Entertainment

Golden Axe, Based on the Video Game Series, Has a New Trailer

Published

6 minutes ago

August 20, 2026

All 10 episodes of “Golden Axe” land on Paramount+ on September 16.

The animated comedy is an adaptation of the beloved Sega video game series, which began with the original “Golden Axe” in 1989 as a side-scrolling beat-‘em-up set in a vaguely medieval fantasy world full of magic and monsters. The series was originally announced in 2024 for Comedy Central, with a voice cast that includes Matthew Rhys, Lisa Gilroy, Danny Pudi and Liam McIntyre.

In the years since, it has gone from Comedy Central to Paramount+ and now, with its release date looming, we have a brand-new trailer. Watch it below.

According to the official synopsis, the new show “follows legendary warriors Ax Battler, Tyris Flare and Gilius Thunderhead as they reunite to save Yuria from the evil giant Death Adder, who just won’t seem to stay dead. Their quest is complicated by Hampton Squib, an inexperienced and wildly underprepared adventurer whose dream of heroism far exceeds his abilities. Forced to work together despite their flaws, they must find a way to stop Death Adder once and for all.”

The show is produced by CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, CBS Studios’ animation arm; Sony Pictures Television; and Original Film. “Solar Opposites” and “Star Trek: Lower Decks” creator Mike McMahan and “American Dad” vet Joe Chandler co-wrote the first episode and co-created and executive produce the series, with Chandler serving as the “Golden Axe” showrunner.

There are a lot of winningly irreverent moments in the trailer, particularly about how much the show mirrors the video game that came before it. And we love the fact that it even looks like 1980’s animated fare, too, whether that’s Ralph Bakshi’s “Fire and Ice,” Don Bluth’s “The Secret of NIMH” or the late 1970’s Rankin/Bass adaptation of “The Hobbit.”

The original “Golden Axe” game was followed by several sequels, including 1991’s “Golden Axe II” for the Sega Genesis, 1992’s “Golden Axe III: The Revenge of the Death Adder” for arcades and 1993’s “Golden Axe III,” which was initially only available in America (in 1995) on the Sega Channel online platform. There were also spinoffs that swapped the classic beat-‘em-up formula for RPG, “Zelda”-style action adventure and fighting game mechanics.

Sega’s Haruki Satomi, Shuji Utsumi and Toru Nakahara will executive produce alongside Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty and Toby Ascher of Original Film. Titmouse serves as the animation studio for the series with Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, Antonio Canobbio and Ben Kalina serving as executive producers.

Hack and slash with “Golden Axe” Sept. 16 on Paramount+.

movies

‘Golden Axe’ Animated Series Starring Matthew Rhys Gets Release Date

Published

2 minutes ago

August 20, 2026

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Golden Axe is set to make the official leap from classic arcade game to animated series next month. Paramount+ will drop all 10 episodes of the new animated series starring Matthew Rhys, Danny Pudi, Liam McIntyre and more, on Wednesday, September 16.

The adaptation of SEGA’s iconic video game follows legendary warriors Ax Battler, Tyris Flare and Gilius Thunderhead as they reunite to save Yuria from the evil giant Death Adder, who just won’t seem to stay dead. Their quest is complicated by Hampton Squib, an inexperienced and wildly underprepared adventurer whose dream of heroism far exceeds his abilities. Forced to work together despite their flaws, they must find a way to stop Death Adder once and for all.

Emmy winner Rhys stars as Gilius Thunderhead, a grumpy battle dwarf with exceptionally poor hygiene and a chip on his shoulder; Pudi as Hampton Squib, a naive, inexperienced first time adventurer who has dreamt of questing his entire life; Lisa Gilroy as Tyris Flare, a fearsome battle sorceress, deadly in a fight and even deadlier with her sharp wit; McIntyre as Ax Battler, a barbarian warrior with a strict code of honor and sweet golden retriever demeanor and Carl Tart as Chronos “Evil” Lait, an uncomfortably cheesy humanoid panther.

