Tomb Raider this October on Netflix

More than 25 years after her debut, Lara Croft will once again don her fingerless gloves to reclaim ancient relics in the new animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, hitting Netflix on 10th October.



Following the events of the Survivor series, Lara Croft has abandoned her friends to embark on increasingly more perilous solo adventures. But she must return home when a dangerous and powerful Chinese artefact is stolen from Croft Manor by a thief with an uncanny personal connection. Her daring pursuit will take her on an adventure around the world and to the depths of forgotten tombs, where she will be forced to confront her true self and decide just what kind of hero she wants to become.

In addition to Atwell in the title role, the voice cast will also include Allen Maldonado as Zip, and Earl Baylon reprising his role as Jonah Maiava from the video game.

Are you looking forward to Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft on Netflix? Let me know in the comments below.

Hasbro Pulse Con 2024

Hasbro Pulse Con returns on Friday. Those tuning in can expect product reveals, fan trivia, Q&As, interactive polls, and more from fan-favourite brands including TRANSFORMERS, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, MAGIC: THE GATHERING and G.I. JOE, as well as products based on premier collaboration brands, Star Wars and Marvel from Disney Consumer Products, reaching fans across the globe.

Our friends at Hasbro have sent over details regarding the upcoming online event.

Hasbro Pulse Premium Members can enter an exclusive pre-show experience starting at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET where they can expect brand sneak peeks and teasers for the main event. They’ll be treated to a Hasbro Pulse Con Exclusive Product Showcase as well, along with special products and a live Q&A session hosted by members of the Hasbro team.

This year’s virtual pop culture and fandom experience will be hosted by Jordan Hembrough and will feature special guests: Actress Emily Swallow (The Mandalorian) and popular YouTube Creator Dan Larson of Secret Galaxy.

During the 2-hour event, fans will get a first look at the new TRANSFORMERS ONE Studio Series action figures, hear about new G.I. JOE Classified Series product reveals, get a sneak peek of a new Marvel Legends wave, view the latest Hasbro Star Wars products, and take part in the ongoing celebration of the 50th Anniversary of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, among other activities.

Over 35 products will be showcased, including four Hasbro Pulse Con 2024 exclusives:

G.I. Joe Classified Series #136 Edward "Starduster" Skylar Figure
Star Wars: The Black Series STAP and Battle Droid Figure
Marvel Legends Series Kang the Conqueror Figure
Transformers Legacy United Dinobot Dinoking Multipack Figures

Are you looking forward to Hasbro Pulse Con 2024? Which exclusives are you looking forward to? Let me know in the comments below.

James Earl Jones, voice of Darth Vader, dies

“If you only knew the power of the dark side…” James Earl Jones, the iconic voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars and so much more, has passed away aged 93.

“James was an incredible actor, a most unique voice both in art and spirit,” says George Lucas, creator of Star Wars. “For nearly half a century he was Darth Vader, but the secret to it all is he was a beautiful human being. He gave depth, sincerity and meaning to all his roles, amongst the most important being a devoted husband to the late Ceci and dad to Flynn. James will be missed by so many of us...friends and fans alike.”

It's impossible to imagine anyone else as the voice of Darth Vader - the biggest bad of them all. However, Jones was always humble about the role that immortalised him in popular culture.

“The rumor is that he thought of Orson Welles,” recalled Jones. “And then probably thought that Orson might be too recognizable, so what he ends up picking is a voice that was born in Mississippi, raised in Michigan, and was a stutterer. And, that happened to be my voice.”

Upon Star Wars' original release in 1977, David Prowse was credited as Darth Vader and Jones' involvement was uncredited to preserve the mystique surrounding the evil Lord of the Sith. This was changed in time for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. The combination of Prowse's physicality and Jones' baritone was Force lightning in a bottle.

Personally, listening to Jones' velvet tones helped with speech therapy during rehabilitation following a life-changing head injury in primary school in 1977. Along with the late Richard Burton (Where Eagles Dare), he would be instrumental in inspiring a lifelong love of oration. Culminating in an English GSCE Oral Grade 1 in school.

Like many Star Wars fans, I will be forever thankful for Jones' contribution to my life.

What are your memories of James Earl Jones? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars in Concert

Experience the entire Star Wars saga through specially edited film clips and the power of John Williams' unforgettable music, hosted by C-3PO himself, Anthony Daniels!

Star Wars in Concert is unmissable from 21st to 24th November at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Hopefully highlights from the concert, conducted by Sarah Hicks, will be made available later on Disney+. Read Matt Charlton's review.

