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Police procedurals will never, ever get old, apparently. There’s something about digging into that dark and complex world of drugs, crime, and drama that audiences love. Back in the late ‘80s, there was Miami Vice (1984-1989), which deviated from the typical procedural format and drenched it in pop culture and stylish visuals. It didn’t have the longevity of the others, but it did produce one film adaptation in 2006. Now, a new Miami Vice film adaptation is in the works with Universal with Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski at its helm. The film will be titled Miami Vice ’85 and star Oscar winner Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler.Universal Television

Dan Gilroy will pen the film’s script. We know that Gilroy, who happens to be Tony Gilroy’s brother (Andor), knows the action world well. He wrote Nightcrawler as well as The Bourne Legacy starring Matt Damon. Right now, things are in the very early stages so we don’t know who will star in this film. The 2006 film by Michael Mann had Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx in the leading roles.

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While it is not impossible for either of them to return in some capacity for a clever cameo, Butler and Jordan are undoubtedly the leads for this film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Miami Vice ’85 will be a period piece that pays homage to the TV series. Butler will play James “Sonny” Crockett, the same role that Don Johnson played in the show, while Jordan will portray Ricardo Tubbs, which was Philip Michael Thomas’ role.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Miami Vice ’85 will hit theaters on August 6, 2027 with shooting happening sometime in 2026. We will keep our eyes peeled for more information about this new Miami Vice film adaptation.

Originally published on April 29, 2025.

The post Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler Will Star in MIAMI VICE ’85 appeared first on Nerdist.

Dungeon Crawler Carl is getting a television series by Family Guy‘s Seth MacFarlane on Peacock. The LitRPG book series has a legion of fans and an eighth installment coming in 2026. While we totally think it is worth diving into as you wait for more information about the live-action adaptation, time is a tricky thing. We simply don’t have enough of it, it seems. So, here’s everything you need to know about Dungeon Crawler Carl. What Is a LitRPG?

LitRPG, short for Literary Roleplaying Game, refers to a genre of literature that combines a lot of familiar mechanics from computer roleplaying games/tabletop games with science fiction/fantasy novels. The game elements are a core component of the story, and they often follow the path of a “progression fantasy,” where characters will slowly but surely get stronger over a long period of time. It leads to a very satisfied, earned power level that you get to watch every step of. You’ll find yourself cheering for new weapons from Loot Crates and fascinating rewards from Achievements. While often viewed as inaccessible, the success of titles like Dungeon Crawler Carl shows that LitRPGs can be for everyone.

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“Every interior of your world has been crushed, and all raw minerals—organic and inanimate—are in the process of being mined for the requested elements. Per the Mined Material Reclamation Act, along with the Subsection 35 of the Indigenous Planetary Species Protection Act, any surviving humans will be given the opportunity to reclaim their lost matter. 

Per Syndicate rules, Subsection 543 of the Precious Elemental Reserves Code, having failed to file a proper appeal for the mineral and elemental rights within fifty solars of first contact, your planet has been successfully seized, and is currently being mined of all requested elemental deposits by the assigned planetary regent.”

One ice-cold, snowy night in Seattle, the world ends. At least for Carl, a 27-year-old boat repairman and former Coast Guard machinery tech. Every structure on Earth is flattened in the blink of an eye. Everyone inside? Dead. Luckily, Carl (and his ex-girlfriend’s cat Princess Donut) are outside. Unluckily, he is in his underwear, a leather jacket, and a pair of too-small pink Crocs. An AI voice explains to the survivors that Earth is going to be essentially strip-mined for all of its minerals. But, humans have the right, legally, to attempt “reclamation.”

It’s all according to some bullsh*t Syndicate code. The Syndicate is the universe-spanning governing body for billions upon billions of planets. The Syndicate dictates that the planetary regent (read: invading force) gets to decide how denizens of a planet can reclaim their home… or what remains of it. This invading force—the Kua-Tin of the Borant Corporation—choose the Eighteen-Level World Dungeon, as it is outlined in the Precious Elemental Reserves Code.

The Kua-Tin are a race of tiny humanoid fish people. Borant Corporation is an extremely powerful Kua-Tin company. And they are all too happy to use this hostile takeover as an excuse to produce a season of Dungeon Crawler World, with the survivors of Earth as the stars.

Staircases open up all over Earth. You can either choose to stay on the surface (bad idea), or you can descend into the Eighteen-Level World Dungeon.

AmazonThe Eighteen-Level World Dungeon & Dungeon Crawler World

“The Borant corporation, having been assigned regency over this solar system, is allowed to choose the manner of this reclamation, and they have chosen Option 3, also known as the Eighteen-Level World Dungeon. The Borant corporation retains all rights to broadcast, exploit, and otherwise control all aspects of the world dungeon, and will remain in control as long as they adhere to Syndicate regulations regarding world resource reclamation.”

On average, there are two seasons of Dungeon Crawler World (or its equivalent, depending on what race of aliens are controlling it at any given time) every 2.5 Earth years. The season our heroes are participating in is called Dungeon Crawler World: Earth. As you might imagine, Carl takes the staircase with Princess Donut in his arms and becomes Dungeon Crawler Carl.

Dungeon Crawler World is a sci-fi fantasy game where Dungeons & Dragons meets mind-boggling crimes against humanity, with the highest stakes imaginable. It’s all with the tone of a sadistic reality show/game show, hosted by a blood-thirsty AI. The goal is to descend deeper and deeper into the dungeon, until reaching the end of the eighteenth floor. Ten million Crawlers enter Earth’s season, with three million dying in the first hour. Thankfully, Carl isn’t one of them, and neither is Donut. Once they locate the nearest tutorial guild, headed by Mordecai the Changeling, Carl starts to learn how the game functions while Donut knocks over an urn containing Mordecai’s mother’s ashes, and then takes a shit in it. Bless her heart.

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Mordecai, currently in the form of a bipedal rat, explains that he used to be a Crawler himself, a long time ago. He was a Skyfowl (a race of alien birds) when he entered the Dungeon, but once he was given the chance to pick a race and class—a Crawler’s reward for making it to the third floor—he selected Changeling. In his current indentured servitude to the dungeon, he does not get to select what form he presents as. Supposedly, this will be Mordecai’s last season, and he’ll earn his freedom at the end. 

Carl, having been the first Crawler to enter the dungeon with a cat, receives a Legendary Pet Box—one of many possible loot boxes a Crawler can earn while inside the dungeon, mostly through getting achievements. Inside are special cat treats that Mordecai says will likely make Donut stronger in some way or kill her. Before Carl has a chance to decide one way or another, Donut jumps up, bites him, and eats the treat herself. 

Long-story short, Princess Donut gains full sapience and the ability to talk—and a base character build that frankly is much better than Carl’s. Donut promptly names their party Princess Donut’s Royal Court and names Carl her Royal Bodyguard. Donut is like a child in many ways. However, she proves herself to be a formidable threat in her own right as she progresses through Dungeon Crawler World. 

The Apocalypse Will Be Televised

As previously mentioned, Dungeon Crawler World is a television show, and a television show that a LOT of people watch. Upon reaching the second floor, Carl and Donut gain the ability to see how many current viewers, followers, and favorites they have. The social media aspect of Dungeon Crawler World is extremely important. On later floors, Crawlers can gain sponsorships from individuals, companies, and even world governments. Who sponsors you, if anyone, often comes down to your visibility and what kind of Crawler you come across as to the viewers. Per Mordecai, sponsorships are often the difference between life and death on the lower levels.

There’s Fanboxes, too, where fans of the show will vote on what they want you to get in a particular Loot Box. It could be the thing that saves you, or it could be a pair of boxers because the audience wants to troll you for saying you want pants. 

Aethon Books/Ace/Good Reads Carl, the Royal Bodyguard

“You will not break me. F**k you all. You will not break me.”

Carl is a decent guy. That might sound like a pretty weak description, but I think it’s the best place to start. He’s got a good heart and when he can be easy-going, he is. It doesn’t take much to make him happy. He’s friendly, and he likes most folks, as long as they’re not antagonistic towards himself or Donut. Save for his colossal Mommy and Daddy issues, he’s almost well-adjusted. Carl ends up running around in the dungeon in his underoos, an enchanted cloak, bare feet (save a toe ring), and a troll-skin shirt. Will Carl ever get pants? Probably not. 

Carl leans primarily into an unarmed build, supplementing his fast-growing Pugilism skill with explosives of all varieties. The stronger he grows, the harder he’ll hit, and the bigger the booms. Carl’s technical know-how from his years of messing around with systems both electrical and mechanical serve him well in the Dungeon. What Carl lacks in Intelligence and Charisma, Donut more than makes up for. His hardiness and high Strength make him an excellent foil for Donut, with her low Constitution. 

Princess Donut, the Queen Anne Chonk

“Carl! CARL! Tell them who I am! Tell them I’m beautiful!”

Okay, so the ex-girlfriend’s cat thing. We know the series is titled Dungeon Crawler Carl, but there is a lovely deuteragonist we simply must talk about. Grand Champion, Breed Winner Regional, National Winner, Best-in-Dungeon Princess Donut, the Queen Anne Chonk. Carl’s ex-girlfriend Beatrice comes from a family of Persian cat breeders. Donut was their greatest accomplishment, sweeping awards at every cat show she’d ever been brought to—and she’d been brought to hundreds.

Days before the end of the world, Carl saw a picture of Beatrice in Italy on Instagram, sitting in her ex-boyfriend’s lap. Carl proceeded to dump her over the phone. He said he’d have all of her stuff packed for her when she got back, and he didn’t want any drama. Carl hates drama. Beatrice asked only that Carl take care of Donut until she returned to the States. Carl, who secretly adored Donut, began to plan a daring cat-napping venture. But, then the world ended, and so too did Beatrice. Kinda convenient, right?

Carl and Donut’s dynamic is the heart and emotional driving force of this series. I jokingly told my fiancee that Dungeon Crawler Carl is about the bond between a man and his ex-girlfriend’s cat. But in reality…no. That’s his cat. I know it might seem insane to take a character called Princess Donut seriously. But she has captured hearts in realms both fictional and real for a reason.

Donut’s highest stats are Intelligence and Charisma. And she uses them to the best of her advantage, while also enjoying the high Dexterity of being a cat. Donut’s main move is her Magic Missile, which is a deadly laser she shoots from her eyes. Carl and Donut quickly become a mostly well-oiled machine. Carl is the meat shield and heavy hitter and Donut supports him with her magic. 

That doesn’t mean Donut doesn’t go her own way—because she often does. This is how Carl ends up with the catchphrase, “Godd*mnit, Donut.” 

The Odds Are Not In Your Favor

While the Eighteen-Level World Dungeon may be entertainment for quintillions of Syndicate citizens across the universe, being inside of it is a hell unlike any other. Humans die at the hands of mobs of monsters, and many other dangers within the dungeon. Whether it’s meth-addled llamas or mantaurs (half man, half…more man), there’s rare respite inside of the dungeon, even on its very first floor. 

Oh, and per Mordecai: the lowest any Crawler has ever made it to is the thirteenth floor. No one has ever completed the dungeon. No one has ever reclaimed their planet, not once in all of the seasons of Dungeon Crawler World. Some survive—if you make it to the tenth floor, opportunities to escape the dungeon to live another day start to present themselves. Still, that’s a long way down the line for Carl and Donut, as they grind to grow stronger and chase humanity’s last hope. 

Dungeon Crawler Carl is a witty, compelling, and shockingly earnest story. It will make you laugh—a lot. And when you least expect it, it’ll make you cry too. Obviously I encourage everyone to dive into the book series, but if not, I hope you thoroughly enjoy Carl’s live-action adventures to come. 

And remember Crawlers: Kill, kill, kill! 

The post Everything You Need to Know About DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL appeared first on Nerdist.

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When Marlon Wayans said that Scary Movie would leave no parody stone unturned, he really meant it. The upcoming sixth installment is taking aim at a ton of horror films, like Sinners and Weapons. But one movie that we didn’t see being a part of Scary Movie was Michael, the new biopic starring Michael Jackson’s nephew Jaafar as the King of Pop. Sure, the franchise has poked fun (for better or worse) at the late superstar before, but this is directly tied to this new movie about Michael. In a new Scary Movie trailer, SNL mainstay Kenan Thompson plays Michael Jackson and completely commits. 

We see MJ’s sparkly glove and jacket as well as his black loafers at the beginning of the clip. A watered down version of Billie Jean plays as stickies litter a wall with song titles. The producer says he isn’t Michael because he doesn’t have a monkey, a reference to Bubbles, of course. But Kenan’s Michael Jackson does have a llama. It is a bit hard to tell if this scene will actually be in the movie or if it is just slick promo that’s tied into Michael’s release weekend. 

Paramount Pictures

We get more glimpses at Scary Movie, including a parody of Get Out when Chris ends up in the Sunken Place for the first time. The end of the clip goes back to Kenan, who high kicks a man over before poorly moonwalking until he falls down a flight of stairs. Scary Movie will bring its Michael parodies and more to theaters on June 5.

The post Kenan Thompson Is Michael Jackson in New SCARY MOVIE Trailer appeared first on Nerdist.

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The rise and fall of streaming service prices is a rather vexatious journey we tend to follow closely. In October 2025, Xbox announced price hikes affecting all Game Pass plans, including a frustrating 50 percent increase for the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier. Six months laters, the company offers welcome relief to its valued customers. Starting Tuesday, April 21, the cost of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will drop from $29.99 to $22.99 a month—a nearly 25 percent price decrease. The PC Game Pass will also drop from $16.49 to $13.99 a month. Microsoft

Xbox announces the price drop just six months after hiking them by more than 50 percent. Just as the price hike was explained with upgrades to tier plans and new in-game features, there must be a reason for the 25 percent decrease. Beginning in 2026, future Call of Duty titles won’t join Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass at launch. Rather, they will join about a year later during the following holiday season. Existing Call of Duty games will remain in the library as is.

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The decision was met with mixed reactions from fans. Some are grateful for Xbox listening to their feedback about prices, while others are a tad disappointed about having to wait longer for new titles to be available. In the grand scheme of things, I guess it just depends what you value more: cheaper prices or quicker game drops.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is now available for $22.99 a month, saving subscribers $84 a year. The PC Game Pass is down to $13.99 a month.

Activision Price Breakdown Of All Xbox Game Pass Tiers, As of April 2026

• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate – $22.99 a month (down from $29.99 a month)
• Xbox Game Pass Premium – $14.99 a month (same as the old Standard subscription)
• Xbox Game Pass Essential – $9.99 a month (same as the old Core subscription)
• PC Game Pass – $13.99 a month (down from $16.49 a month)

The post XBOX Sets Nearly 25% Price Drop For Game Pass Ultimate appeared first on Nerdist.

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The post Abbott Square adds Indian food, Puerto Rican flavors with two new kiosks appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

Ami Chen Mills has been busy. Many Santa Cruz County residents might know her because of her community activism, which has recently been focused on keeping automated license plate readers (ALPRs) out of the community through her work with Get The Flock Out, which opposes the cameras and their vendor, Flock Safety. But she’s also a lecturer at UC Santa Cruz, where she teaches a class on resiliency; a writer; and host of the podcast “Moment of Truth with Ami Chen Mills,” although that program is currently on hiatus.

Chen Mills, having run for District 3 county supervisor in 2022, ultimately losing to current Santa Cruz City Councilmember Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson and current District 3 County Supervisor Justin Cummings, said she returned to electoral politics to run for Santa Cruz mayor because she felt that opponent Ryan Coonerty had been essentially appointed by the local political establishment. She said she isn’t pleased with his approval of ALPRs, nor with his adviser role for San Jose mayor and gubernatorial candidate Matt Mahan, who has received hefty donations from tech moguls.

ELECTION 2026: Read more local, state and national coverage here from Lookout and our content partners

“I understand the connection between the feds [and ALPRs] and what they’re trying to do,” Chen Mills said. “We don’t need to be helping the feds right now, and in general, there are constitutional issues under any administration with this kind of technology.”

While Chen Mills has worked as an activist within the community, she said she doesn’t see herself solely as that. She’s also an elected member of the Democratic Central Committee and a nonprofit director, having co-founded the Center for Sustainable Change. For her, roles are temporary, and can be changed.

“If we had people elected who were already connecting the dots, and were more progressive than what most of these councilmembers appear to be, I think we wouldn’t have to have so much activism. We do have some councilmembers who are just phoning it in,” she said. “I’m not attached to roles and I’m not attached to ideologies. I think that ideologies can get in our way.”

That point is perhaps the overarching theme of Chen Mills’ bid for mayor – trying to get more people engaged in local politics. She envisions more town halls, and opportunities for the public to meet face-to-face with her and ask questions about the city council’s agenda on the Monday prior to meetings. She said that’s where her experience in journalism can come in handy, as she feels confident that she can explain complicated concepts to the public. She wants to make the meetings fun, too, perhaps including music. Chen Mills plays the ukulele, after all. 

“I want to have a jam, and the reason is I want us to be able to come together as a community, regardless of where we sit on the political spectrum, and have some rapport,” she said, adding she’d also want to introduce town halls in each city council district as often as every month. 

Chen Mills acknowledged the area’s housing crisis and said the city does need to build more, but thinks the conversation about housing could use more nuance. 

Ami Chen Mills serenades the crowd with “What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes at a January anti-ICE protest at the Hilton in Scotts Valley. Credit: Cecilia Schutz / Lookout Santa Cruz

She believes YIMBY (yes in my backyard) is too much of a single-issue movement, while the NIMBY (not in my backyard) perspective comes off as “unkind” when opposing development in general, even though she does believe people should have a say in construction proposed in their neighborhoods. She said Santa Cruz has to balance growth with available resources, such as water, and suggests an effort to study how many more people the city and university can bring in while maintaining that balance. She said if she had to cut housing out of the plans, the cuts would come from market-rate units.

“We cannot ignore the environment, the water issue and what the community wants just to build market-rate housing for people who don’t actually live here,” she said.

Chen Mills also wants to explore paths to homeownership. That could involve converting old buildings to condominiums, something City Councilmember Renee Golder floated during a Democratic Central Committee candidate forum in March. Chen Mills says she would also look for ways to incentivize subdividing parcels, allowing more building on those subdivided lots.

A vocal opponent of Flock Safety and the use of automated license plate readers, Chen Mills envisions going further than the city already has with the cancellation of its contract with Flock. She said she would support something like a data-broker ban or other restrictions to keep residents’ private information safe. She also expressed interest in an ordinance requiring local businesses to accept cash as well as cards, both to serve people without card payment options and to allow for more private purchases, particularly in places like parking lots, where personal and vehicle information can be exposed.

Chen Mills said that to address the issue of homelessness, she would want to have more conversations and collaboration with members of the unhoused community. The dearth of services for unhoused people following the closures of the Mental Health Client Action Network, the Downtown Streets Team and Housing Matters’ day services concerns her, she said. She believes the programs need to return in some capacity. She said she’d like to see the services somewhere near downtown, but acknowledges that finding the right site would be a big hurdle.

“What downtown business owners need to understand is you can’t just lock people up for no reason. If they’re going to commit crimes, then we can put them into the justice system, but they need rehab in there, too,” she said. “We need to come up with a solution together and take some risks. If we don’t want people to hang out on the streets downtown, we need a place for them to hang out.”

Chen Mills wants to be a devoted official, with a focus on community-building and transparency with her constituents. That won’t make her any less busy, but should she win the Santa Cruz mayoral seat, she still wants to keep writing and teaching her UCSC class, which is one quarter each year. 

“One of the big things that people say is that before authoritarianism came to their country, they wished they had built community,” she said.

Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.

The post Ami Chen Mills envisions a mayorship with more community conversations, leading to more people engaged in politics appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

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The Santa Cruz Office of the Public Defender is joining a statewide protest Thursday calling for dedicated state funding. Citing workload studies and funding disparities with other agencies, Chief Public Defender Heather Rogers said systemic changes are needed to prevent burnout.

The post Santa Cruz County public defenders join statewide protest demanding more funding, lighter workloads appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.

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