By Em Helena
| Published 5 seconds ago

Under the guidance of esteemed director David Fincher, Netflix’s 2023 crime thriller The Killer takes an unexpected turn from what we expect from the hitman genre.

Inspired by Alexis “Matz” Nolent’s graphic novel series, The Killer follows the story of an unnamed assassin and his search for retribution. The film features multiple famous Hollywood talents such as Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton, and Charles Parnell.

Michael Fassbender Is A Hitman Out For Revenge

After accidentally killing an innocent bystander while on a hit mission, the unnamed assassin, played by Michael Fassbender, is now forced to face the consequences of his actions on a personal level. When his girlfriend is nearly assassinated in retaliation to his mistake, the anonymous hitman embarks on a worldwide mission inspired by revenge and retirement. 

What sets The Killer apart from most hitman movies is the fact that it starts out as what you would expect from an action movie and then dramatically slows down, honing in on the assassin’s methodology. Also, there isn’t much to really like about the main character, he has no empathy, and nearly no redeeming qualities, putting him in stark contrast to previous hitman protagonists. He is cold, he is uncaring, and the audience is made readily aware of that throughout the film. 

Another David Fincher Hit

Released on Netflix in November 2023, The Killer received high praise. With an audience score of 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes it is clear that David Fincher has, once again, successfully risen to the challenge. With previous titles such as Fight Club, Gone Girl, and Zodiac under his belt, it’s no surprise that he has mastered the thriller genre.

Along with audience popularity, The Killer also received high praise from the Hollywood film circuit. Nominated for several awards and securing the Premio Soundtrack Stars Award at the Venice International Film Festival, Fincher’s new dark take in the Bond-saturated hitman genre has been popular with most audiences. 

Although The Killer is an adaptation of Nolent’s graphic novel series, David Fincher still came to set with his own inspirations. It is rumored that Fincher’s inspiration behind the main character was the common misinterpretation of his film Fight Club. The unnamed assassin is someone who would believe that Tyler Durden is a good person and would be inspired by and find solace in his actions. 

Despite an overwhelmingly positive response to the film, some critics disagreed with the movie’s direction. Manhola Dargis, in a review for The New York Times, called the main protagonist “ loquaciously dull” and further elaborated that The Killer was just a way for David Fincher to kill time. For Dargis, much was left to be desired from the title.

The Killer is currently available to stream on Netflix and clocks in a run time of 119 minutes. If you are a fan of David Fincher or a hitman fanatic, this movie will most certainly jump into your top favorites list. If you are new to these worlds, congratulations! Come into it with an open heart and prepare to have your mind blown. 

Keri Hilson is opening up about her recent “music can harm” tweet, saying it wasn’t about Yung Miami‘s ‘Spend Dat’ single, as internet users continue to weigh in.

RELATED: LisaRaye & Trick Daddy Weigh In On Yung Miami’s ‘Spend Dat’ Amid Controversy Over The Song’s Impact (VIDEOS)

Keri Hilson Says Her “Music Can Harm” Tweet Wasn’t About Yung Miami’s ‘Spend Dat’

Keri Hilson recently sat down for an interview with HelloBeautiful, and during the conversation, she explained that her recent viral tweet “was bigger than that one song.”

“It’s bigger than any one song,” she said. “That tweet was me commenting on the commentary… It was general — I mean, of course… I was aware of what was being talked about. But I just wanted to offer that truth… Let’s not lie to ourselves. We understand the impact that music can have on the culture. On youth. We’ve been talking about this for 40, 50 years.”

Hilson explained that the “lack of balance” and “substance” in music is what “really bothers” her. Additionally, she explained that no artist is “attempting to take Black culture under their wing” and say that they have “something to teach.”

Internet Users Continue To Weigh In On The Song & Keri Hilson Says Her “Music Can Harm” Tweet

Internet users weighed in on Keri Hilson’s tweet, her explanation, and Yung Miami’s ‘Spend Dat’ in TSR’s comment section.

More On Yung Miami’s ‘Spend Dat’

As The Shade Room previously reported, on July 1, Keri Hilson took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share a message which read, “If music can heal, music can harm too…”

At the time, internet users speculated that her words may have been about Yung Miami’s single, ‘Spend Dat.’ The song, released on April 24, has since sparked controversy over its content and lyrics. As The Shade Room previously reported, India Arie recently turned heads when she shared a few messages about the “mass acceptance” of the song.

Since then, Nicci Gilbert has also weighed in. This, alongside LisaRaye and Trick Daddy. More recently, India Arie returned to social media. This, to share that she was enjoying the “discourse” that the song and her reaction to it sparked.

RELATED: India Arie Doubles Down On Her Comments About Yung Miami’s ‘Spend Dat’ & The TL Is Divided (PHOTOS)

It’s been a great year for Harry Potter fans. The release of the critically acclaimed Audible Full-Cast Audio Editions gave fans months of enjoyment, and quite literally about a hundred hours of compelling and new content. Meanwhile, the first trailer was released for the upcoming HBO series, which premieres at Christmas. However, the Potter stories all started on the page, and that’s why it’s especially exciting to hear that two new Harry Potter books are on the way.

Bloomsbury Publishing is officially releasing two new Pocket Potters books, this time based around two of Harry’s closest friends — Dobby and Rubeus Hagrid. The books are aimed at younger readers, but they’re also the sort of little releases that will inevitably end up on the shelves of people who absolutely do not need more Harry Potter collectibles and will buy them anyway. Accio books, etc.

Hagrid and Dobby Get Their Own Illustrated Guides

Pocket Potters: Hagrid is illustrated by Olia Muza, whose previous work in the series includes the Ron Weasley guide. The book will focus on the lovable Hogwarts groundskeeper’s world, from the warmth of his hut, Fang the dog, his teeth-crunching rock cakes and his best buddies, the acromantula spiders that haunt the Forbidden Forest. It’ll also explore more fun things like the contents of his pockets, his other, more exotic pets, and his life as Care of Magical Creatures teacher. Blast-ended Skrewts are not included as part of the package.

Pocket Potters: Dobby is illustrated by Helen Brady, who is also behind the upcoming Luna Lovegood edition. This fun little guide will focus on details from Dobby’s story, like his earlier life at Malfoy Manor, his love of socks and bobble hats, and that unforgettable incident where Aunt Petunia’s hand-made dessert ended all over the Dursleys’ dinner guests that night in Privet Drive.

The pair join existing Pocket Potters releases for Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Professor Dumbledore, and Luna Lovegood. Each book is full of quotes, story moments, illustrations, and small facts designed to introduce young readers to the Wizarding World in a colorful way.

Pocket Potters: Hagrid and Pocket Potters: Dobby arrive August 13 in the UK. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone will arrive on HBO and HBO Max on December 25.

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Release Date

2026 – 2026

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Showrunner

Francisca Gardiner

Directors

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Mark Mylod

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By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 18 seconds ago

Will Smith had a plan to become a major star. When he decided to make the jump from television star of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to international sensation he wanted to be in big-budget Summer sci-fi blockbusters. Independence Day and Men in Black were huge hits, Wild Wild West was not, and while he achieved his goal, his biggest misfire came over 20 years later in 2019. That’s the year he teamed up with Ang Lee for Gemini Man, a sci-fi action movie that makes us long for the days of a giant steampunk spider. 

Gemini Man’s Cutting Edge Technology Falls Flat

Before you notice anything else about Gemini Man the 120 FPS rate sticks out like a sore thumb. Ang Lee shot the film entirely at the enhanced rate that gives it the appearance of a daytime soap opera. The movie ran headfirst into the same technological wall as The Hobbit trilogy in that on one hand, it looks and moves incredibly smooth, but on the other, to most of the public, it was shot on location in the uncanny valley. 

