Spider-Man (Tom Holland) is getting a lot of upgrades for Avengers: Infinity War. Though it hasn't been revealed in trailers, the new Iron Spider suit Peter Parker wears in the movie has an interesting addition--and it was revealed thanks to a toy.
The Spider-Man collectible from Hot Toys is incredibly detailed and, in a sneak peek at it on Instagram, it looks like the new suit has something in common with Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.). Both suits have palm repulsors. There's a couple of reasons this should come as no surprise. First and foremost, the Iron Spider suit in the comics features these. Additionally, Tony Stark designed Peter's new gear. Why wouldn't he include some of his favorite weaponry?
The repulsors, in addition to the mechanical arms that are also seen in the toy images, should make for some interesting new assets for Peter in the battle against Thanos (Josh Brolin). After all, if he can fire blasts of energy at his enemies, in addition to his webbing, Spider-Man will be a pretty useful ally.
That said, he's still a fledgling superhero, so chances are it will be a bumpy road as he gets used to his new abilities. That's what makes Spider-Man such a joy to watch. He's a kid who is still getting accustomed to what it means to be a hero, learning the ropes.
It just so happens that when it comes to Infinity War, those ropes are all that's holding together a universe than Thanos is desperate to destroy. Avengers: Infinity War is in theaters on April 27.
Hearthstone game director Ben Brode has announced that he's leaving the company. Today will be his last day, and he marked the occasion with a long goodbye letter to the fans and company. The letter is vague about future plans, but he does specify that he's leaving to help start a new company, and it will probably be involved in game design.
"I am very fortunate to be able to take a crazy risk right now in my life, and I'm excited to be scrappy and a little scared," he said. "I'm going to help start a new company. We'll probably make games, but we haven't figured anything else out, yet. I'm looking forward to designing, programming, and actually creating things again. I'm going to miss the on-campus Starbucks, though. Dang."
Brode started at the company as a "Night Crew Game Tester," and in 2008 moved to Team 5 to begin work on Hearthstone. He was officially named Game Director in late 2016. His friendliness with the community made him the public face of the game, a point he acknowledges in his letter.
"I get too much credit by virtue of being a public face, but the 80+ people on the development team are still there, and they are the ones actually making the cards, brawls, events, missions, and features. I am confident the game is in the best possible hands, and I'm excited to see where a new generation of leaders takes Hearthstone from here."
The announcement comes just on the heels of release of Hearthstone's latest expansion, The Witchwood. Brode was active in the promotion of the new set, including some hammy acting in a Blair Witch parody video (above) to kick off the reveals. The game is currently offering three packs and a class Legendary for logging in during the launch event. Next week, the single-player portion of the Witchwood, Monster Hunt, will release. Check out all 135 Witchwood cards from the expansion.
It's been a busy week for deal hunters, with loads of sales and discounts on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC games to choose from. Here's a roundup of some of the best deals from a variety of sources.
Let's start with the best kinds of deal you'll ever find: free games. Peggle is currently free for PC on Origin. Download it. Play it. Love it. PC gamers can also download a free copy of Satellite Reign from the Humble Store. It's yours to keep and play forever.
Xbox One owners will be pleased to see that PUBG is free to play all weekend long. Any progress you make carries over if you decide to buy the full version after the weekend's over. Speaking of Xbox One, horror fans will be pleased to hear Microsoft is running a big horror game sale this week. So if you've been meaning to scare the pants off yourself playing games like Outlast 2 ($10) or Layers of Fear ($6), head over to see the full list.
If you're into gaming apparel and collectibles, you have two big sales to check out this week. Both the BioWare Store and the Bethesda Store are shutting down temporarily. They'll be back up eventually, but now they're trying to liquidate tons of apparel, accessories, and collectibles by putting them on sale for cheap. So if you want major discounts on gear based on franchises like Mass Effect, Fallout, and The Elder Scrolls, visit the respective store for savings.
This one isn't quite a deal--in fact, it's kind of the opposite--but it may be of interest to fans of the PS4 exclusive Nioh. You can now pre-order a statue of the protagonist and his spirit guardian. The only catch? It costs $1,000.
We can't spend all of our free time gaming. If you want to expand your leisure activities to movies, you're in luck: Best Buy is running special offers on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray movies. For instance, you can grab a Kubrick collection and the Lord of the Rings trilogy for $20.
Some links to supporting retailers are automatically made into affiliate links, and GameSpot may receive a small share of those sales.
We've known for some time that Blizzard planned some kind of overhaul for Hanzo, Overwatch's bow-wielding hero. Now, we know exactly what it has in store for the character, as these changes have been implemented on the PC version's Public Test Realm, alongside the new Rialto map and other changes.
Most significantly, Hanzo's old Scatter Arrow ability--the one that shot a bunch of arrows that would ricochet off of surfaces--is gone. It's been replaced by Storm Arrows, which allows him to "rapidly fire up to six arrows that deal reduced damage but are always fired at full power." He also gains the ability to leap horizontally with Lunge (by pressing the jump key/button while in mid-air), and the projectile speed of his basic attacks has been increased from 85 to 100. Finally, Sonic Arrow--which reveals enemies near its impact--can now be used more often but is less effective: Its cooldown drops to 12 seconds from 20, but its duration is only six seconds (down from 10) and its radius is seven meters (down from 10).
"The goal of these Hanzo changes is to allow him to have new options and maintain his high damage output, while removing the frustration of fighting against the old Scatter Arrow," Blizzard explained in the full patch notes. "Hanzo is now much more mobile with his new Lunge ability, and with the combination of the bow projectile speed increase and the new Storm Arrows ability he can now deal his high damage more consistently than ever before."
While Hanzo's changes are by far the most extensive, he's not the only character with some balance tweaks in this update. Lucio's Wall Ride has been reworked; Blizzard said it's a "huge improvement," and it's now less likely to be interrupted if you're sticking to the same surface. He can also go around corners using it without leaving the wall, and it's possible to jump away from a wall and then return to it. Additionally, Soundwave no longer consumes ammo when used.
