Monthly Archives: January 2020

Here’s How Much the Baby Yoda Puppet Cost to Make

It turns out everyone's current favourite space puppet, Baby Yoda or The Child from The Mandalorian, cost around $5 million to make. According to Entertainment Weekly, actor Adam Pally, who cameos as a Bike Trooper in the Disney + series, found out the hard way how much the puppet costs. Pally's character has cause to punch the puppet in one scene and told reporters at the Television Critics Association’s Winter Press Tour that he was called out by his friend and series creator Jon Favreau. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/03/the-mandalorian-season-1-review"] “I remember the first take that I did when I punched him,” Pally said. ” They called ‘Cut!’ and Jon, who was watching on a monitor in his office, he came down from this office and said, ‘I just want to let you know that this is the hero Yoda [the main prop used for close-ups] and it costs, like, $5 million. So while I want you to hit it, I just want you to know that.’ Because I think I took a big swing at it. And the next three takes I missed, because I was so nervous.” According to Pally it seems the puppet may know exactly how much he's worth, “I gotta tell you, the truth is that Baby Yoda is a bit of a diva,” Pally deadpanned. “He’s constantly vaping.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=an-adorable-gallery-of-baby-yoda&captions=true"] For more on The Child, here's Hasbro's Baby Yoda toy line, a look at Baby Yoda in Sims 4, a Baby Yoda pie, and this super cute gallery of Baby Yoda pics. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Hope Corrigan is an Australian freelance writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Fans React to Spider-Man PS4 Game Art Spotted in Morbius Trailer

The Morbius trailer dropped today and keen-eyed fans have spotted a very specific Spider-Man Easter egg. The Easter egg appears in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment when Jared Leto's Morbius is escaping from some kind of facility. In the shot, you can see an image of Spider-Man with the word "murderer" spray-painted over it. morbius-spider-man-poster-murderer Here's why this shot has the internet buzzing. First, the presence of Spider-Man indicates that this film could be connected to previous Spider-Man films. Second, the word murderer signals that the film takes place after the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home, which means this version of Spider-Man should be Tom Holland. However, the Spidey suit in question is not the one Tom Holland wears, but the one Tobey Maguire wore in his Spider-Man trilogy. Third, this specific shot of Spider-Man actually comes from a loading screen from Sony's PS4 game. So, is Sony just trolling here? Did they pull a random loading screen image from their game that just so happened to be of Toby Maguire? Are they trying to show that the Spider-Verse exists in Morbius, thus confirming that Sony's ongoing Spider-Verse is connected to past iterations of Spider-Man? Without confirmation from Sony, we may never know the answer. However, social media has some brilliant reactions to this webbed mystery.

Social Media Reactions to Morbius' Spider-Man Art

We've gathered a few Twitter reactions to the Spider-Man Easter egg, as well as a Reddit post discussing the implications. [caption id="attachment_2285933" align="alignnone" width="720"]@CalebOG doesn't care what happens in the Morbius trailer, as long as Spidey is in there. @CalebOG doesn't care what happens in the Morbius trailer, as long as Spidey is in there.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2285934" align="alignnone" width="720"]@FrezzmanYT noticed the Raimi/Maguire suit right away. @FrezzmanYT noticed the Raimi/Maguire suit right away.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2285935" align="alignnone" width="720"]Former IGN EIC @TheEricGoldman wonders about the Maguire suit choice. Former IGN editor @TheEricGoldman wonders about the Maguire suit choice.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2285936" align="alignnone" width="720"]IGN Deputy Reviews Editor @Tommarks noticed the Maguire suit right away. IGN Deputy Reviews Editor @TomRMarks notices some alterations to the suit.[/caption] And if we needed any further confirmation that this art is from the PS4 game, Bill Rosemann (head of creative at Marvel Games) tweeted this earlier today: [caption id="attachment_2286039" align="alignnone" width="720"]SpiderMan Morbius Tweet @Billrosemann's thinking emojis says it all.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2285937" align="alignnone" width="720"]@EvanFilarca notices all the levels of continuity and knows that J. Jonah Jameson would hate them all, lol. @EvanFilarca notices all the levels of continuity and knows that J. Jonah Jameson would hate them all, lol.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2285938" align="alignnone" width="720"]Morbius Spiderman Tweet @MisterSJW adds a gif to his Spider-Man thoughts, aptly quoting Han Solo about the Spider-Verse and the Force.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2285939" align="alignnone" width="720"]Morbius Spiderman Reddit The SpidermanPS4 reddit thread discusses the layers of this image and whether the PS4 suit was intentional.[/caption] So, what is the truth? Does Morbius take place during the Toby Maguire/Sam Raimi Spider-Man universe? Does it take place during the Tom Holland timeline in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? If Michael Keaton's appearance is a clue, then it's possible this takes place in the MCU and that the PS4 game also exists in that universe. If that's the case, that would be the most meta video game/film crossover in history. Or is it just a cute Easter egg that we should all stop thinking about so hard? (Pfft, are you new here?) Weigh in with your theories below! [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=morbius-trailer-58-images-from-the-jared-leto-marvel-movie&captions=true"]

