The latest live-action Tolkien gig came in second place to Worst Ex Ever, a new Netflix true crime documentary show. Per Netflix, the logline is: "From chilling betrayals to murder plots, this true-crime docuseries dissects the dark side of love through eyewitness testimonies."

According to Variety, the series came in at around 633.3 million minutes watched, with The Rings of Power racking up 553.5 million minutes watched. Much like the Lord of the Rings spin-off, the true crime doc is airing weekly – rather than the full season being available to watch all at once. The first four episodes focus on spouses who have discovered that the person they married is not who they seem, with one woman finding herself in a murder plot following their divorce. Other details about the show, such as crew production, are murky at this time.

"We’re looking to bring people to the service and we’re hoping to get lots of signups again," Vernon Sanders, head of U.S. and global TV for Amazon and MGM Studios told Variety, explaining Amazon's $100-150 million investment in each season of The Rings of Power. Basically, they're determined to stay at the top spot (and there's no way we aren't getting a third or even fourth season.)

The Rings of Power season 2 is streaming now on Max. Worst Ex Ever season 1 is streaming now on Netflix. Check out our guide to The Rings of Power season 2 release schedule and our The Rings of Power season 2 review.

In The Rings of Power season 2 episode 4, Elrond and his troops are attacked by a merciless group of Barrow-Wights. If you listen closely, the incantation, "Cold be hand and heart and bone" is being sung over the score.

The full incantation is as follows: "Cold be hand and heart and bone, and cold be sleep under stone: never more to wake on stony bed, never, till the Sun fails and the Moon is dead. In the black wind the stars shall die, and still on gold here let them lie, till the dark lord lifts up his hand over dead sea and withered land."

This is recited in the chapter, "Fog on the Barrow-downs," which is the eighth chapter of the first part of the novel The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings. In the chapter, a barrow-wight sings this after it traps Frodo, Sam, Pippin, and Merry.

It's a cool Easter egg, especially given that the last time we heard it in a live-action Tolkien venture was The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Gollum eerily recites a few lines, though with the words changed just a bit: "Cold be heart and hand and bone, cold be travelers far from home, they do not see what lies ahead when sun has failed and moon is dead."

Tolkien nerds have won yet again. Everyone say, "Thank you Bear McCreary."

The Rings of Power season 2 is streaming now. Check out our guide to The Rings of Power season 2 release schedule and our The Rings of Power season 2 review.

This time, the forest moon of Endor's fuzzy little inhabitants will unite to defend their home from a cadre of Imperial bounty hunters dead-set on retrieving a stockpile of weapons left behind when the Empire was expelled from the arboreal moon at the end of Return of the Jedi.

Newsarama caught up with Orlando ahead of the October 9 release of Star Wars: Ewoks #1, digging into the long (and sometimes controversial) legacy of the Ewoks, how the story fits into Star Wars continuity, and which characters will join in the adventure as the series rolls on.  We've also got an early look at some interior pages from Ewoks #1.

Newsarama: Hi Steve! Star Wars: Ewoks takes place soon after Return of the Jedi. What challenges are the characters facing next now that the second Death Star has been destroyed?

Steve Orlando: One of the first is that very question - "what next?" The Ewoks have met the Empire, they've met the rebels. They know more outsiders could and likely will come from the stars. So, should they be wary of them based on how the Empire treated them? Should they be open to them based on how the rebels fought with them? 

And this doesn't just concern outsiders from the stars - the Ewoks wonder if they should build stronger ties with the Forest Moon's other species. And no one seems to be able to agree. But as fate would have it, an Imperial detachment lands on the Forest Moon, hot on the trail of a hidden weapon cache - and their arrival forces the issue. 

We know that Wicket will be a main character here, but who are some of the other characters we’ll encounter?

It's not Ewoks without Wicket, is it? But as you said--there'll be many more. While not everyone can get the same spotlight, we've been working our hardest to ensure nearly every Ewok of note gets at least a short appearance. You'll see Kneesaa, you'll see Chief Chirpa, Logray, Teebo. 

You'll see our newly-debuting loner Ewok - Meedro. And you'll see the first modern appearance of the incredible Red Ghost - Asha - a gem of a character created in part in the foundational animated series. And even with all that, we'll be seeing more than just Ewoks in these pages.

