Mark Wahlberg’s latest science fiction film ‘Infinite’ was part of the slate of Paramount movies hit by delays in theatrical premiers due to the coronavirus. It is now being reported by Deadline that ViacomCBS will cancel its September debut in theaters and move the sci-fi thriller to its streaming service Paramount Plus.
The decision was made official after ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish gave the announcement during the company’s first-quarter earnings call. The movie will now stream on Paramount Plus in June. The move is reminiscent of the company’s decision to place ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run’ on the streaming service last year. The premier will be part of Paramount Plus’ “Mountain of Movies” slate alongside a ‘Paranormal Activity’ sequel and ‘The In Between.’
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, ‘Infinite’ is based on the D. Eric Maikranz 2009 novel ‘The Reincarnationist Papers’ and a screenplay by Ian Shorr.
The story follows Evan McCauley (Wahlberg) who is haunted by memories that are not his and skills he did not learn on his own. Approaching a total mental breakdown, he is informed by a secret group that he is one of the Infinites, humans who have died and been reincarnated multiple times. Evan works with the Infinites to stop Ted, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, a former member of the group who seeks to destroy the world.
‘Infinite’ also stars Sophie Cookson, Dylan O’Brien, Rupert Friend, Jason Mantzoukas, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Tom Hughes, Wallis Day, Toby Jones, and Liz Carr. The movie is produced by Walhberg, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian, Mark Huffam, John Zaozirny, and Stephen Levinson.
‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ actor Chris Evans was originally slated to star in ‘Infinite’ before departing the project. Wahlberg was soon tapped as a replacement considering his long history of appearing in Paramount features including the ‘Transformers’ franchise.
Mark Wahlberg Sci-Fi Film ‘Infinite’ Theatrical Debut Cancelled, Moved To Paramount Plus
Clubhouse Announces ‘Pilot Season’ Launch Of Original Audio Series
The audio-based social media platform Clubhouse is launched a new initiative called the ‘Creators First Program,’ in March. This allowed their users to pitch ideas for original content and original audio series.
Clubhouse said on the company blog that they were “excited to introduce the shows that will participate in Pilot Season. Pilot Season is a throwback idea from the entertainment industry with a modern Clubhouse spin. A process where we go from thousands of submissions to dozens of pilots, or proof of concept episodes, to a handful of ongoing series.”
According to Deadline, this will give “creators $5,000 a month for three months and a panel of judges will listen to each pilot with some chosen to go forward as Clubhouse-backed shows on an ongoing basis.” Clubhouse members will able to listen to all of the pilots.
“Narrowing down the list was the hardest part,” Clubhouse said. “Over the coming weeks, these selected finalists will be sharing their pilot episodes with everyone on Clubhouse.”
They added, “Whatever your interests – from sports and space, to psychics and psychedelics, to history and healthcare – there’s something for everyone.”
With social media and streaming services bringing original content to users, it is no surprise that Clubhouse would want to expand into this arena. This is especially true considering Hollywood celebrities such as Jared Leto, Chris Rock, and Kevin Hart all have a presence on the platform. Original content could attract more big names to Clubhouse.
The Creators First Finalists include:
- “The Lobby” hosted by Adrian Grant: A pop-up internet scavenger hunt game hosted by AI “The Lobby” and its human cohost @AdrianGrant. Players compete to win prizes from sponsors by submitting the correct answer using their Clubhouse avatar.
- “The Global Lowdown” by Alissa Miky and Michael Rosenzweig: Two hosts take on global news, direct-to-consumer, AI, sustainability, politics, and more in both English and Japanese to provide an opportunity for listeners learning Japanese and English to practice their skills.
- “The Salty Vagabonds Club” by Amanda Dishman, Lauren Ettinger, and Alex Parrish: A series of rooms exploring the concept, realities, and intricacies of Alternative Living such as water/sea, outlanding, bike packing, and road living — #VanLife, bus and RV.
