The Alien franchise has some of the most iconic creature designs in all of film. From the Facehugger to the fully-formed Xenomorphs themselves, the monsters have gone through from being practical, to CGI, and now back to partially practical.

For Alien: Covenant, Odd Studios, and CreatureNFX provided the film’s makeup and animatronic creature effects, respectively. There were even actors wearing creature suits with animatronic heads used to portray the aliens on set, with CGI aliens used for elaborate shots. In the upcoming Alien: Romulus director Fede Álvarez brought on Lord of the Rings creature shop Weta Workshop for some fun practical effects magic.

On Twitter, Álvarez posted a quick video of a remote control Facehugger zooming around the set last summer.

Álvarez is pulling double duty as director and co-writer with Evil Dead collaborator Rodo Sayagues. The events of the film take place between Alien and Aliens, as there are 57 years between the two. It stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu, with some of the technical crew from Aliens returning.

The film was originally scheduled to be released on Hulu, like the Predator prequel Prey, but was switched to a theatrical release right before filming began.

Alien: Romulus is scheduled to land in theaters on August 16, 2024.

Between Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Mandalorian, and even the short-lived Revolution, Giancarlo Esposito has positioned himself as an in-demand actor who excels at playing villains. However, he didn’t always enjoy such good fortune in his career. During a recent appearance on SiriusXM’s Jim & Sam, Esposito recalled a time in 2008 when he was near bankruptcy and so desperate for a way out that he considered placing a hit on himself to provide for his family with the insurance money.

“My way out in my brain was: ‘Hey, do you get life insurance if someone commits suicide? Do they get the bread?’ My wife had no idea why I was asking this stuff,” recalled Esposito via Variety. “I started scheming. If I got somebody to knock me off, death by misadventure, [my kids] would get the insurance. I had four kids. I wanted them to have a life. It was a hard moment in time. I literally thought of self-annihilation so they could survive. That’s how low I was.”

“That was the first inkling that there was a way out, but I wouldn’t be here to be available to my kids,” continued Esposito. “Then I started to think that’s not viable because the pain I would cause them would be lifelong, and there’d be lifelong trauma that would just extend the generational trauma I’m trying to move away from. The light at the end of the tunnel was Breaking Bad.”

Esposito’s role as Gus Fring on both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul was a transformational moment for his standing in Hollywood, and he’s been constantly working ever since. Ironically, Esposito had a starring role in 2017’s The Show, a movie in which he played a desperate man, Mason Washington, who contemplates committing suicide on a live TV show in order to provide for his family. In case of art imitating life, Mason also chooses to survive.

Parish, Esposito’s new drama series, is currently airing Sunday nights on AMC.

Oscar-winning director Quentin Tarantino is abandoning The Movie Critic, a film that was planned to be his 10th and final movie, according to Deadline. The site reported that Tarantino “simply changed his mind” and is now working on something else.

The Movie Critic was reportedly going to star Brad Pitt. Pitt previously starred in Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Inglourious Basterds.

The story was going to focus on a a man who wrote movie reviews for a pornographic magazine in California in the 1970s. Tarantino was apparently inspired by his own personal experiences of loading porn magazines into a vending machine when he was a teenager.

Deadline said Tarantino rewrote the script for The Movie Critic, which led to a delay in production, and later ultimately decided to abandon it altogether and move on.

If this all sounds familiar, it’s because, years ago, Tarantino said he gave up on The Hateful Eight after the script was sent around Hollywood against his wishes. However, Tarantino later returned to the project and released it in 2015; The Hateful Eight was nominated for three Oscars and won one.

As for what Tarantino could make instead of The Movie Critic, Deadline said the filmmaker is “going back to the drawing board to figure out what that final movie will be.” Also unknown is whether or not Tarantino still plans to make just one more movie before calling it quits.

Since his debut with Reservoir Dogs in 1992, Tarantino has made nine films, if you count Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2 as a single film. His films have netted him both critical acclaim and controversy, with Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained both earning him Academy Awards for Best Screenplay.

2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is Tarantino’s latest film, and it won two Academy Awards.

The Fallout TV show is canon, Bethesda boss Todd Howard has once again confirmed, assuaging fan speculation that the show retconned Fallout: New Vegas. Spoilers for the show follow.

Howard re-confirmed the show’s canonicity, after originally revealing this in 2023, and explainedHoward explained how it fits into the broader timeline in an interview with IGN. The Fallout show is currently the latest canonical entry in the franchise, taking place in 2296, nine years after Fallout 4 and 15 years after New Vegas.

Fan confusion arose from the destruction of Shady Sands. The town is one of the more significant recurring locations in the franchise. It is one of the first towns in the original game and is discussed as the capital of the New California Republic in New Vegas. In the show, characters Lucy and Maxmius find a crater where the city once was. An in-show timeline states that the fall of Shady Sands took place in 2277, just four years before New Vegas. The destruction of the NCR capital before the events of the game would seem to be an outright contradiction.

