Michael Fassbender

More and more details continue to trickle out regarding Ridley Scott’s Prometheus sequel / Alien prequel, Alien: Covenant. We know Michael Fassbender is returning, we know Katherine Waterston has a primary role as leader of a new crew of explorers, and we know that the new trilogy of films (yes, trilogy, apparently) will explore not only where Engineers come from, but where Xenomorphs came from (nope, not the Xeno-stork). Today brings another interesting detail, which may explain the lack of Noomi Rapace’s involvement.

It’s the end of the year, which means lots and lots (and lots…and lots…) of features previewing 2016's highly-anticipated new releases, like Assassin’s Creed. Justin Kurzel’s adaptation of the beloved series has all the makings of a good video game adaptation; in fact, it could be the first genuinely good video game movie (your Silent Hill mileage may vary). Two new photos have arrived online giving us two different versions of Michael Fassbender for the price of one. What a bargain.

Now that we’ve all gotten Star Wars: The Force Awakens out of our systems (no? Still going?), we can look forward to some of next year’s major releases, like X-Men: Apocalypse. The third film in the current trilogy arrives next May, starring everyone’s new actor BFF Oscar Isaac as the titular villain, featured in a new piece of concept art along with three of his four horsemen and some very warped surroundings.

There are a few reasons to be tentatively excited about the Assassin’s Creed movie — Michael Fassbender is starring in and producing the adaptation, re-teaming with his Macbeth director Justin Kurzel and co-star Marion Cotillard for what may very well be the first truly good movie based on a video game. A new image from the film has arrived online, with Fassbender in costume as his character’s 15th century counterpart alongside co-star Ariane Labed.

Assassin’s Creed has officially begun its marketing campaign, revealing a new banner for the upcoming live-action film based on the popular video game. In addition to the simple banner image, 20th Century Fox has launched its viral marketing, which includes a new website and an image that leads to a very interesting message…that might reveal when we’ll see the first trailer.

In case you couldn’t tell by how much Ridley Scott’s been talking about it in interviews as of late, Alien: Covenant (aka Prometheus 2) is very much happening. The film begins shooting early next year for a 2017 release, with Michael Fassbender returning to reprise the role of handsome synthetic David. Although Scott was previously eyeing Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation breakout Rebecca Ferguson for a leading role, the director has instead cast another rising mega-star: Katherine Waterston.

Like the trailer for Captain America: Civil War, the first trailer for X-Men: Apocalypse has a whole lot to unpack, from new characters to Oscar Isaac’s ungodly villain and his four horsemen, and yes, the bald-ification of James McAvoy’s Professor X. To help you digest all of this, director Bryan Singer has offered a breakdown of some of the bigger happenings in the new sequel.

I’m an old enough nerd to remember when the first X-Men movie came out in theaters. At that time, comic books were not the number one driver of all things in popular culture. Bryan Singer’s X-Men certainly featured all the comic’s beloved heroes and villains, but there did seem like there was a concerted effort to tamp down some of their comic-book-ness. Everyone dressed in black. There was no spandex. The story was grounded in weighty real-world themes like prejudice and vengeance. It was the X-Men you knew, but watered down just a bit. It was a rum and coke, not a shot of gin. X-Men: Apocalypse, in comparison, looks like a bottle of Beefeater.

Marion Cotillard has already proven herself one of the great French actresses of our time, and also one who never ceases to captivate us. In the latest reimagining of Macbeth, Cotillard takes on the Shakespeare tragedy with a sheer, haunting force as Lady Macbeth.

This weekend proved once and for all that people care more about the new iPhone emojis than they do about Steve Jobs. But could the biopic’s box office failure signal a struggle for it come Oscar season?