Toy Story 3 ended on a perfect, bittersweet note. Andy went to college, and his toys went to Bonnie, the little neighborhood kid who would love and play with them for years to come. Adults wept buckets. So it came as something of a surprise when Toy Story 4 was announced in 2014. Where would Woody, Buzz, and company go from here?
But finally after delays, rewrites, and rumors of backstage drama, Toy Story 4 is imminent. There's no spoilers circulating yet (Pixar is famously tight-lipped) but there's enough information out there to whet our appetites.
Here are all the facts we have so far.
1. We know Toy Story 4's release date.
Disney/Pixar will release Toy Story 4 on June 21, 2019. The release date has been moved a couple of times; its original date was June 16, 2017. Then, the movie got delayed a year to June 15, 2018. And finally, it switched places with The Incredibles 2 to its current date.
2. Most of the original voice actors are returning
Every original actor has returned to do voiceover: Among all the others, Tom Hanks is Woody, Tim Allen is Buzz, Joan Cusack is Jessie, and Annie Potts will be playing Bo Peep, who was missing from Toy Story 3.
Two actors, however, have died since Toy Story 3: R. Lee Ermey, who played the Army Sergeant, and Don Rickles, who played Mr. Potato Head. Ermey is less of a problem; the army soldiers took off at the beginning of Toy Story 3. But Mr. Potato Head is in the teaser for Toy Story 4.
It's unknown whether Pixar has unused Rickles footage from prior films that they'll reappropriate, or if they'll simply recast the role.
3. New toys and new actors
There are a few new characters that we know of so far. There's Forky, played by Tony Hale, who Bonnie made out of a spork and pipe cleaners. There's Ducky and Bunny, played by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, who are carnival toys. Keanu Reeves and Patricia Arquette will also be playing characters, though Pixar hasn't announced their roles yet.
4. Randy Newman returns
Randy Newman is as identifiable with Toy Story as John Williams is with Star Wars. So it's great news that Newman has returned to compose music for Toy Story 4. We're looking forward to hearing his folksy, soft-on-the-ears drawl, which complements Woody perfectly.
5. The script has been to hell and back.
The story was originally conceived by John Lassetter as a road trip to find Bo Peep; Lassetter said that he based the story on his wife.
But since then, it's gone through several rewrites and reimaginings. Lassetter stepped down as co-director, and he later left Disney under a cloud of allegations. Rashida Jones and Will McCormack, originally part of the writers' room, left the project, citing creative and "philosophical differences."
Approximately 75% of the script has been rewritten since those early days, according to Annie Potts. It's anyone's guess how much of Lasseter's original idea remains in tact. But who knows? This current script might be better.
6. Josh Cooley will direct
With Lassetter gone, Josh Cooley will be the film's sole director. This is his first full-length feature film. He wrote and directed the Inside Out short film Riley's First Date, but he has spent the majority of his career as a Pixar storyboard artist. Fortunately, he has some experienced, gifted filmmakers surrounding him (this is Pixar after all) should he need their guidance.
7. Forky?
Forky seems like he's going to be an important character who will address the franchise's overarching themes about life's purpose and responsibilities. In fact, Forky may be the catalyst to the main plot. Check out this Toy Story 4 teaser text:
"Woody has always been confident about his place in the world and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that's Andy or Bonnie. But when Bonnie adds a reluctant new toy called "Forky" to her room, a road trip adventure alongside old and new friends will show Woody how big the world can be for a toy."
8. It's going to make you cry
We probably all knew this, deep down. But Tim Allen confirmed it in an interview with MovieWeb:
"Yes, I gotta resist getting emotional. I don't want to give it away, but this is an incredibly great story. It is so emotional, it's so funny, it's so big, the idea they've come up with, I'm startled. I couldn't even get through the last scene. I would love to be a Washington leaker. I just can't do it. I can't give any more away. They've got great characters but a couple of scenes toward the end were really hard to get through."
And Tom Hanks also chimed in during a separate interview with the BBC, in which he called the film's ending a "moment in history." Buy stock in Kleenex as we get closer to June 21, 2019.
