If you don’t want spoilers, then stop reading now. I’ll give you a few lines of leeway.

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You’re still reading, so I shall assume you’re interested. Rumours have surfaced about a potential plot for Star Wars Episode VII, due for release in summer 2015. According to an article on IGN, the rumour is that the story will be that of Darth Caedus, aka, Jacen Solo. That’s right, the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo. For those unfamiliar with the expanded universe beyond the existing films, Han and Leia marry about five years after the Battle of Endor (ie: ROTJ), and soon afterwards have force sensitive twins, Jacen and Jaina. As soon as they’re old enough, the twins begin their Jedi training under Luke Skywalker, who has set up his new Jedi Academy in the Massassi Temple on Yavin IV. (Ie, the Rebel Base in ANH). To cut a long story short, Jacen falls to the dark side at age 17, and becomes the first new Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Caedus.

Artist’s impression of Darth Caedus, AKA Jacen Solo.

According to IGN, Schmoes Know was forwarded a copy of a casting breakdown which their source claims is for Star Wars Episode VII, listing Jacen and Jaina as major characters. The site includes the following quote from this alleged casting breakdown:

“Storyline: Two 17 year old twins, a girl and a boy, are trained by their uncle Luke to be the greatest Jedis in the galaxy. Problems arise when the male twin turns to the dark side.

Jaina Solo – Female, 17 years old, lead. – Jacen’s twin sister, one of the greatest Jedis in the galaxy, trained by her uncle Luke Skywalker

Jacen Solo – Male, 17 years old, lead – Jaina’s twin brother, one of the greatest Jedis in the world. A loner who is constantly struggling with the idea of what’s right and what’s wrong. Starts to turn to the dark side. Full of conviction that what he is doing is the “right thing”. Will eventually become Darth Caedus.”

Artist’s impression of a scene from the expanded universe, in which Jedi knight Jaina Solo faces her fallen brother Jacen, now by the grim title of Darth Caedus.

Personally I am not convinced of the authenticity of this piece of evidence, largely due to the fact that it contains a fair few spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors. More than one would expect from a professional casting director. But if I am wrong, and it is the real deal, we could well be in for an awesome new story arc. But then, there is a wealth of that available for reading in the expanded universe. Let us also bear in mind that George Lucas stated from the outset that the script will be written based upon a treatment he wrote himself. So it is entirely possible that the new films will have nothing at all to do with the expanded universe at all, and tell stories no fan has heard before.

Only time will tell…

There’s never been a better time to be a fan of comic book cinema than right now. Superhero movies have been hitting the big screen with unparalleled frequency as of late, so much so that it seems I can’t even sneeze without three new Marvel outings getting announced. All this comic-to-screen fanfare is great, but it would be for naught if the actual films themselves weren’t worth our time. Luckily this isn’t the case. The majority of these colourful endeavours are entertaining and well crafted enough to put a smile on the face of even the most jaded comic fan. But it wasn’t always this way. There was a dark time not all that long ago when comic book movies were a hit or miss affair, where for every great to moderate comic book adaptation there was half a dozen more that absolutely stunk. Often leaving fans to grit their teeth in anger as Hollywood mistreated their favourite characters, portraying them in poorest of light and then discarding their broken remains in the gutter once the money came in.

All too often comic book movies have been treated as brainless blockbusters, lazily slapped together to appease only the most undemanding of viewers and to rake in a couple of bucks. There are almost too many examples to choose from to stress this point, but perhaps two of the worst superhero films that arrived on the bookend of the turnover from the unappealing junk era to fan boy heaven were the Fantastic Four films from 2005 and 2007. Now not every superhero franchise needs to take the dark and gritty route that Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy did, but they do need to feature a least a fraction of tension and drama. Neither Fantastic Four film managed this, instead opting to smile and whistle their way through the least dramatic planet-endangering threats committed to screen. The childish humour the films featured only further acted as a repellent to comic book fans, ensuring only they very young could truly appreciate their juvenile merits.

Luckily for us Matt Reeves recently announced that he is planning to reboot the Fantastic Four franchise and finally give the characters the respect they deserve. So in honour of such a worthy reboot, we decided it might be time to take a look at what other superheroes were given a raw deal the first time around and deserve a second chance.

