FOX Cancels Bordertown, The Grinder and More
Several shows among FOX's freshman lineup won't continue for a second season, as its pair of new comedies The Grinder and Grandfathered have been canceled.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the network's duo of underperforming Tuesday night shows are joined by several other newcomers, including Seth MacFarlane's animated series Bordertown and another live-action comedy, Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life.
ABC Cancels Castle, The Muppets and Galavant
ABC's crime drama Castle won't continue for a ninth season, as the network has decided to cancel the show after Season 8's final episode airs next week.
News of the show's cancelation comes by way of Deadline, who notes the decision comes shortly after ABC had issues in negotiating new deals for Nathan Fillion, Seamus Dever and Jon Huertas to return for ninth go-around.
In addition to Castle, Entertainment Weekly is reporting that ABC has also canceled The Muppets and Galavant. According the outlet, the network's adult-minded puppet comedy series will conclude with a single 16-episode season, averaging 5.3 million viewers and a 1.9 rating. For our thoughts on The Muppets short-lived run, check out IGN's Season 1 review.
Agent Carter Cancelled by ABC
While not a surprise, it’s a sad day for Agent Carter fans as ABC has cancelled the series and won’t be bringing it back for a third season
THR reports the news, confirming what many suspected was the likely outcome, given Agent Carter’s ongoing struggle for viewers, despite strong reviews and good buzz. Season 2 unfortunately had notably lower numbers than Season 1, and as THR notes, the show never could match the viewership of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, the show it would air in place of in the middle of the season.
Cater star Hayley Atwell will not be missing from ABC for long though, as the network has ordered her new series, Conviction, reports EW. Atwell stars as lawyer and former First Daughter who accepts a job with a NY District Attorney "to avoid jail time for cocaine possession and avoid hurting her mother’s Senate campaign.”
ABC Passes on Agents of SHIELD Spinoff Marvel’s Most Wanted
Marvel's Most Wanted -- the Agents of SHIELD spinoff -- has been passed on by ABC.
Most Wanted, which focused on Adrianne Palicki as Bobbi Morse and Nick Blood as Lance Hunter, was ordered to pilot back in January. ABC's then-president Paul Lee (who has since left the network) spoke highly of the project at that time, saying the network "love
the script."
The network has ultimately decided to pass on the show, The Hollywood Reporter said.
According to the official Marvel's Most Wanted logline, the show would have followed Morse and Hunter as former spies and former spouses on the run from a whole bunch of enemies looking to collect a bounty on their heads.
Space Jam 2 ‘Doomed’ Says Original’s Director
Space Jam director Joe Pytka doesn't think a sequel to the live-action/animation basketball film is a good idea.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Pytka was blunt about Space Jam 2 with Cleveland Cavaliers star Lebron James. "Don't do it. It's doomed," he said.
"Michael Jordan was the biggest star on the planet."
The Space Jam filmmaker was calling attention to the fact that James has arguably already been surpassed in the NBA by Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry. And the sequel won't even be out for at least a couple of years.
New Rumors on Dafoe’s Aquaman Connection
Willem Dafoe will appear in DC's Justice League movies, but it hasn't been clear what role the actor will play. A new rumor, however, suggests Dafoe will play an Atlantean in the film.
Sources at Birth.Movies.Death. have no more information regarding exactly which Atlantean the actor might be taking on, but it's previously been reported that Dafoe's character will be a "good guy" in Justice League.
Atlanteans—for those unfamiliar—are not Mermen, but the native species of the continent of Atlantis. A.k.a., Aquaman's home town.
Dark Souls 3 Was April’s Best Selling Game in the US
According to numbers released by the NPD Group today, Dark Souls III was the best-selling game for April 2016 in North America.
The top 10 list several console exclusives, with Star Fox Zero for Wii U premiering at the 10 spot ND Quantum Break, the Xbox One exclusive, coming in 7th overall. But the biggest console-exclusive title in the top 10 was Sony's Ratchet and Clank, which took second place.
Here's the entire list for April 2016:
- Dark Souls III (PS4, XBO)
- Ratchet & Clank 2016 (PS4)
- MLB 16: The Show (PS4, PS3)
- Tom Clancy's The Division (PS4, XBO, PC)
- Grand Theft Auto V (PS4, XBO, 360, PS3, PC)
9.7 Million People Played Overwatch’s Open Beta
Blizzard Entertainment is certainly pleased with the reception from the Overwatch open beta. The developer announced today 9.7 million players logged on for some "intense, competitive action."
The open beta—which ran from May 3 until May 11—was Blizzard's biggest ever. Players on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC logged over 4.9 billion minutes, which adds up to over 81 million hours, across 37 million matches. For comparison, just over 2 million people played Gearbox Software's team-based shooter Battleborn.
PS4 Tops Hardware Sales in US for April
PlayStation 4 was the the top-selling console in the United States last month, according to The NPD Group.
Not only was Sony's gaming machine the best-selling console in the US for April, it also outpaced Xbox One and Wii U during the month of March, as well as February.
The NPD Group's Liam Callahan said that hardware sales dropped 23 percent when compared to April of last year, due in large part to a 19 percent decline of $30.4 million in console sales. Current-gen console spending dropped by 15 percent, while last-gen console dollar sales declined by over 70 percent. Additionally, portable hardware sales dropped by $11.3 million.
Disney Infinity Plans Reportedly Included Rogue One, 12 Inch Figures
In the wake of Disney Infinity's cancellation, news have surfaced of what could have been for the future of the series.
As reported by Kotaku, plans for the franchise included toys and sets based on upcoming films like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Cars 3, Star Wars Episode VIII, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, and Thor: Ragnarok. While Rogue One content was slated to debut later this year, the rest would've been a part of 2017's Disney Infinity 4.0.