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Buy one pass to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 and get 50% off a second of the same ticket type. Register before event starts on October 13 at 8 a.m. PT.

Prism's larger goal is open-weight AI that runs on devices and makes better use of the computing power they already have.

Feather is betting on a customizable, $30,000 platform built for software developers.

Quick Take

• V/H/S Mixtape is the latest installment in this beloved horror franchise, and its first trailer is completely unhinged.
• There are five segments that will all blend together to explore music and rhythm and how they can haunt us.
• V/H/S Mixtape will hit Shudder on October 9.

The V/H/S franchise is back with yet another installment for this year’s spooky season. V/H/S Mixtape will deliver several scary stories, and even includes some Jim Henson puppets doing some very naughty things. Rebooting shows really can have some disastrous results. And, if the trailer for V/H/S Mixtape is any indication, we are in for a really wacky, bloody, and fun ride. 

There are several segments that will all blend together in a terrifying way. Here’s a little more about each one: 

“Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance” : A studio attempts to reboot a long-cancelled puppet show with a mysterious past. Featuring work from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.

“Heartbeat” : A pair of YouTube urbex influencers find themselves trapped in a decommissioned military facility used for sonic experimentations.

“The Music of Mr. SZE” : A college film student’s documentary project uncovers the reclusive life of a tormented musician.

“Death Tone” : A young sound engineer follows her late Dad’s instructions to create the ultimate track.

“Wrap Segment”: GWAR hosts skits and music videos in an MTV-style show from hell. Featuring music videos directed by Tobias Forge and Flying Lotus.

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And, here is the synopsis for V/H/S Mixtape to go along with its trailer: 

 V/H/S/Mixtape cranks the franchise’s signature found-footage horror up to eleven with an electrifying new anthology where music and sound become the source of terror. United by a theme that explores the power of music, rhythm, and audio to haunt, possess, transform, and destroy, the film blends cosmic horror, psychological suspense, outrageous splatter, and groundbreaking practical effects into one unforgettable mixtape of nightmares.

Shudder

Of course, we don’t have to wait long for this to arrive. You can check V/H/S Mixtape out on October 9.

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 V/H/S MIXTAPE Trailer Is a Killer Puppet Nightmare appeared first on Nerdist.

The notice would allow Oracle to delay payments should the facility miss its 2028 target to come online.

Meta’s new AI gadget may look like a Tamagotchi, but its dangling form factor taps into a much broader Gen Z trend around bag charms, retro tech, and turning gadgets into fashion accessories.

Databricks has brought cloud spreadsheet startup Row Zero adding yet another acquisition to its 2026 shopping spree.

The AI-powered feature builds a virtual wardrobe from your photos, and is now broadly available after first rolling out to Android users in June.

TechCrunch Founder Summit is a full-day gathering in Boston on November 4 where founders across all stages connect with top VCs and experienced entrepreneurs to gain tactical insights on building and scaling their companies.

ElevenLabs powers the AI voice on the other end of a lot of customer service calls, and its CEO told me this week that businesses should probably tell you that — at least until getting a machine is what everyone expects anyway.

Google says the AI-calling feature will first be available to Pixel 11 owners in the U.S. who pay for a Gemini subscription.

Quick Take

• Warner Bros. Discovery shared a short promo with Gizmo announcing that Gremlins 3 will now release 11 months later in October 2028.
• The long-awaited third entry in the franchise was originally given a November 2027 release date.
• We’ve been waiting so long for Gremlins 3 that we’re not even surprised we have to wait 11 more months.

Sometimes it feels like we’ve been talking about Gremlins 3 for longer than the internet has been around. Those discussions have only ramped up in the last few years as the long-awaited third installment got closer and closer to becoming a reality. Once Steven Spielberg signed off on the script, the three-quel was good to go. But it turns out we’re going to have to wait a little while longer to see Gizmo and his violent offspring will return to theaters. Warner Bros. Discovery released a short promo featuring the lovable mogwai peeking out of a backpack. And while we’re always happy to see him, he helped announce Gremlins 3 will now premiere on October 6, 2028.

10.6.28. Only In Theaters. pic.twitter.com/kZVLPrNd12

— Warner Bros. (@warnerbros) September 23, 2026

Last November, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that after many years of delays and false starts, Gremlins 3 was finally going to happen. The news was first announced during the company’s third quarter earnings call. It was originally arriving in theaters on November 19, 2027. Instead the film is going to release eleven months later. When it does premiere it will be 44 years since the first film and 38 years since Gremlins 2: The New Batch.

Chris Columbus is also returning to the franchise, but this time to direct. Joe Dante, who helmed the first two movies, does not appear to be involved. Screenwriter Hannah Marks is handling the script, originally written by Columbus, Zach Lipovsky, and Adam Stein. While no plot details or cast are known, Zach Galligan was the one who first said a script was completed and waiting for Spielberg’s go-ahead, so we’d expect him to be back.

Warner Bros. Discovery

This is (kinda) technically the second Gremlins 3, though we don’t think Warner Bros. Discovery officially acknowledges Nick Lutsko’s masterpiece Gremlins 3: Dawn of Desmond. (We do. We definitely do.) But if nothing else this otherwise frustrating delay gives us the perfect excuse to share his song “Where Did the Gremlins Go?” So we’re going to take it.

Where did the Gremlins go, Nick? To October 2028, apparently. Because even when our long Gremlins 3 wait nears its end we still have to wait for it.

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 Gizmo Announces That GREMLINS 3 Is Delayed to 2028 appeared first on Nerdist.

Quick Take

• The new trailer for MADDEN starring Nicolas Cage and Christian Bale looks like an SNL sketch, but Prime Video says it’s definitely a “new movie.”
• MADDEN comes from director David O. Russell and also stars Kathryn Hahn, Sienna Miller, John Mulaney, and Shane Gillis.
• Despite possibly being an unintentional comedy, MADDEN will tell the story of a sports legend worthy of a biopic.

The late John Madden is truly one of the greatest legends in not just football, but sports history. He’s one of the most successful NFL head coaches ever. Madden never had a losing season and he won Super Bowl XI. He then went on to become one of the best, most beloved, and most important broadcasters ever. And the greatest football video game franchise ever bears his name. He’s a truly worthy subject for a biopic. As is the owner who hired him to lead his team, the Raiders’ Al Davis. And that’s exactly what Prime Video is giving us with MADDEN, a movie about two football icons starring two Oscar-winners, Nicolas Cage and Christian Bale, whom we see in the trailer below.

But while there’s no question why John Madden is worthy of his own movie, we are a little curious why this one looks like an extended SNL sketch.

Okay. Okay. Lot going on here. We’re not giving up on this without seeing it, though. And yet, it is not exactly a great sign Amazon felt the need to end this trailer by pointing out it is a “new movie.” Typically that’s what the trailer is for. At least the official synopsis indicates this is definitely a real film and not an elaborate joke. From Prime Video:

Inspired by the life of a beloved American icon, MADDEN chronicles John Madden’s incredible journey alongside best friend and true original Al Davis – from a Super Bowl-winning partnership with the Raiders, to becoming football’s most recognizable voice, to building the worldwide Madden NFL video game. MADDEN is the celebration of a brilliant mind whose once in a century spirit and personality, partnership with his daring wife Virginia, lifelong friendships, and infectious love of people and football transcended the world of sports.

Hey, that seems legit! Now to show you an official image from the movie…

Prime Video

….That’s great. Hey, this is a comedy, right? We….we can’t tell.

Despite the unavoidable silliness conveyed by this trailer, it does have a lot going for it. It comes from director David O. Russell. He wrote the script with Cambron Clark. And in addition to its big-name two stars it also features Kathryn Hahn, Sienna Miller, John Mulaney, and Shane Gillis.

MADDEN will debut in select theaters on November 11. It will then be available on Prime Video one week later on November 18. Will it prove worthy as iconic as the coach it’s about? Maybe, but maybe just not for the right reason.

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 Nicolas Cage’s MADDEN Trailer Looks Like an SNL Sketch appeared first on Nerdist.

Leaders from Waabi, Shield AI, and General Motors join the Real World AI Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 to talk building AI. Save up to $200 by September 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Get a second pass at 50% off.

Quick Take

• Matt Hagen learns to control his power and unleashes his monstrous side in the final (and best) trailer for the DCU’s Clayface.
• Clayface stars Tom Rhys Harries and comes from director James Watkins with a script written by Mike Flanagan.
• Clayface has always been one of Batman’s most tragic villains, but he now looks poised to be one of DC’s best movie stars.

Matt Hagen has always been among Batman’s most tragic villains. Now he looks poised to be among DC’s most captivating leading men. The final trailer for Clayface shows the actor not just embracing his new powers. It shows him embracing his monstrous side, in a movie that looks poised to bring true horror to the DCU.

Oh, this is going to be good good, isn’t it? We already thought that, but this final trailer for the film is the movie’s best. It leans more into the darkness and violence that will consume Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) as he realizes exactly what he’s capable of doing. And what he can do is hurt people while turning into a giant mass of moldable evil. Here’s the official synopsis from Warner Bros. Discovery:

Matt Hagen’s meteoric rise from Gotham street kid to Hollywood leading man is tragically cut short when a local crime boss’s actions leave him horribly disfigured. Abandoned by his team and with nothing left, Matt seeks out a cutting-edge treatment that miraculously returns him to his former self… but also unexpectedly affects his grip on reality, spiraling him down a destructive path of all-consuming revenge.

Warner Bros. Discovery/DC Studios

The film also stars Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, Eddie Marsan, Nancy Carroll, and Joshua James. James Watkins (Speak No Evil) directs with a script from Mike Flanagan (which is reason enough to be excited about this movie even without all the great trailers).

Clayface arrives in North American theaters on October 23, 2026. The film will be the third big screen entry, following Superman and Supergirl, in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU. If It’s as good as we think it will be it will elevate Matt Hagen from one of the best, most interesting members of Batman’s rogues gallery to one of DC’s most interesting leading characters.

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 CLAYFACE Unleashes His Monstrous Side in the Final Trailer appeared first on Nerdist.

Lovable co-founder Fabian Hedin said that apps created on the platform are getting nearly a billion monthly views each month.

Ando has raised $20 million in pre-seed and seed funding from investors including Accel, Index Ventures, and Emergence.

Zach Yadegari joins the Builders Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 to share how he capitalized on viral growth. Save up to $200 before September 25. Save 50% on a second pass.

Reason 4 of 5 to attend TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Practical answers. Two days left to save up to $200 on your pass. Savings disappear after September 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Bring a second guest at 50% off.

Quick Take

• It’s finally spooky season at long last. So what better way to celebrate than with a sinister Michael Myers Chia Pet using his look from Halloween II?
• What makes this Michael Myers the one from 1981’s Halloween II and not the original? It’s all about the bleeding eyes.
• Nerdist’s take: A Michael Myers Chia Pet is the perfect Halloween-season household decoration.

If you grew up in a certain bygone era, then the little advertising jingle “Cha-Cha-Cha-Chia!” will instantly flood your brain with memories of the ’90s/early 2000s. That’s when they’d advertise the Chia Pet, the perennial product sold on late-night television. But they’re still around, and now, and you can get Chia Pets based on all kinds of pop culture favorites. And just in time for spooky season, we have a Chia Pet based on THE slasher, Halloween’s Michael Myers, a.k.a. “The Shape.” Or we should say, Halloween II’s Michael Myers. You can check out images of the Halloween II Chia-Pet down below:

Click To View Gallery NECA/Universal Pictures Universal Pictures/NECA NECA/Universal Pictures Universal Pictures/NECA

The Halloween II Michael Myers Chia Pet includes a unique pottery planter, a convenient plastic drip tray and chia seed packets for three plantings. Owners can expect fulll growth in one to two weeks. In almost no time at all, your Chia Pet will achieve maximum growth and enjoy a luscious green coat. Each Chia Pet contains a simple six step care instruction on how to grow your own miniature embodiment of evil. Or, since there are no Star Trek Chia Pets, you can also just pretend this is a Captain Kirk Chia. Remember, Michael Myers’ mask is based on William Shatner’s face.

NECA

So why is this a Halloween II Chia Pet, and not just a Halloween Chia Pet? Well, it’s all about the rights. The original John Carpenter Halloween from 1978 is a seperate license from Halloween II, which was released by Universal Pictures. That’s why Michael Myers is crying blood out of his mask eye sockets, as that’s a unique look from that particular movie. You’ll probably notice most Michael Myers merchandise says Halloween II on the box, and not Halloween.

Nerdist’s Take: A Michael Myers Chia Pet Is Perfect Halloween Season Decor

If you’re looking for a fun decoration for your house, you can’t do much better for Halloween than the cinematic symbol of the holiday. And if you order one now, you can have your Michael Myers Chia Pet with a full head of hair to place right next to your Jack-o’-lantern on October 31. You can purchase one now from Amazon for just $21.16.

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!

Eric Diaz is a staff writer at Nerdist and a Swiss Army knife of fandoms. Eric loves DC, Marvel, horror movies, and even Star Wars and Star Trek equally.

The post Welcome Halloween Season With a Michael Myers Chia Pet appeared first on Nerdist.