Harley Quinn is getting to tell her own story, and it’s coming in the form of a podcast. Harley Quinn & The Joker: Sound Mind is being produced for Spotify and will feature Harley’s origin story from her own perspective and will not be filtered through the Joker, reports Variety.

The podcast will star Christina Ricci, who currently stars as the unhinged Misty Quigley in Yellowjackets, as Harley Quinn. The audio drama will co-star Billy Magnussen as The Joker and Justin Hartley as Bruce Wayne. It is being written and directed by Eli Horowitz of Homecoming fame.

Harley Quinn & The Joker: Sound Mind will follow Harley Quinn when she is still Dr. Harleen Quinzel, a psychologist at Arkham Asylum in Gotham City. She is determined to help patients “her colleagues have written off.” The show will follow her meeting of The Joker, AKA Patient J, a criminal who holds power over everyone but her. With her father sick and in need of an expensive treatment, Harley will use The Joker to get what she needs to save him.

The series will be the second in line under Spotify’s agreement with Warner Bros. and DC. The first podcast, Batman Unburied, hit the number one spot in more than a dozen markets when it debuted in May.

Season 3 of the animated Harley Quinn series comes out July 28. It follows the titular character as she tries her hand at making it in the Gotham City underworld without The Joker by her side. We’ve also gotten to see Margot Robbie as Harley in Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey, the Harley-centric spin-off.

Casey is a freelance writer for IGN. You can usually find him talking about JRPGs on Twitter at @caseydavidmt.

It looks as though Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon won’t tell a linear story.

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, co-showrunner Ryan Condal revealed that the Game of Thrones spin-off will jump through time several times.

“This is how you tell this story correctly,” said Condal. “We’re telling a story of a generational war. We set everything up so by the time that first sword stroke falls, you understand all the players.”

It all came about due to a simple problem – at what point should the show start?

The rich history of Games of Thrones makes that a little problematic. After all, there are so many places that would provide an excellent jumping-off point. Ultimately though, they decided to tell the story of House Targaryen using multiple time periods.

The show begins with its female leads as teenagers (played by Emily Carey and Milly Alcock). Halfway through the season, the story jumps 10 years forward, allowing Olivia Cooke and Emma D’Arcy to take over the roles.

As for the show’s two male leads, these are both a little older and played by the same actors throughout.

“It made me nervous,” said HBO chief content officer Casey Bloys. “It’s hard enough to cast any role, but if you’re casting two characters of different ages, you have to be right four times. Now that I’ve seen the result, I feel really good about it.”

House of the Dragon is set two hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones.

Starring Paddy Considine and Emma D’Arcy, it chronicles the ultimate fall of House Targaryen, including the Targaryen civil war, also known as the Dance of the Dragons.

House of the Dragon also happens to be the first Game of Thrones spin-off to head to our screens, with an earlier project canceled despite being made into a $30 million pilot. Then there’s the upcoming Jon Snow series, which will presumably act as more of a sequel.

Thankfully, you won’t have to wait long to watch the inter-generational exploits of House Targaryen – House of the Dragon will debut on HBO on August 21, 2022.

Want to find out more about Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon? Check out the latest details from the show and find out everything you need to know before it airs.

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

It looks as though Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon won’t tell a linear story.

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, co-showrunner Ryan Condal revealed that the Game of Thrones spin-off will jump through time several times.

“This is how you tell this story correctly,” said Condal. “We’re telling a story of a generational war. We set everything up so by the time that first sword stroke falls, you understand all the players.”

It all came about due to a simple problem – at what point should the show start?

The rich history of Games of Thrones makes that a little problematic. After all, there are so many places that would provide an excellent jumping-off point. Ultimately though, they decided to tell the story of House Targaryen using multiple time periods.

The show begins with its female leads as teenagers (played by Emily Carey and Milly Alcock). Halfway through the season, the story jumps 10 years forward, allowing Olivia Cooke and Emma D’Arcy to take over the roles.

As for the show’s two male leads, these are both a little older and played by the same actors throughout.

“It made me nervous,” said HBO chief content officer Casey Bloys. “It’s hard enough to cast any role, but if you’re casting two characters of different ages, you have to be right four times. Now that I’ve seen the result, I feel really good about it.”

House of the Dragon is set two hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones.

Starring Paddy Considine and Emma D’Arcy, it chronicles the ultimate fall of House Targaryen, including the Targaryen civil war, also known as the Dance of the Dragons.

House of the Dragon also happens to be the first Game of Thrones spin-off to head to our screens, with an earlier project canceled despite being made into a $30 million pilot. Then there’s the upcoming Jon Snow series, which will presumably act as more of a sequel.

Thankfully, you won’t have to wait long to watch the inter-generational exploits of House Targaryen – House of the Dragon will debut on HBO on August 21, 2022.

Want to find out more about Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon? Check out the latest details from the show and find out everything you need to know before it airs.

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

Marvel’s Black Widow is once again a legal battleground between Marvel and its talent.

The co-creators of Yelena Belova say they thought they had signed a contract entitling them to $25k apiece for the Black Widow movie and the various other appearances that came along with it, such as action figures and video games. Instead, they were paid just $5k.

“Having spoken to a number of creators, Marvel’s financial offerings seem a bit of a bait and switch,” artist J.G. Jones told The Hollywood Reporter. “They throw out a large number, then little by little they whittle down the actual payout.”

“It’s like the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes,” said writer Devin Grayson. “You could win $1 million, but you won’t.”

Essentially, the contract seems to offer very clear terms of payment. Her agreement, signed in 2007, states that Grayson would receive $25,000 for a theatrical film appearance of the character, $2,000 for an episode of TV over 30 minutes, and $1,000 for an episode of TV 30 minutes or less.

There’s even an agreement for toy sales and other merchandising, including action figure sales - $5,000 for one figure released in a single year, $10,000 for two, or $25,000 for three or more. When it comes to video games, there was a maximum of $30,000 to be shared among all creators who had a character in the game.

Not exactly huge amounts for properties that regularly make the company billions of dollars. Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the contract includes language that would grant Marvel broad discretion to dramatically lower payments.

One method of doing so is to split the sum of $25,000 between both artist and writer, meaning that Grayson and Jones would only ever have been entitled to a maximum of $12,500 each. Worse still, if the film features more than one character covered by a Special Character Agreement, the company is entitled to share the pot among all creators involved in that film.

Essentially, that original $25,000 would be shared between all stakeholders, including those behind characters such as Red Guardian and Melina Vostokoff. However, a Marvel source states that there is no ceiling to payments made in these cases – it’s likely that the studio paid more than $25,000 to all the artists and writers involved in the film.

Quite how much, remains a mystery,

Another way Marvel allegedly reduces its payments is by classifying some appearances as cameos. If a character appears for less than 15 percent of the film’s runtime, that’s considered a cameo, and this also reduces the amount creators are entitled to.

Hilariously, as THR points out, Captain America would be considered a cameo in Avengers: Infinity War after he only appeared for less than 7 minutes and 30 seconds.

Additionally, the Special Character Agreement – the contract at the heart of this dispute – is said to include an NDA, stopping writers and artists from speaking out. In many ways, creators who refuse to sign the agreement are better off.

One such creator, Joe Casey, says he received no payment for the use of his character, America Chavez, in the recent comic book movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

“Maybe $5,000 means something to some kid in his early 20s that doesn’t have a career,” said Casey. “For a lot of us who have been in the business for decades, it comes off as an insult.”

Unfortunately, $5000 sounds like a huge amount compared to a more recent payment.

After Yelena Belova appeared in the recent Hawkeye series, Grayson was expecting a $2000 payment per episode as per her contract. Instead, Marvel offered her just $300 per episode.

Of course, it’s not the first time Black Widow has been the source of legal proceedings with star Scarlett Johansson accusing Disney of breach of contract in a lawsuit following the release of the film on Disney+. Johansson’s suit has since been settled.

Want to find out more about Black Widow? Check out our review of the recent Marvel comic book movie, and find out where its villains rank on our list of the best big bads.

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

Marvel’s Black Widow is once again a legal battleground between Marvel and its talent.

The co-creators of Yelena Belova say they thought they had signed a contract entitling them to $25k apiece for the Black Widow movie and the various other appearances that came along with it, such as action figures and video games. Instead, they were paid just $5k.

“Having spoken to a number of creators, Marvel’s financial offerings seem a bit of a bait and switch,” artist J.G. Jones told The Hollywood Reporter. “They throw out a large number, then little by little they whittle down the actual payout.”

“It’s like the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes,” said writer Devin Grayson. “You could win $1 million, but you won’t.”

Essentially, the contract seems to offer very clear terms of payment. Her agreement, signed in 2007, states that Grayson would receive $25,000 for a theatrical film appearance of the character, $2,000 for an episode of TV over 30 minutes, and $1,000 for an episode of TV 30 minutes or less.

There’s even an agreement for toy sales and other merchandising, including action figure sales - $5,000 for one figure released in a single year, $10,000 for two, or $25,000 for three or more. When it comes to video games, there was a maximum of $30,000 to be shared among all creators who had a character in the game.

Not exactly huge amounts for properties that regularly make the company billions of dollars. Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the contract includes language that would grant Marvel broad discretion to dramatically lower payments.

One method of doing so is to split the sum of $25,000 between both artist and writer, meaning that Grayson and Jones would only ever have been entitled to a maximum of $12,500 each. Worse still, if the film features more than one character covered by a Special Character Agreement, the company is entitled to share the pot among all creators involved in that film.

Essentially, that original $25,000 would be shared between all stakeholders, including those behind characters such as Red Guardian and Melina Vostokoff. However, a Marvel source states that there is no ceiling to payments made in these cases – it’s likely that the studio paid more than $25,000 to all the artists and writers involved in the film.

Quite how much, remains a mystery,

Another way Marvel allegedly reduces its payments is by classifying some appearances as cameos. If a character appears for less than 15 percent of the film’s runtime, that’s considered a cameo, and this also reduces the amount creators are entitled to.

Hilariously, as THR points out, Captain America would be considered a cameo in Avengers: Infinity War after he only appeared for less than 7 minutes and 30 seconds.

Additionally, the Special Character Agreement – the contract at the heart of this dispute – is said to include an NDA, stopping writers and artists from speaking out. In many ways, creators who refuse to sign the agreement are better off.

One such creator, Joe Casey, says he received no payment for the use of his character, America Chavez, in the recent comic book movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

“Maybe $5,000 means something to some kid in his early 20s that doesn’t have a career,” said Casey. “For a lot of us who have been in the business for decades, it comes off as an insult.”

Unfortunately, $5000 sounds like a huge amount compared to a more recent payment.

After Yelena Belova appeared in the recent Hawkeye series, Grayson was expecting a $2000 payment per episode as per her contract. Instead, Marvel offered her just $300 per episode.

Of course, it’s not the first time Black Widow has been the source of legal proceedings with star Scarlett Johansson accusing Disney of breach of contract in a lawsuit following the release of the film on Disney+. Johansson’s suit has since been settled.

Want to find out more about Black Widow? Check out our review of the recent Marvel comic book movie, and find out where its villains rank on our list of the best big bads.

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

As the current conflict in Ukraine rages on, many across the world are seeking ways to help those affected. Comic book fans have a new option in the form of Flowers for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds, an anthology collection designed to benefit Operation USA's relief efforts.

Flowers for Ukraine is spearheaded and edited by IDW's Scott Dunbier, in collaboration with Zoop. This 112-page graphic novel features new stories from a number of high-profile creative teams. To get a better idea of what's being included, check out the slideshow gallery below:

Alongside stories inspired by the war in Ukraine, this book will also include new short stories from a variety of creator-owned franchises, including Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson's Astro City, Matt Wagner's Grendel, Sergio Aragones' Groo, Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo and Howard Chaykin's American Flagg. The hardcover edition features a cover by Alex Ross, while the three different softcover editions feature covers by Arthur Adams, Dave Johnson and Bill Sienkiewicz, respectively.

Comics for Ukraine is currently being crowdfunded on Zoop. While the campaign is already well past its initial fundraising goal, it's being extended to mark the start of Comic-Con and will now run until August 1.

The book will also be the focus of a special SDCC panel on Friday, July 22 at 11am PT in Room 10, where Dunbier and several creators will discuss the creation of Comics for Ukraine and officially hand over the campaign's first $100,000 check to an Operation USA representative.

For more on the ongoing situation in Ukraine, find out how Ukranian game developers are coping with the crisis, and learn more about how you can help civilians affected by the crisis.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

As the current conflict in Ukraine rages on, many across the world are seeking ways to help those affected. Comic book fans have a new option in the form of Flowers for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds, an anthology collection designed to benefit Operation USA's relief efforts.

Flowers for Ukraine is spearheaded and edited by IDW's Scott Dunbier, in collaboration with Zoop. This 112-page graphic novel features new stories from a number of high-profile creative teams. To get a better idea of what's being included, check out the slideshow gallery below:

Alongside stories inspired by the war in Ukraine, this book will also include new short stories from a variety of creator-owned franchises, including Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson's Astro City, Matt Wagner's Grendel, Sergio Aragones' Groo, Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo and Howard Chaykin's American Flagg. The hardcover edition features a cover by Alex Ross, while the three different softcover editions feature covers by Arthur Adams, Dave Johnson and Bill Sienkiewicz, respectively.

Comics for Ukraine is currently being crowdfunded on Zoop. While the campaign is already well past its initial fundraising goal, it's being extended to mark the start of Comic-Con and will now run until August 1.

The book will also be the focus of a special SDCC panel on Friday, July 22 at 11am PT in Room 10, where Dunbier and several creators will discuss the creation of Comics for Ukraine and officially hand over the campaign's first $100,000 check to an Operation USA representative.

For more on the ongoing situation in Ukraine, find out how Ukranian game developers are coping with the crisis, and learn more about how you can help civilians affected by the crisis.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

LEGO has announced three new sets based on James Cameron's Avatar in the run-up to San Diego Comic-Con.

Joining the Toruk Makto & Tree of Souls set announced in June, the Neytiri & Thanator vs. AMP Suit Quaritch set, Jake & Neytiri’s First Banshee Flight set, and Floating Mountains: Site 26 & RDA Samson set will be released on October 1.

The first (and cheapest) LEGO set, the Neytiri & Thanator vs. AMP Suit Quaritch (number 75571) will retail for $39.99 and comes with 560 pieces and comes with two minifigures as the name suggests: Neytiri and Colonel Miles Quaritch.

The Jake and Neytiri's First Banshee Flight set (number 75572) recreates the iconic scene from the movie as it comes with both character as minifgures and the two banshees. It will retail for $59.99 but comes with only 12 more pieces than the previous set at 572.

Finally, the Floating Mountains: Site 26 & RDA Samson (number 75573) is the biggest and most expensive of the three newly revealed sets, coming in at 887 pieces with a price of $89.99. It comes with five minifigures (Jake as a human and a Na'vi, Norm, Grace Augustine, and Trudy) along with the SA-2 Samson helicopter and science lab.

The Toruk Makto & Tree of Souls set is therefore still the biggest of the new Avatar range, with a price of $149.99 and 1212 pieces. The franchise is once again receiving mainstream attention as the second film, Avatar: The Way of Water, hits cinemas on September 23, 2022.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

LEGO has announced three new sets based on James Cameron's Avatar in the run-up to San Diego Comic-Con.

Joining the Toruk Makto & Tree of Souls set announced in June, the Neytiri & Thanator vs. AMP Suit Quaritch set, Jake & Neytiri’s First Banshee Flight set, and Floating Mountains: Site 26 & RDA Samson set will be released on October 1.

The first (and cheapest) LEGO set, the Neytiri & Thanator vs. AMP Suit Quaritch (number 75571) will retail for $39.99 and comes with 560 pieces and comes with two minifigures as the name suggests: Neytiri and Colonel Miles Quaritch.

The Jake and Neytiri's First Banshee Flight set (number 75572) recreates the iconic scene from the movie as it comes with both character as minifgures and the two banshees. It will retail for $59.99 but comes with only 12 more pieces than the previous set at 572.

Finally, the Floating Mountains: Site 26 & RDA Samson (number 75573) is the biggest and most expensive of the three newly revealed sets, coming in at 887 pieces with a price of $89.99. It comes with five minifigures (Jake as a human and a Na'vi, Norm, Grace Augustine, and Trudy) along with the SA-2 Samson helicopter and science lab.

The Toruk Makto & Tree of Souls set is therefore still the biggest of the new Avatar range, with a price of $149.99 and 1212 pieces. The franchise is once again receiving mainstream attention as the second film, Avatar: The Way of Water, hits cinemas on September 23, 2022.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Konami is developing a baseball video game in partnership with the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) alongside an international esports competition.

Very little has been revealed about the game given the deal was just announced today, July 20, but the two companies said the new game "will allow the global baseball community, National Federations, and gamers worldwide to participate in a potential newly/jointly created WBSC esport international baseball competition."

It therefore appears the game will lean heavily into this competitive side, with Konami's representative director Hideki Hayakawa also describing it as a "global esports initiative".

He continued: "We wish to continue to support the development of the baseball and softball communities around the world through our games by utilizing our experiences in games and eSport."

The two companies also collaborated for a virtual baseball event last year that used Japanese-only game eBaseball: Powerful Pro Baseball 2020 to create events including a Home Run Derby and a full tournament.

"Following our partnership and immense success at the inaugural Olympic Virtual Series last year, the WBSC is proud to work with a video game publishing giant like Konami on this exciting new project, which has unlimited potential to further grow our sport and connect with audiences that we’ve not yet reached before," said WBSC president Riccardo Fraccari.

"The WBSC, together with Konami, aims to harness esport to expand the baseball population worldwide while adding another powerful tool for National Federations to attract and make our sport relevant to new audiences and players [and] gamers in their respective countries and territories.”

Konami's other premiere sports franchise, eFootball (previously Pro Evolution Soccer), has had a difficult few months since a pretty disastrous pre-release version was released last September. The development team attempted to "regain the trust" of players but even its major update in April failed to improve much, with IGN saying it was bad in our 4/10 review.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.