The Nerdist

In many ways, the content on our screens has never been better. Just look at the upcoming Spider-Man Noir starring Nicolas Cage. The series looks like an incredible mix of genres, and just like a ton of fun. In fact, it will even air in black and white — a truly inspired touch for the release. But even though we’re looking at some of the coolest releases we’ve ever seen, the web of streaming platforms is becoming a stickier and more tangled web all around us. For instance, Spider-Noir will release on Prime Video in May, but it turns out it will FIRST release on a whole other streaming channel, MGM+.Prime Video

Even though Spider-Man Noir is a Prime Video series, it will first air on MGM+’s linear channel on May 25, 2026, BEFORE rolling out globally on Prime Video on May 27. But the catch is, to watch the series when it first releases, you’ll have to subscribe to MGM+, and that will cost you another $7.99/month as a Prime Video add-on. Of course, Amazon owns both Prime Video and MGM+, but different content lives on the different channels at different times. In this case, Spider-Noir will arrive early on MGM+ before rolling out on the more mainstream channel.

This Spider-Noir release cadence becomes even more complicated when we recall that all eight episodes of Spider-Noir will release at once, as a binge release. So if you really want to watch the series fresh and avoid spoilers, you’d better subscribe to MGM+ or plan extra caution for the two days before it arrives on Prime. We’re not sure we’ve seen this release tactic before, and we’re not sure we love it. But, the situation is what it is.

Click To View Gallery Prime Video Prime Video Prime Video

There’s a possibility that MGM+ will receive only 2 or so episodes of Spider-Noir for early release, but so far there’s been no confirmation of that speculation. All we know is that the series is slated for a binge release and it will release early on MGM+.

The synopsis for Spider-Noir shares, “Spider-Noir” is a live-action series based on the Marvel comic Spider-Man Noir. “Spider-Noir” tells the story of Ben Reilly (Nicolas Cage), a seasoned, down on his luck private investigator in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life, following a deeply personal tragedy, as the city’s one and only superhero.“

As mentioned, Spider-Noir will air on MGM+’s linear channel on May 25, 2026, before rolling out globally on Prime Video on May 27, 2026.

The post SPIDER-NOIR Will Release Early, If You’re Willing to Pay appeared first on Nerdist.

Beautiful. We finally know when Ted Lasso will officially head back to AFC Richmond. Apple TV announced the hit series’ fourth season will premiere this summer on August 5 via an all-new trailer. This latest look at the show promises an emotional return across the pond for the beloved mustachioed coach. But while he seems happy to be back, this promo suggests a lot of his old friends are not doing nearly as well. They might need Ted’s help more than ever.

The bloody wanker is back! And this time around he’s coaching AFC Richmond’s new women’s professional soccer club. What will that mean for both him and the people he cares about? Here’s the show’s official synopsis from Apple TV:

In season four, Ted returns to Richmond, taking on his biggest challenge yet: coaching a second division women’s football team. Throughout the course of the season, Ted and the team learn to leap before they look, taking chances they never thought they would. 

Apple TV

Season four will mark the return of star Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, and Jeremy Swift. Newcomers to the show include Tanya Reynolds, Jude Mack, Faye Marsay, Rex Hayes, Aisling Sharkey, Abbie Hern, and Grant Feely. This trailer also includes the great Tracey Ullman. She is getting in on the football fun with a character that looks absolutely chaotic. Brilliant.

How will she help (or make things worse) for Coach Ted when he heads back to his old-new team? We’ll find out one episode at a time. Ted Lasso season four takes the pitch on Wednesday, August 5 with its premiere episode. It will then release new episodes every Wednesday until the finale on October 7. By then we’ll probably have had plenty of laughs, plenty of tears, and hopefully for Ted’s new soccer team plenty of wins.

The post TED LASSO Kicks Off Season 4 With Trailer and Release Date appeared first on Nerdist.

Few people have the encyclopedic knowledge of just about everything to win at Jeopardy! We certainly count ourselves in that “few people” category, by the way. But Pop Culture Jeopardy!, now that’s another story. We know the answers (or should we say questions) for that one a lot. The spin-off of the iconic game show launched in December, 2024 on Prime Video. Hosted by SNL’s Colin Jost, fans loved this more lighthearted version of the show. But after one season, the show did not come back to Prime Video. But now, Pop Culture Jeopardy! is launching season two on Netflix, and you can watch the first trailer for the second season down below:

In the trailer, Colin Jost jokes about switching from one giant streaming platform to another, and cracks wise about the show’s next home being on OnlyFans. We know he jests, but we think Jost underplays how big any OnlyFans account with him in it would get. Among the categories for Pop Culture Jeopardy! are “AI Slop Will Give You Brain Rot” and one for all things Real Housewives. And for those of you with Generation Alpha children, there is an entire category devoted to “6-7.” Maybe then someone can explain to us what it actually means. Because we sure don’t know.

Netflix

Pop Culture Jeopardy! is the first version of the franchise to debut via a streaming service. The classic Alex Trebek version ruled in broadcast syndication. Season one consisted of forty episodes, but season two will contain half of that. Perhaps fewer episodes were a condition for the season two renewal over at Netflix. Hopefully, on Netflix, this iteration of the series will find a much larger audience. The second season of Pop Culture Jeopardy! drops on May 11, and runs every weekday through June 5.

The post POP CULTURE JEOPARDY! Trailer Features a Snarky Colin Jost appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s time to go back to simpler days. In 2007, many nerds tuned into a fun and funny web series created by Felicia Day called The Guild. Throughout its six-season run, The Guild set out to break down some stereotypes about gamers and show the world that true friendship, cool people, and a whole lot of adventure could be found through fandom. And somehow, 20 years later, it’s time to do it all again. Felicia Day has revealed that The Guild will hopefully soon return in The Guild Movie. But to do that, The Knights of Good need you. Yes, The Guild Movie Kickstarter will arrive this summer, and hopefully, you are ready to pledge your allegiance.

GUYS ITS HAPPENING! Let's make a "Guild" movie together!!!! Sign up now at this link to be alerted when our Kickstarter is live: https://t.co/bRUCM2DDYm Excited to see the gang back together with your help! #reunion'd pic.twitter.com/ORUHH0j3w7

— Felicia Day🇺🇸 (@feliciaday) April 27, 2026

The official website for The Guild movie shares, “Help us celebrate The Guild‘s upcoming 20th anniversary by being part of our most epic quest yet. That’s right, we need your help making a full-length film that reunites Codex, Zaboo, Vork, Tink, Clara, and Bladezz for an adventure unlike anything they’ve ever faced before. And yes, that’s vague, we know. Which is why you should sign up below to receive updates about the crowdfunding campaign later this summer. Let’s get Kickstart’d!”

The Guild Movie

Listen, if there’s anyone who could bring us the best possible version of “an adventure unlike any” we’ve ever seen, it’s Felicia Day and the rest of The Guild‘s cast. We’re so excited to hear The Guild Movie will reunite all our favorites.

Day further shares:

In 2007, I created The Guild because no one in Hollywood understood what real gamers were like. I wanted to show the world that genuine friendships could form online and prove that geeks and nerds didn’t need to be clichéd punchlines, but could be main characters, too. We were able to do that for six wonderful seasons because you, the community, showed the world there was a place for it. And I’m forever grateful.

The 20th anniversary is coming up in 2027 (gasp!) and with your support, we’re gonna do it again: Prove Hollywood wrong, stay true to what you guys love and just generally laugh our butts off. I can’t wait to get the gang back together. We’ll still be SO dysfunctional, I promise!

SO SIGN UP PLEASE F-YEAH LET’S DO THIS!

oxox
Felicia

Nothing like a promise to be SO dysfunctional to get our support. There’s no official Kickstarter page for The Guild Movie yet, but you can sign up to get all the latest updates as soon as they go live. You can watch all of The Guild‘s episodes on YouTube right now.

The post THE GUILD Returns with New Movie From Felicia Day appeared first on Nerdist.

One of the most important writers in modern American comic books has left us, as we’ve learned that Gerry Conway has died at age 73. The sad news comes via Variety. Although the cause of death is unknown, the New York City-born Conway fought pancreatic cancer in recent years. Conway broke into writing mainstream comics at the young age of 16, and by his early twenties, was writing seminal runs for series like The Amazing Spider-Man, where he famously scripted the death of Peter Parker’s great love, Gwen Stacy. He’s also the co-creator of iconic characters like the Punisher, Jason Todd, and many others. He was among the first generation of comic book “fanboys” who grew up to write the characters they had loved as children.

Marvel Comics/DC Comics/Near Future Industries

In a statement following the news of Gerry Conway’s death, Marvel President Dan Buckley said, “Gerry Conway was a gifted writer. He was thoughtful, deeply attuned to the emotional and moral core of storytelling, and a wonderful and articulate advocate for comics and creators. His writing has inspired all of us at Marvel, and will continue to inspire generations of writers, readers, and fans to come.” Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige added, “Gerry Conway brought real stakes to his writing, able to weave together sensational super heroics with the human and relatable, and in doing so created some of the most memorable stories and characters of all time… Gerry was a wonderful collaborator and friend to so many and will be dearly missed.”

Marvel Comics

At the tender age of 16, Conway wrote his first short story for DC Comics’ House of Secrets #81, published in 1969. He then went on to write The Phantom Stranger when he was still only 18. He caught the attention of Marvel Comics‘ editor Roy Thomas, who hired him to write a Ka-Zar story. From there on out, Gerry Conway wrote for nearly every major Marvel publication, including Daredevil, Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, The Fantastic Four, the Avengers, andAmazing Adventures, which showcased Black Widow and the Inhumans. He also has a co-creator credit for the horror characters Man-Thing and Werewolf by Night. But his biggest Marvel work was easily on Spider-Man.

At age 19, Conway took over writing on The Amazing Spider-Man, not long after Stan Lee ended his epic run. During his three-year run on the series, he famously killed off Peter Parker’s longtime girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, in a touchstone story for the character. Not long after, Conway and artist Ross Andru introduced the Punisher, who would become one of Marvel’s leading characters. The seeds of the iconic “Clone Saga” were planted in Conway’s run, which introduced the villainous Jackal, along with Peter Parker’s clone, Ben Reilly. In 1976, Conway wrote the first Marvel/DC crossover, Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man, which just got two sequels fifty years later. He’d return for longer Spidey runs in the ’80s and ’90s with Spectacular Spider-Man and Web of Spider-Man.

DC Comics

After a brief tenure as Marvel’s EIC, Gerry Conway left for DC Comics. There, he co-created Power Girl, an alternate-universe version of Supergirl, along with the hero Firestorm. He also co-created Jason Todd, the second Robin, who is now the Red Hood, along with Batman villain Killer Croc. All these characters remain DC mainstays today. In the ’80s, he wrote long runs on Wonder Woman, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Action Comics, and Superman. He also famously wrote an eight-year run on Justice League of America. Conway’s run included his creation of the “Detroit JLA.” Although unpopular at the time, it featured new heroes Vixen and Vibe, both Gerry Conway co-creations. They would find new life decades later in the CW Arrowverse.

Warner Bros. Animation/Marvel

Gerry Conway also had a very prolific Hollywood career. He co-wrote the animated ’80s fantasy film Fire and Ice and Conan the Destroyer. For television, he became a regular writer on procedurals like Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Diagnosis Murder, and Matlock. In animation, he contributed scripts for G.I. Joe and Transformers. But he remained true to his comic book roots, even on television. He wrote two episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, and the very first episode of Spider-Man: The Animated Series. He somehow squeezed in two sci-fi novels and a Star Trek newspaper strip into his resume as well. Gerry Conway’s legacy in entertainment spans over five decades, and his mark on comic books especially can’t be overstated. Gerry Conway is survived by his wife and two children.

The post Gerry Conway Dies, Comics Author, Punisher Co-Creator Was 73 appeared first on Nerdist.

Way back when, January of 2023, DC Studios’ co-CEO James Gunn unveiled the initial plan for his and Peter Safran’s new DCU. He shared a number of exciting projects, many of which have arrived more or less on schedule. Creature Commandos, Superman, Supergirl, and Lanterns all found or will have found their way to screens by the end of this year. Others, like Paradise Lost, Swamp Thing, and Booster Gold have continued to percolate and have seen substantial delays for various reasons or others. But when it comes to The Authority, the true outlier of that first batch, it seems Gunn is saying farewell to that idea.DC Comics

In a report from Variety, Gunn said the script wasn’t coming together for The Authority. “The script wasn’t quite there but more importantly it didn’t work in terms of the larger DCU both in terms of the story and practical concerns. Maybe some day. Not soon.” This echoes what Gunn said to several journalists a little over a year ago at a first “state of the franchise” event. Despite Superman still featuring the Authority’s Engineer as a major character, that set-up will not carry over to a feature film for the team.

The Authority began in 1999, in the pages of Wildstorm Comics, Jim Lee’s comics company that DC acquired in 1998. Created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch, the titular team were a dark, gritty mirror to teams like the Justice League or the Avengers. They were more violent and had lots of very adult themes and storylines. Gunn saying the team didn’t work in terms of the larger DCU makes a lot of sense. Why introduce the very hopeful Superman and immediately throw the super violent anti-Justice League when the Justice League themselves don’t yet exist?

RELATED ARTICLE

Who Are The Authority? The DCU’s New Cinematic Heroes, Explained

Plus, The Authority were the thematic progenitors to later subverted superhero series like The Boys and Invincible. In a world where both of those comics and shows exist, it’d be hard for the Authority not to feel very behind the times.

Despite this setback, the DCU will have a big 2026. Supergirl hits theaters June 26, Lanterns premieres on HBO in August, and Clayface will go to theaters in October.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!

The post DC’s THE AUTHORITY Movie Getting Put on the Back Burner appeared first on Nerdist.

Kagurabachi fans, rejoice! This super popular manga is officially getting a television series anime adaptation. The news came during Jump Press’ showcase event and there’s even a Kagurabachi trailer to get fans totally hyped up. While some animated ventures seem to take many years between an announcement and actually airing its first episode, this one is coming in April 2027.

