Monthly Archives: July 2020

Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus Plays His Own Song In The Last Of Us 2

Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus has covered one of his own songs, Dammit using the simulated in-game guitar in The Last Of Us 2.

While streaming the game on Twitch, Hoppus spent time in the Valiant Bookstore noodling on one of the acoustic guitars Ellie can tinker with throughout the course of the game, and saw him cover Dammit, one of the most popular singles from Blink 182’s 1997 album Dude Ranch.

Hoppus manages to copy the four-chord structure from the strong by strumming on the DualShock’s touchpad, using the right stick to switch between the different chords in time with the tune. He also has a little sing-song to accompany his strumming (though he does need to ask the Twitch chat for the rest of the lyrics at one point).

As part of a merch drop to accompany the launch of the game, Sony collaborated with guitar company Taylor to create a set of custom instruments, including one that replicates Ellie’s in-game guitar and another that features Ellie’s tattoo as a motif.

The proper replica will run you $2,300, but bear in mind that that’s not so distant from the regular price range for Taylor guitars of this kind. For more on The Last Of Us 2, check out our guide to every collectable in the game.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/12/the-last-of-us-part-2-review"]

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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Mad Max: Charlize Theron on ‘Heartbreaking’ Recasting of Furiosa

While Mad Max: Fury Road is getting a prequel, Charlize Theron won't be reprising her role as the heroic Imperator Furiosa. And Theron has now spoken about how she feels handing the reins to another actress. Theron revealed her conflicted feelings about the prequel during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, where she describes allowing another actress to take up the mantle of Furiosa as "a little heartbreaking." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/26/furiosa-the-new-mutants-anya-taylor-joy-reportedly-up-for-mad-max-spin-off"] “It’s a tough one to swallow. Listen, I fully respect George [Miller], if not more so in the aftermath of making Fury Road with him. He’s a master, and I wish him nothing but the best," Theron told THR. “Yeah, it’s a little heartbreaking, for sure. I really love that character, and I’m so grateful that I had a small part in creating her. She will forever be someone I think of and reflect on fondly. Obviously, I would love to see that story continue, and if he feels like he has to go about it this way, then I trust him in that manner. We get so hung up on the smaller details that we forget the thing that we emotionally tap into has nothing to do with that minute thing that we’re focusing on.” As we learned back in March, Miller is currently casting the prequel with the intent of shooting in 2021. New Mutants star Anya Taylor-Joy is rumored to be a frontrunner for the role of a younger Furiosa. Miller has been planning a Furiosa prequel for several years at this point, first hinting at the idea mere months after the release of Fury Road. "She's a pretty compelling character so it'd be great to tell her story," Miller told Entertainment Weekly in 2016. "Her backstory is pretty interesting, we only allude to it in this movie. This movie is on the run, people don't have much time for recreational talk. You have a sense of her having gone through stuff, that's what the movie is trying to do. You know, you're trying to put a lot of iceberg under the tip, I like saying." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-sci-fi-movies&captions=true"] The good news is that Theron continues to appear in other big-budget action movies. She's next appearing in Netflix's comic book adaptation The Old Guard, which debuts on the streamer on Friday, July 10. You can check out IGN's advance review of The Old Guard for more on the new movie. [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.

