The Sonic movies continue to have this odd lasting impact on cinema. The first one being a relatively well received video game adaption (a surprise on it's own), following controversy over the original design of the character, but it was also one of the last movies to premiere in theatres before COVID hit full force. Now with it's sequel, it's proven to not only have achieved the biggest video game movie box-office opening weekend, but also may very well be the franchise that sunsets the great Jim Carrey's career. Julian and Jeremy discuss all this (despite not having seen the actual movie yet), as well as dive into a plethora of news, not the least of which being the story that following the closing the of Warner Bros. Discovery merger that their new CEO is looking to, once again, "fix" their DC content, including mentioning the "languishing" of Superman, amongst other seemingly obvious blunders they've made recently. In addition, the guys debate a sexy new "Agree of Disagree" segment, the potential for a Tobey McGuire 'Spider-Man 4', the fallout of Will Smith's Oscars incident, and much more on this week's Tower of Babble Podcast!

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Show Notes

Movies

Warner Bros. Discovery is “Exploring Overhaul of DC Entertainment” - Variety Exclusive
WB reportedly wants to “hit pause” on future Ezra Miller projects amongst reports of arrests and erratic behavior. - The Playlist
WB is allegedly waiting to see how ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secret of Dumbledore’ performs before green-lighting any sequels.
Will Smith has been banned for 10 years from the Oscars ceremony, despite apology, following the slap incident. Netflix and AppleTV+ are also reconsidering future Smith projects
Jeff Goldblum apparently kept a diary of unscripted Ian Malcom lines that he wanted to use in Jurassic Park dominion.
A reboot of ‘Mr and Mrs Smith’ is in the works at Amazon Prime. Maya Erskine and Donald Glover are set to star.
‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ had the biggest opening weekend of any video game movie, making $71M domestically. - Engadget
- Oh and the director, Jeff Fowler, recently said he’d love to make a ‘Smash Bros’ movie.
Speaking of Sonic, Jim Carrey on a press tour for the movie announced that he’s taking a break from acting, and his thoughts on more Ace Ventura.
Speaking of retirement from acting. Bruce Willis is doing the same following the announcement that he’s been diagnosed with aphasia.
More off of Sonic, James Marsden also recently talked about the potential of returning to the role of Cyclops when asked about X-Men - ScreenRant
In an interview with Fandango, Sam Raimi was asked about the potential for ‘Spider-Man 4’ with Tobey McGuire and the gang.

Agree of Disagree

The Playlist - https://theplaylist.net/paul-verhoeven-on-sexless-hollywood-blockbusters-20220412/

Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven believes movies are too sexless these days. Particularly pointing the finger at Marvel and Bond films:

“Sex is the essence of existence!” the director said. “Without it, there are no species anymore. So why is that a big secret? There is a new purity.”

“It’s about crashing and blowing up. Sometimes these movies are fun, but the narrative tells you nothing about us now. I don’t see any other thought in Marvel or Bond movies.”

TV

‘Star Trek: Picard’ S3 will reunite the cast of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’.
HBO Max is in early development of two spin-off shows from RDJ’s ‘Sherlock Holmes’ movies, with RDJ set to produce. - Variety
Charlize Theron is producing a ‘Aqualad’ series on HBO Max.
Masie Williams has opened up about her time on Game of Thrones - THR
Stranger Things S4 trailer
Producers of ‘Better Call Saul’ confirm that Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul will appear in the final season.
‘Star Wars Visions’ is reportedly getting a second season that will drop later this year.
- ‘The Bad Batch S2’ will air July 26th.
A ‘Ted’ tv series is coming to Peacock, by Seth McFarlin. It’ll be set in 1993 and be a prequel to the movie.
HBO Max is working on an ‘It’ prequel series called ‘It: Welcome to Derry’.

What We’ve Been Watching

Werewolves Within
Death on the Nile
Apollo 10 ½: A Space Aged Childhood
Severance S1
Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
King Richard

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 174 - Tha Many Offshoots of 'Sonic 2'

Show Notes

Movies

Agree of Disagree

TV

What We’ve Been Watching

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