John Wick: Chapter 4 may have felt like a natural endpoint for the franchise (at least when it came to its title character), but Lionsgate has already confirmed plans for John Wick: Chapter 5. However, the big question is, will it actually happen? Director Chad Stahelski isn’t ruling anything out, but if John Wick: Chapter 5 does happen, he knows he won’t be able to top the fourth movie.

“The honest truth is you don’t. You simply don’t. There’s no topping what we did. That’s the end. That’s the deal. That’s what we found closure for. Look, sometimes, we’ll keep things in development. My creative team and I can’t stop thinking about Wick,” Stahelski told THR. “Sometimes, we’ll use development as an exercise, but is there an opportunity to do [John Wick 5]? Of course, there is, whether it’s for money or for creativity. Of course, there’s an opportunity, but it keeps us thinking. Jesus, in the last three years, I’ve already had three or four versions of a John Wick 5. They were different ways to crack the story, but it’s almost a mental exercise for me.“

Stahelski added that they have “some really good ideas” for a potential John Wick: Chapter 5 but that it wouldn’t be part of the John Wick: Chapter 4 storyline. “It would not be what you would think it is. If we could ever crack it to where Keanu and I thought it was a great idea and it didn’t feel like a cheese-out, then that’s great,” he said. “But as far as [John Wick: Chapter 4], we’ve peaked. At least I have. That’s my apex. We ended it. It’s a complete story. I watch it now, and I feel very happy about it, but we wouldn’t try to outdo it. We wouldn’t try to add on to that. It’d have to be a completely different storyline.“

Even without a fifth installment of the main series, there are still plenty of John Wick projects in development. Stahelski said that they’re “knee-deep in development on a feature anime about John Wick. It’s a prequel to the movies, which is awesome. It’s fun that it’s in a different medium.“

The next John Wick project to hit our screens will be Ballerina, a spinoff which stars Ana de Armas as a young woman with killer skills who sets out to get revenge when hitmen kill her family. As the film takes place in the John Wick universe, it will feature appearances from several franchise characters, including Ian McShane as Winston, the owner of the Continental Hotel, the late Lance Reddick as Charon, the Continental’s concierge, and Anjelica Huston as the Director, the head of the Ruska Roma. Keanu Reeves will also make an appearance as John Wick. The film will also include Catalina Sandino Moreno, Gabriel Bryne, and Norman Reedus in undisclosed roles. The film is set to hit theaters on June 6, 2025.

Would you like to see John Wick: Chapter 5, or should they leave Baba Yaga alone?

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The God of War TV series is back on track. It was announced last week that the original creative team behind the Sony Pictures TV and Amazon MGM Studios series had departed, but Deadline now reports that Ronald D. Moore has stepped up as writer, executive producer, and showrunner.

Moore has plenty of TV experience. He’s best known for his work in the Star Trek franchise (including Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager) and for developing acclaimed series such as Battlestar Galactica, Outlander, and For All Mankind. The exit of the original creative team came as a shock, especially as so much work had already been done. Showrunner/executive producer Rafe Judkins, as well as fellow EPs Hawk Ostby and Mark Fergus, left the God of War series after completing multiple scripts for the first season. Although the scripts were praised by Sony and Amazon MGM, the studios apparently wanted to move in a different creative direction.

When Sony first announced the God of War TV series, the plot synopsis indicated that it would be following the events of the more recent installments in the video game franchise. The show “follows Kratos, aka the God of War, who, after exiling himself from his blood-soaked past in ancient Greece, hangs up his weapons forever in the Norse realm of Midgard. When his beloved wife dies, Kratos sets off on a dangerous journey with his estranged son to spread her ashes from the highest peak—his wife’s final wish. Kratos soon realizes the journey is an epic quest in disguise, one which will test the bonds between father and son and force Kratos to battle new Gods and monsters for the fate of the world.” Now that Ronald D. Moore is on board, it’s not clear if this is still the story or if there will be some even bigger changes.

Moore’s Outlander will be coming to an end with its eighth and final season, although a prequel spinoff series is expected to debut on Starz next year. For All Mankind has been renewed for a fifth season, and a spinoff focusing on the Soviet space program has been ordered.

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Update: Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón is planning to make a decision about the fate of the Menendez brothers and their possible early release very soon

“There’s actually two different camps in my office,” Gascón told CNN (via Deadline). “I have a group of people, including some that were involved in the original trial, that are adamant that they should spend the rest of their life in prison and that they were not molested. I have other people in the office that believe actually, that they probably were molested and that they deserve to have some relief… I plan to have a decision by the end of this week.“

— Original article follows —

Earlier this month, Monsters creator Ryan Murphy predicted that Erik and Lyle Menendez could be released by Christmas, and it may actually happen. Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón is said to be mulling an early release for the Menendez brothers as he seeks re-election.

“Given the totality of the circumstances, I don’t think they deserve to be in prison until they die,” Gascón told ABC News Nightline co-anchor Juju Chang in a recent interview. In a statement to Deadline, Chang said, “He is tipping his hand to the totality of evidence that his office has been considering. He also added that there are deep differences of opinion about this case within the DA’s office and that this is not a decision he is taking lightly.” The full interview, IMPACT x Nightline: Menendez Brothers: Monsters or Victims?, will stream on Hulu on October 17th.

A number of Menendez family members gathered outside Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center today to demand leniency for the brothers. One of the new pieces of evidence is a letter allegedly written by Erik Menendez to his cousin Andy Cano eight months before the murders. “I’ve been trying to avoid dad. It’s still happening Andy but it’s worse for me now. I can’t explain it. He’s so overweight that I just can’t stand to see him. I never know when it’s going to happen and it’s driving me crazy,” said Erik in the letter.

Thanks to Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and the true-crime documentary The Menendez Brothers, interest in the case has returned to heights not seen since their highly publicized trial in the ’90s. A new court hearing has been set for November 29th, which will determine whether the Menendez brothers should be resentenced in light of new evidence.

“We have been given evidence. We have been given a photocopy of a letter that allegedly was sent by one of the brothers to another family member talking about him being the victim of molestation. We’ve also got evidence that was provided by the defense, by his lawyers, that one of the members of the Menudo band alleged that he was molested by the father. None of this information has been confirmed,” Gascón announced on October 3rd. “We are not at this point ready to say that we either believe or do not believe that information, but we’re here to tell you is that we have a moral and an ethical obligation to review what is being presented to us and make a determination based on a resentencing side, whether they deserve to be resentenced, even though they were clearly the murderers, because they have been in prison for 35 years and they have paid back their dues to society, or whether behaviors is appropriate. If there was evidence that was not presented to the court at that time, and had that evidence been presented, perhaps a jury would have come to a different conclusion.“

Do you think the Menendez brothers will see an early release?

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After just two episodes, Matlock is already a big success for CBS, so it’s no surprise that the network has renewed the series for season 2. Looks like Kathy Bates will have to postpone her retirement a little longer.

Matlock premiered last month with a special sneak peek episode, which drew 7.73 million total viewers, giving CBS its most-watched non-post-Super Bowl series premiere in over five years. After a multi-week break, the second episode delivered 6.4 million viewers, making it the second most-watched series of the evening behind the premiere of Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.

The series stars Kathy Bates as Madeline ‘Matty’ Matlock, “a brilliant septuagenarian who achieved success in her younger years and decides to rejoin the work force at a prestigious law firm where she uses her unassuming demeanor and wily tactics to win cases all while investigating a deeply personal secret of her own.” As the synopsis teases, ol’ Matty has a pretty big secret which surprised fans who were simply anticipating a gender-swapped version of the classic Matlock TV show.

“This reconceived Matlock was devised by Jennie Snyder Urman with a brilliant surprise plot twist, and we knew we had something very special the moment we saw the first episode brought to life by the incredibly talented Kathy Bates,” said Amy Reisenbach, President of CBS Entertainment. “The audience reception and critical acclaim for it has been overwhelming. We can’t wait to get started on a second season.“

Before Matlock came along, Kathy Bates had been considering semi-retirement. “Quite frankly, I was thinking about going into semi-retirement, and just waiting to see what came along that I might like to do,” Bates told THR. “So I really wasn’t looking to do anything for a while. So this came as a total surprise to me, and continues to be because of the latest numbers that we’ve gotten… I just feel so lucky to have such a strong foundation behind us and the show. It’s a miracle; we all keep pinching ourselves. The crew loves it. The actors love it. I know everyone says that when they’re marketing a show, but this is really unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I really can’t believe all this, especially at my age.” Although she loves working on Matlock, she considers it her “last dance” and will likely retire after it wraps up. “Everything I’ve prayed for, worked for, clawed my way up for, I am suddenly able to be asked to use all of it,” she said. “And it’s exhausting.“

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Netflix confirmed today that Beef season 2 is officially moving forward. The new season of the critically acclaimed anthology series will star Oscar Isaac (Scenes From a Marriage), Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman), Charles Melton (May December), and Cailee Spaeny (Alien: Romulus).

Here’s the logline for Beef season 2: “A young couple witnesses an alarming fight between their boss and his wife, triggering chess moves of favors and coercion in the elitist world of a country club and its Korean billionaire owner.” The season will consist of eight 30-minute episodes. Lee Sung Jin returns to serve as creator, showrunner, and executive producer. Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, and Jake Schreier also executive produce.

The first season of Beef followed “the aftermath of a road rage incident between two strangers. Danny Cho (Steven Yeun), a failing contractor with a chip on his shoulder, goes head-to-head with Amy Lau (Ali Wong), a self-made entrepreneur with a picturesque life. The increasing stakes of their feud unravel their lives and relationships in this darkly comedic and deeply moving series.” The series has been picking up plenty of awards over the last few months, including eight wins at the Emmy Awards last month, including Outstand Limited or Anthology Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Yeun, and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Wong.

Our own Alex Maidy was one of those who loved the first season of Beef. “I can think of a few series that can compare with the amount of funny and tragedy in Beef while presenting two equally stellar performances from the lead actors,” Maidy wrote. “Steven Yeun and Ali Wong had already proven themselves talented, but Lee Sung Jin’s Beef elevates them to a new level. Beef is an incredibly engrossing series from the very first scene and is sure to have everyone talking when it premieres on Netflix. Beef is not the series I was expecting it to be based on the trailer, but it is so much better than I was hoping for.” You can check out the rest of Maidy’s review right here.

What do you think of the new cast for Beef season 2?

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Zoe Saldaña played Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for nearly a decade, but the actress recently told Variety that she wishes she could reshoot her performance in the Avengers movies.

“I wish I could go back and reshoot what Gamora was going through in the ‘Avengers’ movies,” Saldaña said. “I was not quite understanding what the Russo Brothers [were doing]. They’re excellent filmmakers and the opportunity they gave me was of a lifetime. To highlight Gamora in such a way in their films is something I’ll always be grateful. I wish I could go back and redo it so I could push a little harder because it was such a great opportunity to play a daughter having issues with a dad and whether or not she’s having this opportunity to reconciliate or to simply just walk away. That would’ve been a great opportunity had I been a little more aware of it then.“

Saldaña first played Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, going on to play the character in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. While some dismiss Marvel movies as mindless entertainment, Saldaña isn’t one of them. She remains proud of the franchise and her role in it. “I know it’s a Marvel movie, and we don’t like to use words like ‘deep’ and ‘Marvel’ in the same sentence, but I like to, and I take great pride in knowing that I was a part of great films that cater to a younger audience and that inspires a younger audience,” Saldaña said. “What [James Gunn] was doing was something really special. We were supposed to be these rejects that came with childhood traumas and disabilities and mental issues. He gave these characters space to be loved and to find a family within their friendship. It was a really important film now that I look back on it.“

The actress will next appear in the second season of Lioness, the spy thriller series created by Taylor Sheridan. “In season two, as the CIA’s fight against terror moves closer to home, Joe (Zoe Saldaña), Kaitlyn (Nicole Kidman), and Byron (Michael Kelly) enlist a new Lioness operative to infiltrate a previously unknown threat,” reads the official description. “With pressure mounting from all sides, Joe is forced to confront the profound personal sacrifices she has made as the leader of the Lioness program.” Lioness season 2 will debut on Paramount+ on October 27th.

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Paul Di’Anno, former lead singer of Iron Maiden, is dead at the age of 66. He was the vocalist for the band’s first two albums, Iron Maiden and Killers, released in 1980 and 1981, respectively. Di’Anno’s label, Conquest Music, confirmed the news of his passing in a statement released on behalf of his family.

“On behalf of his family, Conquest Music are sad to confirm the death of Paul Andrews, professionally known as Paul Di’Anno,” reads the statement. “Paul passed away at his home in Salisbury at the age of 66. Born in Chingford, East London on 17th May 1958, Paul first came to prominence as lead singer of English Heavy Metal band, Iron Maiden between 1978 and 1981. He sang on their groundbreaking debut album Iron Maiden, and the influential follow up release, Killers.“

The statement continues, “Since leaving Iron Maiden, Paul Di’Anno had a long and eventful recording career with Battlezone and Killers as well as numerous solo releases and guest appearances. Despite being troubled by severe health issues in recent years that restricted him to performing in a wheelchair, Paul continued to entertain his fans around the world, racking up well over 100 shows since 2023. His first career retrospective album, The Book of the Beast was released in September 2024 and featured highlights of his recordings since leaving Iron Maiden. Conquest Music are proud to have had Paul Di’Anno in our artist family and ask his legion of fans to raise a glass in his memory.“

Di’Anno wound up being fired from Iron Maiden, allegedly over drug use and partying, with the band wanting someone more reliable on tour. He was replaced by Bruce Dickinson. In an interview with Metal Hammer in 2020, he said, “I don’t blame them for getting rid of me. Obviously, the band was Steve’s [Harris] baby, but I wish I’d been able to contribute more. After a while, that got me down. In the end, I couldn’t give 100 percent to Maiden anymore, and it wasn’t fair to the band, the fans or to myself. The two albums I made with the band were pivotal [to the metal genre]. Later on in my life, when I met Metallica, Pantera and Sepultura, and they told me that those albums were what got them into music, it made me incredibly proud.“

After leaving Iron Maiden, Di’Anno was featured in various other bands, including Gogmagog, Di’Anno, Battlezone, Killers, Rockfellas, and Warhorse. The statement has some good advice: Raise a glass and perhaps even listen to some tunes. Our thoughts go out to DiAnno’s family and loved ones.

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The first John Wick movie will soon return to theaters to celebrate its 10th anniversary. As the franchise has spawned sequels, spinoffs, TV series, video games, and more, it’s easy to forget that the first film was such a surprise. Directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch faced an uphill battle to make John Wick, including fighting with financiers to keep Keanu Reeves’ beard.

It’s hard to imagine John Wick without his beard (which looks great on him), but financiers were concerned that it would make the film more difficult to sell in international markets. “We were trying to do a modern-day Greek mythology fantasy movie. That’s not mainstream. So we wanted to do something cool with Keanu,” Stahelski told Business Insider. “But the money people, they wanted to see Keanu f***ing Reeves. ‘Point Break’ Keanu, ‘Speed’ Keanu. And I don’t know if this exists anymore, but at the time we were told by the powers that be you don’t cover up your leading man’s face with a beard.“

Leitch added, “I don’t want to get into it, but since then I have had contentious conversations about stars having facial hair. “He needs to be clean-shaven for international!” That’s the classic studio line.“

Stahelski continued, “We wanted people to think, ‘Oh, this is not the Keanu we know.’ We caught a lot of shit. But we felt you can’t fire us, so first day of shooting, we had Keanu in the beard, and later that week, when they watched the dailies, with cinematographer Jonathan Sela’s now famous half-light shots, people f***ing loved it.“

Our first John Wick spinoff movie will be Ballerina, which stars Ana de Armas as a young woman with killer skills who sets out to get revenge when hitmen kill her family. As the film takes place in the John Wick universe, it will feature appearances from several franchise characters, including Ian McShane as Winston, the owner of the Continental Hotel, the late Lance Reddick as Charon, the Continental’s concierge, and Anjelica Huston as the Director, the head of the Ruska Roma. Keanu Reeves will also make an appearance as John Wick. The film will also include Catalina Sandino Moreno, Gabriel Bryne, and Norman Reedus in undisclosed roles. The film is set to hit theaters on June 6, 2025.

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Deadline reports that Tom Holland is in talks to co-star in the new Christopher Nolan movie. As is typical with any Nolan project, we don’t know all that much at this stage, but we do know that Matt Damon will be starring in the movie, marking his third time working with Nolan. Damon was featured in a supporting role in Interstellar and played General Leslie Groves, director of the Manhattan Project, in Oppenheimer.

The report states that Nolan has wanted to work with Holland for some time, and it will be interesting to see what type of role the Spider-Man actor will play. Production is expected to kick off in early 2025, with Universal already slating the film for an IMAX release on July 17, 2026. In addition to directing and writing the film, Nolan will also produce with Emma Thomas under their Syncopy banner.

There have been plenty of rumours swirling about what this project will be, but not many details. It’s been said that it will be a “father-and-son” story, with sources saying that it won’t be set in the present day. Whether that means the past or the future is unknown. It will almost certainly be a big production, as the director has previously stated that he has no intention of returning to small-scale movies, not while he’s still able to convince studios to give him whatever he wants.

“I’m drawn to working at a large scale because I know how fragile the opportunity to marshal those resources is,” Nolan said. “I know that there are so many filmmakers out there in the world who would give their eye teeth to have the resources I put together, and I feel I have the responsibility to use them in the most productive and interesting way.“

With this Nolan film, Holland will have plenty of huge projects in the coming year. He’s also set to return for Spider-Man 4, as well as a likely appearance in Avengers: Doomsday. The actor recently said that he’s read a draft of the new Spider-Man movie, and while it needs some work, he’s really excited about the possibilities. “It needs work, but the writers are doing a great job,” said Holland on the Rich Roll podcast. “I read it three weeks ago, and it really lit a fire in me. Zendaya and I sat down and read it together, and we at times were bouncing around the living room like, ‘This is a real movie worthy of the fans’ respect.’ But there’s a few things we need to figure out before we can get that really going, but it’s exciting.“

What do you think of Tom Holland working with Christopher Nolan?

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RLJE Films dropped the first teaser trailer for Ash at New York Comic-Con, a trippy sci-fi horror movie starring Eiza González (3 Body Problem) and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) from director Flying Lotus and screenwriter Jonni Remmler.

The official synopsis for Ash: “On the mysterious planet of Ash, Riya (González) awakens to find her crew slaughtered. When a man named Brion (Paul) arrives to rescue her, an ordeal of psychological and physical terror ensues while Riya and Brion must decide if they can trust one another to survive.” The film also stars Iko Uwais (The Raid), Beulah Koale (Next Goal Wins), and Kate Elliott (Wentworth). In addition to directing Ash, Flying Lotus also composed the score.

González has previously teased that you should expect the unexpected with Flying Lotus. “The way his brain works is quite special,” González says of Ash’s director. “He reminds me a lot of David Fincher, who also started in music videos, as someone who is quite interested in pushing boundaries and not being scared of diving into something. But this movie also required someone who had a really authentic and unique artistic take. We couldn’t have been more lucky, because his visual imagery and the way that he spoke to us about the movie really translated to the making of the film. It’s a movie that causes the audience to stay engaged consistently. I love movies that require you to keep thinking and trying to figure out what is actually happening.“

Paul added that music was very important to the production. “He was always playing music on set,” Paul said. “Not necessarily his own music, but just stuff that he dug that fit the vibe of where the characters were at. And then, just before rolling, he would start messing with some stuff that he’d been working on and playing it over the speakers, to get us in the mood. Then they’d yell ‘action!’ and we’d cut the music and go into it.“

Ash will be released in theaters in 2025, followed by a streaming debut on Shudder. What did you think of the teaser trailer for Ash?

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