A first ever Disney and Marvel Games Showcase will debut next month, featuring brand new video game announcements from the likes of Star Wars, Pixar, Marvel, and more.

The digital showcase will debut during the D23 Expo on September 9 and has already promised further updates on Marvel’s Midnight Suns, Amy Hennig’s Marvel ensemble game from Skydance New Media, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, and Disney Dreamlight Valley.

Marvel Games, Lucasfilm Games, and 20th Century Games will all be present to some degree during the showcase, bringing “reveals, announcements, and trailers for new and upcoming games,” according to Disney.

The Disney and Marvel Games Showcase will be streamed simultaneously online, meaning even those not at the D23 Expo can watch along. It will be available on the expo’s YouTube and social media channels alongside Disney and Marvel’s main channels at 1PM Pacific / 4PM Eastern / 9PM UK (and 6AM on September 10 AEST).

Given that this is the inaugural games showcase from Disney and Marvel it’s unclear exactly what calibre of announcements will be made during the event, but there are plenty of Marvel and Star Wars games in development to choose from.

Spider-Man 2 from Insomniac Games was announced last September and relatively little has been said about it since despite an expected release year of 2023. A Wolverine game is also in development at Insomniac, and a digital card game called Marvel Snap is currently in beta and awaiting an official release date announcement.

On the Star Wars front, we know that Star Wars: Hunters, the Overwatch-style multiplayer game from Zynga, was recently delayed to 2023. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, a sequel to Fallen Order, was announced in May with a teaser trailer, so developer Respawn may show a little more during this showcase.

Amy Hennig is also working on a Star Wars game, and various others, including an open world game from Ubisoft, a first-person shooter from Respawn, a Knights of the Old Republic remake, and Star Wars Eclipse - a story-driven game with branching paths - are all in development too.

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

Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard claims she was paid “so much less” than Chris Pratt.

During an interview with Insider, the 41-year-old actress revealed that she was paid less than her co-star for the Jurassic World series despite his fight for equal pay.

“I was paid so much less than the reports even said, so much less,” said Howard. “When I started negotiating for [Jurassic World], it was 2014 and it was a different world, and I was at a great disadvantage. And, unfortunately, you have to sign up for three movies and so your deals are set.”

Howard and Pratt revitalized the Jurassic Park franchise in 2014 with Jurassic World. However, even back in 2018, Variety revealed that Howard was paid $2 million less than her co-star – taking home $8 million for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom as opposed to Pratt’s $10 million check.

Now, that figure is likely to have been a lot more.

Although Howard and Pratt continued the franchise with the recent Jurassic World Dominion it looks as though she continued to get the short end of the stick. Even though Pratt did try to help her negotiate better pay.

“What I will say is that Chris and I have discussed it, and whenever there was an opportunity to move the needle on stuff that hadn’t been already negotiated, like a game or a ride, he literally told me, ‘You guys don’t even have to do anything. I’m gonna do all the negotiating. We’re gonna be paid the same and you don’t have to think about this, Bryce.’”

“I love him so much for doing that,” Howard added. “I really do, because I’ve been paid more for those kinds of things than I ever was for the movie.”

It’s certainly a pretty honorable thing to do. But Howard shouldn’t really have to fight for equal pay in the first place. Unfortunately, Hollywood continues to struggle with an inherent pay gap between male and female costars.

Jurassic World Dominion also saw the return of Jurassic Park legends Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Sam Neill. But many criticized the film for squandering this reunion in the wake of poor reviews.

Want to read more about Jurassic World Dominion? Check out our explanation of the film’s ending, not to mention our full review of the 2022 dinosaur action flick.

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

Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard claims she was paid “so much less” than Chris Pratt.

During an interview with Insider, the 41-year-old actress revealed that she was paid less than her co-star for the Jurassic World series despite his fight for equal pay.

“I was paid so much less than the reports even said, so much less,” said Howard. “When I started negotiating for [Jurassic World], it was 2014 and it was a different world, and I was at a great disadvantage. And, unfortunately, you have to sign up for three movies and so your deals are set.”

Howard and Pratt revitalized the Jurassic Park franchise in 2014 with Jurassic World. However, even back in 2018, Variety revealed that Howard was paid $2 million less than her co-star – taking home $8 million for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom as opposed to Pratt’s $10 million check.

Now, that figure is likely to have been a lot more.

Although Howard and Pratt continued the franchise with the recent Jurassic World Dominion it looks as though she continued to get the short end of the stick. Even though Pratt did try to help her negotiate better pay.

“What I will say is that Chris and I have discussed it, and whenever there was an opportunity to move the needle on stuff that hadn’t been already negotiated, like a game or a ride, he literally told me, ‘You guys don’t even have to do anything. I’m gonna do all the negotiating. We’re gonna be paid the same and you don’t have to think about this, Bryce.’”

“I love him so much for doing that,” Howard added. “I really do, because I’ve been paid more for those kinds of things than I ever was for the movie.”

It’s certainly a pretty honorable thing to do. But Howard shouldn’t really have to fight for equal pay in the first place. Unfortunately, Hollywood continues to struggle with an inherent pay gap between male and female costars.

Jurassic World Dominion also saw the return of Jurassic Park legends Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Sam Neill. But many criticized the film for squandering this reunion in the wake of poor reviews.

Want to read more about Jurassic World Dominion? Check out our explanation of the film’s ending, not to mention our full review of the 2022 dinosaur action flick.

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

Popular TV network The CW will soon be under new ownership.

According to Deadline, local TV giants Nexstar Media Group will acquire 75% of The CW, becoming the company’s largest shareholder. Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global will continue to own 12.5% each.

“[The CW] has been home to some of the most ground-breaking and generation-defining programming in television,” said Warner Bros Television Group chief Channing Dungey. “We are forever grateful to our partners at the CW, especially Mark Pedowitz, who has been a great friend to the studio for so many years, and to me personally. We know that the network will continue to thrive under his leadership.”

Mark Pedowitz will continue as chairman and CEO of The CW while Warner Bros. will reportedly continue making scripted content for the network.

“[Warner Bros. will continue]to collaborate on our shared series and future projects to come under Nexstar’s leadership,” added Dungey.

The CW currently airs Superman & Lois and has been the de facto home to DC’s television output for many years, airing Arrow, The Flash, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow among others. Although there’s been speculation of a takeover from Nexstar for some months, the company previously remained quiet, only announcing the purchase today in an SEC filing and press release.

“Together, with our partners at Warner Bros. and the CW, we have created a welcome home for content that has resonated with viewers on the network and on platforms around the world,” said CBS chief George Cheeks. “This new ownership structure enables us to partner with Nexstar and Warner Bros Discovery on the next chapter of the CW while re-deploying capital to other content platforms at Paramount.”

Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but Nexstar is expected to take on all of The CW’s debt, and has made the acquisition with “no upfront considerations”.

Warner Bros. Discovery has been looking to make cost-cutting measures following its high-profile merger, and the sale of The CW is sure to help balance the books. But with the studio also offloading the likes of Batgirl, it makes DC Entertainment projects seem like a tricky sell, even if WB does continue to make the shows for the network.

What happens to The CW’s WB projects now remains to be seen. But with Nexstar apparently planning to gear the network towards broadcast over streaming, this could mean some interesting changes.

Want to read more about Batgirl and the Warner Bros. Discover merger? Check out which upcoming DC projects have been affected, and why Batgirl was canceled in the first place.

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

Popular TV network The CW will soon be under new ownership.

According to Deadline, local TV giants Nexstar Media Group will acquire 75% of The CW, becoming the company’s largest shareholder. Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global will continue to own 12.5% each.

“[The CW] has been home to some of the most ground-breaking and generation-defining programming in television,” said Warner Bros Television Group chief Channing Dungey. “We are forever grateful to our partners at the CW, especially Mark Pedowitz, who has been a great friend to the studio for so many years, and to me personally. We know that the network will continue to thrive under his leadership.”

