Why Ian McKellen Turned Down Dumbledore
Ian McKellen has revealed why he turned down the role of Dumbledore in the Harry Potter film series after Richard Harris' death in 2002.
In an interview with BBC's HARDtalk show, McKellen explained that Harris disliked him as an actor, calling McKellen, along with Derek Jacobi and Kenneth Branaugh, “technically brilliant, but passionless” performers. Due to Harris' harsh criticism, McKellen couldn't accept the role.
"I couldn’t take over the part from an actor who I’d known didn’t approve of me," McKellen said.
McKellen then went on to praise Michael Gambon, who eventually succeeded Harris as Dumbledore in the final six Harry Potter films, calling his performance glorious. The Lord of the Rings actor also wrote in his website following Harris' death that, despite turning down Dumbledore, he ended up starring as "the superior wizard" in Gandalf.
Persona 5 Blocks PS4 Share Features
Persona 5 players won't have access to built-in PlayStation 4 sharing for screenshots and videos.
Atlus has announced that those features are currently blocked for Persona 5. Additionally, the company is threatening consequences for people who stream and post late-game content, noting that players who show anything in-game past July 7th within Persona 5 "do so at the risk of being issued a content ID claim or worse, a channel strike/account suspension."
"Simply put, we don’t want the experience to be spoiled for people who haven’t played the game," Atlus wrote on the company's website. "Our fans have waited years for the game to come out, and we really want to make sure they can experience it fully as a totally new adventure."
Nickelodeon Announces New Invader Zim TV Movie
Nickelodeon has announced a new Invader Zim TV movie is in the works.
Original series creator Jhonen Vasquez is working on the movie, which will be roughly 90 minutes long. The story follows Zim as he attempts to once again take over the world by creating a new, Earth-destroying plan. Zim's also looking to finally impress his Irken Leaders, the Almighty Tallest.
Most of the series' original voice cast is returning, including Richard Horvitz as Invader Zim, Rosearik Rikke Simons as Zim’s robot servant GIR, Andy Berman as Zim’s arch-enemy Dib, and Melissa Fahn as Gaz, Dib’s menacing younger sister. Additional casting will be announced in the next few months. No release date has been set yet.
Which Star Wars Rogue One Blu-ray Should You Buy?
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is finally available on Blu-ray and there are several versions of the home release to choose from. While it may seem like a crisis of choice, we've put together a quick guide of the differences between the versions to help soothe your jangled nerves. Before you watch the film again, don't forget to look for the many Rogue One Easter eggs, or take a look at our Rogue One review as well. Note that Disney doesn't yet support the 4K/HDR UHD Blu-ray market, so even if you've got an Xbox One S hooked up to a 4K TV, HD/1080p is currently as good as it gets.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Continuum DLC Release Date Announced
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare's second DLC map pack, titled Continuum, releases on PlayStation 4 April 18.
The map pack will feature a new Zombies chapter as well as four new multiplayer maps, including a reimagined version of Rust from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, according to Activision.
Turista, the first of the four maps, is set at "a plush spa and resort for the future elite" which includes "sniper perches across a majestic, central waterfall" and "tight corners in the hotel for close quarters combat." The second map, Scrap, is set in an abandoned junkyard on the Moon with "long sightlines and tactical pathways."
BioWare Details Upcoming Mass Effect: Andromeda Changes
Mass Effect: Andromeda will receive a patch later this week and BioWare has outlined what players can expect from the update.
Following the studio's tease last week, BioWare general manager Aaryn Flynn announced in post on the game's official site that this Thursday, a new patch will be available that features a number of improvements.
In addition to allowing players to skip ahead when using the galaxy map to travel between planets, the patch includes an increase to the inventory cap, fixes for Ryder's moments, and visual improvements for the eyes of asari and human characters. The update includes a host of other changes as well, all of which can be found in BioWare's patch notes.
Marvel’s The Defenders Debut Date Revealed
Netflix has announced Marvel's The Defenders will debut on August 18.
The show's premiere date was revealed via a teaser video posted on YouTube. The video features security camera footage of Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter) and Danny Rand (Finn Jones) on an elevator in Midland Circle, as well as a set of numbers in the upper left corner: 23.253.120.81.
The Defenders Teaser Video Image
Hands-On With Outlast 2’s Violent Rural Horror
With the handful of changes and additions apparent from its opening hour, Outlast 2 already feels more ambitious than its predecessor, even if the core remains faithfully similar.
While the first Outlast was set within the grimy confines of a psychiatric hospital, Outlast 2 sets you loose in a rural Arizona desert overrun by a dangerous cult. The fact that you cover more ground than you did in Mount Massive Asylum gives the illusion of being on a long journey. I say illusion because, at least in the opening hour, that journey still feels relatively linear. I never had to backtrack or problem-solve my way out of a tough spot, since the story kept propelling me onward.
In a run-and-hide horror game like Outlast, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. A higher quantity of key story moments prevented the pace from feeling sluggish, including a couple mysterious flashbacks set in a high school. Outlast 2 is also a gorgeous looking game and its new rural setting pairs nicely with the eerie green tint of your camcorder’s night vision.
How a Drunken Email Led to Molyneux’s Parting With EA
Before founding Lionhead Studios, Peter Molyneux was the head of Populous developer Bullfrog Productions, a studio he co-founded with Les Edgar. The studio was acquired by Electronic Arts in 1995, and two years later, Molyneux left the company because of a drunken email he sent to EA announcing his resignation.
Molyneux shared the "real story" behind his departure on the latest episode our interview show IGN Unfiltered. While mulling over whether or not he should resign from Bullfrog, he invited his friend (and soon to be Lionhead co-founder) Tim Rance over.
After they got "very drunk," Molyneux said Rance suggested he leave the company, which prompted Molyneux to draft up an email to EA CEO Larry Probst that roughly said, "Dear Larry, thank you very much. This is my... I'm handing my note in officially. Thank you, Peter." While he didn't intend to actually send it, to Molyneux's "horror," Rance hit the send button.
Homecoming’s Unexpected Civil War Connection
Some spoilers for Spider-Man: Homecoming follow.
When I visited the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming last summer, co-producer Eric Carroll revealed that the film has a surprising if obscure connection to last year’s Captain America: Civil War.
While the main villain of the film is Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes/Vulture, Tom Holland’s Spidey will be facing off against other threats from his rogues gallery as well. That includes the Tinkerer (played by Michael Chernus), and the Shocker (played by Bokeem Woodbine). But the interesting thing here is that the Shocker’s dangerous gauntlet was actually scavenged from Brock Rumlow/Crossbones’ weapon in Civil War. It’s one of the devices the Frank Grillo character used to power up with in order fight Cap in that film.*