Five years ago, the film world was turned upside down when all theaters had to close due to the pandemic. This led to several remarkable situations, such as major studios delaying releases and films disappearing to streaming. Perhaps the most extraordinary story follows.

Christopher Nolan, undoubtedly one of the most beloved directors, wanted to release his Tenet in June. However, studio Warner Bros. thought otherwise: they wanted to wait until enough theaters were open again.

Hits

In the meantime, unexpected titles like Unhinged and The New Mutants topped the charts. But even earlier, on June 21, an unknown short film reached number one: Unsubscribe.

This is a 29-minute film that was entirely shot via Zoom and cost zero dollars to make. The creators, former BuzzFeed employee Christian Nilsson, and YouTuber Eric Tabach, met with great success.

Clever Trick

They rented a theater and bought all tickets for five screenings. The total cost: $25,488. However, with little to no competition, this catapulted the project to the top of the box office, attracting real audiences to the film.



As Nilsson previously said: "We just moved money from our right pocket to our left pocket. It was absurd. Christopher Nolan was supposed to be the first with a number one film, and then we were it. That was really crazy". Although Unsubscribe is hardly a real film, it now holds a place in history as the first post-lockdown number one.

Prime Video has released the official trailer for the second season of the series Gen V, the equally brilliant spin-off of The Boys. The trailer was showcased during the panel at San Diego Comic-Con and predominantly features the madness at Godolkin University.

As society buckles under the regime of Homelander, the university gets a new dean, portrayed by Hamish Linklater, who introduces a curriculum designed to make students more powerful than ever before.

Conflict Between Supes And Humans

Marie (Jaz Sinclair), Jordan (London Thor), and Emma (Lizze Broadway) return to campus after suffering personal losses but feel out of place. Meanwhile, Cate (Maddie Phillips) and Sam (Asa Germann) are welcomed as heroes. A brewing conflict between humans and supes threatens not just the university but the entire city.

The new season also reveals details about a secret program that has existed since the inception of Godolkin University. Marie seems inextricably linked to it, complicating her position further.

New Roles

In addition to returning cast members, showrunner Michele Fazekas and actor Chace Crawford (The Deep) graced the Comic-Con panel. Erin Moriarty's character Starlight will also appear in the new season. New cast additions include Ethan Slater as Thomas Godolkin and Sean Patrick Thomas, who has been promoted to a regular role.



The premiere of the second season of Gen V is set for September 17 on Prime Video.

The first footage of the upcoming German war film The Tiger has been released on YouTube and definitely deserves to be shared. It seems that any fan of war films should quickly add this to their must-watch list.

Director Dennis Gansel, known for films such as Napola, presents a raw war drama that takes the viewer deep into the moral struggle behind German lines during WWII. A five-man crew of a German Tiger tank is sent on a secret and perilous mission.

Intense

They must rescue a colonel deep behind the hard-fought front lines. As they move east, the young soldiers become increasingly ensnared in enemy territory while confronting their own fears and inner demons.

The trailer has been met with enthusiasm. Film enthusiasts are praising the grim atmosphere of the initial footage. Some cinephiles even dare to draw comparisons to other highly acclaimed war films, such as Das Boot and Fury.

Great Expectations

Amazon MGM Studios has announced that The Tiger will be released in selected German cinemas starting on September 18. What makes this production particularly special is that it is the first feature from Amazon MGM Studios made in Germany to also be released in theaters.

If you went to see The Fantastic Four: First Steps last week, you probably also caught the first trailer for Avatar: Fire and Ash. This stunning trailer has now been officially released. It appears that James Cameron has outdone himself once again.

The king of the blockbuster takes us back to Pandora two years after Avatar: The Way of Water. This third installment showcases the darker side of the Na'vi's home planet.

Story

Jake's (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri's (Zoe Saldaña) family is in mourning after Neteyam's death. They encounter a new aggressive Na'vi tribe, the Ash People, led by the fierce Varang (Oona Chaplin).

At the same time, the conflict on Pandora escalates, introducing a new moral focus.

New Direction

Cameron introduces new cultures on Pandora in Fire and Ash. The most prominent addition is the Ash People clan. He stated the following about the different approach of the film compared to previous installments: "One thing we wanted to achieve in this film is to avoid being black-and-white simplistic. We aim to move beyond the paradigm of 'all humans are bad, all Na'vi are good'."



In Fire and Ash, we also meet the 'Wind Traders,' a group of nomadic merchants. Furthermore, Cameron expressed: "The major creative advancement in Fire and Ash lies in greater character depth. So, I think it’s not just about 'we’ll show you the best water VFX ever,' but you come more into the heart and soul of the characters. Also, several intriguing new characters will be introduced."

At Comic-Con, Ronald D. Moore, known for Battlestar Galactica, Outlander, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, shared new details about the upcoming Amazon TV series based on the popular God of War games. Moore is the executive producer of the series and spoke about his career and this highly anticipated project during the event.

According to reports from Culture Crave, Moore confirmed that the first season of the series will consist of ten episodes. The storyline will take place in the more recent Nordic period of the games, rather than in ancient Greece as in the original titles.

Focus On Kratos And Atreus

The focus is on the story of Kratos and his son Atreus. The creators aim to capture the tone of the game as closely as possible. The scripts are still in development, and filming will start no earlier than next year.

Game director Cory Barlog, who played a significant role in developing the recent God of War games, is closely involved with the series. Amazon has even given the green light for a second season before the first episode is filmed.

An Emotional Journey

In an interview with IGN, Moore talked more about the show's tone: "We are trying to capture the tone of the game. It is an epic journey, but also an emotional story about two men who embark on a quest to honor the memory of his wife."

Moore emphasized that the story is not just about action and spectacle, but also about Kratos's inner struggles. "There is a sense of history, a mystery surrounding his past and the emotions he experiences. It has weight, but there is also room for fun and wonder."

From Cutscenes To Series

Notably, Moore has tried multiple times to play the game himself but was unsuccessful. What ultimately convinced him to get involved with the project were the montage cutscenes of the game that moved him deeply.

The series is produced by Sony Pictures Television and will be exclusively available on Amazon Prime.