Sizzling Samachar: Battle brawlers assemble: ‘Bakugan’ leaps into live-action glory; Adam Scott takes a spine-chilling Irish vacation in ‘Hokum’

Welcome to another episode of your daily news podcast, I'm your host Nikhil Kumar. News from Hollywood up next.

Battle brawlers assemble: ‘Bakugan’ leaps into live-action glory

Hollywood's obsession with anime strikes again! This time, Bakugan, the legendary anime with over 300 episodes, a hit card game, and a billion-dollar toy empire, is getting the live-action treatment. Directed, written, and produced by Brad Peyton known for Rampage, this ambitious adaptation comes from Spin Master Entertainment, the team behind PAW Patrol. Peyton promises a cinematic spectacle worthy of Bakugan's epic universe. Fans can also rejoice as the creators aim to honour its devoted, multi-generational fanbase while wooing new audiences. With heavyweights like My Hero Academia, Naruto, and One Punch Man also in the live-action pipeline, anime lovers are truly thriving!

Adam Scott takes a spine-chilling Irish vacation in ‘Hokum’

From calzones to curses, Adam Scott is swapping comedy for chills in Hokum, an eerie new horror flick by Damian McCarthy (Caveat, Oddity). Scott plays a novelist visiting a remote Irish inn to scatter his parents' ashes, only to tangle with ghostly whispers of a witch. With McCarthy’s knack for blending scares and dark humour, this promises to be a hair-raiser. Irish talents Peter Coonan and David Wilmot join the cast, while Spooky Pictures (Late Night With the Devil) is producing. Filming begins this month, so brace for this supernatural spectacle with release date still under wraps! Ireland’s about to get spooky!

Gundam goes live-action: Legendary Entertainment teams up for Mech Mayhem

The iconic Mobile Suit Gundam franchise is gearing up for its live-action debut, with production officially kicking off! Legendary Entertainment (Dune) and Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc. are co-producing this ambitious project, tentatively titled GUNDAM. With over $5 billion in retail sales and a legacy spanning four decades, this mecha masterpiece is ready to conquer a new medium. After parting ways with Netflix, the film now has Sweet Tooth showrunner Jim Mickle at the helm. While plot details are hush-hush, the team behind Late Night With the Devil promises an epic upgrade for fans. Stay tuned, Gundam’s about to level up!

‘Mayor of Kingstown’ season 4 adds Edie Falco, Lennie James, and Laura Benanti to the chaos

Taylor Sheridan’s gritty crime drama Mayor of Kingstown is turning up the heat for Season 4 with Emmy-winning powerhouse Edie Falco, The Walking Dead alum Lennie James, and Broadway star Laura Benanti joining Jeremy Renner. Falco plays Nina Hobbs, the tough new prison warden navigating the murky waters of Kingstown’s corrupt system. James steps in as Frank Moses, a legendary gangster whose influence spans Michigan, while Benanti takes on Cindy Stephens, a rookie correctional officer facing the town's chaos. While there's no release date yet, you can binge the first three seasons on Amazon Prime Video. Sheridan fans, stay tuned for more!

‘Stranger Things’ Season 5: 2025 is the year we return to Hawkins

The wait is almost over! The Duffer Brothers confirmed at SDAC TVfest that Stranger Things Season 5 will release in 2025, setting fans' hearts ablaze with excitement. While specifics remain under wraps, visual effects work is ahead of schedule, a rarity for the Duffers. Season 5 picks up in 1987, 18 months after Season 4’s epic finale that boasted a jaw-dropping 2-hour runtime. Expect more cinematic episodes, blending traditional runtimes with mini-movie formats. Though aging actors playing teens has sparked chatter, nostalgia reigns supreme. Buckle up for an electrifying return to Hawkins, streaming soon on Netflix!

‘The Creep Tapes’ returns: Brace for a terrifying season 2

Shudder’s The Creep Tapes is back with Season 2, continuing the spine-chilling saga of its secluded serial killer who lures unsuspecting videographers into his twisted world. Following its record-breaking debut on November 15, 2024, as Shudder's most-watched show ever, this found-footage horror series promises to go even darker. Created by Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass, who also stars, the six-episode season will unravel more sinister secrets while maintaining the franchise’s eerie charm. Executive producer Duplass teased fans, calling the new season "terrifyingly exciting." Set to air later this year on Shudder and AMC+, prepare for more unsettling thrills.

Triptii Dimri preps to channel Parveen Babi’s stardom in upcoming biopic

Imagine stepping into the shoes of Bollywood’s first Time magazine cover girl! Triptii Dimri, the powerhouse from Bulbbul and Animal, is reportedly doing just that as she preps to play the iconic Parveen Babi in a Netflix biopic by Shonali Bose. Without even signing the dotted line, Triptii’s already deep into research, unraveling the diva’s rise, glamour, and struggles. If things fall into place, this will mark her web series debut and a powerful return to women-centric roles. And with Dhadak 2 and rumored projects with Shahid Kapoor, Triptii is clearly setting her sights on superstardom, just like Parveen did!

Well that's all we got for this episode, until the next time it's your host Nikhil Kumar signing out.

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- Written by Apurva Dutta

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