Brigitte, the game's newest hero, has had her Shield Bash's cone angle reduced from 90 to 60. Blizzard said this should prevent some frustration when using it (or being hit by it), as "the ability is more accurate to its visual representation." Junkrat sees some minor adjustments; his default attack's projectile size has been decreased (to 0.2 from 0.3), as has the movement speed of RIP-Tire (to 12 from 13).
Genji sees a bit of a nerf involving his Deflect ability; its hitbox size has been reduced. This sounds as if it's specifically meant to avoid deflecting projectiles that are further away from him than it should. Finally, Tracer's Pulse Bomb max damage has been decreased from 400 to 300, making it "less powerful as a tank-destroyer, while keeping it lethal against most other heroes."
This PTR update also makes some other bug fixes and tweaks. This is all live on the PTR right now, which you can access through Blizzard Battle.net if you own the PC version. There's no word on when these changes will make their way to the live game, although bear in mind that these specific changes could always be tweaked further.
Grand Theft Auto Online is always getting updates and additional content, and this week is no different. The biggest additions include a mode called The Vespucci Job, along with new vehicles, a new Premium Race, and a Time Trial. Those are significant additions GTA Online players will surely want to check out. But you might want to wait for all that until tomorrow, because today only--yes, 4/20--GTA Online is having a big sale on all things related to weed.
Specifically, all marijuana-based purchases are 50% off today. You can buy a Weed Business, Weed Business Upgrades, and Green Tire Smoke for half price. Also, all the product your Weed Businesses sell today gets a 50% premium. Now that's the kind of subsidy 420 aficionados can appreciate.
Once you save money and make money with those weed specials, you might want to try out the other new content this week. Rockstar describes The Vespucci Job as a "madcap, four-player adversary mode." In it, two teams go head to head in a car chase. One team is on the run in the new Issi Classic car, while the other team controls a squad car trying madly to take down their opponent. Playing The Vespucci Job between now and April 23 nets you double GTA% and RP.
Check Rockstar's full update notes for more information. Here's a full rundown of the specials you can find in GTA Online this week.
GTA Online Discounts Through April 23:
Vehicle Discounts
Karin 190z -- 25% off
Vapid Hustler -- 25% off
Albany Hermes -- 25% off
Phantom Wedge -- 35% off (Buy It Now and Trade Prices)
A new Event Mode is now underway in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds on PC. Developer PUBG Corp. has kicked off a new limited-time playlist dubbed Metal Rain, which will only be available in the popular battle royale game for a very limited time.
Metal Rain is an eight-player Squads mode set on PUBG's original map, Erangel. This time around, flare guns will "spawn randomly alongside normal loot locations" as opposed to in fixed spots. Firing the flare gun within the safe zone will call in special care packages; however, firing it outside of the zone will drop a special vehicle, the armored UAZ.
Metal Rain is available for up to 96 players, divided up into 12 teams of eight. You're able to invite up to seven friends to form a squad. You also have the option to disable auto-matching if you'd prefer not to play with a full team of eight. Metal Rain will only be available through the weekend, concluding at 7 PM PT / 10 PM ET on Sunday, April 22 (4 AM CEST on April 23). You can read more about the mode on Steam.
In other news, PUBG Corp. recently announced that it's working on a map selection feature for the game. The feature is slated to roll out on the test server "soon" and will give players the option to choose if they'd rather play on Erangel or the newer Miramar when starting a game. If the player selects both maps, then the game will randomly choose between them.
PUBG Corp. has also revealed some more details about the game's in-development third map, Codename: Savage, which recently entered its second round of testing earlier this week. Savage is notable for being much smaller than PUBG's other two maps-- 4x4 as opposed to 8x8--but another distinctive feature of the map is that is will have an underground cave system. Game creator Brendan Greene also teased PUBG could get more 4x4 (or possibly even larger) maps in the future.
The cult favorite tactical RPG Disgaea: Hour of Darkness is receiving an HD makeover on PS4 and Nintendo Switch. To commemorate the game's 15th anniversary, NIS America is releasing Disgaea 1 Complete, a remake of the classic PS2 title slated to arrive in the West this fall.
Disgaea 1 Complete features the same story and gameplay as the original PS2 version, albeit with the improved visuals from the series' most recent installment, Disgaea 5. The remake also boasts an Etna Mode, which NIS says features "extra characters not found in the original release." You can see some screenshots of Disgaea 1 Complete below.
In addition to the standard release, NIS America is offering a special Rosen Queen's Finest Edition of Disgaea 1 Complete. The latter is only available in limited quantities through the company's online store and retails for $100. Along with a copy of the game, the special edition comes with assortment of bonus items, including a soundtrack, hardcover art book, pin set, Prinny cube plush, posters, and more, all of which is housed in a collector's box shaped like a Prinny's pouch.
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness was the first installment in the Disgaea series. It originally released on PS2 in 2003 and would subsequently be ported to PSP, DS, and PC. It follows the story of Laharl, the prince of the Netherworld, who bands together with an army of unlikely allies to reclaim his throne.
GameSpot award the original game an 8.1/10 in our Disgaea: Hour of Darkness review. "'Really something' is maybe the right way to describe Disgaea overall," critic Greg Kasavin wrote. "It's a game that's unorthodox above all else, and filled with plenty of cheeky humor, some likable characters, a number of intriguing gameplay elements, and many, many hours of turn-based combat."
Microsoft is getting Fortnite: Battle Royale players together for tournaments every Friday over the next several months, starting April 20. Players in the US (including Puerto Rico), Canada, and Australia can head to their local Microsoft Store's ASUS ROG Arena and play the game on PC with the others in attendance. Of course, there are prizes at stake for those who land that Victory Royale.
The tournaments go from 5:30 PM - 9 PM local time. From April 20 - May 11, the tournaments will be for Solos; from May 18 until June 8, the tournaments will be for Duos; and from June 15 - July 6, you'll be able to play in Squads at the events. The grand prize, each week, is gift cards totalling 2,500 V-Bucks for each player on the winning team.
Players are provided with high-powered laptops, mice, headsets, and an optional PC-compatible Xbox One controller, and if you want to take part you need to pre-register on Microsoft's Smash.gg website. You'll still need to show up on time to the Microsoft Store also, as the tournament is first-come, first-served.
