News

Barbie Hsu has sadly passed away.

The Taiwanese actress, perhaps best known for her role in the 2001 TV drama Meteor Garden, died after contracting pneumonia following a flu diagnosis at the age of 48.

The actress, also known as “Da S” (or “Big S”), caught the flu while visiting Japan with her family during the Lunar New Year, according to her younger sister, Dee Hsu, who provided a statement.

Keep reading to find out more…

“I am grateful that in this lifetime I was able to be her sister, taking care of each other and being companions. I will forever be thankful for her and miss her!” her sister said, via CBS News.

Barbie first broke into the industry as a teenager in the pop music group S.O.S. with her sister Dee Hsu, also known as “Xiao S,” or “Small S.” The two then moved into hosting gigs on TV.

In Meteor Garden,...

Barbie Hsu, a Taiwanese actor and singer best known for starring in the hit 2001 series “Meteor Garden,” has died. She was 48.

The BBC reported news of Hsu’s death on Monday, citing local media. Her sister, Dee Hsu, told Taiwan’s Tvbs News that she had fallen ill while on vacation in Japan.

“During the Lunar New Year, our family came to Japan for vacation. My dearest sister Barbie has unfortunately left us after getting pneumonia, triggered by influenza,” Dee Hsu said, according to the BBC. Hsu had health struggles in the past and had previously been hospitalized due to epilepsy.

Barbie and Dee began their careers together as a singing duo, releasing the hit song “Ten-Minute Love” in 1994 under the name S.O.S. After a contractual dispute with their agency, the sisters shifted focus to hosting, which included the variety show “Guess” and entertainment news program “100% Entertainment.”

In 2001, Hsu rose...

“Silo” Season 3 is already building out its cast.

Variety has learned that both Jessica Henwick and Ashley Zukerman are set to appear as series regulars in the upcoming third season of the Apple TV+ post-apocalyptic drama based on Hugh Howey’s “Wool” novel trilogy.

Zukerman will play Daniel, described as a “young and hungry congressman,” while Henwick will play Helen, said to be a “whip-smart reporter.” Both actors recently appeared in the Season 2 finale and will continue in the same roles in Season 3.

The casting news comes roughly one month after Apple renewed the show for both Seasons 3 and 4, with Season 4 set to be the final season.

Henwick’s previous TV credits include “Game of Thrones,” “Iron Fist,” and “Silk,” while she has also been in films like “Glass Onion,” “The Matrix Resurrections,” and “The Royal Hotel.” She is repped by CAA, imPRint, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.

Zukerman has starred...

In the immediate wake of releasing Silo‘s Season 2 finale, Apple TV+ on Friday morning formally announced the first new castings for Season 3.

Aussie actor Ashley Zukerman (Designated Survivor) will fill the role of Daniel, a young and hungry congressman, while English actress Jessica Henwick (Game of Thrones) will play Helen, a whip-smart reporter.

More from TVLine<em>Silo</em> Exclusive: Will Rebecca Ferguson Be Absent for Bulk of Season 3? Showrunner Reveals <em>Shift</em> Adaptation Plan (Book Spoilers!)<em>Silo</em> Renewed for 2 More Seasons — Apple TV+ Adaptation to Conclude With Season 4The Hunting Party Premiere Recap: Will You Keep Following NBC's Prison Break Drama?...

It seems like Sony's Spider-Man Universe will end sooner than expected, but that doesn't mean its Marvel characters will have to sink with the ship. Due to Sony's ownership of the cinematic rights to Spider-Man, Marvel Studios legally cannot use the wall-crawler, his allies, or his enemies in any live-action movie or show without coming to an agreement with Sony. In turn, Sony is able to have a whole franchise centered around Spider-Man characters. However, since Marvel and Sony's MCU deal was a success, Sony's Spider-Man Universe focused on Spidey's villains while Tom Holland's Peter Parker fought alongside the Avengers.

Unfortunately for Sony's Spider-Man Universe, only the Venom movie trilogy was met with a positive response at the box office. Meanwhile, Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter got increasingly worse reviews and box office results. Despite announcing projects such as El Muerto, Hypno Hustler, and Silk, Sony...

Exclusive: There’s fire and anger in Maxine Peake’s portrayal of Dolours Price in new FX drama Say Nothing.

Price, in her younger years, was one of the Irish Republican Army’s most feared paramilitary operatives, responsible, along with her younger sister Marian, for atrocities in London and Northern Ireland during the so-called Troubles.

Peake abhors that phrase. “It’s such a flimsy word, isn’t it?” she argues. “The country was occupied, the English came, and it was a war.”

The Troubles, she continues, is a feeble way of describing “something so horrific and something that the legacy continues on and on.”

Peake is one of the best actors of her generation. She’s an expert comedienne — watch her in Dinnerladies,Inside No. 9 or Shameless — and a breathtaking dramatic thespian. Witness her in dramas such as Little Dorrit, Silk and The Village and movies that include Peterloo...