Over the next few days, we will reveal what we believe are the ten best games of 2018, organized by release date. Then on December 19, we will reveal which of the nominees gets to take home the coveted title of GameSpot's Game of the Year. So be sure to come back then for the big announcement, and in the meantime, follow along with all of our other end-of-the-year coverage collected in our Best of 2018 hub.
It's been said over and over again this year that Monster Hunter World is the most accessible game yet in the long-running Japanese action RPG series. Monster Hunter's detractors know that doesn't mean much--World may be the easiest entry point yet, but it's still pretty obtuse for all but the most diligent, attentive, and detail-oriented newbies. Either you need to have the dedication and persistence to fight through hours of ignorance while you speed-Google every new thing the game throws at you, or you need a monster-hunting veteran friend to lend a hand. But that's fine--some subjective concept of "accessibility" isn't what makes MHW so great. And besides, cooperative multiplayer happens to be exactly where Monster Hunter World shines brightest.
MHW casts players as hunters on an expedition to a new land, where giant, powerful Elder Dragons have taken up residence and screwed up the local ecosystems. There's a surprising amount of additional backstory and lore for the diehard fans who care, but you're really just there to do one thing: Hunt big monsters and make hats out of their bones.
A typical gameplay session involves selecting a mission or hunt from the game's vibrant hub area, selecting the equipment and items you want to use, then heading out into one of the game's several disparate, labyrinthine areas once you're prepared. Each new fight is a battle of attrition as you slowly chip away at your prey's health, chopping horns and tails until you eventually injure it badly enough to capture it or kill it outright. But the object of your hunt is never your only concern--as you pursue one target through forests, deserts, and caves, more powerful beasts invariably appear to throw a wrench in whatever plans you've made. Sometimes you can have the most fun just watching two towering monsters tear and claw at one another while you take the opportunity to heal, sharpen your sword, and re-apply any lapsed buffs.
With your prey eventually slain, you return to town triumphant, and see what new weapon upgrades or armor you can craft from the spoils. At higher levels, you target specific upgrade paths and hunt down the corresponding monsters over and over until you have enough materials. And then you do it all over again, gradually increasing your mastery over your chosen weapons, the monsters you hunt, and this world as a whole.
The exhilarating feeling of executing complicated combos with three friends as you gradually destroy an incredible beast the size of a house makes the considerable cost of entry worth it.
Alone, that all is daunting. But with friends, it's a blast. That's the key to Monster Hunter World's success: You can do almost everything in the game in cooperative multiplayer. Each player's character is practically the same, but there's such a ridiculously huge variety of weapons to choose from, each type with its own complex depth of movesets and strategies, that no two players will fight the exact same way. Sure, the process of actually linking up with your friends to play can be irritating--again, being the most accessible Monster Hunter game yet is a low bar to hit. But the exhilarating feeling of executing complicated combos with three friends as you gradually destroy an incredible beast the size of a house makes the considerable cost of entry worth it.
Over the next few days, we will reveal what we believe are the 10 best games of 2018, organized by release date. Then on December 19, we will reveal which of the nominees gets to take home the coveted title of GameSpot's Game of the Year. So be sure to come back then for the big announcement, and in the meantime, follow along with all of our other end-of-the-year coverage collected in our Best of 2018 hub.
The new God of War from Santa Monica Studio is a masterful reinvention of a now-classic PlayStation series and, primarily, its lead character. Kratos went from being a killing machine driven solely by rage in previous games, to, well, a killing machine driven by paternal instinct and a promise made to his deceased wife. But even without being compared to his former self, Kratos' newfound sensitivity and self-awareness are as effective as they are because of how well the character and his journey are executed in general. For fans, it's great to witness the character's pivot from yesteryear's action darling to today's loving father figure in disguise, but Kratos and the game he leads are simply excellent on their own terms.
Many of the new systems, narrative beats, and surprises at hand feed off of the partnership between the mighty Kratos and his scrappy son, Atreus. The boy's bow and arrow play an important role in combat, because without his chain whips in hand, Kratos is left to engage enemies up close with his Leviathan Axe, or rely on his throwing skills to strike enemies from a distance. The latter may require a bit more work on your part, but there's also nothing else in games quite like Kratos calling the axe back to his hand, a la Thor, culminating in an abrupt and meaty thwack upon arrival. Thanks to well-thought-out controls, managing both Kratos' brute force and Atreus' elementally charged bow and arrow shots is far easier than you might imagine despite also adding new layers of strategy to combat.
Kratos and Atreus have to cover a lot of ground on foot in God of War. Where most games fail to treat moment-to-moment travel as anything other than an afterthought, God of War injects would-be downtime with a bit of wisdom and education from Mimir, the sage-like disembodied head attached to Kratos' waist who not-so humbly refers to himself as the smartest man alive. By his own account, he knows every corner of the world, every point in history worth remembering, and every language spoken. Tall claims, but given how he consistently offers up new bits of backstory and esoteric knowledge as you truck from point A to point B, it settles in that he might be right. More than a font of knowledge, he's also voiced remarkably well by Alastair Duncan, better known for his work as Celebrimbor in Middle-Earth: Shadow of War and Shadow of Mordor.
These three characters form a trio that makes your adventure more than just a series of battles. Though Mimir's personality hardly deviates beyond that of an entertaining fanny pack (which, don't get us wrong, we love), Kratos and Atreus undergo massive changes. For Atreus, the loss of his mother and the gruff attitude of his father set him up to follow in Kratos' footsteps, which as we know from previous games could ultimately lead to unexpected and negative results. Kratos, on the other hand, must simultaneously control his own urges while trying to counteract his son's budding aggression. The result is some powerful moments between a father and son who couldn't seem more different at first, but at heart are practically one in the same despite being at different stages in their lives.
Regardless of what we all expected from Sony's muscle-bound badass, God of War is simply a great video game driven by a bold directorial vision and top-tier execution from a team that clearly knows how to knock it out of the park.
God of War's strong lead characters and their many brushes with death are held aloft by a world jam packed with beauty and detail. Wild, connected environments flow into one another with nary an awkward transition to be found. Through the use of a dimension hopping portal, you can also transport Kratos and son to haunting and dangerous locations that pack some of the game's biggest challenges. And the most impressive achievement therein is the game's single-shot, uncut nature. You may enter tiny waiting-room realms to travel between dimensions, but your view is never once interrupted by camera cuts or loading screens. This isn't a small game, and this feat is all the more impressive when God of War's world fully comes into view.
Again, it's tough not to wrap all the things that make God of War great around the idea that it's a shockingly good revival. It certainly is that, and Santa Monica Studio deserves credit for proving that God of War can be so much more than a spectacular action game. But regardless of what we all expected from Sony's muscle-bound badass, God of War is simply a great video game driven by a bold directorial vision and top-tier execution from a team that clearly knows how to knock it out of the park.
There were plenty of remasters in 2018, but this year's best souped up not only the visuals and performance of the most iconic and critically acclaimed games but introduced additional features that elevated them past their original releases--a requirement for eligibility. In no particular order, these are the five best reissued games of 2018.
Shadow of the Colossus is one of the most beautiful and emotionally captivating games ever created, and it has been made even better this year thanks to the work of developer Bluepoint Games. The 2018 remake of Team Ico's masterpiece adds an awe-inspiring new level of detail; blades of grass appear crisper, mountains fill the horizon with a deeper presence, and Colossi fur looks more dense and luscious. It's tough not to be enamored of the new visual and texture work, as a world you thought stunning initially has been made to look even better than ever before. All the while, improved stability pushes the remake far beyond the sub-30fps frame-rate issues of the original, with an optional performance mode on PS4 Pro that even runs at 60fps. Whether you've played the original or are a newcomer entirely, you owe it to yourself to play Shadow of the Colossus on PS4. From a visual and performance standpoint, it is the best version to play.
Last year's Yakuza Kiwami was a fantastic remake of the inaugural entry that started the long-running action-crime drama franchise. Yakuza Kiwami 2 refines its predecessor's changes with a sweeping list of quality-of-life improvements that bring the original to entirely new standards. This is thanks in part to the Dragon Engine--the new engine that Yakuza 6 is built on. It helps that Yakuza 2 is one of the series' best games and where the series began expanding the scope of its world and storytelling. The result is a remake that combines the best parts of past and present, simultaneously revisiting where the series hit its stride while offering the benefits of a seamless world and fluid combat system provided by the Dragon Engine.
