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http://blogs.fangraphs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Kyle-Schwarber-and-Shohei-Ohtani.pngBill Streicher and Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Meat + bread + mess are one of the most iconic food combinations known to humanity. Two of my favorites are classics of Philadelphia and Los Angeles, wonderful amalgamations that make a sloppy mess of whiz or jus go down my chin and, too often, the shirt that I’m wearing. I’ve always lived in the eastern part of the United States, so I have more practical experience with cheesesteak locations (I’m partial to Dalessandro’s and John’s Roast Pork). But the French dip is wonderful as well — I have at least gotten to try it at Philippe the Original — and I also love its cousin, quesabirria. Whichever you prefer, you’re choosing from two of the heavy hitters in good, casual food. I’m not talking about deliciousness because I’m hungry, even though it’s almost dinnertime, but because the Dodgers and Phillies play a similar role in baseball: They’re not everyone’s favorites, but they’re two of the most successful franchises of the last 15 years, and if you’re an NL team, there’s a good chance you’ll have to go through one or both of these teams en route to a championship. The Rotations This year’s Phillies haven’t been bitten by as many injuries as the Dodgers have in recent seasons, but the ones they’ve had have been significant. Zack Wheeler won’t be found this postseason, or much of anywhere next year either, after undergoing thoracic outlet depression surgery last month to address one of the most dreaded of pitcher ailments. The longest-standing legacy member of the rotation, Aaron Nola, finished the regular season with his best start of the season, but it came after a half-season of general ineffectiveness and a half-season of recovering from an ankle injury and a fractured rib. That’s the bad news. The good news is the breakout season of Cristopher Sánchez — arguably his second consecutive one — that saw him become the biggest rival to Paul Skenes for this year’s NL Cy Young award. Ranger Suárez also put up career bests in innings, ERA, FIP, and WAR, and Jesús Luzardo rebounded to his 2023 performance. A five-game series with three off days gives the Phillies just about their optimal rotation, at least from among the healthy hurlers, as they shouldn’t need a fourth starter (probably Nola) until the NLCS if they get there, and shouldn’t need to go to either Taijuan Walker or Walker Buehler (signed August 31) at all. Phillies Rotation (Regular Season) Name Team G GS IP H HR BB SO ERA FIP ERA- WAR Cristopher Sánchez PHI 32 32 202 171 12 44 212 2.50 2.55 58 6.4 Ranger Suárez PHI 26 26 157 1/3 154 14 38 151 3.20 3.21 75 4.0 Jesús Luzardo PHI 32 32 183 2/3 167 16 57 216 3.92 2.90 92 5.3 Los Angeles is actually in a pretty good place in terms of rotation health, at least compared to its normal condition. Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are healthy, and though he didn’t make any appearances against the Reds, Tyler Glasnow was a bullpen option during the Wild Card series and could also grab a start in the Division Series. For the first time in a while, the Dodgers should be able to get through the postseason with four excellent starters. In fact, this year, they have a surplus of solid starting pitchers, as Clayton Kershaw in his farewell season and rookie Roki Sasaki, now back from injury, are expected to get high-leverage innings in relief. If I tell ZiPS to only look at the top three starting pitchers in these two rotations, the Phillies and Dodgers rank first and second, respectively, with a chasm before the Mariners. The Dodgers inch ahead in a seven-game series thanks to the superiority of their fourth-starter options, but I’d be lying if I said either team had an significant advantage here. Dodgers Rotation (Regular Season) Name Team G GS IP H HR BB SO ERA FIP ERA- WAR Yoshinobu Yamamoto LAD 30 30 173 2/3 113 14 59 201 2.49 2.94 59 5.0 Blake Snell LAD 11 11 61 1/3 51 3 26 72 2.35 2.70 56 1.9 Shohei Ohtani LAD 14 14 47 40 3 9 62 2.87 1.90 69 1.9 Tyler Glasnow LAD 18 18 90 1/3 56 10 43 106 3.19 3.76 76 1.6 Clayton Kershaw LAD 23 22 112 2/3 102 8 35 84 3.36 3.55 80 2.5 The Lineups The injured Will Smith was on the Wild Card Series roster, but he made no pinch-hitting appearances against the Reds, and he hasn’t caught a game in a month. Ben Rortvedt did the bulk of the catching down the stretch and in the two Wild Card games, and I don’t think there’s any way not to call this a massive downgrade. ZiPS sees this as a larger concern in the NLDS because all three of the Phillies starting pitchers are lefties. The Dodgers didn’t have a big platoon split during the season (5 points of OPS), but that’s because Smith was in the lineup, and ZiPS sees him as the second-best hitter against lefties on the team (a projected .798 OPS). Despite the drop-off from Smith to Rortvedt, ZiPS views the Dodgers are the second-best playoff team against southpaws, behind the Yankees, but in a tight matchup, small differences can make a major impact on the outcome of a series. Even without Smith starting, the Dodgers have a lineup with Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman, so the supporting cast would have to be absolutely atrocious to make this offense not scary. And this supporting cast is more than adequate, with outfielders Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages, as well as third baseman Max Muncy, who continues to avoid the mid-30s offensive decline. Tommy Edman has his moments, and the Dodgers seem to have finally noticed that Michael Conforto no longer hits like a major leaguer. The team’s bench is solid, with Dalton Rushing much better than the typical third catcher on a roster, and plenty of opportunity to play platoons, especially with infielders Muncy and Miguel Rojas. Dodgers Offense (Regular Season) Name Team PA HR SB AVG OBP SLG WAR wRC+ Ben Rortvedt LAD 58 1 0 .224 .309 .327 0.2 83 Freddie Freeman LAD 627 24 6 .295 .367 .502 3.8 139 Tommy Edman LAD 377 13 3 .225 .274 .382 1.2 81 Max Muncy LAD 388 19 4 .243 .376 .470 2.9 137 Mookie Betts LAD 663 20 8 .258 .326 .406 3.4 104 Enrique Hernández LAD 256 10 0 .203 .255 .366 -0.1 70 Andy Pages LAD 624 27 14 .272 .313 .461 4.0 113 Teoscar Hernández LAD 546 25 5 .247 .284 .454 0.6 102 Shohei Ohtani LAD 727 55 20 .282 .392 .622 7.5 172 Name Team PA HR SB AVG OBP SLG WAR wRC+ Will Smith LAD 436 17 2 .296 .404 .497 4.1 153 Alex Call LAD 85 2 1 .247 .333 .384 0.1 103 Miguel Rojas LAD 317 7 5 .262 .318 .397 1.7 100 Hyeseong Kim LAD 170 3 13 .280 .314 .385 0.8 95 Dalton Rushing LAD 155 4 0 .204 .258 .324 -0.1 62 Justin Dean LAD 2 0 1 .000 .000 .000 0.0 -100 The Phillies have the front-end talent to contend with the Dodgers, but their depth is much weaker. Kyle Schwarber is an offensive beast who would have found home with the 1993 Phillies, and I doubt I have to trumpet the bonafides of Bryce Harper or Trea Turner. But J.T. Realmuto isn’t quite the player he was a few years ago, and both corner outfield spots (largely handled by Max Kepler and Nick Castellanos this season) ranked in the bottom third of the league in WAR. Center fielder Harrison Bader has excelled since coming over at the deadline from Minnesota, and his addition has provided the added benefit of sliding Brandon Marsh to left field, but there’s still a significant difference in the overall offensive projections. Notice I say overall here, because there’s some good news on the projection front: ZiPS sees the team disparity as mostly being against left-handed pitchers. Against righties, ZiPS has both teams as being projected to score 5.2 runs per game (against average pitching), but against lefties, it sees a 5.0 to 4.4 runs per game edge for the Dodgers. Three of the four Los Angeles starters expected to pitch throw right-handed, and as things are stand, the lone lefty, Snell, is lined up to only start once in this series, in Game 2, though because of the three off days in the series, he could start Game 5 on four days of rest. Those platoon splits are extreme enough that if I were Dave Roberts, I would do whatever is necessary to get Snell the ball two times if this series goes the distance. Phillies Offense (Regular Season) Name Team PA HR SB AVG OBP SLG WAR wRC+ J.T. Realmuto PHI 550 12 8 .257 .315 .384 2.1 94 Bryce Harper PHI 580 27 12 .261 .357 .487 3.5 131 Bryson Stott PHI 560 13 24 .257 .328 .391 3.1 100 Alec Bohm PHI 504 11 2 .287 .331 .409 1.7 105 Trea Turner PHI 639 15 36 .304 .355 .457 6.7 125 Brandon Marsh PHI 425 11 7 .280 .342 .443 2.4 116 Harrison Bader PHI 194 5 1 .305 .361 .463 1.2 129 Nick Castellanos PHI 589 17 4 .250 .294 .400 -0.6 90 Kyle Schwarber PHI 724 56 10 .240 .365 .563 4.9 152 Name Team