Ari Aster Turned Down Offer To Direct 'Morbius'
The final version of Morbius that hit theaters, as we all know, became a box office flop. It was one of several failures in Sony's efforts to adapt Spider-Man characters with their own major Marvel franchises, and Jared Leto's portrayal of the titular character became the subject of many memes. This obviously makes one wonder what would've happened if someone like Aster was involved with the project instead of director Daniel Espinosa.
Here's what Aster shared via Semafor:
'I was asked to do 'Mobius.' Or is it 'Morbius'? Oh, God,' he said. 'We could have added it to my list of [flops].'
It's definitely an interesting layer to unearth regarding the development of Morbius . As mentioned, Daniel Espinosa ultimately directed the film, which failed to resonate with fans of the character and the rest of the Spider-Man franchise. Other Sony films shared similar fates, and their attempt at a universe of Spider-Man villains was finally axed.
While having Ari Aster as the director would have certainly provided a much different kind of Morbius movie, it's likely that it still would have underperformed based on what Sony was doing. One must also consider that Aster's movies don't really fit the formula for comic book adaptations, so it could have alienated audiences for that reason as well.
Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding the future endeavors of Ari Aster as we have them. It's unlikely that we'll see him taking any other offers to direct a superhero movie in the future, but stranger things have certainly happened. In the meantime, fans can look forward to his new movie Eddington that looks like another film with Aster's signature style.
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THE LEGO GROUP UNVEILS "SAN DIEGO LEGO®-CON" AT SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON 2025
Booth #2829 gives Comic-Con attendees a brick-built celebration of fandom, creativity and pop culture, alongside multiple new product reveals, from July 24 through July 27 SAN DIEGO, July 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The LEGO Group is bringing the ultimate fandom experience to San Diego Comic-Con 2025 with "San Diego LEGO®-Con," a tribute to all things fandom and Comic-Con, rebuilt through the playful lens of the LEGO brand. The centerpiece of this year's booth is a stunning diorama recreation of the San Diego Convention Center itself, made entirely from LEGO bricks! At "San Diego LEGO-Con," visitors will discover product reveals across beloved franchises, celebrity appearances, hands-on building activities, in-booth signings and exclusive swag and giveaway items, all packaged up in a convention-inspired booth design that pays homage to Comic-Con's unique style. Attendees can celebrate the enduring cultural relevance of Comic-Con through the imaginative lens of the LEGO brand from Thursday, July 24 to Sunday, July 27 at booth #2829 in Hall H. "This year at San Diego Comic-Con, we wanted to celebrate this incredible convention and its fans in a way that's never been done before," said Beth McKenna, Head of U.S. Marketing at the LEGO Group. "San Diego Comic-Con embodies the spirit of play and imagination through fandom. 'San Diego LEGO-Con' is our love letter to SDCC as a cornerstone of fandom culture, having exhibited here since 2003. Ultimately, we believe that booth visitors will be able to see themselves and their experiences reflected in the diorama, all while experiencing everything else our brand has to offer at SDCC 2025." Explore "San Diego LEGO®-Con" at SDCC At "San Diego LEGO-Con," attendees are invited to explore a one-of-a-kind, con-within-a-con experience with a booth design that captures the distinctive aesthetic of Comic-Con. Specially designed banners and custom life-sized LEGO builds give attendees an immersive backdrop for memorable photo opportunities. Features of the booth include: An awe-inspiring SDCC diorama centerpiece featuring the San Diego Convention Center recreated entirely in LEGO® bricks. Made with over 200,000 brick elements and crafted over the course of more than 1,500 hours, the diorama celebrates Comic-Con's 54+ year history and unique culture. Guests are invited to discover the iconic Comic-Con moments and hidden LEGO easter eggs woven throughout. From major annual events to nods to Comic-Con lore and callbacks to past LEGO booths, eagle-eyed fans will discover surprises and be able to see themselves and their experiences reflected in the build. A build-your-own booth experience where guests are invited to build their own creative exhibitor "booths" out of LEGO bricks. At the end of each day, the builds may be added to blank spots on the San Diego Convention Center diorama. Attendees who participate in the booth builder activity also have the