Maybe it’s because it’s Thanksgiving Week in the US, or maybe it’s because last week was so stuffed (turkey style!) with announcements, but the past few days have felt a little light on pop culture news. Here’s what did catch our eye.
Streaming television
No big surprise here, but barely had the final three episodes of Arcane landed on Netflix than the announcement dropped: Season 2 of the insta-smash-hit animated series – based on video game League of Legends – is in production. Just don’t expect a resolution of its Series 1 cliffhanger next year, though. The official word from Riot Games and animation studio Fortiche Production is “post 2022.”
The other big TV news of the week is that Amazon isn’t happy with only a live-action Halo series. Its prime Video streaming service is jockeying to make a live-action adaption of BioWare’s beloved space-set RPG Mass Effect. More on the potential plans here.
Still on the topic of sci-fi and fantasy, Natasha Liu Bordizzo has been cast as Star Wars character Sabine Wren in Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka series for Disney+. Wren is a Mandalorian warrior, rebel and graffiti artist, first seen in animated series Star Wars Rebels. Bordizzo is probably most recognisable from her leading role in The Society. More on the casting here.
Books and comics
Fans of Nickelodeon’s The Legend of Korra have more adventures to look forward to. At least on the page. Releasing April 13, 2022 is 72-page The Legend of Korra: Patterns in Time, an anthology comics collection from Dark Horse Comics.
More here on the trade paperback, but the official synopsis is as follows:
Your favorite characters from Team Avatar and beyond are here in this collection of stories, from the heartwarming to the hilarious. Join Korra, Asami, Mako, Bolin, Tenzin, and more familiar faces from The Legend of Korra, featured in stories specially crafted by a bevy of talented comics creators!
Film
On the movie front, legendary animator and Studio Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki is coming out of retirement at the age of 80 to make a “fantasy on a grand scale.” More on the mysterious project here.
Finally, it’s not really news, but releasing today in South African cinemas is Last Night in Soho, from filmmaker Edgar Wright. We’re always excited for whatever the visually inventive and ambitious Wright does (think Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Baby Driver, Scott Pilgrim), and this is his take on the psychological horror thriller, with Thomasin McKenzie’s wannabe fashion designer transported to Swinging Sixties London, and the body of Anya Taylor-Joy’s nightclub singer. Here’s the fantastic spoiler-free teaser.