- “Shift Happens” by Anthony Trucks: A bi-weekly interview show centered on how people have handled major shifts and hardships in their life — such as layoffs, divorce, moving away from home, financial loss, or even death of a loved one — and pivoted to achieve their greatest success and goals.
- “Beats, Rhymes & Strings” by Butterscotch: Music lovers and professionals assemble in this LGBTIA-inclusive, weekly performance series that ends in a unique combination of Q&A and group performance.
- “Loss and Gain” Arden Cartrette: Normalizing speaking about miscarriage, this bi-weekly room invites those who have experienced a miscarriage to listen or share their stories.Experts will join in to bond the room through loss, grief, reproductive health struggles, and educational information.
- “Plant R&R” by Brandon Batstone: A network of psychedelic experts and enthusiasts assemble to create a safe space for sober individuals to explore and integrate alternative recovery methods through plant medicine.
- “The Frontier Psychiatrists Daily” by Carlene MacMillan, MD: The go-to daily destination for what’s next in mental health, exploring oft-underrepresented topics such as the intersection of creativity, mental illness, and psychedelics.
- “Be Well, Sis” by Cassandre Dunbar: A weekly interactive show where women with diverse expertise and experiences come together to have an incredibly open and honest conversation that aims to make wellness more inclusive and give the audience real-time actionable insights to improve their wellbeing. Discussions range from the Black Maternal Health Crisis to Overcoming Imposter Syndrome to Incorporating Mindfulness in Daily Living and everything in between.
- “Comedy Court” by CoreyBe Sherrill, Tina Graham, and Shaina Farrow: Have you been hurt by the justice system? Slighted by law? Or even just lost an argument with yourself in a mirror? There’s only one show where you can be unfairly judged by a panel of comedians. Speakers present their wrongly dismissed cases, grievances, and disputes to a jury of comedians and improvisers for a second opinion.
- “Sex Sells” by Cyndi Pham: Dissecting the many ways that the concept of “sexy” is marketed, consumed, and monetized is explored and dissected.
- “Inside K-Pop” by Danny Chung: Three K-Pop experts take on the ins and outs of the industry, what it takes to make it, and K-pop’s impact on culture at large.
- “Beauty Headlines” by Darian Symoné Harvin: A club for industry professionals, beauty junkies, and all those curious. We go beyond skin deep into the power of the beauty industry, why it holds so much influence, and how it shapes the way we see ourselves.
- “On the Bench” by Darius Butler: Current, former, and future pros are asked to discuss their personal experiences and current events in sports.
- “Veterans Network” by David “DP” Pineda: To create a community for Veterans through compassion, we’ll focus on entrepreneurship, mental and physical health, and the unique and vital space Veterans occupy.
- “Offsiders” by Eliana Nieto, Pablo Giralt, Alex Candal, Claudio “Turco” Husain, Samuel Vargas and Andrea Vergara: For the most passionate soccer lovers, this Spanish-speaking show hosts the most up-to-date conversations and debates about the sport globally.
- “The Food Porn Trading Desk” by Elie Ayrouth: A rotating panel of the Internet’s top food creators meet to share their creations and allow space for green foodies to get feedback and inspiration from the pros.
- “Sacred Realms” by Eric James Montgomery and Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri: An anthropological look into religion, myth, magic, and science. A new way to share, distribute and grow knowledge about all things sacred, the social sciences, and humanities.
- “Facial Recognition Comedy” by Fizaa Dosani: An interactive stand-up comedy show highlighting a lineup of comedians from underrepresented demographics. Comedians bring the audience members on stage, creating an immersive and uniquely hilarious experience.
- “Mom!” by Gabby Cole: Mothers create a safe space to normalize the concept of self-care in motherhood through discussion, storytelling, and Q&As.
- “Deep Flow” by Hamza, Isiah C., and Alex C.: Hip-hop enthusiasts share and defend their opinions on some of the most critical questions in the genre, such as the best decade for hip hop and what criteria make for true GOATs.
