THE BOY AND THE HERON to Release on 4K UHD and Blu-ray, MANDALORIAN Season 4 Updates, and More News Odds & Ends

Update as of 4/29/2024: The Boy and the Heron will be released July 9 on 4K UHD + Blu-ray, Blu-ray + DVD, and in a Limited Edition Steelbook which includes 4K UHD + Blu-ray. The latter will feature Dolby Vision plus Dolby Atmos. The film will also be released in HD on all major on-demand digital platforms, as well as in 4K with Dolby Vision/Dolby Atmos on June 25.

These versions will be in its original Japanese language with English subtitles, as well as in the new English-language version with actors Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Gemma Chan, Willem Dafoe, Karen Fukuhara, Mark Hamill, Robert Pattinson, and Florence Pugh. It is available for pre-order on GKIDS.com, Shoutfactory.com, Apple, Amazon, and VUDU/Fandango.

Previous: From Oscar-winner excitements to cool new releases and more, here are some of our favorite odds and ends of entertainment news.

Daggerheart image, Ghostbusters cup, The Boy and the Heron still
Critical Role, AMC Theaters/Studio Ghibli

The Boy and the Heron Will Return to Theaters on March 22, Movie Will Arrive on Max in 2024

The Boy and the Heron - Mahito and Heron
Studio Ghibli

The Boy and the Heron is now an Oscar-winning movie. And to celebrate, the Miyazaki film will return to theaters on March 22. It will return in both the English-dub and sub versions. The re-release will also include “exclusive bonus content featuring an introduction from the film’s composer Joe Hisaishi, who received a Golden Globe nod for his work on the film, and a recorded drawing session with supervising animator Takeshi Honda.”

Chihiro waving at the door - an image from Spirited Away for the new Miyazaki movie at Studio Ghibli
Studio Ghibli

Additionally, The Boy and the Heron will stream on Max later this year. Max has also extended its contract to stream Studio Ghibli films with a new “multiyear agreement.” So it looks like Max will remain the home for Miyazaki movies for the foreseeable future.

Read our review here:

Daggerheart Is Critical Role‘s Answer to Dungeons & Dragons

Daggerheart Critical Role game bard
Critical Role

Something new is coming to the world of tabletop roleplaying games, and that’s Critical Role‘s answer to Dungeons & Dragons, Daggerheart. Critical Role shares, “Daggerheart [is] our contribution to the world of high-fantasy tabletop roleplaying games. Daggerheart is a game of brave heroics and vibrant worlds that are built together with your gaming group. Create a shared story with your adventuring party, and shape your world through rich, long-term campaign play.”

Daggerheart Critical Role game setup
Critical Role

As far as game mechanics go, in Daggerheart will “players roll one HOPE die and one FEAR die (both 12-sided dice), which will ultimately impact the outcome for your characters. This duality between the forces of hope and fear on every hero drives the unique character-focused narratives in Daggerheart.” The game will also involve a card system that “makes it easy to get started and satisfying to grow your abilities by bringing your characters’ background and capabilities to your fingertips. Ancestry and Community cards describe where you come from and how your experience shapes your customs and values. Meanwhile, your Subclass and Domain cards grant your character plenty of tantalizing abilities to choose from as your character evolves.”

Daggerheart Open Beta Playtest has now launched globally.

A Dungeons & Dragons RPG life-sim game is also coming soon.

A24’s Eddington Stars Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Austin Butler, Pedro Pascal, and More in Ari Aster Movie

Pedro Pascal in The last of Us, Emma Stone in Poor Things, and Austin Butler in Dune 2
HBO/Warner Bros/Legendary/Searchlight Pictures

A24 is eyeing its next star-studded, surreal turn from director Ari Aster. Eddington features a cast that includes Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Austin Butler, Pedro Pascal, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O’Connell, Micheal Ward, and Clifton Collins Jr. Aster will write, direct, and produce the movie, which Variety shares  “follows a small-town New Mexico sheriff with higher aspirations.”

Here’s our review of A24’s latest film, Love Lies Bleeding.

Sam Rockwell Will Help Adapt Hello From The Magic Tavern Podcast Into Animated Series

Fans of the Hello From the Magic Tavern will be thrilled to hear that Sam Rockwell and Mark Berger’s Play Hooky Productions and Starburns Industries will adapt the podcast into an animated series. The series will tell a fantastical tale of the denizens of the land of Foon. Deadline reveals that “The animated series will follow the unlikely friends, Arnie Niekamp, Usidore the Blue (Young), and Chunt the Talking Badger (Rifai) on adventures throughout the fantastical land of Foon and beyond.”

The more fantasy adventures, the merrier.

The Mandalorian Season 4 Update Indicates Season Unlikely to Happen Soon

A teaser poster for the second season of The Mandlorian shows the titular bounty hunter and Baby Yoda.
Lucasfilm

Brendan Wayne, the actor who serves to bring Din Djarin’s to life physically on The Mandalorian, recently shared that it didn’t seem like a season four of the show was on the way. Wayne noted to The Chatooine Show, which we saw via Den of Geek, “I know that we’re doing a movie for sure.” But when asked if there were any plans brewing for season four of The Mandalorian, Wayne simply said, “No.” We suppose it makes sense to focus on one thing at a time. And a movie will surely be good. But fans of the series do hope to see it return to its original form at some point. Finger crossed!

Here are all the new Star Wars movies in the works.

Pokémon Creators Say Ash Could Return to the Show

Ash and Pikachu are off to their next adventure after Pokémon's final scene and their last episode (1)
The Pokémon Company

Fans of the Pokémon series recently said goodbye to Ash and Pikachu as the series shifted to its new heroes. But don’t count Ash out just yet. Speaking to Variety, The Pokémon Company’s Andy Gose, senior director of media production, and Taito Okiura, vice president of marketing, kept a little hope alive that we might run into our favorite trainer again someday.

Gose shared, “We’ve said farewell. Ash is still in the world. Anything is possible, I suppose. In the world of Pokémon, there’s so many possibilities.” And Okiura noted, “We hope Ash and Pikachu continue in their journey. Their journey is ongoing somewhere in the Pokémon world. It’s totally up to our fans’ imagination. For the time being, we would love to focus on the new story of the Liko and Roy. “Horizons” invites a new beginning.”

Liko and Roy’s adventures have finally arrived in the United States.

AMC Theaters Reveals Cool Ghostbusters Popcorn Bucket and Adorable Drink Cup

Ghostbusters Popcorn Trap
AMC Theaters

If you want to enjoy the movies and bust ghosts all at once, then AMC’s new Ghost Trap vessel and Mini-Puft Man Sipper are perfect for you. These fun products, which celebrate the release of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, will hold all your favorite theater snacks in style.

A release shares, “The Ghost Trap vessel appears to be plucked right out of the movie, complete with warning stickers and LED lights, available in theatres March 21. The colorful trap is designed to maximize the amount of popcorn you can carry to your seat from the concession stand — and then transform it into a movie experience keepsake to take home, display and enjoy. The light-up vessel is available for just $39.99 and includes a large popcorn.”

Mallow Drink Cup angry
AMC Theaters

Additionally, “Guests can also mallow out with a collectible Mini-Puft Man Sipper (just $19.99 and includes a large drink) exclusively available only at AMC Theatres in theatre and online here while supplies last.”

Personally, I am obsessed with the Mini-Puft Man Sipper. Could it be any cuter?

Take a look at the trailer for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

Music Will Literally Make You Time Travel in The Greatest Hits Trailer

Music can sometimes take you back to a specific place and time. But in the cast of The Greatest Hits, it will do so literally. You can check out the trailer for the romantic time-travel movie with a twist above. Its synopsis shares:

Harriet (Lucy Boynton) finds art imitating life when she discovers certain songs can transport her back in time – literally. While she relives thepast through romantic memories of her former boyfriend (David Corenswet), her time traveling collides with a burgeoning new love interest in the present (Justin H. Min). As she takes her journey through the hypnotic connection between music and memory, she wonders – even if she could change thepast, should she?

The greatest hits trailer still
Searchlight Pictures

Netflix Releases Three New Roald Dahl Shorts in Wes Anderson Anthology

Wes Anderson recently won an Oscar for his incredible work on The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. Anyone who enjoyed that short can rejoice because three more like it are coming as part of Wes Anderson’s collaboration with Netflix on Roald Dahl-inspired pieces. A release notes, “Four spellbinding tales unfold in writer-director Wes Anderson’s anthology of short films adapted from Roald Dahl’s beloved stories.” These shorts, of course, feature an all-star cast that includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, and more.

Benedict Cumberbatch holding a book
Netflix

Here’s the list of all the recent Oscar winners.

Star Trek Is Heading to Wondercon

Star Trek Wondercon 1
Paramount+

If you’re heading to WonderCon, don’t miss out on its exciting Star Trek offerings! First, you can participate in a Star Trek sing-along screening of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ musical episode. What could be better than that? Secondly, you can be one of the first people to watch the premiere episode of Star Trek: Discovery‘s final season. That’s not something to miss out on. Full panel details are below.

Star Trek Wondercon 2
Paramount+

FRIDAY, MARCH 29 – 8:00pm – 9:00pm   [Room North 200A]

STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS – “Subspace Rhapsody” Sing-Along 

CBS Studios and Paramount+ invite you to join them for the first ever Star Trek sing-along screening of the “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” musical episode, “Subspace Rhapsody” followed by a moderated Q&A with songwriters Tom Polce and Kay Hanley, also of Letters to Cleo fame, where they will discuss writing the songs for Star Trek’s first ever musical episode. 

SATURDAY, MARCH 30 – 3:30pm – 5:00pm   [Room North 200A]

STAR TREK: DISCOVERY  Final Season Premiere Screening 

Be one of the first to see the premiere episode of the final season of “Star Trek: Discovery” followed by a moderated Q&A with Michelle Paradise (EP/Showrunner) and Olatunde Osunsanmi (EP/Director) where they will discuss working on the exciting final season and tease what’s to come.

Check out the trailer for the final season of Star Trek: Discovery:

A Willy Wonka Experience Musical Is Coming

Willy Wonka Musical art
Willy Fest

The failed Willy Wonka experience in Scotland brought some levity to all our lives. And now, a musical based on the viral hit is on the way from producer Richard Kraft.

A release shares more about Willy Fest: A Musical Parody:

A team of top award-winning film, television and stage songwriters are joining forces to create a musical satire, “Willy Fest: A Musical Parody” inspired by the recent, ill-fated Willy Wonka knock-off fiasco that quickly became a social media phenomenon.

As breathlessly covered in worldwide press, this misguided event morphed into a viral nightmare a la Fyre Fest, where guests were greeted by a creepy warehouse, overpriced tickets and sad Oompa Loompa wannabes. Children were reportedly left in tears, the police were called, and the debacle was ultimately canceled, leaving organizers and guests with a bitter taste in their mouths and wallets.

We can’t wait to see it in song. “Willy Fest: A Musical Parody” is targeted for a late 2024 launch.

A movie about the experience is also on the way.

Originally published March 15, 2024.

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