Mark Pedowitz will continue as chairman and CEO of The CW while Warner Bros. will reportedly continue making scripted content for the network.

“[Warner Bros. will continue]to collaborate on our shared series and future projects to come under Nexstar’s leadership,” added Dungey.

The CW currently airs Superman & Lois and has been the de facto home to DC’s television output for many years, airing Arrow, The Flash, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow among others. Although there’s been speculation of a takeover from Nexstar for some months, the company previously remained quiet, only announcing the purchase today in an SEC filing and press release.

“Together, with our partners at Warner Bros. and the CW, we have created a welcome home for content that has resonated with viewers on the network and on platforms around the world,” said CBS chief George Cheeks. “This new ownership structure enables us to partner with Nexstar and Warner Bros Discovery on the next chapter of the CW while re-deploying capital to other content platforms at Paramount.”

Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but Nexstar is expected to take on all of The CW’s debt, and has made the acquisition with “no upfront considerations”.

Warner Bros. Discovery has been looking to make cost-cutting measures following its high-profile merger, and the sale of The CW is sure to help balance the books. But with the studio also offloading the likes of Batgirl, it makes DC Entertainment projects seem like a tricky sell, even if WB does continue to make the shows for the network.

What happens to The CW’s WB projects now remains to be seen. But with Nexstar apparently planning to gear the network towards broadcast over streaming, this could mean some interesting changes.

Want to read more about Batgirl and the Warner Bros. Discover merger? Check out which upcoming DC projects have been affected, and why Batgirl was canceled in the first place.

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

NFL Blitz is back with a new arcade cabinet from Arcade1Up.

A collection of remasters of the original NFL arcade games, the new NFL Blitz Legends collection brings these football classics into the home in a retro-styled arcade cabinet based on the original 1997 game.

NFL Blitz Legends includes NFL Blitz, NFL Blitz ’99, and NFL Blitz 2000: Gold Edition, all in one five-foot-tall cabinet, allowing you to blitz through the classic sports titles the way you remember.

Arcade1Up has partnered with the NFL and FGA to ensure hundreds of the games' players are included in these titles, including Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins), Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers), Deion Sanders (Denver Broncos), Cris Carter (Minnesota Vikings), Jerome Bettis (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Terrell Davis (Denver Broncos).

Originally developed by Midway Games, NFL Blitz became an arcade staple in the late ‘90s. Now, Arcade1Up has remastered three of the most popular titles in the series, adding new features to bring these classic games online for the first time.

“We could not be more excited to bring NFL Blitz Legends to fans who have been waiting years for the return of this iconic game,” said Scott Bachrach, CEO, Arcade1Up. “Our team spent the better part of the last two years making sure we both honored the games’ past while bringing it up to today’s modern standards with AAA development efforts in partnership with the NFL and FGA, and I think we’ve achieved that in an unbelievable feat of fun, exciting, action-packed gameplay while reengineering the original game.”

One interesting change is that the remasters are designed to support the NFL’s current Player Health & Safety initiatives, certain tackles and after-the-whistle hits have been removed or edited from the new versions of the games.

NFL Blitz Legends allows you to compete with other players online for the first time, adding online multiplayer and leaderboards. However, the games themselves stay true to the originals – bringing all the highlights of American football into an easy-to-understand package.

The cabinet features a classic style based on the original NFL Blitz cabinet, including artwork that depicts classic team logos and uniforms. In addition to wi-fi connectivity, the cabinet includes a 17-inch display, light-up marquee, and 49-way joystick.

NBA Blitz Legends is available to pre-order now for $599.99 with machines due to touchdown this fall. Additionally, you can order branded bar stools for every NFL team for an extra $79.99.

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

NFL Blitz is back with a new arcade cabinet from Arcade1Up.

A collection of remasters of the original NFL arcade games, the new NFL Blitz Legends collection brings these football classics into the home in a retro-styled arcade cabinet based on the original 1997 game.

NFL Blitz Legends includes NFL Blitz, NFL Blitz ’99, and NFL Blitz 2000: Gold Edition, all in one five-foot-tall cabinet, allowing you to blitz through the classic sports titles the way you remember.

