Though The Sopranos reached its ambiguous end in 2007, it seems that Tony Soprano had one last job to pull after the series finale. It was recently revealed that the late James Gandolfini played the character one more time in 2010 in an effort to convince LeBron James to join the New York Knicks. As reported by Deadline, he production behind the lost video was recounted on a recent episode of the docuseries podcast Shattered: Hope, Heartbreak and the New York Knicks. The Knicks recruited celebrities to take part in a presentation for James once he became a free agent, a period that ultimately ended with the player signing with the Miami Heat. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/18/the-sopranos-virtual-cast-reunion-fundraiser"] "They thought, 'Wouldn't it be funny if we could somehow start the piece with The Sopranos?' because it had just more or less ended," producer Rocco Caruso recalled. "And I said, 'I know Edie [Falco], … I could send her an email,' and she said 'Great. I'll do it.'" The scene was shot in Gandolfini's New York apartment. It followed Tony and his wife Carmela as they looked for a place for James to live, ultimately culminating in the decision for the player to go to Madison Square Garden. Tony was implied to have been in the witness protection program, a creative decision that explained the full beard that Gandolfini had at the time. "I do remember doing it, and what is absolutely amazing to me is I didn't know who LeBron James was," Falco admitted. "We got those requests all the time back then and Jim Gandolfini, he did nothing. And somehow he agreed to this thing, which I was shocked by... He must have been a bigger basketball fan than I realized." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=everything-coming-to-hbo-max&captions=true"] Though The Sopranos concluded over a decade ago, HBO will return to the show's cast of characters this year with The Many Saints of Newark, an upcoming prequel movie to the series. Michael Gandolfini, James' son, will take on his late father's role as Tony. The film is set to premiere in theaters and on HBO Max (for 31 days) on September 24. [poilib element="accentDivider"] J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.

We got a fresh look at Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart's gameplay during today's PlayStation State of Play stream, with Insomniac releasing 15 minutes of commentary featuring a glimpse at its traversal mechanics, boss fights, and of course, Rivet. The presentation gave us a glimpse of what it's like to play as the brand new Lombax, who finally received a name earlier this week. It features footage of Rivet battling bug enemies with an energy pistol, with Clank strapped to her back. At one point she hops into a dimensional pocket, where she rides a Speetle across crates and ramps. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/29/ratchet-clank-rift-apart-gameplay-overview"] Traversal will be a big point of emphasis in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Insomniac says. Apart from riding Speetles, it will be possible to evade, wall run, and dash. The traversal drew comparisons to Sunset Overdrive on Twitter, another Insomniac joint released at the beginning of the previous generation. As previously revealed, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will also take advantage of PS5's complete feature set. That includes taking advantage of the DualSense's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, as well as the SSD. In the course of a boss battle against a Nefarious Juggernaut, Ratchet beams to not just another arena, but another world — a moment made possible by the PS5's SSD hard drive. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ratchet-clank-rift-apart-state-of-play-screenshots&captions=true"] Beyond that, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will feature special armor, pocket dimensions to explore, a "slew" of accessibility features, open areas to explore, and of course, a photo mode. There will also be plenty of collectibles to find, so be ready. Ultimately, none of what was shown was particularly new, but it did provide us with a really nice look at what should be another excellent exclusive for PS5. Call it a victory lap after the positive reception afforded Returnal. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was one of the first major PS5 exclusives revealed for the platform. The reveal included our first glimpse of a playable female Lombax, who we now know is Rivet, and the promise of modes support 4K and 60fps. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is out June 11. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN.

