The Empire Podcast Preview Of The Films Of 2026

31:25Yes. We're advising people not to watch the trailer because of spoilers. We are. I will say that the... We had pushback on that. Yeah. The directors of this movie... Philip Lord and Chris Miller. Philip Lord and Chris Miller. not only do not consider that a spoiler that is the heart of the movie for them. It is the heart of the movie. They are building their campaign around the thing that you guys think is a spoiler. Right, and it's very prominent in the trailer. I guess it's just in the book it's more of a revelation. I would say it's like end of first act at the earliest. Are we going to say what it is given that they are?

31:58Are we giving people a warning how are we going to have all this? I mean, I guess, yeah. If you want to skip ahead There's a big piece in Empire coming up about it in about a week's time. so I would say, yep. Right. Okay, so there are beavers in it, little robotic beavers. Ryan Gosling transfers his consciousness into... No. So what happens is Ryan Gosling is sent on this mission into space to basically save the world. It is a Hail Mary pass. It is a desperate attempt to save... Which is an American football term. It's an American football term. And also, it's full of grace because the character he plays is called grace.

32:30There we go. See, so many levels. Holy shit. Holy shit. So many levels. So he sets off on this mission to save the world and has to figure out how to save us all. No pressure. And okay, here's the bit that we consider a mild spoiler. He meets an alien in the same position, also trying to save his own world from the same problem and essentially doing the same research. And they have to work together to find a way through the whole thing. And the alien's called Rocky. He calls the alien Rocky, yes. And I'm super hyped for this. this is Ryan Gosling is on sort of charming but slightly weird form I mean if you consider the Martian but this time he has a buddy I mean I'm there do you know what I mean I don't need much more than that to be happy with the film it's a really good trailer it looks really fun and I'm enjoying Ryan Gosling's new sort of space oeuvre yay alright yes that's I think also the theatrical release movie that I'm looking forward to most in March.

33:33I'm not au fait at this point in time, I will say, with the release schedules of Apple TV and Prime Video and Netflix over the next year or so. So we may be leaving out some big heavy hitters in terms of streaming giants. And pretty soon everything will be on streaming, right? Pretty soon they're going to buy everything. But we're going to stick at the moment to movies released in cinemas right now. Unless there is something huge that is a Netflix and an Amazon movie that is absolutely unavoidable. But yeah, theatrically, this film looks terrific. This is Lorda Miller's first movie as directors since 22 Jump Street.

34:19Wow, that's been a while. Whoa, that's too long. It's been a while. I'm appalled. Appalled, I say. Obviously, they did go down the route of Solo. and then that route was swiftly curtailed for them and they threw themselves at the Spider-Verse movies and now they are directing this and it looks terrific so I'm excited. You know who else is directing in March? Who's that? Maggie Gyllenhaal. Maggie Gyllenhaal. For The Bride is coming out which is kind of a remake of The Bride of Frankenstein isn't it? Inspired by it. Yes, the tagline here comes the motherfucking bride obviously appealed to me but this stars Christian Bale Jessie Buckley as the bride herself Jake Gyllenhaal's unclear how she managed to get him to take part.

35:00Peter Sarsgaard's in it. Annette Bening, Penelope Cruz. How did she get Peter Sarsgaard into it? And yeah, I guess it's that storyline through a very distinctly female lens. And it's a murdered young woman in 1930s Chicago. And she is raised from the dead as an animated corpse at the hands of Christian Bale's Dr. Frankenstein. No. No, not a doctor. He's not a doctor. He's the creature. Well, yes, he is, isn't he? Yeah. He's, hmm. Yeah, because he's a monster himself. but is he also a doctor? I believe Annette Bening does the actual raising on his behalf. If he's not a doctor he's really not qualified to do that.

35:33He wouldn't have a license. Some would say many doctors aren't qualified to do that either with it being the whole point about playing God the whole Frankenstein thing it's very much the core of all of the stories. I know they take the Hippocratic Oath which is obviously first do no harm but what if harm has already been done? So not by a doctor but if harm has been done then is the second part of the Hippocratic Oath second refers the harm which means you resurrect people from the dead yeah I don't I think we've found a loophole I don't think that's how that works okay you're not excited about the James Cameron film in March I don't know I don't know if I'm excited about it because you're not sure about Billie Eilish this is a Billie Eilish concert I know what it is I know what it is but I'm telling the listeners right so I'm a James Cameron completionist completionist?

36:19completist? I would say completist you've said completionist several times have I? I do have a tendency to make up words so just have the better I'm sure it's a word. Yeah. It may not be the right word. Well, we'll go with a universalist. Okay. But either way, and I don't have anything against Billie Eilish, but I'm not sure I would necessarily watch a concert film of hers. Are you not intrigued to go and see it? I am genuinely intrigued because she's co-directed this with James Cameron. And he has apparently found time to do this while spending a lot of his time either in New Zealand or on Pandora.

36:51But yeah, it's a curiosity for me rather than something I'm excited about. co-direct in air quotes yes he yes I'm sure they had a zoom call at some point anyway I am going to switch up the format folks we're going to go into April I'm going to I'm going to very quickly read out some titles and then you tell me what you like from those titles alright the Super Mario Galaxy movie yeah oh Jesus Fuse a new film from David McKenzie with Aaron Taylor Johnson it's interesting and he's spelled ready or not I refuse to say ready or not too ready or not here I come which should be the title of this movie it makes sense oh my god yes excited for this one California Scheming James McAvoy's directorial debut Lee Cronin's follow up to Evil Dead Rise it's the mummy Lee Cronin's the mummy and then of course the film that everyone's looking forward to Antoine Foucault's Michael Jackson biopic Michael well Well, we know for a fact it'll be bad.

37:55But will it be a thriller? Who knows? It might be off the wall. Could be dangerous. Could be a smooth criminal. I don't know. Helen, are you okay? Are you okay? Are you okay, Helen? ABC? I don't know about that one. I've heard that the entire third act had to be rewritten, and let's hope they did a good job of it. I've also heard great things about Rose of Nevada that month. I think that's one to look out for on the smaller end of the century. Oh, Mark Jenkins' new film. Yeah. Okay, yes. So that's more at the arthouse end of the spectrum, perhaps. Are you excited about any of the films I said?

38:30I think Lee Cronin's The Mummy. I mean, you know, I actually don't want my mummy films to be anything other than, you know. I don't want my mummy. Okay. No, but I want, like, you know, just Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in my mummy films. That's actually what I want. I don't necessarily need them to be terrifying. Right. But still, that's an interesting proposition. Not boring, I'd settle for. Sure, that's also nice to have. Yeah. I want terrifying mummy. All right. Yeah, absolutely. Hello again, Mrs. O 'Hara. Oh, wow. Lovely lady. I want a scary mummy film before they do the rollicking adventure mummy film in like next year with Brandon Fraser.

