Return to Oz

Before Wicked, there was Return to Oz.

Disney's dark fantasy fairytale sequel to The Wizard of Oz, directed by Walter Murch with an uncredited assist from George Lucas (Star Wars) and Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather), was released 40 years ago and formed part of a childhood cinematic collective of stylistically similar movies including The Neverending Story, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth (the latter two directed by Muppet creator Jim Henson).

Although Return to Oz, based on L. Frank Baum’s early novels, Ozma of Oz and The Marvelous Land of Oz, passed me by at the cinema for reasons unknown. I vividly remember the Wheelers appearing on Blue Peter as instant nightmare fuel for Dorothy (Fairuza Baulk) and friends to evade.

Murch's movie forgoes the Technicolor trappings of the beloved MGM musical starring Judy Garland in favour of muted tones in a twisted tale of psychiatric wards, disembodied heads, talking clockwork toys and an exploration of childhood trauma, which many (myself included) can relate to.

David Shire's sumptuous soundtrack deserves special mention for its haunting orchestrations, which transcend the movie's shortcomings. My friend, Professor Michael Williams, lent me his copy of Bay Cities' CD release when we were in college together. Subsequently, the fine folks at Intrada released a remastered album years after the CD went out of print, which is available to stream - I'm listening to it as I write - on Apple Music.

A box office bomb, Return to Oz embodies a darker and riskier creative chapter of family fare from the House of Mouse, which also includes The Black Hole and The Black Cauldron. It became a cult classic on home media and the subject of critical analysis with fellow media students at college.

Return to Oz is streaming on Disney+.

What are your memories of watching Return to Oz? Let me know in the comments below.

The truth is out there: LEGO The X-Files

10 years in the making, an official LEGO Ideas set is coming soon based on the sci-fi series The X-Files, which centres around two FBI agents, Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), who carry out paranormal investigations. The series debuted in 1993 and ran for 11 seasons, becoming a worldwide phenomenon in the process.

During the nineties, I was sold on the conspiracies and bought the official magazine, comics, books, CDs, posters, and season box sets on VHS and then, latterly, DVD. This was an era when a new series of Doctor Who on television was a pipe dream.

The X-Files set was designed by user WetWired and features an intricate diorama of a forest UFO scene above a recreation of Fox Mulder’s famous basement office. The set will comprise approximately 2,020 pieces and includes seven minifigures: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, “Grey” Alien, The Jersey Devil, Assistant Director Walter Skinner, Syndicate Leader and Eugene Tooms.  

Discover more sets on LEGO AU, CA, UK and US (affiliate links).

Are you excited for a LEGO Ideas The X-Files set? Let me know in the comments below.

Coca-Cola x Star Wars: Refresh Your Galaxy

Longtime Disney collaborator Coca-Cola has announced collectable Star Wars cans and bottles with 30 character designs and Disney Park exclusives to commemorate 70 years of partnership.



"This collaboration is about more than just bringing together two iconic brands-it’s about celebrating the power of Star Wars fandom, shared passions, and the strength of community when we lift each other up," Islam ElDessouky, Coca-Cola’s global VP, creative strategy and content, said in a statement.

Thanks to a new Augmented Reality (AR) experience from Coca-Cola and Star Wars, you can be just like Princess Leia and send your own holo messages to friends, loved ones ... and maybe even retired generals-turned-Jedi hermits!

“Star Wars is a powerful cultural force around the world, with millions of fans across generations who carry these stories off the screen and into their lives,” Mindy Hamilton, SVP of global marketing partnerships at The Walt Disney Company, said in a statement. “This custom campaign is for them and inspired by them.”

Each of the 30 Coke cans and bottles will feature a distinct character with a unique design.

In the Original Taste, consumers can find designs featuring characters such as Lando Calrissian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Queen Amidala, The Mandalorian, and Emperor Palpatine.

Characters available in the Zero Sugar variety include Darth Vader, Yoda, Princess Leia, Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, Han Solo, R2-D2, and an Imperial Stormtrooper.

Will you be collecting the Star Wars-themed Coca-Cola cans and bottles? Let me know in the comments below.

Live-action Dragon's Lair lives!

In 1983, I vividly remember playing Don Bluth's (An American Tail) laserdisc-based Dragon's Lair in a Felixstowe arcade and losing all my pocket money to Dirk the Daring's abortive attempts to rescue Princess Daphne from the titular dragon, Singe, and the evil wizard, Mordroc.

