Monthly Archives: February 2022

The Twin: Exclusive Trailer and Release Date Revealed for Shudder Horror Film

Shudder has announced a release date and first trailer for its upcoming horror film, The Twin, which is set to release on the streaming platform on May 6, 2022. In addition to streaming on Shudder, The Twin will also be available in theaters (RLJE Films), as well as on Digital and OnDemand

IGN can exclusively reveal the terrifying new trailer for The Twin starring Teresa Palmer and Steven Cree in the video below, or at the top of the page:

Here's how Shudder describes The Twin: "Following the aftermath of a tragic accident that claimed the life of one of their twins, Rachel (Teresa Palmer, A Discovery of Witches, Warm Bodies) and husband Anthony (Steven Cree, A Discovery of Witches, Outlander) relocate to the other side of the world with their surviving son in the hopes of building a new life. What begins as a time of healing in the quiet Scandinavian countryside soon takes an ominous turn when Rachel begins to unravel the torturous truth about her son and confronts the malicious forces attempting to take a hold of him."

The Twin is directed by Taneli Mustonen (Reunion, Lake Bodom), and written by Aleksi Hyvärinen and Mustonen (Arrhythmia, Lake Bodom).

IGN also has the exclusive first look at some key art from The Twin, featuring Palmer's Rachel and Tristan Ruggeri's Elliot with the tagline, "Evil only a mother could love":

What did you think of the trailer? Let us know in the comments below. And for more on the world of streaming, check out the bonkers new trailer for The Boys Presents: Diabolical, Pedro Pascal's update on HBO's The Last of Us adaptation, and Umbrella Academy's Season 3 character posters.

David Griffin is the TV Streaming Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

New Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Movie Poster Is a Treat For Longtime Fans Of the Games

A brand-new Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie poster is officially here, and it's a treat for longtime fans of the series.

IGN can exclusively reveal the new poster, which is evocative of classic genre films like Star Wars in the way that it matches its heroes with the movie's best action sequences. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and of course, Dr. Robotnik, are all present, as are the film's human heroes, played by James Marsden and Tika Sumpter.

Fans of the games will no doubt feel a bit of nostalgia looking at some of the images from the poster, which particularly draw on Sonic's 16-bit heritage. Tail's plane can be seen evading Robotnik's missiles, and Sonic and Knuckles are clearly clashing over a Chaos Emerald.

In general, the sequel seems like it will lean more into Sega's source material than the original released in 2020, which was a roadtrip film and sci-fi fish out of water comedy that just happened to include the blue hedgehog.

"Sonic’s first foray into live-action is a fast-paced joyride that’ll ring in entertainment for both fans and children," we said in our review of the first film.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has drawn attention for casting Idris Elba, who will play Sonic's sometimes-friend and sometimes-foe, Knuckles (who definitely won't be sexy). To capitalize on the excitement of the announcement, Sega is already planning a live-action series featuring Knuckles that will debut on Paramount Plus. A third movie is also in the works.

We'll be taking a deeper dive into Sonic 2 during IGN Fan Fest 2022, which will feature a panel discussion with some of the cast and crew. IGN Fan Fest 2022 is a one-day event that kicks off on February 19 at 11am PT / 2pm ET. You can find the full IGN Fan Fest 2022 schedule right here.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 debuts in theaters on April 8.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN

New Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Movie Poster Is a Treat For Longtime Fans Of the Games

A brand-new Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie poster is officially here, and it's a treat for longtime fans of the series.

IGN can exclusively reveal the new poster, which is evocative of classic genre films like Star Wars in the way that it matches its heroes with the movie's best action sequences. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and of course, Dr. Robotnik, are all present, as are the film's human heroes, played by James Marsden and Tika Sumpter.

Fans of the games will no doubt feel a bit of nostalgia looking at some of the images from the poster, which particularly draw on Sonic's 16-bit heritage. Tail's plane can be seen evading Robotnik's missiles, and Sonic and Knuckles are clearly clashing over a Chaos Emerald.

In general, the sequel seems like it will lean more into Sega's source material than the original released in 2020, which was a roadtrip film and sci-fi fish out of water comedy that just happened to include the blue hedgehog.

