Lightyear director Angus MacLane has experience working on Pixar sequels and spinoffs, but they're not projects he would recommend to new filmmakers.

In an interview with GameSpot, MacLane shared a little bit of insight into the creative process and development of movies like Lightyear and Finding Dory, highlighting the challenges that a filmmaker faces when lifting a pre-existing character from one film or franchise and dropping them into their own standalone movie or an origin-style spinoff.

"As a filmmaker, you really have to think about what problems you want to solve," he said, speaking from experience. "When we took on [Lightyear] we ran into the problem of having to change a side character to a main character and that's a really hard thing. Having worked on [Finding Dory], that was just tremendously hard.

"But because Buzz's backstory was something I wanted to tell, and because I wanted to do a straightforward sci-fi action-adventure, you know, like a nerd/geek film, that was the driver there," he added. "So that's what kept it going, even when we still hadn't figured it out. Because I knew what the movie would feel like when it was done."

In acknowledging some of the potential hurdles that can be encountered when stepping outside of a familiar space, MacLane said he wouldn't encourage directors to get involved with indirect sequels and spin-offs early on in their filmmaking careers because it is such a challenging undertaking. "I really wouldn't recommend it," he admitted, "It's so, so hard."

Lightyear was a big movie for Pixar as, besides it taking place in the beloved universe of Toy Story, it's also the first film Pixar has released in theaters since 2020's Onward. The movie didn't generate much buzz at the box office though and ultimately failed to hit its projected numbers, opening with $51 million at the US box office, plus $34.6 million in other territories.

MacLane noted that it can be difficult to satisfy audience expectations when crafting a spinoff because people often resort to what they already know of a film franchise or character. "I think it's funny to hear people ask things like 'how is this compared to Toy Story?' because when you see the movie, you realize it's its own thing," he explained.

"I think it would be even harder if it were the Toy Story Buzz going off into this movie, you know? Then you'd be like 'where's Woody?!' Because that's what makes [Toy Story Buzz] work. I could see a different version of this movie that's maybe a bit closer to the Buzz Lightyear: Star Command TV show," he added. "But I think that works much better for a shorter format."

Lightyear explores the definitive origin story of legendary space ranger Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Chris Evans) — the hero who inspired the toy. The movie is kept afloat by "strong performances and attractive visuals" that will "keep kids and adults alike entertained," according to IGN's review of Lightyear, "but the story isn't the quality you'd expect from Pixar."

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

Chris Pratt as Mario? Mamma mia… but hold onto your red shells, because Mario movie producer and Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri wants you to give him a 1-UP. During an interview with Animation Magazine, Meledandri assured Mario fans that Chris Pratt’s Mario voice isn’t that bad. Honest.

“When people hear Chris Pratt’s performance, the criticism will evaporate, maybe not entirely — people love to voice opinions, as they should.”

Despite Pratt not being of Italian-American heritage, Meledandri nonetheless thinks he’s the right man for the job.

“I’m not sure this is the smartest defense,” he added. “But as a person who has Italian-American heritage, I feel I can make that decision without worrying about offending Italians or Italian-Americans… I think we’re going to be just fine.”

Meledandri previously rushed to Pratt’s defense, stating that he won’t be doing an Italian accent in the movie.

“We cover [that accent] in the movie, so you'll see we definitely nod to that – but that's not the tenor of the performance throughout the film.”

Officially announced back in September 2021, the upcoming Mario movie will star Chris Pratt as our favorite Italian plumber, and it’s proved to be quite the divisive casting choice.

Pratt quickly took to Instagram to assure fans that he’s “working hard” at getting Mario’s voice just right, explaining that the role is a “dream come true.”

Quite how Pratt’s performance will measure up remains to be seen. There’s been nothing in the way of promotional materials for the film just yet, and our first glimpse of the Mario movie is likely quite some time away.

Chris Pratt will star as Mario in the upcoming movie, alongside Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, and Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong.

Kevin Michael Richardson will voice Kamek, Fred Armisen will voice Cranky Kong, and Sebastian Maniscalco will voice Foreman Spike. Longtime Mario voice actor Charles Martinet will also have a cameo in the film.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

WB Montreal’s upcoming DC superheroes game, Gotham Knights, will feature the largest version of the iconic Gotham city that’s ever been seen in a video game.

In an interview with Game Informer, game director Geoff Ellenor was asked how Gotham Knights’ version of DC’s flagship city compared to the open-world Gotham seen in Batman: Arkham Knight.

