The live-action adaptation of The Witcher is shaping up to be a bonafide hit for Netflix after the streaming company reported that the Henry Cavill-starring dark fantasy series is on track to become the “biggest season one TV series ever” on Netflix. “Through its first four weeks of release, 76m member households chose to watch this action-packed fantasy, starring Henry Cavill,” Netflix said in its Q4 Earnings Report. Netflix also cited how the premiere of The Witcher “drove up sales of The Witcher books and games around the world, and spawned a viral musical hit.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=netflixs-the-witcher-cast-vs-video-game-characters&captions=true"] Following the premiere of The Witcher, Steam player counts for The Witcher 3 reached a record post-launch high. And of course, we can’t forget the impact of ‘Toss a Coin to Your Witcher,’ which has been modded into both The Witcher 3 and Beat Saber. One thing to note is that The Witcher’s viewership success is all according to Netflix which reports viewerships differently than traditional TV, and has even changed how it gauges viewership internally recently. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix no longer counts views as a member account watching at least 70 percent of one episode or film. “Now, it’s touting that viewers ‘chose to watch’ a given title, meaning that member watched for as little as two minutes — ‘long enough to indicate the choice was intentional.’” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/20/the-witcher-game-vs-netflix-scene-comparison"] The Witcher is a live-action adaptation based on the fantasy novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The series has been adapted into a trilogy of video games by CD Projekt Red. The developer and author recently signed a new deal that gives CD Projekt the right to produce more video games based on The Witcher, though the company is currently busy developing Cyberpunk 2077. IGN’s official review of The Witcher found its multiple timeline structure working against it, but you can check out IGN’s staff review of Witcher here for expanded opinions. You can also read IGN’s review of The Witcher 3 here. The Witcher's second season is set to premiere in 2021. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.

Pokemon: Mewtwo Strikes Back — Evolution will premiere on Netflix around the world for the first time outside of Japan and Korea on February 27, 2020. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=mewtwo-strikes-back-evolution-screenshots&captions=true"] Pokemon: Mewtwo Strikes Back — Evolution is a CGI update to the 1998 animated film Mewtwo Strikes Back. It was the first theatrical movie release for the Pokemon franchise at the time. Mewtwo Strikes Back — Evolution already premiered in Japan last year and became one of the top-grossing films during the opening weekend. Mewtwo Strikes Back explores the origins of the legendary Pokemon Mewtwo. The film deals heavily with the themes of genetic manipulation and the repercussions of cloning. Unfortunately, none of those make for a compelling movie as seen in IGN's review of the Japanese premiere. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/03/01/pokemon-the-first-movie-mewtwo-strikes-back-1999-vs-2019-remake"] “Netflix is the ideal platform to help us execute a global simultaneous launch of an animated Pokemon movie on Pokemon Day, a special moment dedicated to celebrating the worldwide Pokemon fan community,” The Pokemon Company said in a statement. You can watch the differences between the CGI version and the original above. While there are scenes that are remade from the 1998 film, there also looks to be some new scenes as well. The last Pokemon game released was Pokemon Sword and Shield which IGN reviewed here. For more, check out IGN’s Pokemon Sword and Shield guide for walkthroughs, tips, and helpful hints. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.

When the Red Skull made a surprise appearance in Avengers: Infinity War, fans were surprised to learn that the character wasn’t played by Hugo Weaving, the actor who originally played him in Captain America: The First Avenger. The actor had been replaced by Ross Marquand, who also portrayed the Red Skull in the follow up Avengers: Endgame, but why didn’t Weaving return to the role? Weaving previously said that he simply wasn’t interested in coming back as the Red Skull, but in a new interview with Time Out London, Weaving explained the real reason he didn’t return: money. “I loved playing that character Red Skull – it was a lot of fun. We were all obliged to sign up for three pictures: I was thinking [Red Skull] probably wouldn’t come back in Captain America but he may well come back as a villain in The Avengers. By then, they’d pushed back on the contracts that we agreed on and so the money they offered me for The Avengers was much less than I got for the very first one, and this was for two films. And the promise when we first signed the contracts was that the money would grow each time. They said: ‘It’s just a voice job, it’s not a big deal.’ I actually found negotiating with them through my agent impossible. And I didn’t really wanna do it that much. But I would have done it,” Weaving said. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-top-25-marvel-villains&captions=true"] This wouldn’t be the first time an actor didn’t reprise a Marvel Cinematic Universe role because of pay. Terrance Howard didn’t return as Rhodey aka War Machine in Iron Man 2 after being denied more money for the sequel. The role was recast with Don Cheadle suiting up in the black-and-silver armor. Weaving also revealed why he isn't returning as Agent Smith in The Matrix 4. In other Marvel-related news, IGN revealed that Black Widow is getting a brand new comic book series in the lead-up to the new movie, and Patrick Stewart revealed why he declined Kevin Feige's invitation to return as Professor X for an MCU X-Men movie. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/20/a-history-of-keanu-reeves-in-video-games"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joshua is Senior Features Editor at IGN. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.

A leaked trailer circulating earlier of PS5 and PC game Godfall has been confirmed as legitimate, but its developers assure players that the footage is a year old and not representative of PlayStation's next-gen console, as it originated from a PC build. The Godfall Twitter account posted a message confirming the leaked footage found on Reddit and various other sites is in fact real. It comes from "an internal presentation" and is "year-old PC footage" rather than PS5 footage, though. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=big-ps4-ps5-games-coming-in-2020&captions=true"] The full statement reads:

Hey everyone! We can confirm that the circulating trailer is year-old PC footage used as part of an internal presentation. We are energized by your excitement and look forward to showing you just how far this game has come. Stay tuned for a more detailed look soon!

A Gearbox Publishing spokesperson had no additional comment when asked by IGN. The statement does, however, line up with parts of the leak, which indicated the gameplay's earlier origin. Developer Counterplay Games revealed Godfall during The Game Awards 2019 as the first officially announced "PS5" game, though we do know of some other games broadly set for both the PS5 and Xbox Series X next-gen consoles. Described as a "looter-slasher," Godfall will allow for up to three-player co-op with a focus on third-person melee action. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/13/godfall-playstation-5-reveal-trailer"] Following its reveal last year, Godfall's devs spoke about how it's making the most of the PS5 controller's new features. Godfall is set for release this year on PS5 and PC. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, PlayStation lead, and Podcast Beyond! host. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

This week in Red Dead Online, lay claim to 50% XP bonuses when participating in A Land of Opportunities Missions, Free Roam Missions, and get 30% discounts on a wide variety of items.

Hugo Weaving, known for playing Agent Smith in the Matrix trilogy, says he won't reprise his role in the upcoming fourth Matrix film. Speaking to Time Out (via /Film), Weaving said director Lana Wachowski is "pushing on ahead" without him due to scheduling issues with The Visit – an upcoming play Weaving is starring in. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-quickest-movie-franchise-reboots&captions=true"] "It’s unfortunate but actually I had this offer [for “The Visit”] and then the offer came from “The Matrix”, so I knew it was happening but I didn’t have dates. I thought [I] could do both and it took eight weeks to work out that the dates would work – I held off on accepting [a role in “The Visit” during that time]. I was in touch with [director] Lana Wachowski, but in the end she decided that the dates weren’t going to work." We'll have to wait and see how The Matrix 4 handles Weaving's absence. For now, we know that Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are returning for The Matrix 4, and they'll be joined by Mindhunter star Jonathan Groff. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/12/matrix-4-and-flash-release-dates-announced-by-warner-bros"] With a release date of May 21, 2021, The Matrix 4 is set to debut on the same day as John Wick 4 – another Keanu Reeves film. For more, read about what themes from The Matrix trilogy might carry over to The Matrix 4. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.

LEGO commemorated the upcoming release of its International Space Station set by sending a build into the stratosphere (9-30 miles/15-50 km above Earth's surface). The company posted a video of the build taking flight on Twitter, noting the final design was approved by NASA experts to ensure authenticity. The 864-piece set will be released on February 1 for $70 USD. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=lego-international-space-station&captions=true"] The constructed ISS set stands at seven inches tall and features a posable Canadarm2, eight adjustable solar panels, and two rotating joints. It includes a display stand, two astronaut microfigures, a mini NASA shutttle, three mini cargo spacecrafts, and a 148-page booklet that contains info on both the real and LEGO versions of the ISS. This is the latest set to come from the fan-designed LEGO Ideas line, which allows the community to vote on fan-created builds. Ideas that receive 10,000 votes are reviewed by LEGO, which decides whether or not to put the set into production. The ISS set was designed by Christophe Ruge. For more from the world of LEGO, check out these Overwatch sets that are still on sale. You can also read up on every IGN LEGO video game review ever. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/24/lego-star-wars-the-skywalker-saga-announcement-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.

Every Half-Life game is going free-to-play for a limited time in anticipation of the release of Half-Life: Alyx. Users can go to Steam right now and install Half-Life, Half-Life 2, and Half-Life 2: Episode One and Two to catch up on the series so far. Steam users received a notification earlier announcing the Half-Life promotion, but the notification appeared to have gone out too early because it soon disappeared. But Valve made the announcement official today in a new blog post. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="legacyId=20102960&captions=true"] “Half-Life: Alyx is coming in March, and we are celebrating early by making all games in the Half-Life Collection FREE to play for Steam users, from now until the day it launches.” Valve’s blog post indicates that the Half-Life Collection will only be free-to-play for a limited time — until Half-Life: Alyx is released. But that’s still nearly three months to catch up on one of the most critically-acclaimed FPS series in gaming. Half-Life: Alyx is set before the events of Half-Life 2 and stars Alyx Vance, a main character in Half-Life 2 and its episodes. Unlike the other Half-Life games, Valve’s upcoming title is played entirely in VR. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=2020-platform-exclusives&captions=true"] Valve says Half-Life: Alyx is comparable in length to Half-Life 2 and that it’s a full-length, single-player adventure. It’s also the first Half-Life game in over a decade. Although Alyx will be playable on several VR headsets, the game’s announcement appears to have driven sales for Valve’s Index VR kit. Valve's decision to revisit the Half-Life franchise fueled speculation that the company might revisit other dormant properties like Left 4 Dead, but Valve shot down Left 4 Dead 3 rumors last week. If you're also thinking of revisiting the Half-Life franchise before the release of the upcoming VR game, be sure to check out our complete Half-Life 2 Wiki Guide, including both an Episode 1 Walkthrough and Episode 2 Walkthrough. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.

