Monthly Archives: January 2021
Vikings Showrunner to Adapt The Great Gatsby as TV Series
A TV series based on The Great Gatsby is in the works with Vikings showrunner, Michael Hirst.
Hirst is teaming up with A+E Studios and ITV Studios America to create a miniseries based on the 1925 novel of the same name from author F. Scott Fitzgerald, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Hirst will write the script and serve as an executive producer alongside Groundswell Productions' Michael London. Blake Hazard, a great-granddaughter of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, is a trustee of the Fitzgerald estate and she will serve as a consulting producer for the show.
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"I have long dreamt of a more diverse, inclusive vision of Gatsby that better reflects the America we live in, one that might allow us all to see ourselves in Scott's wildly romantic text," Hazard said. "Michael brings a deep reverence for Scott's work to the project, but also a fearlessness about bringing such an iconic story to life in an accessible and fresh way. I'm delighted to be a part of the project."
Hirst said that it's now, "the perfect moment to look with new eyes at this timeless story, to explore its famous and iconic characters through the modern lens of gender, race, and sexual orientation." This miniseries will explore New York's Black community in the 1920s, according to THR, and its musical subculture. Columbia University William B. Ransford professor of english and comparative literature and African-American studies, Farah Jasmine Griffin, will serve as a consultant.
A network for the series has not yet been tapped, but THR reports that the miniseries' co-producers plan to shop the show around to premium cable and streaming outlets. THR's report also states that sources say A+E studios have had the rights to the novel for decades and that this miniseries adaptation has been in the works for at least three years. The news of this series comes just a few weeks after The Great Gatsby's copyright expired, which put the novel into public domain.
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While waiting for this series to come to life, check out our review of 2013's The Great Gatsby movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and then check out this cast announcement for Netflix's upcoming Vikings prequel, Vikings: Valhalla.
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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
Spy Kids Franchise Relaunch in Development With Robert Rodriguez
Skydance Media is said to be looking to relaunch the Spy Kids franchise with both Spyglass Media Group and original creator Robert Rodriguez.
As reported by Deadline, Rodriguez will return to write and direct the next film, which is said to "revolve around the activities of a multicultural family."
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Spyglass is the current owner of the IP and Skydance hopes to add Spy Kids to its list of upcoming films to "diversify its slate." Skydance will be the lead studio and will oversee development and production, while Spyglass' Gary Barber and Peter Oillataguerre will executive produce.
The first Spy Kids film was released in 2001 and saw many sequels and and a TV series in the following years. The first film earned $112 million at the domestic box office and the following three sequels brought in $550 million at the worldwide box office.
Rodriguez has previously been known for his adult action films like Desperado and From Dusk Till Dawn, but this project was something he wanted to do for his kids. Spy Kids' whole premise is that two children - Carmen and Juni - have to rescue their parents who were spies that were captured.
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Rodriguez recently directed the sixth episode of The Mandalorian's second season - The Tragedy. In our review, we said, "confidently directed with a spectacular eye for action by Robert Rodriguez, "The Tragedy" sets up a high-stakes endgame for Season 2 that we can't wait to see unfold."
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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 Last of Us Part II Leads DICE 2021 Awards, Followed by Ghost of Tsushima and Hades
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences has revealed the finalists for the 24th annual D.I.C.E. Awards, which will take place virtually on April 8.
Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II leads the way with 11 nominations, followed by Ghost of Tsushima with 10. Hades, IGN's pick for 2020 Game of the Year, is up for 8 awards.