- “NNPR: Not National Public Radio” by Henry Kaiser: A powerful public radio parody, featuring a dynamic roster of characters, hosts, and guests providing comedic programming on arts & culture in an organically fun and interactive way.
- “Serial Killer Speed Dating” by Jacob Patterson and Abel Horowitz: Eligible daters try to find a potential match, all while trying to figure out and avoid the one who is a serial killer. “Shoot your shot” has never been so real.
- “Behind the Beauty” by Jaleesa Jaikaran: This show takes you on a journey with the industry’s most inspiring voices. From creators, founders, and the artists you love — join us weekly for a candid conversation on life, business, and beauty.
- “Nightmare Fuel” by Jed Shepherd and Barbara Crampton: The leading voices in horror let the fans in on interviews, reviews, previews, and Q&As for all things horror-related.
- “Hash It Out” by JESSICADRUE: Bring your fights and feuds to the stage so we can work it out together! Debates ranging from the most intimate and interpersonal to office offenses are brought to light with periodic breaks for current events.
- “Look What You Did” by Jordan Rubin: In the vein of DVD commentary tracks, filmmakers and entertainers watch and discuss one of their own films with movie-fan hosts.
- “Heart to Heart” by Julian Broadus: Julian Broadus seeks conversation with other intellectuals.
- “Pretty Bad, Pretty Cool” by Kacie Willis: Giving A-list air time to B-list movies, television shows, and music to discover the value in every creation, even the very good/bad.
- “Bippity Boppity…Who?” by Karen Summerton: Disney lovers test their knowledge of the magical world to compete for the chance to say they know the House of Mouse best.
- “The Pop Spot” by Katrina Mitzeliotis Lanza: An entertainment news operation covering all the gossip and headlines in the world of celebrity and the film and TV industries. A rotating panel of celebrities, comedians, and guests co-host give insight into all things pop culture.
- “Career Crush” by Kelsey Alpaio: Professionals with “dream jobs” — Twitch streamers, software engineers, photographers, and more — for the millennial- and Gen-Z-minded share what it takes to get a job like theirs with an editor at Harvard Business Review.
- “Jury Duty” by Lavender: The day’s hottest topics are put on the docket to be debated by a panel of 12 jurors with input from the audience. Everyone gets the chance to speak and make predictions when discussing and recapping high-profile cases.
- “The Psychic Pool Party” by LeoRising Scott, Heather Carlucci, Garciela Asher: A social room for guests in the fields of personal power and psychic aptitude. We seek the intersection between clairvoyant viewpoints, pop culture, politics, and metaphysical ethics.
- “Positively Sexy” by Lila Donnolo: This show explores the notion of intimacy in a series of deep, dynamic, and pleasurable discussions that unravel complex, sex-positive topics with care and respect.
- “Support Services” by Lynn Mendelsohn: An out-reach network from and for mothers on children with special needs, providing resources and discussing the ins and outs of motherhood.
- “The History Of Hair” by Nibi Lawson: Through a variety of styles for each session — interviews, dialogue, poetry, and prose — this series creates a space to explore the history and culture of hair in all its wonderful, texturally diverse glory.
- “The Sound of Clubhouse” by Paul Kim: An original a cappella comedy musical specifically written for Clubhouse.
- “Thought Experiment” by Rahaf Harfoush and Kat Cole: A weekly exploration of thought provoking ideas to help us better lead at work and at home. Leading thinkers. Intimate discussion. Actionable Insights.
- “Command Your Brand” by Rich Cardona: Experts and content creators audit an audience member’s existing personal brand or help them build one of their own.
- “A Thousand Words” by Rick Smolan: A conversation with the world’s leading photojournalists, examining their portfolio and technique.
- “Clubhouse Squares” by Robert Keniston, Miz Diagnosis (AKA Dobbs DeCorsey), and Jack Lamont: Two contestants play a game of Tic-Tac-Toe by “agreeing” or “disagreeing” with the answers provided by a panel of celebrities/influencers to simple trivia questions.
- “UFO-logy” by Roderick Martin: Uncover the possibility of new truths and lies you never knew you were told, in a recurring UFO and extraterrestrial focused show hosted by one of the world’s only Black certified UFO investigators. This show asks for believers to not look up to the stars, but what’s happening here on earth with those who have been impacted.
- “Letters To My Younger Self” by Ruby Holland: A collaborative live healing session. Audience members come on stage to share a letter of love, advice, or reflection for their former selves.
- “Culture Collector” by Samia Grand-Pierre: Weekly thought-provoking conversations centered around sneaker culture, fashion, music, art collecting, and media headlines.
- “Are You Trippin’?” by Shawn Kathleen: A weekly room highlighting the circumstances that can only happen on public transportation to build a community around respectful and enjoyable travel.
- “Poetry in Motion” by Tar’kesa Colvin: A three-part poetry showcase for up-and-coming spoken word poets to publish a set of books.
- “When Things Go South” by Taryn Southern: Each week, cancer survivor Taryn Southern sits down with entrepreneurs, storytellers, authors, scientists, and other thought leaders to explore the mental, physical and spiritual strategies they use to optimize potential and transcend life’s most challenging moments.
- “Dingers” by Tyler Childs, Robert Rose, and Jonathan Mason: A fantasy baseball show focused on sound decision-making and strategies, going beyond data and analytics.
- “Radio Play” by Tyron Hoisten: An updated version of the radio drama. This immersive original scripted series is performed live on a rotating basis and then discussed by the audience.
- “Red, White, and Bougie” by Victoria Blackwell and Elizabeth Joseph: An hour-long global topic chat show with a unique transatlantic prescriptive.
- “A Little Soapy” by Willonius Hatcher: A semi-improvised daily comedic soap opera.
- “Hairology” by Yomi Onashile: A centralized, safe space for the hair community to congregate, commune, and discuss the intersectionalities of the black hair experience.
Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa Discusses Expansion Into Film
With the success of the SEGA video game film adaption of ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ and Midway Games’ action flick ‘Mortal Kombat,’ it should come as no surprise that other game developers would want to get in on the action. This includes Nintendo, known for their worldwide success with the Super Mario Bros. franchise.
Everyone’s favorite Italian Plummer and his allies have been adapted for the screen in both live-action and animated format, but now it seems they are moving forward with more projects.
Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa sat down with Fast Company to discuss the video game production company’s expansion into film and how it will affect their brand in the coming years.
“Our objective has always remained the same,” he explains. “To connect and entertain more consumers with Nintendo IP, in the hopes that they may become interested in the world of our dedicated video game experiences. By doing this, our goal is to create a connection that transcends a particular game, platform, or console generation.”
Furukawa discussed how Nintendo Senior Managing Director and Creative Fellow Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Super Mario and Donkey Kong, is working with Illumination animated film company chief Chris Meledandri to make an animated Mario movie.
“It’s not that we’ve asked Illumination to handle everything,” explained Furukawa. “Mr. Miyamoto is very, very hands-on with the production of this movie.”
When asked if they would continue Nintendo’s expansion into animated films, he replied, “Animation, in general, is something that we are looking into, and not just this franchise.”
Furukawa also assured fans that the emphasis on “side projects” such as animated films will not divert away from video game development.
He explained that distraction is “something we really made sure to avoid was that when being engaged in this IP expansion outside of game development, that we don’t cut into the game development resources on our side.”
Furukawa added, “And to realize that, we made sure that although people who deeply understand the characters and deeply understand the game are involved, that we keep the number of people involved to a minimum.”
Announced in February 2018, the ‘Super Mario’ film has yet to get a release date, cast list, or an announcement trailer.
Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten Series Surpasses Viewership Expectations on Opening Weekend
In a surprising turn of events to everyone, especially to those who work at Genius Brand, Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten was a smash hit with record viewerships for the Kartoon Channel, with over 9 million views to date, on the weekend it aired on April 23rd.
“Superhero Kindergarten analytics from Kartoon Channel! from the first weekend, exceeded all expectations, with traffic up across every metric we track,” said Kartoon Channel! General Manager, Jon Ollwerther.
“Network hours watched went up 941% week-over-week to 349,735 hours. Unique users went up 1,841% week-over-week to 1,858,434 uniques. New application installs went up 465.9%, as we saw growth across all viewing outlets including televisions, tablets, mobile phones, computers, and game consoles, as well as growth across all the viewing platforms of Kartoon Channel!, including Apple, Android, Roku, Amazon, You Tube, Samsung, LG, and others, with full episode viewing exceeding industry norms as well. We can already see the 2nd weekend dramatically building on the 1st.”
Celebrating the Superhero Kindergarten milestone, Schwarzenegger stated: “Over 9 million views is an incredible start in this wonderful adventure, and I know that Stan would be extremely proud. I’m personally quite pleased, because it is positive content, for both kids and their parents. As Kelly Clarkson said this week on her show after airing a clip, ‘I love when a program comes out that my kids want to watch, and I want to watch as well.” (Click to view Arnold Schwarzenegger’s recent appearances on The Kelly Clarkson Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live!)
We (Stan Lee and Arnold) would get together every so often and talk about ideas and projects. And he asked me, “What is your ultimate dream project?” And I said beside doing more “Conan” and “Terminator” movies, the movie that I always wanted to do a sequel of was “Kindergarten Cop.” And he said that he loved that movie. I told him I would love to do more shows for the kids.
-Arnold Schwarzenegger
In an interview with Business Insider from 2019, Arnold said, “One day he called me back and he said, “I have an idea that’s exactly what you’re talking about, but how about putting my spin on it?” And I said, “What’s that?” And he went, “Arnold, c’mon, you know, superheroes!” And he told me how I would play someone that no one knows was a superhero and I’m a teacher, just like in “Kindergarten Cop,” but my kindergarteners have superpowers and they are going to grow up and be the protectors of the planet. My character has to teach them all the important lessons. I told him it was fantastic, and he said, “Well, you’re talking to Stan Lee.”
Stan Lee and Arnold Schwarzenegger. POW! Entertainment
“The world is migrating to streaming, and being free and family friendly, are distinguishing factors to drive Kartoon Channel! success,” said Genius Brands CEO, Andy Heyward. “Warren Buffett calls this type of differentiation a ‘moat,’ where an economic castle enjoys a material competitive advantage. There is no monthly subscription fee on Kartoon Channel!, as is required by many streaming services, because we are ad-supported. No less important is that we are producing very cool original content of the highest quality, which today’s kids and families want to see.”
“The importance of the Superhero Kindergarten performance is that successful viewership drives advertising revenue to the Kartoon Channel!, making the channel the valuable asset for Genius Brands we have been aiming towards from its launch. Second, retailers, toy companies, and consumer product licensees track series performance closely, as they determine what brands they go after and devote shelf space to. Though we can’t compare apples to oranges, the most successful animated series on television for many years has been the Simpsons. It is broadcast on linear television, and averages about 3.1 million views per episode. While, Superhero Kindergarten is streaming, not linear television, we couldn’t help but notice that by the end of the second weekend, the series has amassed more than 9 million views with only 3 episodes released so far.”
Genius Brands will continue rolling out new episodes each week with episode four debuting this Friday! The series is available by downloading the free Kartoon Channel! streaming app on Apple and Android devices; on Amazon Prime, on connected TVs and devices by Samsung, LG, Roku, Tubi, Amazon Fire Stick; on YouTube; and more; or by visiting www.kartoonchannel.com.