39:16And Rachel Fies. but that's probably the film I'm looking forward to mostly because I'm really really really talented horror director but as are Tyler Gillette and Matt Bettinelli open better known as Radio Silence and Ready or Not was such a scream as were their scream movies that I am looking forward to very much Ready or Not to Here I Come with added Catherine Newton added Sarah Michelle Gellar added David Cronenberg and a whole lot of bloodletting just maybe avoid the trailer is all I would say on that one. Jimbo, is there anything here that is floating your boat, wetting your whistle? That we haven't already discussed?

39:55Or that I've just, I'm mentioning films. I don't listen to the things you say. Oh my God. I'm curious about Michael, to be honest with you. You're my curious. I am my curious. I've not seen the stage play. Have either of you seen the stage production? No. No, but I've heard good things about it. Is that what this is based on or is this just like a more of original riff on his life? Isn't this more of a filmography, I thought? This is Graham King who produced Bohemian Rhapsody. and despite that it's still making films but it made nearly a billion and won many many Oscars despite being unspeakably terrible but you know he's he's trying to hit the same formula again with this he does have an amazing cast for this he does he has a great great cast and Antoine Fuqua yeah I'm just I'm annoyed that this isn't the Equalizer 4 why is he not making more Equalizer movies he should be making exclusively Equalizer movies yeah oh my god but there we go listen in April in the States but not over here is the remake of Cliffhanger.

40:50Really? Okay, but I don't know why I'm having flashbacks to the remake of Point Break, but suddenly I am. Now I am too. Erickson Kors remake of Point Break. You put some respect in his goddamn name. I will not. Had a cast, quite frankly, filled with nobodies. Yeah. And looked rubbish. Where's Cliffhanger? This, Lily James, Pierce Brosnan, directed by Jaume Colet-Sara okay I mean these are all good people filming in real mountains I mean I'm excited are there many fake mountains there are loads of fake mountains you know it's Hollywood Lily James learned to climb upside down for this well she's turned it wrong that's not how you climb I'm excited about this this could be great okay the first one of course is an unimpeachable classic it is Acura is it

41:44I'm looking forward to it to it and hopefully it's Studio Canal so hopefully it'll be added soon to the schedules I'm about to click on May it's probably in there and I've just wasted a slot but yeah Cliffhanger's coming out in April in the States alright we're into May May 2026 Devil Wears Prada 2 Jesus Woohoo The Films Include The Devil Wears Prada 2 The Sheep Detectives James oh is that it's May it's May it's later here in the UK Mortal Kombat 2 Mortal Kombat you've got to do that very far I might do actually this is the sequel to the one that came out during the pandemic again it was another one of our pandemic reviews it was a lot of fun it was genuinely a lot of fun it was solid come on calm down calm down it was fine yeah I said solid I was calm I said a lot of fun I had a lot of fun I mean sure it was fine okay It was a lot better than it had any right to be.

42:48I'm still not sure it warranted a belated sequel. Okay. But Carl Urban disagrees with me. Well, yes. In Urban, we trust. Yes. The great big sack of cash that they drove up to his house also disagrees with you. He is the geek king. He has been in the most geek franchises of practically anyone. That's true. And most of them have been good. Okay, you didn't have to pick that one. But most of them have been good. What's he been in? Has he been in a DC movie yet? He has, I believe. Okay. Can't remember which one. He's been in, obviously, Star Trek. Star Trek. I believe he's been in a Star War, not one of the films, I think.

43:28Okay. He's obviously been Lord of the Rings. Yes. Quite a hard one to get. He's been in Marvel. He has been in Marvel. And there are some other ones. And then stuff like The Boys and things. Yeah, The Boys do. Dredd, of course. Judge Dredd. Yes, right. He is my dread. Yeah, he's great, Carl Urban. So, yeah, that looks good. But I would say Helen's going to obviously wang on about The Devil Wears Prada 2 in a second. And so am I. But I think the big film of that month is undoubtedly the first live-action Star Wars movie since Star Wars The Last Jedi in 2017. Good movie. I don't think they released anything else after that.

44:08They decided to take a break. Yeah. And it's been a while, obviously since The Rise of Skywalker. And now it came out, a fan film. 2019, that movie came out. The Mandalorian and Grogu since then have dominated the Star Wars landscape on the small screen on Disney+. And now, thanks to our old friend, Jon Favreau, they are going to be on the big screen. What? In The Mandalorian and Grogu. Yeah. So essentially, it's a very short season four of The Mandalorian. Or a very long episode. Yeah, one of those. Choose your poison. Like a pumped up, really good, exciting, fun time at the movies. I am wildly excited about this, especially since they seem to have ditched the almost interminable Mandalorian mythology that slightly slowed down season three.

45:09of The Mandalorian. And this just looks like a rollicking romp. An old school pulpy Saturday morning matinee thing. Yeah. Just with Pedro Pascal who was on set every single day. Every single day. In the armor. Sweating. Working hard. Under that armor. Emoting. The body language. Only Pedro Pascal can bring that particular body language to that particular character at that particular moment. And then of course some bloke with his hand up a puppet as as Grogu. Disrespectful. No, Grogu plays himself. We all know that. Yes, obviously. Grogu plays himself. Baby Yoda is in this movie. This could be just this sort of early summer, unabashed, unashamed, slice of, leave your brain at the door fun that we all need.

46:01This could, James, I put it to you because I know you're a bit of a Star Wars skeptic these days. You're a little bit of a Palpatine when it comes to Star Wars these days. I think this is going to rekindle your love of the wars. I hope so. Between this and Star Wars Starfighter there is certainly there is hope. And you know. A new hope. Right. That's right. Maybe this is the spark that lights the fire that burns the first order to the ground. Yeah, indeed. I hope so. I must admit I was skeptical about this film. I'm still skeptical about this film but as soon as we heard the dum-dum I got chills a little bit.

46:32Oh my God. This is the way. I think partly because it's been such a long time since we've had The Mandalorian and it's been even longer since we've had good Mandalorian so yeah I'm cautiously optimistic and it has Sigourney Weaver in it it does and that is exciting look there's loads of fun stuff in the trailer like best case it like feels like a different flavour of Star Wars movie something slightly different which borrows a lot from the TV show the stuff we love about the TV show you know worst case genuinely worst case it's a long particularly big budget and probably very impressive episode of the TV show which you know even if it's maybe not what you want it's still pretty good so some of my favourite episodes of that show was just Mandalorian and Grogu just hanging out yeah Din Djarin and Grogu just fucking around flying around killing things yeah great fun great fun but is it going to be as great fun Hell's Bells as The Devil Wears Prada 2 I hope that's going to be awesome I mean have you read the book?

47:32the book that it's based on the second book no Is there a book it's based on? I didn't know there was. I thought that the first book was drivel. The first book is terrible. Who wrote this? Dinar Kutz? It's one of the great examples for me of a shit book being the basis for a good film. The film can be better than the book was. Well, can this be better than Revenge Where's Prada colon The Devil Returns? Who knows? Oh, boy. Yeah, but I think it's going to be interesting to see Miranda Priestly, that is the Meryl Streep character, in a more modern... Editor-in-chief of Runway magazine. Yeah, what does that look like in a more modern environment?

