Just a short news round-up this week, with the heftiest load of pop culture announcements centering on Comic Con Africa 2023, which is coming up next month. But here’s what stood out for us this past week from the worlds of film, series, gaming and geek lifestyle. In fact, let’s lead with that last one.

Before that, though, we need to mention a notable creative industry death from the past week: William Friedkin, the Oscar-winning director responsible for 70s classics The Exorcist and The French Connection, has died aged 87 as result of heart failure and pneumonia.

Lifestyle

Another cosplayer joins the Comic Con Africa 2023 international guest mix. Har_Fie (AKA Harry Field) is a cosplayer and model from the UK, specialising in anime and JRPG characters.

Still speaking cosplay at CCA 2023, this year there’ll be more opportunities for casual cosplayers to strut their stuff on the Main Stage. Whereas previously there was only one first-come-first-enter Casual Cosplay Contest per day, this year will see two sessions daily on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 11:00 and 14:00; and one session on Monday (the final day) at 11:00. There is also a separate casual competition for cosplayers under 13.

Comic Con Africa 2023 is taking place at the Johannesburg Exhibition Centre (Nasrec) over the Heritage Day holiday weekend, from 22 to 25 September. Of the new attractions, just announced is the introduction of the Afro Geek Pavilion, which stems from a partnership with Afro Geek Fest.

The Afro Geek Pavilion will cover all aspects of afrogeek culture, including anime, cosplay, gaming, and pop culture, with the goal of creating a more inclusive and diverse local community. The pavilion will celebrate and amplify the voices of African creators, showcasing the richness and uniqueness of the continent’s comics and geek culture, while providing attendees with the opportunity to pick up exclusive art and comic books from African talent.

Series

The first images have been revealed for horror maestro Mike Flanagan’s final project for Netflix: The Fall of the House of Usher. The man behind Doctor Sleep, Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Hill House, among other genre standouts, is delivering yet another chilling modernisation of a classic tale, this time Edgar Allan Poe’s influential short story.

In the eight-episode The Fall of the House of Usher, ruthless siblings Roderick (Bruce Greenwood) and Madeline Usher (Mary McDonnell) have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege and power. But past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman from their youth.

  • The Fall of the House of Usher. (L to R) Sauriyan Sapkota as Prospero Usher, Kate Siegel as Camille L’Espanaye, Rahul Kohli as Napoleon Usher, Matt Biedel as Bill-T Wilson, Samantha Sloyan as Tamerlane Usher, Mark Hamill as Arthur Pym in episode 101 of The Fall of the House of Usher. Cr. Eike Schroter/Netflix © 2023
  • The Fall of the House of Usher. Bruce Greenwood as Roderick Usher in episode 101 of The Fall of the House of Usher. Cr. Eike Schroter/Netflix © 2023
  • The Fall of the House of Usher. Mary McDonnell as Madeline Usher in episode 103 of The Fall of the House of Usher. Cr. Eike Schroter/Netflix © 2023
  • The Fall of the House of Usher. Carla Gugino as Verna in episode 108 of The Fall of the House of Usher. Cr. Eike Schroter/Netflix © 2023
  • The Fall of the House of Usher. (L to R) Aya Furukawa as Tina, Kate Siegel as Camille L’Espanaye, Igby Rigney as Toby in episode 102 of The Fall of the House of Usher. Cr. Eike Schroter/Netflix © 2023
  • The Fall of the House of Usher. Samantha Sloyan as Tamerlane Usher in episode 106 of The Fall of the House of Usher. Cr. Eike Schroter/Netflix © 2023
  • The Fall of the House of Usher. Sauriyan Sapkota as Prospero Usher in episode 101 of The Fall of the House of Usher. Cr. Eike Schroter/Netflix © 2023
  • The Fall of the House of Usher. (L to R) Carl Lumbly as C. Auguste Dupin, Nicholas Lea as Judge John Neal, Mark Hamill as Arthur Pym in episode 105 of The Fall of the House of Usher. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023
  • The Fall of the House of Usher. (L to R) Daniel Jun as Julius, Rahul Kohli as Napoleon Usher in episode 102 of The Fall of the House of Usher. Cr. Eike Schroter/Netflix © 2023
  • The Fall of the House of Usher. (L to R) Paola Nuñez as Dr. Alessandra Ruiz, T’Nia Miller as Victorine LaFourcade in episode 105 of The Fall of the House of Usher. Cr. Eike Schroter/Netflix © 2023
  • The Fall of the House of Usher. (L to R) Kyliegh Curran as Lenore Usher, Henry Thomas as Frederick Usher in episode 105 of The Fall of the House of Usher. Cr. Eike Schroter/Netflix © 2023

Usher’s cast features a mix of frequent Flanagan collaborators and new faces. Look out for Carla Gugino, Mark Hamill, Michael Trucco, T’Nia Miller, Paola Nuñez, Henry Thomas, Samantha Sloyan, Rahul Kohli, Kate Siegel, Zach Gilford, Annabeth Gish, and more.

The Fall of the House of Usher also finally has a release date. The eight-episode series lands on Netflix on 12 October.

Film

Film news has been somewhat light this week but we have three tidbits:

  • If you missed Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid, it’s coming to Disney+ on 6 September.
  • That hopeful Wonder Woman 3 news from the past few weeks, expressed by Gal Gadot herself? Turns out the third big screen outing for the most iconic female superhero isn’t happening. Or, rather, it’s not in development at all, with DC Universe heads James Gunn and Peter Safran having no plans for it in the near future.
  • Breakout horror hit Talk To Me, which comes from Australia, and has been doing gangbusters at the global cinemas, already has the backing of distributor A24 to receive a sequel.

Gaming

What do you do when one of your iconic voice artists dies? You find someone with a powerful presence, and extensive VO resume, of their own. Keith David is the new Commander Zavala in Destiny 2, stepping in for Lance Reddick, who unexpectedly passed in March this year from heart disease. David’s turn as the character will kick off in 2024 with the The Final Shape expansion.

One of the most acclaimed indie games of the past half decade is getting an optimised release for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles on 17 August. Previously available for PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One – as well as mobile through Netflix – Kentucky Route Zero is an award-winning point-and-click adventure game from developer Cardboard Computer and publisher Annapurna Interactive.

Magical realist Kentucky Route Zero centres on a secret highway in the caves beneath Kentucky, and the mysterious folks who travel it. Over five acts, the game follows a group of lost travelers — an aging driver making the last delivery for a doomed antique shop; a young woman who fixes obsolete TVs surrounded by ghosts; a child and his giant eagle companion; a pair of robot musicians — as they wander the disorienting and magical Route Zero.