Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey – the horror movie being made because of lapsed copyright on the original books – has gotten its first trailer.

The trailer shows off a grown-up Christopher Robin returning to the 100 Acre Wood he abandoned – and meeting the bloodthirsty Pooh and Piglet he created by leaving them behind. Later, a group of five women are attacked in a holiday home by the two creatures, which appears to make up the main section of the movie.

The trailer gives a hint of the horrors coming for the humans in the Wood, and ends on a very literal interpretation of "Bloody and Honey", as the two liquids are poured into a vat together for reasons unknown. Suffice it to say, it doesn't look like a great trip for anyone involved.

The movie went viral when it was announced earlier this year, coming from director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and Jagged Edge Productions (who have a bit of form here, having made horror movies The Curse of Humpty Dumpty and The Legend of Jack and Jill).

We've since learned a little more about the movie, from the fact that Eeyore has been eaten by his former friends, to seeing a first poster that makes clear, "This ain't no bedtime story." The movie still doesn't have an official release date.

While Disney still owns the rights to the cartoon versions of Winnie the Pooh, the original A.A. Milne books entered the public domain this year, meaning the filmmakers can use his name and story, as long as the movie doesn't include elements invented by Disney later.

Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Sigourney Weaver has teased her "goofy" character in Avatar: The Way of Water, explaining how this acting job has differed from her previous onscreen roles.

In conversation with Interview magazine, Weaver briefly spoke about what it was like to return to the world of Pandora as an entirely new character. She admitted that playing Kiri, the adopted teenage daughter of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), was "the biggest stretch" she's ever had to take as an actor and that she had to approach the role in a different kind of way.

"So Avatar I can't really talk about, but I would say that it's the biggest stretch I get to play in every possible way," Weaver told the publication about her Avatar 2 role. "I think if Jim Cameron didn't know me really well, he wouldn't have cast me as something as goofy as this. I had to work in a completely different way to play this character, a very physical way."

Weaver starred in James Cameron's first Avatar movie as Dr. Grace Augustine, head of the Avatar program, but her character didn't survive the events of the first film. This time the 72-year-old actress accepted the "challenge" of playing a Na'vi named Kiri, revelling in the opportunity to channel some youthful energy and bring out her inner child.

"I think we all pretty much remember what we were feeling as adolescents," Weaver said in a previous interview with Empire magazine. "I certainly do. I was 5' 10" or 5' 11" when I was 11. I felt strongly that Kiri would feel awkward a lot of the time. She's searching for who she is. I was thrilled to be given that challenge by Jim."

Avatar: The Way of Water is set more than a decade after the events of the first film and, alongside Weaver, sees the return of Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña, reprising their respective roles as Sulley and Neytiri alongside Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, Giovanni Ribisi, Kate Winslet, and many more.

The 2009 film will return to theaters for a limited time this September, giving audiences the chance to refresh their memories before the long-awaited sequel arrives on December 16. Filming on Avatar 3 wrapped in 2020, with that film due out on December 20, 2024, Avatar 4 in December 2026, and Avatar 5 in December 2028 — though Cameron might not helm all of the upcoming sequels.

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Netflix's newly titled Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley has reportedly entered production with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Taylour Paige joining Eddie Murphy on the long-awaited sequel.

According to Deadline, the fourth film in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise is finally moving forward as cameras have started to roll on the Axel Foley sequel. The next installment is being directed by Mark Molloy from a screenplay written by Will Beall. Murphy is stepping back into his titular role and also producing alongside Jerry Bruckheimer, Chad Oman, and Melissa Reid of Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

Charisse Hewitt-Webster and Ray Angelic are both said to be serving as executive producers on the new movie, which Netflix officially acquired the rights to in 2019. The project, however, has been in the works for several years, with one previous attempt at the fourth franchise entry suffering setbacks and a separate spinoff series failing to ever get off the ground due to fan reactions.