Golden Axe is produced by CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, CBS Studios’ animation arm; Sony Pictures Television; and Original Film. Mike McMahan and Joe Chandler co-wrote the first episode and co-created and executive produce the series, with Chandler serving as showrunner. SEGA’s Haruki Satomi, Shuji Utsumi and Toru Nakahara also executive produce alongside Neal H. Moritz, Pavun Shetty and Toby Ascher of Original Film. Titmouse serves as the animation studio for the series with Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, Antonio Canobbio and Ben Kalina serving as executive producers.

movies

Melissa McCarthy ‘Margie Claus’ Sets Fall 2027 Release, Rounds Out Cast

Published

8 minutes ago

August 20, 2026

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Warner Bros. Pictures Animation’s Margie Claus starring Melissa McCarthy will fly into theaters on Nov. 12, 2027. The pic has also set its additional voiceover cast with Jim Gaffigan as Santa, Andrew Scott as Jack Frost along with Annie Mumolo, Georgette Falcone, Octavia Spencer, Gary Farmer, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Cedric Yarbrough, and Maria Bakalova. Cole Escola was previously announced.

Directed by Kirk DeMicco from a screenplay by Ben Falcone and Damon Jones, Margie Claus will also have original songs written and produced by Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum selling artist Meghan Trainor along with Falcone and Jones.

In the pic, Santa Claus goes missing on Christmas Eve. His sweet wife Margie does what any devoted spouse would do: she grabs a century old sleigh out of mothballs, puts together a wildly unqualified rescue team and ventures to the South Pole where good cheer can get you killed – on an action-packed comedic rescue mission to save her husband and Christmas.

“I love Christmas so much, and so does Margie Claus,” said McCarthy. “Our story is about showing up for the people you love the most at the holidays, and it’s a reminder that you don’t have to be perfect to be lovable. It’s been so special to make this movie with Ben, Kirk, Michelle, Damon and are you kidding me? We got Meghan Trainor, Chef’s kiss! Ben and I can’t wait to get on our sleigh next November and throw Christmas cookie and ugly sweater parties at theaters across the globe. We’ve always wanted to tour the amazing movie theaters all over the world, and this is the perfect way to do it. We can’t wait to see you there! Ho Ho Ho!!”

Margie Claus is produced by McCarthy and Falcone through their On the Day Productions banner alongside Oscar-winning producer Michelle L.M. Wong (KPop Demon Hunters).

Margie Claus was previously dated for Nov. 5, 2027. The only other major studio title on Nov. 12 next year is Paramount’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow from Sian Heder and starring Daisy Edgar-Jones.

Warner Bros. Pictures Animation’s upcoming slate includes The Cat in the Hat (Nov. 6), Bad Fairies (May 21, 2027), Oh, the Places You’ll Go! (March 17, 2028), Dynamic Duo (June 30, 2028), Hello Kitty (July 21, 2028), and The Lunar Chronicles (Nov. 3, 2028).

Entertainment

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Calls Out ‘Obvious’ Optics of Marvel Canceling ‘Wonder Man’ and ‘Blade’

Published

11 minutes ago

August 20, 2026

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In the span of two days last month, Marvel announced that “Wonder Man” was canceled, despite having already been renewed for a second season, and Mahershala Ali concretely said his “Blade” movie with the studio was dead. Now, “Wonder Man” star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is calling out the “obvious” optics of canceling those two projects so close together.

Following the announcements that the projects were dead, fans online immediately began calling out Marvel for scrapping two projects led by Black stars, as well as the treatment of other Black characters in the MCU. In a new interview with Vanity Fair released Thursday morning, Abdul-Mateen was asked point blank if he thinks “there is a problem with what is and isn’t being greenlit or supported.”

“I think the optics are obvious. If I’m a big business, if I’m Disney, if I’m Marvel, I don’t want to be attached to these optics,” he replied. “So it should be a priority to change that narrative and to do what it takes to responsibly change that narrative with quality stories, with quality resources.”

Simon Williams/Wonder Man (Yahya Adbul-Mateen II) in Marvel Television's WONDER MAN, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Television. © 2025 MARVEL

“I felt that our show did have quality story, did have quality resources, did have quality actors and people, and did produce quality results that the viewers responded to positively, that the voters responded to positively,” he continued, referring to his Emmy nomination from the series. “So our show does deserve some study and some real, hard information about why a show like this did not continue forward, because it had all of the ingredients that one would want in a show.”

When news of the cancellation first came out, Abdul-Mateen posted a message to Instagram, largely taking it on the chin.

“That’s life, right? Everything will shake out,” he wrote at the time. “I wanted to say thank you to everybody who WATCHED the show, ENJOYED the show, and SHARED that they enjoyed the show in some way or other. The show worked. And that’s my favorite thing about it.”

You can stream “Wonder Man” now on Disney+.