LEGO LORD OF THE RINGS Minas Tirith Is HUGE

The Nerdist - Tue, 09/29/2026 - 11:14
Quick Take
  • LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith set is enormous and totally incredible.
  • Alas, this LEGO set also costs $649.99.
  • The set has a hefty price tag, but it really is beautiful.

Here at Nerdist, we’ve been huge supporters of LEGO’s The Lord of the Rings sets. From the beauty of Rivendell to the menace of Barad-dûr, and everything in between, these builds have been a gorgeous gift to fans. And the newest entry to the LEGO The Lord of the Rings world does NOT disappoint. In fact, LEGO’s The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith set is one of its BIGGEST ever and truly an architectural marvel you can construct in your living room. Let’s take a closer look at what lies in store for your fellowship when they crack open LEGO’s 8,278-piece recreation of the iconic White City of Minas Tirith.

LEGO Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith 5LEGO

In celebration of The Lord of the Rings‘ 25th anniversary comes one of the biggest sets that LEGO has ever created. LEGO Minas Tirith is even bigger than LEGO’s Millennium Falcon (though still smaller than the Death Star). But you’re going to need every one of those 8,000+ pieces if you’re going to create the massive towers, different levels, and ornate fixtures of this city of Gondor. The Age of Men is beginning, after all. And it needs to start in the finest of fashions. Honestly, we just can’t get enough of the way that stone outcropping juts out over the rest of the build. It is literally SO gorgeous.

Click To View Gallery LEGO Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith 6 LEGO LEGO Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith 1 LEGO LEGO Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith 2 LEGO LEGO Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith 3 LEGO LEGO Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith 4 LEGO LEGO Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith 5 LEGO LEGO Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith 11 LEGO LEGO Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith 10 LEGO LEGO Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith 9 LEGO LEGO Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith 8 LEGO LEGO Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith 7 LEGO

LEGO shares of this The Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith set:

Crafted from 8,278 pieces, this highly detailed set recreates the majestic city of Gondor – the legendary White City of Minas Tirith™. Designed as a striking display model, the build captures the towering architecture, layered walls and iconic citadel that defined one of Middle-earth’s most memorable locations.

The set features a hybrid-scale design, combining an expansive microscale cityscape with richly detailed minifigure-scale interior scenes. From afar, builders can admire the sweeping skyline and defensive walls of Minas Tirith. Up close, they can explore key interior spaces, including the throne room of the citadel, where pivotal moments from the story unfold.

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We can see why this Lord of the Rings build is deemed a display model. You would not want to accidentally shatter that many pieces into dust. Some builds, it’s best to just appreciate with the eye. Although that doesn’t mean that this LEGO Minas Tirith lacks humor—just take a look at Denethor and his tomatoes.

LEGO Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith 9LEGO

Speaking of—this LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith contains 10 minifigures. LEGO shares, “To bring the world of Middle-earth to life, the set includes 10 minifigures and the legendary Shadowfax™ horse figure. Characters featured in the set include Gandalf™ the White, Faramir, Denethor, Peregrin Took™, Aragorn™ as King Elessar, Arwen™, and four Soldiers of Gondor, along with themed accessories such as Gondor helmets, shields, and Aragorn’s crown.” We adore seeing everyone dressed up in their Return of the King finery.

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LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith is now available for purchase.

LEGO The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith: Release Date, Pieces, Dimensions, and More
  • Product Number: 11377
  • Age: 18+
  • RRP: £579.99 / €649.99 / $649.99
  • Pieces: 8,278
  • Dimensions: over 23.5 in. (59cm) high, 24.5 in. (62 cm) wide, and 14.5 in. (37 cm) deep
  • Availability:
  • LEGO Insiders Early Access: 1st June 2026
  • For all: 4th June 2026

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

Rotem Rusak is the Editor-in-Chief at Nerdist. She is a great lover of the anti-hero and is always ready for a new ship to set sail. In her work, she likes to combine fandom passion with journalistic sensibilities. Follow her on Instagram.