PA HR SB AVG OBP SLG WAR wRC+ Edmundo Sosa PHI 261 11 1 .276 .307 .469 1.6 111 Otto Kemp PHI 218 8 2 .234 .298 .411 -0.2 95 Max Kepler PHI 474 18 3 .216 .300 .391 0.6 90 Weston Wilson PHI 125 5 2 .198 .282 .369 -0.4 81 Rafael Marchán PHI 118 2 0 .210 .282 .305 0.3 65 Garrett Stubbs PHI 1 0 0 .000 .000 .000 0.0 -100 The Bullpens It kind of feels like most of the relievers traded at the deadline didn’t actually work out, but the Phillies had one of the exceptions in Jhoan Duran. The top four in the Phillies bullpen (Duran, Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering, David Robertson) is enough that ZiPS thinks that this is the best bullpen in baseball right now, even without José Alvarado (who would be disqualified from the postseason if he were healthy). Basically, any reliever that Philadelphia is likely to use over the next week projects as above average, even Buehler if he’s on the roster and used in relief. Phillies Bullpen (Regular Season) Name Team G GS IP H HR BB SO ERA FIP ERA- WAR Jhoan Duran PHI 23 0 20.2 18 2 1 27 2.18 1.93 51 0.9 Matt Strahm PHI 66 0 62.1 47 5 20 70 2.74 2.99 64 1.5 David Robertson PHI 20 0 17.2 18 4 8 22 4.08 4.95 95 -0.1 Orion Kerkering PHI 69 0 60.0 55 6 27 65 3.30 3.82 77 0.7 Tanner Banks PHI 69 1 67.1 56 9 12 61 3.07 3.64 72 0.8 Lou Trivino PHI 10 0 9.0 6 0 5 8 2.00 3.36 47 0.1 Tim Mayza PHI 8 0 7.1 8 1 4 7 4.91 5.05 115 0.0 Taijuan Walker PHI 34 21 123.2 132 21 42 86 4.08 5.07 95 0.5 I’d argue that the bullpen injuries are more consequential for the Dodgers than their starter injuries right now, though the return of Sasaki and the ability to have extra starters in the pen mitigates this to some degree. I’m not as bullish on a Tanner Scott rebound as some are (including the projections) given the drop-off in his strikeout rate the last few years, but when you add in Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, Sasaki, the spare starters, and the surprisingly solid Jack Dreyer, it’s still a very good group, even if it’s a hair behind the Phillies and scares the crap out of Dodgers fans on a nightly basis. Dodgers Bullpen (Regular Season) Name Team G GS IP H HR BB SO ERA FIP ERA- WAR Tanner Scott LAD 61 0 57.0 54 11 18 60 4.74 4.70 113 0.0 Blake Treinen LAD 32 0 26.2 30 4 19 36 5.40 4.75 129 -0.1 Roki Sasaki LAD 10 8 36.1 30 6 22 28 4.46 5.81 106 -0.1 Alex Vesia LAD 68 0 59.2 37 9 22 80 3.02 3.77 72 1.0 Edgardo Henriquez LAD 22 0 19.0 17 2 5 18 2.37 3.40 57 0.3 Jack Dreyer LAD 67 5 76.1 56 4 24 74 2.95 2.82 70 1.7 Justin Wrobleski LAD 24 2 66.2 65 6 17 76 4.32 2.93 103 1.5 Emmet Sheehan LAD 15 12 73.1 49 7 22 89 2.82 2.93 67 2.1 The Projection I went with two different scenarios here, based on how the Dodgers use their rotation. ZiPS Projection – Phillies vs. Dodgers NLDS (Ohtani-Snell-Yamamoto-Glasnow-Ohtani) Team Win in Three Win in Four Win in Five Victory Phillies 10.5% 17.6% 19.5% 47.6% Dodgers 14.3% 20.0% 18.0% 52.4% ZiPS Projection – Phillies vs. Dodgers NLDS (Ohtani-Snell-Yamamoto-Ohtani-Snell) Team Win in Three Win in Four Win in Five Victory Phillies 10.5% 17.8% 17.3% 45.6% Dodgers 14.3% 19.8% 20.3% 54.4% While it’s only a few percentage points, the scenarios in which Snell gets two starts are the optimized ones, at least according to ZiPS. In any case, the projections suggest a small, but consistent edge for the Dodgers, with their slight offensive advantage outweighing a slight bullpen disadvantage and the Phillies’ getting home field advantage. We’re not going to settle any sandwich debates in the next week, but we will find out which one of these teams will go home hungry, with the bitter aftertaste of an early postseason elimination. Source View the full article

Photo Credit: Marvel Studios / Disney Plus Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 isn’t out yet, but the folks at Marvel Studios are already getting ready to work on its third season. What’s the major Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 update? Speaking to IGN, Daredevil: Born Again writer Jesse Wigutow revealed that Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 will begin gathering its writer’s room “next week,” to begin working on the planned third season for the show. Of course, very little is known about the third season of Born Again. The second season of the show still has yet to premiere. That will arrive next year in March, and little is known about the upcoming season of that as well. The new season will reportedly pick up where the first one ended, and is also rumored to include the return of Mike Colter’s Luke Cage and Finn Jones’ Danny Rand (also known as Iron Fist) in a potential reunion of The Defenders. In addition to Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, and the previously confirmed Krysten Ritter, the cast of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 includes Margarita Levieva as Heather Glenn, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Wilson Bethel as Benjamin “Dex” Poindexter/Bullseye, Nikki M. James as Kirsten McDuffie, Genneya Walton as BB Urich, Clark Johnson as Cherry, Michael Gandolfini as Daniel Blake, Ayelet Zurer as Vanessa Fisk, Matthew Lillard, and more. (Source: IGN) Originally reported by Anthony Nash on SuperHeroHype. The post Daredevil: Born Again Gets Some Good News Follow MCU Show’s Season 3 Renewal appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

(Photo Credit: Apple TV+) Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Jason Bateman has entered negotiations to direct Universal Pictures’ upcoming film adaptation of The Partner, based on John Grisham‘s bestselling 1997 novel of the same name. The project is being produced by Marvel vet Tom Holland and brother Harry Holland through their Billy17 production banner. The Spider-Man actor is also currently in talks to play the leading role of Patrick Lanigan. Per Deadline, should Bateman’s deal push through, the Ozark actor will also serve as an executive producer for Aggregate Films. This would mark Bateman’s first directorial feature in a long while, after 2013’s Bad Words and 2015’s The Family Fang. What do we know about Tom Holland’s The Partner movie? “The story follows Patrick Lanigan, a young partner in a white shoe Biloxi law firm who fakes his own death in a burning car. He’s left behind a wife, newborn daughter, and a secret,” reads the synopsis. “What he’s actually done is fake his death to create a template for a new life by stealing $90 million from a client of his crooked law firm. He finds happiness and love in South America. When the client, who worked so hard to defraud the government, finds the money is missing from his offshore accounts, he becomes determined to hunt down the lawyer he doesn’t believe is dead. That leads the attorney to have to turn himself in to the FBI and face up to the wife, child, and life he left behind.” The Partner movie will be written by The Imitation Game scribe Graham Moore. It will also be produced by Will South and Jonathan Eirich, along with Aggregate Films’ Michael Costigan. Executive producers are Grisham, Nick Reynolds, and David Gernert. Rideback acquired the rights to the novel after the project was originally set up at New Regency. Universal Pictures executives Ryan Jones and Jacqueline Garell are overseeing the project on behalf of the studio. Holland will next be seen starring in his Christopher Nolan movie The Odyssey, with Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, and fiancée Zendaya. At the moment, he’s currently in production for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which will arrive in theaters on July 31, 2026. Besides The Partner, Holland is also attached to star opposite Austin Butler in the sports drama movie American Speed. (Source: Deadline) The post Tom Holland Thriller Movie The Partner Taps Beloved Actor to Direct appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

