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  • Warriors vs Grizzlies Game 1 Breakdown

    Warriors vs Grizzlies Game 1 Breakdown

    The Golden State Warriors outlasted the Memphis Grizzlies 117-116. Led by Jordan Poole’s 31 points, the Warriors stole home court advantage from the upstart Grizzlies. A lot of the discussion of this series involved the clash of styles. The Warriors, with the excellence of execution, their shooting, passing and their experience. The Grizzlies counter with their youth and athleticism, and ability to win the possession game on the glass. This much is clear after Game 1, we’re in for a heck of a series.

    You can’t talk about the Warriors without talking about how they out-rebounded Memphis 51-47. They were also even on the offensive glass. It was the first time the Dubs won the rebounding battle against the Grizzlies this season. Gary Payton II was instrumental as one of 6 Warriors players with 6+ rebounds. His effort and hustle contributed to extra possessions which led to great looks for Poole and Steph Curry(5 3’s and 24 points).

    For Memphis, they blew a golden opportunity after Draymond Green got ejected in the 2nd quarter for a flagrant two foul. You could make the case that it was a flagrant one, but with Green’s history (see the 2016 playoffs), the officials made a judgement call. It’s fair to say the officiating overall in the playoffs have left a lot to be desired. 

    Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. had great offensive games (34 and 33 points respectively) but the Grizzlies were lacking a third scorer. Dillon Brooks and Desmond Bane were a combined 6-of-23 from the floor. Bane had been the Grizzlies most consistent offensive player in the playoffs so far. Brooks is always hit or miss but he was a special kind of bad in Game 1. They’ll need those two to even up the series on Tuesday night. Here are some interesting plot points which can define the series.

    Ja Morant attempted 11 3’s in game 1. They’re going to force him make that shot as it’s not his strongest attribute. He made 4 of them, and the Warriors will prefer him taking those.

    Here Ja gets in transition off of the blocked shot and just darts to the rim. It’s amazing how quickly he gets from end to end.

    The Warriors splash trio causes so many issues for a defense. You trap one another one springs loose. Jordan Poole’s playmaking has taken a step forward in the playoffs. Here he finds Klay for the layup.

    Without Draymond Green in the 2nd half, there was more pick and roll for Steph Curry. Here he’s able to get the switch and separate from Jaren Jackson to get off the three. Guarding Steph one on one might be the key to the series.

    It’ll be interesting to see what adjustments both of these squads have for each other in Game 2. It feels like it’s going to be a very long series.

  • ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ and ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Future Currently Uncertain After Square Enix Sale

    ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ and ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Future Currently Uncertain After Square Enix Sale

    A bombshell has just dropped, as Square Enix just sold its entire Western division for only $300M. With one single sale, the Japanese developer has sold every Western company under their umbrella alongside the many IPs that they work on. Yet, it also opens up the question of what exactly this means for the future of the Marvel games that are being developed by some of their studios.

    Initially, the deal made between Square Enix and Marvel would include four games. Two of those released in the form of Crystal Dynamics’ first venture into Games-as-a-Service with Marvel’s Avengers and the story-focused Guardians of the Galaxy by Eidos. During the press conference on the purchase, a statement was made on if the development of Marvel games would continue.

    All games that have been developed by the studios are included in the deal. However, a number of external approvals are needed from external parties to close this transaction. And potentially, licenses as mentioned here could be one of those approvals needed.

    Lars Wingefors

    So, if Marvel or Disney decides not to renew the license, the games would potentially find their end. This news hits especially hard for Crystal Dynamics, which has been quite dedicated to making Marvel’s Avengers work as a service game. after its critical success, there was also a lot of hope that Guardians of the Galaxy would get a sequel. Yet, if they do not renew their deal with the new Embracer Group, it sadly could spell the end of these ventures once the deal is finalized.

    Source: Embracer

  • BREAKING: Square Enix Sells Entire Western Division to Embracer Group for Only $300M

    BREAKING: Square Enix Sells Entire Western Division to Embracer Group for Only $300M

    Earlier last month, we learned that Gearbox’s parent company, the Embracer Group, was planning to continue its acquisition spree in the coming months. While not much was known on who they were currently eyeing at the time, a sudden press conference has revealed that Square-Enix has now sold its entire Western division, including all IPs connected to those companies, to the Embracer Group for $300M. This purchase includes the companies of Eidos, Crystal Dynamics, and Square Enix Montréal. CEO Lars Wingefors had the following to say on the purchase:

    We are thrilled to welcome these studios into the Embracer Group. We recognize the fantastic IP, world class creative talent, and track record of excellence that have been demonstrated time and again over the past decades. It has been a great pleasure meeting the leadership teams and discussing future plans for how they can realize their ambitions and become a great part of Embracer.

    Lars Wingefors

    Phil Rogers, the head of Square Enix America and Europe, also shared the following statement on the purchase by Embracer:

    Embracer is the best kept secret in gaming: a massive, decentralized collection of entrepreneurs whom we are thrilled to become a part of today. It is the perfect fit for our ambitions: make high-quality games, with great people, sustainably, and grow our existing franchises to their best versions ever. Embracer allows us to forge new partnerships across all media to maximize our franchises’ potential and live our dreams of making extraordinary entertainment.

    Phil Rogers

    It’s quite the shocking move, as Square Enix continues to move further away from its Western studios. there have already been hints that things weren’t going smoothly, as over the years each Western release wasn’t selling as the Japanese studio hoped. This move would include the sales of IPs such as Tomb Raider, Legacy of Kain, Thief, Desu Ex, and more. The fact they sold those studios for $300M is not a good sign, as it implies they were more focused on getting rid of it rather than increasing their profit. Here’s hoping that this new home may benefit these studios in the long run.

    Source: Embracer

  • REPORT: Warner Bros. Discovery Cancels ‘The Wonder Twins’ Film

    REPORT: Warner Bros. Discovery Cancels ‘The Wonder Twins’ Film

    Here’s a rather shocking surprise if true, but it looks like Adam Sztykiel‘s upcoming adaptation of The Wonder Twins has been swiftly canceled according to That Hashtag Show. While many expected some major shifts with the Warner Bros. and Discovery merger, it’s surprising to see a project getting canceled just as it’s getting its team together. We just recently learned that they’ve cast KJ Apa and Isabel May in the leading roles.

    The project was eyeing a production start in July, but it seems that the WB and Discovery merger is currently cleaning house. While projects already in some form of active development will still release, it seems that some of the announced projects in the past might not see the light of day. It’s a shame that a project based on such an interesting property, especially for those that grew up with their animated appearances throughout the years, has been canned before it even got started.

    There’s no word from That Hashtag Show why exactly it was potentially canceled, but we’ll see if an official announcement may follow at one point. For now, it seems that the merger may wipe their DC slate clean and refocus their projects moving forward. This move is quite surprising as they just announced a sequel to The Batman recently as well. So, we’ll see what the future of the DC looks like moving forward.

    Source: That Hashtag Show

  • Bushman was Originally Going to be ‘Moon Knight’ Main Antagonist

    Bushman was Originally Going to be ‘Moon Knight’ Main Antagonist

    Moon Knight is set to wrap up its six-episode run this week with its finale that hopefully can avoid the curse of other series rushing its ending. The finale will see the next confrontation between the avatar of Khonshu and Arthur Harrow, whose determination to free Ammit may have unleashed an unexpected evil.

    It looks like this was not always the plan, however, and the series initially featured a much more familiar foe to fans of the Moon Knight comics. In an interview with the House of R podcast, Jeremy Slater revealed that Raul Bushman was originally set to be the main antagonist of the series.

    There was a lot of specifics in the pitch that didn’t wind up working in the show, Bushman was intiailly going to be the main villain, I think he was going to be possessed by an egyptian god by the end of it, and you’d have a big sort of avatar battle.

