It's been almost twenty-five years since Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible hit theaters, kicking off one of Hollywood's longest-running action franchises. Paramount is commemorating the blockbuster's anniversary with a new Blu-ray featuring a series of interviews between Cruise and series writer-director Christopher McQuarrie, who helmed 2015's Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation and 2018's Mission: Impossible - Fallout. In a snippet from the interviews featured on Entertainment Tonight, Cruise explains how the stunt that produced what is arguably the franchise's defining image almost wasn't shot. About midway through the 1996 movie, Cruise's Ethan Hunt sneaks into a vault at the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Since the room has pressure-sensing security, Hunt enters the room suspended by wires and has a close call when he is accidentally dropped centimeters above the floor. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/05/20/mission-impossible-25thanniversary-collectors-edition-blu-ray-the-budget-exclusive-featurette"] "I went down to the floor and kept hitting my face and the take didn't work. We were running out of time. We had a lot we had to do," Cruise said. "[Director] Brian [De Palma] was like, 'One more and I'm going to cut [into the moment] and do it. And I said, 'I can do it.'" Cruise explained how he asked the stunt crew for British pound coins to place in his shoes as a counterweight to help level his balance. On the final attempt, Cruise was able to stay suspended without touching the floor. "I was holding it, holding it, holding it, holding it. And I'm sweating and I'm sweating. And [Brian De Palma] keeps rolling," Cruise laughed. "And I realize Brian is working it... and I'm not going to stop. I just hear him off-camera and he's got a very distinct laugh. When he laughs, it makes me laugh. I can hear him start to howl and he goes, 'All right! Cut.'" [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/07/27/mission-impossible-things-you-didnt-know-cinefix"] After a careful production that involved buying robots to enforce COVID-19 protocols, Mission: Impossible 7 is set to release on May 27, 2022, with both McQuarrie and Cruise returning for the next entry. The film's cast includes series newcomers like Hayley Atwell and Cary Elwes as well as returning characters such as Henry Czerny's IMF director Kittridge. Cruise recently spoke about a motorcycle stunt he performed for the movie being the most dangerous thing he's ever done. The 25th Anniversary Collector's Edition Blu-ray of Mission: Impossible is now available in the US. [poilib element="accentDivider"] J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer. (Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures/IMDb)

One of SpongeBob SquarePants' best friends, Sandy Cheeks, is getting a spinoff movie. This news comes by way of Collider, which reports that this spinoff movie will be a hybrid blend of animation and live-action. Specifically, Collider's sources say the movie will feature an animated Sandy Cheeks in a live-action setting, which isn't unheard of in the realm of SpongeBob SquarePants-related movies. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/17/spongebob-stars-dub-iconic-movie-scenes-from-return-of-the-king-to-revenge-of-the-sith"] The movie is being produced by Nickelodeon, of course, and it's set to be directed by Liza Johnson, who has directed movies like 2011's Return and 2016's Elvis & Nixon, as well as episodes of TV shows like Barry, Silicon Valley, What We Do in the Shadows, and more, as noted by Collider. Kazimieras Prapuolenis , a SpongeBob SquarePants writer best-known as "Kaz" to fans, has co-written the script with Tom J. Stern, who recently wrote and directed the live-action SpongeBob Appreciation Day special that aired last year. Collider notes that Stern's website states he's writing a feature film set in the SpongeBob SquarePants universe so it could be this Sandy Cheeks spinoff. Carolyn Lawrence is expected to voice the character as she's been voicing her since Sandy Cheeks' first-ever episode in the show in 1999. As far as what to expect from this spinoff, not much is known and it's tough to predict the possibilities of a SpongeBob SquarePants-related movie considering past movies in the Bikini Bottom universe have seen the beloved characters go on cross-ocean journeys, onto land, and even onto the back of David Hasselhoff. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/28/the-spongebob-movie-sponge-on-the-run-official-trailer"] There will almost certainly be a nice amount of "yeehaws," though. Collider reports that this movie is being developed for an "undisclosed streaming service" and as they note, Paramount+, which is the current home of SpongeBob SquarePants, makes sense but that's not guaranteed. The most recent SpongeBob movie, Sponge on the Run, debuted on Netflix in some parts of the world, after all. While waiting to learn more about this Sandy Cheeks movie, read this story about a SpongeBob SquarePants podcast recently announced by Nickelodeon and then read about this episode from the show pulled from streaming services. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.   

The Nintendo GameCube is a classic home console from the sixth generation. Known for its compact design, the console turns twenty years old this year, and as one Reddit user demonstrates, it can make a handy PC. Reddit user Cityle shared pics of his new gaming rig, which contains an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card, 16GB of HyperX DDR4 RAM, and a 2TB Samsung 860 QVO SSD. Due to the size of the GameCube, Cityle circumvented the issue of the motherboard and processor by purchasing an Asus PN50 Mini PC and taking out the computer's motherboard, which also contains a Ryzen 5 4500U processor. He also spray-painted the case, changing the exterior color from jet black to a shade of peach. Cityle shared his build log on the Level1Techs forums, and reading his notes proved that building the computer was no cakewalk. He had to make several modifications to the old console, including swapping out the original shell and making a custom mount for the motherboard with the graphics card placed on top. The disc drive opens up, allowing the graphics card to receive some outside air. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=nintendo-gamecube-pc-build&captions=true"] Despite space being limited for the parts, Cityle notes that the computer has no issue with the computer running hot — the GPU and CPU hit around 80°C and 60°C when running a benchmark test on Time Spy. This wasn't the only impressive PC build Cityle made using an old game console — he also made a gaming PC with a Dreamcast as the shell. Still, given the dimensions of the Nintendo GameCube, it is quite impressive that Cityle managed to put a gaming PC inside the tiny console. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Though it earned him a Golden Globe, Jim Carrey's performance in the 1999 Andy Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon has practically become a cautionary tale in the film industry about the inconveniences of method acting to a production. In a recent appearance on the Off Menu podcast (via The Telegraph), Martin Freeman criticized the practice of method acting in general, citing Carrey's behavior working on Man on the Moon as a particularly noteworthy culprit. "[It's] the most self-aggrandizing, selfish, narcissistic f—ing bollocks I have ever seen," Freeman said. "When younger, I think it’s quite common to think that completely losing yourself is the goal [of acting] because it feels grown-up and it feels proper. But the older I’ve got, the more I don’t really look to that. To be honest, it’s quite a pain in the arse when someone ‘loses themselves.’ It is a massive pain in the arse because it’s no longer a craft and a job.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/12/jim-carrey-on-the-evolution-of-dr-robotnik-and-a-sonic-sequel"] The Hobbit and Sherlock star's comments began as an observation that British actors often want to "get on with it and get it done" to help move a production along. To Freeman, method acting is a "highly impractical way of working." Carrey's method approach was explored in the 2017 Netflix documentary Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond. The film delves into how Carrey's intense approach affected both the crew's productivity as well as Carrey's sense of self. “For me, and I’m genuinely sure Jim Carrey is a lovely and smart person, but it was the most self-aggrandizing, selfish, narcissistic fucking bollocks I have ever seen,” Freeman said. “The idea that anything in our culture would celebrate or support it is deranged, literally deranged.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=2021-movies-preview&captions=true"] "You need to keep grounded in reality," Freeman continued. "That’s not to say you don’t lose yourself in the time between ‘action’ and ‘cut,' but I think the rest of it is absolute pretentious nonsense and highly amateurish. It is not professional. Get the job done, do your work.” [poilib element="accentDivider"] J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

Today, Blizzard hosted a new Overwatch 2 livestream with a bunch of new details on the upcoming sequel.

While the biggest news was arguably changing PvP team compositions, there were plenty of other new details. Below are some of the biggest details we learned from today’s Overwatch 2 stream.

Overwatch 2 PvP Teams Will be 5v5, Not 6v6

As reported earlier, Blizzard has announced that Overwatch 2 will introduce 5-member PvP teams, down from the 6-person teams introduced in the first Overwatch. Along with the smaller team sizes, tanks will be adjusted so that they are more like brawlers in a fight, rather than stationary shields. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/01/overwatch-2-gameplay-overview-trailer"] Furthermore, each class will receive a new passive ability to complement their abilities. Tanks will have knockback reduction and reduce ultimate charge gain when taking damage from enemies; Damage heroes will get a movement speed bonus, and Support will self-heal when they don't take damage for an extended period of time.

Overwatch 2 - New Monte Carlo Map Revealed

Blizzard also revealed a new map during today's stream called Monte Carlo. Based on the luxury vacation destination, the fictional version of Monte Carlo is very much like its real-life counterpart, where beautiful buildings are situated on steep hills. It is still very much a luxury destination but given the slight futuristic makeover of Overwatch.

Assault Will be Removed From Competitive Play

Assault is a mode where an attacking team and defending team vie for contested Capture Points on a map. Attacking teams will have a set time to capture a point while a defending team must stop them, and the two teams will switch off.

While Assault will still be available in Custom, it will be removed from Quick Play, which is being designed to be similar to Competitive.

Blizzard Is Working on More Push Maps Than Just Toronto

Push is an upcoming game mode where both teams will play a game of tug-of-war using a robot that will be pushed in the direction of whichever team is losing. Blizzard has revealed it is working on more Push maps other than the upcoming Toronto map.

During the live stream Blizzard revealed Rome will be a Push map.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/05/20/overwatch-2-toronto-push-gameplay"]

Overwatch 2 - Blizzard Is Experimenting With New Modes Beyond Push, Too

As part of the discussion about removing the Assault game mode, Blizzard explained that it is constantly experimenting with new game modes, aside from Push. No word yet on what those maps could look like, but Blizzard is looking for ways to fill the void left by Assault while also giving players even more variety.

Keller hinted at least one more new game mode that he is excited to talk about soon.

Overwatch 2 - Not All Maps are Tied to Story Mode

Blizzard has already shown off new maps such as New York, Toronto, Rome, and Monte Carlo. But Blizzard says more maps are in the works aside from these initial four.

Blizzard also says these maps aren’t necessarily locations that will be present in the story mode and that some maps may be designed for their own sake.

Overwatch 2 - Gameplay and Design Changes

• Overwatch 2 will update the HUD and feature an improved UI.
• The healer UI now shows the portrait of the hero you're healing.
• Weapons will feel more visceral with a better sound system, animation, and feedback.
• Overwatch 2 will continue to add new hero 2.0 looks, which are updated designs for every hero in the roster.
• Various character reworks.
• Zarya now has two charges for her bubble.
• Movement acceleration for heroes has been very slightly slowed in Overwatch 2.
• Overhealth and overshield will be combined into a single bar.
• Blizzard is looking at improving crowd control mechanics, but this is still a work-in-progress.
• Associate Art Director Dion Rogers teases some cosmetic customization.

Jeff Kaplan Tribute

As caught by Polygon, the New York map in Overwatch 2 has a fun tribute to former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan. Eagle-eyed viewers will see that New York has a store called Jephs Corner Pizza. "Jeph" is a reference to a 2017 tweet about the new Starbucks that opened on Blizzard's Irvine, California campus where the baristas mistakenly spelled Jeff Kaplan's name as "Jeph."

Starbucks opened on campus today. This made my morning. pic.twitter.com/lDDiVpaGBm

— Jeremy Craig (@Jaerock83) May 12, 2017

For more check out IGN's past Overwatch 2 coverage including 55 details revealed during BlizzConline, and our big interview with former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

Embracer Group, the Swedish games holding company and publisher formerly known as THQ Nordic AB, already contains multitudes after a spree of acquisitions in recent years. And now it apparently has 20 more companies directly in its sights. In an investor presentation released alongside its full-year financial results today, Embracer revealed that it has "engaged with" over 150 companies about joining Embracer during the last three months alone. Though it cannot specify what these companies are at this time, the report says that number includes "larger companies that could form additional operating groups." For context, its current operating groups include Koch Media, THQ Nordic, Saber Interactive, and recent acquisition Gearbox Entertainment. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/08/17/game-scoop-494-its-time-for-timesplitters-to-return"] Furthermore, Embracer says it is in over 20 "late-stage talks" with companies for potential acquisition, though it again does not provide information on what kinds of companies these might be. Aside from the larger operating groups, THQ Nordic also owns several smaller operations, such as QA company Quantic Lab, PR company Sandbox Strategies, and the recent acquisition of Swedish studio Frame Break. Embracer has had acquisition fever in recent years, picking up over 30 different companies in the last two and a half years. In its report, however, Embracer says that its "determination not to become a 'corporate machine' is as strong as ever," emphasizing its desire to focus on encouraging "founder creativity." It recently raised almost $900 million for future acquisitions. The company also reported a number of milestones in its earnings, such as Valheim selling 6.8 million copies from its release in February 2021 to the end of March, with the company expecting it to sell between one and 1.2 million copies more between April and June. Embracer's internal studios have 160 more development projects in the works at this time (up from 150 in February), two-thirds of which were either in new franchises, or ones that haven't had a new release in at least five years such as the new TimeSplitters game the publisher also announced today. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Today Blizzard shared a major update for Overwatch 2 including one major change coming to the PvP experience. In Overwatch 2 PvP will be 5v5 experience instead of the current 6v6 team size. The team comp will now comprise two Damage classes, two Support classes, and one tank instead of two. Overwatch director Aaron Keller says that the change will remove help clean up the combat and create a more fluid gameplay style. Furthermore, without the defense provided by a second tank players are likely to use the environment more and play more strategically and aggressively. And since Overwatch and Overwatch 2 will have parity, this means PvP teams will shrink to five for both versions when Overwatch 2 comes out. Blizzard says that the change to 5v5 will update Overwatch’s classic roles. Starting with the sequel, Tanks will change significantly and become more front-line brawlers than stationary shields. In addition, each role will get a passive role bonus that will complement each heroes’ unique ability. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/19/overwatch-2-55-new-details"] Tanks will have knockback reduction and reduce ultimate charge gain when taking damage from enemies. Damage heroes will get a movement speed bonus, and Support heroes will have automatic self-healing if they don’t take damage for an extended period of time. This is one of the biggest shake-ups to Overwatch PvP and could potentially re-shape the competitive scene. By dropping the team count to 5, the contentious 2-2-2 Meta (2 Tanks, 2 Damage, 2 Healer) will no longer be possible, and it will give Tanks players a potentially bigger hand in the action. It remains to be seen how this new team count will shake out in action but stick around for more news from today’s Overwatch 2 briefing. And also check out IGN’s last big Overwatch 2 coverage, including 55 new details from BlizzCon 2021, and our big interview with former Overwatch 2 director Jeff Kaplan. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