Mad Max: Charlize Theron on ‘Heartbreaking’ Recasting of Furiosa

While Mad Max: Fury Road is getting a prequel, Charlize Theron won't be reprising her role as the heroic Imperator Furiosa. And Theron has now spoken about how she feels handing the reins to another actress. Theron revealed her conflicted feelings about the prequel during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, where she describes allowing another actress to take up the mantle of Furiosa as "a little heartbreaking." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/26/furiosa-the-new-mutants-anya-taylor-joy-reportedly-up-for-mad-max-spin-off"] “It’s a tough one to swallow. Listen, I fully respect George [Miller], if not more so in the aftermath of making Fury Road with him. He’s a master, and I wish him nothing but the best," Theron told THR. “Yeah, it’s a little heartbreaking, for sure. I really love that character, and I’m so grateful that I had a small part in creating her. She will forever be someone I think of and reflect on fondly. Obviously, I would love to see that story continue, and if he feels like he has to go about it this way, then I trust him in that manner. We get so hung up on the smaller details that we forget the thing that we emotionally tap into has nothing to do with that minute thing that we’re focusing on.” As we learned back in March, Miller is currently casting the prequel with the intent of shooting in 2021. New Mutants star Anya Taylor-Joy is rumored to be a frontrunner for the role of a younger Furiosa. Miller has been planning a Furiosa prequel for several years at this point, first hinting at the idea mere months after the release of Fury Road. "She's a pretty compelling character so it'd be great to tell her story," Miller told Entertainment Weekly in 2016. "Her backstory is pretty interesting, we only allude to it in this movie. This movie is on the run, people don't have much time for recreational talk. You have a sense of her having gone through stuff, that's what the movie is trying to do. You know, you're trying to put a lot of iceberg under the tip, I like saying." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-sci-fi-movies&captions=true"] The good news is that Theron continues to appear in other big-budget action movies. She's next appearing in Netflix's comic book adaptation The Old Guard, which debuts on the streamer on Friday, July 10. You can check out IGN's advance review of The Old Guard for more on the new movie. [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.

IGN Nominated for 3 L.A. Press Club SoCal Journalism Awards

IGN is pleased to announce that three of its writers are among the nominees for the L.A. Press Club's 62nd Annual Southern California Journalism Awards. Reporter Matt Kim was nominated in the category of Online: Entertainment News (Music/Performers) for his November 2019 piece "Blizzcon Protesters Share Why They're Fighting For Free Speech at Blizzard's Big Event." Written in the wake of Blizzard's decision to punish Hearthstone player Ng Wai "Blitzchung" Chung following his public support of the Hong Kong protests, the piece explores how many Blizzcon attendees sought to protest Blizzard's decision and raise awareness of the situation in Hong Kong. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-blizzard-china-controversy-explained&captions=true"] Senior editor/producer Joshua Yehl was nominated in the category of Entertainment Commentary (Film/TV) for his December 2019 essay "How I Learned to Grieve and Heal Through Star Wars." Inspired by the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and its inclusion of the franchise's first on-screen, same-sex kiss, Yehl offers a personal account of how that Star Wars milestone helped him process the grief surrounding the death of his friend Drew Leinonen, who was among those killed at the 2016 shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Freelance writer Siddhant Adlakha was nominated in the "Criticism of TV" category for his series of reviews of HBO's Watchmen. Adlakha scored the eighth episode of Watchmen a 10, writing "Watchmen’s penultimate episode is a thermodynamic miracle. An expertly crafted piece of television that positions us in past and present simultaneously, while exploring what makes Dr. Manhattan human — and therefore, what makes the rest of us. A story of doomed romance, of sacrifice, and of what it feels like to remember falling in love." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/16/watchmen-season-finale-review-what-to-watch"] The full list of award nominees was released on Monday. The winners will be revealed during an online ceremony on August 29. [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.