The post LEGO LORD OF THE RINGS Minas Tirith Is HUGE appeared first on Nerdist.

Categories: Nerd News

LEGO The Shire Set Joins Epic THE LORD OF THE RINGS Collection

The Nerdist - Tue, 09/29/2026 - 11:09
Quick Take

If there’s one thing you need to know about Nerdist, it’s that we absolutely love LEGO. And more than anything else, we love The Lord of the Rings LEGO sets. So far, we’ve had an incredible time building LEGO Rivendell (one of the most exquisite sets to ever be made) and LEGO Barad-dûr, and could not more highly recommend them to all of you. And that’s why, it has absolutely made our day to hear that a new The Lord of the Rings LEGO set is joining the incredible collection for adults. Yes, heading our way is The Lord of the Rings LEGO Shire. And it has everything you need to tell the cinematic story of Bilbo Baggins’ eleventy-first birthday celebration. (One of the greatest fictional celebrations ever.) The best part of The Lord of the Rings LEGO sets is that they tell a true story, and we know that The Shire build will continue this storied legacy.

Here’s what you need to know about LEGO’s The Lord of the Rings: The Shire.

LEGO The Lord of the Rings: The Shire Is Full of Hobbity Goodness LEGO The Shire full buildLEGO

We’ve visited LEGO elves and LEGO orcs and have gone on many an adventure with The Lord of the Rings builds. But we have not yet gone there and back again to The Shire. LEGO’s latest set spotlights a different part of Middle-earth, a place where the meals are large (and come often) and planting, singing, and a little gossip is the order of the day. Yes, the LEGO Shire is everything we dreamed it would be.

LEGO The Lord of the Rings The Shire burning the ringLEGO

A release shares of this LEGO set, “the breathtakingly detailed Shire set recreates the festive atmosphere of Bilbo Baggins’ eleventy-first birthday celebration. From Bilbo’s hobbit-hole, complete with its iconic round green door and richly appointed interior to… interactive elements include being able to transform a burning letter into The One Ring and make Bilbo vanish with a turn of a dial or recreating the dragon firework scene with interchangeable heads for Merry and Pippin. The set also includes Gandalf’s horse and cart, fireworks, a firework dragon figure, the Party Tree, a party pavilion, and Bilbo’s book, which can be displayed open or closed.”

We absolutely adore this tiny, magical Hobbit hole, full of lush greens, trees, flowers, and, very importantly, snacks. We also are so excited, of course, about the many stories it can tell. There’s nothing more beautiful than a build that drenches in story.

LEGO The Lord of the Rings The Shire fireworksLEGO How Many Pieces Is LEGO’s The Lord of the Rings: The Shire Set? LEGO The Shire mid buildLEGO

The LEGO Shire set contains 2017 pieces in total. That makes it the smallest of The Lord of the Rings sets by a wide margin. And that makes a lot of sense because a) Hobbit’s are little folk and humble in their lives. They don’t look to be as grand as the elves of Rivendell or the Dark Lord in his tower, and b) because this setting comes at the beginning of the story. If you have younger children or folks new to The Lord of the Rings‘ world, an easier LEGO build can help them dip their toe into the water, as it were. (Before they end up running into the river Anduin and realizing they can swim.) It’s definitely nice to have a gorgeous The Lord of the Rings set that you’ll be able to put together quicker than some of the other ones.

What LEGO Minifigures Are Included in The Lord of the Rings: The Shire Set? LEGO The Shire MinifiguresLEGO

The Shire comes with nine LEGO Minifigures—these Minifigures are Bilbo Baggins, Frodo, Mrs. Proudfoot, Farmer Proudfoot, Merry, Pippin, Rosie Cotton, Samwise Gamgee, and Gandalf the Grey. In short, everyone you need in order to have a really good party before dramatically disappearing and running away from everyone you’ve ever known.

LEGO The Lord of the Rings The Shire Bilbo Minifigure and birthday standLEGO

We especially love the mischievous, up to no good, faces on Merry and Pippin’s faces.

How Much Does LEGO’s The Lord of the Rings: The Shire Set Cost? LEGO The Lord of the Rings The Shire burning the ring in the fireplaceLEGO

All told, LEGO The Lord of the Rings: The Shire is very reasonably priced. The LEGO Shire costs $269.99. This set is also the cheapest of the The Lord of the Rings LEGO sets so far, so, once again, it’s a great place to start your collection.

When Will LEGO’s The Lord of the Rings: The Shire Release?

The LEGO Shire released on April 5, 2025.

At the time, LEGO Insiders received a very special LEGO The Lord of the Rings scene build and a dark one at that. This special gift with purchase will be a LEGO build of Gollum, when he was the Hobbit Sméagol, first finding the One Ring. And we all know what happens next to his poor friend Déagol. Yikes! But we love it. It really does fit the theme of the upcoming The Lord of the Rings movie, The Hunt for Gollum.

Alas, you’ll probably have to go on a quest to find this little set at this point.

gollum Sméagol finds the one ring buildLEGO Sean Astin, Samwise Gamgee Himself, Narrates the Beautiful Story of the LEGO Shire

In case that wasn’t enough to sell you on LEGO’s latest The Lord of the Rings set, Sam Gamgee himself, Sean Astin, is here to tell you a story about it.

LEGO TheLEGO The Lord of the Rings The Shire burning the ring in the fireplaceLord of the Rings The Shire sean astin and the shire buildLEGO

You can also check out Astin reminiscing about his time on The Lord of the Rings as he builds the Shire LEGO set. We highly suggest watching the adorable video.

We dare you to get through this beautiful mini-film without feeling like you need to get your hands on this set!

Originally published on March 25, 2025.

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

Rotem Rusak is the Editor-in-Chief at Nerdist. She is a great lover of the anti-hero and is always ready for a new ship to set sail. In her work, she likes to combine fandom passion with journalistic sensibilities. Follow her on Instagram.

The post LEGO The Shire Set Joins Epic THE LORD OF THE RINGS Collection appeared first on Nerdist.

Categories: Nerd News

LEGO Reveals DRAGON BALL Set

The Nerdist - Tue, 09/29/2026 - 10:58
Quick Take
  • LEGO has released its first Dragon Ball set, a large model of the titular dragon Shenron, with a small, LEGO minifigure of Kid Goku.
  • The Dragon Ball set will soon be available to pre-order. The intended release date is November 4th.
  • Nerdist’s Take: From One Piece to Dragon Ball, LEGO is really leaning into anime. And we love it. We’re excited to see anime in this new form, and can’t wait for what’s next.

On September 22nd, LEGO put out a tiny teaser video, letting anime and LEGO fans alike know that a Dragon Ball LEGO set was on the horizon. Now just one week later, we know what our first set is—and hopefully it’s the first of many! This LEGO Icons set is of Shenron (the ‘dragon’ in ‘Dragon Ball‘) with a little Kid Goku LEGO minifigure to go with, of course.

A Lego model of Shenron with a Goku minifigure, sitting on a credenza.LEGO, Toei Animation

The Dragon Ball LEGO set has 1,764 pieces, and stands at a little over a foot (32cm) tall, nine-and-a-half inches (24cm) long, and ten inches (26cm) wide, making it a perfect centerpiece for an anime nerd’s display shelf. The LEGO Icons set is intended for adult assembly and makes for a fun build whether by yourself or with a friend. While the set will come with paper instructions, you can find even more detailed instructions with 3D models on the LEGO Builder’s app.

LEGO Dragon Ball shenronLEGO A LEGO brick figure of Goku from Dragonball in his orange gi with his monkey tail out, riding a cloud.LEGO, Toei Animation

Along with looking cool as all get out, LEGO Dragon Ball‘s Shenron will be somewhat posable. You can move both his head and his claws around, while his body remains in its dramatic coiled form—often how he appears in the anime/manga. You can also move around Kid Goku on his Kintoun as you like, as well. There’s a lot of unique LEGO bricks for this set, including the dragon balls themselves at the center of the base, with our favorite giant green dragon rising out of them.

The base of the Shenron and Goku LEGO model, with a little sign that says "Dragon Ball" and then seven tiny Dragon Balls sitting atop it.LEGO, Toei Animation

If you’re looking to pre-order the LEGO Icons Dragon Ball: Shenron & Goku building set, it comes with the hefty price tag of $179.99 USD. So, the cost of two bags of groceries. Maybe. Still! You can’t pre-order LEGO Dragon Ball: Shenron & Goku yet. But rumor has it that the set will be available for pre-purchase beginning on October 4th. The LEGO Dragon Ball set will then release on November 4, 2026.

A LEGO model of Shenron, the green dragon from Dragonball.LEGO, Toei Animation From One Piece to Dragon Ball, LEGO is Embracing Anime

The One Piece sets flew off the metaphorical and literal shelves when they were released in 2025, and I’d place bets that Dragon Ball will do just the same. If you’re having a hankering for an anime LEGO set you can build today, we suggest you snag The Going Merry, Tony Tony Chopper, or Gum Gum Fruit LEGO sets today.

We can’t wait to see what other eye-catching nostalgic Icons sets LEGO will release in the Dragon Ball series!

Jess Harshbarger writes about movies, TV, games, comics, and all things nerdy for Nerdist.

The post LEGO Reveals DRAGON BALL Set appeared first on Nerdist.

Categories: Nerd News

OpenAI takes on Microsoft with the launch of what feels a whole lot like ChatGPT’s own office suite

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Dutch police arrest ShinyHunters hacker accused of planning two murders

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Dutch police said the hacker, arrested for being part of the ShinyHunters cybercriminal gang, had plans to organize the murder of two people on his laptop.
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AI-powered app maker Wabi pivots to a messaging experience

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Wabi is repositioning its prompt-based app builder as a personal AI agent that can create interfaces on demand, combining chat, apps and ongoing tasks.
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OpenAI launches Dots, its bubbly agentic avatar

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OpenAI gives Codex reusable cloud environments that work across devices

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OpenAI launches GPT-6.1 Sol, says it nearly matches GPT-6 Astra and costs less

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OpenAI expands ChatGPT’s plugins with app-like interfaces and automations

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Voodoo Ranger Wants to Give Every Michael Myers Free Beer

The Nerdist - Tue, 09/29/2026 - 08:56
Quick Take
  • Craft beer company Voodoo Ranger, known for its delicious IPAs, wants to give away free beer for a year to a person over 21 named Michael Myers.
  • It is in celebration of the company’s Slasher IPA, which is inside of a limited-edition Halloween Hoppy Pack to celebrate spooky season and Halloween: The Game.
  • The search will end on on October 7 at an NYC event where real-life Michael Myerses can show valid ID for a special reward alongside slashed bar tabs, game demos, and giveaways. Winners will be revealed on October 19.

There are some names that we cannot imagine having. Life must be pretty interesting for anyone named Michael Jordan or Michael Jackson, right? And we bet it is even weirder for someone named Michael Myers. We are sure that most parents did not intend to name their child after a slasher villain… or maybe they did. Us horror fans are a strange bunch sometimes. But there’s good news for all the people named Michael Myers in the world. Voodoo Ranger is doing a free beer for a year giveaway for a person legally named Michael Myers.

Voodoo Ranger

The company is cleverly calling this search Slasher Manhunt, and it celebrates the Slasher IPA, which is a part of a limited-edition Hoppy Pack. This contest is also a partnership between Voodoo Ranger and Halloween: The Game.

Anyone with the legal name Michael Myers can run to this website and enter. The search for the luckiest Michael Myers will end on October 7 in NYC at Party Without Fear, a special activation where a bunch of folks with same name can get special rewards, drink, game, and score giveaways. The Michael Myers who gets free beer for a year will be announced on October 19, which is the silent killer’s actual birthday. Now this is a fun bit of marketing.

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“Being named Michael Myers has come with enough baggage, so we’re here with the beer,” said Kiron Chakraborty, Marketing Director of Voodoo Ranger. “We’re rewarding real Michael Myerses with a year’s supply of Voodoo Ranger because Halloween deserves to be celebrated, not endured. And when it comes to Halloween, there’s no better beer than Voodoo Ranger.”

People will all names who are of drinking age can score the Hoppy Pack before it runs out.

Tai Gooden is the Features Editor for Nerdist, a fictional villain apologist, and a horror aficionado who is forever waiting for her trip in the TARDIS.

The post Voodoo Ranger Wants to Give Every Michael Myers Free Beer appeared first on Nerdist.

Categories: Nerd News

FUTURAMA Has Ended (Again) But Matt Groening Is Confident It Will Return (Again)

The Nerdist - Tue, 09/29/2026 - 08:40
Quick Take
  • Futurama finished its 14th season at Hulu with no plans for another season. That means Futurama has ended, again.
  • However, Matt Groening is confident this latest ending also won’t be the end of the show. And that feels likely.
  • Futurama is always ending and beginning again.

Futurama has ended. Again. But don’t worry, Matt Groening says it will return. Again. And no, this is not an old post you’ve read roughly seventeen times. It’s just that when it comes to the sci-fi animated series “Time Keeps On Slippin'” across a flat circle where Futurama is simultaneously always canceled and always on.

The Futurama cast looks up at a blue sky20th Television Animation

Matt Groening spoke to Variety about the ending of Futurama‘s 14th season that just aired on Hulu. While three Futurama specials are coming to the streaming site, the season finale— the very meta-named finale, “Final Ending: The Last Conclusion”—is currently poised to be the show’s last official regular episode. That makes this Futurama ending roughly the 18th series finale in its series history. If Groening has anything to say about it, though, it won’t be the last last episode. “They can put us in a coffin. They can nail the lid shut, but they can’t bury us. We will rise again,” Groening told Variety. He then added, “I guess I’m not too worried.”

Why would he be? Futurama is the ultimate TV phoenix. Futurama “ended” for the first time in 2003. After a revival at Comedy Central in 2008, it then said goodbye again in 2013, only to get another reboot at Hulu in 2023. Each run also ended with an episode meant to serve as a series finale (In fact, writers have actually written six episodes that serve that purpose.) Groening and the writers even made fun of that with this most recent farewell that likely won’t stick.

The creators of Futurama certainly don’t want the show to end. “We have lots more stories to tell,” he said. “The animators and the actors and the writers all would love to do more stories and we’ll see. You never know.”

I mean, yes we do, right? If there’s one thing about Futurama we know is that every goodbye means a Futurama hello.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow Mikey on Bluesky at @‌burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post FUTURAMA Has Ended (Again) But Matt Groening Is Confident It Will Return (Again) appeared first on Nerdist.

Categories: Nerd News

SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY Re-Release and the DLC-ification of Movies

The Nerdist - Tue, 09/29/2026 - 08:16
Quick Take
  • A Spider-Man: Brand New Day “re-release” with extra scenes could be coming to theaters immediately, and it’s another bad sign that movies are entering their DLC era.
  • The Spider-Man: Brand New Day re-release will feature Rosario Dawson’s cut scenes as Claire Temple, along with other surprises.
  • Nerdist’s Take: An instant re-release for a multi-billion dollar blockbuster is a greedy attempt to prey on fans who helped it set box office records.

A new report from Deadline says work is underway on a Spider-Man: Brand New Day re-release. This obviously sounds absurd because the movie is still in theaters. It’s currently “released.” So what the hell could Disney and Sony be re-releasing? :deep sigh: A version that features extra footage, same as Avengers Endgame: Encore, which just arrived in theaters. And that’s why this news feels like an ominous sign. Cinema could be ushering in a terrible new era: the DLC-ification of movies.

