It’s been a busy week for features, reviews and other new content on the site this week. So we’re keeping the pop culture news recap short and sweet today to ease into the weekend.

Series

First up in series news is one we’re very excited for, with Netflix announcing new additions to the cast of Season 2 for The Sandman. New cast members joining the Endless include Esmé Creed-Miles (The Doll Factory, The Legend of Vox Machina) as Delirium, Adrian Lester (Euphoria, Hustle) as Destiny, and Barry Sloane (Revenge, The Whispers) as the Prodigal. Tom Sturridge, Kirby, Mason Alexander Park and Donna Preston all resume their roles from Season 1.

As a side-note, if Esmé Creed-Miles looks familiar, she’s the daughter of Samantha Morton.

In more Netflix casting news, we also have our first official look at Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher Season 4. Which, honestly, isn’t much. If you don’t have 60 seconds to spare, all you need to know is in the YouTube thumbnail below. Hemsworth steps into the muddy leather boots previously occupied by seven-years-older Henry Cavill for the next season of the dark fantasy show… and, presumably, the fifth and final season as well, which is filming back to back with S4.

Moving to a different streaming service, we have a first look at Time Bandits, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly. The upcoming Apple TV+ adaptation of Terry Gilliam’s 1981 classic film of the same name is set debut 24 July.

Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement created the series with Iain Morris, which follows an 11-year-old history geek named Kevin (Kal-El Tuck) as he journeys through the centuries with a ragtag group of thieves, led by Penelope (Lisa Kudrow). Tadhg Murphy, Roger Jean Nsengiyumva, Rune Temte, Kiera Thompson, Rachel House, Matt King, George Houvardas, Zoe Ventoura, and Charlyne Yi round out the cast.

Tadhg Murphy, Roger Jean Nsengiyumva, Lisa Kudrow, Kal-El Tuck, Kiera Thompson, and Rune Temte in ‘Time Bandits’. Image Courtesy of EW/APPLE

Last in streaming news, Brit Box is (br)exiting South Africa. Three years after its launch, the joint streaming service from BBC Studios and ITV will be leaving local shores as of 30 August 2024, so you have until then to catch up on your favourite shows before the service shutters. As reported by TV with Thinus, BritBox SA’s PR responded to a media query saying that “BritBox is refocusing on its more established markets and the areas of the business that will have the highest opportunities for growth”. Ouch.

Film

Hot off the presses is the first full trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the long-awaited sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 classic Beetlejuice. Burton reunites with Michael Keaton as the titular character, while Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara are back as Lydia Deetz and Delia Deetz, respectively. We’re also really glad to see the return of stop motion animation to realise a chunk of the film’s effects as opposed to CGI.

New cast members include Jenna Ortega (Wednesday, Scream VI) as Lydia’s daughter, Astrid, Justin Theroux (Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, The Leftovers), Monica Bellucci (Spectre, The Matrix films), Arthur Conti (House of the Dragon) and Willem Dafoe.

You can look forward to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in cinemas on 6 September.

Staying with the creepy, but less on the comedy, is a trailer for Longlegs, the upcoming mystery horror film from writer/director Oz Perkins. The film focuses on Lee Harker (It Follows star Maika Monroe), a new FBI agent, who has been assigned to an unsolved case of a serial killer. As the investigation becomes more complicated with occult evidence uncovered, Harker realizes a personal link to the killer and must act quickly to prevent another family murder. Longlegs also stars Nicolas Cage, Alicia Witt and Blair Underwood, and will be in theatres (at least, American theatres) on 12 July.

Generating a lot of buzz at Cannes this year is The Substance, an upcoming body horror film written and directed by Coralie Fargeat. Critics are already hailing The Substance as an instant classic, visceral and disturbing. It’s apparently an incredible showcase of both Demi Moore’s acting prowess and Fargeat’s visionary skills. Watch the teaser trailer for The Substance below.

Something else to keep an eye on thanks to this year’s Cannes is The Death of Robin Hood, which Variety reports has been snatched up for distribution by A24. Directed by Michael Sarnoski and starring Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer, the film follows an aging Robin Hood grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder. When he finds himself gravely injured after a battle he thought would be his last, he is offered a chance at salvation as he recovers in the hands of a mysterious woman.