We kick off this week’s relatively quiet pop culture news recap with the announcement that actor Donald Sutherland has passed aged 88 on 20 June after a long illness.
Deftly moving between likeable and villainous roles over a career spanning almost six decades, Sutherland’s vast filmography includes the likes of early 70s standouts Kelly’s Heroes, Klute, and MASH, while in later years the star found himself playing an assortment of authority figures (ironic as he was a vocal anti-war activist), like President Snow in The Hunger Games film series. One of Sutherland’s final roles was 2022 Stephen King adaptation Mr Harrigan’s Phone, on Netflix. He never won a competitive Oscar during his career, receiving an honorary award in 2017.
Film
Rather unsurprisingly, given its huge box office success, horror film Smile (we personally think the similar It Follows is better) is getting a sequel this year.
Coming to cinemas on 18 October, Smile 2 continues the story of a supernatural entity that feeds on trauma, passing on to a new host as it drives its current target to suicide. The freshly cursed victim here is pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), who begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events – but which can be dismissed as her response to the pressures of fame.
Game of Thrones star Kit Harrington playing a werewolf sounds on paper like low-grade fodder. BUT The Beast Within actually looks like that best kind of horror film – one which uses the supernatural to explore real-life darkness, in this case living with an abusive father who can’t control his rage. In the film, ten-year-old Willow (Caoilinn Springall) starts to question her family’s isolated life deep in the English wilds, and ends up discovering a dark ancestral secret when she witnesses her beloved dad transform. Also with Ashleigh Cummings and James Cosmo.
British-made The Beast Within arrives in select cinemas on 26 July, and will likely be one you need to make an effort to find.
It really was about horror this week. A24, the film distributors behind the likes of Hereditary, X and Talk to Me have unveiled their next prestige genre release. Coming to the big screen on 6 September is The Front Room, starring Brandy Norwood and directed by Max and Sam Eggers, the siblings of The VVitch’s Robert.
In The Front Room, based on a short story by Susan Hill, a young couple expecting their first child are forced to take in the husband’s ailing stepmother. This brings tension and something more sinister into their home.
Your movie news tidbit this week: Spaceballs 2 is in development for Amazon MGM. Comedy legend Mel Brooks, who made the original Star Wars parody back in 1987, is working with Josh Gad and two of the co-writers of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle: Mutant Mayhem on the project.
Series
When we heard that a series spin-of Matt Reeves’s The Batman was coming, centred on Colin Farrell’s Oswald Cobblepot (AKA The Penguin), we were sceptical. It sounded like a creatively bankrupt franchise cash-in. However, everything we’ve seen of the upcoming crime drama, which explores how the Batman villain exploits the power vacuum in Gotham City’s underworld following the movie, looks genuinely compelling. Also in the cast are Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Clancy Brown, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Michael Kelly and more.
The Penguin comes to Max this September.
Lifestyle
Another guest for Comic Con Africa 2024 has been announced, and it’s a biggie: International cosplayer CutiePieSensei, AKA Jasmine, who has over half a million followers on Instagram. Not only is Jasmine a senior concept artist for SMITE and a cosplayer, but she also serves as Chief Creative Officer for pop culture clothing brand Fira X Wear. We also think it’s very exciting to finally see an inspiring WOC cosplay star from overseas.
CutiePieSensei will be at Comic Con Africa 2024 on all four days: that’s 26 – 29 September. Day and weekend passes can be purchased here.
Gaming
Now that Summer Game Fest has passed, and there’s more breathing room for gaming announcements, Nintendo held their latest 40-minute Nintendo Direct this week. Watch it and see all of the games announced here. In short, there are a number of remasters on the horizon, for the likes of Dragon Quest 3 and Donkey Kong Country Returns. At the same time, Nintendo franchise staples like Mario, Zelda and Metroid all featured with new games.
Speaking of retro games making a return, out next Tuesday, 25 June is Beyond Good & Evil – 20th Anniversary Edition, with Ubisoft bringing the beloved action adventure to PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Amazon Luna and PC through the Ubisoft Store, Epic Games Store and Steam. A physical edition and a Collector Edition are also on the cards for a later date, with pre-orders opening mid-July.
This special edition of the original game features improved performances up to 4k, 60fps and numerous qualities of life improvements including autosave, cutscene-skip, full controller and keyboard & mouse support, and cross-save across all platforms. Also included is a new Speedrun Mode and an Anniversary Gallery delving deep into the game’s development history.
Seems like the perfect opportunity for players – especially if it’s your first time – to join camera-wielding reporter Jade as she investigates the mysterious DomZ alien attacks on her homeworld.
Honestly, we wouldn’t normally get excited for movie tie-ins, but A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead has a lot of potential. It certainly looks absolutely terrifying as this first-person horror adventure (from Stormind Games and Saber Interactive) replicates the franchise’s demands for stealth and silence at all times… or risk alerting nightmarish creatures.
Story-driven, with a strong survival focus, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead centres on a young woman who must endure a treacherous apocalypse while struggling with family conflict and her own fears.
The Road Ahead comes to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S later this year.