Stranger Things goes Game of Thrones

Netflix has released a new trailer for Stranger Things 4. Looks like the Hawkins teens are pitched against a new big bad in the Upside Down.



Read the official synopsis:

"It’s been six months since the Battle of Starcourt, which brought terror and destruction to Hawkins. Struggling with the aftermath, our group of friends are separated for the first time – and navigating the complexities of high school hasn't made things any easier. In this most vulnerable time, a new and horrifying supernatural threat surfaces, presenting a gruesome mystery that, if solved, might finally put an end to the horrors of the Upside Down."

Speaking to Deadline, series co-creator Matt Duffer said this week: “We jokingly call it our Game of Thrones season because it’s so spread out.”

“Joyce and Byers family to have left at the end of Season 3,” said Matt, explaining the upcoming season’s epic storytelling. “They are in California – we’ve always wanted to have that like ‘E.T’.-esque suburb aesthetic, which we finally got to do this year in the desert; and then we have Hopper in Russia; and then of course we have a group remaining in Hawkins. So we have these three storylines, are all connected and kind of interwoven together, but it’s just very different tones.”

The upcoming extended season will be split into two volumes. Beginning on Netflix on 27th May and continuing on 1st July.

Are you looking forward to Stranger Things 4? Let me know in the comments below.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

"In the land of Mordor where the shadows lie." Amazon Studios has announced the title of its billion-dollar The Lord of the Rings prequel series.

This September, fans (myself included) can venture forth into The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power exclusively on Amazon Prime (affiliate link).



“This is a title that we imagine could live on the spine of a book next to J.R.R. Tolkien’s other classics. The Rings of Power unites all the major stories of Middle-earth’s Second Age: the forging of the rings, the rise of the Dark Lord, the epic tale of Numenor, and the Last Alliance of Elves and Men,” series showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay said in a joint statement. “Until now, audiences have only seen onscreen the story of the One Ring — but before there was one, there were many … and we’re excited to share the epic story of them all.”

The latest live-action adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy epic was announced in 2017 and then seemingly lost, like the one ring, to the mists of time. All the while new competitors entered the streaming space including Apple TV+ and Disney+ and a pandemic engulfed the world.

With The Witcher's smash hit second season on Netflix and a Game of Thrones prequel series coming soon on HBO Max, it's an exciting time for us fantasy fans.

Are you excited to return to Middle-earth for the first time since Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy? Let me know in the comments below.

HBO Max teases House of the Dragon

On Tuesday, HBO Max released a teaser trailer for the upcoming Game of Thrones spin-off series based on author George R.R. Martin’s Fire and Blood.



Much like Lost and Battlestar Galactica; Game of Thrones' final season fragmented fandom.

However, House of the Dragon, currently filming in Cornwall, is set two centuries before the events of the original series. Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen will pique the interest of Doctor Who fans (myself included).

House of the Dragon is the first of several spin-offs based on the Game of Thrones franchise and is expected to premiere on HBO Max and Sky Atlantic in 2022.

In related news. HBO Max launches in Europe on 26th October. This doesn't initially include the UK as Sky and Warner Bros. renewed a first-run deal. The BBC also co-produces HBO series including His Dark Materials.

Are you looking forward to House of the Dragon? Let me know in the comments below.

The Wheel of Time on Amazon Prime

Amazon's billion-dollar adaptation of The Lord of the Rings doesn't begin until next September. However, The Wheel of Time should satiate fantasy fans (myself included) as an heir to Game of Thrones.



Read the official synopsis for The Wheel of Time:

"The Wheel of Time is set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists, but only women can use it. Meaning that in this series — women hold the keys to power. The story follows Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a member of the shadowy and influential all-female organization called the ‘Aes Sedai’ as she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women. Moiraine’s interested in these five because she believes one of them might be the reincarnation of an incredibly powerful individual, whom prophecies say will either save humanity or destroy it. The series draws on numerous elements of European and Asian culture and philosophy, most notably the cyclical nature of time found in Buddhism and Hinduism."

The first season premieres on Prime Video (affiliate link) on 19th November.

Are you looking forward to The Wheel of Time? Let me know in the comments below.

