The first week of 2018 brings some geek movie updates.

Grammy Award-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar will produce Black Panther: The Album, a compilation of music from and inspired by the upcoming Black Panther film. Lamar is working with frequent collaborator Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler, who handpicked Lamar for the job. The album marks both the first time Lamar has produced music for a major motion picture and the first time Marvel has integrated multiple original recordings created specifically for a film in the MCU. Black Panther debuts in theaters on February 16 (see “Kinetic New 'Black Panther' Trailer and Poster”). A new Black Panther miniseries (see “'Rise of the Black Panther' Miniseries”) and several collections will hit shelves this month ahead of the movie (see “Marvel Stocks up on 'Black Panther'”).

Captain Marvel has added She’s Gotta Have It star DeWanda Wise in an as-yet-unspecified role opposite star Brie Larson (see "’Captain Marvel,' 'Guardians of the Galaxy 3,' 'Avengers 4,' Groot Charity") reports Deadline. DeWanda joins Jude Law (Mar-Vell), Ben Mendelsohn (the yet-to-be-identified villain), and Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury). Captain Marvel will be released March 8, 2019 (see "Best in Shows – Q1 2019").

Woody Harrelson is in talks to join Venom in an undisclosed role according to THR. If Harrelson is signed, he will reunite with director Ruben Fleischer, who directed him in Zombieland. He will join star Tom Hardy, Riz Ahmed, Michelle Williams, and Jenny Slate (see “'Gambit,' 'Bob's Burgers,' 'Avatar 2,' 'Venom,' 'Sonic the Hedgehog'”). Venom will open in theaters on October 5, 2018 (see “Best in Shows--Q4 2018”).

The Walking Dead alum Cooper Andrews is joining Shazam! (via Deadline). He will play Billy Baston’s foster father Victor Vasquez. Cooper joins Zachary Levi (Shazam), Mark Strong (Doctor Sivana), Asher Angel (Billy Batson), and Jack Dylan Grazer (Freddy Freeman) (see “'Detective Pikachu' Gets Date, Goyer on 'MOTU' 'Shazam,' Patrick Stewart in Tarantino 'Star Trek'?”). The film is scheduled for April 5, 2019 (see “Best in Shows--Q2 2019”)

The third feature film in the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise has been pushed back a year. Originally slated for August 1, 2019, The SpongeBob Movie will now bow on July 31, 2020 according the Variety. No reason was given for the rescheduling. The third film had been announced in 2015, after the overwhelming success of the second installment in the franchise The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (see “New 'Spongebob Movie' Cleans Up”).