TAGGED AS: Fantasy, genre, Horror, Netflix, Sci-Fi, science fiction, streaming, television, TV
Netflix’s week-long virtual convention, Geeked Week, returned Monday with a bevy of announcements, details, and preview videos for most of its geek-cred titles. Of course, it’s a lot of information to parse, so we’ve compiled it into a handy list of the day’s events with a few words from participants like Neil Gaiman, Emmy Raver-Lampman, and Jenna Coleman.
And be sure to check in each day as we’ll be adding to our knowledge base as Geeked Week continues.
Although August is generally one of the warmer months of the year (in the Northern Hemisphere at least), it will bring a certain amount of gloom to Netflix when The Sandman finally debuts on August 5. Granted, creator Neil Gaiman noted during Monday’s marquee panel presentation that “Sandman isn’t just one thing.” So expect its specific gloom to molt and change over the season. The series, which revolves around the personification of dreams reclaiming his domain after a century in captivity — at least at the start — stars Tom Sturridge as Dream of the Endless with Gwendolyn Christie appearing as Lucifer. And, as revealed during the presentation,
Mervyn Pumpkinhead will be voiced by Mark Hamill. “His Merv is hilarious,” Gaiman said. He also described the character as “comic relief on the one hand, but also the voice of sanity.”
A new trailer also offered fans glimpses of Joanna Constantine (Coleman) and Mad Hettie — to say nothing of The Dreaming in tatters and an over-the-shoulder shot of the Corinthian (Boyd Holbrook).
That gloominess continues on August 10 when Locke & Key returns for its third and final season. A teaser for the upcoming set of episodes see the Lockes ready to fight back one last time. But as that series is a puzzle box of mysteries, its preview offered only the vaguest of clues.
(Photo by Netflix)
The comic-book-inspired summer begins on June 22, though, with the return of The Umbrella Academy for its third season. The Umbrellas saved the world back in 1963, but their return to the 21st century has not only created a new threat, but a new team in the form of the Sparrow Academy. And as star Tom Hopper revealed during the show’s Geeked Week panel, relief is his character’s immediate response.
“The pressure is off [for Luther] … he gets to play out his missed teenaged years,” he said. “Until problems start happening.”
Diego (David Castañeda) searches for a new purpose while Allison (Raver-Lampman) tries to find her daughter. Although, Raver-Lampman mentioned “a lot of her season is coming back from the ’60s and dealing with what she survived.”
Aidan Gallagher, meanwhile, said Five is “looking for break. He’s been at it for two weeks now.”
Ben (Justin L. Min) is not only alive, but a member of the Sparrows. Having him in both groups allows to play out a “nature-vs-nurture” dynamic for the character. How different is he in this version of events? “It toughened him up in a way he wasn’t in the previous timeline,” he said. “He has a chip on his shoulder.”
Castañeda agreed it is a similar chip to Diego’s, which makes sense as they are both No. 2 in their respective academies.
Genesis Rodriguez, who plays Sparrow Sloane, described the team as “equally dysfunctional” as the Umbrellas. “But they are crime fighters,” she added. “They’re organized and they’ve dedicated their lives to stopping crime. They’re popular. They’re a brand.” In a clip from the season opener, the Sparrows make a tactical assessment of the Umbrella Academy while doing a morning workout. Marcus (Justin Cornwell), Sparrow No. 1, sees them as “worthy opponents” to strength the brand – the first such threat in many years.
The season will also feature Hotel Obsidian from the comics. It’s the Umbrellas’ new base of operation – a former place of fame and glamor which Klaus (Robert Sheehan) calls “a flophouse” in a second clip shown during the panel. One of the amenities he mentions, though, is its tendency to “protect” its guests.
Monday also the debut of a teaser for Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. The horror anthology series continues Del Toro’s collaboration with the platform and promises to feature eight “unprecedented and genre-defining stories meant to challenge our traditional notions of horror.” Newly announced stars include Eric André, Sofia Boutella, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Rupert Grint, Kate Micucci, and Charlyne Yi. They join the previously announced F. Murray Abraham, Ben Barnes, Elpidia Carrillo, Essie Davis, Hannah Galway, Crispin Glover, Demetrius Grosse, David Hewlett, Andrew Lincoln, Tim Blake Nelson, Luke Roberts, Sebastian Roché, Glynn Turman and Peter Weller. It is expected to debut in the fall.
