It’s a damp, cold evening in October 2019, and I’m in the real-life Q Branch garage, also known as a warehouse in Pinewood Studios. I’m one of about a dozen journalists being shown James Bond’s classic Aston Martin DB5, which has been newly upgraded for its next mission. I’m standing right in front of the iconic car as No Time To Die’s SFX supervisor, Chris Corbould, activates its most impressive new gadget.

Both of the DB5’s bulbous headlamps sink into the engine bay, sliding aside to reveal twin rotary mini-guns. The ordnance slides forward, pausing only to click into place before spinning up to a speed that makes the six individual barrels disappear into a blurr. Small jets of flame erupt from the muzzles while the guns buzz like furious hornets. A stream of brass shells eject from the air intakes on the wings of the car, which sounds akin to coins spilling from an overstuffed bank vault as they scatter over the floor.

“A bit more spectacular, I think you’ll agree,” says Corbould.

It’s a stunt that should have me and everyone else in the room diving for cover, especially considering we weren't told that this is what the DB5 can do now. But, despite the odd buzzing noise (which will be enhanced in the Foley studio for the actual film) the prop guns elicit a smile of approval from many of the reporters standing in the car’s firing arc. They are definitely a fun replacement for the .30 calibre Browning machine-guns that used to hide behind the DB5’s indicator bulbs.

The DB5’s new kit is deemed exciting enough to be the included in almost every one of No Time To Die’s many trailers (an unfortunate result of the film’s constantly shifting release date). The scene sees Bond spinning the car in circles around a square in Matera, Italy, gunning down enemies as he strafes. Not seen in the trailers is the thick smoke screen that belches from the exhausts, the new LCD programmable license plates, or the bomb dispenser hiding beneath the rear bumper.

Corbould demonstrates the bomb hatch for us, which somewhat pathetically drops half a dozen plastic naval mine-like explosives onto the concrete floor. “Going at 60 miles-per-hour they fly all over the place,” he promises. “An unfortunate Jaguar XF runs over a few of these and they all explode, which puts the car on its side and sends it into a building.”

This particular gadget-laden DB5 is one of 10 used on No Time To Die. Two are original models from “way back when”, while a further eight were built for the film in collaboration with Aston Martin. Two of these are stunt vehicles equipped with ‘pods’ atop the roofs, from which professional drivers can sit and control the vehicles while actors take the wheel inside. Another two are gadget cars fitted with Q Branch gizmos, while the final four are used for battle damage scenes.

“We made these bullet hits in the screen by firing pellets at them with Daniel Craig inside,” says Corbould, pointing to a DB5 with dozens of bullet holes in the windows. “There’s a great shot of him inside and the windows are literally rupturing around him.”

The DB5 may be the centrepiece of No Time To Die’s garage, but it’s not the only Aston Martin in the film. While in London, Bond drives an Aston Martin V8. Chosen by director Cary Joji Fukunaga, this green 1980s classic is practically identical to the one driven by Bond in 1987’s The Living Daylights. Corbould gives no indication as to if it would be equipped with hubcap lasers and a self-destruct system, but it does sport the same registration plate as the one Timothy Dalton drove 34 years ago.

Finally, there are two modern Aston Martins; the Valhalla (which is unfortunately not parked in the Pinewood garage) and the DBS Superleggera. Rather than driven by Bond, the ultra-modern DBS is the personal car of MI6’s new agent, Lashana Lynch’s Nomi.

“Bond is picked up in this by another 00 agent,” says Corbould. “He’s a bit miffed that this agent has this fantastic car. So there’s a bit of backwards and forwards dialogue about it.”

While Fukunaga chose the vintage V8, the DBS was Craig’s choice, despite the car not belonging to Bond. “I think we needed a very modern car,” says Corbould. “Aston Martin very kindly put forward the DBS which Daniel really liked, so he had a big say in it coming on the scene.”

In direct opposition to these British supercars, No Time To Die’s second big chase sequence uses a much more humble vehicle. “It’s a totally off-road sequence that starts in Norway,” Corbould reveals. “Bond is in an old Toyota Land Cruiser, which is the car of the other person he’s with at the time.” Considering what else was revealed to us at Pinewood, it seems logical to conclude that this old Toyota belongs to Léa Seydoux’s Madeleine Swann, who lived in Norway as a child.

“And all of a sudden we have two of these Land Rover SVRs on his tail,” describes Corbould. “So he tries to escape, but obviously these are very fast compared to an old Toyota Land Cruiser. But he manages to run them off the road.”

“Shortly after that he thinks he’s got away, but three of these things appear very spectacularly,” says Courbould, pointing to a trio of brand new Land Rover Defenders. During production the Defender was itself in development, which meant for a lot of secretive back-and-forth meetings with Jaguar Land Rover. Espionage is certainly not what you expect from a 4x4, but Bond will always inject a little excitement into dealings.

