The Nerdist

⚡ Quick Take

• You can own Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, thanks to a 4K UHD plus Blu-ray release.
• The box set comes with several extras, like posters and a 40-page behind-the-scenes booklet.
• Nerdist’s Review: It is a solid release for the price point, but could still stand to have more extra features.

In 2025, fans of the Kill Bill films got what they’d been wanting for over two decades. Volume 1 and 2 of Quentin Tarantino’s martial arts epic finally came together the way that he originally intended for one long, bloody, and brutal movie. Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair brought Uma Thurman’s the Bride to the big screen for over four hours of revenge-fueled drama, and now you can own that version, thanks to a limited 4K UHD box set plus Blu-ray release. 

Lionsgate is also offering a limited VHS for fans who want that nostalgic hit. But, back to the 4K box set of Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair. We received a copy and are here to tell you that it rules for many reasons. First, the artwork, which is by a slate of LA artists, is gorgeous and will look good on a shelf with your other releases. I particularly love the posters and plan on getting them framed and put on my office wall. There’s also a film still that’s a great collector’s item as well. And there’s a lot of features and goodies that come with this set, including the following: 

Lionsgate Limited Extras:

•     The Lost Chapter

Inside the Package:

• 40-page behind-the-scenes booklet, curated by Quentin Tarantino

• 70mm film still featuring artwork from the film

• Five double-sided collectible character cards

• Two posters from the theatrical screenings of Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair

RELATED ARTICLE

Quentin Tarantino Says He Might Still Make KILL BILL 3

There are four discs inside, two of which are the 4K version and the other two Blu-ray. You will have to check out The Lost Chapter extra for yourself, which is totally worth the 11-minute watch. And, you will get a digital version of the film too, which is always nice. Check out these official images of Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair’s 4K + Blu-ray + Digital Collector’s Edition: 

Click To View Gallery

As far as the viewing quality, I’d say that the Blu-ray version does give a sharper overall image than the 4K. This set could also stand to have more special features and behind-the-scenes videos, which were present in previous physical releases. Overall, the price point is incredibly reasonable, and you can pick up your copy either directly from Lionsgate or Amazon today.

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.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!Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of these discs free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.

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⚡ Quick Take

• The new movie Whalefall has us asking, “What would happen if a whale really swallowed a person?”
• It turns out only one species of whale is large enough to swallow a human, and it would kill you in multiple horrifying ways.
• But don’t worry, it probably won’t ever happen.
• Even More Getting Swallowed By a Whale Fun: Enjoy the trailer for Whalefall as you ponder what would really happen if you were swallowed by a whale.

Can whales swallow humans? For anyone scared of the ocean or Bible stories, science can put some of those fears to rest. The video below by House of the Future points out that only one species of whale even has a throat big enough to fit a human. And yes, you would suffocate or be crushed or burned in acid if that happened. Thankfully, the likelihood of you ending up in a sperm whale’s digestive tract is essentially zero. But… make sure to enjoy the upcoming movie Whalefall anyway!

The sperm whale is massive and regularly feeds on giant squid. If the sperm whale swallowed you, you’d first pass by its eight inch long teeth, and might get and arm or a leg torn off. Then you’d be swallowed whole and suffocate in the espophogus, as there would be no oxygen to breathe in the whale. In the whales for stomaches, your body will be crushed, smashed, and doused in gastric acide juices. Your flesh would dissolve, yum. Ultimately, if you were swallowed and then digested by a sperm whale, parts of you may resurface in ambergris, a waxy substance that eases the passing of hard objects like squid beaks. As mentioned in the video, people use it in perfumes. It is rare and a recent 280-pound chunk of it sold for $1.5 million.

As shown in Finding Nemo, humpbacks and other large species of whale are filter feeders and eat krill and small fish. The video points out that the throats of these whales aren’t big enough to even swallow human body parts, much less a whole human. But the risk isn’t just if you’re swallowed. Their mouths are big enough to hold a human. If they dive with you in there, you could suffocate… Which is similar to what Whalefall suggests. A lobster diver that found himself in a whale’s mouth (though not technically swallowed by a whale) survived because he had scuba equipment to help him breathe.

Two kayakers also ended up in a whale’s mouth. Humpback whales use a strategy called bubble net feeding. They swim to the surface with their huge mouths open in order to catch schools of fish. Anything in the way also ends up in their mouths, and the kayakers were much too close.

20th Century Studios

Hopefully the researchers trying to translate sperm whale language are making progress so we can avoid such unpleasantries and can politely ask whales not to swallow us if we’re too close. What about the stat at the beginning of the video, that you have a one in a million chance of a whale swallowing you? Since there’s no reason to think anyone ever has been, this is closer to one in 107 billion.  

Originally published on May 23, 2022.

Melissa moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth. 

The post What Would Happen If a Whale Swallowed a Human? appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Yellowjackets’ final season has set its release date. In addition, Yellowjackets season four has released its teaser trailer and synopsis.

Yellowjackets season four, the show’s final season, has officially set a release date. The final season of Yellowjackets will premiere on November 20 exclusively on Paramount+ with the Premium Plan. We’re tentatively excited for the arrival of the last season of this series, which could have been a game-changing hit, but instead was only just okay. But ultimately, Yellowjackets season four will have to REALLY impress us after a few average-to-poor seasons. In addition to the final season release date, Yellowjackets has shared a teaser trailer and season four synopsis. You can check it all out below.

When Will Yellowjackets Season 4 Release?

As mentioned, Yellowjackets‘ final season will premiere on November 20 exclusively on Paramount+ with the Premium Plan.

Will Yellowjackets’ Final Season Release Weekly?

We don’t yet know the release schedule for Yellowjackets season four.

What Does the Yellowjackets Release Date Teaser Trailer Reveal to Us? Paramount+ with SHOWTIME

The Yellowjackets release date teaser trailer doesn’t show us any new footage directly from the series. It does, however, confirm that the team will be rescued in the show’s final season. When the rescue takes place during season four, we don’t yet know. We kind of assumed this might be the case, as, eventually, the Yellowjackets must be rescued, but this teaser makes it official.

Yellowjackets Final Season Synopsis

In addition to the teaser trailer, Yellowjackets‘ final season synopsis reads: “As the survivors race to bury their sins before rescue arrives, an old flame roars back into town with plans of her own. Turns out not every homecoming is a joyous one, and this one’s going to sting.”

We assume here that the first part of the synopsis refers to the past timeline and the second to the present, but we can’t say for sure. Whose old flame is roaring into town? What crazy thing will Shauna do next? And will we FINALLY learn what is up with that wilderness symbol? We sure hope so! If you need a refresher on what happened last season on Yellowjackets, make sure to check out our Yellowjackets season three finale recap before Yellowjackets season four releases in November.

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 YELLOWJACKETS Final Season Sets Release Date (Hopefully, It’s Good) appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Widow’s Bay is a must-watch TV series for 2026, and continues to find a new audience as the show racks up award nominations.
• If you are just catching up, we have a guide to watching Widow’s Bay that’s spoiler-free with vital information.
• Explore More: After you finish watching Widow’s Bay, check out the eight mysteries that we want solved in season two.

If you’re tuned into the world of streaming television, you’ve certainly heard about Widow’s Bay. There are a zillion fun memes and a lot of fan-made merchandise for Apple TV’s runaway hit starring Matthew Rhys. Widow’s Bay is up for a long list of awards and is already claiming a spot on many entertainment publications’ lists for the best TV shows of 2026, including ours here at Nerdist. All of this chatter likely grabbed your curiosity and you’re ready to dive into the show’s world. If so, we are happy to be your spoiler-free travel guide as you take the ferry ride towards Widow’s Bay and catch up to see what the hype is all about.

