NOC Week in Review #10: 9/5-9/11/2026

This was a week of return trips — back to Forgotten Island (twice), back to the multiverse with Dark Matter, and back to Halloween Horror Nights for its opening scares.

Forgotten Island got the full NOC treatment this week. Mike caught up again with stars Liza Soberano and H.E.R., plus Dave Franco, now that we’ve finally seen the finished film, digging into the secrets DreamWorks kept close during the press run. He also sat down with directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado to talk friendship, inspiration, and the Filipino roots behind the film ahead of its September 25 release.

Sticking with D23 Expo coverage, Mike talked to Gameloft’s Riley Wignall and Joshua Labelle about mermaids, pirates, and Milo Thatch ahead of Disney Dreamlight Valley‘s next expansion, The Keepsake Sea.

Nikita headed to Universal Studios Hollywood for the Halloween Horror Nights media night, working her way through all eight haunted houses, the park’s scare zones, and the revamped Terror Tram: Starring Art the Clown.

Valerie spoke with writer/director Marcellus Cox about his film Jamarcus Rose and Da 5 Bullet Holes, getting into the personal experiences behind the story and what he hopes audiences take away from it.

And I kept the Dark Matter recap train rolling with episode 3, pairing it with Pearl Jam’s “Wreckage” as the Dessens settle into retro-world life, Ryan and Amanda finally make it home (sort of), and a familiar face turns up outside Jason’s window.

That’s the rundown — islands, hauntings, and a lot of alternate timelines this week. See you next Friday.

— Keith

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