The story of Mortal Kombat 11 isn’t quite finished just yet.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/06/mortal-kombat-11-aftermath-announcement-and-robocop-reveal-trailer"]

Netherrealm just announced Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, an expansion that will add brand-new story content that takes place right where Mortal Kombat 11 left off, along with three new characters: Fujin, Sheeva, and RoboCop. That’s not all, though, because in addition to the content offered in the paid expansion there will also be a free update on May 26 for all players that will add new stages, stage fatalities, and most importantly, friendships!

Here’s everything we know so far about Aftermath:

What is The Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath Story About?

The story of Aftermath picks up right at the conclusion of Mortal Kombat 11, so if you haven’t beaten it yet, consider this your spoiler warning.

From what little we’ve seen of Aftermath, it seems to almost exclusively follow the DLC characters: Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, Fujin, Sheeva, and Sindel. That’s great, because their parts in the main MK11 story were practically non-existent aside from a few short scenes with Sheeva.

After defeating Kronika, Raiden and the now literally godlike Liu Kang are about to create a brand-new timeline of their own making... only to be interrupted by Shang Tsung, who had been captured by Kronika (along with Fujin and Nightwolf) and was freed upon her defeat.

Shang Tsung warns that if Liu Kang creates a new timeline he will destroy all the realms because, in the process of defeating Kronika, he destroyed her crown. The crown essentially acted as the key to make Kronika’s hourglass work, and trying to use the hourglass without it would only invite disaster. And so, their only option is to send Shang Tsung, Fujin, and Nightwolf back in time in order to retrieve Kronika’s crown before she’s able to obtain it.

What Are The New Stages and Stage Fatalities in Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath?

There are two confirmed new stages: The Dead Pool and the Soul Chamber, both of which are classic Mortal Kombat stages. The Dead Pool originated in Mortal Kombat 2 in 1992 and the Soul Chamber debuted in Mortal Kombat 3 in 1995. Stage Fatalities are making a comeback as well, and we got our first taste of the Dead Pool stage fatality in the reveal trailer, where Sub-Zero uppercuts Scorpion onto a hook and is then lowered into a pool of acid.

The Return of Friendships in Mortal Kombat

Friendships have been missing in Mortal Kombat ever since 1996’s Mortal Kombat Trilogy, but they’re finally making a comeback in Aftermath. We’ve seen three so far: Scorpion spearing a huge teddy bear for a big ol’ hug, Noob Saibot using his clones to jump some rope, and Kano putting another shrimp on the barbie.

Which Characters Come in Kombat Pack 2?

Rather than release characters one by one, we’re getting three DLC characters up front as part of Kombat Pack 2:

• The Shokan queen Sheeva

• Raiden’s brother and the god of wind, Fujin

• RoboCop

Sheeva’s last playable appearance in a Mortal Kombat game was Mortal Kombat 9 in 2011, though she did have a brief part to play in the MK11 story. Sheeva’s gameplay style is described as a grappler, with throws to cover every situation. Low grapple, overhead grapple, anti-air grapple, and of course, her unblockable teleport slam.

Fujin hasn’t been a playable character in Mortal Kombat since Mortal Kombat Armageddon way back in 2006, but he has been present in Mortal Kombat lore since then, notably fighting alongside his brother in 2015’s Mortal Kombat X. His fighting style revolves around a sword, a crossbow, and his wind powers, the latter of which he uses to manipulate both his weapons and his enemies.

And then there’s Robocop, who features both the iconic voice and likeness of Peter Weller, who of course played Alex Murphy in the original RoboCop 1 and 2. RoboCop is described as a character who excels at keeping his opponents at bay with his Auto-9 pistol, flamethrower, riot shield, and shoulder cannon that can be loaded with various types of ammo.

Along with the three new characters, there will also be three new character skin packs that will be released over time.

How Much Will Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath Cost?

