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All ten of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85‘s episodes have landed on Netflix. This newest animated entry into the world of Stranger Things takes us back to the time between seasons two and three of the main series. But this time, a brand new adventure unfolds. Most of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is devoted to short vignette-like stories. And the show has much less lore than Stranger Things proper. But during the series’ final episode, things do heat up—taking us back to a very familiar place. So join us for our breakdown of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85‘s ending as we explain what exactly ended up going down and what it means for Stranger Things‘ overall lore.Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 Ending, ExplainedThe Queen Vine Monster Wants to Go Home to the Upside Down

Throughout the entire first season of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, Eleven, Mike, Dustin, and the rest of the Party have been fighting different forms of Upside Down plant monsters that seem to have evolved to survive in our world. Eventually, though, Dustin figures out that all these monsters are connected to an Upside Down vine creature called The Queen.

Netflix

In Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, we learn that Dan Fischer, the seemingly nice-guy dating new character Nikki’s mother, was actually responsible for the creation of these creatures. He experimented on stolen Upside Down creature specimens and accidentally allowed them to escape back into our world. Of course, he thinks he still has control of the Queen, but at the end of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, we learn that’s not so. The Queen has secretly been growing, and after stealing some of the green growth goop she seems to crave, she escapes Dan’s clutches, hell-bent on getting home.

The Queen Opens a New Upside Down Gate

And home, naturally, or unnaturally, is the Upside Down. During the ending of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, the vine-monster Queen begins to open a new gate to the Upside Down. We know Upside Down creatures DO have that power. Anna Baxter explains to us, “Many creatures, I guess even from other dimensions, return to the place of their birth once they’ve matured and believe they can flourish.” And, as El, observes, if she can open one gate, she can open many gates.

Netflix

As the Queen persists in tearing a gate between our world and the Upside Down, the Party springs into action.

Nikki, El, and The Party Manage to Stop the Queen and Close the Gate with Science!Netflix

It’s a hard battle for The Party, especially as the Queen devours even more of the green goop that Dan created. But thanks to El’s powers, the Party’s ability to work together, they are able to defeat the Queen and close the gate. Nikki’s mother, Anna, is a scientist, and Nikki is a tinkering genius. Firstly, Nikki makes weapons for all of her new friends. And secondly, she realizes that even though plants need light, too much light can be very harmful to them. Honing the powers of a car battery, Nikki makes a light gun that damages the vine-monster Queen enough for El to destroy her and close the gate.

Nikki Is Still in HawkinsNetflix

After the battle, we learn that at the end of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, Nikki Baxter is still in Hawkins. She and her mom move into a new home, and Nikki joins the group for a game of Dungeons & Dragons. We’ll talk more about this ending twist below.

A New Creature is Born in the Upside Down in the Ending Scene of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85Netflix

Indeed, El successfully closes the gate to the Upside Down in Stranger Things: Tales From ’85‘s final episode. But during its very last scene, we see something ominous. In the TRUE ending of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, we see that the Queen has dragged herself “home” to the Upside Down version of Nikki’s old house. Though the Queen appears to be a corpse, a deadly-looking, blue Upside Down flower sprouts from her, bearing its teeth. It also appears to light up with preternatural light not otherwise found in the Upside Down. That can’t be good news.

What Does Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 Ending Mean for Stranger Things?

Ultimately, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85‘s ending means that a gate to the Upside Down was opened between Stranger Things 2 and Stranger Things 3. Something we did not know previously. Whether this new gate opening has any impact on the way the Mind Flayer is able to Flay Billy and the rest in Stranger Things 3, we don’t yet know.

Netflix

Additionally, we know now a new kind of species has taken root in the Upside Down. For now, we don’t know what kind of deadly power this new flower holds, or what impact it will have on the world of Stranger Things. But we bet we will find out.

What Happens to Nikki at the End of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85?

Another point of interest, as mentioned, is that after the ending of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, Nikki remains in Hawkins. Of course, we know Nikki is not part of the friend group in Stranger Things 3. And we kind of expected her to move away at the end of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85. But here she is, still around.

Creator Eric Robles previously noted, “One thing that’s probably hard for a lot of people to understand is that in the ’80s, it wasn’t like it is now – you would have a friend that you would meet for summertime, if you went to camp, and they’d be amazing friends, and you’d have amazing adventures for that one summer. It wasn’t like you stayed in touch via Instagram or anything. If you got a phone number, maybe you stay in touch. But for the most part, people came in and out of your life, and they were your best friend ever for the two weeks or three months that you were with them, and then they’re out of your life. It’s the same concept with Nikki, but we’ll see what happens to her at the end of this thing.”

Netflix

Well, although Nikki is supposedly someone who will come in and then go out of the lives of our Stranger Things‘ heroes, for now, she’s still around. And that tells us the story isn’t over yet.

Will There Be Another Season of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85?

Given the current ending of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, we have to assume there will be another season of the animated series. Otherwise, we’ll just have to imagine how Nikki left the group for ourselves, and that doesn’t seem very satisfying. Additionally, the song that plays during the ending scene of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is “We’ll Meet Again” by Vera Lynn. So yep. That feels like season two of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 to us. Surely, Netflix will give us some updates soon.

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 season one is streaming on Netflix.

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All winter, we had one big bad on our mind— and that was Vecna. During the final seasons of Stranger Things, Vecna personally haunted the narrative. And we learned that this tentacled evil was actually responsible for ALL the Upside Down issues that Hawkins ever faced. And so, it’s natural to wonder whether Vecna appears in the new Stranger Things spinoff, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85. The new animated series is set between seasons two and three of Stranger Things, a time before Vecna officially made his first appearance on the series. But given everything we now know, it would be totally possible for the show to slip him in somewhere. So does Vecna appear in Stranger Things: Tales From ’85? How about the Upside Down? We break it down below. Spoilers, ahoy.Does Vecna Appear in Stranger Things: Tales of From ’85?Netflix

No, Vecna does not appear in Stranger Things: Tales From ’85. The big bad of Stranger Things himself is currently still hiding somewhere in the depths of the Upside Down, waiting for his moment in the sun during Stranger Things 4. This isn’t too surprising, given that in Stranger Things 2, El was able to close the gate to the Upside Down in Hawkins Lab, leaving only enough stray Mind Flayer particles flying around in Stranger Things 3 to cause some trouble. However, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 does add a slight Upside Down wrinkle to this plan, which we’ll discuss below. But as of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 season one, there have been no Vecna sightings.

Does the Upside Down Appear in Stranger Things: Tales From ’85?

While Vecna doesn’t make his way into Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, the Upside Down does make one appearance during the last episode of the show’s first season. In Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, new Party member Nikki’s mother ended up dating the wrong man. Although Dan Fischer seemed like a jovial, harmless man who ran Dustin’s favorite Food Mart, he was actually an obsessive scientist who once worked in Hawkins Lab. After the lab shut down, Dan stole Upside Down specimens and experimented on them, accidentally setting them loose on Hawkins and allowing them to evolve.

Netflix

Dan’s original “Queen” Upside Down vine plant creation grew out of Dan’s control, and, as Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 explains it, “Many creatures, I guess even from other dimensions, return to the place of their birth once they’ve matured and believe they can flourish.” And it turns out, this creature, the Queen, can open a gate back to her place of birth, the Upside Down.

Netflix

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Using teamwork and some science, The Party is able to prevent the gate to the Upside Down from fully opening in Stranger Things: Tales From ’85. But the Queen is able to make her way into the Upside Down, collapsing in front of her “place of birth,” Nikki Baxter’s house in the dark dimension. Although the Queen has died, a new Upside Down flower grows from her corpse. Uh-oh, it looks like the Upside Down story in Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 isn’t over yet.

NetflixCould Vecna Appear in Future Seasons of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85?

Given this evocative ending in the Upside Down, we’re betting we’ll see another season of this animated Stranger Things spinoff series. And so, we’d also put some money on EVENTUALLY seeing Vecna appear in Stranger Things: Tales From ’85… even if only for a split second.

Netflix

We guess we’ll have to wait and see on that. For now, the Vecna-less Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 season one is streaming on Netflix.

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One of Stranger Things’ best-known pop-cultural references is to The NeverEnding Story. Who can forget Dustin and Suzie’s duet to save the world in Stranger Things 3? But there seems to be something even more deeply resonant to that choice. Because indeed, Stranger Things seems to be a never-ending story of its own. Only a few months after the main series concluded, we already have a new entry into Stranger Things‘ world: Stranger Things: Tales From ’85. And, hey, we’re not saying that’s a bad thing. In fact, we really enjoyed Stranger Things: Tales From ’85.

