Now 2025 is in its twilight, but as we’ve spent all of December reflecting on the year that was, it’s only fitting that we’re also reflecting on our own stories about it, too. Need a lot of things to read over the quiet New Year’s holiday? Here’s our most read and shared stories of the last 12 months—from all of us at io9, thank you for reading, and here’s to another year of posting to come!

100) Here’s Where in the World ‘Bluey’ Will Be in 2025

So, you were a childless adult who got Bluey-pilled. Yes, somehow the endearing import series from Australia’s Ludo Studio about a family of Heeler dogs going on whimsical feel-good adventures has provided hours of some of television’s best made entertainment in this era of constant streaming releases. It’s so good, it’s rightfully become global obsession. So many (including myself) might have even been given very aspirational views on parenthood or caught wind of a slight Aussie accent on child in your life. Because Bluey has become such a household name at this point, thanks in part to its BBC and Disney distribution, everyone is wondering where Bluey is going after three stellar seasons. [Read more here]

99) Get Your Coconuts Ready: ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ Is Returning to Theaters

For a certain type of fan, just the image at the top of this post has unlocked a barrage of quotes you suddenly feel powerless to keep from shouting into the universe: “It’s just a flesh wound!” “Help! Help! I’m being repressed!” “What… behind the rabbit?” “It’s only a model!” “NI!” We could be here all day, really. And what a great day it is, with the news that Monty Python and the Holy Grail is briefly returning to theaters to mark its 50th anniversary. [Read more here]

98) ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Ended the Only Way It Could: With an Open Ending

The Handmaid’s Tale ended its run this week with an episode titled “The Handmaid’s Tale,” bringing June (Elisabeth Moss) full circle while also allowing Hulu to leave the door wide open for The Testaments, the upcoming series based on Margaret Atwood’s 2019 sequel to her 1985 novel. Emotional punctuation took priority over narrative closure, which felt like the best and only choice. [Read more here]

97) The Creator of ‘Severance’ Just Explained a Key Logistical Question

When it comes to Severance, there are rarely simple answers. Everything is wrapped in mystery and intrigue. Which, admittedly, is kind of the best part about it. We love to explore and speculate about what’s going on at Lumon. And yet, getting an answer, even a small one, here and there is nice. Which is what the creator of the show, Dan Erickson, just did. [Read more here]

96) ‘Mickey 17’ Is a Solid Sci-Fi Delight, Until Things Get a Little Too Real

When Mickey 17 is the movie you expect it to be, it’s great. Multiple Robert Pattinsons chewing super cool sci-fi scenery, often opposite a dynamite supporting cast. That makes up a significant portion of the movie, which is also heavy on interesting world-building and character-driven humor. Crazy stuff happens, then more crazy stuff happens, and it’s all pretty entertaining. But, over the course of the film, a story that starts as a subplot becomes increasingly important, and it creates a narrative and tonal imbalance that holds the film back from its full potential. [Read more here]

95) ‘Fallout’ Revisits Its Most Controversial Change From the Games

Fallout is not a direct adaptation of the beloved games—neither the Black Isle/Interplay classics nor the revived Bethesda/Obsidian era of the series—which means that there’s plenty of space for it to carve out its own imagining of the franchise in its corner of the wasteland. That hasn’t stopped game fans, especially as the show begins to play more directly with plot beats from the games, from bristling when the show makes a departure from the source material, big or small. But in this week’s episode of the show’s second season, the series is already returning to its biggest and most controversial swing away from the games… and tying it all into another fascinating twist it’s dealing with this season. [Read more here]

94) The Best Memes About Disney’s ‘Soarin’ Across America’ Announcement

There’s going to be a patriotic new Disney Parks overlay coming to Soarin’, the giant flight simulation attraction at Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Resort in 2026—and it’s already sparked a wave of memes. [Read more here]

93) Lego Is Making an Official Godzilla Set

Lego’s Ideas program has been churning out delightful kits based on fan-submitted (and community-supported) designs for years now, to the point that the brick-maker has quite the hefty list of sets that have hit the necessary 10,000 community backers to eligible for review. Case in point? Today Lego announced the results of its review for the batch of sets to hit that threshold back at the end of last year: and the winners are a doozy. [Read more here]

92) ‘KPop Demon Hunters 2’ is Looking More Likely

Since KPop Demon Hunters came out in June and took the world by storm, fans have been clamoring for more. Netflix sure would like to, given how well this one film’s performed, but it seems to be a question of whether the stars will align for it and Sony to make a sequel together. [Read more here]

© 20th Century Television

91) This ‘X-Files’ Episode Is Still One of the Scariest Office Horror Stories

Late in The X-Files‘ fifth season—just a few weeks before the first X-Files feature film hit theaters—viewers were plunged into the terrifying madness of “Folie à Deux.” A weary Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) trudges to Chicago to check out the latest “monster of the week,” but his head snaps back into the game when he realizes the monster in question just might be targeting him next. [Read more here]

90) ‘The Institute’ Is a Solid Stephen King Adaptation

Stephen King is easily the most-adapted horror author; his books are so popular, many of the biggest ones have been adapted multiple times. Right now, there’s both a Carrie series and a feature take on The Stand in the works, and Edgar Wright’s The Running Man just dropped its first trailer. With the same titles seemingly caught in Hollywood’s revolving door, it can be tempting to forget King is still regularly publishing new stories. [Read more here]

