Annalee Newitz, Author at Gizmodo

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland is creepy goodness, with genie action!

At Comic-Con this morning, we were treated to 19 minutes of footage from the pilot for Once Upon a Time spinoff, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. It was gorgeous, fun, and scary. This ass-kicking Alice is more like Sarah Connor than a little girl. We also got some amazing casting news. First, the news.…

Television Annalee Newitz

How many monsters will be in the new Godzilla movie?

Today at Comic-Con, we sat down with Gareth Edwards, director of the new Godzilla movie. Most of the film will be based on the 1954 original film, but Edwards hinted that there might be more than one kaiju in this origin story about the Big G. Fan art of Ghidorah and Godzilla by Cheungchungtat I…

io9 Annalee Newitz

Syfy’s Mark Stern: Expect more scripted series and miniseries

At Comic-Con today, Syfy’s President of Original Content Mark Stern told the fans something they’d been dying to hear. The channel is investing heavily in scripted series and miniseries, and will get back to “meaty science fiction themes” over the next two years. At the panel about Syfy’s new series Helix, Stern said: We are…

Television Annalee Newitz

Divergent Looks Like Harry Potter Playing the Hunger Games

We saw the first-ever footage from forthcoming film Divergent at Comic-Con yesterday, and got the scoop on what this movie based on the incredible bestseller is going to be like. Basically, it looks a lot like the Hunger Games — but with a whole lot of Gryffindor in there too. The premise of Veronica Roth’s…

Movies Annalee Newitz

This iconic scene from Children of Men was actually an accident

Director Alfonso Cuorón told a rapt Comic-Con audience yesterday how one of the most memorable scenes in his classic movie Children of Men was actually a mistake. In the scene, which you can see above, our group of subversives are attacked while in a car. The tricky part for the director was that it’s all…

Movies Annalee Newitz

Join us for the io9 panel tonight at Comic-Con!

Every year, io9 hosts a panel on “science fiction that could change your life.” We and our guests talk about books, movies, TV, comics, games or whatever that came out in the last year — and discuss the best ones that make you think, as well as entertaining you. Join us tonight, at 6:45! The…

io9 Annalee Newitz

An unexpected human talent that computers will soon understand

In computer scientist Leslie Valiant’s recent book, Probably Approximately Correct, we discover one human behavior that computers have a hard time emulating: our ability to cope in new environments. But Valiant believes one day computers will master our coping mechanisms. How? We’ve got an excerpt. PROBABLY APPROXIMATELY CORRECT By Leslie Valiant Excerpt from Chapter 1…

Books & Comics Annalee Newitz

The Space Battles in Ender’s Game Will Make Your Eyeballs Explode

Yesterday afternoon we saw a new trailer for Ender’s Game, during a panel at Comic-Con, and it showcased some seriously epic war scenes. Director Gavin Hood, with stars Harrison Ford and Asa Butterfield, discussed this long-awaited movie about a boy bred to lead Earth’s forces against a mysterious alien enemy. In the new trailer, we…

Movies Annalee Newitz

We Saw the First Ten Minutes of Terry Gilliam’s New Masterpiece

Terry Gilliam is the director of science fiction classics Brazil and 12 Monkeys, and he debuted the first ten minutes of his latest weird vision, The Zero Theorem, at Comic-Con this afternoon. It stars Christoph Waltz, looks like a cross between Blade Runner and Sesame Street, and will blow your mind. Though Gilliam couldn’t be…

Movies Annalee Newitz

Where do space whales come from?

It’s the perfect painting to find at a garage sale: the 1970s-style space whale, floating through a psychedelic wonderland of nebulae and hippie hopes for world peace. But where did this iconic image come from? Over at Lapham’s Quarterly, Rebecca Onion has a great essay where she explores the strange history of the space whale.…

io9 Annalee Newitz

io9 Book Club reminder: Meeting 7/30 to discuss Odds Against Tomorrow

In July, we’re reading Nathaniel Rich’s near-future novel of climate disaster and corporate insanity, Odds Against Tomorrow. We’ll meet July 30 to discuss it, and we hope Rich will join us later that week for a discussion! What is this io9 Book Club all about? We meet once a month and discuss a book we’re…

Books & Comics Annalee Newitz

Infographic shows that the world likes the US slightly more than China

The Pew Research group recently conducted a massive, global poll to figure out who has “favorable” views of the U.S. and China. They put together a great visualization to show how many people in each region look favorably on the two superpowers. The U.S. is liked slightly more, except in the Middle East. Below, you…

io9 Annalee Newitz

More evidence that Neanderthals made jewelry and art

Neanderthals have a reputation as grunting dimwits who lived animalistic lives in caves. But modern scientific discoveries have changed this picture dramatically. The latest discovery to overturn this myth offers evidence that Neanderthals painted shells like this one, and kept them as art or jewelry. Image courtesy of Joao Zilhao Anthropologists have made several finds…

io9 Annalee Newitz

Game-changing discovery reveals how gold is made in outer space

One of the many mysteries of the universe is where the elements come from. At last, one part of that mystery is solved. A team of astronomers have discovered the origins of all the heaviest elements in the universe, including gold, lead, platinum and more. It should come as no surprise that explosions are involved…

io9 Annalee Newitz

Is it realistic to think that the future will be like Star Trek?

In the Star Trek universe, humans no longer make war on each other and don’t use money. Poverty has been eradicated and so have sexism, racism, and various other -isms. Science fiction often predicts the future accurately, but do you think humanity could ever really achieve that level of enlightenment? Starfleet’s most impressive ship, the…

io9 Annalee Newitz

Is Under the Dome doomed to make a series of stunt episodes?

The plot of this Monday’s episode of Under the Dome was exactly what I was worried would happen. Instead of developing our characters, or getting down to the fascinating mystery at hand, we got a stunt story that could be summed up as “a thing happened — UNDER A DOME!” Spoilers ahead. One of the…

io9 Annalee Newitz

Is spirituality really the opposite of science?

Love is just a hormonal fluctuation coursing through neurological circuits in the brain. Art can be reduced to its atomic structures. Should we really be using science to explain culture and beauty? Some critics say we shouldn’t — and that science is destroying the sense of wonder we get from stories. Image by Frank Kunert…

io9 Annalee Newitz

Blaxsploitation meets True Blood in a blisteringly weird short movie

This short film is the most gleefully bizarre thing I’ve seen in a while. Written and directed by Kevin Killebrew, A Killer Surprise is about a badass detective hunting an eeeeeevil serial killer. When they meet, things get seriously funky. I love the way this film switches crazily between fairy-dust effects, anime-influenced cartoons, and live…

Movies Annalee Newitz

Here’s what Elon Musk’s secret project might actually look like

For months, space entrepreneur Elon Musk has been teasing fans with hints about his next big project, a “hyperloop” super train that would get people from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 30 minutes. Now, Musk says that this schematic is the “closest” anyone has gotten to guessing how the hyperloop would work. Via his…

io9 Annalee Newitz

This frog sexbot can teach you about evolution

Sometimes you just have to build a sexbot for science. And when you’re studying the mating habits of frogs, well, that means you’re going to need some pretty specific moving parts. The best part? Something fascinating is revealed about evolution when you watch video of this frog sexbot in action. But first, some backstory on…

io9 Annalee Newitz

Annalee Newitz

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland is creepy goodness, with genie action!

How many monsters will be in the new Godzilla movie?

Syfy’s Mark Stern: Expect more scripted series and miniseries

Divergent Looks Like Harry Potter Playing the Hunger Games

This iconic scene from Children of Men was actually an accident

Join us for the io9 panel tonight at Comic-Con!

An unexpected human talent that computers will soon understand

The Space Battles in Ender’s Game Will Make Your Eyeballs Explode

We Saw the First Ten Minutes of Terry Gilliam’s New Masterpiece

Where do space whales come from?

io9 Book Club reminder: Meeting 7/30 to discuss Odds Against Tomorrow

Infographic shows that the world likes the US slightly more than China

More evidence that Neanderthals made jewelry and art

Game-changing discovery reveals how gold is made in outer space

Is it realistic to think that the future will be like Star Trek?

Is Under the Dome doomed to make a series of stunt episodes?

Is spirituality really the opposite of science?

Blaxsploitation meets True Blood in a blisteringly weird short movie

Here’s what Elon Musk’s secret project might actually look like

This frog sexbot can teach you about evolution

This Ridiculously Simple Trick Might Stop Gulls From Nabbing Your Lunch

‘Starfleet Academy’ Season 3 Could Have Done the ‘Voyager’ Sequel Episode of Robert Picardo’s Dreams

Judge Kills Lawsuit Against Infamous Study That Might Have Increased Teen Suicides

Artemis 2 Day 3: Follow the Mission With Our Live Updates 🔴

Researchers Discover How to Add Psilocybin, DMT, and Other Psychedelics to Tobacco

Fake Videos Are Already Spreading After Two US Air Force Planes Go Down Near Iran

We’re Obsessed With the Meta Fits on These New Star Wars Toys

Behold These Breathtaking Views of Earth Captured by the Artemis 2 Astronauts

‘Chainsaw Man’ Briefly Returns in ‘Dandadan’

Meta Smart Glasses Can Now Track All the Food You Put Into Your Mouth

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life