In other Fortnite news, the game has just reintroduced an improved 50v50 mode in its latest update, along with a series of other bug fixes and tweaks. As an added incentive to play this weekend, the game is also rewarding players with double XP until Sunday, April 22.
[Update]: The map is live on PTR for PC right now. If you want to try it out yourself you can jump in and experience it firsthand. Or check out the video above for our own adventures in Rialto. The original story appears below.
Overwatch's latest map, Rialto, was added as part of the game's limited time Retribution PvE mode. The arena appears to have proved popular, as developer Blizzard has now added it as a PvP map on the game's Public Test Realm on PC.
This time round, Rialto is set during the day, rather than night as it is on Retribution. The map is only available for Escort matches right now and will likely come to the main game on PS4, Xbox One and PC soon.
Retribution is live now and runs until April 30. Alongside the PvE mode and returning cosmetics from last year, you can also take part in the returning Uprising PvE mode. Both of these, like the Junkenstein's Revenge mode released around Halloween, are only available on a limited-time basis because Blizzard doesn't think they offer the necessary level of long-term depth.
An update was recently released for the live version of Overwatch that nerfed D.Va and buffed Reaper, among other balance changes. D.Va's damage output has decreased, while Reaper's Death Blosson now reloads his shotguns after it's used. His Wraith Form, meanwhile, now grants a 50% speed bonus (up from 25%), and the ability can now be canceled.
Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon players will soon have a chance to add another free pair of Legendaries to their teams. Beginning this weekend, The Pokemon Company is giving away Entei and Raikou as part of its ongoing Year of Legendary Pokemon celebration, but they'll only be available for a very limited time.
To claim the Legendaries, fans in the US will need to travel to a specific retailer and pick up a download code for the Pokemon. This time, the free code will be available at the electronics section of participating Target stores across the country from April 22-29. Players in Europe, meanwhile, can download the Legendaries via an online Mystery Gift from the games' main menu until April 25.
The code is redeemable in any seventh generation Pokemon title, although the Legendary you receive depends on which game you're playing. Those with Sun or Ultra Sun will get the Fire-type Entei, while Moon and Ultra Moon players will receive the Electric-type Raikou.
If you redeem the code in either of the Ultra games, the Pokemon will come equipped with a rare Gold Bottle Cap, which can be exchanged to max out a Pokemon's IVs in Hyper Training. The Legendaries also know different moves depending on the version. You can see their movesets in each game below.
Pokemon Ultra Sun
Entei -- Level 100
Sacred Fire
Stone Edge
Iron Head
Flame Charge
Pokemon Sun
Entei -- Level 60
Stomp
Bite
Swagger
Lava Plume
Pokemon Ultra Moon
Raikou -- Level 100
Thunderbolt
Volt Switch
Extrasensory
Calm Mind
Pokemon Moon
Raikou -- Level 60
Reflect
Crunch
Thunder Fang
Discharge
To redeem the download code, first select Mystery Gift from the games' main menu, then choose the option to receive your gift via a code/password. Input the code you picked up and your Legendary Pokemon will be downloaded. You will then have to retrieve it from the deliveryman, who will be waiting inside any of the games' Pokemon Centers. You'll need to have an empty slot in your party to claim the Legendary.
Star Wars Battlefront II's latest update, Night on Endor, has gone live on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and with it so has a new microtransaction system for cosmetic items. The update also brings a new limited-time mode to the game, and since it's Endor, you could have guessed that the Ewoks are involved.
The new mode, called Ewok Hunt, involves a battle on Endor between the Ewoks and Stormtroopers. You choose which side you'd like to play; the Ewoks ambush the invading Stormtroopers and the Stormtroppers must hold off the horde until an extraction team arrives to help with their escape. Every defeated Stormtrooper spawns another Ewok over the battle, but of course Ewok players will have to deal with the Empire's superior weapons.
Along with Ewok Hunt, Night on Endor brings Crystals back into the game. Crystals are in-game currency bought with real-world money and they can be used to purchase Appearances, like Endor Leia and Endor Han. These are cosmetic only and can be used to personalize units. You can also use in-game Credits to buy Appearances and personalize characters in the same way. There are also Trooper Appearances available; here is a full list of all the new Appearances for characters in this update:
Wounded Chewbacca, with arm patch
Scarred Kylo Ren, patch over scar
Administrator Lando, Bespin
Commander Iden, no helmet
Hooded Yoda, pulled up hood
Endor Leia
Endor Han
Ahch-To Rey
The return of real-money microtransactions is a big deal in Star Wars Battlefront II, after developers pulled them from the game entirely following a big backlash over how they influenced gameplay progression. Now, EA's chief design director says the company has learned its lesson and won't repeat the same errors again.
There are several other bug fixes and changes in the Night on Endor update, including changes to how Crafting Points work and a new Credit boost for winning matches. You can see all the details on Star Wars Battlefront II's Community Transmission.
Star Wars Battlefront II's loot box controversy undoubtedly stole the game's thunder when it released on PC, PS4, and Xbox One last November. After pre-release gameplay revealed the game was essentially "pay-to-play" thanks to the way the progression system worked, EA pulled in-game transactions altogether. Now Patrick Söderlund, EA's former head of worldwide studios who was just appointed chief design officer in an internal shakeup, is speaking out about the fiasco and the company's next steps.
"I'd be lying to you if I said that what's happened with Battlefront and what's happened with everything surrounding loot boxes and these things haven't had an effect on EA as a company and an effect on us as management," Söderlund told The Verge. "We can shy away from it and pretend like it didn't happen, or we can act responsibly and realize that we made some mistakes, and try to rectify those mistakes and learn from them."
Earlier this year, EA revealed that Battlefront II had failed to meet sales targets, which the company blamed on the microtransaction controversy that plagued its launch. EA has maintained its insistence that it will make good with the game. Later this week, Battlefront II will get an update that brings microtransactions back to the game, but for cosmetic items only. Söderlund feels the game has now turned a corner.
"We had to take very quick and drastic actions to turn everything off, and we've since worked and redesigned the progression system. People seem to appreciate what we've done, players are coming back, and we're seeing stronger engagement numbers. People seem to think that for the most part, we got it right. It doesn't mean we will stop. We'll continue to improve the game, we'll continue to push on these things, and we'll have to be very cautious with what this means for future products," he said.