Here is the full list of nominees:
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
- Final Fantasy VII Remake
- The Last of Us Part II
- Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Ori and the Will of the Wisps
- Spiritfarer
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Hades
- The Last of Us Part II
- Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Ori and the Will of the Wisps
- Eivor, Assassin's Creed Valhalla
- Zagreus, Hades
- Abby, The Last of Us Part II
- Ellie, The Last of Us Part II
- Miles, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Carrion
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Little Orpheus
- Ori and the Will of the Wisps
- The Pathless
- Dreams
- Ghost of Tsushima
- The Last of Us Part II
- Ori and the Will of the Wisps
- Sackboy: A Big Adventure
- 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Hades
- Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition
- The Last of Us Part II
- Dreams
- Ghost of Tsushima
- The Last of Us Part II
- Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
- Microsoft Flight Simulator
- Doom Eternal
- Hades
- Half-Life: Alyx
- Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Nioh 2
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition
- The Last of Us Part II
- Ori and the Will of the Wisps
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Astro's Playroom
- Dreams
- Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
- Sackboy: A Big Adventure
- EA Sports UFC 4
- Granblue Fantasy Versus
- Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate
- Them's Fightin' Herds
- Dirt 5
- F1 2020
- Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Final Fantasy VII Remake
- Persona 5 Royal
- Wasteland 3
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon
- EA Sports FIFA 21
- MLB The Show 20
- NBA 2K21
- PGA Tour 2K21
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2
- Crusader Kings III
- Desperados III
- Microsoft Flight Simulator
- Monster Train
- Per Aspera
- Half-Life: Alyx
- Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
- Museum of Other Realities
- Paper Beast
- Tempest
- Down the Rabbit Hole
- Half-Life: Alyx
- Paper Beast
- The Room VR: Dark Matter
- The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners
- Coffee Talk
- Hades
- If Found…
- Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition
- Noita
- HoloVista
- Legends of Runeterra
- Little Orpheus
- Song of Bloom
- South of the Circle
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War
- Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Tetris Effect: Connected
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Hades
- Half-Life: Alyx
- The Last of Us Part II
- Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Hades
- Half-Life: Alyx
- Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition
- The Last of Us Part II
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Final Fantasy VII Remake
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Hades
- The Last of Us Part II
Lord of the Rings: Gollum Delayed to 2022
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum has been delayed to 2022.
Nacon, the new publisher, announced the news on Twitter, confirming the company's involvement alongside developer Daedalic.
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"We are forming a fellowship with @Daedalic to publish The Lord of the Rings: Gollum," Nacon's tweet reads. "The game will be released in 2022 on Xbox and PlayStation consoles, Nintendo Switch and PC. More news to come in the future."
The game's 2021 release window was first announced in 2019. This is the first major word we've gotten since last August, when Gollum's developers spoke to IGN about the game's stealth mechanics and branching narrative. The Gollum-focused adventure will blend Prince of Persia's parkour with stealth mechanics. Lead game designer Martin Wilkes told IGN that players will mostly sneak around levels but will also be tasked with taking down some enemies. "The game mixes stealth with vertical climbing parkour," Wilkes said to IGN last year. "If you want a reference you might think of it as similar to Prince of Persia. It is mostly a non-combat game, but Gollum will be able to stealthily take out enemies. However, this will not be easy and always come with big risks. We want players to carefully weigh these encounters. After all, Gollum’s strengths lie in cunning not combat." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=lord-of-the-rings-gollum-11-screenshots&captions=true"] The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is one of many Lord of the Rings projects in development right now. Amazon is working on a TV series taking place thousands of years before The Hobbit. Additionally, never-before-seen Middle-earth writings from J.R.R. Tolkien are being released in a new book in June. Lord of the Rings actors and artists also recently came together to support a fundraiser to buy the house where J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Hobbit and some of The Lord of the Rings. The fundraiser would turn the house into a Tolkien sanctuary but hasn't reached its goal yet. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN who is very, very excited for all of this Lord of the Rings stuff. Please don't be like The Hobbit movies.We are forming a fellowship with @Daedalic to publish The Lord of the Rings™: Gollum™.
The game will be released in 2022 on Xbox and PlayStation consoles, Nintendo Switch and PC. More news to come in the future. pic.twitter.com/gpdClPVaok — Nacon (@Nacon) January 26, 2021
Borderlands Movie: Kevin Hart Officially Joins the Cast
Kevin Hart has officially joined the cast of the Borderlands movie.
Hart has been cast as Roland, a character from the first two Borderlands games and The Pre-Sequel. The press release announcing Hart's casting only references that Roland is an "ex-soldier turned mercenary" which lines up with the character's backstory in the game.
In the games, Roland was honorably discharged from the military unit, Crimson Lance, and turned to a life of loot-hunting with the help of shotguns, turrets, and assault rifles.
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Hart will star in the movie with Cate Blanchett as the thief-siren Lilith. The movie will be directed by Hostel director, Eli Roth. Gearbox founder Randy Pitchford is an executive producer on the movie.
