The Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was one of last year's biggest hits, and the sequel is due to start shooting soon. It has now been confirmed that Jude Law will play Dumbledore in the movie.
As reported by Variety, the British star will play the younger version of the Hogwarts headmaster in the movie. Law will star alongside Eddie Redmayne, reprising his role as magizoologist Newt Scamander, and Johnny Depp, playing the villainous Grindelwald. Law is best known for such movies as Sherlock Holmes, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Hugo. He will also appear in the upcoming King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.
Director David Yates said in a statement: "Jude Law is a phenomenally talented actor whose work I have long admired, and I'm looking forward to finally having the opportunity to work with him. I know he will brilliantly capture all the unexpected facets of Albus Dumbledore as J.K. Rowling reveals this very different time in his life."
Yates also directed the first movie, which was released last November and has made $813 million at the worldwide box office. The sequel is set for a November 16, 2018 release, and according to Rowling will be the second of five movies. Last year it was revealed that the film would be set in Paris.
Dumbledore was played by Richard Harris in the first two Harry Potter movies, and was replaced by Michael Gambon for the rest of the series, following Harris's death in 2002.
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has explained why Project Scorpio will arrive around a year after Sony's upgraded PlayStation 4, citing the hardware that was available as the reason for the time difference.
"We thought 4K TVs would get to scale in the middle of this generation," he told Gamasutra. "So we designed a console for 2016, and a console for 2017. We were kind of working on both plans simultaneously. And at some point, we [had] to--let's just call it greenlight. For what we would do in 2016 … [I said] I think we need to do more than what the silicon is that's available in 2016 at a price point that a console customer would want to pay."
Microsoft's eventual decision to focus on the 2017 version of the plan brought them to what Scorpio is today, says Spencer: "We stopped that [2016] effort and said, 'Okay, we're going to put all of our weight and execution capability of the hardware team behind delivering a higher-powered console in 2017 that's completely geared towards 4K.'"
Spencer went on to compare Microsoft's two distinct plans to what Sony produced in the PS4 Pro: "Sometimes I get in trouble when I talk about Sony too much, but, the choice they made on PS4 Pro, I totally get that choice, from their perspective and what they wanted to go do. I've said it publicly and I've said it privately, I think they've built a good 2016 PS4 Pro. With the silicon that was available, they picked the parts that made sense to go and put together a console in 2016."
"But the point on not wanting framerate to drop ... if the developers want to push resolution, to say to the player, 'Here, you bought this higher-end console, let me show you higher-end resolution,' you don't want the framerate to drop. And that was something we didn't think we could deliver with the silicon that was available in 2016.
"So some of it was time, as certain things come down in price--some of them not as quickly as we would like. And some of it was hardware capability from our silicon partners that allowed us to go do that in 2017."
Nintendo wants to make sure the Switch and 3DS are as secure as possible, and it's turning to a community of "white-hat hackers" to find any vulnerabilities. The company has taken out a listing on HackerOne, a "bug bounty and vulnerability disclosure platform," asking for reports on those two systems only.
In exchange, Nintendo is offering a "bounty" of up to $20,000 for new information on any of the following:
Piracy
Cheating
Dissemination of inappropriate content to children
System vulnerabilities regarding Nintendo Switch
Vulnerabilities regarding Nintendo-published applications for Nintendo Switch
System vulnerabilities regarding the Nintendo 3DS family of systems
So how much exactly will you get for a valuable tip? Nintendo says it depends on how important and useful the reported info is. It says, in general, "the importance of the information is higher if the vulnerability is severe, easy-to-exploit."
Hackers will have to show a proof of concept or functional exploit code, but if you don't have that Nintendo is still encouraging you to "report to us sooner rather than later such that you do not to lose the opportunity to become the first reporter."
So far three people have reported vulnerabilities and received their bounties. How much, and what bugs they found, are kept secret.
The supernatural Netflix thriller Stranger Things was one of 2016's most acclaimed TV shows, and expectations are high for the upcoming second season. Now star David Harbour, who plays cop Jim Hopper, has spoken about what fans can expect from Season 2.
As part of an AMA at onmogul.com, Harbour spoke about the differences in his character from the first season. "Hop starts Season 2 in a completely different place than Season 1," he said. "He saved Will and has found a renewed interest in life. So his arc for Season 2 in my mind becomes more about butting up against the places where his hero fantasy can't take him. The places where that hero complex may force him to make the wrong decisions. It's a satisfying, completely different journey in Season 2."
Harbour also revealed he had seen the finished first episode of the new season. "I've seen episode 1 and have seen a lot of the shooting at the monitor and I can honestly say that I am so excited for you all to see this season," he said. "It's so fun and dark and complex. The characters all get to deepen and develop and we get to take on even greater demons (inner and outer)."
The actor went on to state that, "Episodes 4 and 5 are pretty epic. Last year I felt they were the slowest of the season, but in this season, [episodes] 4 and 5 are incredible.
"The story moves so fast in the middle and the tension is so high. They're killer, but I haven't even seen 8 and 9 yet, and they'll likely be even better."
Harbour's comments about the season's tone are similar to those made last year by creators Matt and Ross Duffer, who stated that it would be "darker and weirder" than the first season.
A first teaser was screened during the Super Bowl in January--check it out here. Stranger Things Season 2 hits Netflix in October.
In the wake of much recent Project Scorpio information, the first images of the device's development kit have emerged. As it's a dev kit, this shouldn't be taken as an indication of how the final product will look. Take a look at one image below, or take a look at the full gallery over at Gamasutra.
The site recently spoke to Xbox boss Phil Spencer about Microsoft's upcoming console. Among other topics, he discussed how he still sees Scorpio as part of the Xbox One family.
"[Xbox One] games will run on Scorpio," he stated. "Any hardware peripheral you have, any game, any app; it is part of the Xbox One family."
"Even when you set [Scorpio] on top of your One, it directly portmaps. Like, you literally plug power in, plug HDMI in, it's all exactly the same," he continued, before adding that he doesn't want to disappoint fans who already own an Xbox One: "We have millions of customers that have made a commitment to the Xbox One generation."
"As we watched how we built it, we realized we could actually build some benefits for … the 1080p customer [as well]," he later added. "Because the capabilities of the box don't dictate that somebody builds their game in 4K, or that you plug in a 4K TV. So if you're running one of our games in 1K, we wanted to do better there as well."
The executive went on to reveal that Microsoft is not forcing developers to work with Scorpio at all: "When you ship an Xbox One game two years from now, even if you don't look at Scorpio as something that you want to take advantage of, fine. That's up to you. We're not mandating that people go and do Scorpio-specific work." He did, however, note that for most triple-A developers, making games for a more powerful machine than Xbox One was not much of an issue as "they already have the assets" from their PC development builds.
Although Microsoft is yet to reveal any plans for a VR headset--its Hololens device is perhaps more accurately labeled as augmented reality--Spencer later reaffirmed his commitment to virtual reality:
"I think we're on like a decade-long journey with VR, and we're still right at the beginning. So I have hesitated to say let's lock on one piece of hardware on our console and say this is it, we've figured out what VR is, this is it. Because from a hardware standpoint I think you can kind of do that, though I still think we're early, but from an experience standpoint I don't think we've seen the things that we need to really have VR break out.
"So we will support VR on Scorpio. We said that onstage. We will support VR on Scorpio, we're going to do that, I think it's important, I think there's some great immersive VR experiences."
Sega has announced that Yakuza Kiwami, a remake of the first game in the series, will be available on PlayStation 4 in America and Europe on August 29.
The remake features "recreated graphics and fully re-recorded Japanese audio by the original voice actors." Additionally, "added distractions and 30 minutes of new cutscenes" have been introduced.
Another gameplay addition is what Sega is calling the "Majima Everywhere" system. In this "the series' deranged, one-eyed maniac will constantly surprise and challenge Kiryu to combat when he least expects it." It sounds a lot like the Mr. Shakedown encounters from Yakuza 0, but Sega has promised it will be extra goofy.
Yakuza Kiwami will be available physically and digitally for $29.99/£29.99/€34.99. Those that pre-order or purchase one of the limited first run copies of the physical version will receive the game in a steelbook case. You can see a picture of it below.
The last entry in the series was Yakuza 0, which was released in January. In GameSpot's Yakuza 0 review, Peter Brown described it as "a fascinating adventure" and awarded it an 8/10.
"Unless you have a strong aversion to violence, sex, or middling graphics, you owe it to yourself to give Zero a chance," he said. "Its story will surprise you, its inhabitants will make you laugh at every turn, and its ambitious scope will redefine how you think about open-world games."
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has stated that Microsoft has "roughly designed" a handheld Xbox in the past, but that he "still believes in the the power of a television."
The executive was talking to Gamasutra about the evolution of Xbox, and where the platform could go in the future.
"Well," he began, "let me say that the amount of times we've designed, roughly designed, an Xbox handheld, or a cheap Xbox kind of stick that you could plug in and stream from an Xbox in the home, or play low-powered games... we are always thinking and brainstorming on different scenarios of where the console could go. Or [where] the gaming experience, I guess, more specifically, could go.
"In terms of where [consoles] will go, I still believe in the power of a television in the home," he stated, before concluding, "I know it's something that we're committed to, in the long run."
Nevertheless, Spencer said he believes there will no doubt be some disruptions in the console space, and he cited the Nintendo Switch as a recent example.
"Nintendo, I thought, did a cool thing with picking mobile. They kind of said okay, Switch is going to be a console that you can take with you. That's an interesting idea. Nintendo always does cool things, right. They did the second screen with Wii U, they obviously did the Wii and motion gaming in the room. I love that innovation."
Every Xbox device to date has been a home console, while Microsoft's main competitors, Nintendo and Sony, have a history of releasing portable devices.
Bethesda's Prey reboot launches in just a few weeks, but fans will get to play the spooky first-person shooter over a week before its release thanks to a playable demo.
Prey Demo: Opening Hour is coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on April 27, eight days ahead of the full game's May 5 launch. Bethesda's press release did not contain any mention of this trial version coming to PC.
The trial will give you a glimpse of life in the shoes of Morgan Yu, lead scientist aboard the Talos I space station. Bethesda has previously revealed that players can choose whether they want to play as a male or female Morgan, and that events will pan out slightly differently depending on which option you pick. Your environment can also change depending on your relationship with Morgan's brother, Alex, who happens to be the boss of Talos I.
The first trailer for Star Wars Battlefront 2 was scheduled to premiere during the Star Wars Celebration event this week in Orlando, but it has arrived early due to a leak. You can watch the trailer here. The trailer is a leak, so it's likely this version, like the previous one, will get taken down soon.
A female soldier narrates the video, which shows there will be a story campaign ("the untold soldier's story," the video says), as well as multiplayer battles that the series is known for. And as rumored, Battlefront 2 won't be limited to one era of Star Wars alone. Instead, "all eras" will be represented, the video says. Some of the characters shown in the video include Darth Maul, Yoda, Rey, and Kylo Ren. You may have a new mode of traversal, too, as it looks like there will be rideable Tauntauns.
We also learn from the video that people who preorder will get access to something called Star Wars: The Last Jedi Heroes. This sounds like it could be content related to the new movie, The Last Jedi, which is due out in December. 2015's Star Wars: Battlefront also received content (Battle of Jakku) tied to a new movie, in that case The Force Awakens.
Today's leaked trailer confirms Battlefront 2 is coming to PlayStation 4. Versions of the game for Xbox One and PC are also expected. It also appears that Sony's co-marketing deal with Disney continues for the sequel, as the new video ends by saying "the Force is strong with PlayStation."
No release date has been announced for Battlefront 2, though launching near The Last Jedi would seem likely.
EA had planned to debut a Battlefront 2 trailer (possibly this one) during a panel at Star Wars Celebration on April 15. The panel is titled, "The Galaxywide Premiere of Star Wars Battlefront II," and it takes place at 11:30 AM PT on April 15; you can watch it live.
What do you make of the first (leaked) trailer for Battlefront 2? Let us know in the comments below!
The latest trailer for Transformers: The Last knight has been released. The fifth movie in the blockbuster action series hits theaters in June, and this new trailer suggests it will be the biggest, loudest, most spectacular entry yet. Check it out bellow:
The movie stars Mark Wahlberg, Isabela Moner, Anthony Hopkins, Josh Duhamel, Stanley Tucci, and John Goodman. It is directed by Michael Bay, who has previously stated that this will be his last movie in the series.
Hopkins was interviewed recently by Yahoo Movies and had plenty of praise for Bay. "This guy's a genius, he really is,'" he said. "He's the same ilk as Oliver Stone and Spielberg and Scorsese. They're brilliant. Savants. I mean, he's a savant."
Offworld Trading Company, the RTS from Civilization IV designer Soren Johnson and his studio Mohawk Games, is growing with its first expansion. Titled Jupiter's Forge, the add-on is set on the planet's volcanic moon, Io. It is a "far harsher" environment than the base game's Mars setting.
"The further out into space we go, the harder survival becomes," Johnson said in a news release. "Unlike Mars, Io's resources are finite and will deplete over time, which makes the competition even more cutthroat. Players will have to adapt to an entirely different resource hierarchy than they've become used to on Mars or Ceres if they want their businesses to survive here."
In addition to a new setting, Jupiter's Forge introduces a new resource system, as well as new factions in the form of the Penrose Collective and the Diadem Trust. There is also a new resource, Basalt, in addition to new buildings and structures to collect. Additionally, there are more map events, including radiation storms, sulfur frosts, landslides, and tremors.
Jupiter's Forge also adds what's being called a 1000 Map Challenge. As its name suggests, this tasks you with beating maps that get harder as you go along. The maps have leaderboards specific to them, while players can track their progress on overall leaderboards that cover the entire game mode.
"The idea is to get as far as you can while overcoming the increasing difficulty," Johnson said.
As for the new factions in Jupiter's Forge, the Diadem Trust lets players build "improved versions" of structures like the Hacker Array and Pleasure Dome. The Penrose Collective, meanwhile, introduces the ability to create two headquarters at the start of the game and return claims at any time.
Jupiter's Forge launches in "late" Spring 2017. For a closer look, take a look at the announcement trailer and screens embedded in this story.
Offworld Trading Company launched in 2015 through Steam Early Access and the full version is now available on Steam for $40. The game is published by Stardock. You can also buy it through GOG, Green Man Gaming, and Stardock's own website.
The cult TV show Twin Peaks returns to screens next month, but so far we've barely seen any footage from the show. The cryptic marketing continues with the latest set of teasers, which take the form of mysterious word puzzles. Check the first out below, and the rest at the end of this story--and if you figure them out, let us know in the comments!
The two-hour premiere of the new Twin Peaks season debuts on Showtime on May 21 at 9 PM ET, and the following two episodes will be available online immediately afterwards. The season will comprise 18 episodes, and Lynch has described the show as "a feature film in 18 parts."
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, actor Kyle McLachlan spoke about what it was like to return as the show's main character, Agent Dale Cooper. "A little weird," he admitted. "Familiar, but not as familiar as I thought it would be. I'm different. Cooper is--will be--different. But the core of him is still there. When I walked on the set and David saw me, we were smiling from ear to ear."
Twin Peaks originally ran from 1990-91 on ABC, followed by a prequel film, Fire Walk With Me, in 1992.
Disclosure: Showtime is a division of CBS, which is GameSpot's parent company.
PlayStation 4's latest system update is available to download now, but don't expect it to do too much. The patch notes consist of one line that simply reads, "This system software update improves the quality of the system performance." The patch weighs in at around 320 MB.
Before that, every PS4 user received version 4.5 in March. It introduced Boost Mode for PS4 Pro and added support for external hard drives.
The Boost Mode feature aims to improve the quality and performance of games that have not been patched to support PS4 Pro. "This can provide a noticeable frame rate boost to some games with variable frame rates, and can provide frame rate stability for games that are programmed to run at 30 Hz or 60 Hz," Sony explained at the time.
Ghost Recon: Wildlands has received a big update just a week ahead of its first major expansion, Narco Road. The update contains a bunch of bug fixes and performance enhancements, as well as some balance tweaks based on player feedback.
Most notably, Wildlands will now deliver a set of weekly challenges for solo or co-op play that start anew every Wednesday. You can earn up to three in-game rewards every week, with each season lasting six weeks. The first is called The Rise and Fall of Unidad, while each subsequent season will also have its own specific theme.
The 3.0 update changes some of the dialogue between characters and chatter heard over the radio--you should hear fewer repeated lines now. The patch, which weighs in at 5.3 GB on consoles and up to 6.5 GB on PC, also fixes an issue whereby players' XP bars were getting stuck.
Version 3.0 is available for download right now on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, while PC users will have to wait until 1 AM PT / 4 AM ET / 9 AM BST on April 14. Take a look at the full patch notes below.
Previous updates to Ghost Recon Wildlands have allowed you to turn off radios by default, at the same time as fixing a load of bugs. The recently-announced Narco Road expansion, meanwhile, includes 15 "fast-paced" missions, as well as four new types of side mission. Additionally, the add-on introduces four outfits, nine weapons, and four vehicles types, including monster trucks, muscle cars, motorcycles, and planes.
Ghost Recon Wildlands Title Update 3.0 Patch Notes
First Season of Live Season Challenges will be live on Tuesday, April 18. The challenges and their requirements will be accessible from the game menu once the player is in-game.