Gemini Man pits Will Smith as Marine Scout Sniper Henry against a digitally de-aged Will Smith in a game of cat and mouse. After Henry kills an innocent man on a mission and leaves the service, Clay (Clive Owen), director of the GEMINI program, concocts the insane supervillain plan to take out Henry and replace him with a loyal, obedient clone. Any Spider-Man fan will tell you that clone stories never work out. Even the addition of Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Benedict Wong in supporting roles isn’t enough to save Gemini Man from the clone curse.

Between the enhanced FPS and a digitally de-aged Will Smith, Gemini Man has aged as well as those potatoes in the pantry you swore you’d cook one day. After Earth has gone through the usual revaluation phase and isn’t considered to be as horrible as it was when it launched, but Gemini Man is, if anything, worse than it was in 2019. Cutting-edge technology backfiring combined with a boring plot has left it with little to no redeeming value.

Gemini Man Is Too Absurd To Be This Serious

The worst part about Gemini Man is there’s no sense of fun to it. Wild Wild West is a bad movie but at least Will Smith, Kevin Kline, and Kenneth Branagh are having fun with the absurdity of it all, and the worst of the Men in Black trilogy, Men in Black III, benefits from Josh Brolin doing a Tommy Lee Jones impression. At the box office, it was rejected by audiences with a dismal take of $173 million worldwide. Sounds great, except it needed to go past $275 million to turn a profit thanks to the production budget of $125 million. It’s expensive to look that bad.

Will Smith recovered from Gemini Man by going back to the Bad Boys franchise with Martin Lawrence. Both Bad Boys For Life and Bad Boys: Ride or Die were hits, and he’s currently working on I Am Legend 2 with Michael B. Jordan and Creed II director Steven Caple Jr. No matter how bad the movie retcons the ending of the first, it’ll still be more interesting than Gemini Man.

Gemini Man is streaming for free on YouTube and Pluto TV.

More bad news in the gaming industry, this time from Microsoft. Following the crushing news that Sony and PlayStation are to do away with physical media in the near future, it seems the Xbox side of the aisle is also making some moves. Michrosoft is making a huge round of job cuts, with the gaming division set to be hit hardest by that move. CNBC is reporting that the company is going to be eliminating 4,800 jobs across its business, with 3,200 of those losses set to come from within Xbox through 2027.

For those who can’t quite process that horrific news, that amounts to roughly one fifth of the entire Xbox workforce, according to someone quoted within the CNBC report, and about 1,600 of those roles are being cut immediately, while the rest are expected to go over the next year as Microsoft clears the decks.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told employees that the changes would be staggered because “it is not possible to make all the necessary changes in a single day.” She added that the company expects to return to growth in 2027, though that’s hardly going to be a comfort to the teams that have just had their workforce slashed in dramatic fashion. Her statement concluded:

I want XBOX to be one of the few companies that entertains more than a billion people each day and gives everyone the opportunity to create and connect. I know we can achieve this goal. XBOX has many of the most beloved franchises in entertainment history, talented studios around the world, and we will return to growth in 2027.

What Does the Xbox Restructuring Involve?

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Also part of the restructuring is a plan to spin off four gaming studios from Microsoft. Compulsion Games and Double Fine Productions are set to become independent again, while Ninja Theory and Undead Labs have reportedly entered talks to join new ownership. In addition, there’s also real uncertainty over the future of Arkane Studios, which joined Microsoft through its $8.1 billion ZeniMax Media acquisition in 2021, and they are said to be in dicussions about strategic options but no final decisions have been made for the time being.

In news that is sure to be welcomed by, well, nobody, Microsoft chief people officer Amy Coleman said the company is responding to a workplace being reshaped by AI, though she insisted the technology itself is not directly replacing affected employees. “Some of the tasks we do every day can now be automated,” she wrote, adding that staff will need to “keep learning, keep building new skills, and keep adapting as the work evolves.”

Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

The fantasy genre in recent years has been largely landlocked to the television space, largely thanks to the massive popularity of Game of Thrones and its two very successful spin-offs, House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Other examples include Netflix’s The Witcher, Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time, and many more, but the genre is making a big return to the big screen in the coming years, such as several The Lord of the Rings spin-offs from Peter Jackson in active development. However, one of next year’s most anticipated projects is now facing a new bout of controversy that feels eerily similar to George R.R. Martin‘s ongoing feud with House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal.

After years in development hell, Children of Blood & Bone, the beloved first installment of the Legacy of Orïsha trilogy, is finally set to hit the big screen in early 2027 with a star-studded cast to boot. The excitement from fans ever since the news has been palpable, but now, things have taken a turn as original series creator and book author Tomi Adeyemi has officially disowned the upcoming adaptation in a recent social media post, saying “I have not seen the film and I will not watch it” in a collection of direct messages she shared online. Adeyemi didn’t elaborate on specifics for the “painful” falling out with the upcoming project, although one message shared draws specifically to a message to star Amandla Stenberg, saying, “Do not ever use my name in an interview or video again. Do not text me. Do not call me.”

Stenberg, who has long been a target of fan backlash across franchises for her roles in the original The Hunger Games and the divisive Star Wars spin-off The Acolyte, has also faced controversy over her role in the adaptation of Children of Blood & Bone. In February 2025, Stenberg officially responded to accusations that the actor was “stealing roles from dark-skinned women” by using a story that claimed Adeyemi wrote the Legacy of Orïsha novels after being inspired by the racist backlash Stenberg received after being cast in The Hunger Games. It is worth noting that, according to the DMs shared by Adeyemi, the falling out between the author and Stenberg took place after the following comments about their creative collaborations:

“I had the opportunity to meet Tomi, the novelist, for the first time. Then, she goes, ‘Amandla, I want you to know that when you were a little girl and were cast as Rue in The Hunger Games, and you had these racist remarks thrown at you because people said that Rue’s death wouldn’t be as sad because you’re a Black girl — that inspired me to write this series, so that Black girls like you and Black girls of all shades could have a story written about them.’ We just started crying, and I said to myself, ‘God wants me here!’”

What Is ‘Children of Blood & Bone’ About?

Image via Henry Holt Books for Young Readers

A fantasy saga set in a fictional African kingdom, Children of Blood & Bone follows a young girl’s quest to recover an ancient magical artifact after thieves take a hold of it. Widely considered to be one of the best YA fantasy novels of the last decade, if done correctly, and adaptation of Children of Blood & Bone has the potential to be on same level as the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson franchises. In addition to Amandla Stenberg, the cast also consists of Viola Davis, Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo, Regina King, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Children of Blood & Bone releases in theaters on January 15, 2026. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

January 15, 2027

Director

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Gina Prince-Bythewood

Writers

Gina Prince-Bythewood, Tomi Adeyemi

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Producers

Reggie Rock Bythewood, Wyck Godfrey, Karen Rosenfelt, Marty Bowen

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Taylor Swift has spent years writing love stories that made millions of fans believe in happily-ever-afters. 

However, according to guests, nothing compared to the real-life moment she walked down the aisle to marry Travis Kelce. 

Behind the towering floral displays, celebrity-packed guest list, and strict no-phone policy was a deeply emotional ceremony that reportedly left the bride in tears after one unforgettable promise from the NFL star. 

As more details emerge, the wedding is proving to be every bit as magical as fans imagined.

Madison Square Garden has hosted championship games, sold-out concerts, and historic sporting events, but guests reportedly barely recognized the famous arena when Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce exchanged vows.

According to footage obtained by the Daily Mail, the venue was transformed into an enchanted garden complete with a towering chapel surrounded by rose bushes and trees. 

Gone were the arena’s familiar seats and hardwood flooring, replaced instead with winding walkways, flowing drapery, and romantic displays celebrating the couple’s love story.

Guests reportedly climbed a coral-colored staircase before passing never-before-seen photographs of the couple displayed throughout the venue. As Candi Staton’s “Young Hearts Run Free” echoed through the space, attendees made their way beneath a soaring archway toward the ceremony.