“I’m thrilled to be working with Kevin,” Roth said in a press release. “Borderlands is a different kind of role for him, and we are excited to thrill audiences with a side of Kevin they’ve never seen before. He’s going to be an amazing Roland.”
Hart is best known for his stand-up comedy, but has led the box office with multiple action-comedy movies over the past decade, including the Jumanji movies. Hart also appeared in the Ride Along franchise with Ice Cube and Central Intelligence with Dwayne Johnson.
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The Borderlands movie will be written by Craig Mazin, who recently wrote HBO's critically-acclaimed Chernobyl miniseries. Mazin is currently developing a Last of Us miniseries for HBO as well.
The press release also announces the Borderlands franchise has surpassed 66 million units sold worldwide. Borderlands 2 is the biggest game in the franchise with 24 million copies sold. The most recent title, 2019's Borderlands 3, has sold over 11 million units.
Here is a list of every video game that is currently being adapted as a movie. That list includes the Uncharted movie, which was just delayed into 2022.
Roth has also said that he wants to put Borderlands cosplayers in the movie as a way to honor the fans.
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Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN. If Claptrap is in this movie, then I'll go see one of the other dozen video game movies that will be in theaters.
Huge Anglo-Saxon Burial Site Uncovers Ancient Jewellery, Weapons and More
A huge Anglo-Saxon burial site in Northamptonshire in the United Kingdom was recently discovered and archaeologists unearthed over 3000 pieces of jewellery, weapons, and more.
There are about 154 burials at this site and these burials and the nearly 3000 objects found within the span of them date back to around 1,500 years ago, according to LiveScience. These burials and objects were spread across a 15-hectare site that includes a 4000-year-old Bronze Age burial site as well. Seven different structures – three burial mounds and four other buildings – were discovered at this Bronze Age site.
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"The Overstone Leys site contains by far the biggest Anglo-Saxon cemetery ever found in Northamptonshire," Project Manager at Museum of London Archaeology, Simon Markus, said in a MOLA release about the discovery. "It is rare to find both an Anglo-Saxon settlement and a cemetery in a single excavation. The excavations will help us understand the way people lived in both the Anglo-Saxon period, around 1,500 years ago as well as the Bronze Age, nearly 4,000 years ago."
Markus said the human remains, objects, and buildings found at the site will help them learn more about the Anglo-Saxon and Bronze Age diets, health, origins, and day-to-day life of the people that lived during that period of history.
Fifteen rings, 150 brooches, 2,000 beads, 75 wrist clasps, 15 chatelaines, 40 knives, 25 spears, 15 shield bosses, and an assortment of other things like cosmetic kits and bone combs were unearthed at the site, according to the MOLA. The archaeologists also uncovered Anglo-Saxon textiles preserved after becoming mineralized by being buried next to a metal brooch.
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These sites don't feature anything from the Vikings side, but is within the same era that Assassin's Creed Valhalla takes place. And who's to say that a trip to an Animus wouldn't uncover something secretive within these buried objects? For more history and science, check out this story about some Viking DNA discovered that reveals most weren't blond or blue-eyed and then read about how scientists extracting DNA from insects preserved in resin have no intention to raise dinosaurs using it.
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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
Red Dead Online: Claim Free Items for Crafting, Logging In, and More This Week
This week in Red Dead Online, claim free rewards for logging in, crafting items at Campfires or Gus' store, and much more.
Spider-Man 3: Dane DeHaan Says His Green Goblin Isn’t Making a Return
Dane DeHaan has denied rumors that he will be reprising the role of the Green Goblin in Marvel's Spider-Man 3, the forthcoming sequel to Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Speaking to Radio Times at a recent press conference, DeHaan, who portrayed Harry Osborn, otherwise known as the Green Goblin, in 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2, confirmed that he will not be making an appearance in the third Spider-Man movie alongside Tom Holland. In fact, he firmly told the outlet that "there's no truth" to the speculation that he will be suiting up as the supervillain again.
"There's no truth to those rumors. I don't even know how that would be pulled off," he stated. "I would certainly love to make some kind of movie like that again. I like making superhero movies or in that kind of world and I'm sure I'll find myself in that world again. And I have no idea what they're doing with the Spider-Man movies now, but I don't really understand a world in which that would be possible."