Photo Credit: Netflix ComingSoon Senior Editor Brandon Schreur spoke with KPop Demon Hunters stars EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, and REI AMI about the hit animated Netflix movie. The trio discussed “Golden” becoming a huge hit, what drew them to their characters and the project, and more. “When they aren’t selling out stadiums, Kpop superstars Rumi, Mira, and Zoey use their secret identities as badass demon hunters to protect their fans from an ever-present supernatural threat,” the official synopsis reads. “Together, they must face their biggest enemy yet – an irresistible rival boy band of demons in disguise.” KPop Demon Hunters is now streaming globally on Netflix. Brandon Schreur: EJAE, I want to start with you, because “Golden” has become such a huge, huge hit over the past couple of months. And well deserved, it’s great. I know that you probably didn’t go into “Golden” thinking, ‘I want to make the biggest song of 2025’ or anything like that, but that’s really what it kind of has become. Was there a certain point where that clicked for you? Whether it was when you were writing it, recording it, or seeing how people react to it, do you remember when you realized “Golden” was going to be this huge? EJAE: Honestly, when writing it — me and Mark, Mark Sonnenblick, my co-writer, when we were finished with the top line of the lyrics, we were like, ‘Wait. This is kind of a banger.’ Like, this is kind of our favorite song in the film, maybe? We were really confident in the song, but to get to this level, we did not expect at all. Honestly, just seeing the song manifest itself, and the whole movie just breaking the fourth wall by actually charting in the real charts was just so crazy to see and serendipitous. So, yeah, I think we didn’t expect it, but that’s when I felt it: When the billboard charts and just seeing it go up and up and up. And the Spotify charts. That was insane. Yeah, I’m sure that’s a crazy feeling. But, again, well deserved. Crazy experience. It wasn’t even just “Golden.” Like, all the songs in the soundtrack were charting. Audrey, I want to ask a little bit about how you came on board this project and what your first reaction was when you heard of KPop Demon Hunters. What was it that made you want to be part of this world? AUDREY NUNA: So, honestly, there’s like some lore surrounding how I came on board. From my understanding, my first manager’s friend’s brother used to game with this guy, Danny Chung, who is a songwriter and A&R for The Black Label. He’s one of the many people, EJAE included, who put my name in to suggest people for singing Mira. So, honestly, it was, for me at the time, it seemed very simple. I’ve heard the process of casting and everything, there’s so much more to it than I know about. For me, it was really just, ‘Hey, do you want to hop on a call with this guy named Ian, who is music directing this film under Sony Pictures and Netflix?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, sure.’ What really got me is that Ian beautifully explained — from like 10 seconds or 30 seconds in to the call — that this was a movie about embracing your full self. And not thinking so binary about who you are. I was like, ‘Alright, you have my attention, what is this?’ From there, he played me the songs. I remember, for “How It’s Done,’ thinking that was the craziest bridge I have ever heard. I was like, bring back bridges, yes! Honestly, all those elements are what sold me to be part of this very special project. Absolutely, I love that. Rei, I kind of wanted to ask you the same thing. What was it that originally made you want to join KPop Demon Hunters? And, since you’ve been part of this project, what has the movie come to mean to you these past couple of months? REI AMI: The onboarding process was really quick. Netflix had reached out, and they were like, ‘We need someone who can sing and rap in Korean and English.’ They had a couple of lines from all of the songs, Huntr/x’s songs, and I submitted my audition. The thing that got me is that it’s about Korean culture, it’s about a badass group of girls fighting demons, and it’s an animated musical film. I was a huge theater nerd in high school. Having all of my interests outside of music clash into one, I had to jump at the opportunity. I’d be a fool not to. I submitted my audition. Three days later, they came back and were like, ‘Do you want to be Zoey?’ I’m like, ‘Of course!’ Ever since then — I think, obviously, we did the recording process, but I think post-premiere, it’s just been very heartwarming to see people resonate with each of the characters. But, also, I feel so seen and heard, truly, if I’m being honest. Seeing the comparisons — not that Zoey is entirely me, but there are so many parts of me that I see in her. We’re pretty kind of identical. EJAE: I suggested her, too. I’m also just a huge fan of both of these amazing artists. REI AMI: Yeah, I think just the fans attaching to all of the characters. Also, our counterparts: Yoo Ji-young, Arden Cho, and May Hong killed it. Some of my favorite scenes, actually, that really get emotional are the speaking scenes. The girls absolutely did a phenomenal job. Thanks to EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, and REI AMI for taking the time to discuss Kpop Demon Hunters. The post KPop Demon Hunters’ Ejae, Audrey Nuna, & Rei Ami Talk ‘Golden’ & Netflix Movie | Interview appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

Photo Credit: Sony Pictures Kirsten Dunst is open to the idea of doing Spider-Man 4 with Tobey Maguire. Dunst stars as Mary Jane Watson in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies, which include 2002’s Spider-Man, 2004’s Spider-Man 2, and 2007’s Spider-Man 3. There were plans to make a fourth film at Sony Pictures and Marvel after that; however, they never came to fruition. Some Spider-Man fans, however, still want to see Raimi’s Spider-Man 4, especially after Maguire reprised his Peter Parker role in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. Despite there being no announcement about Spider-Man 4 being in development, The Batman Part II writer Mattson Tomlin recently pitched an idea for a potential sequel. “Honestly right now my main interest in this respect would be to write a Spider-Man 4 where Tobey’s Spider-Man is juggling being a husband and a father,” Tomlin said. “Spider-Man as a father is where I gravitate towards given the last 8 films.” What did Kirsten Dunst say about Spider-Man 4? During a recent appearance on The Supes Show, Dunst was asked what she thought about Tomlin’s idea and if she would be open to returning as Mary Jane Watson should Spider-Man 4 start moving forward. “I never have thought about it,” Dunst answered. “But, I don’t know — it’s like, with a question like that, I feel scared to say anything…Yeah, that would be cool, right? I mean, I don’t know if the fans are into it. I feel like that is an interesting movie, right? Me and Tobey doing that again? But with kids?” While the future of another Spider-Man movie with Maguire and Dunst remains up in the air at this time, there is another MCU flick with Tom Holland’s Peter Parker in the works. That film, titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day, is currently in production and will be released on July 31, 2026. Originally reported by Brandon Schreur at SuperHeroHype. The post Kirsten Dunst Gives Honest Thoughts on Spider-Man 4 With Tobey Maguire appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

http://blogs.fangraphs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Kevin-Gausman-and-Aaron-Judge.pngRon Chenoy and Brad Penner-Imagn Images On Thursday, the New York Yankees became the first team to win a Wild Card Series after losing the first game of the best-of-three since the new playoff format was introduced in 2022. After dispatching the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card, the Yanks have a matchup against another AL East foe lined up for the ALDS. For their part, the Toronto Blue Jays desperately needed their first-round bye to get their roster healthy after a breakneck final month of the season. These two teams finished 2025 with identical 94-68 records. The division race came down to the regular season’s final day, and the Jays only took the AL East crown thanks to a 8-5 head-to-head record against New York. These division rivals are well acquainted with each other, though this will be the first time the two teams have met in the playoffs. (That’s pretty wild considering the Yankees’ long postseason history. There are now just three teams they haven’t faced in the playoffs: the White Sox, Nationals, and Rockies.) Their identical win totals during the regular season provide the primary storyline in this series: These are two evenly matched clubs battling for a spot in the ALCS. ALDS Preview: Blue Jays vs. Yankees Overview Blue Jays Yankees Edge Batting (wRC+) 112 (3rd in AL) 119 (1st in AL) Yankees Fielding (FRV) 44 (1st) 8 (7th) Blue Jays Starting Pitching (FIP-) 105 (11th) 92 (3rd) Yankees Bullpen (FIP-) 94 (5th) 97 (9th) Blue Jays Coming off a hot finish to the regular season, which saw them win 11 of their last 12 games, and now a dramatic series victory over the Red Sox, the Yankees have quite a bit of momentum heading into this series. Still, because that Wild Card Series went the full three games, New York will be at a bit of a disadvantage to start this series. Max Fried won’t be fully rested until Sunday’s Game 2, which means either Will Warren or Luis Gil will have to take the mound in Game 1. Thanks to the off days during the middle of next week, New York will have the option to reslot Carlos Rodón and Cam Schlittler depending on how the first two