While it divided opinion on release, I found Netflix's live-action Death Note to be a flawed but enjoyable movie. A sequel has been on the cards for the last few years, but there hasn't much in the way of news on the project recently. However, it does seem that things are moving ahead, including additions to the cast. According to our sources, the same ones who shared confirmed stories about plans for a Justice League Dark series, and Ahsoka Tano appearing in The Mandalorian, Emma Roberts of American Horror Story is being eyed to play Death Note 2's villain.
The decision to not continue the Back to the Future movie series has long been established, with the last cinematic outing being the third entry in 1990. Co-writer and director Robert Zemeckis, who holds the final say over the franchise, has repeatedly shot down talk of a Back to the Future sequel, with one of the main reasons being the inability to recast Michael J. Fox. Zemeckis has again commented on his resistance to a sequel, this time as part of a 35th anniversary virtual reunion.
Netflix continues to dominate the streaming competition, with the platform recently putting out a range of intriguing trailers for upcoming projects while also seeing some surprising choices pull in huge amounts of subscribers. Furthermore, the streamer put out thirteen new titles this weekend, including an underrated Jamie Foxx thriller that's already doing well with audiences, as well as a host of returning and new television series. But what are the best new movies and series to enjoy on Netflix at the moment?
While the future of the Friday the 13th franchise remains uncertain, fans can at least enjoy a 40th anniversary Blu-ray steelbook of the original movie this summer. Seemingly independent from the 12-film Blu-ray set that was being discussed a few months ago, this steelbook version of the first film in the series will be available to purchase from June 16th, 2020, via Paramount Home Entertainment. What, then, can we expect from the new release?
There's been a few surprises in terms of what's been popular on Netflix during the lockdown, including some movies that have less-than-stellar reputations. The streaming giant continues to dominate home viewing habits, however, and this week has added a number of new series to give us more ways to fill our time. Several of the best programs to start watching, or catch up on, have now been rounded up by What's On Netflix though, and we'll dive into them all below.
While not the most reliable sources, Ed and Lorraine Warren are, at least, pretty good at talking up their own activities as paranormal investigators. The onscreen versions of the characters have tackled a host of different haunted places in The Conjuring franchise, as well as tangling with possessed dolls and other creatures. The official YouTube channel for the Warrens, who have both now passed away, have shared a clip of the couple explaining how to tell if your own house is haunted.
While details of season 10 of American Horror Story remain, as is tradition, quite mysterious, we do know a bit about the casting for the next run. Back in February, showrunner Ryan Murphy let us know that a large number of series regulars are returning, while Sarah Paulson has confirmed she has a part to play after missing season 9. There was one big surprise, though, for the cast, namely the addition of Macaulay Culkin.
Having previously worked on developing Cobra and other properties into series, Sylvester Stallone has now moved on to rebooting his 1981 movie Nighthawks. Replying to questions about his career on an Instagram Live chat, the actor mentioned Nighthawks as a project that's being developed at Universal as a streaming show, making it potentially part of the new Peacock platform. Universal Pictures were behind the original Nighthawks, of course, making it a sensible choice, at least in IP terms, to recycle.
It's been a difficult few months for the comics industry, as COVID-19 has virtually brought distribution to a halt, and put many stores at risk of permanent closure. With the main distributor Diamond unable to supply comics, it's been a stressful time for fans and those running businesses, regardless of size. However, Marvel Comics have now announced that they're planning to start releasing new issues from Wednesday, May 27th, in what should hopefully be a resumption of some kind of normalcy to the industry.
