Arrow: David Ramsey Previews Diggle’s Big Episode
John Diggle's relationship with his brother Andy comes to a tipping point in Arrow's upcoming episode "A.W.O.L." To preview what's ahead, David Ramsey hopped on the phone to discuss why the insight into the Diggles' relationship in this week's episode is so significant.
According to Ramsey, "A.W.O.L." will flashback to John and Andy's time serving in Afghanistan. "We get to see Diggle in his past again with Andy and the introduction -- or the further exploration -- of this nefarious group called Shadowspire that becomes involved with the current organization HIVE," he teased.
But more than that, this episode will show to viewers what Diggle liked so much about his younger brother.
Fast 8 Will Shoot in Iceland
For their next adventure, the Fast and the Furious team will be going north of the tree line, all the way to Akranes, Iceland.
The news comes from the Iceland Review with confirmation from the town's mayor, Regína Ásvaldsdóttir.
"Surely, this is an extensive project and will affect retail and service in town,” she says. According to Ásvaldsdóttir, film crews will be arriving this April.
Going by a teaser image shared by Vin Diesel, Akranes will be joining New York as one of the locations for the series' trademark high-octane car action. Diesel also says that the team behind the franchise is working on a number of spin-offs to try and create a Marvel-esque Fast and Furious shared universe.
Darth Vader Classic Bust: The Empire Strikes Back
Gentle Giant is introducing its classic Darth Vader bust, citing Q1 2016 for its release.
Using the "aesthetics of sculpture from Greek and Roman antiquity," Vader is modeled as he appears in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
The statue is 1:6 scale, standing 7 inches tall and 5 inches wide. Each hand-painted, polyresin Darth Vader bust will come individually numbered, and packaged along with a certification of authenticity.
Gentle Giant Ltd's Darth Vader bust will cost $80 from the company's store. Orders are open only to Premier Guild members at this time, but will open for all customers on February 2.
Marvel TV Head Talks Agent Carter, Luke Cage and X-Men on TV
There's a lot more to look forward to from Marvel Television in the near future. Beyond Marvel's Agents of SHIELD and Agent Carter on ABC and Daredevil and Jessica Jones on Netflix, the company has at least eight other shows in various stages of development.
Some, like Netflix's Luke Cage and potentially ABC's Marvel's Most Wanted, will be debuting later in 2016. Others, like the two comedies Marvel is developing with ABC and FOX's X-Men-universe-set series Hellfire, are still early in the development process. What's clear is that Marvel TV is actively looking to expand its slate on the small screen, and that studios, networks and audiences are open to more.
New Venom Story Inspired by Wounded Veterans
Marvel has announced a new partnership with the non-profit organization Wounded Warrior Project. That partnership has informed this week's new issue of Venom: Space Knight, which will kick off an important chapter in Flash Thompson's life as he abandons his symbiote costume and adjusts to a new set of prosthetic legs.
According to Marvel, writer Robbie Thompson consulted with WWP spokesperson and double amputee Dan Nevins in order to provide an honest, accurate account of Flash's rehabilitation and day-to-day struggles. “Working with Wounded Warrior Project has been an invaluable part of the process of writing Venom: Space Knight,” said Thompson in Marvel's press release. “Dan Nevins' insight was inspiring, generous and deeply moving, allowing us to create a more realistic character and story for the book. I'm forever grateful for their ongoing help and guidance."
Disney Boss: Marvel to Keep Making Movies ‘Forever’
Don't expect the flow of Marvel and Star Wars films to stop anytime soon, according to Disney chairman Bob Iger.
"Marvel, you're dealing with thousands and thousands of characters--that will go on forever," Iger told the BBC. "I don't think
getting weary. But I think we keep raising the bar in terms of telling stories that bring them back, that excite them, that make it feel new and that is what we do for a living."
Meanwhile, Iger said there are four more Star Wars films in various stages of development, which are slated for the next four years. Rogue One is coming this December, followed by Star Wars Episode VIII in 2017, a Han Solo film for 2018, and Episode IX in 2019. The comment seems to rule out the rumored Boba Fett film as being in active development, since Iger didn't mention it as part of the plans.
Star Wars Voice Credits Reveal Alien Saying ‘Kojima’
An ancillary line of dialgue in Star Wars: The Force Awakens doubles as an amusing nod to Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima.
Star Wars' official website released a list of the added voice credits for off-screen roles in the recent Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and among them is a credit for Robert Stambler who, when voicing the part of the 'Red Eyed Sand Alien', said "Kojima" as it watched newcomer astromech BB-8 roll away after Kylo Ren and The First Order attacked a Jakku village. A similar credit was given to the Stormtrooper who famously called Finn (John Boyega) a traitor.
PlayStation Store Square Enix Sale Discounts a Ton of Great Games
There's currently a Square Enix Sale on the PlayStation Store and it's headlined by some pretty great games for up to 75% off.
Right now, you can pick up games like PSOne Classics Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, and Final Fantasy VIII for $5 a piece, PS4 games Thief and Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition for $7.50 a pop, and Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition for $10.
For a full list of the 32 games discounted in the Square Enix Sale, head on over to the PSN Store listing. The sale will last for another week until February 2.
If you're strapped for cash and can only pick one game, I would suggest Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, which we gave a 9.1 in our review.
Wonder Woman Has Seen the Worst of Mankind
Wonder Woman is very, very old. Several millennia old in fact.
In the new cover issue of Empire, it is revealed that Wonder Woman is 5,000 years-old. "Because she's seen it all, she has seen what humans can do, so it was very hard for her to come back and fight," said Gadot (via ComicBookMovie.com).
The recently revealed first footage of the Wonder Woman movie showcased her longevity by depicting her experiences during World War I.
Destiny’s Matchmaking System is Changing Again
Bungie is making changes to Destiny's matchmaking system. The company is reversing the changes it implemented quietly in December. The community has spoken—reducing lag is the important issue.
Since the changes were made, players have been experiencing excessive lag in Player-versus-Player combat—a side effect of Bungie's tweaking. The goal was to "find the right balance between skill and connectivity," matching players with those who equally matched in skill, preventing newer and less experienced players from getting annihilated by more competitive teams.
Connection quality was given less consideration, which angered highly-skilled players who were now experiencing increased lag. This will change with Iron Banner. Community manager DeeJ writes, "Lord Saladin's battle for the Spark will feature new matchmaking settings that will assign more emphasis to connection quality." However, the new system will still give "some consideration" to matching players with "worthy adversaries."