X-Men star Patrick Stewart has confirmed that he is unlikely to reprise his role as Professor X in the MCU. Stewart, who has portrayed Charles Xavier in six movies, recently revealed that he had met with Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige about the possibility of his beloved X-men character returning to the big screen, though it was ultimately decided that his role would not be reprised. "I met with Kevin Feige a couple of months ago and we had long, long conversations," Stewart revealed in a conversation with Digital Spy. "And there have been moves and suggestions, which include Charles Xavier." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/10/06/logan-director-shows-off-old-man-professor-x"] The actor explained how his outlook towards the X-Men franchise shifted after Logan was released, as he suggested that the tenth film in the superhero series marked the end of an era for him and Hugh Jackman, who were both highly emotional about letting go of their respective characters. "Here's the problem... If we had not made Logan, then yes, I would probably be ready to get into that wheelchair one more time and be Charles Xavier. But Logan changed all that," Stewart said. "We were moved by the story. We were moved by one another. We were moved by the movie. But we also both made the decision that we were saying goodbye to our characters as well. "In that sense, it was not just the deaths of those two men in the franchise, but it was also goodbye to our part in them as well." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-x-men-movie-rotten-tomatoes-score&captions=true"] In our review of Logan, we commended Stewart's return as the wheelchair-bound telepath, saying the revered thespian managed to bring "true depth to the character" in a distinctly new way, making his reprisal "one of the hugely satisfying aspects" of the film. For more on the future of the X-Men franchise, find out which X-Men projects were paused as a result of the Disney/Fox merger, read about all of the X-Men movies that probably won't happen now, and discover how a new mutant power could be used to introduce the X-Men in the MCU. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Dust off a fresh Sleeve and get ready to binge because Netflix has finally revealed the release date for Season 2 of Altered Carbon, its mind-bending sci-fi series. All 8 episodes of Altered Carbon's second season will be released on Netflix on Thursday, February 27, 2020. Avengers star Anthony Mackie takes over for Joel Kinnaman as Takeshi Kovacs in Season 2, and Chris Conner returns as the highly-evolved A.I. Poe, along with an impressive ensemble of new cast members that you can learn more about in the gallery below: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=everyone-confirmed-for-altered-carbon-season-2&captions=true"] Here's how the streamer describes Season 2: "Season 2 of the sophisticated and compelling sci-fi drama finds Takeshi Kovacs (Anthony Mackie), the lone surviving soldier of a group of elite interstellar warriors, continuing his centuries-old quest to find his lost love Quellcrist Falconer (Renée Elise Goldsberry). After decades of planet-hopping and searching the galaxy, Kovacs finds himself recruited back to his home planet of Harlan’s World with the promise of finding Quell. Haunted by his past and responsible for investigating a series of brutal murders, Kovacs is stunned to discover his new mission to solve the crime and his pursuit to find Quell are one and the same. With the help of his loyal A.I. Poe (Chris Conner), Kovacs must now partner with new allies to outwit his enemies and find the truth: Who is Quellcrist Falconer?" Netflix's adaptation of Altered Carbon is based on the science fiction novels written by Richard K. Morgan. For Season 2, Alison Schapker will serve as showrunner for all 8 episodes. You can check out Season 2's episode title below:

• Ep 201 “Phantom Lady” - written by Laeta Kalogridis, directed by Ciaran Donnelly
• Ep 202 “Payment Deferred” - written by Sarah Nicole James, directed by Ciaran Donnelly
• Ep 203 “Nightmare Alley” - written by Michael R. Perry, directed by MJ Bassett
• Ep 204 “Shadow of a Doubt” - written by Sang Kyu Kim, directed by MJ Bassett
• Ep 205 “I Wake up Screaming” - written by Cortney Norris, directed by Jeremy Webb
• Ep 206 “Bury Me Dead” - written by Adam Lash & Cori Uchida, directed by Jeremy Webb
• Ep 207 “Experiment Perilous” - written by Nevin Densham, directed by Salli Richardson-Whitfield
• Ep 208 “Broken Angels” - written by Alison Schapker & Elizabeth Padden, directed by Salli Richardson-Whitfield

For more on the world of cyberpunk, check out our list of seven games to play while you wait for Cyberpunk 2077 in the video below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/24/7-cyberpunk-games-to-play-before-cyberpunk-2077"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.