The Borderlands movie announced that it is adding Janina Gavankar to the cast. She will be playing Commander Knoxx, a new character created for the movie. Commander Knoxx will be introduced in the Borderlands movie but she will be related to an existing character from the games, General Knoxx the star of The Secret Armory of General Knoxx DLC for the first Borderlands. According to Randy Pitchford, Commander Knoxx is the general's daughter and a member of Atlas' private army the Crimson Lance. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=live-action-versions-of-video-game-characters&captions=true"] Further details on Gavankar's role in Borderlands are being kept under wraps, but she is not the first original character to be introduced in the upcoming movie. Haley Bennett has been cast in an unnamed role for an original character who has ties to Lilith, played by Cate Blanchett. Additionally, Edgar Ramirez has been cast as Atlas, who is not new to the Borderlands franchise, but hasn't appeared in the games as a character before. Gavankar has been seen in films such as Blindspotting and The Way Back, as well as the lead character Iden Versio in Star Wars: Battlefront 2. She is a noted video game fan and has even made uncredited appearances in The Mandalorian as a puppeteer. Gavankar joins Blanchett, Bennett, Ramirez, as well as Kevin Hart as Roland, Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, and Jack Black who will voice Claptrap. According to a plot synopsis, Lilith will form a team with all of these wayward hunters in order to rescue Atlas' missing daughter. The Borderlands movie will be directed by Eli Roth based on a screenplay by Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin, who's also working on HBO's live-action The Last of Us series starring Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie. Other video game adaptations currently in the works include the Uncharted movie starring Tom Holland, and the upcoming Mortal Kombat reboot which will premiere in theaters, and HBO Max. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Lucy Liu has joined the upcoming Shazam: Fury of the Gods, New Line and DC announced Monday according to The Wrap.

Even better, Liu (Chicago, Kill Bill, Elementary) has been cast as the villainous god Kalypso, the sister of Helen Mirren’s character Hespera and daughter to Atlas. Neither Hespera nor Kalypso are featured in the actual DC comics, but Atlas has appeared to duel members of the Justice League and is one of the sources of Shazam’s powers. Atlas serves as a sort of amalgamation of ancient Greek deities, possessing immense wisdom and strength. It’s thought that Hespera and Kalypso could be based on the Hesperides, the nymph daughters of the actual Atlas, depending on how you read the Greek myths.

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The post-credits scene for the first Shazam film saw the villain Doctor Sivana meet an alien named Master Mind. Whether or not that plotline will play into Fury of the Gods remains to be seen.

Liu is also joining West Side Story star Rachel Zegler, who is playing a currently unknown role. Much of the original cast and production crew is set to return, including Zachary Levi as Shazam and Asher Angel as his young alter ego Billy Batson. David F. Sandberg is also returning to direct.

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Liu wrapped work on the successful Elementary in 2019, and most recently joined CBS’ Why Women Kill anthology series. Funny enough, Liu worked within the MCU previously, but as a director of a season two episode of Luke Cage.

Despite being deeply connected throughout the comics, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Black Adam film also won’t interact with Shazam. Shazam: Fury of the Gods is scheduled to premier in theaters on June 2, 2023. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN.

The late Chadwick Boseman will not make any sort of cameo appearance (via CG or unused footage) in Black Panther 2, Marvel Studios producer Nate Moore said to Vanity Fair.

“No. I can say. That is not going to happen,” Moore said. “I would be honest if it was. Chad’s passing is a whole life thing, and I loved the guy as much as the character. I think we have to be very careful and thoughtful about when he appears, because he meant so much to a lot of people as much as he meant to us. But yeah, we wouldn’t use that as a ‘Come next week; maybe you’ll see Panther!’ We wouldn’t, and he’s not.”

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This isn’t the first time Marvel Studios has shot down the possibility that Boseman might appear in the MCU posthumously. Boseman died of stage IV colon cancer in August 2020. Late last year, Marvel Studios executive producer Victoria Alonso summarily dismissed the idea of using CG to recreate Boseman.

“No. There's only one Chadwick, and he's not with us. Our king, unfortunately, has died in real life, not just in fiction, and we are taking a little time to see how we return to history and what we do to honor this chapter of what has happened to us that was so unexpected, so painful, so terrible, really," Alonso said in November.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/21/the-rise-of-skywalker-how-leias-final-appearance-worked"]

Since the actor’s untimely death, the possibility of a CG Boseman has been in the back of many Marvel fans minds, especially considering Disney has previously used CG to resurrect the long-dead Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin in Rogue One, alongside a brief CG appearance of a young Princess Leia. Disney then used archival footage of actress Carrie Fisher to insert her into scenes in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker following her sudden death.

Disney and Marvel seem particularly reluctant to repurpose Boseman, who served as one of the most popular characters in the entire MCU, and sparked a resurgence of interest in the Wakandan hero. Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige has previously said that King T’Challa won’t be recast, and the recently announced Wakanda TV series may give Marvel the room to explore other characters that could stand alongside Black Panther. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN.

The Prisoner is widely regarded as one of the best and most influential science fiction series of the 1960's, even though the series was never fully appreciated during its brief, original run. But now there's good news for Prisoner fans. The show is finally getting some officially licensed action figures, a mere 53 years later. IGN can exclusively reveal the first wave of The Prisoner action figures from Wandering Planet Toys. Fittingly, these 4-inch figures are being designed with a retro approach in mind, boasting limited articulation and vintage-style packaging similar similar to Funko and Super7's ReAction line or Hasbro's Marvel Legends Retro Collection. Check out the slideshow gallery below to see some of the figures in the first wave: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-prisoner-action-figures-cult-favorite-science-fiction-series-finally-gets-licensed-toys&captions=true"] There is one catch, however. Given the somewhat unusual nature and niche appeal of this toy line, Wandering Planet is relying on Kickstarter to crowdfund the first wave of Prisoner toys. The Kickstarter drive is live now and will run through May 26, 2021. The first wave includes no fewer than five versions of Patrick McGoohan's main character, Number 6, including one limited edition version featuring packaging in the shape of The Village's guardian enforcer, Rover. The wave also include a pair of two-pack sets that include versions of Number 6 packed with his rivals Number 2 and Number 12, respectively. Fans can purchase individual figures or the entire lineup through the Kickstarter. Those who opt for the full line will also receive an exclusive T-shirt. “The Prisoner is quintessential cult TV,” said Wandering Planet Toys co-founder Chris “Doc” Wyatt in a statement. “Depending on the viewer it can be seen as a stylish spy drama, an allegorical social commentary, a paranoid conspiracy thriller, or even a piece of avant-garde filmmaking. Our Wave 1 toys are dedicated to the idea of honoring the series and contributing to its fandom.” “Wave 1 of The Prisoner action figures are far along in development,” said Wandering Planet Toys co-founder Gavin Hignight. “The figures have been sculpted, the packaging has been designed, and approvals have already been granted by our partners at ITV. As longtime fans of The Prisoner, we are so excited for fans and collectors to see these toys and the detail we're putting into them, but that can only happen if the campaign is funded.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/05/12/8-sci-fi-shows-you-should-binge-watch"] Will you be adding any of these figures to your collection? Let us know in the comments below. In other toy news, Hasbro just revealed a life-size replica of Doctor Strange's Eye of Agamotto and a massive, $700 Optimus Prime toy that can automatically transform. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Ray Fisher has spoken about the "gaslighting" behavior that he claims to have experienced on the set of Joss Whedon's Justice League reshoots. In a new interview with Empire (which will be fully published in the magazine's next issue), Fisher shed more light on what he experienced on the set of Justice League following the departure of Zack Snyder in 2017. In particular, the actor addressed the nature of the troubled reshoots and the mixed messages that he allegedly received during the production. Fisher reportedly told the publication that he had been actively encouraged to share his thoughts about Cyborg in the movie, but that he felt his feedback wasn't well-received by the people who requested it. He claimed that "gaslighting occurred" on the set because people were "asking for input, but, ultimately, biting people's heads off when you gave it." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/21/the-true-story-behind-the-snyder-cut"] Fisher previously spoke about how Whedon had altered Zack Snyder's intended arc for Cyborg, alleging that every single scene with Cyborg in the theatrical cut turned out to be a reshoot, except for one brief appearance from his character assembling alongside the Justice League. However, the star claims that it would have helped if this change of direction had been communicated with the cast. "Transparency would have gone a long way; if they had said to us, 'Hey, we don't like Zack's movie, we want to shift gears completely and we need you guys to buckle down,'" Fisher explained to Empire. "But they were trying to hold on to this narrative of doing it for Zack and maintaining his vision, all the while completely not doing that." Ultimately, Whedon's vision didn't align with Snyder's intentions for the movie and Fisher voiced his opinions on some of the proposed new material. He said he argued against a scene in which Cyborg was drawn and quartered by Steppenwolf, claiming, "I had to try to rein those guys in. It was not a good look to essentially pull this Black man, who has already endured so much physical trauma, limb from limb." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=justice-league-snyder-cut-all-the-known-differences-from-the-theatrical-version&captions=true"] After having Cyborg's arc shaved down to the bare minimum in Whedon's version of Justice League, Fisher expressed his contentment over his character's portrayal in Zack Snyder's Justice League, which debuted on HBO Max last month. In fact, Fisher has dedicated a lot of time to the four-hour Snyder Cut, having watched the movie a total of seven times since it was released. If you've had a chance to sit down and give it a watch yourself, then you'll know that Snyder's Justice League ends on a massive cliffhanger. The director has addressed the reason for this ending and why his version of the film sets up a direct sequel that is not likely to happen, even though he has ideas on how a potential trilogy could have ended with a shock new superhero, and much, much more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Players are reporting that some PlayStation 3 games are not downloading essential patches ahead of the forthcoming store closure. A PSNProfiles thread is compiling all of the PS3 titles that are experiencing difficulties downloading patches, which are often essential in order for the user to play online and earn trophies. The list includes games like Journey, LittleBigPlanet (GOTY), Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Battlefield 4, Gran Turismo 5, and LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga. A growing thread on ResetEra is corroborating the list, with some users confirming that their owned games are not receiving updates. "Just popped in Lords of Shadow and sure enough, no update. This sucks because I literally just bought the DLC for it last week," Liam Allen-Miller said. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/24/why-ps3-psp-and-vita-stores-closing-would-be-such-a-big-deal-beyond-episode-693"] Players are reporting that even manually requesting an update via the game tile on the PlayStation home screen just results in nothing. And across the conversation, there's a picture being painted of patches downloading in one region but not another. There's potential that this could be a bug, rather than directly related to the upcoming closure, and that Sony may be in the process of fixing it so that users can get their games ready to go before the digital store shuts down. After all, players will still be able to redownload their owned games after the store shuts down in July. Sony confirmed at the end of March that it will close the PlayStation Store for PlayStation 3 and PSP on July 2, 2021. The PSN Store for the PlayStation Vita will then close later this year on August 27, 2021. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Dark Horse is revisiting the world of Overwatch with another in-depth art book. But in addition to the previously announced Art of Overwatch Vol. 2, Dark Horse will also be publishing a Deluxe Edition version with all the bells and whistles collectors have come to expect. IGN can exclusively reveal the first details for The Art of Overwatch Vol. 2: Deluxe Edition. First off, check out the slideshow gallery below to see the exclusive new cover variant, slipcase and other goodies included only with the Deluxe Edition: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-art-of-overwatch-vol-2-deluxe-edition&captions=true"] As you might expect, The Art of Overwatch Vol. 2 is designed as a companion to the first book. This volume covers all the new additions to the game from 2017 to the present, focusing on newer characters like Doomfist and Echo and the more recent modes, levels, skins and cinematics added to the game. The book is written by Blizzard senior writer Matt Burns and features plenty of developer commentary and other behind-the-scenes details on the evolution of Overwatch. Blizzard is even teasing some material focused on the upcoming Overwatch 2. As for the Deluxe Edition, in addition to the unique gold foil cover, that version comes packaged inside an exclusive slipcase and includes three lithograph art prints. The Art of Overwatch Vol. 2 is priced at $49.99 for the standard hardcover and $99.99 for the Deluxe Edition. The standard version will release on October 15, 2021, with the Deluxe Edition following on October 27. This isn't the only new Overwatch book to look for this fall. Dark Horse is also releasing a hardcover of Overwatch: Tracer - London Calling in September, collecting all five chapters of the previously digital-only series. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/overwatch-2-jeff-kaplan-answers-our-questions"] These books should help fill the void until Overwatch 2 finally arrives on PC and consoles. Game director Jeff Kaplan gave a big update on the sequel during Blizzcon, but we also got confirmation neither Overwatch 2 nor Diablo 4 will be released in 2021. For now, here are 55 new things we learned about Overwatch 2. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Jeff Ross, the former game director of Days Gone, has revealed that the pitch for Days Gone 2 featured plans for a shared universe and cooperative play component. Talking to God of War creator David Jaffe as part of a livestream on Jaffe’s YouTube channel, Ross discussed topics that arose in the wake of Blomberg’s recent report about an unsuccessful Days Gone 2 pitch from developer Bend Studio. While Ross was unable to confirm if Days Gone 2 was indeed rejected due to a non-disclosure agreement, he did reveal a few details about the pitch he submitted to Sony for the sequel. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/09/the-last-of-us-remake-in-development-days-gone-2-rejected"] “We wanted co-op from the beginning [in Days Gone 1], but obviously you have to make concessions for what you’re not going to be able to do,” explained Ross during the conversation, as reported by VGC. When asked by Jaffe if the ideas for a co-op mode would have been implemented in a sequel, Ross said: “It’s one of the things that we had in our pitch, yeah. It was the idea of a shared universe with co-op play.” Explaining the vision for the co-op, Ross described it as: ”[taking] this world that you’ve built, and all these assets and systems, and repurpose them for some sort of similarly themed multiplayer version of this universe. So [it] would be with guys like Deacon trying to survive, building up a clubhouse or a crew. I think it would be fun to be in that world cooperatively and see what horde battles could be like.” While Ross’ openness about an unannounced game does make it feel as if Days Gone 2 is probably not going to happen, Ross reinforced that he cannot confirm the game’s situation. “I don’t think it’s publicly confirmed what the status of [Days Gone 2] is. I don’t want to be the guy who’s the official source for whatever that is.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/04/25/days-gone-review"] Ross himself no longer works at Bend Studio, but notes that his departure “had nothing to do with the status of the sequel or anything else that the studio was doing.” While discussing the Bloomberg report, Ross also stated that it was “never the reality” that Bend had lost autonomy and had become a support studio for Naughty Dog. Instead, he insisted that the link between the two studios was a collaboration. That same report also suggests that a remake of 2013's The Last of Us is in development. If true, that could well be intended to launch on the back of HBO's anticipated The Last of Us show, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

