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11/08/13 @ 11:46 am EST
STRACZYNSKI TALKS RETURNING TO TWILIGHT ZONE AFTER 25 YEARS
J. Michael Straczynski is known for creating Babylon 5 and Joe’s Comics, but back in 1988 he was a writer on the Twilight Zone TV series. Now, 25 years later, he returns to the Rod Serling creation with Twlight Zone #1 from Dynamite Entertainment. Tony Lee chatted with Straczynski about the project. TONY LEE: Joe if I’m correct, this is a return for you – as you were one of the series writers when the TV show returned in the eighties. How do those 22 minute episodes affect the way you’re writing these 22 page ones?
J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI: Probably the main consequence of working on the ’88 Twilight Zone is that it really helped me to codify in my own head what is and isn’t a Zone story. When you sit down to actually work in that universe, there’s a certain amount of reinventing the wheel that goes on initially. Which is why when freelancers came in the pitches would almost always end with “…and we discover they’re robots!” or “they’re Adam and Eve!” or “they’re really dead!” Being immersed in that world helps you to avoid all the obvious stories and look for ones that are a bit more challenging and come at the characters from an oblique angle. TL: As a long term fan of the series, what’s your earliest or most stand-out memory of it?
JMS: I’ve been trying to remember the first Zone I ever saw, and I believe it was “Walking Distance,” though I wouldn’t swear to that under oath. The thing that struck me about the show was the speed and strength with which it could establish a main character and pull you into the story. Strongly defined characters were at the very core of the show. If there was any one element that kept drawing me back, it was the writing: punchy, sharp, incisive, brave enough to park the camera and let the character just talk for a while. Good writing. Amazing writing. There were three key to the show: a tightly constructed character, who was b) often running from or to something, so he was already in motion, and c) in a situation that he could not explain to others or understand himself. TL: At San Diego, you stated that you wanted to write the series as stand alone arcs connected by theme, character and location. What made you decide to do it this way rather than as one shots or even two parters?
JMS: A 22 page comic doesn’t equate to 22 minutes of television. If you pull out a comic script and format it for TV, it’s actually only about 10 minutes of material, give or take. So you need roughly 3 issues to equal one half-hour episode, which is why some of those who suggest these should be all done in one issues are coming at this from the wrong side of the coin. A zone episode needs proper character and story development, and you can’t get that in 10 minutes…hence, the use of multiple issue arcs. TL: You’re on board for at least the first twelve issues, what can readers look forward to in this series? What surprises can we look forward to?
JMS: Probably the most interesting part, and certainly the most challenging from a writing perspective, is that these are three independent stories with overlapping characters that stand totally on their own…but which over time, in the aggregate, begin to comment upon and affect the other two stories. It’s like writing three stories made of playing cards, which can be laid out in one way, then shuffled into a completely different order, layering one into the next, and it still works. Pulling that off has been very difficult in terms of maintaining the chronology…I have spread-sheets and calendars spread all over my desk to keep track of it all — but in the end, it should be very cool. TL: You’re one of the few writers out there who’s managed to successfully straddle multiple mediums and genres – what’s next for you, and what medium will it be in?
JMS: I’ve been ridiculously fortunate in my career. The average career for a TV writer is ten years; by the end of that time, the town has pretty seen what you have to offer, they’ve defined you, you’ve defined yourself, and the doors start to close. In a couple of years I will have been working in TV on and off for 30 years, and that’s damned improbable. I think the key to survival in the business is doing just what you mention: work in multiples mediums and genres, learn from each one and apply those lessons elsewhere. Writing a comic hones your visual sensibilities, which you can use in a feature; a drama series gives you training in character moments you can use in a comic. It all feeds into everything else, and stops anyone from putting you in a box…because once you’re in that box, they bury you in it. In terms of the future…I’m always looking for new challenges. In TV there’s nowhere to go within the structure of the form once you’ve been a show-runner. You can do more shows, better or different shows, but there’s noplace higher on the chart than show-runner. In film, once you’ve written movies that have hit half a billion dollars or earned Oscar or BAFTA nominations, you’ve gone as far as you can as a writer in that respect; more movies, yes, better and different movies, sure. But logistically, organizationally, you’ve gone about as far as you can. So I’m moving a bit more into directing. I don’t want to direct full-time…hate getting up early…but for the occasional project, it’s worth it. I was going to be directing my first feature this fall, but we pushed it to winter ’14 to accommodate actors schedules and make room for Sense8, the series I’m doing for Netflix with the Wachowskis. But even there I’m slated to direct the episodes we’re doing in London. So yeah, directing is the next big challenge. TL: And finally – what’s your favourite Twilight Zone episode?