There are three options when it comes to pre-ordering or purchasing Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath when it’s released on May 26. For those who own MK11 and the first Kombat Pack already, there’s a $39.99 upgrade pass that gets you all of the new content in Aftermath: both the story DLC and the Kombat Pack 2 characters.

If you have MK11, but not the first Kombat Pack, there’s a bundle containing Aftermath and Kombat Pack 1 that costs $49.99.

And finally, if you’re completely new to MK11 and want everything, there’s the Aftermath Kollection, which contains vanilla MK11, Kombat Pack 1, and the Aftermath expansion, all for the cost of $59.99. Physical versions will be available in June (for the Americas only).

It’s also important to emphasize that Friendships, the new stages, and stage fatalities are not part of Aftermath. They will all be part of a free update that will be available to all players.

And that’s everything we know! Let us know what character you’re most excited about in the poll below, and sound off in the comments.

[poilib element="poll" parameters="id=f2eb6e96-dc17-4e7f-8027-9d46b2936063"]

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-mortal-kombat-game-review&captions=true"]

The story of Mortal Kombat 11 isn’t quite finished just yet.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/06/mortal-kombat-11-aftermath-announcement-and-robocop-reveal-trailer"]

Netherrealm just announced Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, an expansion that will add brand-new story content that takes place right where Mortal Kombat 11 left off, along with three new characters: Fujin, Sheeva, and RoboCop. That’s not all, though, because in addition to the content offered in the paid expansion there will also be a free update on May 26 for all players that will add new stages, stage fatalities, and most importantly, friendships!

Here’s everything we know so far about Aftermath:

What is The Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath Story About?

The story of Aftermath picks up right at the conclusion of Mortal Kombat 11, so if you haven’t beaten it yet, consider this your spoiler warning.

From what little we’ve seen of Aftermath, it seems to almost exclusively follow the DLC characters: Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, Fujin, Sheeva, and Sindel. That’s great, because their parts in the main MK11 story were practically non-existent aside from a few short scenes with Sheeva.

After defeating Kronika, Raiden and the now literally godlike Liu Kang are about to create a brand-new timeline of their own making... only to be interrupted by Shang Tsung, who had been captured by Kronika (along with Fujin and Nightwolf) and was freed upon her defeat.

Shang Tsung warns that if Liu Kang creates a new timeline he will destroy all the realms because, in the process of defeating Kronika, he destroyed her crown. The crown essentially acted as the key to make Kronika’s hourglass work, and trying to use the hourglass without it would only invite disaster. And so, their only option is to send Shang Tsung, Fujin, and Nightwolf back in time in order to retrieve Kronika’s crown before she’s able to obtain it.

What Are The New Stages and Stage Fatalities in Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath?

There are two confirmed new stages: The Dead Pool and the Soul Chamber, both of which are classic Mortal Kombat stages. The Dead Pool originated in Mortal Kombat 2 in 1992 and the Soul Chamber debuted in Mortal Kombat 3 in 1995. Stage Fatalities are making a comeback as well, and we got our first taste of the Dead Pool stage fatality in the reveal trailer, where Sub-Zero uppercuts Scorpion onto a hook and is then lowered into a pool of acid.

The Return of Friendships in Mortal Kombat

Friendships have been missing in Mortal Kombat ever since 1996’s Mortal Kombat Trilogy, but they’re finally making a comeback in Aftermath. We’ve seen three so far: Scorpion spearing a huge teddy bear for a big ol’ hug, Noob Saibot using his clones to jump some rope, and Kano putting another shrimp on the barbie.

Which Characters Come in Kombat Pack 2?

Rather than release characters one by one, we’re getting three DLC characters up front as part of Kombat Pack 2:

• The Shokan queen Sheeva

• Raiden’s brother and the god of wind, Fujin

• RoboCop

Sheeva’s last playable appearance in a Mortal Kombat game was Mortal Kombat 9 in 2011, though she did have a brief part to play in the MK11 story. Sheeva’s gameplay style is described as a grappler, with throws to cover every situation. Low grapple, overhead grapple, anti-air grapple, and of course, her unblockable teleport slam.