Although the series misses a bit when it comes to recapturing the deep lore and nuanced storytelling of the original series, it does return to us some of our favorite characters, relationships, and vibes—letting us step back into a world we’ve loved for a really long time, and now can stay steeped in, just a little longer. Join us as we dive into our full (and spoiler-free) review of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85.

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is an animated adventure that takes place between Stranger Things seasons two and three. Since there aren’t truly any gaps that need to be filled during that time, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 tells a sort of stand-alone story, although one that will likely need more than one season of its own to finish. We know that whatever happens during this show will not in any way impact or change the overall plot of the main Stranger Things series. And, for now, Tales From ‘85 doesn’t really touch any of Stranger Things’ core lore in a meaningful way, sticking largely to what it builds for itself. In a way, that’s probably for the best, because the last thing Stranger Things needs is MORE complex lore. But in a different way, it does limit how textured this story can get.

Netflix

While there is a larger overarching story thread to Stranger Things: Tales From ’85‘s first season, most of the episodes end up taking on a sort of Monster of the Week format, with offshoots of the main monster occupying different configurations of The Party. This allows this show to deal largely in short vignettes of story, having our characters focused on lower-stakes tasks. And that feeling pervades into the show at large. While danger exists in Tales From ’85, I would say these are some of the most light-hearted episodes of Stranger Things to ever grace our screens, including those in the earliest seasons—which, incidentally, were super dark.

Stranger Things‘ main series has a distinctive Amblin-esque feel, and it also draws heavily on horror and slasher films. The Amblin inspiration does evoke a certain younger, coming-of-age perspective. But being from the ’80s, Amblin movies are also, by nature, totally dark. Layer horror and slasher elements onto that, and we can all agree that Stranger Things has never really been “for kids.”

The darkness and tension always lurk and feel very real. The suspense is always taut. Fans never know what might happen to their favorite characters. Whether that’s because of its animated medium or because Stranger Things simply wanted to go in a different direction, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 absolutely feels like it’s truly for a younger demographic—designed with a more modern perspective on childhood in mind. Tales From ’85 is happier, more colorful, and less adult than the series has ever been.

Netflix

Again, this is not necessarily a flaw. Stranger Things is a show whose core premise is supposed to be about the adventures of a group of young friends. But somewhere along the way, the main show grew into much more than that, following many different characters and storylines and not always focusing on what was originally its heart. For the sake of the varied audiences who ended up enthralled by Stranger Things, this was a good move. But, in a sense, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85‘s distillation of the story gives the true subject matter of the series, younger kids and teens, an entry point into the franchise that suits them.

While I am not part of those demographics, I appreciate that it makes sense to have Stranger Things content tailored to that crowd. In a way, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 reminds me of my days playing pretend as a child. Although the monsters are real in this story, there’s that fantastical sheen of childhood whimsy to its episodes that doesn’t exist in the much bleaker main world of Stranger Things. Although, I will say that, coming directly off Stranger Things 5, this might be a harsh tonal shift for some older fans. But despite this truth, I still had a fun time on Tales From ’85‘s adventures.

Netflix

Because ultimately, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 DOES give us what some fans felt that Stranger Things 5 did not. And that’s time with The Party. The older kids and adults that we’ve grown to love (and sometimes even care more about than the kids) wander in and out of the story, but they are almost never the focus of it. While Steve and Nancy do occupy a greater role than anyone outside The Party, they aren’t in the narrative for long.

This animated Stranger Things spinoff is all about the gang. And for some, that energy has been sorely lacking. In this way, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 lets us focus on Mike and Eleven’s relationship, Will and Mike’s friendship, Lucas and Max’s early days, Lucas and Dustin’s friendly competitiveness, and other important aspects of The Party’s relationships in more depth than the main show had time to do. Especially as the team more often than not ended up separated, and the lore of the Upside Down took up more and more real estate in the Stranger Things story.

Will, especially, receives more time to shine as an individual with a personality in this spinoff series, letting him have a personality beyond just existing as Vecna’s agency in the world. (We have to say, Mileven, Byler, and LuMax shippers will all be pretty pleased with this series… Stancy fans might also enjoy the goings on, regardless of how Stranger Things 5 ended.)

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Even though I just noted that it was nice to see The Party’s story focus on one another, I will say there are two Steve-and-Dustin-focused episodes in Stranger Things: Tales From ’85. And they are WONDERFUL. Steve and Dustin, you will always be famous.

New character Nikki is also a fun addition to the group, even though we know she won’t be around forever. She definitely ends up as Will’s good pal, and that is an incredible, endearing dynamic to see. Again, it’s nice to see Will with relationships and feelings that belong to him, not to Vecna or Mike. Nikki additionally brings a loud, punk-rock presence to The Party and some much-needed muscle. (Although we know Lucas has good muscle, also.) She kind of reminds me of Eddie Munson, which immediately puts the character in my good graces. Her knack for tinkering is also fun, and allows The Party to arm up without adult help in a way that doesn’t feel too contrived.

Of course, I would be remiss not to mention the incredible beauty of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85. The series’ brilliant aesthetic and gorgeous artwork are alone worthy of enjoying. At times, one almost forgets that the show is animated and not just a surreal masterpiece. This series perfectly captures the essence of every single character it brings from live-action to animation. In this way, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 really makes the case that we can have as much new Stranger Things content as we want, from any era. The new voice actors also do a great job of evoking their characters’ original sounds, helping to make this new version of Stranger Things immersive and even.

Netflix

Some might ask, is Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 really necessary? Does it add anything missing to the world of Stranger Things? In a way, it does! And in a way, it doesn’t. But ultimately, that question isn’t really that important. More than anything else, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 gives us an excuse to revisit a world we love in a light-hearted, entertaining way that looks good. So, instead of asking “Why?” We ask, “Why not?”

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is now streaming on Netflix.

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 ⭐ (3.5 of 5)

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Every decade deserves its cute ‘lil alien movie mascot. We’ve had E.T., Groot, Grogu. Now, we have a new adorable alien we all wanted to take home with us, Rocky from Project Hail Mary. This little granite-like alien who walks around like a crab helped Ryan Gosling save the world. He won all of our hearts in the process. Now, he may actually get a Best Supporting Actor nomination as well. Well, James Ortiz, the puppeteer who brought Rocky to life, would get the nomination. According to a report from Variety, Amazon MGM Studios will officially submit James Ortiz for an Academy Award nomination for next year’s Oscars.Amazon MGM Studios

According to the report, Ortiz’s work in Project Hail Mary is properly eligible for Academy Award consideration in acting categories. At least based on the Academy’s current rules, which have been known to change. In addition, his work is eligible for the Actor Awards, where puppeteers fall under SAG-AFTRA jurisdiction. What he won’t be able to get a nomination for is the Golden Globes. According to their existing rules, puppeteering and voice work are not eligible. Oh well, who needs a Golden Globe nomination if you can get an Academy Award?

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We fully endorse James Ortiz receiving a nomination for Project Hail Mary. Dare we say, even more than Ryan Gosling. No shade toward Gosling, who delivers a wonderful and believable performance as Ryland Grace. But we think most moviegoers walk out of the film thinking the film’s M.V.P. is the alien from Erid in the 40 Eridani star system. The Academy never nominated Andy Serkis for playing Gollum, nor was Frank Oz nominated for playing Yoda, which seems like a crime against cinema. Maybe James Ortiz will finally wake the Academy up and make them realize that puppeteering, motion capture, and voice work truly do count as acting. It’s long overdue.

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The Mandalorian & Grogu is now just about a month away, and the hype is starting for real. Director and Mando creator Jon Favreau was on Jimmy Kimmel Live! recently to promote the upcoming Star Wars adventure, and shared the very first clip. It shows Din Djarin in a high-speed chase, with a prisoner in tow. And with him is Zeb from Star Wars Rebels, who looks to have a substantial role in the film. Little Grogu is on the Razor Crest, (goodbye, N1-Starfighter), and he’s trying to help his bounty huntin’ daddy. But let’s just say, he’s having a hard time following directions. You can watch the first The Mandalorian & Grogu clip below:

First clip from ‘THE MANDALORIAN & GROGU’.

In theaters on May 22. pic.twitter.com/3LnRP4PTIc

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 22, 2026

In the scene, Mando is driving away in a speeder. And it kind of looks like a blue version of Luke’s Tatooine landspeeder from A New Hope. They are being shot at by some bad guys, with Zeb in the backseat, shooting blaster fire right back. Mando tries to get Grogu to help from the Razor Crest. But it seems his training on what the control panels mean has fallen on deaf ears. I mean, he’s just a baby, what did he expect? This scene is very reminiscent of the scene with Baby Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. I guess cute alien babies trying to figure out instructions in life-or-death situations is never going to not be funny.

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We’re not sure what planet they’re on, but the terrain looks like we might be on Nevarro again. That’s where Mando and his wee charge decided to make a home at the end of season three of The Mandalorian. But really, it could be anywhere in the galaxy. It seems the galaxy far, far away has no shortage of these dry, arid worlds. We’ll find out where they are when The Mandalorian & Grogu arrives in theaters on May 22.

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Samara Weaving and Jason Segel take the phrase “till death do us part” to the extreme in Jorma Taccone’s violent dark comedy, Over Your Dead Body. Between movies like Ready or Not Here I Come and They Will Kill You, fun slasher-adjacent comedies seem to be all the rage right now. Although these types of films might not be the most cinematic or reflective in the grand scheme of things, they offer a solid hour and a half for audiences to just sit back and have fun. Which is exactly what they’re meant to do. I am one who tends to appreciate that. Over You Dead Body carries a very similar tone; It’s funny, bitingly gory, and a good time overall. Independent Film Company

Over Your Dead Body is an intense and hyperviolent ride. Seriously, it is very bloody. It’s chock-full of sarcastic one-liners, most of which land pretty well. That is largely attributed to Weaving and Segel’s killer delivery. I found the movie very similar to They Will Kill You in terms of its tone and energy. It is both comedic and thrilling. While there were parts I didn’t love about it, Over Your Dead Body definitely works well for what it’s supposed to be.

Segel and Weaving play the unhappily married couple Dan and Lisa. Dan is a fallen film director who now directs commercials. Lisa is a stage actress looking for her big break. Once happy and in love, the pair now harbor a strong detestation toward one another. Several reasons are to blame for their marriage going sour. On one hand, Dan made some poor spending decisions that landed both of them in heaps of debt. On the other, Lisa drifted a little too close to one of her male coworkers.

To thwart their marital issues, Dan and Lisa decide to take a quiet getaway in a remote cabin belonging to Dan’s father. What better form of couple’s therapy is there than a romantic retreat in the woods? I’m gonna go with not killing your life partner. Unbeknownst to Dan and Lisa, both of them went on the trip fully intending to murder the other. Their sinister plots quickly unravel, leading to an awkward yet hilarious confrontation with Dan duct taped to a chair. Things get even more chaotic when a crude trio of fugitives (Juliette Lewis, Timothy Olyphant, and Keith Jardine) crash the party. A whirlwind of violence and action ensues, forcing Dan and Lisa to table their problems to take on the unwelcome intruders.

Independent Film Company

The dynamic between Weaving and Segel is very entertaining. Weaving is an overly sarcastic, disaffected actress, while Segel is her grumpy, mismatched partner. They play the part of a resentful couple quite well. Hearing Weaving deliver her lines in her thick, authentic Aussie accent made it that much better.

While I found the movie enjoyable, there were still parts I didn’t love. For instance, the “prison fight” scene felt a tad unnecessary and stretched on for way too long. I get that Lewis, Olyphant, and Jardine are supposed to be the bad guys and all, but the uncomfy sequence felt tonally out of place. Honestly, Allegra and Pete’s entire relationship made me slightly uncomfortable. That’s not to say that their violent antics weren’t entertaining.

What works well for this movie is its creative use of gore, which is heaps more than I was anticipating going into the theater. The movie carries copious amounts of blood loss and severed body parts, which is perfect for a dark comedy thriller of its nature. Despite the extreme violence, Over Your Dead Body somehow manages to maintain a relatively lighthearted and comedic tone throughout.

Independent Film Company

For a fun, violent action/comedy, Over Your Dead Body definitely hits the mark. Thanks to Segel and Weaving’s killer performances as the married couple from hell, the film is as quick-witted as it is gory. Though not without its flaws, it is a bloody good time.

Over Your Dead Body ⭐ (3.5 of 5)

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When Avengers: Endgame returns to theaters this September, it’s going to feature new-new footage that ties it to Doomsday. Marvel isn’t inserting deleted or extended scenes that it left on the cutting room floor in 2019. Co-director Joe Russo revealed the film will feature recently shot sequences “set in” Avengers: Doomsday‘s story. He’s excited by this “unique” opportunity to create a “bridge” between his films. I’m sure he his. Just as I’m sure there are some MCU fans who feel the same way. I’m just not not one of them, because this whole thing just feels hollow.Marvel Studios

I’m very much aware of this thing called “money.” I understand the financial reasons why Disney would want to re-release Avengers: Endgame with entirely new footage that promotes its next big-budget event film, Avengers: Doomsday. I simply don’t care about any of that. Budgets and box office totals are concerns for accountants. Besides, even if this is nothing more than a cash grab, people can either spend their money on this or not. Where I might be a little naive is that I don’t think this is entirely about selling tickets. I believe Marvel Studios has artistic and creative reasons for releasing this altered Endgame. As a fan I definitely care about those and their implications for the medium at large. And the artistic and creative reasons are exactly why this endeavor feels empty, desperate, and exhausting. Absolutely exhausting, in fact.

Even some fans excited by this new Doomsday–Endgame might not enjoy the feeling they “have” to see a movie they already know intimately. This is especially tiresome because it’s essentially an even more ludicrous form of pop culture “homework.” Following cinematic universes is already massively time-consuming under normal circumstance. The concept/burden of needing to know a lot of old stuff to appreciate something new has become so prevalent (and in many cases tedious and frustrating) artists now promote new entries by touting the lack of previous information necessary to enjoy them.

Marvel Studios

Instead of making Doomsday easier to watch and enjoy on its own merits, the MCU is going the other way with this Endgame alteration. It’s doing something Star Wars fans have come to hate with good reason, only much worse. This isn’t just replacing Sebastian Shaw with Hayden Christensen as Anakin’s ghost. This is like if Disney shot all new scenes while filming The Force Awakens and then put them in Return of the Jedi, an idea so upsetting it would have lead to actual riots outside of Lucasfilm. (Seriously, if you thought you were angry when Han shot first, imagine if teenage Jar Jar stopped and asked, “Why hesa shootsa poor Greedsees?”)

Now, Disney might not think this is an issue with the MCU specifically because that franchise’s fans have proven they’re huge nerds who freaking love homework. It’s actually a big reason for the franchise’s massive success during its first decade. I know I didn’t mind my MCU homework. Like many others, I rewatched every single film ahead of Avengers: Infinity War. It was great! I loved it! And it paid off. The more homework you did before Avengers: Endgame, the more that the movie rewarded you. Oh, you thought you could skip rewatching Thor: The Dark World? TOO BAD FOR YOU. But for as much as Endgame rewarded the most dedicated MCU fans, that movie was also the final exam after a decade of studying!

Marvel Studios

Endgame was the test we all passed to graduate from Infinity Saga University. Now, for reasons we’ll get to, Marvel is telling us we have to go back and retake that three-hour-long test if we want to get our Maste…..okay I’ve stretched this school analogy longer than Reed Richards, but you get the point. This isn’t fun. This feels less like an exciting new way to watch an old movie and more like having to clock back in at our old job. Avengers: Doomsday is supposed to serve as (the beginning of) the end for Phases 4-6, the MCU’s Multiversal Saga. Any prep/rewatches needed to enhance this new experience should be limited to films and shows from this era. Memories of the Infinity Saga should be enough.

Instead, the Russos are doing their own Time Heist and forcing us to go with them and pay for a ticket to do so. (In fairness, we don’t yet know if this altered Avengers: Endgame will arrive on Disney+ before Doomsday premieres. If it does, that will certainly help.) And all of this is just to see new footage that serves an entirely different film. This new footage getting jammed into an already completed work of art only exists to serve as a “bridge” to a film coming out seven years later. It’s….I’m just so tired.

Marvel Studios

We know why the Russos and Marvel Studios might want/think they need that bridge. Agree with it or not, there is an artistic reason for doing this: fixing a big problem. The post-Infinity Saga MCU hasn’t exactly been the smooth narrative machine of the Infinity Saga. It all but abandoned the serialization format it used to build it into a global behemoth. Despite some great individual installments, too many characters and stories have come and gone without feeling important or making an impact. The unthinkable has also happened. You can skip entire shows or movies without feeling like you missed out. No one ever felt that way before Infinity War or Endgame.

Part of that approach was noble, as Marvel tried telling new stories using formats that broke out of an aging model. Part of that approach was not, as Disney forced Marvel to feed Disney+. But at this point, on the verge of Avengers: Doomsday, the reasons don’t matter. The only thing that matters is that it’s hard to even remember who the Multiverse Saga characters even are. I don’t even know if Shang-Chi will remember he’s a superhero when he finally returns to the MCU after five freaking years.

Marvel Studios

The unfocused, meandering post Thanos MCU also hasn’t “done the work” to earn this latest Avengers movie. Doomsday and its titular villain feel rushed because the whole Multiversal War Saga is undercooked. Part of that, obviously, has to do with the fact Disney course corrected after firing Jonathan Majors and shifting from Kang to Doom as its big bad. But that’s one reason of many. Not many viewers were thrilled with Kang’s development or the state of the franchise. But at least Kang was already part of the franchise. This is the entirety of Doom’s involvement in the MCU right now.

Marvel Studios

The fact that Marvel and the Russos built this “bridge” is a tacit admission that Phases 4, 5, and 6 lacked cohesion and narrative focus. So they’re trying to imbue it by retroactively placing it in Avengers: Endgame. They’re putting this undercooked phase in the microwave and serving it up as part of a meal they know you loved. The idea is clearly to give Avengers: Doomsday more narrative weight and importance in the franchise through its new “connection” with Avengers: Endgame.

It doesn’t work that way. Even if it’s done well, even if it’s executed in an interesting, creative, compelling way, you can’t microwave a gourmet meal, which is what Endgame was for fans. It was a gourmet meal for diehards, a fitting, rewarding end that came after a decade of careful preparation. Marvel Studios and the Russos are desperate to serve up that kind of experience again, but it’s impossible at this point. Avengers: Doomsday is going to succeed or fail on its own. The movie is either going to overcome the lack of build, or it isn’t, and no “bridge” is going to change that.

It’s desperation, in the same way the casting of Robert Downey Jr. as Victor von Doom was. It’s an attempt to recapture old glory without earning it. This is, under the best circumstances, an artistic endeavor undertaken solely to retroactively fix issues. And it’s being done in the worst way, by changing a completed work of art. None of this is “unique” or exciting. It’s just all so hollow.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He is better at movie homework than he was actual homework. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post Altering AVENGERS: ENDGAME with New DOOMSDAY Footage Feels Hollow appeared first on Nerdist.

Amid a slew of Super-related movies in DC Studios’ slate, with both Supergirl and Man of Tomorrow following on from last year’s Superman, we have one of the more atypical projects from a comic book movie. That is Clayface, the body horror film which will serve as an origin story for one of Batman’s many monster villains. With a script by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini (Drive) and direction from James Watkins (Eden Lake), the movie has a pretty good pedigree. Footage from it also did pretty well at the recent CinemaCon 2026. Now, with the teaser trailer, we can finally see just how scary this comic book horror really is.

The teaser is much more of a mood piece than a story trailer. And what a mood that is! Using a haunting, nigh-acapella version of the Flaming Lips’ “Do You Realize??” we spend much of the teaser looking at the badly scarred and bloodied face of Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) as it cuts to various clips of what we can assume happened before and after this. What gave him the Mouthwashing look?

Well, we know from the basic premise that Hagen was a dashing heartthrob actor whose face became horribly disfigured following a brutal attack. Believing his career (and life) are over, Hagen agrees to take part in an experimental drug trial which makes his flesh ultra malleable. He can look like a star again. However, as we see, the stability of his new, some might say, “clay face” is tenuous and he begins to sag and drip.

#ClayfaceMovie only in theaters October 23. pic.twitter.com/CwgZFYQSXK

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) April 22, 2026

This is right out of the superb two-part Batman: The Animated Series episode, “Feat of Clay.” I’d wondered how much of Clayface’s monstrous form we’d get. While we don’t see him hulking, we do have a couple of shots of Matt casting a shadow onto a building where he forms his arm into a giant mace. Again, this is straight out of BTAS. I’m thrilled we’re getting a horror movie within the DCU. Gotham City is home to dozens of the scariest villains in comics. Why no give all (or most of them) their own horror origin movie? Mister Freeze, Man-Bat, hell, even Poison Ivy.

Now, what we don’t and won’t know for a while is whether the Caped Crusader appears at all in Clayface. Maybe Commissioner Gordon or other prominent GCPD people, or some other of Batman’s rogues. The mind reels.

Warner Bros./DC Studios

Clayface will hit theaters October 23. Dang it, six whole months!

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!

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Dungeon Crawler Carl is coming to life in a television series! This news sparked joy among fans of the books who are looking forward to the next installment of this adventure later this year. If you’re one of them and wanting to get your next LitRPG fix, then you’re in luck. LitRPG, while fairly new to the traditional publishing industry, is a long-established genre with thousands of books to its name. There are many different directions to go when you begin your exploration of more books like Dungeon Crawler Carl, but we recommend these seven books specifically.

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DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL TV Series Officially Happening at Peacock He Who Fights With Monsters (He Who Fights With Monsters #1) Aethon Books

If you enjoyed Dungeon Crawler Carl, the next series on your list should be He Who Fights With Monsters. This list is in no particular order, except for this one—He Who Fights With Monsters is definitely #1. Jason Asano is an unremarkable middle-manager at an office supply store, but his life is turned upside down when he wakes up in a new world, naked (and hairless?) as the day he was born. Jason faces everything from hamsters to cannibal cultists as he fails upwards, towards adventure, glory, and a decent character build. Hopefully.

He Who Fights with Monsters has a tone similar to Dungeon Crawler Carl. But Jason is his own man. The humor is substantially cleaner, and he lacks some of Carl’s grit, subbed out for an adorable and relatable ‘aw shucks’ness. Grab your “I WENT TO A MAGICAL ALTERNATE UNIVERSE AND ALL I GOT WAS VAST COSMIC POWER” shirts and your star-studded cloaks, because Jason and company are eleven books into their grand quest. AND there’s a cat! Though Gary is a bit bigger than Donut…

Something (Full Murderhobo #1) Mountaindale Press

In the world of Full Murderhobo, once you gain your class, you are tossed in a time dilation portal to train for a decade in your chosen class, by an expert (or experts) of said class. This is due to the Royal Decree. At seventeen, all teens must be tested for something called “potential.” Andre, Taylor, and Zed all test high—their fourth, Luke, barely ranks. Still, they’re all sent to train and given mentors.

Except Luke. Luke gets no mentors, and instead he gets forty years in Murder World. Follow him as he does the only thing he really can do: go full murderhobo. 

There is a sense of humor in this series, but it also handles its serious moments quite well. While the title is a joke of sorts (a reference to a ‘murderhobo’ style of D&D player, basically they just kill everyone they come in contact with, possibly including their own party), there’s plenty of dark and bloody action to go around in this trilogy’s introduction.

Catharsis (Awaken: Online #1) Amazon Digital Services

Now we head more in the direction of sci-fi and the near future, with a large helping of fantasy splattered over everything—an excellent combination for a LitRPG! Awaken: Online has been praised for its frenetic pace and knife’s edge suspense that keeps readers coming back for more. For twelve volumes, in fact!

Jason (another one!) is an isolated, bullied young man who finds his escape in video games. In the year 2076, a new VR game—the first of its kind—hits the market, and Jason may have found his greatest escape of all.

Sufficiently Advanced Magic (Arcane Ascension #1) Andrew Rowe

If you like your LitRPGs to focus heavily on a unique magic system, and then exploit and manipulate that system to the point of breaking it (but not quite), then you’ll like the Arcane Ascension series. Sufficiently Advanced Magic mixes standard LitRPG tropes with some of my favorite magic school tropes to form a vivid, almost anime-like world. It feels somewhere between Final Fantasy and HunterxHunter.

The book follows Corin Cadence of House Cadence, and his attempt to learn magic so that he may follow in the footsteps of his brother Tristan, who was lost to the Serpent Spire five years prior. Lost—but not confirmed to be dead. Corin makes it his mission to conquer the towering dungeon and find his older brother, no matter the cost. 

Cat Core (Cat Core #1) Dean Henegar

Imagine the most faux-Christian, judgmental, insufferable, Southern old lady you’ve ever met. Now imagine she has one redeeming quality: she loves cats. Maybe she loves them too much, considering there is eighteen of them. That’s a decent picture of Ms. Florence Valentine, a cat-lady and widow in her 80s. Florence dies in the opening pages of Cat Core, and is reconstituted in the ‘afterlife’ as a dungeon core, a magic floating gem that controls the realm of their dungeon, typically using mana. 

‘Dungeoncore’ is a distinct subgenre of LitRPGs. Rather than following an adventurer, they focus on the dungeons themselves. If you’re a fan of sapient places, this is the perfect flavor of LitRPG for you. Florence, assisted by her alien preceptor ‘Doug’, begins to construct her dungeon. Doug quickly realizes that Florence will not listen to him no matter what he says, as she spends all of her mana on remaking her old furniture and creating new kitties for her dungeon. But don’t worry folks—these kitties can kill. And, more importantly, these kitties can respawn. 

Mage Tank (Mage Tank #1) Aethon Books

Would you like to remain dead, or respawn?

1. Life sucks, let me die.
2. Respawn

Many readers who start with Dungeon Crawler Carl will find their way next to Mage Tank, a series chronicling the second life of Arlo. A bike accident sends our protag straight to the afterlife where he can choose to fade into oblivion, or respawn in a new “zone.” Being a protagonist, Arlo of course chooses to respawn and shenanigans ensue. This one has a very similar sense of humor and tone as DCC—Arlo mentions dicks in the first few paragraphs. You’ll feel right at home in this potty-mouthed slow-burn progression fantasy. 

 Ritualist (The Completionist Chronicles, Book #1) Mountaindale Press

And rounding out the list, we have another series written by the ever-prolific Dakota Krout. The Completionist Chronicles follow the tale of Joe, an ex-chopper medic who was paralyzed in the line of duty. Once rendered a quadriplegic, Joe chooses to have his consciousness uploaded into a hyper advanced video game. While his character isn’t what he would have picked for himself, he soon discovers a secret class, The Ritualist. It has the potential to make or break his second chance at life. 

It doesn’t reach the depths of sadness of Dungeon Crawler Carl, but compels in a similar way. Just ignore the weird opening with Elon Musk, and you should have a chill, good time with this read.

Where Can I Find LitRPG Stories Like Dungeon Crawler Carl?

There’s a LitRPG out there for everyone. If you’d like to explore everything the genre has to offer, there’s no place better to start than Royal Road, where many of the now-famous LitRPG authors got their start. And, with the genre gaining more traction than ever in the wake of Dungeon Crawler Carl, keep an eye on the shelves of your local bookstore. You never know what adventure might be just right around the corner.

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!

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AMC’s upcoming adaptation of The Vampire Lestat will adapt Anne Rice’s second novel in her Vampire Chronicles series, with Sam Reid returning as the titular vamp, now a rock star. Joining him is actress Jennifer Ehle as his mother, Gabriella, a vampire herself. In Rice’s 1985 novel, she goes by Gabrielle, but the show’s producers decided to go with the Italian pronunciation, as the character was born in Italy. The character is a fan-favorite, although some racy scenes between Mama Gabriella and her son Lestat in recent The Vampire Lestat trailers have raised some eyebrows. But this problematic relationship actually has its origins in Rice’s books, even if the Interview with the Vampire TV series may be taking things a step further. Join us as we explore the complex bond between Gabriella and Lestat, whether it’s incestual, and all the other complicated nuances of turning your mother into a vampire.AMCDo Lestat and His Mother Gabrielle Have an Incestuous Relationship?

In Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles novels, Lestat’s relationship with his mother is complex. And that’s putting it mildly. While many have read an incestuous vibe between the undead pair, that is not literally the truth of Gabrielle and Lestat’s relationship in the books. And that’s for the simple reason that in Rice’s vampire mythology, her undead don’t have sexual intercourse. In Rice’s world, the blood exchange replaces food as sustenance, replaces drugs as hallucinogens, and replaces sex as pleasure (and procreation). So when Lestat and Gabrielle exchange blood in Interview with the Vampire‘s world, there’s an erotic charge in the text, but it’s not sex in the literal sense.

Alfred A. Knopf/Innovation Comics

Having said that, AMC’s Anne Rice Immortal Universe does not adhere to Rice’s rules in this way. The vampires in the series do have sex in human fashion, and are particularly horny in fact. One scene in the trailer for The Vampire Lestat shows Gabriella definitely touching her son, in an area where a mother should never touch her adult child. But this is clearly after she’s become a vampire. So does human morality even apply to them anymore? After all, is it any worse than, say, murdering people every night?

To recap, Lestat and Gabrielle have not been officially incestuous in the world of The Vampire Chronicles yet, although their relationship is blurry. But the series may be about to change all of that. Despite the lack of incest, though, Lestat and his mother plainly have always had a very complicated bond, going back to their human days.

The Mortal (and Miserable) Life of Gabrielle de Lioncourt

We are introduced to Gabrielle via the perspective of her son, Lestat. The Vampire Lestat explains how he was born Lestat de Lioncourt, the son of a country lord in the Auvergne in France. Although his father had a large and ancient estate, he’d run out of money years prior. A boorish man, he married a young girl named Gabrielle from Italy, hoping the dowry would help replenish his wealth. In The Vampire Lestat, we learn that Gabrielle was miserable in her life in the castle and hated her cruel husband. She bore him several children, only three of whom lived to adulthood. She had nothing but disdain for her eldest sons, who took after their awful father. But Gabrielle had a special place in her heart for her youngest, Lestat, who was sensitive and smart, and loved the arts.

AMC

When Lestat was 21, around the year 1780, his mother became ill with consumption. Knowing she was dying, she gave him her precious jewels and told him to sell them. She then told him to use the money to run away from home with his lover, Nicolas, and pursue his dream of acting in Paris. Although he was reluctant to leave his dying mother, it was her final wish that he escape and be happy. What Gabrielle didn’t count on was Lestat becoming a vampire while living in Paris.

How Lestat’s Mother Became a Vampire in The Vampire LestatAMC

When Gabrielle knew the end was near, she decided to make one last trip before she died. She went to Paris, hoping to say farewell to her son in person. Lestat was a vampire now and revealed his true nature to his mother. He had never made another vampire before, but asked her on her deathbed if she was willing to become his fledgling. Knowing she would die otherwise, Gabrielle eagerly said yes, and Lestat became the vampiric father to his human mother. Who, in a way, was now his daughter. Vampire family trees are complicated things, folks!

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Gabrielle’s personality shifted almost instantly. Where Lestat only hunted evil doers (most of the time) Gabrielle killed anyone she wanted, with little moral compunction. As she saw it, as a vampire,  she was higher on the food chain. She also began dressing as a man and wearing her long hair in a braid. She always felt powerless as a woman while mortal, uncomfortable in her own body, especially as the laws of the time required her to be subservient to men. And in particular, her cruel husband. Gabrielle, who insisted Lestat call her that name from now on, as “Mother” seemed inappropriate, also had little interest in the human world.

Gabrielle Becomes a Cold and Deadly Immortal

In The Vampire Lestat, Gabrielle constantly talked about hunting bears and other animals in the forest, and simply disconnecting from human life and returning to nature. Lestat, in contrast, remained very connected to humanity. He loved human art, and music, loved performing on stage for humans. He had no interest in living in a forest or jungle. When the ancient Vampire Armand blew up their lives in Paris, Lestat and Gabrielle left and wandered Europe and parts of Egypt for a decade. But even from the start of their journey, Gabrielle would vanish for weeks and months at a time. Although Gabrielle still loved Lestat, their bond was breaking. Things came to a head when Lestat learned she kept the news of their mortal family’s deaths from him, and he told her to leave him for good.

How Lestat and Gabrielle Reunite after 200 YearsAMC

Lestat would lose all contact with Gabrielle for almost two centuries. When he became a rock star in the 1980s, Gabrielle learned her sire/son was alive and well. When Lestat threw his big Halloween Night concert in 1985, the vampire community attacked the show, and Lestat and Louis had to escape. Gabrielle then pulled up in a sports car and rescued her son/father and his lover from the undead mob. Gabrielle tells Lestat that she imagined their reunion a hundred different ways over the centuries. And she never thought it would involve her saving him from a vampire gang at a rock concert.

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After the events of book three, The Queen of the Damned, the surviving vampires form a coven on the luxurious Night Island, belonging to Armand, off the coast of Florida. But as she was known to do, Gabrielle quickly grew restless and wandered off into the world again. Gabrielle would pop in and out of Lestat’s life, making cameos in Rice’s subsequent novels. But she never had a book of her own, and Anne Rice said she never wanted to write one. She said Gabrielle was too cold for her to ever write from her perspective. But as of Rice’s final novel, Blood Communion, Gabrielle and Lestat were on good terms, promising never to go no-contact again.

Anne Rice’s Tragic Inspirations for the Vampire Gabrielle, Lestat’s Mother

Anne Rice went on record several times saying that her characters helped her work through her own personal tragedies. Her daughter Michelle’s death from leukemia at age 6 inspired her to create the child vampire Claudia in Interview with the Vampire. And Rice was at least partially working through the death of her mother with the creation of Lestat’s mother, Gabrielle. Rice’s mother, Katherine O’Brien, was ahead of her time, and named Anne “Howard” when she was born, not believing in gender specific naming conventions. But her mother also suffered from alcoholism and died from its complications at age 42, when Anne was only 15. Lestat saving his Gabrielle’s life and giving her a new one was Rice using writing to fictionalize saving her own unconventional mother via supernatural means.

Is the Vampire Gabrielle a Trans Character?AMC

Fans have often cited Gabrielle as being extremely trans-coded. In The Vampire Lestat, she often lamented being forced to endure the trappings of being a woman, especially as an 18th-century woman. When she becomes a vampire, she dresses in masculine clothing and often passes as a man in a crowd. However, she never changes her pronouns, and Lestat always refers to her as “she.” But were she created today, it’s very possible Anne Rice would have written Gabrielle as a trans man. Perhaps we will see the series pick up these threads to weave a beautiful, representative story.

Gabrielle Becomes Gabriella in AMC’s The Vampire Lestat

We haven’t seen much of actress Jennifer Ehle as Gabrielle, now using the Italian pronunciation of her name, Gabriella, in The Vampire Lestat footage we’ve seen so far. We’ve seen her in the 18th-century flashbacks in period costumes, and some scenes of her at Lestat’s concerts in the modern day. Gabriella seemingly presents as female in the modern day, but looks can be deceiving. She may very well identify as a trans man post-vampirism. And we hope so.

She’s also definitely is doing something naughty with Lestat in a couple scenes from the trailers… including full on kissing him.

AMC

This suggests the producers are taking any incestuous subtext of the novel, and just making it text between mother/child Gabriella and child/father Lestat. We’ll have to wait and see how Gabriella is presented when The Vampire Lestat debuts on AMC this summer.

Interview with the Vampire seasons one and two are now streaming on AMC+.

Originally published March 4, 2026.

The post IWTV: Lestat’s Complex (Icky?) Bond with Mother Gabrielle, Explained appeared first on Nerdist.

The finale of Interview with the Vampire season two had quite the twist, as a flash forward showed the audience that the Vampire Armand (Assad Zaman) had turned the reporter Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) into a vampire, some time before or after published his interviews with Louis and Armand as a book. We don’t know exactly how and when this happened. It seems to be an act committed more out of spite towards Daniel than love. However, Armand making Daniel a vampire on Interview with the Vampire does have its origins in Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles series of novels.AMC

In the novels, Daniel Molloy doesn’t even have a proper name until the third novel in Rice’s series, The Queen of the Damned. In the 1976 novel Interview with the Vampire, the young reporter was simply referred to as “the Boy.” At the end of that first novel, he ran off, with Louis’ tapes in tow, hoping to find Lestat. In book two, The Vampire Lestat, we find out that the boy had the recordings transcribed and published as the book Interview with the Vampire. A recently reemerged Lestat discovered that his name and much of his life was put on public display for mortals, passed off as fiction. Yet we never learned what became of the young reporter until Rice’s third novel.

“The Story of Daniel, the Devil’s Minion, or the Boy from Interview with the Vampire“ from Queen of the Damned

In 1988’s Queen of the Damned, we learned in Part 1, Chapter 4, a chapter called “The Story of Daniel, the Devil’s Minion, or the Boy from Interview with the Vampire” that the anonymous boy went searching for Lestat after his fateful interview with Louis in San Francisco in 1973. We also now had a proper name for him—Daniel Molloy. Lestat was slumbering at the time of Daniel’s search, and he didn’t find the undead French aristocrat. Instead, the Vampire Armand finds Daniel while he searches for Lestat, during a time when Armand made New Orleans his home. No other vampires lived there, as Lestat had long ago gone to sleep. Armand had “cleaned out” the city of any younger vampires. No one else dared to call New Orleans home at this time, as it was Armand’s territory.

AMC

Scanning Daniel’s thoughts upon encountering him, Armand discovered this young mortal boy knew his name, and his true vampiric nature, and became fascinated. He began stalking him, and no matter what city or country Daniel ran to, Armand would find him. At first, he casually threatened to kill him if he ever published his book. Yet he continued to allow him to live for his own amusement. Then something unexpected happened. After years of cat and mouse, Armand came to actually love the mortal Daniel. Even so, he constantly refused to give him the Dark Gift, no matter how much he begged.

Daniel, Armand, and the Night Island

Many years into their relationship, Armand decided to become “incalculably wealthy.” Using his knowledge of where old ships with treasure lay at the bottom of the ocean, he recruited Daniel, who now saw himself as “the Devil’s Minion,” to help him procure wealth. All while he was asleep during the day. With this fortune, Armand, with forged documents Daniel helped him create, purchased an island off the coast of Florida. Armand turned it into an entertainment and shopping paradise that came alive only after dark called The Night Island.

Armand and Daniel lived at Night Island for years in the Vampire Chronicles. Daniel had everything he wanted from Armand, the finest clothes, the newest cars, all except the one thing he wanted most—to become a vampire himself. However, when Daniel’s life was in danger, on one of the many instances when he would run away from Armand, the 500-year-old vampire gave him what he wanted at last, and turned him. As Armand feared, however, making Daniel a vampire would only serve to drive a bigger wedge between them.

Daniel and Armand in AMC’s Interview with the Vampire AMC

All we know from the AMC Interview with the Vampire series is that sometime after Daniel reveals to Louis the truth about Armand, and how he planned to let his Paris coven execute him along with Claudia, he turns Daniel into a vampire out of spite. (Or so Louis says.) But when did this happen? We don’t know yet. Do Interview with the Vampire‘s Daniel and Armand engage in a relationship similar to the one they had in the books? There doesn’t seem enough time for that intense love/hate relationship to have happened offscreen. Unless there is one further wrinkle to Daniel and Armand’s story that Interview with the Vampire is waiting to spring on us.

We know from episode five of season two of the series, that Armand encountered Daniel back in 1973, interrupting Louis almost killing Daniel. Not only encountered him, but very nearly killed him, and erased his memories of the event. Yet he clearly had a fascination with Daniel, and Interview with the Vampire leaves space for the possibility that the pair had a relationship decades ago. One that Armand then wiped from Daniel’s mind. After all, there is a limited series AMC announced called The Night Island. Could this series, at least in part, involve Interview with the Vampire‘s Armand and Daniel and their relationship?

AMC+

For now, all we know is that when asked to describe what lives between Armand and Daniel, Eric Bogosian, who plays Daniel Molloy shared, “I feel that Armand’s love for Daniel is like when a kid has a stuffed animal, and he drags it around with him for like years until it has one button, and a hole for an eye. And he loves that little stuffed animal. So, it’s as romantic as that can be.” Well, we’ll take it!

There are lots of ways this story could go for Daniel and Armand, and we’re eager to see how Interview with the Vampire tackles this fan-favorite pairing going forward.

Originally published July 1, 2024.

The post The Book Inspirations Behind the Armand/Daniel Vampiric Pairing in INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (And What ‘Devil’s Minion’ Really Means) appeared first on Nerdist.

Few cartoon families are quite as iconic as the Simpsons. We’ve laughed at their jokes for decades and followed along for every chaotic adventure. Announced just in time for World Simpsons Day on April 19, the famous family will soon star in their very own art exhibition for the first time. The Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University announced that “The Art of the Simpsons” opens later this year. The unique exhibition features original illustrations of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and other iconic Springfield regulars. It opens on November 18, 2026 as part of the museum’s 10th Anniversary celebration. Hilbert Museum Collection

The Simpsons are about as memorable as they come. The long-running show has gifted us with countless hilarious moments and even has a reputation of predicting the future. Celebrating 39 years of The Simpsons, the “The Art of the Simpsons” showcases original illustrations and production cels of the many iconic characters created by Matt Groening and drawn by Fox Television Animation animators.

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Pictured above is one of the original illustrations featured in the exhibition. It shows Homer and Marge screaming side by side, no doubt caused by whatever hectic happenings are going down in Spingfield. The collection places the famous TV family under a different lens, letting fans experience The Simpsons like never before.

The Hilbert Museum in Orange County, California specializes in California narrative art. The Hilbert Collection boasts a vast selection of original animation and movie art holdings, including works created for Disney, Pixar, Lucasfilm, Marvel, Sesame Street, and others. The museum is open five days a week and free for all visitors.

Hilbert Museum Collection

The Simpsons first aired on December 17, 1989. The series celebrated its 800th episode in February of this year. With no end in sight, The Simpsons might very well outlive us all.

The post THE SIMPSONS to Star in Their Own Art Exhibition This Fall appeared first on Nerdist.

The Vampire Lestat has thousands of fans, but he wants MILLIONS, no, BILLIONS of them. And you know what, if this trailer for The Vampire Lestat is any indication, he is about to GET his wish. We have to say this: The Vampire Lestat trailer might be the best one we’ve seen all year. If Interview with the Vampire was a slowly unfurling, operatic play of the highest degree, then The Vampire Lestat is all explosive intensity, pure emotion, and unadulterated FUN. This is the kind of trailer and series that fans who have been in fandom a LONG time can only dream of. Full camp, full queer, full tangled mess of relationships. It scratches every itch, claws them with vampiric nails. Get ready to bow to your new god and check out The Vampire Lestat‘s trailer below.

It’s incredible how well AMC’s Immortal Universe has captured the difference in kind between the stories of Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat. Because, looking back on this trailer vs. having just rewatched a whole lot of Interview with the Vampire, I am struck by the same exact juxtaposition I was when I first read both novels. Interview with the Vampire is beautiful and melancholy; dense and full of ennui. The Vampire Lestat is no less angsty, but it has SPEED. Lestat is moving, he’s rocking and rolling, he’s taking over the world, and he’s doing it to a catchy beat.

AMC+

As we said, this The Vampire Lestat trailer has it ALL, not the least of which is Armand, in all his beautiful, big-eyed glory, in a scene with Daniel. And the crowd (ArmanDaniel/Devil’s Minion defenders) goes WILD.

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Of course, we can FEEL the tension between Lestat and Louis in every turn of this The Vampire Lestat trailer. We want them to just figure it out and be happy. But let’s be real, we wouldn’t trade the dramatic blow-outs and single blood tears for ANYTHING.

AMC+AMC+

We also were rocking out to Lestat’s (Sam Reid) rendition of Billy Idol’s song, “Dancing With Myself.” So far, we’ve loved every single one of Lestat’s original hits. But a cover song here and there soothes the soul. And this one is SO GOOD.

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A release shared with the trailer notes, “The wild and captivating next chapter in Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe follows Lestat as the world’s first immortal rock star on an electric multi-city tour, while he’s haunted by “muses” from his rebellious past.” In addition to Sam Reid, The Vampire Lestat stars Jacob Anderson, Assad Zaman, Eric Bogosian, Delainey Hayles and, Jennifer Ehle and is executive produced by award-winning producer Mark Johnson, creator, writer and showrunner Rolin Jones, Hannah Moscovitch, along with Christopher Rice and the late Anne Rice. 

AMC+AMC+

The Vampire Lestat premieres Sunday, June 7 at 9pm ET/PT on AMC and AMC+. Interview with the Vampire seasons one and two are now streaming on AMC+.

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This isn’t your hot fox Robin Hood, that’s for sure. And there’s nothing very merry about anything happening in the new The Death of Robin Hood trailer from A24. Instead, Hugh Jackman is a grim and grizzled version of the outlaw, giving intense Old Man Logan energy as he snarls, stabs, and menaces his way through a bloody world. Well, being an outlaw isn’t all song and dance. You can check out The Death of Robin Hood‘s trailer below.

A24 wants to make it clear that “This is not the Robin Hood you remember.” Instead, this is Robin Hood is all blood, guts, and murder. Well, in this economy, that’s to be expected, we guess. The Death of Robin Hood‘s trailer does a good job of making it plain that there’s no fantastical sheen to the Robin Hood myth. Instead, this sneak peek at The Death of Robin Hood offers up a raw Hugh Jackman performance and a gritty look, we assume, at the reality of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.

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Alongside its trailer, here’s the synopsis for The Death of Robin Hood, “Grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder, Robin Hood finds himself gravely injured after a battle he thought would be his last. In the hands of a mysterious woman, he is offered a chance at salvation.“

A24

Do we not all deserve salvation at the hands of a mysterious woman? Just what that means though, we’ll have to wait to find out. The Death of Robin Hood releases on June 19. It honestly has an all-star cast of Hugh Jackman, Jodie Comer, Bill Skarsgård, Murray Bartlett, and Noah Jupe. Director Michael Sarnoski, who also helmed Pig and A Quiet Place: Day One, also takes the reins here.

Well, color us interested. It’s no hot fox, but The Death of Robin Hood has our attention.

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After winning a bidding war for the rights to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, A24 is running full steam ahead with Leatherface. A while ago, we learned that there will be a TV series by JT Mollner with Glen Powell as a producer. But there is also a Texas Chainsaw Massacre film coming from A24 with Obsession horror film director Curry Barker guiding this reboot. 

Bryanston Distributing Company

According to Variety, Barker’s plans for the reimagining of the original 1974 film is under wraps. And it is not clear if it will connect to the upcoming TV series in any way. Either way, fans are happy to see this franchise in the hands of A24, a company that’s become quite the force in the horror space.

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This new Texas Chainsaw Massacre film will be produced by Roy Lee and Steven Schneider of Spooky Pictures, and Stuart Manashil and Exurbia Films’ Pat Cassidy, Ian Henkel and Kim Henkel. Of course, there’s no casting information nor a release date window at this time, so we will have to wait until A24 is ready to rev up the chainsaw.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power closed out season two with a truly epic battle. The orc/Uruk and elven forces clashed at Eregion, with Sauron manipulating both sides of the table to enact his own desires. It was a tragic and intense season, much darker than the first chapter of The Rings of Power. And things are only about to get worse in the world of this The Lord of the Rings series. The Rings of Power was happily renewed for season three, but another season of the show means we’re getting pulled deeper into darkness. Although it’s still early days for season three, we already know things will need to get much worse before they get better. Prime Video

Most recently, The Hollywood Reporter reported that The Rings of Power season three would arrive in 2026 according to “a source close to production”, despite some prior reports that hinted at a 2027 release date. No official release information has yet been shared.

Here’s everything we know about The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season three.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3’s PlotPrime Video

Although The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season three is still fairly far away, Prime Video released the following logline for the series:

Jumping forward several years from the events of season 2, season 3 takes place at the height of the War of the Elves and Sauron, as the Dark Lord seeks to craft the One Ring that will give him the edge he needs to win the war and conquer all Middle-earth at last.

This lets us know we’ll see a time skip between seasons two and three of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which makes a lot of sense because there’s a ton of ground to cover in the Second Age of Middle-earth. Another big part of the story will be Sauron’s quest to forge the One Ring (to rule them all). According to the showrunners, he doesn’t yet have enough knowledge to forge a Ring of Power on his own. But we bet we’ll see him obtain it.

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Additionally, war will be the crux of the happenings in season three. In this case, The War of the Elves and Sauron. This major Second Age battle will involve… elves and Sauron, naturally. But the Númenóreans will also have a pretty major role to play in the proceedings, as they join the elves in the battle against darkness. But the trouble with Sauron is that he’s incredibly good at whispering in people’s ears. And that may or may not happen to one power-hungry Ar-Pharazôn. We’ll have to wait and see.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3’s CastNetflix

The entire main cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which includes Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Charlie Vickers, Robert Aramayo, and more, is expected to return for season three. In addition, they are joined by five new cast members: Jamie Campbell Bower, Eddie Marsan, Andrew Richardson, Zubin Varla, and Adam Young. Bower and Richardson will be series regulars, and Marsan, Varla, and Young will play recurring characters. The exact characters they will play are not yet known.

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New Cast Joins THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER Season 3Behind the Scenes

The third season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is produced by showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay. They are joined by executive producers Lindsey Weber, Justin Doble, Kate Hazell, and executive producer-director Charlotte Brändström. Matthew Penry-Davey is producer and Ally O’Leary, Tim Keene, and Andrew Lee are co-producers.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3’s Release Date

We do not yet know when The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season three will release, but it has now concluded production.

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When Walt Disney World said it was closing Muppet*Vision 3D it softened the blow by also announcing the iconic group wasn’t going anywhere. They weren’t even leaving Hollywood Studios. They were going to take over Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster from Aerosmith. Now, just a few months after the ride closed, Jim Henson’s legendary group is ready to rock out with guests. Disney has announced the ride’s new track list, guest stars and musicians, and opening day for Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets.Disney

The Electric Mayhem will officially kick off its residency (once someone finds them) in Hollywood Studios on May 26. When they do Dr. Teeth, Animal, Floyd, Janice, Zoot, and Lips will be playing one of five random songs on the ride. The five tracks include some big names, the biggest of which is a chicken. From the Disney Parks Blog:

• “Song 2” – The Electric Mayhem
• “Born To Be Wild” – The Electric Mayhem ft. Camilla the Chicken
• “Love Rollercoaster” – The Electric Mayhem ft. Jennifer Hudson & Questlove
• “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)” – The Electric Mayhem ft. Def Leppard
• “Walking on Sunshine” – The Electric Mayhem ft. Kelly Clarkson

Disney says, “Each song brings its own energy, tempo, and attitude, creating a concert style experience where the soundtrack doesn’t just play – it goes from zero to sixty in three… two… one!”

Along with great new posters celebrating the band’s past exploits, other celebrities are also getting in on the fun. Guest spots will start in the attraction’s queue and continue all the way through the gift shop. Those famous faces include: Awkwafina, Danny Trejo, Darren Criss, John Stamos, Neil Patrick Harris, Travis Barker, Yvette Nicole Brown, Wayne Brady, and human Muppet “Weird Al” Yankovic.

We thought we couldn’t possibly be anymore excited for this Muppet re-theme, but then we saw these videos with The Electric Mayhem’s new collaborators and realized we were wrong.

The ride opens for all guests on May 26. However, some cast members, DVC members, and annual pass holders will get an early sneak peek.

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This is the final season for The Boys, yet we are still somehow getting new characters in the mix. Of course, there are always your random characters who basically show up to die and/or fill the background. But one new face on the scene is Daveed Diggs, who plays Oh-Father in The Boys season five. We meet him in the show’s first episode and, well, he certainly is something else. 

Prime VideoDaveed Diggs’ Oh-Father Is a Supe From The Boys Comic Series

Interestingly, this character was a minor antagonist in The Boys comics. He was a corrupt religious supe who organized an event called Capes for Christ. Oh-Father was also horrific, specifically in his crimes against his child sidekicks. We won’t get into that. Oh-Father was absolutely #TeamHomelander and planned to take over the world with him. He ends up in a fight beside him during an attack on the White House. The military swooped in and quickly dispatched him, quickly ending his act of terror.

Oh-Father in The Boys TV Series: The Suspicious and Religious Husband of Ashley 

Of course, the show has veered very far away from its source material in the best way. In a previous season, there is a newspaper clipping about his sexual crimes but thankfully we don’t see that play out on screen. At first, we weren’t sure if he was going to be another supe joining the Seven. That name seems wrong considering the collective has been crumbling for some time. It turns out that Diggs’ Oh-Father is still a hyper religious supe but also married to Ashley, who is back on the scene and the Vice President of the United States. We meet them during an interview with Firecracker, where Ashley says she met him at the National Prayer Breakfast. 

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He looks like a parody of TD Jakes/Creflo Dollar in a white suit adorned with gold crosses. They talk about being a “match made in Heaven.” We discover that he’s taken Ezekiel’s place as head pastor at Samaritan’s Embrace. In case you forgot, Ezekiel was the head of Capes for Christ and the guy that Butcher killed in Firecracker’s trailer last season. They go on about being anti-DEI and wanting a Christian nation. Oh boy. We don’t know what personal plans are in motion for Oh-Father but he certainly will end up being someone to watch. 

The interview gets cut short when Sage interrupts, and her conversation with Ashley reveals that the marriage is for public perception. Interesting. In episode 2, we see more of Oh-Father as he preaches at A-Train’s funeral, using his ability to echo and amplify his voice to get the crowd going. Of course, he blames Starlight for A-Train’s death, and says that Starlighters are “possessed” and evil. Ashley doesn’t look too happy at all, and neither does Homelander. The unraveling of their deeds continues…

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Oh-Father and Ashley’s relationship is pretty wild, which we see in episode four as they wrap up a very freaky sex session. Ashley learns that his church is in deep debt and is concerned that it will affect getting attendees on Homelander’s side, but Oh-Father assures her that everything is okay. It is possible that he’s up to some nefarious things that Ashley doesn’t know about. One thing is for sure: he’s team Homelander. At the end of the episode, Oh-Father announces that his church is now the Democratic Church of America and Homelander is its Lord and Savior. Oh my.

Let’s see what Oh-Father blesses us with as The Boys season five continues. 

Originally published on April 8, 2026.

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If we could give out an award for the film with the most interesting and kinda bizarre premise, it would go to Coyote vs. ACME. This movie will bring back cartoon legends Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner but it is not in the way that any of us could’ve predicted. Instead, our downtrodden Coyote is gearing up for a lawsuit against ACME, and we honestly cannot blame him. He’s been blown up and injured by ACME Corporation gadgets for decades now, and he still has yet to catch that darn Road Runner. Warner Bros. is now giving us more insight into Coyote vs. ACME with a new trailer.Warner Bros.

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It is beyond time that ACME goes down for their fraudulent products! This Coyote vs. ACME trailer is a nice blend of animated goodness, including a brief cameo by Bugs Bunny, and real-life characters. Here’s a synopsis for the film:

After decades of being blown to bits by bombs, demolished by dynamite, mangled by magnets, battered by boulders, trampled by trains, tricked by tunnels, sprung by springs, steamrolled by steamrollers, maligned by misfires, bedeviled by bungees, rattled by rockets, backstabbed by bat suits, rocked by rocket skates, upended by unicycles, quaked by quake pills, rubberized by rogue bands, and hurled headlong off every cliff in the Southwest, Wile E. Coyote (Genius) finally fights back. Teaming up with billboard accident lawyer Kevin Avery (Will Forte), he takes on slick corporate counsel Buddy Crane (John Cena) and ACME, Inc., the profit-obsessed conglomerate behind every one of the Coyote’s chaotic catastrophes.

We are rooting for Kevin and Coyote’s friendship, always. We will see who wins the legal battle when Coyote vs. ACME hits theaters on August 28.

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The Boys’ episode four takes us deep into the mysteries behind Fort Harmony, a location that’s important to Vought and Soldier Boy’s history. With this show coming to an end and the prequel Vought Rising on the horizon, we knew we would start getting some threads and questions that would likely come up in the future. That really starts to come into focus in this episode. Here’s how The Boys season five sets up Vought Rising. 

Sage and Soldier Boy have a quick conversation, in which she reveals that Homelander will soon be on his way to Fort Harmony. Like Butcher and crew, Homelander knows there’s a possibility that V1 is there, a drug that would make him immortal. We also learn that this is where Soldier Boy was injected with V1 by Frederick Vought, which is something we might see happen in Vought Rising.

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Soldier Boy decides to go with Homelander and, on the way there, they have a very uncomfortable conversation about Stormfront, whom Soldier Boy knew better as Clara Vought. Of course, they both had a sexual relationship with her in different decades, but Soldier Boy seemed to have a deeper emotional connection. 

Meanwhile, the Boys are crashing out bad at Fort Harmony, which is full of these gross and Stranger Things-esque tentacles. Well, everyone except Frenchie and Annie, who actually goes off on her own trip home. They are angry and volatile, which Frenchie surmises is because of the water/air around them affecting their brains. He’s done so many drugs that he’s the only person acting normal. They end up in an all out rage to kill each other, which isn’t good because Homelander and Soldier Boy are on the scene. 

Soldier Boy pulls a fast one on Homelander, locking him in a room with enriched uranium. It’s not enough to kill Homelander but it weakens him significantly. His intention is to not help Homelander but rather find and destroy the V1. Frenchie discovers a man who is stuck to the wall and covered in those tentacles. Soldier Boy arrives and recognizes this person as Quinn, someone who was around him previously and incredibly jealous of him.

Prime Video

It is Quinn who is radiating hate, and his presence really seems to crack at Soldier Boy’s tough exterior. Frenchie gets into Soldier Boy’s head, making him agitated enough to use his powers to take out Quinn and stop the Boys from nearly killing each other.

Later on, Homelander breaks out and looks like he’s going to laser Soldier Boy, who is despondent and frankly doesn’t care if he dies. Seeing Soldier Boy despondent and crying changes Homelander’s mind, who decides to leave the scene. This all sets up a lot of questions about what happened at Fort Harmony and exactly why Soldier Boy is so deeply affected by this. We will see what happens as The Boys continues to fly through its final round.

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