Amazon's Prime Video has greenlit its first James Bond TV show in 007's Road to a Million - a "Bond-style spin on a race around the world" reality show competition.

As reported by Variety, the eight-part series will be produced by MGM Televsion, The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty's 72 Films, and Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.

Sources have revealed the project has been in the works at Prime Video for around four years, which would be well before the $8.45 billion deal of Amazon buying MGM was announced. Speaking of which, Amazon officially closed the deal to acquire MGM on March 17, 2022, after a regulatory lawsuit deadline expired.

Production on 007's Road to a Million will begin later this year and it will see contestants competing in a global adventure to win a cash prize of £1 million ($1.3 million). The competition will take place at "many of the historic locations featured throughout the seminal Bond films," and the "cinematic format" will be a test of intelligence and endurance.

In addition to physical challenges, the two-person teams will need to answer questions from around the world to advance to the next stage of the adventure. If this sounds like a journey you'd like to take, 72 Films is currently inviting the world to send in their applications for a chance to star in the show and win the ultimate Bond prize.

“I first had this idea over three years ago," 72 Films' CEO David Glover said. "Dan Grabiner and the U.K. Originals team took it to a whole other level. To be working with Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and the Bond franchise is a privilege and a dream come true.”

This news of 007's Road to a Million arrives as the James Bond franchise enters a new era without Daniel Craig following his final performance in No Time to Die. Broccoli has confirmed the search for a new Bond would begin this year.

Broccoli and Wilson also previously said that fans shouldn't expect a James Bond TV spinoff series at Amazon. So, while we may not get a traditional Bond series anytime soon, the reality show world will soon be shaken, not stirred.

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.

Amazon's Prime Video has greenlit its first James Bond TV show in 007's Road to a Million - a "Bond-style spin on a race around the world" reality show competition.

As reported by Variety, the eight-part series will be produced by MGM Televsion, The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty's 72 Films, and Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.

Sources have revealed the project has been in the works at Prime Video for around four years, which would be well before the $8.45 billion deal of Amazon buying MGM was announced. Speaking of which, Amazon officially closed the deal to acquire MGM on March 17, 2022, after a regulatory lawsuit deadline expired.

Production on 007's Road to a Million will begin later this year and it will see contestants competing in a global adventure to win a cash prize of £1 million ($1.3 million). The competition will take place at "many of the historic locations featured throughout the seminal Bond films," and the "cinematic format" will be a test of intelligence and endurance.

In addition to physical challenges, the two-person teams will need to answer questions from around the world to advance to the next stage of the adventure. If this sounds like a journey you'd like to take, 72 Films is currently inviting the world to send in their applications for a chance to star in the show and win the ultimate Bond prize.

“I first had this idea over three years ago," 72 Films' CEO David Glover said. "Dan Grabiner and the U.K. Originals team took it to a whole other level. To be working with Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and the Bond franchise is a privilege and a dream come true.”

This news of 007's Road to a Million arrives as the James Bond franchise enters a new era without Daniel Craig following his final performance in No Time to Die. Broccoli has confirmed the search for a new Bond would begin this year.

Broccoli and Wilson also previously said that fans shouldn't expect a James Bond TV spinoff series at Amazon. So, while we may not get a traditional Bond series anytime soon, the reality show world will soon be shaken, not stirred.

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.

Amazon Games studio head Mike Frazzini, who played a big role in starting the company, has left stepped down to "focus on his family."

As reported by Bloomberg, Frazzini told his staff on Friday, March 25, that he was leaving the studio that helped bring games like New World and Lost Ark to life.

"Mike was there at the beginning of Amazon Games, and his leadership and perseverance helped build the games business from the ground up,” Amazon spokesman Ryan Jones said in a statement. “Our recent successes with New World and Lost Ark are the result of the long-term, customer-focused vision for games he helped establish. We are very grateful for all his contributions, and wish Mike the very best.”

While New World and Lost Ark have been received positively by many, Amazon Games has not had the smoothest ride over the years.

2019's The Grand Tour Game was the first Amazon Game Studios console release, but it was pulled from storefronts within a year. Crucible was the next game to be officially released from the studio, but it was quickly returned to closed beta after launch and would be shut down for good in November 2020.

Furthermore, two other projects - known as Intensity and Nova - never saw the light of day after teams tried and failed to create games inspired by Fortnite and League of Legends, respectively.

This has all happened despite Amazon spending nearly $500 million a year to operate the Amazon Games division.

