Tony Sirico, the actor best-known for playing Paulie Walnuts in The Sopranos, has died. He was 79.

Sopranos co-star Michael Imperioli confirmed the news in an Instagram post, saying, "I did a lot of my best and most fun work with my dear pal Tony."

It pains me to say that my dear friend, colleague and partner in crime, the great TONY SIRICO has passed away today. Tony was like no one else: he was as tough, as loyal and as big hearted as anyone i’ve ever known. I was at his side through so much: through good times and bad. But mostly good. And we had a lot of laughs. We found a groove as Christopher and Paulie and I am proud to say I did a lot of my best and most fun work with my dear pal Tony. I will miss him forever. He is truly irreplaceable. I send love to his family, friends and his many many fans. He was beloved and will never be forgotten. Heartbroken today.

Imperioli played Christopher Moltisanti, Tony Sopranos' protege, while Sirico played one of the group's chief henchmen to "violent, paranoid perfection." In The Many Saints of Newark, the role of Paulie Walnuts was portrayed by Billy Magnussen.

While Sirico was most famous for his role in The Sopranos, it was far from his only role as a gangster. His tough guy persona and Brooklyn accent made him a natural for roles in movies including Goodfellas, Cop Land, and Gotti.

He remained active in film and television long after the conclusion of The Sopranos, most recently appearing in American Dad, where he naturally played a mobster.

Back in 2020, we said that The Sopranos was still the "Godfather of Peak TV." Now is a great time to revisit it and pay tribute to one of the performers who helped define the television gangster.

Blogroll image credit: HBO

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

After four years of development, Studio Stray Dog has finally released its animated short film dedicated to Dragon Ball Z, and it's absolutely gorgeous.

Titled Legend - A Dragon Ball Tale, the eight-minute film features an intense battle between Dragon Ball mainstays including Goku and Broly. It includes a new take on Dragon Ball's famous transformations, which feel almost brutal in this take on Akira Toriyama's classic, and is dedicated to "every child who believed they could train in 100 times earth's gravity."

Yikes! The support has been overwhelming and awesome. I feel like #Goku receiving life energy for a huge Spirit Bomb! THANK YOU ALL!!

I guess I can finally let the secret out, huh?; Broly's in it ; )https://t.co/LZzUXLjgU6#DragonBallZ #vegeta #broly #chichi #animation pic.twitter.com/2nSiRwin4u

— Nas Pasha (@reMENgeance) July 7, 2022

The project was spearheaded by veteran storyboard artist and animator Nas Pasha, whose other projects include Rise of the TMNT: The Movie, Masters of the Universe: Revelation, and an undisclosed Marvel Studios projects described as "something all Marvel fans have always wanted."

"Yikes! The support has been overwhelming and awesome. I feel like #Goku receiving life energy for a huge Spirit Bomb! THANK YOU ALL!!" Pasha tweeted when the video went live. "I guess I can finally let the secret out, huh?; Broly's in it ; )"

The animation has drawn major praise from the Dragon Ball community, who have compared it to Studio Trigger and other famous anime studios.

“Animation takes a lot of time and energy and focus and budget and time. We had all that stuff except the budget,” Pasha says following the film. “My entire team did this out of the sheer enthusiasm for Dragon Ball Z and the project itself.”

Elsewhere, Dragon Ball is still going strong, with Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero due to release on August 19. A new trailer for the film was recently released, featuring a classic DBZ villain and more.

Thanks to Christopher Inoa for the tip.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

After four years of development, Studio Stray Dog has finally released its animated short film dedicated to Dragon Ball Z, and it's absolutely gorgeous.

Titled Legend - A Dragon Ball Tale, the eight-minute film features an intense battle between Dragon Ball mainstays including Goku and Broly. It includes a new take on Dragon Ball's famous transformations, which feel almost brutal in this take on Akira Toriyama's classic, and is dedicated to "every child who believed they could train in 100 times earth's gravity."

Yikes! The support has been overwhelming and awesome. I feel like #Goku receiving life energy for a huge Spirit Bomb! THANK YOU ALL!!

