Hollywood Bulletin: Spiderman Is Aura Farming, Jackie Chan Continues Being A Legend, & Wednesday Addams Returns 🕷️

A Short Bulletin, But A Bulletin Nonetheless.

Hot Topic

At the 78th Locarno Film Festival, Jackie Chan criticized Hollywood studios. Chan spoke to an audience during a Q&A, stating to the crowd, “I think the old movies are better than today." He went on to add, “Right now, a lot of big studios, they’re not filmmakers, they’re business guys. They invest 40 million and think, ‘How can I get it back?’ And you can’t go over. It’s very difficult to make a good movie now.”

Chan spoke more throughout the discussion about his dedication to the art of cinema. On set, Chan was not only an actor but also detailed his work in stunts and even sound. The veteran actor spoke about how he opted to try one more film before leaving America due to the difficulty of finding success in projects he participated in. That last project ended up being Rush Hour, a film that not only changed his career but, as Chan added, “I think Rush Hour changed the culture.”

The actor stated his goal in Hollywood has always been to “be a cross-cultural bridge between the US and China.” And Jackie Chan, you did that and more.

The star received the festival’s Pardo alla Carriera award for career achievement. His early directorial films, Project A and Police Story, screened at the festival. Locarno will end next week on August 16th.

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TL;DR

• Kevin Hart & John Cena team up for Netflix action comedy The Leading Man.

• Pedro Pascal is currently 👀circling Tony Gilroy’s Behemoth! at Searchlight.

• ‘Will Trent’ ups Kevin Daniels to series regular.

• Disney’s Freakier Friday debuted to $29M over its opening weekend across 3,975 theaters.

• Love Island USA hits #1 on Nielsen Streaming.

• First BTS from Spider-Man: Brand New Day— Spider-Man swings back onto screens July 24, 2026.

• Weapons opens at #1 for Warner Bros.

• Jackie Chan calls Hollywood “too obsessed with money” at the Locarno Film Fest.

• James Marsden calls Avengers: Doomsday a homecoming

• Josh Brolin says he’d return as Thanos “tomorrow” if the Russos called.

• One Piece live-action renewed for Season 3 before Season 2 even premieres in 2026.

• Wednesday Season 2 drops August 6 on Netflix, with the second half coming September 3.

• NY Film Festival 2025 main slate announced — heavy on Cannes winners.

• The Hunting Wives soared to the top of Luminate’s TV streaming rankings following its debut.

• Netflix’s true-crime momentum continues with Amy Bradley Is Missing and The Son of Sam Tapes topping charts.

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Film

Marvel fans got their first official behind-the-scenes glimpse at Spider-Man: Brand New Day, currently shooting in Glasgow, Scotland. Tom Holland, back in the suit for the July 24, 2026, release, teased practical stunts and suited a more fan-approved costume.

THATS MY GOATTTTT

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Meanwhile, James Marsden, on set for a different Marvel project called Avengers: Doomsday, “a nice little homecoming” to his Cyclops role. He joins an already stacked cast with Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, Florence Pugh, Anthony Mackie, and familiar castmates from the Fox X-Men universe such as Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart.

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Warner Bros.’ Weapons claimed the studio’s seventh #1 opening this year (or tenth if you count weekend wins from Superman, Minecraft, and Sinners), opening to $42.5M domestic and $70M global on a $38M budget. Director Zach Cregger is already prepping a Resident Evil reboot for Sony, promising a lore-faithful but original story, co-written with Shay Hatten. Austin Abrams is in talks to star. Read more about it here:

And my review of weapons:

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TV

Netflix released a first look at Season 2, which has a release window set for 2026, but the exact date has not been released. Here’s the logline for the upcoming season: “Fiercer adversaries and the most perilous quests yet. Luffy and the Straw Hats set sail for the extraordinary Grand Line—a legendary stretch of sea where danger and wonder await at every turn. As they journey through this unpredictable realm in search of the world’s greatest treasure, they’ll encounter bizarre islands and a host of formidable new enemies.”

Netflix renewed its One Piece live-action series for Season 3 ahead of its Season 2 release. Production for the third season kicks off later this year in Cape Town, with Ian Stokes joining Joe Tracz as co-showrunner.

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Netflix dropped the first half of Wednesday’s sophomore season on Aug. 6 (a Wednesday, naturally) after a buzzy campaign including a Wendy’s fast-food collab.

The show is currently number 6 on Netflix’s global charts as of August 3rd, and Wednesday is sure to make a gruelling comeback to the top as audience members return to Nevermore for a new mystery. The second half arrives Sept. 3.

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Until next time, folks!