HBO’s Westworld: Season 3 Trailer Teases Huge Direction Change

The long-awaited third season of HBO's science-fiction series Westworld is debuting on March 15, and HBO has released a new trailer that sheds much more light on the plot of Season 3. Check out the new trailer below or click here: The trailer reveals more about Aaron Paul's character Caleb, the most significant new addition to the cast. It appears Caleb will be drawn into Dolores' (Evan Rachel Wood) war for freedom as she and her fellow androids venture outside into the human world. Meanwhile, Thandie Newton's Maeve looks to be a major antagonist in Season 3. We also see other familiar faces like Jeffrey Wright's Bernard Lowe, Tessa Thompson's Charlotte Hale and Ed Harris' Man in Black. Interestingly, it appears at least part of Season 3 will still take place inside of Westworld. The Westworld sets actually burned down in late 2018 when the Paramount Ranch was decimated by the Woolsey Fire, but it appears that damage is being used to the show's advantage in Season 3. Other new cast members in Season 3 include A Black Lady Sketch Show's Lena Waithe, Black Swan's Vincent Cassel, We Are Who We Are's Scott Mescudi, Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Marshawn Lynch, The Newsroom's John Gallagher Jr., Stumptown's Michael Ealy, and Sons of Anarchy's Tommy Flanagan. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=westworld-season-3-teaser-trailer-gallery&captions=true"] Back in 2018, Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy discussed how this newest season will be a "radical shift" from what came before, which certainly seems borne out by this new trailer. For more on Westworld, be sure to check out Westworld Awakening - a VR game where you play as a self-aware host, a behind the scenes look at season 2, and why the Man in Black's story is Westworld's greatest tragedy. [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.

Fan Response to Biomutant Game Status Statement is Positive

Yesterday, Swedish developer Experiment 101 delivered an update to fans telling them that work on the upcoming action RPG Biomutant continues. And despite the recent silence, the devs are committed to delivering Biomutant despite not wanting to disclose a release date at this time. And the fans are pretty okay with that. In its first tweet since September 9, 2019, Experiment 101 informed fans that Biomutant has not been canceled. “We know many of you are wondering if the game is still in development. Let us assure you that we’ve never been working harder and more focused on it than now!” Experiment 101 wrote. Biomutant never had a firm release date, and at some point, the developers pushed the game back from its 2019 release year to 2020. And without an update from the devs since September of last year fans were wondering if the game was still in development. But the news that the game is still alive arrived as welcome relief to fans. “Thank you for the update, anything is better than nothing. One of my most anticipated games of 2020,” wrote one fan on Twitter. “Happy to hear from you! I for one will be happy to try out the game whenever it will be released,” said another. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/13/biomutant-collectors-edition-trailer"] The reason why the developer’s update means so much to the community is because of the prolonged silence. On the r/Biomutant subreddit, one of the top posts is from four months ago asking specifically, “When is the game coming out? Why is the developer so quiet?” So the update is the long-awaited answer to those questions, though there’s still no release date. But even the update was met with appreciation. “I personally prefer this over the No Man’s Sky approach,” is the headline of one of the top subreddit topics since Experiment 101’s update and references Hello Games’ rocky launch and numerous post-launch fixes. “The Biomutant team should take the time they need so they don’t have to do anything like that.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/02/20/biomutant-official-gameplay-teaser-trailer"] Biomutant is an upcoming action RPG by a team of former Avalanche developers and published by THQ Nordic. Players can customize an animal protagonist and explore an open world using kung fu and various weapons. Biomutant features branching storylines and the build of your character will impact their playstyle. So for example, a heavier character will move more slowly but hit more powerfully. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=all-the-big-games-coming-in-2020&captions=true"] Without a firm release date, Biomutant is still tentatively scheduled to be released sometime in 2020. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.

