Back in December 2025, Deadline announced that the new Prime Video series had been renewed for two seasons. This is exciting and allows for a lot of storytelling possibilities, but it also leaves me with some urgent questions. Here are a few things I’ve been thinking about since I heard the news about this adaptation of a franchise I really love.
Creating Avatar: The Way of Water and Fire and Ash was a long and complex undertaking, starting more than ten years ago after the first Avatar film became a hit in 2009. Filming lasted from 2017 to 2020, and The Way of Water finally premiered in 2022. With Fire and Ash now complete and shown to audiences, director James Cameron shared his excitement about continuing the Avatar story.
It’s understandable why it’s difficult to get Zendaya, Jacob Elordi, and Sydney Sweeney together for filming – they’re all incredibly in-demand actors. It also feels realistic that high school friends don’t always stay close. However, some viewers might be disappointed by this storyline.
To be honest, Jonathan Byers hasn’t always been a standout character for me in Stranger Things. He often comes across as quiet, sad, and lost in thought. However, a recent theory about the final season suggests the creators might give Jonathan a particularly emotional and impactful storyline.
It’s surprising that Tim Burton’s contribution to The Black Cauldron isn’t widely known, considering his talent for dark fantasy films. Despite his involvement, the movie wasn’t a commercial success, even as Burton’s own popularity grew.
Director Marcos Siega announced on Instagram on December 5th that filming for season 2 of Dexter: Resurrection will begin in April 2026. While rumors and hints from the series creator, Clyde Phillips, had circulated recently, Siega’s post officially confirms the start date.
Kurt Sutter’s projects haven’t fared well when he’s moved away from gritty biker dramas, and his new Western, The Abandons, now streaming on Netflix, is a big gamble for the platform. They’re hoping it will launch a franchise similar to Yellowstone. However, Sutter’s reputation for being challenging to collaborate with has resurfaced during the production of The Abandons, and it risks failing like his previous historical drama, The Bastard Executioner. It’s unfortunate, because The Bastard Executioner, a violent medieval series, had the potential to be a worthy successor to Sons of Anarchy if it had been allowed to develop.
Tarantino didn’t just criticize the cast of Five Nights at Freddy’s; during a podcast, he also claimed The Hunger Games heavily borrowed from the Japanese novel Battle Royale. He expressed disbelief that the author of Battle Royale didn’t sue Suzanne Collins, saying The Hunger Games was a direct copy. He felt critics wouldn’t notice because they weren’t familiar with the Japanese film. Josh Hutcherson, who played Peeta in The Hunger Games, acknowledged some thematic similarities but suggested that all stories borrow from each other. As for Tarantino, it might be best if he avoids any restaurants with animatronic robots for now, considering their reputation for getting even.
The animated film The Mitchells vs. the Machines boasts a fantastic cast, including Abbi Jacobson (from A League of Their Own), Danny McBride (The Righteous Gemstones), and Maya Rudolph (Saturday Night Live). Its journey to release was quite a story: Sony originally planned a 2020 theatrical release with a different title, but then sold the film to Netflix during the pandemic, and the original title was reinstated. When it premiered on Netflix in early 2021, it was a huge success, earning a remarkable 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and becoming the streamer’s most popular animated film at the time.
I’m really excited about Will Byers’s journey in the final season of Stranger Things! It’s amazing to see him finally embrace his powers and grow as a person. And I absolutely love that he’s finding support and connection with Robin Buckley. As the only main LGBTQ+ characters on the show, their friendship feels natural and it’s honestly been one of my favorite parts of the season so far. It’s just so heartwarming to see them connect!