raya. They're very passionate [women], and they have flaws which are fun to watch. You put them up against impossible odds and see the way a person would react, believing in what they're passionate about. That's the aspirational part of Disney that I really enjoy that I get to be a part of.”

Buck said having so many women on the creative teams for the Frozen movies also made them more authentic.

“I've also been lucky enough to have partners with Fawn and Jennifer, where we looked to each other when it comes to how a female character might react to something. I can't be the expert on that,” he laughed. “So, I checked myself and we'd talk all the time. It all goes back to making the characters believable, aspirational, and inspirational. I think learning from that with the Frozen films certainly helped me with [Wish].”

Veerasunthorn also praised DeBose for bringing her own authenticity into the recording booth, which in turn inspired how they brought Asha to life: “She’s someone who's not afraid to be herself,” she said of the actress. “She's someone who speaks her mind, and you love her for it. She's also not afraid to be goofy, and I love her for that too which is a part I really enjoy about Wish.”

Asked if Wish is now influencing where Frozen will go as a franchise (Disney CEO Bob Iger previously confirmed that Frozen 3 is in the works), Lee shared, “The biggest thing for me, as a writer, is getting to take a step out of the Frozen world to write a completely brand-new, original fairy tale. It did a lot for me in terms of just opening my perspective and pushing my skills. I'm hoping what it does is help me — as we look more to Frozen — to just be a better storyteller. I want to keep being a better storyteller.”

With the Frozen films succeeding on such a momentous scale, Lee said she’s since wrestled with “weeding out the zeitgeist” so she can focus on exploring the passions of the characters. “I will say, in combination with getting to write something new and then being a part of all these [WDA] productions in different ways, it's helped me to, hopefully, be able to face those challenges with more tools. And that's really where my head is about [Frozen] now.”

For more on our sitdown with the Wish filmmakers, check out why they didn't go full 2D for Disney's 100th anniversary (although they did consider it).

October is only a couple of days away, and you want to make sure you’re prepared for plenty of movie nights in the lead-up to Halloween. The Nightmare Before Christmas is one such film that’s an excellent addition to those movie nights, and right now you can save on its 4K UHD and Blu-ray Ultimate Collector's Edition at Amazon! It’s now available to purchase there for $21.99, which is 37% off its usual price of $34.99 and absolutely worth the pick-up.

Kick off your October right by picking up this film at the link below.

Save on The Nightmare Before Christmas on 4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital

• Also at Best Buy
• Also at Walmart

If you’re looking to add some spookier movies to your October watchlist, there are a couple of other 4K preorders that are up right now and worth keeping your eye on. If you enjoy watching slasher films throughout the month of October, the original Scream trilogy on 4K UHD and Blu-ray is up for preorder right now and will be released on October 3. Or, if you want a 4K collector’s edition for an absolute classic, you can also preorder The Exorcist’s 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition (which releases October 20). That version comes with an additional special feature Blu-ray, a rigid slipcase with new key art, and much more, so it’s a great investment if you’re a diehard fan of the film.

There are plenty more 4K UHD and Blu-ray releases to look forward to throughout the month of October as well, from more horror hits for your Halloween watching to newer theatrical releases that are now getting their at-home debut. To see everything that’s coming out next month, and throughout the rest of the year, check out our breakdown of upcoming 4K UHD and Blu-ray release dates.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.

Saw X opens in theaters September 29. This review is part of our coverage of Fantastic Fest 2023.

“Would you like to play a game?” has now been the impetus for 10 chapters in the book of Saw. The game may not always be good, and the timeline may be convoluted as hell, but nearly 20 years after we first saw Cary Elwes’ Lawrence Gordon hack off his own foot, director Kevin Greutert and writers Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger deliver what ends up being the series’ best entry yet with Saw X. That statement comes with a major caveat: Whether or not you feel the same will depend wholly on what you want out of a Saw movie.

After two decades of playing The Jigsaw Killer, Tobin Bell is finally getting the opportunity to really star in a Saw film. And when you see that performance, you’re going to be asking why the hell it’s taken so long. Bell is absolutely the emotional core of Saw X: It opens with his character, John Kramer, learning he has mere months to live. (Not news for franchise viewers, but immediately pertinent to what will unfold in the film.) Nearing the end, Kramer joins a cancer support group and meets a man named Henry Kessler (Michael Beach) who will later tell him about a miracle cancer cure that saved his life. Given that Saw isn’t a fantasy story, you can imagine how that whole thing pans out.

It’s that hope that adds an extra level of depth to Saw X. The point here is never to portray Kramer as some kind of righteous vigilante – 10 movies in, we know full well who he is. Instead, it’s to illustrate the real evils of the world alongside the fictional character’s wrongdoings. And boy, are the people who find themselves in his snare in this movie just unfathomably freaking despicable. Still, Saw X isn’t just about exploring how deplorable humans can be – it’s also about the power of hope and what kind of hell you can unlock when you betray it. (And yeah, OK, the absolutely wicked kills that come along when you screw with the wrong man.)

Saw X features seven traps, each of them more gnarly than the last. Said kills are spaced throughout the runtime, including one very early on to satiate those itching for a good death; things really start to hit the fan in the third act. It’s also worth mentioning that one of the traps is merely just OK – but before you get disappointed, remember that everything always goes according to plan for John Kramer, the former engineer turned death dealer. (Yeah, yeah, except for the brain cancer part, but that’s the whole point.)

While the point isn’t to make Kramer seem like a righteous man, Saw X leans harder into his moral code than ever before. What he does and how he does it is not right, but it is what makes Jigsaw an interesting horror character. If you’re innocent, you don’t have to fight for your life. Previous Saw films falter when their questions about the true meaning of “innocence” get a little wibbly (and when Kramer’s acolytes get a little too trigger-happy – but welcome back to Shawnee Smith’s Amanda anyway), but Saw X isn’t interested in shades of gray, and that serves its purposes just fine here.

In that regard, the real secret weapon of Saw X is Synnøve Macody Lund’s Cecilia Pederson. The point of these films may not be to get you to root for Jigsaw, but I gotta tell you – I’d take him on my team over this absolute ghoul any day. Just a nasty, wicked, unconscionable thing, who tests John’s code more than anyone ever before. Saw X won’t be winning any technical awards, but the story here, and this brief war between two evils, is the business.

Whether or not you’ll be into Saw X fully depends on what you’re looking for from this franchise. If you just want back-to-back gnarly kills with very little story, you’re going to have less fun with this one. But if you think Saw shines brightest when it’s showcasing the evils of man while another evil man helps them torture themselves (often to death), you’re going to have a good time.