After the financial success of the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, it was a no-brainer for Activision to offer the same treatment to the equally cherished Spyro the Dragon games. As a remastered collection, Spyro Reignited Trilogy does the expected and imbues the original games with increased graphical fidelity and reworked designs for familiar character and locales. The new visuals are a sight to behold, as if an otherworldly force motioned its hand to sprout an abundance of life and color across every inch of the original environments. However, Reignited Trilogy's best aspects are what it introduces under the hood. The updated control scheme makes playing Spyro feel less floaty and more responsive in turn. Movement is faster and more exciting; it's a joy to charge, glide, and breathe fire in rapid succession. In addition, an improved camera removes the navigational frustrations of the originals and allows you to better focus on the beautiful remastered sights. It's no easy task to modernize 3D platformers from a bygone era when developers were still trying to find their footing, but developer Toys for Bob have accomplished just that, revitalizing the Spyro the Dragon games for both new and old audiences to enjoy.
Another part of what makes reissued games great is the chance to play fantastic games as they were. Sure, a new coat of paint is nice, but sometimes being able to play a classic game as it is can be just as remarkable. SNK 40th Anniversary is a substantial package compiling the famed developer's most iconic games, which includes Ikari Warriors, Crystalis, Alpha Mission, and more. Each are well-emulated thanks to the work of developer Digital Eclipse, whose amazing track record (Mega Man Legacy Collection, Disney Afternoon Collection) continues here. New control schemes and the autoplay feature (something we never knew we wanted until now) further enhance the experience of playing each game. While not everything contained within is a gem, SNK 40th Anniversary's biggest charm is in its reverence for the lesser-known beginnings of its titular developer. Bonus content offers substantial history lessons looking back at SNK's formative years. And just for the sake of your reference, there are even scans of independent fan zines from the '80s and arcade game guides included as well. SNK 40th Anniversary's infectious passion for its subject matter and commitment to preserving its history is perhaps its most admirable trait, and one of the main reasons why it's one of this year's best reissued games--to say nothing of the 11 free DLC games added after launch.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 was already a phenomenal RPG when it launched on PC last year. With its immense scope, complex tactical combat, and compelling narrative, it remains one of the best RPGs out now. However, console players were out of luck if they wanted to experience developer Larian Studios' masterpiece--until 2018, that is. Divinity: Original Sin 2 finally made its way to consoles this year in the form of the Definitive Edition, which introduced a plethora of improvements and additional features (and was made available on PC as a free update). Rewritten dialogue enhanced moment-to-moment interactions, balance changes made combat more fulfilling, and additional difficulty levels offered greater challenge and accessibility. But these are only a handful of the laundry list of changes made, all of which enhance what's an already astounding 100-plus hour adventure. Divinity Original Sin 2 is a beast of an RPG that's likely to intimidate those who don't have experience handling its intricacies. But don't let that deter you: Definitive Edition stands as the best version of an already exceptional game that you can't afford to skip in 2018, regardless of whether you've played the original version or not.
GameSpot will be unveiling our picks for the best games and entertainment of 2018 throughout December. Head to our Best of 2018 hub to see all the winners so far.
Epic Games will share the technology that enables cross-platform play in Fortnite. In a post on the Unreal Engine website the company said, in 2019, it will be launching "a large set of cross-platform game services originally built for Fortnite, and battle-tested with 200,000,000 players across 7 platforms." All developers will be able to utilize this technology for free, and it will be open to all engines, platforms, and stores.
"Successfully launching and operating a live, online game requires a suite of services that go far beyond the functionality of a traditional game engine," it said in the post. "These services are expensive to build, test and harden in real-world conditions, but once operational, are relatively inexpensive to scale to more games and more users. At Epic, our goal is to help game developers succeed ... As a developer, you're free to choose mix-and-match solutions from Epic and others as you wish."
The rollout will begin with a C software development kit that contains Epic's online services, complete with integration for Unreal Engine--the company's own engine, which is available to license--and Unity, another popular game development engine. From there, Epic plans to expand the feature set, making the following available to developers:
Cross-Platform Login, Friends, Presence, Profile, and Entitlements: Coming Q2-Q3 2019 to PC, other platforms throughout 2019 -- Provides the core functionality for persistently recognizing players across multiple sessions and devices; identifying friends; and managing free and paid item entitlements. This will support all seven major platforms (PC, Mac, iOS, Android, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch) to the full extent each platform allows per-title.
