Every now and then, a streamer stumbles across a series that simply takes the platform by storm. This is something that can be said forCross,Ben Watkins' adaptation of the series of books centered around thecharacter written byJames Patterson,although the show does not adapt the works themselves instead choosing to focus on its own narrative. Fast-paced, fiery, and featuring a stellar central performance from the brilliantAldis Hodge,this police detective drama had all the makings of a classic when it first aired in November 2024, and, as a result, hasmaintained its spot in the streaming ranksever since....

InThis Week in Animation News, I’ll take a look at the previous week in the world of animation to get you caught up on everything you might have missed. It’s your one-stop shop for news regarding cartoons, anime, and animated web series. We’re talking movies, TV shows, digital shorts, and everything in between! For the latest animation stories we’ve already covered on the site this week, take a look at the following links....

When isThe Batmanhappening? That seems to have been the question on a lot of people’s minds over the past year or so, since the release ofBatman v Superman: Dawn of JusticeintroducedBen Affleck’s interesting take on the Dark Knight. Affleck is poised to direct the standaloneBatmanmovie, which he’s co-writing withGeoff Johns, but theArgofilmmaker has been rather non-committal when it comes to a timetable, and for good reason. Affleck has the clout to put his foot down andnotstart racing towards a release date, even if Warner Bros....

TheGame of Thronesfinally has a winner and–surprise!– it’s T’Challa, the King of Wakanda. The first teaser poster for Marvel’sBlack Panthermovie has arrived in all its regal glory.Chadwick Bosemansits upon the throne of Wakanda, which appears to be a much more comfortable seat than the Iron Throne. That makes sense considering that the fictional kingdom of Wakanda is perhaps the most technologically advanced civilization in history and has yet to be conquered by any invading force, terrestrial or otherwise....

Marvel Studios has released a newBlack PantherTV spot. In the upcoming superhero movie, T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) must navigate ruling Wakanda following his father’s death, but must also fend off a pretender to the throne, Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), who wants to remake the entire world. In order to defend his throne and protect the world, the Black Panther must take on his enemies. The Dora Milaje, the Black Panther’s all-female guard, get their due in this brief TV spot, and they look like they kick so much ass....

Oscar winnerJ.K. Simmons(Whiplash) and two-time Emmy nomineeBetty Gilpin(GLOW) are in negotiations to joinChris Prattin the sci-fi thrillerGhost Draftfrom Skydance and Paramount, Collider has confirmed. Chris McKay(The Lego Batman Movie) is directing the film, which hails from screenwritersZach DeanandBill Dubuque. The story takes place in a future where humanity is losing a war against aliens. To turn the tide, scientists draft soldiers from the past to fight the war. Pratt will play a man who must confront his past to save the world....

Netflix made waves last month when it entered the bidding war for theMax Landis-scripted supernatural cop thrillerBright, withDavid Ayerattached to direct andWill SmithandJoel Edgertonattached to star, and came out on top witha whopping $90 million deal. While that $90 million isn’t the budget for the movie—Netflix has to pay out the backend deals of the film’s stars given that it won’t be going wide theatrically—it’s still an enormous sum of money for a very hot project, and the acquisition ofBrightwas undoubtedly a statement that the streaming service is very much going to be in the business of making big movies....

AsDeadpoolpointed out, “It’s almost like they couldn’t afford another X-Man,” when all they could muster was Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) and Colossus (voiced byStefan Kapicic). And yet those two characters left a positive impression on the movie, and were great foils for Deadpool’s personality. We know when it comes toDeadpool 2, the Merc with the Mouth will be joined by Domino and Cable, but there’s been no word yet on other supporting characters....

Last weekend, I had a chance to visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios to embark on aStar Wars-themed adventure. Part of that incredible experience included an early look at the new chapter in"Star Tours - The Adventure Continues"which offered a look at a scene inspired byStar Wars: The Last Jediand revealed the name of the planet Batuu, which will be the focus of the park’s upcoming attraction, “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.” But there was much more to explore, learn about, and experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios thanks to ourStar Warsguided tour!...

WillPeter Jacksonfinally direct an episode ofDoctor Who? This is the question on everyone’s mind after a tongue-and-cheek video featuring theHobbitdirector and current DoctorPeter Capaldiwas posted to Jackson’sofficial Facebook page. The video begins with Jackson polishing one of his four Oscars next to his daughter,Katie. The two chat about an email fromDoctor Whoshowrunner (and Jackson’sThe Adventures of Tintinscreenwriter)Steven Moffatabout directing an upcoming episode, but Capaldi soon storms in to try and force Jackson to sign something from Moffat and The BBC....

On the heels of yesterday’s news that Disney’s upcoming streaming service would be featuring aWinter Soldier/Falcon-focused limited TV series, it looks like the previously announcedScarlet Witchstandalone series will be a two-hander. Longtime MCU playerPaul Bettany, who has been the voice of JARVIS since 2008’sIron Manbefore getting to appear on screen in the artificial flesh as the superheroic android Vision, is now expected to joinElizabeth Olsenin the streaming series. /Filmreports that Bettany will have a significant part to play in theScarlet Witchlimited series in a narrative that will likely focus on the relationship between Vision and Wanda Maximoff before the arrival of Thanos and his dusty fingers....

Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Emily in Paris Season 3.Everything is not what it seems onEmily in ParisSeason 3. After Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) and Camille (Camille Razat) moved back in together in the second season’s finale, Emily (Lily Collins) must put on a brave face and ignore the fact that she was just about to confess her love for Gabriel. Throughout the third season, Emily pushes her feelings for Gabriel away to explore a relationship with Alfie (Lucien Laviscount), who has taken a job in Paris and befriended Gabriel with no knowledge of Emily’s history with her handsome neighbor....

The box office has been one hard nut to crack this year, and this late August weekend serves as hard evidence to that statement. While some movies saw success or a steady run since last weekend, others stumbled out of the gate. COVID-19 has made theatergoing a difficult subject for all, and these releases and box office debuts underscore that. On a brighter note,Free Guywas able to maintain the number one spot at the box office leaderboard, earning $18....