Geek Freaks Headlines

A lot in this episode!

Paramount Global has filed a $50 million-plus countersuit against Warner Bros Discovery over streaming rights to the long-running cartoon satire, South Park. This is in response to Warner Bros Discovery's $200 million lawsuit against Paramount Global over the same issue. The countersuit seeks to recover unpaid license fees and a declaratory judgment confirming the parties' rights and obligations under the Term Sheet. The legal battle has become increasingly heated, with both sides making strong accusations against each other. This legal dispute is significant as it could impact the launch of Warner Bros Discovery's revamped Max streaming service next month. Expect to see lawyers making a lot of money as this legal battle continues.

Lionsgate Television is reportedly in early development of a TV adaptation of the best-selling book series, The Twilight Saga. The specific take on the series and whether it will be a remake of the books or an offshoot is yet to be determined. Sinead Daly is attached to write the script and author Stephenie Meyer is expected to be involved in the adaptation. Lionsgate plans to lead the development before shopping the rights to the package. The Twilight Saga films collectively grossed more than $3.4 billion worldwide, and the TV adaptation is expected to be a valuable addition to Lionsgate’s library.

Star Trek fans are in for a treat as Paramount+ announces the development of a new Star Trek film that will kick off "Phase 2" of its modern Star Trek television franchise. This new film is set to be based on the long-gestating Section 31 spinoff series that was originally intended to be a streaming show. According to sources, the idea for the movie was conceived by Alex Kurtzman, the franchise's boss, who wanted to shift the focus to tentpole films.

The new movie will be led by Michelle Yeoh, who made her Star Trek debut as Captain Philippa Georgiou in the first episode of Star Trek: Discovery. Yeoh's character was killed off early on in the series, but she returned to play her Mirror-Universe counterpart, Emperor Philippa Georgiou, in subsequent seasons. Plans were announced in 2019 for Yeoh to reprise her role as Mirror Georgiou and lead a Discovery spinoff series focused on Section 31, Starfleet's black-ops division. Kurtzman would return as an executive producer, with Bo Yeon Kim and Erika Lippoldt as showrunners.

However, due to concerns about oversaturation of Star Trek streaming shows, the plans for the Section 31 spinoff series were reworked into a tentpole film. Kurtzman and his team plan to release a new Paramount+-exclusive Star Trek film every two years as part of their vision for the franchise post-Discovery and post-Picard. This new film will be the first Star Trek feature to hit screens since 2016's Star Trek Beyond, and the first to spin directly out of a TV show since 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis.

Yeoh's Section 31 streaming film will serve as the maiden voyage for the second phase of Star Trek on Paramount+. This announcement comes at a time when the Star Trek TV franchise is in a transitional period, with Star Trek: Picard ending after three seasons and Discovery ending after its fifth season. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, a Discovery spinoff, is set to debut its second season on Paramount+ this summer, with a third season already in the works. Additionally, the animated shows Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Prodigy are gearing up for new seasons on Paramount+ as well. A Star Trek series focusing on Starfleet Academy was also recently given a series order.

The Star Trek franchise has been a mainstay in science fiction for over 50 years, and this new development shows that it is still going strong. With a new movie based on the Section 31 spinoff and a clear vision for the future of the franchise, fans can look forward to many more years of exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new life and new civilizations, and boldly going where no one has gone before.

Fans of the cult classic comedy film “Galaxy Quest” have reason to rejoice, as Paramount+ and Paramount Television Studios are reportedly in the early stages of developing a television show based on the film. While details are scant, Mark Johnson, who produced the original movie, is already attached as an executive producer.

This isn’t the first time “Galaxy Quest” has been eyed for a TV adaptation. Amazon previously attempted to bring the show to life, with plans to reunite the film’s original cast. However, the project was ultimately shelved following the death of Alan Rickman, who starred in the film. Since then, several writers have been attached to the project, but none of their versions have been given the green light.

Released in 1999, “Galaxy Quest” was a comedic parody of sci-fi franchises like “Star Trek.” It followed the cast of a cult classic show who are recruited by aliens to assist in a real interstellar conflict after the extraterrestrials mistake their TV show for a historical document.

While the film was financially successful and well-received by critics upon its release, it has since garnered a significant following among fans. In fact, “Star Trek” fans even voted it as one of the best “Star Trek” films of all time in 2013.

As for the upcoming series, it remains to be seen whether it will feature any of the original cast members or whether it will take the story in a new direction. But for fans of the beloved film, the prospect of revisiting the world of “Galaxy Quest” on their TV screens is an exciting one.

James Gunn has shared an update on the progress of his upcoming DC Universe film, Superman: Legacy, to celebrate Superman’s Anniversary. The writer-director took to Twitter to share the first look at his script for the movie, which marks the DC Universe’s first blockbuster. While details about the narrative and casting are still scarce, Gunn has confirmed that DC Studios has not yet found an actor to play Clark Kent, but the performer must be able to play a younger version of the Kryptonian. Fans have expressed concerns that Gunn’s irreverent style may not capture the essence of Clark Kent, but he has promised that Superman: Legacy will be markedly different from his other superhero projects and will not be an origin story. The film will focus on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. With Gunn’s track record of creating beloved superhero films, fans eagerly await the release of Superman: Legacy.

Get ready to take on iconic monsters like the Rathalos and Great Jagras in the real world as Pokemon Go developer Niantic and Capcom team up to release Monster Hunter Now. This real-world action RPG mobile game, set to launch in September 2023 on iOS and Android devices, will allow you and your friends to battle monsters with your favorite weapons as you walk around your neighborhood.

The game will be accessible to newcomers and veterans alike, with a closed beta set to begin on April 25. Players can register for the beta on MonsterHunterNow.com and will be able to battle monsters with the Sword and Shield, Great Sword, and Light Bowgun.

Similar to Pokemon Go, Monster Hunter Now will have players encountering monsters as they walk around in the real world. However, battles take place as an action RPG that is reminiscent of the console version. Players will be able to use taps and flicks to take down massive monsters with their favorite weapons, and up to four friends can join in on the fun.

The battles themselves will last up to 75 seconds and aim to be as fun and chaotic as traditional Monster Hunter battles. Players can choose to battle in vertical or landscape modes and rewards from battles will be resources and monster parts that will let players create and upgrade gear.

Monster Hunter Now will also feature your Palico companion and the Paintball mechanic. The Palico, cat-like creatures, will accompany each player on their adventures and will be able to utilize the Paintball mechanic to tag a monster so that you can finish the battle later on.

In addition, Palicos will hunt monsters even when you’re not playing the game and will tag them with Paintballs so you can challenge them later. The game will encourage players to get out and walk around their hometowns, and monsters will spawn around Wayspots/landmarks, which will offer players resources when found.

Monster Hunter Now will be a free-to-play game with items to purchase at an additional cost, promising a “good balance” between the free and enhanced experience. The game has been in development for four years and is set to offer a new and exciting way to experience the world of Monster Hunter.

The live-action "Knuckles" series starring Idris Elba has finally assembled its cast, according to Variety. Alongside Elba, Adam Pally is set to star as Wade Whipple, reprising his role from the "Sonic the Hedgehog" film franchise. The series takes place between the events of "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" and "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," and will feature Knuckles training Wade as his protégé.

Edi Patterson, Julian Barratt, Scott Mescudi, and Ellie Taylor will also recur in the series, while Rory McCann and Tika Sumpter will guest star, with additional casting to be announced at a later date. Production is currently underway in London, with John Whittington serving as head writer and executive producer, and Jeff Fowler directing the pilot episode and executive producing the series.

The "Sonic the Hedgehog" film franchise has been a commercial success, with the two films earning over $405 million at the global box office. The upcoming "Knuckles" series is set to continue the story between the second and third films and promises to offer an exciting adventure for fans of the iconic video game character.

The series boasts a talented cast and creative team, including Elba as executive producer, and is sure to be a must-watch for fans of the franchise. While there is still much to be revealed about the upcoming series, fans can look forward to more updates as production continues.

Amazon’s $8.5 billion acquisition of MGM, one of Hollywood’s most storied studios, in March 2022 was largely driven by MGM’s extensive film and TV catalog, which spans nearly a century. Since the acquisition, Amazon Studios has been sifting through MGM’s library to identify initial titles for film and TV development. Some of the titles that have been identified include Robocop, Stargate, Legally Blonde, Fame, Barbershop, The Magnificent Seven, Pink Panther, and The Thomas Crown Affair. Each title is being approached differently, with some being steered toward film, some toward TV, and some getting both movie and TV treatments. Amazon Studios is in active early conversation about Legally Blonde, both for a movie and a potential TV series, sources said. There already had been on-and-off efforts to get a third Legally Blonde film off the ground for the past five years.