WIRE Buzz: Princess Bride reunion readthrough; Henchmen animated film; Shenmue anime

2020 has been the year of virtual cast reunion table reads, from the cast of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World celebrating the film's 10th anniversary by raising money for the charity Water for People to the cast of Community reuniting to raise funds for World Central Kitchen and Frontline Foods.

The latest project to follow in the reunion fun is The Princess Bride, with Deadline reporting that the film's cast and director will be coming together virtually to fundraise for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

The virtual read-through of the 1987 classic's script will be live-streamed on Sept. 13, at 4 p.m. PT, and will feature Cary Elwes (Westley), Robin Wright (Buttercup), Carol Kane (Valerie), Chris Sarandon (Prince Humperdinck), Mandy Patinkin (Inigo Montoya), Wallace Shawn (Vizzini), and Billy Crystal (Miracle Max). Also joining them will be director Rob Reiner (Stand by Me) and comedian Patton Oswalt (The Boys), who will moderate a Q&A afterward.

The event is designed to raise money for the state's Democratic party, and viewers will be required to sign up and donate in order to view the read-through, but there is no minimum amount required. 

This isn't the first time nostalgic love for this beloved film has been invoked this year. Earlier in 2020, the short-form streaming platform Quibi released a Princess Bride "remake" starring a whole slew of famous faces, while later in the summer board game creator Ravensburger announced that they'll be releasing a game based on the movie that will help fans relive all their favorite moments. 

The Princess Bride reunion table read takes place on Sept. 13 at 4 p.m. PT. 

Next up, the age of Minions is over, making way for the time of Henchmen. 

According to Deadline, the upcoming animated movie stars Thomas Middleditch (Godzilla: King of the Monsters) as Lester, a new henchman recruit who joins the Union of Evil. There he joins a ragtag team of blue-collar workers led by Hank, a fallen henchman. However, when Lester accidentally steals a supervillain's big weapon, Hank must choose whether he wants to stick to his code of not risking anything, or save his young friend — and risk becoming a hero. 

Also starring in the project will be James Marsden (Sonic the Hedgehog), Rosario Dawson (The Mandalorian), Nathan Fillion (DC's Suicide Squad), Jane Krakowski (30 Rock), Rob Riggle (The Daily Show), Bobcat Goldthwait (Bobcat Goldthwait's Misfits & Monsters), and Craig Robinson (Ghosted).

Adam Wood wrote and directed the film, which marks his feature-length directorial debut. It's based on a story by him and Jay D. Waxman. The movie was produced by Bron Animation, with Vertical Entertainment acquiring the rights for the film's U.S. distribution.

Henchmen will be available on digital platforms starting Oct. 9.  

And last, but not least, Deadline is also reporting that an anime series based on the SEGA game franchise Shenmue is in the works from Warner Media and Crunchyroll. 

The original series will consist of 13 episodes, with the co-production eventually airing on Adult Swim's Toonami in the United States and streaming on Crunchyroll everywhere else outside of Japan and mainland China.

Created by Yu Suzuki more than 20 years ago, Shenmue tells the story of Ryo Hazuki and his quest to avenge his father's murder after he witnesses it happen in the family dojo. His mission to find the man responsible takes him from the streets of Yokosuka, Japan, to Hong Kong, and beyond, as he learns that there are mysterious mystical forces at work and trains to become the ultimate martial artist.

The show will be co-produced by Crunchyroll and Adult Swim Productions. Sakurai Chikara (Naruto) will direct, with Telecom Animation Film taking care of the animation production and Sola Entertainment managing it. Suzuki will serve as executive producer on the project.

No release date has been set for the project.