‘Mary Magdalene’ director Garth Davis has begun filming his next project, the science fiction thriller ‘Foe,’ in Victoria, Australia. Amazon Studios is the production company behind the movie, which is based on a novel by Iain Reid, who co-wrote it with Davis.
“Amazon Studios announced today that production has started in Victoria, Australia on the upcoming Amazon Original film Foe. The Garth Davis-helmed sci-fi psychological thriller, written by Davis and Iain Reid, is an adaptation of Reid’s 2018 best-selling novel, and stars Saoirse Ronan, Paul Mescal, and Aaron Pierre,” Amazon said in a press release. “Producers include Kerry Kohansky-Roberts on behalf of AC Studios, Davis for I Am That, and Emile Sherman and Iain Canning for See-Saw Films. Executive producers include Reid, and I Am That’s Samantha Lang. Libby Sharpe will co-produce for I Am That and See-Saw Films.”
‘Foe’ is the second novel by Reid, having been published in August 2018. The novelist described the work of fiction as a “philosophical suspense story.”
Amazon describes the plot of the movie as follows,
“Set in the near future when corporate power and environmental decay are ravaging the planet, Foe tells the story of Hen and Junior, a young, married couple living a solitary life on their isolated farm. One night, a knock on the door from a stranger named Terrance changes everything: Junior has been randomly selected to travel to a large, experimental space station orbiting Earth.”
This will be Davis’ first project since ‘Mary Magdalene and ‘Lion,’ a film that was nominated for Academy Award for Best Picture, losing to ‘Moonlight.’ Though it won several awards at AACTA including Best Film and Best Director.
Reid’s first psychological thriller novel ‘I’m Thinking of Ending Things’ was made into a Netflix film by director Charlie Kaufman.
Garth Davis Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Foe’ Begins Filming
Funimation Unveils English Dub Cast For ‘Sasaki and Miyano’
‘Sasaki and Miyano’ is a slice of life manga by Shō Harusono. The series began in 2016 with Media Factory publishing it on their online magazine ‘pixiv Comic.’ It was picked up by the Japanese animation company Studio Deen for an anime adaption that launched in January 2022 with Shinji Ishihira serving as director and Funimation acquiring the license for an English dub.
“Hey, can we borrow you for a minute? We’d like to give you the deets on our latest English dub of Winter 2022, Sasaki and Miyano,” Funimation said on their website. “Taking the lead is Kellen Goff (Akudama Drive) and Joshua Waters (Ishida and Asakura) as the titular Sasaki and Miyano, joined by Brandon McInnis (Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan) as Hirano, Kayleigh McKee (Kageki Shojo!!) as Kuresawa, and Y. Chang (Horimiya) Tashiro.
The anime will also receive a special OVA along with the release of the manga’s ninth volume in January 2022.
Funimation shared their excitement on social media:
Us reading Sasaki and Miyano over and over again while we wait for @yenpress to release the next volume.
[via Sasaki and Miyano] pic.twitter.com/hywrUZ6DZR— Funimation (@Funimation) February 2, 2022
MyAnimeList describes the plot as follows:
“Yoshikazu Miyano’s troubles first start one hot summer day when Shuumei Sasaki steps into his life. Sasaki saves Miyano’s classmate from a group of bullies, and after that, Miyano cannot seem to shake off his eccentric upperclassman. His silent admiration for Sasaki gradually sours into annoyance each time the so-called delinquent refuses to leave him alone. Constantly being called by cute nicknames and having his boundaries ignored, Miyano wonders why Sasaki wants to get close to him.
The shy and easily flustered Miyano harbors an embarrassing secret—he is a “fudanshi,” a boy who likes boys’ love (BL) manga. The last thing he wants is for other students to find out, but through a slip of the tongue, he reveals the truth to Sasaki. Intrigued, the clueless Sasaki asks to borrow a book to read, which he is given very reluctantly. To Miyano’s surprise, Sasaki enjoys the BL that he receives and asks for more, marking a shift in their strange dynamic.
Although Sasaki appears to possess some personal agenda, his feelings for Miyano become complicated the more time they spend together. As they now share a common interest, their relationship is poised to change and further develop.”
Emily Fajardo serves as the ADR director.
Robert Pattinson Opens Up About Portraying The Batman
‘The Lighthouse’ actor Robert Pattinson will be the next celebrity to portray Bruce Wayne in the Matt Reeves film ‘The Batman.’ He will be taking over the role from Ben Affleck who previously portrayed the DC Comics vigilante in ‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice’ and ‘Justice League.’
During an interview with Total Film, Pattinson opened up about portraying the Guardian of Gotham and even shared why he loves the previous Batman movies.
“I was aiming for quite different stuff,” he explained. “Obviously it’s basically the jewel in the crown, of the parts you can really get as an actor. But I’d never really thought I was anywhere close to doing it, and especially with the other parts I was attracted to at the time.”
“I just kept obsessively checking up on it for the next year or so,” Pattinson continued. “Even my agents were like, ‘Oh, interesting. I thought you only wanted to play total freaks?’ And I was like, ‘He is a freak!'”
The conversation then shifted to talk of other Batman films and Pattinson noted that he loves all of them, with no caveat.
“Out of all the comic-book characters and that kind of movie, I’ve seen every single one of the [Batman] movies in the cinema, which I can’t really say I’ve done for any other series,” he said. “I was always really looking forward to them coming out. There was the combination of just being so attracted to it, but also feeling like it’d had a lot of movies made about it, and none of them are bad movies. People kind of shit on some of them, but they’re not actually bad. They all kind of completely achieve what they set out to achieve, and they’re all really interesting, according to their time and place. I don’t know. I just had a weird instinct about it. But I’ve always loved the character.”
Robert Pattison will share the role of Batman with Michael Keaton, reprising the role from the Tim Burton films as an older version of Bruce Wayne in ‘The Flash,’ which is rumored to reboot the DCEU.
Sci-Fi Anime ‘Sabikui Bisco’ Gets An English Dub
‘Sabikui Bisco’ also known as ‘Rust–Eater Bisco’ is a science fiction anime based on a series of light novel written by Japanese author Shinji Cobkubo with illustrations by K. Akagashi. Originally published by ASCII Media Works, Square Enix would develop a manga version that featured artwork by Yūsuke Takahashi.
The anime was released in January 2022. It is directed by Atsushi Itagaki and produced by the Japanese animation studio OZ with Funimation acquiring the license to make an English dub.
“It’s officially time to turn on Crab Rave, as we’re clapping our claws with excitement to reveal the English dub cast and crew for Sabikui Bisco,” Funimation said on their website. “Traversing the wasteland is Kyle Igneczi (Toilet-bound Hanako-kun) as the fungi fun guy Bisco, who’ll be riding alongside David Novinski (Golden Kamuy) as Jabi and Brandon McInnis (Dr. STONE) as Milo.”
The series also features Anastasia Muñoz, Brittney Karbowski, and Josh Putnam.
You can watch the trailer below:
MyAnimeList describes the plot as follows:
“A plague-like wind blows across the arid, sandy expanse of a post-apocalyptic Japan. As it sweeps over the living and nonliving alike, rust is all that remains in its wake. The cause of the catastrophic state of the world is believed to be mushroom spores. Bisco Akaboshi, known as the “Man-Eating Mushroom,” is a wanted criminal archer whose arrows instantly grow mushrooms wherever they land. However, he is in truth a “Mushroom Protector,” a person who spreads fungi in order to enrich the land and return it to its previous state.
Alongside the crab Akutagawa and young doctor Milo Nekoyanagi, Bisco ventures through the wastelands of Japan searching for the legendary “Sabikui”—a panacean mushroom said to devour all forms of rust.”
Jeremy Inman serves as the ADR Director.
Discord Support Is Now Available For The Playstion 4 and Playstation 5!
You can now link your favorite Discord community to your Playstation account, making it easier for your friends to connect with you when you’re away from the app. After months and months of waiting, Discord has finally started to roll out connectivity between users’ PSN accounts and the digital distribution platform.
While this latest connection is a bit limited, it will allow users to see which titles they’re playing on Sony’s current and last-gen platforms. Of course, this type of info is already available for those who connect their Steam and Blizzard accounts, to name a few.
In order to use Discord on your PS4 or PS5, you’ll need to connect your PSN account via the PC or phone app. Click here to see the full announcement and instructions from Discord. From the images below, it looks like a simple process.
Whether you stick to single-player games or enjoy having your friends join in on multiplayer endeavors, your friends from all over the world will be able to see all sorts of PlayStation games you’re playing and start a conversation about wanting to jump in and play with you.
From what I can tell, this integration will not include streaming game footage to Discord yet. Luckily, Discord does work alongside Twitch. So, there are workarounds. If and when you do connect your PSN account to Discord, this is how your profile will look to others:
What do you think of this somewhat minimal integration between Playstation and Discord? Let us know in the comments section below.
[Source: Discord]
Josef Fares’s ‘It Takes Two’ Could Be Heading To The Big Screen
It Takes Two may be heading to the big screen and TV thanks to a new collaboration between Hazelight Studios and dj2 Entertainment.
We spotted this news over at Variety. The exclusive story about the production company’s latest team-up comes as no surprise, seeing that dj2 has been on the hunt for several popular IPs over the past couple of years. The company co-produced Sonic the Hedgehog with Paramount and currently has Life is Strange, Little Nightmares, My Friend Pedro, and Teddy Ruxpin in the adaptation pipeline.
It Takes Two is a multi-player game published by EA. It is available on Steam, Origin, XBOX, and Playstation. The game revolves around a separating couple (May and Cody) who are magically transformed into small playthings and must learn to work together to reach their daughter in more ways than one.
The game’s aesthetic certainly lends itself well to the cinema, especially if the film were to have a stop-motion look to it. IT2 could also make for an exciting television series following the adventures of Cody and May as they try to regain their human form. I see the future going either way for this property.
Dmitri M. Johnson, the founder and current CEO of dj2, told Variety, “Just like the rest of the gaming world, we fell head-over-heels in love with Cody, May, Rose, Dr. Hakim, and the imaginative fantasy universe Hazelight have created, and can’t wait to bring these characters -and this world- to life on the big and small screen.”
It Takes Two is a pretty decent allegory for what it takes for a marriage to work. The game is strictly co-op and requires patients, timing, and communication from both players. I’ve played a few hours of it with my wife, which almost led to our divorce. I’m not sure if that was the outcome Fares and his team at Hazelight Studios was going for, but it certainly worked.
The unique title has a Metascore of 88 and a user score of 8.8 at Metacritic. If you happen to buy the game, you can share a copy with a friend at no additional cost.
Have you played It Takes Two on PC or consoles? What are your opinions on the game, its art style, and the gameplay mechanics? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
[Source: Variety]
Ryo Shirakome’s Light Novel Series ‘Arifureta – From Commonplace to World’s Strongest’ Is Coming To An End
‘Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest’ is an isekai fantasy series by Japanese author Ryo Shirakome that was originally published online by Shōsetsuka ni Narō, but was picked up in 2015 for a light novel release by J-Novel Club and as manga by the magazine Comic Gardo. Its popularity led to an anime by White Fox and Studio Mother. Unfortunately for fans, it was announced that the light novels will come to an end with its thirteenth volume.
Shirakome placed a note to fans at the conclusion of the twelfth volume that the next entry would be the final one, the Anime News Network reports. This comes on the heels that the prequel series ‘Arifureta Zero’ concluded in 2021.
"Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest" by Ryo Shirakome x Takayaki will end its main story in the upcoming 13th volume of the Light Novel pic.twitter.com/BIyXBq2dTB
— Sneaky🧪 (@sneakyntr) January 25, 2022
Wikipedia describes the synopsis as follows,
“High-schooler Hajime Nagumo is bullied by his classmate for his relationship with the class idol, Kaori. When he and the rest of his class are transported to a fantasy world, all of his classmates get powerful magical abilities, while Hajime only gains the basic alchemical magic to transmute solid materials, a common ability usually found in craftsmen and smiths. During a dungeon raid, he is betrayed by one of his classmates and dropped to the bottom of the dungeon. He survives the fall and creates weapons to escape the dungeon and become stronger. On his journey, he meets with the imprisoned vampire Yue, and later is joined by the bunny-eared Shea, the perverted dragon Tio, and others.”
The light novel series has been in print since 2015 with four volumes of the manga version released since 2017. It is illustrated by artist RoGa with illustrator Takayaki handling the six volumes of the ‘Arifureta Zero’ prequel.
The first season of the anime adaption from the Japanese animation company White Fox ran for thirteen episodes in 2019 and a few OVAs. Studio Mother would take over for the second season which launched in 2022.
Ryo Shirakome’s Light Novel Series ‘Arifureta – From Commonplace to World’s Strongest’ Is Coming To An End
‘Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest’ is an isekai fantasy series by Japanese author Ryo Shirakome that was originally published online by Shōsetsuka ni Narō, but was picked up in 2015 for a light novel release by J-Novel Club and as manga by the magazine Comic Gardo. Its popularity led to an anime by White Fox and Studio Mother. Unfortunately for fans, it was announced that the light novels will come to an end with its thirteenth volume.
Shirakome placed a note to fans at the conclusion of the twelfth volume that the next entry would be the final one, the Anime News Network reports. This comes on the heels that the prequel series ‘Arifureta Zero’ concluded in 2021.
"Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest" by Ryo Shirakome x Takayaki will end its main story in the upcoming 13th volume of the Light Novel pic.twitter.com/BIyXBq2dTB
— Sneaky🧪 (@sneakyntr) January 25, 2022
Wikipedia describes the synopsis as follows,
“High-schooler Hajime Nagumo is bullied by his classmate for his relationship with the class idol, Kaori. When he and the rest of his class are transported to a fantasy world, all of his classmates get powerful magical abilities, while Hajime only gains the basic alchemical magic to transmute solid materials, a common ability usually found in craftsmen and smiths. During a dungeon raid, he is betrayed by one of his classmates and dropped to the bottom of the dungeon. He survives the fall and creates weapons to escape the dungeon and become stronger. On his journey, he meets with the imprisoned vampire Yue, and later is joined by the bunny-eared Shea, the perverted dragon Tio, and others.”
The light novel series has been in print since 2015 with four volumes of the manga version released since 2017. It is illustrated by artist RoGa with illustrator Takayaki handling the six volumes of the ‘Arifureta Zero’ prequel.
The first season of the anime adaption from the Japanese animation company White Fox ran for thirteen episodes in 2019 and a few OVAs. Studio Mother would take over for the second season which launched in 2022.
Funimation Launches Dub For ‘Requiem of the Rose King’ Anime
Funimation is launching the English dub for the alternate history drama anime ‘Baraou no Souretsu,’ known in English as ‘Requiem of the Rose King.’ The show is produced by J.C.Staff and is based on a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Aya Kanno. The first dubbed episode appeared on the Funimation Now streaming service on January 30th.
“What light through yonder window breaks? It’s the Requiem of the Rose King English dub, and we’re excited to announce the series cast and crew, including Ciarán Strange (ASTRA LOST IN SPACE) as Richard,” they said on their website.
The rest of the cast includes Landon McDonald as Henry, J. Michael Tatum as the Duke of York, E. Jason Liebrecht as Edward, Aaron Campbell as George, Brent Mukai as Warwick, Ian Sinclair as Catesby, Emi Lo as Anne, Morgan Laure as Cecily, and Kayleigh McKee as Joan of Arc.
You can watch the trailer below:
MyAnimeList describes the synopsis as follows:
“The crown of England has been hotly contested throughout history, and in the Middle Ages, a series of great civil wars became known as the War of the Roses. Claiming a right to the throne, the Duke of York seeks to unseat King Henry VI and his heir in order to become king himself.
On a dark day filled with many ill omens, the Duke gains a son: Richard Plantagenet, third of his name. Neither male nor female, but instead possessing characteristics of both sexes, Richard III is immediately reviled by his mother. Her hatred defines his childhood, leading to a deep disgust toward his own body and an adverse reaction to being called a demon.
Richard grows up troubled by visions of England’s former foe, Joan of Arc, who taunts that he will bring ruin to all who know him. He believes that he can attain salvation by helping his father achieve his destiny of becoming the king. However, cursed by the expectations of both his mother and Joan, will Richard’s actions instead drag his family down into darkness?”
Shawn Gann will serve as ADR Director with Marcus Stimac acting as the Assistant ADR Director.
Gatchaman’s Ken The Eagle’s New Action Figure Arrives in October
G-Force, AKA Gatchaman, is a show that I feel gets very little attention these days. In fact, the last time we mentioned it was when Funko announced Pops based on the three of the lead characters.
We recently saw that Storm Collectibles, the company behind the newest Golden Ax figures, is going to tackle Gatchaman. So who are they starting with? Well, Ken the Eagle, of course!
Ken is a bit on the pricey side, though. The 6″ tall figure is priced at $119.99 at the Big Bad Toy Store. He does come with several interchangeable parts, including multiple heads and capes. If there’s an iconic pose of Ken’s you love, odds are you can capture them with this articulated action figure.
This initial figure from the anime is set for release in October 2022.
Science Ninja Team Gatchaman is a Japanese animated franchise about a five-member superhero team, the original anime series debuted in 1972. Ken the Keagle is the team leader & tactical expert whose Bird Style is based off of the eagle. When not in costume, Ken works as an aircraft test pilot and delivers parcels by air mail.
This 1/12th scale figure of the classic anime hero comes with the following:
- 2 Head sculpts
- 5 Pairs of hands
- 2 Bird boomerangs
- 3 Capes
The company producing this character has a good track record of delivering multiple characters from a franchise. So, if you were hoping for Joe, Jun, Jinpei, or Ryu, then give it time, and they’ll probably be added to the line. There may even be a chance that Storm Collectibles could produce a replica of the God Phoenix. You never know.
What do you think of Storm Collectibles’ crack at Ken the Eagle? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
[Source: Big Bad Toy Store]
