Jurassic Park 7/Jurassic World 4 Is On The Way

By Brandon T. McClure

In June of 2022, the Jurassic franchise ended for a second time. Capping off the Jurassic World trilogy was Jurassic World: Dominion: a film that brought back the heroes from both trilogies to uncover the mystery around BioSyn’s involvement in a swarm of prehistoric locusts that have been plaguing the United States. Marketed as the end of the franchise, Jurassic World: Dominion made over $1 billion in the post-pandemic box office (a rarer achievement than before), which meant it wouldn’t be the end forever. Now it’s been officially confirmed that a new entry is in the works and heading full steam to its July 2, 2025 release date.

The age of the “never-ending franchise” continues as The Hollywood Reporter and the official Jurassic World Twitter account exclusively revealed that a new entry in the Jurassic franchise is in the works. THR reported that original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp is returning to write this new entry. Koepp’s involvement in the franchise ended with the 1996 sequel The Lost World: Jurassic Park and has been regularly working with Steven Spielberg. His more recent screen credits include the two Indiana Jones sequels, The Mummy (The Tom Cruise one), and Kimi. Many on the internet hope Koepp’s return will herald a “back to basics” approach to the franchise or perhaps a full reboot. None of these approaches have been confirmed at this time, however, the script is far enough along that production will most likely ramp up by the summer.

When the Jurassic franchise returned in 2015 with Colin Trevorrow at the helm, Universal was upfront in its desire to launch a new trilogy of films. Because of its $1.67 Billion success, that desire easily became a reality. Trevorrow would become the most prolific creator in the franchise, co-writing all three big screen entries and directing two of them, Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Dominion (also a short film called Battle at Big Rock). He also produced the Netflix animated series Jurassic World: Campe Cretaceous and its upcoming sequel series Jurassic World: Chaos Theory which follows a group of kids during the events of the films. 

But, outside of what is likely a minor involvement in Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, Trevorrow has left the franchise. Most likely feeling that three billion dollar grossing films was enough. Long-time producers of the franchise Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley, and, of course, Steven Spielberg are all returning, however. Spielberg's involvement is not surprising since he’s been a producer on every entry. While creatively, he hasn’t been too involved since the second film, he prefers to keep a close eye on the franchise he launched in 1993. Internally this new film is being described as a “new Jurassic era” that will tell an all-new story. 

Currently, no director is attached, but with an ambitious release date, Universal is eager to find one. Deadline reported that Universal was in talks with David Leitch to direct this new entry. Leitch was a stunt performer before turning to directed and launched his own successful franchise with Chad Stahelski, John Wick. Since then, Leitch has directed purely action films like Bullet Train, Deadpool 2, and Atomic Blonde. He’s currently ramping up for the release of his latest feature, The Fall Guy for Universal Studios. Leitch seems to have a good relationship with Universal Studios since he directed Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw for them in 2019. He and his partner Kelly McCormick currently have a first-look deal with them, which is likely why he’s on their radar for Jurassic Park/World. But talks broke down. Universal is reportedly looking for someone to quickly shoot the film rather than someone with creative input. One source told THR that “there’s not enough time to work with new ideas.” Pre-production is far enough that Universal doesn’t believe another creator's input is necessary, so this will make the search for one a little difficult going forward.

The end of the second Jurassic World film, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom saw the dinosaurs freed from the confines of their island and able to roam the world freely. Striking visuals of various Dinosaurs in populated locations became instantly iconic. But Jurassic World: Dominion seemed wholly uninterested in playing with this new status quo. The film, instead, decided to tell a story about BioSyn (InGen’s competitor from the book making their first film debut) sending prehistoric locusts out into the world to eat various crops and cause a food shortage that only they could fix. There was admittedly more to the bloated plotline of the final film, but the bottom line is that it left people interested in seeing a world interact with dinosaurs disappointed, for the most part.

While the Jurassic franchise has been divisive since it returned in 2015, the general audience still led the three films to make over $3 Billion collectively. Some fans may be disappointed to hear this, but there’s no way the new film would ignore the previous three. Not only that but a new installment is releasing this year with Jurassic World: Chaos Theory. This new show is a sequel series to Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous and seems to be set around the time of Jurassic World: Dominion. All signs point to Universal being interested in continuing the world as it was left in the final film, regardless of whether it will be a “new story.” In this instance, a new story could just mean that it will be unrelated to the characters seen in prior films. Indeed, it’s been wildly reported that Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and the original trilogy cast are not being asked to return and reprise their roles.

It doesn’t seem to make sense that this new film will be a “back to basics” approach, even though Koepp’s involvement appears to imply one. If this new film is a continuation of Jurassic World: Dominion then this could finally be the film that tackles the narrative potential of seeing a world having to readapt to dinosaurs living among them. Being free from Owen Grady and Claire Dearing, also allows the filmmakers to tell a new story with new characters while playing in the sandbox that was left for them. While it seems a little silly that we’re staring down the barrel of a seventh installment, David Koepp at the helm suggests that the reports of its extinction were greatly exaggerated.

INTERVIEW / Zoey is Too Drunk for This Dystopia by Jason Pargin

Matt sits down with author Jason Pargin to discuss his latest book, Zoey is Too Drunk For This Dystopia as well as his other works. They also talk about the power fiction has to comment on very real things and make you think.

For audio, please check out the Atomic Geekdom Podcast to listen in.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JASON PARGIN is the New York Times bestselling author of the John Dies at the End series as well as the award-winning Zoey Ashe novels. He previously published under the pseudonym David Wong. His essays at Cracked.com and other outlets have been enjoyed by tens of millions of readers around the world.

INTERVIEW / Jason Aydelotte aka "Mr. Miracle"

Interviewed by: Matt Spaulding & Jenny Robinson

Written By Jenny Robinson

We’re excited to have “the scariest man you never heard of” as a guest this week. We welcome Jason Aydelotte who was tuckerized as the main super villain in the recent Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International novel Cave 13 by Jonathan Maberry. A writer himself (pen name Jason Kristopher), he has nine novels published by Grey Gecko Press including the bestselling series The Dying of the Light.

Matt and I had an absolute blast chatting about geek interests (Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings and more), the process of writing, good story telling, and all of our favorite authors. Jason also has some awesome book suggestions.

We hope you enjoy this Atomic Geekdom “Book Club” chat and we can’t wait to welcome Jason back on again.

MOVIE REVIEW / Kali Karate: The 2nd Beginning

By Anita Wills

From The Blair Witch Project to Best in Show, independent filmmakers have excelled in the genre of Mockumentary film for quite some time. Sean Russel Herman’s experimental mockumentary film Kali Karate: The 2nd Beginning is complete chaos, in a good way. In his feature debut, Herman tells the story of Sensai Houston, a very bizarre martial arts enthusiast who manages to ruin the lives of everyone around him while on his journey to get his ex wife back. 

Not only did Herman write, direct, produce and edit the film, he also took on the lead role as Sensai Houston, a character he created himself that came from his own personal passion for martial arts and comedy. Fans of the Eric Andre Show will appreciate the film’s determination to make the audience uncomfortable and as well as question their own moral compass for laughing. 

Kali Karate is overflowing with different editing and cinematography styles, as well as a comic book transition drawn just for the film. On top of that, there is impressive stunt work and an original “rap” score. That being said, there is little room for the comedy to breathe. Many jokes fell flat due to the fact that there was not enough time to process them before the next one. Several small characters were introduced, but never reached any character development that helped move the story along. 

What really carried the film was the comedic chemistry between Sensai Houston and his roommate Shu played by comedic genius Shu Lan Tuan, as well as the gorgeous but sparse HBO Boxing’s 24/7 inspired shots which was interesting to see in a mockumentary film. 

The artsy dark comedy leaves you wondering, is Kali Karate a love letter to filmmaking, an overflowing introduction of Herman’s talents, or a farewell eulogy to the comedic avant garde?   

Kali Karate: The 2nd Beginning is available on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Vudu, and Google Play Movies. 

Long Beach Comic Con 2023

By Anita Wills

High quality amateur cosplayers and talented original artists helped brighten up a some-what dull Long Beach Comic Con at the Long Beach Convention Center held on September 2nd and 3rd, 2023. This year's con was in a small room smashed in between two other events which made finding the entrance very confusing. The attendees consisted of mostly families with young children, which unfortunately did not benefit the provocative professional cosplayers who acquired a booth for selling pics and making fans. 

Among the vendors selling superheroes' faces on t-shirts and stickers sat the stand out original artist Karina Gazizova. With the clever use of markers on watercolor paper, Karina creates peculiar female characters against a stark white background, “It is important for me to do monthly art challenges to push myself. A strict personal goal of mine is to support myself using only my artistic talents, so far I have been successful.” 

Notable eye-catching cosplays included a spot on Weird Barbie from the recent blockbuster film, a detailed Star Fire from DC’s Teen Titans, and a very fitting Crowley from the fantasy novel turned TV series Good Omens. Star Fire commented that she had been cosplaying for five years and also cosplays as crime fighter Black Canary, whose first appearance was in a 1947 Flash comic book. Crowley stated that they relate to the character’s backstory of a falling from grace in their own personal way.  

It’s unfortunate that the talent who made the con worthwhile had to pay out of pocket. Perhaps one day the cosplayers will unionize. What do you think? Leave a comment to join the conversation.

The Energon Universe: Skybound's First Licensed Universe

(Image of Void Rivals Issue #1 varient by Jason Howard)

By Brandon T. McClure

Since 2005, IDW Publishing has been the home of Transformers. They’ve published hundreds of issues of the Hasbro property up until December 2022. Sadly, it was revealed that IDW would be losing the license to Transformers and GI. Joe. It’s unclear if the decision to not renew was on IDW’s side or Hasbro’s side, but nonetheless the decision was made and IDW would be losing one of their most significant publishing lines. This lead many to wonder where the popular IP would land next.

Speculation began almost instantly about who would want to pick up the license going forward. Marvel, who published the very first Transformers comics, had recently regained the rights to many properties they used to have, such as Star Wars, Micronaughts, and Rom The Space Knight. Because of this, some speculated that Marvel might be interested in regaining the rights to everything, including Transformers. However, it’s been an open secret for many years that Skybound’s owner and The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman has been wanting to write Transformers comics. But he owns a creator-owned company within Image Comics, so it seemed unlikely that he would be interested in writing or publishing a comic based on something he wouldn’t be able to own. Then Void Rivals came out. 

(Image of Void Rivals Issue #1 varient by Marz Jr)

Originally solicited as a new creator-owned book from Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici (Oblivion Song), Void Rivals follows two space pilots from warring factions named Darak and Solila. The two of them crash land on a dangerous planet and have to find a way to work together so they can escape. Readers were in for a shock when they picked up this new book to find the Transformer Jetfire making a cameo. Void Rivals was Robert Kirkman revealing to the world that Skybound is the new home of Transformers and G.I. Joe. Kirkman had apparently made a deal with Hasbro in 2021 and kept it under wraps until the launch of this new issue. 

Void Rivals is just the beginning. New Transformers and G.I. Joe titles will begin in October starting with Transformers written and drawn by Daniel Warren Johnson (Murder Falcon). Soon after, two four-issue mini-series will launch called Duke and Cobra Commander, both written by Joshua Williamson (Birthright, Dark Ride). Tom Reilly, and Jordie Bellaire will join Williamson on Duke, and Andrea Milana and Annalisa Leoni will join him on Cobra Commander. In November, Larry Hama will continue his run on G.I. Joe: Real American Hero, which he started with IDW, with issue #301. The book will pick up where his last issue left off and seems to be the only comic that is continuing and not an outright reboot. However, plot details on Transformers are scarce at this time. Together with Void Rivals, these titles will form the Energon Universe.

What is really interesting about this new Energon Universe is the inclusion of Void Rivals. Decades ago, when Marvel owned the rights to publish Godzilla comics, they had Godzilla go up against all sorts of Marvel heroes. Because of this, when the license went to Dark Horse and then IDW, these comics were unable to be reprinted due to all the Marvel characters on almost every page. It’s a pretty big gamble to have a creator-owned comic like Void Rivals include a Transformer that is owned by Hasbro. Should Skybound lose the rights to the characters, Void Rivals wouldn’t be able to be reprinted in the way that Invincible or The Walking Dead currently are. However, it’s important to note that the general public doesn’t know how long this deal will last. Thinking that far in the future in the comics industry doesn’t really make sense, but it would be interesting to know why Kirkman went about it in this way and not just write a Transformers comic himself.

This is also new territory for Image Comics and its subsidiary Skybound. Both are known as creator-owned publishing companies which means every comic published by them is owned by the creators. Even as Skybound has begun to expand into multi-media formats, the creator is still the owner of the IP. With Transformers and G.I. Joe, that will no longer be the case. Daniel Warren Johnson and Joshua Williamson are great comic creators, but they will have to play by the rules set down by Hasbro for the need to protect their IP’s image. This is something that IDW Publishing got adept at handling and Skybound will no doubt have to go through some growing pains. But hopefully, Hasbro allows them some room to do some interesting things. 

This new Energon Universe certainly has potential as some of the top creators in the industry are working on it. Kirkman also mentioned that older Transformers comics will begin to be republished soon which should make fans excited considering the later Transformers comics didn’t make it to the trade market. At the end of the day, it looks like Transformers and G.I. Joe are in good hands and fans can look forward to some interesting new comics. The Energon Universe has just begun.

BOOK REVIEW + INTERVIEW / Cave 13 (A Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International Novel) by Jonathan Maberry

Matt and Jenny were joined again by one of Atomic Geekdom’s favorite authors Jonathan Maberry to discuss his August 29th, 2023 release of his 3rd book in the Rogue Team International series (15th novel for Joe Ledger and even more additional short stories) . Watch/Listen to our interview to get an inside look at the trouble RTI has gotten themselves into this time.

Join the conversation in the comments and on social media.

For a recap of our previous coverage of Joe Ledger, visit our AG Book Club post of the second book in the series: Book Review / Relentless By Jonathan Maberry

For audio, please check out the Atomic Geekdom Podcast to listen in.

CAVE 13 - A Joe Ledger and Rogue Team International Novel (Vol. 3) by Jonathan Maberry

Release Date: 08/29/2023

Published by St.Martin’s Press/ Macmillan

By Jenny Robinson

** POTIENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE ROGUE TEAM INTERNATIONAL SERIES **

It is no secret that we are huge fans of the Joe Ledger world here at Atomic Geekdom, the series (both DMS and RTI) have some of the best heroes and villains that can be found in an action/thriller story. We’ve followed Joe and his teams through some of the most terrifying missions that feel as if they can come to life in the here and now. This makes us fall in love with these figures and constantly mourn those we’ve lost along the way. Before we even cracked the spine, we knew that Cave 13 was not letting everyone out alive.

The prologue to Cave 13 is one of the most frightening starts in Joe’s book career. We are introduced to the BIG BAD, the antagonist with the contradictory name of Mr. Miracle (aka Jason Aydelotte - who is named after a fan and charity auction winner) and who looks like Santa Claus. Joe and Ghost are trapped, hurt, beaten, and time was running out. This may be the best and frustratingly great way to start a book. Every chapter you know you’re going to come to this point where Joe is compromised. You KNOW that nothing can end well with that much stacked against them. Yet we continue to turn the page as it gets darker and darker. The RTI series is pushing to be some of the finest sinister plot and character development to date.

Being the third volume in the RTI series, the first two (Rage & Relentless) not only linger but shape this world. Most of the DMS stories (Patient Zero on through Deep Silence) can easily stand as individual stories, where RTI continues as more of a serial. Yes, you can pick up Relentless without having read Rage. Same with Cave 13. Maberry does a splendid job adding enough background of the previous events for new comers while also not exasperating life long fans. Honestly, it’s a beautiful example of balance that a lot of authors can get wrong (for example, do we really need to see Bruce Wayne’s origin story again?). This is where Maberry excels. For RTI though, the more you know of the scars the characters all carry from Rage and Relentless, the more the reader is invited to walk in the valley along side them.

Doing the opposite of what I said above, let’s dive into Rage/Relentless a touch before proceeding.

At the end of Rage, Santoro murders Joe’s entire family. Only he, Ghost and Junie make it out (barely) alive. Over the years and books, we have come to know and love Joe’s family. This loss hit hard and was such a painful shock right out of the gates for RTI. This continues as a sense of reprisal in Relentless by the addition of Joe’s fourth head companion, The Darkness. The Darkness was the most horror-struck one dancing inside his brain (which may or may not have originated by Nicodemus - I still ponder that). If the Warrior/Killer is afraid of you, then of corse the Cop/Modern man may want to run and hide. Joe has had the original three riding around in his head due to some serious childhood PTSD. Joe’s scars run deep. That mindset, emotion and accountability from all of his horrors has put a lot of hesitation in the thoughts of Joe’s closes allies (like Tops and Rudy).

Cave 13 carries some of that uncertainty. Is it safe to have Joe in field?

This chapter in RTI originates with the discovery of a 13th cave containing additional Dead Sea Scrolls. And they bring a bit of history, politics, religion and war. The world is unknowingly on the brink of an interesting arms race that is set to launch catastrophic wars throughout the already troubled Middle East. Those scrolls bring a sense of magic and mayhem, sparking confusion. The best description would be a World War while high on violent hallucinogens.

A prize for the readers in this book would be the multiple teams. Not only do we follow Joe’s Havoc team, but they are working along side two additional and surprisingly awesome crews. Mr. Church has compiled a pack including himself, Sergeant Brick Anderson and Repairman Jack (yes, THAT Jack, the character from the F. Paul Wilson novels). The second team must be hands-down the favorite surprise. Lead by the one and only Alexander “Toys” Chismer, this ragtag group seeking redemption has banded together to form THE WILD HUNT. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we get more stories from this point of view. Having Toys lead missions similar (yet different ) to Joe’s but in a more devious manor, is absolutely fantastic. Because of these groups, we get to participate in the growth of these characters by thier unlikely partnerships. The growth of Toy’s relationship with Joe alone has matured so well and this volume has expanded their characters in a very unexpected and welcoming way.

The Aydelote villain, Mr.Sunday (Nicodemus), terrorist organizations and magical illusions keep you on the edge of your seat from literally the beginning to end. I’ll shy away of talking about who we lost. There are some pretty horrible losses in this book. The way we loose those friends is even rougher than anyone could have guessed. Those losses are sure to impact how RTI moves ahead. And since this book ends with so many unanswered questions, BURN TO SHINE (Volume 4 expected out next year) will definitely provide all the anxiety we love as readers. “The war is the war.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times best-seller, five-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, anthology editor, comic book writer, executive producer, magazine feature writer, playwright, and writing teacher/lecturer. He is the editor of Weird Tales Magazine and president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers. He is the recipient of the Inkpot Award, three Scribe Awards, and was named one of the Today’s Top Ten Horror Writers. His books have been sold to more than thirty countries. He writes in several genres including thriller, horror, science fiction, epic fantasy, and mystery; and he writes for adults, middle grade, and young adult.

Digimon: The Movie / Coming To Blu-ray With A Twist

By Brandon T. McClure

It’s October of 2000, and legions of Digimon fans have just sat down to watch Digimon: The Movie. The movie begins with a short film from the, then, popular series Angela Anaconda, before going through three eras of Digimon. What wasn’t widely known at the time, but is now, is that Digimon: The Movie is made up of three short films called Digimon Adventure (a prequel film), Digimon Adventure: Our War Game, and Digimon Adventure 02: Hurricane Touchdown. Up until now, there has been no legal way to watch the original three films in the United States. But that’s about to change.

Discotek Media is an American entertainment company that focuses on licensing and distributing classic Japanese anime films and TV shows. They began in 2005 and will often “rescue” shows and films when they’re abandoned by the likes of Funimation (I guess Crunchyroll now) or Viz Media. The main goal for them is to make available and in the highest possible quality, these shows and movies. Recently, they released the original first season of Digimon: Digital Monsters on Blu-ray. It had initially only been available on DVD, but Discotek remastered the series for high definition, complete with the classic English voice recordings. A second release with the original Japanese language (titled Digimon: Adventure) track is on the way. But they’ve been working hard on a surprise for fans.

At the anime convention Otakon, Discotek Media announced that they would release Digimon The Movies Collection 1 on Bluray. This collection will have a remastered version of the classic Digimon: The Movie but without the Angela Anaconda short film (No significant loss there, honestly). But the most exciting news was that the collection will feature the original uncut versions of the three short films that made up the theatrically released film. They will include not only the original Japanese language track but also a brand new dubbing featuring many of the returning actors who voiced these classic characters.

Like many anime in the late 90s and early 00s, Digimon’s English dub is notorious for its changes from the original. Much of these changes were to make the series more palatable to American kids but in many cases, the show ended up losing its emotional weight. These dubbing issues followed into the movie. Digimon: The Movie took previously unconnected stories and connected them while also adding more humorous dialogue. While the three films will have a new American language track, the goal for the translators was to keep the weight and intention of the films intact while also maintaining some nostalgic elements that long-time fans will appreciate.

One of the major selling points of the new dub is that many of the original English voice cast is returning. Some of them had already returned for Digimon Adventure Tri and will return again to provide new dialogue for these three films like Joshua Seth and Mona Marshall, who play Tai and Izzy respectively. Jill Miller and Michael Reisz, who did not return in the reunion films as Kari and Matt will also be returning. This is especially notable for Michael Reisz who had retired a number of years ago. Discotek said that “anyone who we could find & could come back is here." Sadly, in some cases, the voice actor had passed away, such as the voices for Joe and Mimi, Philece Sampler, and Michael Lindsay. These roles were recast with new actors “based on energy & giving a voice & vibe that fits what you heard almost 25 years ago."

Digimon The Movies Collection 1 will hopefully not be the only Digimon film collection Discotek puts out. The very fact that it has the label “1” indicates that they want to do more. There are certainly more Digimon films that fans would be excited to see. Digimon Adventure 02: Revenge of Diaboromon aired as a TV special in 2005 and was the last to be set in the Digimon Adventure era before the Digimon Adventure Tri films and can be found online since it was dubbed with some of the original English voice cast. It’s likely Discotek has this film as well as others from the other Digimon eras and could release them in future collections. That is most certainly the hope when it comes to fans of these classic Digimon shows since being able to own all four films would be a dream come true. 

Between this release, Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning (the next feature film) and the reboot Digimon Adventure 2020 is finally streaming on Hulu with an English dub. It’s a pretty good time to be a Digimon fan. American fans of the franchise love nostalgia and being reminded of the show and characters they first watched on Fox Kids all those years ago. Getting the opportunity to finally see the original three films that makeup Digimon: The Movie is a fun way to play off the nostalgia and deliver something new for those fans.

NIC GAUGE / Running With The Devil

MOVIE: Running With The Devil

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Laurence Fishburne, Leslie Bibb, Cole Hauser, Adam Goldberg, Peter Ficinelli, Bary Pepper

RELEASE DATE: September 20th, 2019

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Hulu, Apple TV, Amazon Prime)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

The Man (Laurence Fishburne) and The Cook (Nicolas Cage) in Running With The Devil.

I know the film business can be tough, and sometimes it’s even harder to write a cohesive story that reads well on screen. But then, there are people who make filler films. These are films that a production company puts out that are just there. They had to fill an obligation for making a film, pull a shell of a script together, and then put it out (usually straight to DVD). Running With The Devil is not the first nor the last film that does this.

What is really baffling about this movie, is that they have a pretty good cast list. On top of having Cage, you have Laurence Fishburne, Leslie Bibb, and Adam Goldberg. This could have had the makings of a decent film but the plot is very generic. A tenacious federal agent (played by Bibbs) follows the supply line of a group of experienced cocaine dealers. They are followed from origins on the farm, through the smugglers, cartel bosses and onto corrupt officials. All with the DEA trying to bring them down. I don’t really need to explain much more on the plot than that. It’s not a terribly bad one, but there were ways they could have elevated it. And that needs to start with giving your characters names.

It’s rare for me to be invested in a character when I don’t know a single thing about them, especially their name. Cage is “The Cook”, Fishburne is “The Man”, Bibbs is “The Agent In Charge”, and the trend continues from there. To the point where no one in the film ever gives anyone a name. Not a single name was uttered in this film making it frustrating to watch.

The Cook (Nicolas Cage) in Running With The Devil.

This film is going to go at the bottom end of “Terrible” on the Nic Gauge scale. Everything about this film was insignificant, but still better than a good handful of films that have also come out.

Is A Post-Harrison Ford Indiana Jones Possible?

By Brandon T. McClure

With Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in theaters, the journey of Indiana Jones has come to an end. This is not just an emotional conclusion for Indiana Jones but also for Harrison Ford. The 80-year-old actor is ready to hang up the hat and whip for good and he’s been very clear about that in every interview for this film. But, like every new entry in a long-running franchise, most people are asking one question: What’s next?

Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

The journey to make this fifth installment in the Indiana Jones franchise began shortly after the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Steven Spielberg had been feeling burnt out on Indiana Jones after Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and only returned to direct the third installment to fulfill the trilogy. But, originally Paramount and George Lucas intended there to be five films in the franchise. After trying for years to return to the world of Indiana Jones, Lucas finally convinced Spielberg to return for a fourth installment. There was interest to return for the fifth film, but Spielberg, Lucas, and Ford couldn’t agree on what that story would be. When Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney, the new president of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy, wanted to get that fifth film off the ground. When it became clear that Steven Spielberg’s heart wasn’t in returning to the iconic world he began, the decision was made to continue with a new director. James Mangold, director of films like Logan and Ford v. Ferrari was chosen to bring Indiana Jone’s journey to an emotional end.

Even though this is marketed as the end of the journey that began in 1981, many fans are wondering if there could be more stories left to tell. These days it's old hat to envision a large shared franchise of interconnected multi-media properties and it can be nice to have a definitive ending and not something that goes on forever. Indiana Jones isn’t Star Wars and it doesn’t need to be. There are plenty of books and video games to keep Indiana Jones fans satiated. There’s also an argument to be made that Indiana Jones is a character that can’t be recast.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was the last adventure with Indiana Jones in his prime because the next time audiences saw this character, he was in his 60s (Actually Indy was only 58 while Ford was 66). Because of this, many hardcore Indiana Jones fans may feel like there are no more stories coming with Indiana in his prime. Unless you were to recast the role like James Bond. Indiana Jones may have started life as a James Bond inspiration, but the character doesn’t share the one thing that has made Bond such a lasting icon: his recasting. At this point in the franchise, recasting Indiana Jones would be difficult if not downright impossible

Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

A few months ago, rumors began circulating that Lucasfilm was interested in developing a Disney+ original series set in the world of Indiana Jones. The proposed series was going to be a prequel about Indiana’s mentor, Abner Ravenwood. Abner is a character that every fan is familiar with but has never been seen onscreen due to his death prior to the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark. However, it now appears that Lucasfilm is restructuring to focus solely on Star Wars properties. Once again, rumors suggest that this series is no longer moving forward and with the cancellation of Willow, it appears that there’s no interest from Disney to allow Lucasfilm to develop anything outside of their biggest money maker once Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is released.

This rumored Abner Ravenwood series wasn’t even the first time Lucasfilm seemed interested in developing a spin-off without Indiana Jones. Before Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, rumors were rampant about future plans for Shia Labeouf’s Mutt Williams’ character. It’s entirely possible, had that character, and movie, been better received (Although it was one of the highest-grossing films of 2008 and currently holds a respectable 77% on Rotten Tomatoes) there would have been a spin-off adventure with the character. Mutt Williams was introduced in the fourth film as the son of Indiana and Marion Ravenwood, which seemed like the perfect character to take over the hat and whip. After the film, Lebeouf said “I feel like I dropped the ball on the legacy that people loved and cherished” which ended up ruining his relationship with Spielberg. While no official plans seemed to be in the works for an “Adventure of Mutt Williams” film, this seemed to squash the idea altogether.

Fans have wanted one specific Indiana Jones spin-off for decades, however. One that would center on Indiana’s one-time side-kick in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Short Round. Played by now Oscar-winning actor Ke Huy Quan, the character has been a beloved member of the franchise for years now. While the film wasn’t as well received at the time, it’s been reevaluated and admired as a misunderstood classic. Quan’s turn in Everything Everywhere All At Once has brought the actor back in a big way. He’s even a starring role in the Disney+ series American Born Chinese. Quan, himself has said he’s love to return exclaiming “Are you kidding me? I love Short Round… it would be amazing to revisit that character.” While many, rightly, feel that Quan should focus on new projects, rather than returning to a franchise he was a part of when he was 10, the actor is obviously keen to reprise the role.

The Indiana Jones franchise doesn’t need to be a franchise that spans 30 interconnected films with an Avengers-style team-up at the end to defeat Hitler. But if John Wick can get a spin-off called Ballerina, there’s room for one spin-off in the Indiana Jones franchise. That’s all fans have ever wanted, just one spin-off. One movie or show to play in the world without relying on Harrison Ford. Especially now that Ke Huy Quan is on top, Disney may want to strike while the iron is hot and greenlight a Short Round series.

There are many comics, books and video games that star Indiana Jones, including one coming before the end of the decade (we hope), so there are plenty of stories for fans to explore if they want more. It’s not necessary for the franchise to continue now that Harrison Ford is hanging up the fedora, but it could be fun to explore new places and perspectives of the world that fans love. It doesn’t need to be a Star Wars-like juggernaut mult-media franchise or a massive shared universe like the MCU. All fans have ever wanted was one more adventure. What’s so wrong about that?

Book Review/ "The Camp" by Nancy Bush

The Camp by Nancy Bush

Published by Kensington Publishing

Release 6/27/23

By Matt Spaulding

When I was looking over the list of books up for review sent to Atomic Geekdom, this phrase jumped right out at me: “Friday the 13th meets Yellowjackets…”. That' was the description given to Nancy Bush’s latest novel, The Camp, and I knew right away I had to read this book.

Set most in a summer camp, Camp Fog Lake (aka “Camp Love Shack” to the counselors), located in the Oregon woods, “The Camp” delivers on its promise of being a lot like the hit series Yellowjackets, and a little less on being like Friday the 13th, but I’ll get to that.

The book’s main characters are a group of women, Brooke, Rona, Wendy and Emma, who, when they were young, went to Camp Fog Lake during its last year of being open. While they were there, mysterious deaths occurred that were ruled a murder/suicide. But the women know some things they aren’t telling.

Here’s where things got a bit muddled up for me. While the aforementioned women are the initial main characters, in the present day of the novel we are greeted with yet another set of main characters, the younger generation: Emma’s younger (but still adult) sister Jamie and Jamie’s daughter Harley, who is set to go to the reopening of Camp Fog Lake.

Jamie and her husband, Cooper, are expecting a baby via a surrogate, Mary Jo, who once lived at Haven Commune, a mysterious religious commune very near Camp Fog Lake. Jamie is uncomfortable with Mary Jo having been in a “cult” and this sets up one of the book’s three main mysteries as she goes looking for answers when she goes to visit Harley on parents’ weekend at camp.

I won’t lie, at this part of the book, too many more side characters began to enter the story. Once Harley is at camp, we meet so many other side characters: camp counselors, camp staff, husbands of women, and members of Haven Commune. On top of that, there is a third plot line that involves murders happening away from the camp that introduces police officers. I don’t think all readers will find this parade of names a problem, but I certainly did. I often found myself unsure of who was who and forgetting relations to other characters.

Ultimately, however, not being able to keep up with all of the characters didn’t stop this book from being a great mystery. Between the mystery of what happened at Camp Fog Lake, the mystery of Haven Commune and the mystery of the murders back in town, there is no shortage of things to keep you wondering right up to the very end.

Speaking of the end. While the description of the book that caught me promised a bit of Friday the 13th, the ‘80s slasher horror really didn’t come into effect until the last fifty pages or so. So, while it was a good riff on that genre, don’t go in expecting it throughout the entire book.

Full of murder and mystery set against the backdrop of summer camp in June, The Camp is a great read for when you’re on the deck, at the beach or anywhere else you might be this summer. Dare I even say…at camp?

NIC GAUGE / Outcast

MOVIE: Outcast

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Hayden Christensen, Liu Yifei, Bill Su, Andy On, Coco Wang, Anoja Dias, Wiliam Herbert, Shane P. Zhang

RELEASE DATE: February 6th, 2015

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Roku, Vudu)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Gallain (Nicolas Cage) and Jacob (Hayden Christensen) in Outcast.

There are very few movies that I have seen that make me outright ask “What is going on?”. I can use that phrase with a few Nicolas Cage films from that “middle era” time of his career. Films that have been at the bottom of the Nic Gauge usually are littered with them. So, spoiler alert early on: Outcast is one of them.

The plot takes place during the Crusades. A young commander Jacob, (played by Hayden Christensen) leads an army to slaughter an Arab City. Soldier Gallain (played by Cage) pleads with Jacob to leave the people alone. Instead, Jacob exiles him for abandoning God’s will. Three years later in Song, China, a dying emperor names his youngest child, Prince Zhao (played by Bill Su Jianhang) as his successor,. This angers his older brother, Prince Shing (played by Andy On). Zhao escapes with his sister, Lian (played by Liu Yifei) where they must venture out to the emperor’s guards to be saved. They meet Jacob and Gallain on their adventure, and two swear to protect the young king-to-be from Shing and his Black Gaurd army.

Gallain (Nicolas Cage) in Outcast.

Outcast is a laughable film. It’s an action film that suffers from an incohesive script, terrible action sequences, and a cast that overall, feels bored and lifeless. Hayden Christensen over the years, has been a punching bag for his acting capabilities, and unfortunately, this film does not help. He lacks emotion. Every facial expression is the same, having a very sunken sad look. Nicolas Cage’s performance is not that great as well and almost comical with an over-the-top British accent. Unlike Cage’s normal flare, he felt very boring on screen. 

The film is about 90 minutes (too) long, and Cage is only in it for roughly 25 minutes overall. So, although this is a Nic Cage film, it felt a lot like he was not a huge focus. Which is fine. It’s similar to his role in Jiu Jitsu, where he was the top-billed actor, but was barely in it. Because of that and having a lack of anything else really to say about this film, it will go near the bottom of “Hot Mess” on the Nic Gauge.

NIC GAUGE / Renfield

MOVIE: Renfield

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Nicolas Hoult, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Brandon Scott Jones, Jenna Kanell, Bess Rous, Shohreh Aghdashloo

RELEASE DATE: April 14th, 2023

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Roku, Vudu)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Dracula (Nicolas Cage) in Renfield.

Growing up, I was exposed to the old Universal Monster films. Personally, Creature from the Black Lagoon is my favorite, but Dracula has always been a close second. When it was announced that Nicolas Cage was playing Dracula in a modern-day version of the classic film, I was extremely excited. At the time of writing this, it was still in some theaters, but I had to wait till it became available on VOD in order to enjoy it, due to the lack of theaters near me actually playing it. At that time, I have heard many things about this film that had me confused about what kind of experience I was in for.

After centuries of servitude to Dracula (Cage), Renfield (played by Nicolas Hoult) has had enough of his boss and is desperate to have a life out of his shadow. While going to meetings to learn about his codependency issues, he finally gets the power to find his voice, if only for a short time. When Renfield has a run-in with a crime family and befriends a cop named Rebecca (played by Awkwafina), Dracula soon learns how weak Renfield has become and decides to take matters into his own hands.

Dracula (Nicolas Cage) and Ella (Shohreh Aghdashloo) in Renfield.

Overall, this movie was everything I expected it to be. More of a comedy than a horror film, with lots of violence, and somewhat good humor. Cage and Hoult are obviously the most interesting characters of the film, Cage specifically because of how over the top he played Dracula. However, everyone else in this film kind of fell flat for me. Awkwafina and Ben Schwartz (who plays one of the crime bosses) have the majority of the more “comedic” moments. I use quotation marks because although they are mainly known for being comedy actors, I didn’t really find their jokes and timing great.

Tedward Lobo (Ben Schwartz) and Dracula (Nicolas Cage) in Renfield.

The other problems I had were, for a film that is 1½ hour runtime, the story feels nonexistent. They rush through a lot of plot with hardly any story to tell. Just characters giving their backstories so it can be used as plot fodder later. I wish they spent more time on the character’s relationships with each other. Even the Dracula/Renfield relationship felt like it suffered from pacing. The runtime felt like it was more dedicated to violence and fighting. Which, although fun to watch with creative kills, the cartoonish effects of the blood spraying off bodies was too distracting.

Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) and Dracula (Nicolas Cage) in Renfield.

Yes, this film was fun, but not as strong as I hoped it would be. Cage carries this film and as I said earlier, the violence and fighting are fun. But the story and effects bring it down a significant level. This film is going to the lower end of “Good” on the Nic Gauge.

COUNT DOWN #27: Iron Man’s PTSD

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• Iron Man’s PTSD •

MOMENT# 27

MOVIE: Iron Man 3

DIRECTORS: Shane Black

WRITERS: Drew Pearce & Shane Black

Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) in Iron Man 3.

Marvel is often considered a comic book company with more relatable superheroes. Readers point to Spider-Man’s struggles or Iron Man’s alcoholism as examples of this. The heroes of the Marvel universe would often go through similar personal struggles that the readers would. This allows readers to relate to the characters in a way that they felt they couldn’t with characters like Superman or Green Lantern. Translating this to the MCU was instrumental in the long-running success of the franchise. In the third Iron Man film, Tony Stark is reeling from the events of The Avengers and can’t find a way to move past his near-death experience. In short, he had PTSD.

Iron Man 3 is a curious anomaly in the MCU. While Marvel had already been sold to Disney by the time of The Avengers, Iron Man 3 was still produced by Paramount Pictures. Shane Black stepped in to direct this film when Jon Favreau declined to return. It was the first of the solo franchises to finish their trilogy, which left the future of Iron Man in question until Avengers: Age of Ultron. The hype coming off of The Avengers also propelled this film to $1 billion. Finally, while it’s seen somewhat of a reevaluation over the years, it’s still not remembered all that fondly by the larger fandom. All this is to say that the history surrounding Iron Man 3 is kind of weird. Seriously, it’s the only film in the Infinity Saga that had a separate cut screened for Chinese audiences (But that’s a whole other thing).

In Iron Man 3, Tony is having trouble moving on from the Battle of New York. During the battle, Tony took a nuclear bomb through the portal and nearly didn’t make it back. Now that things have gone back to normal, he’s having trouble going back to his life. “You experience things and then they’re over and you still can’t explain them,” he says to Pepper after she confronts him. While this is happening, a series of bombings are taking place around the United States that are being linked to a terrorist known as The Mandarin. Tony takes it upon himself to uncover The Mandarin’s true plans but he’s having a difficult time due to his undiagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. 

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in Iron Man 3.

PTSD is largely considered to be a disorder that only develops in soldiers that have seen combat. But it’s far more common than that. PTSD can develop in any person who’s been exposed to a traumatic event. Sexual assault, car crashes, domestic violence, or emotional abuse can all result in PTSD or its symptoms. It stands to reason then that any man who suffers a near-death experience would develop this disorder. Tony experiences all the hallmark symptoms and doesn’t know how to handle them. During one severe anxiety attack, he denies it happened and runs away. He can’t sleep because his nightmares are plagued with the memories of the battle and the move that almost cost him his life. Of course, this is also a science fiction superhero movie, so the movie uses Tony’s suits as an allegory. He’s trying to make sure that he’s prepared for next time, rather than dealing with the issue he’s dealing with now.

These days, mental disorders like PTSD are taken more seriously than they used to be and this is actually where Iron Man 3 fails. Pepper and Rhodey don’t take Tony’s illness seriously. Pepper’s reactions are pretty common for partners of people who suffer from PTSD in fairness. She loves Tony but can’t understand why he’s changed. Rhodey’s reactions are a bit more questionable since he’ll sometimes make a joke at Starks expense. It’s only strange because Rhodey is a soldier, but this was indicative of the time. Things have gotten better over the years, but these misgivings don’t negate the importance of Iron Man 3 showing Tony with PTSD. Art has a profound effect on the world and can lead to a path of normalization for things that aren’t considered “normal” (for lack of a better word). Iron Man 3 proudly made it known that the battle didn’t end for Stark when the Avengers went for Shawarama, it continued into his everyday life.

Tony Start/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) in Iron Man 3.

Throughout the movie, Tony learns to open up about his problems which aren’t easy. Luckily the trials that Tony is put through in the movie, send him on a clear path of healing and he’s able to learn to cope and live with the disorder (although it does lead to him making Ultron…). By destroying all his new Iron Man suits, Tony symbolically learns that he doesn’t need them anymore and that there is a clearer and safer path to healing. Something that every person who suffers from PTSD would like to learn. Through this hero, PTSD victims see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Iron Man 3 is a far more important entry in the Infinity Saga than people are willing to give it credit for. Truthfully it’s time for the narrative around Iron Man 3 to change. It’s a well-shot, well-written film, with great action set pieces, and a story about a hero struggling with a disorder that millions struggle with. Marvel likes to say it’s home to the relatable hero, and Iron Man 3 delivered one of the most relatable stories that had ever been seen in a superhero film at that point. Because of this, Iron Man’s PTSD remains an important moment in the Infinity Saga.

SOPHIA'S SECOND LOOK: Drop Dead Fred

By Sophia Anita Reyes ( @sophia_toto_girlpower )

I recently rewatched Drop Dead Fred, the 1991 dark comedy/fantasy film for the first time since I was about 11 years old. I am unsure why I had such fond happy memories of this misunderstood box office flop. After watching the film as a 34 year old woman, I was in an immobile physical state of shock. I sat there for about 10 mins alternating from sobbing my eyes out, to staring at the wall with my mouth wide open thinking “What the hell did I just watch?” and “What are these feelings I am feeling?!” 

Drop Dead Fred is about a grown woman named Elizabth whose agent of chaos, childhood imaginary friend Fred, comes back to help her take control of her life. Her life that is very much in the hands of her ultra dominant, power tripping mother who Fred likes to call “the Mega bitch”, and her manipulative weasel like fiancé. The film has many flashbacks of the destruction and ruin that Fred and Elizabth caused, which drove her mother to insanity. 

Drop Dead Fred (Rik Mayall) and Elizabeth “Lizzie” (Phoebe Cates) in Drop Dead Fred.

I have this gut feeling that there is one important question that no one asked on set or during production, not the producers, the actors, or even the director. The question is, who is this movie for? Is it for kids? The whole family? Or the scariest answer.. is it for me? After I was able to come out of my immobile state of shock, I realized that the film is a grotesque but beautiful guide on how to love your younger self by battling your childhood trauma. That’s when I also realized that yes, this film is for me, someone who has had trouble challenging authority since a young age and staying away from manipulative weasels. Along with being a movie that will completely just fuck with your un-dealt emotions, it is kind of a cinematic masterpiece in itself. The story progression, character development, set design, special effects makeup, et cetera, are all flawless. There are no holes in this film, no dull moments. The most powerful scene is at the very end when Elizabeth becomes so overwhelmed with her trauma that she passes out and takes a trip into her imagination and back to her childhood home with Fred, where it is time to face her biggest fears.

Elizabeth “Lizzie” (Phoebe Cates) and Drop Dead Fred (Rik Mayall) in Drop Dead Fred.

The inside of the immaculate house is enormous and dark. Menacing shadows looming everywhere and furniture with edges so sharp they look like they could cut you. Elizabeth uses her imagination to navigate the intimidating home. Standing there as a grown woman she puts her hands on her temples, shuts her eyes. Suddenly a giant beautiful tree grows in the middle of the foyer. This particular moment really gutted me. Seeing a grown woman confidently tap into her imagination to solve a problem was a shocking sight to see. Using your imagination is what children do, not adults. We grew up, we are not allowed to be silly or fantastical anymore. Fred and Elizabeth climb the tree, but unfortunately her mother is waiting at the top of the stairs, guarding Elizabeth's childhood bedroom door, not allowing them to pass. 

Elizabeth fearlessly screams “I’m not afraid of you!” in her mother’s face and after hearing this, the mother bursts into epic flames. At this point, my face is soaked with tears, how could this film get under my skin any deeper than it already has? Well you just wait. 

 In the beginning of the film, Elizabeth's mother has had enough of her tiny daughter’s rebellion and duct tapes Fred back into his jack in the box so he can never escape again. When grown up Elizabth opens the bedroom door that her mother was guarding, she finds her childhood self duct taped to the bed. Elizabeth tears the duct tape away and gives her younger self a big hug, telling her “we don’t have to be afraid anymore”. The duct tape represents the constricting restraint that the mother had over Elizabeth, and the tearing represents Elizabeth using her voice and taking the power back.  Do you understand now why I was in such a state of vulnerability and shock?

Drop Dead Fred (Rik Mayall) and Elizabeth’s mother Polly (Marsha Mason) in Drop Dead Fred.

To be honest, I’m not surprised that his film was a giant flop. No one understood it, but most importantly, no one cared to try and understand it. If they did, they would see that it is a beautifully dark film that challenges its audience to be vulnerable, and to not be ashamed of using your imagination. 

NIC GAUGE / The Frozen Ground

MOVIE: The Frozen Ground

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Vanessa Hudgens, 50 Cent, Radha Mitchel, Dean Norris, Gia Mantegna, Olga Valentian

RELEASE DATE: August 23rd, 2013

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Roku, Vudu)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Sgt. Jack Halcombe (Nicolas Cage) in The Frozen Ground.

I have never really fallen for films that start with the “based on a true story”. Most of the time, they do have some merit, but for obvious reasons, to make it entertaining for the audience, certain aspects will be embellished. Obviously, names, places, and events will be changed in certain cases in order to protect people, and I understand that. But, I still don’t put 100% face value beyond these films and how much they decide to change or enhance.

The Frozen Ground is based on the crimes of real-life serial killer Robert Hansen. Detective Jack Halcombe (played by Cage) discovers the body of a young woman buried in the Alaskan wilderness, which leads him to a string of similar murders linked to Robert Hansen (played by John Cusack). However, due to lack of evidence, nothing ever stuck to convict until a young girl named Cindy (played by Vanessa Hudgens) escaped Hansen’s grasp. She provides Halcombe with the means to reopen the cases and go after Hansen again.

Sgt. Lyle Haugsven (Dean Norris) and Sgt. Jack Halcombe (Nicolas Cage) in The Frozen Ground.

The film itself is fine. Cage, Hudgens, and Cusack pull out really good performances for a film that is overall, fine. I don’t know how much of this film is true, but while looking up the events, it seems the majority may be. So, in reviewing this film, I honestly don’t want to give too much praise to a serial killer. So, going to keep this short and sweet by saying that this film will land smack dab in the middle of “OK” on the Nic Gauge.

Star Trek Needs Star Trek: Legacy

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

It’s a crazy time to be a Star Trek fan right now. Five shows have been released since 2017’s Star Trek: Discovery with a sixth one on the way. Currently Star Trek: Picard is airing its third and final season which sees the return of the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. This season has been better received than the previous two seasons and that’s got the fans begging for more. Turns out the showrunner for this season of Star Trek: Picard has plans to continue the story, should Paramount be interested, through a show called Star Trek: Legacy.

When Star Trek: Picard first aired on CBS All Access (Which became Paramount+) in 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the series saw an older retired Jean-Luc Picard now living in his family's vineyard, content with making wine for the rest of his life. But a young being, who claimed to be Data’s daughter, sought him out and set him off on a new journey that took him to new worlds with a new crew. This season was ran by Michael Chabon, who would leave during the production of season 2 due to a massive contract he signed to develop more in the world of Star Trek. This, however, has yet to come of anything. Terry Matalas took over the show and season 2 was released in 2022. That season saw Q return to help Picard come to terms with the death of his mother. As ambitious as those two seasons were, they were generally not loved by the fandom at large. But season 3 had a lot of promise.

After being contacted by Beverly Crusher, Picard reconnects with Captain William Riker to help him find her. While this is going on, Raffi, a character introduced in the first season, is uncovering a plot to destroy the Federation. This is all connected and sets the stage for a story that would be filled with nostalgic callbacks, returning cast, and exciting new characters. Terry Matalas and his crew of writers, production designers, directors, and more, crafted a season that harkened back to the 90s era of Trek, which is commonly referred to as the golden age. Star Trek: Picard season 3 is capable of standing on its own without the support of the first two seasons and operates as a legacy sequel to not just Star Trek: The Next Generation, but Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. 

William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in Star Trek: Picard

With any legacy sequel, there need to be characters to pick up the mantle from the older generation. That’s where Star Trek: Picard truly shines. While some characters already had kids, like Worf’s long-forgotten son Alexander, or Riker and Troi’s daughter Kestra, this season introduces Jack Crusher as the son of Picard and Beverly. What’s more, this season also introduces Geordi’s children in the form of Alandra and Sydney LaForge. The frustrating thing about these characters is that fans like them. They like them a lot and there are not that many episodes left with them (1 at the time of this writing). It’s a good problem to have, certainly, but many fans are wondering if these characters will ever be seen again.

Lt. Commander La Forge (LeVar Burton) and Alandra La Forge (Mica Burton) in Star Trek: Picard

This is where Star Trek: Legacy comes in. Terry Matalas’ proposed spin-off of Star Trek: Picard would pick up after the events of the series and seemingly feature these characters that fans have fallen in love with. Matalas is talking to everyone about this show (except for me) in the hopes of gaining interest in it. When speaking with TrekMovie.com he spoke about how he feels the 25th century, the year that Star Trek: Picard is set, is the present day of the Star Trek universe, and that he would love to explore what the century looks like around the galaxy. “Boy, wouldn’t you want to check in with the Klingon Empire? Wouldn’t you want to check in with Deep Space Nine and The Doctor [from Voyager] and everything that went on with the Berman-verse?” He adds that he would like to “explore the galaxy and sort of get back to the Next Gen roots of storytelling” and that that is the “kind of version of Star Trek I’d like to see, with this group of characters that we’re seeing”.

Strangely enough, this is not new territory for fans. When Star Trek: Discovery aired its second season, it introduced Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, the second captain of the USS Enterprise. Captain Pike took command of the USS Discovery for a mission to search for Spock, whose disappearance was related to a mission that threatened the galaxy. Anson Mount’s Captain Pike and the other two returning characters Spock and Number One were so well received that fans began demanding a series focused on them. Eventually, Paramount+ gave in to fan demand and greenlit Star Trek: Strange New Worlds in May of 2020. When it was released in 2022, it was an instant hit with new and old fans alike. Now, Trek fans are being called on once again to campaign for Star Trek: Legacy. 

Paramount+ has already announced a new show in the form of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, but that’ll most likely be set in the future of Star Trek: Discovery, which leaves a gap of time not being explored by the franchise. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is set in the mid-23rd century, just before Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: Lower Decks and Prodigy are set in the early 2380s, which technically makes every Star Trek show on the air a prequel series. There’s still plenty of room for a series set in the early 25th century, the “present” of the Star Trek timeline as Terry Matalas said. The show could continue to explore strange new worlds and pick up characters that fans haven’t seen in ages. Characters from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine like Ezrie Dax, Bashir, or even Miles O’Brien (who let's face it, should have been in this season of Star Trek: Picard). There is plenty of room for a show that deals with nostalgia while also paving the way for the “next generation”.

There is a legitimate fear with Star Trek: Legacy that is worth bringing up. Star Trek has never been a nostalgia machine. It’s always been a franchise that’s more concerned with moving forward than backward. In fairness, this changed with the 2009 film Star Trek, and the current era has been struggling with that ever since. Both the first seasons of Star Trek: Discovery and Picard were less concerned with nostalgia than doing something new and the fans were not receptive to that. Sure, it probably had more to do with creative choices, but studios often take the wrong lessons from these things. Star Trek: Lower Decks is a show built upon reference jokes to past Trek and was very well received when it launched. So Star Trek: Legacy could be more interested in looking backward than forwards. Ideally, that wouldn’t be the case. The show would hopefully not center around nostalgia and only sprinkle it in when the story called for it. For the most part, that is how season 3 of Star Trek: Picard has been structured so there’s no reason to think that Star Trek: Legacy would be any different.

Following a story about the kids of the crew of Enterprise D is incredibly appealing because they’re good characters that fans have enjoyed. Perhaps Kestra Troi-Riker joins the USS Titan with Sydney LaForge at the helm and her sister Alandra in Engineering. Captain Seven of Nine and her first officer/girlfriend Commander Raffi Musiker at the conn. The cast is already there and waiting to explore the final frontier of the 25th century. Hell, maybe they’ll finally remember Alexander. One thing is for sure, if this is the last time we see these new characters, it’ll be a shame.

COUNT DOWN #28: The Hellicarrier

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments. 

• The Hellicarrier •

MOMENT# 28

MOVIE: The Avengers

DIRECTORS: Joss Whedon

WRITERS: Joss Whedon & Zak Penn

Bruce Banner / Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Steve Rogers / Captain America (Chris Evans) in The Avengers.

Most fans would argue that the MCU’s early success came from them taking the source material seriously where other comic book films hadn’t. Something that’s overlooked in that argument is the way early MCU writers and directors were able to interpret and reinvent the source material and make them more digestible to the mainstream audience. Captain America didn’t wear red, white, and blue spandex, instead wore a red, white, and blue military uniform. Thor wasn’t a god, he was an alien. There are many examples of this that led comic book fans to believe that the more outlandish elements would never be adapted. But then a giant aircraft carrier lifted out of the ocean and into the sky.

The Avengers came out in 2012 and was the final film of what became known as “Phase One”. It saw the heroes of the previous movies unite to save the world from the evil Loki and his army of Chitauri warriors. The movie also shines more light on the mysterious organization that had been introduced in the background of the previous films called S.H.I.E.L.D. While Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury had appeared in every phase one movie with the exception of The Incredible Hulk, much about the organization he ran was still a mystery. Comic book fans were left wondering if the flying base that S.H.I.E.L.D. and Fury called home would ever make an appearance in the new franchise. Luckily they didn’t have to wait long.

The Helicarrier is a flying aircraft carrier originally created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the pages of Strange Tales #135, all the way back in 1965. It’s often depicted as the signature ship for S.H.I.E.L.D. and is one of the most iconic vehicles in Marvel Comics. Because of its iconic status, fans had hoped that Marvel Studios would find a way to incorporate it down the line. While it certainly seemed a little unreasonable to expect it in the first Avengers movie, perhaps it was possible the flying ship could show up in the second or third. Luckily Kevin Feige and co. were just as eager to incorporate it as fans were.

In order to deal with the threat of Loki, Fury assembles the mightiest heroes of Earth on an aircraft career in the middle of the ocean. Just after Captain America and Bruce Banner meet on the carrier, Natasha tells them to head inside because it’ll get hard to breathe. Certainly, a weird thing to say about an aircraft carrier. Steve wonders if they’re in some fancy new submarine, but the truth was much cooler (or “worse” as Banner puts it). As the water around the ship begins to swirl, four large turbine engines rise out of the water. With these engines in place, the aircraft carrier rises out of the ocean and into the air, revealing the Helicariar to millions of people watching The Avengers.

The Hellicarrier in The Avengers.

It’s hard to understate how big of a deal this moment was in 2012. The Dark Knight trilogy and X-Men films were some of the biggest names in comics, but both seemed to be ashamed of their source material. Audiences were conditioned to believe that the source material was “silly” and that the medium of film could legitimize it by stripping away the more fantastical elements. Compared to the things that Marvel Studios is doing now, the Hellicarier is small potatoes, but in 2012 it rewrote the brain chemistry of every comic fan watching. These things weren’t “silly” anymore. A Hellicarier was featured in a movie that made over $1 billion.

The Hellicarier was the first in a long line of promises that Marvel Studios would make to their fans. By including the Hellicarier in The Avengers, the creatives behind Marvel were telling the audience that nothing was off limits anymore. Comic books weren’t something to be ashamed of when making the adaptations, they were something to be taken seriously. Sure, the Hellicarier isn’t the reason why The Avengers passed the billion-dollar mark, but fans could rest easy knowing that the comics they loved were respected.

Will Willow Return From Beyond The Shattered Sea?

By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

In 1988 Lucasfilm released a new fantasy epic directed by Ron Howard called Willow. The film starred Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer and followed their journey to protect a baby, named Elora Dannon, who was prophesied to save the world. Warwick Davis played the titular character of Willow, a Nelwyn who yearns to be a sorcerer. The movie was a moderate success but didn’t kickstart a new fantasy franchise. But discussions for a sequel TV series picked up in 2005 with the series going into official pre-production in 2019. Finally, Willow was released on Disney+ in 2022 only to be canceled a few months later.

Acting as a legacy sequel to the 1988 film, Willow sees the return of Warwick Davis as Willow Ufgood. He’s called upon when Queen Sorsha’s son is taken by an evil witch known as the Crone. The series introduces new characters to the franchise such as Boorman, Graydon, and Kit and reintroduces Elora Dannon as a young girl with no knowledge of who she was meant to be. During their quest, Willow has to train Elora to fight the Crone and learn the secrets of the new villains, The Order of the Wyrm.

Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis) in Willow.

For a number of weeks after its release, Willow was one of the top 10 most streamed shows and its critic score on Rotten Tomatoes was a respectable 86%. The show received plenty of praise for its humor, action, and queer romance at the center. It’s not often that family fantasy shows center around a lesbian romance. It consisted of likable characters and respected the world of the movie in ways that allowed it to grow and expand. The final episode ended with a tease that this story would span three seasons, which proved that there was confidence and a plan. So it came as a blow when Deadline reported that Willow had been canceled by Disney+.

Willow isn’t the first show to get that axe from Disney+. With the streaming bubble looking like it’s about to burst, many streaming services are cutting down on the amount of shows they produce exclusively. Long gone are the days when streaming shows would grow an audiences, but now the days of content overload might be behind us. Shows like Big Shot and Mighty Ducks: Game Changers (another legacy sequel) were canceled shortly before this news about Willow dropped. But, according to showrunner Jonathan Kasden (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), hope is not lost.

Kasden went to Twitter after this news dropped to explain the circumstances surrounding Willow’s future. According to the showrunner, Disney and Lucasfilm are still interested in the show but season 2 wasn’t going to film in 2023. The decision was made to release the cast and crew from their contracts so that they may pursue other opportunities while the writing staff polishes the scripts for the next season. He compared the wait for season 2 to the 34-year wait between the movie and the show, which didn’t give the confidence he was likely hoping it would. If this was just a case of letting contracts laps, then no one told the actors. Throughout the day when the news of its cancelation dropped, the actors took to social media to console each other and fans about the disappointing news. If Kasden was truly confident that there would another season, perhaps he should have told his cast first.

Jade (Erin Kellyman) and Princess Tanthalos (Ruby Cruz) in Willow.

A rumor came out recently that Bob Iger, who was recently reinstated as head of Disney, mandated that Lucasfilm focus on developing Star Wars projects and not any others. What the general public at large may not be aware of, is that Lucasfilm has three original IP’s that belong to their company: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Willow. While Disney+ has become home to many successful Star Wars shows and a new Indiana Jones movie is being released this year, Lucasfilm has struggled when it comes to where they want to take Star Wars on the big screen. Every few months, a director and writer are hired to develop a new film only for them to leave months later. Perhaps the cancelation of Willow is a casualty of that. Should this rumored mandate be true, then Lucasfilm would only be allowed to make and produce Star Wars related films and shows, and their other IP would just go back on the shelf collecting dust. There’s no room for three seasons of Willow when there’s a Star Wars movie to be made.

There are a lot of potential reasons for why Willow could have been canceled. There’s also the hopeful possibility that it hasn’t been, and besides, plenty of shows have been saved from cancelation before. A show like Willow doesn’t come along every day. Its cancelation follows a concerning trend of sapphic-centered TV shows being canceled (this news dropped days after it was reported that A League of Their Own was “canceled”). But with a writers strike on the horizon and streaming services hemorrhaging money, Willow is just very likely to be just another casualty of the end of the golden age of streaming.

NIC GAUGE / The Humanity Bureau

MOVIE: The Humanity Bureau

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Jakob Davies, Destee Klyne, Sarah Lind, Hugh Dillon, Vicelous Reon, Nikolas Filipovic, Kurt Max Runte

RELEASE DATE: April 6th, 2018

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Peacock, Ruku, Tubi, Pluto TV)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Noah Kross (Nicolas Cage) and Rachel Weller (Sarah Lind) in The Humanity Bureau.

I always find it interesting to look at the world we live in and when there is a movie that comes out that is based on the future. Especially when you get close to when that future film has taken place. Great examples are The Purge which takes place in 2022, Soylent Green which also takes place in 2022, and Blade Runner which takes place in 2019. My point is, we like to see if the events actually come about, even in a joking manner. Considering how things on Earth currently have been going, it will be interesting to see if the events of The Humanity Bureau come to pass, even just a sliver of it.

It’s the year 2030, and global warming and economic recession have turned a majority of the American Midwest into a deserted wasteland. In order to combat this, a government agency called the Humanity Bureau was born. Its purpose is to exile members of society that they deemed unproductive and banish them to a colony called New Eden. Humanity Bureau caseworker, Noah Kross (played by Cage) is investigating a case appeal by single mother Rachel (played by Sarah Lind) and son Lukas (played by Jakob Davies). Kross learns the truth of what New Eden actually is and decides to protect Rachel and Lukas from Kross’s boss, Adam Westinghouse (played by Hugh Dillon).

Noah Kross (Nicolas Cage) in The Humanity Bureau.

As I said before, when movies take place in the future actually reach that time frame, we like to revisit those movies and compare if those films got it right. Obviously, we haven’t been eating people like in Soylent Green and we don’t have a lot of the technology that is showcased in Bladerunner, but with something like global warming, The Humanity Bureau does kind of hit a little closer to home. However, we won’t know for sure until we get there.

Beyond that, this film is very much a cut-and-paste Nicolas Cage thriller. Cage’s character gets invested in a woman for some reason, goes against his work to protect her, and gun fights and car chases ensue. The CGI in this film is not the greatest, especially the green screen behind Cage while he is driving. Because of its generic nature overall and the uneventful acting and plot, it will rank pretty low on the Nic Gauge. However, the kind of social commentary on global warming does give it a slight leg up from some others, so it sits in the middle of “Terrible”.