    Jeremy Slater

    This of course did not happen, and we’ve only gotten a brief reference to Bushman. So, his only real “appearance” was in the recent episode where Marc confirms that his partner killed the group of archeologist when he got greedy, leaving Marc for dead. So, the series still is following the comic’s origin story but does not focus too much on it, keeping it open for future exploration.

    Its been reported that when developing the story the team had decided that the character of Bushman was too similar to that of Erik Killmonger, the main antagonist of Black Panther. The series instead opted to take a minor character from the comics and rework him into a bit of an original character, but it seems like they may have kept the plans for Bushman and used him for Harrow.

    Source: TV Line

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Almost Featured Echo as a Love Interest

    ‘Moon Knight’ Almost Featured Echo as a Love Interest

    Here’s a rather surprising reveal, but it seems that at one point Echo, better known as Maya Lopez, was considered to be the love interest for Marc Spector in the Moon Knight Disney+ series. Head writer Jeremy Slater revealed in an interview with the House of R podcast that they had Echo as the love interest at one point in its scripting phase, especially as Marvel Studios was interested in introducing the character.

    At the time, Echo was going to be our love interest, solely based on the fact that they knew Marvel liked the character of Echo and was trying to find a show to put her in.

    Jeremy Slater

    While the character was a love interest in the comics, they had a hard time fitting her into the storyline. As it’s a collaborative process, they pitched different ideas and it seems that they’ve realized the bigger potential to explore her character in Hawkeye at some point in the process.

    They were like, ‘You know what, we’ve got this Hawkeye show and we feel like she would fit in a lot better there and we were like, ‘Oh, thank God.”

    Jeremy Slater

    It looks like they had gone through quite a few ideas early on in the process, which was teased in the past as they had concept artists and writers support the teams to bring these ideas together. The Disney+ shows are also a new venture for Marvel Studios which also comes with many new learnings moving forward. So, we’ll see what other projects went through quite a few changes as they release more.

    Source: House of R via TV Line

  • Michael Waldron on Working With the Cast to Write ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Michael Waldron on Working With the Cast to Write ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Taking part in today’s press conference for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, writer Michael Waldron shared about the collaborative process of writing Marvel’s upcoming summer blockbuster. When asked about what kept the film centered on storytelling, he focused on staying true to the characters and working with their actors.

    I had the great benefit of kind of inheriting a bulk of these characters. And so I think that was what certainly centered me creatively. You know: Stephen, Wanda, Wong. Obviously America is a new character that Xochitl was originating. But in a lot of ways, I was just a steward of these characters on the page and so there was a lot of opportunity to collaborate with these tremendous actors who know them better than I could. And as the script evolved, which it very much was all the time, you’re really refining it and it’s leaning on the people who have been doing it even longer than we have in this individual chapter. It’s a real team effort putting this story together.

    Michael Waldron

    Michael Waldron‘s answer provides some perspective into how much creative input performers have had for this film that has had a fast-paced process for the writer and the production team. This is a concept that especially works when you have world-class talented performers such as Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen in principal roles collaborating with the likes of Waldron and director Sam Raimi. As well, his response gives a window into how the creative teams working in tandem with Marvel Studios have been able to sustain the cinematic juggernaut they’ve been for the past decade.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness releases in theaters on Friday, May 6.

  • Kevin Feige on Keeping Marvel Cinematic Universe Secrets

    Kevin Feige on Keeping Marvel Cinematic Universe Secrets

    Movie leaks are always a mixed bag. Sometimes fans enjoy them because they help to get them excited, while other times, fans want to avoid having the film spoiled for them. For the past few years, Marvel Studios has seen quite a few big leaks surrounding its many projects in development. Perhaps the most prolific of the bunch were the leaks surrounding Spider-Man: No Way Home. During the virtual press conference for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige addressed these concerns, noting it isn’t always easy to keep the secrets. 

    During the conference, Feige was asked about the challenge of keeping all the secrets and surprises for the upcoming releases. After all, the running joke is that Marvel snipers – and/or Feige – are always watching. Surprisingly, however, Feige seemed to note how difficult it has become in recent years.

