The Prime Video SXSW 2022 event line-up has been officially unveiled, and it includes a real-life 'VoughtLand' based on The Boys.

Prime Video will kick off SXSW this year with an experience that will allow fans to indulge in the world of Superheroes as The Boys Season 3 comes to life through a VoughtLand installation, where "guests can enter the VoughtLand castle to find Queen Maeve's Inclusive Kingdom" at 604 Driskill Street, Austin, Texas, from Friday, March 11 - Monday, March 14.

Attendees can also grab a bite to eat at the show's in-universe restaurant Vought A Burger, kick back at Homelander's Red, White, and Booze Bar, or take a ride on Starlight's Carousel of Dreams as part of the immersive fan experience — which also features a separate Superstars event at the same location themed to Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.

Additionally, Entertainment Weekly has reprised their partnership with Prime Video to co-host a party inside the SXSW Blue Room Studio at the Driskill Street venue on March 12. The event will celebrate the Superheroes and Superstars theme, giving a further spotlight to The Boys, with a guest list that features a mix of talent, influencers, and industry insiders.

Fans of The Boys may also want to make their way to the Austin Convention Center, Ballroom D, between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 12, as Karl Urban, Laz Alonso, Karen Fukuhara, Jessie T. Usher, Chace Crawford, Jensen Ackles, and executive producer Eric Kripke will be fronting a panel all about the Emmy award-nominated series.

Going under the title "The Boys are Back! Inside Prime Video's Hit Series," the star-studded panel will dive into the intersections of superhero and celebrity culture, the zeitgeist-shattering epic moments that redefined the genre, and offer up insights on how The Boys has navigated key moments of cultural inflection while subverting expectations.

Outside of The Boys, there will be hourlong Q&A panels with the cast and creators of Undone on March 12 (Ballroom EF, 2:30 p.m.), The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks on March 15 (Room 16AB, 2:30 p.m.), as well as a fireside chat with Upload creator Greg Daniels on March 11 (Ballroom EF, 2:30 p.m.), and a keynote with Lizzo on March 13 (Ballroom D, 1:00 p.m.).

Prime Video's SXSW screening slate includes multiple showings of Emergency, Master, and the two-part documentary The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks, plus a host of other parties and pop-ups that you might want to add to your schedule — if there's space alongside all of The Boys activities that are happening ahead of the show's highly anticipated third season.

The Boys Season 3 will premiere its first three episodes worldwide on Prime Video on June 3, 2022, with the remaining five episodes airing every Friday through July 8.

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

Elden Ring is the UK's biggest game launch outside of FIFA and Call of Duty since 2018.

Its first week on the market outperformed the launches of Cyberpunk 2077, Halo Infinite, Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Horizon Forbidden West according to physical and digital sales data from GSD, as reported by gamesindustry.biz. In fact, it's the biggest non-FIFA or Call of Duty launch for the UK since Red Dead Redemption arrived in October 2018.

Horizon dropped down to second place this week, followed by FIFA 22, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Elden Ring has dominated the gaming conversation since it launched on February 25, growing in popular day after day on Steam and becoming one of the best reviewed games in modern history.

Some wackier stories have come out as well, such as a player using the Nintendo Switch's Ring Fit controller to defeat a boss and a streamer's Twitch chat taking control while he slept. It's even got its own candy.

In our 10/10 review, IGN said: "Elden Ring is a massive iteration on what FromSoftware began with the Souls series, bringing its relentlessly challenging combat to an incredible open world that gives us the freedom to choose our own path."

To make those choices with the best available information, check out our guide that features everything you could ever hope to know about Elden Ring, including collectible locations, boss strategies, and more.

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

Elden Ring is the UK's biggest game launch outside of FIFA and Call of Duty since 2018.

Its first week on the market outperformed the launches of Cyberpunk 2077, Halo Infinite, Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Horizon Forbidden West according to physical and digital sales data from GSD, as reported by gamesindustry.biz. In fact, it's the biggest non-FIFA or Call of Duty launch for the UK since Red Dead Redemption arrived in October 2018.

Horizon dropped down to second place this week, followed by FIFA 22, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus.

Elden Ring has dominated the gaming conversation since it launched on February 25, growing in popular day after day on Steam and becoming one of the best reviewed games in modern history.

Some wackier stories have come out as well, such as a player using the Nintendo Switch's Ring Fit controller to defeat a boss and a streamer's Twitch chat taking control while he slept. It's even got its own candy.