Adam Sandler reportedly entered first to officiate the wedding before Swift appeared in Christian Dior haute couture.

Adding another personal touch, Jason and Kylie Kelce’s daughters served as flower girls, scattering petals ahead of the bride as she walked toward Travis to an instrumental version of her own hit, “Love Story.”

Donna Kelce later summed up the day in the simplest way possible, saying she couldn’t reveal “a heck of a lot except it was magical, man, magical.”

Swift Reportedly Couldn’t Hold Back Her Emotions During The Vows

For all the extravagant details surrounding the wedding, guests say the ceremony’s most unforgettable moment came during the exchange of vows.

Although Travis Kelce reportedly appeared slightly nervous as he stood at the altar, attendees said he remained composed throughout one of the biggest moments of his life.

“He kept it together,” one guest told the Daily Mail, adding, “And there was a lot of tear drying because Taylor looked tearful during a part in the vows where he promised to protect her forever.”

The emotional exchange didn’t just affect Taylor Swift. According to two guests who later spoke with NBC News, many in the audience were wiping away tears by the end of the ceremony, with Travis himself appearing visibly emotional.

“Good Morning America” host George Stephanopoulos described the vows as “real, vulnerable, serious and silly, deeply loving.”

Even the Kelce family reportedly found themselves overwhelmed, not by nerves, but by the sheer scale of the celebration.

“They’ve had three years to get used to Taylor’s world,” one insider explained, further noting, “But they’ve never seen anything like the spectacle of MSG [Madison Square Garden]. It was a lot.”

Taylor Swift’s Wedding Weekend Mixed Heartfelt Moments With Plenty Of Humor

The emotional ceremony followed a rehearsal dinner that delivered plenty of laughs. Held Thursday night inside Madison Square Garden’s Infosys Theater, the more intimate gathering welcomed around 100 guests before Friday’s larger celebration.

One of the evening’s biggest talking points reportedly came courtesy of Lena Dunham. During her speech, the actress and longtime Swift friend allegedly joked that “American football is just straight guys reenacting gay porn.”

According to reports, the remark divided the room, prompting both “gasps and laughs.” Swift, however, reportedly loved every second of it and declared Dunham a “genius.”

By Saturday evening, the celebration had become impossible to ignore. Madison Square Garden confirmed the marriage by illuminating its exterior with giant pink digital displays reading “JUST&T MARRIED!”

The Grammy Award winner’s longtime publicist, Tree Paine, later confirmed the wedding as well, sharing details about the singer’s Dior gown and Adam Sandler’s role in the ceremony.

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According to an insider, asking the Hollywood star to officiate was an easy decision. “They’re big fans of his personally and professionally. When they asked him, he told them it was a huge honor. He said yes immediately,” they shared.

Swift Filled Her Wedding With Familiar Faces From Every Chapter Of Her Life

The guest list reflected nearly every era of Taylor Swift’s career. Hollywood stars, music icons, comedians, athletes, and longtime friends all gathered under one roof. 

Some of the big names included Brad Pitt, Selena Gomez, Gigi Hadid, Karlie Kloss, Dakota Johnson, Jessica Chastain, Emma Stone, Reese Witherspoon, Zoë Kravitz, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Lopez, and Ed Sheeran.

Other A-list stars including Ellie Goulding, Camila Cabello, Ice Spice, Benson Boone, Nikki Glaser, Fergie, Jessica Alba, Ethan Hawke, Kelsea Ballerini, and members of Swift’s Eras Tour dance team were also present. 

Performances by Stevie Nicks and Sir Paul McCartney reportedly kept the celebration going into the early hours. One surprise favorite among guests wasn’t an actor or musician, though.

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“Graham Norton was actually one of the people everyone wanted to go up and speak to,” one insider claimed. “I don’t think he realized how popular his show is [in the States]. People like Lena [Dunham] and Selena [Gomez] were around him. He was a focal point because Taylor loves him so much.”

Taylor Swift May Already Be Turning Her Wedding Into Her Next Creative Chapter

The wedding’s carefully orchestrated production quickly sparked speculation that fans could eventually see more than just photographs.

Signs around Madison Square Garden reading “No parking” and “film shoot” fueled rumors that cameras may have been documenting the celebrations.

Given Swift’s history with projects like “Miss Americana” and “Taylor Swift: The End of an Era,” the speculation only intensified.

According to one insider, “Everyone who was at the big party had to sign a release for legal reasons as they entered.”

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They also noted, “No one refused. It might be just for her and Travis to remember their special night. Or it might be for something else.”

Following the whirlwind celebration, insiders claimed the newlyweds were “exhausted,” adding that there was no official party on Saturday night.

Instead, Swift’s private jet reportedly landed in Connecticut, fueling speculation the couple slipped away to High Watch, her Rhode Island mansion, where lights were reportedly visible later that evening.

Even with wedding festivities behind her, Swift reportedly isn’t slowing down for long. Sources claim collaborators from previous albums have already been asked to “start working on concepts for videos in August.”

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It looks like Danny McBride is serious about bringing G.I. Joe back to the big screen.

During a recent appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, McBride confirmed that he has completed a screenplay for a new G.I. Joe film, and according to the actor and writer, Paramount Pictures is enthusiastic about moving the project forward.

“I’ve written one. I’m stoked about it. I’m really fired up about the script,” McBride said. “Paramount seems fired up about it, so hopefully we’re shooting it next year.”

For longtime fans of the franchise, perhaps the most exciting revelation wasn’t the production update—it was hearing how deeply McBride understands the source material.

“It was definitely the cartoons and the comics,” he explained. “G.I. Joe was my thing when I was a kid. I liked that more than Star Wars, more than anything. I still have all the characters.”

That lifelong passion helped shape the movie’s direction.

According to McBride, his original pitch wasn’t even for a traditional G.I. Joe film. Instead, he wanted to make a movie centered around the Dreadnoks, Cobra’s infamous biker gang of mercenaries. Paramount liked the idea but felt the franchise first needed a proper relaunch before branching into spinoffs.

“I had an idea for a Dreadnoks movie,” McBride recalled. “So I went to Paramount and pitched it, and they were like, ‘Well, the franchise kind of needs to be launched, so we can’t come out with a Dreadnoks movie. Would you have an angle for a G.I. Joe project?’ And I was like, ‘Hell yeah, I’ll have an angle for that.’”

Rather than simply rehash familiar stories, McBride developed a new concept alongside his The Righteous Gemstonescollaborators Jeff Bradley and John Carcieri.

The film reportedly follows Duke and a team of Joes as they investigate Springfield, the infamous town from the comics that secretly operates under Cobra’s control.

“You’re following Duke and a group of other Joes. There’s that town in the comic, Springfield, which is a town that’s secretly all Cobra, and so that is where our film takes place.”

Perhaps the biggest surprise is the tone.

Despite McBride’s reputation for outrageous comedies like Eastbound & Down and The Righteous Gemstones, he insists this won’t be a comedic take on the iconic toy line.

“We cracked something that we really love,” he said. “It’s not a comedy; it’s kind of suspense and action. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

He even described the screenplay as a more grounded approach to the franchise, suggesting audiences should expect tension and espionage rather than over-the-top parody.

While McBride stopped short of revealing any casting announcements, he hinted that conversations are already taking place behind the scenes.

“We have some pretty interesting people lining up to be in it,” he teased. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but it looks like it’s going to be pretty fun.”

Following the disappointing box office performance of Snake Eyes in 2021, Paramount has been searching for the right direction to revive the franchise. If McBride’s comments are any indication, the studio believes it has finally found a fresh approach—one rooted in the classic comics while delivering a grounded action-thriller centered around Duke, Cobra, and the mysterious town of Springfield.

Should production begin next year as planned, G.I. Joe fans may finally be getting the franchise reboot they’ve been waiting for.