Our monthly round-up of the hottest entertainment releases. This month: A new lega-sequel, the return of a hit anime series, and more.

Movies

Freakier Friday
The body swap just got an upgrade. Or four.

Jamie Lee Curtis is the undisputed queen of the lega-sequel — that sweet spot where beloved stars return to iconic roles decades later, usually with a fresh-faced cast in tow. She’s slayed it in the Halloween franchise (twice!), and now she’s back in a very different kind of legacy reboot: a wild, multi-generational take on Freaky Friday.

Twenty years after Tess (Curtis) and her rebellious daughter Anna (Lindsay Lohan) first swapped bodies, things are about to get even weirder. This time, everyone’s swapping:

• Anna switches with her daughter Harper (Julia Butters),
• Tess swaps bodies with Harper’s soon-to-be stepsister Lily (Sophia Hammons),
• And somehow, Anna is engaged to Lily’s dad, Eric (Manny Jacinto).

Keeping up? Neither are they. With four characters jumping into new bodies, Freakier Friday turns family drama into full-blown identity chaos.

Lohan is riding a comeback wave, with rom-com hits like Irish Wish and Our Little Secret, plus a fun cameo in the new Mean Girls. But this is her biggest return to the spotlight yet — and she’s not the only familiar face. Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray, Rosalind Chao, Lucille Soong, and Stephen Tobolowsky all return to join the generational madness.

For millennials who grew up with the 2003 classic, this sequel scratches the nostalgia itch — but it’s also a fresh spin for a whole new audience.

Superman
Kindness is the new punk rock.

“You think everything and everyone is beautiful.” “Maybe that’s the real punk rock.”

Welcome to the new DC Universe (DCU). Directed by James Gunn, the co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios, Superman is the first instalment of DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, marking the relaunch of the DC cinematic universe.

Gone are the DCEU’s (DC Extended Universe) dark, moody movies filled with equally dark, moody characters. Superman brings back breezy fun: we’re talking kooky characters, visual imagination, hard-earned optimism, and tongue-in-cheek humour.

Our new Clark Kent/Superman, as portrayed by David Corenswet, is as blue-eyed and square-jawed as the previous big-screen iteration, played by Henry Cavill. But everything else has changed. This Superman feels brighter and bolder than 2013’s Man of Steel, a broody and messy movie about the titular character. From the get-go, Gunn emphasises the character’s kindness, optimism, moral centre, and vulnerability. Even when Clark intervenes in international conflicts manipulated by the megalomaniacal Lex Luthor (an equally blue-eyed and square-jawed Nicholas Hoult), he’s careful not to rack up collateral damage. Heck, this Superman is so compassionate, he even stops to save a squirrel.

But when Luthor engineers a plan to tarnish his reputation, Superman finds himself in uncharted waters and must win back public trust while staying true to his ideals. Along the way, he grapples with his dual identity, Kryptonian heritage, and his devotion to humanity. And thankfully, he has his smart and feisty girlfriend, Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), backing him up.

The dazzling fights and big battles — which also feature heroes like Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Guy Gardner/Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), and Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) — are still there. But this Superman soars not just on its action, but also its heart. Its real superpower? Its radical sense of hopefulness — the movie might just make you believe in people (and superhero movies) again.

Before catching this, watch the original Superman on KrisWorld.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Marvel’s First Family is finally getting the blockbuster treatment it deserves.

They’re the team that started it all: Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm — better known collectively as the Fantastic Four. First introduced in 1961, Marvel’s ‘First Family’ helped shape the comic book universe as we know it. But let’s be honest: despite some iconic performances (we’re looking at Chris Evans as Johnny Storm), their big-screen outings have never quite stretched to their full potential.

That’s all about to change.

Fantastic Four: First Steps marks the team’s official entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and it’s shaping up to be a game-changer. Pedro Pascal (Reed/Mr Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue/Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn (Johnny/Human Torch), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben/The Thing) lead the cast as a brilliant crew of space explorers who return from a cosmic mission … a little more super than when they left.

But with great power comes a colossal problem: the arrival of the mysterious Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), who’s the cosmic herald of Galactus, an ancient force that literally eats planets for breakfast. No pressure, team!

Set in a retro-futuristic 1960s that’s as stylish as it is strange, First Steps kicks off Phase Six of the MCU with a dimensional bang. The Fantastic Four will journey from their world to Earth-616 — our mainline Marvel reality — where they’re set to join forces with the new Avengers in Avengers: Doomsday. And yes, whispers are swirling that Robert Downey Jr. will return as a variant of Iron Man — this time as none other than Doctor Doom — in this movie. [Spoiler Alert! You might want to stay on after the credits roll.]

Longtime fans have waited decades for the Fantastic Four to finally get the love (and CGI budget) they deserve. With a powerhouse cast, multiversal stakes, and one voracious villain in the wings, First Steps might just be the leap that launches Marvel’s First Family into the cinematic big leagues.

Navigate to Disney to check out MCU movies on KrisWorld.

TV

Kaiju No. 8 S2
Even monsters have a human side. And vice versa.

The kaiju (giant monster) genre has stomped through pop culture for decades — from Godzilla’s city-smashing rampages to Ultraman’s sky-high smackdowns. But Kaiju No. 8, based on Naoya Matsumoto’s hit manga, brings a thrilling new twist: body horror meets battlefield heroics, with a side of humour and heart.

Meet Kafka Hibino (voiced by Masaya Fukunishi), a down-on-his-luck ‘sweeper’ who literally cleans up kaiju guts for a living. While others in the Japanese Anti-Kaiju Defence Force get the glory of monster slaying, Kafka’s stuck bagging leftovers. He once dreamt of joining their elite ranks, but life — and multiple failed applications — got in the way.

His best friend Mina (Asami Seto) is now a no-nonsense Defence Force captain, and when hotshot rookie Reno Ichikawa (Wataru Katoh) joins Kafka’s cleanup crew, it reignites his old ambitions. Then things take a monstrous turn — quite literally.

There’s a reason why our protagonist has a not-quite-Japanese-sounding name. In a grotesque twist straight out of the playbook of Franz Kafka, the famous author of The Metamorphosis, a parasitic kaiju forces itself into Kafka’s body, transforming him into a super-powered, humanoid kaiju. Now branded ‘Kaiju No. 8’ by the authorities, Kafka must keep his secret under wraps while trying to prove he’s still human enough to fight on the side of good.

Cue epic kaiju battles, military drama, and emotional revelations — all leading up to a jaw-dropping finale in Season 1, where Kafka’s secret is blown wide open. Season 2 picks up in the aftermath, as Kafka joins the elite First Division, tasked with wiping out kaiju threats while walking a tightrope between hero and monster.

Stylish, savage, and surprisingly heartfelt, Kaiju No. 8 is a genre-blending thrill ride with high-stakes action and a protagonist you can’t help but root for — claws and all.

Video Games

Death Stranding 2
Giant babies. Metal tentacles. A world on the brink again.

Hideo Kojima is back with Death Stranding 2: On the Beach — and yes, it’s as weird and wonderful as you’d expect. The mastermind behind Metal Gear Solid once again lets his freak flag fly, blending cinematic storytelling with gameplay that’s part walking sim, part fever dream.

Norman Reedus (of The Walking Dead fame) returns as Sam Porter Bridges, still haunted by the ghostly remnants of humanity’s collapse. This time, the journey takes him across a surreal version of Australia, where the rules of life, death, and time are barely holding together.

Armed with tech, tenacity, and a baby in a jar (very Kojima, indeed!), Sam must reconnect fractured outposts and forge fragile alliances. But something much darker is brewing. Higgs Monaghan (Troy Baker), now wielding apocalyptic powers and a nihilist’s resolve, wants to wipe the slate clean and end all existence.

Expect tense encounters with bandits, terrorists, and otherworldly creatures. This is all set against a backdrop of sweeping desolation and heart-wrenching beauty, which lends the game both an air of ruin and majesty.

Like its predecessor, Death Stranding 2 leans into emotional storytelling, bizarre symbolism, and that signature Kojima weirdness. With upgraded traversal mechanics and an even deeper focus on human connection, Death Stranding 2 takes players on a one-of-a-kind journey that needs to be experienced to be believed.