PC/Mac Overlay API: Coming Q3 2019 -- Provides a user interface for login, friends, and other features in a game-agnostic, engine-agnostic way.
Cross-Platform Voice Comms: Coming Q3 2019 to all platforms -- Epic is building a new in-game voice communications service supporting all platforms, all stores, and all engines, which will be available for free. (For developers needing an immediately-available voice solution, check out Discord, Vivox, TeamSpeak, Ventrilo, and Mumble.)
Cross-Platform Parties and Matchmaking: Coming Q3-4 2019 to all platforms
Cross-Platform Data Storage, Cloud-Saved Games: Coming Q2 2019
Cross-Platform Achievements and Trophies: Coming Q3 2019
As noted by Epic, its services operate using Amazon Web Services data centers. Fortnite is one of the few games that allows players across PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices come together. Most importantly, it supports multi-platform logins, making it a relatively painless experience to hop between platforms.
The fact that Epic is making these services available to developers at large is a big step forward for cross-play; however, it's one piece of a complicated puzzle. Platform holders Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo need to also facilitate cross-platform services. While Microsoft, with Xbox One and PC, has been very vocal about allowing player bases to unite for some time now, Sony has only just begun experimenting.
After much resistance, in September, PlayStation said it had "identified a path towards supporting cross-platform features for select third-party content." Currently, Fortnite is the only game that allows cross-platform play, and it is in a beta phase.
"We recognize that PS4 players have been eagerly awaiting an update, and we appreciate the community's continued patience as we have navigated through this issue to find a solution," president of Sony Interactive Entertainment John Kodera said at the time. "We see the beta as an opportunity to conduct thorough testing that ensures cross-platform play is best on PlayStation, while being mindful about the user experience from both a technical and social perspective.
"Today, the communities around some games have evolved to the point where cross-platform experiences add significant value to players. In recognition of this, we have completed a thorough analysis of the business mechanics required to ensure that the PlayStation experience for our users remains intact today, and in the future, as we look to open up the platform."
Sony has said it is "in the planning process across the organization to support [cross-play]" more widely. Rocket League is another game that cross-play is highly sought after for, and plans to introduce it are expected to be revealed in 2019, provided Sony gives the go ahead.
"The good news is that with Sony's recent announcements regarding full cross-platform functionality, we can now make additional changes to prepare RocketID for ALL platforms should we receive permission to do so," said developer Psyonix. "We're working incredibly hard to ensure that it's as intuitive, stable, and polished as possible, before releasing it to the world."
The response from other developers, publishers, and platform holders to Sony's change in cross-platform policy has been positive, with Microsoft showing their approval through the Xbox Twitter account.
Epic Games has been made some big moves lately. In addition to this, it also launched its own store which, in numerous ways, challenges Valve's Steam service. It's currently available for PC and Mac, and is expected to come to Android in 2019. For developers, launching on the Epic Store is an enticing prospect as they'll earn 88% of their revenue. There are no tiers to the profit-sharing, just an 88/12 split between developers and Epic for listing on their marketplace. Steam, meanwhile, currently takes 20-30% of revenue based on a tiered earning structure. You can find out more about what the Epic Store offers here.
ZeniMax Media and Facebook have reached a settlement in their long-running litigation, effectively ending the legal drama. This news follows shortly after Id designer John Carmack announced that his own personal legal dispute against ZeniMax had ended.
In the announcement from ZeniMax, the company said it settled its litigation against Facebook and Oculus. The terms of the settlement weren't shared. ZeniMax chairman and CEO Robert Altman said, "We are pleased that a settlement has been reached and are fully satisfied by the outcome. While we dislike litigation, we will always vigorously defend against any infringement or misappropriation of our intellectual property by third parties."
ZeniMax alleged that John Carmack had worked on VR while employed at Id Software--which was owned by ZeniMax--and then taken it to Oculus for the development of the Oculus Rift. Facebook was brought into the suit since it bought Oculus in 2014.
