Monthly Archives: April 2016
WWE’s Renee Young on WrestleMania’s Energy
Since making her onscreen debut with the company in 2013, Renee Young has been kept very busy in the WWE, serving in many capacities, including backstage interviewer and commentator (Young was one of the regular commentators on both NXT and WWE Superstars for a time), while also hosting her own WWE Network series, Unfiltered with Renee Young.
On Friday, as WWE went into their jam-packed WrestleMania weekend, IGN spoke to Young about her role in the company and building a rapport with fans, along with how she is a part of the storytelling in WWE.
Renee Young.
Star Wars: Could Snoke Have Been Done Practically?
As the creature shop head of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Neal Scanlan helped create over 100 aliens and droids for J.J. Abrams' vision of a galaxy far, far away.
In addition to spearheading many of the film's practical effects, Scanlan played a key role in designing Supreme Leader Snoke, the motion-capture villain played by Andy Serkis.
Of course, some fans have suggested that Snoke, a relatively humanoid character, could have been done practically with makeup and CG enhancements -- but would that have really worked? Recently, I got a chance to speak with Scanlan about creating Snoke in the lead-up to The Force Awakens' home video release, and asked if he and his team tried any practical alternatives.
How GOT Cast Avoid Revealing Spoilers
In Westeros the title “Master of Whisperers” belongs to eunuch spymaster Varys, due to his unparalleled network of “little birds” and ability to unearth vital covert information throughout the Seven Kingdoms. No doubt many Game of Thrones fans wish he had a real-life equivalent to ferret out the show’s secrets ahead of its Season 6 premiere.
With TV storylines now outstripping the source novels, for the first time no one knows what lies ahead. Wary of the dreaded piracy/social media combination, HBO are even refusing to send out press preview copies for the first few episodes. So, when interviewing the show’s cast ahead of transmission, it’s equal parts fascination and frustration, watching them play the game of spoilers…
How GOT Cast Avoid Revealing Spoilers
In Westeros the title “Master of Whisperers” belongs to eunuch spymaster Varys, due to his unparalleled network of “little birds” and ability to unearth vital covert information throughout the Seven Kingdoms. No doubt many Game of Thrones fans wish he had a real-life equivalent to ferret out the show’s secrets ahead of its Season 6 premiere.
With TV storylines now outstripping the source novels, for the first time no one knows what lies ahead. Wary of the dreaded piracy/social media combination, HBO are even refusing to send out press preview copies for the first few episodes. So, when interviewing the show’s cast ahead of transmission, it’s equal parts fascination and frustration, watching them play the game of spoilers…
Doctor Strange Director Tweets Cool Set Photo
Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson tweeted a photo today of his leading men Benedict Cumberbatch and Chiwetel Ejiofor on the New York City set of the Marvel movie.
The photo in the tweet embedded below gives us a great look at the costumes worn by Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange and Ejiofor as Baron Mordo.
While Cumberbatch's costume, hairstyle and facial hair combine to make him a dead ringer for his comic book counterpart, Ejiofor's Mordo wears a far more somber and simple garb than his character dons in the books.
The movie version of Mordo wears a green and grey ensemble without the high collar and more gaudy finishings of the comic book Mordo.
These dudes pic.twitter.com/5hNPhmpXCh
— Scott Derrickson (@scottderrickson) April 3, 2016
Sting Announces Retirement at Hall of Fame Ceremony
For a few weeks now, it's been rumored that wrestling legend Sting might retire during his Hall of Fame acceptance speech this year as part of the official class of 2016. And - well - it happened. During a heartfelt address to the crowd, Sting told the wrestlers and fans on hand that he was ending his career under the "WWE Umbrella" and that he couldn't be prouder.
Massive "Thank You, Sting!" chants then followed as Sting put on sunglasses and picked uo his trademark black bat. "This isn't goodbye, but see you later," he told the crowd before exiting the stage.
Check out the video below...
Newly inducted into the @WWE Hall of Fame, @STING announces his retirement from the ring. #WWEHOF #ThankYouSting https://t.co/5ru7YswgVI
— WWE (@WWE) April 3, 2016
WWE’s Neville Gives Update on Ankle Injury
Those in the pro-wrestling business dream of one day being able to compete at WrestleMania. Unfortunately, for the high-flying Neville, his opportunity to compete in the ladder match at 'Mania 32 was lost a few weeks back when he suffered a serious ankle injury during a match against Chris Jericho on RAW.
At WWE Axxess, I was given the chance to briefly speak to Neville just days out from WrestleMania and get an update regarding his condition. Plus, he gave his thoughts on returning to NXT to face Finn Balor a few months ago and teaming with Arrow's Stephen Amell last summer at SummerSlam.
Neville.
BvS Producer Hints at Cyborg’s Inclusion in Flash Movie
Ray Fisher's Cyborg may soon be joining forces with Ezra Miller's The Flash, if recent comments by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice producer Deborah Snyder are any indication.
While speaking with Forbes about the studio's upcoming slate of DC superhero films, Snyder hinted at Cyborg's inclusion in Warner Bros.' Flash solo feature, telling the outlet: "When we get to The Flash movie, Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher — who plays Cyborg — are kind of our youngest characters, and they have a really nice comradery with each other."
Dave Bautista Hints at Joining Blade Runner 2
Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy, SPECTRE) may have a role in Blade Runner 2.
The actor hinted at his involvement on Twitter, posting a photo of himself and an origami unicorn, along with the caption: "I can't wait to share some really exciting news..."
Image via Dave Bautista on Twitter.
While the tweet is by no means confirmation, the origami unicorn is an obvious reference to the original movie.
The sequel's cast already includes Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. House of Cards star Robin Wright also joined the cast earlier this week.
Paul Heyman: Dean Ambrose Will Be Able to “Brag” About a Brock Lesnar Beating
When you interview WWE’s Paul Heyman, you’re going to get “Paul Heyman,” with all the impressive oratory skills Brock Lesnar’s advocate brings to his role on RAW and other WWE events.
In a day and age where WWE programming like Total Divas and various WWE Network specials and series take you behind the scenes and show how their performers work on their characters and promos, the talent no longer has to be fully in character when you speak to them away from WWE shows. But Heyman seems to get a kick out of the delightfully boastful character he portrays, maintaining it much of the time, which was the case when IGN spoke to him going into WrestleMania 32, where he’ll be in Lesnar’s corner Sunday for a big "street fight" match against Dean Ambrose.