Secret Wars and Bravest Warriors Sell Huge in May
Diamond Comics released their sales figures for May 2015 today. Unsurprisingly, Marvel's Secret Wars #1 was the best-selling single issue for the month. However, it faced stiff competition from Boom! Studios' Bravest Warriors: Tales of Holo John #1, which was included in Loot Crate's May subscription box. Both comics are estimated to have sold over 500,000 copies.
Secret Wars was a success for Marvel overall, with issue #2 and several tie-ins (including A-Force #1 and Old Man Logan #1) ranking among the top ten best-sellers. Two issues of DC's weekly Convergence event also cracked the top ten.
Star Wars Special Effects Company Making VR Experiences
Industrial Light & Magic – the company behind Star Wars' famous special effects – has formed a new group to make immersive, story-based experiences in virtual reality and other mediums.
Called the ILM Experience Lab (ILMxLAB), the division will combine talent from Lucasfilm, Skywalker Sound, and ILM for projects in VR, augmented reality, real-time cinema, theme park entertainment, and "narrative-based experiences for future platforms."
No concrete projects have been announced yet, but the studio's launch video below, which shows off a real-time, user-created scene on Tatooine, gives us a glimpse at what could come.
ILM President and Lucasfilm Executive VP Lynwen Brennan told The Hollywood Reporter new Star Wars content will come to mass-market VR goggles, though "the initial, most high-end experiences will be in the
Gears of War Teaser Counts Down to E3 Reveal
Microsoft and its recently renamed first-party dev, The Coalition, have released a teaser that reaffirms what we already knew: we'll be hearing all about the future of Gears of War during its Monday morning E3 media briefing.
In a post on Twitter, the official Gears of War account shared the following tease:
Three. More. Days. #GearsofWar #XboxE3 pic.twitter.com/FG0Oyxno7D
Joker and Harley Quinn Aren’t the Only Reason to Get Excited for Suicide Squad
There has been a surge of enthusiasm for Warner Bros’ upcoming DC Comics movie Suicide Squad and it’s all thanks to the inclusion of two Batman villains -- the Joker and Harley Quinn. Between official images of the Joker’s new look and Harley posing with the Squad, plus an inordinate amount of fuzzy set photos, the Internet has been going bonkers for these two crazy characters. But if people only knew what to expect from a Suicide Squad movie, they’d be even more excited.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty to get pumped for with Joker and Harley. Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger’s Jokers were classic performances that wowed crowds and did Batman’s number-one nemesis justice, so there’s a painful amount of anticipation to see what Jared Leto will do with his take on the Clown Prince of Crime. Harley has a wild, passionate fanbase and a best-selling comic book, so seeing her in a movie has been a long time coming. The two are known for their unsettling, antagonistic romance that sees them hating, hurting, and loving each other in equal measure. It’s a cool combo of iconic characters, for sure, but believe it or not, they have nothing to do with the original Suicide Squad concept.
Lucas, McKellen and Jackson Salute Christopher Lee
Tributes have been pouring for actor Christopher Lee -- who passed away this week at the age of 93 -- from those who worked with him on the Star Wars and Middle-earth franchises.
George Lucas, who cast Lee as Count Dooku in the latter two installments of his Star Wars prequel trilogy, said in a statement, "Christopher was a great British actor of the old school. A true link to cinema's past and a real gentleman. We will miss him."
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy said: “Christopher brought a grace and gravitas to the many roles he's played over a rich and expansive career. His performance as Count Dooku in Episodes II and III remains a highlight of the Star Wars saga, and we have been so privileged and honored to count him among our family. Christopher was a gentle soul and deeply adored by fans, and we will miss him dearly.”
Game of Thrones: 11 Heartbreaking Moments
Warning: Spoilers follow for all of HBO's Game of Thrones that has aired so far, up through the episode "The Door."
Over the course of five and a half seasons, Game of Thrones has had some truly shocking moments, scary moments, violent moments and badass moments. But the most recent episode, "The Door," reminded us that it can also have some truly scarring, sad moments, as we discovered the origin of Hodor's name during a bit of time travel and an epic example of self sacrifice.
Why The Sandman Movie is Taking So Long
It was the end of 2013 when we first heard Joseph Gordon-Levitt was working on a movie adaptation of the acclaimed Neil Gaiman DC/Vertigo comic book, The Sandman. Gordon-Levitt’s producing the film and is said to be starring and directing in it, making it in conjunction with both Gaiman and David S. Goyer (the Blade and Dark Knight trilogies), and with Jack Thorne writing the screenplay.
When I spoke to Gordon-Levitt recently for the second season of his TV series, HitRecord on TV, I asked him about the progress of Sandman – noting I was a big fan of the source material.
We Talk Jurassic World, Joker, Jackman and Jedi
Download Keepin' it Reel, Episode 291!
Welcome back to Keepin' It Reel! In this week's podcast, Jim Vejvoda and Roth Cornet bring you the latest in genre movie news.
This week's topics include Star Wars, Wolverine 3, Doctor Strange, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2, the Big Trouble in Little China remake, and more. We also share our thoughts on the enduring popularity of the Joker, as well as the passing of screen legend Christopher Lee.
EA To Announce New EA Access Vault Game at E3
Electronic Arts today announced that the company will reveal it's latest addition to the EA Access Vault during next week's E3.
The news was shared via Twitter:
Hey members, get ready for a new game in The Vault. More news next week @E3. pic.twitter.com/HS4ohA7pL7
— EA Access (@EAAccess) June 12, 2015
EA Access allows Xbox One owners to play a handful of EA games from the Vault, like Battlefield 4 and Need for Speed: Rivals, for $5 USD a month, or $30 USD a year. Members also get early access to demos and 10 percent off the purchase of EA titles.
Don’t Miss IGN’s Nintendo World Championships Live Stream
The Nintendo World Championships are kicking off this Sunday and IGN is your home for all the festivities. Be sure to tune in on Sunday, June 14 from 2PM - 5PM PT (5PM - 8PM ET / 10PM - Monday 1AM GMT / 9AM - 12PM AET) for all the action.
This second Nintendo World Championship is set 15 years after the original. The first Nintendo World Championships were held in 1990, as a sponsored video game competition that toured 29 US cities. Finalists were awarded a special grey cartridge that features the three NES games used in the competition: Super Mario Bros., Rad Racer, and Tetris.
You can watch the IGN Nintendo World Championships 2015 Live Stream on pretty much every connected device in your home or pocket. Here are some links to the apps (download them today!) and other places where you can watch live streams and IGN's coverage as well. Watch the IGN Nintendo World Championships Live Sream on...