IGN Nominated for 3 L.A. Press Club SoCal Journalism Awards

IGN is pleased to announce that three of its writers are among the nominees for the L.A. Press Club's 62nd Annual Southern California Journalism Awards. Reporter Matt Kim was nominated in the category of Online: Entertainment News (Music/Performers) for his November 2019 piece "Blizzcon Protesters Share Why They're Fighting For Free Speech at Blizzard's Big Event." Written in the wake of Blizzard's decision to punish Hearthstone player Ng Wai "Blitzchung" Chung following his public support of the Hong Kong protests, the piece explores how many Blizzcon attendees sought to protest Blizzard's decision and raise awareness of the situation in Hong Kong. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-blizzard-china-controversy-explained&captions=true"] Editor/producer Joshua Yehl was nominated in the category of Entertainment Commentary (Film/TV) for his December 2019 essay "How I Learned to Grieve and Heal Through Star Wars." Inspired by the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and its inclusion of the franchise's first on-screen, same-sex kiss, Yehl offers a personal account of how that Star Wars milestone helped him process the grief surrounding the death of his friend Drew Leinonen, who was among those killed at the 2016 shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Freelance writer Siddhant Adlakha was nominated in the "Criticism of TV" category for his series of reviews of HBO's Watchmen. Adlakha scored the eighth episode of Watchmen a 10, writing "Watchmen’s penultimate episode is a thermodynamic miracle. An expertly crafted piece of television that positions us in past and present simultaneously, while exploring what makes Dr. Manhattan human — and therefore, what makes the rest of us. A story of doomed romance, of sacrifice, and of what it feels like to remember falling in love." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/16/watchmen-season-finale-review-what-to-watch"] The full list of award nominees was released on Monday. The winners will be revealed during an online ceremony on August 29. [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.

Watch What We Do in the Shadows With the TV Series Cast – WFH Theater

Here at IGN, we're always looking for new ways to bring our community together to embrace what we're most passionate about. That's why we launched Watch From Home Theater, a weekly live show where we unite some of your favorite IGN personalities and special celebrity guests to watch some of our favorite films and shows together. This Tuesday, July 7 at 11 a.m. PT, we're watching the What We Do in the Shadows TV show with the full main cast! Based on the movie of the same name, the What We Do in the Shadows series follows the undead but never unexciting lives of a group of four vampires living together in Staten Island. Our special guests include Matt Berry (Laszlo Cravensworth), Natasia Demetriou (Nadja), Kayvan Novak (Nandor the Relentless), Harvey Guillen (Guillermo De la Cruz) and Mark Proksh (Colin Robinson). There have been two seasons of What We Do in the Shadows and a third is on the way. For this installment of WFH Theather, we’ll be watching two episodes of the show -- "Ghosts" and "Brain Scramblies." IGN won't be able to show the episodes in the live stream watch-along, so if you want the full WFH Theater experience, sync up the show on your devices and watch with us when we press "play" together! The episodes can be watched on Hulu. If you don't already have a Hulu subscription, the service is currently offering a 14-day free trial for new users. Watch From Home Theater isn’t just a show or an opportunity to watch a movie or television series; it’s a hangout with passionate people who share one thing in common -- their love of film and TV. Each week, we'll invite our viewers to join in the conversation using our WFH Theater Discord channel to chat with our host as well as our celebrity guests. With running commentaries that range from insightful to silly, each viewing will take on a life of its own based on what we’re watching. Check out highlights from our previous episodes of WFH Theater below!

WFH Theater - X-Men: Days of Future Past w/ Writer Simon Kinberg

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/x-men-days-of-future-past-w-writer-simon-kinberg-qa-watch-along-wfh-theater"]

WFH Theater - Empire Strikes Back with Sam Witwer & Rahul Kohli

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/21/the-empire-strikes-back-watch-party-w-sam-witwer-rahul-kohli"]

WFH Theater - Revenge of the Sith with Ashley Eckstein & Cameron Monaghan

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/19/revenge-of-the-sith-watch-party-w-ashley-eckstein-cameron-monaghan-wfh-theater"]

WFH Theater - Netflix's Extraction with Chris Hemsworth, Joe Russo and director Sam Hargrave

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/01/extraction-full-one-shot-scene-breakdown-wchris-hemsworth-joe-russo-and-director"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joshua is Senior Features Editor at IGN. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.

