EA Puts the Brakes on Skate 4 Rumors
EA has confirmed there's no Skate 4. At least, not yet.
On January 28, EA community manager Daniel Lingen got the hype machine primed and ready when he tweeted out "#skate4." During the question and answer period EA's quarterly investors call, it flat-out said it's "not presently making Skate 4."
That doesn't mean there's no future for the Skate franchise, but it just means we may be waiting quite a while before we're flicking sticks and landing tricks again.
Skate 3 came out way back in 2010. The good news, at least for Xbox One owners, is that Skate 3 is backwards compatible on Xbox One, so you don't need to pull out your last gen system to play it.
BioWare Bringing Out New IP Before March 2018
BioWare is making a brand new game that we'll be able to play surprisingly soon.
The news was announced at EA's investor meeting today by CEO Andrew Wilson, who described it as an action adventure title set in a "unique new universe."
"At the end of the fiscal year, our BioWare studio will be delivering an all-new IP," said Wilson. "A clean-sheet design with new concepts, new gameplay mechanics, and new stories set in a unique new universe. This game has the potential to fundamentally disrupt the way people think about an action title, bringing friends together to play in exhilarating new ways. We’re very excited about the future of this new franchise and its ability to attract a large global audience."
Star Wars Battlefront 2 Will Take Place Across Multiple Eras
During its third-quarter earnings call with investors, EA gave more details on the upcoming Star Wars Battlefront sequel.
The follow-up is due to release holiday 2017, with EA mentioning the addition of a single player campaign to the sequel. It also said the new Battlefront game has "more heroes and characters" than the original game, and takes place not only in multiple locations, but also across multiple eras within the Star Wars universe.
EA first officially confirmed the sequel to Star Wars Battlefront back in May 2016, and at E3 we learned EA Motive was working on the game. EA has Motive, DICE, and Criterion bringing "their areas of expertise" to the game.
HBO Plans Movie on the Making of The Godfather
A scripted behind-the-scenes movie of the making of The Godfather is in the works.
Variety reports that HBO Films is working on the project, titled Francis & The Godfather, that will delve into the making of director Francis Ford Coppola's acclaimed crime drama. The film will touch on Coppola first joining as director, to him casting Al Pacino and Marlon Brando and dealing with the real-life New York mafia at the time.
Screenwriter Andrew Farotte will be revising his original screenplay for the film, which appeared on the Black List in 2015. Peter Bart, who first optioned author Mario Puzo's book of the same name and worked closely with Coppola when he was a Paramount executive, will act as a consultant.
Aquaman Movie Casts Its Black Manta
The Aquaman movie has reportedly found its Black Manta.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Netflix's The Get Down) is "in early talks" to play the DC Comics supervillain in director James Wan's movie. "The official offer went out yesterday and the parties are now in talks," the site claims.
Variety reports Abdul-Mateen "beat out a short list of actors that included Moonlight breakout Trevante Rhodes and 24: Legacy star Corey Hawkins."
Two New Xbox One Controllers Unveiled
Microsoft is adding two new pads to the Xbox One controller lineup.
On the Xbox Wire, the company unveiled the special edition controllers called Ocean Shadow and Winter Forces. The former has a matte black top that fades into a light blue metallic, while the latter has an arctic camouflage pattern.
The wireless controllers will also work with Windows 10 devices and Samsung Gear VR through Bluetooth.
The two pads will join the recently released Xbox One red matte controller. And obviously everyone can customize their own controller with Xbox Design Lab.
Rainbow Six Siege Getting a Free Weekend
Ubisoft is letting people try out Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege this weekend for free.
From February 2 to 5, everyone can play the competitive shooter. The Rainbow Six Siege free trial will offer all of the maps, modes and operators available in the full version of the game.
In addition, Ubisoft is promising that all progress will carry over to the main game from the free weekend. Rainbow Six Siege is currently on Year 2 of DLC content.
The shooter has also seen rising numbers of players over the past year.
The LotR Cast Is Still a Fellowship 15 Years Later
The Fellowship of the Ring didn't last long, but the friendships from the Lord of the Rings trilogy have endured for 15 years now.
Merry actor Dominic Monaghan posted photos on Instagram of himself getting together with cast members for a bite. The Lord of the Rings reunion included Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), Elijah Wood (Frodo), Orlando Bloom (Legolas) and Billy Boyd (Pippin).
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring debuted 15 years ago last month. So they have carried on their friendship for longer than Frodo carried the ring to Mordor.
Bane’s Return to Gotham City Will Feature ‘The Greatest Battle in the History of Batman’
Bane is returning to Gotham City in the next Batman story arc, fittingly titled "I Am Bane." When he arrives, adorned in his classic costume with veins full of the Venom super-steroid, he will aim to take vengeance on Batman (natch).
What did Batman do this time? He formed his own personal Suicide Squad to break into Bane's fortress on Santa Prisca, all in a play to kidnap the Psycho Pirate, who has the power to help the mentally fractured Gotham Girl. It turns out that Venom is highly addictive and not having it in his system leaves Bane in constant agony, but the Psycho Pirate's power allows him to feel at peace. He wants to get the Pirate back and make Batman pay.
We hopped on the phone with Batman writer Tom King and artist David Finch to talk about what they've got planned, starting with tomorrow's Batman #16. While a big battle with Bane will most certainly come, this issue is a surprisingly light-heated one, at least in part, thanks to the Bat-family meeting in a Batman-themed fast-food restaurant instead of the Batcave.
A Star Wars Story We Want: The Ancient Jedi
The Star Wars Expanded Universe may be gone, but some of the saga's grand history involving the ancient Jedi could still be made into amazing standalone movies. A Star Wars Story like Knights of the Old Republic or Dawn of the Jedi, for example, could thrill mainstream crowds and old-school fanboys alike.
Many fans were not happy when Disney declared the EU to no longer be canon (retitling it Legends in the process). But what if the Legends could return? Star Wars Rebels has already introduced Grand Admiral Thrawn into the new timeline, and if the rumors are true that Woody Harrelson is playing Garris Shrike in the Han Solo movie, then Thrawn won’t be the only EU character to be making a comeback. More intriguingly, a recent episode of Star Wars Rebels alluded to a war in the past between the Jedi and Mandalore. Star Wars fans may recall that the Mandalorian Wars were a critical part of the backstory for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which is also one of the all-time great Star Wars video games. If aspects of KOTOR are still canon, then there could be ripe material from that era for a future Star Wars anthology film to explore. And it’s not the only piece of ancient Star Wars history that deserves to be fleshed out on the big screen…