Daredevil (2003)

What’s wrong with it: Ben Affleck, that’s what’s wrong with it. Affleck may have transformed into both an adequate actor and a tremendously talented director over the years, but that wasn’t always the case. There was a time not all that long ago when he hadn’t yet mastered his craft, where his presence was undesired and his line delivery clunky. Daredevil was most certainly a by-product of those dark days.

If a superhero franchise needs to get a single element right, it’s that of its central protagonist. The audience needs a hero they can cheer on, a figure who has all the powers they wished they possessed but who is still relatable to the average schmo. Matt Murdock aptly fits that description, but unfortunately Affleck poorly represents him. A fascinating figure on page, Matt Murdock is a lawyer blinded at a young age but blessed with incredible sensory powers, equipping him with the means to hit the streets every night looking for crime to punch in the face as the masked hero Daredevil. He’s a tormented character full of darkness and rage, although you wouldn’t know it judged solely on Affleck’s performance. The future Oscar-nominated director struggles with the role to say the least, managing to wring as much emotion out of the character as you would water from a dry sponge. That is to say not very much at all…

The filmmakers seemingly aware of Affleck’s limited range added Jennifer Garner as fellow superhero Elektra to the mix, apparently in a last ditch hope of distracting the audience. The laughable love story that proceeds to transpire between them can only be labelled a pathetic farce, with Elektra biting the bullet before anyone can truly develop the slightest attachment to her.

But to be fair Daredevil’s cinematic demise wasn’t entirely the lead’s fault, sloppy writing and a weak roster of characters also helped bury this comic book blunder. The villains in particular were woeful, a shame since they were played by talented performers. We had Colin Farrell hamming it up as the most literal incarnation on Bullseye, an accurate assassin sporting a giant crosshair embedded into his forehead. Then there’s Michael Clarke Duncan who fares better in his role of Kingpin, but never amounts to anything more than a cliché bad guy who wouldn’t look out-of-place amongst the moustache-twisting evildoers populating the Saturday morning cartoons.

How it could be better: Affleck has to go, that’s the only way to ensure that the eventual reboot will undoubtedly surpass the original. We need someone with real acting chops, someone who doesn’t act like a smarmy jerk while he’s out of costume.

Along with this obvious cosmetic alteration the film also needs a tonal change. I know earlier I said that not every superhero movie needs to be dark and gritty, but Daredevil does. The original film did try its hand at some more serious themes at times, but too many light, fluffy moments between Murdock and Elektra tainted the overall tone. Daredevil is about a costumed crime fighter who trawls the seedier parts of NYC under the cover of darkness, so there should be almost no limit to the confronting criminal rings he could uncover and foil.

Lastly, get the villains right. Either go all out and stay true to their comic roots in appearance and personality, or do a Nolan and put a real world spin on them. Just as long as we care whenever they’re onscreen and we actually believe they have a chance of beating Daredevil we’re good.

Catwoman (2004)

What’s wrong with it: I don’t even know where to start with this one. Catwoman is such a putrid train wreck of a movie that the filmmakers should be charged for assault due to the retinal damage inflicted on all of those poor, unfortunate souls who sat through it. The whole thing is dripping with awkwardness, from poor Halley Berry doing her best to look sexy and threatening, to the ADD, in-your-face filmmaking. Absolutely nothing sticks. And then there’s Sharon Stone bizarrely playing the villainous head of a cosmetic company whose dastardly evil plan consists of, wait for it, releasing a new beauty product that causes deadly health problems. It’s not exactly the most riveting scheme. Overall, the entire film is just shot like an insincere commercial for a product nobody would ever want to buy.

How it could be better: Simple, take Anne Hathaway’s Catwoman from The Dark Knight Rises and put her in her own film. Hathaway brought both style and grace to the role, proving that unlike Berry’s version of the character, Catwoman doesn’t need to look like a scantily clad stripper spouting cat puns every few minutes. Juggling sexiness with a sense of danger, Hathaway has delivered possibly the best version of Selina Kyle we’ve seen on the big screen to date.

With all that said, a Catwoman solo adventure will always be tough to pull off seeing as how the character’s uneasy alliance with Batman is a vital part of her personality. However, if set in Christopher Nolan’s gloomy universe again, we could see Catwoman interacting with a host of new twisted characters that never made it into the Dark Knight trilogy. A Riddler appearance maybe? Or how about Black Mask?