Following the death of acclaimed manga author and Berserk creator Kentaro Miura, players in the Square Enix MMORPG Final Fantasy 14 paid tribute in a virtual vigil. Miura is best known as the author and artist of the manga Berserk, a seminal dark fantasy series critically acclaimed for its storytelling, art, and world-building. Works that have been inspired by Berserk are numerous including games like Dark Souls as well as Final Fantasy. One of the hallmarks of Berserk is the absurdly large sword carried by its hero Guts. In Final Fantasy, plenty of characters wield similarly large weapons including Cloud in Final Fantasy 7 and the Dark Knight class in Final Fantasy 14. And it's the latter who showed up to pay respects to Miura virtually.

Balmung/Crystal in #FFXIV showing their respects for this man by lining up their Dark Knight jobs. https://t.co/xbcpLmKmRY pic.twitter.com/aTvYQMfP6i

— Pimpy Shortstocking (@PimpyLala) May 20, 2021

Videos began to emerge online of players lining up in main cities around Final Fantasy 14 dressed in Dark Knight gear as an homage to Miura's Berserk inspirations. The Dark Knight class uses the large sword as its primary weapon and many of its story-related armor sets are dark fantasy-inspired. In the main city of Ul'dah, the line of players dressed in Dark Knight gear was so long that the MMO struggled to load properly. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/04/13/final-fantasy-14-heavensward-opening-cinematic"] Miura died at the age of 54 of acute aortic dissection. Young Animal Comics, which publishes Berserk, issued a statement writing, "We would like to express our utmost respect and gratitude to Dr. Miura's painting work and pray for his soul." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy will reprise their original roles for Hocus Pocus 2, which will come to Disney Plus in 2022. In a new press release, Disney confirmed that the original trio of Midler, Parker, and Najimy will once again play the spooky witch Sanderson Sisters. In a brief plot synopsis, Hocus Pocus 2 will be about three young women who accidentally revived the Sanderson Sisters to modern-day Salem, where the original Witch Trials took place. The sisters are still hungry for children and must be stopped before they bring havoc to Salem. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-cinematic-universe-every-upcoming-movie-and-tv-show&captions=true"] Anne Fletcher, known for romantic comedies like The Proposal and 27 Dresses, will direct Hocus Pocus 2 which is set for production this fall. Fletcher will take over directing duties from Adam Shankman who has signed on to direct Disney's Disenchanted sequel. "Now more than ever, people need to laugh," says Fletcher in a statement. "I am so grateful to be able to play a part in bringing these witches back to life, and to be working with my friends at Disney again makes it all the more special." The first Hocus Pocus was released in 1993 and follows a similar story. Centuries after the Sanderson Sisters were hanged for witchcraft, they are revived in the 20th century and begin their search for children to eat. The sequel will revive the Sisters in the 21st century, which has changed considerably since the last time the Sandersons were revived. For more, check out everything that's coming to Disney in the next couple of years, including new MCU films and Disney Plus originals. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.  

This week in GTA Online, scout the Panther Statue in Cayo Perico, claim tons of rewards in various game modes, get login freebies, and much more.