You’ve hinted that we’ll learn more about Endor in this series. What can you tease about that?

We'll be seeing new parts of the Forest Moon - like the Endless Lake Village. You'll see species from throughout the past 40 years of Endor's history, many of whom are debuting in modern storytelling for the first time! This is a celebration not just of the Ewoks, but of the Forest Moon as a whole! 

In the movies the Ewoks speak in their own language rather than English/Galactic Basic. How do you handle that in the comic?

They'll be speaking Ewokese here, as well! Though much of it will be translated for ease to the reader (since most of us aren't native Ewokese speakers), we'll also be celebrating as many iconic Ewokese phrases as we can. 

Much like in the cartoon series, Ewokese will also be united with basic in some idiomatic instances. And of course, some Ewoks like Wicket do know a bit of basic - along with our protocol droids, they'll be bridging the two languages whenever possible. 

How has your collaboration been with Laura Braga and Álvaro Lopez on this book? What do you love about their art?

Laura and Álvaro have been incredible to work with! I've been lucky enough to work with Laura a few times in the past, but this is my first work with Álvaro. In both cases, they've taken the lead and wrung every single drop of adventure out of these pages. EWOKS is a challenging book - we've got a ton of creatures, classic villains and new villains alike, and a Forest Moon full of distinct alien species. 

It would be enough to daunt any team, but Laura and Álvaro have leaned in. They've hit that note of wonder and adventure perfectly! And it's great to see them, and our heroes, soar with every page.

The Ewoks are well loved these days, but at the time were a little bit controversial. Were you always a fan? And are they fun or difficult to write for?

I was absolutely a fan! When I was younger, I would watch my Return of the Jedi VHS tape every weekend after getting back from ski trips - and I always felt like I was discovering something new. I was right in the strike zone for the Ewoks. So, I know the appeal - and I know the criticisms! 

But the key here to overcoming them is in the presentation - these are a heroic species, who live a life that might seem simple but is still rich, complex, and dynamic. We're imbuing them with the same level of personality as any other species - and LIKE any other species, they love their home and will do anything to defend it. They might be the underdogs, but they're the heroes, too - and yes, that makes them a total blast to not just write...but to root for!

What are you most excited about readers discovering in Star Wars: Ewoks?

It's hard to choose! It's been killer to give Wicket a whole new level of bravery, courage, and heroism - to team him up with new Ewoks and new Endorians. But debuting Asha, the Red Ghost, has also been electric. She brings intensity to every page she's on, and mashing her up against our gruff new Ewok Meedro has been instant fireworks. 

But then, there's the monsters! There's the devil serpents and condor dragons, there's the mythic devourers and swamp scavengers that make Endor as incredible as it is dangerous! I think what I'm saying is, readers are going to discover the Forest Moon of Endor like never before - and that, holistically, is what's most exciting by far!

Star Wars #50 marks the end of the current era of Marvel's Star Wars comics with a confrontation between Luke Skywalker and Ben Solo.

After the Borderlands movie made just $8.8 million against its $110+ million budget during its opening weekend, Boll - who has secured multiple Golden Raspberry nominations for his video game adaptations - decided to gloat. "My movies were rated R and made more money than this," he said on social media (via PC Gamer), noting Borderlands' drop from an R rating to PG-13.

Putting aside the fact that Borderlands scraped to nearly $30 million by the time it left theaters and that none of Boll's movies have had that kind of turnaround, it seems that the Postal director might have been a bit premature in his mockery. Last week, he kicked off a crowdfunding campaign to raise $2.5 million for a sequel to his 2007 Golden Raspberry winner Postal, which grossed less than $150,000 worldwide. That film was based on the Postal games, the most recent of which is currently sitting on a rating of 30 on Metacritic.

That crowdfunding campaign was, to be clear, an abject failure, raising just $850 from 16 backers before it was canned. At time of writing, the campaign's title simply reads "cancelled all pledges refunded we had no choice," and is accompanied by a video of Boll saying that it "was just not worth it." Boll seems to think he might still make Postal 2 if he can find the money somewhere else, but it's pretty clear that the community support he was hoping for wasn't really there. Hey, at least Randy Pitchford has Borderlands 4 to fall back on.

For a few beautiful hours, the Borderlands movie's $90m flop wasn't even the worst-reviewed film of the summer.

Now, hear me out. I know that's something of a controversial stance. But let's take the case of the Orc baby as the most recent example of the kind of pushback the Prime Video show draws. Ardent fans on the internet expressed their displeasure with the show revealing a family of Orcs – complete with a little'un – decrying it as an unforgivable twist on Tolkien's treatment of the species. Though, not only can you find the seeds of such an idea in Tolkien's writings anyway, but expanding on the source material, in my opinion, has never been an act of desecration. Instead, the way I see it, it's another form of reverence. 

But, I hear you cry, how can meddling with the source material possibly be showing it respect? Well, let me explain. No one can deny that Tolkien is a legendary writer. His sprawling epic that is The Lord of the Rings saga and all its accompanying writings elevates him to immortality in the literary and cultural canon. His works have ended up pretty much on the same level as our foundational myths and fairy tales, at this point – most people's idea of an Elf or a Dwarf is the type Tolkien wrote about, after all. 

And what do people long to do with such fundamental stories? Why, reinvent them of course. Retell them, over and over, diving into them as living, breathing worlds that can be shifted and changed and played with – a realm of endless possibility, ripe for interpretation. Treating Tolkien's works as sacred leaves them forever frozen, but seeing them as an oasis of potential – of seedlings to grow, rather than preserve – is placing Tolkien on the same level as those famous storytellers of old, which is surely where the fantasy virtuoso belongs. 

Changing it up

Of course, I'd never say that all changes are good or justified. Many times I've watched an adaptation of a book I love and practically torn my hair out at some of the decisions made. But The Rings of Power certainly isn't one of those adaptations. In fact, some of the things that interest me most about it are inventions of the show. Galadriel's dark bond with her nemesis Sauron, for example, is not taken from Tolkien's work, but it's one of the most fascinating things about Morfydd Clark's portrayal of the character. And after all, why shouldn't Tolkien's figures be the subject of reinterpretation? No two adaptations of William Shakespeare or Charles Dickens are ever the same. 

Any adaptation is going to change things, too, by necessity. No work of literature can be directly translated to the screen. Even Peter Jackson's movies made changes to the source material. Tom Bombadil was excised from his Lord of the Rings adaptations, and no one would argue that ruined his widely beloved trilogy. 

The conversation around adaptation and canon isn't going away anytime soon, of course. Just recently, A Song of Ice and Fire creator George R.R. Martin took to his Not a Blog page to criticize changes made to his Fire and Blood novel in House of the Dragon season 2. "Ignore canon, and the world you've created comes apart like tissue paper," he argued in an earlier post. Maybe it's true that some of the show's changes don't quite work. But, with all the respect in the world to another titan of the genre, I would argue that the show has made some truly revelatory changes to his work, too – in fact, Martin himself has admitted as much when he said the series' version of Helaena Targaryen was better than his own ("Phia Saban’s Helaena is a richer and more fascinating character than the one I created in FIRE & BLOOD," he wrote in another post). Change in and of itself is not a bad thing. 

And even if that does make for an imperfect adaptation, that can be alright sometimes, too. I might be digressing a little bit here, but when I was a child, I had a beautiful, Victorian-style dollhouse. It was one of those that you were only supposed to keep out on display, too precious to be played with. But I was a youngster and I wanted to make my little lords and ladies move around their mansion, and so I did, and, inevitably, the lords, ladies, and even furniture broke under my enthusiasm. Maybe that house would've been better off left untouched, but I know I loved it more by messing around with it, even if it left things a little more lopsided (and superglued) in the end. What I'm trying to say is, sometimes, the best way to love something is to get stuck in, and that's truly what I think The Rings of Power team are doing with Tolkien's works, and the series is all the richer for it and their fresh perspective. 

And besides, The Rings of Power's existence doesn't erase Tolkien's incredible writing from the world. If you want a faithful account of The Lord of the Rings, you can just… read The Lord of the Rings. The version in your head, though, isn't going to match the version in Tolkien's, because that's the very nature of storytelling. And the mark of a truly excellent story is one you want to keep retelling – and not just that, but reinterpret, reinvent, and explore. That's the truest act of love that I can imagine.

