Hollywood had another busy week with some unexpected developments, exciting franchise updates, and casting announcements. Steven Soderbergh giving a helping hand to The Batman: Part II, Zendaya entering Alex Garland’s sci-fi world, Brendan Fraser’s The Mummy sequel finally getting an official title, and fresh updates on The X-Files, Miami Vice ‘85, and True Detective are all part of the quick rundown of the biggest stories you might have missed this week. 

Steven Soderbergh Steps in to Help Complete The Batman Part II 

Image credit to Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection / 2026 Getty Images, Variety 

Last week, news broke that Matt Reeves was stepping away from The Batman: Part II to attend to a family matter. This week brings another major development, with Steven Soderbergh stepping in to lend a helping hand and keep the film’s production moving forward, as per Variety. 

Matt took to Twitter to confirm that he has not left the production entirely, saying he will work closely with Soderbergh and the crew to complete the film on time. 

Alex Garland’s Next Sci-Fi Film at A24 Lands Zendaya

Image credit to Alberto Rodriguez/Getty Images, Deadline 

Deadline reports that Zendaya is now part of Alex Garland’s new untitled sci-fi project under A24. Plot details are still under wraps, but shooting is scheduled to start next year. Continuing their long-standing relationship, Garland and A24 have previously teamed up on films such as Ex Machina (2014), Men (2022), Civil War (2024), Warfare (2025), and the upcoming video game adaptation Elden Ring. 

Zendaya has also been keeping herself busy with an impressive line of work this year, including The Drama, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and the upcoming Dune: Part Three. 

The Mummy 4 Officially Titled The Book of the Dead, Sets October 2027 Release 

Image credit to the Everett Collection, THR 

Universal Pictures’ The Mummy 4, starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, has been officially titled The Book of the Dead, per The Hollywood Reporter. Radio Silence duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are directing the film from a script by David Coggeshall. While plot details have yet to be revealed, the film is confirmed to be a direct sequel to 1999’s The Mummy and 2001 sequel The Mummy Returns. 

Joining the cast are John Hannah, Michael Johnston, Numan Acar, Kevin J. O’Connor, Oded Fehr and Tara Emad. Sean Daniel, who has worked on five previous Mummy films, returns as a producer alongside William Sherak, James Vanderbilt, Paul Neinstein, and Clayton Townsend. Meanwhile, Fraser and Jason F. Brown of Hivemind will serve as executive producers. 

The film will hit theaters on October 15, 2027. 

Ryan Coogler’s X-Files Officially Moving Forward at Hulu

Image credit to Benedict Evans, Variety 

Hulu has officially picked up Ryan Coogler‘s X-Files reboot for series development. According to Variety, the series will be a fresh take on the iconic 1990s sci-fi drama, starring Danielle Deadwyler and Himesh Patel as two FBI agents with different personalities. The story takes on their unexpected partnership after being assigned to a long-closed division that investigates mysterious and unexplained cases. Deadwyler and Patel will portray entirely new characters rather than taking over the roles of Dana Scully and Fox Mulder. 

The Oscar-winning Sinners filmmaker wrote, directed, and executive produced the series, with Jennifer Yale serving as showrunner. Hulu has not announced an official release date for the series. 

Miami Vice ‘85 Posters and Cast Expansion

Image credit to Universal Pictures, Variety 

Universal Pictures revealed first-look pictures of Miami Vice ’85 showing Michael B. Jordan as Ricardo Tubbs and Austin Butler as James Sonny Crockett, IGN reported. Fans got their first taste of the film with two new photos, where the stars can be seen sporting their characters’ signature slick looks, guns in hand. 

Drawing inspiration from the original series’ first season, Miami Vice ‘85 will revisit the glamour, excess, and corruption of mid-1980s Miami. The reboot, which is helmed by Joseph Kosinski, aims to capture the spirit of the television classic. Haley Lu Richardson is the latest addition to the cast that already has Alden Ehrenreich, Whitney Peak, Camila Morrone, John Leguizamo, Danny Ramirez, Andrew Schultz, and Edi Gathegi. 

With Kosinski and Dylan Clark (The Batman, Rise of the Planet of the Apes) overseeing production and Dan Gilroy and Eric Warren Singer (American Hustle, Top Gun: Maverick) penning the script, Miami Vice ‘85 is set to premiere May 19, 2028. 

True Detective Season 5 casts Nicolas Cage

Image credit to Jesus Chacón / John Russo, Variety 

In another report by Variety, Nicolas Cage joins Antonio Banderas in True Detective Season 5. Banderas will star as Rai García, with Cage playing Henry Logan. The HBO anthology series is scheduled to begin production in 2027. Season 5 will take place in Jamaica Bay, New York, but the core storyline is kept confidential for now. 

Issa López will write and direct the series, while also serving as an executive producer alongside Daniel Zelman, Mari-Jo Winkler, Kathleen McCaffrey, Cage, Banderas, Steve Golin, Richard Brown, Nic Pizzolato, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Woody Harrelson, and Matthew McConaughey. 

Francis Lawrence To Direct a Red Rising Movie

Image credit to Deadline, Getty Images

Pierce Brown’s New York Times bestselling sci-fi series “Red Rising” is getting a big-screen adaptation at Paramount. According to Deadline, the studio has secured the film rights and brought Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games franchise, The Long Walk) on board to direct the first movie. Red Rising tells the story of Darrow, a miner from Mars’ lowest social class, known as the Reds. When he discovers that his people are being exploited by the ruling gods, he undergoes a transformation to infiltrate their society and joins a rebellion to bring down the oppressive system. 

Justin Rhodes (Terminator: Dark Fate, Secret Level) will write the script of the first installment of the book adaptation deal. Lawrence and Cameron MacConomy are producing, and Brown will executive produce. No cast members or release date have been announced yet.  

Update Courtesy of Madiha Ali

Feature image courtesy of Universal Pictures, Everett Collection, Variety