With The Game Awards, and random Star Wars news, dominating the chatter, there were probably a few news stories you missed this week. Let’s take a look!
This week offered Simpsons fans a first look at the new, double-episode length, Christmas special coming to Disney+ later this month.
Famed British mentalist, Derren Brown, comes to Springfield and uses psychological tricks and showmanship to raise the town’s Christmas spirit. When Homer gets hypnotized and mistakenly believes he is Santa Claus, it sets off a cheery chain-reaction and causes everyone to question what they believe and to explore the meaning of “miracle.”
Featuring musical performances by Patti LaBelle and Pentatonix, this special double episode marks the 35th anniversary of the original Christmas special from “The Simpsons” (“Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”) and airs exclusively on Disney+ starting December 17th.
On top of arriving digitally this week, Sony Pictures revealed the physical release details for Venom: The Last Dance, which arrives in 4K Ultra HD on January 21st.
In Venom: The Last Dance, Tom Hardy returns as Venom, one of Marvel’s greatest and most complex characters, for the final film in the trilogy. Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.
SPECIAL FEATURES
4K UHD, BLU-RAY™ & DIGITAL EXTRAS
Deleted & Extended Scenes
Venomous Laughs: Outtakes & Bloopers
Bonded in Chaos: Tom Hardy
Author of Mayhem: From Writer to Director
Venom’s Inner Circle
Venom Unleashed: The Action & Stunts
Select Scene PreVis
One Last Dance – Tom Morello x Grandson Music Video
Savor the Last Bite: The Venom Legacy
Brock Bottom: Mrs. Chen Interview
With the disaster/comedy Y2K out in theaters now, A24 is letting movie fans/collectors party like it’s 1999 thanks to an old-school VHS release of the film. It’s limited edition (so may be in and out of stock), but it’s kinda neat to see this VHS release trend continue.
I’m technically cheating with this one, as it launch over last weekend, but it’s a damn good trailer that too many people seem to have missed.
Two highly-trained operatives (Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy) are appointed to posts in guard towers on opposite sides of a vast and highly classified gorge, protecting the world from an undisclosed, mysterious evil that lurks within. They bond from a distance while trying to stay vigilant in defending against an unseen enemy. When the cataclysmic threat to humanity is revealed to them, they must work together in a test of both their physical and mental strength to keep the secret in the gorge before it’s too late.
The Gorge hits Apple TV+ exclusively on February 14, 2025.
This week, MGM released the first trailer for the upcoming Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon comedy, You’re Cordially Invited, which hits Prime Video on January 30th.
When two weddings are accidentally booked on the same day at the same venue, each bridal party is challenged with preserving their family’s special moment while making the most of the unanticipated tight quarters. In a hilarious battle of determination and grit, the father of the bride (Will Ferrell) and sister of the other bride (Reese Witherspoon) chaotically go head-to-head as they stop at nothing to uphold an unforgettable celebration for their loved ones.
This week, The OP Games launched a new version of the classic board game, RISK, bringing the iconic mechanics to the world of Arrakis.
In RISK®: Dune, 2 or 4 players will vie for control of the desert planet Arrakis, where the precious spice melange fuels power struggles among rival factions, the Fremen rebels or the Imperial-backed House Harkonnen. Featuring the lurking sandworms and unique, strategic alliances, this game offers a fresh twist on the beloved RISK gameplay, combining tactical maneuvering with the rich lore of Frank Herbert’s universe.
“We’re excited to bring the world of Dune to the tabletop in a way that both longtime fans and new players can enjoy,” said Dane Chapin, CEO of The Op Games. “RISK: Dune not only captures the essence of the film but also enhances the classic Risk experience with new dynamics that encourage strategic thinking and collaboration.”
Each game of RISK®: Dune Edition includes:
Dune Risk Game Board
35 Harkonnen Figure
24 Sardaukar Figures
20 Fremen Figures
16 Fedaykin Figures
1 Sandworm Figure
3 Wormsign Spotters
1 Dreadnought Token
1 Gurney Halleck Token
1 Family Atomics Token
Feyd-Rautha Standee
Paul Atreides Standee
4 Seitches
4 +1 Tokens
1 Lady Jessica Token
1 Lady Margot Token
30 Oppressors Command Cards
30 Rebel Command Cards
5 Dice
Rule Book
RISK: Dune is in available in stores, and online, now.
Paramount had some fun earlier this week, as they released a slew of new Sonic 3 posters that put a fun spin on classic Christmas movies.
Sonic the Hedgehog returns to the big screen this holiday season in his most thrilling adventure yet. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet.
Sonic The Headgehog 3 hits theaters on December 20th.
This week brought the first look at Paramount’s upcoming action/comedy, Novocaine; starring Jack Quaid as a man who can’t feel pain. It looks pretty hilarious and fun.
When the girl of his dreams (Amber Midthunder) is kidnapped, everyman Nate (Jack Quaid) turns his inability to feel pain into an unexpected strength in his fight to get her back.
Novocaine hits theaters on March 14, 2025.
Donnie Yen isn’t slowing down and has a new film on the horizon. This week brought our first look at The Prosecutor.
A young man is charged with drug trafficking. He pleads guilty under undue influence from his defense lawyer, in exchange for a reduced sentence. Hard-edged former cop Fok (Donnie Yen) is the unconventional prosecutor assigned to the case. He becomes convinced that the conviction is unusual and decides to conduct his own investigation. Fok is forced to risk his own life and career to uncover the truth and bring the real villains to justice.
The Prosecutor hits select theaters on January 10th.
Ryan Reynolds released a new video today where he reprised his Deadpool role to support the SickKids Foundation. This marks the sixth year, he’s thrown his support to the organization (and is matching donations up to $500,000). It’s a fun video that even brings Lynda Carter in on the fun.
Deadpool and Kidpool are on a mission to eliminate sick kids – or rather, eliminate the sickness the kids are faced with by encouraging others to donate to The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). They need someone a little less…R Rated than their foul-mouthed selves. Luckily help is not far away as Lynda Carter and the now infamous Ugly Sweater make an appearance.
This week brought news from CinemaCon, as the National Association of Theater Owners revealed all of the major studios will be attending to show off their upcoming theatrical slates at the show this Spring. Even better, this year marks the return of Sony to the show, along side the first outing from Amazon’s MGM Studios.
“We are thrilled and honored to welcome back all of our studio partners, with the addition of Amazon MGM Studios to this coming year’s CinemaCon line-up as a clear sign of support of the theatrical moviegoing business,” said NATO President and CEO Michael O’Leary. “This powerhouse line-up of the world’s greatest film-making studios speaks directly to the cultural and economic power of the cinema. Our friends in the studios know that movie fans want to see the magic they make on the big screen, and they also know that movies that start their journey in the theatre are more successful than those that do not. We applaud their commitment to theatrical exhibition and look forward to an amazing week seeing all the great stories they are bringing to movie fans in the year ahead.”
CinemaCon 2025 goes down from March 31-April 3rd.
Focus Entertainment and Mundfish revealed the third DLC for Atomic Heart, Enchantment Under the Sea, will arrive on January 28th for all platforms.
“Enchantment Under the Sea” goes back to the spectacular combat gameplay that made Atomic Heart one of the highlights of 2023 as players will continue the main storyline with the Twins’ consciousness at their side and new weapons in their arsenal. Meet new and returning characters and dive into the underwater Neptune Research Center to explore its mysteries and find a way to save humanity from a dismal future. Players will also revisit familiar locations of Facility 3826 that have changed beyond recognition, like the flying city of Chelomey, now under the robots’ total control.
New Weapons and Glove Abilities to take down New threats and Bosses
With new challenges comes the need for new tricks! In addition to the expanded storyline, season pass owners get two new weapons: the Thunderclap, a powerful hammer that amps up damage with electrical current, and the KM-4 Kuzmich, a crowd-clearing double-barrel shotgun with customizable bullet spread. They’ll be complemented by two new glove abilities courtesy of the Twins’: Blaze, a burning polymer skill letting players drop red-hot fireballs and deal area-of-effect damage; Whip skill, a grapple-hook tool allowing P-3 to pull himself towards the enemies and deal damage while also giving him access to unreachable areas or letting him quickly dodge away from danger.
What was your favorite bit of news from this week?