In our 10/10 review, IGN said: "Elden Ring is a massive iteration on what FromSoftware began with the Souls series, bringing its relentlessly challenging combat to an incredible open world that gives us the freedom to choose our own path."

To make those choices with the best available information, check out our guide that features everything you could ever hope to know about Elden Ring, including collectible locations, boss strategies, and more.

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

Sony's Spider-Man Universe movie Kraven the Hunter has found a number of major actors to star alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson's titular character.

Kraven first debuted in 1964's The Amazing Spider-Man #15, making him one of many iconic Spider-Man characters created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. That issue depicts Kraven as the half-brother of fellow Spider-Man rogue The Chameleon. The two siblings join forces to lure Spider-Man into the open and kill him, but Spidey proves too wily for their tricks.

The Kraven movie is set to be released in theaters in January 2023 as part of Sony's Spider-Man universe, alongside the Venom franchise and Jared Leto's Morbius. The seminal comic storyline from Kraven's Last Hunt is reportedly being used as a basis for the film, which is directed by J.C. Chandor from a script by Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, and Richard Wenk.

Keep reading for a rundown of who's in Sony's Kraven the Hunter cast — and don't forget to bookmark the page, as we'll be updating this article with all-new casting announcements.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Sergei Kravinoff/Kraven the Hunter

Sony's film adaptation of Kraven the Hunter has found its lead star in Aaron Taylor-Johnson who has signed a multi-film contract to play the classic comic character, per THR. He takes on the role of one of Spider-Man's oldest enemies in the upcoming solo movie, playing a skilled hunter who sets his sights on Spidey after conquering all other prey in the animal kingdom.

Taylor-Johnson is an MCU veteran, having previously played Pietro Maximoff, better-known as Wanda's brother, in Avengers: Age of Ultron. His most recent film credits include starring as Archie Reid in The King's Man and stepping out as Ives in Tenet. He's also playing one of the main assassins in the David Leitch-helmed action-thriller Bullet Train.

Fred Hechinger as Dmitri Smerdyakov/Chameleon

Fred Hechinger has been cast in the upcoming Kraven the Hunter film and is rumored to be playing the titular antihero's brother Chameleon, per Deadline. The character is a major antagonist from Marvel Comics, in which he is regarded as a master of disguise, capable of impersonating anyone, including the likes of Captain America, Bruce Banner, and Spider-Man.

Outside of HBO's The White Lotus, Hechinger is perhaps best known for his roles in Netflix's The Woman in the Window, Tom Hanks' News of the World, and a recurring role in the Fear Street trilogy of horror films. He's also currently starring in Hulu's Pam & Tommy as infamous pornographer Seth Warshavsky, and the upcoming Pale Blue Eye, starring Christian Bale.

Russell Crowe

Oscar-winner Russell Crowe has also jumped into the Spider-Verse in an undisclosed role, though The Hollywood Reporter suggests that "many of the main characters are said to be Kraven's family members." A likely contender for Crowe would be that of Nikolai Kravinoff, the father of the eponymous Spider-Man villain and his half-brother Chameleon.

Kraven the Hunter will mark Crowe's second Marvel role on the big screen, as he will soon be seen playing Zeus in Taika Waititi's Thor: Love and Thunder. Crowe is also appearing in several other movies, including Apple and Skydance's The Greatest Beer Run Ever, and his self-directed thriller Poker Face, in which he will star alongside Liam Hemsworth.

Ariana DeBose as Calypso Ezili

At the beginning of March, Deadline reported that West Side Story star Ariana DeBose had become the latest addition to the Kraven the Hunter cast. Her role has not yet been confirmed, though unnamed sources have reportedly indicated that she will be playing Calypso Ezili, an unyielding sorceress and a long-time love interest of Kraven's in Marvel Comics.

DeBose earned worldwide recognition for her scene-stealing role as Anita in Steven Spielberg's Oscar-nominated West Side Story adaptation. Her other recent credits include Netflix's The Prom and the Apple TV+ series Schmigadoon! She will next appear in Matthew Vaughn's Argylle, starring opposite Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Keep checking back here for all the latest casting updates for Kraven the Hunter. And check out all of the other Spider-Man movie spinoffs currently in development too.

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

Sony's Spider-Man Universe movie Kraven the Hunter has found a number of major actors to star alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson's titular character.