We’re living through what can be considered the Great Horror Boom, scaring up an astounding number of new-release genre titles on a weekly basis, brought on by streaming’s ease of accessibility and perceived market demands. Brands continue to capitalize on horror’s ever-dependable fanbase, from AMC’s Shudder platform to Netflix’s jam-packed Halloween release slates. Horror fans of the streaming age can forever scroll Shudder’s expertly curated catalog of Giallo classics, splattery Z-Movies, and countless other subgenres for the low price of $5.99 a month — no more swapping fuzzy VHS cassettes with Jimbo Jones across the country via snail mail. We’re eating well in the streaming horror era, stuffed plump and about to burst like Greta Gibson’s chipmunk cheeks in A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child.

Shudder began beta testing in the summer of 2015 and was fully functional by October 2016, the same year it’d start releasing originals and exclusives like Nathan Ambrosioni’s Therapy or Hèctor Hernández Vicens’ The Corpse of Anna Fritz. Screambox emerged in 2015, to later become a more prominent player when Cinedigm acquired the service in 2021 (along with popular horror website Bloody Disgusting), adding Screambox originals as of July of 2022. Netflix started releasing horror originals in 2016 with the likes of Mike Flanagan’s Before I Wake or Oz Perkins’ I Am the Pretty Thing that Lives in the House, Blumhouse struck deals with both Hulu and Prime Video for exclusive streaming programming — and all that is in addition to routine theatrical releases (sans COVID-19 lockdowns), plus video-on-demand releases testing the digital rental market. How’s a horror fan supposed to keep up with it all?

“It's a boom, which is great — but at the same time, you have to start making choices,” says Fangoria’s Editor-in-Chief Phil Nobile Jr. “You’ll say, ‘I don't know if I'm going to get around to this one in theaters,’ and then, ‘I don't know if I can get around to this one on streaming.’ Movies just get past us.” Nobile summarizes the very first-world-horror-fan problem that most of us confront with so many choices. We’re in perpetual feast mode, but how did we even get here

Jump to:

• Streamers Are The New Video Stores
• The Event Spectacle Of Seeing A Streaming Title In Theaters
• There’s More Horror Than Ever Before
• Can Too Much Horror Be A Bad Thing?
• Streamers Provide More Opportunities For Filmmakers
• Can The Horror Genre Sustain This Current Output?
• The Reality of the Great Horror Boom

Streamers Are The New Video Stores

Streamers like Shudder and Screambox have taken the place of mom and pop video stores where knowledgeable staff could steer patrons towards groovy recommendations, except with less financial blockers. “I feel like I would just never have taken the $5 risk on so many of these movies in the Blockbuster rummage bin, but there's no risk when you click,” points out filmmaker Aaron Moorhead (Synchronic and Disney+’s upcoming Loki Season 2). Shudder and Screambox are operated by staffers who were horror diehards in their past lives before signing onto their respective positions, and that passion bleeds into their curation. Samuel Zimmerman was working for pre-relaunch Fangoria and Shock Til You Drop before eventually becoming VP of Programming at Shudder. Brad Miska co-founded the well-known online horror haven Bloody Disgusting before becoming VP of Business Development at Screambox. These aren’t just pencil pushers monitoring trends and crunching numbers to dictate what their subscribers will watch — they’re two of horror’s biggest champions.

“Initially, [Shudder] was to be a home for people who loved the genre and found themselves questioning the horror that they were watching on streaming elsewhere,” says Zimmerman of Shudder’s early mission statement. “Everything [else] felt like a dumping ground or a warehouse — no sense of quality or taste or filter.” That’s still somewhat relevant today when you look at Netflix’s contemporary-forward streaming horror catalog that doesn’t offer anything prior to 1998. “We could create something for people who love the [horror] genre, and then widen out from there because we [at Shudder] believe everyone's a horror fan even if they're not ready to admit it.” Shudder’s core competency from inception has been its gobsmacking range of offerings that cater to horror’s infinite walks of life, which is why it’s been able to build considerable momentum with savvy horror crowds who recognize its value versus bigger players that simply don’t care as much about their lineup.

“Everyone's always wanting to look at algorithms and stats to try and make sense of [everything], but I'm a horror consumer — that’s the easiest way for me to look at this stuff,” adds Miska about his approach to Screambox’s streamable horror goodies. “It's a very difficult and expensive process to own and run a streaming service — it's absolutely bananas to see the workings behind the scenes — but with the right resources, I've been able to focus on picking up films that, as a horror fan, I’ll get something out of [even if] not every movie's a 10 out of 10.”

International horror earned a deserved spotlight once streamers improved accessibility for all flavors of horror; imports that hardly found a fraction of prominence in United States theaters in prior years were now topping Best Of lists. These titles were going straight to video shelves or video on demand platforms with little promotion, in a time when consumers assumed anything not fit for theatrical distribution was skippable. There’s even sound reasoning behind pre-streaming distribution hesitance — does the average American moviegoer want to read subtitles in a multiplex on a Friday night? Can a local AMC pack a Spanish-language horror screening given its town’s population? Streamers don’t need to worry about these geolocation business decisions as much, and have shattered distribution blockers by redesigning the delivery system.

Shudder alone deserves credit for fueling an Indonesian horror resurgence by platforming original works by Joko Anwar (Satan’s Slaves, Satan’s Slaves 2: Communion), Timo Tjahjanto (May the Devil Take You Too), and Kimo Stamboel (Queen of Black Magic). “I am so thrilled we've gotten to work on so much of the newer wave of Indonesian horror — [Joko Anwar] is an absolute genius,” gushes Zimmerman.

Screambox champions international value in the same way, like distributing a Japanese remake of Vincenzo Natali’s Cube or Argentine punk-rocking splatterfest PussyCake. Netflix boasts an impressive selection of Indian horror titles given the culture’s immense and passionate following, as well as overseas releases that, while rarely marketed, will still catch eyes because they’re on Netflix. Max is home to Criterion closet picks like cannibal mermaid musical The Lure or 1977’s deranged Japanese paranormal comedy House. Even Prime Video, messy interface and all, hides golden nuggets like 2018’s knockout Tumbbad despite Indian distribution agreements being so hard to secure.

“People who love the genre and have that [horror] bone in their body aren’t held back by international barriers — they’re devoted and curious,” remarks Zimmerman. Shudder users renew their subscriptions because out of nowhere a 2005 Japanese found footage classic never seen in America like Noroi: The Curse will appear, or Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo’s French fantasy thriller Livid (which was lost for over a decade after Dimension Films purchased US rights). “You can't be releasing the same type of movie every week or every other week — it’d be ridiculous if we said here's a haunted house movie and then another haunted house movie and then a third haunted house movie.” Shudder’s impeccably eclectic catalog directly correlates to its emphasis on international horror, a model that keeps the platform’s name on the tongues of horror fans who’ve yet to show boredom in the service (Screambox shows equal promise in its early rebranding).

