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  • Ubisoft’s ‘Gods & Monsters’ May Be Retitled

    Ubisoft’s ‘Gods & Monsters’ May Be Retitled

    Last year, we got the announcement that Ubisoft was working on a game titled Gods & Monsters. At the time, it was said to be a storybook adventure of the hero Fenyx trying to save the Greek gods. It would be from the team that brought us Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, so this is their second time exploring Greek culture and mythology. They did reveal some screenshots and tidbits since but nothing substantial. Well, looks like an upcoming announcement may have gotten leaked ahead of time.

    The Taiwan Digital Game Rating Committee has rated a game titled Immortals: Fenyx Rising. At first, there is no game that would match this description. That is until you realize that the character from Gods & Monsters was confirmed to be named Fenyx. So, there is a good chance the game will be retitled as such. Why would they go with this title change? Well, Immortals makes for a good franchise name. They might plan to expand it with other entries that aren’t tied purely to Greek mythology.

    This confirmation comes from Taiwan, so there is also a chance that the localization team may have set their own naming. Still, the timing also seems to fit regarding Ubisoft’s upcoming event in September. Ubisoft Forward is their new format to reveal future lineups of games, so there is a good chance we get the title change confirmation by then. Hopefully, this will also be accompanied by some more footage of what seems like a The Legend of Zelda inspired game.

    Source: Ubisoft, Ubisoft (Fenyx Name), Gematsu

  • ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ 30th Anniversary Special Heading to HBO Max

    It seems like HBO Max will soon be the center of reunion shows. First they announced a reunion of the FRIENDS cast. They already released the trailer for a brand new Saved by the Bell. Now, they are also throwing in a unscripted reunion special for Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. This will also be perfectly timed for the show’s upcoming 30th anniversary. It will star series regulars Tatyana Ali, Karyn Parsons, Joseph Marcell, Daphne Maxwell Reid, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Alfonso Ribeiro. Will Smith is also slated to return, as they start taping on September 10th.

    It is great to see so many familiar faces return. The show originally ran for six years until it ended its run with 150 episodes back in 1996. No details were given if this will just be a single episode, or if they might end up filming multiple ones. Rikki Hughes is slated as showrunner alongside Miguel Melendez, Lukas Kaiser, and Brad Haugen. Marcus Raboy is set as the special’s director.

    This news also comes after a drama reboot of the iconic franchise was announced. It might be a way to celebrate the original while also building up hype for the new incarnation. Morgan Cooper‘s trailer titled Bel-Air went viral and got him the opportunity to develop an actual series. He is attached as co-writer with Chris Collins set as showrunner.

    Source: Variety (Friends), YouTube (Saved by the Bell), Variety (Special), Variety (Drama), YoutTube (Bel-Air)

  • Timothée Chalamet Talks Filming on Location for’Dune’

    Timothée Chalamet Talks Filming on Location for’Dune’

    We are still waiting for the trailer to release to the latest adaptation of Frank Herbert‘s 600-page epic. Dune is already very promising with an incredible cast and Denis Villeneuve taking over directing duties. The story of Paul Atreides will explore the grand deserts of Arrakis. Timothée Chalamet spoke to Empire about shooting in the Wadi Rum desert and what kind of experience it was.

    “That part of the Wadi Rum is so awe-inspiring, you might as well be getting chased by that cliff in the background. It wasn’t a green-screen or anything. That’s one of the most thrilling parts of the book and the movie. We had the sketches. That was a lesson for me. On a Call Me By Your Name or Beautiful Boy it can be counterintuitive to see the storyboards because then maybe you limit yourself based on a camera angle or whatever. It’s the opposite [here] because, for a sequence with the sandworm chasing you, I could never imagine that.”

    I actually cannot wait to see the behind-the-scenes for this film. It must’ve been difficult to film in the desert’s heat. Empire also released the following images that show off the amazing costumes that probably didn’t make acting in the desert heat any less easy.

    Dune looks extremely promising and Villeneuve‘s track record is nothing to scoff at. I cannot wait to see the Arrakis sandworms in action and the drama that unfolds as the prospect of war hangs over everyone’s heads. The way Chalamet teases the desert sequences already makes for a promising visual feast once the film releases. the images that have been released so far already look amazing. I cannot wait to see the novel’s adaptation once it releases this November.

    Source: Empire

  • Ant-Man, Wasp & Young Avengers: All-Out Kaiju Attack

    Ant-Man, Wasp & Young Avengers: All-Out Kaiju Attack

    It has been a bit quiet on Marvel Studios’ front. There were some tidbits here and there but nothing major. Well, looks like we got our biggest news just a few days ago. It was finally quasi confirmed that the next installment in the Ant-Man and the Wasp will be released in 2022. We still don’t know much about the project as of now but there are so many possibilities. Ant-Man showed what is possible when a man can shrink. We got a story inspired by classic heist films. The sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp played around with a stronger comedy-vibe. Director Peyton Reed got a chance to play around with Pym tech to highlight what is possible. Now, the question is where does he go from here? Well, I believe the next installment should take its inspirations from Kaiju films. 

    Young Recruits

    There have been a lot of rumors floating around about what the next film will be about. One rumor pointed to the film being the introduction of the Young Avengers. Most of the team members are being introduced in their own series. Avengers: Endgame also gave us an aged-up Cassie Lang. It is a great way to introduce her to the team and give her a chance to become her own heroine. We are about to enter the next generation of heroes. They will need some guidance and the Pym family are a perfect choice. Who knows how many young heroes are out there in the world without someone to help them control their abilities. What if one of them might be much more dangerous than they know?

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    The upcoming Ms. Marvel show will reintroduce the Inhumans to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While nothing is confirmed, there is a good chance we might see the Terrigen bomb go off. This won’t just affect Kamala Khan but many other unsuspecting people. Among them is a young man named Kei Kawade a.ka. Kaiju Kid. He played a major role in Marvel’s Monsters Unleashed storyline. The reason for his name is due to his ability to summon monsters through his drawings. He later even learns that he can fuse or create new monsters at will. Not only would he make for a great addition to the Young Avengers but also create a unique challenge for the young heroes to face under the tutelage of Scott and Hope.

    Size-Able Match

    We know that M.O.D.O.K. was featured in an earlier draft of the third installment. The leader of A.I.M. could still fit into a story with Kaiju Kid. I am getting inspired by the upcoming Marvel’s Avengers game here. That games’ story sees George Tarleton trying to save Inhumans before turning into the iconic giant head in a floating chair. They can still use this base concept and flip it on its head, A.I.M could still be in the script. With a sudden spike in monster appearances since the Terrigen incident, A.I.M is hunting down its source of origin. The organization filled the void that Tony Stark left behind after his death in Avengers: Endgame. After purchasing Hammer Industries, they became the #1 weapon manufactures and even added their own private army. It is unclear who took over the company after their original founder Aldrich Killian passed away. Still, someone is pulling the ropes behind the scenes.

    modok

    It becomes a race for Ant-Man and Wasp to locate who they believe might be behind it. Scott is forced to turn into Giant-Man multiple times to take down a variety of different monsters. They also get interrupted by A.I.M that are overly vigilant towards the young team. As time goes by, the mysterious mastermind starts to get more involved as he realizes that Pym is also a part of the hunt. It all comes to the moment that an unsuspecting Kawade gets confronted by the private army. Scott tries to come to his rescue but also ends up captured. Both are brought in front of the man behind the scenes, M.O.D.O.K. He reveals that he once worked alongside Pym for S.H.I.E.L.D. His own ventures into the Quantum Realm opened his eyes to a new world and took a toll on his body, but his mind now knows everything he needs to know.

    Kaiju Showdown

    In his elongated speech, M.O.D.O.K. reveals that he has no interest in the Inhuman gene. The reality is that he was focused on the Quantum remnant that was found on each of the monsters. A part of his Inhumanity is connected to the realm, which allows him to imagine the kaiju he summons. He doesn’t have full control over them but it is something Michelle Pfeiffer‘s Janet van Dyne can help him control. Sadly, Kawade is worried he will hurt someone. He doesn’t want to lose his parents and feels threatened by both groups. He starts frantically finishing a drawing he’s been working on throughout the film so that they would leave him alone. The final monster he summons will be the biggest yet. Maybe he will even be someone we’ve met before.

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    Earlier this year, we heard a rumor that an iconic dragon of the Marvel universe will make his debut in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. It is none other than the giant dragon that was introduced in Strange Tales #89, Fin Fang Foom. Yes, in the middle of the final battle between A.I.M.. and the Young Avengers, Kid Kaiju accidentally summons the MCU’s version of Godzilla. The young team fights a group of robots and Beekeepers, as Scott is forced to fight the colossal dragon. They could pay a great tribute by having them fight through miniature buildings that get destroyed throughout their fight. Part of me wished they’d even have a few shots of Fin Fang Foom being a guy in a rubber suit because Scott gets electrocuted and can’t see clearly. It all ends with Cassie joining the fray and calming down Kei, as A.I.M. retreats to fight another day. Foom gets transported back to where he came from, as Scott managed to keep him at bay. Janet promises to help him hone his abilities and he becomes a member of the now officially formed Young Avengers. Scott looks on in pride as his own daughter joins them.

    Quantum All The Way

    This concept continues where we left off. Hank and Janet are still researching the Quantum Realm, especially after the Avengers managed to travel through time during Endgame. M.O.D.O.K. being connected to it also adds to why the character is quite unhinged throughout the story. Pym has a similar track record like Tony for former colleagues turning evil. This way, the resurgence of A.I.M. also fits into the story and gives them a reason to be an active participant. Kid Kaiju’s ability of inter-dimensional vision in the comics. We know that this has been connected to the Quantum Realm, so it makes sense to connect these abilities. It also opens up a whole new world to explore as Hank might try to decipher what connection the Inhuman gene might have with the realm. MCU isn’t a stranger to tweaking some origins, so the film could also be introduced to explore how exactly the Kree has created this new race of humans long ago. Still, this is just an idea by connecting various dots that have been preventing themselves during the pandemic. Whatever Peyton Reed may have planned, I cannot wait to see it.

    Source: DisInsider, Digital Spy

  • ‘FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ T-shirts spotted at Wal-Mart!

    ‘FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER’ T-shirts spotted at Wal-Mart!

    Some of the first signs that a show or film is coming soon is merchandise popping up at various big retail stores. If these two t-shirts recently spotted at a Wal-Mart (see the tags) are any indication, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series is still planned to release this year! There’s not much point in releasing merchandise for a show not arriving until next year, after all!

    Check them out below!

    Source: @SpinelessOyster on Twitter

  • Code Revealed Disney+ Adding Group Watch Function

    Code Revealed Disney+ Adding Group Watch Function

    Anyone else getting the feeling that people have been getting way too good at data mining lately? We have another victim of the Internet’s curiosity, as some new code was found on the Disney+ website. This news stems from the site Disney Plus Informer. The service may expand with a new feature called Group Watch. This function would allow you to send an invite to up to 7 accounts to join the watch party. There is a limitation to accounts within the same country though. Also, if the person doesn’t have an account, the feature would promote you to create one. All this was found within the site’s coding.

    IMG_4747-1536x851

    What makes this functionality stand out is that it allows people to interact while watching the film or TV series. So a chat and reaction function will be available. Naturally, you are limited to a specific screening so you can’t join multiple Group Watch rooms at the same time. Adding to that, the timing seems to suggest it will be launched alongside Premier Access for Mulan. However, you need to keep in mind that everyone has to have paid Premier Access to join that specific party. Otherwise, you will be locked out of the content.

    There is one more detail that makes this project stand out. A while back, we potentially uncovered that they might be working on an adult-section in Disney+ for international markets. Star India was included in the Fox deal, so they would implement this branding to offer more adult content instead of rolling out Hulu in other markets. Now, one aspect that made this story stand out was that they would implement a PIN function to ensure child-safety when entering a Group Watch. If the app mainly focuses on child- and family-friendly content it would not be required. This might be more evidence that Disney will expand the app to offer more adult-themed content that would require its implementation. It will be interesting to keep an eye out for how this develops.

    Source: Disney Plus Informer

  • ‘Tenet’ Reawakens Cinemas with $53M+ International Opening Weekend

    ‘Tenet’ Reawakens Cinemas with $53M+ International Opening Weekend

    Tenet was the film everyone was hoping to revive cinemas. It constantly got delayed before sticking to an August release. Some international markets have seen a recovery with cinemas opening throughout August. China has rebounded immensely with its locally-produced film The Eight Hundred making more than $200 million. This looked like a good sign that cinemas could spark Box Office numbers and keep the market afloat after months of lockdown. The international numbers are in and it is looking good that Christopher Nolan was so focused on it remaining a cinema release.

    The film now has opened in 40 markets including Canada. It has now made around $54 million in its opening weekend. Keep in mind that the film hasn’t opened in China yet, which is the second-largest market. While these numbers aren’t record-breaking, it is still a massive start in these uncertain times. Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich gave the following statement regarding its opening numbers.

    We are off to a fantastic start internationally and couldn’t be more pleased. Christopher Nolan has once again delivered an event worthy motion picture that demands to be seen on the big screen, and we are thrilled that audiences across the globe are getting the opportunity to see Tenet.

