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Film

Cinema isn’t just about the latest Disney/Pixar project or Star Wars spin-off. Memorable storytelling is happening all over the film industry, from Hollywood’s box-office-busting superhero smashes to small, innovative indie experiments. The Verge’s film section is here to help you sort through the latest Hollywood news and reviews, from favorite genres like sci-fi, fantasy, and horror to the independent movies that matter.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
An AI-generated Val Kilmer will star in a new movie.

Though Val Kilmer — who died last December — was too sick to actually shoot any scenes after being cast in writer / director Coerte Voorhees’ upcoming film As Deep As The Grave, Variety reports that Kilmer’s estate has agreed to let an AI-generated facsimile of the actor appear in the movie.

Why Project Hail Mary’s creators were ‘scared’ about making the sci-fi adaptation

Author Andy Weir and screenwriter Drew Goddard talk about turning the book into a cinematic experience.

Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
Ol’ blue eyes.

The first image from Dune: Part 3 isn’t particularly revealing, but it does give a glimpse into Paul Atreides’ new look, which has something of a Sub-Zero vibe. The movie hits theaters in December.

Image: Legendary Pictures
Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
“It was very difficult trying to come up with something that no one had ever seen.”

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein won a handful of Oscars last night, including one for best make-up and hairstyling. Last year I had the chance to talk to Mike Hill, who designed the creature from the film, about his relationship with del Toro and all the work that went into recreating the character.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Autumn Durald Arkapaw has her Oscar.

At this year’s Oscars, Sinners’ Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman to win Best Cinematography. And just about a year ago, I sat down with Arkapaw to talk about her approach to bringing the film’s supernatural world of southern beauty to life.

Prediction markets want the Oscars to be your gateway drug to betting on everything

Oscars bets aren’t new, but platforms like Kalshi are turning the practice into a different kind of game of chance.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Bespoke AI models are the next big thing in filmmaking

Ben Affleck’s AI startup, recently purchased by Netflix for around $600 million, has a different approach to gen AI.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Elizabeth Lopatto
Elizabeth Lopatto
Ben McKenzie has a new crypto documentary.

Apparently he wasn’t satisfied with just the book. Sort of a shame McKenzie couldn’t release it on April 1, don’t you agree?

Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
It’s Mario Day’s eve.

So here’s a lengthy trailer for the Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which includes a dramatic rendition of Mario saying “mama mia” and a surprising amount of action. More importantly is the news that Yoshi will be voiced by Donald Glover. The movie hits theaters on April 1st.

The AI Doc is an overwrought hype piece for doomers and accelerationists alike

Focus Features’ new documentary about gen AI suffers from having too much access and not enough thought.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Get over here… again.

Warner Bros. just released a new trailer for Mortal Kombat II, which is punching its way into theaters on May 8th after it was delayed from a planned October 2025 debut. The first movie was dumb and fine, and it seems like this one will be more of all that.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Jane Schoenbrun’s getting campy with it.

I Saw the TV Glow writer / director Jane Schoenbrun is back with Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, a horror about a director (Hannah Einbinder) becoming strangely entangled with her lead actress (Gillian Anderson) as the two work on the reboot of a long-dead slasher franchise. The film’s out August 7th.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Get in the new robot, Shinji.

A new Evangelion anime series directed by Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX’s Kazuya Tsurumaki and written by NieR creator Yoko Taro is in the works. So far, no other details about the project have been announced.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Disney wouldn’t let Tony Gilroy say “fascism.”

Now that Andor has come to end, series creator Tony Gilroy is free to speak more openly about what it was like working for Disney, and in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter he says that the studio was very insistent on him not using the word “fascism” while talking about his show focused on fighting fascism.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
I Am Frankelda is coming to Netflix

I Am Frankelda co-writer / directors Arturo and Roy Ambriz’s stop motion dark fantasy film about a girl with a strange connection to another dimension — has been acquired by Netflix and is slated to debut on the streamer sometime later this year.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
The Gorillaz are going back to the mountain.

Ahead of the debut of The Gorillaz’s new album The Mountain, the animated band has dropped a teaser video that makes it seem like there might also be a short film situation on the way.

Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
A closer look at Toy Story’s evil tablet.

We already knew that the threat in Toy Story 5 would be a fresh piece of technology voiced by Greta Lee, and the latest trailer shows a bit more of the adorably creepy Lilypad, which is “always listening.” I guess I know what fictional gadget I’m reviewing next.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Put a hat on that baby.

The latest trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu really highlights how very, very young Grogu still is for one of Yoda’s species, which makes it seem that much more absurd that Din Djarin still hasn’t found his son a helmet to protect that (presumably) soft head.

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is a rollicking parable about this moment in tech

Gore Verbinski’s latest film gets at the heart of everything that makes society feel poisoned about the big push for AI.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Jason Momoa will star in Sony’s Helldivers movie.

The film is set to debut on November 10th, 2027, with Justin Lin directing, Deadline reports. Momoa is also starring in October’s Street Fighter movie and was part of the cast of A Minecraft Movie, which is getting a sequel in July 2027.

Stevie Bonifield
Stevie Bonifield
The Mummy 4 lands its official release date for May 19, 2028.

The Mummy franchise will rise from its tomb 29 years after the 1999 original starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz arrived in theaters, Variety reports. Fraser and Weisz will be reuniting for The Mummy 4, along with producer Sean Daniel, but the film’s plot remains a mystery.

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
A space crab made of rocks would die for Ryan Gosling in the final Project Hail Mary trailer.

The adaptation of Andy Weir’s best-selling novel is hitting theaters on March 20th. But, before that, we’re getting our clearest look yet at Rocky, the alien that befriends Gosling’s Ryland Grace. This trailer really ramps up the drama and… wait, why is Grace teaching Rocky to dance?

Terrence O'Brien
Terrence O'Brien
MST3K is coming back. Again.

Instead of Jonah Ray, Mike Nelson (from the show’s original run) will be donning the jumpsuit. Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett will also be reprising their roles as Servo and Crow. The focus of MST3K: The RiffTrax Experiments will be on “classic bad” movies and it’s already blown past its Kickstarter goal.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
It’s time to go to Jupiter.

Now that Boys Go to Jupiter is streaming on HBO Max, you should check out our interview with writer / director Julian Glander about the movie and why he feels that open-source software programs like Blender are doing way more to “democratize” art than generative AI.

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Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
Just follow the rules.

Earlier this week Neon confirmed that the live-action adaptation of Exit 8 would hit theaters in April, and now we have a new trailer that shows off its creepy world and very strict set of rules.

Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
This 830-piece Project Hail Mary set comes with our first Ryan Gosling Lego figure.

It seems fitting that the latest film from the directors of 2014’s The Lego Movie is also getting its own set. Available for preorder today for $99.99 and shipping on March 1st, Lego’s Project Hail Mary set features a spaceship with a rotating crew module and minifigure versions of Ryland Grace (Gosling) and the alien Rocky.

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<em>The set’s display stand features a crank that rotates the spaceship’s crew module, simulating its centrifugal gravity system.</em>
<em>The two minifigures include Gosling’s character Ryland Grace in a spacesuit.</em>
<em>The set stands 12-inches tall when assembled.</em>
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The set’s display stand features a crank that rotates the spaceship’s crew module, simulating its centrifugal gravity system.
Image: Lego