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⚡ Quick Take

• An emotional, poignant, creative, and hilarious Toy Story 5 further cements the franchise as the best in movie history.
• Conan O’Brien’s Smarty Pants is an all-time great character.
• A few choices felt contrived, but overall, the movie was incredible.

Going into Toy Story 5, I thought Pixar’s signature series was the greatest movie franchise of all-time. I didn’t even think that was really debatable. It was four-for-four at the box office, boasted a bunch of great specials and shorts, and changed animated forever. No other franchise comes close to having such an unblemished resume. The only real threat to its top spot in cinematic history was itself via a mediocre or even bad installment. And a dud seemed almost mathematically inevitable. It’s hard to make truly great movies even when you’ve already made four of them. Go on long enough, and you’re bound to eventually make a misstep, right? Apparently not. Not even a little bit, because the fantastic Toy Story 5 is a moving and creative entry that only further cements the franchise as the most unimpeachable ever.

Toy Story 5 does just about everything well. The animation is more gorgeous than ever. (During the end-credits, I briefly thought I was looking at a live-action sequence.) The art’s crispness, color, and fluid style is on full display immediately. The film opens with a terrific scene featuring an army of lost, technologically advanced Buzz Lightyear toys. It’s vivid and lively, which matches the scene’s energy, while later sequences, especially with Jessie, are softer and more ethereal, matching the tone and spirit of those moments.

That lost Buzz army subplot starts off far removed (literally) from the main plot, but the entire time I had full confidence it would pay off in a meaningful way. That’s exactly what happened, as Toy Story 5‘s plot, though initally disjointed, makes sense and comes together in delightful, creative ways.

Pixar

The movie also pulls off something many sequels in older franchises can’t. It’s both reverential to the past while not feeling beholden to it. Toy Story 5 threads the needle of paying homage to its predecessors—via callbacks, Easter eggs, and playful gags—without those references ever feeling forced. It’s fully aware of its own history and deftly utilizes it to make something that is new. Yet it does so without betraying the series’ heart and soul.

In addition to the stellar animation of the normal scenes, Toy Story 5 also shows us new way to experience “play.” When Bonnie or the film’s other main youngster, Blaze, use their imaginations, the animation style changes in a distinct manner that makes sense. It’s almost like a kid’s playful crayon drawing come to life with actual toys. It’s incredibly innovative and fun, one of my favorite additions to the franchise. More importantly, it contributes to the film’s themes about the importance of play and imagination.

Pixar

The film also feels fresh thanks to its point of view. This is Jessie’s movie, not Buzz or Woody’s. The latter is essentially a side character, which makes sense after how Woody’s arc ended in Toy Story 4. By centering Jessie, Toy Story 5 feels both familiar and new. It also accomplishes this by making its human children a bigger part of the story than ever before. Bonnie and Blaze are essentially co-stars with Jessie and one unexpected character. (We’re getting to that toy, believe me.) Toy Story 5 fully invests in telling us who Bonnie and Blaze are and why being a kid is really hard sometimes. By prioritizing their struggles, and in turn their relationship with the toys in a way no previous entry has before, the film hits a powerful and emotional chord it hasn’t quite touched on before.

Jessie’s story on its own is also sad, powerful, and beautiful in Toy Story 5. She spends the movie grappling with her past while also desperately trying to save Bonnie from the dangers of technology. Bonnie’s new Lilypad tablet, which her parents got her to help make friends, has no use for old-fashioned toys. Greta Lee’s Lily believes Bonnie will only find friendship with her digital help and will eliminate anyone who stands in her way.

Pixar

This battle of old versus new in Toy Story 5 inadvertently leads Jessie to a place she never expected to return to. It’s the kind of development that in lesser hands would easily result in a saccharine tale of regret and nostalgia. While on this journey, Jessie learns a lot about her past, her purpose, and understanding others. It’s gorgeous, simply gorgeous. and leads the film to a really beautiful place I didn’t see coming, as Toy Story 5 avoids making anything resembling an easy or even lazy choice. It’s everything I love about this franchise. (Jessie’s journey also results in a moment so beautiful I will put it up against any scene in franchise history. Yes, any scene, you Toy Story 3 fanatics.)

But like its predecessors, Toy Story 5 isn’t just excellent because it’s emotional and moving. It also never forgets to entertain its audience. It’s creative, interesting, fun, and funny. Really funny, especially because it’s surprise co-main character, the electronic potty trainer Smarty Pants, is so incredible, I almost can’t believe it.

Pixar

And that brings me to the hardest part of this review, because I’m not sure how to talk about Conan O’Brien’s performance without sounding like a volcano of hyperbole. He’s that good.

O’Brien’s Toy Story 5 performance, which at points is absolutely unhinged and manic in the best way, touches on more emotions than most people experience in a year. At points, he’s unbelievably intense, angry, loud, obnoxious, condescending, mean, arrogant, and out of control. At others, he’s incredibly reflective, poignant, insightful, thoughtful, and kind. And he carries that sprawling range of emotions while also being wildly, almost impossibly entertaining. He’s massively funny. I could not get enough Smarty Pants, who is not the side character I expected. He’s one of the film’s leads, and he carries a lot of both the plot and the emotional weight. I was in genuine awe at how good Conan O’Brien was in the Toy Story 5 role. His performance goes right to the top echelon of all-time great voice performances.

I guess that’s fitting for a movie that only further cements Toy Story as the greatest franchise in movie history. The only thing that holds this fifth film back from absolute perfection is that, unlike past entries, this is the first movie to seem conscious that it will have a sequel. Woody’s diminished role felt like a setup for a big return in the future. There are also enough alterations to toys (Woody’s hilariously maligned poncho for example) I couldn’t shake the feeling someone was at least thinking about new merchandise opportunities.

That’s a little unfair to the film, especially since those new, upgraded Buzz Lightyear toys very much serve both a narrative and thematic purpose. But, at least on my initial viewing, I couldn’t fully ignore the sense a handful of small choices were inspired by corporate considerations rather than story ones.

Pixar

The fact that’s my only real criticism of Toy Story 5 is as big a compliment as anything I can say in its favor. It’s everything I want from this franchise. It’s everything I have come to expect from it, even if I keep thinking it’s essentially impossible to keep delivering movies this good after this long. But after more than 30 years, Toy Story is not just still great, it’s the greatest.

⭐ (4.5 of 5)

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He tried to be as normal as possible about Conan O’Brien’s performance as Smarty Pants. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post TOY STORY 5 Cements the Franchise as Cinema’s All-Time Best appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• The first teaser trailer for Shrek 5 begins a new magical adventure, as Shrek, his kids, and Donkey head to the kingdom of Further Further Away.
• Shrek 5 brings us some not-so-safe-for-work visuals like a twerking Gingerbread man.
• The trailer also introduces us to Zendaya in her role as Felicia in Shrek 5 and a few other famous newcomers, including Skyler Gisondo.

Do you find a certain famous studios’ animated movies too safe? Instead of kids’ movies starring adorable snowman who love warm hugs, do you want to see kids’ movies that feature a snowman selling his icy body in seedy back alleys? And do you also want a cartoon with a Gingerbread Man who has a gumdrop ass that just won’t quit? Universal hopes so, cause the first teaser trailer for Shrek 5 shows things are just as wild for our favorite big green ogre as ever, as he heads out on a new journey with Donkey and his large ogre kids to the kingdom of Further Further Away.

It’s good to have Donkey back in our lives. It’s also good to have his large friend, too. And after so much time away, Shrek’s kids are almost as big as their dad. They’re all going out on what DreamWorks Animation calls a “thrilling, magical new comedy adventure.”

Shrek 5 additionally marks the return of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz. This trailer also serves as an introduction to the franchise’s three newcomers. Zendaya (Dune, Spider-Man ) joins the series as their daughter, Felicia. Marcello Hernandez (Saturday Night Live) plays their son, Fergus. And Skyler Gisondo (Superman) joins as their other sibling, Farkle.

Universal Pictures

Shrek 5 comes from directors and franchise alums Conrad Vernon and Walt Dohrn. It’s co-directed by Brad Ableson (Minions: The Rise of Gru). Vernon also continues in the role of Gingerbread Man, whose twerking in this Shrek 5 teaser trailer really deserves a second shoutout. Shake that candy for all its worth, Gingy, you beautiful sentient cookie.

Universal Pictures

But maybe stay away from that snowman in the alley. He’s not offering warm hugs. At least not for free. As for Shrek 5, we’ll find out what this new magical adventure has to offer in 2027. It debuts in theaters next summer.

The post SHREK 5 Trailer Features Gingerbread Twerking and a Back Alley Snowman appeared first on Nerdist.

African payments infrastructure company Flutterwave has hit a new valuation and landed blockchain company Ripple as investor and partner.

The Justice department says the Pentagon needs xAI to keep using its unpermitted gas turbines.

Plaud is trying to make a mark in a crowded market full of AI-powered meeting notetakers.

Unlike many of his tech industry peers who have cut thousands of jobs citing the need to restructure to make the most of AI, Robinhood's CEO Vlad Tenev conspicuously made no mention of AI in his note about layoffs.

⚡ Quick Take

• Tom Holland will return as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Here’s everything we know about the Marvel-Sony movie so far.

If Peter Parker falls off a New York City skyscraper and no one knows who he is, does he make a sound? Please don’t bother trying to answer that very silly question, because we all know Tom Holland’s web slinger is going to cause a ruckus at the box office when he returns as the iconic character in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. What will this new chapter for the (currently anonymous) superhero look like? What will Peter Parker be doing when he wears his super suit?

Click To View Gallery Marvel Studios Marvel Studios Marvel Studios Marvel Studios

For now, we have four brand new images from Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and they spotlight our favorite “Guy in the Chair” Ned and his Spidey Tracker. Even though Ned has forgotten Peter Parker, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t still feel connected to Spider-Man.

Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures

Here’s everything we know about Spider-Man: Brand New Day so far.

TitleMarvel Studios

Tom Holland’s fourth standalone film as everyone’s favorite neighborhood hero is called Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The movie takes its title from the 2008 Marvel Comics series. Its storyline shares many similarities with the current plight of the MCU’s character, as it followed Peter Parker after a universe-changing event undid his marriage to MJ. The series was part of a controversial Spider-Man storyline that upset some fans.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s Plot Marvel Comics

A new Spider-Man: Brand New Day synopsis teases us with a little bit more information, it shares, “After the record-breaking global success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Man: Brand New Day marks an entirely new chapter for Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Four years have passed since the events of No Way Home, and Peter is now an adult living entirely alone, having voluntarily erased himself from the lives and memories of those he loves. Crime-fighting in a New York that no longer knows his name, he’s devoted himself entirely to protecting his city — a full-time Spider-Man — but as the demands on him intensify, the pressure sparks a surprising physical evolution that threatens his existence, even as a strange new pattern of crimes gives rise to one of the most powerful threats he has ever faced.”

That lines up with comments franchise producer/steward Amy Pascal provided about the film. She told Deadline‘s Behind the Lens, “We have to deal with the fact that he decided he was going to give up being Peter Parker, and he was gonna focus on being Spider-Man, because being Peter Parker was too hard. So that’s what the movie is about.”

Marvel Studios

We also know it won’t be rated R. Kevin Feige has confirmed it will feature a more family-friendly version of Jon Bernthal’s Punisher. Feige revealed, “When Punisher is in the Spider-Man movie, it’ll be a different tonality” than when he’s in his own TV-MA rated Disney+ special. But Punisher WILL appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, shares the Marvel boss.

Behind the Scenes Marvel Studios

Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) is taking over directing duties from Jon Watts. Cretton took to Instagram in December 2025 to confirm that filming is done.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s Cast Sony/Marvel Studios

Zendaya and Jacob Batalon will return alongside Holland as Peter Parker’s memory-wiped love interest and best friend/guy in the chair MJ and Ned. Sadie Sink will also join the MCU in a still unreleased major role. (Jean Gray, perhaps?)

Netflix

One actor whose role we do know is Jon Bernthal’s. He will make his MCU movie debut as the Punisher, Frank Castle. The vigilante might very well be Peter’s unexpected ally.

Marvel Studios/Netflix

Most recently, it was reported that Marvin Jones III will play Tombstone in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Tombstone is recurring Spider-Man villain and one of New York’s worst crime bosses in the Marvel Universe. Marvin Jones III also voiced Tombstone in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Sony/CWSpider-Man: Brand New Day’s Release Date

Spider-Man: Brand New Day will swing into theaters on July 31, 2026.

Originally published on June 23, 2025.

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The post 4 New Images From SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Spider-Man: Brand New Day is launching a new interactive Spidey Tracker website so you can locate the friendly neighborhood hero wherever he swings.
• You can become the “guy in the chair” for Spider-Man, learn how via “Ned Talk.”
• The site will go live on Wednesday, June 17 at 3 PM ET.

Spider-Man: No Way Home ended with Peter Parker a forgotten man. Dr. Strange’s spell saved his dimension from a multiverse-sized villain invasion, but at a great cost to Peter personally. It meant no one knew him or Spider-Man’s real identity anymore, not even his loved ones. But those lost memories don’t mean his old “guy in the chair” is done with the Web-Slinger. Because even though Ned has no idea who Peter Parker is, he still wants to help the masked figure who has saved his life countless times. And now you can help, too. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is launching a new Spidey Tracker website. It will let you locate the friendly neighborhood superhero wherever he swings.

Sony Pictures has partnered with Samsung and one of the MCU’s most beloved characters. The Spidey Tracker is a custom site created (in-world) by Jacob Batalon’s Ned Leeds in Spider-Man: Brand New Dayand powered by Samsung Galaxy. We got a sneak peek at the site thanks to a Ned Talk, which is fitting since Spidey Tracker essentially fills Ned’s former role as a digital eye in the sky.

What exactly does the site do (besides promote the film)? Sony calls it “a one-of-a-kind fan-driven experience unfolding online and in real-world spaces throughout the summer.” The interactive “hub for all things Spider-Man” identifies the secret superhero’s location, whether he’s at the grocery store, at a live event, or battling bad guys. It will also share “Spidey hangs,” provide news and updates on villains, online content where Peter Parker appears, and let you share info to help make the neighborhood a little more friendly for everyone.

Sony

SpideyTracker.com will go live on Wednesday, June 17, at 3 PM ET, which is also when we’re getting a new trailer for the highly anticipated film. Something tells us you won’t need Spidey Tracker to find that. But it will be very useful to find out where Spider-Man watched it.

You can absolutely find Spider-Man in theaters when Spider-Man: Brand New Day releases on July 31, 2026.

The post Find Peter Parker With SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY Spidey Tracker Site appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• House of the Dragon season three will deliver the long-awaited Battle of the Gullet. Here’s a spoiler free breakdown of what you need to know before it’s fought.

House of the Dragon season two put all the pieces in place for one of the most infamous sea conflicts in the history of Westeros. Then it ended without giving us the Battle of the Gullet. George R.R. Martin readers know why it’s one of the most infamous moments from the Dance of the Dragons. Showrunner Ryan Condal does, too. After season two ended he cited limited resources and apologized for making fans wait. But he also said the series wanted to give the Gullet “the time and the space that it deserves.” Now, House of the Dragon is finally ready to bring that legendary fight to life in season three.

What is the Gullet and why is it so important anyway? Who will meet there and what do they both want? And why are cast, crew, and book readers so excited to finally see the sea fill with blood on HBO? Before the shooting starts here’s everything you need to know—WITHOUT SPOILERS—about the Battle of the Gullet.

Where Is the Gullet? HBO

The Gullet is a narrow and vital span of water to the east of King’s Landing. It connects Blackwater Bay to the Narrow Sea. You can see it in the image above. It’s marked in yellow to the east.

At the top of the Gullet sits two important islands. The first is Dragonstone, ancestral Westerosi seat of House Targaryen. Next to Dragonstone on its western shore sits Driftmark of House Velaryon. Driftmark is home to two castles. One is the older castle that gives the island its name. The other is High Tide. Ser Corlys Velaryon built High Tide, which we saw full of treasures in season one, after accumulating wealth that rivaled House Lannister.

On the southern side of the gullet is the peninsula known as Massey’s Hook. It’s home to Sharp Point of House Bar Emmon, whose lord swore fealty to Rhaenyra at the start of the Dance. In a fit of rage, Aemond and Vhagar burned Sharp Point during season two.

While there is a very small stretch of water above Dragonstone and Driftmark, those who hope to sail into Blackwater Bay and ultimately into King’s Landing must pass through the Gullet. It’s a vital point for all trade into the Realm’s capital, which is exactly why Ser Corlys advised Rhaenyra to close it off at the start of the Targaryen civil war.

Why Is the Gullet So Important to Winning the Dance of the Dragons? HBO

Lord Corlys and his fleet already controlled the Narrow Sea before the Dance of the Dragons. He’d spent decades with Daemon Targaryen fighting the Triarchy of Essos for control of the Stepstones. Corlys almost died during his last battle in the archipelago, so to avoid having to fight over the Stepstones again, he had taken “care to fully garrison the territory this time.” With the Narrow Sea, and by extension all trade within it, secure, he suggested to Rhaenyra they block the Gullet as well when the Dance began. “We can cut off all seaborne travel and trade to King’s Landing,” he said.

His wife, Princess Rhaenys, said she would also patrol the stretch of water with her dragon, Meleys. She fulfilled this task until her death at Rook’s Rest. Even without Rhaenys, Rhaenyra’s forces controlled the Gullet thanks to Corlys’ fleet. The blockade resulted in a deadly food shortage, rising inflation, and even unpaid debts by the crown in King’s Landing. We saw future dragonriders Ulf the White and Hugh Hammer both suffer because of the blockade, especially Hugh. His sick daughter died.

HBO

Mysaria concocted a plan, augmented by word-of-mouth propaganda, to use that very same famine Rhaenyra created to the Queen’s advantage. The White Worm sent ships of food to the hungry people of King’s Landing to garner support for Rhaenyra. They believed the true queen remembered them when King Aegon and his family had forgotten them. That led to a riot that almost claimed the lives of Alicent and Helaena. The denizens of the capital were a prime target for the efforts, as they were already mad about inflation, perceived indifference from the crown, and seeing livestock fed to the Greens’ dragons.

The Prince Regent Aemond did not care about the lack of food and suffering in the capital. He even had the gates closed so no one could leave. He also didn’t understand why the people blamed his side, since it was Rhaenyra who’d blockaded trade by shutting off the Gullet.

Ultimately Aemond decided to do something about it, even though it meant reaching out to one of the Realm’s most frustrating enemies.

Why Did Tyland Lannister Reach Out to Sharako Lohar? HBO

Aemond sent his Master of Ships, Tyland Lannister, to Essos to meet with the Triarchy. The Prince Regent wanted to break the blockade of the Gullet but believed the Hightower and Lannister navies would take too long to get there. Overtured to House Greyjoy and the Iron Fleet were also repeatedly ignored.

Tyland met with the commander of the Triarchy fleet, Admiral Sharako Lohar. Once the prim and proper Tyland proved his worth to the flashy Lohar, the Admiral agreed to the treaty. The Triarchy will fight its old nemesis, Ser Corlys Velaryon, in exchange for control of the Stepstones. Season two ended with Lohar leading 90 ships to the Gullet.

Who Are the Major Players During the Battle of the Gullet? HBO

The Velaryon fleet led by Corlys and his new righthand man, his bastard son Alyn of Hull, command Rhaenyra’s forces. Sharako Lohar, with Tyland Lannister in tow, commands the massive Triarchy fleet. But those are just the sea forces that will fight in the shadow of Dragonstone, home to multiple dragons.

Even if Rhaenyra’s council continues to insist she cannot enter a battle atop , she now has six dragonriders on her side. There’s her son Jace (Vermax), her niece/stepdaughter Baela (Moondancer), Addam of Hull (Seasmoke), Ulf the White (Silverwing), Hugh Hammer (Vermithor), and her husband Daemon (Caraxes). If any of them are nearby when the Triarchy arrives they can take to the sky to supports Corlys and Alyn.

In nearby King’s Landing, only Aemond and the world’s biggest dragon, Vhagar, stand ready to fight. Queen Helaena refuses to burn anyone atop her dragon Dreamfyre. The Greens also rely on Aemond and the presence of Vhagar to protect the city, but Queen Alicent told Rhaenyra her son plans to leave for Harrenhal soon.

Ollie Upton/HBO Why Didn’t House of the Dragon End Season 2 with the Battle of the Gullet?

When Ryan Condal talked about the show’s season two finale he addressed the decision to delay the Battle of the Gullet. He said no show has “infinite time and resources.” He then said the series also wanted to “rebalance the story in such a way” it guaranteed three additional “great seasons of television” after the first. (Condal has confirmed the show will end with season four.)

The showrunner also tried to assuage frustrated fans by saying the legendary battle would be “the biggest thing to date” House of the Dragon has pulled off. He also guarnateed it would be worth the wait. “We’re going to pull off a hell of a win with The Battle of the Gullet,” promised Condal.

Fans won’t have to wait long to see if the series makes good on that tease.

When Will the Battle of the Gullet Happen on House of the Dragon?

Condal confirmed the Battle of the Gullet will take place in season three’s first episode. He also said the sequence “is unlike anything that’s ever been done in television before.”

Will House of the Dragon Make Any Changes from the Books to the Battle of the Gullet?

Yes, and we’ll explain all of them after it airs. But both book readers and newcomers to the tory alike will have to wait for House of the Dragon‘s season three premiere to see exactly what changes the show has made. They’ll do that soon enough. The show returns to HBO on Sunday, June 21 at 9 p.m. ET.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermikeOpens in a new tab. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post What Is HOUSE OF THE DRAGON’s Battle of the Gullet? (Spoiler Free) appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• The fourth and second-to-last season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds brings us closer to the era of the original Kirk and Spock Enterprise.
• We are excited to see more of Kirk and Spock’s friendship emerge.
• The new trailer doesn’t give us story details, but it captures the feeling of classic Star Trek.

The penultimate season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds debuts this summer, bringing us closer to the end of Star Trek’s Paramount+ era. And now, Paramount+ has released a new trailer and key art for the upcoming season. It features Captain Pike (Anson Mount) winding down his time on the Enterprise, making room for Paul Wesley as Captain Kirk… and his iconic partnership with Spock. The new trailer doesn’t give many story details. But it does show that Kirk is now at least a semi-regular member of the crew. You can watch the trailer for season four of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds down below:

The Official Synopsis for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4

And here is the official synopsis for season four of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds:

In season four of the Paramount+ Original Series, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise – led by Captain Christopher Pike – embark on a series of thrilling and emotional adventures across the stars. As they journey to strange new worlds, they will battle inner demons and external threats, encounter colorful new characters, reunite with familiar faces and confront terrifying aliens. Through it all, they strive to embrace a bright, hopeful future.

Nerdist’s Take on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 Synopsis and Trailer

The official synopsis and trailer don’t give us much to go on when it comes to the adventures that await in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season four. But it seems we are back to more episodic stand-alone stories again. We see Spock (Ethan Peck) and Kirk bonding further, bringing them closer to the legendary friendship that defined popular culture. Still no hint of Spock’s half-brother Sybok, who was teased back in season one. Will he ever show up again before the series’ run is over? We’ll have to wait and see how it all shakes out.

Paramount+

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, and Martin Quinn, along with guest stars Carol Kane and Paul Wesley. Season four drops on Paramount+ on July 23.

The post STRANGE NEW WORLDS Season 4 Trailer Spotlights Kirk and Spock Friendship appeared first on Nerdist.

SpaceX's valuation has increased by $1 trillion since its shares started trading on Friday.

⚡ Quick Take

• Milly Alcock revealed that some of the fabric used to make Christopher Reeves’ cape is in her Supergirl cape.

Former House of the Dragon star Milly Alcock is the fourth actress to portray Kara Zor-El in live-action in Supergirl. But unlike the stars of the original 1984 Supergirl, Smallville, and The Flash, she’ll have a lucky charm in her film that the others didn’t have. While appearing on Raiders of the Lost Podcast (via Deadline), Alcock revealed that her Supergirl cape is actually partially made from a genuine piece of Hollywood history. The costume designers made it from the same fabric used to create Christopher Reeve’s cape in Richard Donner’s Superman. Here is what she had to say:

My cape in this film was remade using material from the original Superman cape. Yeah, I think that they found there was like 16 meters of that material, so yeah, that’s in the back of my cape now.

Warner Bros./DC Studios

To millions of fans, the late Christopher Reeve will always be the quintessential Superman actor. To this day, he remains the default when people think of the character. So carrying a piece of his cinematic legacy around when portraying his cousin on screen has to be very cool. We’re not sure if any of the subsequent actors who played Superman had the same honor. But we think if they did, we would surely have heard about it by now.

RELATED ARTICLE

What Happens in the SUPERGlRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW Comics?

In the pages of DC Comics and on screen, the character of Supergirl has had a metric ton of costumes. There are far more variations to her look than Superman, in fact. The one she wears in the film is very classic in its design. And it looks nearly identical to the one drawn by artist Bilquis Evely in the comic Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Here’s hoping that Christopher Reeve’s old Superman cape transfers some of his on-screen charm and confidence to Milly Alcock when portraying Kara. Not that she needs it, but who can’t use some extra Christopher Reeve on-screen magic?

Supergirl, directed by Craig Gillespie, arrives in theaters everywhere on June 26.

The post Christopher Reeve’s 1978 Cape Fabric Used for SUPERGIRL Cape appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Luke Brandon Field and Assad Zaman posted a silly video on Instagram, but we really think it should be their pitch for Night Island.

In the lead-up to The Vampire Lestat, I spoke to executive producer and head of the AMC Immortal Universe, Mark Johnson, about a long-percolating show in the franchise, Night Island. Night Island, is, of course, the name of the island and palatial complex that the vampire Armand and his human lover, Daniel Molloy, built together in Anne Rice’s books. Johnson gave me a positive response about the series, and fandom rejoiced. But, of course, it’s been three years since we learned about Night Island, and the premise of the series will have likely changed, not the least of all because we know way more about Armand, Daniel, and their relationship now. But, actors Assad Zaman, who plays Armand in The Vampire Lestat, and Luke Brandon Field, who plays a young Daniel in Interview with the Vampire, gave us a silly video that feels like a pretty good pitch for what Night Island should be like to us. Check it out and have whatever day you’re having made even better.

Okay, if this isn’t Zaman and Brandon Field’s serious pitch for Night Island, it should be. AMC, are you paying attention? We need this hilarious version of Night Island, stat. Or at least we need this to be a web series we receive regularly. You can’t squander this incredible talent. I was grumpily waking up, and now I am cackling and happy to be alive to witness this level of shenanigans.

Besides, in my opinion, this incredible vision that Zaman and Brandon Field present fits with the Devil’s Minion relationship. Armand and Daniel’s romance can be said to be a dark and twisted psychosexual drama… but you have to admit the Devil’s Minion chapter of Queen of the Damned is also HILARIOUS. Armand ordering every item off the menu because he didn’t know what Daniel would like, comedic genius. Armand making Daniel call France and throwing money all over the bed, I was giggling. (And you can check out this illustration of it here, please and thank you.) So, we can really see a slice-of-life sitcom Night Island happening after this video, and we WANT it. Although please invite older Daniel actor Eric Bogosian for a round two of this video, please and thank you.

Assad Zaman

In any case, Night Island or not, we all needed this. Millennial Safe Space, indeed.

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Probably wants to prevent hallucinations and factual errors from reaching users, and achieve accuracy on par with deterministic systems.

The restrictions include a nationwide ban on Telegram until June 22 and a requirement to disable the app's message editing feature.

Instead of heating metals, Foundation Alloy beats them into submission. The startup has raised $22 million to scale up production of its alloys.

The deal is supposed to help SpaceX's struggling AI division. The company told IPO investors it sees a $26 trillion addressable market in AI.

The Meta-owned social platform announced a series of new features launching today, including a "Your Algo" tool that lets users control what they see in their feeds

The chatbot still remains the most popular AI assistant worldwide with over 1.1 billion monthly users, followed by Gemini with 662 million and Claude with 245 million.

Respond.io, one of Malaysia startups to watch, uses AI agents to handle high volumes of customer inquiries and charges per convo, not per seat.