The Beverly Hills Cop franchise launched in 1984 with the release of the first movie which was later followed by Beverly Hills Cop 2 in 1987 and Beverly Hills Cop 3 in 1994. The films grossed a total of $712 million at the worldwide box office, with audiences turning up to theaters to follow the adventures of street-smart Detroit cop Axel Foley and his criminal investigations in California.

The plot of this fourth film is currently under wraps, and it does not yet have a release date.

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

God of War: Ragnorok is building on the last game's combat system, adding elemental attacks tied to the Triangle button, which went relatively underused in the 2018 entry.

Speaking to Game Informer, Ragnarok's lead combat designer Mihir Sheth explained how the Triangle button has been reimplemented to do far more than just recall Kratos's Leviathan Axe.

"In the last game, if you pressed Triangle you recalled the axe, but if you already had the axe, nothing happened," Sheth said. "If you had the Blades of Chaos and you pressed Triangle, you just went back to the axe. We looked at that concept and wondered: 'What if you could do something a little bit different with that button?'"

Sony Santa Monica therefore introduced a whole new style of attack that's activated through the Triangle button's previously unused state. These will be called Weapon Signature Moves and infuse either the Leviathan Axe or Blades of Chaos with elemental damage (ice and fire respectively) known as Frost Awaken and Whiplash.

It's part of a wider revamp for combat in Ragnarok, which runs along the philosophy of 'playing with your food'. “Kratos plays with his food," Sheth said. "We tried to create systems you want to engage with that are fun, very playful, lots of different routes. And when we looked at the combat in the last game, we were like, ‘We can push this further; we can find new toys and ways of playing with enemies and strategies.’ That’s been the guiding principle more than anything else.”

The new ideas at work don't just focus on Kratos' expected weaponry. Game Informer also saw two new arm shields – Dauntless and Stonewall – which can offer a damaging bonus move for last-second parrying, or a kinetic blast after absorbing damage respectively.

These attacks will join several other new gameplay additions, as Ragnarok's trailers have already shown off a variety of new combat options and abilities. Players can discover them all when the game is finally released on November 9, but in the meantime can catch up on lore with a recap of the original God of War or by reading Ragnarok's plot synopsis.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Sony and Tencent have increased their stake in Elden Ring developer FromSoftware, now owning over 30% of the company between them.

Sony now owns 14.09 percent of the company while Tencent, via its Sixjoy subsidiary, now owns 16.25 percent. FromSoftware clearly aims to capitalize on this increased investment, with majority stakeholder Kadokawa issuing the following statement:

“FromSoftware decided to conduct the Third-Party Allotment to Sixjoy within the Tencent Group, which has strength in its capabilities to develop and deploy mobile games and other network technologies in the global market including China, and SIE within the Sony Group, which has strength in its capabilities to deploy IP in games, videos and various other media in the global market, concurrently and separately.”

However, Kadokawa, which still owns 69.66 percent of FromSoftware, also asserted the company will double down on creating its own IP.

“FromSoftware will aim to proactively invest in development of more powerful game IP for itself to strengthen FromSoftware’s development capabilities and will seek to establish a framework that allows the expansion of the scope of its own publishing in the significantly growing global market.”

Elden Ring is just the latest in FromSoftware’s long list of popular games. The likes of Bloodborne, Dark Souls, and Sekiro have catapulted the studio to become one of the most popular developers in the world, with Elden Ring becoming one of the 10 best-selling games in US history. Not a bad investment for Sony and Tencent.

Of course, Elden Ring is clearly a big part of FromSoftware’s plans going forward. One of the company’s best-selling games, it also managed to secure the biggest YouTube launch in history with a staggering 3 billion views in just 60 days. Back in March, publisher Bandai Namco and FromSoftware released a joint statement calling the game “a fantastic start for the new franchise.”

“Much effort was placed into creating Elden Ring so that we could exceed the expectations of our fans worldwide," said Bandai Namco boss Yasuo Miyakawa. "In like manner, we will continue our efforts in expanding the brand beyond the game itself, and into everyone's daily life.”