“It’s pretty big,” said Ellenor. “I haven’t put one map over the other, but our Gotham is a big place.”

Executive producer Fleur Marty added, “For sure it’s the biggest version of Gotham that has been represented in video games. The most important thing for us is its density and verticality. It has a lot of layers. The Batcycle is the long-range mode of transportation.”

Arkham Knight’s map was approximately five square kilometers, and made up of three islands and multiple districts. The sprawling size of Gotham was made possible by the inclusion of the Batmobile, which helped you travel across its huge landmass at speed and in style. Gotham Knights may not have a Batmobile, but it does have the Batcycle and other travel mechanics, be that the Fast Bat fast-travel system, or items like Nightwing’s Flying Trapeze glider.

For more from Gotham Knights, check out our recent interview with the developers as well as the latest trailer from Summer Game Fest.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Features Editor.

A new patent that was submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office by the Valve Corporation reveals an abstract and blueprints of a rumored new virtual reality headset that is similar to the Meta Quest and Quest 2.

The patent was submitted in December of 2021 and was published on June 16, 2022. The 53-page document includes an abstract describing the physical product and images of the headsets' components. The product is not named, but it does have a title of "Head-Mounted Display."

The abstract describes the product as having "a front having a display housing and a back having rear housing. A first member extends between the front and the back and is adjustable via an actuation of a first rotatable actuator and a first cabling mechanism.

"A second member extends between the front and the back and is adjustable via an actuation of a second rotatable actuator and a second cabling mechanism. A third member extends between the front and back and is adjustable via the actuation of the second rotatable actuator and a third cabling mechanism."

As with most patents, the abstract serves as more of a typed-out blueprint than a description of the product itself, but the images could hint at what a potential new VR headset from Valve could look like.

In 2019, Valve released the Index, its most recent VR device. As previously mentioned, rumors have long been swirling that the company is working on another device — a standalone headset code-named "Deckard," which would compete with the Meta Quest and Quest 2.

As reported by IGN in 2021, YouTuber Brad Lynch (SadlyItsBradley) found multiple references to a device codenamed "Deckard" inside Valve's SteamVR code. Lynch noted that the information he found indicates multiple iterations of the headset exist, including a "proof of concept" version, which was last updated in June.

Ars Technica had confirmed those details as fact, but only in terms of products that Valve was currently making from within its headquarters, adding that these products do not always get a retail release.

As with this patent, it's important to note that this is not a product release confirmation, but it can be inferred that Valve has something in the works. Whether it'll hit store shelves remains to be seen.

Diego Ramos Bechara is a freelance writer at IGN.

A new patent that was submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office by the Valve Corporation reveals an abstract and blueprints of a rumored new virtual reality headset that is similar to the Meta Quest and Quest 2.

The patent was submitted in December of 2021 and was published on June 16, 2022. The 53-page document includes an abstract describing the physical product and images of the headsets' components. The product is not named, but it does have a title of "Head-Mounted Display."

The abstract describes the product as having "a front having a display housing and a back having rear housing. A first member extends between the front and the back and is adjustable via an actuation of a first rotatable actuator and a first cabling mechanism.

"A second member extends between the front and the back and is adjustable via an actuation of a second rotatable actuator and a second cabling mechanism. A third member extends between the front and back and is adjustable via the actuation of the second rotatable actuator and a third cabling mechanism."

As with most patents, the abstract serves as more of a typed-out blueprint than a description of the product itself, but the images could hint at what a potential new VR headset from Valve could look like.

In 2019, Valve released the Index, its most recent VR device. As previously mentioned, rumors have long been swirling that the company is working on another device — a standalone headset code-named "Deckard," which would compete with the Meta Quest and Quest 2.

As reported by IGN in 2021, YouTuber Brad Lynch (SadlyItsBradley) found multiple references to a device codenamed "Deckard" inside Valve's SteamVR code. Lynch noted that the information he found indicates multiple iterations of the headset exist, including a "proof of concept" version, which was last updated in June.

Ars Technica had confirmed those details as fact, but only in terms of products that Valve was currently making from within its headquarters, adding that these products do not always get a retail release.

As with this patent, it's important to note that this is not a product release confirmation, but it can be inferred that Valve has something in the works. Whether it'll hit store shelves remains to be seen.

Diego Ramos Bechara is a freelance writer at IGN.

DC Comics icon Grant Morrison, the writer of Batman Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, Doom Patrol, and many more, has reacted to The Flash film actor Ezra Miller's growing list of legal troubles in an interview with Rolling Stone.

