2020 MVP Named in Puppy Bowl XVI

Gina, a 12-week old Labrador Retriever / Chow Chow Mix playing in her rookie year in the prestigious Puppy Bowl, has been officially named the Puppy Bowl XVI MVP. Hailing from Waldorf, MD, Gina showed dogged determination in the face of alpha competition as part of the 2020 Starting Line-Up at this year's Puppy Bowl. The epic 16th year of Puppy Bowl pitted champion against chomp'ion, with some of the most doggone determined competitors the Geico Stadium has ever seen. Raised in over 60 shelters across 26 states, these All-American animals came ready to rustle and tussle in a battle for the treasured Lombarky Trophy. 2019 saw Team Ruff gnaw their way through the defense of back-to-back Best in Show Team Fluff for an upset victory. Would the rambunctious Ruffs stuff the Fluff again and put two trophies up on the tailgate? Or would the ferocious Fluffs imprint some fear in the heart of their rivals and get their bone back? One thing was for sure -- you wouldn't need a seeing-eye dog to know that 2020's Puppy Bowl was looking to be a real slobberknocker! Puppy Bowl XVI - Dogs - Blogroll-3 Puppy Bowl XVI MVP (Most Valuable Puppy) award winner Gina of Team Ruff dug deep into her bag of puppy tricks for her two scores, most notably pulling off the amazing "Hound-Around Ground-and-Pound" move that took her goalpost-to-goalpost without even a single other pup on her coat or tail. Terrier teammate Cafecito also poured it on to put double-digits up on the scoreboard. But the competition did give chase, with big boy Bert scoring twice for Team Fluff and showing just how "great" a Great Pyrenees can be. Neither team would let go of the lead for long in this tug-of-rope! A tied-up half-time score sent both teams to the locker room to think about what they'd done, and even in the hair-raising final 45 seconds of the game, the scoreboard rolled over on each side of this dogfight... Final Score: 63 to 59, and the Team Fluff "Blue Bones" once again stand on the puppy podium as champions, taking home the Puppy Bowl Lombarki Trophy for the third time in its furry franchise history.   [caption id="attachment_208929" align="aligncenter" width="504"]Puppy Bowl XVI - MVP - Gina Gina, Gina, bo-bina, Banana-fana fo-fina, Fee-fi-mo-mina -- Gina! Photo Courtesy: Animal Planet[/caption]
Each and every one of these canine competitors left it all on the field in this year's big game. And in the end, no pup was left out in the cold, as Animal Planet found adoptive parents for the stars of the event. Puppy Bowl XVI was one for the Hound Hall of Fame. Stay tuned to IGN for more information on Fluff as it becomes apparent.

Marvel’s Black Widow: New Character Posters

Along with the Black Widow Super Bowl 54 TV spot that just aired, Disney has released four new character posters from the film, giving us all a closer, no-nonsense look at Natasha Romanoff and her surrogate Russian super-family. Check out these slick, and partially redacted, superhero one-sheets for Scarlett Johansson's Natasha, Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, David Harbour's Red Guardian, and Rachel Weisz's Melina Vostokoff... [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-black-widow-character-posters&captions=true"] And, of course, don't miss the Black Widow Big Game ad... [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/03/marvels-black-widow-big-game-spot"] Set in the two-year gap between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, Johansson reprises her role as the assassin-turned-Avenger, Natasha Romanoff, in her first solo adventure. If you're looking for a deeper dive into the film, here's an explainer for the film's formidable foe, Taskmaster, along with a guide to Harbour's Red Guardian. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=black-widow-teaser-trailer-breakdown&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Marvel’s Black Widow: New Character Posters

Along with the Black Widow Super Bowl 54 TV spot that just aired, Disney has released four new character posters from the film, giving us all a closer, no-nonsense look at Natasha Romanoff and her surrogate Russian super-family. Check out these slick, and partially redacted, superhero one-sheets for Scarlett Johansson's Natasha, Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, David Harbour's Red Guardian, and Rachel Weisz's Melina Vostokoff... [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-black-widow-character-posters&captions=true"] And, of course, don't miss the Black Widow Big Game ad... [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/03/marvels-black-widow-big-game-spot"] Set in the two-year gap between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, Johansson reprises her role as the assassin-turned-Avenger, Natasha Romanoff, in her first solo adventure. If you're looking for a deeper dive into the film, here's an explainer for the film's formidable foe, Taskmaster, along with a guide to Harbour's Red Guardian. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=black-widow-teaser-trailer-breakdown&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Black Widow: Big Game Spot Shows Taskmaster Ripping Off Captain America

Marvel fans just got another glimpse of the upcoming Black Widow movie during Super Bowl LIV. While this short teaser doesn't reveal much that wasn't already shown in previous trailers, it does provide a tantalizing new glimpse of the MCU's latest major villain, Taskmaster. Check out the embed above or the video player below to see Taskmaster in action and imitating one of Captain America's most iconic moves. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/03/marvels-black-widow-big-game-spot"] If you haven't read our Taskmaster Explained feature, you may be wondering why this mysterious villain is ripping off Cap's patented shield flip move. That's because ripping off heroes' moves is literally Taskmaster's superpower. Taskmaster has photographic reflexes, meaning he can imitate the fighting style of anyone he observes. At some point before clashing with Natasha Romanov and her sisters, Taskmaster must have studied footage of Cap and learned how to mimic his moves. The trailer confirms that, like in the comics, Taskmaster carries a shield modeled after Cap's trademark weapon, meaning he can probably throw it with similarly pinpoint accuracy. The trailer even reveals that Taskmaster has a magnetic gauntlet like the one Cap used in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War. This may be one opponent even the fabled Black Widow can't outfight. Black-Widow-Trailer-Taskmaster While the movie seems to be sticking close to the comics in terms of Taskmaster's powers, it remains to be seen if the character's origin and backstory will stay the same. At this point, we still don't even know who's been cast in the role. It's possible Taskmaster is being revamped to create a more direct link to the Red Room and the various Black Widows. As we've speculated before, Taskmaster could actually be Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova or Rachel Weisz's Melina Vostokoff in disguise. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=who-is-rachel-weisz-really-playing-in-black-widow&captions=true"] Let us know what you think of Taskmaster's killer moves in the comments below. And check out our roundup of all the Super Bowl movie commercials released so far. [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.

Black Widow: Big Game Spot Shows Taskmaster Ripping Off Captain America

Marvel fans just got another glimpse of the upcoming Black Widow movie during Super Bowl LIV. While this short teaser doesn't reveal much that wasn't already shown in previous trailers, it does provide a tantalizing new glimpse of the MCU's latest major villain, Taskmaster. Check out the embed above or the video player below to see Taskmaster in action and imitating one of Captain America's most iconic moves. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/03/marvels-black-widow-big-game-spot"] If you haven't read our Taskmaster Explained feature, you may be wondering why this mysterious villain is ripping off Cap's patented shield flip move. That's because ripping off heroes' moves is literally Taskmaster's superpower. Taskmaster has photographic reflexes, meaning he can imitate the fighting style of anyone he observes. At some point before clashing with Natasha Romanov and her sisters, Taskmaster must have studied footage of Cap and learned how to mimic his moves. The trailer confirms that, like in the comics, Taskmaster carries a shield modeled after Cap's trademark weapon, meaning he can probably throw it with similarly pinpoint accuracy. The trailer even reveals that Taskmaster has a magnetic gauntlet like the one Cap used in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War. This may be one opponent even the fabled Black Widow can't outfight. Black-Widow-Trailer-Taskmaster While the movie seems to be sticking close to the comics in terms of Taskmaster's powers, it remains to be seen if the character's origin and backstory will stay the same. At this point, we still don't even know who's been cast in the role. It's possible Taskmaster is being revamped to create a more direct link to the Red Room and the various Black Widows. As we've speculated before, Taskmaster could actually be Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova or Rachel Weisz's Melina Vostokoff in disguise. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=who-is-rachel-weisz-really-playing-in-black-widow&captions=true"] Let us know what you think of Taskmaster's killer moves in the comments below. And check out our roundup of all the Super Bowl movie commercials released so far. [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.

