WIRE Buzz: 47 Meters Down sequel uncages trailer; Aladdin’s Jafar joins The Old Guard; more

Fans were sufficiently bitten and smitten by last year’s low-budget shark thriller 47 Meters Down that, inevitably, the budding horror franchise is circling back around to help itself to a second scary chomp.


Mandy Moore, who starred in the original, isn’t to be found in the new trailer for 47 Meters Down: Uncaged. Instead, the sequel has lined up a fresh cast for an all-girl beach getaway, one that expands on the first film with an exotically cast-away, vaguely Tomb Raider vibe that puts them in exploration mode amid lost undersea relics — at exactly the wrong time, of course.

In a post-Sharknado world, the camp factor for the shark horror that’s on display here almost seems downright subtle — but maybe that just means the claustrophobic scares will feel that much more real. 47 Meters Down: Uncaged sinks its teeth into theaters beginning on Aug. 16.

From Aladdin to The Old Guard: Greg Rucka’s Netflix adaptation of the comic about soldiers who never die has just conjured a new addition to its growing cast.

Via The Hollywood Reporter, Marwan Kenzari, who plays the villainous Jafar in Disney’s live-action remake, has joined The Old Guard in a role for which details are still light, but is described as a “man who was once a Moor warrior.” Kenzari boards an Old Guard cast already anchored by Charlize Theron as Andronika (aka Andy), a 5,000-year-old Scythian warrior who has sold her mercenary services through the centuries.

Bound for Netflix, The Old Guard tells the comic book story of Andy and other immortal mercs who encounter first-time problems living the soldier-for-hire life in the 21st century — especially after they discover “a new immortal” who also possesses supernatural powers. Kiki Layne (If Beale Street Could Talk) also stars, though her role hasn’t yet been revealed.

Written for Netflix by Rucka and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (Cloak & Dagger), The Old Guard hasn’t been given a Netflix premiere date yet, so stay tuned.

Finally, get ready to put Dungeons & Dragons in your pocket. Developer Ludia has just debuted Warriors of Waterdeep, the D&D role-playing game you can dial up on your smartphone.

The free-to-play turn-based RPG borrows directly from the iconic series’ deep lore, and looks to bear the pen-and-paper hallmarks that longtime D&D fans have come to expect: Players gang up with their team of heroes to defend Waterdeep, the “City of Splendors” that serves as the anchor for the D&D continent of Faerûn, selecting from eight character classes in both single-player campaign mode and a new player-versus-player combat mode.

Supported through microtransactions that can accelerate your gold hoarding, unlock new gear, and give your KO’d character a quick revival, Warriors of Waterdeep is available now as a free download for Android and iOS devices.