Accessing these previously hidden gems is laughably easy now, and we’re not only talking about international stunners or do-it-yourself indies getting the streaming bump. Leatherface became a Netflix icon, Pinhead was reborn as The Priest on Hulu, Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin tried to draw found footage fans to Paramount+, and Michael Myers saw a day-and-date release on Peacock for Halloween Kills.

“Part of the nostalgia for horror fans is looking back and remembering how hard it was to acquire some [titles] like Evil Dead or Dead Alive, because you didn't always see a movie in theaters, and then you’d wait like six months for it to show up at Blockbuster, then another six months for it to show up used, then in another six months maybe you could buy a brand new copy,” laughs Screambox’s Miska. Maybe you got cheeky and “lost” your rental copy of Evil Dead (in your collection), only to endure absurd Blockbuster late and replacement fees. None of that matters anymore, in a world where TikTokers are illegally streaming entire movies in bite-sized portions (bad). Zimmerman adds, “If you're a genre fan or even just kind of like horror, there's probably a whole world of titles you've heard but never seen — it took me so long to finally see The Town That Dreaded Sundown, that title just existed in my brain.”

Streaming also helped resuscitate franchises that were considered dead by box office standards. As Nobile Jr. recalls, “So many people watched [Prey] opening weekend because it was on streaming on Hulu, and that probably saved that franchise.” 20th Century Studios could gamble on a Predator prequel on streaming with no fears of floundering theatrically, which is precisely the risk-taking swing the action-horror franchise needed. “[Streaming] creates opportunities for films to have moments that they might not have had otherwise. If [Prey] was in theaters, everyone wouldn't have watched it that first weekend. It would have needed a strong word of mouth campaign, or a certain number of screens would have to have been bought out.”

Streaming platforms can be a testing ground for somewhat struggling franchises like Predator. A domestic gross of $51 million for Shane Black’s 2018 The Predator suggested American audiences didn’t seem ravenous for further Predator films, which the well-received Prey proved embarrassingly wrong under alternative circumstances. Turns out, audiences were happy to support more Predator films — they were just tired of what studios were churning out and didn’t want to risk that $20 ticket price. Now the franchise has new life, and that can translate into future successes. “Certainly the next one will be in theaters, because [Prey] was such a remarkable streaming success,” concludes Nobile.

The Event Spectacle Of Seeing A Streaming Title In Theaters

When you think about it, platforms like Shudder and Screambox share similar mission statements with film festivals like Austin’s Fantastic Fest. Each requires programmers who consider their audience’s needs, and strive to curate something unforgettable. Fantastic Fest director Lisa Dreyer aims to please in the same fashion as Zimmerman or Miska, although film festivals have the live element to consider — which has become more interesting since the dawn of streaming. Festivals are getting longer, and options are mounting. “The number of horror films that are getting made and getting seen has exploded — [you’re seeing] more movies because there's more money to buy them,” notes Dreyer.

Streamers are finding film festivals useful as preview venues for titles that will never project onto a theatrical screen again. Hulu’s Hellraiser and Disney+’s MCU Halloween special Werewolf by Night both graced Fantastic Fest as secret screenings, surprising some of the only audiences who will ever get to see either title in prime cinematic conditions. “It makes a really special experience for our audience,” notes Dreyer, who goes on to convey what that means to a filmmaker who otherwise never would have had witnessed live receptions to their artwork.

“It’s not Netflix making the movie, or Amazon making the movie. It's a real artist making the movie. I know a lot of directors who are disappointed when they can't have a theatrical release, but [festivals] give them that taste of [seeing their movie on the] big screen with an audience. Sharing that communal moment. That's what we really love — maybe [your movie] doesn’t get the full theatrical release, but you do right here at the festival.”

My mentality around skipping streaming titles at horror fests that would be available only a week later on Netflix has changed drastically thanks to ideologies similar to Lisa’s. I made sure to seek out David Bruckner’s Hellraiser reboot at Beyond Fest 2022, knowing it’d be destined to exist only on Hulu afterward. Too many streaming titles get lost in the eternal shuffle of virtual catalog cycling, where festivals have become a showcase for the next streaming gem like The Night Comes for Us. I didn’t see a lick of advertising for the indulgently brutal Indonesian actioner, but at least heavy waves of hype flowed out of Fantastic Fest, which became vital word-of-mouth recommendations. “Streaming services are seeing that value in film festivals to build up buzz. There's so much content that you can access streaming wise — cutting through the noise by having some sort of special premiere event really helps.”

Since streamers have gotten into the acquisition game, the pipeline from horror festivals to consumer screens has been drastically reduced. With more outlets requiring titles to keep their options fresh, and aggressive release schedules where Shudder and Screambox promise new titles every month, even week, festivals are no longer a privileged haven where film critics gather and review movies the average moviegoer won’t see for another year minimum. Where distribution deals sometimes wouldn’t be inked for months until after a film’s festival premiere (and then buried who knows where without proper marketing), Shudder is now announcing acquisition deals weeks before festivals even start premiering their lineups. As Dreyer noted, more purchasers equals more movies finding releases — and streaming is now one of the most popular destinations for festival favorites that don’t need to sell themselves on only theatrical potential.

There’s More Horror Than Ever Before

Speaking plainly, streaming changed the horror genre like it changed Hollywood: there’s more. But that “more” hits differently for niche horror-only services versus Netflix or Hulu. Netflix can introduce a romantic comedy one week, a war epic the next, yadda yadda. Shudder and Screambox cater to a solitary genre with committed fans who will rise to the challenge of seeing everything available. How can there actually be enough titles to populate theaters, video-on-demand platforms, subscription platforms, and FAST channels like the Fox owned Tubi? “Amityville sequels,” laughs Nobile.

“That's an interesting metric, though. Without streaming, you don't have 38 Amityville movies on Tubi — there was [previously] no place for stuff like that to go. The delivery system has been impacted.”

That actually is an interesting metric. With alarmingly lax restrictions over what can get uploaded to services like Prime Video and Tubi, you’ll find absurd microbudget releases shot in backyards finding placement because there’s a drive for what’s grossly referred to by business folks as content. “It's an ocean — your million dollar movie and your $20,000 movie make the same size drop in that ocean.” Go look up the posters for House Shark or Sharks of the Corn. Better yet, I dare you to count every single unsanctioned Amityville namesake on Tubi from Amityville Karen to Amityville in Space. Note the release dates. Nearly all are post-2016, with many from 2020 and later — coinciding with the popularity of free to stream platforms.

