8 Things You Didn’t Know About Ghost in the Shell
Ghost in the Shell is one of the most popular Japanese animated series of all time, and one of the few to hit the mainstream in America. The existential themes coupled with the ground-breaking animation from Production I.G. made Ghost in the Shell a hit with critics and fans alike.
With the release of the live-action adaptation, set to hit theaters on March 31, now is the best time to get up to snuff on the details before seeing the film.
Here are eight details you should know about Ghost in the Shell, before seeing the Hollywood adaptation.
Katie Cassidy Returning to Arrow as a Series Regular
Actress Katie Cassidy isn't just coming back for a couple of Arrow episodes this season, she's actually returning as a series regular.
The actress will be an ongoing addition to Arrow with Season 6. Cassidy, who started with the CW series portraying Laurel Lance/Black Canary, is now playing Laurel's Earth-2 doppelgänger, Black Siren.
Katie Cassidy as Black Siren
"This year, our midseason finale reintroduced us to Laurel’s doppelgänger, Black Siren. We were so taken by Katie’s fearless interpretation of this character that we knew her story was not yet finished," said Arrow executive producer Marc Guggenheim in a statement.
The Flash Creator on Their Approach to the Musical
Last week, the big musical episode of The Flash aired, as Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and Kara Danvers/Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) found themselves trapped inside a musical world, thanks to the Music Meister (Darren Criss) - in an episode that brought together all three of the aforementioned Glee alumni and allowed them to show off their real life singing talent.
IGN has an exclusive behind-the-scenes clip focused on that episode, previewing a special feature available to fans who subscribe to The Flash: Season 3 Season Pass on Digital HD. Check out what executive producer Andrew Kreisberg, Criss and Candice Patton ("Iris West") had to say about Barry's big romantic ballad to Iris, "Runnin' Home to You," plus Kriesberg discussing their approach to crossover episodes like this in general.
Ex-Apple Employee Hired as Head of Oculus VR Hardware
Michael Hillman is the new head of hardware for Oculus VR.
Bloomberg reports that Facebook — which owns Oculus VR — has hired Hillman, who's spent his past 15 years at Apple. He previously worked on the iMac desktop computer at the Cupertino company and held senior positions in engineering and design.
Hillman's new role will see him pushing for Oculus Rift to hit the mainstream.
The adoption rate could pick up for Oculus Rift with the recent price cut. The headset and controllers are now bundled together for $598, which is $200 less than before.
Tomb Raider Movie Reboot First Look Revealed
Warner Bros. has unveiled the first details of its Tomb Raider cinematic reboot, including a first look at Alicia Vikander in the starring role.
Take a look at the first official photo of Ex Machina's Vikander as Lara:
First photo of Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft in 2018's Tomb Raider, via Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. also released the official plot description for the origin story film, which confirms Lara will investigate her father's mysterious murder, as a producer for the film has previously explained:
Bungie Officially Reveals Destiny 2
After many leaks and hints, Bungie has officially revealed the logo for Destiny 2.
The logo for the highly anticipated sequel was revealed in a post on the official Destiny Twitter account.
Destiny 2 logo, via Twitter
Last week, several posters for Destiny 2 surfaced online, bearing the very same logo that Bungie unveiled today. As such, today's news essentially confirms the September launch and forthcoming beta listed on the leaked posters.
RiffTrax Live! Brings Doctor Who: The Five Doctors to the Big Screen
A classic feature-length Doctor Who episode is getting the RiffTrax treatment on the big screen.
The RiffTrax crew - Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett - is returning to theaters once again to take on Doctor Who: The Five Doctors for two nights only on August 17 and August 24. They've teamed with Fathom Events and BBC America to bring the 1983 story back with that singular RiffTrax edge. In fact, they have a message for IGN from a very special location that you can watch below:
Fans can purchase tickets online at the Fathom site beginning April 14, or at participating theater box offices. Go to FathomEvents.com to find a theater in your area, and visit the RiffTRax Live! page for more info.
Out This Week: Kingdom Hearts HD I.5 and II.5, Dark Souls III’s Final DLC, Snake Pass
With so many new games and movies coming out, it can be hard to keep up. Lucky for you, IGN is here to help with a weekly round-up of the biggest releases each and every week. Check out the latest releases for this week, and be sure to come back next Monday for a new update.
Note: The prices and deals compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.
Call of Duty 2017 Possibly Returning to World War 2 Setting
Seemingly leaked marketing materials appear to indicate that Sledgehammer Games' 2017 installment of Call of Duty will be subtitled "WW2" - something IGN's sources have also indicated.
Sent anonymously to YouTube channel TheFamilyVideoGamers, images of promotional materials and steelbook designs show beach landings and World War 2-era clothing and weapons.
This tallies with reports from our sources, who have said that the game will feature a World War 2 setting in some respect, and have seen similar marketing materials.
As always, rumors like these are subject to fakery, or may even come from outdated information.
Nintendo Reportedly Accepts Real-Life Milking Challenge
After seeing the cow milking game included in 1-2-Switch, Billings Farm & Museum has issued a real-life milking challenge to Nintendo, which the company has reportedly accepted.
The Vermont-based history museum sent Nintendo a letter, challenging them to a contest to see who can milk cows the fastest. Billings Farm & Museum shared the letter on Facebook, along with a little light-hearted smack talk.
Billings Farm & Museum's challenge letter to Nintendo, via Facebook