"I know they've had these problems," Morrison explained. "I haven't spoken to them for a while, and the last time I spoke was long, long before this. All I can say is that it's just not the person I know. I've heard stories just like everyone else. I just don't know.

"Ezra cut off contact from pretty much everyone for a while. It's not the person they were. They weren't aggressive in any way. I just thought Ezra was a super-intelligent kid with so many talents. So all I can say is that I didn't see that side in any way with them."

The comments came amid a slew of controversies, including the actor's multiple arrests when they were detained and fined for disorderly conduct while on vacation in Hawaii in March of 2022. Other accusations of violence, psychological intimidation, and other forms of misconduct have extended beyond Hawaii to reach Massachusetts and North Dakota.

Recently, sources within Warner Bros. have indicated that, "even if no more allegations surface, the studio won't likely keep Miller in the Flash role in future DC films."

Morrison also shared details of a now-scrapped Flash film script, which was to be co-written by Morrison and Miller, and it would have been more of a down-to-earth, straightforward Flash story than the franchise-shattering multiversal tale the finished film seems to be.

"It really was just the two of us. They came over here to Scotland and hung out, and we wrote this thing," Morrison revealed. "I really liked it. Warner Bros. only gave us two weeks! It was cruelty, you know. It was hardcore. We had to be like the Flash to get this thing done. It was a Flash story, so it wasn't where they wanted to go with multiverse and stuff. And that was the end of it."

The Flash is scheduled to be released in theaters on June 23, 2023, and will also star Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton's iterations of Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Diego Ramos Bechara is a freelance writer at IGN.

DC Comics icon Grant Morrison, the writer of Batman Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, Doom Patrol, and many more, has reacted to The Flash film actor Ezra Miller's growing list of legal troubles in an interview with Rolling Stone.

"I know they've had these problems," Morrison explained. "I haven't spoken to them for a while, and the last time I spoke was long, long before this. All I can say is that it's just not the person I know. I've heard stories just like everyone else. I just don't know.

"Ezra cut off contact from pretty much everyone for a while. It's not the person they were. They weren't aggressive in any way. I just thought Ezra was a super-intelligent kid with so many talents. So all I can say is that I didn't see that side in any way with them."

The comments came amid a slew of controversies, including the actor's multiple arrests when they were detained and fined for disorderly conduct while on vacation in Hawaii in March of 2022. Other accusations of violence, psychological intimidation, and other forms of misconduct have extended beyond Hawaii to reach Massachusetts and North Dakota.

Recently, sources within Warner Bros. have indicated that, "even if no more allegations surface, the studio won't likely keep Miller in the Flash role in future DC films."

Morrison also shared details of a now-scrapped Flash film script, which was to be co-written by Morrison and Miller, and it would have been more of a down-to-earth, straightforward Flash story than the franchise-shattering multiversal tale the finished film seems to be.

"It really was just the two of us. They came over here to Scotland and hung out, and we wrote this thing," Morrison revealed. "I really liked it. Warner Bros. only gave us two weeks! It was cruelty, you know. It was hardcore. We had to be like the Flash to get this thing done. It was a Flash story, so it wasn't where they wanted to go with multiverse and stuff. And that was the end of it."

The Flash is scheduled to be released in theaters on June 23, 2023, and will also star Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton's iterations of Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Diego Ramos Bechara is a freelance writer at IGN.

An Apple Store in Towson, Maryland has become the first Apple retail location in the U.S. to vote to unionize.

The news was shared in a press release, and it confirmed that over 100 Apple Store employees that work at the Towson store, who recently formed the Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (AppleCORE), have "overwhelmingly voted to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM)."

That feeling when ⁦you form the first union at Apple in America. Congrats, ⁦@acoreunion⁩!

Welcome to the Machinists Union! #1u pic.twitter.com/U7JzwXcoz7

— Machinists Union (@MachinistsUnion) June 19, 2022

“I applaud the courage displayed by CORE members at the Apple store in Towson for achieving this historic victory,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “They made a huge sacrifice for thousands of Apple employees across the nation who had all eyes on this election.

"I ask Apple CEO Tim Cook to respect the election results and fast-track a first contract for the dedicated IAM CORE Apple employees in Towson. This victory shows the growing demand for unions at Apple stores and different industries across our nation.”

The Towson employees announced their intent to unionize back in May 2022 when it sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook. Among other things, these employees want "access to rights we do not currently have," and wish to have a voice on such matters as scheduling, pay, and coronavirus safety.