Horror movies were and are releasing with an unprecedented quickness because demand is astronomically inflated — or at least appears to have inflated. Rustic Films co-founder and Producer David Lawson Jr. counters, “I do think a downside is that [streamers] created a false demand.” Industries act reflexively when the landscape drastically changes, that’s Business 101, which could inorganically make the skyrocket in horror release numbers seem justified when it was really just a byproduct of corporate-bred competition. “Everybody revved the engine up but there was no track … That's part of the reason we're kind of in this slowdown right now. There isn’t the demand we were promised.” Of course, audiences only care about the end result, reasons and motivators be damned.

The question becomes, is horror’s quantity explosion a good thing? “There's something to be said about being excited about [a new horror film] coming out,” reminisces Miska. “The marketing for films is now pushed up and [streamers are] promoting everything a week or two before so the second you're excited, you already have the product.”

To understand how the horror genre seems to have quintupled its output thanks to streamers, we also have to acknowledge the COVID-19 pandemic and countrywide quarantines. Everyone was stuck in their respective quarters, and streamers acted with quickness. First came theatrical titles like The Hunt that forfeited any waiting games and became purchasable on Prime Video for theatrical prices — but that was a direct reaction to wide releases getting their theatrical run shut down. What happened in the horror genre was unprecedented once it became clear Americans would be isolating in safety, some with no work obligations, but everyone with a need for distractions.

Our first Halloween under quarantine brought with it a paralyzing 40+ new release horror movies available to rent, stream, or buy in October alone. That’s more than one new release horror screening per day. “Netflix & Chills” debuted 9 titles from an interactive adventure where WWE’s The New Day sneak into The Undertaker’s haunted mansion to Adam Sandler’s Hubie Halloween. Shudder served 5 festival darlings like Scare Me, Prime Video unleashed 4 “Welcome to the Blumhouse” entries — at what point does being a genre completionist become a chore? How are hidden gems supposed to stand out when prioritization and favoritism become necessary tools against an impossible task to watch everything available?

In January of 2021, after Netflix announced it’d release a new movie every week that year, Shudder doubled down on continuous output ambitions by revealing it’d be releasing a new horror movie for the next 11 weeks. When all was said and done for Shudder, they’d end 2021 with around 40 exclusives and originals on their platform (counting what’s available as per this publish date). They’d push even harder in 2022, finishing with around 50 exclusives and originals, none of which includes their retro programming with classics from famous icons to unheard of oddities, as well as television programming both rerun and brand spankin’ new. “I would say we [felt the pressures of demand] during the lockdown because it was so clear everyone was at home watching,” recalls Zimmerman. “We absolutely retained our curatorial personality during the lockdown. It was an accelerated and exhausting schedule — I think reducing our slate has helped us refocus our ambitions on the really cool movies.”

With no hyperbole, Shudder and streaming saved countless horror fans from much darker, depressive lockdown experiences. The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs became one harmonious horror “Kum ba yah” every Friday as the bolo-wearing horror host programmed double features while Shudder subscribers flooded Twitter with live-tweet chatter. Then there was the terrifying screenlife favorite Host, recreating that video chat purgatory we were all stuck in but with an actual demon — which became the defining lockdown horror title. Shudder was essential during pandemic quarantines, proving that proper curation could balance comfortable nostalgia plays harkening back to earlier models of entertainment — Joe Bob’s show dials right back to after-dark cable programming — with newfound visions paving a road for horror’s future. No longer were audiences stuck in whatever gear studios decided should dominate theaters.

The thing is, Shudder wasn’t the only platform to choose from during these times — and everyone wanted to drink horror’s milkshake. Shudder set a precedent for what to expect, and that became yet another norm horror fans could rely on. It’s like that book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, except it's If You Give a Horror Fan New Movies Every Week. Nobile confirms how the Halloween uptick is still alive and well today via Fangoria reporting: “We make a page or multiple pages of graphics to show what's hitting streaming per month, and I’ll usually proofread 4 pages. There were, like, 12 pages last time and 3 of them — at least 3 or 4 — was Peacock, which was incredible to me.”

Can Too Much Horror Be A Bad Thing?

A byproduct of the oversaturation of horror marketplaces is the lifespan of buzz and reduction of lasting impressions. Remember when Netflix purchased Fox’s already completed Fear Street trilogy, directed by Leigh Janiak? Three bloodthirsty era-spanning slashers hit streaming in July 2021 for three consecutive weeks, and everyone devoured each entry as rapidly as possible. Let’s process that model for a second — let that whiplash sink in. Fox wanted to drop each Fear Street release once a month in order, a schedule Netflix didn’t blink at speeding along even faster. Netflix achieved something unprecedented by releasing a franchise basically at once (as only a Streamer could), but has Fear Street built the legacy it deserves over two years later? Anticipation stokes hype, which extends the longevity of conversations around media. That’s the opposite of what Netflix did, cashing in and skedaddling in on swift motion. The difference between dominating the horror conversation over 1 month versus 3 months is a big deal in terms of cementing a fanbase. Streamers have conditioned modern audiences to consume media like Joey Chestnut at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, scarfing down titles and moving right on to the next.

There's a lack of prolonged pandemonium around horror films these days, largely due to the fact that there are just so many. Netflix’s marketing department only has the bandwidth to prioritize a percentage of new releases week by week — well-performing shows can earn a bump after a first week's success, but sometimes that's still too late to snag audience attention when there's already another wave of new titles to choose from. The Fear Street trilogy received a valiant, rare push by Netflix — dropping an entire franchise at once better pay off — but after that, they relied on internet chatter to increase longevity that frankly isn’t there. Think of how many times physical media companies rerelease brand new editions of Halloween or The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, or how Chucky infiltrated pop culture over decades (from SNL to WCW), keeping Child’s Play sequels in the public’s eye. Netflix doesn’t believe in physical media, and is all about immediate gratification, which has reduced the spectacle nature of what could have been an ongoing franchise for at least three years worth of nurtured fandom. We all watched Fear Street, then promptly moved on with our lives because people are easily lured in by the next shiny new toy — there’s always another distraction, something else to watch.

Horror journalism and criticism has become infinitely more important since streamers buried viewers alive in choices, helping with the general public’s curation of horror options. Fangoria’s quarterly magazine only has 100 pages worth of space to cover as many projects as possible, but Nobile doesn’t necessarily see that as a dilemma. “The good news is that there's never not a movie to put in the magazine,” he answers. “I just have to pay more attention to festivals and word of mouth because I could literally just look at 2 streamers and fill an issue.” The problem isn’t populating Fangoria’s pages with some of the best genre coverage in print (shout out to Rue Morgue and the rest), but attracting readers who’ve embraced the complacency of letting a computer dictate their watching patterns. “Audiences have gotten lazy — they’ve gotten used to clicking on whatever the algorithm is feeding to them, so then it becomes [Matt Donato’s] job and my job or Sam Zimmerman's job to try to mindfully point people toward the good stuff.”