Howard said, “All I can say is we’re threading it tighter there, but the bombs fall just after the events of New Vegas.” Bethesda studio design director Emil Pagliarulo also confirmed on Twitter/X that New Vegas was still canonical. He wrote, “Of course it is. We’ve never suggested otherwise.” A sign from the show also states that Shady Sands is the first capital of the NCR, implying it was replaced or supplemented with other capital cities.

None of this outright explains the apparent contradiction, but it seems that the show rearranges or adds to previously established canon, rather than outright overwriting it. With the show teasing New Vegas itself at the end of the season, more clarification will likely come.

Last year, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania dramatically collapsed at the box office after a strong opening weekend, leaving the future of the franchise in doubt. But there’s at least one Quantumania cast member who wanted out of the MCU before the movie debuted: Michael Douglas.

Via Entertainment Weekly, Douglas was a guest on The View earlier this week, and he wasn’t shy about his desire to see his character, Hank Pym, get killed off in Quantuamania.

“This actually was my request for the third one,” said Douglas “I said I’d like to have a serious [death], with all these great special effects. There’s got to be some fantastic way where I can shrink to an ant size and explode, whatever it is. I want to use all those effects. But, that was on the last one. Now, I don’t think I’m going to show up.”

That adds additional context to the remarks that Douglas made in 2023 when he said that he would only return for Ant-Man and the Wasp 4 “as long as I could die.” There were actually two major deaths in Quantumania, but neither Hank Pym nor any of his extended family were harmed.

Because Quantumania was one of the rare Marvel movies to lose money, the possibility of another Ant-Man and the Wasp sequel certainly no longer seems guaranteed. But we wouldn’t bet against seeing Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly reprise their roles as Scott Lang/Ant-Man and Hope van Dyne/The Wasp in a future Avengers movie.

Somewhere, over the rainbow, actor Jack Black has all but confirmed that he’s portraying Steve in the upcoming Minecraft movie. He begins a recent social media post by singing about a double rainbow–a callback to this internet classic–before bringing viewers inside his trailer.

On Instagram, Black shows the sign “Steve” posted on his door, while the interior is filled with pictures of Steve from the sandbox video game. The actor ends the video (seen below) with a smirk, which heavily implies he’s portraying the iconic character in the Minecraft movie.

This wouldn’t be the first notable video game character Black has portrayed. Last year, he provided the voice for Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Black even landed in the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time as a solo artist for singing Peaches in the animated film. Later this year, he will lend his voice again to a video game movie, this time as Claptrap in the Borderlands adaptation.

The Minecraft movie wrapped filming earlier this month. Star Jason Mamoa (Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom) shared a picture to commemorate the end of shooting the upcoming film, which will also star Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers, Jennifer Coolidge, Kate McKinnon, and Jemaine Clement.

To prepare for the Minecraft movie, Black played a lot of… well, Minecraft. He said he focused on only playing the sandbox game for about a month and a half. Meanwhile, earlier this year, Minecraft director Jared Hess mentioned that one of his goals is to avoid the “ugly Sonic” situation from that film’s first trailer, which was derided by fans.

For more, check out everything we know about the Minecraft movie. It will premiere in theaters on April 4, 2025.

The animated series Family Guy debuted in 1999, meaning it celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. But would creator Seth MacFarlane ever consider wrapping it up and moving on? Speaking to The Los Angeles Times, MacFarlane–who is no longer working directly on the show–said he has no plans to call it quits.

“At this point, I don’t see a good reason to stop. People still love it. It makes people happy and it funds some good causes,” he said. “It’s a lot of extraneous cash that you can donate to Rainforest Trust and you can still go out to dinner that night.”

In 2019, MacFarlane donated $1 million to the Rainforest Trust to help protect tropical habitats.

MacFarlane did acknowledge that there was a time when he thought, “It’s time to wrap it up.” However, Family Guy has now reached “escape velocity,” he said, so there is no reason to call it quits unless “people get sick of it” or the viewership numbers don’t justify its ongoing production. But that day has not come, MacFarlane said.

MacFarlane said he has not worked directly on Family Guy in 15 years. Showrunners Rich Appel and Alec Sulkin are running the show now, and MacFarlane said they have helped Family Guy retain its legacy over the years.

“When you build a show, you build the tone and you establish what it is, and you leave, oftentimes it can go so far south. That has not happened with this show. These folks have maintained its integrity,” he said.

MacFarlane went on to say that Family Guy has a “shield” protecting it because every joke it makes can be defended in an “intellectual way.” Some might not agree, but that’s how MacFarlane sees it. “There’s an earnestness to that approach that I think has created sort of a shield around the show that continues to this day,” he said.

Voice actors Alex Borstein (Lois), Mila Kunis (Meg), and Seth Green (Chris) are also quoted in the piece, saying the show means a lot to them. Borstein said it’s the “greatest gift I’ve ever been given in my life.” Green said, “It’s the best job ever.” Kunis said, “Greatest job of all time.”

Family Guy living on for 25 years was never a guarantee. After all, the show was canceled multiple times during its early years, and survived thanks in part to the popularity of reruns on Adult Swim and DVD sales.

The full interview is a fantastic read that digs deep into the history of Family Guy and is well worth a read for fans of the series. Family Guy is now in its 22nd season, which wraps up on April 17. Season 23 is also in the works.

Beyond Family Guy, MacFarlane co-created the spinoff series The Cleveland Show, as well as American Dad. In terms of live-action projects, he created and stars in the Star Trek-inspired TV series The Orville. He also directed Ted and Ted 2, in which he voices a foul-mouthed teddy bear who tries to steal Tom Brady’s sperm.

Star Wars has been all over the map since Disney acquired Lucasfilm more than a decade ago. Besides new films and TV shows, we’ve also seen a bunch of Star Wars manga hit the market–and now, on May 7, you’ll get to dive into two new adventures. Star Wars Visions: The Manga Anthology and Star Wars: The Mandalorian Volume 2 arrive next month, but preorders are now open at Amazon.

If you’re a newcomer to Star Wars manga, then the Visions: Manga Anthology is the better choice of the two. This anthology sees the Disney+ series brought to life in a new way, and there’s no need to have read any previous manga to pick up all the story threads. If you’ve watched Star Wars: Visions, you’ll find adaptations of The Elder, Lop & Ocho, The Ninth Jedi, and The Twins in this manga anthology. Clocking in at 232 pages, the paperback volume costs $15.

Meanwhile, Star Wars: The Mandalorian Volume 2 picks up after Star Wars: The Mandalorian Volume 1–which is currently on sale for just $10. You’ll get to follow The Mandalorian as he ventures out to secure the Child, a being who holds mysterious powers and could have serious implications in the fate of the galaxy. Consider both picking up Volume 1 and preordering Volume 2, as you’ll have plenty of time to read through the first manga ahead of the second’s arrival on May 7. Like Visions, this one is also listed for $15.

A third Star Wars book is arriving in May, though it’s quite different from the two above. The Star Wars Manga Coloring Book features 96 pages of designs for you to fill in, all of which are pulled from the first half of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. It arrives on May 14 and costs $17.

Not interested in anything above? Be sure to take a look at all the other Star Wars manga available at Amazon right now.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space is exactly what its title suggests, and in case you haven’t seen this ridiculous horror B-movie yet, now is the best time to do so thanks to an upcoming Blu-ray release. As part of its 35th anniversary celebrations, a new 4K Blu-ray release of the cult-classic film is dropping on May 14 with very cool steelbook case to contain all the clown carnage within.

Already discounted, a regular edition of the film will also be available on the same day, and it has a cover of the original poster art for the film. Over on Shout Factory, you can also pick limited-edition versions of the movie, and these include extras like lobby cards, enamel pins, and stickers.

Like all great horror movies, Killer Klowns From Outer Space is set in a small town that is visited by the homicidal harlequins one fateful night. The movie goes all in on its idea, and includes a circus tent spaceship, clown-themed weapons, and at least one police officer being pelted to death with pies. The creature effects are also particularly impressive, with each Killer Klown having a disturbingly unique design. It’s a horror-comedy at its core–starring alien clowns who wrap people in acidic cotton candy so that they can drink them later–making for a memorable movie.

For more Blu-ray deals, you can also check out these specials on the complete Babylon 5 collection and Martin Scorsese’s The Departed will be available later this month.

While we still don’t have a true co-op mode in Horizon Zero Dawn or Horizon Forbidden West, players looking to hunt down machines with a few buddies by their side can instead opt for the Horizon Zero Dawn Board Game. Typically sold for $100, the massive tabletop collection is now just $72, which is one of the better prices we’ve seen throughout 2024.

Several playable hunters are available, each with their own set of skills, which should add a bit of replayability to the action. Depending on how much time you have available for your game night, you can run through an extensive campaign or break things into smaller play sessions with shorter quests.

Inside the box, you’ll find four hunters (Nora Marksman, Carja Warrior, Banuk Survivor, Oseram Forgesmith), four Watchers, four Striders, four Grazers, four Scrappers, two Shell-Walkers, two Sawtooths, and all the extra cards, dice, and tokens you’ll need for a game session.

Once you’ve played through the base game several times, you’ll probably be ready to handle an expansion that throws even more challenging beasts your way. Many of these are on sale today–below you’ll find the complete list of Horizon Zero Dawn expansions.

Horizon Zero Dawn Board Game Deals