These high-octane car sequences will finally be on the big screen September 30, 2021 in the UK, and October 8 in the US. For more on No Time To Die, check out what we learned on the movie’s set, and Daniel Craig’s farewell speech to the Bond cast and crew.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski has addressed his decision to develop a "from-the-ground-up reboot" of the beloved 90s space opera series.

Straczynski, who recently co-created the Netflix sci-fi drama Sense8 with the Wachowskis, took to Twitter on Monday to confirm his involvement in the widely-reported Babylon 5 reboot. He confirmed that a rebooted version of the show is in active development for The CW and that he's "hip into writing the pilot now, and will be running the series upon pickup."

To answer all the questions, yes, it’s true, Babylon 5 is in active development as a series for the CW. We have some serious fans over at the network, and they’re eager to see this show happen. I’m hip deep into writing the pilot now, and will be running the series upon pickup.

— J. Michael Straczynski (@straczynski) September 27, 2021

"The network understands the uniqueness of Babylon 5 and is giving me a great deal of latitude with the storytelling," Straczynski assured fans in his lengthy Twitter thread, which also addressed some of the reasons behind the decision to create a hard reboot of Babylon 5 rather than returning to the original series' universe for a continuation of the story.

Straczynski explained that he had added several tools to his toolbox in the years since Babylon 5 had been on screens, with the original series airing between 1993 and 1998. He suggested those new tools and resources would ultimately change his approach to the show and that there would be "no fun and no surprises" in retelling the same story in the same way.

"Better to go the way of Westworld or Battlestar Galactica where you take the original elements that are evergreens and put them in a blender with a ton of new, challenging ideas, to create something fresh yet familiar," he said, adding, "I hope to create additional new forms of storytelling that will further push the television medium to the edge of what’s possible."

"To those asking why not just do a continuation, for a network series like this, it can't be done because over half our cast are still stubbornly on the other side of the Rim," he explained in additional tweets. "Our original Londo without the original Vir? Or G'Kar? How do you tell Sheridan's story without Delenn? Or the story of B5 without Franklin? Garibaldi? Zack?"

He concluded his comments by promising fans that the rebooted version of the show would attract "new viewers while honoring all that has come before," with a story that will reportedly revolve around series protagonist John Sheridan as he takes command of Babylon 5 — a diplomatic station built in the wake of a devastating war with an advanced alien race.

Straczynski is currently working on the reboot alongside Warner Bros., which helped produce the original Babylon 5, and will help pen the script. In the meantime, you can catch a remastered version of the original show on HBO Max, which cleans up the original special effects at the expense of returning to the original 4:3 aspect ratio.

Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

EA has removed Manchester City left-back Benjamin Mendy from FIFA 22 while the player is awaiting trial.

The publisher confirmed to Eurogamer that the French national team and Manchester City player has been removed from both squads in FIFA 22 and that his card has been pulled from appearing in Ultimate Team packs while he is awaiting trial.

"As Benjamin Mendy has been removed from the active rosters of both Manchester City and the French National team, in FIFA 22 he has also been removed from respective rosters and suspended from appearing in FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) packs and Ultimate Draft while he is awaiting trial," EA told Eurogamer.

Club statement.

— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 26, 2021

The 27-year-old defender is accused of four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault that are alleged to have taken place at his home in Cheshire between October 2020 and August 2021. Last month, Manchester City released a statement confirming that Mendy had been suspended by the club pending an investigation.

This isn't the first time EA has removed a player from FIFA. In 2016, the publisher removed ex-footballer Adam Johnson from the franchise after he was found guilty of sexual activity with a girl aged 15. While more recently, the former Dutch national team captain Marco van Basten was pulled from FIFA 20 after he made Nazi comments during an interview at the time.

FIFA 22 doesn't officially come out until October 1, however, fans have been able to play the game since September 22 where EA Play subscribers could access a 10 hour trial of the game. EA's suspension of Mendy didn't actually come into effect until the day after the launch of the trial period, meaning that some players were able to find the suspended full-back in Ultimate Team packs when first playing FIFA 22.

Although EA's decision to remove Mendy from the game will be praised by fans, some may question why the player made it into the game in the first place - especially given that Manchester City suspended the player in real life four weeks earlier.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

A Donkey Kong-themed area will be added to Super Nintendo World in 2024 as part of plans to expand the Mario-themed section of Universal Studios Japan.

As confirmed in a press release by Nintendo, the new area will include further interactive experiences, a variety of stalls selling merchandise and food, and its very own rollercoaster when it opens in 2024. Nintendo has stated that the addition of the new ape-based area will increase the overall size of Super Nintendo World by 70%.

The expansion is set to be created as a collaborative effort between Universal Studios and Nintendo's creative team - with input from legendary game designer and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto.