Speaking of Zimmerman, he notes Shudder’s more recent shying away from dropping originals as rapidly as Jason drops counselors:

“We're already slowing [our] pace. Based on our slate, based on other streamers, I think the aggression — and especially on the larger scale streamers — with which they were releasing titles has … well you'll see in large scale Executive Netflix Profiles, you'll start to see those terms like ‘quality over quantity.’ What can users keep up with? There are a ton of streaming services. You have to put your best foot forward as often as possible. We started with a curatorial mission and we're never going to abandon that. The pace is already slowing down — but I don't think that means there's going to be less movies. We're headed toward a future where there's always more movies being made, but from our perspective, being smart about what we're releasing, and how we're releasing, is the way to go.”

So how can two streaming platforms thrive by releasing only horror movies — smaller fry Midnight Pulp adds a third to the mix — without cannibalizing themselves?

“If there was another [horror streaming service] I would subscribe to that too,” suggests Miska. “As a horror fan and as a consumer, I want to see everything.” Zimmerman adds, “People who like the [horror] genre, whether that’s really intensely or rather casually, are by nature curious and devoted.” You don’t see romantic comedy fans attending rom-com-cons in elaborate Gerard Butler from The Bounty Hunter cosplay, or bands like Ice Nine Kills except film noir themed. Horror fans are faithful to the Shudders and Screamboxes because the Netflixes of the world don’t seem interested in the licensing fees that would go into maintaining such a robust horror catalog. Although, according to Nobile, studios are finally catching on.

“Something happened this year where everyone realized that horror is a bigger draw for streaming than other genres. Paramount is now pushing a whole “Paramount Scares” thing — [but] if you're of a certain age like me, you remember when Paramount was embarrassed by their horror titles. They would pick up all the Friday the 13th movies, which were independent productions … but it was their dirty little secret for years. They weren’t proud of those movies. Now they've come full circle to embrace horror, and especially horror on streaming. They're [releasing] a 4K box set for their streaming offerings and [pushing] a huge initiative for them right now.”

Horror’s business is always booming — horror movies thrived at the box office despite pandemic cautions and continually overperform — which is a lesson studios begrudgingly learned from their super-secret backroom streaming analysis. Not only that, but they finally saw tangible evidence pointing toward the multitude of individual tastes that exist. As Zimmerman notes, “[Streaming] tamped down on larger horror trends in a great way because there are so many levels and avenues of distribution at the moment, where I find audiences are curious and adventurous. We're seeing less of when James Wan makes a movie like Insidious, then every [other] movie [after] is like Insidious.” Streamers pumping new movies into our veins like a 24/7 IV drip can’t afford to approach horror like fat-cat studios that release maybe 3 horror titles per year tops. Theatergoers dictate what’s in theaters with their wallets, while streamer metrics (as nebulous as they are) are about retention, return rates, and subscriber drop ratios. Wan rerouted mainstream horror trends twice — Saw’s “Torture Porn” era, The Conjuring brought back hauntings — because that’s what box office dollars told studios horror fans wanted, but streamers don’t abide by such reactionary methods. What’s a steamer worth whose catalog stinks of repetition?

Variety is not only the spice of life for streamers, but their main focus, leading to a horror landscape that’s deliciously à la carte. Shudder can invest in filmmakers like Australian transgender teen Alice Maio Mackay for the queer vampire tale So Vam, or actor-turned-filmmaker Alice Lowe for her pregnancy slasher Prevenge — both sitting right next to Mario Bava classics and Halloween sequels on Shudder’s digital shelf.

Streamers Provide More Opportunities For Filmmakers

In a studio system, producers pressure queer creators to make the “Gay Get Out” because executives are driven by cashing in on someone else’s success or squeeze filmmakers into franchise confinement instead of letting them create something new. Streaming seems to breed an excess of diversity to meet equally diverse user bases as evident by Shudder’s focus on widely representative originals (I’d love a digital passport to check where their movies have taken me), which empowers those otherwise silenced minorities with money to spend, not only the homogenized majority whose collective voice speaks loudest. Shudder and Screambox can take risks reinvigorating hype around tougher big-ticket sales like horror documentaries Living With Chucky or Sharksploitation while Lionsgate wheels Billy out for another Saw sequel. As Miska raves, “I'm really happy with all the documentaries [Screambox has] been able to acquire and release. I feel like [documentaries] are a really big blind spot in the community.”

There’s yet another curveball to the market that’s benefitted creators — the pathway to entry and ability to gain notoriety has been lowered. Not to say filmmaking is easy and all anyone needs is a digital camera or an iPhone and Tubi placement, but bigger streamer budgets are granting aspiring horror filmmakers opportunities that didn’t exist before. Something like Blumhouse TV’s holiday-horror-feature-film-per-month Into the Dark on Hulu generated 12 extra horror director positions each season it ran, and brought someone like Emma Tammi who would eventually go on to direct this year’s Five Nights at Freddy’s into the Blumhouse stable. They might be breakneck shoots under adversarial conditions with turnaround sprints, but they’re still an opportunity to direct a Blumhouse product for a major streaming platform..

Miska cites Adam Wingard as another prime template of indie horror struggles before the streaming era — the Adam Wingard before You’re Next, Godzilla vs. Kong, and Blair Witch. “[Adam Wingard’s] A Horrible way To Die as a good baseline example for an upcoming filmmaker. It’s extremely low budget, pulls resources, and is a pure passion project.” Wingard willed A Horrible Way to Die into existence and demanded people pay attention through execution alone — no streamer-backed cushions. “He was somebody with a ton of talent really digging deep to find a way to make their career happen.” That in no way suggests today’s rookies aren’t fighting for the jobs they earn, but with more proverbial gates open and guaranteed viewership, Miska ponders if such abundant opportunities have any negative effects. “[These conditions] have created a level of expectations from up and coming filmmakers who now expect a certain level of comfort zone in making movies.”

Getting your indie horror darling on Shudder has become a badge of honor for horror filmmakers trying to make their mark like the Adams family (yes, their actual name). Shudder acquired their punk-rock microbudget feature Hellbender, propelling an already growing genre stock when their previous feature The Deeper You Dig turned heads. Zimmerman’s dedication to curation has solidified a bond between streamer and horror audience, so when Hellbender hit Shudder after the service platformed the Adams’ prior microbudget feature The Deeper You Dig, users didn’t balk. “We want to provide [a worthwhile experience], and we demand your attention in return. We demand a little bit of your trust. Check out this weird movie, or check out this new voice that you may not be immediately hip to, but we want you to be.” Chances are The Deeper You Dig would have sunk into VOD obscurity without a Shudder bump and Hellbender might have walked a lonely road — instead, the collective’s next feature Where the Devil Roams became hot festival tickets that had horror fans at attention on Adams name recognition alone.

