Disney has a lot to answer for when it comes to the depiction of classic fairy tales, with their saccharine dilution of frequently sinister and violent stories leaving people with the wrong impression of what they were originally like. In such a tradition is British horror flick The Curse of Humpty Dumpty, a trailer for which has now been released.

The plot sees sisters Hazel and Elizabeth arriving to care for their mother Wendy, whose dementia-afflicted mind has deteriorated to the extent that it’s no longer safe for her to live alone. They’re greeted at the door by a creepy old doll thought disposed of years ago and who has ties to a tragic incident in the past, the details of which, along with whether or not the hideous creation might actually be alive, are locked in the faded shadows of Wendy’s memories.

Although it’s standard to depict Humpty Dumpty as an anthropomorphic egg, nowhere in the famous rhyme does it explicitly state him to be such. While the image of a pool of yolk and shell irreparably smashed on the ground certainly fits the lyrics, the notion actually stems from a description of the character in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass, published in 1871. This interpretation blends the two, with the doll’s smooth pallid skin certainly being reminiscent of an eggshell, while the spiderweb of black cracks invokes the idea of it being broken and put back together.

It’s entirely possible that rather than merely being a straightforward tale of a killer doll coming to life, the story will be a metaphorical one exploring the ramifications of the soul-consuming black hole that is mental illness, if for no other reason than it would be a little disappointing to see the condition used merely as a plot device to justify why nobody remembers what previously happened. Either way, we’ll find out when The Curse of Humpty Dumpty is released in the UK on November 21st.

Mortal Kombat punching its way to the top of the box office with an opening weekend of $22 million has further reinforced Warner Bros.’ credentials as the kings of pandemic-era cinema. Not only is it the sixth of the studio’s movies to debut at number one since the Coronavirus took hold following in the footsteps of Tenet, Wonder Woman 1984, The Little Things, Tom & Jerry and Godzilla vs. Kong, but the streak is virtually guaranteed to continue when The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It debuts on June 4th.

However, Universal are set to get back into the game in a huge way with a little film called Fast & Furious 9. The next chapter in the blockbuster franchise arrives on June 25th, and to celebrate the occasion, each prior entry in the series with the exception of spinoff Hobbs & Shaw is coming back to theaters every Friday between now and then, with tickets costing absolutely nothing.

Fast & Furious 9 Gallery

Click to zoom 

Not only that, but a brand new promo – seen up above – puts Vin Diesel back in the driver’s seat, with the action hero’s signature gravely tones letting everyone know how important going to the movies has been to people all over the world for a century. There’s some brand new footage from F9 on display, too, including a fresh look at a rocket-powered automobile that would be ridiculous in any other property, but is par for the course from The Fast Saga these days.

Having been delayed for fourteen months, fans are champing at the bit to get reacquainted with Dominic Toretto and the gang, so the Fast Friday events should be packing houses across the country until Fast & Furious opens exactly two months from today.