Fujin hasn’t been a playable character in Mortal Kombat since Mortal Kombat Armageddon way back in 2006, but he has been present in Mortal Kombat lore since then, notably fighting alongside his brother in 2015’s Mortal Kombat X. His fighting style revolves around a sword, a crossbow, and his wind powers, the latter of which he uses to manipulate both his weapons and his enemies.

And then there’s Robocop, who features both the iconic voice and likeness of Peter Weller, who of course played Alex Murphy in the original RoboCop 1 and 2. RoboCop is described as a character who excels at keeping his opponents at bay with his Auto-9 pistol, flamethrower, riot shield, and shoulder cannon that can be loaded with various types of ammo.

Along with the three new characters, there will also be three new character skin packs that will be released over time.

How Much Will Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath Cost?

There are three options when it comes to pre-ordering or purchasing Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath when it’s released on May 26. For those who own MK11 and the first Kombat Pack already, there’s a $39.99 upgrade pass that gets you all of the new content in Aftermath: both the story DLC and the Kombat Pack 2 characters.

If you have MK11, but not the first Kombat Pack, there’s a bundle containing Aftermath and Kombat Pack 1 that costs $49.99.

And finally, if you’re completely new to MK11 and want everything, there’s the Aftermath Kollection, which contains vanilla MK11, Kombat Pack 1, and the Aftermath expansion, all for the cost of $59.99. Physical versions will be available in June (for the Americas only).

It’s also important to emphasize that Friendships, the new stages, and stage fatalities are not part of Aftermath. They will all be part of a free update that will be available to all players.

And that’s everything we know! Let us know what character you’re most excited about in the poll below, and sound off in the comments.

[poilib element="poll" parameters="id=f2eb6e96-dc17-4e7f-8027-9d46b2936063"]

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-mortal-kombat-game-review&captions=true"]

So you’ve waited 13 years for another Half-Life game and now your adventures with Alyx have finally come to an end. Don’t leave your headset in the corner to gather a year’s worth of dust, though. Although Half-Life: Alyx sets the bar for what VR games can be, there are still plenty of other fantastic VR titles available for you to dive into. Whether you want a well-acted story, intense gunplay, or a whiff of Valve's humour, here are six fantastic VR games to play after Half-Life: Alyx. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/06/6-fantastic-vr-games-to-play-after-half-life-alyx"]

Boneworks

With its headcrab-style enemies, crowbar-wielding action, and copious amounts of environmental interactions, Boneworks has a lot in common with Half-Life: Alyx. This ambitious VR playground sees you fighting through a deadly army of rogue robot soldiers while you explore a dystopian virtual world known as MythOS. Although Boneworks doesn’t quite reach the narrative highs and polish you’d find in a Valve game, its realistic implementation of physics might just be what you’re after for a second helping of Valve-style VR. But, unlike Alyx’s small offering of firearms, Boneworks has a plethora of weapons, including an MP5, the humble frying pan, a katana, and even… a balloon gun? [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=6-fantastic-vr-games-to-play-after-half-life-alyx&captions=true"]

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

Before playing Half-Life: Alyx I would never have described Half-Life as scary. Sure, those zombies might be a tad bit creepy, but they're nothing a bit of bunny hopping and a magnum bullet couldn’t take care of. In VR it's another story. Experiencing bloody, ripped-open chests and terrifyingly long claws is a haunting experience up close, and that's something Alyx shares with The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners. Aside from the obvious undead connection, Saints & Sinners stands alongside Alyx in terms of offering an immersive atmosphere that’s as scary as the darkest corners of City 17. You play as the Tourist, a survivor in search of a potentially limitless supply of life-saving goods hidden deep within the post-apocalyptic remains of New Orleans. On the surface this might seem like your standard zombie affair with survival mechanics, looting, and find-and-fetch quests. But Saints & Sinners surprisingly has a lot more in common with Deus Ex, as choices made within the story can affect other characters, factions, and even the ending. Most importantly, though, Saints & Sinners might just be the best zombie killing experience VR has to offer. The feeling of swiftly sinking a screwdriver deep into a walker's brain is deeply satisfying and provides the best ‘squish’ sound effect I’ve ever heard. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/21/the-most-violent-star-wars-mod-ever-made"]