Filmmaker Justin Benson cites how streaming has become this double-edged sword for industry creators, because while there are issues with compensation around streamers, they still provide an invaluable platform. “It’s really interesting because on the one hand, the amount of people that probably see your movie, if they had seen it in a theater, that probably would have changed your life. It would have been the biggest deal. On streaming it doesn't change your life, and people may not even know that you made [what they’re watching] — but the flip side [for that experience] is it's really cool because so many people get to see [your movie] and that's especially true for left of center indies that aren't, say, A24 with brilliant marketing campaigns.” Benson and Moorhead’s Synchronic falls in line with that mentality, where the duo and aforementioned partner David Lawson confirm their 3 weeks as king of the Netflix Top 10 hill pushed no needles in terms of financial gains or behind the scenes metrics, and they watched excitedly as their film became a conversation point for Netflix audiences with added bragging rights.

For a bit of added context, while streamers offer unlimited access as an enticing benefit, the financial model has also changed for filmmakers looking to both gain an audience and see substantial profits. Decisions have to be made. Benson lifts the curtain a bit to weigh the options filmmakers now face:

“Say you pitch to a streamer. Hopefully they’ll offer some sort of pre-buy deal on the movie and in that case, it's probably going to be [universally] exclusive to that streamer. If you sold somewhere else, it would likely be for North American rights, and then they would parcel out the rest of the world. Usually you end up in a financial situation with streamers where what you're looking for is an offer that allows you to to pay all your collaborators a fair rate because that's the last money you're probably ever going to see. Traditionally, that one first sale wasn't the last [paycheck] — that's a big deal.”

There’s also the piracy danger of filmmaking that’s become even murkier thanks to streaming, especially in the horror genre. I remember talking to producer Ant Timpson about his horror anthology The ABCs of Death 2 and the possibility of another sequel, and he discouragingly revealed that pirates leaked the film even before its world premiere, before anyone spent a dollar on VOD rentals, which robbed earnings that are needed to justify further entries. Then you have this year’s Skinamarink, which was leaked in-full after a film festival and spread all over the internet, but Shudder isn’t relying on in-app purchases. What’s the point of pirating something you can watch whenever you want on a streamer with much better quality, which you can’t financially sabotage? It’s an unexpected benefit to a serious problem — genuinely, this whole posting entire movies on TikTok behavior is a crisis — but the ramifications aren’t as severe for streamer-set titles. Shudder even rolled out a special theatrical run for Skinamarink, because ticket sales were gravy at that point.

Can The Horror Genre Sustain This Current Output?

The biggest question mark, of course, is the overload of horror media that’s too much even for dedicated journalists who spend every waking hour pouring over the genre. Eight horror titles released the other week — EIGHT. IN A WEEK.

It’s frustrating because while there are more avenues, and more filmmakers breaking through, the algorithm still dictates what’s “important.” The algorithm tells us what’s popular, and trending topics deem that popularity important, so that’s what gets acknowledged online in a time where organic marketing has become arguably more important than traditional ad spaces. Streaming has unlocked a communal experience for horror fans where users can watch things simultaneously and share their responses in real time, but we’re right back to listening to what the algorithm has to say, which has weakened our abilities to self-curate.

“At what point does it stop being fun and become work,” questions Miska. “I hate the feeling of having to burn through things — I have a list of titles I need to watch and at some point you start watching things with contention.” Streaming may be the new frontier for horror, but in ways it has also turned horror upkeep into a nightmare for consumers. Keeping up with horror is (one of) my job(s) — one that I love dearly — but I am forever having to balance that upkeep with work, hobbies outside of the horror space, and just life in general. It’s gotten to the point that it feels like I could watch horror all day every day and still not be caught up.

That’s the doom spiral at the end of all this. Streaming, like most business endeavors, is a real-time movement that’s constantly evolving as streamers, traditional studios, and audiences all try to predict what will happen next. It seems too good to be true, and truthfully, I want it to be. Let me live ignorant and blissful in a streaming utopia where Netflix can tell us every new release is a viewing milestone — because if Netflix were to ever announce failure and vanish, exclusive titles like His House, the Fear Street trilogy, or The Babysitter vanish as well. At least Shudder and Screambox honor the importance of physical media by releasing choice originals on Blu-ray and DVD, because if streaming introduced a single fear to horror audiences, it’s the realization that when you don’t own your favorite movies, you literally can’t own them, and they exist in databases that could be wiped clean, so there’s a chance your umpteenth stream of The Ritual on Netflix could be your last.

I want to end with an encouraging outlook, because the horror genre has changed for the better overall under streaming models. Sure, the logistics of streaming and horror’s ungodly uptick in output sound insane — but Moorhead jogs our memory about another insane product. “[Streaming] reminds me a little bit of the first iteration of Movie Pass. It was really good for independent films, but we all thought Movie Pass was completely insane — we're all looking at each other and saying this is insane, right?” The amount of horror releases we’re getting right now is certifiably insane, but as Moorhead goes on to reassure, it’s about how initial disruptors adapt or second players to market who tweak the failures of ambitious trailblazers. “Movie Pass brought around Alamo Drafthouse’s Victory Program and AMC Stubs A-List, and those aren't insane.” The future, in other words, is even brighter.

Also, in solidarity with ongoing strike, Lawson fantasizes about how streamers can evolve into the next best iteration of themselves for not only the horror industry, but all industries: “I would love for [streamers] to start by paying residuals that are in line with industry standards so that artists can afford to make a living and we can shed this idea of a new media because it is now just media.”

The Reality of the Great Horror Boom

We’re all eatin’ good in the neighborhood as horror fans, sippin’ $1 vampire cocktails and watching more horror creativity than our brain can comprehend. Streaming’s dopamine hit of instant gratification isn’t just our new favorite drug. Streaming's accessibility has encouraged redistributions of power in the industry, created countless jobs, advocates for representation across all forms of the genre, and allows everyone to find the one movie that finally turns them into a horror fan.

Streaming has taken the responsibility of investigation away from audiences, now in the hands of platform programmers who earn our respect through their quality of curation. I’ll agree that audiences need to reclaim some of their independence and curiosity. On the other hand, the sheer volume of options is a goldmine itself. “It's hard to be cranky about [streaming] because when I would first rent a movie, it wasn't even a video store. It was a camera store, there was a shelf, there were about 20 movies on that shelf, and I want to say 4 of them were horror movies,” reminisces Nobile.