Your browser does not support the video tag.

While Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen altered the landscape of comics forever, its 2009 film adaptation didn't leave much of a cultural mark, arriving in a landscape that included the early MCU movies, Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, and critically panned 20th Century Fox releases like X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

The industry knew that superheroes could potentially draw big numbers, but audiences didn't seem to know what to make of a brutal, R-rated deconstruction of the expected tropes. If the public didn't know how to process Watchmen in 2009, imagine the Average Joe's response to a faithful adaptation that was in development back in 1988. Well, "faithful," but with one major exception.

Updated on October 24, 2024, by Robert Vaux: For better or worse, director Zack Snyder left a significant impact on superhero movies in the 21st century, which includes his version of Watchmen. Snyder...

The third and potentially final film in the Venom film series, starring Tom Hardy, is set to release this weekend. The first film became a surprise hit in 2018, earning $856.1 million against a budget of $116 million. This began Sony’s push to produce more movies based on secondary characters in the Spider-Man mythos while simultaneously lending the character to Disney.

This was followed up by Venom: Let There Be Carnage in 2021 which earned $506.9 Million. More movies like 2022’s Morbius and 2024’s Madame Web were not as well received and are considered some of the lowest-rated comic book movies of all time. Projects such as the Kraven the Hunter film were pushed back, while other projects like the El Muerto movie and Silk television series were scrapped.

Now, the film that started this trend, will attempt to regain audience favor with Venom: The Last Dance. This film is the end of the Venom trilogy.

The first trailer for Watchmen Chapter II has been released (via IGN) along with 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray cover art ahead of its debut on those platforms on November 26 and December 3, respectively. 

The second half of this animated adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' iconic graphic novel sees its "outlawed superheroes grapple with their personal lives and each other while racing the clock to solve a deepening mystery connected to an impending nuclear war between the United States and Russia."

Brandon Vietti produced and directed Watchmen Chapter II from an adaptation by J. Michael Straczynski. Jim Krieg and Cindy Rago serve as producers and Gibbons acts as consulting producer. Sam Register, Larry Gordon and Lloyd Levin are executive producers.

The site has also shared the full voice cast. 

Matthew Rhys Katee Sackhoff Titus Welliver Troy Baker Adrienne Barbeau Michael Cerveris Zehra Fazal Phil Fondacaro Grey Griffin John Marshall Jones...

We’ve all been eagerly awaiting the first look at Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man for some time. We got a taste of his portrayal as Spider-Noir via Sony’s amazing 2018 Into the Spider-Verse. Now we have the real thing!

X user @CanWeGetSomeToast posted two shots of Nicolas Cage as the alternate universe Spider-Man, thanks to @JustJared.

While the on-set photos don’t show Cage in the full Spider-Noir getup, we do see the trademark black trenchcoat.

It’s unclear if Cage will go full-Spidey in the show since it picks up after Peter Parker’s prime as New York’s web-slinging superhero. What we do know is that at least one recognizable supporting character will pop up, Robbie Robertson (Lamorne Morris).

During the same month Spider-Noir was set to start shooting (August), it was rumored that the production was suffering from budget issues. Since then, things have been pretty quiet.

There are some exciting things afoot in the science fiction and fantasy book world, specifically in the anthology space, where a few exciting projects are getting a ton of support from the reader community. On October 1st, long-running genre zine Grimdark Magazine released its 40th issue, which is also its 10th anniversary edition issue. Grimdark Magazine is always a solid read, but this issue is something extra special because the list of authors who contributed stories, essays, or other work to it is mind-blowingly insane.

Don't take my word for it. Grimdark Magazine Issue #40 features works of short fiction from Mark Lawrence, Wendy Nikel, Angela Slatter, Ben Galley, Aaron Dries, Christopher Buehlman, Andrea Stewart, Cat Rambo, Anna Smith Spark, and the first part of a brand newGentleman Bastards short story from Scott Lynch (the second part will follow in the January 2025 issue). On the essay and interview side of things,...

Attention: The Following Report Is A Rumor. Please Take The Following Story With A Grain Of Salt.

Things are not so certain in the world of Sony’s Spider-Verse franchise as its last two live-action films, 2022’s Morbius and 2024’s Madame Web, are considered some of the worst movies in the superhero genre with low box office returns to match. Their only real significant successes have been in collaboration with Marvel Studios and their animated Miles Morales movies.

In a move to try and expand beyond the silver screen, they decided to expand into the world of television by green-lighting multiple shows with Amazon. The first is Silk: Spider Society, which focuses on the character of Cindy Moon, aka Silk. The second series is based on the Spider-Man Noir character.

However, even in the world of television, the Spider-Verse is not safe. Multiple movies, like the El Muerto solo film,...

Recently, Sony has faced several difficulties in managing their Spider-Man IP. Despite the monumental success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, made in collaboration with Marvel Studios, their solo universe featuring the other Spider-Man characters is not doing well. Reportedly, they had just faced another blow as their plans to bring the IP on streaming may be at risk.

A still from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse | Credits: Sony

Sony was planning to expand the iconic Marvel IP on streaming by introducing some new television series on Amazon Prime. They hired the revered Spider-Verse films’ producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller to bring this to fruition. But a report from Puck now states that Sony may not renew their deal with the writer-duo due to a heated debate regarding Nicolas Cage’s Spider-Noir series.

What went wrong between Sony and the Spider-Verse writers?

Nicolas Cage’s Spider-Man Noir in Into the Spider-Verse...

Nicolas Cage to star in Spider-Man Noir live-action series on Prime Video. 8-episode first season with monsters involved; different from Peter Parker. Cage's casting aligns with his popularity from the animated Spider-Verse franchise.

Nicolas Cage is set to star in Spider-Man Noir, the first live-action series based on the Marvel hero. Cage's casting in the role came after the actor had already given life to the hero in the animated Spider-Verse movie franchise. Now, the star will join the list of live-action Spider-Man actors, leading Noir, the first live-action series based on a Spider-Man character in the works at Prime Video.

Speaking to The New Yorker, Nicolas Cage revealed that Noir will have 8 episodes in its first season and that "Monsters are involved." Noir has survived while Silk: Spider Society, another planned live-action Spider-Man series for Prime Video, was axed. As Cage puts it, the project is "sort of popcorn-entertainment episodic television.

Welcome to the 260th episode of TV’s Top 5, The Hollywood Reporter’s TV podcast.

Every week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the latest TV news with context from the business and critical sides, welcome showrunners, executives and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).

Here’s how this week’s episode plays out:

1. Headlines

Steve Carell and Bill Lawrence, Marvel’s Vision and Silk, Dexter prequel castings and the latest batch of Netflix’s “ratings” highlight the week’s top TV industry headlines.

2. Rip, Freevee

No, we’re not sure what the difference is between Freevee and Amazon with ads, but we’re pouring one out for the Fast channel’s original programming after news broke this week that both critically praised shows High School and Primo were formally canceled.

The Silk: Spider Society show has been canceled, and this might not be a bad thing. The series was poised to release when Sony's Spider-Man was still undefined in live-action beyond the MCU. Given Silk's relative obscurity, it's better to launch a Silk series in a more clearly defined Spider-Man universe.

Silk is one of the many Spider-Man allies to debut in the comics in the last decade, with the character now officially 10 years old. Despite the overall popularity of the brand, Silk herself hasn't really gotten over in any medium. This includes live-action, with a planned TV series starring the Spider-Verse heroine now shelved. While it could have been her big break, its cancelation might not be a completely bad thing.

Silk: Spider Society had been in the works for years, but now, the Sony and Amazon Prime Video series has been officially scrapped. This comes at a...

Silk: Spider Society was recently canceled by Prime Video, leaving audiences wondering what happened to the series. The character was recently introduced into Marvel Comics, and fans were excited to see a live-action adaptation. The cancelation may be an example of the unfair double standard and pressure put upon female-led superhero stories.

2024 has been a mixed bag for Sony Pictures' attempt to expand its Marvel Spider-Man Shared Universe (Ssu). Madame Web kicked off the year with terrible reviews and a box office failure, with Kraven the Hunter being delayed from August 2024 to December. Venom: The Last Dance has been confirmed to be the final entry in the franchise. Meanwhile, Prime Video and MGM+ announced that they would be making a live-action Spider-Man Noir series starring Nicolas Cage titled Noir.

Sony's attempt to expand the Spider-Man franchise into live-action streaming television was a mixed bag. Shortly after Noir's announcement,...

Silk: Spider Society, a live-action series based on Marvel characters owned by Sony, has been axed by Amazon two years after being greenlit(Photo Credit –IMDb)

Amazon has decided not to move forward with the Marvel live-action series, Silk: Spider Society, two years after green-lighting the project. The show, from producers Sony Pictures Television, was confirmed back in 2022 and was in the early stages of writing when Amazon pulled the plug on it.

The Walking Dead fame Angela Kang was attached to the series as the showrunner, whose deal with Amazon still remains in place as she will be working on other projects for the studio. Meanwhile, Prime Video has announced another series based on Marvel characters owned by Sony: Noir, starring Nicolas Cage.

Silk: Spider Society Canceled by Amazon

Silk: Spider Society was said to be in the works for five years and was officially ordered in November 2022 for MGM+ and Prime Video.

Yesterday, news broke that ‘Silk: Spider Society’ won’t be moving forward at Amazon. The execs instead decided to focus on a different show, the one revolving around Spider-Man Noir, starring Nicholas Cage.

The reasons for cancelation aren’t exactly clear, with some reasons pointing in the direction of the show having a difficult time with the script, going through at least three versions.