The Witcher celebrated at WitcherCon

A teaser trailer for The Witcher's second season dropped during the first-ever WitcherCon, a digital celebration of all things The Witcher from Netflix and CD Projekt Red.



The first series had a stumbling start but quickly transcended those early episodes becoming an unmissable heir to Game of Thrones in 2019. And the second season promises further monster-hunting tales this Christmas.



During the three-hour WitcherCon, series star Henry Cavill provided his take on Geralt of Rivia’s journey.

“I played the Season One way deliberately, which was him out in the wilds and without the opportunity for vast swathes of dialogue. I thought it best to be the man who says less because that seems like he’s thinking more. And that was the intention with that. But once you get into a scenario with Cirilla, and the Witchers and his home space and with those people who he already knows, I was of the opinion that you had to let him be verbose and be philosophical and speak more and be intellectual, because that’s what he is. He’s not just a big old white-haired brute.”

Whilst Cyberpunk 2077 was mired in controversy when it was released to coincide with the launch of the PlayStation 5 (PS5) and Xbox Series X|S last holiday season, The Witcher continues to be CD Projekt's most beloved multimedia franchise.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt next-gen update is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC for free this year! And it'll include free DLC inspired by the Netflix series. Glad I never continued a playthrough on Xbox Series X from 2017.

The Witcher's second season starts streaming exclusively on 17th December on Netflix.

Are you looking forward to the second season of The Witcher? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars: Andor filming on Jurassic Coast

Game of Thrones' House of the Dragon isn't the only prequel series shooting in South West England.

Star Wars: Andor, featuring alleged cameos from Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), has begun filming in the UK. One of the locations is a Dorset quarry on the Jurassic Coast, which was used for the classic Doctor Who serial Destiny of the Daleks in the late seventies and Blake's 7 in the early eighties.

The upcoming live-action Disney+ Star Wars spin-off, starring Diego Luna in the titular role, is a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Sharing his excitement at reprising the fan-favourite role, Luna said: "I think it's a nice challenge, it's a good way to approach a show.

"What happens when you already know the ending? Everything is in how you tell the story, how many layers you can find, this cant be a show where we surprise you, like oh no it wasn't him, he didn't die.

"We know the ending... the last scene was a scene we all know so it makes a different part of your brain work, you cant use the same storylines people are used to, now we start with a character that people already know what he's capable of."

Winspit Quarry is closed to the public until the end of May for filming.

Roger Khanna, Worth Matravers parish clerk, said: "It's a major enterprise.

"I've been impressed by how well it's being controlled and managed. There's been no impact on locals. They've been very considerate of the area."

Star Wars: Andor is one of several Star Wars spin-offs for Disney+. Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi is currently being filmed in Los Angeles and The Book of Boba Fett opens in time for Christmas on Disney+.

Excited for Star Wars: Andor? Let me know in the comments below.

Game of Thrones prequel first look

HBO has released an official first look at its upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series based on author George R.R. Martin’s Fire and Blood.

House of the Dragon.

The spin-off series is set 300 years before Game of Thrones and will centre on Daenerys Targaryen's (Emilia Clarke) ancestors' civil war. Bloodmoon, a prequel series set thousands of years before, starring Naomi Watts and written by Jane Goldman (X-Men: First Class), was shelved following an abortive pilot in 2019.

House of the Dragon began filming in Cornwall in April, as reported by BBC Spotlight and ITV News West Country, for release sometime in 2022.

HBO was forced to officially confirm the multimillion-dollar series was in production when leaked images shot on location in and around St Michael's Mount, which is a favourite holiday haunt of my family, were shared on social media.

Photos showed Matt Smith (Doctor Who) and Emma D'Arcy as Prince Daemon Targaryen and Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen respectively. Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans and Steve Toussaint co-star.

The official press release description for Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen reads: “The king’s first-born child, she is of pure Valyrian blood, and she is a dragonrider. Many would say that Rhaenyra was born with everything… but she was not born a man.” And Prince Daemon Targaryen’s reads: “The younger brother to King Viserys and heir to the throne. A peerless warrior and a dragonrider, Daemon possesses the true blood of the dragon. But it is said that whenever a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air…”

Game of Thrones ran for eight seasons and ended controversially for some fans. However, aside from a few minor reservations, I really enjoyed the fantasy series and am eager to return to Westeros.