To celebrate the first Kagurabachi episode, there will be a world tour with dates and locations announced in the near future.

RELATED ARTICLE

13 Anime Series That We Can’t Wait to Watch This Spring

Tetsuya Takeuchi (From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated!) will direct the Kagurabachi TV anime series at studio CyPic with Keigo Sasaki (Blue Exorcist) doing the show’s character designs. Taihi Kimura (Takeru Narihira in Onmyo Kaiten Re:Birth Verse) will voice the main character, Chihiro Rokuhira.

Here’s the description from Viz Media to go with that Kagurabachi trailer: 

As a young boy, Chihiro trains every day under his father to become a swordsmith. Although different in temperament, the two spend peaceful days laughing and working together. But one day, tragedy strikes… Now Chihiro burns with hatred and sets out to exact revenge. Following clues left behind by a ruthless yakuza organization, Chihiro confronts the Hishaku, a deadly group of sorcerers that may be behind his father’s murder.

SHOCHIKU anime Channel/YouTube

The coming months will surely give fans more looks into what this show will offer.

The post KAGURABACHI Announces Anime TV Series In Sleek New Trailer appeared first on Nerdist.

Did you know that, in 2014, Quentin Tarantino co-wrote a comic that continued the adventures of Jamie Foxx’s titular character in Django Unchained? And did you also know that seven-part series also included a crossover with Zorro? Yes, the Zorro. No to both questions? Fair. Pretty wild, huh? That’s nothing compared to the latest news around the comic. One of the best screenwriters in Hollywood is turning it into a film.Sony Pictures

Deadline reports Sony Pictures has tapped Mystic River Academy Award-winner writer Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential) to adapt a story from Dynamite Entertainment’s Django Unchained graphic novel. The series served as a de facto sequel to Tarantino’s 2012 film starring Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Don Johnson, and Walton Goggins.

Tarantino co-wrote the comic with Matt Wagner. While Tarantino will not direct this Django/Zorro crossover film, Deadline says he has given the project his approval. It also comes on the heels of the upcoming sequel The Adventures of Cliff Booth, which Tarantino did not direct, either.

This is not the first time a possible Django Unchained– Zorro adaptation was in development. However, the hiring of Helgeland (and new, less complicated rights issues) is the biggest step yet to making it real. As for the story, he is said to be penning a new tale that continues Django’s story as a man seeking out the worst of the worst. In the comics the former slave-turned-bounty hunter befriends Don Diego de la Vega, better known to the world as Zorro.

You can definitely do worse than having Zorro on your side while hunting villains. Whether or not this big screen team-up will feature either Foxx or Antonio Banderas returning to their iconic roles is unknown. But no matter who plays them, there’s no question we’re betting on this duo against anyone foolish enough to oppose them.

The post Sony Developing DJANGO & ZORRO Crossover Based on Tarantino Comic appeared first on Nerdist.

We tend not to think of John Williams’ “Imperial March” as anything other than an aural cue to signify intergalactic fascism and incompetent officers getting force-choked. We definitely don’t think of classical romance. Well, we don’t, but clearly, YouTuber Algal the Bard sure does. In his latest video, he gets out his medieval lute-guitar and harp, and gives us Star Wars‘ iconic Imperial March, only the “romantic serenade” version. And you know what? It works. Who knew Darth Vader’s theme could put us in the mood for Arthurian fantasy and kingly courts? You can watch Algal the Bard’s version of “Darth Vader in Love” below:

One nice touch from Algal the Bard is that the “Imperial March” eventually segues into “Across the Stars” from Attack of the Clones. Most Star Wars fans will recall that this is the romantic love theme of Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala. Now that track absolutely evokes classical romance in every single way. All of those romantic vistas shot in Italy, where they shot the planet Naboo, were directly inspired by Renaissance paintings. Sure, Anakin’s dialogue in those scenes wasn’t exactly Shakespeare, but bless their hearts for trying. But both those pieces of music are Anakin’s theme music in very different eras of his life.

Lucasfilm

Most of Algal the Bard’s other videos are Medieval-style covers of classic rock songs. There’s Iron Maiden, Blue Oyster Cult, you name it. But there are other nerdy selections among his works. There’s The Legend of Zelda, Conan the Barbarian, and even the music from Fallout. Hopefully, we get some other Star Wars offerings in the future. After all, who deserves a romantic classical tribute more than Princess Leia? John Williams’ Leia theme would be perfect for this style of music. To check out more videos, be sure to head on over to Algal the Bard’s YouTube channel.

The post Romantic Medieval Cover of the Imperial March Somehow Works appeared first on Nerdist.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, the upcoming spin-off of The Big Bang Theory, has itself an official release date. Via Deadline, we’ve learned that the comedy series will hit HBO Max this July. The announcement was made at CCXP Mexico over the weekend. The series focuses on the character of Stuart David Bloom, the owner of the comic book shop Comic Center of Pasadena, who was a regular recurring character on The Big Bang Theory. David Sussman will once again play the character of Stuart. At the CCXP panel, they also announced that iconic composer Danny Elfman is writing the show’s theme music. Elfman most recently created the theme music for Wednesday on Netflix.HBO Max

The series will deal with Stuart attempting to restore reality after he breaks a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, accidentally bringing about a multiversal Armageddon. It sure seems as if everyone is all about the Multiverse these days. Even sitcoms. Stuart’s girlfriend Denise (Lauren Lapkus) helps Stuart out during this cosmic adventure, along with his geologist friend Bert (Brian Posehn), and quantum physicist Barry Kripke (John Ross Bowie). In the upcoming series, the cast will meet alternate-universe versions of characters we’ve come to know from The Big Bang Theory. Although who exactly is still under wraps. And we can imagine, much wackiness shall ensue.

Chuck Lorre, the co-creator and executive producer of The Big Bang Theory and all of its spinoffs to date, writes and executive produces the new series. Joining him is Big Bang co-creator Bill Prady. Another name among the executive producers is Zak Penn. Penn got a writing credit on the first Avengers, even though Joss Whedon completely tossed out his script. It’s wild how Hollywood works. With a July release date, we expect to hear more about Stuart Fails to Save the Universe around Comic-Con time.

The post BIG BANG THEORY Stuart Spin-Off Gets a July HBO Max Release appeared first on Nerdist.

“You can really feel Walt’s presence here.”

For years, countless Disneyland fans and cast members alike have told me that. It’s not something you hear nearly as often at Walt Disney World, though. That always made sense to me. Walt personally oversaw the construction of Disneyland, but died almost five years before Magic Kingdom opened. If you’re going to feel his presence anywhere, it’s at the park he built.

That oft-shared sentiment was very much on my mind before I made my first visit to the Happiest Place on Earth recently. Would I, someone who has loved Walt Disney World for almost 40 years, feel Walt’s presence at Disneyland? I had my doubts for my own reasons, but I wanted to try. And to make that happen I knew where to look for him. If I were going to find Walt, I’d try finding him in the part of the park that meant the most to him personally, the Disneyland Railroad.