The second reason might be because the show was female-oriented, staring female superhero in the main role, and as we all know those types of projects are struggling in recent times, due to several reasons but mostly due to a lack of female support, if we’re going by the audience numbers.

Now MCU’s Sim Liu, better known as Shang-Chi sent a heartfelt message to fans. The actor says that he is gutted that the show is not moving forward and asks fans to advocate for the show,...

Earlier this week, we learned of plans for Noir, a new Spider-Man TV series coming to Amazon's Prime Video. While it's still early days, the project will see Nicolas Cage suit up after first playing the title character in 2018's animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

There was no mention of Silk: Spider Society during Amazon's Upfronts earlier this week and, yesterday evening, we learned that the streamer has scrapped plans for the series.

The Hollywood Reporter has since chimed in, confirming that Phil Lord and Chris Miller remain attached to Sony's small screen Spider-Verse. The filmmakers "were handed control of the studio’s Marvel slate" as part of a deal first made with the studio in 2019.

"Plans for the interconnected Marvel slate of Sony shows remains in place, sources say, though only Noir will be part of that now unless another buyer for Silk emerges," the trade adds.

The Spider-Verse gives, and the Spider-Verse takes away. According to Deadline, the live-action TV series "Silk: Spider Society" is dead on arrival after years of development. Earlier this week, MGM+ and Prime Video (which were set to be the streaming home for the series) announced that Nicolas Cage will be starring in his own live-action Spider-Verse spinoff, "Noir," but didn't give any updates on "Silk" a series that was set to shine a spotlight on Korean-American spider-powered hero Cindy Moon. Rights for the character are reportedly set to revert back to Sony Pictures Television, which will continue looking for a home for the show.

Deadline says the series is no more, and their sources vary when it comes to the reason "Silk" isn't moving forward. However, the show has publicly gone through some turnover since even before it was first officially greenlit in 2022. Back in 2018, "Silk" was rumored to be...

Simu Liu expresses disappointment over the cancellation of Prime Video's Silk: Spider Society TV show. The Marvel star was excited for fans to see Cindy Moon in action and is unsure of the development process. Liu hopes that fans will advocate for Silk to be seen despite the show's cancellation.

Marvel Cinematic Universe star Simu Liu responds to the announcement that Prime Video's Spider-Man TV show has been canceled.

Nearly 24 hours after Prime Video's Silk: Spider Society TV show was canceled, Simu Liu opened up on X (formerly known as Twitter) about the report. Liu, who is best known as Shang-Chi in the MCU, said he's "really gutted that Silk: Spider Society isn't moving forward at Amazon," sharing the following:

Really gutted that Silk: Spider Society isn't moving forward at Amazon. Don't know any details of what went on in the development process, but as a fan I was extremely...

In a move that may come as a relief to some but a surprise to others, Sony has reportedly canceled another Spider-Man-related project. After the Spider-Man spinoff Silk from Amazon became the center of controversy at the streamer, and Madame Web tanked badly at the box office, Sony allegedly decided to shelve the project.

Spider-Man spinoff project Silk | Marvel Database

While some fans lament the cancellation of Silk, others believe it’s essential to consider Sony’s recent track record and the potential benefits of this move. Considering back-to-back box office disappointments and disastrous projects under the banner, netizens believe Sony’s decision might be a smart move.

Sony has Reportedly Canceled Spider-Man Spinoff, Silk

After previously announcing the development of a Spider-Man spinoff Silk in 2022, as a collaboration between Sony’s Spider-Verse team and Amazon Studios, the former allegedly decided to cancel the project. According to reports from Deadline,...

Silk: Spider Society, the Sony Pictures series that had Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) on board as executive producers, is no longer moving forward on Prime Video.

The announcement comes just days after Amazon confirmed that the Sony-produced Spider-Man Noir show starring Nicolas Cage is officially in development. No official reason for Silk being scrapped was provided, but Deadline has heard that the decision "likely lies in the show’s tortured development history."

Apparently, the project went through at least three versions, one of which "involved a request for Angela Kang and her writing team to reconfigure the show so it is not hanging so heavily on the central character of Silk."

Former The Walking Dead showrunner Angela Kang was brought on to oversee Silk: Spider Society, which was marketed as "the first in an expected slate of Marvel TV series based on the Sony...

Amazon has decided to pull the plug on its long-gestating Silk: Spider Society series. The unfortunate news conversely follows the announcement that Nicolas Cage's Noir series was moving forward on Prime Video.

Officially, Amazon made no acknowledgment of Silk: Spider Society at its upfront presentation where the Noir series was announced. Per Deadline, this is because the Silk: Spider Society series was quietly scrapped. The grim update comes about five years after the troubled series was first put into development, and it was formally greenlit about two years ago. Reportedly, Amazon's decision to cut their losses and trash the series entirely was just made within the past few days.