Bad Boys Rules the Box Office as Gretel & Hansel Finds Only Breadcrumbs

In a somewhat sluggish weekend, Bad Boys for Life stood atop the box office for the third weekend in a row, earning an estimated $17.6 million, per Variety. In fact, the top three movies were the same as last week: Bad Boys for Life, 1917 (which had a $9.6 million haul), and Dolittle (which roped $7.7 million). [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/02/gretel-hansel-final-official-trailer"] Landing in fourth place, and it was pretty close, was new horror flick Gretel & Hansel, directed by Oz Perkins (son of Anthony Perkins). Again though, it was neck and neck with Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen, which is in its second week of release. New revenge thriller The Rhythm Section -- starring Blake Lively, Jude Law, and Sterling K. Brown -- performed quite poorly against its $50 million budget, debuting in tenth place with $2.8 million. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=oscars-2020-igns-reviews-of-the-best-picture-nominees&captions=true"]

North American Box Office Estimates

Gretel & Hansel only narrowly defeated The Gentlemen and Jumanji: The Next Level in the battle for the middle of the chart, while The Turning, Little Women, and The Rhythm Section rounded out the Top 10. Here are the Top 10 North American box office estimates for the weekend (via Box Office Mojo)

  • 1. Bad Boys for Life $17,675,000
  • 2. 1917 $9,660,000
  • 3. Dolittle $7,700,000
  • 4. Gretel & Hansel $6,050,830
  • 5. The Gentlemen $6,010,000
  • 6. Jumanji: The Next Level $6,000,000
  • 7. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker $3,193,000
  • 8. The Turning $3,050,000
  • 9. Little Women $3,015,000
  • 10. The Rhythm Section $2,800,000

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/10/1917-extended-featurette"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Bad Boys Rules the Box Office as Gretel & Hansel Finds Only Breadcrumbs

In a somewhat sluggish weekend, Bad Boys for Life stood atop the box office for the third weekend in a row, earning an estimated $17.6 million, per Variety. In fact, the top three movies were the same as last week: Bad Boys for Life, 1917 (which had a $9.6 million haul), and Dolittle (which roped $7.7 million). [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/02/gretel-hansel-final-official-trailer"] Landing in fourth place, and it was pretty close, was new horror flick Gretel & Hansel, directed by Oz Perkins (son of Anthony Perkins). Again though, it was neck and neck with Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen, which is in its second week of release. New revenge thriller The Rhythm Section -- starring Blake Lively, Jude Law, and Sterling K. Brown -- performed quite poorly against its $50 million budget, debuting in tenth place with $2.8 million. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=oscars-2020-igns-reviews-of-the-best-picture-nominees&captions=true"]

North American Box Office Estimates

Gretel & Hansel only narrowly defeated The Gentlemen and Jumanji: The Next Level in the battle for the middle of the chart, while The Turning, Little Women, and The Rhythm Section rounded out the Top 10. Here are the Top 10 North American box office estimates for the weekend (via Box Office Mojo)

  • 1. Bad Boys for Life $17,675,000
  • 2. 1917 $9,660,000
  • 3. Dolittle $7,700,000
  • 4. Gretel & Hansel $6,050,830
  • 5. The Gentlemen $6,010,000
  • 6. Jumanji: The Next Level $6,000,000
  • 7. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker $3,193,000
  • 8. The Turning $3,050,000
  • 9. Little Women $3,015,000
  • 10. The Rhythm Section $2,800,000

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/10/1917-extended-featurette"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Bill Murray Returns to Groundhog Day in New Super Bowl Ad for Jeep

Bill Murray has returned to the world of Groundhog Day in a new Super Bowl commercial for the Jeep Gladiator, which you can watch above. Conveniently enough, Super Bowl LIV falls on the actual Groundhog Day, and according to Rolling Stone, this is actually Murray’s first-ever nationally televised commercial appearance.

In the Jeep commercial, Murray, once again playing weatherman Phil Conners, wakes back up in the town of Punxsutawney on Groundhog Day. Reliving the events of the day, just as he did in the original movie, Murray runs into the annoying Ned Ryerson (played by a now older Stephen Tobolowsky) before spying a Jeep Gladiator parked in town, and remarks “well that’s different.”