games of the series go, then have Fried ready to go in a potentially decisive Game 5. After returning from a lat strain in August, Gil enjoyed some mixed success over the final two months of the season and then was left off the Yankees’ Wild Card roster. His 3.32 ERA looked good on the surface, but a 4.63 FIP, 4.78 xERA, and 5.65 xFIP all painted a much more worrying picture. Gil won the AL Rookie of the Year award last year with an approach that could best be described as controlled chaos. A high strikeout rate and a penchant for inducing weak contact covered for his extremely high walk rate. This season, his walk rate was a bit higher, but his strikeout rate dropped by 10 points and his BABIP increased by nearly 20 points. He still managed to navigate all that traffic on the basepaths, but I’m not sure the Yankees want to trust him with a Game 1 start. Warren, on the other hand, had a solid rookie campaign after making the Opening Day rotation out of spring training. He sort of dealt with the opposite problem as Gil; his peripherals all pointed to a strong skill set, but the top-line results lagged a bit behind. Even though his strikeout-to-walk ratio looked good, Warren really struggled with runners on base; his wOBA allowed jumped by more than 40 points once a batter reached. The Jays also handed Warren one of his worst starts of the season back on July 2 when they scored seven first-inning runs off of him. There aren’t any easy answers for Yankees manager Aaron Boone when picking a Game 1 starter, but the rest of the rotation should be fine. Fried turned in a fantastic scoreless start in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series and Schlittler just produced one of the sport’s most dominant postseason starts by a rookie in Game 3. Rodón looked a little shaky in his Game 2 start, but the Yankees aren’t going to turn away from one of their workhorses at this point in the season. By virtue of their first-round bye, the Blue Jays have the luxury of slotting their rotation as they see fit, though the first two starters aren’t likely to be a surprise. Kevin Gausman turned in a fantastic season this year, though it was also a bit of a bounce-back campaign for him after he struggled in 2024. The key for him, as it has been since his big breakout in 2020, is the interaction between his four-seam fastball and his splitter. If he’s locating his heater well and keeping his splitter below the zone, the two-pitch combo is pretty difficult to square up. Indeed, his wOBA allowed off his fastball fell by more than 50 points this year, while his offspeed pitch was as effective as ever at generating both swings and misses and groundball contact. Acquired from the Guardians at the trade deadline, Shane Bieber is lined up to start Game 2. The former Cy Young winner blew out his elbow in April 2024 and only returned to a big league mound in late August. A deep postseason run is exactly why the Blue Jays acquired Bieber, though his return from Tommy John surgery hasn’t come without its hurdles. The good news is that his 5.29 strikeout-to-walk ratio looks fantastic, his command looks like it’s as good as it’s ever been, and his fastball is sitting at 92.6 mph, back to where it was in 2021 and a tick above where it sat in 2022 and 2023. The bad news is that he was a bit homer prone during his seven starts in the regular season. That caused his FIP to spike nearly a run higher than his ERA, and his batted ball peripherals are showing some worrying red flags. He allowed a huge 12.3% barrel rate — that’s the source of all those home runs — and his 48.2% hard-hit rate was pretty elevated too. Depending on which ERA estimator you prefer, Bieber was either fantastic (3.35 xFIP, 3.52 SIERA) or pretty lucky (4.47 FIP, 4.58 xERA) in his abbreviated season. With Gausman and Bieber a strong one-two punch, the Jays face a much more difficult choice when deciding on their starters for Games 3 and 4. You would expect the veteran experience of Max Scherzer would give him a leg up on rookie Trey Yesavage, but the youngster quickly acclimated to the big leagues after being called up on September 15. Chris Bassitt could also be an option, as it looks like he’s recovered from the back injury that sidelined him towards the end of the regular season. Scherzer is far from the ace that helped lead the 2019 Nationals to a World Series victory, and he’s not even the workhorse that helped the 2023 Rangers win a championship. He battled a thumb issue this year and posted an uncharacteristically high 5.19 ERA and 4.99 FIP in 17 starts. His postseason history is legendary, but he’s greatly diminished compared to his peak. On the other end of the experience spectrum, Yesavage, who is in his first professional season after being drafted in the first round of the 2024 draft, could be in line to make a postseason start. He moved through four minor league levels this season before making his major league debut in September. He struck out 41.1% of the minor league batters he faced, and that swing-and-miss stuff has carried over to the game’s highest level. Even if Yesavage doesn’t make a traditional start, I’d expect him to play a significant role in Toronto’s pitching plans during this series. One option could be piggybacking a start with Scherzer, which would allow Bassitt to take a turn as a traditional starter. Once the starters give way to the bullpens, the Blue Jays might hold a slight advantage, though neither relief unit is all that stout. The Yankees made a bunch of moves to upgrade their bullpen ahead of the trade deadline, bringing in David Bednar and Camilo Doval to supplement the offseason acquisitions of Devin Williams and Fernando Cruz. It was an up-and-down season for the entire New York ‘pen, and all those additions didn’t stabilize the group down the stretch. Luke Weaver blew a one-run lead in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, and Bednar allowed an insurance run to score in the ninth inning of that game as well. Williams and Cruz looked solid in their two relief appearances against Boston, and Bednar bounced back with two scoreless innings to close out Games 2 and 3. Toronto’s relief corps also suffered through some ups-and-downs during the year, but it was a better unit across the whole season. Jeff Hoffman has been solid as their new closer, though he suffered through some struggles during a rough August; he blew three saves during that month. The team also took a while to filter through all their relief options to find their best pitchers to place into high-leverage roles. By the stretch run, it was trade deadline acquisition Seranthony Domínguez and converted starter Yariel Rodríguez acting as the setup men, with Brendon Little and his unhittable curveball acting as the fireman. That quartet at the back of the ‘pen was nails in September; Toronto’s relievers put up a 3.42 ERA and a 3.60 FIP, ninth and seventh best in baseball, respectively, during the final month of the season. The Blue Jays also enter this series with a banged up lineup that was slumping pretty significantly in September. That offensive slide coincided with the injury to Bo Bichette on September 6, suffered in a violent crash at home plate against the Yankees no less. Prior to that date, Toronto had produced a 116 wRC+ and was scoring five runs per game; after Bichette was placed on the IL, the team’s wRC+ dropped to 87 and they scored just 4.3 runs per game over their final 20 games of the season. Despite working hard to ramp up his baseball activity this week, it’s likely Bichette will be left off Toronto’s ALDS roster. His absence could be a key difference-maker in the series. While Bichette’s injury left a pretty big hole in the lineup, it wouldn’t have been as big of a problem if Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and a number of the Jays’ other key hitters hadn’t all slumped at the same time during the final month of the season: Blue Jays Slumping in September Player G PA BB% K% ISO wRC+ George Springer 25 114 12.3% 21.9% 0.316 201 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 25 107 7.5% 10.3% 0.101 119 Daulton Varsho 23 89 4.5% 25.8% 0.250 118 Addison Barger 24 82 11.0% 20.7% 0.197 92 Alejandro Kirk 21 79 10.1% 20.3% 0.217 91 Andrés Giménez 22 73 6.8% 21.9% 0.076 35 Guerrero has only collected one extra-base hit since Bichette hit the IL, a double on September 21. That’s particularly worrying because his power output this year has fallen back to where it was during his troubling 2023 season. Thankfully, a resurgent George Springer has carried the Jays offense for much of the season. He’s crushing the ball again after adjusting his approach to be more selective and hunt fastballs, and his 166 wRC+ this season was a career high and the third-best mark in baseball. Despite being hampered by two separate IL stints, Daulton Varsho still managed to take a big step forward at the plate this year. After offseason rotator cuff surgery, he started swinging a lot harder this season, leading to a massive spike in his power output. His 123 wRC+ was a career high, and he blasted 20 home runs in just 71 games. Elsewhere in the lineup, the Blue Jays welcomed back Anthony Santander at the end of September. After signing a big free agent contract during the offseason, the outfielder really struggled through his first few months in Toronto and then was sidelined for much of the summer with a shoulder injury. He’ll slot in towards the end of the lineup, though it’s pretty unclear what kind of production can be expected from him at this point. With a pair of excellent left-handed pitchers in the Yankees rotation, platoons will be a big factor for the Blue Jays lineup. They have three positions that rotate depending on the handedness of the opposing pitcher, which means Toronto’s bench could play an outsized role in this series: Blue Jays Bench and Platoon Options Player Position Bats Career wOBA vR Career wOBA vL Nathan Lukes OF L 0.324 0.286 Addison Barger 3B L 0.316 0.243 Andrés Giménez 2B/SS L 0.309 0.297 Davis Schneider 2B/OF R 0.327 0.317 Isiah Kiner-Falefa INF R 0.293 0.285 Myles Straw OF R 0.288 0.274 Addison Barger looked like he was in the midst of a breakout early in the year, but he cooled off significantly over the final few months of the season. Defensive wiz Andrés Giménez has been manning shortstop in Bichette’s absence, but he gives way to Davis Schneider when a left-hander is on the mound. These platoons allowed the Blue Jays to run a pretty neutral platoon split this year (.328 wOBA vs. LHP, .331 wOBA vs. RHP). As for the Yankees lineup, they’re coming off a Wild Card Series where they scored eight runs across three games. In the postseason, where runs come at a premium, that’s not a terrible performance, but it’s a pretty big drop off from their regular season production. Aaron Judge and Anthony Volpe led the way with four hits apiece and Ben Rice had a big home run on Wednesday. Giancarlo Stanton (one double) and Jazz Chisholm Jr. (two singles) were mostly bottled up, though I’m sure Chisholm will appreciate facing Toronto’s rotation full of right-handed pitchers. The obvious player to key in on is Judge; he led the AL in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, wRC+, and WAR in one of the best batting seasons ever. Keeping him in check has to be priority number one for the Blue Jays, which means all the supporting hitters in the Yankees lineup need to pick up the slack. The biggest differentiator between these two teams could be their defenses. The Blue Jays have one of the best team defenses in baseball, with Alejandro Kirk a standout behind the plate, and Varsho, Giménez, and Ernie Clement all among the best at their respective positions. In contrast, the Yankees defense has been shaky all season long, though it grades out around league average. Trent Grisham has been stretched a bit in center field and Volpe is going through it at shortstop. And then there are Judge’s throwing issues in right field since he suffered a elbow injury in late July. The Red Sox took advantage of his weakened arm in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, and it seems likely that it will come up again this series. The Blue Jays also sport the lowest strikeout rate in the majors — they love to put the ball in play. That could put some additional strain on New York’s fielders, which could give Toronto the slight edge in a very tightly contested series. On paper, these two teams look like they’re pretty evenly matched. Both teams had fantastic offenses during the regular season and the pitching staffs look comparable — the Yankees might have the edge in starting pitching but the Blue Jays might have the stronger bullpen. But when you look at the contours of each of their seasons, New York looks like it’s peaking at the right time while Toronto is facing some significant hurdles. Source View the full article

Credit: NBC The Scrubs reboot cast continues to grow, with a new report revealing a litany of both new stars and returning faces set to star in the upcoming series. Who else has joined the Scrubs reboot cast? According to a new report from Variety, the Scrubs reboot has rounded out its cast with nine recurring guest stars. These include returning stars Robert Maschio (Men at Work) and Phill Lewis (Suite Life of Zack and Cody), who will reprise their roles as Todd and Hooch in the show, respectively. As for new stars, Vanessa Bayer (Saturday Night Live), Joel Kim Booster (Fire Island), Ava Bunn (A Man on the Insider), Jacob Dudman (The Choral), David Gridley (The Last Ship, The Rookie), Layla Mohammadi (The Persian Version), and Amanda Morrow (Mirrorland) will also join the show in recurring roles. The Scrubs reboot cast is being led by returning stars Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes, and John C. McGinley, all of whom will step back into their iconic roles as doctors and nurses for the show. “ABC’s new Scrubs will follow JD (Braff) and Turk (Faison), who scrub in together for the first time in a long time- medicine has changed, interns have changed, but their bromance has stood the test of time,” Deadline further reports. “Characters new and old navigate the waters of Sacred Heart with laughter, heart, and some surprises along the way.” Tim Hobert and Aseem Batra will serve as showrunners on the new Scrubs reboot. They also executive produce alongside Lawrence, Jeff Ingold, and Liza Katzer. A premiere date for the Scrubs reboot has not yet been announced. (Source: Variety) The post Scrubs Reboot Cast Confirms More Returning Stars & New Faces appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

(Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images) The Lawnmower Man, a Stephen King sci-fi movie that the iconic horror author filed a lawsuit over, is now free to watch. Released in 1992, The Lawnmower Man is directed by Brett Leonard. Initially supposed to be based on a 1975 short story written by King, the film stars Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Lawrence Angelo, Jeff Fahey as Jobe Smith, Jenny Wright as Marine Burke, Geoffrey Lewis as Terry McKeen, Jeremy Slate as Father Francis McKeen, and Dean Norris as The Director. How can you watch the Stephen King sci-fi horror movie The Lawnmower Man for free? Shout! Studios has uploaded The Lawnmower in its entirety onto YouTube, meaning it’s now available to watch on that site for free. View it below (watch more trailers and clips): “Dr. Lawrence Angelo (Brosnan) is a brilliant scientist obsessed with perfecting virtual reality software. When his experiments on animals fail, he finds the ideal substitute – Jobe Smith (Fahey), a slow-witted gardener,” a description of the plot reads. During the development of The Lawnmower Man, which was distributed by New Line Cinema, those working on the movie struggled to turn King’s short story into a feature film. As a result, they wound up rewriting a completely unrelated script and turning that into The Lawnmower Man, meaning the final product has very little in common with King’s work. Despite this, the movie was originally titled Stephen King’s The Lawnmower Man. King sued the filmmakers in 1992 to have his name removed from the title, as he felt the film “bore no meaningful resemblance” to what he wrote. A federal judge ruled in King’s favor, as his name was removed from advertising. He also received $2.5 million in a settlement. A sequel to The Lawnmower Man, titled Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace, was released in 1996. Leonard did not return to direct and was instead replaced by Farhad Mann. The post Stephen King Sci-Fi Horror Movie Author Sued Over Now Free to Watch appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