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Lauren Gallaway is a Social Media Coordinator for IGN. Find her tweeting at @LaurenGallaway and streaming at Glimpse Entertainment on Twitch.

PlayStation Will Skip E3 Again This Year

Update: After Sony confirmed they wouldn't be at E3 2020, IGN reached out to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) which runs E3 every year for a statement regarding Sony's absence again at its key consumer trade show. While the ESA did not mention Sony by name in its statement, the organization says there will be new experiences, partners, and programming at this year's event. Here's the statement in full below:
"E3 is a signature event celebrating the video game industry and showcasing the people, brands and innovations redefining entertainment loved by billions of people around the world. E3 2020 will be an exciting, high-energy show featuring new experiences, partners, exhibitor spaces, activations, and programming that will entertain new and veteran attendees alike. Exhibitor interest in our new activations is gaining the attention of brands that view E3 as a key opportunity to connect with video game fans worldwide.”
Original story follows: [poilib element="accentDivider"] Sony has announced that it will once again be skipping E3. This is the second year in a row the company has opted out of appearing at one of the biggest video game events of the year. It’s also particularly surprising given how Sony announced a holiday 2020 launch for the PlayStation 5. E3 2020 will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 9 to June 11, but Sony will not be present at the show for the second year in a row. In a statement to IGN, Sony said:
“After thorough evaluation SIE has decided not to participate in E3 2020. We have great respect for the ESA as an organization, but we do not feel the vision of E3 2020 is the right venue for what we are focused on this year. We will build upon our global events strategy in 2020 by participating in hundreds of consumer events across the globe. Our focus is on making sure fans feel part of the PlayStation family and have access to play their favorite content. We have a fantastic line up of titles coming to PlayStation 4, and with the upcoming launch of PlayStation 5, we are truly looking forward to a year of celebration with our fans.”
Sony first skipped E3 in 2019. At the time, Sony issued a statement saying, “As the industry evolves, Sony Interactive Entertainment continues to look for inventive opportunities to engage the community.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=igns-top-25-playstation-4-games&captions=true"] In the past year, Sony has opted for a more direct approach to engaging with fans like the State of Play live streams. Similar to the Nintendo Direct, the State of Play is a live stream video that is published throughout the year with news and announcements for upcoming PlayStation games. Sony will be attending other game shows this year, including the Taipei Game Show where the company is holding some kind of PlayStation fan experience. Sony used to hold a PlayStation fan convention called the PlayStation Experience but hasn't hosted a convention in North America since 2017. E3 is one of the largest video game trade shows of the year. Hosted by the ESA, E3 has recently allowed members of the public to attend the convention. Other companies like Activision and EA have also skipped E3, and Microsoft technically hosts an off-site presence at E3. (via GamesIndustry.biz) [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.

