Monthly Archives: May 2020

John Wick Is Available to Watch for Free Online This Friday Only

Everything's got a price... except for John Wick, this Friday (May 8th) at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET. The first John Wick will be live-streamed in its entirety for free on IGN's YouTube, the Lionsgate Movies YouTube page and Fandango's MovieClips YouTube page as part of the month-long Lionsgate LIVE! A Night at the Movies initiative. So cuddle up with your puppy (or dog... or whatever pet!) and get ready for some John Wick action. Previously installments of the Lionsgate program have seen the studio provide free streams of The Hunger Games, Dirty Dancing and La La Land in support of theater employees furloughed by the COVID-19 crisis. The special John Wick screening will be age-gated to users 18 and above, and will require users to sign in with an account and verify their age. The stream is also geo-gated to only United States and Canadian users. John Wick joins Lionsgate's free screening series in an effort to support the people who make the movies special; each live stream is benefiting the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation, which is dedicated to helping people who work in the motion picture industry and currently providing financial assistance to theater employees. Lionsgate Live! is encouraging donations to the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/03/john-wick-series-in-5-minutes"] John Wick has quickly become one of our favorite action franchises ever, and its titular hero, played by Keanu Reeves of course, is a character we keep wanting back. (Fortunately, John Wick 4 is still on the way.) That's why we at IGN are so excited to support this great cause and provide this movie for free in this special live stream since it not only is beloved to us, but also to all of you, our fans. Hosted by Jamie Lee Curtis, the John Wick free movie screening will feature pre-show interviews with series stars Reeves, Halle Berry, Lance Reddick, Asia Kate Dillon and directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch. And if you're looking for more weekly programming celebrating our love of movies, be sure to check out IGN's Watch From Home Theater, where we rewatch some of your favorite films -- from Jurassic Park to Rogue One -- live with the people who made them. WFH Theater is like Lionsgate's A Night at the Movies -- a love letter to cinema where we all want to bring the magic of the movie theater experience directly to fans during this time. To learn more about A Night at the Movies, go to the Lionsgate LIVE! website.

Video of Canceled Prince of Persia Game Appears Online

A video that surfaced online today supposedly for an unreleased Prince of Persia game was confirmed by former Ubisoft developers to be test footage for a canceled Prince of Persia pitch. The video was initially published on YouTube back in 2012 and has flown under the radar ever since. Titled Prince of Persia Redemption, the footage shows familiar elements from the Prince of Persia series including platforming and time-altering combat. Jonathan Cooper, a video game animator with credits on The Last of Us Part 2, Uncharted 4, Assassin’s Creed 3, and Mass Effect, revealed that the footage was a pre-rendered game pitch video created to simulate gameplay. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=canceled-prince-of-persia-redemption-screenshots&captions=true"] “Wow — haven’t seen this in ages. Amazing work from animation director Khai Nguyen (For Honor) and team. This target game footage (pre-rendered game pitch) inspired our own pitch for Assassin’s Creed 3[,]” Cooper Tweeted. In a follow-up Tweet, Cooper added, “Sadly Ubisoft are generally quicker to cancel Prince of Persia games than [other IPs] because [as far as I know] original creator Jordan Mechner still holds license rights so the profit margins are lower.” Cooper said that he would love to see a new Prince of Persia, preferably set in contemporary Iran. The footage is about three minutes long and shows a character, presumably the Prince, as he makes his way through a crumbling city. Along the way, he fights enemies, and time shifts a bit before a giant monster emerges from underneath the city. It’s been 10 years since a mainline console Prince of Persia game. The last video game release was Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands which was meant to coincide with the movie adaptation that was released that same year starring Jake Gyllenhaal. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2010/02/05/prince-of-persia-the-sands-of-time"] When reached by IGN for comment Ubisoft says that While “Prince of Persia is a beloved franchise and one that’s been important to Ubisoft’s development over the years” the studio doesn’t “have anything new to share at this time.” [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Video of Canceled Prince of Persia Game Appears Online

