News Shotgun 12/21/24
Here’s all the movie and TV news you need to know from the past week: It’s the News Shotgun.
Jared Leto is Skeletor for Masters of the Universe movie: The new live-action Masters of the Universe movie continues to move forward as Jared Leto has been cast as the maniacal Skeletor, facing off against Nicholas Galitzine’s He-Man. Sam C. Wilson was also cast as Trap Jaw, Hafthor Bjornsson was cast as Goat Man, and Kojo Attah was cast as Tri-Clops. Alison Brie was previously cast as Evil-Lyn, and Idris Elba is Man at Arms. Bumblebee director Travis Knight is directing the movie, which has a release date of June 5th, 2026.
New Mummy movie in development: Blumhouse is continuing to reboot the classic Universal Monsters, this time with a new version of The Mummy. Lee Cronin, who directed Evil Dead Rise, is directing the new take on the ancient Egyptian horror, which Cronin describes as “something very ancient and very frightening.” The movie will be released on April 17, 2026, and is being distributed by New Line Cinema.
Dune: Prophecy renewed for a second season: The Bene Gesserit will return for another season of Dune: Prophecy as the Dune prequel series was renewed at HBO/Max. The first season finale will be this Sunday (12/22).
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 in development: Just before Sonic the Hedgehog 3 hit theaters this weekend, Paramount announced that a fourth film in the franchise had been greenlit. The fourth entry is looking at a Spring 2027 release. There is no word on whether director Jeff Fowler or who from the cast will return. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is looking at a potential opening of $70 million and has an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Courtney Cox is returning for Scream 7: Courtney Cox will return to the Scream franchise as Gale Weathers for Scream 7. This will make her the only cast member to appear in every entry in the series. Neve Campbell returns as Sidney Prescott and Isabel May plays her daughter. Mason Gooding, Celeste O’Connor, Asa Germann, Mckenna Grace, Sam Rechner, and Anna Camp are co-starring, and Kevin Williamson, who wrote the original Scream, is directing this latest entry.
Bad Monkey renewed for Season 2: Vince Vaughn will be back as the fast-talking detective Andrew Yancy for another mystery, as Bad Monkey was renewed at Apple for another season. Created by Bill Lawrence, the series is based on the books by Carl Hiaasen. The first season co-starred L. Scott Caldwell, Natalie Martinez, Rob Delaney, Meredith Hagner, and Jodie Turner-Smith.
The Old Man canceled at FX: The Jeff Bridges spy series The Old Man has been canceled by FX after two seasons. Based on the book by Thomas Perry, Bridges played Dan Chase, a former CIA operative who gets dragged back into the world of espionage when an assassin tries to kill him. John Lithgow, Alia Shawkat, and Amy Brenneman co-starred. COVID-19, the WGA/SAG strike, and Bridge’s cancer treatments delayed the show several times. The first season was a massive hit on Hulu when it debuted in 2022 but the second season did not hit the same ratings heights.
Mayor of Kingstown renewed for Season 4: Jeremy Renner is back on Paramount+ as Mayor of Kingstown, one of Taylor Sheridan’s many Paramount+ series, has been renewed for a fourth season. The show follows Renner as Mike McLusky, whose family has acted as mediators between the gangs, convicts, and police of Kingstown, MI, a city whose primary industry is the prison system.
Secret Level renewed for a second season: Tim Miller and Blur Studios video game anthology series Secret Level will return with new stories on Prime Video. Amazon renewed the series for a second season. Following the same formula as their Netflix series Love, Death & Robots, Secret Level told short animated stories in the world of various video game universes, like Pac-Man, Mega Man, Sifu, and Spelunky. The games that will be featured in Season 2 have not been revealed. Amazon said the series had the biggest debut for an animated series in the streamer’s history.
Bluey movie in development: The worldwide phenomenon Bluey is coming to theaters as Disney and BBC Studios team up for a film version of the series. Originating in Australia, the series became a global sensation when it started streaming on Disney+. Bluey creator Joe Brumm will write and direct the movie, which Disney will release sometime in 2027.
A Man on the Inside renewed for Season 2: The Ted Danson starring Netflix comedy series A Man on the Inside will return, as it was renewed for a second season. Created by Parks & Rec, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and The Good Place creator Mike Schur, the series is based on the documentary The Mole Agent and follows Danson as a retiree who agrees to help a private investigator by infiltrating a senior living facility to help solve a case. It has been one of the most-watched Netflix shows for three weeks after it debuted on the streaming service.
Silo renewed for two more seasons: Apple has renewed Silo for two more seasons, with the fourth being its final season. The series is based on the trilogy of novels by Hugh Howey and follows a society that lives in a massive underground silo as the outside world is toxic and deadly. Rebecca Ferguson stars, and Graham Yost created the series and acts as the showrunner.
