Television, movies, and gaming dominated geek news this week. Legion, Star Wars, Alien: Covenant, and Resident Evil – all big names enough to satisfy and intrigue any geek!
Welcome to The Week in Geek! Each week, I’ll be compiling the stories that made waves and the ones you might have missed. This week it’s all about Legion, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Alien: Covenant, The Predator, and more.
Got a suggestion for a good story? Shoot an email to weekingeek@retrozap.com. Let’s dig in!
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
BIG news in Star Wars this week. The title for the upcoming Star Wars Episode VIII has been revealed! Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Speculation on what the title could infer has been buzzing over the Internet for days, and will likely continue until the film comes out in December. Check out the RetroZap crew’s reactions on the title here.
Star Wars: Thrawn
Woo-hoo! A synopsis for Timothy Zahn’s upcoming Star Wars: Thrawn is here! The book will feature Thrawn’s origins and his rise in the Empire. His background will differ slightly from his Expanded Universe description, but will none the less feature his signature intelligence and ingenuity. The book comes out April 11th. This book is sure to be a great read, possibly one of the best in the new canon. It cannot get here soon enough!
Funko Pop! Announcements
Funko collectors rejoice! Funko has a massive lineup for 2017, just announced this week during the London Toy Fair. Some of the new offerings will include: Lord of the Rings, Parks and Recreation, Power Rangers, Reservoir Dogs, Twin Peaks, Space Jam, and Mass Effect. And those are just a few. More reveals are to come during the American Toy Fair in February. This is a veritable treasure trove for collectors. And let’s face it, everyone needs a Funko Pop! of Lil’ Sebastian.
Alien: Covenant
A bunch of new footage was unveiled for Alien: Covenant this week. Before watching the footage, just know it may contain minor spoilers. This film is going to be scary, scary, scary. In a good way. The new footage promises plenty of gore, chills, and unforgettable xenomorph action. The film features a space crew bound for a remote planet on the other side of the galaxy. Unbeknownst to them, the seeming paradise of the planet harbors a dangerous secret. Alien: Covenant premiers May 19th (a full seven months before it’s original release date).
Academy Awards Buzz
The Oscar nominations were announced this week. La La Land garnered the most nominations in total with 14 (not surprising with all the buzz around the film). One significant contender this year is the science fiction film, Arrival. Normally sci-fi films get passed over by the Academy, but Arrival managed to get several nominations. Two of this year’s best sci-fi/comic book films, Dr. Strange and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, were nominated for Best Visual Effects. And rightfully so–both of those films were visual masterpieces. For a complete list of nominations, click here. The 89th Academy Awards air Sunday, February 26th.
The Predator — “If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It”
Strong rumors have Thomas Jane, former star of The Punisher, will be joining the cast of Shane Black’s The Predator. The film is a reboot of the Predator series, set to begin production next month. No word yet on who Jane might play in the film. The movie will also feature Olivia Munn, Keegan-Michael Key, and Sterling K. Brown. Not much else is known about the film yet, but check out the awesome poster for it below.
Legion
Five new teaser trailers arrived this week for Legion, a new series coming to FX in February. Legion is based on Marvel Comics by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz. The comics feature the story of a young man (played by David Haller in the upcoming series) diagnosed with schizophrenia, and has been institutionalized most of his life. But he may not be what he seems, he may be more, much more. Think X-Men meets real life. The series looks fascinating and intriguing. Marvel Entertainment has been very on point with its television productions, so Legion will be one to check out. See the teaser trailers here.
Resident Evil is Back
Resident Evil 7: biohazard, has been delivered–and it looks wicked! The game is a survival-horror experience; the main character must try to find his missing wife on a supposedly abandoned Louisiana plantation. By the looks of the trailer, this gameplay will be frighteningly realistic. My husband has been playing these games for years, and I’ve watched them all. This one looks the creepiest by far.
Courtney Martin is a graduate of Indiana University and works in publishing. She’s an avid Star Wars fan and wrote the recipe blog Courtney Cooks Star Wars on suvudu.com. When not enveloped a science fiction or fantasy novel, she is watching television with her husband and son, doing crossword puzzles, or playing with her Shih Tzu, Burt.