Monthly Archives: July 2018
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Makes $1 Billion at the Worldwide Box Office
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom has crossed $1 billion at the worldwide box office, becoming the 35th movie to do so, not adjusted for inflation.
According to THR, the sequel reached the milestone on Thursday, with a domestic haul of $304.8 million and an additional $700.7 million from overseas, with $245.2 million coming from China alone. In the slideshow below, you can see the 34 other movies that have already joined the box office billionaire's club.
While it's unlikely that Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom will reach the financial heights of its predecessor back in 2015 ($1.671 billion), the sequel is still considered a success, and is now the third movie in 2018 to cross $1 billion, behind Black Panther ($1.346 billion) and Avengers: Infinity War ($2.037).
The First Purge: How We Got Here
It’s no secret that The Purge films are as heavy with political commentary as they are with “the humans are the real monsters” cliches and buckets of gore. Like any good horror flick worth its salt, these films carry important messages regarding the current state of affairs in our American society. Such commentary is, after all, a horror tradition. (Consider the bleak stance on racism in the Civil Rights era offered by George A. Romero’s 1968 Night of the Living Dead, or the Reagan-era class warfare and conformity of 1988’s They Live.)
The Purge films take place in a future where a far-right political faction called the New Founding Fathers of America has risen to power and ratified a 28th Amendment to the Constitution, sanctioning an annual night of uncontrolled violence and crime. While the given reason for the Purge is to curb violence for the rest of the year, subsequent films reveal it’s actually an excuse for eliminating poor and marginalized communities.
10 Upcoming Apocalypse Games
The apocalypse is a topic and setting that countless games have explored throughout the years, but we can’t quite put our finger on why. Maybe it’s because we find some source of solace in their cautionary tales of a bleak future that’s yet to come. Maybe it’s because in these darkest of times, true heroes arise. Or maybe it’s just because we like roaming the wastelands in search of mutated ghouls to fight.
No matter the reason, here are 10 games that will help prepare you for when the world ends.
Fallout 76
It’s fitting that a list about the apocalypse starts with Fallout, a series synonymous with the topic. Through the Fallout games have always had us roaming the wastelands by ourselves, November’s Fallout 76 is making the whole thing more social. The idea of scavenging with pals, crafting a makeshift shelter, and launching a couple of nukes at our enemies seems downright awesome. But only time will tell if this drastic shift to the series will alienate some longtime fans.
Black Panther vs. Deadpool Coming From Marvel Comics
Wakanda and pure insanity are going to collide in Black Panther vs. Deadpool, a new limited series officially announced by Marvel.
As reported by AIPT!, Black Panther vs. Deadpool will feature writer Daniel Kibblesmith and artist Ricardo Lopez Ortiz. Kibblesmith is known from his work on Lockjaw and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Ortiz has worked on Hit-Girl and Civil War II: Kingpin.
The five-issue run of Black Panther vs. Deadpool is set to debut on October 3.
Credit: Marvel
X-Force’s Shatterstar Gets ‘Noir’ Solo Series
Shatterstar, the mutant superhero known for his time in the X-Men offshoot X-Force, is getting his own "hardboiled noir" solo series.
Announced by Marvel, writer Tim Seeley and artist Carlos Villa are set to debut a limited five-issue series of Shatterstar comics on October 3 starting with Shatterstar #1.
The upcoming series is described as "part John Wick, a dash of Will Eisner’s A Contract with God, and infused with lots of lots of interdimensional X-Men Super Hero mythos.”
Credit: Marvel
Netflix is Ditching Written User Reviews
Netflix is officially getting rid of its written user reviews, first disabling writing new reviews on July 30, and then removing all previously written reviews in mid-August.
As reported by CNET, Netflix has decided to nix the feature in stages, with written reviews of all kinds being eliminated over the course of the summer. This feature was exclusive to desktop users, allowing them to express their written opinions on various movies and shows to fellow users.
"This feature is only offered on the website and has seen declining usage over time," said Netflix spokesperson Smita Saran. Those who frequently wrote reviews have reportedly been alerted of the feature change by Netflix via email.
Star Wars: Episode IX Reportedly Casts Keri Russell
J.J. Abrams alum Keri Russell will reportedly be joining the cast of Star Wars: Episode IX.
Variety.com reports that Abrams and Lucasfilm execs have been auditioning multiple actresses for this action-heavy role, and they agreed on Russell shortly before the Fourth of July holiday. The role reportedly "calls for action-heavy fight scenes," but nothing more is known about it at this time.
Abrams and Russell have worked together in the past as she was the star and title role of Abrams’ Felicity, which ran from 1998-2002. The pair last worked together in 2006’s Mission: Impossible III, where Russell was one of Ethan Hunt’s proteges, Lindsey Farris, and Abrams co-wrote and directed the film.
Kill la Kill the Game: If ‘Should Feel Like an Episode of the Anime’
It’s been four years since Kill la Kill ended, and animation studio Trigger, Arc System Works, and APLUS are teaming up to finally make a Kill la Kill game – and from my interview at Anime Expo, they made it pretty clear that there is a big emphasis on working together to get the details of this game right.
During my interview Trigger’s Hiromi Wakabayashi revealed that the Kill la Kill the Game: If’s original story is being written by the Kill la Kill scriptwriter Kazuki Nakashima, which is a promising step toward this game feeling like a good extension of the anime.
“I think there can be a lot fans can expect from the story,” Wakabayashi said. “It’s not a continuation of the anime or a new anime by any means, but it is a very deep look into the story that’s done by Nakashima-san himself.”
Fortnite Continues to Be a Problem for Children in School
Fortnite's popularity hasn't slowed down and neither have the problems it's causing for children in school.
Today alone, several local news outlets have reported ongoing problems with Fortnite and its incredibly strong hold it has on students. West Witney Primary School performed a survey on whether or not to ban the incredibly popular game. Older students ultimately voted in opposition to banning and the school went on to warn parents the game is not suitable for younger children.
Another school went a more detailed route and banned Fortnite dances like "Floss" and other emotes. Head teacher Catherine Cox went on to explain these dances were being used to "surround and intimidate other children" and that Fortnite is showing "obsessive and overactive behavior" in students that play. The school was met with backlash when parents took to social media to express their concerns.
31 Awesome Comic-Con Exclusive Collectibles
Some geeks flock to San Diego Comic-Con every year to see the latest pop culture announcements and trailers. Others are just there for the exclusive swag. This year's Comic-Con is shaping up to be a big one for any fan who craves exclusive goodies. From retro-flavored action figures to rare comic book variants to the most insanely detailed Ninja Turtles toys around, this year has something for everyone.
To help you plan your Comic-on trip, we've put together a helpful guide spotlighting the coolest and most noteworthy exclusives being sold at Comic-Con. Check out our slideshow or scroll down to see what's on tap this summer.