EA has some large releases in its future, with the next Battlefield title in the cards and the Destiny-esque action game Anthem due out next year. Söderlund says the company has done its homework, this time around.
"We have taken significant steps as a company to review and understand the mechanics around monetization, loot boxes, and other things in our games before they go to market. For games that come next, for Battlefield or for Anthem, [players have] made it very clear that we can't afford to make similar mistakes. And we won't."
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds has been a phenomenon this past year. Not only has it seen explosive growth, but it's also helped inspire a wave of other battle royale games coming this year. If you have an Xbox One and haven't hopped on the PUBG drop plane yet, now's your chance. PUBG is currently free to play for Xbox One owners through Sunday, April 22. The only catch is that you have to be an Xbox Live Gold subscriber to take advantage of the free play weekend.
To download the full-game trial, simply head to the Xbox Store or click into the Gold section on the dashboard of your Xbox One. Any progress you make during the free play weekend will carry over into the full game, should you decide to buy it down the line.
Now is a good time to buy, too, because the Xbox One version of PUBG is getting the desert map Miramar next month. Seeing as Erangel is the only map available now for Xbox One players, that will effectively double the game's playable real estate. Along with the new map will come three additional vehicles: a minibus, pickup truck, and jet ski.
In addition to the free play weekend, the Xbox One version of PUBG is getting a limited-time DLC pack that contains some new outfits (see below). The pack costs $7 and will be available from April 19 to May 19.
Meanwhile, the developers are currently working on a smaller map for PUBG on PC, dubbed Codename: Savage. If history is any indication, it should arrive on Xbox One a few months after it lands on PC.
Not everyone is a PUBG fan. If you're firmly in the camp of the free-to-play competitor Fortnite, you'll be pleased to hear that game just got an update and is offering players double XP this weekend. Let the battle of the battle royale games begin.
Today is the day. After years of development, Sony's God of War reboot for PlayStation 4 is finally out. Game director Cory Barlog and his team pushed hard on the game for five years to get the action-adventure title out the door, and that day has finally arrived.
Barlog posted a video of himself checking God of War's reviews for the first time--and it's a lot. After hesitating, he goes to GameSpot sister site Metacritic to see the game's overall score--at the time he checked it was 94 (it's 95 today). Seeing his game being praised so much drove him to tears.
"[The review scores] shouldn't matter, but I'm just so f**king proud," Barlog said. "I'm just so lucky to work with the people that I work with. I'm glad I didn't f**k it up."
Barlog said he wasn't sure he wanted to even make this video. He was pushed to do so after thinking about what his son is "going through right now." Barlog said it was important for him to let his son know it is OK to be sad and to show emotion.
"It is OK to cry. There is nothing to hide. I thought I would try to set a good example and show him that papa can cry in front of the world," Barlog said.
Fortnite sure is popular. The NFL's Buffalo Bills have created a silly new video where they announced their 2018 schedule by way of Fortnite. Really.
"All aboard the Battle Bus," reads a tweet from the studio with the video. The video shows Fortnite's famous Battle Bus flying across the map, but instead of places like Tilted Towers, you see locations like Bill's Badlands. It's expected at this point for big brands and teams to try to connect with the audiences through Fortnite, which is one of the most popular games on Earth right now. But really, all of these forced Fortnite branding opportunities are getting to be a bit much, if you ask me.
Capcom has one of the biggest video game publishers since the '80s. This weekend, the Humble Store is dropping prices by up to 80% on Capcom PC games from across the decades. Here are some of the top picks in the Capcom Weekend Sale at the Humble Store.
Unsurprisingly, the Resident Evil series plays a key role in the sale, with just about every installment and spin-off available at a discount. To that effect, you can buy Resident Evil 7 Gold Edition, which comes with all the expansions, for $38. Resident Evil 6: Complete Pack is $10, and Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition is $7. The older classics and remakes are available for between $5 and $8 each.
Many more games appear in the sale, so check out the Humble Store Capcom Sale page for the full list of discounted Capcom games. And if you're interested in saving money on strategy games, check out the latest Humble Bundle.
Some links to supporting retailers are automatically made into affiliate links, and GameSpot may receive a small share of those sales.
If the direction and timeline of the DC and X-Men superhero universes often seem contradictory and confusing, they have nothing on the big horror franchises. With the rights passed between studios and producers and the interests of horror fans constantly shifting, there is often little continuity or consistency between sequels, especially for those franchises that have been running for decades.
The Halloween series is perhaps the worst example, not least because the movie that kicked it off was so good. John Carpenter's 1978 original might not have technically been the first slasher movie--that honour arguably belongs to Bob Clark's Black Christmas (1974) or possibly Mario Bava's Bay of Blood (1971)--but it was the film that made this subgenre a serious commercial force and inspired dozens of copycat movies over the following years. Inevitably there was a 1981 sequel, which, while not a patch on that tense, stylish first movie, was at least written by Carpenter and saw Jamie Lee Curtis return as Laurie Strode (now revealed to be the sister of the franchise's masked killer, Michael Myers, aka The Shape).
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1983) was a standalone movie that had nothing to do with the saga of The Shape. Carpenter considered that story done, so his plan was to launch an anthology movie series that would revolve around the holiday itself. But Halloween III's financial failure led to 1988's Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers; from this point on Carpenter's only involvement was an executive producer credit, cashing the checks but having no creative influence.
Halloween 5 followed in 1989 and part 6 in 1995. But by this point, even the most devoted fans were losing interested in this once great slice of iconic horror. Michael was no longer the terrifying presence of the first two movies and the films' increasingly modest box office returns showed how little fans were starting to care.
So hopes weren't high for Halloween H20, which was released 20 years ago this summer. At one stage, Carpenter was set to make a return to the series, at the request of Jamie Lee Curtis, who had herself agreed to return for a new movie. Ultimately Carpenter walked away, with producer Moustapha Akkad--whose estate owns the rights to the series--reportedly unwilling to pay Carpenter the $10 million that he asked for. So Steve Miner was hired instead; while Miner is hardly one of the great horror directors of the era, he was also far from a novice, with hits such as House and Friday the 13th parts 2 and 3 under his belt.