Watch What We Do in the Shadows With the TV Series Cast – WFH Theater

Here at IGN, we're always looking for new ways to bring our community together to embrace what we're most passionate about. That's why we launched Watch From Home Theater, a weekly live show where we unite some of your favorite IGN personalities and special celebrity guests to watch some of our favorite films and shows together. This Tuesday, July 7 at 11 a.m. PT, we're watching the What We Do in the Shadows TV show with the full main cast! Based on the movie of the same name, the What We Do in the Shadows series follows the undead but never unexciting lives of a group of four vampires living together in Staten Island. Our special guests include Matt Berry (Laszlo Cravensworth), Natasia Demetriou (Nadja), Kayvan Novak (Nandor the Relentless), Harvey Guillen (Guillermo De la Cruz) and Mark Proksh (Colin Robinson). There have been two seasons of What We Do in the Shadows and a third is on the way. For this installment of WFH Theather, we’ll be watching two episodes of the show -- "Ghosts" and "Brain Scramblies." IGN won't be able to show the episodes in the live stream watch-along, so if you want the full WFH Theater experience, sync up the show on your devices and watch with us when we press "play" together! The episodes can be watched on Hulu. If you don't already have a Hulu subscription, the service is currently offering a 14-day free trial for new users. Watch From Home Theater isn’t just a show or an opportunity to watch a movie or television series; it’s a hangout with passionate people who share one thing in common -- their love of film and TV. Each week, we'll invite our viewers to join in the conversation using our WFH Theater Discord channel to chat with our host as well as our celebrity guests. With running commentaries that range from insightful to silly, each viewing will take on a life of its own based on what we’re watching. Check out highlights from our previous episodes of WFH Theater below!

WFH Theater - X-Men: Days of Future Past w/ Writer Simon Kinberg

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/x-men-days-of-future-past-w-writer-simon-kinberg-qa-watch-along-wfh-theater"]

WFH Theater - Empire Strikes Back with Sam Witwer & Rahul Kohli

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/21/the-empire-strikes-back-watch-party-w-sam-witwer-rahul-kohli"]

WFH Theater - Revenge of the Sith with Ashley Eckstein & Cameron Monaghan

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/19/revenge-of-the-sith-watch-party-w-ashley-eckstein-cameron-monaghan-wfh-theater"]

WFH Theater - Netflix's Extraction with Chris Hemsworth, Joe Russo and director Sam Hargrave

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/01/extraction-full-one-shot-scene-breakdown-wchris-hemsworth-joe-russo-and-director"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joshua is Senior Features Editor at IGN. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.

Chris Hemsworth to Get Bigger Than Thor to Play Hulk Hogan

As impressive as Chris Hemsworth's muscles are in most of the MCU movies (Avengers: Endgame notwithstanding), fans haven't seen anything yet. According to Hemsworth himself, he's working on bulking up more than ever before as he prepares to play the part of pro wrestler Hulk Hogan. Hemsworth discussed his upcoming role in the upcoming Hogan biopic with Total Film (via ComicBook.com), describing the gig as "insanely physical." "This movie is going to be a really fun project," Hemsworth said. "As you can imagine, the preparation for the role will be insanely physical. I will have to put on more size than I ever have before, even more than I put on for Thor. There is the accent as well as the physicality and the attitude." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/02/20/thors-chris-hemsworth-to-play-hulk-hogan-in-biopic-from-joker-director-todd-phillips-ign-news"] Hemsworth continued, "I will also have to do a deep dive into the rabbit hole of the wrestling world, which I'm really looking forward to doing." Hemsworth previously teased the project back in April, saying it aims to show fans a very different side of the pro wrestling scene. "I'm just fascinated by that world, and I think they're pretty keen to show a side of the world that people haven't seen before," Hemsworth told ScreenRant. "I'm as intrigued as you are." Joker's Todd Phillips is attached to direct the Hulk Hogan biopic, which is being scripted by Joker's Scott Silver along with John Pollono. The movie -- which is expected to be made at Netflix and counts Bradley Cooper among its producers -- will explore Hogan's rise to fame in the 1980s and reportedly won't cover his more recent scandals and lawsuits. IGN named Hulk Hogan No. 3 on our list of the Top 50 wrestlers of all time. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=most-devastating-finishing-moves-in-wwe-history&captions=true"] For more on Hemsworth's upcoming Hollywood roles, find out how the MCU's Phase 4 release schedule has shifted and what we know about Netflix's Extraction sequel. [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.

