Spoilers ahead for Todd Phillips' Joker. Quentin Tarantino recently appeared on a three-hour long episode of The Empire Film Podcast with Edgar Wright and spoke about how the talk show scene in Todd Phillips' Joker is "subversion on a massive level." As reported by The Playlist, Tarantino began by discussing how, while most of the Joker is "fine," the talk show show scene is where it becomes something truly special. "Then it gets to the talk show scene, and you feel the ENTIRE atmosphere in the theater change,” Tarantino says with excitement. “It’s not suspense; they are beyond suspense. They are riveted. Everybody in the audience is completely plugged in. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/31/joker-review"] “The subversion on a massive level, the thing that’s profound is this:  It’s not just suspenseful, it’s not just riveting and exciting, the director subverts the audience because the Joker is a fucking nut,” Tarantino explained. “Robert De Niro’s talk show character is not a movie villain. He seems like an asshole, but he’s not more of an asshole than David Letterman. He’s just an asshole comedian, talk show guy. "He’s not a movie villain. He doesn’t deserve to die. Yet, while the audience is watching the Joker, they want him to kill Robert De Niro; they want him to take that gun, and stick it in his eye and blow his fucking head off. And if the Joker didn’t kill him? You would be pissed off. That is subversion on a massive level! They got the audience to think like a fucking lunatic and to want something [they would never normally want]. And they will lie about it! [“Audiences] will say, ‘no, I didn’t [want that to happen]!,’ and they are fucking liars. They did.” Tarantino also noted that you did yourself a disservice if you didn't see Joker in the theater. In his words, "You got a hand job as opposed to great sex... [or a] three-some." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ranking-the-batman-movie-villains&captions=true"] Throughout the podcast, Tarantino also touches on James Cameron's Aliens, The Terminator, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, and Django Unchained. For more on Joker, check out our thoughts on why, despite Joaquin Phoenix winning the Best Actor Oscar, Joker was never going to win Best Picture, and the full screenplay of the film. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Spoilers ahead for Todd Phillips' Joker. Quentin Tarantino recently appeared on a three-hour long episode of The Empire Film Podcast with Edgar Wright and spoke about how the talk show scene in Todd Phillips' Joker is "subversion on a massive level." As reported by The Playlist, Tarantino began by discussing how, while most of the Joker is "fine," the talk show show scene is where it becomes something truly special. "Then it gets to the talk show scene, and you feel the ENTIRE atmosphere in the theater change,” Tarantino says with excitement. “It’s not suspense; they are beyond suspense. They are riveted. Everybody in the audience is completely plugged in. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/31/joker-review"] “The subversion on a massive level, the thing that’s profound is this:  It’s not just suspenseful, it’s not just riveting and exciting, the director subverts the audience because the Joker is a fucking nut,” Tarantino explained. “Robert De Niro’s talk show character is not a movie villain. He seems like an asshole, but he’s not more of an asshole than David Letterman. He’s just an asshole comedian, talk show guy. "He’s not a movie villain. He doesn’t deserve to die. Yet, while the audience is watching the Joker, they want him to kill Robert De Niro; they want him to take that gun, and stick it in his eye and blow his fucking head off. And if the Joker didn’t kill him? You would be pissed off. That is subversion on a massive level! They got the audience to think like a fucking lunatic and to want something [they would never normally want]. And they will lie about it! [“Audiences] will say, ‘no, I didn’t [want that to happen]!,’ and they are fucking liars. They did.” Tarantino also noted that you did yourself a disservice if you didn't see Joker in the theater. In his words, "You got a hand job as opposed to great sex... [or a] three-some." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ranking-the-batman-movie-villains&captions=true"] Throughout the podcast, Tarantino also touches on James Cameron's Aliens, The Terminator, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, and Django Unchained. For more on Joker, check out our thoughts on why, despite Joaquin Phoenix winning the Best Actor Oscar, Joker was never going to win Best Picture, and the full screenplay of the film. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Update 02/08/2021: Konami has denied that it asked for an interview with Akira Yamaoka to be removed after appearing to tease a new Silent Hill game. In a statement to IGN, a company spokesperson wrote: ""KONAMI did not ask [video uploader] Al Hub to take down the interview." AI Hub (which has not responded to a request for comment) previously wrote that it had been asked to take down the video – in which Silent Hill composer Yamaoka said a game fans were "hoping to hear about" would likely be announced this summer. Many took the removal to have come from Konami, sparking more speculation that it was attempting to plug a leak. However, Konami's denial may instead point to the removal request coming from Yamaoka himself. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Update 02/05/2021: An interview with Akira Yamaoka – which many have taken to be a tease for a new Silent Hill game – has been removed by its original publisher, AIHub. In a statement, AIHub explained that it had been asked to remove the clip (but doesn't specify who asked), and apologised for doing so.

Statement: We thank you for your support which contributed to the spread of the interview that we published yesterday with Akira Yamaoka around the world. We were asked to remove the clip, and it has been removed. We apologize and stay tuned for the next interviews https://t.co/sMuGmf6NIT

— Al Hub - الهَب (@TheHubKW) February 5, 2021

As much as the original statement, the removal has caused speculation, with many assuming this is an attempt to stem the rumours about an upcoming Silent Hill which has yet to be announced. There is, of course, the possibility that Yamaoka was talking about something else, and the removal has been made to stem misinformation. IGN's contacted Silent Hill publisher Konami for comment. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Silent Hill and Contra composer Akira Yamaoka says in a recent interview that he expects to announce a new project this summer and teases that he thinks it’s the one people are “hoping to hear about.” In an interview with the YouTube channel AI Hub, Yamaoka appeared to speak about his latest work as a composer on The Medium. But when asked if there are any other projects he’s working on, Yamaoka responded that an announcement will likely happen this summer. What’s more, it could be a big one for fans. “You’ll probably hear something this summer to be announced,” Yamaoka said via a translator before adding, “And I think it’s the one you’re kinda hoping to hear about.”

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps1-games-ever&captions=true"]

Let’s not mince any words here. Yamaoka is most famous for his work on the Silent Hill series where he was an original member of Konami’s Team Silent dev team. A new Silent Hill game has made its way around the internet rumor mills for years now since the cancellation of Hideo Kojima’s P.T. and is easily the ones fans are most excited to learn more about. In the years since P.T. was shelved, rumors of a new Silent Hill game in development have popped up several times. In 2020 a prominent leaker divulged that two Silent Hill games could be in development, one described as a “soft reboot,” and the other an episodic game similar to Telltale titles. Original Team Silent art director Masahiro Ito also tweeted in 2020 that they were working on a new title “as a core member,” and added, “I hope the title won’t be canceled.” This last line was interpreted as a reference to P.T. which led many to believe Ito was teasing a new Silent Hill game. However, Team Silent director and former Sony Japan member Keiichiro Toyama recently left Sony to start their own company Bokeh Game Studio with Gravity Rush designers Junya Okura and Kazunobu Sato. Toyama’s project is said to be a horror action-adventure title according to an interview with IGN Japan. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/11/first-person-silent-hill-fan-remake-gameplay"] Meanwhile, Konami confirmed that it has not closed its game development operation following a corporate shuffle, and has said in the past it is always evaluating its entire IP portfolio for future game development. Things are very much unconfirmed at this time, so if you want to keep your hope in check, assume Yamaoka is talking about a new ESPN MLS GameNight reboot. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him @lawoftd on Twitter.

Update 02/08/2021: Konami has denied that it asked for an interview with Akira Yamaoka to be removed after appearing to tease a new Silent Hill game. In a statement to IGN, a company spokesperson wrote: ""KONAMI did not ask [video uploader] Al Hub to take down the interview." AI Hub (which has not responded to a request for comment) previously wrote that it had been asked to take down the video – in which Silent Hill composer Yamaoka said a game fans were "hoping to hear about" would likely be announced this summer. Many took the removal to have come from Konami, sparking more speculation that it was attempting to plug a leak. However, Konami's denial may instead point to the removal request coming from Yamaoka himself. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Update 02/05/2021: An interview with Akira Yamaoka – which many have taken to be a tease for a new Silent Hill game – has been removed by its original publisher, AIHub. In a statement, AIHub explained that it had been asked to remove the clip (but doesn't specify who asked), and apologised for doing so.

Statement: We thank you for your support which contributed to the spread of the interview that we published yesterday with Akira Yamaoka around the world. We were asked to remove the clip, and it has been removed. We apologize and stay tuned for the next interviews https://t.co/sMuGmf6NIT

— Al Hub - الهَب (@TheHubKW) February 5, 2021

As much as the original statement, the removal has caused speculation, with many assuming this is an attempt to stem the rumours about an upcoming Silent Hill which has yet to be announced. There is, of course, the possibility that Yamaoka was talking about something else, and the removal has been made to stem misinformation. IGN's contacted Silent Hill publisher Konami for comment. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Silent Hill and Contra composer Akira Yamaoka says in a recent interview that he expects to announce a new project this summer and teases that he thinks it’s the one people are “hoping to hear about.” In an interview with the YouTube channel AI Hub, Yamaoka appeared to speak about his latest work as a composer on The Medium. But when asked if there are any other projects he’s working on, Yamaoka responded that an announcement will likely happen this summer. What’s more, it could be a big one for fans. “You’ll probably hear something this summer to be announced,” Yamaoka said via a translator before adding, “And I think it’s the one you’re kinda hoping to hear about.”

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps1-games-ever&captions=true"]

Let’s not mince any words here. Yamaoka is most famous for his work on the Silent Hill series where he was an original member of Konami’s Team Silent dev team. A new Silent Hill game has made its way around the internet rumor mills for years now since the cancellation of Hideo Kojima’s P.T. and is easily the ones fans are most excited to learn more about. In the years since P.T. was shelved, rumors of a new Silent Hill game in development have popped up several times. In 2020 a prominent leaker divulged that two Silent Hill games could be in development, one described as a “soft reboot,” and the other an episodic game similar to Telltale titles. Original Team Silent art director Masahiro Ito also tweeted in 2020 that they were working on a new title “as a core member,” and added, “I hope the title won’t be canceled.” This last line was interpreted as a reference to P.T. which led many to believe Ito was teasing a new Silent Hill game. However, Team Silent director and former Sony Japan member Keiichiro Toyama recently left Sony to start their own company Bokeh Game Studio with Gravity Rush designers Junya Okura and Kazunobu Sato. Toyama’s project is said to be a horror action-adventure title according to an interview with IGN Japan. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/11/first-person-silent-hill-fan-remake-gameplay"] Meanwhile, Konami confirmed that it has not closed its game development operation following a corporate shuffle, and has said in the past it is always evaluating its entire IP portfolio for future game development. Things are very much unconfirmed at this time, so if you want to keep your hope in check, assume Yamaoka is talking about a new ESPN MLS GameNight reboot. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him @lawoftd on Twitter.

As if 2021 wasn't weird enough already, the Internet is currently abuzz with a rumor suggesting DC is renaming the character Black Adam to Shazadam. IGN can confirm this rumor is not actually true. Shazadam is not happening. The rumor was originally reported by Bleeding Cool, who claim that among the various plot twists introduced in the upcoming comic Infinite Frontier #0, Shazam's nemesis will take on a new name as part of his transition toward becoming a hero. The name change would even seem to suggest Black Adam is reclaiming his old role as the herald of the wizard Shazam, leaving young Billy Batson out of a job. However, sources with direct knowledge of the comic confirm Black Adam will be keeping his regular name in 2021. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/22/black-adam-dc-fandome-official-teaser"] That's not to say fans shouldn't expect a more heroic turn for the man formerly known as Teth-Adam. We recently learned writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist David Marquez (who previously collaborated on Marvel titles like The Invincible Iron Man and The Defenders) will be taking over DC's flagship Justice League comic in March. Black Adam will be a member of the revamped League lineup, which includes both traditional favorites like Batman, Superman and Flash as well as more unusual picks like Queen Hippolyta and Naomi (the same Naomi who's getting her own CW series). Bendis acknowledged the strange Shazadam rumor on Twitter, writing simply, "rumors are stupid." Nor is 2021 an ideal time to be changing Black Adam's name, given that Dwayne Johnson is poised to star in the long-awaited Black Adam movie. The movie will also feature the Justice Society of America, including One Night in Miami's Aldis Hodge as Hawkman. DC offered fans a very early glimpse of Johnson's Black Adam at DC FanDome last year. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dc-extended-universe-every-upcoming-movie&captions=true"] Jaume Collet-Serra directs Black Adam from a screenplay by Rory Haines & Sohrab Noshirvani and Adam Sztykiel. The movie was slated to open December 2021, though its release date has been indefinitely postponed due to the pandemic. Shazadam may have died before he ever lived, but is there a DC hero you'd like to see fused with Shazam? Bat-Shazam? Shazatanna? Sharley Quinnzam? Let us know in the comments. [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.

As if 2021 wasn't weird enough already, the Internet is currently abuzz with a rumor suggesting DC is renaming the character Black Adam to Shazadam. IGN can confirm this rumor is not actually true. Shazadam is not happening. The rumor was originally reported by Bleeding Cool, who claim that among the various plot twists introduced in the upcoming comic Infinite Frontier #1, Shazam's nemesis will take on a new name as part of his transition toward becoming a hero. The name change would even seem to suggest Black Adam is reclaiming his old role as the herald of the wizard Shazam, leaving young Billy Batson out of a job. However, sources with direct knowledge of the comic confirm Black Adam will be keeping his regular name in 2021. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/22/black-adam-dc-fandome-official-teaser"] That's not to say fans shouldn't expect a more heroic turn for the man formerly known as Teth-Adam. We recently learned writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist David Marquez (who previously collaborated on Marvel titles like The Invincible Iron Man and The Defenders) will be taking over DC's flagship Justice League comic in March. Black Adam will be a member of the revamped League lineup, which includes both traditional favorites like Batman, Superman and Flash as well as more unusual picks like Queen Hippolyta and Naomi (the same Naomi who's getting her own CW series). Bendis acknowledged the strange Shazadam rumor on Twitter, writing simply, "rumors are stupid." Nor is 2021 an ideal time to be changing Black Adam's name, given that Dwayne Johnson is poised to star in the long-awaited Black Adam movie. The movie will also feature the Justice Society of America, including One Night in Miami's Aldis Hodge as Hawkman. DC offered fans a very early glimpse of Johnson's Black Adam at DC FanDome last year. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dc-extended-universe-every-upcoming-movie&captions=true"] Jaume Collet-Serra directs Black Adam from a screenplay by Rory Haines & Sohrab Noshirvani and Adam Sztykiel. The movie was slated to open December 2021, though its release date has been indefinitely postponed due to the pandemic. Shazadam may have died before he ever lived, but is there a DC hero you'd like to see fused with Shazam? Bat-Shazam? Shazatanna? Sharley Quinnzam? Let us know in the comments. [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.

While the Mass Effect Legendary Edition reveal trailer offered a look at a host of the many beloved characters from BioWare's original trilogy, EA has offered a new better look at how the male and female versions of Commander Shepard have evolved since the original releases. Check out the gallery below for a look at both baseline versions of Commander Shepard as they originally appeared, as well as how they now look in the Legendary Edition. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=mass-effect-legendary-edition-comparison-screenshots&captions=true"] Alongside Mass Effect Legendary Edition's May release date confirmation, BioWare and EA also confirmed that the standard Female Shepard players can choose from across all three games will be the iconic Mass Effect 3 version of the character. Of course, players can choose to customize their Shepard, and EA also confirmed the character creator options will work across all three games and includes an "improved and expanded selection of hair, makeup, and skin tone options." Ahead of its May 14 launch, be sure to read IGN's first impressions of Mass Effect Legendary Edition and the changes BioWare has made, and be sure to read up on everything we've learned so far, including why there aren't dedicated PS5 and Xbox Series X versions, how the collection is treating the extended cut ending of Mass Effect 3, and why some of Mass Effect 1's DLC won't be in the game. The Mass Effect Legendary Edition is currently available for preorder. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

Activision-Blizzard isn't planning on launching either Overwatch 2 or Diablo 4 in 2021, the publisher told shareholders today. In today's earnings call following the its full fiscal year results for 2020, Activision-Blizzard noted to investors that its financial plans for the coming year do not include the launch of either game. The publisher went on to specify that it also was not including upcoming title Diablo: Immortals in its projections for the year; however, it also said that the mobile game was "progressing well" and anticipated it would launch this year. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/01/overwatch-2-announcement-trailer"] This news comes just weeks ahead of BlizzCon, the annual convention where major Blizzard game announcements for the coming year are typically made. This year, the convention is taking place online, and at least some new information on Overwatch 2 has already been teased for the event. Also from the call, CEO Bobby Kotick revealed several, free-to-play Warcraft mobile games are in "advanced development" currently. Both Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 were announced over a year ago at BlizzCon 2019, but few details about either game have been shared since then. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.  

For years there have been rumors that Activision Blizzard is working on a Warcraft-inspired mobile game. Today, company CEO Bobby Kotick confirmed that there are in fact “multiple” mobile Warcraft experiences in “advanced development” at Blizzard. During the latest financial earnings call, Kotick spoke to investors and shared plans to expand upon the Warcraft franchise by delivering “more frequent premium content.” As part of this strategy, Blizzard is deep in development on, not one, but multiple free-to-play Warcraft experiences for mobile. “In our Warcraft franchise, we intend to deliver more frequent premium content to sustain and expand the World of Warcraft community,” Kotick said to investors. “And we’ve made multiple, mobile, free-to-play Warcraft experiences and they’re now in advanced development based on our franchise’s beloved IP.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-world-of-warcraft-review&captions=true"] Kotick prefaced this news by talking about Diablo Immortal which has garnered positive buzz during its limited test trials and how it set the stage to “meaningfully expand [Diablo’s] global reach.” Rumors of a mobile Warcraft game have been around since 2017 when Blizzard posted job listings for a new mobile game seemingly based on the Warcraft franchise. One rumor in 2018 suggested Blizzard was working on a Pokemon Go-style AR game. Given Kotick says there are “multiple” projects, this could be just one of several upcoming games from Blizzard. There are technically already Warcraft-inspired games on mobile considering Hearthstone is a Warcraft trading card game spinoff available on mobile devices. But Kotick’s comments are in reference to unannounced, in-development projects. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/29/world-of-warcraft-shadowlands-story-trailer"] On the PC side, Blizzard recently released Shadowlands the newest World of Warcraft expansion. You can read our World of Warcraft: Shadowlands review here. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN. 

Chloé Zhao, the director of Nomadland and the upcoming Marvel's Eternal, is teaming up with Universal Pictures to write, direct, and produce a project based on the iconic vampire Dracula. As reported by THR, this Dracula project will be developed through her production company, Highwayman, and is said to be "described as an original, futuristic, sci-fi western." "I’ve always been fascinated by vampires and the concept of the Other they embody. I’m very excited to work with Donna, Peter and the team at Universal to reimagine such a beloved character." Zhao said. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/09/nomadland-official-trailer-1"] Count Dracula first appeared in Bram Stoker's 1897 gotchic horror novel Dracula, and Universal is celebrating the 90th anniversary of its Dracula film that debuted in 1931 and starred Bela Lugosi. There were reports of a Dracula film being in the works in 2020, following the success of The Invisible Man, and is just one of the many Monster movie projects underway at Universal alongside those from Phil Lord and Chris Miller, James Wan, Paul Feig, Elizabeth Banks, and Dexter Fletcher. Nomadland received four Golden Globe nominations, including Best Motion Picture (Drama), Best Screeplay, and Best Director. The best director nomination was the first for an Asian woman. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-horror-movies&captions=true"] In our Nomadland review, we said it is "a radiant celebration of humanity and community. Chloé Zhao takes the seeds of real stories and nurtures them with location settings, real people, and a non-judgmental eye at a misunderstood American subculture. Watching this film, I was swept away from my comfy but small apartment to the sprawling but intimidating expanses of the American West made a silent sidekick to a rebel riding a rickety van instead of a trusty steed." Marvel's Eternals, which is set to be released in theaters on November 5, 2021, had the best pitch Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige had ever heard. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.