I guess I can finally let the secret out, huh?; Broly's in it ; )https://t.co/LZzUXLjgU6#DragonBallZ #vegeta #broly #chichi #animation pic.twitter.com/2nSiRwin4u

— Nas Pasha (@reMENgeance) July 7, 2022

The project was spearheaded by veteran storyboard artist and animator Nas Pasha, whose other projects include Rise of the TMNT: The Movie, Masters of the Universe: Revelation, and an undisclosed Marvel Studios projects described as "something all Marvel fans have always wanted."

"Yikes! The support has been overwhelming and awesome. I feel like #Goku receiving life energy for a huge Spirit Bomb! THANK YOU ALL!!" Pasha tweeted when the video went live. "I guess I can finally let the secret out, huh?; Broly's in it ; )"

The animation has drawn major praise from the Dragon Ball community, who have compared it to Studio Trigger and other famous anime studios.

“Animation takes a lot of time and energy and focus and budget and time. We had all that stuff except the budget,” Pasha says following the film. “My entire team did this out of the sheer enthusiasm for Dragon Ball Z and the project itself.”

Elsewhere, Dragon Ball is still going strong, with Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero due to release on August 19. A new trailer for the film was recently released, featuring a classic DBZ villain and more.

Thanks to Christopher Inoa for the tip.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Elon Musk won't be buying Twitter after all. As reported by Bloomberg's Ed Ludlow, Musk is terminating his agreement to purchase the social media giant based on a new filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC].

Twitter was formally notified that the $44 billion deal, which would have taken the social media private amid a host of other changes, was being terminated on Friday. This follows months of speculation that Musk had gotten cold feet over the deal as he repeatedly complained about what he said was Twitter's refusal to disclose all of its data on spam bots.

Earlier this week, Musk's Twitter buyout was reported to be in "serious jeopardy" as negotiations dragged on. Now it has been canceled entirely.

More from filing: On July 8, 2022, the Reporting Person's advisors sent a letter to Twitter (on the Reporting Person's behalf) formally notifying Twitter that the Reporting Person is terminating their merger agreement. $TWTR @elonmusk

— Ed Ludlow (@EdLudlow) July 8, 2022

In response to the deal's cancellation, Twitter is suing Musk. In a tweet shortly after the news, Twitter chairman Bret Taylor wrote, "The Twitter Board is committed to closing the transaction on the price and terms agreed upon with Mr. Musk and plans to pursue legal action to enforce the merger agreement. We are confident we will prevail in the Delaware Court of Chancery."
Musk first offered to buy Twitter back on April, prompting the company's board of directors to adopt a "poison pill" plan to try and block the deal. Twitter subsequently reversed course and agreed to the $44 billion buyout, which Musk called his "best and final" offer.

In adding Twitter to holdings that also includes SpaceX and Tesla, Musk said that he would be rolling back moderation policies while unbanning controversial figured like former President Donald Trump. He also vowed to address what he called Twitter's persistent problem with spam bots and fake accounts.

The Twitter Board is committed to closing the transaction on the price and terms agreed upon with Mr. Musk and plans to pursue legal action to enforce the merger agreement. We are confident we will prevail in the Delaware Court of Chancery.

— Bret Taylor (@btaylor) July 8, 2022

After the deal was accepted, Musk continuously sparred with Twitter, claiming breach of contract over what he claimed was its unwillingness to divulge the true number of fake accounts on the platform. Twitter, for its part, moved steadily ahead with the deal, with the board unaminously recommending that shareholders vote in favor of the deal. It also began laying off employees in preparation for the completion of the merger.

Elon Musk has not yet responded to the deal termination.

The fallout from the deal is apt to be significant, though the consequences remain unclear for now. One way or another, Twitter will remain public.

Blogroll image credit: Jim Watson/Getty Images.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Elon Musk won't be buying Twitter after all. As reported by Bloomberg's Ed Ludlow, Musk is terminating his agreement to purchase the social media giant based on a new filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC].

Twitter was formally notified that the $44 billion deal, which would have taken the social media private amid a host of other changes, was being terminated on Friday. This follows months of speculation that Musk had gotten cold feet over the deal as he repeatedly complained about what he said was Twitter's refusal to disclose all of its data on spam bots.

Earlier this week, Musk's Twitter buyout was reported to be in "serious jeopardy" as negotiations dragged on. Now it has been canceled entirely.

More from filing: On July 8, 2022, the Reporting Person's advisors sent a letter to Twitter (on the Reporting Person's behalf) formally notifying Twitter that the Reporting Person is terminating their merger agreement. $TWTR @elonmusk

— Ed Ludlow (@EdLudlow) July 8, 2022

In response to the deal's cancellation, Twitter is suing Musk. In a tweet shortly after the news, Twitter chairman Bret Taylor wrote, "The Twitter Board is committed to closing the transaction on the price and terms agreed upon with Mr. Musk and plans to pursue legal action to enforce the merger agreement. We are confident we will prevail in the Delaware Court of Chancery."
Musk first offered to buy Twitter back on April, prompting the company's board of directors to adopt a "poison pill" plan to try and block the deal. Twitter subsequently reversed course and agreed to the $44 billion buyout, which Musk called his "best and final" offer.

In adding Twitter to holdings that also includes SpaceX and Tesla, Musk said that he would be rolling back moderation policies while unbanning controversial figured like former President Donald Trump. He also vowed to address what he called Twitter's persistent problem with spam bots and fake accounts.

The Twitter Board is committed to closing the transaction on the price and terms agreed upon with Mr. Musk and plans to pursue legal action to enforce the merger agreement. We are confident we will prevail in the Delaware Court of Chancery.

— Bret Taylor (@btaylor) July 8, 2022

After the deal was accepted, Musk continuously sparred with Twitter, claiming breach of contract over what he claimed was its unwillingness to divulge the true number of fake accounts on the platform. Twitter, for its part, moved steadily ahead with the deal, with the board unaminously recommending that shareholders vote in favor of the deal. It also began laying off employees in preparation for the completion of the merger.

Elon Musk has not yet responded to the deal termination.

The fallout from the deal is apt to be significant, though the consequences remain unclear for now. One way or another, Twitter will remain public.

Blogroll image credit: Jim Watson/Getty Images.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

George R.R. Martin is still working on Winds of Winter, as he has been for more than a decade at this point. The creator of Game of Thrones is still reticent to offer a detailed update lest he spoil the story by mistake, but he does say that A Song of Ice and Fire is moving "further and further away from the television series."

Writing on his blog, Martin talked about what he called the "inevitable" departure from the series, saying that certain things that happened on the HBO Show "will not happen in the books." That includes new characters, who he says the major players will be encountering "in lands far and near."

What's more, not all of those major characters are guaranteed to survive, Martin says, though he reserves the right to change his mind.

"One thing I can say, in general enough terms that I will not be spoiling anything: not all of the characters who survived until the end of GAME OF THRONES will survive until the end of A SONG OF ICE & FIRE, and not all of the characters who died on GAME OF THRONES will die in A SONG OF ICE & FIRE. (Some will, sure. Of course. Maybe most. But definitely not all) ((Of course, I could change my mind again next week, with the next chapter I write. That's gardening))," Martin writes.

Fans have feverishly speculated on how Winds of Winter will differ from the show ever since its divisive finale. Martin has hinted at various points that he reserves the right to go in a different direction from the series, but this is the strongest indication yet that the books will be a dramatic departure from HBO's depiction of the events in and around King's Landing.

In the meantime, more Game of Thrones projects are underway, including a Jon Snow sequel series reportedly pitched by Kit Harington. And with San Diego Comic-Con later this month, there will no doubt be plenty more Game of Thrones news where that came from.

As for the Winds of Winter, the wait continues.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

George R.R. Martin is still working on Winds of Winter, as he has been for more than a decade at this point. The creator of Game of Thrones is still reticent to offer a detailed update lest he spoil the story by mistake, but he does say that A Song of Ice and Fire is moving "further and further away from the television series."

Writing on his blog, Martin talked about what he called the "inevitable" departure from the series, saying that certain things that happened on the HBO Show "will not happen in the books." That includes new characters, who he says the major players will be encountering "in lands far and near."

What's more, not all of those major characters are guaranteed to survive, Martin says, though he reserves the right to change his mind.

"One thing I can say, in general enough terms that I will not be spoiling anything: not all of the characters who survived until the end of GAME OF THRONES will survive until the end of A SONG OF ICE & FIRE, and not all of the characters who died on GAME OF THRONES will die in A SONG OF ICE & FIRE. (Some will, sure. Of course. Maybe most. But definitely not all) ((Of course, I could change my mind again next week, with the next chapter I write. That's gardening))," Martin writes.