This is not the first time Arnold and Stan Lee have collaborated on a project for kids animation. In 2011, it was announced a planned superhero franchise for children co-created by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Stan Lee. And of course, starring Schwarzenegger as himself… as a superhero. The series was called The Governator. The story would have been that after leaving the governor’s office, Arnold decides to become a crime fighter and builds a secret high-tech crime-fighting control center under his house. Unfortunately, it never aired because, later that year, news of the actor’s infidelity came to life and took over the news.
You can watch the trailer here (begins at 20 seconds in):
Apple Picks Up Tom Hanks Sci-Fi Film ‘Finch’ For Streaming
Apple TV has picked up the upcoming film ‘Finch,’ a science fiction drama starring Tom Hanks (‘Sully’) for their streaming service. The movie was filmed by Steven Spielberg’s production company Amblin Entertainment. It will now be distributed by Apple Original Films.
Deadline is reporting that Apple won the distribution rights after “a very competitive weekend auction” and plans on releasing the sci-fi feature in the fall, right around awards season.
‘Finch’ will be directed by Miguel Sapochnik, best known for 2010’s ‘Repo Men’ as well as several episodes of ‘Game of Thrones,’ including “Battle of the Bastards.” He has also directed episodes for such shows as ‘House,’ ‘Fringe,’ ‘Under The Dome,’ as well as the television film ‘Hieroglyph.’ He will also direct the pilot for ‘GoT’ prequel HBO series ‘House of the Dragon.’
Originally titled, ‘Bios,’ the movie tells the story of a man named Finch who survived a cataclysmic solar event that has left the world a wasteland and has lived underground for a decade. His only companion is a dog named Goodyear, and realizing he is dying, the engineer builds a robot (played by Caleb Landry Jones) to take care of the canine after he is gone. The three are forced to go on a dangerous journey across the American West to show the robot the “joy and wonder of what it means to be alive.”
‘Finch’ also stars Lora Martinez-Cunningham, Andrea Good, Oscar Avila, and Madeleine Dennis. It is written by screenwriters Craig Luck and Ivor Powell, the latter who is producing the film with Kevin Misher, Jack Rapke, and Jackie Levine.
Steven Spielberg told the Hollywood Reporter in 2017 that the film “is an original, emotionally stirring tale that at its core is very much an Amblin movie. I can think of no one more perfect to embody this story about the meaning of being human than Tom Hanks.”
New Trailer Released For John Carpenter’s Upcoming Sci-Fi Horror Anthology
John Carpenter might be known for writing and directing some of the most well-known cult classic films within the science fiction and horror genres, but he has expanded his skills into music as well as comic books.
Through his publication company Storm King Comics, he has released seven volumes of the ‘Tales of Science Fiction’ that features story melding the sci-fi and horror genres. Early in May, Storm King announced the release of the latest entry ‘Hell.’
The announcement was released alongside a trailer to promote the upcoming eight-issue miniseries.
According to the official synopsis, “In New York City, a massive monster is destroyed by a subway train… and its surviving reptilian companion can speak English. In Columbia, a scientist crawls up from the depths of the Earth, bringing news of a miraculous new mineral power source… and demons below. In Texas, a convicted murderer is spared at the last minute by an international conglomerate… which wants to organize an expedition to the center of the Earth, with him as a guide. Because like the scientist, he’s been there. The whole team is headed straight to Hell.”
Dread Central reports that the comic book miniseries is based on stories by John Carpenter and Sandy King, the premier issue is written by David J. Schow with artwork from Andres Esparza and Sergio Martinez.
‘Hell’ follows the anthology series ‘Vortex 2.0,’ a sequel to the very first entry into the ‘Tales of Science Fiction’ anthology series.
Storm King Comics is an imprint of Storm King Productions, a production company founded by John Carpenter and his wife Sandy King.
Carpenter has directed several well-known films such as ‘Assault on Precinct 13,’ ‘Escape from New York,’ ‘Big Trouble in Little China,’ ‘In the Mouth of Madness,’ and the original ‘Halloween,’ which started the Michael Myers horror franchise.
Demon Slayer Confirmed #1 Movie in the US after Second Weekend in Theaters
Demon Slayer – The Movie: Mugen Train hit theaters in the US on April 23rd with a strong start. After just a few days later, it was discovered the movie had been made available on the Playstation Store for purchase. On Tuesday, April 27th, at around 1 a.m., a tweet was posted by @Wario64 with a screenshot of the movie page on Playstation.
Demon Slayer Mugen Train is available on US PSN/PS4 right now pic.twitter.com/OAFdSTb9QI
— Wario64 (@Wario64) April 27, 2021
The listing was up for just a few hours. Which gave people plenty of time to buy and watch. This can cause concern in the entertainment business due to piracy distribution and box office numbers. Funimation has not made a statement. However, it appears to not have had a harmful effect after this weekends box office numbers were released.
As of Sunday, the movie, which was distributed by Funimation and Aniplex of America, ended the second weekend with a total box office of over $34.1 million, which officially makes it the third highest-grossing anime box office release. It also beat out Mortal Kombat, with Mortal Kombat trailing behind at $34.087 million.
Demon Slayer The Movie surpasses the previous anime box office record 3rd runner up Dragon Ball Super: Broly (over US $30 million in 2019). The anime movies who still hold the number 1 and 2 spots are Pokemon: The First Movie (over US $85 million in 1999) and Pokemon The Movie 2000 (over US $43 million). Next to Pokemon: The First Movie, Demon Slayer is the second anime movie to ever rank #1 at the weekend box office in U.S. history.
With an international box office of US $315 million ahead of its release in North America, it’s also the highest-grossing anime film ever worldwide, which includes surpassing Studio Ghlibli’s 2001 Spirited Away‘s worldwide #1 spot.
The movie takes place right after the last episode of the first season.
Movie synopsis: After completing their rehabilitation training, Tanjiro and his comrades arrive at their next mission on the Mugen Train, where over 40 people have disappeared. Together with one of the most powerful swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps, Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku, they face the nightmare on board.
See the English dub trailer here:
Demon Slayer – The Movie: Mugen Train will officially be available digitally on June 22nd.
You can purchase movie tickets here.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Will Be An XBOX Exclusive For Only 3 Months?
‘S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’ is something we’ve been eagerly awaiting for years. Even before it was announced, those of us who played the original wanted more.
It was a bit of a head-scratcher when the sequel was announced as an XBOX exclusive. It’s known as a PC game. Can a console really do the beloved FPS justice with a controller?
Upon release, ‘STALKER 2’ will be free to members of XBOX Game Pass. Non-members can still get the game but at full price. If you’ve not been able to find an XBOX Series X or S, then you’ll be out of luck. Well, for a little while, maybe.
The Verge has been reporting on leaked legal documents regarding Microsoft, publishers, and the split the company takes from games. The amount of money MS gets from game sales is an entirely different topic. What we’re focusing on is how soon PC and maybe PS5 owners can get STALKER 2.
The image below is allegedly part of a leak, but take it with a grain of salt.
Below is a pretty spoiler-free trailer of the title. It leaves a lot to be desired, in my opinion.
The gameplay trailer is light on story elements but heavy on atmosphere. But, if you’ve seen Chernobyl in other videogames, there aren’t many surprises. Regardless, the optimizations made for the Series X look good. Where’s the gameplay, though? STALKER isn’t about just wandering around an irradiated ghost town; it’s about shoot-shoots and horror!
I guess that means we gotta do reading, like cavemen:
The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is a unique, dangerous and ever-changing environment. It promises a lot — the artifacts of unbelievable value can be yours if you dare to claim them. The price you may pay, on the other hand, is no less than your own life.