Blade & Sorcery

Half-Life: Alyx does a great job of establishing you as an actual person within the confined walls of City 17. Everything feels intuitive, whether you are simply pushing open a door or fighting off an angry headcrab. Blade & Sorcery is similar in that it benefits from a number of little details that together make a big difference to the experience. This medieval fantasy sandbox offers no quests, characters, or story to follow, but instead provides the ultimate fighting playground. We're talking immersive physics-driven melee combat, combined with ranged and magic-based attacks. You can pick from a large array of weapons such as daggers, spears, greatswords, and axes. And if you’re into modding, even a lightsaber or two. As chaotic as this all sounds, Blade & Sorcery still encourages you to be strategic and creative. With a handful of different enemy types to take on, such as archers, wizards, and shieldmen, you’ll find yourself trying out many different methods of attack. Should you use a rapier to pierce through an enemy's shield, or distract him with your lightning spell before you dive in for the kill? Much like Half-Life: Alyx, each weapon has its own weight and style of approach. If you’re thinking about one-handing a Greatsword for example, then… well, good luck with that. If you’re after a fluid, moddable, and downright fun fighting experience, then Blade & Sorcery is the game to check out. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="legacyId=20085947&captions=true"]

Stormland

An element of Half-Life: Alyx that often goes unnoticed is how smooth its movement is. Valve clearly put a lot of time and effort into ensuring that players of all preferences would be comfortable. But unlike previous Half-Life games, Alyx is pretty slow, and so that lack of fast flowing movement may have left some feeling a bit nostalgic for Gordon's swifter strides. If you’re one of those people, Stormland's fluid movement around its immersive, sprawling world is something worth experiencing. This virtual jungle gym of jumping, climbing, and gliding is as an absolute pleasure to play, especially with a friend in co-op. As you explore this vast alien world, you’ll be blasting your way through enemy robots, sneaking around outposts, and causing an untold amount of havoc as you search for your missing friends. Much like Half-Life: Alyx, Stormland soars high with its fantastic movement system, and as a great showcase for what VR can offer. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=echo-arena-screens&captions=true"]

Lone Echo

While Half-Life: Alyx will undoubtedly remain as a shining example of how far VR has come since its revitalised return in 2016, just a year into VR's resurgence saw another star rise above the rest in the form of Lone Echo. You take control of Jack, a robot working on a mining station orbiting Saturn, and to everyone’s surprise something has gone wrong. Alongside the ship's captain, you must take on the dangerous task of investigating what could have caused all this chaos. Much like Alyx, Lone Echo excels in delivering not only a well acted story, but an interesting and believable one too. So if you’ve got your space legs ready and set for an adventure, then this immersive zero-gravity story is exactly what you’re looking for. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/04/06/budget-cuts-is-like-portal-job-simulator-office-space"]

Budget Cuts

Even though Half-Life: Alyx sees you take on vicious aliens and disgusting zombies, Valve’s wry sense of humour still shines through. With Portal writers Jay Pinkerton and Erik Wolpaw at the helm, it’s no surprise that the witty banter between Alyx and newcomer Russel is fantastic. For those looking to step into a world filled with dry humour and deadly corporations akin to Portal, you need look no further than Budget Cuts. Set in the dystopian hell of a depressed robot-filled corporate office, you’ll find yourself sneaking, stabbing, and teleporting your way through in order to escape. But unlike in Alyx, where you’re more than well equipped to handle any violent situation, patience is key in Budget Cuts as these weapon-toting robots won’t hold back. [poilib element="accentDivider"] So those are six virtual reality games we reckon you should try out after playing Half-Life: Alyx. What other fantastic VR titles would you suggest giving a go? Let us know in the comments below! And if you’re looking to get into VR, why not look at our guide to the best VR headsets. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse Gomez is a VR-loving video producer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter. 