Direct links to applications (please see job details below): Baseball Operations Trainee Baseball Analytics Trainee Baseball Operations Trainee Department: Baseball Operations – Front Office FLSA Status: Full-Time, Hourly Job Summary: Provide support to all members of the Baseball Operations Department in a wide range of both administrative and baseball-related tasks and projects. This posting will be used to recruit both full-year and summer-start candidates. Minimum Requirements Education: Bachelor’s degree or pursuit of degree or equivalent experience in a quantitative and/or human science field such as statistics, mathematics, engineering, economics, exercise science or kinesiology, sport or developmental psychology, and/or human development preferred. Skills: Independent judgment and ability to multitask is required to plan, prioritize, and organize diversified workload. Strong work ethic and willingness to work long, flexible hours including weekends and holidays. High level of attention to detail. Must be trustworthy and comfortable with managing sensitive information. High level of interpersonal skills and be able to effectively communicate with wide range of departments, seniority levels and personalities. Understanding of typical baseball data structures, plus knowledge of current baseball research and traditional baseball statistics and strategy. Demonstrated experience and proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint). Other: Spoken and written fluency in English. Ability to travel within the United States and internationally. Willing to relocate. This position is based in Cincinnati, OH. Desired Requirements Experience Experience playing/working in college and/or professional baseball/softball preferred. Skills Understanding of human physiology, skill acquisition, programming to facilitate both physical and mental performance adaptations, and both progressive and traditional Player Development philosophies. Demonstrated experience and proficiency with: Database querying (e.g., SQL) and statistical software (e.g., R, Python) preferred. BATS video system preferred. On-Field and Off-Field Physical- and Ball-Tracking Technologies (e.g., TrackMan, HawkEye, Edgertronic, VALD Suite) preferred. Creative tools (e.g., Canva, Adobe Creative Suite) preferred. Primary Duties & Responsibilities Research & Analysis – 40% Perform qualitative and quantitative research and analysis in support of salary arbitration, roster management, player evaluation (professional, domestic, and international), player development (on- and off-field), first-year player draft, and trade deadline efforts. Player Evaluation – 15% Introductory level player evaluation, including scouting and writing reports on assignment. Administrative – 40% Assist in preparation of advance scouting documents and video for players and coaches during season. Other – 5% Other duties as assigned. Reports To Coordinator, Baseball Operations Physical Requirements Ability to stand and walk for extended periods throughout the day. Ability to lift, carry, push, and pull up to 40 pounds (supplies, catering, etc.). Ability to bend, squat, reach, and climb stairs regularly in the course of daily duties. Comfortable working in varying conditions (heat, humidity, cold, outdoors, confined spaces like office/cubicles and locker rooms). Ability to handle repetitive tasks such as updating roster boards, watching video and games, workouts, etc. Sufficient hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity for tasks like computer work, note-taking, etc. Ability to remain on feet for long shifts and to work long and variable hours, including weekends and holidays. Expectations: Adhere to Cincinnati Reds Organization Policies and Procedures. Act as a role model within and outside the Cincinnati Reds Organization. Perform duties as workload necessitates. Demonstrate flexible and efficient time management and ability to prioritize workload. Meet department productivity standards. Willingness to learn. Open to new methodologies. Equal Opportunity Statement: The Cincinnati Reds are an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the Cincinnati Reds to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion or creed, sex, age, military or veteran status, disability, citizenship status, marital status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by law. Disclaimer: The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the employee in this position. The above description is only a summary of the typical functions of the job, not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all possible job responsibilities, tasks, and duties. Additional duties, as assigned, may become part of the job function. The duties listed above is, therefore, a partial representation not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of a person in this position. To Apply To apply, please follow this link. Baseball Analytics Trainee Department: Baseball Operations – Baseball Analytics FLSA Status: Full-Time, Hourly Job Summary: Assist Baseball Operations decision-making through the analysis of various sources of baseball information. The specific day-to-day responsibilities of this position will vary depending on current stakeholder needs and the baseball calendar, but will primarily involve analyzing various sources of baseball data. Minimum Requirements Education: Bachelor’s degree or pursuit of degree or equivalent experience in a quantitative field that emphasizes technical and analytical problem-solving skills such as statistics, mathematics, engineering, and/or economics preferred. Skills: Independent judgment and ability to multitask. Strong work ethic and willingness to work long, flexible hours including weekends and holidays. High level of attention to detail. Creative approach to problem solving High level of interpersonal skills to effectively communicate baseball analytic concepts with a wide range of departments, seniority levels, and personalities. Knowledge of current baseball research, data, and technology. Strong technical and statistical acumen. Passion for the game of baseball. Other: Spoken and written fluency in English. Ability to travel within the United States and internationally. Willing to relocate to Cincinnati, OH during the summer/baseball season. Desired Requirements Experience Specifically seeking diverse candidates who bring a unique perspective and thoughtful, creative problem solving. Skills Understanding of advanced statistical techniques is strongly preferred Demonstrated experience and proficiency with Database querying (e.g., SQL) and statistical software (e.g., R, Python) is strongly preferred. Ability to learn other programming languages as needed. Primary Duties & Responsibilities: Research & Project Contribution – 90% Learn and communicate analytical products across departments. Build upon analytic initiatives by creating new statistical models, applications, and reports. Iterate on existing products and processes already established by the Baseball Analytics Department. Present analysis and research results to stakeholders with various levels of analytic knowledge. Conduct ad-hoc research projects when requested. Player Evaluation – 5% Introductory level player evaluation, including scouting and writing reports on assignment. Other – 5% Other duties as assigned. Reports To: Assistant Director, Baseball Analytics OR Manager, Baseball Analytics Physical Requirements: Ability to sit, stand, and walk for extended periods throughout the day. Ability to lift, carry, push, and pull up to 25 pounds (supplies, machinery, etc.). Ability to bend, squat, reach, and climb stairs regularly in the course of daily duties Comfortable working in varying conditions (heat, humidity, cold, outdoors, confined spaces like office/cubicles, and locker rooms). Work is primarily performed in a typical interior/office work environment. Ability to handle repetitive tasks at a computer. Sufficient hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity for tasks like computer work, note-taking, etc. Ability to work long shifts with long and variable hours, including weekends and holidays. Ability to drive and/or fly short and long distances, day or night in various conditions. Expectations: Adhere to Cincinnati Reds Organization Policies and Procedures. Act as a role model within and outside the Cincinnati Reds Organization. Perform duties as workload necessitates. Demonstrate flexible and efficient time management and ability to prioritize workload. Meet department productivity standards. Willingness to learn. Open to new methodologies. Equal Opportunity Statement: The Cincinnati Reds are an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the Cincinnati Reds to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment based on race, color, national origin, religion or creed, sex, age, military or veteran status, disability, citizenship status, marital status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by law. Disclaimer: The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the employee in this position. The above description is only a summary of the typical functions of the job, not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all possible job responsibilities, tasks, and duties. Additional duties, as assigned, may become part of the job function. The duties listed above is, therefore, a partial representation not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of a person in this position. To Apply To apply, please follow this link. The content in this posting was created and provided solely by the Cincinnati Reds. Source View the full article

Photo Credit: New Line Cinema ComingSoon Senior Editor Brandon Schreur spoke to A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge director Jack Sholder about the brand-new A Nightmare on Elm Street 7-film collection from New Line Home Video. Sholder discussed how he got involved with the iconic horror franchise, why Robert Englund’s casting was so important for the movie, and more. “Freddy Krueger, the vengeful child killer burned alive by angry parents, returns to haunt the dreams of their children when this chilling 7-film saga becomes available as a 4K UHD collection for the first time. From his first terrifying appearance on Elm Street to his resurrection through nightmares, Freddy unleashes horror across generations – where sleep is no escape, and dreams become deadly,” a description of the product reads. The A Nightmare on Elm Street 7-film collection is now available to purchase. Click here for more information. Brandon Schreur: Before I ask you anything, I just wanted to say real quick that I’m such a fan of your work in Nightmare 2. It’s so exciting that this new collection is coming out. Congratulations on all the success that this movie has had. Jack Sholder: Oh, yes, thank you. I think you’ll be really pleased when you see it. This is the way that we wanted the film to be seen, but it never quite could be. Especially with home video stuff. You’re now seeing the film exactly the way we wanted it to be seen, maybe for the first time. Which is so awesome, I’m so excited. It’s just such a good movie. Jack, to start, I’m wondering if you can walk me through a little bit about what it’s like to get that phone call for the first time that says you’re going to direct a Nightmare on Elm Street movie. I know it was a while ago, but when you started working on Freddy’s Revenge, what aspect of this world and the Freddy Krueger character were you most excited to explore and what did the process of what a direct sequel to Wes Craven’s movie look like in those early days? Jack Sholder: First of all, my first reaction was to say no, because I didn’t want to be typecast as a horror film director. I especially didn’t want to be typecast as a horror film sequel director. Then a friend of mine, a producer, said, ‘Jack, you’re crazy. The movie is going to make a lot of money, and you’re going to have a career as a director.’ I’d done my first feature and the phones weren’t really ringing off the hook. I did 13 more features and directed movies for another 20-some years after that, so he was right. Basically, it was very scary. Wes had left, and they were going to start shooting in six weeks. So I had six weeks to prep what, for me, was a very complicated movie. I’d only done one, and this had a huge number of special effects, none of which I knew how to do. I had to cast the whole film, I had to find all the locations, and I had to hire the people who weren’t already hired. Fortunately, the director of photography from the first one had already been hired, which I was very happy about. He did a great job, and I’ve always admired his work. So he was helpful in helping me get through it. I like to plan every shot of the movie before I shoot it. Initially, just out of fear that I was going to walk on the set and have no idea what I was doing. Then I could at least look at a piece of paper and say, ‘You go here, put the camera here.’ But it also forces you to think through what the scene is about, what it’s doing in the movie, why it’s there, who is the scene about, what is the subtext of the scene, what is the subtext of the movie? Which, for me, is teen sexual anxiety. Which kind of morphed into a bigger issue as the audience has grown. It was very, very stressful. It was basically one long panic attack. I managed to get everything done. Like, the day before we started shooting, I had everything planned out, everything was done, I walked on the set, and, boom, all the nerves were gone. It’s kind of like an actor — they push you on stage, and then you start to play and everything is good. That’s kind of how it was. There was no pressure. There were no rules — the only thing they said was to keep Freddy scary. Make him scary. Keep him dark. So that’s what we did. Other than that, I just had free rein to shoot the script. That’s what I had to do. I didn’t really have any time to work with the writer on the script. New Line was happy with the script, so I had to try and make it work as best as I could. I didn’t really ask a lot of deep questions. The only thing about Freddy is that, initially, when I got to LA — I had been living in New York — when I got out to LA, I said, ‘So [is Robert Englund coming back?]’ They said, ‘We’re not sure. We’re trying to make a deal with his agent, but his agent has the nerve to ask for more money. And we don’t want to give him more money.’ I said, ‘I think it’s kind of important that he comes back,’ and they said, ‘No, we can just get somebody and dress him up like Freddy, that will be fine.’ We all found out that was not the case. Fortunately, they managed to get him back. I mean, it probably would have done okay anyway because the idea was so good. What they found out, once we finished the film, they started screening it, and it’s all about Freddy. If you see the original poster, Freddy’s not on the poster. There’s no Freddy. There’s just a claw, like on a bird or something — just a claw in the air. It says, ‘Starring…’ and, then at the bottom, ‘And Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger.’ The next movie, ‘Freddy Krueger! Robert Englund!’ Thanks to Jack Sholder for taking the time to discuss A Nightmare on Elm Street 7-film collection. The post Why A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 Director Almost Turned Down Freddy’s Revenge | Interview appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

Photo Credit: New Line Cinema A director for Final Destination 7 has been found. The Final Destination franchise officially kicked off at New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Entertainment in 2000 with the James Wong-directed movie. That was followed by five other feature film installments: 2003’s Final Destination 2, 2006’s Final Destination 3, 2009’s The Final Destination, 2011’s Final Destination 5, and, most recently, 2025’s Final Destination Bloodlines. Following the financial success of Final Destination Bloodlines, a seventh film in the series is now in the works. A release date for Final Destination 7 has not yet been set. Who is directing Final Destination 7? Per The Hollywood Reporter, Belgian filmmaker Michiel Blanchart is the top choice to direct Final Destination 7. “Sources say there is no offer just yet, but Blanchart, who will be making his English-language debut with the feature, bubbled to the top this week after a brief but intense search,” the article states. “…Despite only one feature credit to his name, Blanchart is no neophyte. His short You’re Dead, Hélène (T’es morte, Hélène) was shortlisted in the best live-action short film category at the 2023 Oscars. It told of a man trying to break up with his girlfriend, who happens to be a ghost and not at all happy to be dumped. It’s now set up for an English-language adaptation at Tri-Star with Sam Raimi producing.” Blanchart’s feature film directorial debut then came in 2024 with a film called Night Call (La nuit se traîne). Final Destination 7 is being written by Lori Evans Taylor and Gary Busick. Craig Perry, Sheila Hanahan Taylor, Jon Watts, Dianne McGunigle, and Toby Emmerich serve as producers, while Warren Zide serves as an executive producer. Meanwhile, Final Destination Bloodlines — which grossed approximately $314.6 million worldwide — is now available to watch on the HBO Max streaming service. The post Final Destination 7 Director Found for Horror Movie Sequel to Bloodlines appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