"Sonic’s first foray into live-action is a fast-paced joyride that’ll ring in entertainment for both fans and children," we said in our review of the first film.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has drawn attention for casting Idris Elba, who will play Sonic's sometimes-friend and sometimes-foe, Knuckles (who definitely won't be sexy). To capitalize on the excitement of the announcement, Sega is already planning a live-action series featuring Knuckles that will debut on Paramount Plus. A third movie is also in the works.

We'll be taking a deeper dive into Sonic 2 during IGN Fan Fest 2022, which will feature a panel discussion with some of the cast and crew. IGN Fan Fest 2022 is a one-day event that kicks off on February 19 at 11am PT / 2pm ET. You can find the full IGN Fan Fest 2022 schedule right here.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 debuts in theaters on April 8.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN

Report: EA Admits Battlefield 2042 Failed To Meet Player Expectations, Blames Halo Infinite and COVID

EA has reportedly admitted that Battlefield 2042 "failed to meet the expectations of our players" in an internal meeting, and blamed the failure of the game on factors such as Halo Infinite's launch and the ongoing COVID pandemic.

According to a report by Xfire, EA held an internal company-wide meeting to discuss Battlefield 2042., where executives spent over 20 minutes examining what went wrong with the game's launch. Chief Studios Officer Laura Miele reportedly emphasized that it's important to acknowledge when the company has its misses, including Battlefield 2042.

One of the factors that Miele apparently mentioned was responsible for Battlefield 2042's problems is the Frostbite Engine, which had to go under a massive update. This update reportedly sucked up 18 months of development time. "All new tech, it was basically a new engine," the report quotes her as saying. "They went back. The Frostbite version they were on was so old they had to go back and update. So it was basically putting the game on a new engine."

Miele also apparently spoke about the work-from-home environment as a result of COVID-19 that impacted the development cycle midway through. She reportedly said "Add up all of this new innovation, all of this ambition for the new project, and then you add a global pandemic halfway into the project, where the game teams had to work from home, we ended up with more new variables in development than we have ever experienced before."

After the Battlefield beta last summer, players provided feedback on bugs and other areas of the game. While early impressions were positive, later mock reviews prior to launch revealed that the game had more bugs than expected.

However, the report says Miele claimed the surprise launch of Halo Infinite's multiplayer was a turning point, which came a mere four days earlier than Battlefield 2042's release on November 19. Compared to Halo Infinite, Battlefield 2042 wasn't as "polished", so EA reportedly believes players had a more favorable view of the former.

The Xfire report also states that Miele explained that player expectations have changed and it wasn't the right choice to retain the company's previous standards. Miele apparently admitted that EA didn't go wide enough with different player segments and didn't go deep enough with the game. The lack of features such as scoreboards and VOIP systems didn't help either.

At the end of the call, it was reportedly mentioned that Battlefield's development teams will be restructured and more streamlined.

The news surrounding Battlefield 2042 hasn't been great. EA already expressed that the game didn't meet their expectations, and both its scoreboard system and season one content have been delayed. Even players have signed a petition to get refunds.

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey

Report: EA Admits Battlefield 2042 Failed To Meet Player Expectations, Blames Halo Infinite and COVID

EA has reportedly admitted that Battlefield 2042 "failed to meet the expectations of our players" in an internal meeting, and blamed the failure of the game on factors such as Halo Infinite's launch and the ongoing COVID pandemic.

According to a report by Xfire, EA held an internal company-wide meeting to discuss Battlefield 2042., where executives spent over 20 minutes examining what went wrong with the game's launch. Chief Studios Officer Laura Miele reportedly emphasized that it's important to acknowledge when the company has its misses, including Battlefield 2042.

One of the factors that Miele apparently mentioned was responsible for Battlefield 2042's problems is the Frostbite Engine, which had to go under a massive update. This update reportedly sucked up 18 months of development time. "All new tech, it was basically a new engine," the report quotes her as saying. "They went back. The Frostbite version they were on was so old they had to go back and update. So it was basically putting the game on a new engine."

Miele also apparently spoke about the work-from-home environment as a result of COVID-19 that impacted the development cycle midway through. She reportedly said "Add up all of this new innovation, all of this ambition for the new project, and then you add a global pandemic halfway into the project, where the game teams had to work from home, we ended up with more new variables in development than we have ever experienced before."

After the Battlefield beta last summer, players provided feedback on bugs and other areas of the game. While early impressions were positive, later mock reviews prior to launch revealed that the game had more bugs than expected.

However, the report says Miele claimed the surprise launch of Halo Infinite's multiplayer was a turning point, which came a mere four days earlier than Battlefield 2042's release on November 19. Compared to Halo Infinite, Battlefield 2042 wasn't as "polished", so EA reportedly believes players had a more favorable view of the former.

The Xfire report also states that Miele explained that player expectations have changed and it wasn't the right choice to retain the company's previous standards. Miele apparently admitted that EA didn't go wide enough with different player segments and didn't go deep enough with the game. The lack of features such as scoreboards and VOIP systems didn't help either.

At the end of the call, it was reportedly mentioned that Battlefield's development teams will be restructured and more streamlined.

The news surrounding Battlefield 2042 hasn't been great. EA already expressed that the game didn't meet their expectations, and both its scoreboard system and season one content have been delayed. Even players have signed a petition to get refunds.

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey

John Cena Cast Alongside Looney Tunes in Coyote vs Acme Movie

John Cena has joined the cast of Coyote vs Acme, an upcoming live-action/CG animation hybrid film that will center around the classic Looney Tunes character Wile E. Coyote.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cena has closed a deal to enter the wacky and wonderful world of the Looney Tunes to portray one of the primary antagonists in Warner Bros. upcoming feature Coyote vs Acme, which is said to be based on a New Yorker humor article of the same name, written by Ian Frazier and first published in 1990.

The film will tell the story of a down-on-his-luck attorney who takes on Wile E. Coyote as a client in a lawsuit against the Acme Corporation over its many defective products, only to discover that the boss of his former law firm is representing Acme. Cena will play the Acme lawyer in the Looney Tunes movie, which is due to enter production in New Mexico this March.

Coyote vs Acme will be directed by Dave Green (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Out of the Shadows, Earth to Echo) from a script penned by Samy Burch. Chris DeFaria and James Gunn are both attached as producers on the project, which reunites Gunn with Cena after working together on The Suicide Squad and HBO Max's new Peacemaker spinoff series.

The pair are certainly being kept busy as it was recently announced that Peacemaker will be returning for a second season following the show's breakout success on HBO Max, which has quietly seen it become one of the most-watched shows of 2022. Gunn will write and direct all of the episodes in Season 2, with Cena set to reprise the role of Christopher Smith.

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

John Cena Cast Alongside Looney Tunes in Coyote vs Acme Movie

John Cena has joined the cast of Coyote vs Acme, an upcoming live-action/CG animation hybrid film that will center around the classic Looney Tunes character Wile E. Coyote.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cena has closed a deal to enter the wacky and wonderful world of the Looney Tunes to portray one of the primary antagonists in Warner Bros. upcoming feature Coyote vs Acme, which is said to be based on a New Yorker humor article of the same name, written by Ian Frazier and first published in 1990.

The film will tell the story of a down-on-his-luck attorney who takes on Wile E. Coyote as a client in a lawsuit against the Acme Corporation over its many defective products, only to discover that the boss of his former law firm is representing Acme. Cena will play the Acme lawyer in the Looney Tunes movie, which is due to enter production in New Mexico this March.

Coyote vs Acme will be directed by Dave Green (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Out of the Shadows, Earth to Echo) from a script penned by Samy Burch. Chris DeFaria and James Gunn are both attached as producers on the project, which reunites Gunn with Cena after working together on The Suicide Squad and HBO Max's new Peacemaker spinoff series.

The pair are certainly being kept busy as it was recently announced that Peacemaker will be returning for a second season following the show's breakout success on HBO Max, which has quietly seen it become one of the most-watched shows of 2022. Gunn will write and direct all of the episodes in Season 2, with Cena set to reprise the role of Christopher Smith.

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

Shiba Inu Dogs Are Key to Finding All of Ghostwire: Tokyo’s Collectibles

Alongside its headless schoolgirls, savage demons, and various other ghouls and goblins, Ghostwire: Tokyo also features pettable Shiba Inus. It appears they're intended to do more than look cute, however, as developer Tango Gameworks has revealed they actually play a part in completing Ghostwire's side activities.

The game's official Twitter account posted (below) a short clip of protagonist Akito speaking to a Shiba and revealed the dogs are actually key to unlocking some collectibles in the game.

The player can collect dog food throughout Ghostwire's spooky version of Tokyo and feed it to magical, glowing Shibas. Akito will then proceed to engage the Shiba in conversation before it runs off and digs up Meika (presumably the game's currency) or leads the player to hidden collectibles.

