I walked into a room where a studio chief was talking in public and felt the air thicken. You could almost hear franchises recalibrating. I want to walk you through what that means for the movies you’ll chase next.
Sony Spider-Man Spinoffs
At a recent episode of The Town podcast (posted on YouTube), Sony CEO Tom Rothman said the studio intends to reboot its live-action Spider-Man-adjacent lineup.
I heard the announcement the same way you did: a CEO quietly moving pieces after a run of critical and box-office misfires. Sony’s pivot targets properties like Morbius, Kraven and the troubled Madame Web experiment — names fans recognize and investors tally. James Gunn’s DC era looms as a public measuring stick; Sony is effectively admitting its earlier strategy didn’t land, and now the company wants cleaner lanes and clearer hooks you can explain in a tweet.
The challenge is simple: make villain films that feel worth a ticket rather than warmed-over origin pieces. I’ll say it plainly—you and I both want fewer franchise detours and more stories that earn the hype, and Rothman signaling a retool is the first concrete sign of that recalibration.
Will Sony reboot its live-action Spider-Man villain spinoffs?
Short answer: yes, Rothman signaled a reboot plan. He framed it as a course-correction after several misfires reported by outlets like World of Reel, and he left the door open for new creative teams to repackage those IPs for modern audiences.
Who is Tom Rothman and what did he say on The Town podcast?
Rothman is Sony’s studio chief and a longtime industry executive; on The Town he acknowledged Sony will rework its Spider-Man-adjacent universe. The comments were picked up across trade coverage, and you can find the clip on YouTube and summaries on sites such as World of Reel.
Hilo
Deadline reports Mediawan Kids & Family, Submarine and Canada’s Sinking Ship Entertainment are teaming on an animated Hilo feature.
If you’ve read Judd Winick’s graphic novels, you know the set-up: a mysterious boy crashes to earth and starts piecing together who he really is. Animation studios are treating Hilo as family-friendly science fiction with heart, and those production partners have the track record to sell it to broadcasters and streaming platforms that chase young-family audiences.
The Brave and the Bold
GQ published an interview in which Paul Anthony Kelly addressed rumors linking him to James Gunn’s Batman casting wish list.
Kelly didn’t bite down hard on the rumor; he laughed it off with a line that read like a quiet audition: “If that’s what they say, then who am I to say no? I mean, that would be a dream come true.” That kind of response is a public flirtation—enough to keep casting chatter hot without committing any studio to a decision. For you, that means expect more coy confirmations and strategic leaks before any official announcement lands.
Scary Movie 6
Sources at Dread Central report the upcoming Scary Movie installment is prepping spoofs of Sinners, Weapons, and A Quiet Place.
I’ve watched parody franchises survive and sputter; the trick is picking targets that still sting in the cultural moment. Scary Movie’s new angle looks like it will lampoon recent prestige horror and streaming hits, and the timing suggests producers want to harvest the headlines those films generate. The franchise now holds up a carnival mirror to contemporary horror, reflecting our anxieties and laughs back at us.
What films will Scary Movie 6 spoof?
Reported targets include Sinners, Weapons and A Quiet Place, per Dread Central’s exclusive—titles that give parody writers obvious tonal material and mainstream recognizability.
Dune 3
At a University of Texas town hall event (covered by Variety and CNN), Timothée Chalamet teased his approach to the third Dune film.
Chalamet compared his arc to performances in films like Interstellar, The Dark Knight, and Apocalypse Now, then tempered the comparison with restraint. He said, in short, “it’s these big movies where you could sneak in something”—a hint that he’s aiming for an unexpected turn rather than a straight sequel reprise. If Denis Villeneuve and the team let him swing like that, the third film could be where the franchise takes a tonal risk that pays off.
Squatch
The trailer for Squatch shows a man inheriting a remote cabin and confronting the thing his father never spoke about: Bigfoot.
The premise trades on isolation horror and family secrets; it’s the kind of small-scale concept that can flourish on the festival circuit or find a streaming audience hungry for myth-based chills. Watch the trailer if you want a taste of how indie horror still mines folklore for ticketable scares.
The Haunting of Alejandra
Deadline reports Hulu is developing a TV adaptation of V. Castro’s 2023 horror novel, with Steven Paul Martinez attached.
The show will mix psychological dread with Mexican supernatural mythology—La Llorona as a postpartum horror catalyst—and Hulu’s interest suggests streamers still prize culturally specific horror that can spark conversation and critical attention.
Robin Hood
MGM+ has renewed its Robin Hood series for a second season, according to Deadline.
Renewals like this tell you which shows deliver both subscribers and water-cooler moments. Sean Bean’s involvement and the series’ early momentum gave MGM+ enough confidence to commission more episodes, which means the show will have another season to sharpen its themes and broaden its world.
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Rifftrax Experiments
Kevin Murphy confirmed the new MST3K episodes will restore the puppets built for the original run’s tenth season.
That matters if you’re a longtime fan: the puppets are a tactile commitment to the series’ craft and nostalgia economy. Rifftrax branding, Murphy’s presence, and the restoration signal a respect for legacy viewers even as the series hunts new audience segments through streaming and social clips.
Which of these studio moves would you bet on changing what you spend your ticket money on next?