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After signing with Apple to make a sequel to his new action-comedy “Wolfs,” Jon Watts has signed a first-look production deal between Walt Disney Pictures and his production label Freshman Year, returning to the studio after directing Tom Holland’s “Spider-Man” trilogy at Marvel Studios.

“Jon Watts is a truly gifted filmmaker who brings spectacle, humor and heart to whatever he does,” said David Greenbaum, president of Disney’s live-action film division and 20th Century Studios. “I am so excited to work with him and his producing partner Dianne McGunigle on a slate of upcoming projects for Disney and 20th.”

Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Sony Pictures as part of a partnership that brought the webslinger into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Watts’ “Spider-Man” trilogy grossed a combined $3.88 billion at the global box office.

The biggest of the trio was the third installment, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which saw...

NCIS lost its ranking as the top scripted show after 21 seasons, making way for Tracker with 10.8 million viewers. Tracker's success can be attributed to its impressive debut after the Super Bowl and the return of star Justin Hartley. CBS dominated the 2023-2024 TV season with seven shows in the top 10 rankings, including NCIS and Young Sheldon.

For the first time in half a decade, the popular CBS series NCIS has failed to reign atop the television rankings among scripted shows following the conclusion of its 21st season on May 6, 2024. Created by Donald Paul Bellisario and Don McGill, NCIS debuted in 2003 as a spinoff from another popular CBS program, Jag. Since then, the series has gained a loyal following, and developed an identity all its own, resulting in several spinoffs of its own over the years, including NCIS: Los Angeles, New Orleans, and the recently canceled NCIS: Hawai'i.

As per TV Line,...

Wyatt Russell, who portrays U.S. Agent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recently praised his Thunderbolts co-stars Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan and David Harbour.

During an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Russell expressed excitement at getting the chance to work alongside Pugh, Stan and Harbour, who play Yelena Belova, Winter Soldier and Red Guardian, respectively, in the MCU. "The team that they have with us right now — you have Florence Pugh, who is arguably one of my favorite actresses going. She’s fucking unbelievable. She can, as they say, read the phonebook and I’ll sit through all of it," the actor said. "She’s incredible. Sebastian Stan, who has become a great friend, is incredible. David Harbor is amazing..."

Related Wyatt Russell Says Thunderbolts Is 'Not a Straightforward Marvel Movie' The Falcon and the Winter Soldier actor believes Thunderbolts will offer Marvel fans something different. Who Are the Thunderbolts?...

Tom Holland's recasting for Spider-Man: Freshman Year avoids a potential tonal issue between the animated series and Spider-Man 4. The upcoming animated series will be released before Spider-Man 4, providing a lighter tone and introducing new characters and villains. Watching Spider-Man: Freshman Year before Spider-Man 4 will make Holland's next appearance in the MCU feel even more serious, enhancing the impact of the film.

Tom Holland getting recast for Spider-Man: Freshman Year ends up preventing what could have been a major Spider-Man 4 issue. The Marvel Cinematic Universe last saw Holland's Spider-Man in the McU's most exciting multiverse adventure yet, with the hero teaming up with Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire's versions of Spider-Man to beat iconic past Spider-Man movie villains such as Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin and Alfred Molina's Doc Ock. Holland is set to continue in the MCU with at least one more solo movie,...

New information is finally coming out regarding Marvel's next Spider-Man project, the animated series Spider-Man: Freshman Year, specifically about its cast of actors and their characters.

Freshman Year has been billed as an exploration of the character's origins, which were largely skipped over in the MCU after being well-established in previous live-action adaptations. Of note is the show's art style, which will be highly reminiscent of classic Spider-Man comics and cartoons.

Speculation has been rife in the years since the show's announcement, but now fans have a chance to put names (and voices) to faces with a new reveal.

Read full article on The Direct.

