Some people thought it was a myth, others assumed it was only an eventuality, the rest just got bombarded with the hashtag for 2 years, but against all odds, the “Snyder Cut” of Justice League is real, and it’s coming to HBO Max. Julian, Jeremy, and Dan discuss the exciting news and debate over how to process it all while trying to considering it in context of the vocal minority that made it happen (not as easy to do as you might think). The guys also dive into the latest Tennent trailer and ponder if it’s the last best hope to save movie theatres in a post COVID world. Speaking of which, AMC vs Universal Pictures is also discussed before moving onto to some less depressing news from the galaxy far far away, with the announcement of Taika Waititi taking on a Star Wars feature film of his own. All that and so much more in the latest Tower of Babble Podcast!

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Show Notes

Movies

The long rumoured Snyder Cut of Justice League is coming to HBO Max in 2021. Initial details are still vague but it may be as long as 4 hrs, or possibly split into 6 chapters, with a production cost of approximately $20 - $30 mill.
An Aquaman animated miniseries is coming to HBO Max titled “Aquaman: King of Atlantis.” James Wan, who directed the 2018 live-action “Aquaman” film, is onboard to executive produce.
AMC Theatres released a statement saying that they will no longer be showing Universal Pictures films at their theatres once they reopen. This in response to the release of Trolls: World Tour to VOD.
- Universal issued their own statement following that saying that “our goal in releasing Trolls: World Tour on PVOD was to deliver entertainment to people who are sheltering at home, whole movie theaters and other forms of outside entertainment are unavailable.”
Tom Cruise is working to shoot a movie in space… because of course he is.
Disney has a live action version of Hercules in development.
Paramount is planning reboots for Transformers, GI Joe, TMNT and Paranormal Activity.

Marvel

According to Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld, there are currently “zero” plans for a Deadpool 3 at Marvel/Disney.
Sony’s official name for their “spiderverse” is called… ahem “the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters”
Venom 2 officially titled Venom: Let There be Carnage
Sony is also looking to make a Madame Web movie now too.
Plus, Spider-Man 3 has been pushed to Fall 2021 and Spider-Verse 2 is now Oct 7, 2022.

Star Wars

Movie anniversaries (FYI the entire Skywalker saga is available on Disney+ now).
- Revenge of the Sith is 15 years old
- Empire Strikes Back is 40 years old
The latest from The Mandalorian season 2
- Tomura Mourison is cast as Boba Fett
- Katee Sackhoff to play Bo-Katan for the first time in live action
- Timothy Olyphant has also been cast
Speaking of The Mandalorian, one of the high profile directors from that show has been tapped by Lucasfilm to write and direct a feature film. Taika Waititi has officially been announced to be directing, and co-writing along with Krysty Wilson-Cairns (1917, Penny Dreadful), a Star Wars movie.
- Along with that announcement Lucasfilm officially confirmed the long rumoured Lesley Headland series for Disney+.
Rumours are also stirring that Hayden Christiansen is in talks to reprise his role as Anakin. The announcement was intended to be made alongside the official announcement of Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka casting at SW Celebration this year.
The Clone Wars is now over and it went out with a bang, and there’s numbers to back it up. According to Parrot Analytics, The Clone Wars was the most in demand show on ANY streaming service as of May 9th with over 139.9 million average daily expressions. The Mandalorian was a distant 2nd with 62.3 million.

TV

A new Star Trek series has been announced. Anson Mount will return as Captain Pike in a TOS prequel, Discovery spinoff, series that centres around the adventures of the starship enterprise, before Kirk.
DC on CW (DCW)
- Superman and Lois series coming in Jan 2021.
- Ruby Rose, leaves CWs Batwoman. They are now looking to recast the lead for season 2.
Just about exactly one year separated from the finale of Game of Thrones.

Misc Stories

New Looney Tunes series coming to HBO Max on May 27th
Goosebumps live action TV show in the works.
Ridley Scott’s Gladiator turns 20.
Sylvester Stallone announced that a Demolition Man sequel is in the works.
“The Green Knight” trailer (A24).
Oscar nominated films won’t have to have been screened in theatres in 2020 to be eligible for an award this year.

What We’ve Been Watching

Westworld S3

Apr 9, 2026

SSSW - Maul: Shadow Lord - Chapter 1 & 2

It's been some time since we've been able to sink our pointy teeth into a meaty Star Wars animated project. Since the finale of 'The Bad Batch' all the way back in May of 2024, all we've had to tie us over were anthology installments of varying quality. Praise the Force, that wait is finally over with the release of 'Maul: Shadow Lord', the latest full length series from Lucasfilm Animation. The series marks another technical leap forward for the animation studio, taking their patented visual style and adding another layer of detail and artistry that jumps off the screen. The story follows the titular, Maul shortly after the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire, he's looking for revenge and the series wastes no time dropping us right into the thick of things (3 car/speeder chases in 40 mins is impressive). And while we know much of Maul's criminal dealings (and most of the rest of his life actually), the introduction of a new Padawan into the mix, another apprentice-to-be for Maul, adds a layer of intrigue to an otherwise underworld focused story. Join Julian and Rachel as they unpack Chapter 1: "The Dark Revenge" and Chapter 2: "Sinister Schemes", in intricate detail.

Apr 8, 2026

Bonus Episode - ToB Film Club - Slap Shot (1977) - Review + Commentary Track

In honour of Matt strapping on the goalie pads again for the first time in many years (and not completely pulling his groin), it only made sense to revisit the classic hockey comedy, 'Slap Shot' from 1977. This isn't the first time seeing the movie for either Julian or Matt but it's been a long time so there are plenty of questions still to answer. Here's a few examples: How well shot are the hockey scenes? Does the movie feature more or less actual hockey than 'Heated Revelry'? Does the plot and/or humour hold up all these years later? All these questions are answered in time, but we're also trying something new this month. Instead of a traditional movie review, Julian and Matt decided to go a layer deeper and add a full commentary track for the movie as well. So enjoy the full review, which takes place, before, during, and after the movie itself, and sync up your own copy of the movie (there's a countdown before we start) to get the full experience!

Mar 20, 2026

Bonus Episode - 2026 Oscars Recap

Matt and Julian are back to unpack the results from last Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony. While the show itself had few surprises (there was a tie though so that's something!), between Conan's bits, the winners, and the losers, there is plenty to discuss. Congrats to 'One Battle After Another', PTA and all the winners ('Sinners' probably deserved a better fate, but respect to MBJ for his ascension)! Plus, I still can't believe the bit about making Leo into a meme actually made another meme. Join us for the full deep dive!

Mar 14, 2026

Bonus Episode - 2026 Oscars Preview Show

Julian is back from vacation just in time or the 98th Academy Awards! Airing tomorrow (Match 15th), hosted once again by Conan O’Brien, it’s the most prestigious night in Hollywood (after the Tobies of course). This is Matt’s first time on the preview show, so the format is tweaked a bit from our traditional reviews of Oscar noms, though there is still some of that. A broader approach is taken, with a larger focus on the ceremony itself, a peak at the front runners in each category, as well as the betting odds. It’s not all new-school though, find Julian’s traditional “will win”/’want to win” ballots below (Matt will put his together privately) for those curious. Lastly, look for a follow-up show discussing the ceremonies, unpacking the winners, and scoring the ballots next week. Until then, grab your tux, hit the red carpet, rub elbows with the celebs, and enjoy the 2026 Oscars!

Episode 151 - The Snyder Cut Is Real