Monthly Archives: December 2021
More Big Names Join Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer Movie
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, a historical drama about the development of the atomic bomb, just added Florence Pugh, Rami Malek and Benny Safdie.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the trio have joined Oppenheimer alongside Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr and Matt Damon.
Cillian Murphy will star as Robert J Oppenheimer himself – the theoretical physicist who helped create the atomic bomb during World War II.
Meanwhile, Florence Pugh will play Jean Tatlock, a member of the Communist Party of the United States who had an on-again off-again affair with Oppenheimer, causing huge security concerns during crucial moments.
Benny Safdie will play Edward Teller, a Hungarian-American physicist, creator of the hydrogen bomb and fellow member of the Manhattan project alongside Oppenheimer. Rami Malek will play “a scientist” with little else known about his role.
Oppenheimer’s impressive cast list already includes Matt Damon as director of the Manhattan Project Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves and Emily Blunt, as Oppenheimer’s wife, Kitty.
Oppenheimer will be the first film Nolan has worked on with Universal Pictures after they picked up the film rights following a bidding war. Nolan previously expressed his anger at Warner Bros. launching their films day and date on HBO Max – the director calling it “the worst streaming service”.
Christopher Nolan will produce Oppenheimer alongside Emma Thomas and Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven. The film is expected to make use of a $100 million budget – considered considerably “smaller scale” by Nolan himself.
Oppenheimer is based on the Pulitzer-winning book, American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin.
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer will premiere in theaters on July 21, 2023.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
Spotify Reveals Console Gamers’ Favorite Music This Year
Spotify has revealed what console players have been listening to most while gaming in 2021.
As part of The Game Awards 2021, Spotify announced the most listened-to tracks, artists and podcasts on the Spotify app for PlayStation and Xbox, with rap, trap, and hip-hop coming out as the top genres of the year.
With results tallied globally, Doja Cat and Juice WRLD are the most-streamed female and male artists respectively, with Polo G's RAPSTAR taking the crown as the most listened-to song.
You can check out the top 5 results for each category below:
Most Streamed Female Artists
Most Streamed Male Artists
Most Streamed Tracks
- “RAPSTAR” by Polo G
- “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” by Lil Nas X
- “Mood” by 24kGoldn feat. iann dior
- “INDUSTRY BABY” by Lil Nas X feat. Jack Harlow
- “Calling My Phone” by 6LACK, Lil Tjay
Most Popular Podcasts
Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Spotify Reveals Console Gamers’ Favorite Music This Year
Spotify has revealed what console players have been listening to most while gaming in 2021.
As part of The Game Awards 2021, Spotify announced the most listened-to tracks, artists and podcasts on the Spotify app for PlayStation and Xbox, with rap, trap, and hip-hop coming out as the top genres of the year.
With results tallied globally, Doja Cat and Juice WRLD are the most-streamed female and male artists respectively, with Polo G's RAPSTAR taking the crown as the most listened-to song.
You can check out the top 5 results for each category below:
Most Streamed Female Artists
Most Streamed Male Artists
Most Streamed Tracks
- “RAPSTAR” by Polo G
- “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” by Lil Nas X
- “Mood” by 24kGoldn feat. iann dior
- “INDUSTRY BABY” by Lil Nas X feat. Jack Harlow
- “Calling My Phone” by 6LACK, Lil Tjay
Most Popular Podcasts
Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss Reveal The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience
Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss appeared at The Game Awards 2021 to reveal The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience, in partnership with Epic Games -- and it's out right now.
As Reeves and Moss suggested on stage, the experience is intended to blur lines between reality, game, and film. The brief trailer we saw at the show did indeed look almost like watching a film, but for what appear to be player-controlled shooting mechanics during a high-speed car chase.
Fortunately, we don't have to wait at all to learn more about what was going on here, because the experience is out now on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. But IGN also got quite a bit more detail in a preview ahead of release, during which our previewer had to check and confirm which scenes were real and which were "unreal." There's a bit of uncanny valley going on, and its playable bits are more of a proof of concept than anything -- a tech demo, if you will. But the tech on display is apparently impressive.
In its leak on PSN, the initial description said it was "Created by members of the original movie team including Lana Wachowski along with Epic Games and partners, [and] is a wild ride into the reality-bending universe of 'The Matrix' that features performances by Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss."
Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss Reveal The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience
Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss appeared at The Game Awards 2021 to reveal The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience, in partnership with Epic Games -- and it's out right now.
As Reeves and Moss suggested on stage, the experience is intended to blur lines between reality, game, and film. The brief trailer we saw at the show did indeed look almost like watching a film, but for what appear to be player-controlled shooting mechanics during a high-speed car chase.
Fortunately, we don't have to wait at all to learn more about what was going on here, because the experience is out now on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. But IGN also got quite a bit more detail in a preview ahead of release, during which our previewer had to check and confirm which scenes were real and which were "unreal." There's a bit of uncanny valley going on, and its playable bits are more of a proof of concept than anything -- a tech demo, if you will. But the tech on display is apparently impressive.
In its leak on PSN, the initial description said it was "Created by members of the original movie team including Lana Wachowski along with Epic Games and partners, [and] is a wild ride into the reality-bending universe of 'The Matrix' that features performances by Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss."
New Elden Ring Trailer Premieres Brand New Cinematic Story Trailer
A brand new Elden Ring trailer premiered at The Game Awards that focuses primarily on the expansive story involving the war between demigods.
The cinematic story was light on gameplay but instead dove deep into Elden Ring's lore. The next FromSoftware RPG takes place in the backdrop of a war between demigods who wage war against each other in order to possess the Elden Ring.
Elden Ring is a collaboration between FromSoftware and A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin. The mind behind Game of Thrones was responsible for creating the lore and narrative foundations of Elden Ring while FromSoft used the framework to build out the rest of the game. Director Hidetaka Miyazaki is also handling the in-game writing for Elden Ring.
The trailer included several references to some of the demigods that populate the world of Elden Ring, names that should be familiar to anyone who has read our Elden Ring preview. You can check out a full boss fight with Margit the Fell Omen, or read our full Elden Ring preview for all the details.
Elden Ring is one of the most hotly anticipated games of 2022, and was recently delayed to February 25. But considering we're close to the end of this year, that doesn't seem like too long a wait.
For more check out our recap of everything announced at The Game Awards.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.
New Elden Ring Trailer Premieres Brand New Cinematic Story Trailer
A brand new Elden Ring trailer premiered at The Game Awards that focuses primarily on the expansive story involving the war between demigods.
The cinematic story was light on gameplay but instead dove deep into Elden Ring's lore. The next FromSoftware RPG takes place in the backdrop of a war between demigods who wage war against each other in order to possess the Elden Ring.
Elden Ring is a collaboration between FromSoftware and A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin. The mind behind Game of Thrones was responsible for creating the lore and narrative foundations of Elden Ring while FromSoft used the framework to build out the rest of the game. Director Hidetaka Miyazaki is also handling the in-game writing for Elden Ring.
The trailer included several references to some of the demigods that populate the world of Elden Ring, names that should be familiar to anyone who has read our Elden Ring preview. You can check out a full boss fight with Margit the Fell Omen, or read our full Elden Ring preview for all the details.
Elden Ring is one of the most hotly anticipated games of 2022, and was recently delayed to February 25. But considering we're close to the end of this year, that doesn't seem like too long a wait.
For more check out our recap of everything announced at The Game Awards.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.
Arc Raiders: Ex-DICE Devs’ New Game Is a Co-Op PVE Sci-Fi Shooter
Arc Raiders, the debut game from Embark Studios, will be a vibrant sci-fi PVE third-person shooter, with 3-player co-op and a focus on teamwork. It's free-to-play, and coming in 2022 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Unveiled during The Game Awards 2021, Arc Raiders comes from a team notably made up of ex-DICE devs with experience on Battlefield and Star Wars: Battlefront under their belts. The studio is headed by Patrick Söderlund, who was previously in charge of game production at EA.
Our first look at the game shows off a retro sci-fi look, with player teams facing off against occasionally huge robotic threats that have dropped from orbit.
The developers make clear that this is a game specifically about teamwork, pointing out that looting enemies and the world itself will be key to survival. There's also an emphasis on using physics, which we see in shots of grappling hooks and jump pads.
“We started Embark Studios three years ago with a blank canvas and some big ideas. Today, that canvas is a lot less blank and those ideas are becoming realities,” said Söderlund in a press release. “With this reveal, we want to celebrate gameplay and give players more than a hint of how ARC Raiders looks and what it feels like to play. Ultimately for a co-op action game like ARC Raiders, that's what matters the most. We look forward to sharing more about the game in the coming months.”
Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Arc Raiders: Ex-DICE Devs’ New Game Is a Co-Op PVE Sci-Fi Shooter
Arc Raiders, the debut game from Embark Studios, will be a vibrant sci-fi PVE third-person shooter, with 3-player co-op and a focus on teamwork. It's free-to-play, and coming in 2022 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Unveiled during The Game Awards 2021, Arc Raiders comes from a team notably made up of ex-DICE devs with experience on Battlefield and Star Wars: Battlefront under their belts. The studio is headed by Patrick Söderlund, who was previously in charge of game production at EA.
Our first look at the game shows off a retro sci-fi look, with player teams facing off against occasionally huge robotic threats that have dropped from orbit.
The developers make clear that this is a game specifically about teamwork, pointing out that looting enemies and the world itself will be key to survival. There's also an emphasis on using physics, which we see in shots of grappling hooks and jump pads.
“We started Embark Studios three years ago with a blank canvas and some big ideas. Today, that canvas is a lot less blank and those ideas are becoming realities,” said Söderlund in a press release. “With this reveal, we want to celebrate gameplay and give players more than a hint of how ARC Raiders looks and what it feels like to play. Ultimately for a co-op action game like ARC Raiders, that's what matters the most. We look forward to sharing more about the game in the coming months.”
Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Halo TV Series: First Trailer Gives Us An Up Close Look At Live-Action Master Chief
The first trailer for the Halo TV series coming to Paramount+ has been revealed, and it includes Master Chief punching the ground. Okay, the new trailer shown at The Game Awards 2021 included a handful of other shots as well, but we're all here for live-action Master Chief, right?
You can take a look at the trailer via the slideshow just below.
One way or another, it's been a very, very long wait, but we'll finally see the Halo series in 2022. After many previous attempts – from a Neill Blomkamp project that never came about to a disappointing Ridley Scott-produced spin-off – we finally got word of a full-on Halo TV series in 2018.
Much of the cast has already been revealed, and we've seen tiny peeks at teasers in recent weeks. The show will lose both of its showrunners after Season 1.
The Halo TV series will debut on Paramount+ in 2022.
This is only the beginning. #HaloTheSeries streaming 2022, exclusively on @ParamountPlus. https://t.co/BIoy9kATzY pic.twitter.com/cl7JuapgVc
— Halo on Paramount+ (@HaloTheSeries) December 10, 2021
Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN