The film adaptation of Daniel Pinkwater’s Lizard Music casts a “Chicago-area 4th grader” opposite Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Bruce McDonald reveals the plot of Pontypool 2. Mara Wilson discusses the problem with a Matilda sequel. Want to stay with Miss Honey? Then read Morning Spoilers!
Lizard Music
According to Deadline, the “Chicago-area 4th grader” Theo Clark Leber will star alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in Lizard Music, the upcoming film adaptation of the Daniel Pinkwater book from director Benny Safdie. The live-<a href="https://comicvibe.com/nintendo-files-to-have-class-action-tariff-suit-thrown-out-of-court/” title=”Nintendo Files To Have Class Action Tariff Suit Thrown Out Of Court”>action/CGI hybrid concerns “a boy (Leber) left to his own devices who stumbles upon a secret late-night broadcast of lizards playing otherworldly music” where “a hidden door to the extraordinary swings open. His search for answers leads him to an eccentric and whimsical old man nicknamed The Chicken Man (Johnson), and his beloved companion, a 111-year-old chicken named Claudia—two kindred spirits who found each other at just the right time. United by this shared vision, they set off on an adventure that begins as a hunt for a hidden society but blossoms into something far greater: a voyage through invisible worlds, unexpected harmonies, and the unbreakable bond between lost souls who discover magic not only in what they find, but in each other.”
The Conjuring: First Communion
Deadline also reports Matthias Schweighöfer (Oppenheimer) has joined the cast of The Conjuring: First Communion in a currently undisclosed role.
Matilda 2
During her recent appearance at Fanboy Expo in Knoxville, Tennessee, Mara Wilson stated she doesn’t believe Matilda’s daughter would be traumatized enough to develop psi-powers in a potential sequel.
People always ask me about doing a Matilda 2, and that could be possible… But one thing that people always say is, ‘Oh, maybe it could be Matilda’s daughter.’ And I have some issues with that, because I think Matilda’s powers come from her adversity.”
Skeletons
According to Deadline, the Bad Robot creature feature Skeletons starring Brie Larson, Kyle Gallner, Daithí Ó hAragáin, John Goodman, Willa Fitzgerald, Ione Skye, and Keith Carradine is now slated for a June 4, 2027 release date.
Freaks Part II
Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.dreadcentral.com/exclusive/581700/exclusive-paramount-lands-sci-fi-sequel-freaks-part-ii-from-final-destination-bloodlines-directors/” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>Dread Central reports Paramount has acquired the distribution rights to Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein’s sequel to their 2018 film, Freaks Part II.
Pontypool 2
During his recent appearance at Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival, Pontypool director Bruce McDonald revealed he’s finished writing a script for a sequel “set in a rehab center where they’re attempting to rehabilitate the victims of the virus.”
Tony [Burgess] and I just finished the script a few weeks ago. The working title is TYPO CHAN, which are letters found in PONTYPOOL CHANGES. It’s set in a rehab center where they’re attempting to rehabilitate the victims of the virus to be able to speak properly again and act normal, and kind of reverse the day of the viral outbreak in the town. They’re doing the work in a public school, and the transmission, the radio broadcast itself, is being kept under lock and key, because the transmission is the virus. Like the first one, it’s a bit of a love story. There are three central characters: a doctor, and a couple who went through the virus together. We’re now in talks with a few companies to see who’s going to come on and play.
Tangled
New set photos from Disney’s live-action Tangled have surfaced online.
🚨| New look at the castle of kingdom Corona!
New images show the set for Disney’s live action Tangled being filmed in Girona Cathedral in Spain.
The images showcase the castle decorated with blue and gold curtains and tapestries. Filming here is set to last until August 3rd. pic.twitter.com/5W7UbdbZSV
— Tangled Updates (@TangledUpdates) July 20, 2026
Grim Death and the Electrocuted Criminal
Variety reports a live-action television series based on the Mike Mignola and Thomas E. Sniegoski novel-turned-podcast, Grim Death and the Electrocuted Criminal, is now in development at Echoverse. The “darkly comedic story” concerns “a man named Bentley who, in order to release his parents from purgatory, has agreed to work for Death avenging those who have been killed before their time. Aiding him in his supernatural quest is Bentley’s acerbic butler Pym, headstrong journalist Gwen and nearly dead sidekick Bill.”
Afterlife With Archie
Deadline additionally has word a live-action TV series based the Afterlife With Archiecomic book series is now in development at Disney+ from Riverdale and theChilling Adventures of Sabrina’sRoberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Greg Berlanti‘s Berlanti Productions, and Warner Bros. Written by Aguirre-Sacasa and based on the Archie Comics characters,Afterlife with Archie “turns the all-American town of Riverdale into a zombie-overrun apocalypse—where the only thing scarier than the undead is trying to survive your teenage years. When a supernatural spell from a certain teen-witch backfires, unleashing an army of the possessed dead upon Riverdale, Archie and his friends must fight to stay alive, testing the friendships, romances, and loyalties that have always held them together.”
House of the Dragon
Daemon suggests it would best to “burn the villains out” in a the trailer for this week’s new episode of House of the Dragon.
Rick and Morty
Finally, Rick buys a motorcycle to enjoy “friction-free rotation” in a clip from “Field of Dreams,” next Sunday’s season finale of Rick and Morty.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
