Pop culture is a never-ending world of updates, teases, trailers, and hopefully releases. What’s New Wednesday is Dorkaholics’ way to keep us all up to date with what’s new across comics, TV, film, games, and more! This week, the focus is on The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Queer, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and Squid Game Season 2.
- The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim | Authentically Anime Featurette
Leading up to this week’s release of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Warner Bros. Pictures shared a featurette highlighting the choice to tell this story as not just an animated feature, but as an anime film being co-produced by Warner Bros. Animation and Sola Entertainment with director Kenji Kamiyama (Blade Runner: Black Lotus, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) at the helm. Gaia Wise, voice of the main character Héra Hammerhand, said it best when she highlighted the medium’s ability to captivate audiences with not just beautiful landscape imagery but also the vibrant lights and darks.
Release Date: In theaters on December 13, 2024
Synopsis: Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg—a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.
- Queer: Official Trailer 2
Director Luca Guadagnino and writer Justin Kuritzkes reunite after this year’s Challengers to adapt the novel Queer by author Williams S. Burroughs. If there’s a connection between these two films, then what I’ve identified is this lens into human relationships, how they form, and develop overtime. And with this cast led by Daniel Craig, audiences will see the human experience from highs to lows, at humanity’s best as well as when it feels like a “curse.” My favorite piece of dialogue from the trailer: “I want to talk to you without speaking.”
Release Date: In theaters everywhere on December 13, 2024 (Opened in NY & LA in November)
Synopsis: 1950. William Lee, an American expat in Mexico City, spends his days almost entirely alone, except for a few contacts with other members of the small American community. His encounter with Eugene Allerton, an expat former soldier, new to the city, shows him, for the first time, that it might be finally possible to establish an intimate connection with somebody.
- Sonic the Hedgehog 3: Official Trailer 2
Aren’t we glad that Paramount displayed reverence for the fandom back when the early look at the first Sonic the Hedgehog was released? Now look how far we’ve come. We have a third film with Keanu Reeves voicing Shadow. Is it safe to say Shadow is our AAPI representation?
And for the super Sonic dorks, Paramount Pictures is giving the opportunity to see the film at theaters on an opening day movie event at participating locations across the country on Thursday, December 19.
Ticket holders seeing Sonic the Hedgehog 3 at the Fan Event screening will also see additional behind the scenes content prior to the feature for this special show and will also receive limited-edition gifts including one of four different limited edition character keychains plus an exclusive 12”x18” collector’s art print created for fans attending this one-night event – while supplies last.
To purchase tickets for the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Opening Day Fan Event Screening, and to find participating theatre listings in your area, go to www.sonicthehedgehogmovie.com/seeitfirst. Tickets for all shows are also on sale at exhibitors’ websites & mobile apps, 3rd party ticketing platforms and at participating theatre box offices nationwide.
Release Date: In theaters on December 20, 2024
Synopsis: Sonic the Hedgehog returns to the big screen this holiday season in his most thrilling adventure yet. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet.
- Squid Game Season 2: Official Trailer
The trailer for Squid Game Season 2 takes us back to the island with Gi-Hun stepping up to put an end to the games. But the dialogue by the Front Man is a haunting reminder of not just the series but unfortunately our real world as well, “the game will not end unless the world changes.” We have to hand it to Korean entertainment for telling these stories that highlight the harsh realities we are living in, that hopefully not just open eyes but also open up hearts as leads to empathy and compassion, which may give us the lasting change we want to see so that stories like Squid Game will feel like fiction.
Release Date: Premieres on Netflix on December 26, 2024
Synopsis: Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 gave up going to the states and comes back with a new resolution in his mind. Gi-hun once again dives into the mysterious survival game, starting another life-or-death game with new participants gathered to win the prize of 45.6 billion won.
