Rogue One’s Original Ending Revealed
Spoilers for Rogue One ahead.
Jyn Erso's fate wasn't always fatal in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Speaking with EW, Gary Whitta — who co-wrote Rogue One's story — discussed the original, happier ending for the Star Wars film. He explained that even though the plan always was to kill off the entire crew, they were worried Disney wouldn't approve of such a dark storyline.
So with that in mind, Whitta went about devising another narrative for Rogue One, in which Bodhi Rook, Chirrut Imwe, and Baze Malbus didn't exist. Meanwhile, Erso was a Rebel sergeant instead of an imprisoned criminal.
Deadpool 2 Writers on Domino, Cable and New Director
During a recent chat with IGN about their new sci-fi thriller Life, starring Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick opened up to us about the upcoming Deadpool 2, the casting of Zazie Beetz as Domino, the sequel's new director, and what adding Cable to the mix means for the movie.
IGN: Has it been any different working with David Leitch as opposed to Tim Miller?
Rhett Reese: It's been phenomenal, David has his own, you know, point of view that's different from Tim's. He comes into a situation obviously where there already exists a tone and a style, so he's going to stay pretty close to that, I think. But at the same time, he brings a new approach and it's enlivened us definitely to try new things and to do things a little bit different from the first Deadpool. Not drastically, but enough that you get the sense that it's coming from a slightly different team.
Amazon’s Anime Strike Adds Free Monthly Manga
Amazon is sweetening the deal for Anime Strike subscribers.
By teaming up with ComiXology, Amazon will give Anime Strike subscribers a free monthly manga volume — starting in April — for the rest of the year. The bonus begins with Blue Exorcist Volume 1 because Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga was the top-streamed winter simulcast for the service.
Strike subscribers will receive a code via email, with volumes chosen by Amazon Strike staff based on the most popular shows from the previous month.
Anime Strike launched earlier this year. The streaming service costs $5 a month for Amazon Prime members. For more on Strike, IGN took a look at Amazon and Netflix's interest in anime and what that means for viewers and piracy.
Iron Fist Is the Worst Part of Iron Fist
Warning: The following contains spoilers for Marvel's Iron Fist...
If you've not started, or finished, Marvel's Iron Fist on Netflix, then you may want to shy away from this piece - though if you're looking for our episode-to-episode Iron Fist review breakdown, you can see it here.
Iron Fist, critically, stands as Marvel's first notable misfire on Netflix, which feels all the more unfortunate since it serves as the gateway series to this summer's Defenders team-up. Perhaps the production was rushed, perhaps the budget just wasn't there to give many of us the series we were looking for - there are many "perhaps"s here, though the sad reality is that one of the worst elements of Iron Fist is the protagonist, Danny Rand (played by Finn Jones), himself.
The Big Bang Theory Renewed for Season 11 and 12
The Big Bang Theory will be back for an eleventh and twelfth season, as CBS Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television announced a two-year broadcast agreement to continue the show up through the 2019 season.
News of a two-season renewal isn't all too surprising, given prior comments from CBS Entertainment president Glenn Geller. Last year at the TCA press tour, Geller spoke to the likelihood of The Big Bang Theory continuing beyond Season 10, saying, "We are very confident that everyone involved wants more Big Bang past year ten."
What Are the Biggest Box Office Openings of All Time?
With Black Panther's record-breaking February debut, Disney now represents eight of the top 10 biggest box office debuts in history.
Black Panther earned an estimated $201.8 million in its opening weekend. That's the biggest February debut of all time, as well as the second-highest opening of the MCU. It's also the fifth highest in domestic box office history, unadjusted for inflation, becoming the fifth MCU film to enter the top 10 domestic openings.
Luc Besson Teases Valerian Trailer
Director Luc Besson has teased the second trailer for his upcoming sci-fi film Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.
The filmmaker took to Twitter to share a brief clip previewing the new trailer, which premieres on March 29. The footage features impressive special effects, with leads Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne piloting a spaceship through some stunning environments. Check out the Valerian trailer tweet right here.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets follows the story of a time-traveling, crime-fighting duo (Delevingne, DeHann) who're hired to investigate a galactic empire. The film opens in theaters on July 21.
Robert Downey Jr. to Star as Doctor Dolittle
Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. is set to play Doctor Dolittle in a new film.
Variety reports Universal acquired the rights for the project, titled The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle, which will be based on author Hugh Lofting's 1920s children's book series. Stephen Gaghan (Gold, Syriana) will direct the movie from his own script, with Susan Downey, Joe Roth, and Jeff Kirschenbaum producing. There's no word yet on the film's plot or a release date.
Doctor Dolittle was previously portrayed by Rex Harrison in the Oscar-winning 1967 musical Doctor Dolittle, and by Eddie Murphy in the 1998 comedy version and its 2001 sequel, Dr. Dolittle 2.
Upcoming Dead Rising 4 DLC Includes Zombie Frank
Dead Rising 4 will receive two new DLC packs in the near future, with one featuring Frank West as a zombie.
Called Frank Rising, the single-player add-on sees Frank infected and trying to find a cure. He'll have to feed on others for survival instead of consuming food. But on the plus side, he will have new abilities and strength when the DLC arrives April 4.
Also on the way for the game is Super Ultra Dead Rising Mini Golf. Hit the links and hit zombies at the same time with specialized golf clubs and balls. Plus, there are power-ups and online multiplayer options.
Both Dead Rising 4 add-ons are included with the season pass. Otherwise, they cost $10 each.
They follow the new difficulty modes for Dead Rising 4 — as well as the Street Fighter outfits — that released earlier this year. For more, be sure to check out IGN's review of Dead Rising 4.
BBC America Announces New Top Gear America Series
Top Gear America, a new U.S. spin-off of Top Gear, is coming to BBC America sometime later this year.
The series will span a total of eight hour-long episodes and feature three hosts, including Top Gear Magazine associate editor Tom "Wookie" Ford, the championship-winning American drag racer Anton Brown, and television/film star William Fichtner (The Dark Knight, Prison Break, Black Hawk Down). In addition his acting career, Fichtner is an avid car fan and competitive racer.
William Fichtner as Sanderson in Black Hawk Down
Top Gear America will cover "exclusive and state-of-the-art vehicles," as well as "the cars of America's culture defining past." The show's hosts will take viewers to various "scenic highways and historic tracks of the American west." Every week, the show will feature a different celebrity who will compete to earn a spot on the leaderboard at Top Gear's new studio and track, Speed Vegas.