opportunity to collect an EXCLUSIVE "San Diego LEGO-Con" inspired pop badge to enhance their convention credentials with LEGO flair. Come back to the booth each day and complete the activity to collect them all! An EXCLUSIVE "San Diego LEGO-Con" guidebook packed with custom LEGO content is available at the front desk for anyone who visits the booth. A "LEGO Side Quest" Mobile Scavenger Hunt across the convention show floor invites attendees to complete photo-based tasks and fun riddles. Each day, one lucky participant will win the daily grand prize, with an additional 20 randomly selected participants, who complete these tasks, scoring a premium swag pack featuring exclusive LEGO® product. Product displays featuring new sets from popular franchises, including never-before-seen releases that celebrate beloved worlds, inviting enthusiasts to build on their passions for their favorite fandoms. Unlock Your Inner Retro Gamer with the NEW LEGO Game Boy™ Making its global debut, the highly anticipated LEGO Game Boy (72046) brings a true icon to brick form for adult collectors. At a scale of near 1:1, this 421-piece collectible replica of the original Nintendo® Game Boy handheld game system is a testament to a classic era in gaming. The set design features the Game Pak slot and comes with interchangeable, brick-built The Legend of Zelda™: Link's Awakening and Super Mario Land™ Game Boy Game Paks. Fans will also have the option to display their LEGO Game Boy model with a choice of screens; the classic Nintendo start screen or one from either of the interchangeable Game Paks. The nostalgic set, available for pre-order, offers fans the opportunity to build, display and relive their favorite gaming memories through LEGO bricks. 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Discovery Global Consumer Products, this 2,953-piece superhero collectible for adult enthusiasts is packed with recognizable features and thrilling surprises. The set comes with 16 minifigures, including iconic DC Super-Villains The Riddler™, Poison Ivy™, Harley Quinn™, Bane™, The Joker™, The Penguin™, Killer Croc™ and more. Unveiled for the first time at SDCC and available for pre-order at reveal, this set bridges the gap between comics and buildable creativity and perfectly captures the dark, complex storytelling that Comic-Con fans love about the world of Batman. Travel to the Upside Down with NEW Stranger Things LEGO BrickHeadz™ Everyone's favorite Demogorgon-battling best friends come to life through the new Stranger Things LEGO BrickHeadz: Mike, Dustin, Lucas and Will Figures (40801). This 542-piece collectible features the beloved Stranger Things characters Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair and Will Byers. As the popular Netflix series nears its epic fifth and final season, these detailed characters deliver a nostalgic building adventure driven by storytelling and are fun to build, play with and put on display. This set will be available for pre-order on starting July 23. Beyond the Booth: Panels and More The "San Diego LEGO-Con" experience extends beyond the booth with buzzworthy panels and special programming: The LEGO NINJAGO® Adventure Continues panel (Thursday, July 24, 2:15-3:15 p.m. PT) offers fans insider access to the continuing NINJAGO saga. In-booth signing will take place prior to the panel from 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. PT The LEGO Masters: Back Behind the Brick panel (Friday, July 25, 4:30-5:30 p.m. PT) provides behind-the-scenes insights into the popular competition series. In-booth signing will take place prior to the panel from 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. PT Meet Ashley Eckstein & Dan Hernandez from LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy (Friday, July 25, 4:00-5:00 p.m. PT), as the two host a special in-booth meet and greet! More Information All products on display at the show, including first time reveals, can also be found at For more information on the LEGO Group activities at San Diego Comic-Con, contact press@ Notes to Editor About the LEGO Group The LEGO Group's mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through the power of play. The LEGO System in Play, with its foundation in LEGO bricks, allows children and fans to build and rebuild anything they can imagine. The LEGO Group was founded in Billund, Denmark in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, its name derived from the two Danish words Leg Godt, which mean "Play Well". Today, the LEGO Group remains a family-owned company headquartered in Billund. Its products are now sold in more than 130 countries worldwide. For more information: Fans can visit for more information on LEGO products. Product Information LEGO® DC Batman™ Arkham Asylum™ (76300) Age Grade: 18+ MSRP: $299.99 Piece Count: 2953 Global Launch Date: Sept. 12, 2025 (Sept. 9 Early Access for LEGO® Insiders) Description: Step inside Arkham Asylum™ with this highly detailed 2,953-piece model. Measuring over 12.5 in. (32 cm) high, the legendary institution is packed to the rooftop with recognizable features and thrilling surprises. The set comes with 16 minifigures, including DC's most iconic villains and added treats such as an inmate delivery van, opening prison cells and 65 stickers referencing Batman™ lore. 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LEGO® BrickHeadz™: Mike, Dustin, Lucas and Will Figures (40801) Age Grade: 10+ MSRP: $39.99 Piece Count: 542 Global Launch Date: Oct. 1, 2025 Transport yourself to the Upside Down with a LEGO® BrickHeadz™ collectible featuring Netflix's Stranger Things characters, Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair and Will Byers. Standing on sturdy baseplates, these authentically detailed characters are fun to build, play with and put on display. They also look great alongside other buildable figures from the LEGO BrickHeadz range (sold separately). LEGO® Wicked Emerald City Wall Art (75685) Age Grade: 18+ MSRP: $159.99 Piece Count: 1518 Global Launch Date: Sept. 1, 2025 Bring the magic of the world of Wicked to your home with this colorful wall art. Use the bricks to create a colorful artwork full of movie moments that's a rewarding treat for yourself, or a gift for any Wicked fan. Build with friends or family and enjoy social time with loved ones as you create this eye-catching display, which can be wall-hung or placed on a shelf. LEGO® Wicked Elphaba's Retreat (75687) Age Grade: 7+ MSRP: 27.99 Piece Count: 228 Global Launch Date: Sept. 1, 2025 Step inside Elphaba's magical woodland retreat. Hold the candle as she studies her map. Make plans with her and Fiyero round the fireplace and work out how to thwart The Wizard. Study the Grimmerie and escape from her enemies. Make friends with the rabbits, feed them a carrot and relax with nature in the beautiful woodland hideaway. LEGO® Wicked Glinda's Wedding Day (75688) Age Grade: 8+ MSRP: $39.99 Piece Count: 476 Global Launch Date: Sept. 1, 2025 Take your front row seat for Glinda's big moment. She looks stunning in her tiara and gown, ready to marry Fiyero. Part the butterflies to reveal the wedding scene. But something is wrong! Use the animal figures to play out how Glinda's wedding joy suddenly changes. When the play is over, close the butterflies to make a super cool display. LEGO® Wicked Emerald City & Kiamo Ko Castle (75689) Age Grade: 9+ MSRP: $79.99 Piece Count: 860 Global Launch Date: Sept. 1, 2025 Join Elphaba and Glinda for the dramatic final scene of the Wicked: For Good movie. Build the detailed Emerald City and Kiamo Ko Castle and act out how the story ends for these two iconic characters. Explore the buildings' secret compartments and uncover familiar details from the film. Read the Grimmerie with Glinda and use it as a force for good. Help Elphaba disappear and follow her destiny. LEGO® Wicked Glinda & Elphaba Visit Munchkinland (75690) Age Grade: 9+ MSRP: $69.99 Piece Count: 744 Global Launch Date: Sept. 1, 2025 Welcome to Munchkinland. Join in the celebrations as Glinda announces her engagement to Fiyero. Press the pedal to surround her in her bubble and let her fly above Munchkinland. On the other side of town, catch up with Elphaba, who has flown to Boq's family cottage on her broomstick. Explore his home, from his cozy bedroom to the cute kitchen and recreate magical scenes from Wicked: For Good. LEGO® BrickHeadz™ Wicked Elphaba & Glinda Figures (40794) Age Grade: 10+ MSRP: $19.99 Piece Count: 325 Global Launch Date: Sept. 1, 2025 Join Elphaba and Glinda for magical adventures and creative fun as you conjure up spellbinding scenes from Wicked with this authentically detailed pair of collectible LEGO® BrickHeadz™ figures. This buildable toy looks great displayed alongside other BrickHeadz characters (sold separately). You can even combine elements to create hybrid characters of your own. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE The LEGO Group
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Arnold Schwarzenegger played second fiddle to Red Sonja 40 years ago
