farrdarn rayleena harlena
Cyndi Barca
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings is hinting his company will soon offer cheaper, streaming-only subscriptions in the US. For folks who sign up it means no more DVDs arriving in the mail, and comes on the heels of a similar plan announced for the Canadian market.
The move makes sense. It would cut out the cost of postage ,which has to be one of the biggest line items in the Netflix budget. And it could help Netflix leverage its enormous investment in online video. Netflix has made several deals over the past few months to add thousands of new TV and movie titles to its streaming service through deals with Warner Bros., NBC Universal, and EPIX, a joint venture between Viacom Inc., Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., and Lionsgate.
IN RELATED NEWS: Blockbuster goes bust: Files for Chapter 11. And reporter Adriene Hill wonders how the video rental store even lasted this long. Also, the video vending-machine company, Redbox rents its 1 billionth movie.
Think about the last time you were at an airport. Unless you're a really big deal it was probably a bit of a nightmare, right? Personally, airports are like a kind of purgatory, a necessary agony before reaching either sweet home or somewhere more exciting. Imagine having to live in one for weeks.
That's the premise behind The Terminal a 2004 Steven Spielberg comedy drama that I love. In fact, it is my favourite movie (just ahead of Big) that stars 'Everyone's dad' Tom Hanks. Sadly, however, this is one bit of in-flight entertainment that you'll need to be quick to catch, it leaves Netflix on the 15th of January.
Hanks plays Victor Navorski, a man from a fictional Eastern European country hoping to visit New York. When his plane touches down at JFK however, it becomes clear he won't be going anywhere. A coup in his homeland leaves Victor in diplomatic limbo, and he's forced to live in the airport.
We're given some heartwarmingly funny scenes of him adjusting to life in the duty-free area of the terminal, returning trolleys/carts for money to spend in the stores, but in truth, Viktor is in a very sad situation.
This hurts even more when you see how sweet of a man he is. The airport's staff all quickly fall for his earnest charm and befriend him. He might even find love with flight attendant Amelia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) making a big impression. Viktor is a thoroughly likeable man, played by an actor who does likeable better than anyone.
In today's world with countless displaced refugees, this is a movie that reminds us there is a human behind every statistic, with their own story to be told. Please watch The Terminal, you'll laugh and cry, sometimes simultaneously.
Of course much like an airport, as one movie leaves, another arrives, and Netflix is getting a much-lauded sci-fi Blockbuster very soon. If you want more top picks, check out our handy holiday streaming guide.
2024 has been filled with futuristic concepts transformed for the small screen so far. There's been an expanse of offerings from iconic TV hits of old finding new life, to much-loved shows spawning spin-offs, to new original shows. And they've all stormed their way onto our screens and into our hearts. No matter what streaming platform you're watching, there's a little something for everyone. And there's plenty more to come.
For the rest of 2024 and into 2025, the slate of sci-fi TV shows is abundant. There's a multitude of dates to mark on your calendar, including an array of genres mixing with sci-fi including dark comedy, thrillers, spy action shows, and books to TV show adaptations. Some of the entries for 2025 are thin on the ground with information, but we'll be sure to update them as soon as we hear anything. And while you're here, there's plenty more highly-anticipated sci-fi to enjoy with our upcoming sci-fi movies of 2024 guide. For now, let's turn our attention to the small screen and see what's coming up in 2024 and 2025.
If you want to check out what's currently available to stream across a range of streaming platforms, our guides to the best sci-fi movies and TV shows to stream on Disney Plus, Netflix, Amazon Prime and Paramount Plus, as well as our streaming deals page will point you in the right direction.
One of the standout villains of Gotham City is getting a TV show spin-off on Max and it comes directly from 2022's The Batman. Reprising his role as The Penguin, Colin Farrell will star as Oswald Cobblepot and his epic rise to power in Gotham's criminal underworld just a week after the events of the movie.
While The Penguin fights to take down the crime world for his own, he comes up against the head, Carmine Falcone (Mark Strong) and his daughter, Sofia (Cristin Milioti). Despite various delays, this new addition to the DC Multiverse and the Batman-verse will arrive in September.
Next up is WandaVision spin-off and new addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Agatha All Along (previously known by several other titles, including Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, and Agatha). Reprising her role as Agatha Harkness, Kathryn Hahn takes center stage in her true powerful witch form after masquerading as Wanda's neighbor, Agnes. Patti LuPone has also confirmed she'd be joining the coven as 450-year-old witch, Lilia Calderu (Beau is Afraid), alongside Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) and Joe Locke (Heartstopper).
With a great cast behind it, the show will follow after the events of WandaVision with Agatha on a quest to, spoiler alert for those yet to watch WandaVision, regain her former powers. After many delays and show re-titlings, Agatha All Along will finally make its way to Disney Plus on September 18.
Frank Herbert's Dune universe is expanding even further and continues with a spin-off prequel TV show. Previously titled The Sisterhood, Dune: Prophecy takes place 10,000 years before 2021's Dune and 2024's Dune: Part Two.
It'll be centered on the lives of the Bene Gesserit. Already depicted on the big screen, the Bene Gesserit are known as the powerful sisterhood that has superhuman abilities. Sisters Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson) and Tula Harkonnen (Olivia Williams) establish the fabled sect and that's about all we know so far. That, and it'll be coming to the streaming service HBO Max.
When it comes to Star Wars, the offerings are plentiful. There's a roster of new entries coming to Disney Plus in 2024 and Skeleton Crew is one of them. The coming-of-age story is set to follow four kids looking to find their way home after becoming lost in the galaxy.
Created by 2017-2021's Spider-Man trilogy director Jon Watts and screenwriter Christopher Ford, Skeleton Crew's plot specifics are pretty unknown aside from a closed doors footage reveal. It's reportedly set in the Star Wars timeline after the fall of the Empire, meaning it could possibly intertwine with other shows set in that same ilk, like The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and The Book of Boba Fett.
In 2023, spy action thriller Citadel starring agents Mason (Richard Madden) and Nadia (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) launched on Amazon Prime. Citadel is a spy agency that, while once celebrated, has now been taken down and along with it all the agents' memories have been wiped. Throughout the show, the agents fight to recover who they once were and fight back. After a successful launch on the streaming platform, the franchise has sparked non-English language spin-offs, like this one, Citadel: Diana, set in Italy.
Little is known about the series so far, although it's rumored to be fairly similar to Citadel, but we'll have to wait and see how it develops. What we do know is that Italian star Matilda De Angelis will be taking on the titular role of Diana. While other cast members have also been announced, there's nothing more known about their actual roles.
You may have noticed that Matt Murdock/Daredevil (Charlie Cox) made a cameo appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but that's not where his story ends. There's a lot more to explore when it comes to the comics and, unsurprisingly, the plot for Born Again has been heavily speculated and fans are eager to know which thread the Daredevil TV show will pick up.
While Daredevil once lived on Netflix with three seasons and The Defenders Saga collection of Marvel shows, it now has a new home on Disney+. After its cancellation in 2018 though, fans have been left wanting. Fortunately, Daredevil: Born Again will be coming to the streaming platform in March 2025.
Another TV show to add to MCU's Phase 5 slate is Ironheart. After first appearing in 2022's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) is getting her own spin-off and origin story. Creating her own tech-laden suit similar to that of Iron Man, Ironheart has her very own hero tale to tell.
So, how did she become Ironheart? Well, season 1 looks set to explore her beginnings. In the comics, the genius MIT student uses her skills to build a suit worthy of superhero status. However, where there's triumph, there's also terror; Anthony Ramos (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) has been confirmed to be taking on the role of dark arts villain, The Hood.
Star Wars isn't the only 'star' in the sci-fi TV show landscape though, as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is heading into its third season on Paramount Plus. As with the last two seasons, there'll be ten episodes to look forward to. While it's most certainly on its way, due to Hollywood strike delays, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds won't hit screens until 2025 unfortunately.
Strange New Worlds is the prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series that follows Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and his crew on the USS Enterprise. Season 2 treated fans to such delights as a full musical episode, a crossover animated episode with 'Lower Decks,' and a classic 'To Be Continued' major cliffhanger finale. We can't wait to see what more Strange New Worlds has to offer.
Based on Martha Wells' popular and thrilling The Murderbot Diaries series, Murderbot for Apple Plus will follow the story of a part-human, part-robot who has been designed as a security personnel. But, while it runs under SecUnit, it finds independence, starts to develop friendships, and discovers emotions, all of which intervene directly with Murderbot's overriding desire to complete dangerous missions and, ultimately, be alone.
90f70e40cf