Frazzini began his career in the books section of Amazon.com in 2004 where he "endeared himself to Jeff Bezos as a manager there." When he was brought on to help start Amazon Game Studios, he had never made a game before.

A previous report also said that Frazzini would ignore the advice given by the experienced developers he brought on and, despite frequently telling the staff that every Amazon game should be a "billion-dollar franchise," he would then understaff projects.

A former Amazon Game Studios manager spoke to Bloomberg and said that his lack of prior experience in gaming was a detriment to the company. Amazon has been known to believe that those who succeed in one category should have no problem doing the same in another. Unfortunately, "staffers in the unit felt that he underestimated the complexities of the medium."

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.

Amazon Games studio head Mike Frazzini, who played a big role in starting the company, has left stepped down to "focus on his family."

As reported by Bloomberg, Frazzini told his staff on Friday, March 25, that he was leaving the studio that helped bring games like New World and Lost Ark to life.

"Mike was there at the beginning of Amazon Games, and his leadership and perseverance helped build the games business from the ground up,” Amazon spokesman Ryan Jones said in a statement. “Our recent successes with New World and Lost Ark are the result of the long-term, customer-focused vision for games he helped establish. We are very grateful for all his contributions, and wish Mike the very best.”

While New World and Lost Ark have been received positively by many, Amazon Games has not had the smoothest ride over the years.

2019's The Grand Tour Game was the first Amazon Game Studios console release, but it was pulled from storefronts within a year. Crucible was the next game to be officially released from the studio, but it was quickly returned to closed beta after launch and would be shut down for good in November 2020.

Furthermore, two other projects - known as Intensity and Nova - never saw the light of day after teams tried and failed to create games inspired by Fortnite and League of Legends, respectively.

This has all happened despite Amazon spending nearly $500 million a year to operate the Amazon Games division.

Frazzini began his career in the books section of Amazon.com in 2004 where he "endeared himself to Jeff Bezos as a manager there." When he was brought on to help start Amazon Game Studios, he had never made a game before.

A previous report also said that Frazzini would ignore the advice given by the experienced developers he brought on and, despite frequently telling the staff that every Amazon game should be a "billion-dollar franchise," he would then understaff projects.

A former Amazon Game Studios manager spoke to Bloomberg and said that his lack of prior experience in gaming was a detriment to the company. Amazon has been known to believe that those who succeed in one category should have no problem doing the same in another. Unfortunately, "staffers in the unit felt that he underestimated the complexities of the medium."

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.

Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins died at the age of 50.

The official Foo Fighters Twitter account shared the news, saying they are "devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins."

"The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins," the message reads. "His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever. Our hearts go out to his wife, children and family, and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect in this unimaginably difficult time."

As reported by Variety, no cause of death or further details were given, but a band rep did confirm the Foo Fighters were scheduled to perform in Bogota, Colombia on the night of Friday, March 25.

Hawkins joined the Foo Fighters in 1997 after he was a member of Alanis Morissette's band. Hawkins replaced drummer William Goldsmith, who frontman Dave Grohl was said to have been dissatisfied with. The official statement said Goldsmith left over "creative differences."

While Grohl may be the most popular member of Foo Fighters alongside being considered one of the greatest drummers of all time, Hawkins was right there with him and helped make Foo Fighters as successful as they have become.

Hawkins was more than just a drummer, as he would sing and cowrite many of the band's songs at concerts and on B-sides. Cover versions were also one of his specialties, and his leading performances included a team-up with Led Zepplin's Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones.

The legendary drummer was born Oliver Taylor Hawkins in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1972. He and his family would move to Laguna Beach, California when he was four and he would grow up in the musical world before he became a drummer for rock singer Sass Jordan.

He would then join Morissette as she was touring for her 1995 album Jagged Little Pill, and he would play with her until he joined Foo Fighters in 1997.

Grohl was an acquaintance of Hawkins before he joined the band, and he didn't think Hawkins would join the Foo Fighters as Morissette was a bigger act at the time. However, when Grohl asked him for recommendations for a new drummer, Hawkins volunteered himself.

As previously mentioned, Hawkins would go on to play a huge role in the Foo Fighters, and would even be part of many "Grohl-led side-projects like the Bee Gees parody/tribute act the DeeGees and the group's recent mock horror film, Studio 666."

The Foo Fighters were scheduled to perform at the Lollapalooza Festival in Brazil on Sunday and at the Grammy Awards on April 3. They also have multiple tour dates scheduled throughout the year in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

Hawkins is survived by his wife, Alison, and their three children.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins died at the age of 50.

The official Foo Fighters Twitter account shared the news, saying they are "devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins."

"The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins," the message reads. "His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever. Our hearts go out to his wife, children and family, and we ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect in this unimaginably difficult time."

As reported by Variety, no cause of death or further details were given, but a band rep did confirm the Foo Fighters were scheduled to perform in Bogota, Colombia on the night of Friday, March 25.

Hawkins joined the Foo Fighters in 1997 after he was a member of Alanis Morissette's band. Hawkins replaced drummer William Goldsmith, who frontman Dave Grohl was said to have been dissatisfied with. The official statement said Goldsmith left over "creative differences."

While Grohl may be the most popular member of Foo Fighters alongside being considered one of the greatest drummers of all time, Hawkins was right there with him and helped make Foo Fighters as successful as they have become.

Hawkins was more than just a drummer, as he would sing and cowrite many of the band's songs at concerts and on B-sides. Cover versions were also one of his specialties, and his leading performances included a team-up with Led Zepplin's Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones.

The legendary drummer was born Oliver Taylor Hawkins in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1972. He and his family would move to Laguna Beach, California when he was four and he would grow up in the musical world before he became a drummer for rock singer Sass Jordan.

He would then join Morissette as she was touring for her 1995 album Jagged Little Pill, and he would play with her until he joined Foo Fighters in 1997.

Grohl was an acquaintance of Hawkins before he joined the band, and he didn't think Hawkins would join the Foo Fighters as Morissette was a bigger act at the time. However, when Grohl asked him for recommendations for a new drummer, Hawkins volunteered himself.

As previously mentioned, Hawkins would go on to play a huge role in the Foo Fighters, and would even be part of many "Grohl-led side-projects like the Bee Gees parody/tribute act the DeeGees and the group's recent mock horror film, Studio 666."

The Foo Fighters were scheduled to perform at the Lollapalooza Festival in Brazil on Sunday and at the Grammy Awards on April 3. They also have multiple tour dates scheduled throughout the year in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

Hawkins is survived by his wife, Alison, and their three children.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

When Returnal released on PS5 last year, it marked Housemarque's emergence as one of Sony's marquee first-party studios. But getting to that point wasn't easy, Returnal director Harry Krueger says, comparing its development to "Sisyphus pushing up the boulder" and saying that it was "incredibly challenging."

At a talk during GDC 2022, Krueger reflected on the challenges and successes of making Returnal, which was by far Housemarque's most ambitious project to date. They included learning how to design a 3D action game and getting to grips with a brand-new engine, all while more than tripling the overall size of the team.

"It was really just adapting all the time, and that was a real challenge as well," Krueger says. "Everyone was underestimating the complexity of the project."

According to Krueger, one of the biggest challenges was shifting to Unreal Engine 4. While Epic's tech afforded Housemarque plenty of new opportunities, it also meant that the studio basically had to learn the tech on the fly — a recurring theme throughout Returnal's development.

Having only developed 2D arcade games to that point — Housemarque is best-known for its work on games like Super Stardust HD and Resogun — Returnal was a "leap of faith" in which Housemarque had to "build our wings while falling."

"It's not an exaggeration to say that for half of the game's development time it was unplayable," Krueger says. "We were learning how to use the engine, we were breaking things, creating dependencies that we didn't understand [...] we were just learning as we went."

Housemarque's experience was in some ways a throwback to the days of the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation, when developers were still learning the basics of making 3D games. In the course of making Returnal, Housemarque had to learn how to adapt its "bullet ballet style" to 3D space while developing enemies who were interesting to fighting.

The simple act of aiming proved to be an enormous challenge for Housemarque, and even Krueger admits that the studio was only "mostly successful" in that area.

"We were trying to make a 3D game feel as simple as a 2D game, and that was never going to happen," Krueger says. "I think that's why the game feels very hard for players, because trying to shoot and do anything else at the same time is incredibly demanding. And that's why you end falling off ledges and getting killed by cheapshots because you spent all of your time trying to shoot enemies."

Ultimately, the cost of missing in Returnal was too high, Krueger says. In hindsight he feels that the aim assist could have been stronger.

"We punched way above our weight"

One element that Krueger didn't touch on much was the lack of an in-game save, which was a hot topic when Returnal was first released. Housemarque promised to look into the issue, but admitted that it wasn't easy due to the game's intricate systems. Housemarque finally added a suspend cycle option in Returnal's 2.0 update back in October.

In-game saves weren't the only missing feature in Returnal. Krueger admits that Housemarque wanted to include a photo mode and multiplayer at launch, but ultimately had to push them to DLC. Both features were later released as free updates.

Despite these challenges, which included a changing culture and rapidly accumulating debt, Returnal was a success. Krueger says the team was ultimately able to come together and "punch way above their weight," and also says that working with Sony on the project "went really smoothly."

Released last year, Returnal won praise for its haunting atmosphere and its unforgiving action, replete with bullet patterns and other arcade staples. It sold a little more than 500,000 copies by April 2021 while garnering several awards nominations, including a nomination for IGN's Best Action Game of 2021. Sony would go on acquire Housemarque shortly after Returnal's release.

Housemarque recently released a free expansion for Returnal appropriately called Tower of Sisyphus, which adds a new endless mode as well as a co-op option. You can check out our review of the full game here, as well as the rest of the best games on PlayStation 5.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

When Returnal released on PS5 last year, it marked Housemarque's emergence as one of Sony's marquee first-party studios. But getting to that point wasn't easy, Returnal director Harry Krueger says, comparing its development to "Sisyphus pushing up the boulder" and saying that it was "incredibly challenging."

At a talk during GDC 2022, Krueger reflected on the challenges and successes of making Returnal, which was by far Housemarque's most ambitious project to date. They included learning how to design a 3D action game and getting to grips with a brand-new engine, all while more than tripling the overall size of the team.

"It was really just adapting all the time, and that was a real challenge as well," Krueger says. "Everyone was underestimating the complexity of the project."

According to Krueger, one of the biggest challenges was shifting to Unreal Engine 4. While Epic's tech afforded Housemarque plenty of new opportunities, it also meant that the studio basically had to learn the tech on the fly — a recurring theme throughout Returnal's development.

Having only developed 2D arcade games to that point — Housemarque is best-known for its work on games like Super Stardust HD and Resogun — Returnal was a "leap of faith" in which Housemarque had to "build our wings while falling."

"It's not an exaggeration to say that for half of the game's development time it was unplayable," Krueger says. "We were learning how to use the engine, we were breaking things, creating dependencies that we didn't understand [...] we were just learning as we went."

Housemarque's experience was in some ways a throwback to the days of the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation, when developers were still learning the basics of making 3D games. In the course of making Returnal, Housemarque had to learn how to adapt its "bullet ballet style" to 3D space while developing enemies who were interesting to fighting.

The simple act of aiming proved to be an enormous challenge for Housemarque, and even Krueger admits that the studio was only "mostly successful" in that area.

"We were trying to make a 3D game feel as simple as a 2D game, and that was never going to happen," Krueger says. "I think that's why the game feels very hard for players, because trying to shoot and do anything else at the same time is incredibly demanding. And that's why you end falling off ledges and getting killed by cheapshots because you spent all of your time trying to shoot enemies."

Ultimately, the cost of missing in Returnal was too high, Krueger says. In hindsight he feels that the aim assist could have been stronger.

"We punched way above our weight"

One element that Krueger didn't touch on much was the lack of an in-game save, which was a hot topic when Returnal was first released. Housemarque promised to look into the issue, but admitted that it wasn't easy due to the game's intricate systems. Housemarque finally added a suspend cycle option in Returnal's 2.0 update back in October.

In-game saves weren't the only missing feature in Returnal. Krueger admits that Housemarque wanted to include a photo mode and multiplayer at launch, but ultimately had to push them to DLC. Both features were later released as free updates.

Despite these challenges, which included a changing culture and rapidly accumulating debt, Returnal was a success. Krueger says the team was ultimately able to come together and "punch way above their weight," and also says that working with Sony on the project "went really smoothly."

Released last year, Returnal won praise for its haunting atmosphere and its unforgiving action, replete with bullet patterns and other arcade staples. It sold a little more than 500,000 copies by April 2021 while garnering several awards nominations, including a nomination for IGN's Best Action Game of 2021. Sony would go on acquire Housemarque shortly after Returnal's release.

Housemarque recently released a free expansion for Returnal appropriately called Tower of Sisyphus, which adds a new endless mode as well as a co-op option. You can check out our review of the full game here, as well as the rest of the best games on PlayStation 5.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Marvel’s Moon Knight may be based in Egyptian mythology but it certainly doesn’t play up to the age-old Orientalist tropes.

During an interview with IGN, director Mohamed Diab explained why it was important to subvert expectations when it comes to the character’s Egyptian heritage.

“As an Egyptian, seeing us always portrayed in the wrong way, always portrayed with this... we call it orientalism,” he explained. “Look, we are very exotic, and we are... it dehumanizes us. And where women are submissive, and those kind of tropes.”

Moon Knight draws his powers from a deity known as Khonshu – the Egyptian lunar God, voiced in the Marvel series by F. Murray Abraham.

However, Diab explained that the othering of Egyptian people means that it’s important for them to be seen as human beings – not fetishized as guides and desert wanderers as we’ve seen in cinema countless times before.

“It was very important for me to portray us as normal human beings,” he added. “Even the location itself, showing Cairo, which always we see the pyramids in the middle of the desert, even though if you just looked a little bit to the right, the pyramids are in the middle of the city, and it’s twenty million people, and we have skyscrapers, and it's a normal place just like this.”

The recent Moon Knight trailer gives us a brief glimpse of the character’s Egyptian backstory via the character Khonshu, who appears to Marc Spector amid an Egyptian museum exhibit.

“Killing those tropes, having the chance to show that... even though in the music, if you heard the songs, we have an art scene... beautiful Egyptian composer, Hesham Nazih, with this beautiful score that is Egyptian, but it's international at its core, it's universal. So that all drew me, I had this dream I put together, me and Sarah Goher, my wife and my producer, and all my projects. She's a producer in the show now. This two-hundred-page pitch saying everything that I just told you, and we got the job and is the show that we did today.”

Moon Knight suffers from dissociative identity disorder, adopting several personalities throughout the series, including a veteran mercenary, a consulting detective, and even a weirdly-British gift shop worker.

One thing we won’t see is any outdated Egyptian stereotypes.

Moon Knight stars Oscar Isaac in the lead role alongside Ethan Hawke, Gaspard Ulliel, May Calamawy, Lucy Thackeray, and F Abraham Murray.

Moon Knight is set to premiere on Disney+ on March 30, 2022.

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

Marvel’s Moon Knight may be based in Egyptian mythology but it certainly doesn’t play up to the age-old Orientalist tropes.

During an interview with IGN, director Mohamed Diab explained why it was important to subvert expectations when it comes to the character’s Egyptian heritage.

“As an Egyptian, seeing us always portrayed in the wrong way, always portrayed with this... we call it orientalism,” he explained. “Look, we are very exotic, and we are... it dehumanizes us. And where women are submissive, and those kind of tropes.”

Moon Knight draws his powers from a deity known as Khonshu – the Egyptian lunar God, voiced in the Marvel series by F. Murray Abraham.

However, Diab explained that the othering of Egyptian people means that it’s important for them to be seen as human beings – not fetishized as guides and desert wanderers as we’ve seen in cinema countless times before.

“It was very important for me to portray us as normal human beings,” he added. “Even the location itself, showing Cairo, which always we see the pyramids in the middle of the desert, even though if you just looked a little bit to the right, the pyramids are in the middle of the city, and it’s twenty million people, and we have skyscrapers, and it's a normal place just like this.”

The recent Moon Knight trailer gives us a brief glimpse of the character’s Egyptian backstory via the character Khonshu, who appears to Marc Spector amid an Egyptian museum exhibit.

“Killing those tropes, having the chance to show that... even though in the music, if you heard the songs, we have an art scene... beautiful Egyptian composer, Hesham Nazih, with this beautiful score that is Egyptian, but it's international at its core, it's universal. So that all drew me, I had this dream I put together, me and Sarah Goher, my wife and my producer, and all my projects. She's a producer in the show now. This two-hundred-page pitch saying everything that I just told you, and we got the job and is the show that we did today.”

Moon Knight suffers from dissociative identity disorder, adopting several personalities throughout the series, including a veteran mercenary, a consulting detective, and even a weirdly-British gift shop worker.

One thing we won’t see is any outdated Egyptian stereotypes.

Moon Knight stars Oscar Isaac in the lead role alongside Ethan Hawke, Gaspard Ulliel, May Calamawy, Lucy Thackeray, and F Abraham Murray.

Moon Knight is set to premiere on Disney+ on March 30, 2022.

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