Captain Phasma Will Return in Star Wars: Episode 8
Warning: spoilers for Star Wars -- Episode 7 ahead.
Gwendoline Christie will return as Captain Phasma in Star Wars -- Episode VIII.
The actress made the confirmation to People on the SAG 2016 red carpet "I will be in the next Star Wars movie. I think that's an exclusive, actually," said Christie.
For those who have seen Episode 7, this will come as a welcome relief. Although Christie commanded attention every time she was onscreen, her character was curiously underused, and eventually sent to an indeterminable fate in a trash compactor.
In other recent Star Wars news, Disney has outlined how it intends to use VR in the Star Wars universe, and Episode 9 director Colin Trevorrow wants to shoot Episode 9 partially in outer space. For everything else, here's a roundup of what we know so far about the upcoming films.
Kung Fu Panda 3 Debuts Atop the Weekend Box Office
DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda 3 had an incredibly successful weekend, debuting atop the North American box office with an estimated $41 million.
The animated feature falls a few million short of its predecessor, Kung Fu Panda 2, which opened with $47.7 million domestically, while the 2008 original Kung Fu Panda opened with $60.2 million.
Meanwhile, Disney's The Finest Hours and Open Road's Fifty Shades of Black had far more modest opening weekends, debuting in fourth place with $10.3 million and ninth place with $6.2 million, respectively.
Last week's leader and Oscar contender The Revenant slipped to second place with $12.4 million, just ahead of the Disney and Lucasfilms' record-shattering space epic Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which placed third with $10.8 million.
Forza Motorsport 6 Porsche Expansion Details Leak
Details of the planned Porsche Expansion for Forza Motorsport 6 appear to have leaked via an Amazon listing.
As spotted on the Forza Motorsport forum, the expansion will reportedly feature an “all-new guided Porsche Anthology campaign experience” featuring 48 new events, 20 Porsches, new Porsche-themed multiplayer events, Mods, and Badges, plus 250 Gamerscore worth of new achievements.
The listing also mentions the inclusion of a new track: Virginia International Raceway, with seven distinct configurations, all with night and wet versions.
The release date was apparently noted as March 1, 2016 and the price USD$20 but these specifics are no longer listed on the Amazon store page for the expansion.
All of the Amazing Cosplay from PAX South Day 3
It's the third and final day of PAX South in San Antonio, Texas, and while the show winds down cosplayers are still out in full force. Check out our newly updated mega-slideshow with cosplay from all three days of the convention right here in super convenient photo and video form.
Did you miss the awesome cosplay montages from the first two days of the convention? Fear not, I've got you covered.
And while you're at it, why not check out these awesome Zero Suit Samus cosplays? They were a big hit with everyone on the show floor.
Sean Finnegan is a producer for IGN. You can talk to him all about movies, games, and photography on Twitter.
Rogue One LEGO Announced, Hints at Boba Fett
LEGO showcased some of its upcoming sets at the Nuremberg Toy Fair, and one in particular hints at Boba Fett's appearance in Rouge One: A Star Wars Story. Or, at least his ship's appearance.
More #LEGO #StarWars Reveals from Nuremberg! #RogueOne & a Droid Tales-esque series titled The Freemaker Adventures. pic.twitter.com/AwSSy3L2Dh
— StudShooter! (@studshooter) January 30, 2016
Jonathan Blow on The Witness’ Sales Numbers
The Witness is on par to sell more copies in its first week than Braid sold in its first year. Creator Jonathan Blow told Twitter that he isn't able to talk about exact numbers without breaking any non-disclosure agreements, but will post again when The Witness officially breaks that record.
It's hard to talk about numbers without breaking NDAs, but The Witness is on track to sell more in a week than Braid sold in its first year,
— Jonathan Blow (@Jonathan_Blow) January 31, 2016
Braid, Blow's award-winning 2008 puzzle-platformer, is said to have brought in around four million dollars total—all of which was reportedly used to fund The Witness. With Braid priced at $15, and The Witness at $40, it's likely Blow will pull in a lot more.
New Fantastic Beasts Behind-the-Scenes Footage
Warner Bros. Pictures has revealed new behind-the-scenes footage for J.K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
The video sneak peek made its debut this weekend at "A Celebration of Harry Potter 2016," a Potter-centric fan event held at Universal Studios Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Check out the clip below, which features commentary from Director David Yates, leading man Eddie Redmayne and several other cast members.
J.K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them opens in theaters on November 18, and will serve as the first chapter in a trilogy of films. Redmayne stars as Newt Scamander, and is joined by Katherine Waterston as Tina, Alison Sudol as Queenie and Dan Fogler as Jacob.
Prometheus Star Noomi Rapace Not in Alien: Covenant
Noomi Rapace won't be reprising her role as Elizabeth Shaw in Alien: Covenant, Ridley Scott has confirmed.
Despite the fact that Shaw was the only human to survive the events of Prometheus, the director said she won't be back. When asked by the Daily Mail newspaper (via Yahoo! Movies) whether or not Rapace would be involved, Scott replied with a definitive "no," noting they're "still casting the main roles."
In a separate interview with The Guardian newspaper, Scott spoke to the challenge and pressure of continually raising the bar and proving his reliability as a director, likening it to brain surgery.
Super Bowl: Deadpool, X-Men to Have Major Presence
Fox's highly anticipated superhero flick Deadpool will have a major presence at the Super Bowl, as well as X-Men: Apocalypse, Independence Day Resurgence and several other films.
According to THR, not only will Deadpool likely have a TV spot during the February 7 game, but a number of publicity events are planned as well. In fact, leading man Ryan Reynolds will reportedly be handing out chimichangas from a food truck this coming Friday before the big game.
New Final Fantasy 15 Character Revealed
During an Active Time Report for Final Fantasy XV tonight, director Hajime Tabata and marketing manager Akio Ofuji introduced a new character: Aranea Highwind.
Highwind is the commander of Niflheim’s Third Army Corps 87th Airborne Division, according to Square Enix, and a “skilled aerial combatant known as ‘Dragoon’ within the Imperial military.”
The ATR included battle footage of Aranea in action, as well as a new look at combat with magic in use. Tabata also hinted that another playable demo could be on the way, but that more details won't come until March. Following the stream, Square Enix revealed a few new screenshots and new key art: