The 20 Greatest Moments from The Sopranos
Believe it or not, The Sopranos made its debut on HBO 20 years ago today, on January 10th, 1999. While the network had found success with scripted dramas like Oz and Sex and the City, The Sopranos cemented HBO's reputation as a haven for quality programming and top-notch storytelling, paving the way for more great HBO fare like The Wire, Deadwood, and Six Feet Under, and for networks like FX and AMC to make similar transformations. Without Tony Soprano (played by the late and truly great James Gandolfini), the television landscape might be a very different, and less interesting, place.
In honor of the show's anniversary, we've picked our favorite moments from its six (or is that six-and-a-half?) seasons. Some are funny, some are morbid, but all made for compelling TV.
The Academy Reportedly Wants Avengers Cast for Hostless Oscars Telecast
After Kevin Hart stepped down from hosting the 91st Oscars this year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will reportedly use a rotating cast of hosts for various segments of the show, according to THR.
The producers are reportedly looking to assemble as many cast members as possible from Marvel's Avengers for an Oscars reunion.
After the release of 2012's Avengers, many of the cast members joined the 2013 Academy Awards telecast together on stage, including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, and Samuel L. Jackson.
Future Man Star Is an ‘Overwatch Addict’
Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Future Man Season 1 and some Season 2 plot details. You can check out our spoiler-free review right here.
Future Man, aka Josh, will be back in action on Hulu on Friday, January 11, with 13 all-new episodes for you to binge.
"Season two picks up in 2162, and Josh, Wolf, and Tiger learn that their season one mission to stop the cure from getting out didn’t work. In this timeline, Stu Camillo is now in power, having created the cure, and launched a plan to relocate humanity to Mars. A shadowy organization called the Pointed Circle seeks to recruit Josh to take Stu down – but are they the good guys, or is Stu? As Wolf quickly acclimates to the strange customs of this time, Tiger struggles with her Biotic identity and searches for an escape. Josh unites the team in an epic plan to save the world, but their time-traveling catches up to them, and they must reckon with their choices and what to do next," according to a synopsis from Hulu.
Dragon’s Dogma on Switch Won’t Require a Nintendo Online Account
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen, the action RPG that is being ported to Nintendo Switch this April, will not require a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership to use its online features.
New information on the port can be found on its Amazon page (via Nintendo Life) including that its “Pawn" system will be present, that all of its previously released extra content will be included, and that its user interface has been adapted to improve screen visibility for the system.
The Punisher Season 2 Official Trailer
Netflix has released the official trailer for Season 2 of Marvel's The Punisher.
In Season 2, Jon Bernthal returns as Frank Castle, who up until now has been living a quiet life out on the road. He ends up becoming involved in an attempted murder of a young girl, played by Giorgia Whigham.
New and old enemies come into his life and he is pressured to make the decision on whether or not to fully accept himself as the Punisher.
TWD Teaser Trailer: Meet the Whisperers’ Leaders, Alpha and Beta
The Walking Dead's return is just around the corner, and with it comes some of the most messed up villains in the franchise's history: The Whisperers.
IGN has an exclusive teaser trailer and poster to whet your appetite for the return of Season 9. In the teaser, the Whisperers are front and center, and we get a very clear view of their leaders: Alpha, played by Samantha Morton, and Beta, played by Sons of Anarchy's Ryan Hurst. Check out the 30-second teaser below!
After a slow build-up to the new villains during the first half of Season 9, the Whisperers were finally revealed as a terrifying threat in The Walking Dead's midseason finale. This new batch of baddies disguises themselves as walkers by wearing the skins of the undead, which allows them to pass among the zombies without risk of attack from the undead and makes them seem as though they are just another roaming pack.
Terrible X-Men: Dark Phoenix Posters Are Not Official
Some awful X-Men: Dark Phoenix posters circling the internet have, thankfully, turned out to be fakes.
After seeing the mock posters picking up steam online, IGN reached out to Fox to establish whether they were fan posters or actual official art. Thankfully, Fox has since confirmed that they are in fact fan-made.
They feature the expected line-up of heroes, anti-heroes and villains towards the bottom, with Sophie Turner as both Jean Grey and a hilarious-looking Phoenix looming above them. It's not an uncommon look for promoting a superhero movie but there's something not quite right about these images, and fans on Twitter agreed.
I thought GAME OF THRONES couldn’t do worse to Sansa Stark and then along comes #DarkPhoenix ... pic.twitter.com/7hKM2Kb96K
— PLH2019 (@HuginsPL) January 9, 2019
Red Dead Online Adds Battle Royale-Like Gun Rush Mode
Rockstar is adding a new mode, Gun Rush to Red Dead Online today, and it sounds an awful lot like the Battle Royales we're used to.
Gun Rush, according to a press release, puts "your survival instincts to the test, gathering weapons and ammunition while the play area shrinks in this new mode for up to 32 players." The mode's available in both team and free-for-all variants.
The existing Make It Count mode takes Battle Royale's shrinking map, but only allows players to use a bow or throwing knives – the weapon scavenging in Gun Rush sounds far more like Fortnite or PUBG in approach.
Final Fantasy 10, 10-2, and 12 Arrive on Switch and Xbox One This April
The Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster and Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age will both headed to the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One this April.
Announced by Square Enix alongside a piece of new artwork by character designer Akihiko Yoshida, Final Fantasy X / X-2 will arrive on April 16, 2019, while Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age will be released on April 30, 2019.
What Did You Think of This Week’s Comics?
It was another big week for the comic book industry. Marvel relaunched Captain Marvel's monthly series with a new creative team and debuted Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. DC kicked off the new Wonder Comics imprint with Young Justice #1 and delivered a dark new chapter of Batman.
Scroll down to check out our new reviews and thinkpieces, and be sure to let us know your favorite books of the week in the comments below.
Batman #62 Review
