After months of enjoying the spoils of several blockbuster fantasy releases, fans of the genre are feeling a bit spoiled. A series of cancelations and a few fresh announcements are tempering their delight, unfortunately, as they are harshly reminded that few studios have enough faith in fantasy content.
There’s still plenty of hope on the horizon, thankfully, even with the cancellation of Fate: The Winx Saga and The Imperfects. Fans are eagerly awaiting the release of Dragon Age: Absolution, which is headed to Netflix in December, as well as the sequel to 2009’s Avatar, which is set to hit theaters not long after.
They’re also looking forward to the impending release of this year’s second Pinocchio adaptation, expected out the same month, even as a pair of former attempts at the property spark confusion. Over the years, nearly a dozen Pinocchio films have been attempted—more, if you count films like Astro Boy and A.I.—but two of the franchise’s releases still manage to baffle fans.
Fans are counting the days until Dragon Age: Absolution drops
An animated venture into Dragon Age’s Thedas is headed to Netflix in just a few weeks, and fans of the sprawling video game franchise couldn’t be more delighted. The release of the upcoming show’s most recent trailer, spiked the hype once again, giving viewers the latest glimpse at the story set to debut on Dec. 9.
What caused Jake’s paralysis in Avatar?
As fans prep themselves to witness a sequel more than a decade in the making, they’re struggling to remember all of the details from 2009’s Avatar. The film delivered its hero in Jake Sully, a paralyzed soldier who takes part in the Avatar program. The film never directly addresses how Jake lost the use of his legs, and with another film headed to theaters fans are returning to the question in hopes of getting a few answers. It seems like his history in the military is the culprit behind Jake’s reliance on a wheelchair, but thanks to the Avatar program the former Marine hardly seems to notice.
Two confusing Pinocchio films, released more than 15 years apart, baffle fans
Pinocchio is a major player in fantasy this year, but people aren’t talking about the releases from either Disney or Guillermo del Toro. Instead, they’re fixated on a pair of Pinocchio films released in 2002 and 2019. Viewers remain confused by the inclusion of Roberto Benigni in both films but in very different capacities. The Italian writer, director, and actor directed his own attempt at a Pinocchio film back in the early 2000s, only to later return to the story as Geppetto in Matteo Garrone’s far more popular take on the story, and fans of the classic tale still can’t wrap their brains around it.