It’s Friday, which means it’s time for the week’s biggest news stories from the various realms of pop culture. Check them all out below.

Lifestyle

More international guests joined the Comic Con Africa 2023 line-up this week, while further details emerged about what to expect from the upcoming pop culture celebration. Look out for Yellowstone star Denim Richards, who’s appearing at the con for two days, as well as Jeff Teravainen, the voice actor of Rainbow Six’s legendary special operative Sam Fisher.

Along with these performers, more African and international comic creators have been been announced for CCA 2023 as well. These include Eisner-nominated Marvel colour artist Jason Keith; France’s Stephanie Lavaud with a distinct watercolour style; Mozambican born Marco Rudy, who has worked for Image, DC and Marvel, in addition to releasing his own graphic novel; and South Africa’s own Jason Masters, who has produced art for big titles like James Bond, Batman and The Avengers.

Out of interest, Call of Duty voice actor Chad Michael Collins, and American cosplayer and streamer Lindsay Elyse, who were previously announced as guests, will no longer be attending. Comic Con Africa 2023 takes place next week, over 4 days, from 22 to 25 September at the JHB Expo Centre in Johannesburg.

Film

This past week saw the first trailer finally unveiled for upcoming superhero film Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the last of four big screen DC Comics adaptations releasing in 2023 (following Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash and Blue Beetle).

In this Aquaman solo sequel, which once again has James (The Conjuring, Saw) Wan at the helm, Arthur Curry, AKA Aquaman (Jason Momoa) is just coming to grips with his new roles as the King of Atlantis, husband and father. However, when old enemy Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) emerges, empowered by the mythic Black Trident and swearing revenge, Arthur must reluctantly team up with his imprisoned half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) to protect their kingdom, family, and the world. Nicole Kidman and Amber Heard are also back, although the film’s marketing has largely excised the latter following her court battle with Johnny Depp.

Originally planned for release in December 2022, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom instead debuts on the big screen on 20 December this year.

For something rather different, Netflix has partnered with quirky and beloved filmmaker Wes Anderson to adapt some of Roald Dahl’s short stories into a series of cinematic short films. First up is The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, about a man (Benedict Cumberbatch) who picks up an unusual skill from an Indian guru (Ben Kingsley) that allows him to cheat at gambling, and inevitably become a Robin Hood-esque figure.

Anderson’s 39-minute short The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar comes to Netflix on 27 September, and you can watch the trailer below.

However, that’s not all. Anderson’s other three Dahl shorts are reportedly coming to the streamer in quick succession as well. According to The Wrap, is reporting that Netflix plans to release one short per day over a four-day window from 27 September. These other adaptations are:

“The Swan”
Runtime: 17 minutes
Release date: Thursday, September 28th
Logline: A young adult story about a small/brilliant boy ruthlessly pursued by two large/idiotic bullies.

“The Ratcatcher”
Runtime: 17 minutes
Release date: Friday, September 29
Logline: A story about a professional rodent exterminator.

“Poison”
Runtime: 17 minutes
Release date: Saturday, September 30th
Logline: A story about a man who discovers a poisonous snake asleep in his bed.

One final movie tidbit:

If you missed it on the big screen, Disney’s surprisingly layered and emotionally authentic Haunted Mansion reboot debuts on Disney+ on 4 October.

Series

What would October be without an R-rated Netflix scarefest? This year we have the streamer’s final collaboration with Mike (Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass) Flanagan, The Fall of the House of Usher. Based on the works of gothic horror pioneer Edgar Allan Poe, The Fall of the House of Usher sees a mysterious woman (Carla Gugino) come for the heirs to a powerful pharmaceuticals company, headed by the ruthless and rotten Roderick (Bruce Greenwood) and Madeline Usher (Mary McDonnell). Look out for a mix of new faces and frequent Flanagan collaborators.

Watch all 8 episodes of The Fall of the House of Usher from 12 October.

So, the rumour are true. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is arriving on home screens before the end of 2023 after all. Apple TV+ has released a teaser trailer, as well as a poster, for its upcoming, big budget series, which is set in Legendary’s Monsterverse (which includes Godzilla and King Kong).

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters premieres 17 November 17 on Apple TV+, and follows dual timelines: two siblings in the early Noughties, who are following in their father’s footsteps to uncover their family’s connection to the secretive organization known as Monarch; and the 1950s when their dad, Army Officer Lee Shaw (played by Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell), first uncovered world-shaking secrets.

Two other series tidbits:

  • Rather unsurprisingly, Netflix’s very well received live-action adaptation of One Piece has officially been renewed for Season 2.
  • Still on matters of Netflix, and animation, fans will want to mark 27 September on their calendars. At 9AM PST, the first ever Netflix Drop 01 is taking place: a livestream event that will feature the digital premiere of Castlevania: Nocturne, along with “epic trailers, shock drops, sneak peeks, and more!” Among those shock drops is the rumoured (and we’re happy to bet money on this) first look at the upcoming Tomb Raider anime, where Hayley Atwell will voice daring adventurer Lara Croft. Check out the Drop 01 trailer below, and an easter egg stuffed key visual here.

Gaming

The 40-minute Nintendo Direct for September was packed full of Mario games, remakes and remasters. You can see all the announcements here. What caught our attention, though, is that, after years of begging for it, Tomb Raider fans are getting the first-ever remaster of the original three Tomb Raider games from the mid 1990s.

Allowing players to switch between updated visuals and the original polygon look at any time, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered will consist of the original games, their expansions, and include secret levels.

  • Tomb Raider I + The Unfinished Business Expansion
  • Tomb Raider II + The Gold Mask Expansion
  • Tomb Raider III + The Lost Artifact Expansion

Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is out on 14 February 2024 (AKA Lara Croft’s birthday), and will be coming to PC, PlayStation and Xbox consoles as well. For South Africans, the pre-order price is around R500.

Apple fans have tended to be left behind when it comes to gaming, with Mac support still typically a rare addition ages after a title’s original release. Things are changing though, thanks to the new A17 Pro chipset, which can be found in the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

While news coverage of Apple’s 12 September Event this past week has tended to focus on the various hardware announcements, gamers might be interested to know that Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil 4, Death Stranding and Assassin’s Creed Mirage are all coming to Apple’s next generation of mobile devices. For the very first time. With the exception of Mirage, which will become available natively on iOS in the first half of next year, the other three will be out before the end of 2023 on various devices, and available through the App Store.

Capcom has provided a bit more information on its titles, and Apple compatibility:

  • Resident Evil 4 will be playable on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and every iPad and Mac with the M1 chip or later.
  • Resident Evil Village will be available on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad Air, and iPad Pro with the M1 chip or later. Village and its Winters’ Expansion are already available for Mac.

Out of interest, both Resident Evil games will support cross-progression, so players’ progress is synced across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Free downloads will also be available for consumers to try the games as well before potentially purchasing the full experience.

Comics

Finally, the comic book industry has a long history of creator exploitation and clashes with publishers. Now, Bill Willingham, the writer and creator of Eisner Award-winning Fables for DC Comics (under its old Vertigo imprint), is sticking it to the man in a very unexpected way. Willingham is releasing his creation – which centres on characters from fairy tale and folklore, who relocate to New York City – to the public domain.

It’s all rather lawyer-ry and confusing, but Willingham’s actions stem from numerous disagreements with DC in regards to their violation of agreements with him. Feeling too old for a lengthy legal battle, Willingham has exercised his right as the sole owner of the intellectual property:

I chose to give it away to everyone. If I couldn’t prevent Fables from falling into bad hands, at least this is a way I can arrange that it also falls into many good hands. Since I truly believe there are still more good people in the world than bad ones, I count it as a form of victory.