Kraven first debuted in 1964's The Amazing Spider-Man #15, making him one of many iconic Spider-Man characters created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. That issue depicts Kraven as the half-brother of fellow Spider-Man rogue The Chameleon. The two siblings join forces to lure Spider-Man into the open and kill him, but Spidey proves too wily for their tricks.

The Kraven movie is set to be released in theaters in January 2023 as part of Sony's Spider-Man universe, alongside the Venom franchise and Jared Leto's Morbius. The seminal comic storyline from Kraven's Last Hunt is reportedly being used as a basis for the film, which is directed by J.C. Chandor from a script by Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, and Richard Wenk.

Keep reading for a rundown of who's in Sony's Kraven the Hunter cast — and don't forget to bookmark the page, as we'll be updating this article with all-new casting announcements.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Sergei Kravinoff/Kraven the Hunter

Sony's film adaptation of Kraven the Hunter has found its lead star in Aaron Taylor-Johnson who has signed a multi-film contract to play the classic comic character, per THR. He takes on the role of one of Spider-Man's oldest enemies in the upcoming solo movie, playing a skilled hunter who sets his sights on Spidey after conquering all other prey in the animal kingdom.

Taylor-Johnson is an MCU veteran, having previously played Pietro Maximoff, better-known as Wanda's brother, in Avengers: Age of Ultron. His most recent film credits include starring as Archie Reid in The King's Man and stepping out as Ives in Tenet. He's also playing one of the main assassins in the David Leitch-helmed action-thriller Bullet Train.

Fred Hechinger as Dmitri Smerdyakov/Chameleon

Fred Hechinger has been cast in the upcoming Kraven the Hunter film and is rumored to be playing the titular antihero's brother Chameleon, per Deadline. The character is a major antagonist from Marvel Comics, in which he is regarded as a master of disguise, capable of impersonating anyone, including the likes of Captain America, Bruce Banner, and Spider-Man.

Outside of HBO's The White Lotus, Hechinger is perhaps best known for his roles in Netflix's The Woman in the Window, Tom Hanks' News of the World, and a recurring role in the Fear Street trilogy of horror films. He's also currently starring in Hulu's Pam & Tommy as infamous pornographer Seth Warshavsky, and the upcoming Pale Blue Eye, starring Christian Bale.

Russell Crowe

Oscar-winner Russell Crowe has also jumped into the Spider-Verse in an undisclosed role, though The Hollywood Reporter suggests that "many of the main characters are said to be Kraven's family members." A likely contender for Crowe would be that of Nikolai Kravinoff, the father of the eponymous Spider-Man villain and his half-brother Chameleon.

Kraven the Hunter will mark Crowe's second Marvel role on the big screen, as he will soon be seen playing Zeus in Taika Waititi's Thor: Love and Thunder. Crowe is also appearing in several other movies, including Apple and Skydance's The Greatest Beer Run Ever, and his self-directed thriller Poker Face, in which he will star alongside Liam Hemsworth.

Ariana DeBose as Calypso Ezili

At the beginning of March, Deadline reported that West Side Story star Ariana DeBose had become the latest addition to the Kraven the Hunter cast. Her role has not yet been confirmed, though unnamed sources have reportedly indicated that she will be playing Calypso Ezili, an unyielding sorceress and a long-time love interest of Kraven's in Marvel Comics.

DeBose earned worldwide recognition for her scene-stealing role as Anita in Steven Spielberg's Oscar-nominated West Side Story adaptation. Her other recent credits include Netflix's The Prom and the Apple TV+ series Schmigadoon! She will next appear in Matthew Vaughn's Argylle, starring opposite Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Keep checking back here for all the latest casting updates for Kraven the Hunter. And check out all of the other Spider-Man movie spinoffs currently in development too.

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

The Batman director Matt Reeves said he would feel "lost" at the helm of a Marvel movie.

Speaking to Variety, Reeves said he wouldn't be able to work with a franchise where so many elements were already established and interconnected.

He said: "I have such respect for [Marvel Studios president] Kevin Feige and also for the [Marvel] filmmakers, but to be honest with you, I just don’t know how I would make my way through that.

"There has to be some level of discovery for me, where I have some freedom to find my way. If I have to come into something that’s already set too firmly, then I think I would get lost. And I don’t think they would be happy with me either."

That's perhaps what drew him to The Batman, a solo film with no ties to the wider DC universe. Reeves said he was reluctant to get into superhero films in the first place but knows that's where the industry is heading.

He said, "The industry has changed so dramatically that if you’re going to make a movie that’s going to be in movie theatres, you’re not making anything that isn’t recognizable IP."

“That’s just where the audience has gone. I’m not saying that I’m happy about that. I’m just saying it is what it is."

Good for the industry or not, Reeves has certainly found critical success with The Batman. In our 10/10 review, IGN said the "violent, thrilling, darkly beautiful take on The Batman more than justifies its place in the franchise’s canon."

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

The Batman director Matt Reeves said he would feel "lost" at the helm of a Marvel movie.

Speaking to Variety, Reeves said he wouldn't be able to work with a franchise where so many elements were already established and interconnected.

He said: "I have such respect for [Marvel Studios president] Kevin Feige and also for the [Marvel] filmmakers, but to be honest with you, I just don’t know how I would make my way through that.

"There has to be some level of discovery for me, where I have some freedom to find my way. If I have to come into something that’s already set too firmly, then I think I would get lost. And I don’t think they would be happy with me either."

That's perhaps what drew him to The Batman, a solo film with no ties to the wider DC universe. Reeves said he was reluctant to get into superhero films in the first place but knows that's where the industry is heading.

He said, "The industry has changed so dramatically that if you’re going to make a movie that’s going to be in movie theatres, you’re not making anything that isn’t recognizable IP."

“That’s just where the audience has gone. I’m not saying that I’m happy about that. I’m just saying it is what it is."

Good for the industry or not, Reeves has certainly found critical success with The Batman. In our 10/10 review, IGN said the "violent, thrilling, darkly beautiful take on The Batman more than justifies its place in the franchise’s canon."

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

A gang of masked thieves ambushed the set of the Netflix heist drama Lupin, stealing $330,000 worth of equipment.

According to Variety, the heist took place on February 25 in a neighbourhood in Nanterre, on the outskirts of Paris, while filming was underway on Part 3 of Lupin with Omar Sy, who plays gentleman thief Assane Diop on the series. Production was abruptly interrupted when approximately 20 people broke onto the set after throwing mortar fireworks, per AFP.

An estimated $330,000 worth of equipment was reportedly stolen from the set during the robbery, prompting production on the upcoming season to briefly pause, with filming resuming again a few days later, on February 28, after Netflix confirmed the cast and crew were "safe and there were no injuries" from the incident, which is now under investigation.

Sy appeared on stage at the César Awards in France to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the hit comedy Intouchables just hours after the robbery had taken place. The Lupin heist follows another reported incident that saw thieves make off with more than $220,000 worth of props from the set of Netflix's The Crown, which is currently filming its fifth season in the UK.

Lupin previously made headlines in October of last year when it was reported that a thief had robbed an oratory in Italy, using the "slick and confident techniques" of Lupin's central protagonist as a source of inspiration for his crimes. The thief admitted that he had closely studied Diop, the lead character in Lupin Part 1 and Part 2, which arrived on Netflix in June.

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

A new trailer for Bullet Train was released on YouTube this morning, quickly climbing to be the #6 trending video, and it's easy to see why: it features bullets, samurai swords, and Brad Pitt in a package reminiscent of classic action films like Kill Bill.

Directed by David Leitch, whose credits include Deadpool 2, the kinetic new trailer features Pitt as he battles baddies on a Japanese bullet train. It's a simple but fun concept that hearkens back to the likes of Die Hard while featuring some high-energy action scenes.

Check out the trailer below:

Based on the Kōtarō Isaka novel originally titled Maria Beetle, the film adaptation of Bullet Train was originally announced by Sony Pictures back in June 2020. Its star-studded cast includes Sandra Bullock, who replaced Lady Gaga after she was forced to drop out following scheduling conflicts, as well as Andrew Koji, Joey King, and Benito "Bad Bunny" Ocasio.

The official synopsis reads:

An original movie event, Bullet Train is a fun, delirious action-thriller from the director of Deadpool 2, David Leitch. Brad Pitt headlines an ensemble cast of eclectic, diverse assassins – all with connected yet conflicting objectives – set against the backdrop of a non-stop ride through modern-day Japan.

Leitch has built strong action credentials over the past decade, co-directing John Wick with Chad Stahelski before going on to work on Atomic Blonde, Hobbs & Shaw, and Deadpool 2. His most recent project was the Bob Odenkirk action vehicle Nobody, which we called "gruesome and violent" but also "wickedly funny and surprisingly poignant."

