Warner Bros. has announced new release dates for the Mortal Kombat movie and the new Tom & Jerry movie. Mortal Kombat will open Wednesday, April 16, 2021, in theaters and, in the U.S.-only, on HBO Max the same day. Warner Bros. also released a brand new poster and logo for the movie on Monday in a press release. Meanwhile, Tom & Jerry moves up a week to February 26. It's likely a response to Disney's news this past week that their new animated movie, Raya and the Last Dragon, is set for March 5, which would've put it up against Tom & Jerry. [caption id="attachment_2452684" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] A new logo and poster for the upcoming live-action Mortal Kombat movie.[/caption] Warner Bros. announced that its entire 2021 movie slate will debut in theaters and on HBO Max. In the weeks since, Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve have publicly criticized the move in their own separate statements. Villeneuve directed one of the movies that will be going to HBO Max, Dune, and he wrote a statement in Variety to voice his displeasure. "My team and I devoted more than three years of our lives to make [Dune] a unique big screen experience," Villeneuve said. "Our movie’s image and sound were meticulously designed to be seen in theaters. I’m speaking on my own behalf, though I stand in solidarity with the sixteen other filmmakers who now face the same fate." Villeneuve also said that he was not aware of WarnerMedia's decision ahead of time. Not only did he find out in the news, but he saw images from Dune being used to promote the announcement. One of the producers of the Mortal Kombat movie also said as recently as November that they wouldn't even release a Mortal Kombat trailer until more movie theaters open. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=meet-the-cast-of-the-mortal-kombat-reboot-movie&captions=true"] Until the new Mortal Kombat movie comes out, check out the bizarre history of Mortal Kombat TV and movie adaptations and the full cast for the new Mortal Kombat movie, and for more on HBO Max's big news regarding their upcoming movies, read up on the pros and cons to WB's streaming and theaters decision. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/17/tom-jerry-official-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.

Another Mando Monday has arrived, which means Hasbro is offering a sneak peek at some upcoming Star Wars figures inspired by the current season of The Mandalorian. That includes a brand new figure depicting Clone Wars fan-favorite Bo-Katan Kryze based on her very first live-action appearance. Check out the slideshow gallery below to get a closer look at Bo-Katan, along with a new lineup of Baby Yoda merch and some long-awaited rereleases in the Star Wars: The Black Series Archive line: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-mandalorians-bo-katan-kryze-gets-the-action-figure-she-deserves&captions=true"] Not counting Din Djarin and Grogu, Bo-Katan is the first Black Series figure inspired directly by The Mandalorian: Season 2. The new figure features a very accurate likeness of actress Katee Sackhoff, who finally made her live-action debut in the role after voicing Bo-Katan in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. If you're so inclined, the figure also comes with an alternate, helmeted head. With Hasbro recently revealing new Ahsoka Tano toys inspired by both The Clone Wars and Rebels, we can only assume a Mandalorian version modeled after actress Rosario Dawson is high on Hasbro's priority list for 2021. Along with this new reveal, Hasbro is also teasing the next four additions to its Black Series Archive line. These figures are re-releases of older, harder to find Black Series toys. This particular wave looks to be targeting the army builders in the collecting world, as it includes three Rogue One troopers (the Deathtrooper, the Shoretrooper and the Hovertank Driver) as well as a Tusken Raider. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/04/the-mandalorian-season-2-why-ahsoka-tano-is-hunting-grand-admiral-thrawn"] Finally, and not at all surprisingly, Hasbro will be releasing new baby Yoda toys in the months ahead. This week the company is teasing a second series of Bounty Collection figurines, which feature cutesy, two-inch version of Grogu in various adorable poses, and a new plushy that can be folded inside out to form a hover pram. Hasbro's previous Mando Monday reveals have included a life-size Din Djarin helmet and a line of retro figures inspired by the classic Kenner toys of old. [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.

Wonder Woman 1984 and Star Trek's Chris Pine is in talks to star in Paramount and eOne's Dungeons & Dragons feature film. As reported by THR, Spider-Man: Homecoming's Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley are set to direct the feature that is based on the popular role-playing game owned by Wizards of the Coast. Goldstein and Daley also wrote the latest version of the script that was based off a previous draft by Michael Gilio. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/19/chris-pratt-and-tom-holland-want-to-start-an-avengers-cast-dungeons-and-dragons-party"] No plot details were given for this new Dungeons & Dragon movie, but it will be the first feature film based on the property since Jeremy Irons' starred in New Line's adaptation in 2000. The film rights for Dungeons & Dragons have been at the center of legal battles for many years, and a 2015 settlement appeared to make it possible for Warner Bros. to take control. Ansel Elgort was in early talks to star. Things have changed since Paramount struck a production and distribution deal with Hasbro, who is the owner of Wizards of the coast, and this news gives a bit more clarity as to their plans. Former Marvel Studios executive Jeremy Latcham is onboard as producer for eOne, and it is scheduled to be released in theaters on May 27, 2022 following delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] In our review of 2000's Dungeons & Dragons, we said "if making a movie is akin to running a marathon, then Dungeons & Dragons is like an infant trying to crawl. This film truly gives the already legendary Battlefield Earth legitimate competition as the worst, most inept big-budget movie released by a major studio in recent memory. Though it doesn't have Battlefield Earth's extra camp factors (the Scientology connection, Travolta), it may well actually be even worse. Quite an achievement." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

The Office is headed to Peacock in 2021, but fans will be able to sample the series on its new home without having to fork over a monthly fee. NBCUniversal has revealed the first two seasons of the hit sitcom will be available on Peacock's free tier. Seasons 3-9 of The Office will be exclusive to Peacock Premium, which is available in ad-supported form for $4.99 per month and ad-free for $9.99 per month. Also exclusive to Peacock Premium are "Superfan Episodes," special extended cuts of various episodes from Seasons 3-9 that feature previously deleted scenes and other new footage. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=everything-coming-to-nbcuniversals-peacock&captions=true"] Peacock has revealed other The Office bonus content that will be available when the series hits Peacock on January 1, 2021. Spanish-language audio and subtitles will be included, as will various behind-the-scenes featurettes, interviews and blooper reels. Peacock will also feature themed playlists of episode clips geared around Jim's best Dwight pranks, Michael Scott's various words of wisdom and the series' most memorable romantic moments. Fans can even stream a special Office Zen channel, a continuous stream of office-related ambient noise deigned to make the workday go a little bit faster. Peacock launched in July 2020, though without The Office, which remains on Netflix until the end of 2020, or the 2020 Summer Olympics, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those key omissions were part of the reason IGN's David Griffin gave Peacock a 6 out of 10 in his review, saying, "There’s little doubt that most, if not all of these technical and interface shortcomings will be fixed in future updates, but it’s still disappointing to see a prestigious company like NBCUniversal fail to provide some of the basic features we’ve come to expect from a modern-day streaming platform at launch." Though to be fair, Peacock was hardly the only new streaming service to struggle in 2020. Quibi has already shut down completely, and HBO Max has seen sluggish growth in its first year. However, the recent news that many 2021 Warner Bros. films will debut on HBO Max and in theaters simultaneously should give that particular service a boost. On the other hand, that surprise move has already drawn the wrath of directors and theater chains alike, with Christopher Nolan slamming HBO Max as "the worst streaming service." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/08/peacock-streaming-service-review"] In other The Office news, Netflix recently made the call to edit a episode, removing a controversial blackface scene from Season 9's "Dwight's Christmas." That edit has the support of creator Greg Daniels and is expected to carry over to Peacock's library. [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.