Clearly, there’s more Elden Ring to come in the long term, and that’s likely a big reason why both Sony and Tencent are keen to increase their stake in the company.

When that will appear remains to be seen. Want some help tackling Elden Ring? Check out our full walkthrough for help playing through the game, and look up our boss guides if you’re having trouble with these major boss fights.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

SNK producer and director of King of Fighters 16 Yasuyuki Oda has confirmed that a new SNK vs. Capcom game is drawing interest from "both parties."

Speaking to VGC, Oda began talking about a potential new game after referencing promotional posters for 2022's EVO fighting tournament that featured artwork from both SNK and Capcom games. While it may not be much of a surprise, this collaboration was a hit for fans, and it "reconfirmed" the interest in that partnership going to the next level once more.

【EVO2022　SNK x Capcom】
After more than a decade, SNK and Capcom are back for two collaborative posters from the legendary illustrators Eisuke Ogura and Shinkiro!

Come get yours at the SNK Booth!#KOF15 #KOFXV #Evo2022 pic.twitter.com/s1xTpz2Awg

— SNK GLOBAL (@SNKPofficial) August 5, 2022

"Definitely in the future, that’s something that I think everybody on all sides, in both parties, are interested in making a reality," Oda said when asked if he was interested in being part of the team to bring a new SNK vs. Capcom game to life. "Especially after we saw the reaction to the [Evo posters]… it helped us reconfirm that that is probably one of the most wanted things from the fighting game community across the entire world.”

Those hoping to play this new game anytime soon may want to keep their expectations in check, as Oda said these comments and the public's interest is only the "first step towards maybe something like that happening in the future."

"We haven’t really talked in detail with anybody at Capcom about it," Oda said. "It might have come up as a vague comment. However, we have a lot of experience [in crossovers] with things like Akuma and Geese in Tekken, Terry [Bogard] in Fighting EX Layer, Terry in Smash Bros., and Baiken in Samurai Showdown.

"But recently, we haven’t actually done anything with Capcom, even on character collaboration stuff. So that poster [at Evo], in our sense, was the first step towards maybe something like that happening in the future.”

Oda did offer up a small glimmer of hope, saying that, if he had his way, fans would not have to wait another 20 years to see a new SNK vs. Capcom game.

"20 years is definitely too long for me," Oda said. "We’ll try and get it done in 10!”

There hasn't been a proper SNK vs. Capcom game since 2003's SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos, although there was a version of the digital collectible card game called SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS that was released on DC in 2006.

The series first began in 1999 with the original version of SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash and Neo Geo Pocket Color's SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium. Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 was the first game in the series to be relased for arcade and it arrived a year after the originals.

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.

SNK producer and director of King of Fighters 16 Yasuyuki Oda has confirmed that a new SNK vs. Capcom game is drawing interest from "both parties."

Speaking to VGC, Oda began talking about a potential new game after referencing promotional posters for 2022's EVO fighting tournament that featured artwork from both SNK and Capcom games. While it may not be much of a surprise, this collaboration was a hit for fans, and it "reconfirmed" the interest in that partnership going to the next level once more.

【EVO2022　SNK x Capcom】
After more than a decade, SNK and Capcom are back for two collaborative posters from the legendary illustrators Eisuke Ogura and Shinkiro!

Come get yours at the SNK Booth!#KOF15 #KOFXV #Evo2022 pic.twitter.com/s1xTpz2Awg

— SNK GLOBAL (@SNKPofficial) August 5, 2022

"Definitely in the future, that’s something that I think everybody on all sides, in both parties, are interested in making a reality," Oda said when asked if he was interested in being part of the team to bring a new SNK vs. Capcom game to life. "Especially after we saw the reaction to the [Evo posters]… it helped us reconfirm that that is probably one of the most wanted things from the fighting game community across the entire world.”

Those hoping to play this new game anytime soon may want to keep their expectations in check, as Oda said these comments and the public's interest is only the "first step towards maybe something like that happening in the future."

