Netflix Cancels Joel McHale and Michelle Wolf’s Talk Shows
Netflix has canceled Joel McHale and Michelle Wolf's unscripted talk shows.
Per THR, the two shows reportedly did not garner enough of a viewership to warrant renewals from Netflix. Both series premiered on the streaming service earlier this year.
Season 1 Part 1 of Joel McHale's show made its debut in February. Netflix then ordered additional episodes, which were released as Season 1 Part 2 in mid-July. Meanwhile, The Break With Michelle Wolf premiered in May.
Up and Vanished Season 2: The New True Crime Case That Will Haunt You
True crime podcasts (and their inevitable TV adaptations) seem to be a dime a dozen these days, but there aren't many that actually help solve the crime they're investigating - which is why Tenderfoot TV's Up and Vanished became such a phenomenon when it debuted in 2016.
Season 1 of the podcast has surpassed over 200 million downloads and proved instrumental in helping solve a missing person's cold case that had remained unsolved for 11 years, leading to two arrests in 2017. (We're being purposefully vague so that you can catch up, if you haven't listened yet!) Season 1 is now being adapted into a docuseries for Oxygen network.
Movies Podcast: About Those Bond 25 Casting Rumors …
Welcome back to the IGN Movies Podcast! In this week's episode, Jim Vejvoda and Tom Jorgensen explore all the latest developments from the geek moviesphere!
Our topics include the never-ending rumors of Idris Elba as the next James Bond, the latest on James Gunn and Disney, Ewan McGregor's recent comments about a purported Obi-Wan Kenobi standalone movie, the casting woes plaguing Star Trek 4, Disney's live-action Mulan ditching songs and Mushu, and the box performance of The Meg and Slender Man.
We also chat up Spike Lee's new film, BlacKkKlansman, and respond to your listener questions!
Listen to our latest podcast by clicking the lovely large type below - right click to download.
New Super Mario Bros. U Is Reportedly Coming to Switch
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze have shown that Nintendo is more than willing to flesh out Switch's library with Wii U ports. And if a new report is to be believed, the next Wii U game to make the jump could be New Super Mario Bros. U.
Comic Book reports multiple sources, who are purportedly "linked with Nintendo," have suggested New Super Mario Bros. U will be updated and re-released for Switch "as early as this year."
No, Netflix Isn’t Introducing Unskippable Ads During Shows
Despite what you may have heard, Netflix is not introducing unskippable ads during shows.
Although some Reddit users have claimed to be hit by unskippable ads while binging their favorite shows, a Netflix spokesperson confirmed to IGN that the ads are actually personalized recommendations the company is currently testing, and users can skip them if they are not interested.
According to the spokesperson, the test is temporary and only affects a small subset of users. "At Netflix, we conduct hundreds of tests every year so we can better understand what helps members more easily find something great to watch."
College Dorm Life Essentials – Back to School
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There's a huge disparity between the dorm rooms you see portrayed in movies and on television and the dorm room you end up living in. For example, the dorm room on Saved by the Bell: The College Years had three adjoining, cavernous rooms connected with a full-service kitchen. You probably won't get up to nearly as many antics and Zack and the gang, and your room won't be nearly as accommodating. But that doesn't mean you can't make your dorm experience just a little bit cozier with these dorm life essentials.
God of War Combat Designer Breaks Down That First Intense Boss Fight
A lot of work went in to the latest God of War, and the finished result reflects that, but a particularly large amount of effort went into the game's memorable first boss fight. SIE Santa Monica Studio recently revealed a deep-dive into its development process of creating that first boss.
Spoiler warning: if you haven't played God of War yet, and you don't want anything ruined, turn back now.
In a PlayStation Blog post, senior staff combat designer Denny Yeh ran down dozens of details that the team went through when creating the first fight against Baldur - known as The Stranger in the beginning of the game.
Renée Zellweger to Star in Netflix Morality Series What/If
Netflix is developing a new morality series titled What/If, with Renée Zellweger set to star.
Zellweger will portray a character named Anne in the series which will explore what happens when "acceptable people start doing unacceptable things." Each season will center on a different "morality tale," with each story inspired by source material that's "culturally consequential."
Each season will consist of 10 episodes, with Mike Kelley (Revenge) serving as the showrunner and writer.
Zellweger in 2016's Bridget Jones's Baby. Image via Universal Pictures
Damon Lindelof’s Watchmen Gets Series Pickup from HBO
In "well, duh" news, HBO has given a series order to Damon Lindelof's Watchmen, which is set to premiere on the premium cable network in 2019.
Lindelof has previously stated that the show will not be a straight adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' seminal graphic novel, and HBO's description seems to confirm this: "Set in an alternate history where 'superheroes' are treated as outlaws, Watchmen embraces the nostalgia of the original groundbreaking graphic novel while attempting to break new ground of its own."
According to an Instagram note from the showrunner, the original story "will not be retread nor recreated nor reproduced nor rebooted," but instead "remixed. Because the bass lines in those familiar tracks are just too good and we’d be fools not to sample them. Those original twelve issues are our Old Testament. When the New Testament came along, it did not erase what came before it… It all happened."
8 Things the Power Rangers Sequel Needs to Get Right
Though 2017’s Power Rangers movie under-performed at the box office and received mixed reviews, Hasbro has announced plans to make a sequel. That Hasbro is deciding to continue with the franchise instead of starting fresh with a reboot means they thought it had potential, and we do too! Here are the strengths the sequel should lean into and where they need to make some improvements.
More Action in the Armor
We admired the 2017 movie for taking a Batman Begins-inspired approach -- methodically building up the team by showing their training and deepening bonds between its members so that when they finally did become Power Rangers, it had a big emotional impact. However, that structure left little time for any big-screen Power Rangers martial arts action, which is what the franchise is known for. The fight between the fully armored team and the Putty Patrol lasted all of two minutes, and the Rangers were barely challenged as they obliterated one CGI enemy after another. Underwhelming, to say the least. For the sequel, showing the team in multiple action-packed fights featuring practical stunts -- while wearing the suits -- is a must.