News of the Week: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Trailer Debuts Shadow the Hedgehog First Look

We’re at the end of August, and the school season is upon us. That usually means that movies have slowed down a bit, but considering the way that a few movies on this list are still doing numbers in theaters, and other movies are getting standing ovations at festivals, the box office doesn’t appear to be hitting the brakes. This week brings good news for a long-awaited Tim Burton sequel, our first look at a Sonic the Hedgehog villain, Marvel’s First Family, and more.

As always, Atom Insider brings you a few hand-picked stories we think you’ll like. Ready? Let’s dive in.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Gets 4-Minute Standing Ovation At Venice

He’s the ghost with the most, babe, and now we know that his sequel lives up to his legacy: Tim Burton’s long-awaited sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice debuted at the Venice Film Festival to an over 4-minute standing ovation – four minutes and thirty-five seconds, to be exact. Burton was joined by the cast, including returning cast members Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara, and newcomers Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Belluci, and Willem Dafoe.

The story follows the Deetz family returning to Winter River after an unexpected death. Lydia, now grown, is still plagued by memories of Beetlejuice terrorizing them. When her teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the old model town in the attic, she accidentally creates a portal and Beetlejuice once again emerges to wreak his unique brand of havoc on the living world. The movie hits theaters next weekend.

Get tickets to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

First Look At The Thing In Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Marvel recently debuted the costumes for The Fantastic Four: First Steps during D23, and they’re a nod to the John Byrne era, a.k.a. the renaissance of Marvel’s First Family. There was one other glimpse fans were hoping for, though, that never came: the first look at the design for Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Ben Grimm, a.k.a. The Thing. A picture and brief set video showed Moss-Bachrach’s character post-transformation.

Click here for the set video of Fantastic Four’s The Thing

It’s not clear if it’s Moss-Bachrach in the suit or a double, but one thing is clear: a good portion of The Thing’s design is practical, not just CGI. It supports the throwback feel of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which will reportedly be set in the ’60s. Whoever’s under the mask, padded suit, and gloves, props to them for being able to act and emote under the prosthetics.

Alien: Romulus Just Beat Alien: Covenant’s Entire Run In 2 Weeks

Don’t look now, but Alien: Romulus is doing well at the box office – really, really well. So well, in fact, that it just beat the entirety of Alien: Covenant’s domestic run in just two weeks in theaters. Romulus has had the franchise’s second-best domestic opening of all time behind Prometheus, racking up $42 million its first weekend and blowing past projections.

After this weekend, Alien: Romulus racked up $74.3 million domestically after just 11 days in theaters, beating Alien: Covenant‘s entire $74.2 domestic run. Worldwide, it’s currently up to $229 million – a clear success on a budget of just $80 million. Fede Álvarez’s movie was meant to be a standalone, but considering the success Romulus has had, it at least shows the Alien franchise a way forward, similar to how Prey reinvigorated the Predator franchise in 2022. Not bad for a movie that was originally intended to go straight to Hulu before Disney woke up and set it for a theatrical run.

Lupita Nyong’o Offers A Beautiful Tribute 4 Years After Chadwick Boseman’s Death

Four years after his death, actress Lupita Nyong’o offered a touching tribute to her Black Panther costar and friend, Chadwick Boseman. On her Instagram page, she shared a beautiful post with a picture of Boseman. “Grief never ends. But it changes,” the caption read, quoting an unknown author.” It is a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith. It’s the price of love.” She then closed the post in her own words: “Remembering Chadwick Boseman. Forever.”

Boseman tragically died at just 43 years of age on August 28, 2020 from colon cancer. He kept the condition private to all but a few, choosing to act and live fully to the end. His talent was limitless, and his passing left a huge hole not just in Hollywood, but also with those who knew him and the fans who loved him. Luckily, his loved ones like Lupita Nyong’o have taken it upon themselves to keep his memory alive.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Debuts Keanu Reeves’ Shadow the Hedgehog

Last but not least, the first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has been released. While we’d normally include it in the Trailers & Clips of the Week section below, this was big enough to get its own section, as it gives us our first look at the Keanu Reeves-voiced antagonist Shadow the Hedgehog.