Style Routine

I can only hope Warner Bros. Discovery wasn’t as cruel when it canceled the already completed Batgirl film this week. But the company certainly wasn’t kind. Early reports claimed the film, expected to premiere exclusively on HBO Max, was canceled because it was of such poor quality it was “irredeemable,” as one source told the New York Post. Later in the day, a much more plausible reason for the film’s vaulting appeared. According to Variety, the film was tucked away, never to be seen, not because it was a bad movie but because the massive entity now known as Warner Bros. Discovery wanted a tax write-off. That’s what happens in a megamerger. Potentially interesting projects — anything that bothers the biggest exec in the room — get canceled or delayed or shoved into a vault somewhere, never to see the light of day.

The megamerger killed Batgirl The one villain Batgirl couldn’t beat was the megamerger.

The sequel to 2019’s Oscar-winning Joker is planned for release on October 4th, 2024. Deadline reported the news Thursday, and director Todd Phillips confirmed the release date in an Instagram post. Joaquin Phoenix, who won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of the character in the first movie, is returning, and Lady Gaga will be joining the cast.

Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker sequel is releasing in October 2024, and Lady Gaga is joining the cast The film is set to release on October 4th, 2024.

Over the years Persona has seen a steady rise from a niche RPG series to a bonafide hit — so the next natural step is a live-action adaptation. While there’s nothing officially in the works just yet, Toru Nakahara, producer on the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movies, says that it’s something that Sega is exploring.

“Atlus’ worlds are filled with high drama, cutting-edge style and compelling characters,” Nakahara told IGN. “Stories like those from the Persona franchise really resonate with our fans and we see an opportunity to expand the lore like no one has seen — or played — before.” More directly, he said that “together, Sega and Atlus, are working to bring these stories and worlds to life through new mediums and for new audiences.”

The news comes at a time when seemingly every popular video game is being adapted in some way, from Sony’s shows based on Twisted Metal, The Last of Us, and Ghost of Tsushima to the animated Super Mario movie from the team behind Minions (which will somehow star Chris Pratt in the lead role). Netflix, meanwhile, has gone all-in on gaming adaptations following the success of series like The Witcher and The Cuphead Show. Sega, of course, has seen some big success with its live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie, which spawned a sequel that hit theaters earlier this year.

Sega wants to turn Persona into a live-action show or movie Nothing is in the works just yet, though.