Weird Mind News Room Episode 174: June 22nd - 28th

 *Music for truth, justice, whatever*

Well hello again to all of you very fine and wonderful people once again across all sides and forms of the information Superhighway. My name is Sam and as always I welcome you all once again to another episode of my weekly series of Weird Mind News Room where for another week we will be delving into the focus of another week of all new Releases, Trailers and News that you may or may not have known from the last week, so lets not waste time on this usual intros and lets get to talking on all things media for another week.

Super New Releases

Movies

Supergirl

For the first of the new Releases for this week will be back to the summer blockbusters and the return of the superheroes for the first time this season and in the case where last year we saw the first of the films in the reboot of a new cinematic universe that showed the focus of Truth Justice and a better tomorrow. Well we will be staying with this form of a similar family but looking to their more rebellious Cousin in terms of her finding herself as we have the release of the next film from the DCU with Supergirl. The film will follow Kara Zor-El (Milly Alcock) who decides to travel across the galaxy with her dog Krypto to celebrate her 23rd birthday. Along the way, she meets the young Ruthye Marye Knoll and encounters a tragedy that will soon lead to to a "murderous quest for revenge". Reception on this new title has been seen as a bit more of a mixed outcome with a little modest reception that while praise has been given to Alcock's performance as Kara, the visuals, narrative and some elements of heart, the film has been a little mixed response to some of the writing, pacing and the villain feeling a little underwhelming, but I am sure there is hope for improvement overtime. Now I was thankfully invited to the premiere of this earlier this week and personally, me and my friend both enjoyed our time with the film. Sure we can see where the issues pop up but I still see the enjoyment from it and will find its audience overtime and if you want to check it out for yourself then you can catch this new film out now in cinemas.

Jackass Best and Last

The 2nd film from this week will be giving a sense that in many ways, we would find some strange and appealing form of entertainment from one thing and that can be watching people injure themselves in the form of entertainment and laughs with some buddies and in this case we will be joining this group of Professional idiots for one last go around of overly elaborate and funny gags, pranks and stunts as Johnny Knoxville and co are back for one last ride as we have the release of Jackass Best and Last. The film will be a mix of some of the best the series had to show from some callbacks to classic entries of the franchise and films as well as some new additions and stunts from Steve-O getting a Prostate exam from a robot named Larry, Someone having a shock Collar on his Penis and some of them dealing with an Escape Room from Hell, all in the purpose of entertainment. Reception on this last entry of the series seems to be very well recieved with praise on the stunts, laugh out loud moments and for some of the classics of the films and tv series being highlighted in this big send off to the series of lovable idiots, but if you are up for a 90 minute romp of laughs then you can catch this film out now in cinemas.

Little Brother

The last of the films for this week is one that is being kept still in the comedy side of things and we have seen the likes of stories of those discovering the case about long lost siblings and can bring people together in some form, but maybe with this approach of a lost sibling, this one may be a little too odd for context as we have the release of the all new film of Little Brother. The film will follow Rudd Landy (John Cena), a Realtor who orderly life is disrupted by an eccentric man (Eric Andre) who participated in the same "Big-Brother Little-Brother" program. Reception on the title has been seen as mixed by both critics and audiences as while the concept of a comedy with Cena and Andre could work, the film feels a little flat in entertainment and a lot to be desired, but if you want to check it out for yourself then you can catch it now on Netflix.

TV Shows

The Bear Final Season

On the Tv side this week, we hope you are prepared for the first of them as we will be cooking up another form of a very fine and intricate dish of choice to you pallet, as after many courses that have made some delicious or tasty in some degree, it will be time for the final serving and soon time for the bill as its time we return to some culinary cuisine from Chicago for one more serving as we have the release of the final season of The Bear. The season will follow on from the events of the 4th season finale with Sydney taking over the restaurant the morning after they receive the news from Carmy and will focus on her ordeal of stepping into this new leadership role and the focus on Ebraheim discussing on taking the business and making it a franchise. Reception on this final season similar to the previous 4 has been very well recieved with praise on its preformances, narrative, tone and for being a satisfying ending to a beloved series overall and if you want to order up for one last dish then you can catch the full series now on Disney+. 