One of the biggest open-worlds to date, filled with radiation, mutants and anomalies, is yours to explore. All the choices across the way not only define your own epic story, but influence the future itself. Be mindful about what you see, do and plan, as you will have to find your way through the Zone or be forever lost to it.
If you’ve been struggling to find a PS5 or XBOX Series X, check out Matt Swider’s Twitter. He has been posting which websites have stock and exactly when they go live. He has been amazingly accurate. The consoles are still selling out within seconds. Keep that in mind.
Are you looking forward to ‘STALKER 2’? Let us know in the comments. If you’re looking to pick up the original, it’s available on Steam.
[Source: The Verge]
‘League of Legends’ Animated Series ‘Arcane’ Is Coming To Netflix
Netflix announced that they are partnering with Riot Games to release an animated adaption of their hit RPG League of Legends in the form of ‘Arcane.’ Co-produced with Fortiche Productions, this will be Riot Games first foray into television.
According to a press release from Netflix, the animated series is set “in the utopian region of Piltover and the oppressed underground of Zaun, the story follows the origins of two iconic League champions-and the power that will tear them apart.”
Zaun, also known as the City of Iron and Glass, is a toxic area in the game that was negatively affected by industrialization.
“League of Legends has inspired global fervor and fandom and we’re thrilled to be the home of the first television series set in this universe, ‘Arcane,'” said Dominique Bazay, Director, Original Animation for Netflix. “The series promises to be a visually spectacular thrill ride that will have viewers on the edge of their seats.”
Riot Games Global President of Entertainment Shauna Spenley added, “Arcane was created as a love letter to our players and fans, who have been asking us for more cinematic experiences that dive deeper into the worlds and champions in League of Legends. Netflix, with its incredible global brand and shared goal of delivering premium, high quality content, is the perfect partner to help us bring Arcane to players around the globe.”
‘Arcane’ is set to premiere on Netflix worldwide in Fall 2021.
League of Legends was released in 2009 by Riot Games to gamer and audience-acclaim. Since its inception, it has had several spin-offs and sequels including Teamfight Tactics, Legends of Runeterra, VALORANT, League of Legends: Wild Rift, and the story-driven version Ruined King: A League of Legends Story from Riot Forge and Airship Syndicate.
The gaming franchise has also made headway into esports with its League of Legends World Championship. The 2020 competition saw record-setting viewership, boasting over 23 million viewers for its final match.
Amazing Heroes Toyline Gets An All-Female 7th Wave
Fresh Monkey Fiction uses the MARVEL ‘Secret Wars’ body style for a series of action figures based on obscure comic books and pulp heroes. The initial wave was a favorite because it gave us indie comic hero Madman and some real forgotten comic icons like Black Terror and Black Bat.
Had it not been for Figures.com, I wouldn’t have known about the original run a couple of years ago. There’s a reason you don’t see these on store shelves. Each line is produced in a very limited. There’s no massive factory churning these out in bulk. According to FMF, “Amazing Heroes action figures are produced in small numbers, sometimes as low as 100 pcs per character.”
The 7th wave of ‘Amazing Heroes’ will focus solely on female heroes. Much like the previous waves, this one will contain both Golden Age and more recent heroic women. Included will be:
- Cassie Hack
- Miss Fury
- Miss Masque
- Black Cat
- Phantom Lady
- Queen of the Jungle
- Lady Satan
- Fantomah
- Bullet Girl
- The Blank Slate
We’ll be offering these figures for pre-order through July 15th. You can track our progress by following the percentage meter on the right of this page. If we hit 100% by July 15th we’ll move this wave into production.
As of today, the funding campaign for this line is at 30%. If this series of heroines interests you, head on over to the Big Bad Toy Store and put in your preorder. These toys can’t get made without your help!
Which non-MARVEL and DC heroes would you like to see show up in the ‘Amazing Heroes’ line? Let us know in the comments.
[Source: Figures.com]