Borderlands Movie To Be Directed By Eli Roth

Eli Roth is set to helm the forthcoming Borderlands movie, based on Gearbox's hugely popular shooter video game series. In a press release on Thursday, Lionsgate announced that Roth will be joining producers Avi Arad and Ari Arad, together with executive producers Randy Pitchford and Strauss Zelnick, on the highly anticipated project. Elsewhere, Erik Feig is said to be overseeing development while Craig Mazin is the person responsible for the latest draft of the screenplay. [ignvideo url="http://www.ign.com/videos/2015/08/28/a-borderlands-movie-is-coming-from-lionsgate-ign-news"] "I'm so excited to dive into the world of Borderlands and I could not be doing it with a better script, producing team, and studio. I have a long, successful history with Lionsgate – I feel like we have grown up together and that everything in my directing career has led to a project of this scale and ambition," Roth said in a statement. "I look forward to bringing my own energy, ideas, and vision to the wild, fun, and endlessly creative world of the game. Randy Pitchford and everyone at Gearbox have been incredibly supportive of my ideas – it really feels like a perfect storm of creators coming together.  We are out to make a new classic, one which the fans of the game will love, but also one which will find new audiences globally." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-video-game-movie-in-development-almost&captions=true"] As a director, Roth is best known for his gruesome horror work on the likes of Cabin Fever and Hostel. In recent years, he helmed the Keanu Reeves-led home invasion thriller Knock Knock, the reimagining of the 1974 revenge thriller Death Wish, and the fantasy-adventure film The House with a Clock in its Walls. Borderlands is rumoured to be going after an R-rating, as the studio aims to "make the movie with the same in-your-face attitude that has made the series a blockbuster mega-franchise." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Netflix’s Castlevania: 10 New Characters Revealed for Season 3

With the release of Castlevania: Season 3 drawing closer, Netflix has revealed more about the new characters and voice actors making their debut in Season 3. The series will add several big names to its roster in Season 3, including The Wire's Lance Reddick, Pirates of the Caribbean's Bill Nighy, Star Trek: Discovery's Jason Isaacs and Downton Abbey's Jessica Brown Findlay. Netflix tweeted out a new video spotlighting the new and returning cast members in Season 3. Check out the slideshow gallery below for a closer look at the Season 3 cast: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=netflixs-castlevania-every-actor-and-character-confirmed-for-season-3&captions=true"] In addition to returning characters Alucard (James Callis), Trevor Belmont (Richard Armitage), Sypha Belnades (Alejandra Reynoso Agueda), Hector (Theo James), Isaac (Adetokumboh M'Cormack) and Carmilla (Jaime Murray), Season 3 will add ten new characters to the fold. Those ten include:
  • Jessica Brown Findlay as Lenore
  • Rila Fukushima as Sumi
  • Jason Isaacs as The Judge
  • Yasmine al Massri as Morana
  • Ivana Milicevic as Striga
  • Navid Negahban as Sala
  • Bill Nighy as Saint Germain
  • Lance Reddick as The Captain
  • Barbara Steele as Miranda
  • Toru Uchikado as Taka
Netflix also recently released a trailer for Castlevania: Season 3, one that offers some clues as to the direction of the series now that Dracula has fallen and Carmilla has risen up to replace him. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/10/31/netflix-renews-castlevania-for-season-3"] Look for Castlevania: Season 3 to debut on Netflix on Thursday, March 5. For more on the future of the series, see showrunner Adi Shankar reflect on the tragedy of Dracula and learn more about his plans to build a Castlevania/Devil May Cry shared universe. [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.

Ryan Murphy’s Hollywood Gets Premiere Date at Netflix

Netflix announced Thursday that Ryan Murphy's Hollywood series will premiere its full season on May 1, 2020. The seven-episode Netflix miniseries focuses on a group of wannabe actors and directors who are working their way into Hollywood after World War II. David Corenswet, Darren Criss, Samara Weaving, Jim Parsons, Dylan McDermott, Holland Taylor, Patti LuPone, Mira Sorvino, and Rob Reiner are some of the cast members attached. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/01/new-to-netflix-for-february-2020"] The synopsis says the series will show unfair treatment of races and sexes as well as offer a look at what the entertainment industry would be like if outdated power dynamics were dismantled. Murphy is a writer for the series along with Pose writer Janet Mock and Glee co-creator Ian Brennan. Mock will work as a director for the show after directing episodes of Pose and one episode of Murphy's Netflix series,The Politician. In 2018, Murphy reportedly signed a possible record five-year, $300 million deal with Netflix to produce content for the streaming service. A couple of months later that amount was beaten by Arrowverse producer, Greg Berlanti, and his reported four-year, $400 million deal with Warner Bros. TV, according to THR. It was later rumored that J.J. Abrams and his wife signed a five-year deal with WarnerMedia that Variety says could be worth $500 million, but other reports pin that number closer to $250 million. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-netflix-original-movies-and-tv-shows&captions=true"] IGN's review for The Politician calls the series, "tonally scattered but still enticing." We recommend these Netflix originals instead. And Netflix users have a lot to look forward to in the third month of the year, with Castlevania Season 3, Ozark Season 3 and The Boss Baby: Back in Business Season 3 releasing on the service. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.

How DOOM 64 Influenced DOOM Eternal

DOOM Eternal, the highly anticipated sequel to the fantastic 2016 DOOM reboot (and also the IGN First game for February), is heavily influenced by the 1997 Nintendo 64 entry, DOOM 64. In this month's episode of IGN Unfiltered, Ryan McCaffrey sat down with id Software Executive Producer Marty Stratton and DOOM Eternal Director Hugo Martin to talk about DOOM Eternal, how it was inspired by DOOM 64, and what the legacy of DOOM means all these many years later. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/03/the-first-10-minutes-of-doom-eternal-gameplay-4k60fps-ign-first"] Not only is DOOM 64 a primary point of tonal inspiration for DOOM Eternal, but it's also the first game in the series that Martin ever owned, and it's his personal favorite. "I had played DOOM prior to that, in the dorms... on other people's PCs," Martin said, "but I didn't have a PC at that time; I was a Mac user. So, when DOOM 64 came out, that was the first time I had a chance to dive in for several hours at a time, into a DOOM game. "I genuinely think DOOM 64 is my favorite, having played them all... We replay them, all of us, at the beginning of development... always," Martin continued. "I'm constantly revisiting all of them, just to spot-check and play it again... make sure you keep your finger on the pulse of what really makes a good DOOM game. So they're all very familiar to everyone on the team." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="legacyId=503&captions=true"] Martin went on to explain what made DOOM 64 stand out to him. "I just like the atmosphere of DOOM 64, I think. It's a little bit more moody. Obviously, it's a few years later, [so the development team was] able to do a few more things. I think, honestly, the art that went into it is really memorable. The game constantly feels like it's messing with you and that was actually something that... translated really well to DOOM Eternal." What does that look like, for fans unfamiliar with the Nintendo 64 title? Martin elaborated; "Walking down a hallway in DOOM 64, I mean... you never knew what the level was going to throw at you. Probably a bit more so than the original DOOM. And, I think, that feeling of just barreling down a hallway without a care in the world, versus knowing that the level is keeping me on my toes. That was actually something that we really wanted to get into DOOM Eternal." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/25/doom-64-official-announce-trailer"] Catch up on every episode of IGN Unfiltered here to witness conversations with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Director Stig Asmussen, Remedy writer Sam Lake, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, Halo boss Bonnie Ross, and so many more!

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Brian Barnett writes news, features, wiki guides, deals posts, and much more for IGN. You can get your fix of Brian's antics on Twitter and Instagram (@Ribnax).

New Transformers Toys Coming Later This Year from Hasbro

Toy Fair, the largest toy trade show in the entire western hemisphere, is underway in New York, and Hasbro just announced some pretty awesome new additions to the Transformers: War for Cybertron line to coincide with the upcoming War for Cybertron animated series Arc 2: Earthrise coming to Netflix later this year. Check out the new figures in the slideshow below: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=transformers-war-for-cybertron-toy-fair-2020-reveals&captions=true"] The figures will be available for preorder on HasbroPulse beginning Saturday, February 22, with availability "at most major toy retailers" later this year. Earthrise Commander Sky Lynx is the first figure to hit retailers, with a July 1 release date. After that, Scorponok and Arcee hit August 1 and Fasttrack is scheduled to release on October 1, 2020. If you're not familiar with the War for Cybertron line, they're the Transformers you know and love in their Cybertronian incarnations. The figures have great paint and sculpting, and while transformations are more complicated than the G1 figures you might be used to, the end results are much more detailed. Toy Fair is currently underway in New York City with NERF announcing a partnership with the upcoming Halo Infinite for replica Halo NERF blasters coming later this year. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Seth Macy is IGN's tech and commerce editor and just wants to be your friend. Find him on Twitter @sethmacy.

You Can Buy a Baby Yoda Animatronic Figure for $60

Hasbro and Lucasfilm revealed a bunch of action figures and merch from The Mandalorian and Star Wars: The Clone Wars in advance of the annual New York Toy Fair. Among the items on display were Mando Black Series figures including The Child, a variety of other The Child items (that's Baby Yoda to you) including an animatronic edition that is available for pre order at most major retailers for just $60, a LEGO Razor Crest set (that's the Mandalorian's ship, of course), a Darksaber (go Moff Gideon!), Mando's rocket gauntlet, Funko Pop! Vinyls, Build a Bear (Baby Yoda again!), and much more. Check out all the new products of Baby Yoda from Hasbro, Mattel, Funko and others in the gallery right here: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-wars-the-mandalorian-and-the-clone-wars-action-figures-and-merch&captions=true"] During a panel at the announcement event, the team discussed how they didn’t develop Baby Yoda toys in advance not because they didn’t predict The Child would be adored but to preserve the secret of him for the series. They then went into full gear to meet demand, noting pre-sales were available three weeks after his debut. Check out video of the Baby Yoda animatronic figure in action at the top of the page or right here: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/20/hasbros-baby-yoda-animatronic-figure-in-action"] From Disney's official press release: "In addition to dozens of products previously announced, a number of all-new items across multiple categories were revealed for the first time today. Highlights include THE CHILD ANIMATRONIC EDITION figure, which will be available for preorder at most major retailers starting at 1:00 PM ET today, Star Wars™ TROUBLE: The Mandalorian Edition and Star Wars™ OPERATION: The Mandalorian Edition games, all from Hasbro, a LEGO® construction set featuring the Mandalorian’s Razor Crest ship and LEGO® BrickHeadz™ Star Wars The Mandalorian & The Child 75317 building kit, and all-new offerings exclusive to shopDisney.com | Disney store and Disney Parks. These new items and more will hit retail later this year." “Finding ways to engage and surprise audiences with this new Star Wars story has been a tremendous opportunity,” said The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau. “And holding back on product development gave everyone the chance to discover the character affectionately known to fans as “Baby Yoda” together. This is something special in the age of spoilers. I am so appreciative of the partnership with the teams at Lucasfilm and Disney who are translating these characters into products for fans to enjoy.” Here's an impossibly cute gif of the Baby Yoda animatronic figure using the Force:

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For more on The Mandalorian and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, get the latest on Season 2 of Mando, catch up on everything you need to know about Clone Wars' Ahsoka Tano, read our take on why it's the right time for Star Wars to pivot to TV, or check out our Meet the Mini-Mandalorian video below. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/meet-the-mini-mandalorian"] With reporting and photos by Kristy Puchko.

ViacomCBS to Launch House of Brands Streaming Service

ViacomCBS has announced plans to launch a new House of Brands-style streaming service that will build upon CBS All Access by providing content from both sides of the recent merger. During a Q4 earnings conference call on Thursday, ViacomCBS revealed their plans to expand their digital inventory and tailor offerings to meet customers needs, as the company looks to "accelerate momentum in streaming." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/07/20/a-look-at-the-world-of-star-trek-picard"]

What Content Will Be Available on the New Service?

The service will expand on the CBS All Access library to introduce fresh content from Viacom brands, including Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, and Paramount Network, as part of a new product, which ViacomCBS is referring to as "House of Brands." The expanded platform will boast a variety of content for subscribers, as it looks to add "the company's scaled assets in film and TV" to reaffirm and expand "the value of entertainment, news and sports - through on-demand and live experiences - for audiences around the world." The House of Brands-style service is expected to launch with 30,000 episodes of television and 1,000 movies on the platform.

When Will the Service Launch and How Much Will It Cost?

Speaking on the call, ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish confirmed that the new offering will have a soft launch later this year. While he didn't reveal the pricing structure for the evolved service, Bakish explained that the company wanted to introduce a "broad pay" service built on the foundation of CBS All Access to complement Pluto TV, their free ad-supported streaming service, and Showtime, which is considered to be their premium product. As a reference point, CBS All Access currently costs $5.99/month with ads and $9.99/month without ads. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/20/best-streaming-shows-you-probably-never-heard-of"] Are you interested in subscribing to the new service? Let us know in the comments below. Then head on over to IGN's State of Streaming hub for more on what to expect in 2020, including a review of Disney Plus, a look at NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service, and a breakdown of which companies are currently winning the streaming wars. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.