What Is Widow’s Bay About? Its Premise, Explained 

The show follows Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys), who wants to spark new life into the isolated New England island town of Widow’s Bay. This fictional location is about 40 miles off the coast of Maine, but its exact spot remains intentionally vague, even though the show did film in Massachusetts. Despite warnings from a few residents that the island is cursed, and a history that supports that notion, Tom is determined to bring tourism to the island.

Unfortunately, the island is allegedly hungry for souls, which is kinda fun for us to watch and not-good for Tom. He has good intentions mostly but he can also be a bit of a jerk, which annoys many residents who have been in the town their whole lives. And, there’s more to Tom’s story and life than meets the eye, which unfolds throughout the season.  

In season one, he starts to accomplish his tourism goal and it goes left field in many ways. The series presents a few mysteries involving the church, the town’s founder and history, and current strange happenings involving disappearances, weather woes, and genealogy. Widow’s Bay is a combination of horror/supernatural elements, mystery, drama, and comedy. If you liked What We Do in the Shadows and Welcome to Derry (even though that’s way more hardcore horror), you will love this series.

Who Are the Main Characters in Widow’s Bay?  Apple TV

A few of the show’s main players work at Widow’s Bay Town Hall alongside Mayor Loftis, who is originally from the mainland. There’s Patricia Moyer (Kate O’Flynn), Tom’s quirky assistant who is a social outcast among her former classmates and desperately wants friendship. Rosemary (Dale Dickey) is a hoot, Ruth (K Callan) is a sweet elderly secretary who takes one too many naps, and Dale (Jeff Hiller) serves as comic relief oftentimes.

One of the show’s biggest characters is a resident named Wyck (Stephen Root), the local doomsayer who is not cool with Tom’s plans to make Widow’s Bay into a tourist destination. He believes in the town curse, and often finds himself at odds with Tom. 

Tom, Patricia, and Wyck are the primary trio who end up diving into the island’s mysterious past in order to understand strange things happening in the present. This all takes place while trying to still boost tourism and find a way for the town to progress. 

There are other characters who end up playing key roles, like the sheriff Bechir Clemmons (Kevin Carroll) and Tom’s rebellious teenage son Evan (Kingston Rumi Southwick). Evan was born in Widow’s Bay and has never left the island, and the show reveals a specific reason why this has never happened. 

Is Widow’s Bay Scary?  Apple TV

Widow’s Bay leans more into dark comedy with tinges of horror than traditional haunted/slasher/possession types of narratives. It is widely considered to not be scary, as it leans into mystery, secrets, and drama. There’s something almost Scooby-Doo ish about the way that Tom, Patricia, and Wyck explore mysteries, but it is certainly for mature audiences with some graphic violence, cursing, and more. 

How Long Does It Take to Watch Widow’s Bay on Apple TV? How Many Episodes Are There of Widow’s Bay?  Apple TV

Widow’s Bay is actually a show that’s easy to catch up on and marathon watch on a lazy Saturday. There are ten episodes of Widow’s Bay that run from about 35-50 minutes each, which means you can watch the whole series in about 6 hours and 20 minutes. If you’re hesitant about fully committing to Apple TV, you can do a 7-day free trial and watch this show along with other good ones like Ted Lasso and Shrinking.

Will There Be a Season 2 of Widow’s Bay? 

Yes, Widow’s Bay will return for season two! Creator and showrunner Kate Dippold has confirmed that the writers’ room is hard at work already writing more episodes. So you have plenty of time to get into Widow’s Bay and discover why you totally want to go to Patricia’s Sunset Cocktails party. 

REad next

Everything We Know About WIDOW’S BAY Season 2 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.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!

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⚡ Quick Take

• David Harbour shared a single, funny line Red Guardian says in Avengers: Doomsday: “You … are Tony Stark,”
• This line seems to hint at a moment where Doctor Doom is unmasked and the Avengers and co. recognize him as looking like Tony Stark.
• Marvel probably did not want this spoiler out there.

Avengers: Doomsday trailers have revealed Sam Wilson’s Avengers and Bucky Barnes’ New Avengers will put aside their trademark issues to unite against the greatest threat to the multiverse. What those trailers haven’t revealed is Robert Downey Jr.’s face. While we’ve heard his legendary villain speak, we haven’t actually seen him. He wears his iconic mask in every promo. Is that because Marvel Studios won’t actually show it until Avengers: Secret Wars? Not according to the MCU’s Red Guardian. David Harbour shared a line from Doomsday that all but confirms Earth-616 will see the face of Iron Man/Tony Stark when they look at their new enemy, Doctor Doom.

Marvel Studios

Harbour probably offered way more insight than Marvel would like when Variety‘s Clayton Davis asked the MCU’s Alexei Shostakov to share a single line from Avengers: Doomsday. Harbaugh responded with a “deadpan” delivery in his character’s Russian accent while pointing. “You … are Tony Stark,” he said.

David Harbour’s Red Guardian Line Indicates We’ll See Doctor Doom Unmasked in Avengers: Doomsday

This is very funny for a couple reasons. The first is that we can easily imagine Red Guardian saying this to Doctor Doom. It’s a good line, and we know Harbour will deliver it in hilarious fashion. But the second is funny to us, not Marvel. This Doomsday line indicates the Avengers will see Doom without his mask on the movie, which might sound like an obvious and inevitable moment, but it wasn’t a guarantee.

A big part of Victor von Doom’s story involves the reason he wears a mask. The proud super-genius sorcerer hides a “terrible” scar. Some comics reveal he was greatly disfigured. In others, he has only a tiny little scar. The difference is huge and reshapes his whole story. And so, it was possible, even if unlikely, Marvel was going to hold back on revealing Doctor Doom’s face until Secret Wars for that very reason… Especially if it was canonically going to resemble the face of Tony Stark.

Marvel Studios Doctor Doom Will Look Like Tony Stark in Avengers: Doomsday

It also certainly wasn’t a guarantee every Avenger would see firsthand that Doctor Doom is a Tony Stark Variant in Avengers: Doomsday. That moment might have been reserved for Tony’s closest friends and fellow Avengers, the people most impacted by his death. That list did not include Red Guardian. We suppose it also wasn’t a guarantee that in-universe Doctor Doom would be conceptualized as looking like Tony Stark.

Ultimately, this single line Avengers: Doomsday might not tell us as much as we think. Red Guardian might even ask because he heard something rather than because he saw anything. Potentially this Avengers: Doomsday Tony Stark line is a red herring and means nothing at all. All of which would explain why Harbour felt okay sharing it. But if nothing else, he just did something no trailer has. He unmasked Doctor Doom.

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.

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⚡ Quick Take

• Widow’s Bay season two will continue to explore the mysteries of Apple TV’s runaway hit.
• Showrunner Kate Dippold has revealed the theme for season two and more.
• Explore More: Here are eight mysteries that Widow’s Bay season two must answer.

The most unexpected television series hit of 2026 is undoubtedly Widow’s Bay. This Apple TV horror comedy series’ premise seemed completely ridiculous on its surface: a haunted island with a mayor who is trying to boost tourism. And yes, it was indeed funny in some ways. But Widow’s Bay and its quirky ensemble cast also face some genuinely horrifying and heartbreaking moments, too.

Apple TV

By the end of season one, Widow’s Bay is still far from being the next Martha’s Vineyard, with the island hungry for more. And we know that there’s more to come in Widow’s Bay season two as Tom Loftis grapples with a family bombshell that changes everything.

Here’s everything we know about Widow’s Bay season two so far. 

Widow’s Bay Season 2 Plot 

Editor’s Note: Spoilers ahead for the first season of Widow’s Bay. If you want to avoid them, do not read any further.

The first season of Widow’s Bay had quite the finale. Tom learns that his son Evan is the last surviving descendant of founder Richard Warren, which means the curse will not lift unless he dies. Bechir is now basically stuck after his wife gave birth on the island. And there’s the whole “eight tolls for eight souls” situation as well as other mysteries, like that weird ass tape of people being sacrificed decades earlier. 

There’s no plot synopsis for Widow’s Bay season two at this time; however, creator and showrunner Kate Dippold is teasing a few things for fans. She revealed to Deadline that the main theme of this next round is “endurance.” 

Apple TV

“I really feel like we took this approach of following what’s fun,” Dippold said. “In Season 1, we all talked about, ‘It would be fun now to go to 1702 and just be in this dry colonial horror piece.’ And so, it’s taking that same mindset to Season 2. So, there are some things that have been mentioned that I’m like, ‘It’d be really fun to actually revisit that and do that.’ So, I think the spirit will be the same, of just like, ‘This feels fun to do. This feels fun to show this now,’ and that makes sense.” 

She also hopes to explore more about fan-favorite character Wyck’s background this season as well. And, we also know that Jeff Hiller’s Dale will become a series regular in season two, which means more laughs for all of us. Of course, we will get to see how Tom can protect his son and keep the secret that the dearly departed Ruth told him before Bechir shot her. This is more messy than Love Island. 

Behind the Scenes 

Kate Dippold will continue as the showrunner, and confirmed that the writer’s team is hard at work as of August 2026. 

Widow’s Bay Season 2 Cast 

We can safely assume that all the main players are returning for this next round. There’s no new casting news at this time, but hopefully we will get more faces in the mix as filming draws nearer. 

Widow’s Bay Season 2 Release Date

There is no release date for season two of Widow’s Bay right now. However, with the writing staff hard at work, it wouldn’t be impossible to see the next season before the end of 2027.

Read next

7 Shows Like WIDOW’S BAY To Watch While Waiting for Season 2 Team Nerdist writes about movies, TV, games, comics, and all things nerdy. And yes, we would all go to Patricia’s Sunset Cocktails party.

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⚡ Quick Take

• Does Insidious: Out of the Further have a post-credits scene? Yes, it does
• This post-credits scene isn’t a can’t-miss, but it does make good on one of the movie’s big promises.
• We advise you don’t stay to watch the final titles roll if you fear the dentist.

Does Insidious: Out of the Further have a post-credits scene? That’s no doubt a question on your mind if you’re thinking about going to see the new movie (in which case, check out our spoiler-free review). Or, if you have seen it but didn’t have time to stay, or don’t intend to see it at all, maybe you’re just curious what happens after the credits roll on our favorite demon franchise. Well, never fear, we’re here to break down all things Insidious: Out of the Further post-credits scene related.

Is There an Insidious: Out of the Further Post-Credits Scene? Sony Pictures

Yes, Insidious: Out of the Further does have a post-credits scene. It’s not a can’t-miss addition to the movie, but it certainly does deliver on one of Insidious: Out of the Further‘s biggest cinematic promises/threats.

What Happens in Insidious: Out of the Further‘s Post-Credits Scene?

In short, Insidious: Out of the Further finally coughs up that disgustingly delicious dentist horror that the movie teased throughout its run. Even the trailer for Insidious: Out of the Further promised us there would be some dental horror in the film. A promise that seemed all the more salient when we learned main character, Gemma, was a dental hygienist. And though we saw some GROSS dentist-related scenes throughout the movie, most of them cut off before they really got started. And that’s what Insidious: Out of the Further‘s post-credits scene is here to rectify.

In Insidious: Out of the Further‘s post-credits scene, the demon Cyrus gets his just desserts. After all, he let down a whole cult of demons when he couldn’t deliver on his promise to help them escape the Further into the real world. And one of those demons just happens to be a demon dentist. Cyrus wouldn’t let the demon dentist torment Gemma earlier in the movie, but he gets no such clemency now.

The demon dentist fires up his demon drill and jabs it RIGHT into Cyrus’ teeth in the Insidious: Out of the Further post-credits scene. There’s drilling, there’s screaming, there’s gross goodness. And that’s about the size of that. If you were waiting the whole movie for this dental debauchery… Good for you!

Insidious: Out of the Further is out now in theaters.

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 Does INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER Have a Post-Credits Scene? appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• At D23 Disney revealed a complete model replica of its upcoming Piston Peak expansion at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.
• The land will feature two rides, one of which is an off-road racer that will bring a much-needed kinectic energy to what was once the quietest part of the park.
• Nerdist’s Take: Piston Peak is going to completely transform Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland while also fixing a long standing problem in the back of the park.

Anytime Disney closes or transforms a land in one of its theme parks something is lost. Each area, no matter how popular it may or may not be, mattered. It mattered to the Imagineers who built it, the cast members who worked there, and to the countless guests who made memories in them. And no matter how much you might not have cared for a particular spot or attraction, it was someone’s favorite. That was certainly true of the recently shuttered Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island in Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland. Not everyone is thrilled they’re gone. Some will always miss them and not without reason.

The question since the Liberty Belle Riverboat made its last voyage is the same one that matters every time Disney swaps something old for something new: is the replacement worth what was lost? And after this year’s D23 provided our best look yet at the Cars-themed Piston Peak the answer is a very obvious and definitive “yes.”

Nerdist

The Imagineering Booth at 2026’s D23 in Anaheim featured a massive replica model of the upcoming Piston Peak expansion currently under construction at Walt Disney World. The new land is not going to be a recreation of Disney California Adventure’s fantastic Cars Land. At the moment, Magic Kingdom’s original take is not much of anything. It’s still mostly just a big roundish hole with a concrete wall holding dirt and construction vehicles nestled between Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The elevated queue from the recently reopened Big Thunder offers a clear view into the spot. And in person it looks small.

That’s certainly how I felt when I saw it in May. Just about everyone I’ve spoken with who has been on Big Thunder feels the same way. But the model at D23 made clear that in this case looks are deceiving.

Piston Peak is going to be much grander in scope than the space suggests. Seeing how the land will actually fit inside that portion of Magic Kingdom was akin to going inside a new home that hasn’t been furnished, looking at an empty room and thinking, “This isn’t that big.” Only after furniture is added do you realize it’s massive. I shared that analogy with an Imagineer at D23 and he told me a colleague had recently shared the exact same thought.

My issue with trying to picture how Piston Peak will fit into Frontierland was not just a problem of imagination. (Or, you know, a lack of an engineering degree.) Previously released concept art provided very little sense of space. (Early looks at the Monstroplis expansion coming to Hollywood Studios did not have that problem.) Piston Peak’s initial art felt more like a promo for another film in the franchise. A follow-up promotional poster somehow made things worse.

The model solved those issues in ways that exceeded what I’d hoped to see from Piston Peak. Not only is the land going to be wide, it’s also going to be tall thanks to its mountain. That will align it with Frontierland’s two current signature attractions. Imagineers also designed it to fit in with the many different surrounding areas it touches, so that it each portion also feels like an extension of them. That will inherently make it feel bigger. Most importantly, though, is that Piston Peak is going to feel big because of what it adds to Magic Kingdom. It will bring an all-new energy to what had been, at best, the least quietest part of Magic Kingdom. At worst, Rivers of America was the most boring.