Related A Horrifying Spider-Man Villain Joins Blood Hunt in Marvel's New Comics This Week Spider-Man officially joins Blood Hunt -- and he inadvertently brought a few villains along for the ride in Marvel's new comics this week.

The series was...

Unfortunately, Sony's planned live-action Spider-Man TV show, Silk: Spider Society, has been cancelled after years in development. This marks a significant update for Marvel fans eagerly awaiting the series to debut on Prime Video and MGM+. The news about Silk being scrapped is leaving audiences disappointed by the sudden change in the project's status.

Despite being in development for several years, one of Sony's big Spider-Man live-action TV shows has been scrapped, marking the first update in a long time for the Marvel project.

After being announced as the first live-action Spider-Man TV show for Prime Video and MGM+, Deadline reports that Silk: Spider Society is no longer going forward.

Source: Deadline...

In a development that isn't altogether surprising, Amazon has decided to can Silk: Spider Society, one of their proposed Marvel television series from Sony Pictures Television. The decision emerged just days after Amazon's first in-person presentation to Madison Avenue advertisers, where it announced Noir, another Marvel series produced by Sony and featuring Nicolas Cage. Unlike Silk, Noir is set to proceed, premiering on Amazons linear network, MGM+, before streaming on Prime Video. Silk: Spider Society was being developed by Angela Kang, formerly the showrunner of The Walking Dead.

The “Silk: Spider Society” live-action series has been scrapped at Amazon.

The show was originally greenlit in November 2022 in a deal with Sony Pictures Television to develop a suite of shows based on Marvel characters that Sony controls. It was meant to debut on the MGM+ linear channel domestically before a global launch on Prime Video.

“The Walking Dead” alum Angela Kang was onboard as executive producer and showrunner, with Kang also signing a multi-year overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios in the process. Kang will continue under that deal. Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal were also executive producers on the series. According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, Sony will try to shop the series to other buyers.

It had been reported earlier in the year by The Ankler that Amazon had shutdown the writers’ room for “Silk,” with the writing staff released to pursue other work,...

The writing was basically on the wall for this one.

Amazon’s Marvel drama Silk: Spider Society — from producers Sony Pictures Television — is no longer moving forward at the streamer. Sources say Sony TV, which owns rights to a fraction of the Marvel universe that features more than 900 characters, plans to shop the drama series from former Walking Dead showrunner Angela Kang. Kang, who departed her pact with AMC for what sources say is an eight-figure deal with Amazon, remains housed at the streamer and will continue to develop projects for the company.

Reps for Amazon and Sony declined to comment.

The decision to scrap Silk comes a mere two days after Amazon, during its first in-person pitch to Madison Avenue ad buyers, announced a Sony-produced Marvel series Noir, starring Nicolas Cage.

Noir, like Silk, is poised to launch first on Amazon’s linear network, MGM+, before debuting on the streamer.

Over a year ago, news surfaced that Amazon would be producing a live-action series centered around Spider-Man Noir, a superhero situated in 1930s New York City. Departing from the traditional Spider-Man narrative, this show will spotlight an older, more seasoned character distinct from Peter Parker. Developed by Oren Uziel, the series will carve its own path within the Marvel universe, with Uziel serving as both writer and executive producer.

The project has attracted notable industry figures, including producers Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal. Uziel, recognized for his work on films like ’22 Jump Street’ and the 2021 ‘Mortal Kombat,’ brings his expertise to the endeavor. This series is part of Amazon’s lineup of character-driven Marvel projects, joining the ranks of ‘Silk: Spider Society.’

Today, it has been officially confirmed that Nicholas Cage will indeed portray Spider-Man Noir in the upcoming show, confirming months of speculation.

Nicolas Cage is...

Nicolas Cage to star as private investigator turned superhero in live-action adaptation of Spider-Man Noir for Amazon Prime Video. The series is expected to expand Amazon's Marvel Universe, led by Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Noir, starring Nicolas Cage, is coming to MGM+ and Prime Video.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage will star in a live-action adaptation of Spider-Man Noir for Amazon Prime Video. A new report by THR has confirmed that the streamer is going ahead with the series, which will see Cage suit up as an aging and down on his luck private investigator in 1930s New York who has a hidden past life as a superhero.

Alongside the announcement that Spider-Man Noir, or Noir as it is also being referred to, will go ahead, Prime Video has also released a synopsis for the series, which you can check out below.

The story...

Marvel and DC fans have been waiting for someday when finally the worlds of Superman and Iron Man may collide. Although such a crossover sounds far-fetched, it looks like another prominent superhero IP, Invincible may pull off a similar stunt. This is speculated as recently The Spectacular Spider-Man fame Josh Keaton teased his appearance in Invincible Season 2.

The Spectacular Spider-Man

However, even before the potential crossover, Marvel fans did not ignore a subtle reference to the web-slinger in the latest Invincible episode. Despite being an extremely minute detail, Marvel fans took over the internet to express their excitement about the Spidey reference.