So you’ve waited 13 years for another Half-Life game and now your adventures with Alyx have finally come to an end. Don’t leave your headset in the corner to gather a year’s worth of dust, though. Although Half-Life: Alyx sets the bar for what VR games can be, there are still plenty of other fantastic VR titles available for you to dive into. Whether you want a well-acted story, intense gunplay, or a whiff of Valve's humour, here are six fantastic VR games to play after Half-Life: Alyx. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/06/6-fantastic-vr-games-to-play-after-half-life-alyx"]

Boneworks

With its headcrab-style enemies, crowbar-wielding action, and copious amounts of environmental interactions, Boneworks has a lot in common with Half-Life: Alyx. This ambitious VR playground sees you fighting through a deadly army of rogue robot soldiers while you explore a dystopian virtual world known as MythOS. Although Boneworks doesn’t quite reach the narrative highs and polish you’d find in a Valve game, its realistic implementation of physics might just be what you’re after for a second helping of Valve-style VR. But, unlike Alyx’s small offering of firearms, Boneworks has a plethora of weapons, including an MP5, the humble frying pan, a katana, and even… a balloon gun? [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=6-fantastic-vr-games-to-play-after-half-life-alyx&captions=true"]

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

Before playing Half-Life: Alyx I would never have described Half-Life as scary. Sure, those zombies might be a tad bit creepy, but they're nothing a bit of bunny hopping and a magnum bullet couldn’t take care of. In VR it's another story. Experiencing bloody, ripped-open chests and terrifyingly long claws is a haunting experience up close, and that's something Alyx shares with The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners. Aside from the obvious undead connection, Saints & Sinners stands alongside Alyx in terms of offering an immersive atmosphere that’s as scary as the darkest corners of City 17. You play as the Tourist, a survivor in search of a potentially limitless supply of life-saving goods hidden deep within the post-apocalyptic remains of New Orleans. On the surface this might seem like your standard zombie affair with survival mechanics, looting, and find-and-fetch quests. But Saints & Sinners surprisingly has a lot more in common with Deus Ex, as choices made within the story can affect other characters, factions, and even the ending. Most importantly, though, Saints & Sinners might just be the best zombie killing experience VR has to offer. The feeling of swiftly sinking a screwdriver deep into a walker's brain is deeply satisfying and provides the best ‘squish’ sound effect I’ve ever heard. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/21/the-most-violent-star-wars-mod-ever-made"]

Blade & Sorcery

Half-Life: Alyx does a great job of establishing you as an actual person within the confined walls of City 17. Everything feels intuitive, whether you are simply pushing open a door or fighting off an angry headcrab. Blade & Sorcery is similar in that it benefits from a number of little details that together make a big difference to the experience. This medieval fantasy sandbox offers no quests, characters, or story to follow, but instead provides the ultimate fighting playground. We're talking immersive physics-driven melee combat, combined with ranged and magic-based attacks. You can pick from a large array of weapons such as daggers, spears, greatswords, and axes. And if you’re into modding, even a lightsaber or two. As chaotic as this all sounds, Blade & Sorcery still encourages you to be strategic and creative. With a handful of different enemy types to take on, such as archers, wizards, and shieldmen, you’ll find yourself trying out many different methods of attack. Should you use a rapier to pierce through an enemy's shield, or distract him with your lightning spell before you dive in for the kill? Much like Half-Life: Alyx, each weapon has its own weight and style of approach. If you’re thinking about one-handing a Greatsword for example, then… well, good luck with that. If you’re after a fluid, moddable, and downright fun fighting experience, then Blade & Sorcery is the game to check out. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="legacyId=20085947&captions=true"]