Nerdist

My doubts over feeling Walt’s “presence” had nothing to do with doubting anyone else’s sincerity. It is quite the opposite, actually. I absolutely believe they have that experience. As someone who loves learning the history and lore behind the places I care about, I would be the exact type of person who would have a similar one at Disneyland. I’m also a sentimental person, and no one does sentiment better than Disney. Plus, you know, I also really love going to Walt Disney World. I know some will scoff at that, but being there make me feel close to my late sister and our childhood family trips.(Go ahead. Scoff now. Scoff now.) Now it brings me joy as something my wife and I share with our son. (Still scoffing? Bold. But, uh, he wasn’t on this trip because we were in Anaheim for a wedding, so….)

The difference is those are real people I have real memories with. I’m sentimental, yes, but I am sentimental about places and the people who went there with me. I’ve never been nostalgic about famous people*, especially historical figures. That’s what Walt Disney is to me. He created something tangible and enduring I love, but he also died long before I was born. Disney as a place might be real to me, but Walt Disney is more like a legend.

Nerdist

(*This has been true my entire life. I’m from Massachusetts, but when I stand outside Paul Revere’s house in Boston’s North End I don’t “feel” his presence. It’s incredible his house is still there and you can go inside. But all I tend to “feel” is hungry since it’s right near one of my favorite restaurants.)

Despite all of that, I wanted to give myself the best shot to have this exact Disney fan experience. And as someone deeply invested in the history of both Walt Disney and all of the parks that bear his name, I knew the best shot I had to “feel” his presence was on the Disneyland Railroad. That was always going to be my best shot I had to find Walt.

Although this little vacation was personal, I spoke to a Disneyland rep about my visit before I went. Without me mentioning any one of this, she said, unprompted, the same thing so many others had. “You can really feel Walt’s presence here.” I then told her what I just told all of you, that I was curious if I would have that experience but wasn’t sure I would. I then told her my plan was to ride the train since it meant the most to Walt. That’s when she asked if my wife and I would be interested in Disneyland’s Railroad Guided Tour. It’s an intimate 90-minute excursion you can book. It lets guests “get a look into Walt Disney’s love for trains and discover the impact it had on the Disneyland Resort.”

Yes, I did want to do it.

Nerdist

The tour meets on Main Street, the other part of the park I most associate with Walt since he had an apartment there. Guests receive a commemorative pin with their name, a tour badge with a lanyard you get to keep, a hand fan, and a snack. (Our group of 10 got a Strawberry-stuffed Croissant from Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe. It not only ruled, it was on my “must-try” handwritten “snack list,” a real thing I spent real time coming up with before visiting. At the end of the tour, we also got a great Disneyland map poster.)

The tour then takes you to different parts of the park, starting out front, to learn about Walt’s lifelong relationship with trains. His passion led directly—as in “Disneyland might not exist if Walt didn’t love trains” kind of directly—to the creation, shape, design, and construction of the park. As we would learn, it also shaped many of the attractions throughout. Those attractions then went on to influence Disney parks around the world. Each park is essentially a stop along Walt’s own enduring train line.

Our guide was Giorgio, a wonderfully affable and knowledge host whose Jungle Cruise skipper sense of humor helped keep the experience from ever feeling dry. The tour includes a lot of information and anecdotes spanning Walt’s childhood to the construction of Disneyland and beyond. The laughter from the group showed Giorgio’s puns, some truly terrible in the best way, helped keep everyone engaged. He was polished but wholly sincere the way the best cast members always are.

It helped he was always easy to hear even amid a packed spring break crowd, because the tour includes ear pieces. Disneyland makes it so you never have to huddle or worry about your host getting drowned out. That also allows you to look around while your guide is speaking.

Nerdist

For the first half of the tour, Giorgio took us along multiple spots on Main Street, U.S.A. We then went to Frontierland, the Central Plaza, and Fantasyland. The last stop, in the shadow of the Matterhorn, was my favorite. There we learned about how Walt’s vacation to Germany led to Disneyland’s monorail. As the monorail (which I loved as a kid at Walt Disney World) quietly glided past Giorgio as he spoke it was hard not feel sentimental.

As someone who cares about the history and development of Disney Parks, I found the tour informative and fun. I already knew a lot of what we learned, but there were still new insights and stories I had never heard or read before. But what I really appreciated is that the tour is also really peaceful even among the throngs of people in the park. I’m someone who tends, no matter how much they try otherwise, to go 900 mph at Disney. The tour forced me to slow down and take the whole park in, all without worrying about wait times or lightning lanes. It was just really nice.

Only, I hadn’t felt Walt’s presence. Not yet. But something fundamentally changed for me when I asked Giorgio a question between stops. I told him I was planning to write about this tour and was curious what he thought was the most important thing for people to know. What Giorgio told me instantly changed how I felt about what I was doing. “It’s not that Walt loved trains,” he said, “It’s that he was obsessed with them.”

Nerdist

“Obsession.” It seemed so obvious the second Giorgio said it. It should have been, considering everything we’d been hearing about Walt’s lifelong experiences being around, working on, and building his own trains both at home and in his park. And yet, it hadn’t been the word or idea that had shaped the way I understood Walt’s relationship with trains.

“Passion.” “Love.” Those are the words I’d been thinking of. “Love” is the word Disney itself uses in the description for the tour. But those are different in meaningful ways from “obsession.” They don’t have the same connotation. They don’t suggest “compulsion” the way obsession does.

Once I heard Walt’s relationship to trains expressed that way, it reshaped the way I thought about every Disney park. Every attraction with a train element—the Disneyland Railroad, the monorail, Big Thunder Mountain, Casey Jr. Circus Train, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway—whether Walt built them or not, they suddenly became a tangible extension of him. If all of Disneyland is special to Walt, his trains were something extra special within it. I knew that before. This was when I truly understood why.

Nerdist

I was thinking about what Giorgio said and what Walt’s obsession meant as we headed off for the second part of the tour. In ToonTown, we would finally ride the Disneyland Railroad inside the Lilly Belle.

Disneyland’s Lilly Belle is named for Walt’s wife, Lillian. She helped design and decorate the special parlor car in 1974, almost a decade after her husband’s death. It’s reserved for tours and VIP guests at the park. (The Lilly Belle was also the name of the miniature ridable model train Walt had at his own home. It was hugely influence in the creation of the Disneyland Railroad.)

The Lilly Belle contains personal items and decor taken from and inspired by the Disney family. It also looks a lot like it did when it first made its way around the park’s perimeter, the berm. That’s also why the Lilly Belle doesn’t have air conditioning. Excessive heat isn’t always a problem when you ride inside the enclosed parlor car. It was an issue on the record-setting hot March day we were there. To help us deal with the heat, everyone got personal electric fans.

Nerdist

(We actually missed the Lilly Belle’s train by a minute when we got to ToonTown. We had to wait for it to go around the whole park before getting in. Giorgio made up the delay to everyone by giving us two special Lightning Lane passes instead of just the guaranteed one that comes with the tour. That second Lightning Lane easily made up for the extra 45 minutes the tour ran. My wife and I used it to skip a two-hour wait for DCA’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! later in the day. Like I said, well worth it.)

