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The Blumhouse/Atomic Robot riffs on Universal’s classic monsters thus far have been an interesting experiment. I don’t think anyone saw the success of Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man coming, nor perhaps that his follow up, The Wolf Man, would land with a thud. With the third riff comes a bit of drama, not least Universal punting it off to Warner Bros. to avoid brand confusion with some big-budget rebootquels on the way. Thus, we have Lee Cronin’s Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, which in a lot of ways is the most different of the bunch. It’s much more like Cronin’s previous Evil Dead Rise than anything starring Brendan Fraser and Imhotep. But that’s really why I think it works as well as it does.Warner Bros.

Unlike any of the previous Mummy films in the main canon, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy eschews action-adventure for pure supernatural body horror. This movie is grotty and proud of it. It also carries on a theme for Cronin in putting normal families in the gnarliest horror stories possible. And like Evil Dead Rise, the horror aspects here come with a devilishly comedic tone. It maybe pulls a few punches, but not as many as one might expect.

The story begins in Egypt where news correspondent Charlie (Jack Reynor) lives with his wife, medical professional Larissa (Laia Costa), two kids, and a third on the way. One afternoon, a mysterious woman (Hayat Kamille) abducts the daughter, Katie, and the Cairo police—including young officer Dalia (May Calamawy)—have no idea where she is.

Eight years pass, the family has relocated to Albuquerque, and out of the blue, people find Katie (played as a teen by newcomer Natalie Grace). Only, our poor girl isn’t quite what they remember. She shows signs of mistreatment and malnutrition as well as a strange skin condition. Katie can’t speak and is mainly catatonic aside from occasional violent spasms. As Charlie and now-Detective Dalia try to piece together what happened, the true nature of Katie’s dark presence begins to infect the house, the family, and maybe even the world?!

Warner Bros.

One of the biggest issues with Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is the story is almost at odds with itself. It tries to at once evoke things like The Exorcist and Evil Dead and supernatural mysteries like Sinister and Insidious. (Not surprisingly, those second two from producers Jason Blum and James Wan.) The plot doesn’t need to be as complex as it tries to be, but it often feels like Cronin needs to justify it being a movie about a mummy, sort of, so needs ancient curses and cults. Half of it goes nowhere. I’m not sure it needs that stuff, and I think it ultimately gets in the way of what really works.

Once Katie gets to Albuquerque—to a massive old house, perfect for horror—and the gross and uncanny stuff really starts, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is a hell of a lot of fun. Multiple times during my press screening, the audience emitted loud, involuntary noises as a result of the splatter. At its best, the movie evokes Peter Jackson’s Dead Alive or the darkest parts of Tobe Hooper’s Poltergeist. And, yes, Evil Dead. I keep coming back to that because that really is what it felt more like.

Warner Bros.

I really need to take a moment to shout out Natalie Grace’s performance. Almost the totality of it is under heavy makeup and requiring physical contortion. She’s the highlight of the entire film, perfectly understanding the part she’s playing. She makes Evil Katie relish in the wickedness in just the right way. I loved watching her every reptilian tongue flick and rigor mortis twitch. Great stuff.

Whether or not the movie is “scary” certainly depends on taste and preference. I find gross-out splatter effects more fun than scary. If body horror and gore isn’t your thing, then you’ll likely keep your face behind your hands. If you enjoyed Evil Dead Rise, I think you’ll enjoy this.

⭐ (3.5 of 5)

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

The post LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY Is a Gory, Gross Good Time appeared first on Nerdist.

Retail giant Express was publicly spilling customer information to the open web. The bug is now fixed after TechCrunch alerted Express, but the company would not say if it plans to notify customers.

Antioch raised a $8.5 million seed round to create simulation tools for a new generation of robot builders.

DeepL says its tech could be used for real-time translation with meeting tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams

Henry Cavill’s upcoming film Highlander is in the midst of production, but that didn’t stop it from making a splash at CinemaCon 2026. During Amazon MGM’s special presentation panel, Cavill himself dropped in via video, and it was clear that he was in the midst of shooting. There are dirt smudges on his face and his hair is asket, but don’t fool yourself. His version of “disheveled” is still very hot. He gives us the gift of some very early footage of the film along with some behind-the-scenes commentary with director Chad Stahelski and other cast members like Dave Bautista, who portrays the Kurgan, the most feared of the immortals.