The most difficult decision to make however would be whether to make the spinoff a sequel or a prequel. A sequel would be difficult considering Selina rode off into the sunset with Bruce Wayne at the end of The Dark Knight Rises, leaving the prequel route looking more logical. Explore how the character wound up becoming the impeccable cat burglar she is without utilising any magical cats and we may have a winner on our hands.

The Green Lantern (2011)

What’s wrong with it: The Green Lantern comic universe is a fascinating place. It’s full to the brim with bizarre characters, strange planets and incredible superpowers. So it’s shocking that the Green Lantern movie turned out to be so underwhelming and dull.

The first problem that’s immediately apparent with the film is the casting. Ryan Reynolds brings his usual over the top, motor-mouth comedy routine to the role, essentially playing the only character he seems to know how to play. Then there’s his love interest played by Blake Lively, who seems to be desperately trying to act but looks like she’s constantly on the verge of falling asleep. Seriously, that girl has negative charisma. When Reynolds does finally get his hands on the Green Lantern ring, the source of all his powers, things look like they’re about to pick up. Only they don’t.

Now the thing about The Green Lantern is that his powers literally stem from creativity. If he can imagine it he can summon it using his ring. So it’s frustrating to see the filmmakers treat this power with a lazy sense of indifference. He’s in a fight? Here’s a giant fist for your troubles! Worse still is the treatment of the characters surrounding Reynolds, all of whom are portrayed as B-grade comedy sidekicks. It’s all very disappointing.

How it could be better: Explore more of the rich universe detailed in the comics, treat the characters with respect, and most of all, fix the character of Hal Jordan. It’s clear that Reynolds was trying to play the redemptive doofus, but he comes off as neither charming nor likable. Someone needs to be cast in this role who has a little more substance and isn’t a total goof. A little humour is always nice but the protector of Earth shouldn’t be a one-liner spouting fool. On top of that, show off the power of the ring some more. Let’s see why exactly the ring chose Jordan to wield its almost limitless might. The odd obligatory giant hammer for nailing something on the head is ok, but it would be gratifying to see Jordan think outside the box a little, outsmarting his enemies and surprising the audience simultaneously.

Ghost Rider (2007)

What’s wrong with it: One of the first comic books I ever owned was Ghost Rider. So call it nostalgic hopefulness or misguided excitement, but I was really looking forward to the first Ghost Rider movie. Unfortunately it blew. Big time. The character design was plain silly, the action sequences were awkward, the CGI was iffy, and Nicholas Cage’s delirious acting finally confirmed that the actor was certifiably insane. Well, maybe that last thing wasn’t so bad… The film was a mess and like most bad comic book movies, it was clear that people who had crafted it didn’t understand the character they were dealing with or the world he inhabited. Strange considering Nicholas Cage has openly stated that he’s a huge fan of the Ghost Rider comics.

The eventual sequel, Ghost Rider Spirit Vengeance, filled me with hope and excitement once again. But as it turned out, I should have learnt my lesson the first time around. Directed by Crank helmers Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the sequel promised unhinged lunacy and a more extreme tone, hell, the tagline for the film at one stage was “fucking your shit up in 3D”. Unfortunately all this hype was for naught as Spirit Vengeance turned out to be another forgettable comic book outing to add to the pile. There are some remarkable visuals throughout its runtime, but that’s not enough to save it from a dull, uninspired plot, bland action and forgettable characters. Bah!

How it could be better: Take the route that Neveldine and Taylor were seemingly aiming to take with Spirit Vengeance, make an R-rated film that doesn’t hold back on the profanity, violence and craziness. This is a film franchise that revolves around a cursed individual who transforms into a demon-fighting, motorbike-riding skeleton with a flaming skull, surely if any concept warrants an extreme tone and splash of crimson or two this is it.

Also remember those pissing fire and spitting bullets scenes featured in the trailer for Spirit Vengeance? Those were probably the two highlights of the entire film, but unfortunately they were both throwaway gags that barely left an impact. A reboot of Ghost Rider needs to see The Rider engaging in more of these bizarrely outlandish acts. Beyond their obvious comedic merits, these crazier outbursts give The Rider a warped personality while retaining his violent nature. The film could go the way of a darker grittier nature, but every comic movie is going that route. Let’s make Ghost Rider fun instead.

The toughest decision to make would be picking a new lead to play Johnny Blaze second time around. To be honest, I wouldn’t really have a problem with Nicholas Cage reprising the role for a third time, if only because of his increasingly unhinged performance. He believably played the part of a madman, but that’s probably due to the fact that is actually a madman. However if we’re rebooting the series and starting fresh, we need new blood. We need someone who can realistically convey the burden of carrying around the curse of The Rider, a dark and tortured soul who can still believably kick some ass. Screw it, throw Tom Hardy in the role. That guy is good in everything.

The Punisher (2004)

What’s wrong with it: The Punisher is an incredibly basic character on the surface that shouldn’t be hard to get right, yet time and time again the violent vigilante ends up in tremendously undercooked action ventures. The 1989 Punisher film saw Dolph Lundgren star as the titular avenging angel in a generic action romp that ultimately was void of any personality. It was an entertaining shoot em’ up, but a true Punisher movie it was not.

In 2004 The Punisher got a shot at redemption with Tom Jane playing the character this time. Jane was the best thing about the film, playing the family man turned relentless killer with a grim sense of spite. It’s just a shame that the rest of the film was a travesty. Why did we need comedy relief in the form of some wacky neighbours? WHY? No revenge film should ever feel like a sitcom. Finally in 2008 Ray Stevenson played the character in Punisher: War Zone, a film which wisely borrowed elements from Garth Eniss’ brilliant MAX comic series, but unfortunately failed to deliver a viewing experience that could be taken with a straight face.

How it could be better: Once again this is an easy solution. First of all, bring back the great Tom Jane to play The Punisher once more as the man nailed the role in the 2004 movie. He believably went from undercover FBI agent turned grieving husband/father to remorseless murderer, and then proceeded to kick a whole lot of ass in the ensuing action sequences.

Second step, get the character of The Punisher right. It seems as though all of the filmmakers who have tackled the character assume he’s nothing more than a big dumb brute who relies solely on heavy weaponry. However in the comic series he’s painted as much more complicated individual. Haunted by the brutal death of his wife and daughter, Frank Castle sets out to kill those responsible for his loss. He succeeds in this task quickly, but with the images of his dead loved ones still haunting him, Frank chooses to never put his gun down. Transformed into a borderline psychopath by his thirst for vengeance, he sets out on a crusade to kill evildoers with no remorse, as if racking up a pile of bodies will make up for his loss. Furthermore, Frank’s moral compass is warped to say the least. If you’re innocent you’re safe. If you’ve committed a crime, no matter how minor it may seem, prepare to die a horribly gruesome death.

Last step in getting The Punisher right; collaborate with comic author Garth Ennis. Ennis created what are quite possibly the best Punisher stories ever made with his recent Max Comics run. Not only did he nail the warped, confused nature of the anti-hero, he also told stories that were both engaging and disturbing. Some elements from his comics were used in War Zone, but ultimately they were so scrambled and poorly utilised that they may have been left out all together. It seems that nobody knows the ins and outs of The Punisher quite like Ennis, so give the man scriptwriting duties and an R-rating and he’ll deliver some truly depraved goods.

The first full-length trailer for Robert Rodriguez’s Machete Kills has slashed its way online and it’s absolute madness! Machete-swinging chaos, crazy Mel Gibson, boob machine-guns! What more could you possibly want from a movie?

Watch the trailer below.

Machete Kills is directed by Robert Rodriguez and stars Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Charlie Sheen, Sofia Vergara, Amber Heard, Vanessa Hudgens, Cuba Gooding Jr., Lady Gaga, Mel Gibson

It’s scheduled for a September 13 release.

The Hangover is a film that never needed any sequels. Alone it would have gone down as a standalone ode to bad behaviour, featuring countless laughs and a troupe of warm, memorable characters. However as result of the truckloads of Hollywood dollars it earned, The Hangover 2 was forcefully spat out without a second’s hesitation. Essentially a remake of the first film only with the Las Vegas setting substituted for Thailand, this follow-up still reeled in the laughs but it was clear that series director Tod Phillips was unsure of what to do with his characters. The series should have ended right there, but it didn’t. So whether it can be seen as a valiant last-ditch attempt at retribution or a mandatory final part of an unnecessary trilogy we now have a third Hangover film to contend with. Because great things come in 3’s, right? RIGHT? Unfortunately no, as for all its good will and desire to change, The Hangover 3 is still a lukewarm affair and easily the weakest of the bunch.