House of the Dragon Season 3

The 2nd of the shows this week will be a bit more of a focus to a massive array of all out battles, bloodshed and Dragons will be in focus once more where the tension and conflict and the fires of the battle will begin to rise more and more to a possible bloody end as after a 2 year gap since the last season we have the release of the 3rd season to the Game of Thrones Prequel of House of the Dragon. This new season will follow on from the end of the 2nd season and will see the growing conflict between Rhaenyra Targaryen and Aegon II Targaryen as the war and conflict enters a new phase of the growing internal war with the affects of Dragons, armies, and political decisions will soon shape the future of Westeros. Reception on this new season so far seems to be decently well liked with praise on the visuals, performances and set pieces, including the strong opening episode based on the Battle of the Gullet, though it will be seen if the appeal of the show will continue or if it will fall into the pitfalls of the last season leading to its upcoming final season, but we can see overtime and if you are up for more fantasy then you can watch the first episode now on HBO Max, Now and Sky Atlantic with a new episode releasing every Sunday Night / Monday Morning.

Avatar the Last Airbender Season 2

The last of the tv shows for this week will be another adaption in focus and in this case will be joining the array of project getting the animated / anime style to live action approach (but in this case not from Disney) as while one nation has been saved and one part of the missing elemental powers has been learnt, the journey is far from finished and the quest continues to learn and harness them before the world is left in ruins from Fire and Ash as we have the release of the 2nd season of the Live Action take on Avatar the Last Airbender. This new season will see the follow on after the bittersweet victory saving the Northern Water tribe from the invading fire nation and will see Aang, Katara and Sokka regroup and set off on a mission to convince the elusive Earth King to aid in their battle against the fearsome fire lord Ozai. Reception on this 2nd season seems to be mixed to modestly recieved that while the performances, characters and action set pieces have been seen as praised across most opinions on it, the big critique I see across it is the writing feeling overly bloated and too much talking and very little action that drag out some of the episodes of the show, though they see potential and has been seen as a slight improvement over the first season, but if you want to check it out for yourself and form your own opinion on it then you can catch this new season out now on Netflix.

Video Games

Star Fox (2026)

On the side of game for this week, the first will be bringing back a series that has been dormant from this company for about a decade now (besides an appearance earlier this year in the currently highest grossing film right now and from a crossover with another studios game a few years ago) but it will be time once again to get the team ready, suit up, get the mission and head off in the Arwings once more as we have the release of the recently surprised revealed entry of the popular series of Star Fox. Seen as the 2nd remake to the original SNES version of the game, you will take on the role of Fox McCloud, the leader of the Star Fox team with alongside Peppy Hare, Slippy Toad and Falco Lombardi will take the battle across vast locations and planets and do so to stop the reign of Andross and from the destruction of the Lylat system with this new take getting some new features, expansion of levels and narrative elements too. Reception on this new take on the series has been very well recieved with praise on its high end visuals, new narrative additions and gameplay and shows the case that appeal is still there for the series, even if some have a little bit of an issue with some of the updated looks of the core group, but if you are up for an all new space adventure and help to create a new entry in the series, then you can play this title now on Nintendo Switch 2.

Deltarune Chapter 5

The last of the new releases will be another big title making a return after a bit of time, but instead of a big franchise per say, it is more in the realm of a indie classic follow up to a beloved entry from a decade ago as it will be time to return to the strange and magical land found in the secret room in the school for another round as we have the release of the 5th chapter in the popular title of Deltarune. Labelled as the Festival Day chapter, the next part of this title will see Kris, Susie and Ralsei heading off to explore the Flower Kingdom, a Dark world created from Kris's father Asgore's Flower shop and you must prepare to battle or spare those and restore the land and enjoy this more still fun outing before things become a lot more serious from this point forward. Reception on this new chapter seems to still be very well recieved with praise on the visuals, gameplay, writing and continuing narrative on this series, and if you want to see where this story continues from then you can play it now on PS4/5, Xbox One/ Series X/S, Switch 1/2 and PC. 