The 2020 Oscar Nominations That Made History

The 2020 Oscar nominees were announced Monday morning and along with a slew of snubs and surprises, the reveal holds a handful of historical firsts for this year's nominations from the Academy. The historical nominations can be seen below. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=oscar-nominations-snubs-2020-all-the-major-misses-from-the-academy-this-year&captions=true"]

Parasite Makes History

Director Bong Joon Ho's Parasite is the first-ever Korean film to receive a nomination for Best Picture, along with being the first from the county to be nominated in the International Feature Film category, according to LA Times. In total, Parasite was nominated in six Oscar categories, including Best Director, Original Screenplay, Production Design, and Film Editing. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/20/igns-best-movie-of-2019"]

Scarlett Johansson's First Oscars

A record-breaking 62 women were nominated for awards this year from the Academy, which is approximately 1/3 of the nominees, as reported by NYT – but none of which were nominated for the Best Director category, including Greta Gerwig's Little Women, which ended up with six nominations, including Best Picture. Scarlett Johansson received nominations in two acting categories – for two separate films – along with being nominated for an Oscar for the first time this year in her career. CNN reports she is one of only a dozen actors who have received double nominations in those categories within the same year. Johansson was nominated for Best Actress in Marriage Story, along with Best Supporting Actress for her role in Jojo Rabbit. The rarity was last seen with Cate Blanchett over in 2008 and Jamie Foxx in 2005. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-history-of-comic-book-movies-at-the-oscars&captions=true"]

The Most and the Youngest

Martin Scorsese is the most-nominated living director, with a total of nine nominations over the years, and thanks to his Oscar nomination for The Irishman, as reported by ABC. Saoirse Ronan is now the second-youngest four-time nominee in an acting category for her nomination in Little Women – Jennifer Lawrence holds the title for the youngest from her Best Actress nomination for her role in Joy in 2015. Star Wars and legendary composer, John Williams, broke his own record on Monday with now a total of 52 nominations over his lifetime, which is the most a person has ever been nominated that is still living today. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/31/joker-review"] For more on the 2020 award shows, check out the complete list of Oscar nominations – with Joker leading the list with 11 nominations – and find out who won at the Golden Globes. Stay tuned to IGN for live updates from the Academy Awards, and find out which movie we chose to win Best Movie of the Year. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jessie Wade is Homepage Editor at IGN and would really have liked to see a record break for most-female directors at the Academy Awards. Follow her on Twitter @jessieannwade

Will Mark Hamill Play Vesemir? The Witcher’s Showrunner Responds

Warning. Full spoilers ahead for Season 1 of Netflix's The Witcher.  [poilib element="accentDivider"] As we anxiously wait for Season 2 of The Witcher to drop on Netflix in 2021, IGN spoke to showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich about the social media frenzy over the potential Witcher casting of Mark Hamill as Vesemir, Geralt's wise and wizened instructor. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/21/the-witcher-season-1-ending-explained"] As a refresher: back in 2018, Hamill jokingly responded to a Twitter thread suggesting that he would be the ideal fit to play Vesemir. The veteran actor replied via his Twitter account: "I have no idea what this is or what it's about but agree it could/should be played by me." Jump to a year later, after The Witcher's premiere on Netflix, and Hamill made another Witcher comment on Twitter in response to a post from IGN, offering some hope for fans that he might one day play Vesemir. Check out Hamill's response below: Capture1-720x881 Hissrich (who replied to Hamill's above tweet with a tantalizing side-eye emoji) told us that she's a "huge Star Wars fan" so was particularly excited when Hamill first tweeted about the role: "It was one of those first Witcher moments for me where I was like, ‘oh my God, is this even possible? That Mark Hamill knows what this is and would be interested in doing that?'" She added, "Mark has always been of interest to me and interest to the project. We have not contacted his agent yet because we’re not casting the role quite yet, but that being said, I am loving what’s happening on the internet. And I’m loving all of the fan reaction to it. Obviously, we’ve seen what a huge fanbase The Witcher has, and to add that to a Star Wars fanbase... it makes my mind explode a little bit." For more on The Witcher, find out why the series didn't adapt Geralt and Ciri's first meeting from the books, how The Witcher was influenced by Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, and what the rest of the IGN's staff thought about The Witcher's first season. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-monster-in-season-1-of-netflixs-the-witcher&captions=true"] [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.

