WIRE Buzz: The Far Side site activates; Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker box office; more

One of the most beloved comic strips of all time is coming back to life. Slowly, at first, but back to life nonetheless. After The Far Side’s website mysteriously updated back in September, fans of Gary Larson’s idiosyncratic comedy awaited any updates with bated breath. Now Larson’s plans have become clear.

The New York Times reports that the future of the site will focus around collecting the comic’s archives (selected by theme) alongside doodles, sketches, and other curated materials from the artist. “I’m looking forward to slipping in some new things every so often,” said Larson, who also commented that the ease of digital drawing reignited his artistic endeavors.

So while no new strips have been put on the website as of this publication, fans should keep an eye on The Far Side’s site. It currently boasts two sketchbooks, with more scheduled to post in March and June.

Next, add a new superhero show to the seemingly endless stream of announcements coming to Quibi. Quibi, as a reminder, is an upcoming mobile streaming service that will specialize in "quick bits" — basically, short-form TV from a variety of creators ranging from Steven Spielberg to Justin Timberlake. The latest to join these ranks are Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, writer Jameel Saleem, and graphic novelist Anthony Piper.

According to a release, these three are combining forces to adapt Piper’s Trill League — a story all about black superheroes in a Justice League-style organization, with a style drenched in anime and rap. Saleem (South Park) and Piper co-created and wrote the show, while Jackson is on board as an executive producer. Fans can expect a satirical take on the superhero world with a very specific perspective.

“Writing a show about black superheroes is a dream come true for me," Saleem said, "and I couldn’t be luckier getting to do it with the brilliant Anthony Piper, who created this awesome world, and all the folks at G-Unit, Lionsgate, 3Arts, and Quibi. It’s going to be something special."

Quibi launches on April 6, 2020.

Finally, the final film in the Skywalker saga looks like it’ll fit right into the Star Wars franchise’s most recent efforts at the box office. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has some big shoes to fill following up The Last Jedi and The Force Awakens, but depending on how a few key factors shake out, it should hang just fine with those heavy hitters.

According to Deadline, current projections have the film aiming for a $450M global opening, which is on pace with The Last Jedi. That breaks down to a $200M domestic launch (though some figures peg it closer to an unperforming $175M) and $250M in all other territories (including the famously Star Wars-indifferent China).

Reviews could certainly impact the specifics of the former when the review embargo breaks at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow, either by bolstering fans looking for an epic finale or waving off fence-sitters waiting to see if the ending will satisfy. Regardless, don’t expect Rise of Skywalker to surpass Avengers: Endgame — no matter how good the reviews turn out — because that phenomenon simply has more international strength than the sci-fi series.

The Rise of Skywalker starts raking in the cash on Dec. 20.