Click To View Gallery Nerdist Nerdist Nerdist Nerdist Nerdist

I’m not here to rip the former Rivers of America, really. I understand why some fans are mad it’s gone and what it means for the park. I can’t say I had much use for Tom Sawyer Island, but I did enjoy watching the Liberty Bell sail around Frontierland. And I certainly loved the serene beauty the area offered at night. After a long day in a hot theme park, it was always nice to see the lights reflecting off the river. It was a small and peaceful respite that felt like a beautiful reward for overcoming the day’s heat, humidity, and mass of humans. It was nice in the truest sense, in a way theme parks usually aren’t.

The problem is, you can’t sacrifice prime real estate in the world’s most popular theme park for a little beauty only found during the final few hours of the day. And clearly guests weren’t utilizing the space enough to keep it. Earlier this year I attended a panel with Disney executives who talked about how much data they have on park usage. That influences their decisions on when to make a wholesale change and when to simply renovate.

You didn’t need internal data to see Magic Kingdom’s Rivers of America wasn’t that popular. It was also obvious that it didn’t fit in as naturally as Disneyland’s version. It makes way more sense in Anaheim’s park. I always found Walt Disney World’s own to be the park’s most frustrating aspect specifically because of where it was placed. It made Big Thunder Mountain a dead end. Once you reached that ride, you had to turn around.

That might not sound like a big deal, but just think about anytime you’ve reached a dead end anywhere, let alone a theme park. You didn’t like it, right? Of course not. No one wants to hit a wall and retreat. Theme parks especially should flow and promote forward movement. Now Piston Peak, even before Villains Land launches behind it, will open up the park. You’ll be able to walk around the Magic Kingdom rather than walk to its end.

That bonus is nothing compared to what Piston Peak will actually contain. In addition to the dining options and merch stores you’d expect to find in any land, the area will also feature running water so Rivers of America’s best element remains. And it will also feature two rides, one that will bring a kinetic energy Frontierland desperately needs.

It’s hard to overstate how excited I am for the newly announced Cars Ridge Run Rally. Obviously a Cars-themed land was always going to include a racing ride. It was obviously also going to be good considering what Disney pulled off with DCA’s fantastic Radiator Springs Racers. And yet, somehow the formal announcement of what we’re actually getting exceeded anything I could have imagined.

Nerdist

It’s not a slightly different version Disneyland’s ride. (Walt Disney World already has an attraction that uses the same type of cars and track with EPCOT’s Test Track.) Cars Ridge Run Rally is wildly different thanks to a first-of-its-kind ride technology. It will take guests on an off-road romp—called by Lightning McQueen and Mater—through snow-covered mountains, down a muddy national park, and into a geyser field of sprouting water. Only, the attraction’s cars won’t just simulate an off-road racer. They’re literally off-road racers, which means you they will navigate the actual terrain of the ride. You’ll feel bumps because they are really there and driving over them, not because Imagineers simulated the sensaton. And, among the most exciting developments announced at D23, those off-road cars will still operate in the rain. Lightning is the only weather that will close the attraction.

Anyone who has ever found themselves in a sudden Orlando rainstorm is smiling right now. I’m more excited to ride Cars Ridge Run Rally in the pouring rain than I am a perfect weather day. And at night, rain or shine, this ride is going to absolutely pop.

Click To View Gallery Disney Disney Disney

The model also showed the single-track ride will traverse all of Piston Peak. Whether you’re near the Haunted Mansion, perusing the shops in Frontierland, or by Tiana’s and Big Thunder, you’re going to see and hear guests flying by. At the end, those racers and shooting geysers of water are going to feel alive in a way Rivers of America never could. It’s the complete opposite of what that portion of the park used to offer. Instead of underused and under-appreciated serenity, it will add the best of what any theme park does: controlled chaos full of energy and fun. Piston Peak’s main attraction alone is going to make the land one of the most popular parts of the park. That will not only be great unto itself, it will also lighten wait times everywhere at Magic Kingdom.

Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Belle Riverboat were…..they were not doing that.

The other ride will also contribute to WDW’s renewed focus on guests with young kids. The family-friendly Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along (seen in the carousel above) will feature the Cars 3 character as a giant school-bus-sized animatronic. She’s hosting what Disney calls her “wildest demolition derby yet.”

I asked a lead Imagineer on the project if the attraction was similar to either DCA’s Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters or Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree. He told me no. Instead it’s more akin to Cars Quatre Roues Rallye: Vroooom! found at Disneyland Paris.

I’m not just paying lip service when I say I’m sorry for those who loved Magic Kingdom’s Rivers of America, its riverboat, or Tom Sawyer Island. All of them were someone’s favorite. All of them were home to some very special memories. I’ll forever mourn the loss of The Great Movie Ride, my family’s favorite we’d ride again and again, even though I like Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. But for everything that was lost when Disney closed those attractions, it’s clear Piston Peak will be worth it.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He will never give up hope The Great Movie Ride will return. You can follow Mikey on Bluesky at @‌burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post Piston Peak Will Totally Transform Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• A squid eaten by a whale attacks a guy eaten by the same whale inside the whale’s big belly in the new trailer for Whalefall, a movie about a guy eaten by a whale.
• Whalefall stars Austin Abrams and Josh Brolin.
• Nerdist’s Take: Despite the inherently funny premise, this trailer does show why the premise behind Whalefall is so scary.

I had some fun with the first teaser for Whalefall, a movie about a guy who gets eaten by a whale, something I find inherently funny. But afterwards I was told Daniel Kraus’ best-selling novel it’s based on is fantastic. Of that I genuinely have no doubt. All jokes aside, it’s a terrifying premise. The ocean is terrifying enough without a gigantic monster eating you. But, yeah. Yeah, I’m sorry. I’m not going to keep having fun with Whalefall. How can I not when the trailer is this funny? I can’t help but laugh watching a guy stuck inside a literal whale. Especially when a squid who is also inside the whale also attacks him.

Even as a serious nature horror film (and not a comedy) this is really not a bad trailer! It’s actually pretty good. It’s an intense, scary survival story that is really about parents and tough. It just so happens to involve a guy who becomes a real life Pinocchio. A Pinocchio who then fends off a squid before climbing onto the whale’s tongue to scream out “help me.” I mean, who among us….

I’m not missing anything, either. That really is the movie. That’s what the official synopsis says. From 20th Century Studios:

Following the death of his father (Josh Brolin), Jay Gardiner (Austin Abrams) goes diving off the Central Coast of California in search of his remains, but is swallowed by a massive sperm whale. While trapped inside its belly with only one hour of oxygen left, Jay comes to realize that the hard-earned lessons his father imparted may be the key to his escape.

20th Century Studios

Whalefall comes from writer-director Brian Duffield (who co-wrote it with Kraus). It also stars Elisabeth Shue, John Ortiz, Jane Levy, and Emily Rudd.

Will I find Whalefall as funny as its trailers? I’ll find out when it gobbles up theaters on October 16.

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 A Squid Attacks A Guy Inside a Whale’s Belly In WHALEFALL Trailer appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• UK comedy game show Taskmaster released a trailer for series 22.
• This season will feature comedians Chloe Petts, Isy Suttie, Matt Lucas, Nina Conte, and Richard Ayoade.
• Season 22 of Taskmaster will premiere on September 3 on Channel 4 in the UK and everywhere else in the world on YouTube.
• NERDIST TAKE: All the information’s on the task.

In a media (and reality) landscape that just keeps on being terrible and adds to our deteriorating mental state, it’s the rare, almost entirely positive thing that can help raise our dopamine levels. Routinely, for years now, the most happy I am while watching television comes from sitting down to an episode of Taskmaster. Just 10 weeks of sublime silliness as comedians and personalities—most of whom from the UK comedy scene—compete for supremacy in a ridiculous contest. Now, with its 22nd season just on the horizon, we have a trailer of what is to come.

Like the past few seasons, Taskmaster series 22 brings together a mix of people familiar to me and not. On the more familiar end we have Richard Ayoade and Matt Lucas. Ayoade is an actor and filmmaker who most recently played Two-Boots on Maul – Shadow Lord. Lucas was on Doctor Who and (no one’s favorite) cohost of The Great British Bake-Off. The other three members of the cast all occupy different parts of the stand-up world. Chloe Petts does comedy, Nina Conti is a ventriloquist, and Isy Suttie is a musical comedian.

Channel 4

One of the best things about the show, in addition to Greg Davies and Alex Horne being the best, is that we get to spend 10 weeks with people we may not already know very well. And then it leads, inevitably, to looking up their work elsewhere and we get to enjoy new things in our lives. Humor and joy begetting humor and joy. Fantastico.

Season 22 of Taskmaster will premiere on September 3 on Channel 4 in the UK and everywhere else in the world on YouTube. If you haven’t already seen this show, you have hundreds of episodes you can watch there. All the information’s on the task.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

The post TASKMASTER Series 22 Trailer Promises More Sublime Silliness appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• One US Army unit is offering a four day pass to play Grand Theft Auto VI in exchange for more years of active duty service.
• It is only being offered to soldiers at Fort Stewart in Georgia in the Army’s 9th Brigade Engineering Battalion.
• Nerdist’s Take: This feels like very bleak news, and also is kind of wild because, well, four days is not equivalent to years of service.

Sometimes, there is news so puzzling that it literally leaves us scratching our heads in confusion. And in today’s world, that kind of stuff seems to happen far more than we want it to. In a weird crossover of two seemingly disconnected things, one US Army unit is offering a four day pass to play Grand Theft Auto VI in exchange for more years of active duty service. The game is set for release on November 19. (Thanks to CBS News for this wild bit of truth.) 

Yes, you read that right. Now, incentives are not unheard of to keep people enlisted or to recruit them. There are things like tuition help, special training programs, and even getting to choose where you are stationed that entice people to start or continue military service. But, to us, it is a wild choice to accept a four day leave to play a video game (even one as awesome as GTA VI will surely be) to reenlist for a minimum of two years (with a max of six). A few years of service for help getting a free four year degree? Sure, we get it. But four days is not two years. 

Rockstar Games

Apparently, we don’t know what we are talking about at all. Twenty soldiers at Fort Stewart in Georgia in the Army’s 9th Brigade Engineering Battalion, part of the 3rd Infantry Division, are already on board with this incentive to get four days off to play GTA VI in exchange for more Army service. If they like being in the Army and also like playing games, then we guess it is the right choice for them.

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GRAND THEFT AUTO VI Extended Look Coming to Netflix This Month

In recent years, as gaming becomes increasingly mainstream and popular among Gen Z, military recruiters have gone to gaming conventions, knowing that many of these gamers are drawn to Call of Duty and similar franchises. Of course, shooting and strategy in a video game world is not like what a real person is experiencing in combat. But many people still want to give the military a whirl anyway, even if they’ve only seen battle on a TV screen. 

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 Army Offers 4-Day Pass to Play GTA VI in Exchange for Reenlistment appeared first on Nerdist.

House of the Dragon season 3 has come to an end, and with it the series has seemingly strayed farther from George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood than ever before. Are these changes for the better or does House of the Dragon secretly hate its source material? Join Dan Casey as we break down all of these changes and examine their impact on Westeros and the future of HOTD.

Special thanks to Nerdist’s Grand Maester Michael Walsh for his help with this video.

Want even more House of the Dragon deep dives? We’ve got you covered: https://bit.ly/45VQOUZ

The post We Need to Talk About HOUSE OF THE DRAGON… appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• The new LEGO Batmobile build from Batman Returns looks great.
• It’s a 2-in-1 with sides that split off to reveal the Batmissile, which debuted in the 1992 movie.
• The set comes with a Keaton minifig on a stand with a placard.

LEGO seems to be on a kick with releasing Batmobiles over the last few years—so many to the point where other DC fans have called it “underrepresentation” of other DC characters. Is this true? Maybe, but the Batmobile builds are always really cool.

The most recent addition to the LEGO Batmobile collection is from Batman Returns (1992). Tim Burton’s gothic style birthed one of the more dramatic looks for Batman’s ride. With an elongated hood, a prominent nose cone with a jet turbine intake in front, and the signature wings behind the cockpit on either side, this is one of the most iconic Batman vehicles, arguably, ever.

LEGO

While the Batmobile was solely a street vehicle, it took a lot of inspiration (and even parts) from aircraft. The nose cone, fitted with a jet turbine intake, used parts from a Rolls-Royce jet engine. The afterburner was functional; no special effects were used for those flames.

While the LEGO build can’t be expected to feature a spinning jet turbine or a flame-making afterburner, it does feature the impressive visuals created by the car’s molded body. It is also able to complete an absolutely iconic move from the 1992 movie. During a chase scene, the Batmobile splits apart to reveal the Batmissile, a slimmer version able to fit into narrower gaps.

LEGO

Not to mention, the sick car comes with a Keaton minifig in the full cowl and cape, on a stand with a placard.

In 2019, LEGO came out with a collector’s edition of the 1989 Batmobile (there wasn’t much difference in design from the first movie to the next), which was more detailed than this build, was only $20 more, and came with almost 800 more pieces. I’m not saying this new one is a bad deal, but I am saying I wish I had $250 in my pocket in 2019.

For more fun facts about Tim Burton’s classic Batmobile, I enjoyed watching this video from Cinema Cars. Take a look below:

While, yes, I would love to see more complex builds from other DC characters and stories, I just can’t sit here and complain when LEGO just put out a perfectly awesome Batmobile. For a small, small price of $229.99, you could add this build to your Batman collection, which I know is burning a hole in your pocket. The new set comes out on September 4, though LEGO Insiders get access on the 1st of the month.

Ella R. Dunn writes about movies, TV, games, comics, and all things nerdy for Nerdist.

The post LEGO Dropped the BATMAN RETURNS Transformable Batmobile appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Marvel is set to revisit the storyline that inspired Avengers: Doomsday this fall, with a series of five one-shots featuring the X-Men, Avengers, Spider-Man, and more.
• Marvel returns to the events of the Jonathan Hickman storyline “Time Runs Out,” which preceded Secret Wars.
• The first one-shot will feature the X-Men of Days of Future Past vs. the X-Men of House of M.
• Nerdist’s take: This is full-on fan service, but could be a very fun bit of corporate synergy.

We’ve known for some time that Avengers: Doomsday will be largely based on Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers storyline, “Time Runs Out.” First published as the lead-up to Secret Wars (the 2015 version), it ran through several issues of Avengers. It’s where Marvel Studios lifted the term “incursions” to describe one universe colliding into another, possibly destroying both. Now, in a bit of corporate synergy, Marvel has announced they are revisiting that storyline, with a new series of one-shots. These detail the final battles of the Multiverse before Secret Wars, titled Incursions. You can read the details from Marvel below, as well as check out several covers.

Click To View Gallery Marvel Comics/Bryan Hitch Marvel Comics/Gleb Melnikov Esad Ribić/Marvel Comics Marvel Comics

This November, return to when Time Ran Out! Five multiverse-shattering Incursions one-shots will harken back to Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić’s Secret Wars (2015), revealing the untold battles from the Marvel Multiverse’s final days. The series kicks off with X-Men: Incursions #1 by Alex Paknadel and Jim Towe, pitting two iconic mutant realities—Days of Future Past and House of M—against each other. The series continues with Spider-Man: Incursions by Christos Gage and more; Fantastic Four: Incursions #1 by Ethan S. Parker, Griffin Sheridan, and Paco Medina; X-Men ’92: Incursions #1 by Chris Yost, Craig Kyle and more; and Avengers: Incursions #1 by Al Ewing and Fran Mariscal Mancilla.

In each one-shot, worlds from Marvel history collide, with only one left standing. Fans will journey across a wide range of universes from Marvel storytelling, including classic eras, alternate timelines and beloved media adaptations. It was the catastrophe that led to the end of both the Ultimate and Marvel Universes and birthed the conflict known as Secret Wars, but not every story of those dark days has been told!

The first one-shot released will be X-Men: Incursions. This story pits the reality of Days of Future Past, where mutants are near extinction, against the world of House of M, where mutantkind rules. And Kitty Pryde will find herself caught in the middle. We’re not sure what the other one-shots entail, but one has the name X-Men ’92. Which almost certainly means the animated series versions of the team. Could we see them fighting their Fox X-Men movie universe counterparts?

Gleb Melnikov/Marvel Comics

Yes, this is all blatant fan-service. But it could be the kind of fan service that winds up being very fun. Original Secret Wars artist Esad Ribić illustrated one variant cover, showcasing God Emperor Doom. Another variant comes from Ultimates artist Bryan Hitch, which seems to homage the cover for Secret Wars #1. A cover which itself pays tribute to DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths. We expect more details from Marvel on the rest of these Multiverse-shattering one-shots very soon.

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 Marvel INCURSIONS One-Shots Revisits Story that Inspired DOOMSDAY appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• In our Insidious: Out of the Further, we break down this fun horror movie
• Insidious: Out of the Further makes absurd demons the true horror as trauma haunts the story.
• After enjoying Insidious: Out of the Further, we’d be happy for the franchise to make six MORE horror movies.
• Enjoy More: If you haven’t yet, explore Insidious: Out of the Further‘s trailer.

The real horror is trauma. That’s a popular refrain in the world of scary movies. More than ever, horror has sought to delve deeper into the human psyche and thread the familiar pains that we all experience into stories of the supernatural, the monstrous, and the unbelievable. And that’s resulted in many wonderful films. But—it also results in the great excitement with which I share that Insidious: Out of the Further is NOT one of those movies. And that’s not to say it doesn’t get deep, or that its main characters aren’t haunted by the very human pains of their existence. But in Insidious: Out of the Further, the real horror is demons, and trauma is one note deftly threaded into the symphony of the movie—allowing both for poignant moments of anguish AND for the pure fun that is a buffet of creepy monsters menacing the main characters and the audience in new and creative ways. Join us as we walk further into our full review of Insidious: Out of the Further.

Insidious: Out of the Further introduces us to a new, complicated family that’s entangled with the Further. Wisely, the franchise doesn’t spend too long languishing in look-backs and nostalgia. Insidious: Out of the Further winks at past Insidious entries, but moves boldly forward to tell a fresh story all its own. And it’s the mark of a good franchise that completely new characters can inhabit the world, but the throughlines are so well-entrenched yet able to evolve that the coherency of the chapters remains strong. This time, it’s single-mother Gemma, played by Amelia Eve, and her young daughter, Maya, played by Island Austin, who take center stage in the story.

Sony Pictures

As mentioned above, Gemma really works as the hero of our tale, because she’s both a woman haunted by her own relationship with her mother, one that she’s tried so hard not to replicate with her daughter… And a dental hygienist. It sounds funny when I write it. But what I mean is that there’s a lot to unpack emotionally in Gemma’s trauma, BUT Insidious: Out of the Further never loses sight of its purpose: to thrill, scare, and entertain. And what better place to do all of that than in the scariest place of all—the dentist’s chair… now surrounded by demonic entities. It’s in this careful weighing of dualities and well-handled layering of purposes that Insidious: Out of the Further creates one delectably watchable movie.

Sony Pictures

Gemma also brings to the table a new version of what Insidious does best: the slow, creepy corruption of even the kindest-hearted, most normal people by the Further. Gemma isn’t ever technically fully “possessed” by any one demon. But the exposure to the darkness changes her in palpable, scary ways that Amelia Eve conveys on our screens in a tremendous performance. It’s like we’re watching parts of Gemma’s heart lock away throughout the movie, even as she fights to access them, to keep connecting with her daughter, but no longer can. And in those subtle ways, we see that perhaps the real horror is, a little bit, depression and trauma. But, in this way, folded among claustrophobic Further mazes that chill us, grinning demons thirsty for blood, and whatever is going on in that man’s mouth (help!!) it really works. We also want to give full kudos also to Island Austin, who is a young actress who can truly act.

RELATED ARTICLE

10 Best Horror Movie Remakes, Ranked

Then, of course, there’s the plot of the movie. Insidious: Out of the Further takes the idea of “Travelers” one step… further. Gemma is so important because not only can she move in and out of the Further, but she can physically bring things back and forth with her. And we can see how that might be appealing to the demons and spirits trapped in that hellish realm. This progression of the human x Further connection feels natural and not contrived, and it feels like a very clever expansion to the world.

Sony Pictures

This power plotline also allows Insidious: Out of the Further to bring the incredible Elise Rainier, played by horror icon Lin Shaye. Elise, as always, is the comforting heart of the franchise. Her presence reassures us maybe things WILL be okay and that’s always necessary among the horrors. Shaye knocks her performance out of the park as usual. And Elise’s prescence is helpful, but not overpowered, striking just the right notes. Elise also brings with her new character, Clare, played by Maisie Richardson-Sellers. Clare is in a word, “AWESOME.” She’s a tattoo-artist medium who has a deep relationship with Elise, who is the only spirit Clare lets channel through her. But the pair communicate in Clare’s mind all of the time. It’s a neat relationship we hope to see more of… should the Insidious franchise continue.

Finally, pushing everything forward is the demon, Cyrus. Unlike most demons in Insidious‘ world who are silent. Cyrus has a HAUNTING voice that trembles up the spine. It’s the perfect sound to give demons after so long of mostly quiet. Oftentimes, you can hear, but not see Cyrus as he haunts Gemma. And, of course, as with all demons in Insidious‘ world, his look is exceptional. Demon design is one of our favorite parts of these movies and Insidious does not disappoint—the long black hair, the blindfold fused into his face, the metallic, pointed nail covers. It’s a great, goth look.

Sony Pictures

We also enjoy that Cyrus has more of a human bend than most of the demons we’ve seen in the past. And that’s because he was alive… As one powerful human. In a sense, Cyrus appears as the Dark Elise. He came to know the Further, but decided to do all the wrong things with that knowledge. Of course, being in the Further has sharpened the worst parts of his humanity: greed, anger, and the desire to control. In Insidious: Out of the Further, he’s desperate to bring the Further into our world, something we’ve never yet seen happen…

As we conclude our Insidious: Out of the Further review, I would be remiss not to mention the exquisite things this movie does with light and sound. So often what we can see and what we can’t, and what we can hear but not yet see, played an enormous role in how scary scenes became. The play of obscuring and revealing was incredibly done. There were plenty of terrifying scenes of spectacle in this movie, but the simplest scares, a light flickering to life, a few faint whispers in the dark, were wonderfully effective. Full kudos to writer-director Jacob Chase. We also have to say that some moments were just laugh-out-loud hilarious—and we always appreciate that in our horror movies.

Sony Pictures

If we have any complaints about the movie, it’s that we’d have loved to spend a little more time with characters other than Gemma and Maya. For instanced, Clare, was such an immediatly fascinating character, but we didn’t get to learn too much about her or understand her full story. It’s clear she and Elise have history, but it’s mostly a side-note. Looking at the franchise as a whole, we’d also love to see Insidious leave behind the suburban existence/parent-child perspective to tell other stories in the world.

Insidious: Out of the Further was a fun entry into the world of Insidious. At the end of the movie, we felt like we’d been thrilled, scared, moved, and, overall, had a great time. We’d watch another six Insidious movies if they are as delightful as Insidious: Out of the Further.

Insidious: Out of the Further releases on August 21. Tickets are on sale now.

⭐ (3.5 of 5)

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 INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER Has Us Wanting 6 More INSIDIOUS Movies (Review) appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• The cast of Fall 2: Deadpoint spoke to Nerdist about taking the sequel movie to higher heights and what franchise fans will love.

The next movie in the Fall franchise is almost here. And Fall 2: Deadpoint brings back all the intense thrills and psychological twists of the original Fall movie, but it takes them to even higher heights—literally and figuratively. The beauty of the first Fall movie is that it didn’t just keep you at the edge of your seat with its shiver-inducing survival story; it literally played with what you thought you knew about the story, turning everything on its head at the last minute. And in that way, you yourself were thrust right into the film. And if you enjoyed that roller coaster, Fall 2: Deadpoint is one movie you won’t want to miss. What’s scarier: facing yourself or facing a sheer cliffside thousands of feet in the air?
It’s anyone’s guess. But to help get us ready to answer that question, Fall 2: Deadpoint stars Harriet Slater, Arsema Thomas, and Tom Brittney sat down to chat with Nerdist about the movie and why you should snag your tickets today.

Nerdist: Fall 2: Deadpoint picks up from where the original Fall movie left off. What do you think it brings that’s similar to the original movie, and what does it evolve about the franchise?

Tom Brittney: Fall 2: Deadpoint takes what made Fall so great, the terrifying experience, and just ups the terror a little bit more.

Harriet Slater: We’re even higher. We’re even higher. Even higher this time.

Nerdist: So the fall is even greater?

Harriet Slater: Exactly.

Nerdist: Speaking of the fall and the heights, when I was watching it in my living room, it was really dizzying even for me. How real were the heights for all of you while you were filming Fall 2: Deadpoint?

Tom Brittney: Yeah, they were real. The Spierig brothers who directed it, they really wanted to make sure that we weren’t on the floor, kind of using green screen or pretending we were up there. They wanted to go as high as they could and get the cameras up as high as they could, which I think it made it much more fun and scary in equal measure for us to do.

Lionsgate

Nerdist: So was the fear real while you were up there?

Harriet Slater: [To Brittney] It was for you!

Tom Brittney: I am scared of heights, but I was playing a character who’s supposed to be an experienced mountain climber in Fall 2: Deadpoint. But I had to kind of switch that off. When I first went on there, it was scary. And also because we are going up the mountain, the heights that we were filming at were also getting higher. So by the sort of last week of filming, they were really high.

Arsema Thomas: The Devil’s Elbow was so high up. That was the highest point.

Lionsgate

Harriet Slater: That was the 14 meters. (46 Feet)

Tom Brittney: There was another one that I briefly got left on. I was very jet-lagged. I’d been flown in. And we had to have this cherry-picker (a truck that raises workers high into the air) take people down, and I was like, “No, it’s fine. I’ll be fine. You’re only going to be 10 minutes, right?” And then I fell asleep in the sun and then woke up like an hour later. And I think that was the highest point. And that was a brief moment of being like, “Oh, no.”

Harriet Slater: That was scary, actually. And then, we can’t say what it is, which is so annoying, but there is a moment where we’re even higher. And that really scared me.

Lionsgate

Nerdist: And when you weren’t quite so high, what did you tap into or imagine for yourselves? Where did you pull the fear from for Fall 2: Deadpoint?

Arsema Thomas: I feel like the other high points on the set, you know? Because it’s hard to describe for us what it would look like. And you’ve never experienced that before, usually. You shouldn’t. But I guess that’s also when you really tap into acting and doing a lot of background research and stuff like that to see how would this feel and everything.

Nerdist: One of the elements of this franchise that I like a lot is that it balances physical and mental survival. How do you think Fall 2: Deadpoint kind of tackles those two intensities?

Harriet Slater: I mean, I feel like each of our characters are kind of going through something emotionally that drives them to do what they’re doing. And that’s their reason for, I guess, being there in the first place, but it also becomes their reason for surviving as well. So that was kind of cool to play with.

Tom Brittney: I think when human beings are pushed to their absolute limit, that’s the real test of your mental strength. And I think this film kind of really goes into, every character in this is pushed to their absolute limit.

Arsema Thomas: I think also being stranded. Knowing and having to hope that somebody will come and get you and to just keep going and to try all of the different ways of trying to get off rather than just sit there and atrophy.

Lionsgate

Nerdist: And what would you tell fans new to the franchise to get them to come watch Fall 2: Deadpoint? And what would you say to fans of the original to invite them to watch this movie?

Harriet Slater: To fans of the original, I think I’d say, there’s a lot of links between the two, which was really fun. Don’t know how much we’re allowed to say, but there’s definitely a through line between the two. But for people who haven’t seen the original, you can totally come and watch this without having seen it. It makes complete sense on its own.

Arsema Thomas: I’d say, “Why not?” Unless you’re scared of us… But that’s good!!! “Why not!” I say.

Lionsgate

“Why not?” Indeed. Fall 2: Deadpoint is one thrilling movie that will keep you firmly in the moment and ask you to imagine how far you might go when literally on the edge. Tickets for Fall 2: Deadpoint are on sale now. The movie releases on September 2.

RELATED ARTICLE

This Video from Matterhorn’s Summit Might Make You Dizzy Rotem Rusak is the Editor-in-Chief at Nerdist. She was wholly engrossed by Fall 2: Deadpoint and somehow wants to go on high ropes courses more than ever. Follow her on Instagram.

The post FALL 2: DEADPOINT Cast Talk Taking Franchise to Higher Heights appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Prime Video will bring an epic Viking tale to television with Bloodaxe. Here’s everything we know about it so far.

Bloodaxe is perhaps one of the most highly-anticipated historical dramas set to release in 2027. The Prime Video show, created by Horatio and Michael Hirst, will take us to the 10th century to see one man’s ascent to a throne. We already know that nerds love when anyone is fighting for power, and the streaming service knows that. In fact, Bloodaxe is already set for a second season before the first one even drops.

The History Channel/Julian Dolman

Who will start in this series and what is it about, exactly? Here’s everything we know about Prime Video’s Bloodaxe so far. 

Title

As far as we know, Bloodaxe will be the show’s official title. 

Bloodaxe’s Plot 

We don’t have super specific plot details for Bloodaxe at this time, but this synopsis should help bring things into focus: 

Bloodaxe is an epic historical drama, created, written, and executive produced by Michael and Horatio Hirst, which chronicles the rise of one of history’s most famous Norse raiders, Erik Bloodaxe (Xavier Molyneux), and his formidable wife Gunnhild, Mother of Kings (Jessica Madsen). The series’ highly anticipated first season has yet to debut, and will tell the story of their fight for the throne of Norway, as the land is torn apart by fierce rivals, shifting loyalties, and bloody betrayals. With war looming and chaos consuming the kingdom, drawing in the ruthless Kings of other Scandinavian countries, and even a powerful English ruler, the stage is set for a thundering, cataclysmic, compelling, and utterly magical new Norse saga. 

That sounds like a wild ride, and we cannot wait for a trailer to drop in the near future. In the meantime, if you want to know more about this historical figure, check out this book about his rise to power.

Behind the Scenes 

As mentioned in the synopsis, Michael and Horatio Hirst are writing, showrunning, and executive producing their creation. It is not known at this time who will direct the show’s pilot nor subsequent episodes. The series is now filming in Ireland. 

Bloodaxe’s Cast  Michael Shelford/Luke Fontana/Henni Hyvärinen

Xavier Molyneux will star as the titular Erik Bloodaxe alongside Jessica Madsen as his wife Gunnhild. Levi Miller is Haakon, Erik’s younger half-brother. Alina Tomnikov portrays Greta, a shield-maiden who can secretly turn into the Seer, while Sissie Marie and Rune Temte are the Queen and King of Denmark, respectively. 

In August 2026, Prime Video announced a few more Bloodaxe cast members who will arrive in season two. Gard Løkke will join as a series regular, and Melina Åkerman, Kieran Bew, Sebastian Bull, and George Burgess will star in recurring roles. This announcement means it is very likely that Bloodaxe will film its first two seasons at the same time, leading to less of a wait time for fans. Smart thinking. 

Bloodaxe’s Release Date 

Bloodaxe season one will come to Prime Video sometime in 2027.

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.

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⚡ Quick Take

• Pokémon’s fun collaborations continue with new Polaroid x Pokémon cameras, film, and accessories featuring fan-favorite creatures.
• These Pokémon Polaroid cameras include Pikachu, Sylveon, a Pokéball, and more characters.
• You can sign up for updates about pre-orders and more.

Pokémon is on a generational run when it comes to collaborations, including LEGO Smart Play sets, an Adidas shoe line, and more. But we really love this latest collab with Polaroid to give us a few Pokémon camera models. We’re ready to capture some great pics of our human friends and so much more.

Pokémon / Polaroid

Polaroid is a master of “capturing” in the traditional sense, and Pokémon fans, with their affinity towards that activity, are the perfect audience for a collab like this.

Two of the Pokémon cameras are the Polaroid Go models, which take inspiration from Pikachu and Sylveon. Both imitate the color of their respective Pokémon, with the Sylveon camera featuring pink accents and the Pikachu camera having a yellow body and a “tail.” The third camera draws its colors from a Pokéball and is the bulkier Polaroid Now model. Its capture button also looks like a Pokéball. The Polaroid Now camera comes in a circular Pokéball case, available for purchase separately. Clearly, there is nothing Pokémon loves more than fun design gimmicks.

The collaboration also brings various designs for film frames featuring the creatures. Among the options are Pikachu, Charmander, Sylveon, Bulbasaur, and more. The detail doesn’t stop there, with even the darkslides protecting the film including sillhouettes of the characters featured on the frames.

Pokémon / Polaroid

As a result of both nostalgia and young people becoming sick of social media, physical media has been making a comeback. Even digicams have had their moment, with grainy, bright visuals that remain reminiscent of the 1990s and early 2000s. Polaroid cameras fit right into this trend. Not only do they produce photos that come out instantly and become a physical item you can hold in your hand, but the look of the photos is also very specific to the camera and plays on that love for nostalgia.

If you consider yourself a capturer, whether within the Pokémon or photography worlds, the cameras, film, and accessories will be available soon. For more information about how to sign up for pre-orders, head over to this website.

Ella R. Dunn writes about movies, TV, games, comics, and all things nerdy for Nerdist.

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⚡ Quick Take

• Little People is bringing Stephen King’s IT to adorable life with Pennywise and Georgie figures.
• The Georgie figure depicts the aftermath of the classic and very disturbing storm drain scene.
• Pennywise’s Little People figure shows him in his frilly garb holding a red balloon.

The IT fandom continues to grow with new fans of this horror franchise. Decades after the 1,100+ page book was published, a lot of people still haven’t been able to shake their love for Pennywise and Derry. Now, even kids can appreciate the cultural significance of IT with Pennywise and Georgie Little People collectibles. That is, if your kid can stomach a little (fake) blood.

Little People

These collectibles definitely draw on your nostalgia—if you grew up any time between 1960 and the early 2000s, you probably had Little People in your toy box. These guys are from their collector’s line, where they recreate characters from pop culture in their signature style.

The Little People IT figures depict a scene from the beginning of the 2017 movie. Georgie, Bill Denbrough’s little brother, goes running after his paper boat as it floats towards a storm drain. It falls in, and he meets Pennywise the clown. He bites off Georgie’s arm as he reaches into the drain for his boat and drags him down into the sewer. The figures show immediately after the attack, with Georgie missing an arm and wearing his yellow raincoat. Pennywise is holding his signature red balloon and wearing his frilly grey and orange clown outfit. Clown-fit, if you will. They even included the alien’s cracked, plaster-like makeup on his forehead.

In my opinion, Georgie’s face is amusingly underwhelming. He has an expression of mild surprise, not nearly enough terror considering the bloody stump on his right. But hey, these are still collector’s items based on children’s toys, after all. Perhaps exaggerated facial expressions are where Little People draws the line. Overall, the toymakers somehow found a way to make such a terrifying scene… cute?

If you love the movie despite your newfound inability to walk within a few feet of storm drains, you can grab this duo on Amazon for $15.47 and grow your horror memorabilia collection one Little Person at a time.

Ella R. Dunn writes about movies, TV, games, comics, and all things nerdy for Nerdist.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!

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⚡ Quick Take

• LAIKA released an incredible new trailer for Wildwood, the stop-motion animation studio’s next feature film.
• Wildwood promises a moving tale about a young girl on a mission to save her brother from a dangerous fantasty world.
• Nerdist’s Take: The gorgeous and emotional new trailer for LAIKA Studios’ Wildwood is among the best we’ve ever seen.

LAIKA’s critically-acclaimed list of feature films speaks for itself. Coraline, Kubo and the Two Strings, Paranorman, The Boxtrolls, and Missing Link are all proof why there will always be a place for great stop-motion animation in theaters. But if there were any remaining doubt, the new trailer for the studio’s next big screen outing would put that to rest and more. Because this latest look at Wildwood is one of the most gorgeous and moving trailers we have ever seen.

…..My goodness. That’s as good as it gets. That is a perfectly cut promo that completely sells this movie as an absolute must-see. It’s emotional, powerful, and brimming with teases about the fantastical journey that awaits. The fact that it will all be told with world-class stop-motion animation only makes it even more incredible.

Obviously this trailer is more promotion than we need, but the film’s official synopsis also provides an alluring tease of what awaits. From LAIKA:

From the makers of Coraline, Wildwood is a sweeping, darkly magical adventure about a young girl who ventures into a dangerous hidden forest to rescue her brother – an odyssey shaped by love, power, and the courage to confront the unknown.

LAIKA

Wildwood comes from the team behind both Masters of the Universe and Kubo and the Two Strings, director Travis Knight and writer Chris Butler. It also stars an embarrassment of riches. The film features: Carey Mulligan, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Richard E. Grant, Awkwafina, Amandla Stenberg, Tom Waits, Charlie Day, Blythe Danner, Arthur Knight, Maya Erskine, Jake Johnson, Tantoo Cardinal, Rob Delaney, Jemaine Clement, Marc Evan Jackson, Len Cariou, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Angela Bassett, and Mahershala Ali. That cast is also worthy of a “my goodness.”

It’s hard for any movie to live up to a trailer this good. But considering what we’ve seen from LAIKA before, we expect Wildwood to live up to its own expectations. And we’ll find out for sure when it comes to theaters on October 23, 2026.

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.

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