With Women Of Action, Caroline Siede digs into the history of women-driven action movies to explore what these stories say about gender and how depictions of female action heroes have evolved over time. Back in 2014, when Beyoncé performing in front of the word 'feminist' was a major controversy and Marvel was still going all-in on white guys named Chris, I used to tweet a lot about how frustrating it was that there were barely any female-led live-action superhero movies. And I'd almost always get some variation of the same reply. 'What about Red Sonja?' 'Well, you already have Red Sonja.' 'Don't forget the Red Sonja movie!' These tweets were mostly trolls. Red Sonja is a largely forgotten 1985 Brigitte Nielsen movie that flopped at the box office, was reviled by critics, and hasn't even really been reclaimed as a cult classic. (Its average star rating on Letterboxd sits at just 2.5.) Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared it the worst movie he ever made. And though it's technically based on a Marvel Comics character, its sword-and-sorcery setting makes it way more of a fantasy film than something people would consider a superhero story. But it's funny how things work out. After years of reflexively ignoring Red Sonja after having it weaponized against me, I finally sat down to watch it for its 40th anniversary and enjoyed it way more than I suspect those trolls thought I would. It's a fitting journey for a movie whose very existence was something of a troll. Fresh off making Schwarzenegger a star in 1982's Conan The Barbarian and its sillier sequel Conan The Destroyer, producer Dino de Laurentiis was hoping to keep the run going with a third Conan film. But the rights to the character were held by Universal and though de Laurentiis had signed Schwarzenegger for a multi-picture deal, he didn't have the budget to pay him for a full shooting schedule. So de Laurentiis came up with a workaround: He'd make a Red Sonja spin-off movie that positioned Schwarzenegger as a beefed-up supporting character (though still first-billed in the credits). Also, he'd rename Schwarzenegger's character 'Kalidor' to skirt the rights issue. Thus Red Sonja joined Aliens, Supergirl, and Terminator as one of the few female-led American action movies of the 1980s, even though the real goal was to Trojan Horse another Conan film into theaters. It's one of many such compromises you have to accept when looking for female representation in the dude-driven action genre. For instance, like Conan, Red Sonja started as a creation of legendary 1930s pulp writer Robert E. Howard, who imagined her as a 16th-century gunslinger. Only, Marvel Comics took the name and signature hair color to create a buxom, chainmail-bikini-wearing babe for the 'Hyborian Age' Conan The Barbarian comics the company began adapting from Howard's stories in the 1970s. The film adaptation at least lets Nielsen wear a bit more clothing in her thigh-baring gladiatorial look, but keeps her comics-accurate traumatic backstory. An opening prologue establishes that evil warriors destroyed Sonja's village, killed her parents, and gang-raped her—all because she refused the advances of the evil Queen Gedren (Sandahl Bergman). Left for dead, Sonja's prayer for revenge is answered by a glowing goddess who gives her superheroic sword-fighting abilities. Not the best or most sensitive intro for what's ultimately a breezy romp. But things pick up as the story jumps a few years into the future, where Sonja has been living and training in the temple of a master swordsman. We get to see a quick battle in which he declares that Sonja is so skilled, he has nothing left to teach her. ('You are the master of the master. Never have I seen your equal.') Soon she's roped into a quest that involves saving the world from Gedren's magical manipulations, all while teaming up with an entitled young prince named Tarn (Ernie Reyes, Jr.), his clownish caretaker Falkon (Paul Smith), and—at least when the movie can afford him—fellow warrior Lord Kalidor (Schwarzenegger). Beyond its unnecessary traumatic backstory, there are two main critiques held against the Red Sonja movie. The first is that it's too silly compared to the deeply serious original Conan movie, even though that's the direction the more family-friendly 1984 sequel Conan The Destroyer had already taken the franchise. (Richard Fleischer directed both Sonja and Destroyer after John Milius helmed the original Conan film.) The second is that Nielsen gives some sort of epically bad central performance, even though the first film features Schwarzenegger looking so dead-eyed it's a wonder he managed to find his mark. In fact, watching all three movies back-to-back, the bad acting just starts to feel like part of the Hyborian Age world-building rather than something Nielsen alone is guilty of. That said, I certainly wouldn't list Red Sonja among my favorite big screen female action heroes. Nielsen was a Danish model who was cast in her first-ever acting role just a few weeks before production began, and you can certainly feel that in her performance. But like Schwarzenegger in the original, she translates her inherent stiltedness into something that reads like noble stoicism. (There are shades of Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman performance.) Nielsen's Sonja isn't quippy or sassy or seductive in the way we often expect our female action heroes to be. But that makes sense for the scenario. Sonja's spent the majority of her adult life living in a temple, training for battle—of course she's a little awkward! Regardless, this isn't a franchise I'd recommend for its character work anyway. What Red Sonja does have to offer is some stylish production design from Danilo Donati (a frequent Federico Fellini and Pier Paolo Pasolini collaborator), a great score from the legendary Ennio Morricone, and some really fun swordfights courtesy of fight choreographer Kiyoshi Yamazaki. Where Conan is a muscled brawler so souped-up he punches a camel in both Conan films (both!), Sonja has a more lithe, nimble style of combat. Her fights include the jumps and flips of a gymnastic floor routine, paired with some confident sword-wielding from Nielsen and her stunt doubles. The movie's best fight has Sonja and Kalidor playfully square off against one another after she declares she will never sleep with a man unless he's beaten her in a fair fight. It's the sort of swordplay-as-foreplay sequence the swashbuckling genre often delights in, and it's a particularly nice touch that Sonja and Kalidor wind up fighting to a draw, with neither able to best the other. Inasmuch as Schwarzenegger has ever managed to have chemistry with a female co-star (so, not much), he and Nielsen feel weirdly well-matched in their stilted Euro stoicism. It's like watching two robots fall in love. In fact, if you're grading on a curve and acknowledging all the oversexualization and gratuitous nudity, the Conan franchise actually doesn't have terrible female representation overall. The first film gives Conan a warrior love interest named Valeria (Bergman, who was offered the role of Red Sonja but chose to return to play the villain instead). And though she gets a bit softened into the self-sacrificial girlfriend role, Valeria's mostly depicted as a heroic equal for Conan. The second movie, meanwhile, keeps her spirit alive while adding the evil Queen Taramis (Sarah Douglas), the plucky Princess Jehnna (Olivia d'Abo), and the fierce female warrior Zula (an electrifying Grace Jones) into the mix. Conan The Destroyer even passes the Bechdel Test, which is a nice surprise. I also appreciate how Red Sonja presents its heroine as a mentor and inspiration for a young boy, which is the sort of thing you don't often see in a female-led action story. Nielsen is at her best when paired with her 12-year-old co-star, who brings out a little more playful humanity from her. And even if the film got there by working backwards, it's still interesting to watch Schwarzenegger positioned as a supporting player in a female character's story rather than vice versa. Though he gets more to do here than your average female sidekick in a male-driven action movie, Valeria and Zula actually have quite a few heroic moments in the first two Conan films too, so there's at least some equality on that front. Of course, the gold standard for female-led sword-and-sorcery storytelling remains Xena: Warrior Princess, which combines intentional camp with meaningful stories. (Plus positive depictions of implied lesbians, rather than the retro villainy of Gedren.) But that iconic '90s series might not exist without the more serious attempts of Red Sonja, 1983's Amazonian epic Hundra, or even Pam Grier's 1974 gladiator story The Arena. Like the Conan films, Red Sonja exists at least adjacent to so-bad-it's-good territory. But that's part of what makes it fun. That makes the long-gestating big screen Red Sonja reboot, set to hit theaters in August, all the more interesting. After a much-delayed development process that at various points has included Robert Rodriguez, Rose McGowan, Simon West, Amber Heard, Bryan Singer, and Hannah John-Kamen, the project eventually fell to Silent Hill: Revelation filmmaker M.J. Bassett, directing Matilda Lutz in what sounds like a very eclectic production from Bulgaria-based Millennium Films. The new film at least has more depth of source material to pull from after Gail Simone launched a well-received comics reboot of the Red Sonja character in 2013. Still, the 1985 original remains a (mostly) charming curio tucked away between the second-wave feminist movement of the 1970s and the third wave of the 1990s. With its female villain, male ally, and conventional love story, Red Sonja isn't particularly interested in challenging social norms. But it does have a sort of 'we're stronger together' ethos that ensures it's not totally vapid either. Though Red Sonja still isn't a superhero in my book, her big screen feats at least deserve to be remembered as more than a footnote. Next time: Gina Prince-Bythewood delivered a fresh take on the classic Hollywood epic in The Woman King More from A.V. 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