Monthly Archives: January 2015
Xbox Live is Having Issues Again
Xbox Live is experiencing issues again. On the Xbox Live support page, core services on both Xbox 360 and Xbox One are listed as being affected, with sign-in problems listed under the Core Services heading on the page.
Additionally, purchases and content services are listed as problematic, specifically buying downloadable items and downloading items that have already been purchased. This problem was first posted to the Xbox Live support page yesterday at 7:45 pm CST.
The sign-in trouble was first posted to the site today at 5 pm CST.
Microsoft said that their support team is "already engaged and investigating right now," and they're trying to get it fixed "ASAP."
Pitt and Jolie, Together Again
Brad Pitt is in negotiations to star in his wife Angelina Jolie's forthcoming drama Africa.
According to TheWrap, Pitt will play famed archaeologist Richard Leakey in the biopic, which follows Leakey's defense of elephants against poachers in Kenya in the late 1980s.
Jolie is working with cinematographer Roger Deakins, who also shot her last film, Unbroken. She is also producing Africa and production could begin as soon as this summer.
"I’ve felt a deep connection to Africa and its culture for much of my life, and was taken with Eric Roth's beautiful script about a man drawn into the violent conflict with elephant poachers who emerged with a deeper understanding of man’s footprint and a profound sense of responsibility for the world around him," Jolie said of the project in a statement.
Agent Carter Character’s Major Marvel Movie Connection
Note: Spoilers for the most recent Agent Carter episode, from January 27th, follow.
It only took one episode beyond her introduction for Peggy Carter’s new neighbor, Dottie (Bridget Regan) to show she had some huge secrets on Marvel’s Agent Carter – as she quickly and effortlessly killed the dangerous Mr. Mink.
So how does Dottie have these skills? We have the answer, straight from the show's executive producers. Ready to hear it?
One last warning if you want to look away…
Alright, if you’re still with us, here goes! As some suspected might be the case, especially given the specific fighting style she used, Dottie is indeed a product of the Black Widow Program – or at least the program that will become Black Widow. Yes, before Natasha Romanoff would prove how formidable she was in the present day of the Marvel films, other women received the same training from Russia – and Dottie is here to represent that in Agent Carter’s 1946 setting.
Hamm, Wiig Join Netflix’s Wet Hot American Summer Series
If you weren't psyched enough already that the entire original cast of 2001's cult comedy Wet Hot American Summer - including Elizabeth Banks, Bradley Cooper, Janeane Garofalo, Christopher Meloni, David Hyde Pierce, Amy Poheler, Paul Rudd, and more - were all returning for Netflix's new prequel series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, then we've got even more mind-blowing news for you.
Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp Teaser
Deadline is reporting that Mad Men‘s Jon Hamm, Star Trek‘s Chris Pine, SNL/Bridesmaids' Kristen Wiig and Scott Pilgrim/Rushmore‘s Jason Schwartzman have also signed on to be a part of the series.
What’s After Earth? Jaden Smith Goes to HBO
Jaden Smith and Maya Rudolph will guest-star in the pilot of Brothers In Atlanta, a new comedy written by (and starring) Late Night with Jimmy Fallon writers/performers Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin.
According to Deadline, the pilot will follow struggling entertainers Langston (Riddle) and Moose (Salahuddin) trying to navigate life's obstacles in Atlanta.
Jaden Smith as Kitai Raige in 2013's After Earth.
True Detective Villain Cast in Hannibal: Season 3
Glenn Fleshler, who you might know from the HBO shows True Detective and Boardwalk Empire (where he played George Remus), is the latest actor to join Hannibal's third season.
True Blood Actress Joins Hannibal
Per The Wrap, Fleshler will be playing a character from Thomas Harris' 'Hannibal' novel - a caretaker/aide named Cordell.
In the book (and in Ridley Scott's 2001 film Hannibal), Cordell is the one who tends to a disfigured Mason Verger (played by Michael Pitt in Season 2, to be played by Joe Anderson in Season 3).
Batman Writer Talks Joker’s New Origin & Big Villain Return
Beware of spoilers for Batman #38!
Today's Batman #38 had two huge developments in the current Endgame story arc.
First, we saw a brand new origin for the Joker that explained how he has a regenerative quality -- linked to Vandal Savage, Ra's al Ghul, and the Talons -- that not only grants him unnaturally long life, but the ability to heal from fatal injuries. Last issue, Jim Gordon discovered pictures of the Joker dating back to the beginnings of Gotham, and this issue appeared to confirm that the Joker is older than Gotham.
Dan Aykroyd Loves the New Ghostbusters Cast
On Tuesday, it was revealed that Melissa McCarthy is signed on for Paul Fieg's Ghostbusters reboot, with former and current SNL players Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones in negotiations to join her.
Today, original Ghostbuster Dan Aykroyd, who co-wrote the 1984 Ghostbusters film, said he couldn't be more pleased with the new cast, telling THR, "The Aykroyd family is delighted by this inheritance of the Ghostbusters torch by these most magnificent women in comedy."
Mutant Mudds Super Challenge Announced
Indie Studio Renegade Kid is bringing another Mutant Mudds to Wii U and 3DS.
The Mutant Mudds Twitter teased a reveal in the upcoming issue of Nintendo Force. Mutant Mudds Super Challenge is described as "an all-new, extra-tough" Mudds game. The tweet and snippet from the magazine didn't include any release details.
IGN's reviews of Mutant Mudds on 3DS and its Deluxe version on consoles called them both great. IGN particularly credited its strong challenge, which Super Challenge promises more of, but criticized the "new" stages for being simple remixes.
OpTic MiDNiTE Plays Call of Duty with IGN
During IGN's world premiere live stream of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare's Havoc DLC, prominent YouTuber and streamer OpTic MiDNiTE joined us to play a round of Domination on the new map, Core.
As we play, we answered your Twitter questions about our favorite perks, the best of the new DLC maps, and more. If you missed the end of the stream, we closed things out with a few full rounds of the new Exo-Zombies mode.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare's Havoc DLC is available now on Xbox One and Xbox 360. It's coming to other platforms soon. We'll keep you updated as we learn more.
Brian is an associate editor at IGN. You can follow him @albinoalbert on Twitter.