Marvel will finally pay off Spider-Man: Homecoming's tease of Scorpion in the animated series Spider-Man: Freshman Year. Spider-Man: Freshman Year is set in an alternate reality from the main MCU timeline and will explore Peter Parker's early days as Spider-Man. The appearance of Scorpion in Spider-Man: Freshman Year raises questions about his potential future in the main MCU timeline and how he may be connected to characters like J. Jonah Jameson and Kingpin.

Before Spider-Man returns in his fourth solo movie, Marvel will explore another version of the web-slinger in the animated series Spider-Man: Freshman Year, through which it will finally pay off a villain tease set up years ago. After a lot of speculation about his arrival at the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland) finally joined this universe in Captain America: Civil War, and has since starred in three solo movies – Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home,...

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) needs to combat superhero fatigue and evolve with the genre by producing more adult-oriented films. X-Statix represents untapped potential for the MCU, with its violent, comical, and absurd storytelling offering a fresh and mature approach. An X-Statix film or Disney+ show following the structure of The Boys would be a perfect companion to Deadpool 3 and establish a more risqué branch of the MCU.

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe is still wildly popular among comic book movie fans, it's clear that the franchise has taken a dip in general audience approval in the past few years. Many movie-goers are citing superhero fatigue as a primary reason for this -- claiming the studio is only producing "more of the same" with each new outing. With projects like The Boys, Gen V and Invincible tackling superhero storytelling with a more visceral approach, there is a definite shift...

Hugh Dancy, known for his role in Hannibal, will voice Doctor Octopus in the upcoming animated series Spider-Man: Freshman Year. Hudson Thames will voice Peter Parker, while other notable cast members include Eugene Byrd and Grace Song. The series will explore Peter's early days as Spider-Man and his challenges at school, with unexpected encounters and a fresh narrative approach.

In the ever-expanding web of Marvel's animated universe, a fresh revelation has emerged that has fans buzzing with excitement. The upcoming animated series, Spider-Man: Freshman Year, a prequel centering on Peter Parker's early days as Spider-Man, has just confirmed the voice talent for one of its pivotal roles. Hugh Dancy, celebrated for his role as Will Graham in NBC's Hannibal and other notable performances in Black Hawk Down and the latest Law & Order series, has been tapped to voice the legendary character, Doctor Octopus, also known as Otto Octavius.

Marvel has revealed who will voice Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man: Freshman Year.

The Direct uncovered a copyright listing for Freshman Year's first episode, which includes a cast list of the main characters. Among them is Otto Octavius, who will be voiced by Hugh Dancy. Dancy is known for starring as Will Graham on NBC's Hannibal, as well as projects like Black Hawk Down, Elizabeth I and the revival of Law & Order. Doc Ock has previously joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Spider-Man: No Way Home, with Alfred Molina reprising his role from Sony's Spider-Man 2 in the multiversal crossover event.

Related: Spider-Man: Freshman Year Finally Finds a Home at Anime Studio Polygon Pictures

Icymi: Doc Ock will be voiced by Hugh Dancy in #MarvelStudios' Spider-man: Freshman Year! Details: https://t.co/0gxJ9o8oZC pic.twitter.com/3Nvqf2CPhL — MCU - The Direct (@MCU_Direct) October...

The Netflix era of Marvel television has since concluded, but it did not mark the end of Matt Murdock's story. For three years, fans wondered whether the character would ever return before he made his MCU debut appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and even Iron Fist had their fans, but Daredevil established a much stronger fanbase. The high level of interest led to Marvel Studios featuring Daredevil in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law before spinning off into a new series titled Daredevil: Born Again. The superhero will also be featured in Echo and Spider-Man: Freshman Year. Marvel Studios clearly has big plans for Daredevil.

Update October 14, 2023: This article has been updated following recent developments behind the scenes at Marvel Studios regarding the production of Daredevil: Born Again.

Unlike most superheroes in the MCU, Daredevil kept his alter ego a secret. He was a...

New Marvel Studios copyright listings reveal that Spider-Man: Freshman Year may have cast Hudson Thames as Peter Parker in the McU's upcoming animated show. Spider-Man: Freshman Year explores a separate continuity from the MCU, with new versions of characters like Norman Osborn and Doctor Octopus, offering a fresh take on Spider-Man's early years. Spider-Man: Freshman Year's self-contained nature allows for the exploration of new storylines and character development without directly impacting the overarching MCU storyline.

A new actor will take over Tom Holland's Peter Parker in the MCU Spider-Man spinoff Spider-Man: Freshman Year. After six live-action appearances and one supporting role in Marvel's What If...?, Spider-Man will return in Marvel Studios' animated series Spider-Man: Freshman Year, which will explore Peter Parker's early years as a hero. However, the MCU animated show will feature some major changes.

Recent copyright listings for upcoming MCU Phase 5 shows on the McU's Phase...

A new synopsis for Spider-Man: Freshman Year has been made public which makes a bold proclamation about the Disney+ and Marvel Studios animated series' first episode.

As revealed in a registration record from the U.S. Copyright Office for Freshman Year, Peter Parker's life will be "forever changed" by unnamed events while he's getting ready for his High School orientation, which the synopsis says will send Peter on "a journey like none before." The summary ends by stating the pilot episode will have viewers discover that "the new era of Spider-Man begins here!"

Related: Spider-Man: Freshman Year Finally Finds a Home at Anime Studio Polygon Pictures

The synopsis included was the names of the main cast, which includes What If...? star Hudson Thames once again voicing Peter, as well as Zeno Robinson as Harry Osborn, Kari Wahlgren as Aunt May, Hugh Darcy as Otto Octavius, Eugene Byrd as Lonnie Lincoln...

Spider-Man: No Way Home featured the long-awaited return of Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin, which may not have been his last appearance in a Marvel project. The iconic supervillain, who originally appeared in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy starring Tobey Maguire, played a major role in the events of No Way Home, leading a team of supervillains against three Spider-Man variants. Although the film made it a point to wrap up the Green Goblin's story in case there were no future appearances from Dafoe's beloved character, recent events have made it possible for his iteration of Norman Osborn to appear in several upcoming Marvel projects.

While promoting his recent horror film Inside, Willem Dafoe commented on a Green Goblin return, suggesting that he would be open to appearing as his iconic supervillain again if the circumstances were right. The actor has already portrayed Norman Osborn in live-action on four occasions,...

Organisers for the Revelation Perth International Film Festival have been forced to alter the event in light of the Western Australian government’s 4-day lockdown order, cancelling the opening night and the following day of programming.

Premier Mark McGowan announced the circuit-breaker lockdown yesterday evening after the state’s outbreak grew to three cases, with temporary restrictions in place from today until 12.01am on Saturday, July 3.

As a result, Revelation’s planned opening night on Thursday, an event screening of Cooper Raiff’s SXSW winner Freshman Year, has been scrapped, along with all screenings for the next day. Patrons who hold tickets will be refunded.

Revelation director Richard Sowada said he was looking forward with optimism to lockdown lifting on and the festival continuing until July 11 as planned.

“The program picks up as soon as lockdown lifts – we come out of lockdown ready to rock on Saturday 3 July (for the moment),” he said.

Vertigo Releasing has debuted a new trailer for the Romantic Comedy which won the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s SXSW Film Festival. ‘Freshman Year.’

Lonely college freshman Alex has closed himself off from his peers, who all appear to have this whole “college thing” figured out. But everything changes one night when Alex takes a leap and attends a party at Shithouse – a legendary party fraternity – where he forges a strong connection with Maggie. The next day, she ignores him completely and seems to have forgotten about their amazing night. Desperately clinging to his social breakthrough, Alex pulls out all the stops with one more party, hoping to rekindle that moment of connection.

Directed by Cooper Raiff, the film stars Dylan Gelula, Cooper Raiff, Amy Landecker, Logan Miller and Olivia Welch.

Also in trailers – “I can never escape his shadow…” New trailer arrives for ‘Shang-Chi and The Legend...

The global perspective of Australian filmmakers will be on show at next month’s Revelation Perth International Film Festival, which carries the theme of ‘Distant but Connected’.

Highlights include the world premiere of Antonio Traverso’s documentary The Best Battle, in which the Curtin University lecturer explores the political street art of Chile’s capital during the 2019/2020 estallido social (social blast) that marked the remembrance of 1973.

The documentary program will also feature the Australian premiere of Garth De Bruno Austin’s The Last Horns of Africa, an Australian/South African co-production that follows the efforts to protect rhinos in South Africa’s Kruger Park.

Kiwi director Gaysorn Thavat’s The Justice of Bunny King, starring Essie Davis, will have its Australian premiere at the festival. Shot in Auckland, Davis stars opposite Thomasin McKenzie, playing a mother-of-two with a sketchy past and the world against her.

Of the 21 countries that are...

Those of you who can recall your student days will remember that many of the guys and girls fell into one of two distinct categories: those that took to uni life like a duck to water, and those that struggled with new people, being away from home for the first time, etc. For the latter bunch, it can be a time of real self-discovery.

Which is where Freshman Year really hits the mark. Sadly, it doesn’t quite make the cut in other departments.

Our main man Alex (Cooper Raiff), is struggling. Terribly homesick, he’s been paired with a layabout roommate Sam (Logan Miller), and the two of them are outcasts when it comes to the social scene. But when he meets Maggie (Dylan Gelula), it looks like he’s found someone to ease the angst. Sounds like the synopsis of your typical teen movie, but this is rather too deep for all that.

Hannah John-Kamen and Douglas Booth star in the UK goblin horror.

Warner Bros has secured UK rights to genre horror The Little People, starring Hannah John-Kamen and Douglas Booth, in a deal with Cornerstone Films.

Warner Bros plan to release the creature feature, directed by UK filmmaker Jon Wright (Robot Overlords), in 2021.

Production has wrapped in London on the film, with John-Kamen (Ant-Man And The Wasp) and Booth (The Dirt) newly announced as the two leads. They play two Londoners who escape city life for rural Ireland, only to discover murderous goblins living at the foot of their new garden.

IFC Films acquired North American rights to Cooper Raiff’s romantic comedy.

Vertigo Releasing has acquired SXSW grand jury prize winner Freshman Year (aka Shithouse) for the UK and Ireland, while Protagonist Pictures has boarded international sales on the romantic comedy-drama.

Vertigo is planning a theatrical and digital platform release in February 2021. Protagonist will launch the title to international buyers at AFM in November.

The college romance marks the feature debut of writer-director Cooper Raiff, who also stars in the film alongside Dylan Gelula (Her Smell), Amy Landecker (Transparent) and Logan Miller (Love Simon).

It centres on a friendly college...

On the heels of releasing her solo debut Likewise, Frances Quinlan will celebrate the 15th anniversary of Hop Along with a previously unreleased EP, More Songs From 2005.

The EP contains three songs and it’s currently available via Bandcamp. The Philly singer-songwriter will also drop the band’s 2005 debut Freshman Year (released under the name Hop Along, Queen Ansleis) on streaming services for the first time.

Quinlan recorded and produced Freshman Year and Songs From 2005 in her parent’s basement in rural Pennsylvania during a summer break after her freshman...

Fifteen years ago, Frances Quinlan was a first-year art student in Maryland who listened to a lot of strange, singular folk songwriters like Joanna Newsom, Jeff Mangum, and Kimya Dawson. Unlike most people her age with the same artists on the playlists in their heads, she was also writing memorable songs of her own. In time she moved to Philadelphia and formed a blazingly intense indie rock band, Hop Along, which worked its way up to national acclaim and a devoted live audience with 2015’s Painted Shut and 2018’s Bark Your Head Off,...