Next Club Meeting is June 21, 2025...

A N I M A T R I X   N E T W O R K

Get in on the Action!

M O N T H L Y   M E E T I N G

 
Fountaindale Public Library

300 W. Briarcliff Road

Bolingbrook, IL  60440

Peggy J. Danhof Board Room

 (2nd Floor)

Saturday, June 21, 2025

11:15 AM - 5:00 PM

 

We will be in the BOARD ROOM on the Second Floor.

 
Hope to see everyone there!

 

A Viewing Schedule will be posted soon.

 

(Click below for maps)

Every death echoes, and the sea never forgets...

BLOODSHORE

BLOODSHORE is a cinematic dark fantasy short set in the heart of an endless magical war. A legion of battle-worn wizards storm a cursed coastline, where steel meets sorcery, and time itself bends under the weight of bloodshed. Arcane rituals, collapsing ships, and forgotten gods clash in a grim spectacle of magic and fate.

Invasion of the Adorable Cats...

Nyaight of the Living Cat

Run! In 20XX, the world is dominated by cats. A virus which turns anyone who touches a cat into a cat has spread into a worldwide nyandemic. Cats rub against people, turning them into cats. Can humanity fight their urge to pet cats to survive in this cat-ridden world? The momentously catful comic is getting a TV anime in 2025!

Coming July 6th! 

Samurai SWAT team on a rescue mission...

KODAMA

Arthur, a member of an elite SWAT Samurai team, embarks on a rescue mission into the spirit world in order to recover his father from vengeful Japanese Yokai Spirits.

Our Heroes Have a Legacy...

STAR WARS: Episode VII

The Force Reborn (An Alternate Universe Trailer)

Welcome to an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE vision

of the Star Wars sequel trilogy!

Star Wars Episode VII-A: The Force Reborn imagines a bold new chapter in the galaxy far, far away. Set nearly 30 years after the fall of the Empire, the New Republic thrives in peace and prosperity.

Admiral Han Solo and Former President Leia Organa Solo prepare to step back from public life; Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker oversee a flourishing New Jedi Order, and Lando Calrissian, now the galaxy’s wealthiest man, is transforming the planet, Xanidia, into the galaxy’s ultimate vacation destination—with six artificial resort moons.

At the same time, a new generation of heroes are emerging. Jedi Padawan Ben Skywalker grows stronger in the force with each passing day. Jedi Knight Jaina Solo perfects her skills as she aspires to live in harmony with the force. Ex-Jedi Knight Jacen Solo has left the order to seek adventures. Aramis Calrissian is a rising young executive in his father’s intergalactic megacorporation. And Lieutenant Ariana Calrissian serves on board a New Republic Star Explorer.

But peace is fragile.

When massive bio-engineered ships bearing the ancient and fanatical Yuuzhan Vong suddenly emerge from beyond the galaxy, the fragile balance is shattered.

As thousands of worlds fall and fleets rally, two generations of heroes—old and new—must rise to tip the scales… Or the galaxy will be lost forever.

✨ FEATURING:

• Admiral Han Solo & Former New Republic President Leia Organa Solo

• Jedi Masters Luke & Mara Jade Skywalker

• Lando Calrissian

• Ben Skywalker

• Jacen Solo & Jaina Solo

• Aramis Calrissian & Ariana Calrissian

• Chewbacca, R2-D2 & C-3PO

• The Yuuzhan Vong

This fan-made “Alternate Universe” trailer reimagines Star Wars Episode VII with fresh characters, high-stakes conflict, and familiar faces. No official Star Wars footage is used; all visuals and audio are original creations inspired by the Original and Expanded Universes.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND: While there were a number of things about the sequel trilogy that I did enjoy (mainly the cast and some of the designs), it wasn’t really what I was expecting. I always found it somewhat odd that the New Republic would be so inept that they’d fumble away the galactic government in roughly 30 years… Luke would become a disillusioned hermit… Han and Leia would become estranged… The First Order would turn former leaders back into rebels… And that somehow Emperor Palpatine would return. After everything they’d fought and sacrificed for, there was no happy ending.

Although I’ve never read any of the Expanded Universe novels, I did become familiar with some of the characters and storylines (mostly through Wookiepedia and Google searches). When the sequels were originally announced I figured that Disney/Star Wars would pull some of the more popular elements from the EU, streamlining it into a tight and exciting new cannon trilogy of stories. But I suppose that might have involved paying various writers and creators.

A couple of years ago I wrote a very short outline for what I thought might have made a nice sequel trilogy that felt more like Star Wars. Some elements were pulled from the EU, some things were remixes, and several elements were completely new creations. Back then I was able to loosely visualize characters and designs using AI—primarily for my own curiosity and satisfaction—before setting the idea aside.