JMS: “The Obsolete Man” for reasons that would take pages and pages to explain. http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/11/06/straczynski-talks-returning-to-twilight-zone-after-25-years/
01/10/26 @ 11:52 am EST
Takashi Yamazaki’s follow-up to the 2023 Godzilla Minus One is set to hit North American theaters on November 6th, 2026, three days after its premier in Japan. The Academy Award winning film took in $11.4 million in the US on its opening weekend and $57 million total during its domestic box office run. Godzilla Minus Zero is the second film in the franchise from Gkids since taking Toho acquired the company in 2024. David Jesteadt, president of Gkids, said in a statement: “Gkids is proud to bring Godzilla Minus Zero to North American audiences, following the incredible global reception of Godzilla Minus One. This next chapter is sure to become another defining moment for the most colossal monster ever to dominate the screen. It is only fitting that this bold, new Godzilla event be experienced in its fullest theatrical glory, and we’re honored that Toho has entrusted us to carry this legacy forward.” 
01/10/26 @ 11:38 am EST
As we get closer to the start of production on Matt Reeves’ The Batman Part 2, the cast starts to take shape with the second MCU veteran being added to the cast. We heard of Scarlet Johansson’s casting earlier in December and now multiple sources are saying Sebastian Stan has come on board as well, with the Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision report claiming that the actor who plays Bucky Barnes will now take on the role of District Attorney Harvey Dent aka Two-Face. This lines up with the rumors that Johansson would be playing Gilda Dent and that the story may be following the Long Halloween, a popular comic arch by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. While the story does focus on the Dents, many of the other characters in the story have already appeared in The Batman and The Penguin and have already been eliminated. Plus, the setting of the sequel is said to be set around a week after The Penguin series ended, just before Christmas. How ever the characters are used, if Stan is in the film, it then puts the fate of his MCU character in question as The Batman Part 2 will be filming around the same time as Avengers: Secret Wars. While the casting of both Stan and Johansson have not been made official, neither have they been denied by Reeves, James Gunn or DC Studios.  01/03/26 @ 1:19 pm EST
Deadline is reporting that Mike Flanagan is working on a new adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series. Flanagan said his plan is to adapt the beloved franchise into a five-season series that would then be capped off by two stand-alone movies. The acclaimed horror director recently told Empire Magazine, “We’ve got a lot of scripts done for it. It’s the first priority.” He also made it clear that he doesn’t want the 2017 Idris Elba/ Matthew McConaughey film to be the final word on the property. That adaptation has a 16% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Though Flanagan and Intrepid Pictures have a deal with Amazon, the rights to the Dark Tower were specifically carved out of their arrangement and could end up with another studio, but Amazon is also a possibility. Flanagan is known for his work on films like Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep and the Life of Chuck as well as series like The Fall of the House of Ushers, The Midnight Club and Midnight Mass. He also came up with the initial story and script for the upcoming Clayface movie that was so strong that James Gunn and Peter Safran has to greenlight a body horror film starring a B-level Batman villain as the third film released in their new DCU.  01/03/26 @ 12:45 pm EST
Now that we’re in 2026, we need to keep an ear out for casting news for the two big DC Studios films shooting this year, Man of Tomorrow and The Batman Part 2. The Superman follow-up is the one going first and we already got the casting announcement for the main villain, Brainiac with the addition of German actor Lars Eidinger to the cast. There have been rumors that there was a female role being cast for a potential hero that many have assumed was going to be this universe’s Wonder Woman, and while that has not been confirmed, John Rocha of the Hot Mic podcast says his sources confirm that James Gunn is looking to cast the Amazon warrior for the film. That would make sense with the idea that DC is pushing Wonder Woman for a new film with Supergirl scribe Ann Nogueira said to be working on the script. This still falls into the rumor category, but Gunn has not debunked the story as of yet. With the film expected to begin production in the spring, more casting news is expected in the next few weeks/months, and we know that if the “scoopers” have it right, DC likes to get the news out their themselves as they did with Eidinger. So I wouldn’t trust any of the rumored castings as of now.  12/20/25 @ 12:26 pm EST
James Gunn took to social media this morning to welcome Lars Eidinger to the DCU and Man of Tomorrow in the role of Brainiac. Eidinger, while not a household name, is best known for his roles in Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper but also appeared in the recent Netflix film Jay Kelly. Gunn talked about a worldwide search for the iconic Superman villain led to Eidinger rising to the top. He will join David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult and Rachel Brosnahan as the film is expected to begin shooting in the spring of 2026 for a release in July of 2027. There have been multiple attempts to use Brainiac in a Superman film, but each attempt has fallen to the wayside, and his only live-action appearance so far was in the short-lived SciFi series Krypton where he was played by Blake Ritson. 
12/20/25 @ 11:25 am EST
After having begun production in August of this year, director Destin Daniel Cretton revealed that Spider-Man: Brand New Day has wrapped filming as of Friday. The film, which is set to premiere July 31st, 2026, features the return of Tom Holland as Peter Parker and is the first in the MCU franchise to not be directed by Jon Watts. Cretton wrote on Instagram, “I’m so deeply grateful for the people who walked with me through the biggest, most rewarding film I’ve ever been a part of. To our amazing cast, for breathing so much life into these beloved characters and moving us every day. To our unbelievable crew, who worked tirelessly with unmatched creativity and craftsmanship, who made me laugh so hard my stomach never stopped hurting. I love you all so much and can’t wait for the world to see your stunning work on the big screen. And of course, to @tomholland2013, for your kind, generous leadership on and off screen, for your relentless work ethic, your fearless performances, and for your friendship. That’s a wrap on Spider-Man: Brand New Day!” This is Cretton’s second MCU film after having helmed Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. He has also produced the Wonder Man series set to debut on Disney+ next month.  12/06/25 @ 2:03 pm EST
Scarlett Johansson is said to be in negotiations to join the cast of the highly anticipated sequel, The Batman Part 2. While Warner Bros. has not officially revealed which character Johansson would portray, speculation is rife across social media and film forums. Many fans are hoping she will take on the role of a major antagonist or perhaps bring a new dimension to an existing character from the Batman lore. Johansson’s acclaimed work in action and drama—especially her iconic run as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—positions her as a compelling choice for a complex role in Gotham’s shadowy streets. The Batman Part 2 is currently in pre-production, with filming scheduled to commence in May of next year. The film is targeted for a theatrical release in 2026, although official dates may be subject to change. Director Matt Reeves returns to helm the sequel, ensuring continuity in the vision and tone that made the first installment a critical and box office success. Johansson’s addition is expected to boost the already stellar lineup led by Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Within hours of the announcement, social media platforms lit up with enthusiastic posts and trending hashtags. Speculation is running rampant with guesses of her role ranging from villains like Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn to love interests like Silver St. Cloud and Vickie Vale. One of the more popular suggestions is that Johansson could be playing Andrea Beaumont, a love interest and antagonist from the hit animated film Mask of the Phantasm. The casting has not been confirmed and neither the studio nor Reeves has commented since the story broke. 
12/06/25 @ 1:50 pm EST
In a dramatic shift for the entertainment industry, Netflix has announced its acquisition of Warner Bros, one of Hollywood's most iconic studios. This unprecedented deal marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing evolution of media and streaming services. Netflix, already a leader in streaming content, has been searching for ways to expand its library and production capabilities. Warner Bros, with its vast catalog of beloved films and television franchises—including the Harry Potter, DC, and Looney Tunes properties—represents a treasure trove of content and creative resources. The acquisition signals Netflix's commitment to not only dominating streaming but also to strengthening its influence in theatrical releases and television programming. Though Netflix has been against theatrical releases in the past, in a recent statement they said they planned to continue them for Warner Bros films just with a shorter release window. By purchasing Warner Bros, Netflix gains access to a library of classic and highly profitable intellectual properties. This move allows Netflix to offer exclusive streaming rights to blockbuster franchises, while also leveraging Warner Bros’ production infrastructure. The deal also positions Netflix to compete more directly with other major studios and streaming platforms, such as Disney and Amazon. Industry analysts predict that this acquisition will accelerate the consolidation trend within the entertainment sector. Other studios and streaming services may seek mergers or partnerships to remain competitive. Audiences can likely expect a surge in new content, including reboots, spin-offs, and original productions drawing from Warner Bros' legacy. For Netflix subscribers, the platform could soon become the go-to destination for both new releases and classic favorites. While some industry veterans express concern about further consolidation of media power, others see this as an opportunity for innovation and greater investment in high-quality storytelling. Only time will tell how this landmark deal reshapes Hollywood and the global entertainment landscape.  ... 11/29/25 @ 11:47 am EST
If you’re of a certain age, then you realize that Peter Hammond was not the first live-action Spider-Man to appear on television screens. That honor goes to Jim Hensen puppeteer Danny Seagren who was a regular on both Sesame Street and The Electric Company. Seagren was both a puppeteer and puppet maker and was the right hand of Ernie along with putting on the Big Bird suit on several occasions including an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. He was also the web slinger on the show that started the careers of Rita Moreno and Morgan Freeman as both shows fell under the Children’s Television Workshop. He went on to create puppets for other series like Curiosity Shop, Captain Kangaroo and Who’s Afraid of Opera. “Danny will be greatly missed by his family, friends and those throughout the community he loved living in,” his family said in his obituary. Seagren died on November 10th at the age of 81.  11/29/25 @ 11:31 am EST
Director Shawn Levy has officially hired renowned composer Thomas Newman to craft the score for his upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter film. The collaboration marks a significant moment for the celebrated sci-fi franchise, as Newman steps into a universe long defined by the iconic music of John Williams. His distinguished career includes memorable scores for films such as The Shawshank Redemption, Finding Nemo, and 1917, brings a fresh perspective to the Star Wars saga. Over the years, Newman has earned an impressive 15 Oscar nominations, a testament to his exceptional talent and enduring impact on the film industry. Levy, celebrated for his work on blockbusters like Free Guy and Deadpool and Wolverine, and the hit series Stranger Things, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership. He highlighted Newman's ability to blend sweeping orchestral moments with subtle, character-driven motifs—a style well-suited to the expansive and adventurous spirit of Star Wars. While plot details remain under wraps, Levy and Newman’s collaboration promises a thrilling and emotionally resonant cinematic experience.  |