Against the odds, not only was H20 good, it was the best Halloween movie since the first one. So what went right? For a start, writers Robert Zappia and Matt Greenberg basically ignored every movie since Halloween II. Of course, Curtis's return made this essential since Halloween 4 establishes that Laurie Strode is dead. But more importantly, it allowed the filmmakers to wipe the slate clean and bury parts 4-6 in the video graveyard; they essentially said this is the third Michael Myers movie.
Curtis's presence is H20's other great advantage. The intervening entries did have the presence of the great Donald Pleasance as Dr. Loomis, but his role became increasingly small and more redundant as the films continued, and by 1998 the actor was sadly no longer with us. Bringing Curtis back not only gave the movie continuity with the earlier, better films, it also helped H20 stand apart from the other horror movies of the era.
This was the decade of Scream of course--Wes Craven's smart, self-aware, scary slasher was a massive hit in 1996, and like Halloween 20 years earlier, it inspired a wave of similar movies and their sequels. From I Know What you Did Last Summer to Urban Legend and Cherry Falls, these films were marked by young casts, pop-culture references, and a self-referential quality that was missing in previous decades. H20 ticks many of these boxes, which isn't surprising, given Scream creator Kevin Williamson wrote the movie's initial treatment and reportedly came back for some uncredited rewrites. The cast is packed with upcoming young stars (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Josh Hartnett, Michelle Williams), plus rapper LL Cool J, and Janet Leigh, star of Hitchcock's Psycho and Curtis's real-life mom.
Curtis brought a sense of dramatic weight to the film. Having faked her death to stop Michael tracking her down, Laurie now lives with the terrible memory of the events of the first movie when she was 17. Her own son John (Hartnett) is himself turning 17 on--you guessed it!--October 31, and inevitably Michael returns for a family reunion. But the Laurie of 1998 is very different to the teenage babysitter of two decades earlier. Taking her lead from the likes of Terminator's Sarah Connor and Alien's Ripley, Curtis delivers one of the decade's most kickass heroines. With John and his friends in danger from her crazed brother, Laurie races to save them and faces Michael down in a brutal one-on-one. And in a nod to the fact that by 1998 no one is surprised when a slasher movie villains sits up at the end after being seemingly killed, in the final sequence, Laurie steals the ambulance in which Michael's "body" lies. As she knew, Michael ain't dead; it takes being run over, thrown off a cliff, and beheaded to finally lay him to rest.
And that probably should have been that. A fun, exciting horror sequel that closed the door on a classic franchise; time to move on to great some new movies. But while Halloween H20's considerable box office success was well deserved, it also meant that there was no way that the film's producers--Miramax by this stage--were going to let it lie. So the cycle began again. A truly terrible "sequel" followed in 2002 in the, er, shape of Halloween: Resurrection, directed by Halloween II's director Rick Rosenthal. It not only brought Michael back from the dead via a twist so idiotic I can't even bring myself to type it, it also killed Laurie off in the opening scenes.
While Resurrection remains the lowest point of the franchise, the subsequent attempt to reboot the entire series wasn't much more successful. Musician-turned-director Rob Zombie was handed this task; he upped the gore quota and gave Michael an unnecessary backstory, and while both Halloween (2007) and Halloween II (2009) have their moments of brutal intensity, even at their best they are a pale imitation of everything Carpenter did so well in the first place. With mediocre box office returns and seemingly nowhere for the series to go, Halloween II was the last movie in the series to date, leaving the longest gap between movies in its history. It seemed that all the hard work that H20 did in restoring some of the original's glory was in vain.
Which brings us to Halloween, the third movie to carry this title, which is set for release this October and is directed by acclaimed indie filmmaker David Gordon Green. In what feels like an uncanny mirroring of 1998, Curtis is returning to play Laurie Strode, for a movie which, again, ignores most of the movies in between. This time Carpenter IS involved, both creatively as a hands-on story advisor and in contributing the movie's score. While little is known about the plot specifics, we know that this Halloween is a direct sequel to the first movie, so it's very possible that Michael isn't even Laurie's brother in this one.
Will it do what Halloween H20 did, 20 years ago? It certainly seems to be in good hands, from Carpenter and Curtis to producers Blumhouse, who are on a serious roll with the recent successes of Get Out, Split, and the Purge movies. And while Green and co-writer Danny McBride are known more for comedy and drama than horror, they certainly seem to understand what made the original so good. Here's hoping it's a happy, scary Halloween this year.
Syfy is continuing to beef up its comic book offerings. Currently, the network is home to DC Comics drama Krypton, along with the adaptation of Grant Morrison's graphic novel Happy. Now Syfy is turning another property into a series--and it has enlisted some big names to make it a reality.
Joe and Anthony Russo, who directed the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War, will executive produce an adaptation of Deadly Class, based on the graphic novel by Rick Remender and Wes Craig. Set in the 1980s, the series will follow a homeless teenager "recruited into a storied elite private school where the world's top crime families send their next generations," a press release reads. That teen will then have to stick to his own moral code, as he struggles to survive the school.
The cast includes some very interesting and exciting names, as well. Benedict Wong (Avengers: Infinity War), Benjamin Wadsworth (Teen Wolf), and Lana Candor (X-Men: Apocalypse) will all star. Joining the Russos as executive producers are Remender, Miles Orion Feldsott (Bionic Woman), Mike Larocca (Spy), Adam Targum (Banshee), and Lee Toland Krieger (The Age of Adaline). Krieger also directed the pilot.
There's no word on when Deadly Class will premiere just yet, though it's not the only project Syfy has in the works. The network is also adapting George RR Martin novella Nightflyers, which is in production now.
If there's anything that never goes wrong even a little bit, it's video games being adapted into movies. Thankfully, it's a trend that doesn't seem to be slowing down as Deadpool 2 director David Leitch has signed on to add his own adaptation to the stack.
According to Variety, Leitch will direct The Division, based on the 2016 Tom Clancy video game. Already, Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain are signed on to star in the movie about a future in which New York City has been decimated by a virus. The story follows a group that attempts to save what's left of society and civilization.