Fans have feverishly speculated on how Winds of Winter will differ from the show ever since its divisive finale. Martin has hinted at various points that he reserves the right to go in a different direction from the series, but this is the strongest indication yet that the books will be a dramatic departure from HBO's depiction of the events in and around King's Landing.

In the meantime, more Game of Thrones projects are underway, including a Jon Snow sequel series reportedly pitched by Kit Harington. And with San Diego Comic-Con later this month, there will no doubt be plenty more Game of Thrones news where that came from.

As for the Winds of Winter, the wait continues.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Captain America 4 will be directed by Nigerian-American filmmaker Julius Onah, who previously directed The Cloverfield Paradox.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Onah will serve as the director on the next Captain America movie, marking his MCU debut.

The next Captain America movie will star Anthony Mackie, picking up from his transformation into the next Captain at the end of Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Mackie's character Sam Wilson originally took the mantle of Falcon before inheriting Captain America's shield at the end of Avengers: Endgame.

Falcon and the Winter Soldier creator Malcom Spellman is currently writing the script for the next Captain America movie alongside staff writer Dalan Musson.

No word on whether Sebastian Stan will reprise his role as Bucky (aka Winter Soldier) or even if Chris Evans might return as well.

Onah is best known for his work on the third Cloverfield movie which was surprise-released after the 2018 Super Bowl. He also directed the drama Luce starring Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, and MCU alumn Tim Roth.

Falcon and the Winter Soldier was one of Disney's first original Marvel series for its streaming service and reunited Sam Wilson with Bucky and the villain Baron Zemo. While the characters shone brightly the storylines were a bit thin. Read our full Falcon and the Winter soldier review here.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Captain America 4 will be directed by Nigerian-American filmmaker Julius Onah, who previously directed The Cloverfield Paradox.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Onah will serve as the director on the next Captain America movie, marking his MCU debut.

The next Captain America movie will star Anthony Mackie, picking up from his transformation into the next Captain at the end of Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Mackie's character Sam Wilson originally took the mantle of Falcon before inheriting Captain America's shield at the end of Avengers: Endgame.

Falcon and the Winter Soldier creator Malcom Spellman is currently writing the script for the next Captain America movie alongside staff writer Dalan Musson.

No word on whether Sebastian Stan will reprise his role as Bucky (aka Winter Soldier) or even if Chris Evans might return as well.

Onah is best known for his work on the third Cloverfield movie which was surprise-released after the 2018 Super Bowl. He also directed the drama Luce starring Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, and MCU alumn Tim Roth.

Falcon and the Winter Soldier was one of Disney's first original Marvel series for its streaming service and reunited Sam Wilson with Bucky and the villain Baron Zemo. While the characters shone brightly the storylines were a bit thin. Read our full Falcon and the Winter soldier review here.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Paleontologists have discovered a new giant predatory dinosaur and it had teeny tiny itty bitty arms.

The Meraxes Gigas, uncovered in northern Patagonia, Argentina, roamed the earth millions of years before Tyrannosaurus rex. But Juan Canale, the project lead at Ernesto Bachmann Paleontological Museum in Neuquén, Argentina, tells CNN that Meraxes has no direct relation to T. Rex.

After recovering a nearly complete forelimb, paleontologists determined that Meraxes had much smaller arms compared to the size of the rest of its body. Similar to a very famous predatory dinosaur we all know and love from movies.

Despite the discovery of many fossils the specifics on the anatomy of Meraxes have evaded scientists for nearly 30 years. The fossil the researchers recently unearthed has revealed much more about the carnivore, including that it was 36 feet long and weighed more than four tons.

The predators belong to the Carcharodontosaurid, a group of dinosaurs that inhabited most continents during the Early Cretaceous period.

While paleontologists continue to study the new bones for deeper insight into the Meraxes, it has been given an appropriate name for now.

According to the science journal Current Biology, Meraxes was named after a dragon in A Song of Ice and Fire ridden by Queen Rhaenys Targaryen, who is set to appear in the upcoming series House of the Dragon.

Michelle Jalbert is a social coordinator and contributing freelancer for IGN.