Hey Nerds,

Morning started with me getting dressed in the dark and discovering later that I'm wearing one black shoe and one navy shoe. They're not even the same style. One has laces. One has... dreams? Hope? I don't know, but they're different.

IN THIS ISSUE:

  • John Lithgow's Dumbledore looks exactly like you'd expect

  • Netflix built an actual whale for One Piece

  • Predator goes PG-13

    ...and more

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JOHN LITHGOW'S DUMBLEDORE REVEALED AND HE LOOKS LIKE JOHN LITHGOW WITH A FAKE BEARD

BTS first-look photos of John Lithgow as Dumbledore dropped and he's on a beach for some reason?

The beard is there. The robes are robing. He looks like John Lithgow in really expensive period pajamas. I expected him to look... different? For some reason? Like the beard would transform him? But no. It's just John Lithgow. With face furniture.

Cornwall beach scenes that aren't in the book which means they're ADDING content. Like it needs more. What's next, a subplot about Filch's love life? Mrs. Norris's origin story? Actually I'd watch that. Forget I said anything.

NETFLIX LITERALLY BUILT A WHALE FOR ONE PIECE

They built Laboon. An actual whale. "The size of a cruise ship" according to cast member Taz Skylar. Not CGI. Not green screen. They BUILT A WHALE.

This is peak Netflix. "Should we use CGI for the giant whale?" "No, build it." "But it'll cost-" "BUILD. THE. WHALE." Someone approved this budget. Multiple someones. There were meetings. PowerPoints. Someone made a slide that said "Whale Construction Budget" and kept their job.

THE LOST BOYS BECOMING A BROADWAY MUSICAL BECAUSE NOTHING IS SACRED

April 26, 2026 at the Palace Theatre, vampires are going to sing and dance about being vampires.

Caissie Levy and LJ Benet are leading a cast that will somehow make "death by stereo" into a show-stopping number.

Remember when vampires were scary? Now they sing. And sparkle. And have feelings. I blame Twilight. Everything wrong started with Twilight. My back pain? Twilight. The economy? Twilight. This musical? Definitely Twilight's fault.

REBECCA FERGUSON BARELY IN DUNE 3 BUT SHOWING UP ANYWAY

Ferguson confirmed she filmed scenes for Dune: Part Three even though Lady Jessica basically doesn't exist in the book it's based on.

Denis Villeneuve called her with "a little idea" which in director speak means "I'm changing everything but trust me." She has a small part. Microscopic. But she's there.

This is how Hollywood works now. "Your character's dead/gone/irrelevant but want to show up anyway?" "Sure!" Because paychecks.

FRODO'S BACK FOR GOLLUM HUNT AND SO IS EVERYONE APPARENTLY

Elijah Wood strongly hinted he's returning for The Hunt for Gollum at DesertCon, saying they're getting "the creative band back together."

Ian McKellen confirmed as Gandalf. Andy Serkis directing while also playing Gollum.

He says, "So many familiar faces returning”.

All of them probably. They'll CGI in Christopher Lee's ghost at this rate. "Want to bring back Boromir?" "He died." "CGI ghost?" "...yes."

RAPID FIRE CHAOS ROUND

  • Masters of the Universe revealed Snake Mountain concept art. It looks like a snake. That's also a mountain.

  • Wonder Man might get a trailer at NYCC. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II posted a logo. That's news now. Logos. December 2025 for another Marvel show we'll watch and forget exists immediately.

  • Ben 10 returning as a comic in February 2026 with original creators calling it "the best Ben 10 ever" which is what everyone says about their reboot until it's not.

  • Predator: Badlands is PG-13 because alien blood isn't red so violence doesn't count. No humans in it. Just aliens and robots. "Awesomely gruesome stuff in colors other than red." That's the loophole.

CALENDAR

  • December 2025 - Wonder Man wonders onto Disney+

  • February 2026 - Ben 10 comics return

  • 2026 - Harry Potter series (seven seasons of pain)

  • 2026 - One Piece S2 (whale included)

  • April 26, 2026 - Lost Boys sing on Broadway

  • June 5, 2026 - He-Man has the power again

  • December 2027 - Hunt for Gollum we already found

There's a coffee button below for anyone who wants to sponsor my slow descent into becoming a person who has opinions about superhero release dates.

Your contribution helps me afford name-brand chips instead of the store brand that tastes like cardboard.

-Zak

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