While the idea could make for an interesting film, it's not as if video game adaptations have a great history in Hollywood. In fact, 2018 has already seen the arrival of two--Tomb Raider and Rampage. While Rampage has succeeded due to embracing how silly its concept is, Tomb Raider didn't fare so well at the box office. Of course, there's also Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Super Mario Bros., and numerous other bad video game adaptations--including Gyllenhaal's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Can Leitch break the trend?
Whatever the case, it's another project for an already very busy man. It was recently announced that Leitch would direct Hobbs & Shaw, the Fast and the Furious spin-off starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Jason Statham. Deadpool 2, his next movie, hits theaters on May 18.
Are The Walking Dead's glory days over? The ratings for the Season 8 finale are in and they're not great--at least as far as The Walking Dead is concerned. Nearly 8 million viewers tuned in to see the end of Rick's (Andrew Lincoln) war with Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), which made it the biggest show on cable that night.
However, the ratings paint a bleak picture. As reported by Variety, this was a 30 percent drop from the audience that tuned in to watch the Season 7 finale one year before. In fact, this was the lowest-rated finale since Season 1, which brought in 6 million viewers. According to Variety, the highest was Season 5, in which 15.8 million tuned in to see Morgan (Lennie James) finally reuniting with Rick.
While ratings for the AMC zombie series continue to be on a downward trend, it still has the type of viewership many other shows would kill for. That said, it's only a matter of time before that's no longer the case. If the zombie show keeps bleeding viewers like it has been, it's going to become a walker itself.
As for Fear the Walking Dead, which saw Morgan join the cast of characters after jumping from the mothership, the Season 4 premiere saw just over 4 million viewers tune in. While that's a loss of nearly half of the audience from its The Walking Dead lead-in, it's also nearly double the Season 3 finale's viewers.
April showers bring lots of new programming on Netflix. From classic--and not so classic--movies to new original TV shows and films, the streamer is making sure you have more than enough to binge for the beginning of spring.
Among the films being added to the service are the so-bad-it's-good video game adaptation Mortal Kombat, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, The Iron Giant, The Lost Boys, and the first two Cabin Fever movies. You'll also be able to stream Scarface, Sin City, and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.
On the originals front, April 13 saw the premiere of Netflix's Lost in Space reboot, as well as new seasons of The Magic School Bus Rides Again, Money Heist, and Wakfu. Each Sunday will also bring new episodes of The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale. If documentaries are more your speed, Bill Nye: Science Guy will debut on April 25.
It's not all good news, though. There are a number of films leaving Netflix in April. Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin all disappeared on April 1. Additionally, both Ace Ventura movies, the first two American Pies, 30 Days of Night, and Small Soldiers were also pulled at the beginning of the month.
Based on every image, trailer, and poster, it's very clear that this is the biggest MCU movie yet--bringing together a universe of superheroes that have been introduced in the decade since the first Iron Man movie premiered. However, it looks like there will be even more faces in it than fans realized. Appearing at the Ace Comic-Con (via The Independent), Stan spoke about a particularly massive scene in the film.
"There was one scene, I think, we had where everybody was there. I can't really talk about that scene, but I knew it took them three months in planning this scene to have everyone there," he teased. "You look around and you just saw everyone from Samuel L. Jackson to Michael Douglas to Michelle Pfeiffer. Everybody was there."
Those three names alone say a lot about what will unfold in Infinity War. First of all, there's been a large question mark hanging over Nick Fury's (Jackson) head. While it's known he'll be returning for Captain Marvel, this is seemingly the first confirmation that the character will appear in the next Avengers movie.
However, Douglas and Pfeiffer are even more intriguing. Douglas, of course, plays Hank Pym--the original Ant-Man--in the MCU. Pfeiffer, on the other hand, was previously believed to be debuting as Janet Van Dyne--the original Wasp--in Ant-Man and the Wasp. It was revealed in the first Ant-Man film that Janet was lost in the Quantum Realm after shrinking too small.
However, it now seems she'll be back in action for Avengers: Infinity War. Still, who knows if her return will be explained. After all, there's already plenty to do in the film thanks to the arrival of Thanos (Josh Brolin).
At the very least, this sounds like good news for Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), who has been largely absent from the movie's marketing. The same cannot be said for Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). Sorry, Hawkeye. Avengers: Infinity War is in theaters on April 27.
The BioWare Store is closing at the end of April, and in an effort to unload inventory, it's having a big sale on nearly every item in stock. It looks like things are selling fast, so jump over to the site quickly to see what Mass Effect and Dragon Age goodies you can scoop up at big discounts. BioWare says the closure is temporary until it finds another partner to run the store.
Until then, you can get tons of apparel on sale at steep price drops. You can snag an Andromeda logo hoodie, with a zipper or without, for $20 instead of the usual $60. Ditto N7 hoodies, jackets, and even messenger bags. The sale also features ball caps, beanies, and tees on sale for $5 each.
Lots of figures and plushes are also available. Dragon Age Titans figures are only $1, down from $20. Pin collectors can find sizable discounts on a variety of Mass Effect pins. The store even sells adult coloring books, puzzles, and models of Mass Effect ships.
Some of the biggest savings are on bust statues. These busts, for Dragon Age characters like Cassandra, Sara, and Iron Bull, were made from the actual modeling files used for the in-game cutscenes. They normally retail for $70, but you can get them now for $5 each.
So hit up the BioWare Store before all these clothing items, collectibles, and accessories get bought out. You won't find better deals this side of the Citadel.
The original Super Troopers was the epitome of early '00s stoner comedy. Pot-smoking highway patrollers haze each other like college sophomores, playing pranks on speeding drivers they pull over and brawling with the local cops. It captured a moment in time; as the members of the Broken Lizard comedy troupe pointed out at a recent screening of the sequel, it's probably the only movie in history that's loved equally by potheads and cops.
The definition of a cult hit, Super Troopers always seemed destined to be a one-off, not least due to the mixed success of subsequent Broken Lizard movies like Club Dread and Beerfest. But over a long decade and a half that included multiple false starts--at one point, they said it was going to be a prequel set in the 1970s in which they'd all play their own dads--and a wildly successful crowdfunding campaign, Super Troopers 2 was sloppily birthed into the world.
And, almost unbelievably, it's pretty good. Super Troopers 2 somehow manages to feel even more meandering, flighty, and lackadaisical than the original, but the laughs arrive at a breakneck speed that would have these troopers spitting out their liters of cola if the movie sped by them on the highway. If you've spent the last 17 years sneaking the word "meow" into everyday speech and wondering how quickly you could chug every bottle of syrup that you see, Super Troopers 2 will not disappoint you. And its opening scene is somehow even crazier and more hilarious than the original's.
The premise this time around is infinitely stupider than the original's relatively grounded corrupt-cops-turned-drug-smugglers plot. The Broken Lizard boys, including Steve Lemme's Mac, Kevin Heffernan's Farva, Jay Chandrasekhar's Thorny, Paul Soter's Foster, and Erik Stolhanske's Rabbit, get recruited to help transition a Canadian town into the U.S. for some reason that's never fully explained (and doesn't need to be). The troopers clash with local government officials (Rob Lowe's hockey star/mayor Guy Le Franc and Emmanuelle Chriqui's Genevieve) and three Canadian Mounties (Tyler Labine, Will Sasso, and Hayes MacArthur), who all do some variation of a cartoonishly over the top French Canadian accent.
That contrived story unfortunately makes Super Troopers 2 feel even more like a loosely themed series of skits than the original. There's less of a "Johnny Chimpo" conspiracy style throughline in the sequel, and the movie's events feel less connected, even when they finally coalesce for a predictable climax.
But the premise is also ripe for Broken Lizard's brand of improvised-sounding comedy. The chemistry among these actors feels as fresh now as it did almost 20 years ago when the original came out, and they play off each other in ways that make it seem like every scene could have gone on for hours before they ran out of material. The Super Troopers have never been particularly nice to each other, but you still always get the sense that they're friends, despite their generally mean-spirited senses of humor.
Even Farva is still hanging around--if they really didn't like him, they could have ditched the guy by now. Farva continues to steal the scenes he's in--Heffernan has honed the character into a blunt-edged comedic truncheon who dominates the movie with his borderline insane antics and one-liners.
The movie also mines the Canadian setting and characters for humor beyond the surface level stereotypes you might expect, though there's plenty of those as well. But as a self-deprecating French Canadian myself, I can attest that a lot of it rings surprisingly true. All these characters trade witty barbs back and forth endlessly, and it helps that the Canadians give as good as they get, making it feel more like they're in on the joke, rather than simply being its butts.
Some bits return from the original, including the troopers trying to one up each other as they pull over unsuspecting motorists. The rivalry between them and the Mounties escalates alarmingly throughout the movie; after the Canadian officers lock a live bear in the troopers' station house, the troopers kidnap the locals, steal their uniforms, and pull out all the stops to smear the Mounties' good reputation. There's an exceedingly weird recurring gag where Thorny becomes addicted to a Canadian female growth hormone called "Flova Scotia," and at one point, Farva lets loose a series of massive, hot farts as the other troopers watch with disgust through thermal headsets.
If that sounds hilarious to you, congrats--Super Troopers 2 was made for you.
The Good
The Bad
Excellent chemistry among the troopers
Plot is contrived and fails to connect each scene
Recurring and new jokes are as funny as the original
Sometimes feels directionless
Great supporting cast and cameos
Fully uses the Canadian setting and characters for comedy
While Wrestlemania 34wrapped up recently, there is another major 2018 WWE event on the horizon: Greatest Royal Rumble. On Friday, April 27, Saudi Arabia will host this show, which can be streamed on the WWE Network. The main event for the show will be the largest Royal Rumble match of all time.
The card for the show is starting to come together, with new matches being added to the event over the course of the next two weeks. If you're wondering why there aren't any women's matches on the card it's because of the country's extremely conservative views, and women can attend the show but cannot wrestle.
Because of the time difference, the show will air in North America at 12 PM ET / 9 AM PT with a Kickoff show on the network starting one hour prior, as the show begins in Saudi Arabia at 5 PM BST / 7 PM AST. As of this writing, there's no clear indication of how long the show will be, but advertisements for it have said all the major WWE titles--minus the two women's ones--will be on the line, so expect this to be a longer event.
The main event of the evening will be the Greatest Royal Rumble match, a Royal Rumble consisting of 50 wrestlers. Prior to this event, the 2011 40-man Royal Rumble was the only Rumble to have more than 30 superstars involved. We'll keep you updated when new matches are added to the card. As of now, there are seven confirmed matches for it.
Greatest Royal Rumble Match Card
Undertaker vs. Rusev (Casket Match)
The Bar vs. Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt (For the Raw Tag Team Championship)
John Cena vs. Triple H
The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. The Usos (For the Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
The Miz vs. Seth Rollins (c) vs. Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe (Ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship)
Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Jinder Mahal (For the United States Championship)
Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns (Steel cage match for the Universal Championship)
AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (For the WWE Championship)
50-Man Royal Rumble
If for some reason you can't watch Greatest Royal Rumble when it airs--because it's on in the early morning--don't worry because GameSpot will be covering it live.
A new movie based on the classic '80s toyline and cartoon Masters of the Universe has been in the works for several years, with a variety of directors and screenwriters attached. Following the news in February that DC veteran David S. Goyer would no longer direct it, Variety now reports that indie duo Aaron and Adam Nee have joined the project.
The Nee brothers are known for acclaimed indie dramas such as The Last Romantic and Band of Robbers. They are the latest in a line of independent filmmakers who have been hired by studios to helm high-profile movies in recent years. Directors such as Taika Waititi (Thor Ragnarok), Jon Watts (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World), and Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Star Wars: Rogue One) all made smaller, low-budget movies before making the jump to big-budget blockbusters.
Masters of the Universe is currently set for a December 2019 release. Although Goyer is no longer directing, Variety notes that Sony is still using his script, and he will also act as an executive producer. Terminator: Salvation director McG was briefly attached to the movie in 2016, and in August 2015, it was reported that Thor writer Christopher Yost was working on a draft of the script.
Mattel launched the Masters of the Universe toy line in 1982, creating a mythology about the conflict between good and evil on the planet of Eternia. A cartoon based on the property, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, ran for two years, in addition to a comic book series, a spin-off animation called She-Ra: Princess of Power, and a number of video games.
In 1987, Cannon Films produced a live-action movie version, starring Dolph Lundgren as muscle-bound hero He-Man. By that point, however, the popularity of Masters of the Universe was in decline, and the toys were discontinued the following year. Subsequent attempts to revive the franchise included a new toy line and a short-lived second animated series in the early 2000s.
The first poster for the reboot of horror classic Halloween has been released. The movie arrives in October and sees original star Jamie Lee Curtis return to the franchise that made her famous. It's directed by acclaimed indie director David Gordon Green (George Washington, Pineapple Express), with a script co-written by comedian and actor Danny McBride (Eastbound and Down, Alien Covenant).
The poster is simple and moody, featuring a close-up of the masked face of Michael Myers, the iconic killer of the Halloween series. The mask has seen better days and it certainly suggests that the movie is going for a seriously scary vibe. Check it out below.
Halloween hits theaters on October 19. It's produced by Blumhouse Films, which has released some of the most successful horror movies of recent years, including Get Out, Split, and the Purge and Paranormal Activity franchises. John Carpenter, who directed the original 1978 Halloween, is involved as a story advisor and is reportedly composing the movie's score. Although nothing is known about the story, last year Carpenter revealed the movie will be a direct sequel to the original, ignoring all the other sequels and remakes that have been released over the past 40 years.
In a recent interview with Charleston City Paper, McBride spoke about his and Green's approach to the movie, and how they were tapping into the more subtle scares of the first film. "The original is all about tension," he said. "Laurie Strode [Curtis' character] doesn't even know that Michael Myers exists until the last minutes of the movie. So much of it you're in anticipation of what's going to happen and the dread that Carpenter spins so effortlessly in that film, I think we were really trying to get it back to that.
"We're trying to mine that dread. Mine that tension and not just go for gore and ultra-violence that you see some horror movies lean on. To us, it was all about bringing back the creep factor and trying to find the horror in your own backyard, in our own homes."
The final trailer for Deadpool 2 has been released. The superhero sequel hits theaters in May, and this latest promo doesn't hold back on insane action or irrelevant humor. It looks like there's going to be lots of amazing-looking confrontations between Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Cable (Josh Brolin), plus plenty of references to rival superhero movies. Brolin's role as Thanos in Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War and the dark tone of the DC universe are both mocked in this trailer.
It also reveals the identity of some of the other members of X-Force, the superhero team that Deadpool puts together to fight Cable. We already knew about Domino (Zazie Beetz), and the video confirms that Terry Crews is indeed playing Beldam. Beyond that, we have Shatterstar (played by Iron Fist's Lewis Tan), and er, Peter, a normal guy who replied to Deadpool's ad. Check the trailer out above.
Deadpool 2 also stars TJ Miller, Morena Baccarin, Brianna Hildebrand, and Julian Dennison. It is directed by David Leitch (John Wick, Atomic Blonde). He replaced Tim Miller, who reportedly clashed with Reynolds over the direction of the movie. Last month, it was reported that the film had undergone reshoots to add more footage of Cable and Domino, who had proven very popular with audiences at test screenings. The movie hits theaters on May 18 in the US and May 15 in the UK.
In a recent interview with Collider, Brolin spoke about the physical challenges of playing Cable. "I got beat to s*** on that movie," he said. "I had stuntmen throwing me all over the place. I've got a shoulder issue, I've got a knee issue that I've got to deal with now, but we got through it. We got through it. I pushed hard and I suffered because of it."
The upcoming dinosaur thriller sequel Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom doesn't hit theaters until June, but news has already started to emerge about the third movie in the series. Jurassic World 3 is set for a 2021 release, with Colin Trevorrow, who directed the first film in 2015, returning to helm it. Trevorrow has now given a few clues as to what to expect.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Trevorrow revealed that Jurassic World 3 will go in a different direction to Fallen Kingdom. "If I could contextualize each film, I would say Jurassic World was an action adventure, Fallen Kingdom is kind of a horror suspense film, and Jurassic World 3 will be a science thriller in the same way that Jurassic Park was," he said.
Of course, we don't know that much about Fallen Kingdom either, but the new trailer released this week did reveal some more details about the plot. As Trevorrow suggests, it certainly looks like it will have a stronger horror influence, which isn't surprising, given director J.A. Bayona previously helmed the acclaimed Spanish chiller The Orphanage.
Trevorrow also told EW that he returning to direct Jurassic World 3 on the request of Steven Spielberg, who directed the original Jurassic Park in 1993. "Steven Spielberg asked me," he said. "When he asks you, what can I tell you, man? In all honesty, over my past few years, I've grown to love and cherish the value of the gift that I've been given with this franchise."
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom releases on June 22. It stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Toby Jones, and BD Wong, with Jeff Goldblum reprising his role from the original Jurassic Park.
Fortnite may have debuted on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, but the new mobile version of the game is grabbing headlines for its incredible sales figures. According to mobile stats website Sensor Tower, Fortnite on iOS has already grossed more than $25 million in its first 30 days of availability. Fortnite has yet to release on Android devices, but the website predicts, if the Android version releases by this summer, mobile versions of the game could gross more than $500 million this year.
Fortnite Mobile started as an invite-only iOS test, but then released for all iPhone and iPad users at the start of April. Sensor Tower reports average daily player spending in the game has already topped a total $1 million (despite the game being free to download and play); second only to Netflix on the US App Store. You can see how the game stacks up to other top iOS apps in Sensor Towers' chart below.
Regardless of when it's released, Fortnite's sales will undoubtably continue to skyrocket once the Android version is released. This is a safe bet, especially given that a China release of Fortnite may be in the future, and China is a huge consumer of Android devices (although there's no official word on which platforms Chinese players will get Fortnite on).
In other Fortnite news, a new set of challenges is now live for Battle Pass holders. It includes challenges like dealing a certain amount of damage to opponents' structures, building 250 of your own structures, or visiting three Taco Shops in a single match. Check out more info on Fortnite's update v3.5.2, including details on the game's latest 50v50 mode.
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