Spider-Man re released dollar signsMarvel/Nerdist

According to Deadline‘s Anthony D’Alessandro, a Spider-Man: Brand New Day version that includes the cut scenes of Rosario Dawson’s Claire Temple will be coming to theaters. The bonus footage will also feature “more surprises.” This news comes immediately after Avengers Endgame: Encore‘s “opening weekend,” which pulled in $86 million at the global box office. Would Disney be considering an immediate second dose of Spider-Man: Brand New Day if not for Avengers Endgame: Encore‘s success? It’s easy to say “no,” but that misses the point. This Spider-Man: Brand New Day re-release is nonsense no matter what!

Tom Holland’s fourth solo outing is still doing gangbusters at the box office. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is sitting at nearly $2.5 billion globally, and that number is only going up since it’s still screening everywhere. How much more radioactive spider blood do the studios want to squeeze out of moviegoers? To attend this Spider-Man: Brand New Day re-release, fans will need to buy a whole other ticket, along with whatever drinks and snacks they want, and give up their whole night to see a few extra minutes of scenes that literally weren’t important enough to include originally?

Dr. Bruce Banner jokingly pretending to Hulk Out in Spider-Man: Brand New DayMarvel Studios/Sony

It’s not like Disney is planning to do this in five or ten years when it might be fun to see the movie on the big screen again. While there’s no date for “Bonus New Day,” it sounds like the Spider-Man: Brand New Day re-release could be imminent. And, again, you can see the movie in theaters right now. All of which makes this seem like an absolute, shameless money grab. This is a way to get fans to pony up even more money for a film they might have already seen multiple times. Only this is somehow so much worse than Avengers: Endgame: Encore, because that at least had the gimmick of “connecting to Avengers: Doomsday.”

(Even then, not everyone who saw it got every scene! The most important addition was only included in premium format screenings, which only adds to our worries about what all of this portends for cinema at large.)

Peggy and Steve look at each other while dancing in Avengers: EndgameMArvel Studios

A quick theatrical re-release with bonus scenes is not entirely new. Films like Napoleon Dynamite and 28 Days Later both started showing screenings with extra or deleted scenes before the original cuts left theaters. (I know, because I saw both.) But both were also much smaller, standalone films that most people still hadn’t seen at the time of the re-release. (I hadn’t.) They weren’t multi-billion dollar juggernauts clearly targeting diehard fans. Those movies were trying to entice new viewers. Blockbusters, like Spider-Man: Brand New Day, are preying on those who will feel as though they’re missing out if they don’t see the “extra” scenes in the re-release immediately.

Spider-Man with his mask half off his head.Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios

For a movie at this scale, this is the equivalent of downloadable content. This is like selling gamers the base game, but then immediately telling them they now have to pay for a whole bunch of extra things if they want to fully enjoy the experience. (Ask older gamers if they prefer life before DLC and microtransactions, and they’ll turn into Grandpa Simpson.) It’s pure greed. It’s taking advantage of the very people who just helped Spider-Man: Brand New Day set box office records. (Those people also might have held off on a second showing if they had any inclination that a longer version was just weeks away, which makes this even worse.)

New Spider-Man Brand new day image 4Marvel Studios

And for all that extra money, what are audiences even getting? The kind of bonuses appended to the Avengers Endgame: Encore or Spider-Man: Brand New Day re-releases used to be standard fare on DVD and Blu-rays. Extended scenes, deleted scenes, and commentaries used to be some of the best reasons to buy home releases. And that was part of the deal. You paid for a movie ticket to see a single, finished film in a theater, and then the studio got a second bite of the apple by selling you a copy full of extras you owned. Instead, this time you’ll get to buy a ticket for a movie you were falsely told was finished, then you buy a second ticket for more scenes that will barely increase the run time and won’t change the film in any meaningful way, all before you pay a monthly fee for Disney+ so you can watch it at home.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘s re-release will probably be successful, same as Avengers Endgame: Encore. No one is being forced to spend their money on an immediate re-release, either, so what’s the problem? The problem is that just because something makes money, or is technically, “allowed,” it doesn’t mean it’s ethical. But even if you don’t care about this one re-release or Avengers Endgame: Encore, you should care what the future might look like. From streaming blurring its own lines to the 35th version of the same album being released in the world of music to these theatrical “re-releases,” all over, consumers seem to be getting charged more to receive less. If this trend continues, you won’t even be able to go see a movie without wondering if you’re wasting your money by not waiting to see how much the film’s theatrical DLC will cost.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow Mikey on Bluesky at @‌burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY Re-Release and the DLC-ification of Movies appeared first on Nerdist.

Categories: Nerd News

Instinct founder said more than 50% of transactions on the platform are travel-related

TechCrunch - Tue, 09/29/2026 - 08:12
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Categories: Nerd News

Nutter Butter’s Unhinged Ads Make Adult Swim Bumps Look Tame

The Nerdist - Tue, 09/29/2026 - 08:10
Quick Take
  • Longstanding cookie company Nutter Butter is causing a stir on social media with its very unhinged approach to advertising.
  • The company has been using creepy images and a strange lore that includes a villainous Nutter Butter Man since at least 2024, but many people are just now discovering it.
  • Nerdist’s Take: If you want to get Gen Z to buy your cookies, you gotta get absurdist and weird, so bravo to Nutter Butter for being bold.

At Nerdist, we are experts at delivering comprehensive television, film, and comics coverage. We can spot Easter eggs with ease, or give you all the info you need in an explainer piece. But we also like to write about some pretty weird stuff, from an obscure video on the internet to food that frankly no one should be eating. Some things are so incredibly disturbing that we have to make sure that we aren’t the only ones who saw it. That’s what happened when we stumbled upon the very wild social media pages of Nutter Butter, who have taken their ad campaign strategy in a fever dream-like and horrifying direction. 

Nutter Butter/Facebook

For those who aren’t familiar, Nutter Butter is a longstanding peanut butter cookie company. It’s classic cookie has two peanut shaped and wafer designed cookies that sandwich a center made with peanut butter. The company has been around over 50 years, and apparently Nutter Butter’s ad marketing team decided that absurdist horror images are the new way to drive engagement and keep people interested in its brand.

And honestly, they aren’t wrong. There’s some sort of ongoing lore on the page featuring a villain called the “Nutter Butter Man.” It’s like someone made a creepy fan page and started making up fanfic, except this is real.

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Walton Goggins’ Grinch Is a Career-Making Performance (for an Unhinged Walmart Ad) Nerdist’s Take: Nutter Butter Is Clearly Targeting Gen Z and Gen Alpha, and We Are Actually Here for the Weird Ads

Nutter Butter’s weird social media ads are racking up numbers, with the company having almost three million followers on TikTok. We are sure that the creepypasta-loving Gen Z and Gen Alpha crowd makes up a big part of that number. Our staff is comprised of olds, but we are not made at the company’s approach, even if it baffles us a bit. Some folks online say they feel dark and demonic energy from the Nutter Butter posts, which is leading to some interesting discourse. In the end, it is all getting more attention for the company, and presumably making them money.

While it is new to our eyes, Nutter Butter has apparently been up to shenanigans since at least 2024, with some saying they started this in 2022, eschewing traditional advertising with whatever is going on here. The Nutter Butter videos will make you feel like you’ve taken some sort of hallucinogenic drug. Going viral is the pathway to staying relevant, and that’s what this company is doing. 

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So there you have it. We hope those images are seared into your brains, just like they are in ours.

Tai Gooden is the Features Editor for Nerdist, a fictional villain apologist, and a horror aficionado who is forever waiting for her trip in the TARDIS.

The post Nutter Butter’s Unhinged Ads Make Adult Swim Bumps Look Tame appeared first on Nerdist.

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