The latest Invincible episode gives a clever Spider-Man easter-egg A still from Invincible Season 2

The Invincible has amassed a massive fandom after its animated series launched on Amazon Prime. It provided a breath of fresh air by introducing bloody and mature themes in the prevailing atmosphere of generic superhero stories.

Zack Snyder's Watchmen expertly adapted the comic book with visual fidelity, highlighting his strengths. Snyder's Watchmen subverted superhero movie tropes, showcasing dark themes and complex characters. Changing the climax from the comic's squid to a threat from Doctor Manhattan worked well in the post-Dark Knight era.

Zack Snyder's Watchmen movie was a particularly controversial film, especially given its pedigree. An adaptation of the iconic comic book by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the movie received a fairly mixed reception upon release in 2009. Now, many fans look back on it more fondly, and it's ultimately the best movie Zack Snyder ever made.

Watchmen foreshadowed the yearning for darker superhero storires that's now become en vogue once again. It showcased Snyder's strengths in directly lifting visuals from one medium to another, all the while preserving the general themes of the source material. Perhaps its most overlooked strength, however, was how...

Madame Web director S.J. Clarkson addresses why the latest film from the ill-fated Sony Spider-Man Universe didn't weave in many references to Spider-Man.

Speaking with ComicBook.com, Clarkson revealed why Madame Web barely alluded to Spider-Man in the standalone movie, opting not to use Peter Parker or Miles Morales for the superhero film. Despite Peter Parker's mother in Marvel Comics, Mary Parker (Emma Roberts) and his uncle, Ben (Adam Scott) being in Madame Web, Clarkson suggested subtlety was the intended route regarding the Spider-Man references to ensure her film stood out on its own. "Well, first of all, I don't think we ever say the name," she said. "I'm just saying, but if we're going to be like we're going to lay it out, I don't think we say the name. I would definitely say that Madame Web is in a universe of her own."

Related Why Is Cassandra Webb Called Madame Web in the Movie?...

Madame Web is finally out, proving much to audiences' horror that Morbius is far from the worst superhero movie that Sony is capable of making. The latest entry in Sony's much-maligned cinematic universe of Spider-Man-adjacent characters, the new movie follows Dakota Johnson's Cassandra Web as she discovers her ability to see the future.

While some fans tend to be hard on recent superhero movies, Madame Web deserves most of the criticism that it has received thus far. From a truly horrendous script to plot points that make absolutely no sense, there are plenty of valid reasons that Marvel fans utterly reject Sony's latest attempt at building a franchise.

Madame Web (And The Venomverse) Shouldn't Exist Close

Trivia

Madame Web has the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score of Sony's cinematic universe, with a Freshness Rating of only 13%. The highest score, by contrast, is Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which itself only...

Cast your mind back to roughly a year ago, when the exciting news broke that Into/Across The Spider-Verse writing/producing duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller were working with Oren Uziel to bring a live-action version of Spider-Man Noir (Aka the 1930s take on the web-slinger voiced by Nicolas Cage in the first Spider-Verse outing) to screens via Sony/Marvel's deal with Amazon. At the time, we bemoaned the fact that Cage wasn't connected… But guess what? Sometimes the universe (potentially) delivers, as The Ankler has heard that he's in serious talks to star.

Before we all get too excited, talks don't always blossom into people actually appearing in movies or shows, but at the very least, it's a positive step forward for the possibility of Cage donning the fedora and chugging egg creams while slugging Nazis. It's certainly better news than the update on the other Sony/Amazon Spider-series Silk,...

Highly awaited Sony Pictures’ Madame Web starring Dakota Johnson based on the Marvel character of the same name was recently released. The fourth movie in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe was directed by S.J. Clarkson and also starred Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor, Isabela Merced, Tahar Rahim, Adam Scott and more. The movie follows Cassie Webb who is forced to confront her past and at the same time try to save three young women from Ezekiel Sims.

The movie was released on 14th February 2024 and has received negative reviews from the critics as well as the audience compared to what the team had expected. Madame Web in its early reviews was dubbed as the ‘worst comic book movie’ yet according to Forbes and has only managed to have a 13% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The failure of Madame Web has been said to affect Sony’s upcoming Spider-Man series.

Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney,...

Amazon's Silk: Spider Society series looks to be getting back on the right track.

Earlier this year, the writers' room for Silk: Spider Society, a new series in development for MGM+ and Prime Video, was shut down due to the WGA strike. Following the end of the strike, writers' rooms for different projects have been reopened with many TV shows moving forward with their paused productions. That hasn't happened yet with Silk, making the show one of the last to reopen its writers' room after the strike. However, per Deadline, the series is now tentatively set to resume its writing process in mid to late January after Amazon got a legal notice from Wgaw.

Related 10 Best Marvel Comics Starring Silk From Cindy Moon's origin and solo adventures to her epic team-ups with Spider-Man and Spider-Gwen, discover the best Marvel Comics starring Silk.

