Following FanQuest the ToB Crew decided to take a short break while in the midst of the summer doldrums to recharge their batteries. That R&R is now over and the guys are back to break down the latest in film and TV news. On the docket this week is the confirmation that Joaquin Phoenix has signed on to play The Joker in a standalone origin film, Billy Dee Williams will likely return to the role of Lando Calrissian for Star Wars Episode IX and Halo is finally coming to TV. All this and so much more on this week's Tower of Babble Podcast!

Unfortunately Dan had other, more pressing (job related), engagements to take care of and wasn't able to join the podcast this week. However, look for him alongside Julian as they continue their Game of Thrones Season 1 Rewatch.

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Show Notes

Movies

Joaquin Phoenix has officially signed on to play The Joker in a standalone origin film directed by Hangover director Todd Phillips.
Reports are saying that BIlly Dee Williams will be reprising the role of Lando Calrissian in JJ Abrams, Star Wars Episode IX.
Keri Russell of The Americans fame cast in Star Wars Episode IX as well.
Sonic the Hedgehog live action movie lands Jim Carrey in the role Dr Robotnik/Dr Eggman.
Miles Teller cast as the son of Goose in Top Gun 2.
Black Widow movie gets a director. After meeting with over 65 candidates Marvel has decided to go with Australian director Cate Shortland.
Nathan Fillion, of Castle and Firefly fame, teased something to do with Uncharted on his Instagram account.

TV

The 70th Annual Primetime Emmy nominees were announced. Look for our predictions as we get closer to the ceremony.
After two marginally successful internet miniseries and several popular live action commercials it looks like the video game franchise Halo will be coming to television in a more official capacity. Originally announced in 2013 nothing really happened with the project until news broke recently that the show will begin production this fall. Airing on Showtime it’s notably being produced in partnership with Steven Spielberg under his banner, Amblin Entertainment.

What We've Been Watching

Ant-Man and the Wasp
Handmaid’s Tale Season 2
GLOW Season 2

Jan 26, 2026

Episode 204 - Oscar Noms + 2026 Predictions

As noted by the recent Tobies, awards season continues in full flight, so it's no surprise to have The Oscars drop their nominations just in time for Matt and Julian to break them down. 'Sinners' taking home 16 noms sets an Oscars record and (more importantly) validates Julian's recent Tobie pick. Plus, the guys return to a more traditional news format with headlines about James Bond, Game of Thrones, He-Man and more! Finally, the guys look into their crystal balls, gazing into the future, to make entertainment-based predictions for the year 2026. How will the WB/Netflix deal play out? Will Star Wars have a hit with 'The Mandalorian and Grogu'? Will Nolan's 'The Odyssey' be as big as 'Oppenheimer'? Only the ToB hosts can tell you! (No future lotto tickets or sports almanacs unfortunately)

Jan 19, 2026

Episode 203 - The 2025 Tobie Awards (9th Annual)

With the Golden Globes holding their annual ceremony last week, it signals only one thing - it’s AWARD SEASON BABY! And of course, when one thinks of the most prestigious awards in entertainment, of course names like Oscar, Tony, and Emmy might come to mind. But held on equal footing with those self-congratulatory titans is of course the name Tobie. That’s right y’all THE TOBIES ARE BACK for another go around at the top three best movies and shows of year. And while there may be a new host in the rotation, the format and the prestige remain unchanged. Join Julian and now Matt to explore what, upon reflection, was a pretty damn good year for visual storytelling on both the big and small screens.

Jan 5, 2026

SSSW - Year in Review 2025 + Visions Vol 3

With the back half of 2025 being relatively quiet from a Star Wars perspective, it's hard to remember that 'Andor' wrapped up it's two season run and blew us all away THIS year. Never mind that 'Skeleton Crew' also wrapped up in 2025! Julian and Rachel, using the help of this handy Starwars.com article as reference, look back at the year that was in Star Wars. Overall, despite things slowing down content-wise, 'Andor' alone makes it a stellar year, and with new movies on the horizon and a new animated series set to drop in 2026, there's still plenty to be excited about going forward. If that wasn't enough, join us as we explore 'Star Wars: Visions - Volume III', posing the question: has the Star Wars anime concept run it's course?

Dec 24, 2025

Bonus Episode - ToB Film Club - Surviving Christmas (2004)

Happy holidays ToB Fans! Completing a string of 3 straight publicly available Film Club episodes, commemorating the show's relaunch, we finish with our annual tradition of doing a Christmas movie for December. This year, with Matt joining the show it was his choice. He went with a movie from the mid-2000s that he's revisited time and again - 'Surviving Christmas'. A Ben Affleck vehicle that comes from a rocky era of his, just one year removed from 'Gili'. Fortunately, it features a strong supporting cast, with both Catherine O'Hara and the late James Gandolfini stealing the show and preventing this from being a complete disaster. Devoid of any type of strong holiday message, we spend much of the movie indulging Affleck's character's obnoxious desires, and despite some funny moments peppered throughout and a relatively strong third act, the tonal inconsistency and unlikability of the main character leave this movie mired in mediocrity. See you all again in 2026!

Episode 116 - The Return of the Lando

Show Notes

Movies

TV

What We've Been Watching

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