WIRE Buzz: Lost Boys pilot bites into leads; The Hunt tracks down new trailer; more

The CW's new Lost Boys pilot is kicking off a fresh round of casting after the series — based on Joel Schumacher's 1987 movie of the same name — was shelved for tinkering.

According to Deadline, Branden Cook (Industry), Lincoln Younes (Grand Hotel), and Ruby Cruz (Castle Rock) are the first round of actors to board the project, which tells the story of two Gen Z brothers battling a pack of immortal vampires after they move with their mother to a seaside community in North Carolina.

Credit: Warner Bros.

Cook is playing Garrett, the older of the two siblings, based on Jason Patric's Michael character in the movie.

Younes is taking up the role of charismatic lead vampire Benjamin, "a version of the David character" made famous by Kiefer Sutherland in the original, according to Deadline.

And finally, Cruz is portraying Elsie, a nod to Jami Gertz’s Star, who finds a connection with Garrett, the new kid in town.

Written by Heather Mitchell and Rob Thomas, the pilot will be directed by Marcos Siega.

The Hunt (Universal's long-delayed film about rich people tracking and killing other humans for sport) now has an international trailer with a boat-load of new footage. In fact, we spend the first 30 seconds with Glenn Howerton's character, who has to deal with one of his victims waking up during a private flight. There's a reason it's called "the most dangerous game," Glenn.

Written by Nick Cuse (Maniac) and Damon Lindelof (Watchmen), the movie is like an ultra-violent Hunger Games-esuqe commentary about class inequality. Parasite was only just the appetizer, folks.

Betty Gilpin (GLOW) leads the cast as Crystal, a Mississippi woman being hunted by the affluent folk. However, she isn't going down without a fight, and will stop at nothing to meet the leader of this sadistic safari (played by I Am Mother's Hilary Swank).

The cast is impressively rounded out by Emma Roberts, Ike Barinholtz, Amy Madigan, Ethan Suplee, Macon Blair, J.C. MacKenzie, Usman Ally, Wayne Duvall, Reed Birney, and Teri Wyble.

Directed by Craig Zobel (Westworld), The Hunt heads to theaters Friday, Mar. 13.

The long-awaited second season of Altered Carbon is now streaming on Netflix, but how does the sophomore outing compare to the first one?

"If you like its trashy cyberpunk aesthetic, Altered Carbon provides plenty of entertainment. It’s Blade Runner without the writing but with the same to spend on sets," writes Ed Cumming of The Independent in his review. "There are virtual reality torture chambers, shadowy backstreets lit with strips of neon, gun-toting ninja bodyguards and mysterious crime syndicates aplenty."

And how does Anthony Mackie (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), taking over the role of Takeshi Kovacs, compare to Joel Kinnaman (Suicide Squad)?

"Mackie isn’t as stiff as Kinnaman, and there are interesting questions raised by the idea of what comprises a person," adds Cumming. "It still falls short of its potential, but Altered Carbon has probably done enough to ensure it runs for years to come. A lump of graphite, if not quite the full diamond."

Liz Shannon Miller of Colldier points out one of the show's biggest flaws (which has been allegedly present since Season 1), writing: "The ideas behind the premise are so good, the potential to examine existential issues about identity and humanity and how they’re tied up in our physical form are so great, that it’s frustrating to see how often the show takes a too-shallow approach. A future where one’s physical form is not just disposable but customizable inspires plenty of fascinating questions; unfortunately, the writers either find those questions uninteresting or beyond the scope of their storytelling."

Nerdist's Michael Walsh is a little more kind with his review, stating that the show's second season "might be even better than its first. It combines a richly established world, great action sequences, and compelling characters with a story that is simultaneously bigger and smaller ... There also aren’t as many clunky moments, even if some of Kovacs’ voiceovers still feel heavy-handed at time."