In an interview with Collider, King said of Leitch, "David Leitch, man. What a guy. I love that man! He is so smart, so kind-hearted, so gentle and so creatively smart. I can’t say enough good things about him. Working with him blew my mind. I learned so much from being on that set."

In preparation for the trailer, an ad for "Nippon Speed Line" narrated by Pitt was released on Instagram.

Bullet Train isn't part of a major franchise, so it's taking to time to build momentum, but its success on YouTube suggests that interest is growing. It'll be in theaters on July 15.

Kat Bailey is Senior News Editor

Lost Ark enjoyed a historically strong launch when it was released in mid-February, exploding to the top of the charts on Steam, Twitch, and other platforms. It has since leveled off somewhat, but that doesn't make its initial surge any less impressive. As of this article, it's sitting at a cool 134k viewers on Twitch, topped only by Grand Theft Auto 5 and the newly-released Elden Ring.

Speaking via email, Amazon Games franchise leader Soomin Park spoke of the team's amazement at its reception, calling it a "labor of love."

"The development teams at both Amazon Games and Smilegate RPG are absolutely shocked and thrilled by the reception of Lost Ark since launching in the West," Park said. "To say the teams at both studios have been amazed by the response would be a huge understatement!"

Originally released in South Korea in 2019, Lost Ark has developed a strong following thanks to its attractive art, enjoyable combat, and large amount of content. In IGN's review of Lost Ark, we wrote, "Lost Ark takes a genuinely impressive stab at the isometric action RPG genre, and its integration into a perpetually online world is complementary rather than invasive. It's expansive and deep, capable of scratching the itch for a new Diablo-like action RPG that is filled with other players to meet and team up with."

When Lost Ark released in North America last month, it became the second-highest played game in Steam history with 1.3 million concurrent players in less than 24 hours, an achievement that Park says was "definitely unexpected."

The crush of players has forced Smilegate and Amazon Games to scramble to upgrade its server infrastructure, including adding an entirely new region. According to Park, the Europe Central region "continues to be filled to the brim," leading to "player queues and some instability in the region."

And it's not as easy as simply adding more servers.

"It's important to note that Lost Ark has a limit to how many peak concurrent players it can support in any one universe, or region, which is why we cannot simply add more servers to Europe Central," Park explained. "There's theoretically unlimited [Amazon Web Services] capacity in each 'region,' but the game can become unstable if it tries to scale past its maximum capacity per region."

Keeping up Lost Ark's momentum

Either way, Lost Ark is plunging ahead. Talking about what to expect in the future, Park promised a variety of new classes, continents, and other content. The Lost Ark team sees such additions as the antidote for the inevitable dropoff of interest that follows a service game's launch.

"It is true most live service games experience an ebb and flow of interest as the competitive landscape evolves and player interests change, but usually the best way to keep players engaged is a strong, predictable live game roadmap that is in response to player feedback," Park said. Lost Ark's is robust with a steady addition of new classes, continents, events, activities, and more."

New World, the other breakout online game from Amazon Games, is in some ways a cautionary tale in some ways for Lost Ark. While it enjoyed massive success at launch, its momentum was sapped by bugs and other critical issues, forcing the development team to apologize to the community.

Lost Ark, for its part, is more established than New World, having had more than two years to build up its foundation.

"[Early release in Korea] helped in many ways," Park said. "Lost Ark benefits from having years of player feedback and polish from the team at Smilegate and being live in other parts of the world for a few years. It's a finely-tuned game, and therefore Amazon Games could focus its efforts on Westernization and enhancements that would ensure players in the west felt at home."

Most of the discourse among fans has revolved around the intensity of its grind or whether the endgame difficulty needs to be updated. Oh yes, and memes. Lots of memes. In short, Lost Ark is following the trajectory of most online games. Earlier today, Lost Ark released its March update, which includes new story and endgame content.

Time will tell whether it can keep a steady and healthy playerbase, but close to a month after its original release, it seems to be more stable than many of its counterparts. That's a win for Amazon Game Studios, which has battled lengthy development cycles, cancellations, and other issues in its decade or so of existence.

If you're just getting started with Lost Ark, you can find some helpful beginner's tips and tricks here. Make sure to also check out our list of the Top 10 MMORPGs, which includes heavy-hitters like Final Fantasy 14. Lost Ark is available now on PC, with no current plans to release on console.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN