Monthly Archives: April 2017
American Gods EPs on Political Relevance and Selfish Gods
American Gods will end up being one of the most politically relevant scripted TV series of 2017, though that wasn't necessarily showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green's intent when they started adapting the Neil Gaiman novel.
"It feels like the show that we set out to make was much more entertainment and much less politicking than the show that is going to be released to the audiences," Fuller told me when I sat down with him and Green to discuss the upcoming new Starz series, which debuts on April 30th. The fantasy drama, which tells the story of a man unwittingly caught in a war between the old and new gods of America, deals with big themes like immigration. Those themes have earned new context given the political climate shift in America over the past year.
The Best War Movies Streaming on Netflix
War is, in no uncertain terms, a horrifying experience and something that we should all want to avoid whenever humanly possible. But it's because of that horror, uncertainty, and power that, from a filmmaker’s point of view, war makes for intense, exciting, and meaningful subject matter that can have an enormous impact on the audience.
We go to war movies to celebrate victories, to ponder difficult questions, to remind ourselves of the futility of human violence. We go to war movies again and again and again because these tales have value. But finding good war movies can be pretty darned difficult. Even on Netflix, separating the great films from the junk can be a tough prospect.
Top Comics to Buy This Week: April 26, 2017
With dozens of comic books to choose from, let us show you which are the best coming out this week. Take a look at this list spotlighting our favorite comics that we know are money-well-spent and new books that look cool and are backed by some top-tier talent.
Check out our picks, then head to the comments to let us know what you’ll be buying this week!
By writers Scott Snyder & Steve Orlando & artist Riley Rossmo | DC/Dynamite
Heath Ledger’s Sister on Rumors Regarding Joker Role
Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning role as the Joker in The Dark Knight was not a contributing factor to his death in 2008, according to the late actor's sisters Kate Ledger and Ashleigh Bell.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, during a screening of I Am Heath Ledger (a new documentary about the late actor), the two shot down rumors that Ledger's penultimate role as the Joker took a massive toll on him and caused him to overdose on drugs, calling such speculation "so not true."
Contrary to what rumors suggest, Kate said her brother "wasn't depressed about the Joker." In fact, she went so far as to say "it was the absolute opposite," adding that he "had an amazing sense of humor, and I guess maybe only his close family and friends really knew that, but he was having fun."
Overwatch: Three New Maps In the Works
Overwatch might get three more maps this year, plus additional non-standard arenas and experiments.
The game's director, Jeff Kaplan, responded to a fan's concerns on the Overwatch forums about the lack of extra maps so far for the shooter. "We currently have 3 maps in development, all past the initial playtesting phase that are 'standard' maps
," Kaplan said.
"While something could always change, all 3 of those are looking likely for a release this year."
But that's not all Blizzard is working on for Overwatch. Kaplan revealed that there are three nonstandard maps in development too, which won't be available for quick play and competitive. And that's on top of "a few other experiments going on," he said.
Fate of the Furious to Cross $1 Billion Mark This Week
The Fate of the Furious stayed at the top of the domestic and worldwide box office this weekend. And though its domestic tally is, adjusted for inflation, one of the series' lowest so far, Fate is one of the highest grossing Fast and Furious films worldwide, on pace to cross the $1 billion mark later this week.
After clocking in the biggest worldwide opening of all time in its debut weekend, Fate has now amassed over $900 million worldwide. That cume makes it the second-highest grossing film in the franchise, coming in just below Furious 7's $1.5 billion total. Fate is, of course, only two weekends into its theatrical run, and it should have no trouble collecting a total of $1 billion before the end of the week.
Into the Badlands Clip: Bajie and MK Team Up for a Fight
In an all-new episode of Into the Badlands, “Black Heart, White Mountain” -- airing Sunday, April 30th on AMC -- Sunny (Daniel Wu) confronts his inner demons while his friends struggle to help him as The Widow (Emily Beecham) exacts revenge on her enemies with help from a new, deadly partner.
In this exclusive scene, however, it's Bajie (Nick Frost) and MK (Aramis Knight) who take center stage as they engage in a big, elaborate brawl inside the Abbot Monastery - drawing blood in order to use the black-eyed supernatural fighting power to their advantage. Take a look!
Into the Badlands airs on Sundays at 10/9c on AMC.
Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association (TCA). Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.
Call of Duty: WWII Leak Outs Release Date, Beta
New details about Call of Duty: WWII, including the game's release date, have reportedly emerged.
According to leaked marketing materials acquired by CharlieIntel, Activision's recently-announced shooter will release on Friday, November 3. The leaked materials also reveal that those who pre-order the game will gain access to a private beta; however, no time frame for the beta was specified.
Leaked materials, via CharlieIntel
More Evidence Vanquish Is Coming to PC Very Soon
Update: More evidence to suggest Vanquish is coming to PC has surfaced, as SEGA has posted what appear to be two teaser images on Twitter that hint at a May 2017 release date.
The first post includes an image of Vanquish's Order of the Russian Star logo, as well as "2017" in the upper right-hand corner:
Teaser image, via SEGA on Twitter
Meanwhile, the second image contains "05" in the upper right-hand corner, which presumably indicates the alleged PC port will release sometime this month:
Out This Week: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, La La Land, Dragon Quest Heroes II
With so many new games and movies coming out, it can be hard to keep up. Lucky for you, IGN is here to help with a weekly round-up of the biggest releases each and every week. Check out the latest releases for this week, and be sure to come back next Monday for a new update.
Note: The prices and deals compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.