Bluth, a former Disney animator, skillfully leveraged full-motion video (FMV) technology during an era of 8-bit graphics. Dragon's Lair left an indelible imprint on popular culture and spawned a short-lived animated series. The coin-op was featured in Stranger Things.

Netflix announced a live-action adaptation back in 2020 starring Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool & Wolverine). Although Reynolds has purportedly stepped away from playing the role of Dirk the Daring, it is still going ahead with director James Bobin (The Muppets) at the helm.

The animation of Dragon's Lair was so integral to the charm of the game that it seems almost sacrilege to adapt it in live-action. Whilst the adaptation won't use the choose-your-own-adventure style of the original arcade game, as was initially planned, there's still a lot to be excited about.

Are you looking forward to Dragon's Lair on Netflix? Let me know in the comments below.

Alien: Earth teases Predator

It's the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, and we're less than two months away from Alien: Earth, a new sci-fi series from Emmy Award-winning Noah Hawley (Fargo) based on the acclaimed Alien franchise, on Hulu on Disney+. An official trailer was released earlier in the month of flaming June.



Read the official synopsis:

“When the mysterious deep space research vessel USCSS Maginot crash-lands on Earth, “Wendy” (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat in FX’s “Alien: Earth.”

In the year 2120, the Earth is governed by five corporations: Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic and Threshold. In this Corporate Era, cyborgs (humans with both biological and artificial parts) and synthetics (humanoid robots with artificial intelligence) exist alongside humans. But the game is changed when the wunderkind Founder and CEO of Prodigy Corporation unlocks a new technological advancement: hybrids (humanoid robots infused with human consciousness). The first hybrid prototype named “Wendy” marks a new dawn in the race for immortality. After Weyland-Yutani’s spaceship collides into Prodigy City, “Wendy” and the other hybrids encounter mysterious life forms more terrifying than anyone could have ever imagined.”

The cast for Alien: Earth includes Sydney Chandler (Don't Worry Darling), Alex Lawther (Andor), Samuel Blenkin (The Sandman), Kit Young (Shadow and Bone), Essie Davis (Assassin's Creed), Adarsh Gourav (The White Tiger) and Timothy Olyphant (The Mandalorian).

As an Alien franchise fan since watching the original movie far too young on VHS, the Alien: Earth official trailer, with its allusions to Peter Pan, in the synthetic form of Wendy and Neverland Research Island, has piqued my interest further. Corporate espionage, an age-old quest for immortality and blood-stained xenomorphs! What’s not to like?

Predator: Badlands, directed by Dan Trachtenberg (Prey), features a Wayland-Yutani synthetic, and you can hear a Predator in the Alien: Earth trailer. With Trachtenberg and Hawley mixing up the franchise DNA at Disney, I'm amped for an Alien vs. Predator reboot.

Hulu is being rolled out internationally following its full acquisition from Comcast, and Alien: Earth would be the perfect launch title on Disney+.

Alien: Earth premieres only on Hulu and Disney+ on 13th August.

Are you looking forward to Alien: Earth? Let me know in the comments below.

The Witcher 4 demo at State of Unreal

CD Projekt Red showed a stunning tech demo at Unreal Fest Orlando 2025 of The Witcher 4 running on a base PlayStation 5 (PS5) with ray tracing enabled.



Read the official synopsis:

"This demo provides a glimpse at a number of 5.6’s powerful new open world features in action—all running on PlayStation 5 at 60 fps with raytracing—including the new, faster way to load open worlds via the Fast Geometry Streaming Plugin.

We get a peek at the power of 5.6 for handling busy scenes full of high-fidelity characters and visual effects like Chaos Cloth and an early look at Nanite Foliage, which provides a fast and memory-efficient way to achieve gorgeous foliage density and fidelity, slated for release in UE 5.7."

Remember that this isn’t gameplay of The Witcher 4 itself, but a deep dive into the technological groundwork.

Speaking on The Witcher 4 Unreal Engine 5 tech demo, Joint-CEO of CD Projekt Red, Michał Nowakowski, stated:

“We started our partnership with Epic Games to push open-world game technology forward. To show this early look at the work we’ve been doing using Unreal Engine running at 60 FPS on PlayStation 5, is a significant milestone — and a testament of the great cooperation between our teams. But we’re far from finished. I look forward to seeing more advancements and inspiring technology from this partnership as development of The Witcher 4 on Unreal Engine 5 continues.”

I vividly remember playing Unreal Tournament on my iMac DV SE in 2000. The Unreal Engine has evolved, and The Witcher 4 promises truly next-gen fidelity.

Tim Sweeney, Founder and CEO of Epic Games, said:

“CD Projekt Red is one of the industry’s best open-world game studios, and we’re grateful that they’re working with us to push Unreal Engine forward with The Witcher 4. They are the perfect partner to help us develop new world-building features that we can share with all Unreal Engine developers.”

Sony's $250 million investment in Epic Games is paying dividends, and I can't wait to play The Witcher 4 on PS5.

Have you watched The Witcher 4 tech demo? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

CBSO Star Wars Trilogy Weekender

The force will be strong in Birmingham this October, as the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) teams up with esk to present the Star Wars Trilogy Weekender – a three-day orchestral spectacular that brings the galaxy’s most iconic saga to life.

Birmingham’s Symphony Hall will become the ultimate destination for film fans and music lovers between 24th to 26th October 2025. The CBSO will perform John Williams’ legendary, Oscar-winning score live, in synchronisation with the original Star Wars trilogy, screened in full cinematic glory. It’s a rare opportunity to experience these beloved films like never before – all in a single weekend at one of the UK’s most celebrated concert venues.

The weekend opens on Friday 24th October with Star Wars: A New Hope, followed by Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back on Saturday 25th October, and concludes with Star Wars: Return of the Jedi on Sunday 26th October. Each performance will feature the full force of the CBSO, delivering the unforgettable score live in real time with the film.

Emma Stenning, Chief Executive at the CBSO said: “This is not just a concert – it’s a cinematic and musical pilgrimage. Whether you're a lifelong fan or introducing someone to the saga for the first time, this promises to be an unforgettable weekend of live music and big-screen magic.”

This event arrives at a time of growing national interest in orchestral film concerts. Symphony orchestras across the UK are using blockbuster scores to attract new audiences to classical music, with Arts Council England reporting a 17% increase in younger attendees. The Trilogy Weekender follows a string of sell-out Star Wars performances across the UK and coincides with heightened excitement around the next chapter of the Star Wars franchise.

Ticket packages are available, with 10% off when booking two concerts and 15% off when booking all three. Tickets range from £32 to £94.50 including fees, with tickets already selling fast.

The concerts are a part of the CBSO’s new 2025–26 season, which bridges classical tradition and contemporary culture. Other highlights include Best of Bond, Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush with live orchestra, and Symphonic Queen.

The Star Wars: Film Concert Series is produced under license by Disney Concerts in association with 20th Century Fox and Warner/Chappell Music. All rights reserved © Disney.

To book tickets or explore the full CBSO 2025–26 season, please visit www.cbso.co.uk.

Are you attending the CBSO Star Wars Trilogy Weekender? Let me know in the comments below.

The War Between The Land And The Sea first look

Ncuti Gatwa regenerated into Billie Piper in The Reality War, but the Whoniverse continues with a first look at The War Between The Land And The Sea, coming soon to BBC iPlayer and Disney+.



Read the official synopsis:

"When a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean, dramatically revealing themselves to humanity, an international crisis is triggered. With the entire population at risk, UNIT step into action as the land and sea wage war."

The five-part series stars Russell Tovey as Barclay and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Salt, with Jemma Redgrave, Alexander Devrient, Ruth Madeley, Colin McFarlane, Adrian Lukis, Patrick Baladi, Francesca Corney, Mei Mac and Vincent Franklin. Additional guest stars who can be spotted in the trailer are Waleed Hammad, Iestyn Arwel, Hannah Donaldson, Manpreet Bachu and Ann Akinjirin.

Russell T Davies, Showrunner, Writer and Executive Producer says: “The excitement is beginning to build, as the Whoniverse expands. I can’t wait for people to see this magnificent cast in such a powerful, vital, epic story. Look to the seas!”

The upcoming Doctor Who spin-off series is darker in tone, like Torchwood and features a soundtrack composed by Lorne Balfe (His Dark Materials). This is great news, as I was hoping Balfe was going to work on seasons one and two of Doctor Who on Disney+!

Are you looking forward to The War Between The Land And The Sea? Let me know in the comments below.

Doctor Who: The Reality War

The second season of Doctor Who on Disney+ has been somewhat overshadowed by speculation surrounding the series’ future, a decades-spanning tabloid trope since the classic era.

Rumours of Disney stepping away from the deal, regeneration, series cancellation, or hiatus haven’t detracted from my enjoyment. And the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) are plastic fantastic as Barbie dolls. Don’t forget Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), Mattel!