The company was seeking $2 billion in damages and another $4 billion in punitive damages. The court awarded ZeniMax $500 million in damages. That included $250 million from Oculus, $100 million from former CEO Brandon Iribe, and $50 million from founder Palmer Luckey. Facebook itself was found not liable. That figure was later reduced to $250 million, and Oculus continued to appeal.
ZeniMax also filed suit in 2017 against Samsung VR. That suit alleged that Carmack had worked with Matt Hooper, another former ZeniMax employee, to develop mobile VR. Then, the suit alleges, Oculus took that suit to Samsung. The settlement doesn't specify any further developments to the Samsung litigation, but given that it has settled with Carmack and Oculus in recent months, that branch of the suit may be wrapping up as well.
Oculus has continued to develop as its own business within Facebook, recently releasing the Oculus Go. For more on what the sudden advent of consumer virtual reality has brought, check out our look back at VR in 2018.
Nintendo has announced the first in-game event for its new Switch fighting game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The three-day event is scheduled to kick off this Thursday night, December 13, and will make certain Spirits appear more frequently in the game's Spirit Board mode.
The event is dubbed "Spectacled Spirits," and it focuses on Spirits who are wearing glasses. Throughout the weekend, bespectacled game characters such as Jeff from EarthBound, Brittany from Pikmin 3, and others will be featured on the Spirit Board. You'll also receive extra Gold if you manage to defeat them.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate features more than 1,200 Spirits to unlock, making the upcoming event a good opportunity to add more to your collection. Nintendo says that there will be other new events in the game every week.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate isn't the only Switch title holding an in-game event soon. The next Splatfest in Splatoon 2 is also set to take place this weekend. That event kicks off on Friday, December 14, at 8 PM PT / 11 PM ET and will run for 24 hours. To celebrate the launch of Ultimate, this Splatfest is themed around Smash Bros.--specifically, it asks players if they'd rather side with Smash's heroes or villains.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available exclusively for Nintendo Switch. Everyone who purchases the game and registers it on My Nintendo by January 31 will receive Piranha Plant as a free DLC fighter. Nintendo will also release five other DLC characters for the game throughout the year, one of which we recently learned is Joker from Persona 5.
Happy new year! Well, we're still a few weeks away from 2019 arriving, but Netflix has already revealed what is coming and leaving the service in January. There are plenty of movies and Netflix originals coming to the streaming service you'll want to watch.
The most releases from Netflix comes on New Year's Day, Tuesday, January 1. The Netflix original A Series of Unfortunate Events drops its final season. Pulp Fiction lands on the service that day, and so does does The Dark Knight. However, the best thing about January 1 is that every Indiana Jones movie lands on Netflix. Watch Dr. Jones run from a giant boulder, ride in a mine cart, drink from a really old cup, and... see an alien.
Later in the month, on January 29, Ant-Man and the Wasp heads to Netflix, which was one of the most fun movies of 2018. Then, one day later, Incredibles 2 arrives. If that's not enough superhero awesomeness for you, don't worry. Season 2 of Punisher arrives sometime during the month, and more than likely, it will be cancelled right afterwards, as Netflix has been parting ways with all the Marvel series recently.
However, there are plenty of movies leaving the service you'll want to check out before they are gone forever. On January 1, all the Godfather and Sharknado movies will be gone. And Rogue One: A Star Wars Story leaves on January 18. If you need a Star Wars fix though, Solo arrives on January 9, so it seems like there will always be something from the Star Wars universe available on the service, at least until Disney+ launches in 2019.
Check out the complete list of everything headed to Netflix--and leaving--in January. If you're interested in what's still headed your way soon, check out what's coming in December.