89) The New ‘Superman’ Trailer Is Packed With Super Spectacle

Oh, so that’s why the previous Superman trailers were all so similar. Tickets for the highly anticipated DC Studios film are now on sale and to celebrate, Warner Bros. has released its most revealing trailer to date. It’s filled with lots of evil Lex Luthor and even more wild visual effects shots, that showcase action, creations, and more. Presumably, these are all shots that were being finished in the previous months, but are now ready for your eyeballs. [Read more here]

88) ‘Spaceballs 2’ Just Added the Perfect New Actor to the Cast

Fans have waited almost 40 years for news about Spaceballs 2—and then, in a single day, we got soaked in it like Pizza the Hut. First, news broke that the film was a go with Mel Brooks reprising his role as Yogurt. Then, Rick Moranis and Bill Pullman were announced to reprise their roles from the 1987 original. And now, finally, maybe the best news of all: plot details have been revealed along with a key piece of casting. Lewis Pullman, son of Bill Pullman, will play his father’s son in the film. [Read more here]

87) ‘Sinners’ Star Wunmi Mosaku on the Scene That’s Got Everyone Buzzing

There’s been enough time since the release of Sinners that we just have to talk about the most glorious and impactful scene from Ryan Coogler’s vampire opus. The light that Sammie (Miles Caton) brings to the juke joint his twin cousins Smoke and Stack (both Michael B. Jordan) open to showcase the power of his music raises the spirits of not only everyone, there but also the energy of those who came before and who were to come after. [Read more here]

86) Dungeons & Dragons‘ New Rulebook Era Is Saying Goodbye to a Cute Tradition

In the wake of Dungeons & Dragons‘ 50th anniversary last year, Wizards of the Coast prepped new versions of its core trio of rulebooks: the Players’ Handbook, the Dungeon Masters’ Guide, and the Monster Manual. While these releases aim to be, as Jeremy Crawford, D&D’s principle Rules Designer, said in 2024, “the best versions of these books that we could make,” there’s one little detail absent that some fans may find disappointing. [Read more here]

85) ‘Daemons of the Shadow Realm’ Will Be a ‘FullMetal Alchemist’ Anime Reunion

The enduring legacy of Hiromu Arakawa’s FullMetal Alchemist can be partially owed to its pair of anime adaptations by animation studio Bones. Since then, both creator and company have moved on to other ventures—the latter has notably adapted the likes of My Hero Academia and the newly premiered Gachiakuta, among others. Now, 15 years after FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood concluded, Bones is back at adapting Arakawa’s work, namely her fantasy manga Daemons of the Shadow Realm. [Read more here]

84) Reveals Why Yoda Talks Like That, George Lucas Does

There’ve been so many questions Star Wars fans have asked over the years. And sooner or later, one of them is: “Why does Yoda talk like that?” [Read more]

83) Marvel’s ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Cast Chair Reveals, Ranked

Yesterday, Marvel Studios spent five-and-a-half long hours announcing the 27 cast members that will headline Avengers: Doomsday via the medium of folding directors chairs. It was a lot! It was occasionally funny. But now, we are here to rank the chairs—not the announcements, that would be silly. We’re ranking the chairs, from what they represented to the order they came in. [Read more here]

82) ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Had to Plan Character Deaths Very Strategically

With just one episode to go in The Handmaid’s Tale, the creators, cast, and crew look back in a detailed new oral history that addresses some of the biggest questions viewers have asked about its story over the years. That includes: if Gilead is such a violent police state fond of swiftly executing any and all dissidents, how has Elisabeth Moss’ character, the rebellion-leading June Osborne, managed to survive for six seasons? [Read more here]

© Marvel Studios

81) Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ Trailer Jets Us Back to the Silver Age

After what’s felt like years of waiting—and a decade since, for better or worse, they last graced the silver screen—the Fantastic Four are back in action in our very first look at their MCU debut. And it’s one that’s whisking them to the stars and back. [Read more here]

80) Michael Sheen Sounds Unconvinced That the ‘Good Omens’ Finale Special Will Be Released

It’s been a roller-coaster of emotions for Good Omens fans since that heartbreaking season two finale. News that the Prime Video adaptation would get a third and final season came in December 2023; the following year, production was reportedly paused amid the allegations against showrunner and source material co-author Neil Gaiman. Then, fans learned Gaiman was reportedly pulling back from Good Omens season three—followed by the announcement in October 2024 that season three was going to be a 90-minute special instead of a full slate of episodes. [Read more here]

79) The First Trailer for ‘Star Trek: Khan’ Lifts the Lid on a Legend

Almost three years ago, Wrath of Khan director Nicholas Meyer shocked the Star Trek universe when he announced that he would be returning to one of Trek‘s most iconic villains in Star Trek: Khan, a scripted podcast revealing the secret life of Khan Noonien Singh. Now, we have our first look at the series—and know when to expect it. [Read more here]

78) The First Look at the ‘He-Man’ Movie Has Big Muscles and a Big Sword

It took more than the power of Grayskull but a new, live-action Masters of the Universe movie is actually happening. That’s something fans have heard for years as various studios, stars, and directors have circled the popular toy brand—but today, a first-look image has been released from the film proving that it’s happening… and it’s exactly what you’re hoping for. [Read more here]

77) ‘Black Mirror’ Season 7 Episodes, Ranked

Black Mirror is back, and it’s a strong season overall. All six episodes capture dystopia, despair, and tech terrors, along with—don’t blink!—the occasional flicker of joy. If you’re a fan of Charlie Brooker’s series, you should definitely watch the whole drop without skipping any. But if you’re curious, here’s how we think the entries line up, from least successful to most entertaining. [Read more here]

76) George Lucas’ Scrapped ‘Star Wars’ Show Would’ve Cost BIllions of Dollars

In the world of Star Wars, one of the biggest “what ifs?” is Star Wars Underworld. That was the name given to a television show George Lucas and a team at Lucasfilm worked on for years before ultimately scrapping it. We’ve always heard that there were dozens of scripts written for the show, which would’ve been set on Coruscant, showing a whole new side of a galaxy far, far, away, but little is known beyond that. [Read more here]

75) Jurassic World Rebirth’s Mutant Dinosaur Looks Totally Horrific

After the utter disaster that was Jurassic World: Locust Invasion, bringing the Jurassic franchise back to prominence was going to require summoning a big dose of inspiration. And, it seems, Jurassic World Rebirth may have done just that. The new trailer reveals that this summer’s seventh film takes place on the island where John Hammond and his team left all the dinosaurs that were too messed up and dangerous to go into the original park. Since we know we know what those less messed up and dangerous dinosaurs ended up doing, that’s a frightening concept. [Read more here]

74) The 4 ‘Stranger Things’ Episodes the Duffers Suggest You Rewatch

It’s been a long, long wait, but the fifth and final season of Stranger Things is almost here. Stranger Things season five debuts on Wednesday evening with four episodes making up the first of three parts of the show’s big finale. And, if you’re like us, you’ve been preparing for months. We’ve been recapping all four seasons of Stranger Things, going back to July. But, if you haven’t been quite as on top of things, the Duffer Brothers are here to help. [Read more here]

73) ‘Star Wars: Rebels’ Writer Thinks Making Sabine a Jedi Was a Mistake

Ahsoka‘s focus on the relationship between the titular ex-Jedi and her reluctant padawan Sabine was one of the most surprising, and yet paradoxically frustrating aspects of the series. On the one hand, it helped broaden Star Wars‘ vision of the Force, and who could wield it, pushing back on narrow-sighted Jedi doctrines of the prequel era to give us a Force-wielding character with more parallels to Luke’s journey with the Force across the original trilogy. On the other, for as much as some of those Jedi doctrines were pushed back on in making Sabine Force sensitive, at the end of the day, Ahsoka turned master and apprentice into pretty much the same kind of Jedi we already had, with the same kind of teaching methods and understandings—teaching methods we’ve spent the prequel era engaging with the failings of, and being told in the sequel era that they must be let go of to allow a new generation of Jedi, free from the Order’s dogma, to truly flourish. [Read more here]

72) The New ‘Project Hail Mary’ Trailer Shows What the Movie Is Really About

The insanely epic first trailer for Project Hail Mary only showed part of the story. In the film, based on the novel by Andy Weir, a highly unqualified astronaut named Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up in deep space with amnesia, and slowly realizes it’s up to him to save the world. But that fish-out-of-water story is only half of it. [Read more here]

© Brooke Palmer/HBO

71) ‘It: Welcome to Derry’ Star Taylour Paige Wasn’t Happy With Her Character’s Big Choice

Since It: Welcome to Derry began, we knew that Will Hanlon (Blake Cameron James) was destined to become the father of Mike Hanlon, a member of the Losers Club in the main It story. The Hanlon family, including Will’s mother, Charlotte (Taylour Paige), and his father, Major Leroy Hanlon (Jovan Adepo), relocates to Maine thanks to Leroy’s new military assignment. Because of what we know about Mike’s story in the future, we knew they’d stick around after Derry. But the way the show handled it in the finale was a little off-putting. [Read more here]

70) Early ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Reactions Say It’s…Well, Y’know,

We’re less than a full week away from Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Marvel’s already gone and let early watchers give their thoughts on the film. That’s nothing terribly new, save for these thoughts come ahead of the film’s Hollywood premiere on Monday night, when they were originally meant to drop. But it’s not without reason, as the impressions are quite glowing, even moreso than last weekend’s Superman or Thunderbolts* from a few months ago. Check out the impressions from critics and influencers below. [Read more here]

69) Let’s Talk About the Ending, and End Credits, of ‘Superman’

It feels almost offensive to immediately look past Superman now that the film is in theaters, but you kind of have to. After waiting several years to see what James Gunn had in store for this official kickoff to this brand-new, rebooted DC Universe, now we know. But, in surprising fashion, Gunn’s revelations aren’t shoved into end credits scenes like so many other comic book movies before. His biggest teases are in the movie itself, with the two end credits scenes serving a different purpose. Let’s break it all down. [Read more here]

68) The New ‘Bluey’ Game Marks the End of an Era as We Know It

As 2025 comes to a close without more Bluey episodes, fans of the hit series are getting a little holiday treat. A new story starring the Heeler family is coming in the form of a video game called Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen. To make it all the more special, series creator Joe Brumm wrote the narrative concept for the game, which is set for release this December. [Read more here]

67) ‘Fortnite’ Ditches ‘Peacemaker’ Emote After the Show’s Big Reveal

This week’s Peacemaker episode ended with a twist fans have been calling for weeks, and now it’s affecting the show’s Fortnite presence. [Read more here]

66) The First ‘Spaceballs 2’ Teaser Confirms a Crucial Returning Star

Mel Brooks is really taking this Spaceballs thing seriously. In the original film, one of his characters, Yogurt, was a parody of Yoda, the Star Wars Jedi Master who lived to be almost 1,000. Well, now we know Brooks has been going all in on character preparation and, at the age of 99, will officially reprise Yogurt for the long-awaited sequel, set for release 40 years after the original. And that’s just the beginning. Here’s a hilarious teaser making it all official. [Read more here]

65) ‘Project Hail Mary’ Looks Like the Sci-Fi Movie Event of 2026

2025 has lots of excellent-looking movies still on the way but Wednesday night at CinemaCon, MGM played the first footage from what may end up being the sci-fi event of 2026: Project Hail Mary. [Read more here]

64) For a Brief Moment, the Original Version of ‘Star Wars’ Was Actually Streaming Online

No subtitle. No CG characters in Mos Eisley. Han shoots first. Those things and more were all back this past weekend as the original, unedited, unaltered version of George Lucas’ 1977 Star Wars was available on the Roku app Cinema Box. Or so we’ve read. That app is no longer available on Roku and with it went Star Wars too. [Read more here]

63) Andor‘s Big Recast Should Be the ‘Star Wars’ Blueprint

Coming into Andor season two, we learned the surprising fact that one big returning character in the season would no longer be played by their legacy actor. This week, we learned exactly who it was—and at a time when Star Wars has found itself on diverging paths when it comes to opening up classic characters to new actors, it proved exactly why sometimes that is the best opportunity to provide fresh perspectives and interpretations in the galaxy far, far away. [Read more here]

62) ‘Alien: Earth’ Is Finally Doing What the Movies Have Not

At their core, most of the Alien movies are about corporate greed. The lengths a company, mainly Weyland-Yutani, will go to harness and exploit a power from the deepest reaches of space. Whether that means sacrificing a whole ship of employees, a platoon of soldiers, families, criminals, or cloning dead people, almost every story in the Alien saga is about the idea that getting an alien back to Earth would be a huge benefit to the bottom line of the company. [Read more here]

© Warner Bros.

61) The Estate of Superman’s Co-Creator Is Trying to Stop James Gunn’s Movie From Releasing Internationally

If you live in Australia, Canada, Ireland, or the United Kingdom, there is a chance you may not get to see James Gunn’s Superman. The estate of Superman’s co-creator Joseph Schuster just filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery trying to block the release of the film because it believes the company doesn’t own the proper rights in those countries. [Read more here]

60) The Trailer for ‘Ash’ Looks Like a Trippy Sci-fi Goodie Bag

Sometimes you watch a trailer and think “Yeah, I’d like to see that right freaking now.” That’s about to happen to you with the new trailer for Ash, the latest film from director and Grammy award-winning producer Flying Lotus. Eiza González (3 Body Problem) and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) star and if you love sci-fi with lots of colors, cool technology, weird creatures, and a whole lot of mystery, this is going to be right up your alley. [Read more here]

59) ‘Breaking Bad’ Creator Vince Gilligan’s New Sci-Fi Show Looks Creepy and Hilarious

Severance, Foundation, For All Mankind, Silo, if there’s one thing Apple TV+ does incredibly well, it’s sci-fi. But, as great as all of those shows are, one thing they don’t have is Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Gilligan has now left the world of Walter White and pivoted back to a genre he knows all too well. His latest show has been incredibly mysterious for a long time, with only a few teases here and there, but today Apple just released the best one yet. [Read more here]

58) Guillermo del Toro Explains Why His Frankenstein’s Monster Looks So Unique

Clearly, we’re all very, very excited about Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, which is coming to theaters on October 17 before arriving on Netflix on November 7. That’s because it’s del Toro, one of our most beloved filmmakers; his cast is incredible; and there has rarely been a better pairing of filmmaker and subject matter. One other thing has us hyped up too, and that’s Frankenstein’s monster. Del Toro loves a monster and, in a new interview, he talks about how he approached his monster differently, both visually and in his on-screen creation. [Read more here]

57) 11 Must-Read Recommendations from Manga’s New Wave

The manga and anime community is experiencing a lull, with hit-maker shonen series like My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Undead Unluck reaching their conclusions. Many fans are now engaging in heated online debates over which series will enter the next shonen big three, with animated titles like Dan Da Dan and Sakamoto Days dominating much of the conversation; others crave new manga to slot into their weekly/monthly rotation that hit the same highs as their favorite series while bringing something new to the table. [Read more here]

56) Goodbye, ‘Halo Infinite’ (2021-2025)

On December 8, 2021, 343 Industries released Halo Infinite. As of today, November 18, 2025, the developer—now going by Halo Studios—has released the game’s final update, fittingly dubbed “Operation Infinite.” With this, priorities have shifted to Halo: Campaign Evolved, and a purported 10-year plan for Infinite has capped off at just over four. [Read more here]

55) Everything to Remember About ‘Foundation’ Season 2 Ahead of Season 3

Foundation season three will pick up 152 years after the end of season two, which means a new set of supporting characters is on the way. However, given Foundation’s fondness for clones (be they organic or digital) and robots—as well as people who endure extended cryosleep—all the main faces will also be back. [Read more here]

54) We Finally Know What the Upcoming ’28 Years Later’ Sequel Is About

This summer’s 28 Years Later ended on a maddening, disturbing cliffhanger. Spike (Alfie Williams) decided to leave his family and its safe village to explore the world, only to run into the insane Jimmy (Jack O’Connell) and his jumpsuit-wearing gang. What did this have to do with the film we’d been watching? What did it have to do with what’s coming next? We finally have some answers. [Read more here]

53) Netflix’s Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Loses Its Co-Showrunner

Matt Owens, co-showrunner and executive producer for seasons one and two of Netflix‘s One Piece, has revealed he’s stepping away from the show. [Read more here]

52) The ‘Star Wars’ Slur That Has Been Mainstreamed by Anti-AI Discourse

“Clanker.” You’ve probably heard the term online a lot lately, as growing wariness of the acceptance of generative AI has led to an almost science-fictional world of anti-robot sentiment. It’s become an increasingly common derogatory term, growing beyond the constraints of referring to chatbots and image generators to refer to any kind of non-human robotic intelligence. It’s perhaps fitting then, as it penetrates increasingly mainstream social circles, that “Clanker” itself is rooted in science fiction—and, in particular, a world where the relationship between organic and synthetic life has long been complicated. [Read more here]

© Lego

51) Lego’s New ‘Lord of the Rings’ Set Decides What Shall and Shall Not Pass Your Bookshelf

Ever since Lego returned to making annual Lord of the Rings set, the company has gone big, with high price, high-parts-count sets that bring bits of Middle-earth to life on as grand a scale as possible. Its next one, however, is a little different. [Read more here]

50) An International Poster Might Have Just Explained Thunderbolts‘ Whole Asterisk Deal

We call one of Marvel’s three movies coming this year Thunderbolts a lot, but Marvel has also gone to great lengths to regularly remind us that, well actually, the movie is officially titled Thunderbolts*–with an asterisk. As with any time Marvel Studios decides to be cryptic about something, the existence of an errant piece of punctuation has lead to everyone speculating that it simply has to mean something of vital importance. And while that still might be the case, a new poster offers a far more simple answer. [Read more here]

49) ‘Back to the Future’ in 4DX Is a Truly Hilarious, Additive Experience

I thought it was broken. As Back to the Future started in 4DX last night, nothing was happening. We were all just sitting there, watching the movie. No movement, no flashes, no water, just stillness and silence. Marty McFly then arrived at Doc Brown’s lab, hooked into his amplifier, and when he hit that high note, we all got rocked in our chairs right on cue. It was then I knew, “Oh. This is going to be really great.” [Read more here]

48) We Just Met the DCU’s New Batman

While much of the buzz around DC Studios has fans looking forward (or up in this case) to Superman‘s return to the silver screen this July, weekly watchers of James Gunn’s adult animated series Creature Commandos just got their first look at Batman. [Read more here]

47) Tony Gilroy Knowingly Went Against Canon for K-2SO’s Origin in ‘Andor’

For years, we were led to believe that when it came to Star Wars, there was one canon and that was it. Every book, comic, TV show, and movie was all supposed to co-exist to tell a single, overarching story. And for the most part, that has been true. But in a few cases, filmmakers have overridden work done by fellow creators, and the best example yet comes in Andor. [Read more here]

46) Hugo Administrators Resign in Wake of ChatGPT Controversy

Another year, yet another Hugo Awards-adjacent controversy? That might be what fans of sci-fi lit and related media are thinking, with news today that a trio of leaders from the Seattle 2025 Worldcon, the upcoming iteration of the convention where the Hugos are annually presented, have resigned. This year, at least, the awards themselves—voted on by members of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS)—seemingly aren’t directly involved in the dust-up. [Read more here]

45) The Full Trailer for Nicolas Cage’s Jesus Horror Movie Is Here, and… Holy Hell

The teasers for The Carpenter’s Son thus far haven’t been shy at all about making Nicolas Cage‘s latest—a horror movie about Jesus—look extremely freaky. There was the clip that featured mostly agonized wailing, followed by the one with Cage’s instantly viral pronunciation of Satan as “Suh-tan.” So expectations were high for the full trailer, and now that it’s here, it does not disappoint. [Read more here]

44) The First ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Teaser Is Finally Here

It’s been nearly a decade since the last MCU movie to wear the “Avengers” banner (and not hide it), and now the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are returning for Avengers: Doomsday. [Read more here]

43) ‘Doctor Who’ Needs to Go Away and Think About What It Did

Doctor Who is frequently bad television. In some ways, it’s part of the charm: dodgy production values redeemed by inspired storytelling or character work, or clunkily camp B-movie sci-fi elevated by glimmers of spectacle, the perpetual promise of big ideas yearning to escape one holdback or another. So rarely do those myriad failings combine, so rarely do those big ideas fail to emerge, to deliver a truly wretched piece of television. That scrappy charm in spite of it all is one of several reasons that, just like its protagonist, the series has managed to cheat death for over 60 years. [Read more here]

42) 8 TV Shows and Movies to Watch After You Finish ‘Severance’

The Severance season two finale is this week, making this both a thrilling and devastating moment for its devoted fans. Finally, some answers (maybe?) about all those lingering mysteries! But also, the end of our weekly supply of Lumon-induced drama, romance, freakiness, and quirky comedy, until such time as a yet-to-be-confirmed third season arrives! To help your tempers recalibrate when Severance wraps up, here are eight TV shows and movies that might help fill the yawning void it will leave behind. [Read more here]

© Alamo Drafthouse/Toho

41) The Newest Alamo Drafthouse Is a World-First Godzilla Cinematic Experience

Alamo Drafthouse is working on a multi-year alliance with Toho that will bring with it new merch and special Godzilla programming—and it’s kicking off today with the opening of a new Drafthouse theater in California that will become the world’s first fully Godzilla-themed cinema. [Read more here]

40) You’ll Be Able to Not Watch ‘Tron: Ares’ From the Comfort of Your Own Home Next Week

Didn’t watch Tron: Ares in theaters last month? Well, count yourself among a lot of people, considering that the film turned out to be one of Disney’s biggest box office flops in a while. But there’s good(?) news: if you were simply waiting long enough to be disinterested in watching the latest (and potentially final, for a very long while) Tron movie at home, the time is nigh. [Read more here]

39) Another TV Spinoff of ‘The Batman’ Is On the Way

Crystal Lake expands its mysterious cast. Sam Raimi and Danny Elfman are teaming up once more. Gareth Edwards talks the majesty of Jurassic World: Rebirth‘s dinosaurs. Plus, what’s coming on Lazarus. Spoilers now! [Read more here]

38) ‘Andor’ Season 2 Had to Recast Some ‘Rogue One’ Roles

Star Wars has a lot of characters, and fans love to point like Leo whenever their Glup Shitto shows up. Andor has had a few randomly familiar faces pop in here and there, and since this season is going right into Rogue One, we’ll be seeing more of ’em—just don’t go expecting everyone to be played by their original actor. [Read more here]

37) A Long-Rumored George Lucas ‘Cameo’ in ‘The Phantom Menace’ Has Finally Been Uncovered

When people think about George Lucas playing a tiny role in his own fictional galaxy, they probably think of his brief turn as the blue-skinned Baron Papanoida in Revenge of the Sith. But it turns out he made an appearance in Star Wars a few years before that–in a sneaky Easter egg from The Phantom Menace that’s finally been confirmed. [Read more here]

36) ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ and ‘Expedition 33’ Are Having a Moment

Have you watched KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix or played Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Chances are the answer is “yes,” and if not, you’ve certainly heard of them: both were released earlier this year to fairly glowing reviews (if not outright critical acclaim) and performed very well commercially. The latter, a turn-based RPG from newcomer Sandfall Interactive, will likely pick up some awards at year’s end, while Netflix is planning to go all in on KPop. Along with talks of sequels and an ever-growing wave of merchandise, the streamer submitted the mid-movie song “Golden” for Academy Award consideration. Both may also wind up jumping to live-action; Expedition had a movie announced months before the game’s release, while Netflix is reportedly mulling over a remake with human actors. [Read more here]

35) Disney World Is Shutting Down One Part of Its ‘Star Wars’ Experience

Another Walt Disney World attraction will be making way for something new at Hollywood Studios. Star Wars Launch Bay will be closing down for good and will be replaced by The Magic of Disney Animation. [Read more here]

34) Let’s Talk About Captain America: Brave New World‘s End-Credits Scene

Captain America: Brave New World is now in theaters and even though we don’t think it’s great, it does have a few hints at the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well as a future-facing scene at the very end of the credits. Let’s talk about it. Full spoilers follow. [Read more here]

33) The Next ‘Avatar’ Series Has a New Name and a New Hero

Eleven years after The Legend of Korra came to an end, the cycle of the Avatar continues one more: after years of teasing and planning, Nickelodeon is ready to introduce the world to a brand new Avatar series. [Read more here]

32) I Can’t Stop Staring at This Massive ‘Star Wars’ Galaxy Map

For as many times, narratively speaking, Star Wars‘ universe can feel awfully small in much of its recent output, it’s always nice to be reminded that, actually, the scope of the galaxy far, far away is incomprehensibly vast. Especially if we can be reminded such an incredibly nerdy manner: via the medium of a massive, updated official map of that galaxy. [Read more here]

© Marvel

31) Marvel Insists Liv Tyler Was on Set for ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Despite Her Scenes Looking Like That

Captain America: Brave New World is one of the most peculiar MCU watches we’ve had in a while. While there are certainly narrative reasons that could be the case–mostly in that it is, bizarrely, more of a sequel to 2008’s Incredible Hulk film much more than it is a fourth Captain America movie–it’s mostly because it feels like the Marvel project where we’ve been able to most keenly feel the stitching together of a movie that lived a million different lives before the one we saw play out in theaters this past weekend. Haircuts changing every few scenes, certain characters only ever being siloed away from the rest of the plot, wild costume changes that never get even remotely addressed. But one of the most peculiar by products of all this apparently not a product of all this… it just happened to look as messy as much of the rest of the film was. [Read more here]

30) The First Trailer for the New ‘Street Fighter’ Movie Really Looks Like That

Tonight at the Game Awards, we finally got a first look at Capcom and Paramount Pictures’ upcoming Street Fighter film, which wasted no time getting down to all the action. [Read more here]

29) ‘Tron: Ares’ Is an Even Bigger Bomb Than We Thought

Movie math is incredibly confusing. Many, many factors go into what a movie costs beyond just its production, and how much money it makes goes well beyond just its box office. That’s why, while a film like Tron: Ares may have reportedly cost about $175 million to make, and it just crossed $100 million at the worldwide box office, the losses could be much more. [Read more here]

28) Stephen King Reveals His Top 10 Favorite Movies

There’s something about a favorite author or figure sharing their simple lists of favorite things. On a random Monday in September, legendary scribe Stephen King decided to hop on his keyboard and grace fans with his list of personal favorite movies. And yes, King, truly, we’ll take these crumbs. [Read more here]

27) The First Glimpse of ‘Predator: Badlands’ Is Full of Skulls and Snarls

Fans of the long-running Predator series were delighted by the news that Dan Trachtenberg—who made 2022’s Prey, which brought a fresh jolt of energy to the franchise—would be continuing to steer the ship with not one, but two new movies. One is live-action adventure thriller Predator: Badlands, and the other is an until-now mysterious animated feature. [Read more here]

26) Why People Are Furious About the New ‘Lilo & Stitch’

Walt Disney Pictures’ live-action Lilo & Stitch opened over Memorial Day weekend. While it’s making massive numbers for the studio, fans of the original film are shocked by the enormous changes to the animated film in its adaptation. [Read more here]

25) ‘Andor’ Put So Many Easter Eggs in Luthen Rael’s Shop

One of the many, many things that makes Andor so great is that it’s uninterested in fan service. There are no gratuitous cameos. No wild, broad connections. First and foremost, creator Tony Gilroy wanted to tell an emotional, impactful, and timely story of heroism and hope, which just so happened to be in the world of Star Wars. But that doesn’t mean other members of his team didn’t want to have a little fun, and the set and prop designers did just that. [Read more here]

24) Why Is Disney Burying ‘Snow White’?

When Disney has a new live-action adaptation on the way, it’s usually accompanied by a live performance in front of a Disney castle, with the newest live-action princess singing their respective iconic song for an audience of fans. It’s what was gorgeously done for The Little Mermaid‘s Halle Bailey, but as the release date for Snow White gets closer, it would appear at least stateside that star Rachel Zegler is not getting the same treatment. It’s the latest in a long line of changes Disney has made with its approach to Snow White. [Read more here]

23) ‘Blade Runner 2049’ AI Lawsuit Rules That Elon Musk’s Tesla Can Still Be Sued for Copyright Infringement

Things are getting too meta in this dystopian landscape. Blade Runner 2049‘s production company Alcon Entertainment has sued Tesla and Elon Musk for allegedly feeding stills from the Warner Bros. picture to an AI image generator to create promotional material for the car manufacturer. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Alcon’s trademark claim, while dismissed, has prompted a re-examining of the peculiar similarities between Blade Runner 2049 and Tesla’s ad campaign that allows smaller cases of copyright infringement to continue against the company. [Read more here]

22) What the Hell Just Happened on ‘Doctor Who’?

Doctor Who‘s latest season has just come to an end—and with it, we just got hit with an absolute shocker of a cliffhanger. Let’s discuss, shall we? [Read more here]

© Apple TV

21) ‘Foundation’ Returns With Its Best Season Yet

Foundation is not a show that lends itself to casual viewing. Its nuances and details, not to mention its constantly shifting settings, mean you must pay close attention to understand what’s happening. It’s also not really a show you can decide to start watching midway through, something to consider ahead of its third season premiere. [Read more here]

20) The 8 Upcoming Stephen King Adaptations We’re Most Excited to See

In the nearly 50 years since Carrie first hit theaters, Hollywood has yet to tire of making Stephen King adaptations, in large part because audiences are still so eager to watch them. It’s a good thing, then, that the author is as prolific as ever after five decades of best-sellers—although as this list of our eight most-anticipated upcoming King projects proves, Hollywood is also fond of re-adapting King tales, for better and sometimes worse. [Read more here]

19) Walton Goggins Would Rather Spend Hours in ‘Fallout’ Ghoul Makeup Than Any Time in Power Armor

It’s in the name: Fallout‘s Power Armor is meant to make you feel powerful. But the fantasies of roaming around a video game wasteland blasting irradiated monsters in a giant suit of metal and the realities of translating that to a TV show adaptation don’t necessarily mean the fantasies always come to life. [Read more here]

18) ‘Alien: Earth’ Is Better Than We Ever Dreamed Possible

When the idea was first floated of bringing the iconic Alien franchise to TV, many were skeptical. Films such as Ridley Scott’s 1979 original and James Cameron’s 1986 sequel are all-time classics. Follow-ups, like David Fincher’s 1992 film and Scott’s 2012 return, were also noteworthy for their own reasons. Alien just felt like a franchise that had been very well-explored already and could only be damaged in translation to a different medium. [Read more here]

17) Disney Pulls Back the Curtain on Its New ‘Cars’ Land

If all goes according to plan, when the new Cars-inspired land opens at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, you won’t even see it. Back at the D23 Expo last year, Disney announced it was adding a Cars-themed land to its signature Orlando park, and now, the company has revealed a ton of additional info. There’s a map of what it’ll look like, an explanation of its theming, and the news that even though it’ll be sitting in the middle of the theme park, it’ll be carefully designed to make sure it doesn’t stand out. [Read more here]

16) Riot Bids Farewell to ‘Arcane’ With a Hauntingly Romantic Music Video

Riot Games‘ award-winning animated series, Arcane, concluded its story with its second season at the tail end of last year. The major complaint from fans of the show was that they demanded more time with some of its characters. Now, four months after the show’s finale, Riot Games and animation studio Fortiche have given fans exactly what they’ve been asking for in the most League of Legends fashion: a stylish music video. [Read more here]

15) A Brief History of Swole Hutts

When the first trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu dropped yesterday, one of its many creature-packed visuals seemingly confirmed one of the most absurd pieces of casting surrounding the movie: that The Bear star Jeremy Allen White would be entering the Star Wars galaxy as a grown-up Rotta the Hutt, last seen as a tiny baby Huttlet in the 2008 Clone Wars animated movie. [Read more here]

14) The ‘Star Wars’ Gag in ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ Is Pure Rian Johnson

If you’re looking for excellent 2025 releases to watch while you’re home for the holidays, look no further than Netflix. Warner Bros.’ (almost) new owner has several fantastic original films now streaming, from Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and the George Clooney-starring Jay Kelly to Jyn Erso and Owen Lars (Felicity Jones and Joel Edgerton) in Train Dreams, as well as KPop Demon Hunters and more. [Read more here]

13) Meet the New Avatar of ‘Avatar: Seven Havens’

Avatar: The Last Airbender is celebrating its 20th anniversary in style, not just in looking to the past, but to the future. Not only are we getting new Avatar movies checking in with familiar faces, we also recently learned that the Avatar cycle will continue in Seven Havens, a brand-new animated entry in the saga… and now we know who’s leading it. [Read more here]

12) Report: Hasbro Is Scrapping Dungeons & Dragons‘ Ambitious Virtual Tabletop

Hasbro’s Sigil 3D virtual tabletop tool—which recently launched in a messy, unfinished state as an early public playtest—is reportedly being shuttered after years of development and being folded into, in some capacity, existing D&D Beyond virtual tabletop system, Maps. [Read more here]

© Warner Bros.

11) Our First Look at ‘Mortal Kombat II’ Is Exactly the One You Wanted

When people think of the video game Mortal Kombat, a few iconic characters instantly pop to mind. Scorpion and Sub-Zero, of course. Raiden. Sonja. Liu Kang. Basically everyone from the first game. And while several of those characters were in the 2021 film adaptation, a major star was missing… until now. [Read more here]

10) Here’s Your First Official Look at the ‘Legend of Zelda’ Movie

Who says Mondays can’t have good things? Nintendo casually revealed on the Nintendo app the first real look at Link and Zelda in the upcoming adaptation of The Legend of Zelda. Production recently began, and the official photos show Link (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) and Zelda (Bo Bragason) separately and together in the land of Hyrule. Check it out. [Read more here]

9) Your Full ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Cast Is Here

We’ve had rumors, we’ve had trade reports, we’ve had enough speculation for years that Marvel would be trying to pull off the impossible to get people amped up for its next set of Avengers films. And now, it’s doing so by assembling quite the roster of familiar names. [Read more here]

8) James Cameron Changed ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ After Audiences Saw ‘Way of Water’

You, the audience, may have had an impact on Avatar: Fire and Ash. The third film in James Cameron’s Avatar franchise opens December 19, and though it was largely filmed at the same time as 2022’s The Way of Water, Cameron told io9 that after fans saw that film, he went back and tweaked its follow-up. [Read more here]

7) People Making AI Studio Ghibli Images Are Now Producing Fake Legal Letters to Go With Their Fake Art

The trend of using Open AI’s ChatGPT to create AI images in the distinctive style of Studio Ghibli probably should have ceased the moment the official White House X account hopped aboard. But there’s a new wrinkle in the story today, as one of the trend’s proponents posted a cease and desist notice they claimed to have received from Studio Ghibli representatives—which fellow social media users immediately called out as being as fake as the “art” that inspired it. [Read more here]

6) Netflix Cancels ‘Sandman’ in Wake of Neil Gaiman Allegations

After quietly avoiding promotion of the series in the wake of a series of accusations of sexual harassment against writer and creator Neil Gaiman, Netflix has announced that its adaptation of Sandman will conclude with season two. [Read more here]

5) Why ‘Cobra Kai’ Never Brought Back That One Major Karate Kid Character

Now that it’s over, we can safely say Cobra Kai did it all. It checked seemingly every single box a fan of The Karate Kid franchise could’ve wanted, while also servicing all of the new characters introduced on the show. Well, with one exception. [Read more here]

4) Daisy Ridley’s New Zombie Movie Gives the Genre a Shot in the Head

You have to admire anyone willing to sit down and make a zombie movie. Over the past 20 years or so, the zombie genre has been done in so many ways, by so many different people, with such varied results, you’d think we’ve seen it all. The Walking Dead, Shaun of the Dead, 28 Days Later, Zombieland, World War Z, just zombies after zombies, and then, guess what? More zombies. [Read more here]

3) It’s Official: The Original Theatrical Cut of ‘Star Wars’ Is Coming Back to Theaters

A day Star Wars fans never thought would happen is finally happening. Lucasfilm and Disney are rereleasing the original version of Star Wars in theaters for its 50th anniversary. It’ll happen on February 17, 2027, and io9 has confirmed with Lucasfilm that it is, in fact, the original theatrical cut of the movie.

2) Stephen King’s New Book Is Incredibly Unexpected

And for his next trick, iconic author Stephen King is channeling the work of a few fellow legends. He’s set to release a new spin on the iconic Brothers Grimm fairy tale Hansel and Gretel, with artwork by none other than the late great Maurice Sendak. [Read more here]

1) Games Workshop Has Finally Learned Its Lesson

For years now, Games Workshop has struggled with how to get some of its fanciest collectibles in the hands of its actual fans—only for disaster to strike as resellers snap them all up the moment they go on pre-order. We’re not, for once, talking about the company’s vast arrays of Warhammer models, but instead, its novels… and the struggle to let fans get copies without a ton of frustration and stress might finally be on the way. [Read more here]

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.