The official trailer for the anime film "We Are Aliens" released on Monday, announcing two new cast members and the theme song "Sasakure" by adieu. The film, directed by Kōhei Kadowaki and produced by NOTHING NEW with Miyu Productions, is scheduled to open in Japan on September 25. Ten Yamasaki of Sakurazaka46 will play Konatsu, a classmate living near the protagonist, and comedian Kemuri Matsui will portray Batahara, the protagonist's friend. The story follows Tsubasa and Gyōtarō, childhood friends whose relationship fractures before they reconnect as young adults, with Ryōta Bandō and Amane Okayama starring as the adult versions and Yūto Maki and Tasuku Nakagome voicing the younger characters. Kōhei Kadowaki also wrote the script, storyboard, and editing, while Yaffle composed the music; NOTHING NEW produced the film and secured international distribution through CHARADES, which licensed it to Hooray Films, Shaw Organisation, Intercontinental Film Distributors, and Sahamongkol Film. The film screened at the Cannes Directors' Fortnight on May 14 and competed at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival from June 21 to 27, with additional screenings planned at the Ottawa International Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, and New Zealand International Film Festival. A crowdfunding campaign launched in November raised 9,604,510 yen, surpassing its target of 8 million yen.

Showrunners Dan Harmon and Scott Marder said the season 9 finale of Rick and Morty was intended to preserve the series’ core identity. Harmon said Morty, a 14‑year‑old boy, has been exposed to repeated trauma while traveling with an abusive Rick, and that avoiding such situations could make the show feel unrecognizable. Marder described the strained relationship between Morty and Rick as the heart of the series and said the finale examined how Morty’s attempts to corrupt Rick reflected his own desires.

The episode, titled “Field of Dreams,” begins with multiple versions of Rick and Morty at an estate sale following a family’s death from a chili‑induced intestinal explosion. Morty meets a version of himself who “funeral hops” to hear tributes from alternate family members and later encounters a family that has never met another Morty. The family appears ideal until Jerry disables the portal gun to keep Morty from returning to his own world. This version of the family is estranged from Rick because he refused to address his alcoholism. Morty later discovers a sober Rick who has been clean for 17 years, is married and teaches at MIT. Rick admits that creating the portal gun nearly ruined his life, but Morty urges him to continue, a decision that leads to marital strain, relapse and a return to his previous nihilistic behavior.

By the episode’s end, Morty resumes adventures with a drunken, irresponsible Rick. Harmon said Morty has grown organically while retaining his idealism and belief in truth, whereas Rick has changed without adopting the same moral framework. The showrunners emphasized that focusing on the characters’ relationship, rather than external events, aims to keep the series narratively consistent.

House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 6 presented a battle known as the Butcher's Ball and continued political tension among the Targaryen factions. The episode featured the death of Criston Cole, a confession by Alicent about Helaena's pregnancy, and an ambush that resulted in the likely capture of Corlys Velaryon. At the opening, Criston Cole and his forces entered an ambush, repelled initial attackers, and were later trapped by a second wave. Cole offered to defend his men, but was killed by Lady Alysanne Blackwood. Alicent disclosed that Helaena is pregnant, raising dynastic concerns; Rhaenyra responded angrily and later asked Alicent to kill her son Aemond. Rhaenyra's council remained unstable, her husband Daemon acted independently, and she faced complaints from smallfolk regarding her handling of affairs. Baela pursued Vhagar and engaged in a brief romance with Alyn; Rhaena struggled with her dragon Sheepstealer in the Vale; Aegon dealt with the aftermath of a murder; Aemond considered his next move while Helaena's visions reportedly revealed his location. Ulf expressed dissatisfaction with his watch duties; Daemon ordered him back to confinement; Hugh stole clothing to visit his wife, who rebuffed him; Daemon attempted to locate the Gold Cloaks' killers after their ranks dissolved, capturing a leader but finding the group resilient. Lord Ormund Hightower, a strategic adviser, issued counsel to Daeron and Gwayne, criticized the common people, and faced accusations of homophobia after apologizing for being saved by Gwayne. Corlys Velaryon was ambushed by Jon Roxton, a retainer of Ormund, and taken prisoner, a development not present in the source material. The episode concluded with Ormund sharing his plans with Gwayne, suggesting further developments in the conflict.

IGN's article titled 'Magic: The Gathering's Top 12 Commander Precons' presents a list of twelve preconstructed Commander decks, spanning multiple product lines. The Commander format, centered on a legendary creature, was officially recognized by Wizards of the Coast in 2011, leading to the release of preconstructed decks that can be played immediately. Counter Intelligence and World Shaper appear together in the Edge of Eternities set, with Kilo, Apogee Mind and Szarel, Genesis Shepherd as commanders. Counter Blitz is from Universes Beyond: Final Fantasy and features Tidus, Yuna’s Guardian. Necron Dynasties from Universes Beyond: Warhammer 40K uses Szarekh, the Stormlord as its commander. Mutant Menace, also from Warhammer 40K, centers on The Wise Mothman. Endless Punishment from Duskmourn includes Valgavoth and Master of Pain and is offered as part of a four‑deck bundle priced at $189.20, down from $242.97. Sliver Swarm from Commander Masters features Sliver Gravemother as its commander. Eldrazi Unbound from Commander Masters uses Zhulodok, Void Gorger as its commander. Vampiric Bloodlust from Commander 2017 features Edgar Markov as its commander and includes Teferi’s Protection. Food and Fellowship from Universes Beyond: Lord of the Rings uses Sam and Frodo as partner commanders. Veloci‑Ramp‑Tor from Lost Caverns of Ixalan is led by Pantlaza, Sun‑Favored. Party Time from Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate uses Nalia de‑Arnise as its commander. The article also notes four 2026 decks—Dance of the Elements, Lorehold Spirit, Witherbloom Pestilence, and Avengers Assemble—each with distinct commanders and mechanics. The piece invites readers to identify which decks they have used and notes that several decks are currently discounted as part of the Duskmourn bundle.

Universal responded after a high‑quality, 2‑hour‑53‑minute copy of Christopher Nolan’s "The Odyssey" appeared on X/Twitter over the weekend, amassing more than 2.1 million views before the posts were removed. The leak gave some viewers the option to watch the film at home during its second weekend, when the movie had earned a worldwide total of $264.1 million. Most of the uploads were taken down quickly, though the most popular post was removed entirely; reactions on social media ranged from surprise to humor. Universal issued a statement saying it had initiated takedown protocols and would pursue remedies to protect its intellectual property. Nolan filmed the movie entirely with IMAX cameras, and the leak highlighted the difficulty of preventing high‑resolution copies from circulating. IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond said expanding 70mm IMAX projector capacity was not practical. Elon Musk announced that his AI tool Grok could produce an AI‑generated version of the story by the end of 2026, describing it as historically accurate. The film’s box‑office performance remained strong despite the leak, which underscored ongoing challenges of protecting premium content in the digital age.

X-Men '97 season 2 may adapt classic Apocalypse storylines from the comics, according to Polygon. The show has already drawn on arcs such as the fall of Genosha and the Lifedeath storyline, suggesting that future episodes could focus on Apocalypse. Apocalypse, a mutant who was introduced in the Age of Apocalypse arc in the 1990s, has been a recurring threat in the Marvel Universe and appears prominently in the current season. The first possible adaptation is the 1986 storyline The Twelve, which involved a group of mutants targeted by Sentinels. The story was written by Walter Simonson and featured characters including Apocalypse, Cyclops, Storm, Jean Grey, Danielle Moonstar and Franklin Richards. The article notes that the storyline concluded with time travel, fake deaths and the apparent death of Cyclops. The second possibility is an adaptation of The Further Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix, a 1990s miniseries that depicts a time‑traveling Scott Summers and Jean Grey confronting Apocalypse in Victorian London. The piece mentions that the series was created by Peter Milligan and John Paul Leon. The third option is a story involving Apocalypse and the Brood, referencing a comic panel by Dustin Weaver that shows an ancient Moon Knight and a young Apocalypse fighting the alien Brood. The fourth speculation involves an Apocalypse versus Dracula conflict, citing the 2006 miniseries X‑Men: Apocalypse vs. Dracula by Clayton Henry, which portrayed a feud between Apocalypse and the vampire lord. The final and least likely scenario is an adaptation of the Age of Apocalypse event from 1995, in which Legion kills Magneto and creates an alternate timeline where Apocalypse dominates North America. The article describes the 30‑year‑old storyline and notes that its chances of being adapted have diminished. Overall, the speculation ranges from highly plausible to very unlikely, and the show has not confirmed any of these storylines.

At San Diego Comic‑Con, director Jonathan Goldstein said a sequel to the 2023 film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves may not be produced despite having a script, citing financial concerns. The original film earned $208.2 million worldwide on a $150 million budget, released before The Super Mario Bros. Movie and before the increase in Dungeons & Dragons popularity following Baldur’s Gate 3. Goldstein, who co‑wrote and co‑directed the original with John Francis Daley, told Screen Rant that the sequel script exists and that he and Daley remain interested in moving forward, but he doubts the project will be greenlit because of the high production costs. He noted that Paramount Pictures, the distributor, would need to allocate substantial resources. Box‑office results and competition from other franchise releases have contributed to studio hesitancy. Goldstein expressed hope that a sequel could be realized if financial hurdles are overcome and said fans would likely welcome new material from the script.

Marvel and WEBTOON announced three original vertical-scroll webcomic series at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday. The companies formed a global partnership in August 2025 to adapt roughly 100 Disney-owned titles for WEBTOON's mobile vertical-scroll format and to develop new original content. Tony's Girl, written by CRC Payne with art by StarBite, reimagines a 17-year-old Tony Stark as he develops a romance with Meredith McCall, daughter of his father's business rival. That Time Deadpool Fell Into WEBTOON...and Found The Longest Title of All Time!!!, written by Ucheomaaa and illustrated by Annie Huang, follows Deadpool after he is transported into the WEBTOON universe and searches for a way home. X-Men Korea, developed by Studio LICO, centers on Korean high-school student Yeong-seo Go who awakens as a mutant, enrolls at Hoseok Academy for the Gifted, and uncovers a megacorporation conspiracy concerning humanity's future. Marvel said the three titles constitute the first wave of all-new Marvel stories created exclusively for WEBTOON, with additional projects to be announced later. No release dates have been provided, and further details are expected.

Akira Ishida and Misato Fukuen have been cast as the parents of the main character in the television anime adaptation of Kureha's The Ogre's Bride light novel series, the staff announced on July 26. The anime premiered on July 4 on Tokyo MX, BS11, Gunma TV, Tochigi TV and on streaming services d Anime Store, ABEMA, U‑NEXT and Anime Hōdai, with Crunchyroll providing a simulcast. The story follows Yuzu Shinonome, a high school girl whose sister is married to a demon, and her encounter with an ogre who claims her as his bride. Ishida voices Senya Kiryūin, Reiya’s father, and Fukuen voices Sara Kiryūin, Reiya’s mother. The series also stars Saori Hayami as Yuzu Shinonome, Yūichirō Umehara as Reiya Kiryūin, Manaka Iwami as Karin Shinonome, and additional cast members including Ryōta Ōsaka, Sayaka Senbongi, Natsuki Hanae, Taito Ban, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Aya Endō, Momoka Terasawa, Miyu Kobashi and Kazuhito Ōmiya. Colored Pencil Animation Japan produces the series under the direction of Kazuhito Ōmiya, with Yumi Kamakura writing the scripts and Hikari Tanaka handling character designs. The opening theme is performed by the ClariS trio, and the ending theme is performed by Ikusaburō Yamazaki. The light novel series, which began on Starts Publishing’s Novema! platform in 2019, has sold more than 5.8 million copies, and its 10th volume was released in December 2025. A live‑action film adaptation opened on March 27 and earned 146,000 tickets and approximately US$1.27 million in its opening three days. The anime continues to air weekly on its broadcast and streaming platforms, and the new cast members are expected to appear in upcoming episodes.

The staff of the upcoming Star Detective Precure! film announced the main trailer and staff details on July 26, 2026 and revealed that the ending theme song "FIRST PRISM" will be performed by Yūka Masui and Chihaya Yoshitake while the insert song "First Step" will be performed by Ami Ishii. The film, the 23rd entry in the Precure franchise and titled Eiga Meitantei Precure! Fushigi na Niwa to Futari no Himitsu, is scheduled to open in Japan on September 18, 2026. It follows Detective Precure Anna Akechi and Mikuru Kobayashi as they investigate the X Mark Incident, a fairy named Rain, and the overgrown Karin's Garden populated by Dame Dame creatures, with appearances by characters from You and Idol Precure♪ and Wonderful Precure!. Staff members include director Hanako Ueda, writer Yoshimi Narita, composers Erika Fukasawa and Misaki Umase, chief animation director and character designer Emiko Miyamoto, art director Risa Fujii, color designer Satoshi Takezawa, cinematographer Takumi Arai, and production manager Hirotaka Naota. The opening theme "Heart ni Hint! Meitantei Precure!" is performed by Ami Ishii, and the ending theme "Naze? Nazo?! ANSWER" is performed by Akane Kumada and Yūka Masui. Dance lesson videos for the songs have been posted online. The series streams on Crunchyroll worldwide.