A video that surfaced online today supposedly for an unreleased Prince of Persia game was confirmed by former Ubisoft developers to be test footage for a canceled Prince of Persia pitch. The video was initially published on YouTube back in 2012 and has flown under the radar ever since. Titled Prince of Persia Redemption, the footage shows familiar elements from the Prince of Persia series including platforming and time-altering combat. Jonathan Cooper, a video game animator with credits on The Last of Us Part 2, Uncharted 4, Assassin’s Creed 3, and Mass Effect, revealed that the footage was a pre-rendered game pitch video created to simulate gameplay. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=canceled-prince-of-persia-redemption-screenshots&captions=true"] “Wow — haven’t seen this in ages. Amazing work from animation director Khai Nguyen (For Honor) and team. This target game footage (pre-rendered game pitch) inspired our own pitch for Assassin’s Creed 3[,]” Cooper Tweeted. In a follow-up Tweet, Cooper added, “Sadly Ubisoft are generally quicker to cancel Prince of Persia games than [other IPs] because [as far as I know] original creator Jordan Mechner still holds license rights so the profit margins are lower.” Cooper said that he would love to see a new Prince of Persia, preferably set in contemporary Iran. The footage is about three minutes long and shows a character, presumably the Prince, as he makes his way through a crumbling city. Along the way, he fights enemies, and time shifts a bit before a giant monster emerges from underneath the city. It’s been 10 years since a mainline console Prince of Persia game. The last video game release was Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands which was meant to coincide with the movie adaptation that was released that same year starring Jake Gyllenhaal. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2010/02/05/prince-of-persia-the-sands-of-time"] When reached by IGN for comment Ubisoft says that While “Prince of Persia is a beloved franchise and one that’s been important to Ubisoft’s development over the years” the studio doesn’t “have anything new to share at this time.” [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Start of New Franchise, EA Confirms

EA CEO Andrew Wilson confirmed that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will be the start of a new franchise, suggesting more games, including a Jedi: Fallen Order 2, are being planned. During an earnings call, EA CEO Andrew Wilson said that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is the “first title in an entirely new franchise.” This is the first official confirmation that Jedi: Fallen Order isn't a one-off adventure. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-star-wars-game-review&captions=true"] This isn’t too surprising considering the success Jedi: Fallen Order experienced critically and financially since its release. During an investor call last year, CFO Blake Jorgensen said that Jedi: Fallen Order “significantly beat our expectations” and was expected to sell 10 million units. Respawn has also put up job listings in recent months specifically looking to fill senior positions on the Star Wars team, a hint that Respawn was working on more Star Wars content. Given this, it's not too surprising that EA is pursuing potential sequels for such a successful title. Jedi: Fallen Order stars a brand new character named Cal Kestis, a former Jedi padawan in hiding after Order 66 killed most of the Jedis in the galaxy. The game is part of the official Star Wars canon and includes characters from other Star Wars media like the Second Sister. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/04/star-wars-jedi-fallen-order-free-update-dlc-trailer"] IGN praised Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, particularly its strong cast and strong gameplay that combines a Metroidvania with engaging lightsaber combat. Respawn also released free Jedi: Fallen Order DLC as part of the May 4th celebration that added a new challenge mode, new game plus, and additional costumes. Check out our Jedi: Fallen Order wiki for walkthroughs, tips, and more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Start of New Franchise, EA Confirms