The winners of the 2021 BAFTA Awards have been announced, with Nomadland taking top honors at this year's event. Chloé Zhao's drama emerged as the big winner at the 74th British Academy Film Awards on Sunday, scooping up four awards in total, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Leading Actress for its star Frances McDormand. Zhao is only the second woman to get the Best Director accolade at the BAFTAs, following Kathryn Bigelow's win in 2010 for The Hurt Locker. The rest of the awards were more evenly distributed, with several titles picking up two awards, including Promising Young Woman, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Sound of Metal, Soul, and The Father — which saw Sir Anthony Hopkins become the oldest recipient of the Leading Actor BAFTA. He was nominated alongside Riz Ahmed, Mads Mikkelsen, Tahar Rahim, Chadwick Boseman, and Adarsh Gourav. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=igns-best-reviewed-movies-of-2020&captions=true"] The full list of winners for the BAFTA Film Awards 2021 follows:

Best Film

• The Father
• The Mauritanian
• Nomadland - WINNER
• Promising Young Woman
• The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Director

• Thomas Vinterberg, Another Round
• Shannon Murphy, Babyteeth
• Lee Isaac Chung, Minari
• Chloé Zhao, Nomadland - WINNER
• Jasmila Žbanić, Quo Vadis, Aida?
• Sarah Gavron, Rocks

Leading Actor

• Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
• Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
• Adarsh Gourav, The White Tiger
• Sir Anthony Hopkins, The Father - WINNER
• Mads Mikkelsen, Another Round
• Tahar Rahim, The Mauritanian

Leading Actress

• Bukky Bakray, Rocks
• Radha Blank, The Forty-Year-Old Version
• Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman
• Frances McDormand, Nomadland - WINNER
• Wunmi Mosaku, His House
• Alfre Woodard, Clemency

Supporting Actor

• Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah - WINNER
• Barry Keoghan, Calm With Horses
• Alan Kim, Minari
• Leslie Odom Jr, One Night In Miami
• Clarke Peters, Da 5 Bloods
• Paul Raci, Sound of Metal