The Dark Knight, Blues Brothers, and Shrek are among this year's selections to be inducted into the National Film Registry. On Monday, the Library of Congress unveiled its annual list of 25 movies that will be added to the National Film Registry in an effort to showcase the range and diversity of American film heritage and increase awareness for its preservation. The selected titles include everything from silent shorts to toe-tapping musicals and even a critically-acclaimed Batman movie. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/19/ranking-the-batman-movie-villains"] Here's the full list of this year's additions:

• The Battle Of The Century (1927)
• The Blues Brothers (1980)
• Bread (1918)
• Buena Vista Social Club (1999)
• Cabin In The Sky (1943)
• A Clockwork Orange (1971)
• The Dark Knight (2008)
• The Devil Never Sleeps (1994)
• Freedom Riders (2010)
• Grease (1978)
• The Ground (1993-2001)
• The Hurt Locker (2008)
• Illusions (1982)
• The Joy Luck Club (1993)
• Kid Auto Races At Venice (1914)
• Lilies Of The Field (1963)
• Losing Ground (1982)
• The Man With the Golden Arm (1955)
• Mauna Kea: Temple Under Siege (2006)
• Outrage (1950)
• Shrek (2001)
• Suspense (1913)
• Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971)
• Wattstax (1973)
• With Car And Camera Around The World (1929)

The Library of Congress outlined the criteria for selection as being movies that are viewed as "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant, with the latest 25 movies bringing the total number of titles selected for preservation up to 800. This year's selections also include a record number of films directed by women and filmmakers of colour, including nine directed by women and seven by people of colour. "With the inclusion of diverse filmmakers, we are not trying to set records but rather to set the record straight by spotlighting the astonishing contributions women and people of colour have made to American cinema, despite facing often-overwhelming hurdles," Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, said in a statement alongside the announcement. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ranking-the-batman-movies&captions=true"] "This is not only a great honour for all of us who worked on The Dark Knight, this is also a tribute to all of the amazing artists and writers who have worked on the great mythology of Batman over the decades," added Christopher Nolan, the director of The Dark Knight, in respect of his entry into the National Film Registry this year. Following on the heels of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight quickly became one of the most hyped movies of the past decade. Helped by its amazing viral marketing campaign, the sequel quickly took on legendary status as the summer's most anticipated movie. For more about its release, find out how the fans ultimately helped to spread the word about the beloved blockbuster. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo have partnered together in an effort to protect the safety of their players in our connected and socially-focused world. Announced on Xbox Wire, Corporate Vice President of Xbox Operations Dave McCarthy discussed how he and the team believe that "gaming is for all people of all ages, including our youngest and most vulnerable players." However, protecting players online is not an easy task and "requires a multidisciplinary approach" that is only enhanced when working together with the likes of Nintendo and PlayStation. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/24/the-best-xbox-one-games-fall-2020-update"] "At Xbox, we are aligned with both Nintendo, on behalf of the community of Nintendo Switch players, and PlayStation in our belief that protecting players online requires a multidisciplinary approach – one that combines the benefits of advanced technology, a supportive community, and skilled human oversight," McCarthy wrote. "We can accomplish more when we work toward the same goal, and so we will each continue investing in, evolving, and amplifying our approaches to user safety. As we continue this work, we will prioritize protecting the safety of our players, especially those most vulnerable." McCarthy also discussed the principles that guide their work towards this safer future for gamers around the world, and they are as follows; Prevention: Empower players and parents to understand and control gaming experiences.

• We provide controls that let players customize their gaming experience.  We support parents with the tools and information necessary to create appropriate gaming experiences for their children.
• We recognize that for safety features to be useful, they must be easy to use. We will promote the availability of our safety tools through our platforms, support channels, services, on our websites and in retail stores to reach more players and parents.
• We continually inform our parents and players through our codes of conduct, terms of use, and our enforcement practices.
• We invest in technology to help thwart improper conduct and content before a player is subject to harm.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/24/the-best-nintendo-switch-games-fall-2020-update"] Partnership: We commit to partnering with the industry, regulators, law enforcement, and our communities to advance user safety.

• The industry’s commitment to safety is central. We believe that we have an opportunity to collaborate for the benefit of the video game industry and all players to offer a safer gaming experience.
• We work with industry trade organizations, industry members, regulators, law enforcement, and experts to develop and advance online safety initiatives.
• We commit to conducting shared research for the benefit of the industry.
• We believe that hate and harassment or exploitation of younger players in any way have no place in gaming. We partner with our community to promote safe gaming behavior and encourage the use of reporting tools to call out bad actors.
• We partner with ratings agencies such as the ESRB and PEGI to ensure that our games are rated for the appropriate audience.

Responsibility: We hold ourselves accountable for making our platforms as safe as possible for all players.

• We make it easy for players to report violations of our code of conduct and, in addition to removing content, we take appropriate enforcement actions for violations, including restricting players from using our services for misconduct.
• We comply with all local laws and will respond to all lawful requests from law enforcement. We promptly notify law enforcement if we observe unlawful conduct or where we believe a player is at risk of imminent harm.
• We publish our rules and requirements and we ensure that players who have been reported understand the requirements for continued engagement with our platforms.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps5-games&captions=true"] In closing, McCarthy writes that protecting players is a challenge, especially in a "digitally and often instantaneously connected world." This partnership was forged in hopes to make that battle easier won, as "no one company or industry will solve these challenges alone." This isn't the first time these companies have worked together to help create a brighter future for video games, as just last year Sony and Microsoft teamed up to improve cloud gaming and streaming platforms. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Nintendo has announced that a brand-new Indie World Showcase will help "ring in the holidays" on Tuesday, December 15 at 9am PT/12pm ET/5pm GMT. Announced on Nintendo's Twitter, this showcase will last "roughly 15 minutes" and will feature "updates and new announcements on indie games coming to #NintendoSwitch from our global partners. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/24/the-best-nintendo-switch-games-fall-2020-update"] The last Nintendo Indie World Showcase took place in August 2020 and announced that Hades would be coming to Nintendo Switch, gave release dates for Spiritfarer and A Short Hike, and unveiled that Untitled Goose Game would be getting a free, two-player cooperative mode. This also follows Nintendo's October Direct Mini that featured the announcement of a Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity demo, Bravely Default 2's demo, Control's Cloud Version on Switch, and more. These upcoming games, whatever they my be, will undoubtedly only continue help the Nintendo Switch, which was once again the best-selling video game system in November 2020 after selling over 1.35 million units. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/22/what-nintendos-e3-2020-could-have-been"] For more on Nintendo Switch, check out the best Nintendo gifts for the 2020 holiday season and our current list of the best Nintendo Switch games available. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

UPDATE: Fans of The Witcher have been asked to choose between two "gifts" on the first day of Witchmas. The Witcher's official Twitter account posted a new poll ahead of the upcoming Witchmas celebration, which is set to take place from December 16 to December 21. The tweet offered fans the chance to vote on "cuts from The Witcher S1" or the "law of surprise" in the first poll, with the winning choice set to be revealed tomorrow together with the next gift offering and vote.

We told you the rules, now let's hear your cheers! The first day of #Witchmas is here!

Choose which gift you wish to receive. — The Witcher (@witchernetflix) December 15, 2020

"We told you the rules, now let's hear your cheers! The first day of Witchmas is here!" the tweet declared. The account warned participants to choose their rewards wisely, and presented a map of the continent in order to track the campaign's progress. The interactive map can be viewed on Netflix's official website for The Witcher, where the '6 Days of Witchmas' are all marked out ahead of the content drops that will presumably be added in association with the results from each daily vote. [poilib element="accentDivider"] ORIGINAL STORY: Fans of The Witcher have been invited to participate in Netflix's '6 Days of Witchmas' campaign, which will see highly requested content released daily on social media. The Witchmas celebration was announced on The Witcher's official Twitter account, where a thread of tweets revealed more about the holiday-themed event, which is set to begin on December 16 and end on December 21. During this period, fans will be asked to vote daily to accept a "gift" or invoke the "Law of Surprise," with the winning choice revealed the following day together with the next gift and vote.

I come bearing an invitation to a special #Witchmas celebration!

You are cordially invited to the 6 DAYS OF WITCHMAS, a holiday feast where nobody has to mingle, and everybody receives a gift! — The Witcher (@witchernetflix) December 14, 2020

"I have acquired these gifts by searching far and wide for the 'content' that you so often request from me," The Witcher tweets explained. "You may choose to accept that gift, OR you may choose to invoke the Law of Surprise. The decision will be made as a collective, based on a vote that will be held here. The winning choice will be revealed the following day – along with a new offering and another vote." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/21/the-witcher-season-1-ending-explained"] "Choose wisely," a further tweet warned. "For my gift offers are sincere, but the Law of Surprise is out of my musically-gifted hands." Season 2 of The Witcher started filming in London earlier this year, with a planned release sometime in 2021. However, the shoot was suspended back in March as Netflix paused filming on all of its films and TV shows in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Netflix then resumed production on the Henry Cavill-led show in August after being given the "green light" to start filming again. Fans of The Witcher will probably be hoping to see some more Season 2 surprises during the upcoming Witchmas celebration, especially after previous social media drops revealed exclusive photos of Cavill's Geralt of Rivia in all-new armour, Anya Chalotra's bound and bloodied Yennefer, and Freya Allan's Ciri who looked just about ready to start her training at Kaer Morhen, per our slideshow below. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=netflixs-the-witcher-season-2-photos&captions=true"] Before the Witchmas feast commences, check out our breakdown of all the clues about The Witcher Season 2 so far or dive further into the extraordinary world of the hit fantasy series by watching Netflix's behind-the-scenes specials Making The Witcher and A Look Inside the Episodes, then find out why we think Netflix is actually the best place for video game adaptations. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Respawn Entertainment's first virtual reality title, Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond surprise-launched during The Game Awards last week, but has since been met with player complaints and negative reviews on Steam. The developer is now working on a series of patches to address the major problems. Players have reported gameplay and performance issues with the game, including egregious loading times and glitches relating to picking up weapons and reloading them. Some expected features are also missing, like detailed graphics settings and varied locomotion options. In particular, the Steam version of the game appears to perform worse than the Oculus version, as reported by Reddit users, and an IGN staff member who is testing the game. A post on the Oculus subreddit details a few of the fixes coming to the game as part of Patch 1. These include the addition of a smooth turning locomotion option and the removal of a victory screen that appears between levels. Each mission in Above and Beyond is split up into a series of vignettes - each one ends with a fade to black and a triumphant victory screen. This is going to be cut and replaced with a victory screen at the end of each mission instead. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/11/medal-of-honor-above-and-beyond-review"] Also, instead of earning the gallery content (documentaries with real World War 2 veterans) via the story mode, all gallery content will be unlocked from the start of the game when Patch 1 lands. The note doesn't address the game's enormous 180GB file size and high system requirements, which have been another point of contention for players. "We're trying to balance the scope of each patch vs our ability to release fixes and improvements quickly," the Reddit statement reads. "I can confirm that the team is in the middle of working on implementing additional visual scaling options. We hope to get this out as soon as possible, but it won't be in the first patch. We are committed to listening to the community and trying to fix/adjust as many things as we are able to. Thank you for your continued support." We reviewed Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond upon launch, affording it a 6 and calling it "a pretty but average-at-best VR shooter." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Update: Google services appear to be coming back online. Currently, IGN's able to access Gmail, Google Drive, YouTube, and Pokemon Go. Google reports that all services are back online. Google has not yet commented on what caused the issue. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Google appears to be suffering a major outage right now, with YouTube, Gmail, Stadia, Google Play and more all offline. Connected services, such as Pokemon Go also appear to be down. Google search appears to remain unaffected at time of writing. All Google services IGN has tested are currently returning non-specific 500 errors. IGN sister site DownDetector is showing spikes in outage reports across YouTube, Gmail, Google Drive, Stadia, and more. Those reports come both from the US and UK, indicating that this is seemingly a global problem. The issue may be connected to Google accounts in particular, as YouTube will work when no user is signed in. It can still be accessed by using an incognito window. Google-connected services also seem to be suffering. Pokemon Go appears to be a casualty of the outage, with a spike in reports. Attempting to log into the game currently returns an error - although this may be tied solely to account issues. Multiple users - including IGN staff - are also reporting that Discord is also failing to connect. [Update: Discord appears to be back online, and the outage may have been unconnected] [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.