Movies

2025’s Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo unveiled exciting news for me as an ardent fan – a new animated series focusing on the enigmatic Darth Maul, titled “Maul—Shadow Lord“, is set to debut on Disney+ in 2026. This groundbreaking move marks the first instance of a chiefly animated antagonist starring in his own show, delving deeper and expanding upon the rich history laid out in The Clone Wars, blending elements of semi-sequel and spin-off narratives.

Despite experiencing a recent decline, Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe has primarily been a dominant force in cinemas since Robert Downey Jr.’s witty Iron Man debuted in 2008. This marked the beginning of Phases One, Two, and Three of the MCU, along with the epic Infinity War storyline that captivated audiences for over a decade with its massive, cosmic CGI battles.

Due to these circumstances, movies such as “Moana 2” (earning over $1 billion worldwide), have been approved for production, since the studio aims to recover losses caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic. However, this focus on sequels across various branches of Disney like Pixar, Marvel Studios, and Lucasfilm has brought some triumphs, but it may also mean that certain projects don’t receive funding as easily as they once did.

A bigger picture is unfolding with some of the 2025 movies playing in theaters. We’ve grown accustomed to it, as cinematic universes are still prevalent, bridging the gap between television and films, contributing to a larger narrative called “DCU Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters“.

After a brief appearance of Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El at the end of Superman, focus has shifted towards the upcoming Supergirl movie in the DC Universe created by James Gunn and Peter Safran. Many are speculating it will have a light-hearted, fun tone like Gunn’s film, but the source material hints that a different mood might be more accurate.

As a thrilled fan, I’m excited to share that Chris Pine (Star Trek), Lily-Rose Depp (Nosferatu), Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Mufasa: The Lion King), and Doona Bae (Rebel Moon) have officially joined the cast of an upcoming movie. However, the specifics about their roles are still tightly guarded secrets for now, as most details about the film are being kept under lock and key. Stay tuned for more updates!

In my film critic days, I had the pleasure of watching Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic ‘Conan’ movies, particularly ‘Conan the Destroyer’. The film hinted at a sequel, but unfortunately, it never materialized. However, during an interview with Collider, the man himself expressed his continued enthusiasm for revisiting this story. Arnold believes that with the right creative team, there’s a compelling narrative waiting to be told.

Prior to investigating cold cases, Ballard was associated with a well-known division (RHD) within the Los Angeles Police Department. This division was responsible for addressing unusual cases, but it suffered significant damage to its reputation when some of its detectives were found corrupt.

If you’re not deeply invested in the show Survivor, some of this might seem confusing; allow me to clarify. The latest season, Survivor 48, has been met with considerable criticism since season 41 and its infamous hourglass twist, particularly among die-hard fans on social media. The criticisms were widespread and persistent, primarily centering around monotonous gameplay, excessive focus on the personal histories of contestants, and an editing style that prioritized emotional narratives over strategic maneuvers.

Following a recent reveal by the streamer, we now have our first look at Dominic McLaughlin as the freshly announced Harry Potter in the new TV series, signaling that filming for this much-anticipated adaptation has officially started. The HBO original is slated to premiere in 2027.