This successful union vote follows one that almost happened with Cumberland Mall Apple Store employees in Atlanta, Georgia. As reported by Bloomberg, the group had intended to hold a vote, but it withdrew its request to hold an election because "Apple's repeated violations of the National Labor Relations Act have made a free and fair election impossible."

In May, a report came out about Apple circulating anti-union talking points to store leaders in the U.S., amid fear that "a wave of unionization could break out across its U.S. stores." The talking points highlight that "workers could lose career growth opportunities, the ability to take time off for personal reasons, and merit-based promotions if they vote to unionize."

As we wait to hear how Apple responds, other stores are looking to follow the example set by Towson, including the Grand Central store in New York and the Apple Store at Oxmoor Center Mall in Louisville, Kentucky.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

An Apple Store in Towson, Maryland has become the first Apple retail location in the U.S. to vote to unionize.

The news was shared in a press release, and it confirmed that over 100 Apple Store employees that work at the Towson store, who recently formed the Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (AppleCORE), have "overwhelmingly voted to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM)."

That feeling when ⁦you form the first union at Apple in America. Congrats, ⁦@acoreunion⁩!

Welcome to the Machinists Union! #1u pic.twitter.com/U7JzwXcoz7

— Machinists Union (@MachinistsUnion) June 19, 2022

“I applaud the courage displayed by CORE members at the Apple store in Towson for achieving this historic victory,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “They made a huge sacrifice for thousands of Apple employees across the nation who had all eyes on this election.

"I ask Apple CEO Tim Cook to respect the election results and fast-track a first contract for the dedicated IAM CORE Apple employees in Towson. This victory shows the growing demand for unions at Apple stores and different industries across our nation.”

The Towson employees announced their intent to unionize back in May 2022 when it sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook. Among other things, these employees want "access to rights we do not currently have," and wish to have a voice on such matters as scheduling, pay, and coronavirus safety.

This successful union vote follows one that almost happened with Cumberland Mall Apple Store employees in Atlanta, Georgia. As reported by Bloomberg, the group had intended to hold a vote, but it withdrew its request to hold an election because "Apple's repeated violations of the National Labor Relations Act have made a free and fair election impossible."

In May, a report came out about Apple circulating anti-union talking points to store leaders in the U.S., amid fear that "a wave of unionization could break out across its U.S. stores." The talking points highlight that "workers could lose career growth opportunities, the ability to take time off for personal reasons, and merit-based promotions if they vote to unionize."

As we wait to hear how Apple responds, other stores are looking to follow the example set by Towson, including the Grand Central store in New York and the Apple Store at Oxmoor Center Mall in Louisville, Kentucky.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski has shared his plans to use similar practical effects on the race track of his upcoming Formula 1 movie, which is set to star Brad Pitt.

The breathtaking aerial sequences in Maverick were achieved using unprecedented practical effects, and one very daring shot even blew away the set, inadvertently leaving the production team with a single take to use. Kosinski recognized the challenges of shooting this way, but told The Wrap he is committed to taking a similar in-camera approach on his forthcoming racing car movie with Brad Pitt.

"Certainly seeing people react to an in-camera, authentically captured film like 'Top Gun' makes us all feel good that our approach works and is appreciated by audiences," he said. "It's almost funny to me to see people who are so enamored with real photography. Younger people almost haven’t seen a lot of it. They’re so used to CGI being a tool of big movies that when you shoot something for real, it feels innovative."

"That's exactly the approach for Formula One… to shoot at the real races and real cars and capture it," he added. "It's going to be a huge challenge but an exciting one for me."

Kosinski chose to use practical effects as opposed to CG for Maverick because he wanted to capture the feeling of being a Top Gun pilot by "shooting it for real." However, it required a lot of time and dedication from the cast and crew, with the actors participating in a rigorous, Navy-approved boot camp before the cameras even started rolling.

The filmmaker said that he shot over 800 hours of footage for the movie, and there's no doubt that the unprecedented extent that Kosinski and the team went to in order to film Maverick in the most realistic way possible lead to quite the cinematic experience — one that Tom Cruise was determined to see play out on the big screen rather than streaming services.

Kosinski's next movie, which has the working title of Formula One, will be given a theatrical release before being rolled out onto Apple TV+ as part of an "innovative launch strategy." Meanwhile, Top Gun: Maverick has officially become Tom Cruise's highest-grossing movie of all time, having earned more than $800 million at the global box office since its release.

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