It feels like a lifetime since we did a news show. What with ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ coverage, reviews of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘Dr Strange’ sucking up all of our time, it’s no wonder it’s been so long! Ultimately, this means that Julian and Jeremy have a smorgasbord of movie and TV news to unpack. Not the least of which being the all sorts of fun stuff coming out of the mounting ‘Avatar: The Way of the Water’ press barrage, which includes not only the teaser trailer, but also some VERY fun comments from the legend himself, James Cameron. Next up, is another round of DC related news out of Warner Bros. Between the ‘Flash’ movie now being in limbo, the lackluster trailer for ‘Black Adam’ and the constant befuddlement of their new CEO, there’s practically enough there for a whole episode on it’s own. But we have more! The guys also cover the odd reactions to Marvel’s CG in ‘Thor’ and ‘She-Hulk’, the box office success of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, another ‘Game of Thrones’ spin-off series (this time it’s interesting I promise!), and a metric ton of “what we’ve been watching”. All that and so much more on this week’s Tower of Babble Podcast!

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Show Notes

Trailers

Avatar: The Way of the Water
Clerks 3
Prey
Black Adam

Movies

Warner Bros:
- Ezra Miller continues to get himself into trouble. WB announces that they will not be bringing him back for any future DC projects, but hasn’t decided what it will do with the ‘Flash’ movie.
- David Zaslov is reportedly frustrated by the inconsistent output of DC films and that there hasn’t been sufficient long-term planning in terms of rolling out sequels. - Variety
- The Joker 2 is in the works, and has a title, ‘Joker: Folie a Deux’. It is also rumoured that Lady Gaga might join as Harley. Also it might be a musical?
- Matt Reeves revealed that the unmade Batfleck film was an “action driven James Bond style film”.
- A ‘Peacemaker’ spin-off series centering on Amanda Waller is in the works at HBO Max.
- The ‘Wonder Twins’ movie has been is canceled.
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has passed the $1B mark at the box office, and it keeps on going.
- Is Tom Cruise’s biggest premiere in his career
Netflix is shifting its focus to “bigger, fewer, better” films.
Marvel
- Tarren Edgerton has spoken to Marvel about playing Wolverine in the MCU.
- ‘She-Hulk’ trailer.
- A new ‘Daredevil’ series is in the works at Disney+.

TV

HBO has officially ordered ‘True Detective’ season 4 with Jodie Foster and Kali Reis.
A ‘Jon Snow’ spin-off series is in development at HBO, that was pitched by Kit Harrington.
Star Wars
- Kathleen Kennedy on ‘Solo’; She learned the wrong lessons about why that movie didn’t work, saying that they “shouldn't try recasting younger versions of their stars”.
- ‘Andor’ Season 1 will cover a timespan of one year, in universe. Season 2 will cover four years, leading into ‘Rogue One’.
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
  - Potential for a sequel series.
  - The original plans for Obi-Wan Kenobi included the potential of it being a a movie trilogy, and had a buddy cop style role for Commander Cody.
‘Harley Quinn’ Season 3 will drop July 28th on HBO Max with a 3-episode premiere followed by week-to-week releases through September 15th. Plus there’s a trailer.
Netflix has given the green light for ‘Squid Game’ season 2.
‘Raised by Wolves’ has been canceled at HBO after 2 seasons.

Misc.

Sony Studios
- There is a ‘Horizon’ series in the works on Netflix and it’s set to begin filming in August.
- A ‘God of War’ series is coming to Amazon.
- Oh and a ‘Gran Turismo’ show is being made as well.
Kevin Feige confirms that they’ll be returning to San Diego Comic Con. Nature is healing.
Top Gun Maverick, Joseph Kosinski, director, says that we can probably blame Star Wars and Marvel for the reason that Tron 3 never got made.
Live action ‘Speed Racer’ series in the works with Bad Robot for AppleTV+.

What We’ve Been Watching

Jurassic World Dominion
Undone (seasons 1 and 2) - Amazon Prime
The Bear - Hulu
Ms. Marvel
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S1
The Boys S3
Halo S1
Straight out of Compton

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 176 - News Ketchup

Show Notes

Trailers

Movies

TV

Misc.

What We’ve Been Watching

Support the Show

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