Everything coming to Netflix in January 2019
Avail. 1/1/19
A Series of Unfortunate Events: Season 3-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Across the Universe
Babel
Black Hawk Down
City of God
COMEDIANS of the world-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Definitely, Maybe
Godzilla
Happy Feet
Hell or High Water
I Know What You Did Last Summer
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
It Takes Two
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Jersey Boys
Mona Lisa Smile
Mr. Bean's Holiday
Pan's Labyrinth
Pinky Malinky-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Pulp Fiction
Swingers
Tears of the Sun
The Addams Family
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
The Dark Knight
The Departed
The Mummy
The Mummy Returns
The Strangers
Tidying Up with Marie Kondo-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Watchmen
xXx
XXX: State of the Union
Avail. 1/2/19
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Avail. 1/4/19
And Breathe Normally-- NETFLIX FILM
Call My Agent!: Season 3-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
El Potro: Unstoppable-- NETFLIX FILM
Lionheart-- NETFLIX FILM
Avail. 1/9/19
GODZILLA The Planet Eater-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Avail. 1/10/19
When Heroes Fly-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 1/11/19
Friends from College: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
ReMastered: Massacre at the Stadium-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Sex Education-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Solo-- NETFLIX FILM
The Last Laugh-- NETFLIX FILM
Avail. 1/15/19
Revenger-- NETFLIX FILM
Sebastian Maniscalco: Stay Hungry-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 1/16/19
American Gangster
Avail. 1/17/19
American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace
Avail. 1/18/19
Carmen Sandiego-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Close-- NETFLIX FILM
FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
GIRL-- NETFLIX FILM
Grace and Frankie: Season 5-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
IO-- NETFLIX FILM
Soni-- NETFLIX FILM
The World's Most Extraordinary Homes: Season 2 Part B-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Trigger Warning with Killer Mike-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Trolls: The Beat Goes On!: Season 5-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 1/21/19
Justice-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 1/24/19
Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
Avail. 1/25/19
Animas-- NETFLIX FILM
Black Earth Rising-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Club de Cuervos: Season 4-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Kingdom-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Medici: The Magnificent-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Polar-- NETFLIX FILM
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season 4 Part 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 1/27/19
Z Nation: Season 5
Avail. 1/29/19
Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias: One Show Fits All-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
By fate or some divine sense of irony, 2019 marks the big screen debut of not one but two different Captains Marvel, one played by Brie Larson for the MCU and the other, under his new name "Shazam," played by Zachary Levi for DC. Thankfully, the name change makes it a little easier to differentiate between the two of them, but the comics history side of things has never been more tricky to explain.
But never fear. You don't actually need to be well versed in the ins and outs of Golden Age comics to understand or prepare for both Captain Marvel and Shazam! As they speed towards their release dates next year. It's okay. You're free of that burden. In fact, all you really need to know about Shazam moving forward is that he's actually a kid named Billy Batson who is able to magically turn into an adult superhero. Think the Tom Hanks movie Big meets Superman. That's it, that's the whole story. No space aliens or Infinity Stones to worry about at all.
Shazam will be the second major superhero release of 2019, so we've still got a little time to wait before the information really starts pouring in--but regardless, it's never too early to start rounding up exactly what we know. Here are the confirmed details for DC's first movie of the new year.
A cast full of kids, and kids at heart
Shazam's cast is comprised of some heavy hitters for pop culture die-hards. Here's who has been confirmed for the film.
Zachary Levi as ShazamAsher Angel as Billy Baton, Shazam's kid alter ego
Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy Freeman, Billy's foster brother
Mark Strong as Dr. Sivana, the central villain
Djimon Hounsou as The Wizard Shazam, who gives Billy his powers
Grace Fulton as Mary Bromfield, Billy's foster sister
It's well on its way
Shazam! Is hitting theaters on April 5, 2019, making it a nice little superhero diversion between Captain Marvel and Endgame. A palette cleanser, if you will.
It's an origin story
Unsurprisingly, we're going to be meeting Billy Batson at the very beginning of his story, before he has any of his powers. We'll be watching as he learns how to be a hero, right from the start, including all the hilarious instances of he and Freddy trying to figure out exactly what his powers even are in real time.
Dr. Sivana is the villain, but he might not be alone
Mark Strong's Dr. Sivana is one of Shazam's oldest and most nefarious foes, but we don't have much information about just what he wants or what his plans are in this particular iteration. There's a chance we might see other classic comics bad guys in the mix as well, cropping up from the magical corners of the DC universe to join the fray--Sivana often times has a direct connection to the personifications of the Seven Deadly Sins, which may or may not come into play.