According to the notice, Amazon's "failure to recommence...

Mark Sheppard, the actor best known for playing Crowley on Supernatural, had a surreal experience of his own over the weekend, suffering – and surviving – six heart attacks after collapsing in his home.

Mark Sheppard took to social media just one day after to inform fans of the incident and update them on his progress, posting from his hospital bed, “You’re not going to believe this! Was on my way to an appointment yesterday when I collapsed in my kitchen. Six massive heart attacks later, and being brought back from dead 4 times I apparently had a 100% blockage in my Lad [left anterior descending artery]. The Widowmaker. If not for my wife, the @losangelesfiredepartment at mullholland and the incredible staff @providencecalifornia St Joseph’s – I wouldn’t be writing this. My chances of survival were virtually nil. I feel great. Humbled once more. Home tomorrow!” That would put Sheppard back home on Monday, a tremendous turnaround.

Amazon's Prime Video has canceled three shows, including The Horror of Dolores Roach. The number of scripted TV shows is expected to decrease, and streaming services like Prime Video are becoming more conscious of their spending. Prime Video may face legal issues with the WGA due to shows that have not resumed production despite the strikes ending, putting more shows at risk of cancellation.

Amazon's Prime Video has cancelled three of its shows, representing its first post-strike decisions. The streaming service was among the first and relatively few streamers to cancel programs during the actors and writers strikes this past summer, reversing the renewals of The Peripheral and A League of Their Own. Both dramas were embattled, as Prime Video's executives reportedly criticized The Peripheral. As for A League of Their Own, the baseball dramedy received an abbreviated second and final season.

TheWrap now confirms that Prime Video has cancelled...

By now, everyone knows that Ezekiel Sims "was in the Amazon with Cassie's (Dakota Johnson) mom when she was researching spiders right before she died," but is that all we really need to know about the man who seems to be a major "Madame Web" villain? The power of an instantly popular meme goes a long way, so even once Sony's new Spider-Man spinoff hits theaters and reveals more about Sims, I'm pretty sure some of us will still remember him as the guy who Witawmmwswrsrbsd (for short).

Outside of his mysterious Amazon-set origin story, though, who is Ezekiel Sims? Is he a villain, as he seems to be when he appears repeatedly in Cassies' life, seemingly terrorizing teens at a diner and showing up barefoot on a subway train (the real crime) to throw random passengers around? Or is there something else going on here? "Madame Web" seems...

Sony Pictures TV Studios’ SVP, Drama Development Andrew Plotkin has been promoted to EVP, Drama Development. In the Head Of Drama Development role he is succeeding Lauren Stein who was recently promoted to Head of Creative for Spt Studios. Plotkin, who will continue to report to Stein, will oversee development of scripted drama series for all platforms.

As SVP, Drama Development, a position Plotkin has held since joining Spt in 2017, he has worked on the development of Prime Video’s The Boys and its offshoots as well as on the Spider-man universe, which currently consists of the upcoming series Silk as well as development project Noir, both at Prime Video. Plotkin also has worked closely with PlayStation Productions to adapt PlayStation game titles including God of War for Prime Video and Horizon Zero Dawn for Netflix, and he has shepherded series including Goosebumps, which premiered with 4.2 million total views in...

Taiwanese screenwriter and director Su Chao Bin wrote this Ming Dynasty wuxia drama primarily for Michelle Yeoh to star in. According to Su and producer Terence Chang, the approach was to do a story in the style of Gu Long's wuxia, populated with multiple characters plus a touch of suspense and mystery. Producer John Woo's input is mainly as an adviser, but he did direct one action scene which featured his daughter and thereby also credited as co-director. Su won the Best Director award for his effort at the 17th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards.

on Amazon by clicking on the image below

The story starts off with an interesting animated prologue detailing the arrival of Monk Bodhi from India some eight hundred years ago. He spent his early years preaching in the Palace and then retired to Mt Jinhua where he trained and...

The highly anticipated Morbius was released on April 1, 2022. The film told the story of Dr. Michael Morbius. After the search for a cure to a rare blood disease goes horribly wrong, Morbius ends up infected with a strange form of vampirism. This earns him his name as Morbius, the Living Vampire, portrayed by Jared Leto. Development for the film began when it was announced that a shared universe of films was to come into existence under Sony, spawning a number of new films and beginning with Venom, which was originally pegged as a standalone film outside the MCU but has since become a part of the Sony Spider-Man Universe (Ssu).

Updated October 11, 2023: This article has been updated by Jessica Peerez with more information on whether Morbius belongs to the MCU or not.

Thanks to this new creation of the connected Ssu, many characters and concepts within can be reimagined,...

The cast of Endeavour Season 7 delivers exceptional performances, making the series particularly gripping. Shaun Evans shines as the young Endeavour Morse, showcasing his talent as both an actor and director. Roger Allam impresses as the mentor figure Fred Thursday, while Anton Lesser captivates as Reginald Bright, adding depth to the show's ensemble cast.