We’re living in the Great Horror Boom. All we can do is hold on for dear life and champion the movies we love as vocally as possible, because algorithms don’t understand love. They only understand clicks. Be as curious as Sam Zimmerman says you are. Listen to Lisa Dreyer and let filmmakers hear how much you enjoy their films at festivals. Prove to Brad Miska that there’s plenty of room for Screambox, Shudder, and twenty more platforms. At the end of the day, be thankful that our biggest problem as horror fans right now is an avalanche of new releases that assure there will always be something new to watch, or a new voice to discover. It could be worse — just ask adolescent Phil Nobile Jr.

Harry Potter star Sir Michael Gambon has died aged 82.

The legendary Irish-British actor is said to have died peacefully after suffering from pneumonia, according to a statement from his family.

“We are devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael Gambon,” reads the statement. “Beloved husband and father, Michael died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne and son Fergus at his bedside, following a bout of pneumonia.”

Gambon made his screen debut in Othello in 1965 alongside Laurence Olivier and Maggie Smith, going on to forge a career spanning over 60 years. He amassed a total of 148 film and TV credits throughout his career.

Notably, Gambon’s big screen roles included Gosford Park and Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox as well as famously taking over as Professor Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban following the death of Richard Harris. He went on to star as Dumbledore for the rest of the main Harry Potter series.

“I’d never seen any of the previous films, but working on the series was huge fun — and for lots of dosh,” he said at the time.

Gambon also starred in The Singing Detective for TV as well as landing more recent roles in Doctor Who and the title role of Jules Maigret in the UK detective series, Maigret. He also famously appeared as the star in the reasonably-priced car on Top Gear.

As well as his screen career, Gambon’s love of the theatre persisted, and he starred in numerous stage productions including Richard III, King Lear, Anthony and Cleopatra, and Uncle Vanya. In fact, he won 13 Laurence Olivier awards throughout his career.

Gambon was knighted for services to the entertainment industry back in 1998 and won the BAFTA for Best Actor four times, notably for The Singing Detective.

Sir Michael Gambon is survived by his wife, Anne, and son, Fergus, as well as two other children.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has clarified exactly where DCU canon begins and that John Cena, Xolo Maridueña, and Viola Davis are returning as Peacemaker, Blue Beetle, and Amanda Waller.

In a series of posts on Threads, Gunn made clear that DCU canon will begin with animated series Creature Commandos, followed by Superman: Legacy, and no currently released content like Blue Beetle will be required watching.

Gunn also said it's "okay to be confused" about the current plans, with many DC fans finding the mixed messaging regarding characters like Blue Beetle unclear as the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) — which began with Zack Snyder's Man of Steel and will end with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom — comes to a close.

"Nothing is canon until Creature Commandos next year — a sort of aperitif to the DCU — and then a deeper dive into the universe with Superman: Legacy after that," Gunn said. "It’s a very human drive to want to understand everything all the time, but I think its okay to be confused on what’s happening in the DCU since no one has seen anything from the DCU yet."

"And, yes, some actors will be playing characters they’ve played in other stories, and some plot points might be consistent with plot points from the dozens of films, shows, and animated projects that have come from DC in the past. But nothing is canon until [Creature Commandos] and Legacy."

This means that, while the likes of Cena, Maridueña, and Davis will be playing the same DCEU characters, they're not continuing the stories of those previous films and shows. Peacemaker Season 1 (and the upcoming Season 2), 2023's Blue Beetle, and both Suicide Squad films will not be canon to the DCU.

Fans might be hearing more on upcoming projects soon, Gunn added. "I don’t even know where we are with everything, as I haven’t been able to talk with our writers while this [writer's strike] has been happening. Although I’m very happy with the outcome, the strike was a real wrench in the process for sure, so I’ll have to see where we are on everything for the next couple weeks. But yeah I’d imagine more news out in the not-too-distant future."

This news will likely be on the two projects Gunn mentioned as they're kicking off the DCU. Creature Commandos is an animated series in which Amanda Waller creates a black ops team out of monstrous prisoners and stars the likes of Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr. and David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein.

While the show lacks a release date, Superman: Legacy is due to premiere on July 11, 2025, and will tell the story of a young Superman as he balances his Kryptonian and Kansan heritage.

Confusion initially surrounded Henry Cavill's involvement after the Man of Steel actor announced his return as Superman alongside the release of Black Adam, but he later revealed he wouldn't be returning after all following Gunn and co-CEO Peter Safran's shake-up at DC. David Corenswet will play Superman instead, while Rachel Brosnahan will play Lois Lane.

Gunn was confirmed to be writing Superman: Legacy but later revealed he would direct too, though assured that it won't have the "same vibe" as his Marvel superhero offering Guardians of the Galaxy. The film entered pre-production in April, and while details are still slim, Gunn said he's open to making it more mature but is generally aiming for a PG-13 rating.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

These days, the making-of books about our favorite movies and TV shows are often not much more than glorified press notes, studio-sanctioned marketing beats that don’t come close to telling the real story of what happened behind the scenes.

But every once in a while, a no-holds-barred account still surfaces. And that’s where the new book about David Lynch’s Dune comes in, which at 560 pages seemingly has the scoop on everything that went into making the infamous sci-fi spectacle that Lynch still regards as a painful experience. Though infamous might not be the right word, as it turns out…

Written by Max Evry, who happens to also be a buddy of mine, A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune - An Oral History features some 50 interviews in total, many of them new and with people who worked on all facets of the film. (There’s even a “legacy” section that features modern-day critics looking back at the 1984 picture, including a few words from me, so consider this a disclaimer!)

I spoke to Evry recently about the two years he spent researching and writing the book, and he dropped a bunch of stories about the making of Lynch’s opus during that chat. You can find the full discussion on my podcast, but today we’ve got an exclusive excerpt from A Masterpiece in Disarray which focuses on whether or not Lynch would ever return to do a director’s cut of the film.

“The sad part is Lynch and [producer] Raffaella De Laurentiis were game to do a proper recut, and they had so much footage,” Evry told me. “The original assembly cut that was made in Mexico [where the film was shot] was four hours and 20 minutes roughly, and that was without effect shots. So it may have been closer to five hours once all the effect shots were thrown in.”

The film Lynch set out to make is not the film that was released in 1984, but the filmmaker talked about a director’s cut seriously as late as 1986 and 1987. Still, it wasn’t to be.

“When it came time to put up or shut up, Universal made the wrong choice,” says Evry. “It was the same wing of Universal that did bastardized cuts of The Thing and Scarface.”