Mike Flanagan’s The Midnight Club is also coming soon. As pitched by Rahul Kohli during the event, The Midnight Club is about “a group of teens get together nightly to share horror stories in a shapeshifting mansion.” The teaser only amps up the creepiness with the cast discussing the “seen and unseen” of this Christopher Pike adaptation.
The Imperfects is a sci-fi drama about a group of twenty-somethings experimented upon and turned into monsters. The teaser released on Monday suggests a punkish edge.
Looking to the more immediate future, First Kill debuts on June 10. Stars Imani Lewis and Sarah Catherine Hook promoted the teen vampire series by looking at their characters’ first kiss. But considering one is a vampire and the other is a vampire hunter, it may be tough for that kiss to become anything more — especially as it may also be love at first bite … or first stake for that matter.
Resident Evil also offered additional scares via a new trailer. It’s a decade after the initial T-Virus outbreak. The Wesker siblings (Ella Balinska and Adeline Rudolph) avoid much of strife, though, as they grow up in New Racoon City. But an old evil has infected the gated community. Will Lance Reddick’s take on Albert Wesker offer the character a chance to be more benevolent? We doubt it, but hope springs eternal – that’s why Umbrella Corps keeps trying to use the T-Virus. The program debuts July 14.
The service also unveiled a slate of genre shows debuting in the fall, including Wednesday. The program stars Jenna Ortega as a teenage Wednesday Addams navigating life (and mysteries) at a private academy. Wednesday of the 1991 film The Addams Family Christina Ricci will also appear in an as-yet undisclosed role. The Netflix announcement teaser, also released Monday, offered no details in that regard, but confirmed Thing is with Wednesday on this journey.
Manifest also returns for its two-part fourth (and final) season in the fall, and as an exclusive clip revealed, the mystery of the returned passengers only continues to deepen – whether it’s hidden in shipping containers or among the cherry blossoms.
Both Barbarians and Fate: The Winks Saga also set their second seasons for the same release window. The former sees the fight against the Roman Empire continue, while the latter sees troubles at the fairy boarding school only increase via the Burned Ones. In support of the shows, Netflix released a first-look clip featuring earth fairy Flora (Paulina Chavez) from Winx and a Barbarians teaser trailer suggesting the Fall of Rome.
Warrior Nun, meanwhile, sees Ava (Alba Baptista) further refining her skills to challenge Adriel (William Miller). A season 2 teaser offered a quick recap for those new to the series and a glimpse of what’s to come for fans before announcing its winter-timed release.
First looks from further in the future included photos from the second season of Alice in Borderland, a handful of clips from the Thai horror anthology School Tales: The Series, and a teaser/behind-the-scenes video for 1899, the Emily Beecham–starring series from the creators of Dark.
Even though 2021 Golden Tomato Award winner Sweet Tooth is not on the fall schedule, Netflix offered a nice behind-the-scenes look at second season. Production has wrapped and as Nonso Anozie, who plays thoughtful Jeppard, said in the video, “It’s been a long journey and its amazing fun.”
The program was not the only one on the more distant horizon to be featured on Monday. As part of a One Piece update, Netflix revealed actors Langley Kirkwood, Celeste Loots, Alexander Maniatis, Craig Fairbrass, Steven Ward and Chioma Umeala are joining the service’s ambitious adaptation of One Piece. The long-running manga and anime series centers on a group of pirates in search of a treasure which will make one of them king of the seas. The service also offered a look at some concept art and sets — further whetting anticipation among the One Piece faithful. The full-sized ship sets definitely suggest the series will have scope.
that's a wrap on Season 2 of SHADOW AND BONE
the cast recorded a special message to help tide us over #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/f5Eznl8nwD
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) June 6, 2022
Shadow and Bone also made an appearance via a brief video from the cast teasing “heartbreak” and “heartrending” as key words to watch out for in the episodes to come.
Netflix also confirmed the Korean zombie coming-of-age program All of Us Are Dead will return for a second season.
And although it is a little too early for news on the second season of Vikings: Valhalla, Geeked Week offered a blooper reel comprised of moments from season 1 that was introduced by the cast, who thanked the fans for the chance to make (at least) two more seasons. Also, while not mentioned during Geeked Week, Deadline revealed Goran Visnjic has joined the program in a “multi-year” arc.