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/29/mtn-dew-zero-sugar-as-good-as-the-original-trailer"]

Murray then steals Punxsutawney Phil from the mayor (again played by Brian Doyle-Murray) and sets off in the Jeep into numerous adventures, including multiple trips into the Pennsylvania wilderness, and (perhaps upsettingly to Punxsutawney Phil) a trip to the arcade where Murray plays whack-a-mole.

The ad ends with the tagline: “No day is the same in a Jeep Gladiator.”

If you’re hungry for more, here’s every Super Bowl 2020 commercial we’ve found, including for Doritos, Mountain Dew, Pringles, and more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/30/doritos-super-bowl-54-commercial-the-cool-ranch-feat-lil-nas-x-and-sam-elliott"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN.

Bill Murray Returns to Groundhog Day in New Super Bowl Ad for Jeep

Bill Murray has returned to the world of Groundhog Day in a new Super Bowl commercial for the Jeep Gladiator, which you can watch above. Conveniently enough, Super Bowl LIV falls on the actual Groundhog Day, and according to Rolling Stone, this is actually Murray’s first-ever nationally televised commercial appearance.

In the Jeep commercial, Murray, once again playing weatherman Phil Conners, wakes back up in the town of Punxsutawney on Groundhog Day. Reliving the events of the day, just as he did in the original movie, Murray runs into the annoying Ned Ryerson (played by a now older Stephen Tobolowsky) before spying a Jeep Gladiator parked in town, and remarks “well that’s different.”

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/29/mtn-dew-zero-sugar-as-good-as-the-original-trailer"]

Murray then steals Punxsutawney Phil from the mayor (again played by Brian Doyle-Murray) and sets off in the Jeep into numerous adventures, including multiple trips into the Pennsylvania wilderness, and (perhaps upsettingly to Punxsutawney Phil) a trip to the arcade where Murray plays whack-a-mole.

The ad ends with the tagline: “No day is the same in a Jeep Gladiator.”

If you’re hungry for more, here’s every Super Bowl 2020 commercial we’ve found, including for Doritos, Mountain Dew, Pringles, and more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/30/doritos-super-bowl-54-commercial-the-cool-ranch-feat-lil-nas-x-and-sam-elliott"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN.

Metroid Prime 4 Developer Hires on DICE Art Director

Back in June 2019, Metroid Prime 4 developer Retro Studios posted a job opening for the art director of Samus’ next major game. After eight long months, it appears that they’ve finally filled the position with former DICE art director Jhony Ljungstedt. And you thought your job interview process took forever.

First reported by VideoGamesChronicle.com, Ljungstedt previously worked as an art director for EA games such as Battlefield V, Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst, two Battlefield 3 expansions, and the 2010 Medal of Honor.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/09/12/metroid-1991-vs-metroid-2017"]

It’s currently unconfirmed what project Ljungstedt has been attached to, but considering Metroid Prime 4 is the only known Retro Studios project, and how it lines up with the game’s rebooted development process, it’s the most likely conclusion.

If Ljungstedt is indeed Metroid Prime 4’s new art director, he’ll be responsible for setting the “artistic vision,” collaborating between the art team and Nintendo, and ensuring the project’s art needs can be met on schedule.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-biggest-games-that-werent-at-e3-2019&captions=true"]

Schedules have been a sticky issue for Metroid Prime 4 as of late. Originally announced with nothing but a fancy logo during E3 2017, Metroid Prime 4 ran into a number of significant issues not long after. In Janury 2019, Nintendo announced that the game was restarting development after it failed to reach “the standards we seek in a sequel to the Metroid Prime series." Originally, it was said that Bandai Namco was developing Metroid Prime 4, but the development restart ended up with original Metroid Prime developer Retro Studios taking over the reins.

All of this information, plus Ljungstedt’s hiring, seems to point to Metroid Prime 4 still being a long way off.

Here’s a look at who is (and isn’t) joining Ljungstedt at Retro, including original Metroid Prime producer Kensuke Tanabe. Can’t wait for Metroid Prime 4? Here’s every major game coming in 2020 to help tide you over. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN.