Jason Blum has revealed that the Five Nights at Freddy's movie is still in active development, though he admits the Blumhouse team "haven't quite figured it out" yet. Speaking to Inverse about the long-gestating video game adaptation, Blum opened up about some of the challenges that the creative team have faced in trying to bring the story to the big screen. He revealed it had been particularly difficult to choose which narrative threads to pick up for the screenplay, considering the range of expansive stories within the Five Nights universe. "It's still active," Blum assured fans. "We haven't quite figured it out, but we're getting closer every day." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/10/05/jason-blum-five-nights-at-freddys-movie-coming-pretty-soon"] He elaborated further, saying, "The story is the big challenge. You know, Five Nights at Freddy's should have been easier because there are books, there's a lot of lore and storytelling. For a video game, I think it has more storytelling than almost any other. But still, the story goes down so many rabbit holes. It goes down so many different directions. It's big. Choosing which part to tell the first time out of the gate — and how to tell it — has been tricky." A movie based on the creepy video game franchise has been planned since 2015 but the movie has been met with several delays and roadblocks during its development. In February 2018, it was announced that Chris Columbus would direct and write the movie while also serving as a producer alongside Blum and Five Nights at Freddy's creator Scott Cawthon. However, the production hit another snag in November 2018 when Cawthon rejected the greenlit screenplay. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-video-game-movie-in-development-almost&captions=true"] For those unfamiliar with the FNaF franchise, the original 2014 video game follows a group of animatronic robots terrorizing a security guard at a Chuck E Cheese-esque kid's restaurant called Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. The popular horror video game series spans several titles, including a number of sequels, prequels, spin-offs, and even some bestselling novels. The Five Nights at Freddy's movie is just one of many titles in a growing slate of video game movies and TV series' that have been announced, planned, or are currently in production, including Amazon's Fallout TV series, Netflix's Cyberpunk 2077 anime, and Sega's live-action Yakuza movie, which is being produced by Erik Barmack, Roberto Grande and Joshua Long. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has played 'quite a bit' of Elden Ring, the upcoming Hidetaka Miyazaki game with writing contributions from George R.R. Martin – and calls it "clearly the most ambitious game" Miyazaki has made. Speaking to GameSpot, Spencer was asked how much of Elden Ring he'd seen, and replied: "I've seen actually quite a bit. I've played quite a bit." That will come as a surprise to many, given that the game's development has been so quiet that the game's fan-run subreddit has essentially invented its own fantasy version of Elden Ring. As you might expect, Spencer stayed tight-lipped, but made clear his excitement for the project: "I can't tell you much other than, as somebody who's played all of Miyazaki's games over at least the last decade, this is clearly the most ambitious game that he's done. "I love his games, but seeing some of the gameplay mechanics stuff that he's tackling, that he and the team are tackling this time, of the setting, working with another creator in terms of story. I love it. I love seeing him challenging himself. He's a good friend of mine, expanding his horizons. I think it's a good thing." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/09/elden-ring-official-reveal-trailer-e3-2019"] Spencer also explained the dynamic of playing the game in front of its creator: "When he has me play – I go over – he has to leave the room. I think that's because I'm a bad player. And then he comes back, and we have a conversation about things that I think. He's so passionate about what he does, it's one of the things I just love about getting to work with him on some of these games, and seeing them come to our platform." That was, unfortunately, all Spencer said on the subject, meaning many, many details remain unknown. After a 2 minute, 20 second teaser at E3 2019, we've seen and heard practically nothing of the game. What we know is that it's an open world Souls-like game directed by Miyazaki, and with writing contributions from Game of Thrones' George R.R. Martin. Miyazaki has previously called it an 'evolution' of the Dark Souls formula. Since those early hints, however, we've yet to learn more, with FromSoftware thanking fans for their enthusiasm anyway. While fans may have to wait a while to actually play Elden Ring, they will soon be able to play a remaster of FromSoftware's Demon's Souls, as it is a launch title for the PlayStation 5. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

A Sony executive has said that the full generational transition from PS4 to PS5 "will take about three years." Speaking to AV Watch (translated via Google Translate) Sony's SVP of Global Product Strategy and Management Hideaki Nishino insisted that "forward compatibility is important" and that we'll be seeing cross-generational content that supports both PS4 and PS5 for a few years yet. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/playstation-5-review"] "The current assumption is that the transition from PS4 to PS5 will take about three years," Nishino added. "We have more than 100 million PS4 customers, but we will do our best to move to PS5 as soon as possible." This is great news if you're sticking with your PlayStation 4 for the time being, as it means Sony is committed to supporting both generations of consoles for the time being. It complements the comments from SIE CEO Jim Ryan, who recently said that it was 'crucial' to keep serving PS4 owners after the pandemic showed how active that huge audience remains. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-playstation-5-games&captions=true"] Of course, there are already PS5 exclusives coming to the new device at launch such as Demon's Souls and Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Nishino mentions that Sony is asking developers to develop "on the premise of cross-generation" for the time being. In other PS5 news, you can check out our review of the next-gen console here. Tennis champ Naomi Osaka recently starred in a PS5 advert and debuted some new footage from Resident Evil Village, which you can take a look at here. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

All Elite Wrestling has announced an upcoming console game, developed alongside wrestling stalwarts Yuke's, and WWF No Mercy director Hideyuki “Geta” Iwashita. The wrestling franchise also announced two mobile games. The console game, which currently has no official name or release date, got a teaser trailer (below) showing off Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho, and Hikaru Shida in an exaggerated art style. It's in early development at Yuke's, the studio behind dozens of WWE games that was recently dropped from the WWE 2K series. Speaking at an announcement event, Omega (who dressed as Steve Jobs for the occasion) explained that the intention is for the game to be easy to pick up but difficult to master, in the lineage of classic sports games like NBA Jam and NHL Blitz. Omega also announced that Hideyuki “Geta” Iwashita, the director of much-loved N64 wrestling game WWF No Mercy, is a part of the project. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/11/all-elite-wrestling-the-game-official-teaser"] The company also announced two mobile games. AEW Elite GM will let players take on the role of general manager of the organisation, "designing a roster of wrestlers, setting up matches, and running the show to generate revenue, new fans and effects on wrestlers’ stamina and morale." It's due to arrive in 2021. The company also announced AEW Casino: Double or Nothing, an AEW -branded casino game due to arrive this winter. "Every once in a while, a revolutionary company comes along and changes everything," Omega said in a press release. "AEW is doing that today. When I first signed with AEW, I asked [company president] Tony Khan to let me help assemble the best gaming team on the planet, to make the best wrestling games ever. With masterminds like Geta and the incredible team at YUKE’S, we are well on the path to deliver a fresh, vastly superior gaming experience that our fans deserve.” [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.  

Update: Perhaps we were too willing to believe in the beautiful dream of keeping a ping pong ball aloft above our new console. As shown in a video by Yzoja on Twitter (below), the Series X seems to emit enough air to wobble, but not carry, a feather while running Assassin's Creed Valhalla (presumably a more taxing game than Forza Horizon 4, which was shown in the original ping pong ball post). I probably shouldn't have ordered those ping pong balls in retrospect.

dla tych co wierzą, że Xbox jest w stanie podnieść piłeczkę do ping ponga :)

AC: Valhalla + piórko. pic.twitter.com/Gxd4N0ao5E — Angie | (@Yzoja) November 11, 2020

[poilib element="accentDivider"] In a major blow in the console wars, air from the Xbox Series X's top vent can apparently be used to make a ping pong ball float. As posted by SnowFlakesMilkHoney on Reddit, the console's large heatsink can seemingly keep a ping pong ball aloft. Presumably, the more powerful the game, the higher it floats – and suddenly I want this to become a part of our new Performance Review series' standard tests. [caption id="attachment_2436766" align="alignnone" width="793"] Image credit: u/SnowFlakesMilkHoney[/caption] It's a discovery that immediately led the Internet to demand that Xbox include a ping pong ball with every Xbox Series X - preferably a green one with an X painted on it. If you want to know why this works, it's an example of Bernoulli's Principle – the faster air moves, the lower its pressure, meaning high-pressure air keeps the ping pong ball within the column of low pressure air. The ball stays stationary at the point the force of gravity and the force of the air reach the same level. Science! For more on Xbox Series X, you could read our full review of the console, about how scalpers are already trying to sell it for $1000, or check out our tips on what to do first with the console. Or you could run out and buy a bunch of ping pong balls. Your choice. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/05/xbox-series-x-review"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Tennis champion Naomi Osaka has starred in a PlayStation 5 advert, unexpectedly showing off some new Resident Evil Village footage in the process. As part of the PS5 First Play campaign, Osaka can be seen playing Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Resident Evil Village and talking about her history with Sony's consoles. Osaka uses games to unwind and is a big fan of open-world games and MMORPG games, playing games like Apex Legends and Overwatch in her free time. She touts the immersion of the PlayStation 5 while digging into a bit of new gameplay from Resident Evil Village. You can watch the advert below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/11/naomi-osaka-plays-ps5-new-resident-evil-village-gameplay"] Osaka can be seen exploring an abandoned town, talking about the haptics used when the protagonist is sliding. The clip offers a few offscreen jumpscares, and shows some puzzling gameplay. as the player picks up herbs and defends a hut from the zombie horde. Resident Evil Village will arrive on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S in 2021. For more information on the game, we can look to this year's Tokyo Games Show, where we found out how exploration will be a central part of the gameplay in Resident Evil Village. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Dwayne Johnson will produce a reboot of The Scorpion King, but will reportedly not return for the lead role. Deadline reports that Universal Pictures will likely get a new actor to play the role given Johnson's busy schedule, but Johnson is passionate enough about the project that there's still a chance he will appear in the movie. The reboot will take place in modern times and will be written by Straight Outta Compton writer Jonathan Herman. "The Scorpion King was my very first role ever on the silver screen and I’m honored and excited to reimagine and deliver this cool mythology to a whole new generation," Johnson said in a statement. "I wouldn’t have had the career I’m lucky enough to have had it not been for The Scorpion King and I’m thrilled that we at Seven Bucks Productions can help create those same opportunities for other hard-working actors today. I believe Jonathan Herman will put in the hard work to deliver a fantastic script for our global audience." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dwayne-the-rock-johnsons-10-best-movies&captions=true"] Johnson first appeared as The Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns and reprised the character in a spin-off movie that was released in theaters a year after. Both movies were box office hits and, as Johnson says, put him on the road to movie stardom. The Scorpion King became a franchise in itself with four direct-to-video installments without any involvement from Johnson. The most recent, The Scorpion King: Book of Souls, was released in 2018. The Scorpion King reboot is the latest project for Herman at Universal. The Oscar-nominated writer also re-wrote Fast and Furious 9 and worked on the remake of Scarface, according to Deadline. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/04/22/igns-top-25-cheesy-action-movies"] Johnson was recently in the news for partnering up with Microsoft to give away new Xbox consoles to children's hospitals. He has plenty of reason to be in good spirits as Johnson is the highest-paid actor in the world for the second year in a row. Johnson will next appear in the Disney movie Jungle Cruise, which is currently set for release in July 2021. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN who will forever be a fan of The Game Plan.

UPDATE 2: Warner Bros. officially announced Wednesday that Mads Mikkelsen has been cast as Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3. Mikkelsen replaces Johnny Depp, who resigned from the role earlier this month (see the details below). Mikkelsen (Rogue One, Hannibal, Doctor Strange) joins a cast that includes Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Callum Turner, William Nadylam, Poppy Corby-Tuech, Jessica Williams, Victoria Yeates, and Jude Law. Directed by David Yates, Fantastic Beasts 3 opens July 15, 2022. UPDATE: IGN spoke to actor Mads Mikkelsen on Monday to promote our exclusive Chaos Walking trailer debut -- which you can see on IGN tomorrow, Thursday, November 19 at 6am PT/9am ET -- during which time we asked the Rogue One and Hannibal star about the news that he's poised to replace Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise. Depp resigned from the role earlier this month (see the original report below), with the trades pegging Mikkelsen as director David Yates' top choice to replace him in the role of the sinister wizard. Except Mikkelsen says it's all just a "rumor" ... for now. "Oh, that is on the rumor basis as we speak," Mikkelsen told IGN over the phone. "So I know as much as you do from the newspapers. So I'm waiting for that phone call." Maybe Mikkelsen is simply playing coy until the deal is sealed or perhaps word of the studio's desire to cast him leaked before they were ready to make him an offer. In any event, as soon as Depp's replacement is official then we'll let you know! [poilib element="accentDivider"] Shortly after being asked to resign from the upcoming Fantastic Beasts 3, Johnny Depp's replacement may already have been found. Mads Mikkelsen is allegedly in early talks to play Grindlewald in the upcoming sequel. According to a report by Deadline Mikkelsen is apparently director David Yates' top choice to replace Johnny Depp, who was let go from the project recently due to ongoing abuse allegations. Although Depp only filmed one scene for the film so far, he will still retain his multi-million dollar salary due to the type of contract he originally signed which guaranteed his pay even if his role was recast. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=actors-who-were-replaced-during-production&captions=true"] Mikkelsen is known for portraying Dr. Hannibal Lecter in the TV series Hannibal and Galen Erso in Rogue One. The Danish actor also played a pivotal role as Clifford Unger in Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding, contributing both motion capture and vocals for the performance. Filming for Fantastic Beasts 3 was stopped earlier this year due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and with Depp's departure, WB confirmed Fantastic Beasts 3 would be released in summer 2022 instead of its past November 2021 release date. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/11/24/best-25-harry-potter-characters] It was previously announced that Fantastic Beasts is also now going to be a 5-part series of films after it was extended from its original three-film run. For more, check out some other actors who were replaced during movie production and what director Yates has said about the film's upcoming battles. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Editor's Note: This story previously incorrectly stated that Fantastic Beasts 3's release date had not shifted. The article has been updated to reflect the accurate change to its release. Matthew Adler is a Features, News, Previews, Reviews, and Wikis writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.

One of the biggest launch games for the PlayStation 5 this week is Spider-Man: Miles Morales. IGN was able to speak with the devs for an in-depth tech breakdown, but the devs at Insomniac says we’re just “scratching the surface” of what the PS5 can do. Spider-Man: Miles Morales on PS5 offers a variety of options, whether it’s the ray-tracing enabled fidelity mode, or the smoother frame rate performance mode. Insomniac’s core technology director Mike Fitzgerald says that these options, wrapped around the faster load times of the custom SSD, are just the first steps for the PS5. “It feels like we’re just scratching the surface of what you can do with hardware like [the PS5],” says Fitzgerald. “That we sort of can take a game model like Spider-Man and make everything really fast. Even the Ratchet and Clank game we’re working on is leaning into that, a lot.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/10/spider-man-miles-morales-performance-review-ps5-vs-ps4-pro-vs-ps4"] Fitzgerald says that developers will have “years and years of scraping more and more performance” out of the PS5 and doing things that are “crazier and crazier.” For a full breakdown of the tech powering Spider-Man: Miles Morales, check out IGN’s tech breakdown in the video above. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-spider-man-miles-morales-review-screenshots&captions=true"] When asked about the different modes offered for Miles Morales, Fitzgerald says it’s a good thing “because it means we’re giving different options for different types of players.” “Feels like we can serve both of those audiences. We never really offered an option in our games before, right? Every game we’ve done sort of locked at 30… but it’s sort of nice to lean into [the different options].” For more, check out IGN’s review of Spider-Man: Miles Morales and the PS5 review for a full rundown of Sony’s next-gen launch. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Critical Role has announced two new graphic novels that will explore the origins of members of the Mighty Nein, based on the second series of the immensely popular TTRPPG Dungeons & Dragons show.

Dubbed “The Mighty Nein Origins,” and made in collaboration with Dark Horse Comics, the first volume will be released on June 16, 2021, while the second volume on July 14, 2021. The new series will explore what each character of the Mighty Nein was up to before joining the group that becomes the focus of Critical Role’s current livestream series.

Volume one features Jester Lavorre, the blue-skinned cleric played by voice actress Laura Bailey from The Last of Us Part II, Uncharted, Gears 5, and countless other game and TV credits. It’s written by Sam Maggs (Captain Marvel, The Unstoppable Wasp), features line art by Hunter Severn Bonyun (who also did line art for previous Critical Role graphic novels), colors by Cathy Le, and is co-directed by Laura Bailey and Critical Role dungeon master Matthew Mercer.

“Jester Lavorre had an unconventional upbringing, even for one born in cosmopolitan Nicodranas,” Critical Role’s announcement reads. “Daughter of the famed Ruby of the Sea, she had many opportunities for mischief as a small child, of which she took full advantage. Dive into the mystery of Jester’s early years, her first meeting with the Traveler, and the fateful events that set her on a path to eventually join the Mighty Nein.”

Volume two features wizard Caleb Widogast, the Mighty Nein member played by Liam O’Brien.

“In The Mighty Nein Origins: Caleb Widogast, Bren Aldric Ermendrud is chosen to attend the exclusive Soltryce Academy, preparing for an important future in service to the Empire,” the announcement reads. “But nobody––least of all Bren himself––can foresee the cruelty he will endure, and the ways in which it will break and remake him. Witness the events that transform Bren into the Mighty Nein’s Caleb Widogast, and how they inform the path he’ll take in the future.”

Volume two is written by Jody Houser (Avengers, Orphan Black, Straner Things: The Game Master), with line art by Selina Espiritu (Critical Role comics), colors by Diana Sousu (Edge of Spider-Geddon), and direction from Liam O’Brien and Matthew Mercer.

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You can pre-order both volumes through local comic book stores, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and TFAW. Digital versions can be ordered through Dark Horse Digital, ComiXology, Barnes & Noble, and other services set to be announced later.

Critical Role broke records last year for their Kickstarter campaign to fund an animated series based on the adventures of Vox Machina, the group’s first series. The group raised more than $11 million, making it the fifth-most successful Kickstarter ever. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/5th level monk for IGN. Use inspiration on him on Twitter.