Arcade1Up has partnered with the NFL and FGA to ensure hundreds of the games' players are included in these titles, including Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins), Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers), Deion Sanders (Denver Broncos), Cris Carter (Minnesota Vikings), Jerome Bettis (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Terrell Davis (Denver Broncos).

Originally developed by Midway Games, NFL Blitz became an arcade staple in the late ‘90s. Now, Arcade1Up has remastered three of the most popular titles in the series, adding new features to bring these classic games online for the first time.

“We could not be more excited to bring NFL Blitz Legends to fans who have been waiting years for the return of this iconic game,” said Scott Bachrach, CEO, Arcade1Up. “Our team spent the better part of the last two years making sure we both honored the games’ past while bringing it up to today’s modern standards with AAA development efforts in partnership with the NFL and FGA, and I think we’ve achieved that in an unbelievable feat of fun, exciting, action-packed gameplay while reengineering the original game.”

One interesting change is that the remasters are designed to support the NFL’s current Player Health & Safety initiatives, certain tackles and after-the-whistle hits have been removed or edited from the new versions of the games.

NFL Blitz Legends allows you to compete with other players online for the first time, adding online multiplayer and leaderboards. However, the games themselves stay true to the originals – bringing all the highlights of American football into an easy-to-understand package.

The cabinet features a classic style based on the original NFL Blitz cabinet, including artwork that depicts classic team logos and uniforms. In addition to wi-fi connectivity, the cabinet includes a 17-inch display, light-up marquee, and 49-way joystick.

NBA Blitz Legends is available to pre-order now for $599.99 with machines due to touchdown this fall. Additionally, you can order branded bar stools for every NFL team for an extra $79.99.

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

A new Lord of the Rings game is on its way from Weta Workshop and Private Division, set as part of the literary universe, rather than that of the films.

Announced today via Twitter, the upcoming game takes place in Middle-earth, with Weta, who worked on the original Peter Jackson movies as well as Amazon’s The Rings of Power, teaming up with Take-Two’s Private Division publishing label.

“We’re thrilled to announce that we have partnered with Weta Workshop to publish a new game set in the literary Middle-earth universe of J.R.R. Tolkien,” revealed Private Division. “We look forward to sharing more about the project in the future.”

We’re thrilled to announce that we have partnered with @WetaWorkshop to publish a new game set in the literary Middle-earth universe of J.R.R. Tolkien. We look forward to sharing more about the project in the future! pic.twitter.com/z9HxvXe7Da

— Private Division (@PrivateDivision) August 15, 2022

The untitled game, which is said to be in early development, is on its way sometime in 2024. However, don’t expect to see Elijah Wood or Martin Freeman as, according to the announcement, the game is based very specifically on the literary Middle-earth universe. That means it will sit outside of the recent films and TV shows – tying more directly into Tolkien’s original books.

The game will be produced by Weta, which created its own game development studio in 2014.

“It’s a privilege to create a new game set in Middle-earth, especially one that’s so different from what fans have played previously,” said Weta Workshop head of interactive, Amie Wolken. “As fans ourselves, we’re excited for gamers to explore Middle-earth in a way they never have before, and introduce new fans to the magic of The Lord of the Rings.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Weta Workshop to publish a game set in such an extraordinary and celebrated universe,” added Head of Private Division Michael Worosz. “The Lord of the Rings IP is home to so many remarkable stories, and no entity is better equipped than the team at Weta Workshop to create a distinctive, new Middle-earth gaming experience.”

Of course, this isn’t the only Lord of the Rings game on the cards, with The Lord of the Rings: Gollum expected to release next year.

Want to read more about Lord of the Rings games? Check out our preview of The Lord of the Rings: Gollum and get a glimpse of the game’s official gameplay trailer.

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

A new Lord of the Rings game is on its way from Weta Workshop and Private Division, set as part of the literary universe, rather than that of the films.