The Lilly Belle is a very cool attraction, especially if you care about trains, the history of the park, or Walt himself. It’s also a very unusual one at Disneyland, and not just because you can only ride it under special circumstances or via a pricey luxury tour ticket. It’s not a recreation of a train car Walt built or road. (Though it does resemble his Main Street apartment in many ways.) He never road in it himself, either. It’s just something fun and different that was made for VIPs. And yet, like everything else in the park, it felt very much like an extension of Walt. It was inspired by him and made to honor him. It was a tribute to his obsession. And that can be felt at every attraction in Disneyland and the many parks it spawned, because they only exist because of that obsession.

Nerdist

(That might sound like hyperbole, that without Walt’s love of trains Disneyland might not exist. That is until you learn about Ward Kimball, his own train obsession, and his long and vital partnership with Walt. Disneyland without Ward Kimball is impossible to even imagine.)

As our tour ended I was grateful to have done it. It’s expensive, yes, but it’s perfect for history lovers and those looking to experience the park in a different way. I also think it makes for an amazing gift.

And now is when I’m supposed to tell you that as we drove around the park—past scenes of dinosaurs and into Main Street U.S.A. (where we briefly met the train conductor), through Frontierland’s quiet beauty, and back to ToonTown—that it finally happened. This where I’m supposed to tell you that like so many others I felt Walt’s presence at Disneyland.

Only I didn’t. At least not in the way I feel my sister’s at the Magic Kingdom or my Uncle Peter’s when I’m in Boston’s North End. Instead I felt something else entirely: a new appreciation for something I already loved. Because while Walt Disney will always feel like a historical figure to me, as I rode in the Lilly Belle, Walt’s parks and what they mean to me felt more real than ever.

Nerdist

That tour helped me understand how Walt Disney turned his own obsession into something he could share with others. I understood how his obsession gave me something I love so much I feel compelled to share it with the people I love.

So no, I didn’t find Walt on the Disneyland Railroad. I found something even better. Fittingly, his train made me feel more connected to him.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He wants to do more tours at Disney Parks. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post Looking for Walt Disney’s Presence Along Disneyland’s Railroad appeared first on Nerdist.

Artist Barry Windsor-Smith is one of the most legendary names in comics. This is mainly thanks to his detailed line work and striking images on series such as Conan the Barbarian, and the iconic Wolverine story Weapon X. Now, publisher Fantagraphics has teamed up with Marvel to bring some of Barry Windsor-Smith’s earliest work in deluxe hardcover format. Coming this spring is The Marvel Creator Collection: Barry Windsor-Smith at Marvel. This three-volume series collects the artist’s earliest published work, going back to 1969. You can see the first images from the collection, collecting pages originally from Avengers #66, in our gallery down below. These pages show some of the earliest appearances of the Vision, who would go on to become one of Marvel’s most stalwart Avengers.

The Marvel Creator Collection No. 1: “Back to the Savage Land” Barry Windsor-Smith at Marvel Vol. 1 Click To View Gallery Fantagraphics/Marvel Comics Fantagraphics/Marvel Comics Marvel Comics/Fantagraphics Fantagraphics/Marvel Comics Marvel Comics/Fantagraphics Fantagraphics/Marvel Comics Marvel Comics/Fantagraphics Fantagraphics/Marvel Comics Marvel Comics/Fantagraphics

Due out at the end of April, The Marvel Creator Collection No. 1: “Back to the Savage Land” will feature early pre-Conan work on titles such as X-Men, The Avengers, Doctor Strange, and Iron Man. This will also include his amazing run on “Ka-Zar” of the Savage Land in Astonishing Tales. These stories helped close out Marvel’s Silver Age era, and usher in the Bronze Age. In addition to the previously mentioned series, this collection will collect individual stories from horror titles Chamber of Darkness and Tower of Shadows. Future volumes will collect Barry Windsor-Smith’s work from later groundbreaking Marvel series like Machine Man.

Fantagraphics/Marvel Comics

In a statement, here’s what Fantagraphics’ founder Gary Groth had to say about this upcoming celebration of Windsor-Smith’s decades of Marvel work:

I have literally been following Barry Windsor-Smith’s career since 1969 when he debuted at Marvel Comics and immediately became my 2nd favorite artist (after Jack Kirby). So, it is a distinct pleasure to have the privilege of finally presenting all the work he did for Marvel (with the exception of Conan) in a gorgeously produced 3-volume hardcover series

The Marvel Creator Collection No. 1: “Back to the Savage Land” is due out on April 29, 2026, from Fantagraphics. You can pre-order it now from the official Fantagraphics online store for $49.99.

The post Barry Windsor-Smith’s Marvel Comics Getting Deluxe Collection (Exclusive) appeared first on Nerdist.

Say what you will about House of the Dragon as an adaptation. (As both George R.R. Martin and myself have.) But d*mn if the show doesn’t know how to cut one seven bloody hells of a trailer. The latest look at the show’s upcoming third season is an intense, violent, sad affair that teases an explosive new entry. It makes good on House Targaryen’s promise. There will be plenty of fire and there will be plenty of blood. And the ones set to suffer the most are the family members bringing both to Westeros.

“There will be no doubt who the gods have chosen to rule.”

That’s the tagline for this newest promo for season three of HBO’s first Game of Thrones‘ prequel series. We’re not so sure this is a matter forthe gods, though. This is about dragons, both human and fire made flesh.

In this trailer we see Rhaenyra and her supporters having the advantage. However, as Queen Alicent tells her former friend-turned enemy-turned accomplice, ruling comes at a great cost. And that’s without factoring in that the Targaryen civil war is clearly far from over. There are still plenty of battles to be fought and plenty of losses to be endured.

HBO

While we won’t give away any spoilers, book readers will definitely spot some big moments (and/or their fallout) destined to occur this season. (That one very emotional reaction….we know. We know.) Even those unfamiliar with George R.R. Martin’s history knew multiple big battles loom at the start of the season. The show’s sophomore outing set up some huge conflicts without delivering them.

Was that a mistake? Some would say yes. (It’s me, I’m some.) But the tradeoff is that season three could be the show’s best yet. We’ll find out when House of the Dragon returns to the skies of Westeros this summer. The third season debuts on June 21, 2026.

The post HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Season 3 Trailer Is Violent and Emotional appeared first on Nerdist.

Enola Holmes 3 on the way to our Netflix screens. A while ago, Netflix announced that not only was Enola Holmes 3 on the way, but that the third movie in the franchise had already begun to film in the UK. In addition, the streamer revealed the cast and synopsis of Enola Holmes 3. Now, we know that Enola Holmes 3 will hit Netflix on July 1. That’s refreshingly close and fans are ready after a four year wait for her return.

Netflix

Here’s everything we know so far about the upcoming movie starring Millie Bobby Brown.

Enola Holmes 3 has gathered an excellent cast. As mentioned, Millie Bobby Brown will be back as the main character and Sherlock Holmes sibling, Enola Holmes. Joining her are Louis Partridge, Himesh Patel, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, and Helena Bonham Carter. Excitingly, Henry Cavill will also be back in Enola Holmes 3, returning to the cast as Sherlock Holmes himself. We’ll definitely be excited to see more of Cavill and Brown as the duo of detective siblings.

Netflix

As to what mystery lies in store for us in Enola Holmes 3, Netflix isn’t saying much yet. The official synopsis for Enola Holmes 3 reads as follows: “Adventure chases detective Enola Holmes to Malta, where personal and professional dreams collide on a case more tangled and treacherous than any she has faced before.“

We love a new setting and a tangled and treacherous case. We just hope Enola’s professional aspirations don’t end up ruining her personal desires. Philip Barantini will direct the Enola Holmes 3 movie with a screenplay by Jack Thorne. The Enola Holmes franchise is based on The Enola Holmes Mysteries book series by Nancy Springer. So, anyone wanting to get a jumpstart on enjoying the next film should pick up a copy.

Netflix

Of course, Enola Holmes and Enola Holmes 2 are available to stream on Netflix right now. We cannot wait to see Enola Holmes 3 on Netflix this July.

Originally published January 7, 2026.

The post ENOLA HOLMES 3 Reveals July Release Date appeared first on Nerdist.

The Boys may be coming to an end with its fifth and final season, but this diabolical universe still has lots of bizarre stories to tell. Vought Rising will take us back to the 1950s to explore the early days of Vought with a murder mystery and lots of Soldier Boy shenanigans. We will learn more about supes and people we’ve already met as well as meet new characters who certainly ain’t heroes. Who will star in Vought Rising and what can we expect from the series? 

Here’s everything we know about Vought Rising.

Title

The official title of the series is Vought Rising. 

Vought Rising’s Plot 

We don’t have a ton of plot details at this point, but here’s the general synopsis for Vought Rising is that it’s a “twisted murder mystery about the origins of Vought in the 1950s, the early exploits of Soldier Boy, and the diabolical maneuvers of a Supe known to fans as Stormfront, who was then going by the name Clara Vought.” 

There is a hint into Vought Rising’s twisted journey, thanks to an IG post revealing that the first episode is titled “Red Scare.” The episode is written by EP/showrunner Paul Grellong and directed by Sam Miller. 

This title is likely a reference to the real-life Red Scare that took place in the 1940s and 1950s. It was a period of time where people were really afraid of anyone whom they perceived to be a part of communist and socialist movements in the USA. The fears/suspicions from this moral panic could quickly escalate to persecution and violence. People found their freedom of speech and right to assemble being thwarted by the powers that be in charge. Sadly, this sounds all too familiar, even in 2026.

RELATED ARTICLE

Fort Harmony in THE BOYS, Explained: Its Ties to V-One and Vought

We have gotten some tidbits about what we might see in Vought Rising, thanks to The Boys season five. The show took Soldier Boy to Fort Harmony, where Frederick Vought did early experiments on soldiers and injected them with V-One. As we know, that’s what’s running in Soldier Boy’s veins and what Homelander wants in his. We ran into Quinn, who was mutated by V-One and causing a haze of hate in the dilapidated former military base. It’s clear that Quinn and Soldier Boy had a connection and a terse relationship, so we should get more of that and Fort Harmony in Vought Rising.

And, we will get more about the deep ties between Soldier Boy and Stormfront, whom he knew better at Clara Vought. Bombsight will eventually show up in The Boys, and we will likely learn more about him and how he relates to Soldier Boy in Vought Rising as well.

RELATED ARTICLE

VOUGHT RISING Will Show a Softer Side of Soldier BoyBehind-the-Scenes 

Paul Grellong will be the showrunner and executive producer for Vought Rising. The Boys’ showrunner Eric Kripke, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Neal H. Moritz, Ori Marmur, Pavun Shetty, Ken Levin, Jason Netter, Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, Michaela Starr, and Jim Barnes are all executive producers on the series. We know that Sam Miller will direct at least the first episode of the series. The show wrapped production in March 2026, and is now going through the post-production process.

Vought Rising’s Cast Prime Video

Of course, Jensen Ackles and Aya Cash will return as Soldier Boy and Stormfront/Clara Vought, respectively. It really works in their favor that many supes do not age. Mason Dye will portray Bombsight, a supe who will make his debut in The Boys season five. Will Hochman and Elizabeth Posey will portray Torpedo and Private Angel. KiKi Layne, Jorden Myrie, Nicolò Pasetti, Ricky Staffieri, and Brian J. Smith will all star in this show as well in undisclosed roles. Raphael Sbarge, Romi Shraiter, Aaron Douglas and David Hewlett are all in Vought Rising in recurring roles that are currently under wraps.

Vought Rising’s Release Date 

There is currently no release date for Vought Rising but it is coming sometime in 2027.

Originally published October 21, 2025.

The post VOUGHT RISING Will Arrive in 2027 appeared first on Nerdist.

On May 27, the web will start to unravel as Nicolas Cage takes on the role of Ben Reilly in Spider-Noir. This Prime Video live-action series is coming at the perfect time, giving us a different type of Spider hero before Peter Parker swings into theaters for what will surely be a summer blockbuster. In the latest trailer for Spider-Noir, the mystery and chaos of this universe start to ramp up with a spiraling mystery.

Reilly is a private investigator in a chaotic New York City who used to be the Spider, the only hero on the streets. A woman comes to his agency asking for help to find her friend, but the details are scarce. She says the world is a dangerous place but Ben is braver than he seems to be.

Prime Video

And well, we see Sandman punch him clean off a building. Yikes. But of course he’s able to web-sling himself out of that situation, and Spider-Man is back once again to defend 1930s NYC. Entertaining, intriguing, and action-packed, the trailer for Spider-Noir sets the tone for this series perfectly.

The post SPIDER-NOIR Trailer: A Spiraling NYC and a Hero Reborn appeared first on Nerdist.

If you’re a watch person and you’re a Star Wars lover, Citizen Watch has a rare gift for you. In celebration of “May the Fourth” (Star Wars Day), Citizen will create its first-ever Disney collab in its premium ATTESA line. That means that you’ll get all the incredibly nerdery of a Star Wars watch mixed with all the high-end luxury of an ATTESA watch. But you’ll really have to use the Force if you want to get your wrist into this watch—the limited edition ATTESA Beskar watch will only release 100 pieces worldwide. That makes it not only a first-of-its-kind watch, but a SUPER rare creation. Don’t worry, though, Citizen has you covered if you want a more widely available timepiece that celebrates The Mandalorian. Let’s see what Citizen Watch has in store for you this Star Wars Day.Citizen Watch

Beskar, also known as Mandalorian iron or Mandalorian steel, is an incredibly rare metal in the Star Wars universe. It can be found only on Mandalorian worlds. So it makes sense that Citizen Watch would be inspired by Beskar to create its first-ever nerdy ATTESA watch. I mean, Beskar can repel even lightsaber strikes. That’s serious business.

Click To View Gallery Citizen Watch Citizen Watch Citizen Watch Citizen Watch

Citizen shares of its new watch, “Where the strength of the Mandalorian meets Citizen’s ATTESA premium line, this high-performance chronograph is forged from lightweight, scratch-resistant Super Titanium™ – a nod to Beskar, the legendary metal used to craft Mandalorian armor. Advanced features include Atomic Timekeeping, world time across 26 time zones, a perpetual calendar, and a power reserve display. Subtle design details like the mythosaur emblem on the crown and the Mandalorian helmet etched on the case back underscore its collectible appeal. Finished with Mandalorian-themed packaging, the release is limited to just 100 pieces worldwide.”

Nerdist Nerdist Nerdist Nerdist

We love the nods to Beskar’s wavy patterns in ingot form on the watch, as well. And the tiny Mythosaur emblem is just perfect. That’s the kind of attention to detail we expect from Citizen Watch. Having seen a preview of the watch, we can also exclusively share the nice heft of this creation, and the truly sleek design. Not to mention, all the Star Wars nuances are both really ornate and really subtle in the best ways. Our favorite part of any Citizen Watch is the incredible etchings on the back, and this watch is no different.

RELATED ARTICLE

Bring Beskar Into Your Kitchen with This MANDALORIAN Collection from Hedley & Bennett

Of course, this watch will set you back as much as a Beskar helmet, it costs $1,500. And as we mentioned, with only 100 pieces created, it’s pretty dang rare.

But, of course, Citizen Watch wants all Star Wars fans to celebrate in style ahead of The Mandalorian & Grogu, which debuts on May 22.  Not just 100. Even you can’t snag the limited-addition ATTESA Beskar watch, fear not. Citizen has made available a new timepiece inspired by The Mandalorian that all can own.

Click To View Gallery Citizen Watch Citizen Watch Citizen Watch Citizen Watch Citizen Watch

Here’s what Citizen Watch has to share about this one, “Inspired by The Mandalorian, this chronograph features a black dial, gold-tone bezel, and dark brown leather strap. Sub-dials highlight key elements from the series, including the Mudhorn, Mandalorian helmet, and Grogu, bringing subtle storytelling to an everyday wearable design.” This Star Wars watch will cost $450. And really, who can resist a glow-in-the-dark element?

RELATED ARTICLE

Citizen’s Dark Side STAR WARS Watches Keep You Marching on Time

If you’re looking to snag either one of these watches, the Star Wars ATTESA Limited-Edition will be available beginning 4/27, and The Mandalorian will be available on 5/18, ahead of the film release, both available on Citizenwatch.com. 

The post Snag This SUPER Limited STAR WARS Citizen Watch Release appeared first on Nerdist.

Although Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has wrapped production on the entire series and sets are being torn down, the second-to-last season has yet to actually premiere. Now, announced at CCXP Mexico, we finally have a release date for the fourth season. Season four will officially premiere on Paramount+ on July 23. Like the three previous seasons, season four will run for ten episodes. The fifth and final season will consist of only six episodes. We also now have our first trailer, which showcases our very first awkward Kirk and Spock “hugging it out” moment. You can watch the first Strange New Worlds season four teaser down below:

The trailer shows plenty of space action, and some gorgeous shots of the Enterprise on her mission of discovery. There’s a moment where La’An (Christina Chong) says, “Any mission could be our last,” which is ominous, considering her character is decidedly not on Kirk’s Enterprise. Speaking of Kirk, we get to hear Paul Wesley say “Let’s boldly go,” a callback of course, to William Shatner’s iconic opening speech in the original series’ credits. (Hey Kirk, we like you and all, but this is still Pike’s ship. Wait for your turn). There’s also some horseback riding and…a dinosaur planet? Sure, why not.

Paramount+

Although no Star Trek series is currently in production, there is still quite a bit of Trek yet to air on Paramount+. The streamer already canceled Starfleet Academy, but season two will still air in 2027. And season five of SNW will presumably also drop its last batch of episodes that same year. SNW producers pitched a Star Trek: Year One series, focusing on Captain Kirk’s first year of the five-year mission. But with the Enterprise sets from SNW reportedly dismantled, it seems like that series likely won’t happen now. However, with Sulu and Dr. McCoy appearing in the SNW series finale, we’ll at least have TOS all queued up.

The third season of SNW was a bit all over the place. It felt like nearly half the episodes leaned on cringe comedy. Too many focused on gimmicks, and soap opera antics. It was definitely a step down from the rather excellent first two seasons, which felt like old-school Star Trek in the best ways. Here’s hoping that season four rights the ship, so to speak. We’d hate for Pike’s Enterprise captain tenure to end on a down note. We’ll find out this coming summer if season four gives us those retro Trek vibes we all love so much.

The post STRANGE NEW WORLDS Season 4 Teaser Reveals July Release appeared first on Nerdist.

Disney animated movies hold a special place in many of our hearts. They inspire hope, magic, and help us believe that our dreams are possible. But these movies would be nothing without the artists who had a hand in creating them. One such artist is renowned Disney animator Andreas Deja. You may not know his name, but you most certainly know his characters. Deja is responsible for breathing life into some of Disney’s most iconic classic villains. He has animated characters such as Scar, Gaston, Jafar, King Triton, Mama Odie, and Lilo from Lilo and Stitch. Having moved away from his days at Disney, Deja now celebrates his first independent short film, Mushka. Nerdist had the pleasure of speaking with Deja about the film, his career journey, and the beauty of 2D animation. Walt Disney Animation

Deja animated for Disney for more than 30 years. He immigrated from Germany in 1980 after finishing school. He moved to California to join the Walt Disney Studios training program and follow his dreams of becoming a Disney animator. The animator stayed with the company until 2011 to pursue independent projects instead. Deja is looked up to for his work, having brought to life several iconic characters over the years. He is a Winsor McCay Award recipient, having been recognized for his accomplishments in animation in 2007.

Nerdist: You’ve had a hand in creating countless iconic characters and villains for Disney. Do you have any favorite characters or sequences that you’ve done? 

Andreas Deja: I don’t, and I think most animators will give you that answer. They were all special, and they were all important for different reasons. There are highlights. I loved to work on Scar because I worked with Jeremy Irons, who gave this amazing voice performance. Another example would be Lilo from Lilo and Stitch. I really wanted to do Lilo and not Stitch because I hadn’t done a character like Lilo. So I adored working on that character as well.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit was a very important film for me. Aside the fact that it was a mix of live action and animation, the animation needed to be very soft and within the style of the early Hollywood and Disney animation. We call it very squash and stretch, meaning non-realistic. When you do loose animation like that for a whole year, it changes you as an animator because you get all the stiffness out of your animation that way. It really loosened me up and helped me to produce better, more fluid animation.

Walt Disney Animation

What is it that got you into animation in the first place? Is it something you always knew you wanted to do, or is there something that sparked interest that for you? 

Well, I always liked drawing. I can remember as far back as kindergarten that I drew comic characters, from Disney comics mostly. I saw my first Disney animated film when I was about 10 or 11—the original Jungle Book—and that was a life changer.

The whole idea of me leaving my family and friends to go to America and draw cartoons for Walt Disney, that was just not going to happen. Everybody tells you so. But l sent a letter to Disney Studios at the age of 12 or 13, and asked, “What can I do now in Germany to sometime work for you in the future?” They wrote back, and I still have that letter. They told me to draw how I see the world. Draw real things and draw them often. I took that advice really seriously and did that for years to come.