48:13You know, admittedly, she's operating at a different level from us. So I imagine expense accounts still exist, you know, for her. She spends her day doing podcasts. You know, it's true. But I think, you know, the idea of bringing that up today and bringing her into contact with new media and stuff is kind of a cool one. And she's just a lot of fun, that character. and I'm excited to see them all back. So, yeah, could be cool. How are they going to work it out now that Emily Blunt's a much bigger star than she was when they made the first one? Well, because she is now married to a billionaire in this scenario, right?

48:43So she's now potentially like kind of the baddie. Art is imitating a lot. I don't know if she's the baddie, but she is a baddie. Oh, she can't be a baddie. No, a baddie in the sense of like she's a baddie, like she's cool. Is that how the kids are talking? Are you sure? I'm pretty sure. Are you sure? I may not know Rocky's name, but I'm pretty sure of that. I'm not convinced. No, I'm not convinced either. Okay, could be good. Could be great. Could be great. Every movie could be great. Every day is Christmas Eve. Even the shit ones. Luckily, there are no shit movies planned for release in 2026.

49:17Hurrah. Because every day is Christmas Eve, except it's not. It's New Year's. It's New Year's day after. That's what it is. I'm coining that. Are you okay? Yeah. It's New Year's Day after. It's New Year's Day plus one. New Year's Day after. You, a TV person, should be embracing the concept of plus one, right? It's New Year's Day plus. Yeah. The premium streaming service. All right, let's move into June. June! Except that's not until December. That's December. June isn't until December? That's confusing. Sabatrue. UFO movie by Stephen Stilber. Give us full disclosure, Helen. Helen has not grasped the concept of me reading out the names of the films in the months yet.

50:02I think Helen is bringing a delightful note of anarchy to this. Go for it, Helen. Take it away. Somebody has to. You guys are so boring. We're so rigid. We stick to the rules. Helen's a maverick. She won't be contained. Yeah. No, look, I'm excited about several films in June. June! There we go. But there is an untitled Steven Spielberg film about UFOs, we're pretty sure. Untitled? Helen, don't you mean Disclosure Day? Which is the name of the film? We know that because of the trailer That definitely didn't come out after this podcast was recorded It has, again, Emily Blunt It has Colin Firth, it has Joshua frickin' Connor It has Coleman Domingo, it has Wyatt Russell Come on It's got a script by David Kemp GTF out of here That is exciting GTF UFO Steven Spielberg is the GOAT, but obviously GOAT was actually out in February.

50:55But, oh, was it January? I don't even remember. But suffice it to say, Steven Spielberg, even though he made West Side Story, is still a filmmaker I love and respect. And I am looking forward to seeing what he does in the world of sci-fi. If anyone sings, I'm fucking leaving. But as long as they don't, we're on. I'm just excited. Steven Spielberg, to my knowledge, has never made a film involving UFOs before. No, it's a new territory. Yeah, it could be a real close encounter, I think. Or a crystal skull. It could be of the first or second, or maybe even a third kind. It's going to be exciting to see him tackle extraterrestrials, that's for sure.

51:26I hope it is good. Could be great. Yeah. Loads, loads of reasons to be excited about this and it's a return of Spielberg in a genre that he does better than anybody else. Yes, please. Yes, please. I think that's the safe opinion on that one. What's the safe opinion on Masters of the Universe? By the power of Greyskull. I am the power. I have the power. I always thought it was, I am the power. You may be the power, but he has the power. Yeah, he has the power. Okay, here's the case for the defense, or the boosters, I guess, of this movie. We've always said, right, if you're going to remake something or readapt, you should readapt the things that have not already been nailed.

52:15Agreed. I think it's fair to say, even people sceptical of the original Master of the Universe cartoon series slash toy line would say that the original film is a big pile of shit so surely that's exactly the kind of thing that we should be getting behind and supporting also Travis Knight which is exciting Travis Knight is a good filmmaker Travis Knight hang on Travis Knight's directing this? Travis Knight's directing this let me just swivel my chair around in excitement hang on wowzers oh you bumped the mic on Well, that was seamless. Yeah. I'll just adjust this. Oh, okay. I didn't know that.

52:53Yeah. Yeah, so, you know. So that gives me hope. You know what? I think that's a really good way of looking at it. Like, this has been done badly. That doesn't mean it can't be done well. Yeah. So, I mean, it's not, again, it's not challenging Steven Spielberg for my top one of the month, but I am hopeful. It's a curiosity, and I'm curious. Yes, indeed. Wow, well done, Travis Knight. Fantastic. Toy Story 5 is also out in June. I mean, look, there's a great deal of affection for this franchise that's understandable. I don't feel there should have been a Toy Story 4, so I definitely don't feel there should be a Toy Story 5.

53:29Also, the premise for this, the idea that, well, first of all, the existence of this film undoes the end of Toy Story 4, but the idea that toys are now obsolete, and it's all about AI and tablets and stuff like that, I get that's kind of an obvious next step for this, but it also feels a bit, and again, the film may be really good but in my head that as a concept feels a little bit creatively lacking and also a little bit grim and depressing so I'm not feeling this one I think the grim and depressing bit is the bit to worry about here I think the look it's Andrew Stanton back at Pixar that's exciting he's an incredible filmmaker but yeah I just hope they can tread the line between breaking our hearts and you know make us fall in love with the characters again I also didn't love Toy Story 4 even though Keanu's in it not many people didn't No, but 3 was so good.

54:18One of the best films of the 21st century. There is an argument to be made now, in hindsight, given everything we now know about this franchise, that they should have gone into that furnace. No, you're a monster. I'm saying it. They should have gone into it. They should have died. And then we would have been spared Toy Story 4. No, no, bad person. Go away. No. But Forky would still be alive. I mean, that's some consolation. But also, again, I say... Forky's still alive. Yeah, yeah. because Forky wasn't in Toy Story 3 so Forky would still have been alive but they would have all died. Oh, right.

54:50I see. No. No, bad man. But as you say, Andrew Stanton. Yes, exciting. One other film in June. June! Supergirl. It's just called Supergirl now. On the FDA list it still says Woman of Tomorrow but that has been nixed. It's now just Supergirl. Who is this? I'm glad someone is. Who is this Supergirl? Supergirl! Oh my goodness. This is Millie Alcock, who is a fantastic, fantastic actress. She was brilliant in House of the Dragon. Agreed. And I like this. I've read the comic on which this is based. Okay. Right? So the idea is Supergirl was sent to protect her baby cousin, but due to, you know, space and shit, she lands after he's already grown up.

55:35So then she's a bit like, well, what the fuck do I do? No, they've already got Superman. I'm a bit obsolete here. And so we find her, I think, at a low ebb, being a bit like, well, what have I got? you know what's my job here and she turns 21 in this movie and decides to go to a planet with a red sun via spaceship so she can get drunk and celebrate her birthday and on that planet a series of unfortunate events occurs and she has to go on a journey with a younger girl who needs some help to do a thing and she has to go and help her do a thing um that's basically the comic book anyway i think they're adapting it more closely than say the marvel studio you know comic book based films and it's a really good story.

56:16It's a really good character piece. It's, you know, again, under the auspices of James Gunn, but this is Craig Gillespie directing. Anna Noguera did the script. I just think it's going to be fun. From what you say, it sounds like it has an anarchic energy to it, which I quite like because one of the things that I didn't, I mean, there are many things I didn't love about Superman, as you know, but one of the things I didn't like about that wretched film was the fact that I think I wanted it to be more serious than it was and I think it had a silliness to it that I didn't like this I think maybe leans into that silliness and I think maybe it will feel more organic for me for my personal taste so and while I didn't think Millie Alcock's introduction in Superman was spectacular I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt for all the reasons you said because she's fantastic so I don't know we'll see alright Anarchy Anarchy it is you will not be surprised no not the superhero film I'm most looking forward to surely not in the summer months Let's go into July, shall we, folks?

57:17So there is a lot of stuff out in July. There's Minion 3. Make way. There is the live-action version of Moana. There is the Odyssey. There is Evil Dead Burn. There is Paw Patrol 3. And Spider-Man. Spider-Man. Spider-Man. Brand new day. Nuff said, true believers. I don't know where I am. Nuff said, true believers. Are you more excited about Spider-Man or the Odyssey? I'm more excited about the Odyssey just because I have not seen that. It's going to be a Homer run. It is going to be. I would imagine it will be a Homer run. Yes. No, but genuinely, we haven't seen that. Even when they did Troy, they took all the gods and monsters and stuff.

58:02Gods. There we go. Oh, gods and monsters. They took the gods out of Troy, right? And Troy is more fun. that the Siege of Troy is more fun if you have the gods you know sprinkling a little little of anarchy around it and I feel like this is going to be like anarchy to the max so I'm excited by that I think I think the sheer scale of it and the sprawlingness and that incredible cast are all good things to be looking out for well it's a good month to be a Tom Holland fan and indeed a Sandea fan as well indeed and it's exciting it's very hard to not be excited about Chris Nolan doing Troy Story for all the reasons that Helen just said.

58:45John Bernthal's in both of them as well. John Bernthal, my fucking god. These are basically the same movie. Were they filming at the same time? This is wild. He does play the Punisher in both. That's true. Yeah. So, the Odyssey's obviously going to be incredible and epic and will melt your eyeballs off. And yes. Or eyeball if you're a... That's good, if you're Cyclops. Cyclops, he's not in either of these films I don't believe but this will be Helen's pick because he will be in Doomsday that's me yeah who wouldn't be excited about the Odyssey nobody that's who that's a homer joke for you there that's very good yeah that's another homer joke yeah very excited about that what about Moana anyone excited about Moana look the girl playing Moana looks lovely and seems to have got the right you know vibe to it I'm interested that they kept Maui essentially out of the trailer that we've seen at this point.

59:39I really want to see. I wanted to get an eye full of Maui and didn't. I beg your pardon. I wasn't objectifying him. Just saying. Sounds like you were. I just want to see him and his join up. It just goes very soon after the... Well, that's it. Is this one that... Could this be good? Yes, absolutely. But it's also, you know, redundant. Yeah, a little bit. Make way. Yeah. Make way. Make way. You know, the original Moana is fantastic. Would you recommend... So they capture that magic again. I watched the original Moana before I see in this one? You've never seen Moana? Nope. You fool. You've listened to the soundtrack, though.

1:00:10Nope. Oh, so many bangers. It's really good. I doubt very heavily that it's better than Moana 2 and the soundtrack of that is wall bangers. Can I get a chi-hoo? Can I? No. No. How far will you go, I guess? Yeah. See Moana, you fool. I mean, it is on Disney+. Yeah, it really doesn't have to. You don't have to go far. I know, but yeah. It's so good. All right. Evil Dead Burn oh burn yeah excited yeah and also a little terrified I'll be honest I'm still just getting over the last one what kitchen implements will be deployed to ill effect here who knows I know nothing about this movie I don't know what the scale is I don't know what the story is welcome to the preview podcast we bring you all the key information but yeah it's not Lee Cronin obviously it's not Sam Raimi it's not Fede Alvarez it's Sebastian Fanacek Hey, Helen, I'm looking at a picture of him right now.

1:01:08Potentially fit director? Oh, let's see. Please stop objectifying filmmakers on this podcast. Oh, yeah. He's got a Travis Kelce thing going on, I guess. Kelce. A Kelce. A Kelce. Is that nobody else? Is he a baddie, Helen? I only see it written down. I don't know what it sounds like. Oh, my goodness. How do you pronounce it, James? Helen, it's Travis Kelce. Yes, everyone knows that, Helen. Everybody knows that. Everyone knows that. He's the first gentleman of the United States. Well, he would be at this point, I suppose. Yeah, I guess. That was a real Hail Mary pass from Helena. She was attempting to pronunciate.

1:01:39We've all done it. We've all been there. Pronunciate. No, I was about to finish. I hadn't finished the words. I hadn't finished a fucking word. Think about this podcast. God damn it. You can't get through a sentence without someone leaping on you. Happy 2026, everybody. Hooray. God bless us, everyone. You know, sometimes you've got to pronunciate a word. You've got to pronunciate. You've got to pronunciate. Yeah. And you've never attempted it before, and you think in your head, it's pronunciate, and it turns out to be pronounced. It turns out. You know, we've all been there. Oh, boy. Anyway, Sebastian Fenecek, he certainly looks the part, if you know what I mean.

1:02:21Ew. And yeah, hopefully Evil Dead Burn will be good. He says he wants to make a nasty movie, a movie that hurts. I want more. I love Evil Dead Rise. I thought it was terrific too many people are taking a cue from the Evil Dead and not enough people are taking a cue from Evil Dead 2 the greatest movie of all time when making their Evil Dead follow ups Evil Dead 2 was not a well it kind of was but it also I mean it had a bit where a man literally chains all of his own hand yeah but it's also fun light and escapist so I would like to see that from one of my Evil Dead films these days Maybe not going quite so far as Army of Darkness, Jimbo, but...

1:03:03Yes, the greatest Evil Dead film. Oh, God. Shop smart, shop air smart. You know not of which you speak. But I'm excited about that. But the big film out in July... Honestly, I can't call it. Box office-wise, I can't call it. Will Spider-Man Brand New Day be the film of the summer? It's probably going to be fucking Minions 3. I mean, yeah. Or Moana. Probably it's going to be Minions 3. Or the Odyssey. Which is bigger? Is it going to be Spider-Man 3 or 4? Is it going to be Spider-Man Brand New Day or The Odyssey? I'm going to say Spider-Man Brand New Day. I mean, look, this man made$900 million for a biopic about a scientist.