Announced today via Twitter, the upcoming game takes place in Middle-earth, with Weta, who worked on the original Peter Jackson movies as well as Amazon’s The Rings of Power, teaming up with Take-Two’s Private Division publishing label.

“We’re thrilled to announce that we have partnered with Weta Workshop to publish a new game set in the literary Middle-earth universe of J.R.R. Tolkien,” revealed Private Division. “We look forward to sharing more about the project in the future.”

We’re thrilled to announce that we have partnered with @WetaWorkshop to publish a new game set in the literary Middle-earth universe of J.R.R. Tolkien. We look forward to sharing more about the project in the future! pic.twitter.com/z9HxvXe7Da

— Private Division (@PrivateDivision) August 15, 2022

The untitled game, which is said to be in early development, is on its way sometime in 2024. However, don’t expect to see Elijah Wood or Martin Freeman as, according to the announcement, the game is based very specifically on the literary Middle-earth universe. That means it will sit outside of the recent films and TV shows – tying more directly into Tolkien’s original books.

The game will be produced by Weta, which created its own game development studio in 2014.

“It’s a privilege to create a new game set in Middle-earth, especially one that’s so different from what fans have played previously,” said Weta Workshop head of interactive, Amie Wolken. “As fans ourselves, we’re excited for gamers to explore Middle-earth in a way they never have before, and introduce new fans to the magic of The Lord of the Rings.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Weta Workshop to publish a game set in such an extraordinary and celebrated universe,” added Head of Private Division Michael Worosz. “The Lord of the Rings IP is home to so many remarkable stories, and no entity is better equipped than the team at Weta Workshop to create a distinctive, new Middle-earth gaming experience.”

Of course, this isn’t the only Lord of the Rings game on the cards, with The Lord of the Rings: Gollum expected to release next year.

Want to read more about Lord of the Rings games? Check out our preview of The Lord of the Rings: Gollum and get a glimpse of the game’s official gameplay trailer.

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

Netflix has announced that Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities will debut as a four-day, double-episode event, starting on October 25.

The streamer unlocked the Cabinet of Curiosities in a first-look teaser, revealing each story's title along with glimpses of footage and behind-the-scenes tidbits from the anthology.

The entire collection will be released over four days during a "Netflix & Chills" Halloween event this October, with two tales from del Toro's new series debuting daily through October 28.

8 chilling stories. 4 nights of double features. 1 Netflix Halloween event.

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities begins October 25. pic.twitter.com/OUrf7n4Ieg

— Netflix (@netflix) August 15, 2022

As revealed in the new video, the individual story titles for the eight-part anthology are as follows:

• Dreams in the Witch House (Directed by Catherine Hardwicke)
• Graveyard Rats (Directed by Vincenzo Natali)
• Lot 36 (Directed by Guillermo Navarro)
• Pickman's Model (Directed by Keith Thomas)
• The Autopsy (Directed by David Prior)
• The Murmuring (Directed by Jennifer Kent)
• The Outside (Directed by Ana Lily Amirpour)
• The Viewing (Directed by Panos Cosmatos)

"With Cabinet of Curiosities, we set out to showcase the realities existing outside of our normal world: the anomalies and curiosities. We hand-picked and curated a group of stories and storytellers to deliver these tales, whether they come from outer space, supernatural lore, or simply within our minds," del Toro said of the upcoming series. "Just in time for Halloween, each of these eight tales is a fantastical peek inside the cabinet of delights existing underneath the reality we live in."

Netflix previously shared a thorough breakdown of the actors, writers, and directors involved with each episode, featuring stories that range from "macabre to magical, gothic to grotesque or classically creepy." Del Toro has created two original tales for the season (Lot 36 and The Murmuring) while also serving as executive producer, creator, and co-showrunner for the series alongside J. Miles Dale.

Del Toro has had an ongoing relationship with Netflix having produced several animated films aimed at a younger audience. Along with Cabinet of Curiosities, del Toro is also directing a stop-motion Pinocchio movie for Netflix starring Ewan McGregor as the Talking Cricket. That film will be released in December following the release of Disney's own live-action retelling of Pinocchio in September.

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