Over the past week, every sphere of pop culture managed to generate at least one standout news story. Time to catch up now.
Lifestyle
Comic Con Africa 2026 unveiled a new international guest, and it’s the voice of Morty from cartoon favourite Rick and Morty: Harry Belden.
Belden stepped into the role in 2023 for the show’s seventh season, and has played the part ever since. With photo and autograph opportunities, plus mainstage appearances, he will be at CCA this year for the first three of the con’s four days, 24 to 26 September.
Film
There’s something Dr. Strangelove about upcoming dark comedy Digger, which brings together megastar Tom Cruise with Oscar-winning director Alejandro G. Iñárritu – whose filmography includes the likes of Babel, Birdman and The Revenant.
Cruise plays an ultra-powerful oilman who embarks on a frantic mission to prove he’s humanity’s saviour. This after his actions trigger the potentially world-ending catastrophe in the first place. He’s joined onscreen by the likes of Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, and Jesse Plemons.
Digger comes to cinemas, including IMAX, from 2 October.
It’s been a while since we’ve had a good, rousing historical epic. Bourne franchise filmmaker Paul Greengrass, who also made the likes of United 93, Captain Phillips and The Lost Bus, seems out to change that with The Uprising.
Arriving in cinemas on 11 September, The Uprising is based on real-life events, and sees Andrew Garfield play Wat Tyler, a farmer who could no longer endure the injustice his community was subjected to by the forces of 14-year-old King Richard II. The result was the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, where the serfdom challenged the social status quo in an unprecedented manner, inspiring future generations for centuries.
Time for some more trailer tonal whiplash. The Wrong Girls is a stoner comedy with a sci-fi angle. Kristen Stewart and Alia Shawkat play best friends whose unthinking quest for a bong rip puts powerful experimental drugs in their hands, and in their bloodstream. This has the unwanted side effect of attracting the attention of dangerous people. The film is written and directed by Dylan Meyer, Stewart’s wife, and includes the comedic talents of LaKeith Stanfield, Tony Hale, Kate McKinnon and Geena Davis, with Seth Rogen and Kumail Nanjiani voicing our heroines’ cats.
The Wrong Girls arrives in cinemas from 14 August.
One final piece of movie news: The Batman Part II has been delayed yet again. The film will now release on 18 February 2028, when the Robert Pattison-led sequel was previously supposed to debut in October 2025, 2026 and 2027 respectively. Slightly better news is that director Matt Reeves made the announcement official with a camera test, showing Pattinson’s Batman on the set of the now-filming movie.
Series
IT: Welcome to Derry was one of the best things on TV last year. So count us paying attention to Friday the 13th prequel series Crystal Lake. Going back to the very start of the summer camp slasher tale, Linda Cardellini plays single mother Pam Voorhees, who is grieving over the drowning death of her young, sickly son Jason. Then two strangers arrive at Pam’s door, digging into her past, which sets a bloody chain of events into motion.
Releasing with A24 backing, eight-part Crystal Lake S1 starts streaming on Peacock on 15 October.
A disaster on the set of video game adaptation God of War. Series lead, Ryan Hurst, who plays Spartan warrior turned god Kratos, has torn his bicep – an injury that requires surgery and a year of healing. The result is that the role will be recast, and extensive reshoots required.
God of War will be coming (eventually) to Prime Video, with two seasons already greenlit.
Comics & Books
Marvel is making moves. Literally. With the lease on its Manhattan offices expiring, the comic publisher is relocating to Burbank on the West Coast of the United States, to put it closer to Marvel Studios and the Walt Disney Company’s base of operations.
At the same time, Stephen Wacker has been named Marvel Comics’ new editor-in-chief, replacing C.B. Cebulski. Wacker started editing comics back in 2000, and his previous stint at Marvel saw him work on acclaimed runs of Amazing Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Hawkeye, along with introducing Ms. Marvel. He has also previous served as Vice President of Marvel Animation, and VP Head of Content for Marvel Digital Media.
Out of interest, DC Comics relocated from NYC to California back in 2015.
Gaming
Finally, following the Xbox Reset announcement, with a stated intention to focus efforts and budgets on the biggest Xbox franchises, Bethesda Game Studios (which is owned by Xbox) has released its own Note on development priorities moving forward.
To no one’s surprise, it’s the most iconic Bethesda IPs: The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and, a bit more unexpected, Starfield. The press release ends with this summary:
Across Bethesda Game Studios, we’re building for the future of Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, and Starfield. We’re investing in our technology, bringing teams closer together, supporting our live games, expanding into new forms of entertainment, and developing the next generation of Bethesda RPGs.