Chris Hemsworth to Get Bigger Than Thor to Play Hulk Hogan

As impressive as Chris Hemsworth's muscles are in most of the MCU movies (Avengers: Endgame notwithstanding), fans haven't seen anything yet. According to Hemsworth himself, he's working on bulking up more than ever before as he prepares to play the part of pro wrestler Hulk Hogan. Hemsworth discussed his upcoming role in the upcoming Hogan biopic with Total Film (via ComicBook.com), describing the gig as "insanely physical." "This movie is going to be a really fun project," Hemsworth said. "As you can imagine, the preparation for the role will be insanely physical. I will have to put on more size than I ever have before, even more than I put on for Thor. There is the accent as well as the physicality and the attitude." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/02/20/thors-chris-hemsworth-to-play-hulk-hogan-in-biopic-from-joker-director-todd-phillips-ign-news"] Hemsworth continued, "I will also have to do a deep dive into the rabbit hole of the wrestling world, which I'm really looking forward to doing." Hemsworth previously teased the project back in April, saying it aims to show fans a very different side of the pro wrestling scene. "I'm just fascinated by that world, and I think they're pretty keen to show a side of the world that people haven't seen before," Hemsworth told ScreenRant. "I'm as intrigued as you are." Joker's Todd Phillips is attached to direct the Hulk Hogan biopic, which is being scripted by Joker's Scott Silver along with John Pollono. The movie -- which is expected to be made at Netflix and counts Bradley Cooper among its producers -- will explore Hogan's rise to fame in the 1980s and reportedly won't cover his more recent scandals and lawsuits. IGN named Hulk Hogan No. 3 on our list of the Top 50 wrestlers of all time. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=most-devastating-finishing-moves-in-wwe-history&captions=true"] For more on Hemsworth's upcoming Hollywood roles, find out how the MCU's Phase 4 release schedule has shifted and what we know about Netflix's Extraction sequel. [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.

Xbox Is Interested in Acquiring Mortal Kombat, Batman Developers

Microsoft is reportedly interested in acquiring Warner Bros. Interactive following the news that parent company AT&T is looking into possibly selling the video game development arm of Warner Bros. However, a sale is not currently imminent. The Information is reporting that, alongside companies like Activision, EA, and Take-Two, Microsoft is interested in acquiring WB Interactive and its several game development studios. Whoever acquires WB Interactive will likely purchase studios like Avalanche Software, Monolith Productions, NetherRealm Studios, Rocksteady Studios, TT Games, and various WB Games studios across the globe. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-batman-video-game-review&captions=true"] It’s important to note that the acquisition of WB Interactive will not mean any of the interested companies like Microsoft or Activision will own characters like Batman or Harry Potter. Instead, potential buyers will have to negotiate licensing deals so studios like Rocksteady can still create new games based on DC Comics or any other Warner Bros. characters. However, certain properties like Mortal Kombat will be included in the sale of NetherRealm Studios. Acquiring WB Interactive will massively increase the number of Xbox Game Studios developers. Microsoft already purchased high-profile developers including Ninja Theory, Obsidian, Double Fine, and more. A WB Interactive purchase will add studios like NetherRealm, and potentially the license to develop DC and Harry Potter games, similar to how Insomniac has the license to develop Spider-man games for PlayStation. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2014/06/03/batman-arkham-knight-batmobile-trailer"] News that AT&T is looking into selling WB Interactive broke last month. The parent company is looking to pay down its $154 billion debt, and a sale of WB Interactive is potentially valued at $4 billion. AT&T purchased Time Warner for $109 billion in 2018 which resulted in the large debt. Investors are calling on the telecommunications company to sell “non-core assets” such as DirecTV and WB Interactive. Meanwhile, WB Montreal is currently working on a new Batman project, while Rocksteady is rumored to be developing a new DC game. Avalanche Studios has also been linked to the unannounced Harry Potter RPG. IGN has reached out to Xbox for a comment but a spokesperson for the company responded, "Microsoft does not comment on rumor or speculation." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.