“Draw real things and draw them often.“

Andreas Deja, Disney animator

So many of the characters that you’ve worked on have meant a great deal to people across generations. What does that mean to you as an artist to have had that lasting impact on so many people?

It happened lately that I could reflect on my career and think, “did all this really happen?” When everybody else around you keeps saying that something like that is just not going to happen, you sort of believe it. But you also think, “Well, what if it can?” When people still come up to me and say that my characters were a part of their childhood, that almost brings tears to my eyes. I didn’t expect that the movies my generation did would have this long life. We were just concerned with doing a job as good as we possibly could. It’s an amazing feeling to find out that work still matters to people.

Andreas Deja

After gushing about classic Disney and career highlights for about ten minutes, the conversation naturally shifted to Andreas Deja’s short film, Mushka. Mushka tells the heartwarming story of a young girl who befriends an orphaned Siberian Tiger in Russia. The short film is completely hand-drawn and is about half an hour long. Deja worked on the project for roughly eight years.

I’m glad you brought up Mushka. You mentioned that it took you years to create because you drew it completely by hand. Even with a lot of animation nowadays having shifted to CG animation, why is taking something frame by frame like that a process that continues to be important to you? 

It’s what I was used to. It was also the kind of filmmaking that got me to Disney. I fell head over heels with the work of Walt Disney and his animators. It was everything to me. It was my childhood and beyond. I cannot leave that alone yet. I don’t think I ever will. 

When Disney said, “We aren’t going to do the hand drawn films anymore, we are going to shift to CG,” I thought, “Well, I’m not ready to do that.” I have things to express with drawings and stories to tell, so maybe I’ll put on a different hat. Maybe I’ll do my own project and I’ll be a director, producer, animator, and all of those hats. It just turned into this big adventure, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’m really proud of it and I’m glad it’s out now for everybody to watch. 

Mushka was your directorial debut as well, correct?

It was, and I was perfectly happy being an animator. You might’ve heard this, that people call animators actors with a pencil. We really are the actors of those specific characters. And as an actor, you’re being given an outline or storyboard, so we know what’s happening with our character. Being on my own after having done this for 30 years, I had to create my own project because nobody was giving me those scenes of work. I’ll be honest with you, it was scary at first.

Andreas Deja

Was there anything specific that sparked the inspiration for why you wanted Mushka to be a tiger? Why that storyline?

I love drawing animals, and that was a big factor why I chose an animal/human story. I have some experience studying big cats from The Lion King, but I thought a tiger would be cool with stripes. I thought, okay, why don’t I pair a tiger with a little innocent girl? There could be some dynamics that I could really build a story around.

One thing I liked is how you drew Mushka with the little tuft of hair that makes an “M.” I thought that was a very cute detail.

I hope that didn’t escape most people; It was sort of a hint. That’s basically how she gets the idea to call him Mushka, which translates back to sweetheart. I wanted to show that with the “M” on his forehead.

Are there other certain stylistic choices that you try to incorporate, especially when it comes to Disney villains, in order to evoke a certain reaction with the audience? 

When I come onto a movie like Beauty and the Beast or Aladdin, I’m not the first artist to work on that character. Writers and concept artists have already done some rough graphic concepts, so by the time I get onto the movie and get started, I already have something to read or something to look at. I can kind of pick and choose and say, “Well, I like this. I don’t like that.”

Sometimes even a voice has been chosen. The voice gives you so much. My job is to create animation and patterns of acting that work so that the audience really believes that voice is coming out of the mouth you just drew. It has to work. Many people don’t know this. They think the voice actors come in afterwards, but it’s actually the other way around.

Andreas Deja

When you’re listening to those voice tracks and animating a character, how much does the character evolve throughout that process? 

It’s actually everything. In some cases, it went as far as the character looking like the actor. In the case of Scar, there would’ve been so many different ways to configure his face and his look. But I saw something in Jeremy Irons when I watched some of the movies he had done prior to The Lion King. There was just something in his face that was fascinating. I’m going to try and keep the dark circles under his eyes and certain mouth configurations that are unique to him. In the end, it almost became a caricature of Jeremy Irons.

We did some final voice work with him, and I had already animated the sequence where Scar is setting up Simba before the stampede on the Rock. I showed it to Jeremy Irons, and he looked at the monitor and says, “Oh my gosh, he looks like me!” and he was toucking his face. I said, “I hope that’s okay, because that was intentional.”

“Have a bit of your own soul in it.”

Andreas Deja, Disney animator

Nerdist: If you could share a message to the next generation of animators who look up to you, what would that be? 

Don’t be shy. “Follow your dream” is such a cliche, but it’s a real thing. If you have ambitions, if you have a passion for something, reach for the stars and reach out. Don’t wait by the phone or by your computer to be invited. Reach out to professionals that can give you advice and get informed. Educate yourself about what the industry is doing, and then work hard on your craft. If people tell you that you’re so talented, that might be true, but that’s not enough. You have to polish your craft and learn how to personally express yourself. That’s really important. Have a bit of your own soul in it. That’s a really important step.

Walt Disney Animation

Now that Mushka is finished and out to the public, what’s next for the renowned animator? He teases that there might be a few upcoming projects in the pipeline, including another animated short film. He wants to continue with hand drawn animation. In addition, Deja is working on a feature documentary film about Wolfgang Reitherman and a book about animator Milt Kahl. He plans to begin working on his second short film this fall.

You can watch Andreas Deja’s first animated short film, Mushka, on Prime Video.

The post Disney Animator Andreas Deja on MUSHKA and the Beauty of 2D Animation appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s the season of The Mummy. First up, we have Lee Cronin’s The Mummy coming our way this year. But now, it seems The Mummy 4 is a go. After a lot of conversation around the idea, a fourth The Mummy movie with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz returning to the action is officially happening. The original The Mummy movie with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz is widely regarded as a classic (and many people’s queer awakening), but its sequels are a bit less beloved. Indeed, Weisz did not even perform in The Mummy 3, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

Hopefully, The Mummy 4 will bring back the spirit that drew so many to the franchise to begin with. After all, Brendan Fraser has gone on the record saying that the idea for The Mummy 4 is “the one I wanted to make,” but never got to. Well, it looks like it’s all happening now. And here’s hoping it’s good.

Universal Pictures

As for when we could see The Mummy 4 with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, Deadline revealed it would arrive on Friday, October 15, 2027, and not May 19, 2028, as was first reported. Additionally, The Mummy 4 will be directed by Radio Silence’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and written by David Coggeshall. By the end of March, 2026, THR reported that costar John Hannah, who played Jonathan, the brother of Weisz’s Evelyn, will also return.

Universal

Well, we’re not out. We’re in. It sounds like a good team in front of and behind the camera. And we’re always here for an exciting action-adventure romp, with some romance, and maybe a little horror. And nothing like a really good movie to wash away the taste of a few bad ones. We’d just like to ask The Mummy 4 to keep the flesh-diving sacarbs off our screens; they give us the heebie-jeebies.

We can’t wait to hear more about The Mummy 4 soon and see Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz back in action.

Originally published February 10, 2026.

The post THE MUMMY 4 Sets 2027 Release DAte appeared first on Nerdist.