EA CEO Andrew Wilson confirmed that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will be the start of a new franchise, suggesting more games, including a Jedi: Fallen Order 2, are being planned. During an earnings call, EA CEO Andrew Wilson said that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is the “first title in an entirely new franchise.” This is the first official confirmation that Jedi: Fallen Order isn't a one-off adventure. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-star-wars-game-review&captions=true"] This isn’t too surprising considering the success Jedi: Fallen Order experienced critically and financially since its release. During an investor call last year, CFO Blake Jorgensen said that Jedi: Fallen Order “significantly beat our expectations” and was expected to sell 10 million units. Respawn has also put up job listings in recent months specifically looking to fill senior positions on the Star Wars team, a hint that Respawn was working on more Star Wars content. Given this, it's not too surprising that EA is pursuing potential sequels for such a successful title. Jedi: Fallen Order stars a brand new character named Cal Kestis, a former Jedi padawan in hiding after Order 66 killed most of the Jedis in the galaxy. The game is part of the official Star Wars canon and includes characters from other Star Wars media like the Second Sister. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/04/star-wars-jedi-fallen-order-free-update-dlc-trailer"] IGN praised Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, particularly its strong cast and strong gameplay that combines a Metroidvania with engaging lightsaber combat. Respawn also released free Jedi: Fallen Order DLC as part of the May 4th celebration that added a new challenge mode, new game plus, and additional costumes. Check out our Jedi: Fallen Order wiki for walkthroughs, tips, and more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Black Mirror Season 6 Isn’t Coming Any Time Soon, Says Creator

Don't expect Black Mirror Season 6 to be released any time soon; creator Charlie Brooker revealed he isn't currently working on any new scripts for his dystopian anthology series. During an interview with Radio Times, Brooker explains that now is probably not the right time for more Black Mirror stories due to the novel coronavirus. "At the moment, I don’t know what stomach there would be for stories about societies falling apart, so I’m not working away on one of those," Brooker told Radio Times. "I’m sort of keen to revisit my comic skill set, so I’ve been writing scripts aimed at making myself laugh." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/01/05/top-10-black-mirror-episodes"] June 2019 was the last time we were treated to a new batch of Black Mirror episodes featuring stars like Anthony Mackie and Miley Cyrus. In our glowing review, we say, "Black Mirror's fifth season is one of the series' best, with a condensed batch of new stories that deliver great storytelling, interesting characters, and fascinating technologies that don't overshadow Charlie Brooker's deeply personal stories." If you find yourself missing Black Mirror, all of the seasons, including the interactive film Bandersnatch, are currently available to stream on Netflix. And if you just want more Brooker, his television review series -- Antiviral Swipe -- is coming back for a special one-off "quarantine special," which will premiere on BBC Two on Thursday, May 14 in the UK. For more Black Mirror, watch executive producers Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones pick their five favorite moments from the entire series and respond to some hilarious IGN comments. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=netflix-spotlight-may-2020&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

Black Mirror Season 6 Isn’t Coming Any Time Soon, Says Creator

Don't expect Black Mirror Season 6 to be released any time soon; creator Charlie Brooker revealed he isn't currently working on any new scripts for his dystopian anthology series. During an interview with Radio Times, Brooker explains that now is probably not the right time for more Black Mirror stories due to the novel coronavirus. "At the moment, I don’t know what stomach there would be for stories about societies falling apart, so I’m not working away on one of those," Brooker told Radio Times. "I’m sort of keen to revisit my comic skill set, so I’ve been writing scripts aimed at making myself laugh." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/01/05/top-10-black-mirror-episodes"] June 2019 was the last time we were treated to a new batch of Black Mirror episodes featuring stars like Anthony Mackie and Miley Cyrus. In our glowing review, we say, "Black Mirror's fifth season is one of the series' best, with a condensed batch of new stories that deliver great storytelling, interesting characters, and fascinating technologies that don't overshadow Charlie Brooker's deeply personal stories." If you find yourself missing Black Mirror, all of the seasons, including the interactive film Bandersnatch, are currently available to stream on Netflix. And if you just want more Brooker, his television review series -- Antiviral Swipe -- is coming back for a special one-off "quarantine special," which will premiere on BBC Two on Thursday, May 14 in the UK. For more Black Mirror, watch executive producers Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones pick their five favorite moments from the entire series and respond to some hilarious IGN comments. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=netflix-spotlight-may-2020&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

Watchmen Star Malin Akerman ‘Really Struggled’ as Silk Spectre

While landing a lead role in a blockbuster superhero movie can be a major boost to an up-and-coming actor's career, it can also come with some serious downsides. Case in point - Watchmen star Malin Ackerman reveals she "felt way out of my league" with the ambitious superhero comic adaptation and struggled to take ownership of the Silk Spectre role. Ackerman spoke candidly about her Watchmen performance during an appearance on Collider Ladies Night. At the time, Ackerman had just begin to break into mainstream Hollywood thanks to films like 27 Dresses and The Heartbreak Kid, and she admitted to feeling out of her depth and unprepared to take part in director Zack Snyder's superhero epic. [caption id="attachment_2348449" align="aligncenter" width="1280"]Akerman as Silk Spectre in 2009's Watchmen. Akerman as Silk Spectre in 2009's Watchmen.[/caption] Ackerman told Collider, "I will say that Watchmen was a big shift because I felt way out of my league on that one. I really struggled because it was such a big film and I really felt like I had no idea what I was doing. I had no training and I was working with these fabulous theater actors who had all the training in the world. I definitely didn’t feel worthy of being there." Fortunately, Ackerman seems to have made peace with her experience on Watchmen, describing it as "a turning point" for her career and a valuable learning experience. "I look back on it now, I loved the experience as far as the people I got to work with and to have been a part of that beautiful production and I’m thankful that it woke me up a little bit to the importance of preparation, and just so that I can grow from that experience. I think any growth, then it’s been worth it." When asked whether she'd like a second chance at playing Silk Spectre, Ackerman said, "I would love to do it actually! It would feel like I’d get a second chance at it.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=watchmen-all-the-comic-book-references-in-the-hbo-series&captions=true"] Unfortunately, a direct sequel to Snyder's Watchmen seems unlikely at this point. HBO's Watchmen series acted as its own continuation of the original Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons comic, with Jean Smart taking over the role of an older Laurie Blake. Watchmen wound up being IGN's pick for the best TV series of 2019. Unfortunately, Watchmen Season 2 is looking about as likely as Snyder's Watchmen 2 at this point. Creator Damon Lindelof has said he doesn't have any ideas in mind for a second season, and HBO recently rebranded Watchmen as a limited series. However, the silver lining here is that the experience of making Watchmen has made Lindelof more amenable to the idea of working in the MCU. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/17/damon-lindelof-reacts-to-watchmen-being-named-igns-tv-series-of-the-year"] Do you want to see the cast of Snyder's Watchmen movie reunite for a sequel? let us know in the comments below. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Watchmen Star Malin Akerman ‘Really Struggled’ as Silk Spectre