It's part of the DCEU--sort of
Though DC's method of building out a shared universe is considerably different than Marvel's, Shazam will still technically take place in the wider DCEU, despite not having any real plot connection or confirmed cameos to any of the other film franchises. These characters will know they live in a world where heroes like Aquaman, Batman and Wonder Woman exist, but they won't interact with them--at least, as far as we know.
It's based off the New 52 comics
Shazam is a character with some complicated comic book history. Once a Golden Age hero called Captain Marvel (no, not that one), the rights to his books were bought, sold, shelved, and reworked over and over for decades before landing in the modern era with a new name and a slightly reworked backstory. The 2019 movie will follow the most recent rework, which took place after the 2011 DC relaunch, The New 52.
The whole "Shazam Family" has been cast, but may not get their powers
Over in the comics, Shazam rarely works alone. He's accompanied by a "family" of heroes with similar powers who, after the New 52 reboot, were modified to be Billy Batson's foster brothers and sisters. We know that the whole crew, Darla, Eugene, and Pedro in addition to core characters Freddy Freeman and Mary Bromfield will be making appearances, but whether or not they'll be similarly empowered by the end of the movie is anyone's guess.
If you thought your chances to save money on video games ended with Black Friday, you're mistaken. GameStop has unveiled its Game Days sale, which runs between now and December 25. This sale finds huge discounts on a massive list of PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch games. That's good news for anyone still needing to buy holiday gifts or anyone looking for something new to play themselves. Let's see take a peek at the week's best deals.
If you've been wanting to check out some of the biggest shooters that launched in recent months, you're in luck. You can grab Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 or Fallout 76 for $40 each. For those who find the stealthy approach more appealing, Hitman 2 is on sale for the same price. For larger-scale confrontations with tanks and fighter planes thrown in the mix, pick up Battlefield V for just $30.
A starter pack for the toys-to-life game Starlink: Battle for Atlas normally retails for $75, but it's on sale on all platforms right now for $40. Each copy of the game comes with a ship, pilot, and weapons, plus a mount that lets you attach the whole thing to your controller. The Switch version also includes the in-game exclusives Fox McCloud and Arwing.
Ever since it launched last month, we've been raving about Tetris Effect, a PS4 (and PSVR-compatible) game with incredible visuals and audio that combine to make it much more than "just Tetris." It's on sale for half off at $20; you can read our Tetris Effect review for details. PlayStation VR owners can also grab one of the year's best games, the Mario-like platformer Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, also for $20.
That just scratches the surface of the Game Days sale. You'll find a lot more discounted titles in the list below, or you can check out the full set of deals at GameStop.
By Anonymous on Dec 12, 2018 08:30 pm No matter your genre of choice, 2019 holds a lot of promise for PC fans. From In The Valley of the Gods to The Division 2, here's what we're holding out for next year.
HBO's acclaimed cop anthology show, True Detective, is set to return for a third season in January, and a new trailer has been released. This season is clearly aiming to recapture the dark, moody rural atmosphere of 2014's Season 1, following a disappointing Season 2. The new trailer even uses the tagline: "The original series returns."
The trailer focuses on main character Wayne Hays, a cop played by Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali (Moonlight, Luke Cage, House of Cards), who investigated the disappearance of two kids in the Ozarks many years ago and is still haunted by the case. The show is set across several decades, with Ali appearing as both an older man and a much younger officer. Check it out above.
True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto has written the entire season, with Deadwood creator David Milch lending a hand. The cast also includes Stephen Dorff (Blade), Ray Fisher (Justice League), Carmen Ejogo (Alien: Covenant), and Scoot McNairy (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice). Hold the Dark and Green Room director Jeremy Saulnier helms the first two episodes. It premieres on January 13, 2019--check out the previous trailer here.
In a recent interview with Indiewire, Pizzolatto spoke about the striking setting for Season 3 and explained that the surroundings were vital to the season's story. "The mystery of the deep woods," he said. "The fog over the mountains. The rivers. The water. The sense of scale when you get out to some of this nature. Also, what the buildings say about the lives behind them. I feel like people will see it as an extension of character, something that embodies characters' emotional journeys while influencing those journeys."
"Sometimes we found things that seem to come straight out of the imagination, like this particular house that I don't want to go into it too much because of spoilers, but once we found it we couldn't believe it existed. It was almost exactly what I had written, and it needed to be very specific."
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