Kenneth Branagh is the first new addition to the cast of ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’.
Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci are all back for the sequel.
Writer Aline Brosh McKenna and director David Frankel are also returning.
The last time we reported on the sequel to 2006 comedy drama ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ it was still lurking in development, without a full commitment from the cast to return.
As per the Instagram post below, the sequel is now in production, meaning that it’ll be on screens next year, just in time for the 20th anniversary of the original.
(L to R) Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Adapted by Aline Brosh McKenna from Lauren Weisberger’s novel and directed by David Frankel, the original follows Andy Sachs (Hathaway), a recent journalism graduate who moves to New York City and lands a job as a junior assistant to Miranda Priestly (Streep), the powerful and demanding editor-in-chief of high-fashion magazine Runway, with Blunt as Emily, Priestly’s primary aide.
Andy initially struggles with the high-pressure environment and Miranda’s relentless demands but gradually adapts, gaining confidence and style. As she becomes more involved in her work, she faces personal challenges, including a strained relationship with her boyfriend, Nate (Adrian Grenier), and ethical dilemmas about the fashion industry’s values.
The movie was a hit, earning close to $125 million in the US and more than $326 million worldwide. Streep was nominated for an Oscar along with costume designer Patricia Field.
What would the new movie be about?
Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in 2006’s ‘The Devil Wears Prada .’
With the cast all back for this one, the sequel’s plot would reportedly pick up the story with Priestly still the head of Runway, but the magazine has endured the financial headwinds of contemporary publishing and is in a diminished state.
Blunt’s one-time assistant would now be an executive at a luxury brand conglomerate that advertises with Runway.
Entertainment Weekly has confirmed that Grenier won’t be back, but we do know that Branagh will be playing Miranda Priestly’s husband, which as anyone who has seen the first film knows, is not an easy gig given the hard-charging, perfectionist character’s style.
Behind the scenes, McKenna has written the new script and Frankel is once again calling the shots.
What else is happening in the ‘Devil Wears Prada’ world?
Anne Hathaway in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
In addition to the sequel, a musical adaptation with an original score by Elton John, is playing in London’s West End.
That one follows an airman whose reconnaissance mission over Soviet territory goes awry, forcing him to crash-land and survive in Russian wilderness while evading capture or rescue.
It also stars Ryan Reynolds and Maria Bakalova, and is reportedly going to be released in September, though there has been little promotion for it so far.
Finally, there is a movie, currently called ‘Atonement’ (which may change given the slightly well known 2008 drama), which sees a troubled marine seeking to reconcile with the survivors of an Iraqi family he and his unit fired on back in 2003, that one, with Reed Van Dyk in the director’s chair, is in pre-production.
When will ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ be in theaters?
The sequel is currently scheduled for a May 1st, 2026 release, which should make fans of the original, who have anticipated a follow-up, happy.
(L to R) Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
A sequel to the live-action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ is in development.
Disney is hoping for another hit.
There are no details on a creative team yet.
All it took to get Disney back on the live-action bandwagon was one hit.
It was, at least, a big hit as the live-action remake of 2002 animated outing ‘Lilo & Stitch’ has been making piles of money at the box office since it hit theaters at the end of May.
The movie, which follows an adorable blue alien creature crash landing on Earth in Hawaii and bonding with a young girl, has made more than $400,000 domestically and is climbing towards a billion worldwide.
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Which means that Disney –– which had been considering scaling down its animated-to-live-action pipeline after the lack of success with ‘Snow White’ –– is now developing a ‘Stitch’ sequel, which will see the critter getting up to more chaos.
The studio made the announcement in a social media post featuring Stitch himself…
It’s certainly welcome news for Disney, which has also seen trouble with Pixar’s ‘Elio’ –– the latest original title from the Emeryville company that resides under the Mouse House’s banner –– which has struggled against competition for family audiences from ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (which represents Disney rivals DreamWorks getting in on the animation-to-live-action movement) and ‘Stitch’ itself.
While there are small tweaks to the narrative, the 2025 ‘Lilo & Stitch’ outing largely recycles the ‘toon version’s tale of an alien experiment who escapes from the outer space lab where it was created, steals a spaceship and crashes on Earth, where he is adopted by Lilo (Maia Kealoha) and older sister Nani (Sydney Elizebeth Agudong).
The creature creates all sorts of problems for the siblings with his anarchic ways, but he comes to learn the true meaning of “Ohana” –– family.
Despite the announcement, Disney has yet to confirm any details for a creative team this time around. We’d imagine Camp will get first crack at directing and the writers may already be at work on a new script.
Kealoha and Agudong are likely to be back as Lilo and Nani, and much of the cast would probably return (unless the new movie takes place in an entirely new location).
There’s precedent for this –– the original has long since spawned sequels (mostly straight to home entertainment) and TV series.
And not forgetting the billions in Stitch-themed merchandising sales.
When will the ‘Lilo & Stitch’ sequel be in theaters?
Pixar Animation Studios has changed the game when it comes to animated feature films.
For almost 30 years the Northern California studio has delivered some of the most critically acclaimed and beloved animated films of all time including ‘Up‘, ‘WALL-E‘, ‘Ratatouille‘, ‘Soul‘ and ‘Coco‘, as well as such popular franchises as ‘Toy Story‘, ‘Cars‘, ‘Finding Nemo‘, ‘The Incredibles‘ and ‘Inside Out‘.
The studio’s latest movie, ‘Elio‘, which features the voice work of recent Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña, opens in theaters on June 20th.
In honor of Pixar’s new film, Moviefone is ranking every movie Pixar has ever made, including their latest.
Legendary Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear (Chris Evans) embarks on an intergalactic adventure alongside a group of ambitious recruits and his robot companion Sox.
Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician (Cristela Alonzo) with her own plan to win, inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet (Paul Newman), and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn’t through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing’s biggest stage!
Star race car Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) and his pal Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) head overseas to compete in the World Grand Prix race. But the road to the championship becomes rocky as Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage.
In a city where fire, water, land and air residents live together, a fiery young woman (Leah Lewis) and a go-with-the-flow guy (Mamoudou Athie) will discover something elemental: how much they have in common.
A look at the relationship between Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sulley (John Goodman) during their days at Monsters University — when they weren’t necessarily the best of friends.
Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson), a hotshot rookie race car driven to succeed, discovers that life is about the journey, not the finish line, when he finds himself unexpectedly detoured in the sleepy Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. On route across the country to the big Piston Cup Championship in California to compete against two seasoned pros, McQueen gets to know the town’s offbeat characters.
In a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers (Tom Holland and Chris Pratt) embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there.
Brave is set in the mystical Scottish Highlands, where Mérida (Kelly Macdonald) is the princess of a kingdom ruled by King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). An unruly daughter and an accomplished archer, Mérida one day defies a sacred custom of the land and inadvertently brings turmoil to the kingdom. In an attempt to set things right, Mérida seeks out an eccentric old Wise Woman and is granted an ill-fated wish. Also figuring into Mérida’s quest — and serving as comic relief — are the kingdom’s three lords: the enormous Lord MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd), the surly Lord Macintosh (Craig Ferguson), and the disagreeable Lord Dingwall (Robbie Coltrane).
Elio (Yonas Kidreab), a space fanatic with an active imagination, finds himself on a cosmic misadventure where he must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be.
Luca (Jacob Tremblay) and his best friend Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer) experience an unforgettable summer on the Italian Riviera. But all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface.
On behalf of “oppressed bugs everywhere,” an inventive ant named Flik (Dave Foley) hires a troupe of warrior bugs to defend his bustling colony from a horde of freeloading grasshoppers led by the evil-minded Hopper (Kevin Spacey).
Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) is reunited with her friends Nemo (Hayden Rolence) and Marlin (Albert Brooks) in the search for answers about her past. What can she remember? Who are her parents? And where did she learn to speak Whale?
Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) springs into action to save the day, while Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) faces his greatest challenge yet – taking care of the problems of his three children.
Teenager Riley’s (Kensington Tallman) mind headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale) and Disgust (Liza Lapira), who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety (Maya Hawke) shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone.
Lovable Sulley (John Goodman) and his wisecracking sidekick Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) are the top scare team at Monsters, Inc., the scream-processing factory in Monstropolis. When a little girl named Boo wanders into their world, it’s the monsters who are scared silly, and it’s up to Sulley and Mike to keep her out of sight and get her back home.
Thirteen-year-old Mei (Rosalie Chiang) is experiencing the awkwardness of being a teenager with a twist – when she gets too excited, she transforms into a giant red panda.
Andy heads off to Cowboy Camp, leaving his toys to their own devices. Things shift into high gear when an obsessive toy collector named Al McWhiggen (Wayne Knight), owner of Al’s Toy Barn kidnaps Woody (Tom Hanks). Andy’s toys mount a daring rescue mission, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) meets his match and Woody has to decide where he and his heart truly belong.
What if mankind had to leave Earth and somebody forgot to turn the last robot off? After hundreds of years doing what he was built for, WALL•E (Ben Burtt) discovers a new purpose in life when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE (Elissa Knight). EVE comes to realize that WALL•E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet’s future, and races back to space to report to the humans. Meanwhile, WALL•E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets into motion one of the most imaginative adventures ever brought to the big screen.
Jamie Foxx voices Joe Gardner in Pixar’s ‘Soul’. Photo: Pixar.
Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) is a middle school teacher with a love for jazz music. After a successful audition at the Half Note Club, he suddenly gets into an accident that separates his soul from his body and is transported to the You Seminar, a center in which souls develop and gain passions before being transported to a newborn child. Joe must enlist help from the other souls-in-training, like 22 (Tina Fey), a soul who has spent eons in the You Seminar, in order to get back to Earth.
Woody (Tom Hanks) has always been confident about his place in the world and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that’s Andy or Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw). But when Bonnie adds a reluctant new toy called “Forky” (Tony Hale) to her room, a road trip adventure alongside old and new friends will show Woody how big the world can be for a toy.
Remy (Patton Oswalt), a resident of Paris, appreciates good food and has quite a sophisticated palate. He would love to become a chef so he can create and enjoy culinary masterpieces to his heart’s delight. The only problem is, Remy is a rat. When he winds up in the sewer beneath one of Paris’ finest restaurants, the rodent gourmet finds himself ideally placed to realize his dream.
Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt). Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector (Gael García Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.
Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), and the rest of Andy’s toys haven’t been played with in years. With Andy about to go to college, the gang find themselves accidentally left at a nefarious day care center. The toys must band together to escape and return home to Andy.
(L to R) Albert Brooks voices Marlin and Ellen DeGeneres voices Dory in ‘Finding Nemo’. Photo: Pixar Studios.
Nemo (Alexander Gould), an adventurous young clownfish, is unexpectedly taken from his Great Barrier Reef home to a dentist’s office aquarium. It’s up to his worrisome father Marlin (Albert Brooks) and a friendly but forgetful fish Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) to bring Nemo home — meeting vegetarian sharks, surfer dude turtles, hypnotic jellyfish, hungry seagulls, and more along the way.
When 11-year-old Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) moves to a new city, her Emotions team up to help her through the transition. Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) work together, but when Joy and Sadness get lost, they must journey through unfamiliar places to get back home.
Bob Parr (Craig T. Nelson) has given up his superhero days to log in time as an insurance adjuster and raise his three children (Sarah Vowell, Spencer Fox and Eli Fucile) with his formerly heroic wife (Holly Hunter) in suburbia. But when he receives a mysterious assignment, it’s time to get back into costume.
Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell (Jordan Nagai)) gives him a new lease on life.
(L to R) Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) in Pixar Animation Studios’ ‘Toy Story.’
Led by Woody (Tom Hanks), Andy’s toys live happily in his room until Andy’s birthday brings Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) onto the scene. Afraid of losing his place in Andy’s heart, Woody plots against Buzz. But when circumstances separate Buzz and Woody from their owner, the duo eventually learns to put aside their differences.
Marvel’s TV output continues to be something of a mixed bag, though things have certainly taken an upturn with the likes of ‘Agatha All Along’ and ‘Daredevil: Born Again.’ Now here comes ‘Ironheart’ aiming to maintain that momentum, utilizing the Riri Williams character from the comics whose youthful genius rivals that of Tony Stark even if her bank balance and living situation certainly don’t.
The Williams character was a key component of Ryan Coogler’s ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’, but couldn’t stop sometimes feeling like she was jammed in to add something else. And in her own show, she’s a definite highlight even if not everything about the limited series around her works as well.
The tone of ‘Ironheart’ can sometimes vary wildly, with some scenes feeling like they come from a gritty, emotional drama about grief, loss PTSD or crime and others looking to bring some wackier, Freeform-level comedy. They don’t always fit together as well as they might.
Still, the team has a clear handle on the Riri character, her desires, frustrations and trauma (her stepfather and best friend were shot dead in front of her), and they launch her on an entertaining new adventure, even managing to find rational reasons why she wouldn’t simply pick up the phone and ask for help from Shuri (Letitia Wright) and the Wakandans when things get thorny.
Riri’s interaction with the AI she accidentally created from a scan of her own brain, which is embodied in the form of her late friend Natalie, is always entertaining, the two written believably as best friends. Likewise, the moments with her mother Ronnie are also effective.
Also on the plus side is the Joe McGillicuddy character, a fun addition to the story who becomes something more –– and has a connection to someone that Riri admires that you might not see coming.
The villains are less well drawn –– Parker Robbins, AKA “The Hood” and his magic outfit can’t help but look like he’s cosplaying as Little Red Riding Hood sometimes, and the character, despite some much-needed depth in some family connections, is often written as one-note, and that note is B-flat.
Directors Samantha Bailey and Angela Barnes bring some varied styles to the show, but it works together as a whole. There are some well-conceived and realised action set pieces, especially one set at a high-tech greenhouse complex.
Dominique Thorne has put in some great performances in the past, including in ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ and ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ and brings real soul and depth to Riri. Given the space to explore the character without needing to be part of a bigger blockbuster tapestry, she’s always good here –– whether she’s having a quiet moment with friends or being badass.
Alden Ehrenreich is a highlight, his Joe character one of the more entertaining in the show. While he takes a slightly predictable turn later on, Ehrenreich keeps him entertaining and he plays well off of Thorne in moments such as the pair belting out an Alanis Morissette track or bonding over biotech.
Anthony Ramos struggles slightly with the big bad role, burdened by the fact that, for all of his inventive elements, Parker Robbins is a slightly dull dud as a character. Ramos plays him cool and composed, mostly staying away from campy villain tropes, but it doesn’t really register.
Lyric Ross is an energetic delight as Natalie –– or at least the AI drawn from Riri’s memories –– bringing needed energy to the series, but also a healthy dash of emotion that helps supplements our lead’s storyline.
Around Ramos is a varied bunch of criminals who are fine for what they need to be, but the group does rather waste the comic talents of Eric André as tech guru Stuart, who so desperately wants to be known as “Rampage”.
Finally, Anji White makes an impact in a smaller role as Riri’s mother, Ronnie Williams, a woman with her own grief, but also a deep amount of care for –– and no-nonsense attitude to –– her daughter.
Despite its tonal issues and a frankly unsatisfying final scene that falls into the Marvel trap of nodding to the future without really resolving the present, ‘Ironheart’ makes better use of the Riri Williams character than ‘Wakanda Forever’ ever could.
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What’s the plot of ‘Ironheart?
Set after the events of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,’ Marvel Television’s ‘Ironheart’ pits technology against magic when Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) — a young, genius inventor determined to make her mark on the world — returns to her hometown of Chicago.
Her unique take on building iron suits is brilliant, but in pursuit of her ambitions, she finds herself wrapped up with the mysterious yet charming Parker Robbins, AKA “The Hood” (Anthony Ramos).
(Left) Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’. Photo: Marvel Studios. (Right) Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle in Marvel’s ‘The Punisher.’ Photo: Netflix.
Preview:
Jon Bernthal is boarding ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’.
Destin Daniel Cretton is directing.
Tom Holland is returning to star as the titular web-crawler.
This casting is a happy full circle moment for Holland and Bernthal; the duo were working on the 2017 movie Pilgrimage when preparing to audition for their Marvel roles, and helped each other with their audition tapes.
Destin Daniel Cretton (director, ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’) at CinemaCon 2025 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on March 31, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images.
Given that ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ changed things in a huge way for Peter Parker –– as you’ll likely recall, it ended with a spell that wiped everyone’s memory of him so as to protect the people he loves –– the storyline going forward is naturally something of a mystery.
Here’s what Holland said to The Hollywood Reporter about the movie:
“The first few meetings were about, ‘Why would we do this again?’ And I think we found the reason why.”
What is that reason? It’s only known to those involved with the movie right now and soon to anyone who talks to Tom Holland if his talent for divulging spoilers accidentally continues to hold.
We do at least know that Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, who contributed to or wrote the previous three Spider-outings, are back on board for this one.
Who else will appear in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’?
Even with the spell affecting Peter, MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) are still likely to return.
Yet with ‘Stranger Things’Sadie Sink’s casting earlier this year, that throws an interesting wrinkle in –– what if the plan is for MJ and Ned to have smaller roles while a new supporting cast rises to importance in Peter’s life?
Sink’s role is a mystery, one that Marvel and Sony will look to keep that way as long as possible.
But speculation has already begun, with a few potentials floating out there.
Sink could be playing Jean Grey, the hugely powerful mutant character from the ‘X-Men’ comics who has enjoyed a variety of storylines in the pages and on screens, including the memorable “Dark Phoenix” arc.
The X-Men, are, of course, the next big group for Marvel to incorporate into the MCU and we’ve already seen examples of them in the dimension-spanning likes of ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,’‘The Marvels’ and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ though none have been pointed up as the official versions of the characters to make the leap to Earth-616.
Using the new ‘Spider-Man’ movie to introduce one or more characters could work, as the Marvel team has a history of seeding new recruits in other movies.
But if the focus is more on Peter’s story, there’s a chance that Sink might be Gwen Stacey, another famous love interest for our hero, who has appeared in other Spider-stories. Another option is Felicia Hardy, AKA Black Cat.
And, of course, Sink’s red hair could make her a natural fit for classic Peter partner Mary Jane Watson, but with Zendaya’s MJ (albeit not using the same name) filling that role, it seems unlikely.
Elsewhere, ‘The Bear’s Liza Colón-Zayas has also scored a role in the movie, but her character is a mystery for now.
Bernthal has been the small-screen version of Marvel’s Frank Castle –– AKA vigilante character The Punisher –– since he showed up on the Netflix version of ‘Daredevil’ back in 2016.
Since then, he’s appeared in his own eponymous spin-off show, which ran on the streaming service between 2017 and 2019, then came a break until he was brought back in to the fold for this year’s Disney+ continuation series ‘Daredevil: Born Again.’
The story is under wraps for now, here’s what Brad Winderbaum, head of Marvel Television, told EW about it:
“It’s like a shotgun blast of a story, but also has all the pathos and emotion that you want out of a Frank Castle story. It’s so exciting.”
A bigger question for The Punisher in the world of Spider-Man is how his grittier, more violent tone will fit with the family friendlier feel of Spidey and co.
When will ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ be in theaters?
‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ will swing into theaters on July 31st, 2026.
Thanks to some recent release date shuffles, the movie will be the next MCU entry to follow ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’, which lands on July 25th.
Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle in Marvel’s ‘The Punisher.’ Photo: Netflix.
Movies and TV Shows Featuring Spider-Man Characters:
Have you ever looked up at the night sky and dreamed of life that exists on worlds beyond our own? That’s the basic concept that Pixar’s latest movie takes as the jumping off point for the story of a young man who feels he doesn’t fit in, and longs for extraterrestrials to whisk him away.
‘Elio’ finds the animation studio on solid form, but does it compete with the best that the company has to offer, especially in the wake of giant box office success with ‘Inside Out 2’?
‘Elio,’ as with many animated movies, features a batch of writers, including all three directors plus Julia Cho, Mark Hammer, Mike Jones, Jesse Andrews and Hannah Friedman. Yet for all the worries you might have about scripting by committee, the film has a remarkable coherent feel –– again, not too shocking from Pixar.
There are some conventions in place here –– Elio is an orphan (well, Pixar is an arm of Disney, after all!) and the lessons he learns are relatively basic, going from alienated loner to alien-aided more rounded individual. But as with any movie of this type, it’s how you get there. And this one certainly has an interesting, welcome journey.
Several lovely touches make it all work well –– this is catnip for space enthusiasts, including nods to the Voyager space craft and clips of astronomer Carl Sagan talking about Earth reaching out to the stars. And one or two clever riffs on the likes of ‘Alien’ and other sci-fi classics.
On the storytelling front, there are some familiar challenges for our young hero, who is looking for his place in the world (and the universe), and if the dynamic between Elio and young alien Glordon is using established ideas, but the interaction between the two is so watchable that you never mind that.
On the directing side, Molina (who proved his mettle with ‘Coco’), Sharafian (making her directorial debut after years at Pixar) and Shi (who last brought us the inventive, funny ‘Turning Red’) make the most of their galactic canvas, presenting some wonderful visuals all brought to life to a suitably sweeping score by Rob Simonsen.
As Elio, Yonas Kibreab carries the weight of the story, and he’s enthusiastic and full of life, coming across as a relatable kid with a big heart who is dealing with a lot in his world. Kibreab is able to handle all sides of the performance, including Elio’s excitement at meeting aliens and his worry when things aren’t going well.
Zoe Saldaña, no stranger to galactic adventures in live-action, is soulful and determined as Elio’s Aunt Olga, introduced having to deal with the newly orphaned boy and the impact on her own life. While you initially suspect she’ll be effectively left behind once he is taken into space, some clever story ideas keep her rooted in the narrative.
Remy Edgerly voices Glordan, a young alien creature that Elio befriends. Effectively a slug-like creature, he has his own family issues (indeed, the theme of expectation placed on young people sits heavily across the story, but is handled effectively), and makes for a great foil for our hero.
Brad Garrett is a repeat Pixar voice by this point, and here he’s on good form as Lord Grigon, a warlike creature who threatens the “Communiverse” who initially bring Elio to their colorful world. But this being a Pixar movie, he’s more than that, and has some fine moments.
Around the main characters is a good collection of supporting voices, including the likes of Jameela Jamil, Brandon Moon and Matthias Schweighöfer as ambassadors of the Communiverse who bring their own comic value and emotional to the story.
Shirley Henderson has a small role as Ooooo, a supercomputer who proves very helpful to both Elio and the narrative. She doesn’t get lots to do, but is memorable.
Likewise Pixar veteran Bob Peterson –– who has voiced the likes of Dug in ‘Up’ and Mr. Ray in ‘Finding Nemo’ in addition to work as a director and story artist –– is excellent as a high-tech user manual who just wishes people would listen to him. Finally, credit to ‘Ted Lasso’s Brendan Hunt for making the small role of Gunther Melmac, an alien-obsessed tech genius who ends up being helpful to Elio and Olga, pop.
Is ‘Elio’ going to trouble the top tier of Pixar output? Probably not, but it’s certainly no misfire from the studio.
Heartstrings will be plucked, funny bones tickled and there are some inventive alien creatures. What more could you want from family entertainment?
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What’s the story of ‘Elio’?
Elio (Yonas Kibreab), a space fanatic with an active imagination, finds himself on a cosmic misadventure where he must form new bonds with alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be.
(Left) Director Peter Sohn at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. Photo by Deborah Coleman/Pixar. (Right) The Incredibles in 2004’s ‘The Incredibles’. Photo: Pixar Animation Studios.
Preview:
Peter Sohn will direct ‘Incredibles 3’.
Brad Bird, who directed the previous two movies, wrote the script.
The movie was confirmed at last year’s D23 event.
If you cast your mind back to last August, you might recall that Disney took the opportunity of its D23 event to announce that a third movie in the successful ‘Incredibles’ franchise was in the works.
Little was revealed about it, beyond Pixar animation Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter offering that Brad Bird –– who has written and directed both the previous outings, was developing a third.
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Yet it would appear that Bird’s duties elsewhere (more on that lower down the page) are precluding him from handling the new movie. The Hollywood Reporter brings word that while Bird is at work on the screenplay, ‘Elemental’ director Peter Sohn is the one who will usher the super-powered Parr family back to screens, with ‘Soul’s Dana Murray producing alongside Bird.
The Incredibles in 2004’s ‘The Incredibles’. Photo: Pixar Animation Studios.
Long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe helped superheroes conquer cinema, Bird’s first ‘Incredibles’ movie, released in 2004, told the story of Bob Parr (voiced by Craig T. Nelson).
Bob (A.K.A. Mr. Incredible), and his wife Helen (A.K.A. Elastigirl, played by Holly Hunter), are the world’s greatest famous crime-fighting superheroes in Metroville, always saving lives and battling evil on a daily basis.
But 15 years later, they have been forced to adopt civilian identities and retreat to the suburbs where they have no choice but to retire as superheroes to live a “normal” life with their three children Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (Spencer Fox) and Jack-Jack, who were born with secret superpowers.
Itching to get back into action, Bob gets his chance when a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top-secret assignment. He soon discovers that it will take a super family effort to rescue the world from total destruction.
In the 2018 sequel, ‘Incredibles 2’, the Parr family still know that heroism is illegal according to the established law that prevents them from helping people.
But their lives in hiding are cut short when a wealthy philanthropist approaches Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl with the idea to remove the law and make their heroic acts legal. And Elastigirl is chosen to help lead this plan, leaving Mr. Incredible in charge of the kids.
Things get even more complicated when a terrifying new menace called the Screenslaver shows up and threatens to abolish Elastigirl’s attempt to restore heroism. Who is the Screenslaver? Can the Parrs save the world from chaos and destruction? Can the heroic freedom be restored?
That project, ‘Ray Gunn’, has been a passion of Bird’s for nearly 30 years. Originally created alongside writer Matthew Robbins, it’s reportedly the story of the last human private detective, Raymund Gunn, in a future world composed of humans and aliens.
Originally aimed for production via Skydance Animation and its deal with Apple, the movie has been mired in creative difference issues and budgetary wrangles, but is now likely to see screens via Netflix, which took over the ‘toon company in 2023.
Peter Sohn feels like the natural pick to follow Bird; he has worked on every animated Bird film (including both ‘Incredibles’) up until ‘Ray Gunn’.
Bird has been a mentor to Sohn, and Sohn was specifically chosen to carry The Incredibles torch by Bird and Pete Docter.
Sohn is a Pixar veteran, having worked on various movies as a story artist, animator and story consultant, and has been a member of the company’s Senior Creative Team (a group of filmmakers who offer input to those making films there) for a decade.
As a director himself, Sohn made ‘The Good Dinosaur’ and the aforementioned ‘Elemental’, Sohn’s second movie, was nominated for the best animated feature Oscar last year.
When will ‘Incredibles 3’ head to theaters?
Disney and Pixar are keeping that particular piece of information locked in a vault for now, but given the usual lead time on CG animated movies, we can’t imagine it being ready much before 2028 or 2029 (the planned sequel to ‘Coco’, for example, is tentatively scheduled for 2029.)
Next up for the Emeryville-based animation team is alien abduction adventure ‘Elio’, which sees the title character (voiced by Yonas Kibreab), a space-obsessed kid who is swept off on a cosmic misadventure.
Emily Hampshire is joining the ‘WandaVision’ spin-off focused on Vision.
She’ll play the AI tech system E.D.I.T.H. as seen in ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home.’
Paul Bettany returns to star as Vision.
The cast continues to grow for Marvel’s second spin-off from successful original MCU Disney+ offering ‘WandaVision.’ Though the title has officially yet to be confirmed, we do know that it’ll be focused on Paul Bettany’s Vision following the events of the show.
According to both sources, Hampshire is aboard to play E.D.I.T.H., the sophisticated artificial intelligence (the name is an acronym for Even Dead, I’m The Hero), Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) augmented reality security and defense system.
In the MCU, E.D.I.T.H. was originally created by Stark and bequeathed to Peter Parker (Tom Holland) following Stark’s death and seen in ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home.’ It provides access to Stark Industries’ global satellite network along with an arsenal of missiles and drones.
It remains to be seen how E.D.I.T.H. shows up in the series –– in the Spidey movie, the system was voiced by Dawn Michelle King, who served as first assistant editor and presumably was only going to serve as the initial version of the role, but was good enough that director Jon Watts kept her performance.
Hampshire’s casting, though, suggests we’re likely to see a humanoid version of the tech.
There are no concrete plot details about the new show yet, but back when it was first mooted, there was talk of the “White” Vision looking to reclaim his memories, in a continuation of his storyline.
After Vision died at the hands of Thanos in 2018’s ‘Avengers: Infinity War,’ he returned twice over in 2021’s ‘WandaVision,’ first as a spectral creation by his beloved, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), through magic powered by grief; then as a rebuilt, nuts-and-bolts android with a ghost white appearance and zero memory of his past life.
When the two Visions battled in the ‘WandaVision’ finale, Wanda’s Vision restored the “ghost” Vision’s memories, then Wanda allowed her Vision to fade from existence. The new show will take place after those events, as ghost Vision presumably explores his new purpose in life.
Unlike last year’s ‘Agatha All Along’, (one of Marvel’s bigger successes in 2024) the new show is being handled by someone other than ‘WandaVision’ creator Jac Schaeffer.
Marvel has hired Terry Matalas, who has worked on shows such as ’12 Monkeys’, ‘Terra Nova’, but rose to acclaim thanks to his efforts overseeing ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Season 3, which definitely pleased fans more than earlier seasons, to run the new ‘Vision’ series.
His work on ‘Picard’ certainly caught the attention of avowed ‘Trek’ fan Kevin Feige, and so Matalas now has the job. The only people who might be upset are those eagerly awaiting the much-talked-about ‘Star Trek: Legacy’ show seemingly set up by the finale of ‘Picard’.
Who else is in the ‘Vision’ series?
James Spader as voice of Ultron in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
So far, we’ve learned that James Spader, who played the rampaging AI who caused so much trouble for the Avengers in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ and effectively created the original version of Vision, will once more be back in performance capture gear to play the speechifying villain.
Known for playing stern authoritarian types and generally grouchy personalities (witness his superbly sarcastic –– but ultimately heroic –– Captain Liam Shaw in ‘Picard’), Todd Stashwick will be an assassin who is on the trail of the android and the technology he possesses.
Faran Tahir will reprise the role of the villainous Raza, leader of the terrorist organization the Ten Rings who tried to kill Tony Stark in ‘Iron Man.’ Though quite how his connection to the Rings organization works in the wake of ‘Shang-Chi’ remains to be seen.
Then we have Ruaridh Mollica, who will play a character named Tucker.
And, most recently, ‘Foundation’s T’Nia Miller was added as Jocasta, described as cunning and vengeful, with a grudge against Ultron. In the comics, she is a robot Ultron builds to be his bride who eventually sides with the Avengers. We’d have to imagine that Matalas and his writers have some other ideas for her storyline in the show.
Where else have we seen Emily Hampshire?
(L to R) Sirena Gulamgaus, Emily Hampshire, and Enrico Colantoni in Caitlin Cronenberg’s ‘Humane.’ Courtesy of Robin Cymbaly. An IFC Films & Shudder Release.
Hampshire played Stevie Budd for the entire run of ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ scoring plenty of acclaim, including several Canadian acting awards.
But perhaps more pertinently for this series, she was also a key component of the cast for Matalas’ ‘12 Monkeys.’
Marvel has opted out of a Hall H panel at SDCC 2025
This decision doesn’t mean they don’t have confidence in upcoming projects
James Gunn’s DCU will likely be the big headliner
Marvel has announced that they will not be hosting a Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2025. After last year’s incredible line-up, this does not surprise me. While I still think it is possible for them to have a surprise screening of ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps‘, just like they did for ‘Deadpool & Wolverine‘ last year, their skipping out on a full panel this year makes perfect sense.
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Superhero fatigue is real. ‘Thunderbolts*’ is a great movie – audiences and critics agree – and yet it did not perform at the box office. It would not be smart for Marvel to spend a ton of money putting on a massive panel (because there is no point in doing one and not going all out) when they need to save all the pennies they can right now.
Marvel has three more projects left to release in 2025: ‘Ironheart‘, ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’, ‘Eyes of Wakanda‘, and ‘Wonder Man‘.
‘Ironheart’, which admittedly Marvel seems to be trying to make people forget about, will be all released by the time San Diego Comic-Con rolls around. The first three episodes come to Disney+ on June 24th, and the final three follow just a week later, on July 2nd. It has been a long time since viewers have seen Riri Williams, so this series needs to be good to make viewers care about her again.
In Marvel comics, she has a close relationship with Tony Stark. Of course, he is no longer alive in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has some fans a little bit worried about how her story is going to play out. The trailer for the show looks great, but there will be no need to promote it at SDCC a couple of weeks after it is already streaming on Disney+.
The same can be said for ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’, although it comes to theaters the week of SDCC, on July 25th. In 2024, Marvel hosted a “surprise” screening of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ on Thursday evening to celebrate its release that week. It is highly likely that they do the same with ‘First Steps’ this year. One would almost think that they had this planned all along, and that is why they like to take the release slot for the week of San Diego Comic-Con.
This saves them from having to pay for an entire panel, but they will still be able to promote their final big project of 2025. If they follow suit from last year, they just might have the cast in attendance as well.
The only 2025 projects that Marvel would be showcasing at a Hall H panel would be the upcoming animated show, ‘Eyes of Wakana’, and ‘Wonder Man’. While we have heard very little about both, there is no reason to save an entire Hall H panel for two projects, and streaming series at that.
‘Eyes of Wakanda’ is a four-episode series, which is premiering at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 9th. Since it will already be old news by the time SDCC comes around, even though the series comes to Disney+ in August, there is no need to do an entire panel just for a short animated series that, unfortunately, Marvel fans do not seem to care about too much anyway. ‘Wonder Man’ would be the only real draw and even that one fans seem to not be too excited for.
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ was recently pushed from May 1, 2026, to December 18, 2026, which is a brilliant move for several reasons, including that the studio will not need to rush out a subpar movie and can take a little bit more time to ensure it has the same impact that ‘Avengers: Infinity War‘ did.
During last year’s Marvel San Diego Comic-Con panel, they went all out for this film. Marvel invited out the Russo Brothers to tease the movie, but the biggest surprise was the reveal that Robert Downey Jr. would be returning to the MCU, not as Iron Man, but as Doctor Doom. It would be extremely difficult to top that, so why even try?
Filming is already underway in London for ‘Doomsday’ and is not expected to wrap until August. It would be disruptive for Marvel to shut down production (even for a day or two) in order to bring some of the cast to SDCC just for a photo opportunity and what would likely be a behind-the-scenes look at the movie. Add in the cost to fly talent back to the States for a quick appearance, the return on investment would simply not be worth it for Marvel.
Plus, now that it is releasing after San Diego Comic-Con 2026, they are likely going to wait until then to show off what they have come up with, while teasing ‘Avengers: Secret Wars‘ at the same time. It is the most logical decision for Marvel to make.
Will DC Take Over SDCC Hall H?
James Gunn at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.
With Marvel out of the picture, San Diego Comic-Con is DC’s time to shine. While there is no official confirmation at the time of writing, there is a good chance that Co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran will take the stage at Hall H to share what they have in store for fans over the next couple of years.
It is well known that they have a detailed plan for the DC Universe, which kicks off on July 11th with ‘Superman‘. Sure, the movie will have been out for two weeks by SDCC, but this just means they can go into detail about all the characters that make appearances and their future projects. We already know that ‘Peacemaker‘ is heading to the convention. When confirming this on social media, James Gunn said that while he is focusing on the show, he will, of course, “talk about everything.”
It would make much more sense for DC to take advantage of Marvel skipping Hall H this year and host a large panel detailing the upcoming DCU slate. It would mean that they come out on top of the discussions that week, which would certainly not hurt, considering that ‘Superman’ will still be in theaters (and going up against the first week of ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’).
Marvel might be skipping San Diego Comic-Con in 2025, but chances are, this means they are going to come with incredible announcements, first looks, and reveals in 2026. Their decision does not mean that they think any less of their upcoming projects; it actually makes a whole lot of sense. This also opens up a window for James Gunn and the DCU to step in and take over this year, which fans would love to see.
San Diego Comic-Con will take place at the San Diego Convention Center July 24th through 27th, 2025.
T’Nia Miller in ‘Foundation’, now streaming on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple TV+.
Preview:
T’Nia Miller has joined the Marvel/Disney+ series ‘Vision.’
Paul Bettany is reprising his role from ‘WandaVision’ and the MCU movies.
Terry Matalas is running the show.
While we still don’t know exactly whether Marvel’s second follow-up to ‘WandaVision’ (following ‘Agatha All Along’) is called ‘Vision Quest’ or simply ‘Vision,’ a better idea of the cast is beginning to come together.
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Via scooper Daniel Richtman, word arrives that British actor T’Nia Miller is the latest addition to the new series, and she’ll be bringing to life a character named Jocasta, who is reportedly cunning and powerful, driven by revenge.
She’s apparently a main character, and Miller joins Paul Bettany, who plays Vision on the Disney+ series.
There are no concrete plot details about the new show yet, but back when it was first mooted, there was talk of the “White” Vision looking to reclaim his memories, in a continuation of his storyline.
After Vision died at the hands of Thanos in 2018’s ‘Avengers: Infinity War,’ he returned twice over in 2021’s ‘WandaVision,’ first as a spectral creation by his beloved, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), through magic powered by grief; then as a rebuilt, nuts-and-bolts android with a ghost white appearance and zero memory of his past life.
When the two Visions battled in the ‘WandaVision’ finale, Wanda’s Vision restored the “ghost” Vision’s memories, then Wanda allowed her Vision to fade from existence. The new show will take place after those events, as ghost Vision presumably explores his new purpose in life.
Unlike last year’s ‘Agatha All Along’, (one of Marvel’s bigger successes in 2024) the new show is being handled by someone other than ‘WandaVision’ creator Jac Schaeffer.
Marvel has hired Terry Matalas, who has worked on shows such as ’12 Monkeys’, ‘Terra Nova’, but rose to acclaim thanks to his efforts overseeing ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Season 3, which definitely pleased fans more than earlier seasons, to run the new ‘Vision’ series.
His work on ‘Picard’ certainly caught the attention of avowed ‘Trek’ fan Kevin Feige, and so Matalas now has the job. The only people who might be upset are those eagerly awaiting the much-talked-about ‘Star Trek: Legacy’ show seemingly set up by the finale of ‘Picard’.
Who else is in the ‘Vision’ series?
James Spader as voice of Ultron in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
So far, we’ve learned that James Spader, who played the rampaging AI who caused so much trouble for the Avengers in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ and effectively created the original version of Vision, will once more be back in performance capture gear to play the speechifying villain.
Known for playing stern authoritarian types and generally grouchy personalities (witness his superbly sarcastic –– but ultimately heroic –– Captain Liam Shaw in ‘Picard’), Todd Stashwick will be an assassin who is on the trail of the android and the technology he possesses.
Faran Tahir will reprise the role of the villainous Raza, leader of the terrorist organization the Ten Rings who tried to kill Tony Stark in ‘Iron Man.’ Though quite how his connection to the Rings organization works in the wake of ‘Shang-Chi’ remains to be seen.
Then we have Ruaridh Mollica, who will play a character named Tucker.
Marvel Comics character Jocasta. Photo: Marvel.com.
And in case you need bringing up to speed on how Jocasta will fit into the story, in the comic books, she is a robot Ultron builds to be his bride who eventually sides with the Avengers. We’d have to imagine that Matalas and his writers have some other ideas for her storyline in the show.
Still, the idea of the character as someone with a grudge to bear against Ultron and the power to carry it out certainly has appeal.
Where else have we seen T’Nia Miller?
(L to R) Laura Birn and T’Nia Miller in ‘Foundation,’ now streaming on Apple TV+.
Miller has appeared in movies including ‘Obey’ and ‘Dark Corners,’ but might be better known for her work on small screens.