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(Photo Credit: Searchlight Pictures) Searchlight Pictures has announced the release date for The Testament of Ann Lee, the upcoming musical drama led by Academy Award nominee Amanda Seyfried as the founder of the religious sect known as the Shakers. The movie had its world premiere a month ago at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival, where Seyfried immediately earned praise from critics. Because of this, some predict that her performance may potentially secure her a Best Actress nomination in the next Academy Awards. When is the release date for The Testament of Ann Lee? The Testament of Ann Lee is scheduled to arrive in select theaters on December 25, just in time for the awards season. Since its world premiere, the movie has already received a Tomatometer rating of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. “In the film, Seyfried stars as the Shakers’ irrepressible leader, who espoused gender and social equality while believing herself to be the female incarnation of Christ. The Testament of Ann Lee thrillingly imagines the ecstasy and agony of Ann Lee and her followers’ conviction and commitment to her own vision of utopia,” reads the official synopsis. The movie is directed by Mona Fastvold (The World to Come, The Brutalist), who co-wrote the screenplay with Brady Corbet. The ensemble cast includes Thomasin McKenzie as Mary, Lewis Pullman as William Lee, Tim Blake Nelson, Christopher Abbott as Abraham, Stacy Martin as Jane Wardley, Matthew Beard, Viola Prettejohn, and more. It is produced by Corbet, Fastvold, Andrew Morrison, Joshua Horsfield, Viktória Petrányi, Gregory Jankilevitsch, Klaudia Śmieja-Rostworowska, Lillian LaSalle, and Mark Lampert. The post Amanda Seyfried Movie The Testament of Ann Lee Sets Release Date After Oscars Buzz appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

Photo Credit: Marvel Studios Iron Man 3 director Shane Black still really wants to make a Doc Savage movie someday. After working on the scripts for movies such as 1987’s Lethal Weapon, 1993’s Last Action Hero, and more, Black made his feature film directorial debut in 2005 with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. He followed that up with 2013’s Iron Man 3, 2016’s The Nice Guys, 2018’s The Predator, and, most recently, 2025’s Play Dirty. Over ten years ago, Black closed a deal with Sony Pictures to make a Doc Savage movie. Dwayne Johnson was attached to star as the titular character in the film for a time; however, it ultimately never came to fruition. What did Iron Man 3’s Shane Black say about his Doc Savage movie? Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Black said he’d still love to get the opportunity to make a Doc Savage film at some point in the future. “I’ve always loved Doc Savage. It’s based on ‘30s pulp, and he was the OG superhero. His name was Clark [Savage Jr.], and he was literally described as a ‘super man.’ So the first Doc Savage [in 1933] was before Clark Kent/Superman [in 1938]. He was the inspiration behind a generation of comic books and pulps and wonderful shit. So I would love, at some point, to revisit that,” Black explained. “The problem is that the IP is not a household name. It’s much easier to fund something at that level of expense if it has Batman or Superman attached, as opposed to something that is going to be just as expensive and is less of a household name.” When asked if he had any thoughts about who he’d cast as Doc Savage, given that Johnson seems to be done with the superhero genre for the time being, Black said, “I don’t know. The problem is that it has to be someone that you can approach a studio with and say, ‘It’s going to be $150 million. Minimum.’ Doc Savage is about an entire world of adventure, and it’s a ‘30s period piece. I wouldn’t want to modernize it. So, yeah, I would look into finding a way to do that, but I still don’t have an actor in mind. It would have to be someone compelling enough to get the studio to loosen up those purse strings for us.” Originally reported by Brandon Schreur at SuperHeroHype. The post Iron Man 3 Director Reveals What Superhero Movie He Still Really Wants to Make appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

Tarleton State men’s basketball coach Billy Gillispie has been placed on temporary administrative leave as the university investigates an anonymous complaint, the school announced Friday. Tarleton State Investigating Coach Billy Gillispie The school said the Texas A&M University System has initiated “an employee conduct review” after receiving an anonymous complaint. Associate head coach Glynn Cyprien […] The post Tarleton State Coach Billy Gillispie Placed On Leave Amid Investigation appeared first on Basketball Insiders | NBA Rumors And Basketball News. View the full article

After a historic collapse to close the season, the Mets are overhauling their coaching staff. Pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and hitting coaches Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes will not retain their positions next season, reported Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. New York is also not bringing back infield coach Mike Sarbaugh, reported Andy Martino of SNY. Martino also noted bench coach John Gibbons is leaving the team and catching instructor Glenn Sherlock is retiring. The significant coaching shakeup comes a few days after the Mets completed an epic late-season meltdown with a loss on Sunday to the Marlins. New York peaked at 45-24 in mid-June, the best record in the league. They were slowly tracked down by Philadelphia for the NL East divisional crown, and then by Cincinnati for the final Wild Card spot. The Mets won just 10 games in September and endured a brutal eight-game losing streak. They dropped series against Washington and Miami over the final two weeks of the regular season. New York could’ve still snared a playoff spot with a win over the Marlins and a loss by the Reds on the final day of the season, but they were shut out 4-0. Cincinnati earned the final playoff bid, only to be quickly dispatched by the Dodgers in the Wild Card round. Hefner spent the past six seasons as the Mets’ pitching coach. The team ranked 22nd, ninth, seventh, 19th, 15th, and 18th in ERA during his tenure. The two standout seasons happened to coincide with Jacob deGrom’s final two years with the team. New York nursed competent stretches out of Clay Holmes and Sean Manaea this season, though both faded down the stretch. Griffin Canning and Tylor Megill each delivered promising results before going down with injuries. Kodai Senga put together two solid months, then went down with a hamstring injury. He scuffled to a 6.18 ERA in August and was booted out of the rotation. Hefner was drafted by the Padres in 2007. He made his MLB debut with the Mets in 2012, then tossed 130 2/3 innings with the big-league club in 2013. The right-hander last pitched in 2016 in the Cardinals’ minor league system. He was previously the Twins’ assistant pitching coach before taking the pitching coach job in Queens. Chavez had been on New York’s coaching staff for the past four seasons. He was initially hired as the hitting coach in 2022, then moved to a bench coach role in 2023. He’d been back in a hitting coach position for the past two years. After working in a player development role with the team, Barnes became assistant hitting coach in 2022. He got the head gig in 2023 but has since worked in tandem with Chavez. New York was tied for ninth in scoring with Seattle this past season. It was the third time in four seasons under Chavez/Barnes that the team ranked top 10 in runs. Francisco Lindor has been the driving force of the offense since coming over via trade in 2021. Pete Alonso has been a consistent power threat since breaking in with 53 home runs as a rookie in 2019. The team landed Juan Soto in free agency this past offseason, and after a slow start, the outfielder put together one of his most dominant offensive seasons to date. Soto set career highs in home runs and stolen bases in his first season with the Mets. Chavez enjoyed a 17-year big-league career. He spent 13 seasons with the Athletics before moving on to the Yankees and Diamondbacks. He won six Gold Gloves at third base for Oakland. Barnes was drafted by the Phillies in 2009. The infielder reached Triple-A in 2012, but never appeared in the majors. Gibbons is the most high-profile name from a coaching perspective. He spent a total of 11 seasons as manager of the Blue Jays across two different stints. Gibbons was Toronto’s skipper from 2004–2008, and then again from 2013–2018. He had served as a bench coach with the Mets for the past two seasons. Gibbons is not retiring, Martino noted. His name could pop up as a candidate for one of the many available manager jobs. Sherlock is calling it quits after more than two decades as a major league coach. He got his first big-league job in 1992 as the catching instructor for the Yankees. He reprised that role in 1994-1995. Sherlock then went to Arizona, where he functioned in various roles from 1998-2016. He was a base coach for the Mets from 2017-2019, then joined the Pirates’ coaching staff from 2020-21. Sherlock rejoined the Mets as a bench coach in 2022. He’d been the team’s catching coach for the past three seasons. Sarbaugh served as the Mets’ third base coach for the past two seasons. He held the same role for Cleveland from 2014-2023. Sarbaugh was credited with helping Brett Baty improve on defense, Martino mentioned. Baty had 12 errors in 112 games in his first two big-league seasons. After Sarbaugh arrived in 2024, Baty has made 10 errors in 191 games. View the full article