It's been hot minute since the ToB Crew gathered to discuss the latest in film and TV news, but it’s been worth the wait because there are some gigantuan stories that need to be covered, and some of them will have lasting effects for years to come. Firstly, AT&T is done with WarnerMedia, who will be merging with Discovery to become an even bigger player in the streaming wars. Speaking of streaming, Amazon is making their own moves in that space as they look to acquire MGM. On the more creative side of things, news of a new Batman animated series made waves with the announcement that animation legend Bruce Timm would be executive producing. Plus Marvel dropped a sizzle reel and a trailer for Shang Chi. So there's plenty to cover! Join Julian, Jeremy and Dan as they discuss all these stories, plus much more, on this week's Tower of Babble Podcast!

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Show Notes

Movies

NBC News - AT&T announced that WarnerMedia and Discovery are merging to become a new company.
Variety - Amazon is weeks into negotiations on a deal to acquire MGM for about $9 billion.
WB is looking to develop a black Superman movie. Barry Jenkins, Steven Caple Jr, JD Dillard, Regina King, and Shaka King are all being considered to direct.
Lucy Liu has been cast as the villain Kalypso in ‘Shazam: Fury of the Gods’
‘Kong Skull Island’ director, Jordan Vogt-Roberts, is teaming up with the studio from ‘Godzilla vs Kong’ to make a live action ‘Gundam’ movie.
John Williams revealed that he recorded 226 minutes of music for ‘Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker’.
Mads Mikkelsen joins the cast of ‘Indiana Jones 5’
Trailers:
- Snake Eyes
- The Green Knight

Marvel

Marvel sizzle reel
- Shang Chi - September 2021
- Black Widow - July 9
- Wakanda Forever - July 8, 2022
- The Marvels - November 11, 2022
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania - Feb 17, 2023
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 - May 5 2023
- Fantastic Four tease… again
Captain America 4
Russel Crow to play Zeus in Thor Love and Thunder
Olivia Colman and Emilia Clarke cast in ‘Secret Invasion’
Venom 2

Agree of DIsagree

IGN - Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke said that the reason they paid so much for Lord of the Rings was that it was mostly due to the madness of the market. Noting that Netflix paid $469 for two sequels to Knives Out.

But she also revealed Amazon's lofty expectations for the forthcoming prequel. "As for how many people need to watch Lord of the Rings? A lot. (Laughs.) A giant, global audience needs to show up to it as appointment television, and we are pretty confident that that will happen," Salke said.

TV

Variety - A new Batman animated series has been ordered at HBO Max and Cartoon Network, with “Batman: The Animated Series” co-creator Bruce Timm attached as an executive producer, called ’Batman: Caped Crusader’. It will be executive produced by Timm along with J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves.
CBS News - NBC will not televise the Golden Globes in 2022.
The Amazon original animated series ‘Invincible’ has been renewed for 2 more seasons.
‘Ted Lasso’ season 2 is coming July 23 to Apple TV+.

Comics/Misc

Kathryn Hahn and Dave Bautista have been cast in Knives Out 2.
Margot Robbie has apparently been “pestering” WB to bring Poison Ivy into the DCEU.
Rambo and John Mclain have been added as operators/skins in CoD Warzone.
The date for Loki has changed to June 9th and will air on Wednesday’s.
Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige revealed that they originally had Dr Strange appear in the finale to ‘WandaVision’ but the character was written out to better serve the show.
Taika Waititi will play Blackbeard in a comedy pirate show for HBO Max called ‘Our Flag Means Death’.
Knuckles is confirmed for ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’
Disney reveals their “real” lightsaber.
The Oscars hit a record low in viewership. Down 58% from last year.

What We’ve Been Watching/Playing

The Oceans series
The Bad Batch
Love Death and Robots S2
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
Resident Evil 4 VR

July 30, 2026

Bonus Episode - ToB Film Club - The Warriors (1979)

Another cult classic, 'The Warriors' brings a distinctly unique sense of style and grittiness that feels right at home on the grimy streets of 1970's New York City. The gang-centered heightened reality of the film feels almost Shakespearian in nature, as if you're watching an mythological journey fraught with peril of all kinds - violence, temptation, and the law. This movie was selected as a double-feature of sorts with Nolan's recently released 'The Odyssey' and the comparisons between these stories feels apt. At the end of the day it's just people trying to get home and doing their best to overcome the challenges the world throws at them. The stakes are clear, and while the nature of good guys vs bad guys is more than a bit muddied here (Ajax... dude, wtf?) the thrilling chases, bombastic action sequences and the long awaited final confrontation are all working at a high level (despite some pretty flat performances and lackluster dialogue). While there are certain elements of the movie that DO NOT age well (looking at you gender politics), the core of the film remains strong and executed well. Plus, as an added bonus, the soundtrack for this movie absolutely slaps! This is a fun ride and it's easy to see why it's endured over these many years.

July 23, 2026

Episode 207 - Avengers: Doomsday Trailer + News Roundup

We're into the full swing of blockbuster season. With 'Obsession' breaking box office records, 'The Odyssey' now filling IMAX theatres, and 'Spider-Man' right around the corner, movies feel very "back" right now. Plus, with Comic-Con next week Marvel released their first full-length 'Avengers: Doomsday' trailer. Julian and Matt try to decide if the hype is there, which feels crazy when considering it's an Avengers movie after all, but that might speak more to the situation Marvel currently finds themselves in. Meanwhile, DC doesn't want to be left behind, releasing a new trailer for 'Clayface' , which is shaping up to be a sneaky hit in the body-horror space (despite still not Batman). This all leads to Matt's idea that comic book movies should be treated like jury duty. Plus, a news rundown covering the passing of Sam Neil, Netflix updates (they're bad), some box office updates, and more!

June 25, 2026

Episode 206 - Shrek 5 or Austin Powers 4?

Time marches on and we all feel old. This week, 'Toy Story 5' hit theaters, and while reviews have been positive, it's crazy to think we're onto the fifth installment in that franchise. In a similar vein, we recently learned that Mike Myers is interested in returning to 'Austin Powers', on the heels of his appearance in the trailer for another fiver, 'Shrek 5' (which already has people in it's own tizzy). Matt and Julian debate the merits of either prospect, and then turn the page to stare into the abyss that is AI invading Hollywood. Plus a grab-bag of entertainment stories covering odd popcorn bowls, a Knicks documentary, a scrapped Palpatine show and much more! Finally, to wrap things up, a brief discussion on 'House of the Dragon' season 3 premiere, 'Obsession', 'The Furious', and 'Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring' (both in and out of concert).

May 27, 2026

SSSW - The Mandalorian and Grogu

It's hard to believe it's been so long since the last Star Wars movie hit theatres. After years of announcements, failed projects, and even a change in leadership at Lucasfilm, the first movie in nearly a decade is a follow-up to the first ever live action Star Wars show. Maybe that's fitting for a new era, under new management. The film itself is a fast paced, action-packed, adventure that hails back to the old serials that George Lucas loved. While it is certainly a fun time at the movies, with exciting set-pieces, characters inclusions from across the lore, all of which set on planets with diverse biomes (i.e. some of the things Star Wars does best). Unfortunately, the movie lacks compelling stakes, character depth (where's Din's arc?), much of any plot to speak of, or even a sense of real "importance" - and while that may be a bit intangible, it prompts the question: why was THIS movie the first to bring Star Wars back to feature films in almost a decade? Julian and Rachel try to answer that question and dive deep into all the nerdy details.

Episode 165 - Tectonic Shifts in Streaming