While landing a lead role in a blockbuster superhero movie can be a major boost to an up-and-coming actor's career, it can also come with some serious downsides. Case in point - Watchmen star Malin Ackerman reveals she "felt way out of my league" with the ambitious superhero comic adaptation and struggled to take ownership of the Silk Spectre role. Ackerman spoke candidly about her Watchmen performance during an appearance on Collider Ladies Night. At the time, Ackerman had just begin to break into mainstream Hollywood thanks to films like 27 Dresses and The Heartbreak Kid, and she admitted to feeling out of her depth and unprepared to take part in director Zack Snyder's superhero epic. [caption id="attachment_2348449" align="aligncenter" width="1280"]Akerman as Silk Spectre in 2009's Watchmen. Akerman as Silk Spectre in 2009's Watchmen.[/caption] Ackerman told Collider, "I will say that Watchmen was a big shift because I felt way out of my league on that one. I really struggled because it was such a big film and I really felt like I had no idea what I was doing. I had no training and I was working with these fabulous theater actors who had all the training in the world. I definitely didn’t feel worthy of being there." Fortunately, Ackerman seems to have made peace with her experience on Watchmen, describing it as "a turning point" for her career and a valuable learning experience. "I look back on it now, I loved the experience as far as the people I got to work with and to have been a part of that beautiful production and I’m thankful that it woke me up a little bit to the importance of preparation, and just so that I can grow from that experience. I think any growth, then it’s been worth it." When asked whether she'd like a second chance at playing Silk Spectre, Ackerman said, "I would love to do it actually! It would feel like I’d get a second chance at it.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=watchmen-all-the-comic-book-references-in-the-hbo-series&captions=true"] Unfortunately, a direct sequel to Snyder's Watchmen seems unlikely at this point. HBO's Watchmen series acted as its own continuation of the original Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons comic, with Jean Smart taking over the role of an older Laurie Blake. Watchmen wound up being IGN's pick for the best TV series of 2019. Unfortunately, Watchmen Season 2 is looking about as likely as Snyder's Watchmen 2 at this point. Creator Damon Lindelof has said he doesn't have any ideas in mind for a second season, and HBO recently rebranded Watchmen as a limited series. However, the silver lining here is that the experience of making Watchmen has made Lindelof more amenable to the idea of working in the MCU. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/17/damon-lindelof-reacts-to-watchmen-being-named-igns-tv-series-of-the-year"] Do you want to see the cast of Snyder's Watchmen movie reunite for a sequel? let us know in the comments below. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Jordan Peele’s The Twilight Zone: Exclusive First Look at Season 2

You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind... With those classic words, Jordan Peele launched the latest iteration of Rod Serling's classic anthology series, The Twilight Zone. And now, Season 2 of the show is coming to CBS All Access this summer. So in anticipation of the creep-fest's return, we've got 11 exclusive images from the new season for you. Click through the gallery below for all the images, including episode titles and the stars from each segment... [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=jordan-peeles-the-twilight-zone-exclusive-first-look-at-season-2&captions=true"] Season 2 of The Twilight Zone will feature 10 episodes and will premiere this summer exclusively on CBS All Access. Peele once again hosts and executive-produces the series, with the guest cast this season including a bunch of familiar faces including Morena Baccarin, Kylie Bunbury, Jenna Elfman, Sky Ferreira, Tavi Gevinson, Topher Grace, Tony Hale, Gillian Jacobs, David Krumholtz, Thomas Lennon, Sophia Macy, Natalie Martinez, Joel McHale, Chris Meloni, Gretchen Mol, Paula Newsome, Jurnee Smollett, Billy Porter, Jimmi Simpson, Daniel Sunjata, Damon Wayans Jr., and more. From CBS: "Executive producers Jordan Peele and Simon Kinberg’s modern re-imagining of the classic brings the original series’ legacy of socially conscious storytelling to new audiences, exploring the human condition and holding a lens up to the culture of our times. The series’ second season will use introspection and the exploration of self to usher viewers into a familiar dimension." [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/04/01/jordan-peeles-the-twilight-zone-series-premiere-review] The Twilight Zone Season 2’s episodes will be:
  • "Among the Untrodden," starring Sophia Macy
  • "The Who of You," starring Billy Porter
  • "A Human Face," starring Christopher Meloni and Jenna Elfman
  • "Downtime," starring Morena Baccarin
  • "8," starring Joel McHale
  • "Meet in the Middle," starring Jimmi Simpson
  • "Try, Try," starring Topher Grace and Kylie Bunbury
  • "A Small Town," starring Damon Wayans, Jr.
  • "You Might Also Like," starring Gretchen Mol
  • "Ovation," starring Thomas Lennon and Jurnee Smollett
In our review of the first two episodes of The Twilight Zone Season 1, we said that "Jordan Peele and his team have, so far, found that Serling groove that has so often eluded reboots of the show in the past. This new Twilight Zone knows how to be creepy, funny, and socially relevant. And it’s also nabbed the perfect host." Did you watch Season 1 of the series? What are you hoping for from Season 2? Let's discuss in the comments!