1:03:43He did. Who saw that coming? He's now making a story no one around the world that has endured for 3 ,000 years. I think it's got at least a chance. Yeah, I think it'll do very well. Big wooden horse as well. this has got Spider-Man the Hulk and the Punisher Helen I don't understand Spider-Man and the Punisher are also in the Odyssey yes but they're not as Spider-Man and the Punisher audiences might be bored of them by then who is going to be how could you possibly be bored of my birthday bro John Bernthal actually that wouldn't happen to any sensible person alright so Spider-Man Brand New Day is the fourth Spider-Man movie but it's the first in the MCU to not have John Watts in the director's chair and again very little is known about this we're told it's a kind of lo-fi version of Spider-Man.

1:04:30It's not going to be as multiverse-y or huge in terms of the scope and the scale of the thing as No Way Home. But at the same time, it's very exciting. Destin Daniel Cretton, who did such a great job on Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings, was, of course, at one point going to direct what is now Avengers Doomsday. And he has directed this instead. John Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo. Tom Holland, Sandia, Sadie Sink as a character who has been wildly speculated about. Could be anything from a multiversal version of MJ. Could be Gwen Stacy. Could be Jean Grey. A lot of people saying Jean Grey. Could be someone completely different.

1:05:15Again, we're not so hot in the information here in this one, but I'm excited. I am too. I love the tone of those films. I delight in a new Spider-Man. And obviously, where we last left old Peter Parker, he was in a bit of a predicament. Peter Parker picks a predicament. Yes, everyone had forgotten Peter Parker. Indeed, and we all know how that feels. Hopefully the world won't have forgotten Peter Parker. Let's hope so. And they will flock to this movie in their trillions when it comes out July 31st. I think, well, I hope it's going to be amazing, spectacular, sensational web of. okay August we are fewer and fewer films are in the release schedule when it comes to August now Cliffhanger the aforementioned Cliffhanger is out on the 28th of August in this country there's another insidious coming out yes Thread an insidious tale yes starring Mandy Moore really?

1:06:18I thought you were saying I got really excited there because I thought you meant Mandy Patinkin yes Mandy Patinkin I got really really really excited there's a film called Flowerfell Street which stars Anne Hathaway Ewan McGregor and produced by J.J. Abrams well there you go I did not know that James you're well ahead of me do you want to do this because I know nothing about it well there's Paw Patrol the dino movie which is also coming out who can forget now you're talking I'm okay without that one Rubble on the double Chase is on the case Oh, boy. No, like the Bluey movie, which was earlier in the year, I'm all in.

1:06:59But Paw Patrol, no. I think you're fine. It's rubble at the double. That doesn't make any sense. Yeah, it does. That's what you said. Rubble at the double. The phrase is at the double, not on the double. At the double. At the double, yeah. We're all learning a lot today, aren't we? Yeah. I've never heard this. At the double. I guess because you're an idiot. I would have said on the double. On the double. It's at the double. That's Helen of Troy. It's at the double. It is absolutely on the double. It's not at the double. It is I have the power, but it is at the double. Rubble at the double. You don't do stuff at the double.

1:07:27You do stuff on the double. Your ears are mispronunciating.

1:07:33There's really not much more to talk about. That's it. That's the month. It's done. We're finished. Yeah, that's pretty much it in August. This is what happens because, you know, when you do a preview in January of the entire year, there aren't a lot of films to talk about. You're both right. On the double is the American variant, and at the double is used by the British Army. Is it? Yes, I've never heard. At the double. I've never heard At the double in my life. I would take on At the double as well, actually. I would go to At the double because this is Britain, for God's sake. All right. What would the queen want?

1:08:04I mean... Well, she's dead. What? When? September. Anyway, September. And I think we can all agree the most exciting thing is practical magic. Practical magic. Yeah, exactly. Hey, you say that, but this is Sam Beers directed this, and I've just re-watched the whole of the first season of The Night Manager, the second season of which dropped on New Year's Day. Or dropped yesterday as we go out. Or started. And she's great. It's great. This may be. Who knows? This is the sequel to Practical Magic. If you're not excited about this, do you even do Autumn? Sandra Bullock. Have you ever pumpkin spice?

1:08:43Are you capable of discernment? Do you have any taste? Hey, the first film is solid. The first film is absolutely a movie that was released. It was. Look, it's not for you. What do you mean it's not for me? It's got Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kipman. It could not be much more for me than that. I mean, that's fair. Also Griffin Dunn. Yes, and your man and your other man and several other men. But that's not the point. It's a girly film. And the women Love the World are extremely excited for this. Don't you pigeonhole me. Don't you pigeonhole me, O 'Hara. I'm excited about this too because of the aforementioned Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kipp and how a prosumer in this film.

1:09:21They are. There we go. See? Hold my beer. I'm excited about that one. Your Suzanne beer. Also out in September, Clayface. So, right. I need someone to explain to me why I should be excited about Clayface. So I am not a DC head. I don't know who Clayface is. I don't know anything about... I assume it's a he. What is a Clayface? Please pronunciate this for me. Clayface is a Batman villain who essentially can change his appearance. Right. So his face is made of clay, essentially. So a little bit dark man. So he can sculpt it and mold it into... Yeah, like a shit Dr. Peyton Westlake. Why you should be excited?

1:10:02Because this is a film that is directed by James Watkins, who has got a fantastic track record. He's very, very good with horror. It is written by Mike Flanagan. I shouldn't even have to go on at this point. That's enough. This is a film that was not on James Gunn's slate in the DCU until Mike Flanagan came in and did a pitch that was so good that he decided to incorporate Clayface into the DCU before any other Batman characters have been incorporated into the DCU. That, to me, is what to be excited about. Because there's no rational reason to do this unless it's a banger. So that's why I'm excited about Clayface.

1:10:42It was a certified banger. Like stamped, sealed, delivered. Like Superman was. Superman is a good movie. You sound like Ben. Yeah. And he's right in this instance. You were unduly harsh and you were out of step with the world. Anyway, a bar review. Two stars. Yes, wrong review. Was it? Yeah. So, decent cast. Tom Rees-Harries, who is an up-and-coming British actor. He's playing Clayface, who is a bee made of clay, it says here on the Wikipedia entry that's what I'm reduced to I'm reading the Wikipedia entries Naomi Aki is in this and Max Minghella and Eddie Marsan has been cast in an undisclosed role but almost certainly would be a baddie yeah it's going to be I'm hoping grades can be smaller in scale obviously than most superhero movies so yes yes yes yes yes yes also yes to Shaun the Sheep the Beast of Mossy Bottom the third Shaun the Sheep movie The first two are genius.