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Reports and rumors have been rife about past Spider-flick stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and Andrew Garfield appearing in Spider-Man 3, along with villainous counterparts Doc Ock and Electro, reprised by Alfred Molina and Jamie Foxx. Doctor Strange is also making an appearance in the movie, which is expected to lead the MCU straight into 2022's Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.
Spider-Man 3's casting line-up, confirmed or otherwise, seems to be hinting at a live-action Spiderverse/multiverse crossover of epic proportions, which could possibly be intertwined with later events in the MCU, particularly the Multiverse of Madness. For more on the Doctor Strange sequel and its multiverse concept, read our theories about which characters and worlds may appear.
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For more on Marvel Studios' future slate of projects and releases, read our breakdown of the biggest and most noteworthy developments in the MCU, on Disney+, and in Marvel's comics this year.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Biomutant Release Date Set for May
THQ Nordic has announced that the long-awaited Biomutant will be released on May 25 this year.
In a press release, THQ Nordic revealed that Biomutant will arrive on previously confirmed platforms - PC, PS4, and Xbox One - in May. No mention was made of a next-gen version of the game.
In addition to the base version of the game, two special variants will be available: the Atomic Edition and the Collector's Edition. The Atomic Edition, coming in at $399.99/£349.99 is the big daddy of the three, and contains a detailed diorama, steelbook, t-shirt, mousepad, soundtrack, fabric artwork, and a premium box, as well as the game itself. The Collector's Edition, meanwhile, features the game, soundtrack, fabric artwork, and a figurine of the hero, all packaged in a premium box, for $119.99/£109.99, or ten of your chosen currency less if you opt for the PC version. They are all available to pre-order now. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/02/20/biomutant-official-gameplay-teaser-trailer"] The game run-down in the press release includes the major features revealed by developer Experiment 101 in previous Biomutant previews, including the mutation and crafting systems, and so it seems like the game is still very much the chaotic open-world experience that so many people have already fallen in love with. THQ Nordic promises more information in the coming weeks and months, too. For more, check out our most recent Biomutant preview from back in 2018, and 15 minutes of gameplay, or our guide to preorder Biomutant and its many varied editions. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.Biomutant is coming to PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on May 25th, 2021. pic.twitter.com/qVdTMaxxS5
— Biomutant (@Biomutant) January 26, 2021
Sophia the Robot Creators Announce Plan to Mass-Produce Robots This Year
Sophia the Robot and three other models from Hanson Robotics will go into mass production this year and are expected to begin rolling out of factories in the first half of 2021.
This news comes by way of a new report from Reuters after a tour through Hanson Robotics' Hong Kong factory conducted by Sophia the Robot, whom you might recognize as the viral robot from years ago that was granted citizenship in Saudi Arabia back in 2017. Hanson Robotics believes now to be a better time than ever to roll out these robots as they can help not only the healthcare sectors of the world, but the retail and airline industries as well.
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"Social robots like me can take care of the sick or elderly," Sophia said during the tour, according to Reuters. "I can help communicate, give therapy and provide social stimulation, even in difficult situations."
Hanson Robotics founder and chief executive, David Hanson, said the company is planning to sell thousands of robots of many different sizes in 2021, although he didn't give an exact number as to how many. He did say that four models, including Sophia, will roll out to the public this year.
Reuters noted that according to the International Federation of Robots, worldwide sales of professional-service robots jumped up 32% to $11.2 billion from 2018 to 2019. Those numbers have likely risen during the current COVID-19 pandemic as robots are seen around the world helping in the healthcare sector and Hanson said he believes that in a world of COVID-19, more automation is needed to keep people safe.
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One of the robots Hanson Robotics is launching this year, Grace, has been created specifically for the healthcare sector.
"Sophia and Hanson robots are unique by being so human-like," Hanson said. "That can be so useful during these times where people are terribly lonely and socially isolated."
That speaks to the larger mission of Hanson Robotics. The company's "About" page says its, "innovations in AI research and development, robotics engineering, experiential design, storytelling and material science bring robots to life as engaging characters, useful products, and as evolving AI."
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Not that there's necessarily anything to worry about when a company says its trying to bring robots to life as engaging characters with evolving AI, but just in case, somebody get in touch with Sarah Connor. In the meantime, read about how humans abusing sad robots was the subject of a recent study and then read about this study that found humans want AI robots to look human, but only up to a certain point. Check out our list of the 12 greatest giant robots ever after that.
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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.