House of the Dragon is the first of several spin-offs based on the Game of Thrones franchise and is expected to premiere on HBO Max and presumably Sky Atlantic in 2022.

Are you looking forward to House of the Dragon? Let me know in the comments below.

Emilia Clarke joins Marvel’s Secret Invasion

Variety exclusively reports Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones, Solo: A Star Wars Story) has joined Marvel Studios' Secret Invasion series starring Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Kingsley Ben-Adir and Olivia Colman.

The upcoming Disney+ series is shrouded in secrecy but is said to follow a group of shape-shifting aliens, Skrulls, who have been infiltrating Earth for decades. The Skrulls were first introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in Captain Marvel and most recently appeared in WandaVision.

Who do you think Emilia Clarke will play in Secret Invasion? Let me know in the comments below.

Writer compares Dungeons & Dragons to Star Wars

Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) has become a gateway into role-playing games (RPG) for generations of fantasy fans (myself included)!

The first I became aware of TSR's tabletop franchise (not namechecked) was in Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Subsequently, Marvel Comics' animated series became an afterschool staple and my parents bought me licensed LJN action figures, which were soon integrated into Masters of the Universe and Star Wars toy stories.

The Fighting Fantasy books, Krull, Jim Henson's Labyrinth and ITV's live-action children's series Knightmare (streaming exclusively on BritBox), along with Citadel Miniatures and video games, further expanded the fantasy lore in popular culture.

Netflix's Stranger Things introduced a new generation to D&D, and Hasbro's Entertainment One (eOne) is producing an official film and television franchise to capitalise on this renewed interest and the success of Game of Thrones.

Screenwriter Derek Kolstad (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) recently spoke to Collider about his approach to the upcoming television spin-off series:

"In the first Star Wars, you heard about Jabba the Hutt and you don't see him until the third one because you earn at that point, and whatever the budget was for the third one compared to the first one, who cares, right? And I think in Dungeons and Dragons, who has this massive, dedicated community of acolytes, I don't want to suddenly throw everything on screen and say, 'Here's the buffet.' You'd much rather keep the story intimate," Kolstad told Collider. "When you think of our favorite movies, I'd rather do the First Blood version. It's a guy in the woods being hunted. And it's very small, but you allude to the other things through conversation. You have your USS Indianapolis [in Jaws], you see something in the background. You hear a name that 3% of the audience is like, 'Ho ho, I think we're going to see him soon.' I think the thing is just to take a deep breath, to go into it slowly, and to just respect the world, and as you adapt, certain things need to change. But you better not touch the heart and soul of why people love this thing."

Are you excited about Kolstad's take on Dungeons and Dragons? Let me know in the comments below.

The Mandalorian star cast in The Last of Us

Pedro Pascal, who plays the titular The Mandalorian in the hit Disney+ Star Wars spin-off series, has been cast as Joel in HBO's live-action adaptation of The Last of Us.

Pascal celebrated the announcement on Twitter, sharing a quote from the game: "No matter what, you keep finding something to fight for."

Pascal will be joined by Game of Thrones co-star Bella Ramsey as Ellie. Ramsey most recently appeared in His Dark Materials.

Neil Druckmann, the writer-director of the Last of Us video games, also reacted to the casting news, writing: "We're absolutely thrilled to have Bella join the TLoU family.... Aaaaand there’s the other half. Stoked to have Pedro aboard our show!"

Are you excited for The Last of Us on HBO? Let me know in the comments below.

The Avengers on BritBox

In a poignant twist, The Avengers returned to BritBox on Thursday, following an accidental launch in August (highlighted by John Rivers) before being quickly removed, when the sad news of Dame Diana Rigg's passing aged 82, due to cancer, was announced.

The beloved actress, who starred in Doctor Who, Game of Thrones and most recently All Creatures Great and Small, may have been an Avenger first, but she'll always be the best Bond girl to me!

The Avengers (1961)

The two complete surviving episodes of the first season, plus the iconic Emma Peel & Tara King seasons of the series starring Patrick MacNee, Diana Rigg & Linda Thorson as the incorrigible secret agents extraordinaire. Together they defeat criminal masterminds and solve unfathomable mysteries in the original cult TV classic.