The Rings of Power season 2 is releasing weekly on Prime Video now, and you can check out our Rings of Power season 2 release schedule to keep up to date, or see our Rings of Power season 2 review for our spoiler-free verdict on all eight episodes. 

"I was frustrated that she went that way, but then, she was frustrated in the scene.  So of course she deserved better. I wanted more but she's so frustrated in that moment with Jonathan [Pryce] so that's part of it, that's how you know you're doing it right," Dormer told Collider Ladies Night. "She's vindicated in the end, it's a couple sentences, but it's all that needs to be said. She was vindicated and I felt like I could let her go in that moment. Because she said it, man."

Margaery dies in season 6 episode 'The Winds of Winter', after Cersei orders Qyburn to set fire to the Sept. The Sept instantly bursts into flames, killing Margaery instantly. It's a ghastly green blaze that kills hundreds of others. It's Margaery who tells everyone to flee, meaning she was right all along. Many fans were upset by her death, given how much her character suffered (she was married to Joffrey for chrissake) only to go out the way she did.

"If Margaery had to die, how would I want to her to die? Via dragon probably," Dormer previously told GamesRadar+. "That would be the most apt wouldn’t it? But that would mean that Dany would have to get over so who knows?" Well, a fiery blaze is close enough.

Game of Thrones is streaming now in its entirety on Max. For more, check out our list of the best new TV shows coming your way in 2024 and beyond.

As for movies, the director of Green Room is back with a new thriller, Rebel Ridge, which is out now on Netflix. Plus, US viewers can rewatch Studio Ghibli's The Boy and the Heron on Max and Tom Cruise actioner Edge of Tomorrow on Netflix, while UK Netflix subscribers can catch up on star-studded psychological thriller Mothers' Instinct. 

Slow Horses season 4

Available: Worldwide
Watch now: Apple TV Plus

Slow Horse returns to Apple TV Plus for season 4. The series follows a group of MI5 rejects, led by Oldman's Lamb, who have been relegated to desk jobs instead of being fired but somehow still find themselves entangled in the world of international espionage. The new season will be based on Spook Street, the fourth novel in Mick Herron's Slough House series – and it's set to go off with a bang. Plus, Lord of the Rings' Hugo Weaving joins the cast for the latest installment. New episodes will drop every Wednesday until October 9. 

Rebel Ridge

Available: Worldwide
Watch now: Netflix

New Netflix actioner Rebel Ridge stars Old's Aaron Pierre as ex-Marine Terry Richards. When he attempts to post bail for his cousin, he finds himself in a stand-off against the corrupt local police force after they unjustly seize his money – and things soon take a turn for the violent. The movie was written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, who previously helmed thrillers like Green Room and Hold the Dark, and the cast also includes AnnaSophia Robb and James Cromwell. 

The Perfect Couple

Available: Worldwide
Watch now: Netflix

Nicole Kidman stars in The Perfect Couple, a new mystery series from Netflix. She plays a wealthy novelist who disapproves of her son's fiancee, Amelia (Bad Sisters' Eve Hewson), who he's set to marry imminently. Not so imminently, however, it turns out when a body is found on the Nantucket beach on the eve of their wedding – and every guest suddenly becomes a suspect. All six episodes, which were directed by The Night Manager helmer Susanna Bier, are available to stream now.

English Teacher

Available: Worldwide
Watch now: Hulu in the US, Disney Plus in the UK

New comedy-drama series English Teacher stars Brian Jordan Alvarez, who's previously had roles in movies like M3GAN and shows like Jane the Virgin. He plays (you guessed it) an English teacher at a high school as he tries to navigate workplace politics and balance the demands of both his students and their parents. The first two episodes are available to stream now, with new episodes releasing every Monday until October 14. 

The Boy and the Heron

Available: US
Watch now: Max

The latest movie from Studio Ghibli is finally available to stream at home. The Boy and the Heron follows Mahito, a 12-year-old boy mourning the death of his mother and struggling to feel at home in a new town. When he encounters a talking heron (voiced, exuberantly, by Robert Pattinson in the film's English dub) who informs him that his mother is still alive, he embarks on a poignant and fantastical journey to try and find her. The English-language voice cast also includes Florence Pugh, Christian Bale, and Willem Dafoe.