When it first premiered back in 2020, the Endeavour cast of season 7 saw a talented group of actors come together and give a series of excellent performances. A prequel to the Inspector Morse series, Endeavour tells the story of a young Endeavour Morse (Shaun Evans) who drops out of Oxford University to pursue his goal of becoming a detective for the Oxford City Police. Endeavour begins with the young Morse starting out as a detective constable, but throughout the series, he slowly works his way up to becoming a detective sergeant with the help of his mentor and friend,...

Erika Jayne kicked off her Las Vegas residency Friday evening with a ton of risqué moments.

Filled with energy, seduction, disco, Edm, some extreme Nsfw moments and, of course, drama, the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star debuted her 75-minute “Bet It All on Blonde” show at the House of Blues inside Mandalay Bay resort and casino.

Jayne, 52, put on quite the show with several provocative moments like mimicking a scene from “Basic Instinct”, stroking a pole from the cage she appeared in while dressed in a black bondage ensemble, and thrusting toward her mother — Renee Chahoy — who was seated close to the stage.

Read More: Erika Jayne Claps Back At Residency Haters as She Embraces ‘Rebuilding Moment’ In Vegas

Erika Jayne performs during the grand opening of her Las Vegas residency, “Bet It All On Blonde” at House of Blues Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on August 25, 2023 in Las Vegas,...

Forgive us if we occasionally sound surprised or bemused in our coverage of the Suits streaming phenomenon. It’s just that an innocuous 2010s cable series suddenly becoming a monster hit on streaming is a fairly perplexing experience.

Streaming services like Netflix and Peacock, both of which host multiple seasons of Suits, spend untold millions trying to produce their own original hits only for a USA Network series from years ago to blow them all out of the water. People quite simply can’t get enough of the legal machinations of Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht), Michael Ross (Patrick J. Adams), and the rest of the personnel a their constantly-changing law firm.

Why, exactly, has Suits in particular become such a hit? We’ll leave that one for the sociologists. But the show’s success this summer has made one undeniable fact of TV life clear: legal dramas are great! For decades,...

Warning: Spoilers for Silk #2Doctor Strange's longtime sidekick Wong is finally on his way to replacing him as Marvel's top sorcerer. An ally to Wong, Silk, is currently having adventures of her own in her new self-titled series, where the former Web Warrior is being held captive by Saya Ishii and her brother Max. They're keeping her confided under a machine that paralyzes her into a dreamscape, where a mysterious monster awaits to bring about her demise.

Cindy Moon's youngest brother, Albert, learns all of this in Silk #2 by Emily Kim, Ig Guara, Ian Herring, Vc's Ariana Maher, Stacie Zucker, Lindsey Cohick, Nick Lowe, and C.B. Cebulski. Albert runs all the way to the Sanctum Sanctorum for help. However, he isn't there looking for Doctor Strange: he asks for Wong. Although it helps that Silk name-drops Wong earlier in the issue, citing him to her younger brother as an ally,...

“Silk” screenwriter Peter Moffat is adapting Jonathan Freedland’s non-fiction book “The Escape Artist,” which tells the true story of two Jews who escaped from Auschwitz.

Margery Bone’s Bonafide Films has secured the rights to Freedland’s book, which is set to be made into a high-end limited series. Bonafide, who have a development and distribution deal with BBC Studios, recently produced Nicôle Lecky’s BAFTA-winning “Mood.”

“The Escape Artist” centers around nineteen-year-old Rudolf Vrba, a Slovakian Jew who manages to escape Auschwitz alongside fellow internee Fred Wetzler, and warn the world about what was happening. Their actions saved the lives of at least 200,000 Jews who were facing immediate deportation from Budapest to the world’s most notorious death camp.

“This is a story of how human beings can be pushed to the outer limits, and yet still somehow endure,” said Freeland. “How the actions of one individual, even a teenage boy,...

A perfect Spider-Punk cosplay brings Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse's Hobie Brown to life. The sequel to 2018's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse delved even deeper into the multiverse, with Miles Morales making his way to different realities and meeting several new versions of Spider-Man. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse's best character has been nominated by many who have seen the movie as Hobie Brown, aka Spider-Punk, which has led to an uptick in cosplays of the movie's version of the character.

On Twitter, @Dtjaaaam shared a stunning photo of cosplayer @whoachriswhoa as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse's Spider-Punk.

Hobie Brown the Spider-Punk from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse cosplayed by @whoachriswhoa!#cosplay #animeexpo #animeexpo2023 #ax2023 @AnimeExpo pic.twitter.com/gz6fmti8e3 — Dtjaaaam (@Dtjaaaam) July 2, 2023

The Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse cosplay includes Hobie Brown's signature guitar alongside a perfect recreation of Spider-Punk's style from the animated movie, giving a good look at what...