Studio Blames Star Wars for Mockingjay 2’s Lower Gross
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 is the lowest-grossing entry in the Lionsgate franchise with $652 million worldwide (over $100 million less than what Part 1 earned).
During a call with Wall Street analysts Friday, the studio -- whose stocks took a tumble after it announced weaker than expected Q3 earnings -- blamed the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the Paris terrorist attack last November for the film's "softer than anticipated" performance at the box office. (Mockingjay, Part 2 opened in November.)
“I think the combination of circumstances was unique between the terrorist attack in Europe and Star Wars,” said Rob Friedman, Lionsgate’s co-chairman of the Motion Picture Group, according to Deadline.
The Walking Dead Beats Secret Wars in January
The Walking Dead #150 was the best-selling comic book of January 2016, according to Diamond Comics' sales figures. The series topped the charts for the first time since the release of The Walking Dead #100 in July 2012.
The Walking Dead managed to outsell even the final issue of Secret Wars. However, Marvel still published eight of the top ten best-selling books in January, thanks to Spider-Man/Deadpool #1, Old Man Logan #1, Uncanny X-Men #1 and their various Star Wars comics. DC had one book in the top ten with Batman #48.
Daily Deals: Star Wars: Battlefront, $40 Kindle Fire Tablet, PS Plus
Star Wars: Battlefront is $30 Digital, $40 on Disc
Amazon has $40 disc copies of Battlefront on PS4 and Xbox One, but if you opt for a PS4 digital copy, it's just $30.
Star Wars: Force Awakens to Cross $900M Domestically
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is expected to cross the $900 million mark in domestic sales today on its 50th day of release, Disney has announced.
Once J.J. Abrams' space epic reaches this new milestone, it will be the first film in box office history to earn $900 million. Disney also expects The Force Awakens to hit the $2 billion mark globally on Saturday, which will make it the third movie ever (and second in its original release) to reach this level of success.
As of yesterday, February 4, the film has made approximately $899.1 million domestically and a whopping $1.096 billion internationally, making for a grand total in worldwide earnings of $1.995 billion.
"This is a historic moment for Star Wars, for Lucasfilm, and for Disney, and all of us here are extremely gratified to be a part of this journey with fans around the world who have made Star Wars: The Force Awakens such an extraordinary success," Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn said in a statement.
H1Z1 Is Being Made Into Two Games, Confirmed for Consoles
H1Z1 is being split into two separate games, according to publisher Daybreak.
H1Z1: Just Survive will have a renewed focus on a persistent, open-world survival experience where players will have to scavenge, craft, and build bases to survive from the zombie threat. H1Z1: King of the Kill will be more of a "fast-paced shooter" focusing on fight-to-the-death game modes, including the popular Battle Royale. Both games will be given "their own dedicated development resources."
Daybreak said last year it started to notice separate communities pop up within H1Z1. One was solely focusing on the initial survival game, while others were dedicated to the Battle Royale game mode. "Many players in the community have been discussing splitting the game and we’ve heard you loud and clear," said the developer in the announcement. "We want to make sure we give both titles the support they need and deserve to truly flourish."
Bring on the Bad Girls! Phasma, Hela and Rita Repulsa
Download Keepin' it Reel, Episode 315!
Welcome back to Keepin' It Reel, the IGN show where Jim Vejvoda and Eric Goldman (subbing for Terri Schwartz this week) bring you the latest genre movie news.
This week's topics include news and rumors on the next three Fast and Furious sequels, Power Rangers, Thor: Ragnarok, Star Wars -- Episode VIII and Episode IX, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Alien: Covenant, Transformers 5, Avatar 2, Wolverine 3, X-Men: Apocalypse, and Deadpool.
This Winter’s 8 Most Promising New Anime
With the Winter 2016 anime season well underway, many of the best-looking shows have already found their footing. If you’re looking to add a few new shows to your watchlist, you can’t go wrong with any of these picks.
Keep in mind this list only includes new shows. There are many great anime returning this season, but they do not qualify for this list.
Erased takes the premise of having a special ability and keeps it grounded in a very serious reality. Protagonist Satoru has a power that sends him back in time to prevent tragedies and right wrongs, and he works to investigate a murder from his childhood. The show gracefully handles the horrors of child abuse, and as a result it’s consistently heartfelt and moving. That, combined with its engaging murder mystery, makes it a must-see.
Valve Launches the First-Ever Steam Lunar New Year Sale
Valve has kicked off yet another of its famous sales, this time with a choose your own adventure twist.
The "Steam Lunar New Year Sale" has everything you've come to expect — that is to say deep discounts on a plethora of PC games. In addition launching Steam will also reveal a sort of riddle game where your decisions determine which sales are highlighted for you.
The first question asks players whether they'd swim through or drive around a massive body of water. The first option coughs up a series of seafaring games. The second offers automobile themed activities. Though not all of the games, like the recently released American Truck Simulator, are actually on sale.
Hot Toys Announces Star Wars First Order Cosbaby Line
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is getting Hot Toys's Cosbaby treatment, starting with the First Order, as commanded by Captain Phasma. Besides Captain Phasma, these cuties feature a First Order Stormtrooper, First Order Flametrooper, First Order Snowtrooper, and First Order TIE pilot.
Each bobble head figure stands just over 4 inches tall, including the base. Figures will be sold individually, and though Hot Toys hasn't announced a price, most of the existing Cosbaby figures are priced at $16 USD.
Hot Toys is offering a collectible set of six, wherein Captain Phasma will come wearing extra shiny chrome armor. Those who order the set will also grab an additional Jakku-exclusive First Order Stormtrooper. No price has been announced for the set, but previous bundles have sold in the $100 USD to $150 USD range.
How to Stream Super Bowl 50 for Free
The showdown between the Broncos and Panthers is this Sunday. While the Super Bowl is easy enough to watch for those with an over-the-air antenna or cable subscription, it’s a little more complicated for cord cutters. Thankfully, CBS is making it easy for everyone to watch the game. Here’s how you can stream Super Bowl 50 for free.
If you have a media streaming device hooked up to your TV, you can simply download the CBS or CBS Sports app. The app is available for Apple TV, Roku, Xbox One, and Amazon Fire devices.