WIRE Buzz: Universal sets Don’t Go in the Water monster movie; Mortal Kombat classics get animated; more

One of genre TV’s celebrated directors just hopped onto a mysterious monster movie. From superheroes to aquatic beasts? Sounds like a match made in some underwater hellscape.

According to Variety, Stephen Williams — the director whose work on the black-and-white sixth episode of HBO’s Watchmen, “This Extraordinary Being,” earned him a 2020 Directors Guild of America Award nomination — has signed on to Don’t Go in the Water, a horror-themed monster movie from Universal.

Everything else about the film is being kept secret, except that prolific TV writer Peter Gaffney is penning the script; and Shawn Levy and Dan Levine (who worked on Arrival together) are producing.

Williams’ resume also includes shows like Westworld, The Walking Dead, and Lost. Don’t Go in the Water would be the director’s first theatrical film since 1995’s Soul Survivor.

Next, the first animated Mortal Kombat film is giving fans of the fighting game franchise a reintroduction to its classic characters. While the first trailer for Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpions Revenge set the stage for the epic showdown (of course, a giant tournament between all the fighters of Outworld and Earthrealm), this clip showcases some fan-favorites.

Check it out:

You’ve got Hollywood boy Johnny Cage (Joel McHale) completely not getting the gravity of the situation alongside Liu Kang (Jordan Rodrigues) and Sonya Blade (Jennifer Carpenter), while Raiden (David B. Mitchell) isn’t messing around at all. A comedian is a natural fit to voice the showy Cage, right? Director Ethan Spaulding (Justice League: Throne of Atlantis) and writer Jeremy Adams (Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans) seem to have a solid handle on the franchise.

Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge is out on Digital starting April 12 and on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD on April 28.

Finally, the coronavirus has postponed many new productions and developments across the entertainment industry, but it’s also led to a surge in stay-at-home options from different companies. Streaming TV has flourished, sure, but what about streaming comics? That’s where DC Universe comes in, with plenty of new activities.

According to a release, the DC streaming service is adding live Q&A sessions with comic creators like Xavier Woods (April 2), Scott Snyder (April 3), Joëlle Jones (April 14), and Sean Murphy (April 21).

There will also be new weekly community events like a book club discussing monthly comics, trivia nights, watch-alongs, and mixtape-building. There’s also a new curated list called Stories For Hope aimed at those needing some optimism. These new features will be rolled out over the month of April.