    “The unfortunate truth is you don’t, and therefore you need to make sure that the experience itself works, regardless of what has been spoiled or not. We still do as good a job as we can and I think a lot of people are getting good at not spreading it. You know somebody steals something, don’t spread it around because it just potentially lessens the experience, but in a lot of ways, No Way Home showed that it did not lessen the experience, so we will continue to do the best we can, but the most important thing is delivering the movie or the show that delivers regardless of what you know going in.”

    Kevin Feige

    The Doctor Strange sequel has had quite a few leaks itself, whether it be from Marvel Studios directly or scoopers eager to reveal the cameos in the film. Still, despite the leaks, fans seem eager to hit the movie theaters still. As it stands, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is looking to bring in $200 million domestically in its opening weekend. 

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Writer on How the Sequel Expands Upon MCU’s Magic

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Writer on How the Sequel Expands Upon MCU’s Magic

    Magic is about to expand in the MCU, as Doctor Strange finds himself lost within the vastness of the multiverse. The Marvel universe has been quite a bit different since 2016, as we’ve been introduced to many more powerful magic users, sci-fi concepts, and so much more. Naturally, the arrival of the upcoming release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness makes many wonders just how it might further explore the concept, and luckily writer Michael Waldron offered some insight during the film’s press conference.

    The first movie was very much about Stephen Strange entering this world of magic, learning about it […] and beginning to master it. And then, we had Stephen in several other movies and the Avengers films, and then Spider-Man: No Way Home. This is our first time in a movie that is really his and this is our chance to focus on that magic and check in on what is it look like 5 years on.

    Michael Waldron

    He goes on to highlight that it’s definitely an expansion, which leads to quite a lot of laughter early on while trying to answer the question, and focuses on how every character involved is at a ta certain point that helps push it forward.

    This guy who was the greatest surgeon, now he’s been a sorcerer for a while. He’s been through a lot, how good of a sorcerer is he? We’re seeing him kind of at the height of his powers and I think that’s really exciting. At the same time, you’re encountering Wong, who has become Sorcerer Supreme. He’s at the height of his powers. Then you have Wanda, who is actualized in a whole new way from the end of WandaVision and you could say she’s at the height of her powers.

    Michael Waldron

    The potential of exploring these characters at the height of their power certainly opens up a lot of potential in how the film has to tackle these powerful magic users going at it. In a way, the multiverse seems like the perfect way to not only catch them off-guard but also push them into exploring concepts way beyond their understanding even with their current standings.

  • Xochitl Gomez on Bringing America Chavez to Life in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Xochitl Gomez on Bringing America Chavez to Life in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    While Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to focus on Doctor Strange and Wanda, following the events of both Spider-Man: No Way Home and WandaVision, it is also set to introduce a new character. America Chavez of the Young Avengers will make her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut when Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness debuts later this week. The character will be played by Xochitl Gomez, who is perhaps best known for her work on Netflix’s The Baby-Sitter’s Club, and will mark the first live-action take on the fan-favorite character. So, it’s not entirely surprising then that many are curious about what she brings to the long-awaited Doctor Strange sequel.

    During the press conference for the film today, Gomez was asked what America will bring to Multiverse of Madness. “I mean, um, one thing that was so important to me was that – this is a very adult movie, there’s lots of adults in it, it’s very heavy, and so, I wanted to make sure America still had that youthfulness, and still had that, you know, fake it till you make it you know just resilience,” she explained.

    Gomez also noted the character’s age on film and how it differed from the comics, noting how it allowed Michael Waldron to write a new introduction for America. “You know, when you’ve got some crazy stuff happening it’s a little hard, but I think one thing that really helps is that she is fourteen – which is younger than she was in any of the comics – so I mean that really helps, you know, in writing a new introduction, which I think Michael Waldron did beautifully.”

    Fans can see Gomez as America when Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters later this week.