PS5 Concept Designs Built in Dreams Are Sleek as Hell

Sony has yet to reveal the official design of the PlayStation 5, and all we know of what the hardware could be is based on leaked photos alleging to reveal the PS5 dev kit. But thanks to one intrepid player and PlayStation's create-what-you-want game Dreams, we have one impressive, futuristic take on what the PS5 could look like. IGN fan (and longtime Podcast Beyond! listener and Facebook group member) Dan Kuhl built a PS5 concept design in Dreams, fashioning the would-be console out of the suite of tools included in Media Molecule's Early Access version of Dreams. Check out the gallery below. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ps5-dreams-concept-by-dan-kuhl&captions=true"] Speaking to IGN over email, Kuhl explained that he took some inspiration from the alleged leaked dev kit photos, but that he "just tried to make it look like a more consumer-friendly realistic(ish) console." The most difficult part of putting the console together for Kuhl was actually sculpting the ports on the back, as he hoped to make them appear somewhat real. Kuhl's original rough designs have begun to crop up around the web, with some trying to tout them as "real" designs, but Kuhl's creation is 100% fan made Kuhl wanted to note that he's not an expert 3D sculptor — most of his work in the field has come from Dreams, where he's made plenty of other designs you can check out. He's uploaded this design to the Dreamiverse so players can jump into the game and take a close-up look by searching for "PS5 Console Concept." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/08/ps5-news-rumors-and-predictions-beyond-episode-625"] As we wait for more info on the PS5, check out the latest episode of IGN's Podcast Beyond! above, which includes discussion about everything we know of the PS5 so far, as well as some predictions on what's to come. For more on Sony's upcoming console, check out how fans reacted to the PS5 logo, the alleged secs the PS5 and Xbox Series X may have, and the latest on what PS5's new controller may feature. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

Showtime’s Halo: First Look Impressions from Behind-Closed Doors Reveal

At the Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena, Showtime revealed the first image of Halo star Pablo Schreiber wearing Master Chief's iconic armor. The only bad news is... the photo won't be shown to the public, for now. Showtime's President of Entertainment, Gary Levine, revealed the behind-closed-doors image, and we're happy to report that Master Chief looks fantastic. Levine assured everyone that Schreiber was indeed the man behind the Chief's helmet in the costume rather than a stuntman (speculation that also plagued Pedro Pascal in The Mandalorian). The photo shows Chief seated alone on a ship. Everything from Schreiber's detailed costume to the inside of the vessel feels very authentic to the Halo video game franchise. Back in August 2019, Levine told Deadline that the series will remain "faithful to the canon." Levine did not give an update on the first quarter 2021 release window announced in 2019, however, he did say that production is well underway in Budapest, Hungary. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/04/17/halo-tv-series-finds-its-master-chief"] Here's how Showtime describes Schreiber's Master Chief: "Earth's most advanced warrior in the 26th century and the only hope of salvation for a civilization pushed to the brink of destruction by the Covenant, an unstoppable alliance of alien worlds committed to the destruction of humanity." In other Halo news, Showtime previously announced the casting of Natascha McElhone (Californication) as Dr. Catherine Halsey and Cortana, and David Sapani (Penny Dreadful) as Captain Jacob Keyes. [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.