"We haven’t really talked in detail with anybody at Capcom about it," Oda said. "It might have come up as a vague comment. However, we have a lot of experience [in crossovers] with things like Akuma and Geese in Tekken, Terry [Bogard] in Fighting EX Layer, Terry in Smash Bros., and Baiken in Samurai Showdown.

"But recently, we haven’t actually done anything with Capcom, even on character collaboration stuff. So that poster [at Evo], in our sense, was the first step towards maybe something like that happening in the future.”

Oda did offer up a small glimmer of hope, saying that, if he had his way, fans would not have to wait another 20 years to see a new SNK vs. Capcom game.

"20 years is definitely too long for me," Oda said. "We’ll try and get it done in 10!”

There hasn't been a proper SNK vs. Capcom game since 2003's SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos, although there was a version of the digital collectible card game called SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS that was released on DC in 2006.

The series first began in 1999 with the original version of SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash and Neo Geo Pocket Color's SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium. Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 was the first game in the series to be relased for arcade and it arrived a year after the originals.

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.

Dark Horse Comics and author Roye Okupe are expanding their partnership in the years to come. Okupe and his imprint YouNeek Studios have signed on to publish more graphic novels through Dark Horse starting in 2024.

This expanded partnership not only encompasses new additions to the Afrocentric "YouNeek YouNiverse" line, but also the debut of a brand new shared universe. That begins in 2024's The Asiri Vol. 1, a book billed as equal parts X-Men and Attack on Titan.

Okupe will write The Asiri Vol. 1, with the creative team also including artist Samuel Iwunze, colorist Toyin "Morby" Ajetunmobi, cover artists Sunkanmi Akinboye & Etubi Onucheyo and letterer Spoof Animation.

"When I first came up with the concept for The Asiri, one of the phrases that kept coming to mind was... 'Africans in space? Heck yeah!' I've always been a huge fan of fantasy and sci-fi stories with expansive and immersive worlds that still manage to tell a very character-driven story,” said Okupe in Dark Horse's press release. “My goal with The Asiri is no different. This is a massive world with larger-than-life (sometimes quite literally) heroes, villains and people yet to decide. However, at the heart of this universe is a character-driven story centered around the conflict between a pacifist king and his warmongering general, who also happens to be his closest friend."

Dark Horse and YouNeek's collaboration began in 2021 with the release of Iyanu: Child of Wonder Vol. 1. That initial release led to a shared sci-fi universe that also includes series like Malika: Warrior Queen and E.X.O.: The Legend of Wale Williams.

Iyanu is also currently being adapted as an animated series at HBO Max and Cartoon Network, with the series being financed and produced by Lion Forge Animation.

"I think I need someone to pinch me because I feel like I am living in a dream or some sort of alternate universe," Okupe adds. "I thought I was on top of the world when we announced the publishing deal with Dark Horse last year. But now that it's official that we're going to be extending this deal…WOW!” said creator, Roye Okupe. “I feel so fortunate and I’m also humbled by the faith everyone at Dark Horse has put into this. It just goes to show you how committed Dark Horse as a company is to growing our industry and making big bets on and investing in diversity. Everyone at YouNeek Studios couldn't be more excited about this partnership and I can’t wait for fans new and old to see the amazing things we’re working on."

Dark Horse and YouNeek's expanded partnership officially kicks off with Iyanu: Child of Wonder Vol. 4, which releases on March 4, 2024. The Asiri Vol. 1 will follow in April 2024.

In other comic book news, Batman: Gotham Knights - Gilded City will serve as a prequel to the upcoming video game, and DC is reuniting many of the creators on the original Death of Superman crossover for a new special.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Dark Horse Comics and author Roye Okupe are expanding their partnership in the years to come. Okupe and his imprint YouNeek Studios have signed on to publish more graphic novels through Dark Horse starting in 2024.

This expanded partnership not only encompasses new additions to the Afrocentric "YouNeek YouNiverse" line, but also the debut of a brand new shared universe. That begins in 2024's The Asiri Vol. 1, a book billed as equal parts X-Men and Attack on Titan.

Okupe will write The Asiri Vol. 1, with the creative team also including artist Samuel Iwunze, colorist Toyin "Morby" Ajetunmobi, cover artists Sunkanmi Akinboye & Etubi Onucheyo and letterer Spoof Animation.

"When I first came up with the concept for The Asiri, one of the phrases that kept coming to mind was... 'Africans in space? Heck yeah!' I've always been a huge fan of fantasy and sci-fi stories with expansive and immersive worlds that still manage to tell a very character-driven story,” said Okupe in Dark Horse's press release. “My goal with The Asiri is no different. This is a massive world with larger-than-life (sometimes quite literally) heroes, villains and people yet to decide. However, at the heart of this universe is a character-driven story centered around the conflict between a pacifist king and his warmongering general, who also happens to be his closest friend."

Dark Horse and YouNeek's collaboration began in 2021 with the release of Iyanu: Child of Wonder Vol. 1. That initial release led to a shared sci-fi universe that also includes series like Malika: Warrior Queen and E.X.O.: The Legend of Wale Williams.

Iyanu is also currently being adapted as an animated series at HBO Max and Cartoon Network, with the series being financed and produced by Lion Forge Animation.

"I think I need someone to pinch me because I feel like I am living in a dream or some sort of alternate universe," Okupe adds. "I thought I was on top of the world when we announced the publishing deal with Dark Horse last year. But now that it's official that we're going to be extending this deal…WOW!” said creator, Roye Okupe. “I feel so fortunate and I’m also humbled by the faith everyone at Dark Horse has put into this. It just goes to show you how committed Dark Horse as a company is to growing our industry and making big bets on and investing in diversity. Everyone at YouNeek Studios couldn't be more excited about this partnership and I can’t wait for fans new and old to see the amazing things we’re working on."

Dark Horse and YouNeek's expanded partnership officially kicks off with Iyanu: Child of Wonder Vol. 4, which releases on March 4, 2024. The Asiri Vol. 1 will follow in April 2024.

In other comic book news, Batman: Gotham Knights - Gilded City will serve as a prequel to the upcoming video game, and DC is reuniting many of the creators on the original Death of Superman crossover for a new special.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

An adaptation of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman was on the table for decades before finally becoming a reality at Netflix, and we're now learning that at one point, Michael Jackson was being considered for the lead role of Morpheus.

Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast (via Variety), Gaiman said the late singer had been interested in playing Morpheus.

“By 1996, I was being taken to Warners, where the then-president of Warner Bros. sat me down and told me that Michael Jackson had phoned him the day before and asked him if he could star as Morpheus in The Sandman,” Gaiman said. “So there was a lot of interest in this, and they knew that it was one of the crown jewels, and what did I think? And I was like, ‘Ooh.'”

In the adaptation that finally reached the finish line this year, Tom Sturridge took on the lead role. But it's interesting to imagine what a Sandman with Jackson could have looked like. Jackson was most well-known for his music career that included hits like Thriller and Beat It, but he also appeared in a handful of movies, including The Wiz and Men in Black II.

This year's Netflix adaptation of The Sandman comic book has been a long time coming, but Gaiman himself hasn't always been on board. The Sandman creator admitted he sabotaged a planned movie adaptation years ago, but he now calls the finished product "a gift for that 29-year-old Neil, who went into the Warner Brothers offices and said, ‘Please don't make Sandman.’"

Despite earning an amazing score in our review, and being one of Netflix's most-watched shows since launch, the streamer has still not renewed The Sandman for Season 2.

For more, check out how Netflix's Sandman adaption changed Calliope's story in a big way. Or, read about the surprise episode of The Sandman released on Netflix.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over six years of experience with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, Lifewire, and more. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant, where he's probably pleading for an F-Zero revival.