We’re almost two weeks into August, and in that time we’ve been treated to multiple trailers, casting news, game announcements, and a few surprises regarding the South African gaming and geek event calendar.

Lifestyle

Time will tell whether the change is a smart one or a death knell, but rAge, South Africa’s Really Awesome Gaming Expo, is making the move to Fourways Mall in 2025. More specifically, in its 23rd year, the iconic Johannesburg exhibition – once thee gathering to attend on the South African pop culture calendar – will be happening from 5–7 December on the shopping centre’s new rooftop space (Level 8), making it one of the first events to take over this 50,000m² covered area. And yes, the popular Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC) LAN will be there too.

It seems safe to assume that rAge was bumped from its 2024 home of the JHB Expo Centre in much the same way that Comic Con Africa had to abruptly shift its 2025 dates forward from September to late August. This is due to renovations at the Expo Centre in preparation for a big end-of-year event.

Out of interest, in its four years since returning post pandemic (and losing its long-time The Dome location due to property sales), rAge has been staged at three venues around Johannesburg: Gallagher Convention Centre (2022-2023), JHB Expo Centre (2024) and, now, Fourways Mall (2025).

Speaking of Comic Con Africa 2025, we’re mere weeks away now from the pop culture celebration (happening 28-31 August at the Joburg Expo Centre), and guest announcements and special activation reveals have been piling up. Your best bet is to follow CCA on Facebook and/or Instagram to stay on top of announcements.

One of these drawcards is another international celebrity in the form of American actor Dan Fogler. The Fantastic Beasts star was supposed to attend the con last year but was thwarted last minute by work commitments. Now he’s delivering on his promise to make up for it in 2025. Catch him Friday through Sunday, with paid autograph and photo opportunities available as well.

Another surprise addition is a virtual session on the Saturday with animation industry writer and producer Aaron Ehasz. if that name doesn’t mean much to you, perhaps some of his projects will ring a bell, like a little something called Avatar: The Last Airbender (where he was the show’s head writer), and Netflix’s long-running fantasy adventure The Dragon Prince.

The CCA 2025 organisers have also just added a handful more comic creators to the line-up. From Ireland, we have Moon Knight’s Declan Shalvey, and Eisner Award-nominee and DC veteran Cian Tormey. They’re joined by two South African artists who have worked for some of the world’s biggest names in comics and on-screen entertainment: Spider-Man’s Anand Ramcheron, and Batman and James Bond’s Jason Masters.

For the record, this year you’ll find all the comic creators back in Hall 7, along with the dedicated Artists Alley.

P.S. A glance at the CCA website reveals that the Comic Con Cape Town dates for 2026 have shadow dropped. The Mother City’s fourth dedicated con is taking place 30 April to 3 May next year.

Film

James Cameron’s visually dazzling Avatar universe returns on 19 December this year with third instalment Fire and Ash.

What’s notable about this entry is that our heroes, and audiences, will encounter a hostile Na’vi clan known as the Ash People due to their volcano home. Oona Chaplin plays their leader Varang through motion capture, and forms an alliance with the relentless human foes of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and their family. For the record, Part 3 of the saga is set one year after the events of The Way of Water.

Keeping things in the Disney fold, here’s the first full trailer for Zootopia 2 (AKA Zootropolis 2), the follow-up to the massively successful, and Oscar-winning, 2016 film from Walt Disney Animation Studios. This time, mismatched buddy cops Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) are forced to put their differences aside due to the arrival of a venomous snake (Ke Huy Quan) in the animal metropolis. However, a bigger conspiracy seems to be driving events.

Zootopia 2 is in cinemas from 26 November.

Tonal shift time. HIM is the latest psychological thriller to release under the banner of Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions. The Get Out and Nope filmmaker isn’t directing this one, but certainly he backs intense, visceral movies. Anyway, in HIM, Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers) is a rising-star quarterback who suffers a devastating setback when he’s attacked by a fan and suffers a potentially career-ending brain trauma. Then one of Cameron’s NFL heroes, charismatic Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), offers to train him at his isolated compound. What starts off as a dream opportunity, though, reveals itself to be dark and dangerous.

HIM is out 19 September.

Something far less harrowing, but potentially brutal on the heartstrings, is A24 romance Eternity. Elizabeth Olsen’s character Joan arrives in the afterlife to find herself facing a dilemma. She has one week to decide where she will spend eternity, and with who – her first love (Callum Turner), who died in a war, or the man she built her life with (Miles Teller)? A love triangle with charismatic stars, and Teller acting like a pensioner in a young man’s body; we’re here for it.

Eternity comes to cinemas in November after debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Some other movie news tidbits for you:

  • Musical action adventure KPop Demon Hunters has been such a smash hit for Sony Animation Studios and Netflix that, for better or worse, loads more is coming – like sequels, a live-action adaptation, stage show and TV series. Plus, there are reports of a sing-along version of the film coming to select American cities starting 23 August.
  • Eddie Murphy is going to be the next Inspector Clouseau as detective comedy The Pink Panther gears up for another reboot. Peter Sellers and Steve Martin have previously played the trenchcoat-wearing sleuth.
  • Finally, here is your first official look at the new Spider-Man suit worn by Tom Holland in upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day – and it’s a case of going back to basics as it strips out all the tech components, and returns to a raised webbing design as per the Toby Maguire films. Brand New Day is currently filming and will be in theatres next year, from 31 July.
  • As a side note, in some other Spider-Man news, Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya is driving a Spider-Punk live-action movie. The British punk rock version of the character made his on-screen debut in animated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Gaming

Nintendo’s 31 July Partner Showcase wasn’t much to write home about, but their 15-minute Indie World Showcase one week later did spotlight some gems on the horizon – like Herdling, Winter Burrow, Glaciered, Undusted: Letters from the Past, and the Little Kitty, Big City – The Picture Purrfect Update.

Our standout of the game reveals: Well Dweller, a 2D metroidvania steeped in dark fairy tale energy, from the maker of Crypt Custodian. You play as Glimmer, a tiny bird who, armed with a matchstick, sets out to burn the wicked queen who has intentions of turning his family into a gown. The problem is that our hero needs to navigate and fight his way across a vast twisted underworld filled with foes who can best be described as nightmare fuel.

Well Dweller is “coming soon” to Nintendo Switch and PC.