1:11:41Yes, I said it. Genius. This could be, and I didn't think this would be a crowded marketplace, but it is. This could be the best sheep-related film of the year. Whoa, steady on. I'm saying it. I'm saying sheep detectives will have it. I don't know. But like, okay, if the beast of Soggy Bottom, right? Mossy Bottom. Mossy Bottom, sorry. Soggy Bottom. Soggy Bottom Boys. Although the same month, we'll see the return of Bake Off, so I'm half right. but the you know it recalls doesn't it Curse of the Were-Rabbits it does Helen it does which is the best Wallace and Gromit full length film full length film so very artfully done so I think that that is also a good sign I'm yeah I'm hyped I'm here for it I'm hyped I'm also interested in Sense and Sensibility which is of course you are of course I am it is truth universally acknowledged that is the only Jane Austen quote I know that's prejudice I know but this is Georgia Oakley who did was it Jeans a couple of years ago and is now directing Daisy Edgar-Jones Esme Creed-Miles Katrina Balfe Frank Delane and other good people Fiona Shaw's in it in a new adaptation of Sense and Sensibility now obviously at the time we record this the Ang Lee remains an untouchable masterpiece that only a fool would try to remake but let's hope they have something to add to the conversation but they're not remaking it they're adapting the book you know my you know what I'm saying I'm saying I'm hoping they can add to the conversation The Conversation's a completely different film came out years ago Gene Hackman he was bugging some people then he got bugged himself then he went a bit mad and he tore his apartment about looking for a bug he couldn't find it and then he sat there playing the saxophone playing the saxophone sadly saxophone saxophone saxophone yeah but we don't kink shame people for their sax life to be Resident Evil Resident Evil Sack Craigor yeah yeah whoa Whoa, whoa, whoa.

1:13:36How, what? Did you just go meh at Zack Kreger? No, I went meh at Resident Evil. But did you not hear the Zack Kreger part? Well, I suppose that's something. There we go. All right. His involvement gives me hope. Obviously, that IP has seen better days. I would argue on the big screen it hasn't seen any good days. I mean, that's not what I'm talking about. You know, I like parts of the Paul W.S. Anderson, and mostly Paul Thomas and his own movies I liked heavily in quotes the first one I enjoyed the first one I liked the cast of the recent remake but the film itself was not great Zach Greger knows what he's doing so okay October we've got October, November, December we've got three months left we can do it we're going to start with the film of the month Street Fighter which I know nothing about beyond it's another adaptation of Street Fighter, which was not crying out for a first adaptation, let alone a second one, but here we are.

1:14:37Here we are indeed. Again, are we in it can't go worse territory? Maybe we are. Or maybe it just should never. Isn't the first one famously one of the worst movies ever made? So it can't go worse. With Kylie and Jean-Claude. I know we're going to talk about the social reckoning in a second, but can we talk about whale fall for a second first? Social reckoning. Do you know about whale fall? No. So whale fall is about a guy who gets swallowed by a sperm whale. Stop it. I didn't do anything. How dare you? I can hear the word sperm without snickering like a schoolboy. Try it again. Whale fall about a guy who gets swallowed by a sperm whale.

1:15:20There we are. Swallowed. Oh, boy. So it's based on a book. It has this guy who is trying to figure out his way out of a whale. So it's kind of like, what if the Martian but Mars were a whale? you know yeah he's going to have to science the shit out of this he's going to have to science the shit out of this so I think there's going to be flashbacks to his life with his father Josh Brolin good sporting cast Elizabeth Shoe John Ortiz Jane Levy directed by Brian Duffield it's oh he's good yeah it's a weird weird book it's very kind of philosophical but also tells you a bit about whales although not crucially as much as Moby Dick does which gives you too much information about whales and still thinks they're fish But yeah, it's a really interesting premise.

1:16:04He didn't have Wikipedia. Look, the problem with this, I think, is going to be really bringing to life the sense of being inside a whale because that is, you know, dark, constrictive, and not obviously cinematic. So I'm interested to see how they handle those sections. The flashbacks, I'm sure they can handle pretty well. But yeah. I cannot wait for this. It's probably the film in October I am most excited for now, which is saying something, given that October also contains the latest Jordan Peele film although it might go back I think I read somewhere that it might go back Okay, which was that?

1:16:36I mean, no, the Jordan Peele film Oh, it just says Jordan Peele Yes, and of course it has the return of Tom Cruise to the big screen in a film that might, might finally get him the acting Oscar He received an honorary Oscar just a couple of weeks ago this is his collaboration with Alejandro G. Inarito and we know very little about this movie, it's untitled called Digger, but this is apparently about the world's most powerful man now that might be the president, it might be an Elon Musk style trillionaire, or some kind of weirdo dancing around with a shovel, who triggers some sort of global catastrophe and has to race to either avert it or reverse it or just convince people that he's a good guy despite everything.

1:17:29So it's potentially an epic of epic epicness. It might be a very, very dark comedy. It might be a full-on drama, full-on thriller. But Cruise, this is the first time he's made a non-mission movie for a long, long time. Or rather, this is the first time he's not made a Top Gun or a mission for a long, long time. I'm excited about this. Yeah, me too. You just have to see Inaritu's speech about Cruise when he gave him the honorary Oscar a couple of weeks ago to see that these guys have clearly forged a great friendship, a great partnership. One of the greatest directors in the world. One of the greatest actors in the world.

1:18:10Put your hands together. I'm smelling money. I'm smelling little gold guys. Let's hope. Exciting. But they'll have competition that month because the social reckoning is one to reckon with, I think. The social reckoning. Yeah. Yeah. This is the sequel to, of course, to The Social Network. It's got Jeremy Strong in it. It's looking like it's a runner. And the other one. It's got both Jeremy's. Really? Oh, my God. Two Jeremy's in this economy? That never goes wrong. You cast Jeremy Allen White and Jeremy Strong in a movie together, you're onto a winner. I think we can all agree. It is a truth. James, it's a truth.

1:18:46Universal. I'm honestly amazed. I think, are you holding your powder for Dune 3? Because you've been very quiet. We're talking about an Aaron Sorkin movie here. This is an Aaron Sorkin film. It's an Aaron Sorkin film directed by Aaron Sorkin. Yes, it is. I must admit, I'm a little bit... Let's just say my opinions on Facebook are somewhat different now than they were when The Social Network came out. But it's an interesting point in their history. It's all about when Francis Haugen did the kind of whistleblowing thing on what they did or didn't know about it. It's on people's mental health. So it's an interesting story.

1:19:16I'm sure he'll tell it very, very well. I'm excited about it. Can I ask a question? You just did. That was a question, but specifically, so The Cat in the Hat, the animated film The Cat in the Hat, is like a meteor heading inexorably towards us. I have never fully understood the appeal of Dr. Seuss. I find it chaotic and upsetting and a little bit like a fever dream. I think it's meant to capture the anarchic spirit of the child. Well, it definitely does something. But, you know, I watched the trailer for The Cat in the Hat. and all I'm going to say to you, Helen, is I would not, could not in the rain, not in the dark, not on a train, not in a car, not in a train.

1:19:53I do not like it, Helen, you see. Well, thanks for clarifying that. I'm not sure why I was the target, but... I now know why he's been quiet. He was Googling that. I don't know what you mean.