    This could be a sign that cinemas will be able to recuperate after lockdown measures have been lowered. Some markets are hit harder than others, so these will easily fluctuate. The film cost $200 million to make. So, to break-even, it would need to make at least $400 million. This does not include various marketing costs that were also affected by the pandemic. We will see how it performs in China, but the odds are it will draw some attention in the empty market. Right now, the focus will remain on international markets as the U.S. is still trying to recover. Tenet will be the benchmark for others in the industry. It will determine if films like Wonder Woman 1984 or Black Widow will stick to their 2020 release dates.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • ‘G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes’ Postponed to October 2021

    ‘G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes’ Postponed to October 2021

    It’s already been seven years since G.I. Joe: Retaliation was released. Cobra took out many key members of the Joes. Those remaining were on their own in their war to take down Cobra Commander. While the film was a continuation of Rise of Cobra, it replaced most of the cast. Dwayne Johnson, D.J. Cotrona, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Stevenson, and Bruce Willis took over as the core Joe team. As the film wasn’t a major Box Office success, we thought that was the end of the iconic cartoon’s live-action adaptation. Suddenly, they announced that a spin-off focusing on Snake Eyes was being developed.

    Originally, the film was slated to release this October. As everything has been delayed, the film will now officially be delayed for an entire year. Now, it is slated to release on October 22nd, 2021. While the wait will be much longer, it does mean they have enough time to make up for the lost time. Director Robert Schwentke can focus on editing, as they try to reboot the series with this brand new film. Interesting to note, the original tweet has been deleted.

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    The film will have quite a cast. We will see a lot of iconic characters from the cartoon make an appearance, such as Samara Weaving as Scarlett, Iko Uwais playing Hard Master, Andrew Koji taking over as Storm Shadow, and Ursula Corbero as The Baroness. The main focus will be the rise of Snake Eyes but it is uncertain if he will don his iconic uniform in the film. Hopefully, the spin-off will take some inspiration from classic Akira Kurosawa films. The first image they revealed from the film did give off those vibes, so it will be something to keep an eye out for.

    Source: Comic Book

  • New ‘JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION’ Set Photos Reveal New Dino Species

    New ‘JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION’ Set Photos Reveal New Dino Species

    Jurassic World: Dominion recently took their filming to Malta and eagle eyed fans are now being treated to a peek at some stand ins for seemingly new and very dangerous looking dinosaurs!

    Not the usual thing we see stalking down a city street, but then the ending of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom made it clear, Pandora’s box has been opened, and things would never be the same.

    The original poster on Instagram added a spoiler below about what was going on and who was involved!

    It was recently reported by Deadline that the stars of the film would not go there due to COVID-19 concerns and cases rising on the island. With that in mind, it was more than likely Chris Pratt’s stunt man not the actor, but still it must have been very exciting to watch them film!

    Twitter user Brycenator100 spotted another image from Malta showing there were at least two of these dinos in the film.

    As I was looking around for more information, I’m seeing lots of speculation about what species this is exactly, since it doesn’t seem to be the same as the raptors in the other films. What do you think?

    Edit to add: Brycentaor100 has been doing some great work on their Jurassic World Twitter account, coming up with a set video of what appears to be Chris Pratt’s stunt double on a moped being chased and having a close call with some cars.

    And here are some more set images of some fake rock face and major destruction on a Navy helicopter, no doubt caused by one of the dinosaurs set loose on the Earth at the end of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

  • Gamescom: ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Reassemble in CG Trailer

    Gamescom: ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Reassemble in CG Trailer

    Next week, Marvel’s Avengers will finally be released. It has been quite the ride since its initial announcement back in 2017. Looking back, it didn’t say much but we did get the first tease of the game’s story about reassembling the team. Now, three years later we got a reveal trailer, two war tables with one on the horizon and three weekends of testing out the Beta. Now, it’s only a few more days before we can play as our favorite Avengers. To celebrate the launch, Crystal Dynamics will even hold an additional War Table to reveal our first look at what post-launch content we can expect. It doesn’t even stop there, as now during Gamescom weekend, they also released a short CGI trailer to promote the game one last time.

    Almost wished they showed this trailer a while back. We get a great heroic shot with the team before Ms. Marvel interrupts Cap’s speech. Everyone’s quirks are highlighted with a brief addition of showcasing a few players experiencing the game. Eagle-eyed viewers might even notice that one girl is wearing a She-Hulk shirt, who is one of the leaked DLC characters for the game.

    It all comes to a confrontation with M.O.D.O.K. before it ends. This is the first time we get to see him in action since they revealed his true form. This trailer teases a lot of action and I almost hope that each new story expansion gets a brief trailer like this teasing the main antagonist. Only drawback, it makes me even more impatient to get my hands on the game.

    Source: YouTube (2017), YouTube (2020)