'Avatar: Fire and Ash', a new season of 'Fallout', and an exhibition dedicated to manga - here's what this week has in store.
What does the future hold?
It's a question that's on many of our minds right now, especially with 2026 looming. It's also the subject of a fantastical exhibition in London called 'The Future Was Then', which blasts us into the sci-fi comic book predictions of the past to question how much has come true - and what remains a possibility?
More visions of future worlds can be found in the upcoming Avatar: Fire and Ash and season 2 of Fallout - neither particularly hopeful, but that's no reason to feel blue! Whatever's waiting around the corner, at least we know one thing to be true: the week ahead is filled with lots to look forward to.
Here are your highlights.
Exhibitions
Manga. An art of its own!
When: Until 9 March 2026
Where: Musée Guimet (Paris, France)
The bold narratives and exaggerated expressions of manga - Japanese comic books or graphic novels - have long captivated Western culture. From 'Narutu' to 'Fullmetal Alchemist' to 'Dragon Ball and 'One Piece', many have been turned into hugely popular animated shows - but their influence is also felt in fashion, film, decor and Western comics.
For their latest exhibition, the Musée Guimet delves into manga's detailed origins, tracing its early developments in 18th and 19th-century Japan, through to contemporary creations. Alongside artworks by masters like Hokusai there are examples from contemporary legends David Etien and Moebius, catapulting visitors into manga's swirling evolutions that blend with ancient traditions.
The Future Was Then
When: Until 8th March 2026
Where: The Cartoon Museum (United Kingdom)
As a new year approaches, many of us will be anxiously questioning what the future holds. After-all, according to the Dan Dare comic books, shouldn't we all be consuming food in pill form, carrying ray-guns and riding around in space shuttles by now?
Indeed, while the predictions of midcentury retro-futurism are still yet to fully materialise, they're also filled with fascinating truths. This is explored at the Cartoon Museum's latest exhibition, a charismatic display of over 80 pages of original comic book art that includes depictions of futures spanning 1980 to 4000 AD. From Buck Rogers and thunderbirds to Tank Girl and Judge Dredd, it conjures visions of Earth's many potential futures - both optimistic and dystopian. Even if many of these ideas stayed stuck to their pages, they all reflect the anxieties of their time, and call into question what we envision ahead for ourselves.
Bonus highlight: Lovers of grungy, grimy, glorious fashion should head straight to 'Dirty Looks: Desire & Decay in Fashion' at London's Barbican, featuring designs by big names like Alexander McQueen to Vivienne Westwood.
Events
Jane Austen Festival
When: Until 16 December
Where: Jane Austen's House (Hampshire, UK)
It is a truth universally acknowledged that it is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth. In light of this, there have been several events and exhibitions dedicated to the Pride and Prejudice author throughout the year, but this festival is particularly special due to finishing on her actual birth date. The historic location is also a must-visit for any fans; the house at which Austen lived during the last 8 years of her life.
Featuring everything from plays, to live music, to guided tours, workshops and more, visitors will be spoilt with a jam-packed itinerary that pays tribute to the beloved author with fitting amounts of creativity, wit and charm.
Movies
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Where: Cinemas
When: 19 December
It's shaping up to be an end-of-year box office blowout, with huge franchises like Wicked: For Good, Zootopia 2 and now Avatar: Fire and Ash keeping event cinema alive. The third instalment to James Cameron's epic sci-fi brings us back to the blue alien-inhabited moon of Pandora, where a new Na'vi tribe called the Ash People are the source of a new and violent conflict. According to Cameron, it's the darkest film yet - and also the longest at 3 hours and 15 minutes, so brace your bladders! Stay tuned for our review on Friday (and read our critic David Mouriquand's previous one for a mind-jog and some very humorous ranting).
Bonus highlight: Holiday-themed thriller The Housemaid, which stars Sydney Sweeney as a live-in maid for a wealthy, troubled couple, is showing in cinemas from 22 December.
TV series
Fallout (season 2)
Where: Prime Video
When: 17 December
The second season of post-apocalyptic series Fallout is about to land, which is exciting for lots of reasons - not least having Kyle Maclachlan back on our screens! Based on the popular computer game series of the same name, it's set in a future version of the world where societies exist in underground bunkers called vaults after a nuclear attack devastated America centuries earlier. Picking up where we left off, we're headed into the scorched wasteland that is New Vegas, where Lucy (Ella Purnell) and "The Ghoul" (Walton Goggins) hope to track down Lucy's father, Hank (MacLachlan).
Bonus highlight: Like glitter putty for the brain, Netflix’s shiny, formless (but fun for some!) series Emily in Paris returns for a fifth season on 19 December.
Music
Fred Again..: USB
When: Out now
British DJ Fred Again.. (real name Frederick John Philip Gibson) became a global sensation with his catchy, pandemic-inspired track 'Marea (We've Lost Dancing)', released in 2021. Since then, he's been working on an ambitious, ever-expanding album called USB to which he periodically adds new tracks. The latest batch for 'USB002' were being drip-fed weekly alongside secret shows, with the full release available as of last Friday (12 December).
Bonus highlight: British rockers Pink Floyd have released a special 50th anniversary edition of their iconic ninth album, 'Wish You Were Here'.