Missions / Narration
Fixed a bug where the GPS would display the route for El Emisario instead of Special Transport
Fixed The Chemist teleporting when escaping in certain situations
Reload prompt no longer appears when accessing the command wheel
Fixed Marcus Jensen mission not updating for the client while in two-player coop
Fixed an infinite XP exploit in extract missions
Fixed a bug where the VIP wouldn't appear in the truck when replaying Death Truck
Fixed a bug where Target too far would stay on screen in The Mole mission after locating the Unidad captain
Fixed missions NPC not spawning if the player leaves and return to the area in The Mule Doctors
Fixed a bug where El Cerebro's Assistant would not get into the car after failing the mission in El Cerebro
Fixed Bowman's call not triggering if the player fast travel during Pac Katari's call
Fixed the journalist not exiting the car if another player completes the "Free the journalist" objective in The Journalist
User Interface
Fixed a bug where the player could get stuck in the menus after validating a tutorial
Fixed GPS blinking when the player moves far away from the target
Fixed wrong number of Kingslayer files displayed on the tacmap in Media Luna and Inca Camina
Fixed the Controls section of the options menu not responding in certain occasions
Fixed a bug where the "Return to area of operations" message would remain on the screen even after returning to the area of operations
Fixed a bug where the objective of systemic activities would not display on the HUD
Pressing the right stick while in passenger position of a vehicle will now display rear view
Co-Op
Added a new public matchmaking criteria based on difficulty level
Fixed a bug where a joining player could not see a NPC grabbed by a peer
Fixed intels not unlocking for players entering the province last, despite the mission being playable via mission sharing
Fixed SAM incoming missile alert not being replicated in coop
Fixed visual effects of the "don't press me" button not replicating in coop mode
Fixed absence of variation in the helicopter sound in co-op
Fixed Suppressors sometimes not replicating correctly when changing weapon in the loadout
Fixed a bug where the mission "the Agent" would be completed for only one player when the drone battery runs dry just after the conversation is finished
Fixed a bug where the player could not interact with the rally point door if another player finished watching the cinematic
Gameplay
Type 95 LMG's Extended magazines can now be used in-game upon purchase
Fixed the player surviving falls when sticking to a wall
Player can no longer take cover behind destroyed destructibles
Fixed the player occasionally shaking when taking cover
Fixed XP stuck for players in very rare occurrences
Fixed a bug allowing the player to prone and fire through walls
Fixed a bug where the player couldn't take cover when exiting a vehicle
The Santa Muerte helicopter now has the same handling as the others helicopters
Fixed vehicles not exploding when colliding with the train
Fixed a bug allowing the player to clip through walls with a motorcycle
Fixed a bug where the Unidad alert level could drop from 4 to 0 when a reinforcement wave is cleaned
The ADV Suppressor skill now properly affects damage reduction on all weapons.
Fixed a bug where a weapon would become unusable if equipped in the loadout while the player swapped weapons
Fixed a bug where the player could not re-equip the suppressor back on Silencio once they viewed the weapon without it in Gunsmith.
Audio
Fixed Amaru not having a radio voice while travelling by helicopter
Fixed missing sound effect when a boat collides with the shore
Fixed SAM detection sound repeating itself if the player exits the range in time
Fixed audio feedback on incoming missiles
Improved radio content randomization
Fixed a bug where the AI teammates would repeat the same idle dialogues several times
Fixed absence of sound when a helicopter crashes
Fixed narrative dialogues replaying after each redeployment
Graphics
Fixed an occasional graphic corruption on the road texture when entering and exiting pause menu
Fixed graphic corruption when colliding a vehicle with a trash can
Fixed the Unidad costume clipping through the camera in First-person view
Fixed the NPCs not positioning correctly when entering a 30° inclined vehicle
The female ponytail hairstyle is no longer clipping with the Santa Muerte costume
Fixed a rare bug causing fps drops on long game sessions
Store
XP boosters now display the number of hours they last
"New vehicle unlocked" pop-up won't activate every time a vehicle pack is collected
Fixed season pass appearing as broken in the store when already purchased
The Compensator V2-SMG can now be attached to SMGs
World
Repositioned Legend collectible in the Media Luna province
Fixed multiple places where the player could get stuck
Fixed various world building glitches
Fixed boats spawning on top of each other in Agua Verde
Stability
Fixed various crashes and glitches
PC-Specific Fixes
Multiple stability issues addressed
Solved a localization problem with the store page
Fixed a case where Task Force membership wasn't properly displayed
Several Steam Controller tweaks and bug fixes
UI control reminders now change automatically from controller to mouse and keyboard upon mouse input
Solved mapping conflicts when remapping next or previous vehicle
Fixed an issue about the "hold" gauge when redeploying on team mates
Game language can be changed from Uplay launcher
The Loadout tab is now functional when switching from Factions tab with a controller
Late last year, EA confirmed that its exclusive deal with Porsche had expired after 16 years (via Polygon), paving the way for other games to feature Porsche cars. Today, Sony announced that Porsches will be in the upcoming PlayStation 4 racing game Gran Turismo Sport. This announcement came in a tweet (via IGN).
Some new tracks were also announced today; you can see them in the tweet below.
In other news, Sony and developer Polyphony Digital are now looking for GT Sport beta testers. If you live in the United States, you can sign up right here for a chance to play the game's beta. If you are selected, you will be notified via email with instructions on how to download and play the beta.
GT Sport promises to be the most ambitious game in the racing series, featuring two-year-long championships that players will be able to race in. Those will end with a ceremony where winners celebrate alongside real-world racing champions. The game will be exclusive to PlayStation 4 and is being developed to support PlayStation VR.
For more, check out all of GameSpot's written and video content for GT Sport here.
TV network Spike has released the first trailer for its upcoming series based on Stephen King's novella The Mist. Like the book, the TV series tells the story of what happens when a creepy mist comes to town. But unlike the book, the show has a new cast of characters and will tell its own story.
The show's creator, Christian Torpe, told Entertainment Weekly that Frank Darabont's 2007 movie The Mist is an example of a good adaption of King's work. He wanted to be "respectful to the source material" with the show--but also try new things.
"The novella is 200 pages and one location, and we needed to change that to make an ongoing series. But we wanted to remain faithful to the heart of the story," he said.
In the book, the people of the town huddled together in a grocery store to avoid the mist and the monsters outside. While in the store, they became the monsters. In the TV show, there will be several of these "lockdown locations," according to EW. As you can see in the trailer, these include places like a church and a mall.
EW has an in-depth and fascinating feature on the Mist TV show--read it here.
The show premieres June 22 on Spike. It stars Alyssa Sutherland, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Bill Carr, Gus Birney, and Luke Cosgrove.
The Fate of the Furious hits theaters on Friday. Star and producer Vin Diesel says the movie is going to "blow your mind," and now film critics have weighed in with their own opinions.
To help you get an idea about if The Fate of The Furious is worth your time and money, we have collected excerpts from a variety of online reviews into a roundup.
"Maybe it's just fatigue. Eight is a lot of movies for a series that started out with a ring of thieves boosting DVD players and now has something to do with stopping nuclear warheads. The escalation had to run out of fuel at some point. But to use the obvious metaphor, it's a shame the series had to take a wrong turn." -- Luke Lancaster [Full review]
Rolling Stone
"The Fate of the Furious doesn't have a thought in its head to match the best of Bond and Bourne. What it is, in every sense of the term, is insanely entertaining." -- Peter Travers [Full review]
IGN
"The Fate of the Furious provides plenty of the high-octane escapism and ridiculously elaborate vehicular mayhem fans of the series expect, while also laying the groundwork for a new phase in the franchise." -- Jim Vejvoda [Full review]
The Guardian
"...this is a big dumb action movie in its purest, most honourable sense: fast, furious, and frequently fun." -- Gwilym Mumford [Full review]
The Wrap
"And so the Furious series tries to have its heart in the right place, but only so that the pedal can be put to the metal for many more years and films to come." -- Dan Callahan [Full review]
Variety
"Most franchises, after eight films, are feeling a twinge of exhaustion, but this one has achieved a level of success--and perpetual kinetic creative energy--that's a testament to its commercial/cultural/demographic resonance. So it only makes sense that its characters must now do important things. Breaking the speed limit never looked so responsible." -- Owen Gleiberman [Full review]
The next Fast and Furious movie, The Fate of the Furious, is not expected to make as much money as Furious 7 during its opening weekend in the US. However, the international story may be different.
Variety reports that The Fate of the Furious is expected to bring in $100 million "and change" during its opening weekend in the US. That's a huge number, but it's below Furious 7's $147.2 million domestic opening weekend back in 2015. As the site reports, the death of actor Paul Walker made Furious 7 stand as a sort of "cinematic eulogy" for the actor, who died in a 2013 car crash.
Internationally, The Fate of the Furious is expected to make more than $380 million and possibly as high as $400 million or more. If it can reach that $400 million, it would surpass Furious 7, which minted $397.7 million from its global first weekend. Helping Fate of the Furious is that it's opening in China and Russia right away; Furious 7 opened in those markets after the film's initial release.
For China specifically, Fate of the Furious has set a new record for pre-sales. The franchise is strong there, as Furious 7 is the highest-grossing movie produced in the US for China, bringing in $391.3 million.
Sources told Variety that The Fate of the Furious had a production budget of $250 million, though production company Universal has not confirmed this.
The Fate of the Furious opens this Friday, April 14. Directed by Straight Outta Compton's F. Gary Gray, the movie stars Dwyane "The Rock" Johnson, Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, Charlize Theron, Michelle Rodriguez, Helen Mirren, and Kurt Russell.
Could film director Guillermo del Toro ever make a Star Wars movie? In an interview with Collider, del Toro was asked if he would be interested in directing an entry in the acclaimed sci-fi series. After initially dodging the question, del Toro revealed that he has in fact had discussions with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and ILM executive John Knoll about his "ideas." However, he did not get into specifics about his ideas or the nature of his conversation with the Star Wars bosses.
"There's some characters that are great," del Toro said about the Star Wars universe. "And I have talked to Kathleen Kennedy and John Knoll about ideas. But you know, I want to do my sh**. I want to do it first. I'm veering a lot towards animation. I love animation."
This isn't the first time del Toro has talked about the Star Wars series. In 2015, he told Yahoo that he had an idea for a Godfather-style origin story for the character Jabba the Hutt. At the time, he made it clear that this is not a real project that was in the works.
Whatever the case, it's exciting to think about what a talented filmmaker like del Toro could do in the Star Wars universe.