Edge of Tomorrow

Available: US
Watch now: Netflix

Edge of Tomorrow stars Tom Cruise Cruise as Major William Cage, a soldier in the war against aliens on Earth who finds himself stuck in a time loop, returning to the start of the same day every time he's killed. He teams up with fellow soldier Sergeant Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) to try to harness his newfound power in an attempt to defeat enemy forces. Directed by Doug Liman and released in 2014, the cast also includes Brendan Gleeson and Bill Paxton. 

Mothers' Instinct

Available: UK
Watch now: Netflix

Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain star in Mother's Instinct, a '60s-set psychological thriller about two suburban housewives whose relationship as best friends and next-door neighbors is shattered after a tragic accident. As their friendship unravels, suspicion and paranoia threaten to engulf both their lives as each of them tries to blame the other for what happened. The movie had a theatrical release in the UK back in March, so now's your time to catch up if you missed it on the big screen.

If there's nothing here that tickles your fancy, then you might have to start looking into each streaming service's back catalogue, which can be a daunting task given how many titles they each host. Fear not, though... if you're a TV fan, then we've got you covered with our lists of the best Netflix shows, best Disney Plus shows, and the best Amazon Prime Video shows.

In a bid to promote the movie, Terrifier 3 has set up a hotline where fans can call the movie's villain Art the Clown, thanks to a special number posted by Bloody Disgusting on Twitter. "Art is ready to take your calls… he's dying to hear from you," reads the post, accompanied by a comical video of Art smiling creepily at the camera. See the post below. 

Art doesn't speak on the call, though; he just uses a clown horn. (In both movies, and we are guessing in the third one too, Art has never uttered a single word, but rather makes gestures and pulls chilling facial expressions).

Believe it or not, that isn't the strangest part about the hotline, either. Those who have called have later found that Art has sent them a ridiculous amount of money (one cent) on Venmo, a mobile payment app that allows users to send and receive money via their phone numbers. Discussing Film posted a screenshot of a transaction on Twitter. "Art the Clown Venmoed me?? Is it because I called him??" said the fan.

Horror movie marketing has certainly picked up in recent years. Just this year, The Strangers: Chapter One had actors appear on Ring Doorbell cameras and show up in random places in the US to promote the movie. Terrifier's approach sure is interesting though, but we can't help but feel like it is a spoof on Ghostface's hotline last year in honor of Scream 6. After all, trolling another killer does seem like Art's style.

Directed by franchise creator Damien Leone, Terrifier 3 sees Art ditch his usual Halloween kill fest for the festive season as he suits as Santa Claus and causes Christmas carnage in Miles County. The movie stars David Howard Thornton as Art, Lauren LaVera, Samantha Scaffidi, Elliot Fullam, Chris Jericho, Daniel Roebuck, and The Lost Boys’ Jason Patric.

Terrifier 3 releases on October 11. For more, check out our list of the best horror movies, or keep up to date with upcoming horror movies heading your way this year.

Moody, gothic, and with a ‘nobody understands me’ shaped chip on her shoulder, Astrid reminds me of everything I love about Winona Ryder’s 15-year-old Lydia in the first movie. But with so much talk about a potential third movie, a Beetlejuice 3 if you will, I have to admit that Astrid’s character arc has made me think we need a spin-off for her instead of a threequel. And I know exactly what it could be. 

*Spoiler warning* We will be diving into Beetlejuice 2 spoilers from here on in - you have been warned. If you haven't seen it yet, check out our Beetlejuice Beetlejuice review for our verdict on the sequel.

Astrid Deetz: Paranormal ghost hunter 

When we first meet Astrid, she is at boarding school screening her mother’s calls, who she has saved as ‘alleged mother’. Does this remind you of anyone? We quickly learn that there is a huge rift between the mother and daughter duo and Astrid doesn't approve or even believe in Lydia's ghost-hunting business. However, the youngest Deetz came into her own upon visiting the old Maitland home and encountering a dead boy on her own adventure, coming to the realization that she can see ghosts too.

Alas, Astrid’s new beau turned out to be a serial killer who planned to use her as a life source. But, in one of his more heroic acts, Beetlejuice eliminated that issue and sent the boy to the great unknown. That’s where her sidequest ended, but I can't shake the feeling that I want more from Astrid. 

As you saw in our Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s ending explained, Astrid's story is left open-ended so there is space to continue her story. So now I'm hoping she gets a spin-off where she's a paranormal investigator like her mother. Just imagine it, Astrid could use her powers to hunt down bad ghouls and to help lost ghosts just as Lydia did in the 1988 flick. 

Make way Wednesday 

Of course, we cannot forget Ortega’s other teen horror drama series, Netflix’s Wednesday. This Addams Family spin-off launched in 2022 and introduced us to Ortega’s modern take on the morbid little girl with only homicide on her mind. The first season was a huge success and gained a strong teen following and Wednesday season 2 is now on its way where we will see our protagonist hopefully take on more monster foes. 

But, you have to admit that, as brilliant as it is the show does feel a little pre-teen at times, for more mature watchers heading into their late teens, the scares can feel a little lackluster. This creates a nice little teen horror-shaped hole for a new series or string of movies to take hold, adding to the evergrowing subgenre. 

More teen horror  

Now, I know what you’re thinking, the ghost hunter archetype has been done so many times before with The Conjuring, Grave Encounters, and more. But I’m not talking about disturbing R-rated horror, I want Astrid to star in a good old teen scream. Over the years it feels like new horror releases have been trying to one-up one another in terms of how scary and violent they can get. We must not forget that it's not all about the gore, we need relatable storylines and protagonists too, like Astrid. 

In the scene where Astrid first enters her new friend’s house and walks past his parents, who both have their backs to her, we can feel that something is wrong. Later when these illusive parents are revealed to be dead, it's confirmed Astrid is a medium like her mom, sending a chill down my spine due to what this means for the character. It reminded me of the 2019 movie Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark or the scene in IT: Chapter 2 when Mrs. Kersh invites Beverly in for a cup of tea, only for the old woman to be Pennywise the Clown in disguise. 

On top of this, with Stranger Things season 5 on the horizon bringing a close to a huge teen horror franchise, the door is left wide open for an Astrid spin-off. Also, I considerably enjoyed how the Beetlejuice sequel explored the world of the afterlife and all of its weird and wonderful inhabitants a little more this time, something that an Astrid spin-off could take further advantage of.

All in all, if Beetlejuice Beetlejuice marks the end of Keaton’s time as the bio-exorcist, then I feel like the sequel was a pretty good send-off. But if anything is to come from the new movie, it has to be an Astrid-related spin-off. Let's face it, Jenna Ortega is our generation's scream queen after all. 

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is out in theaters now. For more, check out all upcoming horror movies on the way or keep up to date with our list of 2024 movie release dates.

"The Life of Chuck bows tomorrow evening at the Toronto Film Festival. This is one of the good ones," King tweeted. "It's sad, has a touch of the paranormal, but it's also joyful and life-affirming. Maybe not what you'd expect from me, but there ya go."

The upcoming drama – which veers off the path from a traditional King horror – is directed by Mike Flanagan, who adapted the novella of the same name from Stephen King's 2020 collection If It Bleeds. Flanagan acquired the rights to adapt the story for the big screen before the book was even released, with King himself doubtful of it getting made. A first look at the film was recently released.

Hiddleston plays Charles 'Chuck' Krantz who, beginning with his death from cancer, travels back through his entire life and ends with his childhood. Also, the world is ending and everyone is coping in their own strange ways.

The cast includes Karen Gillan as a nurse, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Matthew Lillard, Carl Lumbly, Mark Hamill, Mia Sara, Kate Siegel, Samantha Sloyan, Harvey Guillen, Annalise Basso, Rahul Kohli, and Trinity Bliss. Benjamin Pajak, Cody Flanagan, and Jacob Tremblay each play younger versions of Chuck.

The Life of Chuck will make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, but does not yet have a distribution date (though an announcement will likely be made soon). For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2024 and beyond, or, skip right to the good stuff with our list of movie release dates.