Fast forward to three weeks ago when I got the idea to see if I could write and produce a trailer for what would be the first entry in an alternate universe sequel trilogy. Here’s the result.

This first trailer was a fun creative experiment imagining a different path for the Star Wars saga. Sound off below! I’d love to hear your reactions, ideas, or even your own Alternate Universe takes. Also, let me know if you’d like to see an Alternate Universe trailer for Star Wars Episode VIII-A, tentatively titled “A Darkness Rises”

If you enjoyed Star Wars Episode VII-A: The Force Reborn, be sure to check out more videos on my channel."

- Blue Sun Studio

And now, whatever way our stories end...

I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend… 

WICKED: FOR GOOD

Last year’s global cinematic cultural sensation, which became the most successful Broadway film adaptation of all time, now reaches its epic, electrifying, emotional conclusion in Wicked: For Good.

Directed once again by award-winning director Jon M. Chu and starring the spectacular returning cast, led by Academy Award® nominated superstars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the final chapter of the untold story of the witches of Oz begins with Elphaba and Glinda estranged and living with the consequences of their choices.

Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), now demonized as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile, hidden within the Ozian forest while continuing her fight for the freedom of Oz’s silenced Animals and desperately trying to expose the truth she knows about The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum).

Glinda, meanwhile, has become the glamorous symbol of Goodness for all of Oz, living at the palace in Emerald City and reveling in the perks of fame and popularity.

Under the instruction of Madame Morrible (Oscar® winner Michelle Yeoh), Glinda is deployed to serve as an effervescent comfort to Oz, reassuring the masses that all is well under the rule of The Wizard.

As Glinda’s stardom expands and she prepares to marry Prince Fiyero (Olivier award winner and Emmy and SAG nominee Jonathan Bailey) in a spectacular Ozian wedding, she is haunted by her separation from Elphaba.

She attempts to broker a conciliation between Elphaba and The Wizard, but those efforts will fail, driving Elphaba and Glinda only further apart. The aftershocks will transform Boq (Tony nominee Ethan Slater) and Fiyero forever, and threaten the safety of Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), when a girl from Kansas comes crashing into all their lives.

As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, Glinda and Elphaba will need to come together one final time. With their singular friendship now the fulcrum of their futures, they will need to truly see each other, with honesty and empathy, if they are to change themselves, and all of Oz, for good.

Wicked: For Good also stars Emmy nominee Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James as Glinda’s fawning assistants, Pfannee and ShenShen and BAFTA and Grammy nominee Sharon D. Clarke (Caroline, or Change) as the voice of Elphaba’s childhood nanny, Dulcibear.

The film is produced by returning Tony and Emmy winning powerhouse Marc Platt p.g.a. and by multiple Tony winner David Stone. The executive producers are Stephen Schwartz, David Nicksay, Jared LeBoff, Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox.

The first film, Wicked, released in November 2024, earned 10 Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture, and won the Oscars® for Costume Design and Production Design. To date, the film has grossed $750 million worldwide.

Wicked: For Good is based on the generation-defining musical stage play with music and lyrics by legendary Grammy and Oscar® winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, from the bestselling novel by Gregory Maguire. The screenplay is by Winnie Holzman and Winnie Holzman & Dana Fox. The film score is by John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.

Things will be different now...

For all of you...

The Blood of Dawnwalker

The Blood of Dawnwalker is the first chapter of Rebel Wolves’ brand new role-playing saga — a single-player open-world dark fantasy action-RPG with a strong focus on story and narrative. Developed on Unreal Engine 5 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox X|S. 

You play as Coen, a young man turned into a Dawnwalker, forever treading the line between the world of day and the realm of night. Use your skills and combine vampiric strength with human resolve as you take on a quest to save the ones you love. Face your foes - be they human, monster, or the ticking clock itself. But remember - the real evil may bask in the sun's light, and the most loyal of allies could lurk under the cover of night. Learn more at https://dawnwalkergame.com

"Tell me why we fight..."

Because our Enemy still lives...

Predator: Killer of Killers

In Viking-era Scandinavia, Norse warrior Ursa leads her son Anders and the rest of her clan on an expedition to destroy the Krivich tribe and their leader Zoran, who murdered Ursa's father. They track down Zoran to his fortress, where Anders kills him. Afterwards, a towering Predator warrior ambushes Ursa's group, killing her men while Anders is seriously injured after a building collapses on top of him. Ursa fights the Predator alone and kills it, but Anders dies in her arms of his injuries.

In feudal Japan, Kenji and Kiyoshi, two children of a warlord are trained to be warriors. However, Kenji runs away after he refuses to fight his brother for the right to be his father's successor, only returning years later once their father has passed on. He infiltrates a castle and confronts his brother, fighting Kiyoshi before ultimately sparing his life, but his brother falls off a balcony after a railing gives way, seemingly to his death. Left shaken by what has happened, Kenji is suddenly ambushed by a Predator, who slays the castle guards and chases him to a pond where he finds Kiyoshi still alive. They battle the Predator together and kill it, but Kiyoshi dies of wounds he suffered during the fight.

During World War II, American car mechanic Torres is drafted into the US Navy as a fighter pilot. Out in the Atlantic Ocean, his squadron searches for a mysterious aircraft that has completely annihilated another unit, which a grounded Torres discovers is armed with exotic, highly dangerous weapons. He takes a run-down fighter to warn them, after which a Predator spacecraft attacks and destroys his squadmates. Torres manages to outmanoeuvre the alien craft, and tricks it into using its own weapons to destroy itself. After his tour of duty, Torres returns home to fix cars in his garage, but is abducted by a Predator ship. After being awoken from suspended animation, he is put in a cell with Ursa and Kenji.

The three are brought to an arena and presented to a Predator Warlord, who orders them to battle to the death with the survivor to fight the Warlord afterwards.

More Cosplay at ACen 2025...

Anime Central 2025 - REEL 1

Anime Central (ACen) is the largest anime, manga and Japanese popular culture convention in Chicago and the Midwest. ACen happens once a year in the Spring (around April or May) less than 30 minutes from downtown Chicago, in Rosemont, IL. The convention is held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center and the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont, IL.

Take me to your "leader"...

E L i O

For centuries, people have called out to the universe looking for answers—in Disney and Pixar's all-new feature film Elio, the universe calls back! The cosmic misadventure introduces Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination and a huge alien obsession. So, when he's beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide, Elio's all in for the epic undertaking. Mistakenly identified as Earth's leader, Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions, and somehow discover who and where he is truly meant to be.

The murderous doll is back...

M 3 G A N  2.0
And this time she’s not alone.

The original creative team behind that phenomenon—led by horror titans James Wan for Atomic Monster, Jason Blum for Blumhouse and writer-director Gerard Johnstone—reboot an all-new wild chapter in A.I. mayhem with M3GAN 2.0. 

Two years after M3GAN, a marvel of artificial intelligence, went rogue and embarked on a murderous (and impeccably choreographed) rampage and was subsequently destroyed, M3GAN’s creator Gemma (Allison Williams) has become a high-profile author and advocate for government oversight of A.I. Meanwhile, Gemma’s niece Cady (Violet McGraw), now 14, has become a teenager, rebelling against Gemma’s overprotective rules. 

Unbeknownst to them, the underlying tech for M3GAN has been stolen and misused by a powerful defense contractor to create a military-grade weapon known as Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno; Ahsoka, Pacific Rim: Uprising), the ultimate killer infiltration spy. But as Amelia’s self-awareness increases, she becomes decidedly less interested in taking orders from humans. Or in keeping them around. 

With the future of human existence on the line, Gemma realizes that the only option is to resurrect M3GAN (Amie Donald, voiced by Jenna Davis) and give her a few upgrades, making her faster, stronger, and more lethal. As their paths collide, the original A.I icon is about to meet her match. 

M3GAN 2.0 is written and directed by acclaimed returning filmmaker Gerard Johnstone, from a story by Gerard Johnstone and Akela Cooper, based on characters created by Akela Cooper & James Wan. 

The film co-stars returning cast members Brian Jordan Alvarez and Jen Van Epps as Gemma’s loyal tech teammates, Cole and Tess, and new characters played by Aristotle Athari (Saturday Night Live, Hacks), Timm Sharp (Apples Never Fall, Percy Jackson and the Olympians) and Grammy winner and 11-time Emmy nominee Jemaine Clement (Avatar: The Way of Water, What We Do in the Shadows). 

Produced by James Wan, Jason Blum and Allison Williams, the film is executive produced by Joe Hill, Gerard Johnstone, Adam Hendricks, Greg Gilreath, Michael Clear, Judson Scott and Mark D. Katchur. 

The first M3GAN film shattered box office records, opening to $30.4 million domestically to become the biggest opening weekend for a PG-13 horror film since A Quiet Place Part II. The film went on to gross more than $180 million worldwide.

The fight isn’t over yet...

STRANGER THINGS

Get ready for the epic series finale of Stranger Things.

Volume 1, November 26, 5pm PT* 

Volume 2, Christmas, 5pm PT* 

The Finale, New Year’s Eve, 5pm PT* 

 

* (Releasing worldwide all at once, date may vary based on your local timezone)