BritBox, the streaming service co-owned by the BBC and commercial broadcaster ITV, continues to expand its cult collection and I'll be posting more news soon.

The Mandalorian strikes back in EW

The Mandalorian and The Child AKA Baby Yoda are back to save 2020.

Entertainment Weekly (EW) had exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the Emmy-nominated live-action Star Wars series' second season, which had completed principal photography prior to lockdown and benefited from state-of-the-art remote technology.

Series showrunner Jon Favreau (Iron Man) explained:

"The fact that the set is much more contained is a benefit because you can limit the number of people. A lot of the people controlling it are doing it remotely from what we call the Brain Bar, which is a bank of gaming computers, essentially. The amount of people near the camera could be much smaller than [usual]. We also shoot a lot outside, which is helpful, too. We build to a moment in filming more like an animated production, where we have a lot of storyboards, a lot of discussions, and scouting in virtual reality. We use cinematic tools in VR much the same way we did for The Lion King and The Jungle Book. A lot of times the actors you are seeing on the screen aren't actually there on set."

The Mandalorian's mythology is being built a la HBO's Game of Thrones.

Executive producer Davie Filoni (The Clone Wars) said: “Everything gets bigger, the stakes get higher, but also the personal story between the Child and the Mandalorian develops in a way I think people will enjoy.”



There's no further news regarding Rosario Dawson, Timothy Olyphant, Temuera Morrison, Katee Sackhoff and Michael Biehn joining the cast lead by Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian), Gina Carano (Cara Dune) and Carl Weathers (Greef Karga). But I like surprises. This is the way.

The Mandalorian's high-anticipated second season begins 30th October on Disney+.

The first two episodes of The Mandalorian on Disney+

Disney+ launches on Tuesday in the UK and Disney has confirmed the first two episodes of the live-action Star Wars series, The Mandalorian, will be available day-one.

This may make sense business-wise to keep folks subscribing, but makes no sense, to me as a fan, given season one ended last December in the US, and the Star Wars series is one of the most pirated since Game of Thrones.

It will only further frustrate fans during the coronavirus pandemic. Some much-needed levity, spearheaded by a pop culture phenomenon such as Baby Yoda, is required when so many of us are self-isolating and practicing social distancing, and this has been gravely misjudged. The internet remembers.

New episodes of The Mandalorian, along with the final season of The Clone Wars, will stream every Friday from 27th March.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Flash Gordon actor Max von Sydow dies aged 90

Max von Sydow, the legendary Swedish actor, died on Sunday. The news was broken on Monday by his wife, the producer Catherine Brelet, who told Paris Match: “It is with a broken heart and with infinite sadness that we have the extreme pain of announcing the departure of Max von Sydow on 8 March 2020.”

Sydow may have appeared in The Exorcist, Minority Report, Game of Thrones and most recently Star Wars, but he'll always be Ming the Merciless from Flash Gordon (1980) to me.

Chernobyl creator adapts The Last of Us for HBO

HBO is developing an adaptation of The Last of Us with Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann. HBO's series will cover the events of the original video game, which was written by Druckmann, with the possibility of additional content based on the upcoming sequel, The Last of Us Part II (affiliate link), which is released 29th May.

"Getting a chance to adapt this breathtaking work of art has been a dream of mine for years, and I'm so honored to do it in partnership with Neil," said Mazin in a statement about the upcoming series.

“This is a true thrill for us at Sony Pictures Television. ‘The Last of Us’ is a brilliant achievement in storytelling and character development, and we are lucky to have the opportunity to work with this team to adapt it,” said Chris Parnell, co-President of Sony Pictures Television Studios. “This is the first of many shows we intend to develop with our friends at PlayStation Productions.”

HBO is synonymous with prestige television including Game of Thrones, Westworld, Chernobyl and most recently His Dark Materials.

“This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for us to partner with Craig, Neil, Carolyn and the teams at Sony, Naughty Dog and PlayStation to bring the virtual world of this acclaimed game to life,” said HBO programming president Casey Bloys.

A movie adaptation has been in development for some time, but a mini-series is the perfect medium for a character-driven story such as Ellie and Joel's journey.

Are you looking forward to The Last of Us on HBO and the upcoming video game sequel? Let me know in the comments below.

Westworld Season 3 premieres this March

Game of Thrones and His Dark Materials may be over. But, fans of HBO's prestige dramas won't have to wait much longer to return to Westworld. Season 3 begins 15th March on HBO and 16th March on Sky Atlantic.



Showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy have an endgame, as Joy tells Den of Geek:

“We have an ending in mind; we’ve had it from the pilot. It’s very emotional, I think. I can’t tell you exactly when that ending will come… but I think for every season what we try to do is tell a chapter of the story that gives you closure and then opens a door to a new chapter… The overarching question of the series is, what will become of this new lifeform? So I feel it would be irresponsible to not have an end goal in mind.”

Looking forward to Westworld season 3? Let me know in the comments below.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is going to be epic

With just weeks until The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Netflix has released a final trailer for the epic 10-part prequel series to Jim Henson's classic puppet-populated fable.



The trailer serves up gorgeous vista upon vista and artistic ambition to rival Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings. The Gelfling clans are forced to unite to depose the tyrannical Skeksis who have corrupted the Dark Crystal.

Age of Resistance boasts a stellar voice cast from Game of Thrones to Star Wars. Included in this epic ensemble are Taron Egerton (Kingsman), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones) as Deet, Caitriona Balfe (Outlander) as Tavra, Helena Bonham Carter (Harry Potter), Harris Dickinson (Maleficent 2), Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones), Eddie Izzard (Ocean’s Thirteen), Theo James (Divergent), Toby Jones (Captain America: The First Avenger), Shazad Latif (Star Trek: Discovery), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Cloverfield Paradox), Mark Strong (Shazam!), Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider), Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), and Hannah John-Kamen (Game of Thrones).

Whilst waiting for 30th August, I'm revisiting Jim Henson's The Storyteller starring the late Sir John Hurt (Alien). It remains a spellbinding tour of European fables retold by Anthony Minghella (The English Patient) and is available to stream on Amazon Prime.

The Witcher and The Dark Crystal at SDCC

Netflix has released new images for The Witcher series starring Henry Cavill (Man of Steel) as Geralt, Freya Allan as Ciri and Anya Chalotra as Yennefer.



"Based on the best-selling fantasy series of books, The Witcher is an epic tale of fate and family. Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together."

The Witcher may fill the void vacated by Game of Thrones as Amazon prepares a multimillion prequel series to The Lord of the Rings.

Netflix is bringing The Witcher and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance to Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) on 19th July. So, expect plenty of further details soon.

Fantasy fans (myself included) have much to look forward to when The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and The Witcher arrive on Netflix later this year.

Daisy Ridley won't be in the new Star Wars trilogy

The first instalment in the next Star Wars trilogy, from Game of Thrones' David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, won't see the return of familiar faces from the sequels when it enters cinemas in December 2022.

"I mean, I can say I’m not in the next trilogy," Daisy Ridley (Rey) told BuzzFeed News in a recent interview. "No. I think, 'cause Rian always said … if it’s the Rian one … or it’s the guys that did Game of Thrones. I’m not sure. Whichever one it was, they always said it was going to be a separate story. So I’m not. No."

Ridley wasn’t clear about whether or not she would ever return to the franchise after the conclusion of the Skywalker saga, in The Rise of Skywalker, this December. "I mean, it’s a great universe. I’ve had a great time,” she said. Here's hoping Ridley reprises the role, as she has previously with Star Wars: Forces of Destiny, for Disney+.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance at the BFI

To celebrate The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance on Netflix, an exhibition will open at the BFI Southbank this summer.

Jim Henson's original opus, inspired by the works of Brian Froud (my late mum knew Wendy Froud who worked on Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back), enthralled me as a young child. However, that first fateful viewing at the ABC Cinema, Exeter, was a little too intense - Garthim and Skeksis anyone? Rediscovering The Dark Crystal, on a special edition DVD in 1999, I was beguiled by its lyrical beauty once again!

In a post-Game of Thrones world, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance offers a rich universe populated by fantastical characters played by a cast of stars including Helena Bonham Carter, Natalie Dormer, Eddie Izzard and Mark Hamill.

The exhibition, featuring workshops, Q&A sessions, and a making-of gallery, will be open to the public and will run from 23rd August until 6th September.

The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance will premiere on Netflix on 30th August.