2024 has been an intense and amazing year for movies in general. We’ve seen goosebump-inducing epics, gory horror flicks, and dazzling animated masterpieces. However, as we reminisce on all these films, it only sparks more excitement for what’s to come in 2025.
If you’re simply dying to know what to look out for in the new year, then check out these movie stories we’ve dug up for you.
What We Know About “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man”
Spider-Man is among the most recognisable and beloved characters in Marvel’s history. Naturally, Web-Head lovers are spoiled with all the recent media they’ve been receiving, such as Tom Holland’s run as the titular webslinger and Sony’s animated take featuring Miles Morales in “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.”
However, fans are experiencing a bit of a drought, as we won’t be seeing the English actor don his red and blue suit for another year, while Sony’s third installation has numerous delays. Luckily, Disney+ is here to provide you with the latest Spidey fix.
“Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” is an animated series that features an alternate reality Peter Parker, who’s still in his nerdy high school phase and is still in the process of exploring his spider powers. The series will take the beloved superhero back to its comic book roots, from the story’s setting all the way to the show’s very art style, which is reminiscent of when he first swung into the pages of the comic.
Previously titled “Spider-Man: Freshman Year,” what makes this upcoming show so different is that he will have a student and mentor bond with tech genius billionaire Norman Osborn. Although the show isn’t out yet, we can safely assume that this relationship isn’t like that of Peter and Tony Stark in the MCU, as Norman is the alter ego of Spider-Man’s archnemesis, the Green Goblin. How this will play out on the small screen – particularly if they’ll retain this professional relationship (or will it devolve into the bitter conflict we know and love?) – is anyone’s guess, and we can’t wait to see it.
Hudson Thames will be donning the Spider uniform this time around. He’ll be joined by Colman Domingo as Norman Osborn, Kari Wahlgren as Aunt May, and Hugh Dancy as Doctor Octopus. The series will also feature the voices of “Daredevil: Born Again” stars Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, reprising their roles as Matt Murdock (Daredevil) and Wilson Fisk (Kingpin), respectively. It was also confirmed that Paul F. Tompkins, Eugene Byrd, Grace Song, and Zeno Robinson will be a part of the project, though their roles have yet to be revealed.
If you’re sceptical about how this show will pan out, you can breathe a sigh of relief as Jeff Trammel (known for his work on Craig of the Creek and Amphibia) will be the head writer, and Mel Zwyer (known for his work on Young Justice) will be the supervising director. The 10-episode animated series will land on Disney+ on 29th January.
Cynthia Erivo Co-writes New Song For Elphaba For “Wicked” Sequel
Out of all the films that graced the theatre halls this 2024, we can all almost unanimously agree that the movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical “Wicked” was easily one of the best. Of course, many have sung along to the familiar songs of the beloved play, but fans are in for a special treat in the form of a new song courtesy of Cynthia Erivo herself.
That’s right, the Wicked actress revealed that she worked with the musical’s original songwriter, Stephen Schwartz, to create a new song for “Wicked: For Good,” a titbit she shared proudly on Variety’s podcast. Furthermore, Erivo specifically emphasised that it will have a strong emotional effect on audiences.
Since “Wicked” has concluded its filming and all that’s left is to prepare the film for the final release, the Witch of the West actress shared that no one on the set could hold back their tears when the song was played. “I mean, I love the song and I remember when we filmed it, the cast and crew were crying. So I don’t know,” Erivo shared on the podcast. “And I don’t know if that’s just because they were emotional that day or that’s what the song does.” The actress did not share any more than that. She specifically withheld the name of the song, but she did mention that “even the title will move you.”
But that’s not all; she further added that Ariana Grande’s Glinda will be receiving a new, original song exclusively for the sequel. However, it was not disclosed if Grande has collaborated with Schwartz or if the song will pull on the heartstrings much like Erivo’s.
Fans were initially sceptical of “Wicked” being divided into two parts, but Erivo praised the decision in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, stating that it allows the audience the breathing room to enjoy the movie, as well as the two main characters’ now-expanded “relationship as friends.” However, if you simply cannot wait for part two, Erivo confirmed that she’s planning on releasing a solo album before the sequel hits theatres.
“It’s been written. It’s ready. It’s coming for you next year,” she shared. “I feel like it’s pretty eclectic, but it’s my voice and it’s vocal-forward. So it just sort of happened that way. My brain works very weirdly. So a lot of the, you’ll hear in some of the music, well, all of the music, that a lot of the background, a lot of the musical padding is my voice. So I’ve used my voice like an instrument, but there are flecks of soul, there are flecks of country, there are flecks of pop, you know. It’s this stuff that I have listened to my whole life.”