One Twitter user asked the question on all of our minds, 'Can you pet the dog?', and the official Ghostwire account responded with a resounding yes: "You can pet all the dogs".

Ghostwire: Tokyo will launch on March 25 for PlayStation 5 and PC and its story sees Akito wake up after the Vanishing where 99% of Tokyo's population disappears. The city is instead filled with supernatural creatures and it's the player's job to save it.

IGN said in its preview for the game that, "with its mythic scope, open-world flourishes, and an arsenal of neat level design tricks, Ghostwire: Tokyo appears on the cusp of something special."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.

Shiba Inu Dogs Are Key to Finding All of Ghostwire: Tokyo’s Collectibles

Alongside its headless schoolgirls, savage demons, and various other ghouls and goblins, Ghostwire: Tokyo also features pettable Shiba Inus. It appears they're intended to do more than look cute, however, as developer Tango Gameworks has revealed they actually play a part in completing Ghostwire's side activities.

The game's official Twitter account posted (below) a short clip of protagonist Akito speaking to a Shiba and revealed the dogs are actually key to unlocking some collectibles in the game.

The player can collect dog food throughout Ghostwire's spooky version of Tokyo and feed it to magical, glowing Shibas. Akito will then proceed to engage the Shiba in conversation before it runs off and digs up Meika (presumably the game's currency) or leads the player to hidden collectibles.

One Twitter user asked the question on all of our minds, 'Can you pet the dog?', and the official Ghostwire account responded with a resounding yes: "You can pet all the dogs".

Ghostwire: Tokyo will launch on March 25 for PlayStation 5 and PC and its story sees Akito wake up after the Vanishing where 99% of Tokyo's population disappears. The city is instead filled with supernatural creatures and it's the player's job to save it.

IGN said in its preview for the game that, "with its mythic scope, open-world flourishes, and an arsenal of neat level design tricks, Ghostwire: Tokyo appears on the cusp of something special."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.

Netflix’s Sandman Is ‘All About Reinventing Itself’

Expect the unexpected in The Sandman – the upcoming Netflix show that reimagines itself with every episode.

During an interview with Empire, original Sandman comic creator Neil Gaiman said that the upcoming TV adaptation is all about surprising its viewers.

“If you didn’t like an episode of Game of Thrones, you probably won’t like any other episode of Game of Thrones,” he explained. “With Sandman, it’s all about surprising you. It’s all about reinventing itself. It’s all about taking you on a journey you’ve not been on before.”

Gaiman also added that the series takes a genre-hopping approach, switching things up with each and every episode.

“You watch Episode 1 and think, ‘Oh, I get this thing: it’s like Downton Abbey, but with magic,’” he said. “Then you’ll be wondering, ‘What the hell is this?’ by Episode 2, when you’re meeting Gregory The Gargoyle in The Dreaming. Episode 5 is about as dark and traumatic as anything is ever gonna get, then you’ve got Episode 6, which is probably the most feel-good of all the episodes.”

It certainly sounds like a lot to get your head around, but that’s definitely a good thing.

The Sandman comics were first published in 1988 by DC and writer Neil Gaiman. A fantasy tale starring the anthropomorphic representation of metaphysical entities, it’s long thought to have been difficult to bring to the screen. Exploring life, death, and the metaphysical nature of dreams, The Sandman is quite a sprawling epic.

An impressive cast will bring the whole thing to life for Netflix, with Tom Sturridge taking the lead role as Dream. We even got our first look at the upcoming show just a few months ago, with posters for each of the main characters. A recent glimpse of Gwendoline Christie’s Lucifer was also unveiled.

The Sandman was officially greenlit back in 2019, with Neil Gaiman serving as executive producer. But it’s been a long road to get the show made, with Gaiman trying for years to get the project off the ground.

If you want to learn more about The Sandman comic series and how it’s being adapted, here's everything you need to know about The Sandman.

Tom Sturridge stars as Dream (aka Morpheus) alongside Vivienne Acheampong as the librarian Lucienne. Joining them is Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer, Boyd Holbrook as The Corinthian, Charles Dance as Roderick Burgess, Asim Chaudry and Sanjeev Bhaskar as Abel and Cain, Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death, and Stephen Fry as Gilbert.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.