Yearly Archives: 2020

Hamilton: Behind-the-Scenes Documentary to Debut Alongside Film

A special documentary featuring the original cast of Hamilton will debut alongside the filmed version of Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical phenomenon, arriving on the Disney+ streaming platform on July 3. According to Entertainment Weekly, Hamilton In-Depth With Kelley Carter will reunite the Broadway show's creators and stars for a virtual roundtable discussion examining the origins and legacy of the groundbreaking production. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/22/hamilton-official-trailer"] "The story and subject matter that Hamilton covers, and the creative vision of its architects and actors, are more timely than ever," said Jimmy Pitaro, President of ESPN and Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks. "The Undefeated, and Kelley L. Carter, are uniquely positioned to help connect audiences – whether they have never seen the show, or have seen it 10 times – to the creative process, people and significance of Hamilton as it debuts on Disney+." The behind-the-scenes feature, produced by The Undefeated, ESPN+, and Disney+, will be hosted by Kelley L. Carter, an award-winning journalist who will explore a wide range of topics in conversation with Hamilton director Thomas Kail and the musical's stars, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Daveed Diggs, Leslie Odom Jr., Christopher Jackson, Phillipa Soo, and Renée Elise Goldsberry. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/24/hamilton-alexander-hamilton-official-clip"] The talented team will come together to reveal some theater tidbits and insider secrets about their collaborative creative process, including details about the show's early stages of development right the way through to its sellout run on the stage, as well as the deeper significance of the story and its meaning in the context of ongoing conversations about systemic racism and social injustice. "The cast of Hamilton didn't come to play," said Carter. "They are accomplished performers who created genre-shifting art, but they also understand this unprecedented time in history and why their voices matter. This special isn't just about one of the most important pieces of work to ever play on Broadway. This is about how art inspires activation. And, well, how activation inspires great art." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=hidden-gems-on-disney-plus-11-classic-movies-to-watch&captions=true"] Hamilton is a dramatization of the life of Founding Father and Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, tracing his story from his arrival in New York City at the dawn of the Revolutionary War through to his ill-fated duel with rival Aaron Burr in 1804. The musical features a unique combination of hip-hop, R&B, soul, and show tunes to help examine Hamilton's story through a modern lens. Hamilton In-Depth With Kelley Carter premieres on Disney+ and TheUndefeated.com on July 3, 2020, alongside the filmed recording of Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical about Alexander Hamilton on Disney+, which has been rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Pokemon Go Creator Niantic and Immersive Theater Company Punchdrunk Form Partnership

Pokemon Go creator Niantic and immersive theater company Punchdrunk have announced "a multifaceted partnership" that may be using mobile augmented reality capabilities to place immersive theater performances in the real world. An announcement press release doesn't mention specifics about what that partnership is working on, but it makes clear that the result will combine augmented reality and theatrical performance "on a scale not seen before". The release continues: "This revolutionary collaboration will lead to new advances in tech-empowered audience experience that will redefine gaming, inspiring audiences for generations to come." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/26/pokemon-go-buddy-adventure-feature-trailer"] In a statement, Punchdrunk artistic director Felix Barrett specicially mentions mobile gaming, and mentions taking the sense of adventure from his company's work "into the real world", implying that this will take the form of an AR app of some kind: "At Punchdrunk we create richly cinematic 3D worlds where audiences can explore, touch and smell the environment; where the boundaries between reality and fantasy are indistinguishable. Those that have seen [Punchdrunk show] Sleep No More often liken the experience to how it might feel to walk into a video game. What happens if you take that sense of adventure into the real world? Tear down the walls and the world becomes your stage. "I believe that Punchdrunk and Niantic can create something that has never been done before. They do it in AR, we do it in real life. Collide the two and I think we will blow people's minds; bend the rules of genre and redefine the norms of mobile gaming.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/pokemon-go-remote-raid-passes-trailer"] Punchdrunk is an influential theater company that has eschewed traditional stages and audiences, instead creating explorable spaces filled with actors, where the audience become part of the story, discovering it at their own pace. Perhaps the company's most famous work is Sleep No More, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth set in a film noir world. Niantic CEO John Hanke says the teams have been working together for "many months" on projects that meld the virtual and real worlds. He says he believes the potential for their work to be "global and massive". We'll update you as we learn more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Pokemon Go Creator Niantic and Immersive Theater Company Punchdrunk Form Partnership

Pokemon Go creator Niantic and immersive theater company Punchdrunk have announced "a multifaceted partnership" that may be using mobile augmented reality capabilities to place immersive theater performances in the real world. An announcement press release doesn't mention specifics about what that partnership is working on, but it makes clear that the result will combine augmented reality and theatrical performance "on a scale not seen before". The release continues: "This revolutionary collaboration will lead to new advances in tech-empowered audience experience that will redefine gaming, inspiring audiences for generations to come." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/26/pokemon-go-buddy-adventure-feature-trailer"] In a statement, Punchdrunk artistic director Felix Barrett specicially mentions mobile gaming, and mentions taking the sense of adventure from his company's work "into the real world", implying that this will take the form of an AR app of some kind: "At Punchdrunk we create richly cinematic 3D worlds where audiences can explore, touch and smell the environment; where the boundaries between reality and fantasy are indistinguishable. Those that have seen [Punchdrunk show] Sleep No More often liken the experience to how it might feel to walk into a video game. What happens if you take that sense of adventure into the real world? Tear down the walls and the world becomes your stage. "I believe that Punchdrunk and Niantic can create something that has never been done before. They do it in AR, we do it in real life. Collide the two and I think we will blow people's minds; bend the rules of genre and redefine the norms of mobile gaming.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/pokemon-go-remote-raid-passes-trailer"] Punchdrunk is an influential theater company that has eschewed traditional stages and audiences, instead creating explorable spaces filled with actors, where the audience become part of the story, discovering it at their own pace. Perhaps the company's most famous work is Sleep No More, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth set in a film noir world. Niantic CEO John Hanke says the teams have been working together for "many months" on projects that meld the virtual and real worlds. He says he believes the potential for their work to be "global and massive". We'll update you as we learn more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Fortnite Ditches Early Access Label, Slows Development Of PvE Mode

Fortnite is finally shedding its early access status, and as a result, development of its original Save the World PvE mode will slow down. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/24/full-fortnite-x-travis-scott-astronomical-concert"] The news arrives after three years of development, during which the game has become quite the phenomenon after it pivoted from its initial horde mode to battle royale. Recent months have even seen it boasting virtual concerts and Star Wars collaborations, something only one of the world's most popular video games could carry off. In a post on the Epic Games blog, the development team revealed that Save the World's main story "is complete," but that it will endure as a "premium experience" instead of being free to play. Fortnite players considered to be "Founders" - those who purchased the game at full price - will have their Founder's Packs upgraded as a result. Save the World mode won't be able to support all upcoming Battle Royale cosmetics, but existing player libraries will remain in-tact. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=games-that-came-back-from-the-brink-of-disaster&captions=true"] As Save the World winds down, its content will rotate for replayability purposes. A new Ventures mode is coming to the game too, which will feature new season-long excursions in zones with "new and unique modifiers to tackle." Players can take part in these ventures to progress through the levels, pick up venture-specific rewards and upgrade the items in their personal collection. In other Fortnite news, the game recently hosted a series of Christopher Nolan movie screenings as part of the Movie Nite at Party Royale's Big Screen event. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Fortnite Ditches Early Access Label, Slows Development Of PvE Mode

Fortnite is finally shedding its early access status, and as a result, development of its original Save the World PvE mode will slow down. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/24/full-fortnite-x-travis-scott-astronomical-concert"] The news arrives after three years of development, during which the game has become quite the phenomenon after it pivoted from its initial horde mode to battle royale. Recent months have even seen it boasting virtual concerts and Star Wars collaborations, something only one of the world's most popular video games could carry off. In a post on the Epic Games blog, the development team revealed that Save the World's main story "is complete," but that it will endure as a "premium experience" instead of being free to play. Fortnite players considered to be "Founders" - those who purchased the game at full price - will have their Founder's Packs upgraded as a result. Save the World mode won't be able to support all upcoming Battle Royale cosmetics, but existing player libraries will remain in-tact. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=games-that-came-back-from-the-brink-of-disaster&captions=true"] As Save the World winds down, its content will rotate for replayability purposes. A new Ventures mode is coming to the game too, which will feature new season-long excursions in zones with "new and unique modifiers to tackle." Players can take part in these ventures to progress through the levels, pick up venture-specific rewards and upgrade the items in their personal collection. In other Fortnite news, the game recently hosted a series of Christopher Nolan movie screenings as part of the Movie Nite at Party Royale's Big Screen event. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

PSVR Patent Filed For Advertisements Displayed Within The Headset

A new PlayStation VR patent filed by Sony Interactive Entertainment suggests that the company is working on technology that will allow advertisements to be displayed within the headset. The patent listing  from Sony, published on June 25, shows drawings that offering an example of how a virtual reality advertising model may look in practice. It appears that the advertisements will show up in the periphery parts of your vision, in the top corners of the display or as a banner in the top middle of the screen. [caption id="attachment_2374000" align="alignnone" width="1280"]A technical drawing from the Sony patent. A technical drawing from the Sony patent.[/caption] According to the text of the patent, the way advertisements will be displayed depends on the position of the user's head within the head-mounted display and their line of sight. The patent describes the advertisements as "additional content" for "promoting recognition of a given thing or service." One example used in the text is of the user watching a concert with a set of performers appearing at the same time. The technology claims to be able to "detect on which performer the user is focusing his or her attention and then change the advertisement in accordance with the performer of interest." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/23/the-10-best-psvr-games"] It should be noted that patents are no guarantee of end results, just that the company in question is researching and developing such technologies. As such, we can't say if Sony is definitely bringing advertising 'pop-ups' to PSVR. It is certainly working on the concept, though. In other weird patent news, here's another bit of Sony technology discovered in April which suggests that in the future we might get fuzzy robotic gaming companions that react to our emotions. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN, excited to be sold Lightspeed Briefs when he's playing Bloodborne Kart in VR. Follow him on Twitter.

PSVR Patent Filed For Advertisements Displayed Within The Headset

A new PlayStation VR patent filed by Sony Interactive Entertainment suggests that the company is working on technology that will allow advertisements to be displayed within the headset. The patent listing  from Sony, published on June 25, shows drawings that offering an example of how a virtual reality advertising model may look in practice. It appears that the advertisements will show up in the periphery parts of your vision, in the top corners of the display or as a banner in the top middle of the screen. [caption id="attachment_2374000" align="alignnone" width="1280"]A technical drawing from the Sony patent. A technical drawing from the Sony patent.[/caption] According to the text of the patent, the way advertisements will be displayed depends on the position of the user's head within the head-mounted display and their line of sight. The patent describes the advertisements as "additional content" for "promoting recognition of a given thing or service." One example used in the text is of the user watching a concert with a set of performers appearing at the same time. The technology claims to be able to "detect on which performer the user is focusing his or her attention and then change the advertisement in accordance with the performer of interest." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/23/the-10-best-psvr-games"] It should be noted that patents are no guarantee of end results, just that the company in question is researching and developing such technologies. As such, we can't say if Sony is definitely bringing advertising 'pop-ups' to PSVR. It is certainly working on the concept, though. In other weird patent news, here's another bit of Sony technology discovered in April which suggests that in the future we might get fuzzy robotic gaming companions that react to our emotions. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN, excited to be sold Lightspeed Briefs when he's playing Bloodborne Kart in VR. Follow him on Twitter.

Crysis Remastered Launch Details And Trailer Leaked

The launch trailer and details about Crysis Remastered have been leaked ahead of the game's official reveal on July 1. The leaks appear to stem from a Microsoft Store listing for the game, which was picked up by Twitter user Wario64. According to the Microsoft Store page, the game will launch in just a few weeks on July 23. The trailer for the remaster has also found its way onto Reddit. All of the remastered footage on display has been captured on a PC. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2011/10/10/crysis-video-review"] According to the listing, which is still live as of writing, Crysis Remastered will land on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC, and will offer remastered graphics, bringing the 2007 original into the current-generation. This will be the first time a Crysis game will launch on a Nintendo console. The official Crysis Remastered reveal is still set for July 1, so look out for more details tomorrow. The game is being co-developed by Saber Interactive, and the initial reveal also suffered an unfortunate leak thanks to a set of sleuths who checked the Crysis website's cookie policy to find a blurb about the now-official remaster. We recently uploaded the first 21 minutes of the 2007 original in 1440p, if you're looking to sate your excitement. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Crysis Remastered Launch Details And Trailer Leaked

The launch trailer and details about Crysis Remastered have been leaked ahead of the game's official reveal on July 1. The leaks appear to stem from a Microsoft Store listing for the game, which was picked up by Twitter user Wario64. According to the Microsoft Store page, the game will launch in just a few weeks on July 23. The trailer for the remaster has also found its way onto Reddit. All of the remastered footage on display has been captured on a PC. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2011/10/10/crysis-video-review"] According to the listing, which is still live as of writing, Crysis Remastered will land on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC, and will offer remastered graphics, bringing the 2007 original into the current-generation. This will be the first time a Crysis game will launch on a Nintendo console. The official Crysis Remastered reveal is still set for July 1, so look out for more details tomorrow. The game is being co-developed by Saber Interactive, and the initial reveal also suffered an unfortunate leak thanks to a set of sleuths who checked the Crysis website's cookie policy to find a blurb about the now-official remaster. We recently uploaded the first 21 minutes of the 2007 original in 1440p, if you're looking to sate your excitement. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Christopher Nolan Doesn’t Allow Chairs on His Movie Sets

Director Christopher Nolan is responsible for some of the biggest and most critically acclaimed blockbusters of recent years. Actress Anne Hathaway, who worked Nolan on The Dark Knight Rises and Interstellar, thinks she might have cracked the code to Nolan's success: he doesn't allow chairs on his movie sets. Hathaway revealed this unusual working method during a one-on-one interview with her Les Miserables co-star Hugh Jackman, spearheaded by Variety (via the Playlist). According to the Catwoman actress, Nolan's philosophy can be summed up this way: "If you have chairs, people will sit, and if they’re sitting, they’re not working." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=87-images-from-christopher-nolans-tenet-official-trailer-2-2020&captions=true"] Hathaway continued, "I mean, he has these incredible movies in terms of scope and ambition and technical prowess and emotion. It always arrives at the end under schedule and under budget. I think he’s onto something with the chair thing." Nolan fans will remember Jackman also starred in a Nolan film (2006's The Prestige), but he doesn't reveal whether that "no chairs" rule was in effect back then. (It should be noted that film sets are very busy and often crowded and cluttered places with the most notable seating usually reserved for the video village where a bank of monitors allow for playback. Stars, of course, have trailers they can return to during downtime on set.) Nolan's next big screen epic is Tenet, an ambitious, time-bending spy movie starring John David Washington and future Batman Robert Pattinson. We're still not entirely sure what the movie is about, and even Washington admitted the cast was confused about the plot of Tenet. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/22/tenet-official-trailer-2"] Unfortunately, it's also hard to say when exactly Tenet will arrive in theaters. Like many film and TV projects, Tenet's release date has already been pushed back multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nolan was reportedly very adamant to release the film theatrically in July, but Warner Bros. has now pushed the release back to August 12. Accordingly, AMC Theaters has delayed its planned reopening until July 30. Do you think an anti-chair agenda is the secret of Nolan's filmmaking success? Let us know what you think in the comments below. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.