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We see Cavill’s lead character in teaser footage as he sulks through a crowd. He says “I am Connor MacLeod, who was born in 1518, and I am immortal.” There’s fight scenes and a standoff with the Kurgan. In this film, a group of people called the Immortals are racing towards the Gathering to battle and see who is the last one standing. Bautista says it is a dream role for him because he grew up with it.

Amazon MGM Studios/Lionsgate

According to Cavill, shooting is only about halfway done. Production has yet to go to places like Poland and the Scottish highlands. Highlander doesn’t have a release date yet but we are crossing our fingers for sometime in 2027.

The post HIGHLANDER First Footage Promises That There Can Only Be One appeared first on Nerdist.

At CinemaCon, Amazon MGM Studios brought out Spaceballs: The New One director Josh Greenbaum, Josh Gad, Bill Pullman, Lewis Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, and the incredible Rick Moranis, who is returning back to the big screen as Dark Helmet after many decades. This long-gestating sequel is hitting theaters on April 23, 2027, and new footage dropped. Amazon MGM Studios

There’s obvious poking fun at the galaxy far, far away. We get some humorous content, including poking fun at the Paramount/Warner Bros. merger and the many rumors about a Spaceballs sequel over the years. The narrator even admits that this is a series of clips that are totally out of sequence but look really theatrical. It is a campy and silly as we all hoped for. It’s time to hop back into the cosmic saddle, and there’s nothing off limits. We even get a urinal joke featuring a Na’vi character.

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Funnily, Rick Moranis gets interrupted constantly when asked questions on stage, keeping with the tone of the universe. We are absolutely looking forward to this film.

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Amazon MGM Studios kicked its CinemaCon 2026 presentation off with a bang, bringing Academy Award winner Michael B. Jordan out to talk about his new film, The Thomas Crown Affair. It is a new remake of a film about a billionaire who is up to criminal activity, specifically stealing a painting. Jordan notes that he dreamed about making this movie and watched the 1999 film with Pierce Brosnan as the titular character when he was a kid. And yes, we got a trailer for The Thomas Crown Affair and Michael B. Jordan continues to be the hottest man on the planet. Warner Bros. Pictures

Jordan’s Thomas Crown flirts with a woman who is onto his scheming, and she’s played by Adria Arjona. He’s giving very secret badass energy and has a few things in his possession that don’t belong to him, including a specific painting. Jordan is in full action swing, scaling the sides of buildings, beating down his detractors, and driving a race car.

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The Thomas Crown Affair, which Michael B. Jordan also produces and directs, is set for a March 5, 2027 release date. Jon Baptiste is on the score, and also made an appearance to play the piano, and Adria also briefly appeared to greet the crowd. Let’s go and sit at the theaters to wait right now.

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Masters of the Universe brought lots of epic action and power to CinemaCon 2026. The film’s release is right around the corner on June 5, and we’ve gotten two very different trailers for it previously. The first teaser was quite comical and ’80s soaked while the other trailer gave us more action. Well, there’s more where the latter comes from, and director Travis Knight, He-Man actor Nicholas Galitzine, and Teela actress Camila Mendes knew what attendees and MOTU fans wanna see. The newest trailer from Masters of the Universe is absolutely dazzling as Adam comes home and embraces the fight against Skeletor.

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Speaking of that cackling nightmare of a villian whom we all love, he’s absolutely menacing in this clip. At one point, he taunts Adam, saying that he can pretend to be a hero but is he really anyone without the sword. But before that, we see Adam in the back of a cop car when Beast Man shows up and wreaks havoc in traffic. Adam escapes the vehicle with his sword but he loses it and nearly loses the battle until Teela shows up to save his behind. He’s shocked to see her and she asks if he’s ready to go home. And that’s when things get weird in the best way.

Amazon MGM Studios

She says that everything changed since he left. He addresses a group of people who thought he was dead, but certainly welcome him to fight Skeletor. We see big characters like Mekaneck and Evil-Lyn get some pretty humorous moments too, especially between Teela, Duncan, and Adam as she pilots a ship. We even see He-Man on a motorbike and in full action as he slays his enemies. It is epic, loud, bold, and made us even more excited for the film to hit theaters this summer.

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Jessica Chastain is bringing some serious scary mother vibes this spooky season. Universal Pictures and Blumhouse dropped the first trailer for Other Mommy at CinemaCon, and we are still shook by its imagery. In it, Chastain appears to be an ideal mother who comes home and chats with her daughter. The little girl is hiding ice cream behind her back, and the mom gently chastises her. Like a good mom, she offers better food options, like pasta and scrambled eggs before putting a pot of beans on the stove.

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The mother says she thinks about when her and her daughter were one person, which the daughter assumes means when she was pregnant. But no, that’s not it. This mom says the daughter was in her heart and then asks to go inside the girl’s heart. Chastain’s eyes widen as tears stream and smoke rises from a burning pot on the stove. It is incredibly creepy to watch.

The father of the family, Russ (Jay Duplass) comes home and asks what’s wrong, but then there’s a jumpscare of this “other mommy.” who is disfigured and hiding under a kitchen island. Russ tells his actual wife, Ursula, that something was basically cosplaying her in their home.

Warner Bros. Pictures

And things get increasingly unsettling as the lines between the actual mom and this entity start to blend as the daughter is haunted. Other Mommy is directed by Rob Savage with James Wan producing and Nathan Elston penning its script. Other Mommy will drum up maternal nightmares on October 9, and if the trailer is any indication, we are in for a new horror classic.

The post Jessica Chastain Is Terrifying in Blumhouse’s OTHER MOMMY Trailer appeared first on Nerdist.

The Fockers are back for a focking good time. During CinemaCon 2026, Ben Stiller and the legendary Robert DeNiro hit the stage to show audiences the first trailer for Focker-in-Law. Universal Pictures

This new installment in the Fockers film franchise will show Gaylord aka Greg meeting his son’s lady, played by Ariana Grande, and things going predictably ary in the process. And you don’t have to wait another second to see this clip because it’s already out in the world.

It looks like the circle of trust will have to get a little bit bigger. Universal Pictures will bring Focker-in-Law to theaters for Thanksgiving with a November 25 release date.

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There’s no better place for a legend like Steven Spielberg to talk about what will surely be his next blockbuster hit Disclosure Day than CinemaCon 2026. It will be the film that every theater in existence will want to see, every film critic will want to dissect, and what every fan will be seated for on opening weekend. Thankfully, no one will have to wait too long for Disclosure Day to arrive, because it’s coming on June 12. And to celebrate that, Universal Pictures gave CinemaCon attendees a look at footage from the film.

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In case you didn’t know, the film focuses on the arrival of aliens who presumably do not mean well at all. There’s a need for “full disclosure” by the powers who know what’s going on and, well, Emily Blunt’s character Margaret Fairchild is a meteorologist who ends up under the influence of an alien entity.

Universal Pictures

Believe it or not, Steven Spielberg himself graced the stage and received the MPA America250 Award. He says it gives him joy to be in the room with movie lovers like him. He sits down with star Colman Domingo to have a little chat about Disclosure Day. He champions the communal experience of going to the movies and he says he used to rent movies from a catalogue when he was 15. Every summer he would order films and he would sell tickets in the neighborhood, getting around laws by saying it was for charity.

He says he’s been curious about what’s happening in the sky and the possibilities since childhood. Spielberg also referenced a New York Times article from 2017 about anomalous phenoms. He notes that there is nothing more important than original stories and says if we keep operating on existing properties, that we will run out of gas.

Now, onto Disclosure Day specifically, he says that the subject matter is not shrouded to everyone in the film. Some have known over 80 years, in fact. He says it will answer questions and proke questions. And, he was adamant about trailers not giving away the third act. The director says all you need to get from the beginning to the end of this film is a seatbelt.

In the Disclosure Day footage, we see Margaret drinking coffee when a cardinal flies in. They look at each other oddly before we see her rushing off to work. The scene of her clicking and glitching from previous trailers play and then Daniel, the whistleblower, comes into play. He has video of something strange happening, with people in hazmat suits pulling bodies out of containers.

Wardex is looking for Margaret and Daniel reveals that the clicking the Margaret is saying is actually a math equation. Margaret says “they” know where Daniel is and will kill him, and she begs him not to go back to the house. Sure enough, black cars come into play as things go awry. We see some truly wild imagery, revealing that Margaret and Daniel have had intertwined fates since childhood. And oh are the images of animals so incredibly glorious.

The post DISCLOSURE DAY Trailer Reveals a Cosmic Connection Between Its Leads appeared first on Nerdist.

The trailer for Violent Night 2 gave CinemaCon fans a jolt during Universal Pictures special presentation. In it, Santa (David Harbour) does a very quick recap of all the violence and gore of the first film. Then he takes a look at his list, which has him as naughty because he forgot the meaning of Christmas, apparently. Santa gets knocked out and ends up in the back of a truck and at a mall where he complains about trying to save Christmas.

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He’s lost his magic and is traversing the mall wearing a regular sweater, even admitting to kids that he killed too many people and got on the naughty list. He becomes a mall Santa, but there’s a hit out on his head. The violence ramps up, including Santa using a gingerbread cookie cutter to take a chunk out of a man’s head. Yikes. It’s nice to see all this happen as a version of Wham’s “Last Christmas” plays.

Universal Pictures

But what really thrilled us was seeing Kristen Bell appear as a very pretty and badass version of Mrs. Claus. Violent Night 2 hits theaters on December 4, and the trailer has us ready for the most wonderful time of the year.

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Robert Eggers is back to give us more gothic and haunting vibes with Werwulf. This Focus Features film will unleash terror in theaters on Christmas Day 2026, and CinemaCon attendees got our first look at what to expect. Eggers, who wrote and directed Werwulf, is quite the horror maestro, but anyone who saw Nosferatu knows that already. Focus Features

This tale takes place in 13th-century England, and follows a mysterious creature who peruses a foggy countryside. His presence turns folklore into a very frightening reality for a group of villagers.

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Werwulf stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe, and Lily-Rose Depp. We love it when a director finds their favorite actors and collaborates with them frequently. A house is on fire as a voice says to not dread the darkness but rather embrace it. We see Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s family traveling by foot as we hear an ancient tale about werewolves traversing the countryside. Disfigured bodies and blood about as we see Taylor-Johnson roar and begin his frightening transformation into a beast.

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This is news that we truly did not see coming. The Universal Pictures special presentation kicked off their slate with Snoop Dogg coming on stage. Sadly, a portion of the audience was unfamiliar with his hits like “The Next Episode,” but we were rapping right along with him each step of the way. Snoop Dogg announced that there’s a movie coming about his life in 2027, aptly titled Snoop, with Craig Brewer as its director. And, there’s already casting news for the film. Jonathan Davis will portray Snoop himself, and he came out on stage to show how much he looks just like him.

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Of course, there’s no further details at this time. But it was called a spiritual cousin of Straight Outta Compton, which focused on the influential group N.W.A. Snoop did appear in that film in a small role, played by LaKeith Stanfield.

New Line Cinema

But this film will focus on the life of Calvin Broadus, presumably from his days as a member of the Crips to a hip-hop star to Martha Stewart’s bestie. Let’s see what happens with this film.

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Universal Pictures special presentation at CinemaCon 2026 had to absolutely include one major film in its slate: The Odyssey. Christopher Nolan’s next big success will bring Homer’s iconic Greek epic to theaters on July 17. The cast is frankly mind-boggling and includes Zendaya, Tom Holland, Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, and so many more famous faces. The crowd got a new glimpse at The Odyssey with footage that truly shows why Nolan is one of the greatest filmmakers to exist. Universal Pictures

After a sizzle reel featuring some of Christopher Nolan’s greatest hits over the years, the man himself came to the stage to talk about The Odyssey. He calls this story not a story, but THE story. He started watching IMAX films at the age of 16 and said all he wanted to do was tell a large scale epic films using that type of technology. He jokes that it will be quicker to say who is NOT in The Odyssey, saying that all the actor’s would have literally collapsed the stage. He says it is a story about family and a father’s desperate journey to return home.

His wife has been holding things down for 20 years in anticipation of his eventual homecoming. Nolan called Matt Damon his partner and humorusly said that it was a nightmare of a film in the best way. He says it was meant to be a difficult journey. He says they are almost finished with everything and that the final step is handing off the final product in theaters.

Universal Pictures

Now, onto the glimpse. We see Odysseus (Matt Damon) wake up as he’s found in water. He says he doesn’t remember anything before Troy and questions whether he has a wife or a child. Right on cue, another scene shows Telemachus (Tom Holland) is told to sit by Menelaus (Jon Bernthal). Menelaus asks Telemachus if he’s heard the story of the horse from the inside perspective. And that’s what we see next. There’s a litany of men pulling said horse to shore, which is full of men ready for the attack, including Odysseus and Menelaus.

Sharp knives stab into the structure and one man catches it in the shoulder. The horse is sat upright and the men inside shuffle about, but they remain quiet as mouses until things calm down under nightfall. They make their move to attack unsuspecting guards. Odysseus and crew make strategic moves to infiltrate the city. We see Menelaus preparing to attack as a metal gong sounds an alarm. Gates open and arrows fly in a very intense build up as armored men come rushing out with cheers. Several quick cut scenes give us glimpses into the drama and heart of The Odyssey.

The post THE ODYSSEY New Footage Shows Intense Trojan War Battle appeared first on Nerdist.

The legendary Val Kilmer sadly left us a year ago in 2025. But he continues to live on through iconic films like Top Gun, and his work is not over yet. As Deep As The Grave‘s trailer brings Kilmer back, thanks to AI, for a historical action tale about North America’s first woman archaeologist Ann Axtell Morris. It takes place during the early part of the 1900s and Kilmer is Father Fintan. For those who are wondering, Val Kilmer’s family estate and his children supported director Coerte Voorhees using AI to complete the late actor’s scenes.

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The exclusive teaser trailer came via CinemaCon 2026 and promises to unearth this hidden story. As Deep As The Grave stars Abigail Lawrie as Ann Axtell Morris and Tom Felton as Earl H. Morris.

A Visionary Film

The duo found remains of the Ancestral Puebloans in the 1920s. We will have to wait and see exactly when this film will hit theaters.

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Nuclear startup X-energy hit the road today to sell prospective investors on its initial public offering.

After three seasons on Disney+, Mando and his young (well, sorta young) companion Grogu are heading to the big screen. Just in time for their film, The Mandalorian and Grogu, as well as Star Wars Day, the bounty hunter and his lil’ buddy are getting a brand new deluxe build that fans will go nuts for. As seen in season three of The Mandalorian, and The Book of Boba Fett, LEGO will soon unleash Mando’s N-1 Starfighter as part of their Ultimate Collector’s Series. This 1,809-piece set brings Mando’s tricked-out Naboo starship, his replacement for his blown-up Razorcrest, to life. You can see the first images of this new, incredible LEGO set below:LEGO Star Wars The Mandalorian’s N-1 Starfighter Building Set Click To View Gallery LEGO/Lucasfilm Lucasfilm/LEGO LEGO/Lucasfilm Lucasfilm/LEGO LEGO/Lucasfilm Lucasfilm/LEGO Lucasfilm/LEGO LEGO/Lucasfilm Lucasfilm/LEGO

The LEGO N-1 Starfighter measures over 8.5 in. (21 cm) high, 26.5 in. (67 cm) long, and 15.5 in. (39 cm) wide. The model uses advanced LEGO building techniques and special silver Drum Lacquered elements. All to capture the ship’s distinctive Naboo-inspired silhouette and incredible details. The set includes a Din Djarin minifigure, equipped with his trusty blaster pistol, and a wee Grogu figure. There’s also a display stand with an information plaque, and you can choose two different orientations for display. Owners of this LEGO model can display it either side-facing, or facing forward, making it appear as if it’s blasting off into hyperspace.

The LEGO Group

This deluxe ship arrives just as LEGO launches its new SMART Play feature. This ushers in a whole new era of the Star Wars/LEGO partnership. This deluxe The Mandalorian set will be available for LEGO Insiders Early Access starting on May 1. It’s then available for all on May 4, Star Wars Day. It’s priced at $249.99. This is definitely one LEGO model you’ll want to have on display as part of your larger Star Wars collection. As the Mandos are fond of saying, “This is the way.”

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Doug Field had stints at Apple and Tesla before joining Ford in 2021.