Future Sony Animation Films Set Stellar Voice Casts
Sony Pictures Animation previewed their 2017 and 2018 motion picture slate for the press today, including confirming that Miles Morales is the protagonist of their 2018 animated Spider-Man film, during which time they revealed a number of voice casting announcements for their various upcoming movies.
Smurfs: The Lost Village has added a series of high-profile actors to their voice cast, including Oscar winner Julia Roberts as SmurfWillow, the matriarch of the titular lost village and foil to Papa Smurf (the previously announced Mandy Patinkin). Other new voice cast members include the Fast and Furious' Michelle Rodriguez as SmurfStorm, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Ellie Kemper as SmurfBlossom, and Modern Family's Ariel Winter as SmurfLily. Yes, Smurfette (voiced here by Demi Lovato) is no longer the only female Smurf in the world.
Why Ewan McGregor Needed to Rerecord “Be Our Guest”
Ewan McGregor might be no stranger to musicals, but recording his musical number as Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast proved trickier than he initially expected.
While promoting Fargo: Season 3 at the 2017 winter TV Critics Association press tour, McGregor opened up about to a small group of reporters about why he botched "Be Our Guest" on the first go-around.
"I hadn't been in a recording studio for a long time, and I was in a recording studio in London when we recorded the song for the first time. There was an enormous amount of pressure, I thought," he recalled. "I had only just arrived, I was jet lagged from LA. I got off a plane one day and the next day I was in a recording studio. It's very nerve-wracking recording, because you're in a quiet room and through the glass there's people who are looking at you, and they speak to each other and you can't hear them. In this instance there were 50 people in there, and I was standing jet lagged alone trying to sing in a French accent this big number. Every time I stopped they would go, 'OK, hang on,'
Why Final Fantasy XV’s 13th Chapter is Important
Warning: Contains spoilers for Final Fantasy XV's latter half.
After a decade in development hell, Final Fantasy XV released late last year to critical acclaim thanks to a vastly improved plot over its previous single-player only predecessor, a slick combat system that straddles real-time and traditional JRPG elements brilliantly, and an utterly gorgeous and expansive world to get lost in.
Still, while the stunning open-world of Lucis is the most celebrated feather in Final Fantasy XV’s cap, what criticism the game has received has been aimed at its final third, as its open-world focus narrows into finely structured, linear chapters in the build up to its dramatic finale. Chapter 13 in particular bears the brunt of this negativity.
New Star Wars Rebels Clip: Sabine Wields the Darksaber
In this week's new episode of Star Wars Rebels, "Trials of the Darksaber" -- airing Saturday, January 21st on Disney XD -- Sabine (Tiya Sircar) tries her hand at harnessing the power of the Darksaber while training with Kanan (Freddie Prinze Jr.).
In this clip from the episode, Sabine finds herself having trouble mastering the Darksaber's abilities, unable to utilize her skills to take down Kanan. Check it out, and then check out the photo gallery from the episode below...
The official synopsis for "Trials of the Darksaber" reads:
"In an effort to recruit her people to join the rebels, Sabine reluctantly agrees to learn to wield an ancient Mandalorian weapon, but soon finds the challenge more difficult than expected."
Fire Emblem Warriors Also Coming to New 3DS
Nintendo has revealed that Fire Emblem Warriors is coming to New Nintendo 3DS systems in addition to Switch.
Fire Emblem Warriors will be available in Fall 2017.
Fire Emblem Warriors was announced during last week’s Nintendo Switch reveal event. It continues Koei Tecmo’s long-running Warriors series, known as Musou in Japan and made popular via several Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors titles.
Koei Tecmo first expanded the series to Nintendo characters with 2014’s Hyrule Warriors on Wii U, a Zelda-focused spinoff that came to 3DS as Hyrule Warriors Legends last year.
Fire Emblem Heroes Announced for Mobile
During a Nintendo Direct today, Nintendo fully revealed its Fire Emblem mobile game, Fire Emblem Heroes, which will be available on iOS and Android on February 2nd.
An animated cutscene intro was shown off for the game, and Nintendo confirmed that the game features "brand-new art, hand drawn by a variety of artists" and "newly recorded voices." Each map will be an 8x6 grid built for smartphones. Players can drag an ally to an enemy unit to attack, or use traditional Fire Emblem controls on the touch screen. The series' weapon triangle will also return.
Players will take on the role of a summoner and summon characters from the Fire Emblem series to build their team. Orbs are used to summon additional characters, and they can be earned through gameplay or purchased within the app. Players will also be able to visit a Training Tower to level up their heroes.
Fire Emblem Confirmed for Nintendo Switch in 2018
During a Nintendo Direct today, Nintendo confirmed that a new Fire Emblem game is headed to Nintendo Switch in 2018. This new mainline FE game will be the first for a home console since 2007's Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn for Nintendo Wii.
This game is separate from Fire Emblem Warriors, which was announced at the Nintendo Switch event. The Fire Emblem Direct also showcased Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia coming to 3DS eShop in May. Nintendo also revealed Fire Emblem Heroes, the first FE game for mobile devices.
Fire Emblem Echoes Announced for 3DS
During a Nintendo Direct today, Nintendo announced a new Fire Emblem for 3DS, Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. It will be released on the 3DS eShop on May 19.
Alm and Celica are the names of the dual protagonists, who are "locked in a tragic war dividing the continent of Valentia." On May 19, amiibo versions of both will also be available.
Nintendo said the game is inspired by 1992's Fire Emblem Gaiden, which only released in Japan. Shadows of Valentia will feature free-roaming, dungeons, and "flexible character progression," according to Nintendo.
Alm and Celica amiibo
EA Play 2017 Announced
Electronic Arts is bringing back its pre-E3 event EA Play this year.
The event — which includes live broadcasts, community contests and more — will highlight the company's upcoming lineup of games. EA Play was started last year and served as a departure from a traditional E3 booth.
No games have been announced for EA Play yet, but it's probably a safe bet we'll see new iterations of the FIFA, Madden and NHL franchises. Plus, the company might highlight EA Originals, like Sea of Solitude, along with Star Wars Battlefront 2.
Wrestling Wrap Up: Who Should Undertaker Face at WrestleMania?
The Wrap Up's going to be slightly short-sheeted this week as we head into the Rumble two Sundays from now. There's not too much to gab about without knowing who the big winners are at the PPV, but we can get all smarky and speculate-y about what's going on with Undertaker.
For months now, it seemed like Taker vs. Cena was a lock for 'Mania. Now the rumors are rumoring that that match is kaput. I, for one, was actually excited to see those two go head to head, but I guess we need to start re-examining the topic/question of "Is this Undertaker's final WrestleMania?" Many of us are assuming it is, though with Taker recently proclaiming that he was "back" on SmackDown (while most recently appearing on RAW), there's been nothing mentioned about a grand farewell. So it's possible that Taker/Cena's being held off until next year.