Del Toro directed Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy films, as well as Pacific Rim. As he mentioned, he's a big fan of animation, and his new Netflix series, Trollhunters, is coming back for Season 2. He was at one time attached to direct The Hobbit, but later dropped out, with Peter Jackson taking over.
A new patch for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has arrived. This is the game's third update, following ones that arrived on launch day (March 3) and back on March 31.
Like the March 31 update, the patch notes for today's update (version 1.1.2) are one line long and don't get into specifics. "Adjustments have been made to make for a more pleasant gaming experience," the patch notes say.
GameSpot booted up Breath of the Wild on Nintendo Switch and found that the game had been updated to version 1.1.2, the newest version.
The previous update improved frame rate in some areas, though it's unclear what exactly this newest patch does. We'll report back with more details as they're made available.
Netflix has released a "first look" trailer for Orange is the New Black Season 5--and it's pretty intense. The video shows the character Dyanara Diaz (Dascha Polanco) pointing a gun at a guard, which is where the show ended after Season 4.
Piper (Taylor Schilling) and Alex (Laura Prepon) are walking down a hallway when they encounter this high-stakes situation. They want to avoid trouble, but that's exactly what they're walking into. "We see trouble, we turn around, we walk the other way," Alex says right at the worst moment.
A gunshot can be heard at the end of the video, but we don't see who might have been shot. We won't find out until Season 5 premieres on June 9, it seems.
We don't know much about Orange is the New Black's fifth season. But Taystee actress Danielle Brooks said in an interview with E! in January that the season has a "very detailed, very intense" story that takes place over just three days.
The awesome first trailer for Thor: Ragnarokwas released on Monday--and it was a huge hit. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it picked up more than 136 million views across all sources in its first 24 hours. This sets a new record for any Marvel movie, while it also passes the first-day viewership tallies for trailers from Disney's other divisions, including Lucasfilm and Pixar.
The previous record-holder at Disney was Beauty and the Beast, which tallied 127.6 million views in its first day. Trailers for Star Wars: The Force Awakens (112 million) and Captain America: Civil War (94 million) were also top performers on their first days.
136 million views is not an all-time record for the number of views in the first 24 hours, however. That record belongs to Stephen King's It, which scared up 197 million views in its first day.
The Ragnarok trailer drew a positive critical response. It sees Chris Hemsworth star again as Thor, and in one particularly memorable sequence, he squares off against Hulk, his "friend from work." The video also shows off Cate Blanchett's villainous Hela. The Led Zeppelin song "Immigrant Song" is used in the trailer; the song's lyrics reference Valhalla and Hammer of the Gods, so it's pretty fitting.
Ragnarok opens on November 3. It is directed by Taika Waititi (What We Do In The Shadows) and also features Idris Elba as Heimdall, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, and Mark Ruffalo as Hulk.
A major new gaming update for Windows 10 has arrived. The Creators Update, as it's called, adds built-in support for the interactive livestreaming service Beam, the Windows Game Mode, and more. You can see a walkthrough of the new features in the video below, narrated by Microsoft's Major Nelson.
The Game Mode feature aims to help improve "overall gaming performance and consistency by optimizing system resources more efficiently" for games. Game Mode is supported on already-released games, as well as new titles coming out. You can access Game Mode by pulling up the Game Bar and clicking on the Settings button. From there, you can toggled it on for the game currently running.
Major Nelson says the Creators update is the "first milestone" in Microsoft's commitment to continually updating and improving the gaming experience on Windows 10.
NetherRealm says Injustice 2's Gear system, which lets you outfit your character with not only cosmetic items but also new skills that impacts gameplay, brings a "new level of depth to the game." As you can see in the trailer embedded above, there is a lot of variety in terms of what you can choose.
For a much deeper dive into Injustice 2's Gear System, including commentary from the game developers, you can read GameSpot's preview from earlier this year. One concern some may have about the Gear System that newcomers might get dominated by those with leveled-up gear. NetherRealm has a solution for that--you can read about that and more here.
Ubisoft has shared more details, including a release date, for Ghost Recon: Wildlands' first expansion, Narco Road. The expansion lands on April 18 on all systems for people who own the game's $40 season pass. Everyone else can buy it starting on April 25, priced at $15 by itself.
In Narco Road, your job is to infiltrate gangs led by the ringleader El Invisible. You can't get to him, however, until you gain the trust of his underbosses, including (descriptions via Ubisoft):
Eddie Escovado: The self-proclaimed social media star and adrenaline-addicted leader of the Kamikazes gang.
Arturo Rey: The mysterious leader of the Death Riders, a gang of riders who worship Santa Muerte.
Tonio Mateos: The arrogant leader of the Jinetes Locos, a gang specializing in racing muscle cars.
There are 15 "fast-paced" missions in Narco Road, as well as four new types of side missions. You will earn fame and influence by completing these missions; earn enough and you'll get a chance to take down El Invisible.