GTA 4 Disappeared From Steam, and Here’s Why

Rockstar Games officially confirmed the reason for Grand Theft Auto 4’s mysterious disappearance from Steam, and it’s Games For Windows Live. In a statement sent to IGN, Rockstar Games confirmed that “With Microsoft no longer supporting Games For Windows Live, it is no longer possible to generate the additional keys needed to continue selling the current version of the game.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-rockstar-game-review-ever&captions=true"] The option to purchase Grand Theft Auto 4 disappeared over the weekend, creating speculation over the reason. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was briefly unavailable for purchase due to licensing issues with some of the songs in the game, and while GTA 4 faced similar issues Rockstar patched the game with updated music tracks. Instead, Rockstar confirmed the issue was with Games For Windows Live, a service Microsoft shuttered in 2013. Games For Windows Live has created other issues with Steam games including on titles like Batman: Arkham City and Dark Souls. Curiously, Rockstar hasn’t confirmed exactly when to expect Grand Theft Auto 4 to return on PC. Instead, a Rockstar spokesperson told IGN, “We are looking at other options for distributing GTAIV for PC and will share more information as soon as we can.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2009/01/12/gta-iv-x360-ign-best-of-2008-nominee-grand-theft-auto-iv"] Whether this means an updated port will become available on Steam or the Rockstar Launcher (or both) is still unannounced. Meanwhile, check out IGN’s Grand Theft Auto 4 review for our take on Rockstar’s adventure into Liberty City. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.

Showtime’s Shameless Renewed for Eleventh and Final Season

Shameless has been renewed for an 11th and final season. Showtime made the announcement on Monday at the Television Critics Association’s Winter Press Tour in Pasadena. In the press release, the network says Shameless is their biggest comedy and its longest-running show. “I’m unbelievably thankful for all of the years of support from [Showtime President of Entertainment] Gary Levine and everyone at Showtime that’s allowed us to make Shameless,” Executive Producer John Wells said in the press release. “It’s been a fantastic experience and all of us in the cast and crew have had a wonderful time following the lives of the Gallagher family and friends. It’s been a pleasure!” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/01/04/the-50-best-tv-opening-credits-2008-2018"] The show is a remake of the British TV series Shameless, which itself ran for 11 seasons from 2004 to 2013. Both shows revolve around the dysfunctional Gallagher family and their drunk and unreliable patriarch, Frank. William H. Macy has portrayed Frank on the American series for every season. He's joined by actors Jeremy Allen White, Shanola Hampton and Cameron Monaghan. Emmy Rossum led the show with Macy for the first nine seasons. The series has won 3 Emmys out of 14 nominations so far, including 5 nominations for Macy as lead actor in a comedy. The tenth season is currently airing on Showtime and has been averaging 5.7 million viewers every week, according to Showtime. Showtime also announced a premiere date for Penny Dreadful: City of Angels and has been casting its Halo series. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=nominees-best-comedy-tv-series-of-2019&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.

Penny Dreadful: City of Angels Release Date and Trailer Revealed

At the Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena, Showtime revealed the premiere date and the teaser trailer for Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. The new supernatural-thriller will premiere on Sunday, April 26, 2020. Here's how Showtime describes the series. "A spiritual descendant of the original Penny Dreadful story set in Victorian-era London, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels opens in 1938 Los Angeles, a time and place deeply infused with social and political tension. When a grisly murder shocks the city, Detective Tiago Vega (Zovatto) and his partner Lewis Michener (Lane) become embroiled in an epic story that reflects the rich history of Los Angeles: from the building of the city's first freeways and its deep traditions of Mexican-American folklore, to the dangerous espionage actions of the Third Reich and the rise of radio evangelism. Before long, Tiago and his family are grappling with powerful forces that threaten to tear them apart." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/09/netflixs-dracula-review"] John Logan (Gladiator) will act as showrunner along with executive producers Sam Mendes (1917) and Pippa Harris (Revolutionary Road). Penny Dreadful: City of Angels also stars Lorenza Izzo, Adam Rodriguez, Amy Madigan, Brent Spiner, Lin Shaye, Thomas Kretschmann, Dominic Sherwood, and Ethan Peck. Back in 2018, Logan said that Penny Dreadful: City of Angels will grapple "with specific historical and real-world political, religious, social and racial issues. In 1938, Los Angeles was facing some hard questions about its future and its soul. Our characters must do the same. There are no easy answers. There are only powerful questions and arresting moral challenges.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-15-best-horror-tv-shows-of-the-last-10-years&captions=true"] [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.