House of the Trailers

Klara and the Sun

Moving over to the trailers for this week and the first of the titles will be the first of the adaptions of some novels as while the case of some elements of Artificial intelligence may cause a mix of appeal in some aspects, there is still some that could be a case that are not designed to destroy, but more for a purpose of being a friend for those that need it most, as Taika Waititi is back once more to bring his take on a beloved novel with a trailer for Klara and the Sun. Based on a novel by Kazou Ishiguro, the film is set in a dystopian future where technological advances have divided humans into strict, isolated social classes, an obsolete companion android Friend (AF) named Klara (Jenna Ortega), tries to bond with Josie (Mia Tharia), a sick girl for whom she was purchased for to help in being a friend for. Its always interesting to see a concept that could be a case that in the age of advancing technology in how they go about the focus to these characters and from what I have heard with this novel is that it has an appeal of being a bit of a wholesome feel good narrative that has its heart in the right place and from what I can see from the trailer, I feel it could appeal in being something worth a watch. Ortega as the main android seems like an interesting approach, but from the look of the character from the book I feel it could be something worthwhile (and is always odd to see Ortega playing a character that smiles a lot as she is often associated with a moody based character) but I am sure this could be worth checking out and powering up to see when it releases into cinemas from the 23rd of October.

Forgotten Island

For the next trailer for this week, it will be over to the side of the animation scene for this next title as it will be a case about the importance of memories and magic will be well worth saving the day and through the power of friendship across the year will be well worth to try and save the day for those memories to stay in tact as we are heading over to Dreamworks as have the release of their 2nd trailer for their upcoming title of Forgotten Island. The film is set in the 90s in the Philippines, where childhood friends Jo and Raissa promise to remain close forever. As they graduate from High School, Raissa prepares to move to the US at the urging of her parents. Fearing the loss of their bond, Jo tries to persuade her to stay, but suddenly they are transported to a portal to the fantastical world of the forgotten island of Nakali, where memories fade the longer one remains. It has been seen that the animation industry has in some ways been seeing some efforts in blending styles and appeal that Started with Sony, then this studio and now some others like Pixar have also made some attempt with upcoming project and I can see with this one the focus of the flashly animation and style will be well worth checking out. While the first trailer had me wanting to know more this one gives us a better idea of what is on the way and from what I have heard from one part of the news discussion this week that it recently screened and earned a 5 minute standing ovation, so it sounds like Dreamworks has another banger on their hands similar to Wild Robot, Bad Guys and Puss in Boots The Last Wish and I am excited to check out some more new animation, but I guess we will see what this adventure is all about when its unleashed into cinemas from the 16th of October.

King of the Hill Revival Season 2

Moving to TV animation, the focus of this next title will be the case that we have seen them take on the ordeal and focus of the usual everyday life in the past, but now will be the focus of what to when the biggest hurdle you have to face is from retirement and family growing up? Well that will be the focus as we head back down to Texas as we have the release of the 2nd season of the updated revival of King of the Hill. The new season will see Hank and Peggy settle into Retirement life on Rainey Street while they attempt to keep their neighbours from going off the rails. Meanwhile Bobby tries to manage old friendships while dealing with the stresses of being an entrepreneur. The likes of many of these classic shows coming back after all these years have their appeals in many forms as we have seen with the likes of Futurama, Gumball, Regular Show and now with this that it seems their is an appeal to them to come back fresh with some new concepts and ideas and it seems like if they go the approach that the first season of this revival took, I am sure it could have some appeal to continue on further and from what I can see it does look like it has some appeal of a watch (and I need to get around to watch the full series) but I am sure we will see what comes of these new misadventures in due time with this new season dropping on Hulu and Disney+ from July 20th.

Ricky Gervis Alley Cats

The 2nd of the animated tv shows on this side will be going from the side of retirement life to more of the free and lowlife on the streets that may seems like it could be just a mess but going off some elements of project that this comedian has created, it could have some heart and some good laughs as we have the release of the trailer for the new animated comedy from Ricky Gervis with Alley Cats. The series will follow the trials and tribulations of a group of feral British cats from all walks of society, who seek companionship while ruminating on everyday life. When it comes to the likes of Animation, Netflix has quite the mixed array of content, as while you have your solid titles like Inside Job, Bojack Horseman and The Cuphead show, you also have your messy and overdone titles like any of the titles from the Big Mouth universe and I worried that was the case with this one would fall into that category, but so far from the small bit of footage I have seen of the trailer, I feel it could be more in the former group. Sure it doesn't always land with some of their jokes and the likes of British Humour can be a mixed appeal to many, but from what I can see from the trailer, it could be something akin to an animated version of After Life or even a sort of inspiration being with Bojack but it could be a surprising outcome, so I will give it a sense of a chance in some form but I guess we will see in due time with the new series set to drop on Netflix from the 7th of August.

Batman Caped Crusader Season 2

The next trailer will be back to the realm of superheroes for this upcoming project and while the case we will be seeing a focus to the kryptonian family for the big releases of this week, we will be taking a focus to more of a gritty and gothic focus in this title as when the city is in peril it will take one symbol of Vengeance and of the Knight to prove that he has what it takes to be a symbol that strikes fear in the hearts of Criminals of his city as after a 2 year gap we have finally gotten the trailer for the upcomign 2nd season to Batman Caped Crusader. The series will continue on from the events of the first season in the more gothic underbelly of the neo noir period as we follow Bruce Wayne in his early years as the Caped Crusader on his one man war against crime and some more powerful adversaries including the Riddler, The Penguin and The Joker. So I remember watching an episode or 2 of the original season when it came out and I saw it potential and it had some appealing animation mixed in their as well that while it was not the most fully structured, it still had its appeal and I am sure that time away could help improve upon the first season with elements of what worked and some other aspects to it as well. It does seem like they are pulling more from the classic episodes of the original animated series and I feel it could work out more and more and I will give a proper look into the series itself in due time and thankfully its not long from release either as the new season will be gliding onto Amazon Prime from the 31st of July.

Practical Magic 2

Moving away from Animation for just a moment, the next trailer will be bringing us the focus on the ideals of Adventure, History, Curses, Magic and above all else the power of Sisterhood as they will be brought together to bring us a follow up to a 90s cult classic as we have the release of the 2nd full length trailer for the upcoming sequel to Practical Magic. The film will be set 25 years after the original and will focus again on the Owens family as they face a new crisis when a discovery regarding the family's history and the origins of their magic comes to light. When Sally's (Sandra Bullock) Daughter (Joey King) begins to uncover hidden family secrets and develops her own dark abilities, the family is plunged into a multi-generational struggle to finally break the curse that has haunted their lineage for centuries. The Owen's Women (Sally, Gillian, and their aunts) must once again unite, travelling from their home in Massachusetts to the UK to confront the source of their magic and save the next generation of their family. Now as I made mention a couple of weeks ago, I don't recall in my past if I have seen this original title before, but with the likes of stars like Bullock and Kidman, I'm surprised it slipped under my radar (granted the reception to this title seems a little hit or miss but it has garnered a cult classic). While the original trailer for this left me confused and unclear of what to expect, I felt a bit more of an understanding from this trailer and it seems like their is a sense of some appeal in the return of this series and the choice of new cast and going a little bigger on things (and not being afraid of a few more mature based jokes in there). While I need to watch the original but seeing a discussion that some of this may have some retcons or Plot Holes from the original I am sure I can get an idea of this all cleared up but I have before this casts a spell into cinemas from the 11th of September.

Sense and Sensibility

The 2nd last trailer and the last of the film and book adaptions in focus will be bringing us another foray into the world of classic literature as a sense of grace and class will be in focus to another new look and take on a classic love story as we have the trailer for the newest take on the classic novel of Sense and Sensibility. Based on the novel by Jane Austen, it will tell the tale of three sisters who experience love and heartbreak as they're forced to leave their family estate with their widowed mother and move to a humble cottage. It has been a case we have seen a lot of takes on some of these novels by classic female authors especially across film and TV with this novel with 5 previous adaptions since the 70s and it has been a case that a lot of them have had their appeal over the year and some are recognized more then the others. This new one, while not changing too much of the formula of an adaption (compared to the likes of something like this years Wuthering Heights) I am sure with the cast and focus that it will have its appeal over its runtime then I am sure we will see what will come of this adaption when the film releases into cinemas from the 25th of September.

President Curtis

The last of the trailer for this week will be giving us a deep dive back into the world of weird and wonderful realms of multiverses, drunk science and other means of intergalactic chaos, but where we have been following the misadventures of the universes smartest man and his prepubescent nephew, this time the ordeal will be heading straight to the highest office in the states as we have the release of the trailer for the upcoming new spin off based on the world of Rick and Morty with President Curtis. The new series will follow the commander in chief (Keith David) and his eccentric staff as they tackle the kind of crisis that Rick Sanchez could not be bothered with - from interdimensional diplomacy to paranormal investigations and unexplained phenomena. It was bound to be a point in time before the concept of a spin off to this universe of stories and characters would have some form and it seemed that you would expect something like Rick's early adventures with Bird Person or something similar would be the first but the focus of the President I feel also works given that he has had a presence across the series in a few memorable episodes so the ideals of him tackling some of this interdimensional stuff would be well worth checking out in due course and it seems like their could be some entertainment from this entry and I feel could be worth checking out and thankfully its not long away from release as the title will be released on Adult Swim and HBO Max from the 26th of July. 

News Wing calling in

The many displays of Annecy and animation

So we have the focus of 2 different stories this week and on the first one we will be given a focus to the realm of one side of style of film and TV I still enjoy to this day and that is with the focus of animation, as it is that time of year again where we will be delving into some of the announcements and focus to all that was given updates and reveals at this years Annecy festival (something I already mentioned in the trailer with them showing the film of Forgotten Island) and it will be a case I will be looking into some big announcements from the events of both film and tv that I can, so let us see what was shown this week at this big event.

So I will start off on the studios that don't really have too much to unveil and we will start with the streamer of Netflix and Skydance as they are teaming up for an all new somewhat mature based passion project and that is with the focus of the all new noir based film of Ray Gunn that is being made by Brad Bird that while we have yet to get a proper trailer for this yet, they did show off some first look images of the title and also the confirmation that the film now has a release date with the title dropping on the streamer on the 18th of December. Now I know it was reported that he initially had it planned for Pixar but he felt like it needed a little more edge and if anything I understand the approach of that and if anything I hope we will see a limited cinema release for this cause I want to see this on a big screen but I know I will be looking forward to this close to the holiday season.

The only other piece by Netflix that we have a new look at besides some brief discussion on Charlie vs the Chocolate factory, they also gave the first look images at the recently announced Ghostbusters Night Shift series that gave the first look at one of the supernatural creatures these proton Pack protectors will be up against and it seems from the studio that their is a lot of appeal and some positive buzz across the 3 titles that Netflix unveiled and I am intrigued to see them in motion so I am all for checking all these out over the next year or so.

Another studio that didn't really have much in focus to discuss about at this Annecy was with Paramount as while they have a joint venture with Netflix for Ray Gunn (and some of those other trailers) they did give audiences a proper first look at an upcoming title also out this Christmas and that is the 3rd Angry Birds movie that is giving us a more proper look at Red and Silver's Kids and show that Red's biggest challenge yet is being a father to this flock (with some assistance by Bomb and Chuck). I thought for a bit that we would get a trailer for this from this week but I am sure it will follow on real quick after for a release but I hope it will have an appeal and be a surprisingly entertaining entry by its release of the week of Christmas.

For another animation studio that didn't have much was with Disney and Pixar as while they showed some more new looks at Hexed and Gatto, we did get some new additions unveiled that on the side of Disney, it looks like we will be returning to a popular franchise (and in the animated form as well) as it looks like they announced an all new Lilo an Stitch based short film known as Lilo and Scratch that will see that blue Alien be faced with his tur match of chaos in this small cat like creature and it seems they will be giving it a return to the 2d Animation of the original films. The only major difference will be with the voice of Lilo that will be provided by the actress that played her in the live action films and I do hope this short will be dedicated to the original voice actress who tragically passed away recently but I am sure we will see more about this come its release in front of screenings of Hexed.

The other focus is a return to another beloved franchise on the side of Pixar and one I made mention about a few weeks back but we got some new information about that new Finding Nemo Short that was in the works with the short confirmed as Loving Dory which will follow that forgetful Blue Tang fish as she mistakes and falls in love with a plastic bag that she mistakes as a sort of Jellyfish and it sounds like it could be some funny but kind of sweet story and with the original films cast coming back for this it could appeal in that form. Now from the image unveiled I am unsure if it will be in their classic CG animation or if it will go off the first look image of a sort of illustrated style but I am interested in seeing it none the less and I wonder if it will be released in front of Gatto or on its own terms but I guess we will see down the line.

While on the side of Illumination, they have been rolling in the box office success of the Galaxy Movie and set to make more bank with the new Minions film, they did at least reveal one new project and their next film to follow Minions and Monsters with the new title of Not Alone that will follow a Rocket Mechanic (Timothée Chalamet) and an astro-botonist (Selena Gomez) as they help prepare for a revolutionary rocket launch while also seeing sparks fly between each other and in the process deal with three runaway aliens taking refuge in his home and looking to use the rocket as a means to escape and it seems like an interesting approach to it and while Illumination titles can be a little mixed in some project, I will give them a chance in the likes of this title of a rom-com title and I am sure we will get a proper look at the title by its release in the Spring of next year.

The only other studios that really don't have much to show (and already discussed in trailers) was with Dreamworks who focused on Forgotten Island (with a screening being a major success for them) and then Amazon Prime that besides Caped Crusader focused mainly on shows like Invincible, Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss, Mighty Nein and the Ghost in the Shell Adaptions. But now we focus to the biggest headlines of the one studio that went all in and that was surprisingly with Warner Bros as they went all in to focus on their often overlooked Warner Animation Group (a division that gave us titles like The Lego Movies, Storks and Space Jam a New Legacy) as they gave an idea at first of what to expect over the next 3 years with the remaining one for this year is their adaption of Cat in the Hat in November, then a duo of titles next year with Bad Faeries and Margie Claus (titles I mentioned back at cinemacon) and then confirming 4 titles for 2028 which include another Dr Suess adaption with Oh the Places you'll go, that long in development DC title of Dynamic Duo, the animated Hello Kitty film (which also got some first look images) and the planned adaption of the Lunar Chronicles which are a series of books of some reworked fairytales with a stempunk aesthetic and they sound pretty cool. This selection shown so far does look pretty good and its not the only projects of films and tv left to discuss as there is a few more in mind to discuss.

There was one other new IP announced with all of these films (but not the last of the films yet) and it seems to be coming to us from an animator who has been making a name for herself with success on the streaming side of things as it was announced as WAG will be working with Hazbin Hotel creator Vivziepop on an all new full length film based on her concept of Prehistoria that is described as a Fossil Fantasy Musical adventure and I feel it could be an entertaining outcome as someone that enjoys Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss. I know there will be some that will complain of her making a film like this and worried on the dialogue from the writing but I am sure it will be worth checking out from the art style and concept as it develops. Now nothing has been set on when we can see it, but I say once the likes of Hazbin has completed it will get a chance but I look forward to seeing what comes of this.

And then the last of the animated films unveiled will be going back to some classic series from the era of Hanna Barbera and early 2000s WB as 2 classic IPS will be getting the big screen treatment as it was confirmed that both a Powerpuff Girls and a Thundercats film are both in the works. Now the likes of making both of them does sound very appealing, with this being the 2nd full length film for those creations of Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice and the first time for those mighty warriors getting the big screen treatment after nearly 2 decades of trying to get a full length film made for those heroes. Now the real question I have will be if this will connect in some form to one of their specific series as both of these titles had recent revival shows in the mid 2010s with both having mixed outcomes that Powerpuff was decent but lacked appeal of the original and the Thundercats being loathed by the animation and Teen Titans Go-afication of the series (or I pray not that initial planned attempt of that Live action Powerpuff series for the CW cause that was rough), but I am sure we will get more of an idea of things down the line. Either way I am interested to see what comes of these films but I am sure we will see by its release in the future.

The last of the major focuses I will give on this will be with some projects and shows in the realm of Superheroes and while we have talked on Caped Crusader, there was an announcement of 3 new animated / Anime based projects on the way with the first announced being Joker Laugh Riot that is set to be the Anime based announcement and I have to wonder if it will be based on any previous Joker iteration like the one from SS Isekai or the Harley Quinn series. The other was a new series focused on the faithful canine of Krypto, that I can see being based in the world of My Adventures with Superman but hard to say right now. And the final big announcement was the unveiling of a new animated series or film adaption based on the currently ongoing and very popular comic run of Absolute Batman, which will be quite something to see and check out when it does as I have been looking into those titles and they are pretty rad and I hope it will go all in on the concept for this but I am sure it will be worth checking out and I am sure it will find appeal in different demographics and genres for many people as they all sound like they could be interesting.

But that is all that I can say and cover on Annecy of this year that they have a variety of interesting projects unveiled at this event and while I know there is a few more that some studios could've shown off, I think the selection as well as some full unveilings like the premiere of Forgotten Island and Minions and Monsters was nice to hear and I am sure all of these project will be something to look forward to in the future and it does seem that the concept and future of animation still looks bright.

But what did you think, what are your thoughts of some of these announcements at this years event and which are you the most excited for? Let me know what you think down below.

Some other news of various media

Now we move away from the array of focus from the realm of animation and we now give a focus to the elements of the usual weekly serving of a Hodge Podge of stories to look through and find across the different studios from project announcements, release dates and even a discussion of a recent item that has had a bit of a mixed outcome to it all, but let us delve into it and see what will come of this this weeks content in focus.

So we will start with the one specific release date that we have gotten from this week and it is in the focus of things getting a bit more spooky and scary and a title that will have some unforeseen consequences with the only remnants of what happened are found from the tapes of the cameras found in the woods as on Tuesday of this week, we were given the official release date for the upcoming new take on the Blair Witch Project with the title set for release on September 24th of next year. Now while it has been labelled as a reboot to the franchise, I do have to wonder if it will connect to any of the previous titles of the original, the often underwhelming sequel, the 2016 reboot or even the recent video game based on the series cause I have not heard much on this project in particular besides it being produced by Blumhouse. If anything I hope for this title is that it will make the effort to make it feel akin to the unsettling word of mouth and marketing campaign of the original film from the late 90s but I guess we will find out in due time and get an idea of what will lie waiting in those woods by its release next September.

But speaking of Blumhouse, there is some other news in relation to another one of their projects and its in the focus of one of their more mixed bag but most profitable series as there has been some news in relation to the planned 3rd film in the Five Nights At Freddy's series. Now the likes of the project has been seemingly known for a while now as Afton himself of Matthew Lillard mentioned about a 3 film deal and going off the games, this 3rd entry may be a lot more of a focus to him then we know and it seems to be a case that in this regards they want to make it a bit more of a proper form of writing in many forms as it seems they have hired some professional help for this 3rd entry as its reported that David Robert Mitchell, the writer behind the IT reboot and It Follows, has apparently been hired to pen the script for this upcoming film. Now I feel in this case that it will help increase a bit more of an unsettling nature and tone to the series as the previous 2 titles have been mostly the writings from the original games creator of Scott Cawthon and while we can see his elements of Lore there, some aspects of the dialogue and other means are not the most structured, so getting some professional assistance in this film could be a beneficial outcome. Now in this case I do like the previous 2 entries but I can appreciate an update of the script in a solid form that still keeps the appeal of the franchise in there as well. Now for the moment, it is still a sense of speculation on this and nothing has been made official (besides one of the actors possibly confirming it) but if I hear anything new about this then I will provide it in a later episode.

Now speaking of 3s, it looks like there is another project in the works that will be getting a form of a followup in a franchise that has been something I was not expecting was needing a 3rd entry, but it was announced this week that we are getting a 3rd film in the Are we There Yet series with this 3rd title being dubbed "Are They Gone Yet" with the confirmation that both Ice Cube and Nia Long will be returning to this 3rd title. Now likely case with this film, judging by the title will be the focus of their kids heading off to college or to move out on their own in some shape or form but I am sure there is more to that to come from all of this as well. Now it has been quite a while since those first 2 films with the original turing 20 years old last year and the follow up not too far behind of hitting 20 next year so I guess it makes sense for some time to pass before a follow up. Now its unclear if the grown up versions of those 2 kids from the original will make an appearance in some form, but in this case once I hear anything else about this project, I will try and let you know in a later episode.

The next project in focus is one that will bring you on quite the experience full of education, fun and a whole lot of magic and jumping from one genre to another, as it will be time to hop on and buckle your seatbelts, as it was announced this week that Legendary Pictures is moving forward with a live action film adaption of the classic animated series of The Magic School Bus with it also confirmed that they have found their Ms. Frizzle in the casting of Elizabeth Banks and the project will be helmed by Rob Letterman, the director of Detective Pikachu. Now I have seen the odd clip or 2 of the original series and I am aware that they did release a new updated series a couple of years back with the passing of the torch to Frizzle's younger sister and it seemed they were both an appeal to certain audiences and I can hope in this case that if anything, something with a sense of education, fun and adventure, could be well worth it  in this day and age so I will keep an eye on this project down the line. Now currently there is no planned release for this title as of yet, but like always, once I hear anything about this I will provide it in a later episode.

The last of the project announcements for this week, will be taking us back over to a discussion on the likes of video game adaptions, as there is some news that has come out of the blue and will be seeing the focus that another form of adventure is on the horizon and it will soon be time to set sail, as it was announced this week that a live action film based on the popular multiplayer Rare title of Sea of Thieves is in the works and seems that they have a director in mind with the project reported to be helmed by Shang Chi and Wonder Man director Destin Daniel Cretton. It does have to be said that a film focused on pirates have been noticeably absent across the last few years, bar the rumblings of a return to the Pirates of the Caribbean series, but the likes of adapting this title could have its benefits, especially in the case of a title that has been ongoing and getting constant content updates since its release in 2018, so I am sure there is plenty of elements to pull from, as well as finding an original narrative amongst the treasure and in the case Cretton has proven himself so far from what I have seen with his project, so I will give it a chance to see what he will do. Now currently this is all early days and I am sure we will get an idea of everything in due time, but once more news comes about this, I will let you know in a later episode.

The last bit of news I want to talk about is with a title that has been long in waiting for release and many wondering when we can start the purchase of this entry was going to happen and to many that day has finally come (albeit with some issues that I have in focus) as on Thursday this week the pre-orders for the long awaited Grand Theft Auto VI finally went live with the title given an official price and 2 different editions to choose from with a Standard edition coming in at £70/$80/€80 and an ultimate Edition coming in with a £/$/€20 price difference and both set in stone for release on November 19th. Now you may be wondering what is my issue with this as I was excited to play it, well a big issue to me and to a fair amount of players is the approach that Rockstar has decided on and that is the case that the physical editions of these versions will for some reason will not have a disc and will all be from a code in a box. Now a code in a box I can get used to..... if the title was more of a game that released year ago and was a lot more cheaper (the approach that the Switch does with certain titles after being out for years) and paying €80 for a box with little to nothing in it is really dumb, especially in an era where many have wanted to keep physical media alive (as well as the case of the currently ongoing Stop Killing Games movement that has a focus on the digital titles or services being kept alive) and I see the issue with codes could be that some could find ways to duplicate the codes and then sell you ones that don't work or were already redeemed, or the case the code could not work at all, which in the case with a disc you would avoid a hassle (and if it has to be printed on multiple discs to install then so be it, it worked with Red Dead). Now there is some rumblings that a Physical Disc will be added down the line but reports on this are unclear and may have been misinterpreted by an email by Rockstar support but I guess we will see down the line. Another issue that has popped up about this has come from certain elements like story missions, building and other elements will be unavailable to standard players and must have the ultimate edition to obtain them, which seems to be for some clothing stores, barber / hair salons, tattoo parlour and even some places for custom vehicles, which to me and some others sounds really scummy to do and demanding an extra amount just for some of these locations when it took that long to make the game that it should all be available to all, no matter the edition you buy. I have to say after this unveiling a day before the pre-orders going live, my opinions are very mixed as while I want to play the game, some of these outcomes feels very unpleasant and I hope in some form that Rockstar can fix this before the launch of the game so we can all be happy and not be shown the focus of greedy tactics that they worry like its not going to make over a Billion in a day (it already has) and just hope they will fix and appeal to all, but I guess we will see as time goes on to that Mid November release.

But what do you make of these stories, will you be seeing that new Blair Witch and will it connect to any previous titles, do you think Mitchell will be writing a FNAF 3 and do you think it will be good, will you watch a 3rd Are We there yet and what are your thoughts on the first 2, do you think a live action Magic School Bus could work, what do you hope to see from a Sea of Thieves film and do you think Rockstar will listen and fix the issues of their audience or do you think that more uncertain and worrying elements of this title will come beyond these early issues? Let me know what you think down below.

And with all of that, this brings us to the end of the 174th edition of Weird Mind News Room and I hope you enjoy the ramblings as usual. Let me know your thoughts on all that was discussed down below and as always I hope you all stay being wonderful people and have a great day everyday and I will see you all in the next episode :)

Take care, keep being you, signing off

Sam H :)