Additionally, Narco Road comes with four outfits, nine weapons, and four vehicles types, including monster trucks, muscle cars, motorcycles, and planes.
Finally, Ubisoft announced that an update for all Wildlands players will launch on April 12 for consoles and April 14 for PC. This will add weekly challenges for solo and co-op play that start anew every Wednesday. You can earn up to three in-game rewards every week, and the seasons will last for six weeks; each has a specific theme. The first season is called The Rise and Fall of Unidad.
Narco Road is the first of two major planned expansions for Wildlands. The next is called Fallen Ghosts, and it sounds like a Black Hawk Down situation, as players get shot down from their helicopter and must survive as they're being hunted by "ruthless mercenaries."
It's a big day for Diablo III, as the game's Necromancer class is now available in closed beta.
Announced at BlizzCon last year, Necromancers are "powerful spell casters who lay waste to their enemies using curses and reanimation--along with an obedient cadre of pets," reads a line from Blizzard's official description. "This new class employs a controlled gameplay style using the raw materials of life: blood and bone."
If you have been selected for the Necromancer closed beta, this will show up on your Blizzard Account Management page. You can then select "Necromancer Beta Test" from the drop-down menu in the launcher to install and start playing. Additionally, you can copy over characters from your regular Diablo III account and bring them to the Necromancer beta test.
Full instructions for downloading the beta and copying characters can be found here. If you still need to sign up for the beta, you can do that right here.
Finally, Blizzard shared the preliminary patch notes for 2.6.0, which includes the Necromancer class, as well as Challenge Rifts and the Adventure Mode.
Explore new builds created by fellow players in a weekly static dungeon. You can access these through the main screen, similar to Adventure Mode and Campaign Mode.
Note: New Challenge Rifts may be available more frequently during the beta.
As a master of the dark arts, you wield the powers of life and death necessary to restore the Balance! Necromancers are powerful spell casters who lay waste to their enemies using curses and reanimation—along with an obedient cadre of pets. This new class employs a controlled gameplay style using the raw materials of life: blood and bone.
New Zones: The Moors & The Temple of the Firstborn
The fog-enshrouded Moors and the darkened Temple of the Firstborn can be explored in Adventure Mode through a new waypoint on the Act 2 map.
Set Dungeons
The user interface has been updated to better explain tier completion requirements.
With this, the basic completion tier must be finished within the given time limit.
Bounties
Four new Waypoints have appeared in Act IV. Each one has bounties to complete. These Realms of Fate are the unintended consequences of the battle between the nephalem and Diablo in the High Heavens.
There's a new trailer out for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare's upcoming DLC expansion Continuum, and new details about its four new multiplayer maps. Players will battle it out everywhere from a resort to a museum to a junkyard on the moon.
You can get a look at the new locations in the trailer above, and here are gameplay notes for all four:
Turista: A plush spa and resort, Turista is nestled in the middle of a giant skeleton of an ancient creature. With sniper spots scattered across a majestic, central waterfall, Turista also boasts tight interiors for fans of close-quartered combat and a three-lane design that caters to a variety of play styles.
Scrap: Set in an abandoned junkyard on the Moon, Scrap features a combination of extended sightlines and tactical pathways that reward players who engage in both long and short range combat.
Archive: Fast, frenetic engagements set the pace in Archive, a post-futurist art gallery where tight engagements contrast with open exterior battlegrounds in this wide three-lane style map.
Excess: Perched atop a gilded penthouse in a sprawling future metropolis, Excess is a small, circular map re-imagined from the classic Modern Warfare 2 map, Rust, that retains the intense, fast-paced combat from the original.
Last week, we got a look at a fifth and very different play mode in the upcoming expansion. The star-studded Shaolin Shuffle Zombies map takes you into 1970s New York to battle, of all things, disco-zombies. It features Pam Grier, who starred in Quentin Tarantino's 1997 crime thriller film Jackie Brown, as well as Paul Reubens, Seth Green, Jay Pharoah, and Sasheer Zamata. You won't to miss the trailer here. Get a look at some of those disco-zombies in the screenshots below.
Grand Theft Auto V's multiplayer is getting a new way to play today: Rockstar Games revealed the team-vs-team battle mode on its website, which reads, "Every minute counts in Land Grab, where teams battle to control territory in an unforgiving cyberspace: shoot the other guy in the neck, grab his turf, reload and repeat. If you don't do it, someone will do it for you."
The new GTA Online Adversary Mode allows up to four teams to battle it out in neon suits (Tron, anyone?). There are seven new maps, where players claim territory from other teams by simply running over to their enemies' land and marking it with their own neon color. The team with the most territory when the timer runs out wins.
Winning comes with a big boost too: players earn double RP and GTA$ in Land Grab until April 24.
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