We got a fresh look at Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart's gameplay during today's PlayStation State of Play stream, with Insomniac releasing 15 minutes of commentary featuring a glimpse at its traversal mechanics, boss fights, and of course, Rivet. The presentation gave us a glimpse of what it's like to play as the brand new Lombax, who finally received a name earlier this week. It features footage of Rivet battling bug enemies with an energy pistol, with Clank strapped to her back. At one point she hops into a dimensional pocket, where she rides a Speetle across crates and ramps. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/29/ratchet-clank-rift-apart-gameplay-overview"] Traversal will be a big point of emphasis in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Insomniac says. Apart from riding Speetles, it will be possible to evade, wall run, and dash. The traversal drew comparisons to Sunset Overdrive on Twitter, another Insomniac joint released at the beginning of the previous generation. As previously revealed, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will also take advantage of PS5's complete feature set. That includes taking advantage of the DualSense's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, as well as the SSD. In the course of a boss battle against a Nefarious Juggernaut, Ratchet beams to not just another arena, but another world — a moment made possible by the PS5's SSD hard drive. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ratchet-clank-rift-apart-state-of-play-screenshots&captions=true"] Beyond that, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will feature special armor, pocket dimensions to explore, a "slew" of accessibility features, open areas to explore, and of course, a photo mode. There will also be plenty of collectibles to find, so be ready. Ultimately, none of what was shown was particularly new, but it did provide us with a really nice look at what should be another excellent exclusive for PS5. Call it a victory lap after the positive reception afforded Returnal. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was one of the first major PS5 exclusives revealed for the platform. The reveal included our first glimpse of a playable female Lombax, who we now know is Rivet, and the promise of modes support 4K and 60fps. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is out June 11. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN.

InnerSloth's Among Us will finally arrive on PS5 and PS4 in 2021 with an exclusive Ratchet & Clank skin, hat, and pet. Announced during Sony's latest State of Play, PlayStation owners will soon be able to backstab their friends and become the ultimate imposter. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/29/among-us-playstation-4-and-playstation-5-announcement-trailer"] Among Us on PS4 and PS5 will have crossplay with all other platforms and will feature everything from the other versions, including the brand new Airship map. Among Us is currently available on PC, mobile devices, Nintendo Switch and via Xbox Game Pass for PC. It will also be released on Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One later this year. InnerSloth recently discussed why updates, new maps, and new platforms have taken so long, and it all boils down to the team only being around five people. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/26/among-us-airship-trailer"] The studio wants to grow responsibly and focus on caring for its team members instead of becoming too big before it can handle it properly. This means it takes a bit longer to test everything, and to make sure it all works on all the platforms Among Us is on and will be on. For more on Among Us, check out every new task in The Airship Map and the Fall Guys costumes that have mysterious, "unique" features. [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.

InnerSloth's Among Us will finally arrive on PS5 and PS4 in 2021 with an exclusive Ratchet & Clank skin, hat, and pet. Announced during Sony's latest State of Play, PlayStation owners will soon be able to backstab their friends and become the ultimate imposter. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/29/among-us-playstation-4-and-playstation-5-announcement-trailer"] Among Us on PS4 and PS5 will have crossplay with all other platforms and will feature everything from the other versions, including the brand new Airship map. Among Us is currently available on PC, mobile devices, Nintendo Switch and via Xbox Game Pass for PC. It will also be released on Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One later this year. InnerSloth recently discussed why updates, new maps, and new platforms have taken so long, and it all boils down to the team only being around five people. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/26/among-us-airship-trailer"] The studio wants to grow responsibly and focus on caring for its team members instead of becoming too big before it can handle it properly. This means it takes a bit longer to test everything, and to make sure it all works on all the platforms Among Us is on and will be on. For more on Among Us, check out every new task in The Airship Map and the Fall Guys costumes that have mysterious, "unique" features. [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.

After years of criticism for being one of the "most overpaid" CEOs in the United States, Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick is taking a pay cut — though it's not as generous a cut as it may initially seem. In an SEC filing yesterday spotted by GamesIndustry.biz, the company has opted to renew Kotick's contract for a few more years. His current contract, set in 2016, was initially set to expire on December 31 of this year, but his role as CEO has now been extended at least March 31, 2023. It can be extended further beyond that date if the board so chooses. The renewal document lavished praise upon the CEO, citing significantly increased shareholder returns and improved market value during Kotick's tenure. It does not mention the numerous rounds of layoffs the company has undergone under his leadership, including around 190 employees earlier this year and around 800 back in 2019. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/16/layoffs-reportedly-hit-activision-blizzard"] Despite the board's recognition of Kotick's performance, the renewal also includes a contract adjustment, saying the board reached out to investors and pay committee members to reevaluate the CEO's compensation package. As a result, Kotick's salary is being reduced by 50% beginning retroactively January 1, 2021, bringing it from $1.75 million a year to a mere $875,000. Furthermore, his annual target bonus has also technically been reduced. He's still eligible for up to 200% of his base salary in bonus per year, but with his salary reduced that brings Kotick down from potentially earning $3.5 million in bonuses each year to only $1.75 million in bonuses each year, on top of his existing salary. In total, that means that Kotick still stands to make $2.6 million a year if he keeps meeting all the objectives set by the board. Notably, his objectives have also shifted a bit, effectively focusing more on meeting certain financial metrics and less on meeting other non-money-related milestones. The pay cut is, on paper, very likely in response to ongoing criticism over how much Kotick is paid. He recently appeared (not for the first time) on a list of the most overpaid CEOs in the US at rank 16, with the report calculating that including stock options, Kotick received a total of over $30 million in compensation in 2019 — most of which stemmed from equity grants rather than his actual set salary. And Kotick is still eligible for more long-term equity incentive awards in the future, basically meaning that Kotick gets awarded a whole lot more money thanks to stock options if the company continues to do well. The renewal filing stipulates that his max payout be in line with other companies deemed similar to Activision Blizzard at the time that it happens, rather than — as has been pointed out in the past — well above them. That doesn't even include the additional bonus of up to $200 million that Kotick could still be awarded in June with the approval of a board committee. When asked for comment on whether or not this bonus was impacted by the contract amendment, an Activision Blizzard spokesperson said, "The value and timing of the [bonus] are at the discretion of the Compensation Committee." So even with his salary slashed in half, Kotick is still set to keep making millions as Activision-Blizzard CEO each year alongside both a potentially massive upcoming bonus payout, and the likely possibility of large payouts in the future. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine. Thumbnail Image Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

After years of criticism for being one of the "most overpaid" CEOs in the United States, Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick is taking a pay cut — though it's not as generous a cut as it may initially seem. In an SEC filing yesterday spotted by GamesIndustry.biz, the company has opted to renew Kotick's contract for a few more years. His current contract, set in 2016, was initially set to expire on December 31 of this year, but his role as CEO has now been extended at least March 31, 2023. It can be extended further beyond that date if the board so chooses. The renewal document lavished praise upon the CEO, citing significantly increased shareholder returns and improved market value during Kotick's tenure. It does not mention the numerous rounds of layoffs the company has undergone under his leadership, including around 190 employees earlier this year and around 800 back in 2019. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/16/layoffs-reportedly-hit-activision-blizzard"] Despite the board's recognition of Kotick's performance, the renewal also includes a contract adjustment, saying the board reached out to investors and pay committee members to reevaluate the CEO's compensation package. As a result, Kotick's salary is being reduced by 50% beginning retroactively January 1, 2021, bringing it from $1.75 million a year to a mere $875,000. Furthermore, his annual target bonus has also technically been reduced. He's still eligible for up to 200% of his base salary in bonus per year, but with his salary reduced that brings Kotick down from potentially earning $3.5 million in bonuses each year to only $1.75 million in bonuses each year, on top of his existing salary. In total, that means that Kotick still stands to make $2.6 million a year if he keeps meeting all the objectives set by the board. Notably, his objectives have also shifted a bit, effectively focusing more on meeting certain financial metrics and less on meeting other non-money-related milestones. The pay cut is, on paper, very likely in response to ongoing criticism over how much Kotick is paid. He recently appeared (not for the first time) on a list of the most overpaid CEOs in the US at rank 16, with the report calculating that including stock options, Kotick received a total of over $30 million in compensation in 2019 — most of which stemmed from equity grants rather than his actual set salary. And Kotick is still eligible for more long-term equity incentive awards in the future, basically meaning that Kotick gets awarded a whole lot more money thanks to stock options if the company continues to do well. The renewal filing stipulates that his max payout be in line with other companies deemed similar to Activision Blizzard at the time that it happens, rather than — as has been pointed out in the past — well above them. That doesn't even include the additional bonus of up to $200 million that Kotick could still be awarded in June with the approval of a board committee. When asked for comment on whether or not this bonus was impacted by the contract amendment, an Activision Blizzard spokesperson said, "The value and timing of the [bonus] are at the discretion of the Compensation Committee." So even with his salary slashed in half, Kotick is still set to keep making millions as Activision-Blizzard CEO each year alongside both a potentially massive upcoming bonus payout, and the likely possibility of large payouts in the future. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine. Thumbnail Image Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

The season one finale of Invincible drops tomorrow and if there was any worry tomorrow's episode might be its last, that's no longer the case because Amazon has renewed the show for a second and third season. This news comes by way of Amazon Studios, which announced today that two more seasons of the show have been ordered. Invincible, which is based on Robert Kirkman's long-spanning comic book of the same name, has gained momentum with each weekly episode that has dropped on Amazon Prime Video.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR MORE *smash to title card* pic.twitter.com/OFaJJ8QRNA

— INVINCIBLE (@InvincibleHQ) April 29, 2021

"I'm extremely thankful to Amazon for the support and dedication they've put behind Invincible," Kirkman, who is also the creator of The Walking Dead, said in a press release. "The comic book is truly a love letter to a genre that Cory (Walker) and I grew up reading and loving, and it's been a gratifying journey to watch our characters come to life again through the animated series. We're beyond excited to continue this story for at least two more seasons." Amazon Studios television co-head, Vernon Sanders, said Invincible is a "crowning example of how a fresh and edgy approach to a superhero genre can resonate with audiences around the globe." Sanders believes that Kirkman's storytelling approach delivered by the show's "first class" voice cast has made the show the success that it is, which lead to today's renewal news. It's unclear if a second and third season of Invincible will stick to the first season's eight-episode, hour-long structure. While waiting for tomorrow's finale to the first season, read our thoughts on last week's episode in IGN's Season 1, Episode 7 review and then read this Invincible explainer to catch up on everything you need to know about the show. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker who needs to hurry up and watch Invincible. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

The season one finale of Invincible drops tomorrow and if there was any worry tomorrow's episode might be its last, that's no longer the case because Amazon has renewed the show for a second and third season. This news comes by way of Amazon Studios, which announced today that two more seasons of the show have been ordered. Invincible, which is based on Robert Kirkman's long-spanning comic book of the same name, has gained momentum with each weekly episode that has dropped on Amazon Prime Video.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR MORE *smash to title card* pic.twitter.com/OFaJJ8QRNA

— INVINCIBLE (@InvincibleHQ) April 29, 2021

"I'm extremely thankful to Amazon for the support and dedication they've put behind Invincible," Kirkman, who is also the creator of The Walking Dead, said in a press release. "The comic book is truly a love letter to a genre that Cory (Walker) and I grew up reading and loving, and it's been a gratifying journey to watch our characters come to life again through the animated series. We're beyond excited to continue this story for at least two more seasons." Amazon Studios television co-head, Vernon Sanders, said Invincible is a "crowning example of how a fresh and edgy approach to a superhero genre can resonate with audiences around the globe." Sanders believes that Kirkman's storytelling approach delivered by the show's "first class" voice cast has made the show the success that it is, which lead to today's renewal news. It's unclear if a second and third season of Invincible will stick to the first season's eight-episode, hour-long structure. While waiting for tomorrow's finale to the first season, read our thoughts on last week's episode in IGN's Season 1, Episode 7 review and then read this Invincible explainer to catch up on everything you need to know about the show. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker who needs to hurry up and watch Invincible. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

Netflix's anime adaptation of Castlevania has received a new trailer for its fourth and final season ahead of its May 13, 2021 debut. The new trailer features a ton of action, threats of night creatures, attempts at Dracula's resurrection, and much more.

Back to where we started. Castlevania Season 4 streams May 13th pic.twitter.com/AIkC2LUj6S

— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) April 29, 2021

Netflix has shared the official synopsis of this new season, revealing that "Wallachia collapses into chaos as factions clash: some attempting to take control, others attempting to bring Dracula back from the dead.  Nobody is who they seem, and nobody can be trusted. These are the end times." Despite this 10-episode season for Castlevania being its last, a new series set in the same Castlevania universe is already being planned with a brand new cast of characters. This Castlevania series for Netflix has been a success for the streaming platform, and has led the charge of other video game adaptations like the Dota animated series, The Witcher anime movie, an Assassin's Creed series, Devil May Cry series, and a Cyberpunk 2077 anime. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/05/netflixs-castlevania-season-3-review"] We called season three of Netflix's Castlevania a masterpiece, saying, "Castlevania's unique combination of sarcastic humor, supernatural horror, violent action and deep pathos makes it far and away the best video game adaptation around. Season 3 values characters over plot, and it makes it incredibly easy to connect with heroes and villains alike." [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.