Avoiding the chaotic party aftermath formula that the series is known for, the plot of The Hangover 3 sees Phil, Stu and Doug (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha) escorting a distraught Allen (Zach Galifianakis) to a rehab clinic in Arizona following the death of his father. Before they can arrive their car is forced from the road and the group is taken by gunpoint to speak to ruthless gangster Marshall (John Goodman). Here it’s revealed to them the chain of events they set into motion with their first visit to Vegas, ending with the notorious Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong) stealing a fortune in gold bullions from Marshall. Since this is vaguely our hero’s fault they’re given two objectives; recover the stolen gold and bring Chow to Marshall. If they don’t Stu gets a bullet to the head. So sets up the latest chaotic adventure for the wolfpack, which takes the lads from Tijuana Mexico, and eventually back to Vegas one last time.

The Hangover 3 pleasingly mixes up the stale formula its predecessors set by foregoing any sort of actual hangover or catastrophic aftermath. Change is good and the prospect of the seeing the wolf pack embroiled in a grimy chase/heist movie is certainly promising on paper, but the actual execution of this idea leaves a lot to be desired. In particular the fun upbeat tone of the original entry and even the underwhelming sequel has been lost. Perhaps this is a side effect of Tod Phillips trying to emphasise the apocalyptic nature of the situation our protagonists have found themselves involved in, but whatever the case there’s no denying that the film is frequently dull. This could be forgiven if its serious side packed more of a punch, but it doesn’t. It never truly feels like the gang are in life threatening trouble, while any moment that should provide tension and drama falls flat.

There are certainly still plenty of laughs to enjoy throughout The Hangover 3, just don’t expect any surprises. Very little feels fresh and a great deal of the punch lines can be telegraphed from a mile away. With that said a clumsy robbery had this sucker giggling like a fool, as did much of the central foursome’s offhand banter. But that brings us back to another serious flaw. Allen and Chang are arguably two of the best comedic characters we’ve seen grace our screen in the last few years, and while they’re both hilarious in their roles they work best in small doses. Allen is the awkward oddball who bounces beautifully of the more serious personalities surrounding him, while Chang is, to borrow from the film, pure chaos whose unpredictable nature brings nothing but trouble. Here Phillips takes these two characters and blows them up to be larger personalities than they’ve ever been, going so far as to centering the entire plot around them. This sounds like a good thing but it’s not. Both characters suffer from this overexposure, ensuring that both of their comedic wells run dry quickly.

The Hangover series is known for its shocking and distasteful acts, yet this third instalment is surprisingly tame. Vulgar language is still fired off with wicked precision, but that could hardly be considered shocking by today’s standards. Instead the only eyebrow rising moments that we’re left with involve a decapitated giraffe on a freeway, and a particularly silly gag involving breasts that’s shown during the credits. Everything else in-between is rather inoffensive, which would be fine if the overall tone of the film wasn’t so vanilla. Nothing feels daring, with the entire production feels like something we’ve seen before. A far cry from the creative prowess the original boasted.

Todd Phillips’ keen eye behind the camera ensured that the previous Hangover films packed a visual punch, a trait that carries over with this third instalment. The camera always feels busy as it tries to find attractive angles to capture the action from, with the scenic shots of Las Vegas particularly impressive. Complementing the visual flair is a soundtrack that somehow seems to perfectly sum up the anarchic nature of film. Chow bellowing out an emotionless rendition of Johnny Cash’s Hurt in particular is both hilarious in its intended awkwardness, yet simultaneously telling of his character’s warped outlook.

The grouping of Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha and Zach Galifianakis has always made for a strong group of protagonists in the past, however here they don’t seem to click quite as well. Their personalities seem diluted and their usually warm rapport has been dumbed down to oblivion. A large reason for this problem existing is due to the large emphasis on Allen. He’s a funny character here, arguably the best of the film, but with him in the spotlight so often the rest of the cast (minus Chow) are left to flounder. This rings true especially for Bradley Cooper’s Phil and Ed Helms’ Stu who both feel like empty shells of their former selves. Neither actor really has their moment to shine; instead they’re left to ride the coattails of Galafanakis and Jeong. But while the characters may suffer the performances thankfully do not. The entire crew slides back into their old roles nicely and bring the same sense of affable charisma to proceedings. It still feels like we’re catching up with a group of friends again, only this time they’re friends who have changed for the worst over the summer holidays.

Despite its plentiful problems, if you enjoyed both The Hangover 1 and 2, then part 3 will still bring a smile to your face. Or at least an underwhelmed smirk. The film is a minefield of missed opportunities and so-so humour, but it must be commended for at the very least changing up the formula of the series and trying something new. Few Hollywood comedies would do the same. There are laughs to be had, in fact for all my negativity I chuckled along constantly, but there aren’t really any memorable moments that you’ll want to share with your friends once you leave the cinema. There are far worse comedies out there, but that doesn’t ease the sting of the wolfpack riding out on such a disappointing note.

3/5

The zombies behind the promotional material for World War Z have slapped together another poster for the apocalyptic action film, placing Brad Pitt at the forefront of an undead invasion. It’s kind of a cool visual except for the fact that some poor photoshopping leaves the poster looking incredibly amateur. I give it a B-. Must try harder!

“The story revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself. Enos plays Gerry’s wife Karen Lane; Kertesz is his comrade in arms, Segen.“

Check out the poster below.

World War Z stars Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, James Badge Dale, Matthew Fox and David Morse.

The film is set to invade U.S. theatres on June 21, 2013.

A new motion poster for the Carrie remake has arrived on the scene, bringing with it some brief glimpses of prom night carnage.

The film is “a reimagining of the classic horror tale about Carrie White (Chloë Grace Moretz), a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious mother (Julianne Moore), who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom.”

Check out the poster below.

Carrie is directed by Kimberly Peirce and stars Chloë Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Judy Greer, Ansel Elgort, Gabriella Wilde and Alex Russell.

The film will make its way into cinemas on October 18.

The second trailer for Edgar Wright’s pub-crawl picture, The World’s End, has been unveiled today by Yahoo. It’s an amusing extension of the previously released trailer, featuring more banter between the lads and extra robot footage. Yep, it seems like those blue-eyed beings are in fact robots.

“20 years after attempting an epic pub crawl, five childhood friends reunite when one of them becomes hell bent on trying the drinking marathon again. They are convinced to stage an encore by mate Gary King, a 40-year old man trapped at the cigarette end of his teens, who drags his reluctant pals to their home town and once again attempts to reach the fabled pub, The World’s End. As they attempt to reconcile the past and present, they realize the real struggle is for the future, not just theirs but humankind’s. Reaching The World’s End is the least of their worries.”

Watch the trailer below.

Here’s the latest poster for the film:

The World’s End stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan, and Rosamund Pike.

The film stumbles into U.S. theatres on August 23, 2013.

The latest trailer for The Wolverine has debuted, bringing with it some more Silver Samurai footage and a lengthy cameo by one Jean Grey (Famke Janssen).

Watch the trailer below.

The Wolverine is directed by James Mangold and stars Hugh Jackman, Brian Tee, Will Yun Lee, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima and apparently, Famke Janssen.

The film slashes its way into U.S. cinemas on July 24.

The first few plot details for the upcoming Poltergeist reboot were unveiled just yesterday, but now the guys over at Moviehole (via Bloody Disgusting) have dug up even more information about the film.

The site states that much like the recent Evil Dead remake, Gil Kenan’s (Monster House) new take on Poltergeist will exist in the same universe as Tobe Hooper’s original. So in other words this won’t be a standard retread but instead a sequel of sorts set years after the Freeling family packed up and ran for the hills.

Details below.

Minor spoilers follow!

In the new film a scene reportedly exists where the children discover a sliding panel in the attic of their house, uncovering some items that were left behind by the Freeling’s. Amongst the possessions are Robbie’s retro Star Wars bed sheets, an old black and white television, and some assorted Christmas decorations.

Moviehole goes on to state that the reboot replicates many the beats set by the original, despite sporting new characters and a slightly different storyline.

Are you excited for the reboot?

In preparation for the new trailer due out for The Wolverine in a short while, 20th Century Fox has released two new posters for the film. Featuring the same hand painted style as the previous Silver Samurai character portrait, these two one sheets feature both Viper and Yukio. It should be easy enough figuring out who is who by the not-so-subtle snake tongue one of the figures is sporting.

Check out the posters below.

The Wolverine is directed by James Mangold and stars Hugh Jackman, Brian Tee, Will Yun Lee, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima and apparently, Famke Janssen.

The film slashes its way into U.S. cinemas on July 24.