Supporting Actress

• Niamh Algar, Calm With Horses
• Kosar Ali, Rocks
• Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
• Dominique Fishback, Judas and the Black Messiah
• Ashley Madekwe, County Lines
• Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari - WINNER

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/09/nomadland-official-trailer-1"]

Best Original Screenplay

• Another Round
• Mank
• Promising Young Woman - WINNER
• Rocks
• The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Adapted Screenplay

• The Dig
• The Father - WINNER
• The Mauritanian
• Nomadland
• The White Tiger

Best Original Score

• Mank
• Minari
• News of the World
• Promising Young Woman
• Soul - WINNER

Best Cinematography

• Judas and the Black Messiah
• Mank
• The Mauritanian
• News of the World
• Nomadland - WINNER

Best Costume Design

• Ammonite
• The Dig
• Emma
• Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - WINNER
• Mank

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/08/ma-raineys-black-bottom-got-talent-official-clip"]

Best Editing

• The Father
• Nomadland
• Promising Young Woman
• Sound of Metal - WINNER
• The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Production Design

• The Dig
• The Father
• Mank - WINNER
• News of the World
• Rebecca

Best Hair and Makeup

• The Dig
• Hillbilly Elegy
• Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - WINNER
• Mank
• Pinocchio

Best Sound

• Greyhound
• News of the World
• Nomadland
• Soul
• Sound of Metal - WINNER

Best Special Visual Effects

• Greyhound
• The Midnight Sky
• Mulan
• The One and Only Ivan
• Tenet - WINNER

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/21/tenet-review"]

Best Casting

• Calm With Horses
• Judas and the Black Messiah
• Minari
• Promising Young Woman
• Rocks - WINNER

Outstanding British Film

• Calm With Horses
• The Dig
• The Father
• His House
• Limbo
• The Mauritanian
• Mogul Mowgli
• Promising Young Woman - WINNER
• Rocks
• Saint Maud

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer

• His House, Remi Weekes (Writer/Director) - WINNER
• Limbo, Ben Sharrock (Writer/Director), Irune Gurtubai (Producer)
• Moffie, Jack Sidey (Writer/Producer)
• Rocks, Theresa Ikoko, Claire Wilson (Writers)
• Saint Maud, Rose Glass (Writer/Director), Oliver Kassman (Producer)

Film not in the English Language

• Another Round - WINNER
• Dear Comrades!
• Les Misérables
• Minari
• Quo Vadis, Aida?

Best Documentary

• Collective
• David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet
• The Dissident
• My Octopus Teacher - WINNER
• The Social Dilemma

Best Animated Film

• Onward
• Soul - WINNER
• Wolfwalkers

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/14/how-pixar-designed-the-ethereal-characters-of-soul-ft-director-pete-docter"]

Best British Short Film

• Eyelash
• Lizard
• Lucky Break
• Miss Curvy
• The Present - WINNER

Best British Short Animation

• The Fire Next Time
• The Owl and the Pussycat - WINNER
• The Song of A Lost Boy

EE Rising Star (voted for by the public)

• Kingsley Ben-Adir
• Morfydd Clark
• Bukky Bakray - WINNER
• Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù
• Conrad Khan

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=2021-movies-preview&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

The strange, multi-font, ever-changing logo for Marvel’s Loki works as a pretty good teaser for what the show is about, according to Loki himself, Tom Hiddleston. Talking to Empire for the magazine’s June 2021 issue, Hiddleston refused to explain what the show is truly about, but pointed to the “shapeshifting logo” as a good indicator as to the show’s theme. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/05/marvel-studios-loki-official-trailer-2"] “I think that shapeshifting logo might give you an idea that Loki, the show, is about identity, and about integrating the disparate fragments of the many selves that he can be, and perhaps the many selves that we are,” Hiddleston said. “I thought it was very exciting because I’ve always found Loki a very complex construct. Who is this character who can wear so many masks, and changes shape, and seems to change his external feeling on a sixpence?” He also notes that Loki is the “quintessential shapeshifter” and that this means audiences are never quite sure if the Asgardian trickster god is a hero, villain, or anti-hero. Loki is due to launch on Disney+ in June, and could well feature Lady Loki. While the first season is yet to air yet, reports suggest Loki season 2 is already in development. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.