Are you looking forward to Star Wars in Concert? Will you be attending? Let me know in the comments below.

The Spectrum from Retro Games

Christmas 1982, I unwrapped a Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K and saw Disney's Tron. From then on I was hooked on computers, thanks to Sir Clive Sinclair and the generosity of my parents.

Hours were lost inputting basic code from the pack-in manual and Crash magazine. Although my coding skills fell far short of any lofty ambitions I may have had to create Tron's Master Control Program (MCP), programming helped to take my mind off of weekly rehabilitation from a life-changing brain injury.

And games! So many great games!

Most notably from Ultimate Play the Game AKA Rare. Plugging in the Currah μSpeech peripheral unlocked voices in Atic Atac years before Atari's Gauntlet gobbled up my allowance at the arcades! Titles such as Knight Lore were revolutionary. And Ocean's Daley Thompson’s Decathlon culminated in the premature demise of joysticks.

So, when Retro Games announced The Spectrum (affiliate link), my interest was piqued.

Paul Andrews, Managing Director at Retro Games Ltd., had this to say about the announcement:

"While we’ve enjoyed working on our other retro computers, this is the one that we’ve always really wanted to do. We all remember it fondly from our childhoods, so it was important that we got every detail right, it’s been a real passion project. So many enthusiasts will be excited by the return of this iconic machine, and we don’t want to let them down, so we’ve poured years of exacting detail into our recreation of arguably the most loved home computer of all time. It has drawn an emotional response from those who have seen it, which is not surprising given its close association with childhood and the 1980s, which are now viewed as a halcyon time. We can’t wait for gamers to get their hands on The Spectrum and enjoy a truly magical reminder of the past."

The Spectrum will include classic 8-bit video games such as Manic Miner, The Hobbit, Horace Goes Skiing, Skool Daze, Lords of Midnight, Match Day and Saboteur, as well as celebrated homebrew games like Alien Girl and Shovel Adventure.

I would go on to own a Sinclair ZX Spectrum+ (the beloved original handed down to a younger cousin who soon broke it), Commodore 64 and all things Apple ever after. But nothing will surpass discovering that little 8-bit home computer, with the rubbery keyboard, filled with a rainbow of infinite possibilities under the Christmas tree...

What are your memories of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum? Let me know in the comments below.

Alien: Earth teaser

Alien: Romulus is a box office success. FX has released an official teaser for Alien: Earth, a live-action spin-off series from Noah Hawley (Fargo) set three decades before the original Alien.



Read the official synopsis:

"When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat."

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter (THR) in August, Hawley teased Alien: Earth would be something special, saying, “We just wrapped,” adding, “I’m in post, editing away. Obviously, there’s a large visual effects component that takes time. But I couldn’t be happier with the show that we shot. If people wanted a television series based on the world of Alien, I think I’m going to give them something special.”

The cast for Alien: Earth includes Sydney Chandler (Don't Worry Darling), Alex Lawther (Andor), Samuel Blenkin (The Sandman), Kit Young (Shadow and Bone), Essie Davis (Assassin's Creed), Adarsh Gourav (The White Tiger) and Timothy Olyphant (The Mandalorian).

Alien: Earth premieres only on Hulu and Disney+ in 2025.

Are you looking forward to Alien: Earth? Let me know in the comments below.

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

Superman: The Movie formed part of a movie trifecta including Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, all scored by Hollywood composer John Williams, in the wake of a life-changing childhood trauma that culminated in a diagnosis of paraplegia and years of rehabilitation.

Like Luke Skywalker, Superman, perfectly portrayed by Christopher Reeve, became a beacon of hope and inspiration in the darkest times. In a tragic twist, Reeve would suffer a life-changing injury of his own.

Warner Bros. Pictures has released a moving official trailer for Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story.



Read the official synopsis:

“The story of Christopher Reeve is an astonishing rise from unknown actor to iconic movie star, and his definitive portrayal of Clark Kent/Superman set the benchmark for the superhero cinematic universes that dominate cinema today. Reeve portrayed the Man of Steel in four Superman films and played dozens of other roles that displayed his talent and range as an actor, before being injured in a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down,” reads Warner Bros. Pictures’ synopsis. “After becoming a quadriplegic, he became a charismatic leader and activist in the quest to find a cure for spinal cord injuries, as well as a passionate advocate for disability rights and care – all while continuing his career in cinema in front of and behind the camera and dedicating himself to his beloved family.”

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is only in cinemas on the 21st and 25th of September.

What are your memories of watching Christopher Reeve's Superman? Let me know in the comments below.

Jurassic World Rebirth first look

Universal Pictures has released the first images and an official synopsis for Jurassic World Rebirth.

The upcoming instalment in the Jurassic Park franchise is directed by Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), and stars Scarlett Johansson (Lost in Translation) and Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton).

Read the official synopsis:

“Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures within that tropical biosphere hold the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind. Johansson plays skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett, contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material from the world’s three most massive dinosaurs. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized by marauding aquatic dinos, they all find themselves stranded on an island where they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that’s been hidden from the world for decades.”

Jurassic World Rebirth will be in cinemas in July 2025.

Are you looking forward to Jurassic World Rebirth? Let me know in the comments below.

The Phantom Menace at 25

A long time ago… 25 years to be exact, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace took fans (myself included) back to a time before Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia challenged a tyrannical Empire and saved a galaxy far, far away.

Like many, I’d waited 16 years for another Star Wars movie following the original trilogy's conclusion in 1983. The anticipation for the film may never be matched in my lifetime. I subscribed to the official Star Wars fan club and watched the exclusive QuickTime trailers on dial-up internet on an Apple Macintosh Performa 5200 (soon to be replaced by an iMac DV SE with iMovie).

In May 1999, I vividly remember taking the day off work on 'Menace Monday' to buy merchandise (mostly Darth Maul-related) at Toys "R" Us. Coincidentally, I was interviewed by Hasbro for a multimedia role and shown CommTech, which revolutionised toy technology, under NDA in early 1999.

Ahead of its UK release, I imported John Williams’ Star Wars: The Phantom Menace soundtrack from CDNow and was immediately spoiled by the track listing: Qui-Gon’s Noble End and Qui-Gon’s Funeral left little to the imagination. However, this was new Star Wars music from Williams and Duel of the Fates was an instant classic (I’m streaming it on Apple Music).

I ventured into the Exeter Picturehouse to book tickets for a weekend screening, and the staff informed me there were tickets available for the first day. Do I wait and see it with friends or go it alone? This time the dark side prevailed and I walked into a darkened theatre.

The original Star Wars was the first film I saw at the cinema (circa 1978) in the wake of a life-changing childhood trauma. So, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was going to be a repeat of that cosmic ride of hope!

A disturbance in the Force!

Alas, an inebriated couple (the cinema has an upstairs bar) decided to read aloud the opening crawl to benefit anyone not au fait with the taxation of trade routes. This unwelcome commentary continued for an hour until staff intervened.

There were technical issues with the projection due to independent cinemas not having access to first-generation prints (digital was still a few years away), which exhibited picture artefacts inherent in a video source!

Also, Lucasfilm stipulated no refunds as a condition for showing the movie (I was offered a complimentary ticket for any movie other than Star Wars: The Phantom Menace).

These twists set the tone for the rest of the Scooby-Doo-titled movie. And I was left unsure of how I felt about George Lucas’ prequel! Was it better than Star Wars: Return of the Jedi as I’d hastily written in an email to friends?

Darth Maul was cool, but why did Lucas kill him off? The special effects were flashy, but was there a story? There was too much talking and not enough action. Lucas had become too proud of the technological advances developed at Lucasfilm and overlooked basic storytelling tenets - adding character motivations in post. It wasn’t all about selling merchandise was it? Bueller...? Bueller...? Bueller...?

I watched Star Wars: The Phantom Menace six times that summer.

25 years on and post-pandemic, none of it matters. It was unforgettable. Thank the maker.

May the Force be with you!

Agatha All Along creates chaos this Halloween

Marvel Television dropped an official trailer for Agatha All Along at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.



Read the official synopsis:

"In Marvel Studios’ “Agatha All Along,” the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches’ Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down The Road…"

The upcoming WandaVision live-action spin-off series, starring Kathryn Hahn as the titular witch, promises spooky fun in time for Halloween.

"We’ve seen [Agatha] with all her bravado and crazy confidence," Hahn recently explained. "So much of Agatha is performance. It was exciting to get to the kernel under the sass and sarcasm and taking pleasure in other people’s pain. There’s something broken under that, big-time."

Marvel Television’s Agatha All Along premieres in the UK on 19th September, with the first two episodes, exclusively on Disney+.

Are you looking forward to Agatha All Along? Let me know in the comments below.