"I am very happy to be able to make the world of Donkey Kong a reality following the world of Mario," said Miyamoto. "I am looking forward to creating a thrilling Donkey Kong experience with the amazing team at Universal. It will take some time until it is completed, but it will be a unique area for not only people who are familiar with Donkey Kong games, but for all guests."

Super Nintendo World currently has three main attractions: Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge, Yoshi's Adventure, and Bowser Jr. Shadow Showdown. While each brings something different to the park, the Donkey Kong expansion is likely to turn a few heads with the addition of the area's first true rollercoaster.

Nintendo is yet to reveal details about the ride, however, promotional images for the new Donkey Kong area look to show a coaster-like track weaving through sections of trees before passing the great ape's golden temple.

Super Nintendo World opened at Universal Studios Japan in March. While waiting for the park's new Donkey Kong expansion, why not check out this article about Super Nintendo World's opening ceremony, which featured a guest appearance from Shigeru Miyamoto. Alternatively, make sure to check out our review of the Mario-themed area where we discuss the park's various rides and attractions in more detail.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Daniel Craig has recalled the moment that he broke Dave Bautista's nose on the set of the 2015 James Bond film Spectre before promptly fleeing the scene in fear.

Ahead of the upcoming release of No Time To Die, Craig appeared as a guest on The Graham Norton Show, where he divulged the details of some of the worst James Bond injuries he's experienced. The 007 actor recounted an incident that occurred on the set of Spectre while filming the memorable train fight sequence between Bond and Bautista's assassin Mr. Hinx.

"I broke his nose. I didn't do it deliberately. Clearly, it was a mistake," Craig said, reflecting on the choreographed clash. "He's a big guy, he's a professional wrestler. You really wouldn't mess with him. I threw this punch and hit him on the nose. I heard this crack and I was like 'Oh God no' and ran away. I thought he was going to come after me but he was so sweet."

"He's a lot tougher than I am," Craig said of Bautista, recalling how he set his nose back in place to continue production. The Bond actor admitted that Bautista was being "gentle" with him during one part of the fight scene, so he encouraged his co-star to be more forceful in the brawl, but it actually resulted in a serious knee injury that temporarily halted production.

"I ended up on the wall, but my knee was over here somewhere," Craig explained, gesturing some distance away from him. "I knew and it was horrible because if anyone's had an injury, you just know in your head that something is really wrong... I was out and then we went back and we re-filmed it. I had to film it with a brace on. It was a struggle to do it."

Craig first portrayed Bond in the 2006 film Casino Royale. He reprised the role in 2008's Quantum of Solace, 2012's Skyfall and 2015's Spectre, all of which have collectively grossed more than $3.1 billion at the worldwide box office. Craig is officially bidding farewell to the 007 franchise with No Time To Die, which is the longest James Bond movie to date.

The star has suffered numerous scrapes and breaks across the five films in which he has portrayed the 007 Agent, including No Time To Die. "I was literally walking down a plank," Craig said, sharing the story of his most recent ankle break. "I wasn't even running, I wasn't even doing anything action-based. I just walked down, slipped, and fell over. It was so stupid."

Craig's final outing as Bond is almost upon us, with the world premiere of No Time To Die set to take place at the Royal Albert Hall on September 28 following a number of delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film will then feature its theatrical release in the UK on September 30 before releasing in the US on October 8 and in Australia on November 11.

Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Fans of DC's recent YA graphic novels like Teen Titans: Raven and Teen Titans: Beast Boy have plenty of reason to be excited. Writer Kami Garcia has two new books in the works, including a new Teen Titans story focused on Robin. Or should we say, Robins.

IGN can exclusively reveal the covers to Garcia's next two books. First, check out Teen Titans: Robin, which spotlights more than one of Batman's sidekicks:

Artist Gabriel Picolo is also returning for this new Teen Titans book, making it the fourth collaboration between the duo following Beast Boy, Raven and Beast Boy Loves Raven. This book looks to spotlight original Robin Dick Grayson as well as Bruce Wayne's son, Damian.

Next, Garcia is teaming with artist Isaac Goodhart (Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale) for Constantine: Distorted Illusions. Check out the cover below:

As you can see, Distorted Illusions offers a very different take on the trickster magician. Constantine is both younger and more handsome than he's looked in years. While we initially mistook the two women on the cover for Zatanna and Black Canary, they're actually members of Constantine's punk rock band, Mucus Membrane. In this new take on the Hellblazer mythos, a teenage John Constantine travels to the US, joins the band and begins dabbling in the dark arts.

Look for both books to show up in DC's January 2022 solicitations soon.

IGN recently spoke with Picolo about the appeal of making Beast Boy and Raven a couple and following the example of the Teen Titans animated series. Will the duo show up in Teen TItans: Robins? We'll just have to wait and see.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

For as much as streaming services love boasting about their record-breaking numbers, it’s still difficult to accurately gauge exactly how well a popular show performs. But today, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has shared a better set of data on the streamer’s top movies and TV shows yet than what the company has provided before.

At Vox Media’s Code Conference, Sarandos shared two slides that highlight two different metrics. One that measures “[Number] of Accounts” tracks the number of users that watched at least two minutes of a show or movie within the first 28 days of release. This is how Netflix has previously shared viewership metrics with the public.

The second chart measures total hours spent watching a show or movie within the first 28 days of release. This is not a metric Netflix has previously revealed to the public or press.

Show and tell from Netflix’s Ted Sarandon, right after dismissing Apple’s Ted Lasso as an “awards-y show” that likely has a small audience: Netflix shows ranked by viewers and viewing hours. pic.twitter.com/8ceTSHqr2c

— Peter Kafka (@pkafka) September 27, 2021

“We’re trying to be more transparent with talent, with the market,” Variety reports Sarandos telling the crowd at Code Conference.

Based on the different data above you get a few common titles that can be considered Netflix’s biggest hits including Bridgerton, Bird Box, and Extraction. Other top shows include The Witcher, Lupin, Money Heist, and Stranger Things.

These are shows Netflix has touted as some of the most successful on the platform, but the additional data helps contextualize the degrees of their success. The Spanish crime drama has long been known to be a popular international hit for Netflix, but in terms of hours viewed it beats shows like Stranger Things and 13 Reasons Why by considerable margins.

Similarly, Lupin appears to be a proper hit as well, beating Stranger Things by 10 million additional viewership accounts. Both Lupin and Money Heist are foreign-language productions but dominate Netflix’s metrics, putting the company’s aggressive expansion into foreign-language content into more context.

Sarandos reportedly said the South Korean hit Squid Game is on track to “be the most popular Netflix show ever[.]”

These metrics still don’t present the full picture and can be the result of factors beyond popularity. But as far as transparency goes, this data is more than we’ve seen before from Netflix and other streamers like Apple TV+. Hopefully, there's more of this in the future as well.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Activision Blizzard has settled the lawsuit filed earlier today by the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission [EEOC]. In a release, Activision Blizzard promised to create an $18 million fund to compensate employees affected by discrimination and harassment. It also intends to upgrade its policies and practices to "prevent and eliminate harassment and discrimination" in the workplace, as well as to overhaul its performance review system.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick called the agreement "constructive" and promised to "be vigilant" against harassment. "There is no place anywhere at our company for discrimination, harassment, or unequal treatment of any kind, and I am grateful to the employees who bravely shared their experiences. I am sorry that anyone had to experience inappropriate conduct, and I remain unwavering in my commitment to make Activision Blizzard one of the world’s most inclusive, respected, and respectful workplaces."

The deal will see a third-party equal consultant review Activision Blizzard's new initiatives. In the meantime, any money not given as compensation will be divided between charities that "advance women in the video game industry" or "promote awareness around harassment and gender quality" as approved by the EEOC.

The original story can be found below.

Activision Blizzard is being sued by yet another government agency. This time it's the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission [EEOC], which capped off a three-year investigation by filing a lawsuit earlier today.

The EEOC joins the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing in accusing Activision Blizzard of a culture of harassment and discrimination. It alleges that female employees were harassed, paid less, and retaliated against for complaining.

The lawsuit demands that Activision Blizzard compensate affected employees with back pay and damages. It also says that Activision Blizzard must "institute and carry out policies, practices, and programs to ensure equal employment opportunities, and which eradicate the effects of its past and present unlawful employment practices." You can read the full complaint here.

In reporting on the lawsuit, Wired reporter Cecilia D'Anastasio highlighted an investor release from last week in which Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick said he "continues to productively engage with regulators" including the EEOC. The EEOC was said to be considering a settlement with Activision Blizzard, but seemingly decided to go ahead with the lawsuit after all.

FYI Activision Blizzard's investor site referenced the EEOC investigation last week. The complaint was filed today (9/27) https://t.co/tctEzVtSrT pic.twitter.com/C8QcsbtObm

— Cecilia D'Anastasio (@cecianasta) September 27, 2021

Activision Blizzard was first rocked by allegations of harassment and discrimination back in July. It was followed by numerous stories from employees, some of which were reported on IGN, as well as an employee walkout and the departure of Blizzard president J. Allen Brack. You can read the full timeline here.

The lawsuits and allegations have exacerbated the outflow of talent from Activision Blizzard, which has been ongoing for several years now. Blizzard's Chief Legal Officer departed the company just last week. With the Securities and Exchange Commission also getting involved, it seems unlikely that Blizzard's woes will end any time soon.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN.