Weekly ·
Cuarón Boards D&D's Ravenloft Horror Series, Backrooms 2 Confirmed, Bond Casting Buzz — Pop Culture Digest — September 7, 2026
Netflix is developing a live-action Dungeons & Dragons 'Ravenloft' series from Alfonso Cuarón and John August, telling the origin of vampire Darklord Strahd von Zarovich; Kane Parsons is officially returning to direct Backrooms 2 after making A24's biggest hit ever; Zach Cregger's Resident Evil is tracking for a franchise-record opening; Netflix confirms The Inbetweeners reunion movie; and Gary Oldman claims the next James Bond has been cast, backing Jack Lowden.
Cuarón and John August Bring Dungeons & Dragons' Ravenloft to Netflix
Netflix is going full gothic horror with its next swing at Dungeons & Dragons. The streamer is developing Ravenloft, a live-action series based on the game's most beloved horror setting, from writer/executive producer John August, executive producer Alfonso Cuarón and Hasbro Entertainment.
The show — described as a prestige fantasy where adventure collides with gothic horror and tragic romance — will chart the origin of Count Strahd von Zarovich, D&D's most notorious vampire Darklord, as he falls from tragic antihero to undead villain across the "Domains of Dread."
Crucially, Ravenloft is not a reworking of The Forgotten Realms, the D&D series Netflix put into development in early 2025 with Drew Crevello writing and Shawn Levy executive producing. Deadline reports that project is no longer in development, and Ravenloft succeeds it outright. August brings serious gothic credentials: he wrote or co-wrote five Tim Burton films, from Big Fish to Corpse Bride, Dark Shadows and Frankenweenie.
Sources: Deadline
Backrooms 2 Is Happening — Kane Parsons Officially Returning to Direct
The 20-year-old behind A24's biggest movie ever isn't done with the liminal spaces. Kane Parsons is officially returning to write and direct Backrooms 2, Dread Central exclusively confirmed this week.
Parsons' original Backrooms — spun from the viral creepypasta about endless, slightly-too-empty yellow office hallways — shattered records this summer, becoming A24's highest-grossing film ever with a $118 million worldwide opening and eventually passing $200 million globally. It also made Parsons the youngest filmmaker ever to top the box office.
A sequel was always the plan — Parsons has said he's considered the story "part one" since 2022 — and this confirmation locks in the follow-up to one of the most improbable horror breakouts in years.
Sources: Dread Central
Zach Cregger's Resident Evil Is Tracking for a Franchise Record — and It's His Only One
Barbarian and Weapons filmmaker Zach Cregger's take on Resident Evil hits theaters September 18, and it's already poised for the franchise's biggest domestic opening to date. Early tracking has it setting a series record.
Cregger's version stars Austin Abrams as a medical courier who drives into the Umbrella Corporation's T-virus outbreak on a snowy night — a lean, mean 95 minutes that Cregger says "floors it at minute six" and never lets up.
He's also been refreshingly blunt about his future: this is the only franchise film he'll ever make. "I'm not going to go tackle any other franchises," he told Deadline, adding that his next film is The Flood, a sci-fi thriller set up at Warner Bros. After Resident Evil, he'd rather stay in the original-idea lane.
Sources: Deadline
Netflix Confirms The Inbetweeners Reunion Movie
The lads are getting back together. Netflix has officially confirmed The Inbetweeners reunion movie, with production now underway and a first look at the original cast reprising their roles.
The beloved British sitcom — which ran three seasons from 2008 to 2010 and spawned two theatrical films — remains a touchstone of cringe-comedy. This marks the first time the core four have reunited on screen since 2014's The Inbetweeners 2. Details on the plot are being kept under wraps, but the return of Will, Simon, Jay and Neil is enough to make a generation of fans say "briefcase wanker" one more time.
Sources: Deadline
Gary Oldman Says the Next James Bond Has Been Cast
Is the next 007 already locked? Gary Oldman thinks so. The Oscar winner — who knows a thing or two about British spies from his Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy days — claimed this week that the role has already been picked, and he's rooting for Jack Lowden of Slow Horses to get it.
To be clear: this is Oldman talking, not an official EON Productions announcement. The Bond casting saga has been running for years, and Lowden has long been on fan shortlists alongside the usual suspects. But a respected industry veteran publicly claiming the decision is made is the closest thing to a meaningful signal we've had in a while — treat it as rumor with a very credible mouthpiece.
Sources: Variety
Nuggets
- Jacob Elordi is circling Ari Aster's next film, Scapegoat, starring Scarlett Johansson. The A24 project would pair Elordi with the Hereditary and Midsommar auteur in his psychological-horror return. Deadline
- Caitríona Balfe is joining Disney's live-action Tangled as Queen Arianna. The Outlander star will play Rapunzel's mother in the remake of the 2010 animated classic. Deadline
- Zach Cregger is co-writing a Siren Head movie. The filmmaker confirmed he's adapting Trevor Henderson's internet-born monster — a towering creature with sirens for a head — into a feature, insisting the story stands on its own. Deadline
Sources: Deadline · Variety · Dread Central
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