Anyone who remembers the TV edits of those films can understand why Lynch wound up taking his name off the broadcast version of Dune (with good old Alan Smithee subbing in for the helmer). Read on for the excerpt from A Masterpiece in Disarray:

“The ongoing perception of how things went down was that Dino De Laurentiis took final cut away from David Lynch and destroyed the film in the editing process,” Evry told me. “And there's so much more nuance to it than that. And a lot of that had to do with the involvement of Sid Sheinberg, who was the chairman of MCA at the time.”

Sheinberg was a powerful Hollywood figure for many years, but he also had a reputation for re-cutting films that he deemed were in trouble (Ridley Scott’s Legend and Terri Gilliam's Brazil also ran into problems with Sheinberg).

“If you read the book, you'll find you can't 100% put the blame on him either,” says Evry. “It is sort of a conspiracy of everybody involved, including David's inexperience with films like this, and the fact that he didn't have the leverage at the time to demand what he needed to demand to keep it on track, in terms of being aligned with his vision. So I think that people who read A Masterpiece in Disarray are going to find, it does talk about Herbert, it does talk about Lynch, but it is on the whole a story of how a big-budget movie is made, and then later unmade. And I think it'll be fascinating for people even who aren't completely interested in Dune, or aren't even interested in Lynch, but people who are really fascinated by the filmmaking process.”

You can pick up A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune - An Oral History right now.

On the heels of The Nun 2, Saw X continues the flow of pre-Halloween horror movies with a new entry in the gruesome horror franchise. Set between the events of the first two films, Lionsgate is calling Saw X "Jigsaw’s most personal game" yet.

Saw X will be in theaters later this month. If you're wondering how and where to watch it this weekend, take a look at the info below.

Where to Watch Saw X – Showtimes

Saw X will be in theaters tarting tomorrow night with a wider release date of September 29. To find when and where you can watch the movie near you, check the local showtime listings at the main theater sites below:

• Fandango
• AMC Theaters
• Cinemark Theaters
• Regal Theaters

Saw X Streaming Release Status

Saw X will be released on Starz before making its way to Peacock, per distributor Lionsgate's streaming deal with Universal.

As for a potential streaming release date, Lionsgate's last major release, John Wick 4, came to Starz 175 days (nearly six months) after its theatrical debut. Should Lionsgate follow suit here, you can expect Saw X to hit Starz around mid-to-late March 2024. A Peacock release would likely come in late 2024 or 2025.

What Is Saw X About?

Saw X is the tenth feature-length film in Lionsgate's torture-horror franchise. It takes place between the events of Saw and Saw 2. Here's the officialy synopsis for Saw X:

John Kramer is back. The most chilling installment of the Saw franchise yet explores the untold chapter of Jigsaw’s most personal game. Set between the events of Saw I and II, a sick and desperate John travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure in hopes of a miracle cure for his cancer – only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. Armed with a newfound purpose, John returns to his work, turning the tables on the con artists in his signature visceral way through a series of ingenious and terrifying traps.

How to Watch Previous Saw Movies

All nine previously released Saw movies are available to stream online across three subscription services: Prime Video (Saw 1–6, Jigsaw), Starz (Saw 1–6, Saw 3D), and Hulu (Spiral: From the Book of Saw).

If you're looking to do a marathon, check out our guide to watching the Saw movies in order.

Saw X Cast

Saw X was written by Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger. It was directed by Kevin Greutert and stars the following actors:

• Tobin Bell as John Kramer
• Shawnee Smith as Amanda Young
• Synnøve Macody Lund as Cecilia Pederson
• Steven Brand as Parker Sears
• Renata Vaca as Gabriela
• Michael Beach as Henry Kessler

Saw X Rating and Runtime

Saw X is Rated R for sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture, language, and some drug use. The film runs for a total of 1 hour and 58 minutes including credits.

Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.

It’s a big year for Walt Disney Animation Studios, which turns 100 on Oct. 16, making it the longest-running animation studio in history.

The Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio was founded by Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney in 1923, and they released their first hand-drawn theatrical animated film in 1937 with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. That style of 2D animation continued to be their signature until the ‘00s, where the studio largely turned to computer animation, with just a few exceptions like 2009’s The Princess and the Frog and 2011’s Winnie the Pooh. Since then, however, all of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ theatrical films have been computer animated.

That includes their November 2023 original theatrical release, Wish, which was intentionally conceived as a project that would honor the past 100 years of Walt Disney animation tradition in both story and visual presentation. But even still, Wish is not animated in the OG 2D style. Why?

Walt Disney Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer and Wish executive producer/writer Jennifer Lee told IGN in a recent interview that in the early stages of development several years ago, it was seriously discussed.

“We did talk about it in the beginning, in multiple directions,” she said. “It was interesting, because when we first started thinking about it, we were just deciding. It wasn't like: we can or can't. It was just deciding, is that what we want to do?”

After the Wish teaser trailer dropped, animation aficionados were surprised to see the computer animation look painterly, which is more in line with the watercolor style of Disney’s 1959 adaptation of Sleeping Beauty.

Lee said that specific aesthetic came out of discussions with Wish producers Peter Del Vecho and Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster Jones, and co-directors Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn about their collective goal in making Wish a film where there was no break from the artists’ vision to the screen.

“What happens in hand-drawn is that you have the incredible hand of the artist, but also limitations in what you could do on screen,” Lee explained. “What happened in CG is you'd have incredible, boundless opportunities, visually, that elevated it — even to the point for some — into realism, which is not what we wanted to do. The more important thing to us was to have a way to find technology that can do everything. Connect to the true vision of the artist, but bring in technology that could finally take away limitations.”

The story of Wish fits into Disney’s long history of adapting and creating original fairy tales that center on a central character with a passionate desire that they desperately want to come true. In this case, Asha (Ariana DeBose) is the empathetic dreamer who lives in the imaginary Kingdom of Rosas sometime around 1200 to 1300. The idyllic land is ruled by the charismatic King Magnifico (Chris Pine) who has the power to take and grant wishes.

Lee admitted that even after they committed to using computer animation to make Wish, they did consider using traditional animation to bring the character Star to life. Ultimately, she said 2D had too many limitations in terms of camera movements and characterization.

However, Lee said their upcoming short, Once Upon a Studio, ended up becoming the project that celebrates Disney’s 2D and 3D traditions. “We didn't know if it would work, and it did,” she shared.

“We don't, in any way, want to shy away, or turn our back on hand-drawn,” Lee emphasized. “We love it. It's a part of our DNA…Keeping that legacy alive is absolutely critical. But with every film or series or short, we're going to do the technology that we think is absolutely right for what we're trying to achieve.”

Wish opens exclusively in theaters on Nov. 22, 2023. Stay tuned for more from our interviews with the filmmakers later this week.