Does The Reality War stick the landing, unlike Empire of Death, or is the Doctor’s fate sealed with a headache-inducing hot mess of Russell T Davies' making?

Alas, it's the latter as Davies indulgently uses the Disney intellectual property (IP) playbook like a child in a candy store. The special runs the gamut from Avengers: Endgame to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. It was all too much.

We last saw the Doctor falling to his death in Wish World. He's rescued by Anita Benn (Stephanie de Whalley) from Joy to the World. Anita became an instant fan-favourite and possible future companion. Working at the Time Hotel and channelling the Time Variance Authority (TVA) from Loki, she's 6 months pregnant with the hotel manager's baby, and this ties into a theme of Time Lord reproduction or lack thereof, as revealed by the Rani (Archie Panjabi) as Poppy becomes the Doctor's surrogate child. A pivot too far, as Susan Foreman (Carol Ann Ford) is all but forgotten and Belinda is put in a box.

I couldn't keep track of all the twisted-up threads. Davies is at his best when using restraint, as seen in 73 Yards.

Ultimately, Omega was another classic villain to fall foul of Scooby Doo voodoo! Like Sutekh, he was a giant CGI monstrosity and a boring boss battle with zero stakes, dispatched using a reject prop from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Snacking on the Rani, he's more Rancor monster from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi than the vengeful creator of the Time Lords. What was far more interesting was the dynamic between the Doctor and his companions, Belinda and Ruby.

Here, the series shone brightest.

Whilst the bombastic battle at Avengers Tower, I mean UNIT HQ, was derivative and filled with far too many cameos, it was the mind games between Ruby and Conrad Clark (Jonah Hauer-King), her fake ex-boyfriend from Think Tank, that piqued my interest as giant skeletons attacked! Here was a former TARDIS companion with PTSD confronting her abuser.

Jodie Whittaker reprises the role of the Thirteenth Doctor on television for the first time since The Power of the Doctor. Her cameo, aboard the TARDIS, was a surprise, but a welcome one, subverting the expectation that David Tennant would return for the finale as the Fourteenth Doctor.

The chemistry between Gatwa and Whittaker sparkled, and I was a little misty-eyed. Davies has embraced former series showrunner Chris Chibnall's divisive Timeless Child with aplomb.

A time traveller for the TikTok generation.

As much as I’ve enjoyed this second season, I wanted to spend more time (pun intended) with the Fifteenth Doctor, Belinda and Ruby aboard the TARDIS. That’s good, even if it feels far too brief over two seasons. However, after an emotional goodbye with Belinda and Poppy (I teared up), Ruby was completely ignored back at UNIT HQ, the Fifteenth Doctor regenerates into Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) or is it?

Bad Wolf?

When the Disney+ partnership was announced in 2022, beginning with the 60th anniversary specials spearheaded by a returning series showrunner, I was excited about the future of my all-time favourite television series. Fast forward to 2025, and it’s trapped in an infinite loop of nostalgia.

The revival has come full circle from small beginnings in Rose. If the series is to continue in partnership with Disney+, it's time for a change and not a moment too soon.

Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer and Disney+ outside the UK and Ireland. Season two is available for pre-order from Amazon (affiliate link).

Have you watched The Reality War? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Millie Gibson teases return of Omega

Millie Gibson (Ruby Sunday) teased the return of Omega in the Doctor Who season two finale, The Reality War, in an interview with the Radio Times: "He's terrifying… I think people are going to be really shocked."

Omega, a founder of the Time Lord society corrupted by anti-matter and his ego, first appeared in the 10th anniversary special The Three Doctors, which featured William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton reprising their roles as the First and Second Doctors alongside Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor. He was originally played by Stephen Thorne, and his disembodied voice is heard in Wish World. The dialogue was taken directly from a Big Finish audio drama, Gallifrey: Intervention Earth, recorded before Thorne died in 2019.

Gibson goes on to say: "I think Archie is just such a cool Rani – she kind of worships Omega. I think it's a really cool two-villain dynamic. The more the better! This is why it's the biggest battle for the Doctor – there are two of his biggest villains that he has to defeat."

New episodes of Doctor Who drop every Saturday on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and Disney+ outside the UK and Ireland. Season two is available for pre-order from Amazon (affiliate link).

Are you looking forward to Omega's return in The Reality War? Who do you think should play him, Brian Blessed? Let me know in the comments below.