Before we jump into the last pop culture news recap of the year, we just want to say thank you to all our readers and supporters. We hope we’ve entertained and educated you, bringing great movies, series, games and comics to your attention – and/or made you think about them in a fresh way.

Also, from me personally to the site’s writing team, a massive thank you to our regulars Darryn, Tracy, Kervyn and Sam for their contributions in 2023. We are a non-profit, fan-driven site, and all their work is driven by a passion for the subject and sharing it with others.

It’s been a demanding year for most people so we’ll be using the period between Christmas and New Year to have a break across the board. Site updates will resume tentatively on 4 January.

Until then, Merry Christmas to those that celebrate, and Happy Holidays to all. See you in 2024.

Film

We don’t want to end the year on a negative note. So we’re not going to delve into the firing of Jonathan Majors by Marvel following a guilty courtroom verdict for assault – meaning Kang the Conqueror will need to be recast, or dropped as the next MCU Big Bad.

We’re also not going to stress over the news that Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount are considering a merger, though this article unpacks the reasons for the move, and industry implications, really well.

Instead, let’s look at and look forward to two indie films out in the first quarter of 2024. The American Society of Magical Negroes is a social satire fantasy where, for centuries, a secret society has worked to protect Black people from harm – by making white people’s lives easier. Justice Smith is Aren, a young man recruited to the organisation. The film is an official selection of Sundance 2024, from writer/director Kobi Libii.

The American Society of Magical Negroes arrives in cinemas on 22 March.

From Saint Maud filmmaker Rose Glass, Love Lies Bleeding is a gritty romantic thriller in which a withdrawn gym employee Lou (Kristen Stewart) and bodybuilder Jackie (Katy O’Brian) start a passionate relationship, only to be pulled into the web of Lou’s criminal family, headed by Ed Harris. Also with Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov and Dave Franco.

Co-produced by A24 and Film4, Love Lies Bleeding has a cinema release date of 8 March.

Series

Again, let’s get the bad news out the way first. After three seasons, historical actioner Warrior (which was shot in South Africa) has been cancelled by Max. A sliver of silver lining is that Netflix has picked up the rights to series repeats, so an even wider audience can appreciate this tale centred on the Tong Wars of 1870s San Francisco.

Star Wars series Andor hasn’t been cancelled but Season 2 has been delayed… all the way into 2025 at least. The culprit, reportedly, is the lengthy Writers’ and Actors’ strikes which halted filming on the second season just short of completion. Initially Andor S2 was set for an August 2024 debut.

What’s coming to Prime Video in 2024? Well, the Amazon streamer has released this handy reel featuring next year’s major attractions. And there’s a lot to look forward to, from high-profile debuts like Fallout and Mr & Mrs Smith, to fan-favourite returnees such as The Boys.

Gaming

Okay sad news first. Rescue Me actor James McCaffrey, who provided the voice of Max Payne in all three games, and collaborated with Remedy on multiple other titles, including Alan Wake II, has died aged 65 after a battle with multiple myeloma.

Less sad and more sus is that Spider-Man, and Ratchet and Clank, developers Insomniac Games were victim of a hack and ransomware attack that led to 1.67TB of data being released online. In addition to employee information and legal documentation, it included in-progress gameplay and level designs from their upcoming Wolverine game. You can read all about the hack, without looking at any of the materials, here.

Finally, following the leads of PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo, Steam has unveiled their Year in Review for PC gamers who use the platform. You can get started through the link posted here.