1:20:09Yes. This has got good people, but then so did the last cat in the hat and that was an atrocity of which we don't speak. Yeah. Pretty much. Yeah. Hey. Should we talk about Sunrise on the Reaving? Should we? When's that out? Oh, we're into November. You've gone ahead. Have I? Sorry. You've gone ahead. Jesus Christ. We've got a structure to these things. Or at least we try. We try to have a structure to these things. Okay. November. The cat in the hat as James already said. Ebenezer, A Christmas Carol. Ebenezer's good. But I think that's Ty West. This is the Ty West one because the Robert Eggers one isn't made yet.

1:20:49It's not made yet. We have Ariana Grande and who was it? Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman. I don't know. All these has-beens in Fokker-in-law. Yeah. The fourth in the Meet the Parents trilogy. And we have, of course, as James has already said, Hunger Games, The Sunrise on the Reaping. The Sunrise on the Reaping. Good trailer for this one. Yeah, it is decent. It looks kind of cool. Sequel to the prequel. Sequel to the prequel. Still haven't read it. I know I said I would a couple of weeks ago, but we'll get there. Christmas is coming up, then I might have some free time. But yeah, it looks like a solid Hunger Games anyway.

1:21:30Fokker and Law, honestly, genuinely excited to see Ariana Grande do something else because I think her performance in the Wicked movies is off the charts great as a sort of, you know, pop star turned actor. I think it is really absolutely up there with some of the old times. And so I'm interested to see what she does in a different role. Does she have the flexibility or was it just that Glinda was a perfect match for her, you know? So I'm genuinely really excited to see what she does next. Ebenezer, obviously, I have a professional interest in every adaptation of A Christmas Carol as the host of Bahumbug, but I can't say that this particular one is the most...

1:22:09I would rather see the Eggers one. I will see both, obviously, but that's, you know, I'm sure it'll be interesting. Well, this one, directed by Ty West, of course, has an interesting cast. I think that's fair to say. It has Ian McKellen. Oh, yes. If he's not the ghost of Jacob Marley, I will be amazed. Andrea Riesborough, Tramiel Tillman. It has Johnny Depp in it as Ebenezer Scrooge, I believe. and this would be the biggest gig that Depp has been given for quite some time. Obviously, people have their opinions about Johnny Depp and his off-screen activities, and I think a lot of people would be unhappy to see Johnny Depp back on the big screen again.

1:22:56But as we've always said, you're Miley J'me Ferry. Should we get into December, where all the good stuff is? Yeah, let's. Woo-hoo! All right, so December. We have A Violent Night 2. We have Jumanji. Yes! It says Jumanji 3, but technically Jumanji 4. We have... Dune! Oh, God. It's the greatest Christmas present in history. The most wonderful time. I mean, it is. Father Christmas will come down the chimney riding on a sandworm to deliver Dune Part 3. This is... The greatest film of 2026. I mean, is it? Is it though? Yes, it is. Yes. At the moment, it's not weirdly enough on the boxofficemojo.com release schedule, but it is meant to be out on the same day June Part 3 Denny Phil Noves June Part 3 as Avengers Doomsday Avengers Doomsday that's quite that's quite the double header isn't it I mean obviously it gets dubbed Doomsday why in the Barbenheimer sort of fashion what do you mean what I don't understand oh well don't worry about it okay but I surely one of them blinks if I'm June Part 3 I'm moving the fuck away from Doomsday Any self-respecting nerd wants to see both.

1:24:11Absolutely. And if I can pack both into a day because they're both going to be long films, I would pack them both into a day. But here's what's going to happen. Doomsday is going to be huge. Dune Part 3 is going to be as big as the previous Dune movies, which was very big, but not huge, which is why Dune Part 3 should move. It shouldn't put itself in that position. I should. I hollude Moose for no more. No, but I do think, I don't think cinema wins by having them both on one day. Yeah, I agree with you. Like with Barbenhammer, there was an element of classic sort of counter-programming. This is not counter-programming.

1:24:47This is just two studios being shits. They even sound the same. Doomsday, Doomsday. There'll be a lot of cross-pollination. People will buy tickets accidentally for one of the movies and be halfway through before going, Robert Downey Jr. has not been in this movie so far unless he's really good at being a sandworm. Are there sandworms in Dune Part 3, by the way? does a lot of it take place on Dune itself well he's now the Padishar Emperor I think it's 12 years after Dune part 2 okay so yeah some stuff has happened yes indeed okay listen the other thing about Barbenheimer of course it was a complete accident yes and when those movies were scheduled against each other they were not neither Warner Brothers nor Universal expected either of them to do what they did at the box office and certainly neither of them you know I think only Oppenheimer was expected to go into the Oscar race I think If anyone says otherwise, that's 20-20 hindsight.

1:25:37I think that those movies were meant to do okay. Excuse me. I think if you look back, you will find me predicting that Barbie would make a billion. Really? Yeah. Really? Yeah. Let's play the tape. Okay. Here we go. Barbie will make a billion dollars. Fuck's sake. She's right. She's right. I fucking played the tape. Yeah. I played the tape. Yeah. I mean, we were both kind of prognosticating because I said that the Taylor Swift era's tour would also make a billion dollars. I was just as correct as Helen. It's so weird, though. Now I think about it, I think I remember a similar prediction from me.

1:26:16Here's a tape I'm going to play from, this is a podcast from, I think, it was probably 2023. Okay. We're going to play it right now. Yeah, let's hear it. Well, Helen, yeah, that's a really, really interesting opinion, but I don't know. I think Oppenheimer is going to do better than you think. I think it's going to make probably $975 ,811 ,333 at the Global Bomb. and probably win a whole bunch of Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. Wow, that's uncanny, isn't it? That, I fucking nailed it. That's incredible. That's so wild. So wild. Okay, but if you look at June, he hasn't done it.

1:26:53If you look at June, the box office history of June, those movies are kind of around the$500 to$600 to$700 million mark. And the Avengers movies, even though I don't think that Doomsday is going to do what Infinity War and Endgame did. Yeah, the build-up has not been quite the same. The build-up hasn't been the same. The blooms come off the rose a little bit. We've talked ad nauseum and at length. Dooms come off the rose.

1:27:17About Marvel's travails of late. But I still think that this movie is going to be well over a billion, getting maybe close to two billion. It depends on the quality of the movie, of course. If it comes out and is absolutely incredible and it's Infinity War level good and Endgame level good, then all bets are off. Genuinely all bets are off. But those two are not the same. Even a bad day for Doomsday is going to be coming in at 1.2, 1.3 billion. June Part 3, I don't think it's going to get close to a billion. A good day could be close to a billion. Maybe, but that's why I think they shouldn't be cannibalizing each other.

1:27:52There's plenty of room in December. Probably the biggest film of the most Jumanji 3 by the time the dust settles. They'll both be on Netflix by that point anyway. What difference does it make? And so we'll list. This will be on Netflix as well, and you can watch us, but played by much more photogenic people. We'll be recast. I will be Noah Centineo. Helen, you'll be Emily Blunt. I'll take it. James. Karen Gillan. Karen Gillan. Shaving her head again. That's exciting. How excited are you really, though, about the quality of Dune Part 3? Extremely excited. It's a different proposition, because Dune Part 2 is just the second half of the main Dune novel.

1:28:35And that is, I think, the strongest of the Dune books. I think Dune Messiah, which is a much shorter book, it's a slightly different pace. It's almost like a deliberate retcon. This is Frank Herbert going back. He's like, oh yeah, you guys all thought Paul Atreides was the hero of this story. That's not what I meant at all. Actually, this is what I was trying to say. So it's a slight sort of different spin on what that character is. Children of Dune, the one that comes afterwards, which Denis is very sensibly not adapting, is mad and has a person made of sand drought. So, best avoided. And they get progressively more batshit after that.

1:29:08I see that so badly. But look, I want more of this. I think this is the Paul Atreides story. This film or this book, this story, does end out the Paul Atreides saga. And so, it's a good place to end it. Absolutely. Paul Supreme, Helen. Paul Supreme, yes. Finishing this year, finishing next year, what a way to go. and then Timmy Chumits goes straight into Wonka 2 right I mean that's what he's got to do next Wonka 2 is actually what my small niece and nephew call Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory just fun fact for you there the fuck well because they saw Wonka first and so when they actually saw Gene Wilder they're like this must be Wonka 2 you are failing as an aunt I think they're doing well you are failing they have seen Gene Wilder I think I'm doing pretty well actually okay I'm excited about June Part 3 yay Loved the first one.

1:29:57Wasn't as hot on the second one, but it's still very, very good. Very, very good. It's wonderful. Amazing pieces of filmmaking. Transcendental. It's got R-Pats in it. Anya Taylor-Joy. Yes, yes, yes. But, is it Doomsday? Is Doomsday the big one? I mean, it is literally the big one in the sense that it has all of the people in it. I think every single person who we've mentioned so far starring in a film in 2026 is also going to be in Doomsday. Like, it is an epic of insanely epic proportions. An epic epicness. But, Dune Part 3, I think to an extent, like I say, it's slightly different from Dune and Dune Part 2, but we, broadly speaking, I think know what we're going to get.

1:30:39Like, we know what the story is, obviously we've read the books, and we know what Denny Villeneuve is capable of. So that's a kind of, I would say, that's a known quantity. Doomsday could be absolutely anything. Like, it could be a five-star masterpiece, it could be a car crash. I have absolutely no idea. where this is going to land. As you said, I think the Marvel fatigue is real among audiences, but will they come back for this because it feels like a cultural event? Like it might be. Yeah, we talked about the fact that the build-up isn't what it was for Infinity War where you're rolling in from Ragnarok to Black Panther and then it's the Infinity War and Infinity War blows you away then Batman and the Wasp somehow elevates it.

1:31:20Exactly that. And Endgame becomes one of the greatest cultural phenomenons I've ever been part of. It was just staggering. And now the MCU is wobbling a little. It's been holed below the waterline. And, you know, depending on your point of view, you could say this is an act of genius bringing back Robert Downey Jr. by casting him as the bad guy or an act of desperation. Also, the Rooster Brothers coming back as well. There's lots and lots of reasons why I'm nervous about this, but there are also lots and lots of reasons why I'm excited about it. And I don't know anything about the storyline. There are numerous pieces of speculation out there about how Doctor Doom comes into the world of the MCU and starts wreaking havoc.

1:32:05There are rumors of warring Avengers teams. We know there are going to be different Avengers teams in this. There's the new Avengers. There's Sam Wilson's Avengers. And that one of them might be fighting with Doom. And one of them might be fighting against Doom and his team. Then there's obviously the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, played by the likes of Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen and James Marsden and Rebecca Romijn and Alan Cumming. Yeah, I mean, it could be absolutely all over the place. But in The Russos, I trust. In Steve McFeely, I trust, who is writing this, along with Michael Waldron.

1:32:46And in RDJ, I trust. and I'm excited about what he's going to do with Doom. I still think that he's going to be mo-capping the shit out of this. I may be completely and utterly wrong about that, but yeah, this could be a big one. It needs to be a big one. Well, I was going to say, it feels like the amount riding on this is unbelievable. I feel if this crashes and burns, then that feels like a bit of a crash and burn. No pressure, Marvel, if you're listening. just everything's going to be fine just you know trust in your story and oh god yeah I hope that they take risks I hope they swing for the fences I do too and I hope it lands I hope it is magnificent and I hope Pacific is as blue as my dreams but you know to end that I mean if it's amazing to end on that and Dune like in a year where let's be honest cinema has never felt more under siege I know you're going to say under siege was quite a few years ago now but its sequel Dark Territory was less good beep beep one second Actually, Under Siege 2, Dark Territory, is considered by some to be better than the original Under Siege.

1:33:52By who? Steven Seagal? Mainly, yes. But genuinely, and I feel like these two films coming out so close together, if they are both spectacular, this is like, even Martin Scorsese will be sitting there going, this is fucking cinema. If we can get that, that's, honestly, we must be in a different universe. If Martin Scorsese can watch this film and go, absolute cinema, then yes. That's what I want for Christmas 2022. is a little like TikTok video from Martin Scorsese I was wrong going cinema I think it's going to be a good year for the MCU I really do I think that this this year the one we're finishing but the one we're pretending was last year the one we're still in right now I think that it was a solid year for the MCU but obviously at the box office it was less than solid I think this is going to get bums back in seats the combination of this and Spider-Man brand new day and I still don't know what this film's going to be and you know you said everyone's in it but there are lots of people who haven't been announced.

1:34:50Also true. And are they going to be in this film? How is it going to lead into secret wars? What the fuck is going on? We're going to find out. We're going to find out soon enough. In fact, I think, I suspect that there will be a trailer, a teaser trailer for Avengers Doomsday at some point. And it may even be out. I may be completely wrong, but it may even be out by the time you're listening to this. And if it is, then we'll know a little bit more about what we're dealing with. For example, one of the teasers could reveal a return to the MCU of Chris Evans as Steve Rogers. How is that going to work?

1:35:25I'm just guessing at this point. I don't know, because again, the trailer definitely wasn't released after we recorded this podcast. Just an educated guess. That's all. Oh, God. But right now, I think we have to bring this to an end. This has been an epic of epic epicness to quote ourselves several times. And of course, it's called Pilgrim Tagline during this podcast. This has been a lot of fun. And hopefully we've got 2026 and indeed 1926 off to a great start. Thank you so much for listening to this. And of course, it's time to take a bite on my two colleagues of such lethal cunning. Merry New Year to you, James Dyer.

1:36:02Merry New Year, Chris. And Merry New Year to you as well, Helen O 'Hara. Merry New Year. Yes, indeed. See you guys in exactly seven days for our live show at King's Place. Or in three days for the first Pilot TV podcast of 2026. Well, this is the big one. It's like the Pilot TV podcast and episode 700 coming out within close proximity. It's the Avengers June's day podcast. It is indeed. All right. It's goodbye from me as well. I'm off to prepare myself for the coming of Pilot. Not like that. Thanks for listening. See you next time. Bye-bye.

1:36:41Thank you.