In the run-up to the holidays, Hollywood news is running hot, and we round it up here.

Sony’s Kraven the Hunter (see “’Kraven’ Trailer”) was a bomb of historic proportions for a superhero movie, with an opening weekend gross below even that of Madame Web, which was a box office disaster earlier this year.  Madame Web was originally estimated to have grossed $17.6 million in its opening weekend (see “’Madame Web’ Tanks”), but it ended up at $15.3 million, still well over Kraven the Hunter’s $11 million (according to Variety). 

Games Workshop has granted exclusive rights to adapt the Warhammer 40,000 universe for films and television series, along with associated merchandising rights, to Amazon Studios, the companies announced.  Amazon also has an option to license equivalent rights to the Warhammer Fantasy universe, following the release of the first Warhammer 40,000 production. No announcements were made on the initial Warhammer 40,000 project; Henry Cavill was reported as hired for an Amazon Studios Warhammer 40,000 series back in 2022 (see “Cavill Goes to ‘Warhammer 40K’”), but there’s been no confirmation that that particular series is still in development.  A Warhammer 40,000 episode of the Secret Level anthology series is now streaming (see “’Secret Level’ ‘Warhammer 40,000’ Trailer”). 

Chris Evans will appear in Avengers: Doomsday, according to Hollywood Reporter. The role was not revealed; Evans has played Captain America and Johnny Storm/The Human Torch in previous MCU films.  And there’s precedent for shifting roles; Robert Downey Jr. is playing Doctor Doom in the next Avengers film, not the role in which he led the MCU as Iron Man. Avengers: Endgame will be released on May 1, 2026 (see “Geek Movie Calendar – 2026”).

Jeremy Alan White (The Bear) is in talks to voice Jabba the Hutt’s son Rotta the Hutt, according to Hollywood Reporter.  The new feature will be the first Star Wars film since 2019 (see “’Mandalorian & Grogu’”); it spins off from the Disney+ The Mandalorian series,  the biggest thing that’s happened to Star Wars in recent years. The film began shooting last summer, and has been scheduled for release on May 22, 2026 (see “’Star Wars’ Project Updates”).

DC Studios has greenlit a film based on Batman villain Clayface, according to Variety. Release date has been set as September11, 2026. The character was featured in the Batman: One Bad Day Clayface $7.99 one-shot in 2023, which was the #5 dollar book in its launch month (see “Top 50 Comics – February 2023”).

Aardman and Pokemon have teased an upcoming collaboration, with both companies posting short Aardman-esque videos of a Poke Ball forming on X, with the phrase “Coming in 2027!” (see below). Aardman has been known for its house IPs, especially Wallace & Gromit; it released a trailer for Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, which is due out this winter (see “’Wallace & Gromit’ Teaser”), earlier this year.