Tag: Science Fiction

Stargate’s Next Chapter: Why Skaara’s Afterlife Could Save the Franchise

Amazon passed on Martin Gero’s Stargate pitch, but the franchise’s best next step was never about military ops anyway. Here’s why Skaara’s afterlife is the story worth telling.

Stargate The Skarra ChroniclesMovement on reviving Stargate is on hold following the news that Amazon execs didn’t like the idea showrunner Martin Gero pitched. He worked on SG-1 and Atlantis, and many fans thought whatever he pitched would automatically get green lit. His track record is generally good since he’s even helped bring Quantum Leap back, even though that never saw a finale.

According to Variety, a source with knowledge of the production had to let the cat out of the bag. He did not say what the concerns were, other than that the concept may alienate part of the fandom. The social media post from Joseph Mallozzi didn’t say much either.

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Top Streaming Films or Series To Watch This Cool June

From fantasy adventures to animated oddities and supernatural intrigue, the top streaming films (and series) to see in June may seem slim, but these are the titles worth checking out.

Top Streaming Films Avatar- The Last AirbenderNearly every anxious Netflix subscriber is counting down to the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender season two, coming June 25, but there’s plenty else to watch while we wait. As for what other top streaming films or series there are, the mileage will vary depending on tastes.

The former service is running a bit light right now. Stranger Things carried it for years, and Tales from ’85 didn’t really fill that gap. The Boroughs is here. Both debuted last month, and tried as I might to watch, they didn’t hold my attention that well. Also, without the Duffer Brothers in the director’s chair, since they’re producing, not directing, it doesn’t have the same pull. It’s also more sci-fi than supernatural, which changes the vibe considerably.

So here are my top five picks for June. The streamers seem to know better than to drop heavy hitters in summer heat, which works out fine for us.

I Am FrankeldaI Am Frankelda

(Netflix) June 12

This dark fantasy stop-motion feature feels like a bizarre love child of del Toro’s nightmarish aesthetic and Tim Burton’s stop-motion sensibility, and that’s absolutely a compliment. Part gothic fairy tale, part horror-lite, the scares hit just right. It’s “just a film,” sure, but anyone who falls for Frankelda is going to want more. Worth your evening.

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When Hotori Doesn’t Have To Sing Along to Billy Joel’s “Pressure”

Hotori: Simply Wishing for Hope is a short anime about a girl losing herself to an unknown condition and the android built to inherit a dead child’s memories, and their unlikely bond asks the most essential questions about what makes us human.

Hotori Wishing for Hope

The quest for memories is the focus in Hotori: Simply Wishing for Hope, a short film about a girl who can’t have a tomorrow. She’s struggling with an unknown condition that’s steadily erasing who she is. She’ll become a shell of what she was, and in contrast, she meets an android built to inherit the memories of a deceased child. His parents know Suzu is no replacement, but when a life is cut too short, is it a fair trade to gain what another has lost? That’s the existential crisis at the heart of this heartbreaking, or is that heartwarming, story about why life is precious, and why we shouldn’t take every day for granted.

Hotori originally aired as a Japanese television special and was directed by Takashi Anno (Maison Ikkoku, Blood Reign: Curse of the Yoma). It won third place at the 2004 Animax Grand Prix awards, and although this release comes very late, the themes feel timely when you consider what defines an AI, its personality, and what exactly constitutes a soul. Memories aren’t the only piece of the puzzle. There’s “Personality,” which can apparently be extracted and put into code. We’re not meant to unpack how all of that works, and what’s genuinely poignant is the relationship these two tweens share.

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Alien Nine Is Landing Soon Courtesy of MediaOCD!

AnimEigo and MediaOCD are bringing Alien Nine to Blu-ray, giving this oddball schoolgirl sci-fi horror OVA a new HD life with restored visuals and plenty of archival extras.

Alien Nine Cover
Available to pre-order on Amazon USA and MediaOCD

Anime distributor AnimEigo and parent company MediaOCD have announced that Alien Nine is coming to Blu-ray on June 9, 2026. And while this original video animation focuses on elementary school girls battling aliens, I’m wondering when teens will get in on the act too. Technically, they have with Prefectural Earth Defense Force, but that prior licence belonged to ADV Films rather than this partnership to redistribute older titles. Technically, the original North American release was handled by Central Park media, so who knows?

Although the animated adaptation didn’t continue as the manga continued with Emulators and Next, chances are very slim when considering the height of its popularity was back in 2001.

From the Press Release:

This upcoming release is based on a manga series written and illustrated by Hitoshi Tomizawa that was originally serialized in Akita Shoten’s manga magazine, Young Champion. Set in the not-too-distant future, alien invasion is a daily occurrence. Someone must save the planet, so Yuri and her 6th grade classmates are elected for this important assignment. Can a trio of cute schoolgirls defeat terrifying creatures from outer space?

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This May on Netflix: Five Genre Picks Set to Start the Fire and Entertain

Action, anime, K-drama, animation, sci-fi. May on Netflix is covering a lot of ground, and these five genre picks are the ones worth clearing your evening for.

Five Genre Picks on Netflix for MayNext month looks to be good on Netflix, especially for those curious about what The Duffer Brothers’ next project is. Although they are not helming the work, what’s offered in these five genre picks for May looks solid.

Whether you’re in the mood for a Thai action film with some serious John Wick energy, a slow-burn supernatural series from the team behind Stranger Things, or an anime adaptation manga readers have been waiting years to see, there’s real variety here. We’ve rounded up five picks worth circling on your calendar.

My Dearest Assassin

(Film) | Streaming May 7

My Dearest Assassin (Film)Thailand has been quietly building a reputation for punchy, emotionally grounded genre cinema, and this Netflix Original leans right into that. Lhan was born with a rare blood type that made her a target from childhood. After her parents are murdered, she’s taken in by House 89, a secretive assassin clan that becomes her found family. Years later, the man who killed her parents returns, and this time she’s not running.

The film blends close-quarters action choreography with a genuine romance between Lhan and Pran, the heir to House 89. Director Taweewat Wantha (Death Whisperer) brings a horror filmmaker’s instinct for tension to the fight sequences. One-time film drop, no waiting.

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Titan Manga’s Release of Toxic Super Beasts is Wild. The Story So Far….

Toxic Super Beasts blends kaiju action, dark science fiction, and mystery as genetically altered humans battle monstrous threats. With Toy(e)’s striking creature designs and Nykken’s growing conspiracy, this manga offers plenty for fans of disaster stories and Attack on Titan.

Toxic Super Beasts Vol 1
Order Volume Two oin Amazon USA

Toxic Super Beasts asks just how some giant monsters are born, and when Earth’s original titans were dinosaurs, the kind some geneticists hope to harvest genes from, Jurassic World Rebirth comes to mind. When the harvesting grounds aren’t exactly safe, we need genetically engineered metahumans who can go toe to toe with these kaiju. And that’s what writer Nykken and artist Toy(e) are bringing to the page.

This manga tosses more than a few ideas into the melting pot. It is one part disaster story, another part Frankenstein, with perhaps Attack on Titan as the cherry on top. Kazuki Kisaragi leads a unit tasked with collecting monster DNA alongside Miko Mikoshiba, a woman who may not be what she seems. She’s a hybrid with minimal knowledge of her past.

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