Stormland

An element of Half-Life: Alyx that often goes unnoticed is how smooth its movement is. Valve clearly put a lot of time and effort into ensuring that players of all preferences would be comfortable. But unlike previous Half-Life games, Alyx is pretty slow, and so that lack of fast flowing movement may have left some feeling a bit nostalgic for Gordon's swifter strides. If you’re one of those people, Stormland's fluid movement around its immersive, sprawling world is something worth experiencing. This virtual jungle gym of jumping, climbing, and gliding is as an absolute pleasure to play, especially with a friend in co-op. As you explore this vast alien world, you’ll be blasting your way through enemy robots, sneaking around outposts, and causing an untold amount of havoc as you search for your missing friends. Much like Half-Life: Alyx, Stormland soars high with its fantastic movement system, and as a great showcase for what VR can offer. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=echo-arena-screens&captions=true"]

Lone Echo

While Half-Life: Alyx will undoubtedly remain as a shining example of how far VR has come since its revitalised return in 2016, just a year into VR's resurgence saw another star rise above the rest in the form of Lone Echo. You take control of Jack, a robot working on a mining station orbiting Saturn, and to everyone’s surprise something has gone wrong. Alongside the ship's captain, you must take on the dangerous task of investigating what could have caused all this chaos. Much like Alyx, Lone Echo excels in delivering not only a well acted story, but an interesting and believable one too. So if you’ve got your space legs ready and set for an adventure, then this immersive zero-gravity story is exactly what you’re looking for. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/04/06/budget-cuts-is-like-portal-job-simulator-office-space"]

Budget Cuts

Even though Half-Life: Alyx sees you take on vicious aliens and disgusting zombies, Valve’s wry sense of humour still shines through. With Portal writers Jay Pinkerton and Erik Wolpaw at the helm, it’s no surprise that the witty banter between Alyx and newcomer Russel is fantastic. For those looking to step into a world filled with dry humour and deadly corporations akin to Portal, you need look no further than Budget Cuts. Set in the dystopian hell of a depressed robot-filled corporate office, you’ll find yourself sneaking, stabbing, and teleporting your way through in order to escape. But unlike in Alyx, where you’re more than well equipped to handle any violent situation, patience is key in Budget Cuts as these weapon-toting robots won’t hold back. [poilib element="accentDivider"] So those are six virtual reality games we reckon you should try out after playing Half-Life: Alyx. What other fantastic VR titles would you suggest giving a go? Let us know in the comments below! And if you’re looking to get into VR, why not look at our guide to the best VR headsets. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse Gomez is a VR-loving video producer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter. 

NASA administrator says filming on the ISS could inspire a new generation of scientists.

Sonos has announced a new soundbar called the Arc that will finally replace the almost two year old Sonos Beam. The first thing to notice about the Sonos Arc is it’s about 20-inches wider than the Sonos Beam it replaces. The 45-inch wide soundbar has been designed this way to better fit with the ever increasing size of today’s 4K TVs – and soon 8K TVs. Of course, with a physically larger soundbar, Sonos was also able to fit it with more components. There are now 11 custom-built elliptical speakers, two of which are up-firing to create more of a sense of height for experiences like Dolby Atmos sound. As with Sonos’ other internet-connected speakers, the Arc features built-in Wi-Fi support. It also has four far-field microphones so you can summon Alexa or Google Assistant through the sound bar, and it also supports Apple Airplay 2. The Arc also uses these microphones to drive its Trueplay technology, which will listen to how sound is bouncing off your walls at home and automatically adjust the EQ for an optimal listening experience. The Sonos Arc soundbar will be available starting on June 10 for $799.

A New Subwoofer and Speaker

Of course, no soundbar would be complete without a subwoofer, and Sonos also rolled out a new Sonos Sub (Gen 3), plus an updated Sonos Five speaker. Both products bring along increased memory and faster processing power, but otherwise the same acoustic experience as their predecessors. The Sonos Sub (Gen 3) and the Sonos Five will retail for $699 and $499. Both products will also be available starting on June 10. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Kevin Lee is IGN's Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam.

In a lengthy profile on filmmaker Josh Trank by Polygon, details were revealed about why Trank departed the Boba Fett movie he had signed on to write and direct mere minutes before it was supposed to be announced at Star Wars Celebration 2015. In 2014, Trank, coming off the success of Chronicle, was brought on by Disney to develop a Boba Fett solo movie, although at the time we only knew of it as an untitled Star Wars spin-off project. Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy sung his praises in a public statement, saying, “He is such an incredible talent and has a great imagination and sense of innovation. That makes him perfectly suited to Star Wars.” One year later, according to Polygon’s report, word of the troubled production on Trank’s 2015 Fantastic Four movie had reached Disney and Kennedy. No one had seen a cut of the film that would go on to become one of the biggest commercial and critical flops of the year, but hearing about all of the issues involving Trank were enough to cause Kennedy to lose confidence in him. Trank explained that Kennedy and he agreed he should cancel his appearance at April’s Star Wars Celebration where he was going to share the first details of his Star Wars movie with the world. At the time, he had tweeted he had come down with the “worst flu of my life.” Days later, industry insiders reported he was fired from the project. Trank said in a personal statement that he had departed the film “to pursue some original creative opportunities.” Now, Trank claims, “I quit because I knew I was going to be fired if I didn’t quit.” Trank shared that he privately told his managers that he was done looking for work making blockbuster movies. At the time, it was a shock for a director to depart a Star Wars project in such fashion, but since then the list of would-be Star Wars filmmakers has only grown, with Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss leaving the trilogy of Star Wars movies they had signed on to develop, Phil Lord and Chirs Miller being fired from Solo during production, and Colin Trevorrow being fired from Episode IX, not to mention director Gareth Edwards being sidelined on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-wars-and-its-weird-recent-history-of-director-drop-outs&captions=true"] Trank has been laying low for the past several years, but recently made headlines when he decided to post a review of his own Fantastic Four movie four years after its release. He’s now gearing up for the release of Capone starring Tom Hardy, a film he wrote and directed. You can watch the new trailer for Capone below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/16/capone-official-trailer-1"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joshua is Senior Features Editor at IGN. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.

In a lengthy profile on filmmaker Josh Trank by Polygon, details were revealed about why Trank departed the Boba Fett movie he had signed on to write and direct mere minutes before it was supposed to be announced at Star Wars Celebration 2015. In 2014, Trank, coming off the success of Chronicle, was brought on by Disney to develop a Boba Fett solo movie, although at the time we only knew of it as an untitled Star Wars spin-off project. Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy sung his praises in a public statement, saying, “He is such an incredible talent and has a great imagination and sense of innovation. That makes him perfectly suited to Star Wars.” One year later, according to Polygon’s report, word of the troubled production on Trank’s 2015 Fantastic Four movie had reached Disney and Kennedy. No one had seen a cut of the film that would go on to become one of the biggest commercial and critical flops of the year, but hearing about all of the issues involving Trank were enough to cause Kennedy to lose confidence in him. Trank explained that Kennedy and he agreed he should cancel his appearance at April’s Star Wars Celebration where he was going to share the first details of his Star Wars movie with the world. At the time, he had tweeted he had come down with the “worst flu of my life.” Days later, industry insiders reported he was fired from the project. Trank said in a personal statement that he had departed the film “to pursue some original creative opportunities.” Now, Trank claims, “I quit because I knew I was going to be fired if I didn’t quit.” Trank shared that he privately told his managers that he was done looking for work making blockbuster movies. At the time, it was a shock for a director to depart a Star Wars project in such fashion, but since then the list of would-be Star Wars filmmakers has only grown, with Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss leaving the trilogy of Star Wars movies they had signed on to develop, Phil Lord and Chirs Miller being fired from Solo during production, and Colin Trevorrow being fired from Episode IX, not to mention director Gareth Edwards being sidelined on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-wars-and-its-weird-recent-history-of-director-drop-outs&captions=true"] Trank has been laying low for the past several years, but recently made headlines when he decided to post a review of his own Fantastic Four movie four years after its release. He’s now gearing up for the release of Capone starring Tom Hardy, a film he wrote and directed. You can watch the new trailer for Capone below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/16/capone-official-trailer-1"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joshua is Senior Features Editor at IGN. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.

Walt Disney executives provided the first official details on the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had across their businesses, particularly on their theme parks, cruise lines, and experiences, during a quarterly investors call Tuesday. Disney revealed its earnings plummeted 63% during the second quarter of 2020 when COVID-19 forced the closures of theme parks, theaters, and other consumer-facing facets of the Disney empire. The company estimates it lost $1.4 billion this quarter, $1 billion from theme parks alone. (And yet Disney still posted $18 billion in quarterly revenue.) [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/06/we-rode-star-wars-rise-of-the-resistance-at-galaxys-edge"] While Disney theme parks and resorts, such as Disneyland in Anaheim and Disney World in Orlando, remain indefinitely closed, the company announced that Shanghai Disneyland will reopen May 11. One saving grace for the conglomerate remains the Disney+ streaming service, which expanded operations into Europe and India and has now garnered 54.5 million subscribers worldwide. Speaking of streaming, while Disney reaffirmed its commitment and love of the theatrical filmgoing experience, they also reiterated that they will pivot some movies once earmarked for cinemas to digital instead. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=disney-plus-spotlight-may-2020&captions=true"] "We also believe that either because of changing and evolving consumer dynamics or because of certain situations like COVID, we may have to make some changes to that overall strategy," said Disney CEO Bob Chapek. "We’re going to evaluate each of our movies as a case-by-case situation, as we are doing during this coronavirus situation.” For more Disney coverage, check out these new attractions you can look forward to when the parks reopen, such as Avengers Campus and the Spider-Man ride featuring Tom Holland.

Walt Disney executives provided the first official details on the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had across their businesses, particularly on their theme parks, cruise lines, and experiences, during a quarterly investors call Tuesday. Disney revealed its earnings plummeted 63% during the second quarter of 2020 when COVID-19 forced the closures of theme parks, theaters, and other consumer-facing facets of the Disney empire. The company estimates it lost $1.4 billion this quarter, $1 billion from theme parks alone. (And yet Disney still posted $18 billion in quarterly revenue.) [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/06/we-rode-star-wars-rise-of-the-resistance-at-galaxys-edge"] While Disney theme parks and resorts, such as Disneyland in Anaheim and Disney World in Orlando, remain indefinitely closed, the company announced that Shanghai Disneyland will reopen May 11. One saving grace for the conglomerate remains the Disney+ streaming service, which expanded operations into Europe and India and has now garnered 54.5 million subscribers worldwide. Speaking of streaming, while Disney reaffirmed its commitment and love of the theatrical filmgoing experience, they also reiterated that they will pivot some movies once earmarked for cinemas to digital instead. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=disney-plus-spotlight-may-2020&captions=true"] "We also believe that either because of changing and evolving consumer dynamics or because of certain situations like COVID, we may have to make some changes to that overall strategy," said Disney CEO Bob Chapek. "We’re going to evaluate each of our movies as a case-by-case situation, as we are doing during this coronavirus situation.” For more Disney coverage, check out these new attractions you can look forward to when the parks reopen, such as Avengers Campus and the Spider-Man ride featuring Tom Holland.