Yearly Archives: 2020
Netflix’s Extraction 2 Moving Forward With Joe Russo Scripting
Netflix's Extraction is getting a sequel, with the first film's scripter Joe Russo -- he of Avengers directing fame -- returning to write the screenplay for the next installment.
Deadline reports that as the Chris Hemsworth-starring action thriller heads towards becoming the most-watched feature film ever for the streaming service, Russo has closed a deal to pen a follow-up. AGBO, Russo's production company with his brother (and fellow Avengers director) Anthony, is said to be "putting the pieces together and are optimistic that Sam Hargrave returns as director, and that Chris Hemsworth will reprise as mercenary Tyler Rake, though those deals won’t be made by Netflix until the script is ready."
Slight spoilers follow for Extraction 1...
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Owing to the open-ended finale of the first film, the exact setting of Extraction 2 remains up in the air.
“We’re not committing yet to whether [the] story goes forward, or backward in time," said Joe Russo. "We left a big loose ending that leaves question marks for the audience.”
There's no deal yet for Hemsworth to return for a sequel, and it sounds like the once and future Thor's involvement won't be broached until after Russo has figured out the story and written a script to share with his Avengers actor.
Last week, Russo, Hargrave, and Hemsworth joined IGN for our WFH Theater to view the film with fans and provide commentary, answer questions, and just generally have a good time. You can watch the Extraction WFH Theater here. You can also check out our Extraction ending explained here, where Hemsworth himself weighs in on the film's final moments.
What would you like to see in Extraction 2? Should Hemsworth return, or should a different actor lead the charge this time out? Let's discuss in the comments!
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How Dave Filoni Went From Avatar: The Last Airbender to The Mandalorian
On Star Wars Day (aka May the 4th), Disney+ debuted its new docuseries, Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, which gives fans a behind the scenes look at how the cast and crew brought this innovative series to life. Hosted by Mando showrunner Jon Favreau, the premiere focused on the five directors that worked on Season 1 -- Deborah Chow, Rick Famuyiwa, Dave Filoni, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Taika Waititi -- with each of them sharing a bit about their respective experiences on and off the set.
Clone Wars creative director Dave Filoni shared an endearing story about his journey from working on Nickelodeon's iconic animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, to landing a gig directing a big-budget live-action series like The Mandalorian. When Filoni was first approached to work on a Clone Wars series by Lucasfilm Animation, he revealed that he thought it was all a prank.
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"I almost didn’t get the job because I thought it was a practical joke," Filoni explained. "I was working at Nickelodeon and someone called from Lucasfilm Animation, and I’m like, ‘there’s is no Lucasfilm Animation.’ And I thought I had been so excited about Revenge of the Sith coming out and talking about it all the time, but the guys from SpongeBob were just busting my chops over Star Wars. So I thought it was a prank call from this producer I’d never heard of from (in air quotes) 'Lucasfilm Animation.' Because you get so tired of being picked on, so you’re just like, 'this is the SpongeBob guys.'"
Filoni went on to describe his first meeting with Star Wars creator George Lucas and how he initially thought he wasn't going to get the job. "And when I met him I had to go up to the main house and I had to sit there at a table," Filoni said. "He’s got my art portfolio and he’s going through it… And I’m sitting there like, 'yeah, I’m not getting this.' Because [Lucas] sees the best in the business. And all I can really think of is, 'when I’m in line for Revenge of the Sith, I can outclass any nerd there because I’ve been in a room with George Lucas.'''
Fortunately for Filoni, Lucas liked what he saw and he got the job on the spot. Filoni's fellow collaborators had nothing but praise for the Clone Wars veteran, with Taika Waititi calling him "an encyclopedia of Star Wars lore." The Mandalorian himself, Pedro Pascal said, "You wouldn’t be able to do this show without Dave Filoni. He is the truest lover of the material. He’s so well-informed and he knows exactly what would fit and make sense."
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For more Star Wars, Disney announced a new Star Wars movie directed by Taika Waititi, our review of the series finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and check out this stunning Star Wars concept art.
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David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.
Amazon Removes The New Mutants From Pre-Order
UPDATE: Amazon has now removed The New Mutants from being available for pre-order. Our original report follows.
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The New Mutants, 20th Century Studios' long-delayed X-Men spin-off movie, is now available for pre-order on Amazon Prime. This is curious because the Marvel Comics adaptation had been meant for a theatrical release. Is this pre-order, short of an official Disney statement, proof that The New Mutants is bypassing theaters entirely and going straight to premium video-on-demand?
The Josh Boone-directed film's Amazon Prime pre-order page was pointed out by CBR, who also noted that The New Mutants has yet to be made available for pre-order on other VOD platforms such as Apple, Vudu, Google Play, and YouTube. It's also not available for pre-order at Movies Anywhere.
Amazon Prime lists The New Mutants as available for pre-order purchase on both SD and HD for the price of $25.99. There is no release date listed.
(Editor's note: This report originally referred to New Mutants as R-rated but it is, in fact, PG-13. Furthermore, Den of Geek points out why Hulu or Disney Plus are likely not options for New Mutants given an existing Fox/HBO cable deal.)
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So did Amazon simply jump in the gun in setting up a pre-order page? Or is this a sign that The New Mutants is finally getting pushed to digital as many have long suspected, especially after it was pulled from Disney's release schedule in March due to the coronavirus pandemic?
Disney exec chairman Bob Iger recently said to expect more small movies originally meant for theatrical release to pivot to digital as they did with Artemis Fowl.
IGN reached out to Disney for comment on The New Mutants being up for pre-order but had not heard back at time of publish. We will update this report if we receive an official response.
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The New Mutants' original theatrical release date was previously postponed from April 13, 2018, to August 2019 and then to April 3, 2020 before Disney pulled it last month. If and when The New Mutants is released we know it will be the cut that director Josh Boone intended.
The cast includes Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Blu Hunt, Charlie Heaton, Henry Zaga, and Alice Braga.
Stunning Star Wars Concept Art Takes Over Disney Plus
As part of the annual “May the Fourth Be With You” celebration, the unofficial Star Wars holiday, Disney+ is doing a Star Wars concept art takeover. When you visit the subscription service home page, and when you click on select Star Wars titles such as The Empire Strikes Back, The Clone Wars, and The Mandalorian, you’ll notice original art on display by the likes of Ralph McQuarrie, Doug Chiang, and more.
“A week-long concept art takeover on the service kicks off today, with each Star Wars film’s and series’ artwork updated to feature the stunning works that brought the saga to life,” says a post on StarWars.com.
Check out all of the gorgeous concept paintings below:
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Note that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was added to Disney+ but did not receive the concept art treatment.
Eagle-eyed fans will also see that the Star Wars brand tile on the Disney+ homepage has been updated with animation of the signature hyperspace jump.
Which piece of concept art is your personal favorite? Let us know in the comments.
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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.
Doom Eternal’s Soundtrack Controversy, Explained
Id Software and Doom Eternal executive producer Marty Stratton has issued a public statement about its current relationship with Doom Eternal composer Mick Gordon after weeks of speculation that there was some kind of trouble between the two parties over the recently released Doom Eternal soundtrack.
After a slight delay, the Doom Eternal soundtrack part of the game’s collector’s edition was released on April 20, a month after the game was released. But fans quickly found something amiss with the sound mixing leading to a backlash against id Software and in particular id’s lead audio engineer Chad Mossholder.
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The controversy began in April when a viral Twitter thread highlighted the sound-mixing for the newly released Doom Eternal soundtrack. Twitter users @thatADCDguy posted side-by-side visual comparisons of the BFG Division track from Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal and noted that the mixing for the Doom Eternal version was less dynamic.
Gordon responded in a tweet that he didn’t mix those and if he did, he would have done differently. A supposed social media DM from Gordon also seemed to indicate that he would no longer be working with id Software going forward.
In a lengthy post on the Doom Eternal subreddit, Stratton attempted to clear the air as to why the soundtrack for the new shooter was not fully mixed by composer Mick Gordon’s whose award-winning work on Doom 2016 has defined the rebooted Doom series. The reason for this was because of some complications on the production side of things, and according to Stratton, a shifting deadline. After agreeing with Gordon on the contract for a soundtrack by early March, Gordon reached out to id requesting an extension. “On February 24, Mick reached out to communicate that he and his team were fine with the terms of the agreement but that there was a lot more work involved than anticipated, a lot of content to wade through,” Stratton writes. “He apologized and asked that ‘ideally’ he be given an additional four weeks to get everything together. He offered that the extra time would allow him to provide upwards of 30 tracks and a run-time over two hours[.]” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/24/doom-eternal-final-review"] Stratton says that id agreed to the extension with a new deadline set for mid-April. However, once April arrived Stratton says “we grew increasingly concerned about Mick delivering the OST to us on time. I personally asked our Lead Audio Designer at id, Chad [Mossholder], to being work on id versions of the tracks” as a backup plan. Mossholder would mix music Gordon previously submitted for use in-game into soundtrack form, which requires a different kind of sound-mixing. Stratton says that as the deadline approached Gordon was the one who suggested he and Mossholder combine the work they both completed into a full soundtrack, leading to the final version of the Doom Eternal OST that includes tracks mixed by Gordon and tracks edited by Mossholder using Gordon’s original music he previously submitted for use in-game. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=10-best-id-software-weapons&captions=true"] “As for the immediate future, we are at the point of moving on and won’t be working with Mick on the [Doom Eternal] DLC we currently have in production,” says Stratton. “I’m as disappointed as anyone that we’re at this point, but as we have many times before, we will adapt to changing circumstances and pursue the most unique and talented artists in the industry with whom to collaborate.” The ending to Stratton’s statement makes clear that, as far as the DLC is concerned, Gordon will not be involved with music for that. It’s unclear if the two parties will collaborate again, but this episode appears to have frayed the relationship between the two parties somewhat. This would be a shame as our Doom Eternal review highlights the music, but there are times when production issues can affect a working relationship. IGN has reached out to Gordon for a statement. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.I didn't mix those and wouldn't have done that. You'll be able to spot the small handful of tracks I mixed (Meathook, Command and Control, etc...)
— Mick Gordon (@Mick_Gordon) April 19, 2020
Battlestar Galactica Reboot Hires Its Key Creative Force
The Battlestar Galactica reboot is moving forward at NBC Universal's new streaming service Peacock.
According to Deadline, Michael Lesslie will create, write and executive produce the series. Lesslie was the showrunner on AMC's The Little Drummer Girl and was also the screenwriter of the Assassin's Creed movie.
Battlestar Galactica began as a 1978 TV series from creator Glen A. Larson before being revamped by Ronald D. Moore in 2004. That beloved Sci-Fi Channel series ran until 2009.
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Two short-lived BSG TV spin-off series have been produced in the past, Galactica 1980 and the prequel Caprica.
This Battlestar reboot will also be exec produced by Mr. Robot's Sam Esmail. Deadline says Lesslie will completely reimagine the world of BSG.
“I am beyond excited to be taking on this iconic and inspirational show. As a lifelong devotee, I know that the possibilities of Battlestar Galactica’s world are infinite and that each iteration has raised the bar for epic and intelligent sci-fi storytelling," Leslie said.
"The teams at Esmail Corp, UCP and Peacock are second to none, and I already know that we are going to honour Glen A Larson and Ronald D Moore’s landmark series and break new boundaries with our own vision. It’s a dream come true – one I just can’t wait to share with fans, new and old alike. So say we all.”
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No word yet on what exactly Lesslie's take is on the saga of the surviving humans, led by Commander Adama, and their struggle to survive against the cybernetic Cylons.
What do you think of Battlestar Galactica being rebooted again? Let us know in the comments.
Watch Rick and Morty’s ‘Meeseeks and Destroy’ with Actor Chris Parnell
Here at IGN, we're always looking for new ways to bring our community together to embrace what we're most passionate about. That's why we launched Watch From Home Theater, a weekly live show where we unite some of your favorite IGN personalities and special celebrity guests to have a digital movie night together with you watching some of our favorite films of all time.
This Thursday, May 7th at 5 p.m. PT, we're watching Rick and Morty with star Chris Parnell! More than 13,500 fans voted which Jerry-centric episode we should watch, and the overwhelming response with 44.5 percent of the votes is "Meeseeks and Destroy." The Season 1 episode marked the introduction of fan-favorite character Mr. Meeseeks; as for Jerry, it saw him try and try to shave two strokes off his golf game. As Meeseeks are created to serve a singular purpose, this week they're here to create a fun live stream for all of you to tune into, so be sure to mark your calendars and tune back in on Thursday to watch!
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As the patriarch of the Smith family, Jerry has had one of the most insane and entertaining arcs of the fan-favorite Adult Swim series, which returned this past Sunday with new episodes. (Check out IGN's review of "Never Ricking Morty.") From bumbling, misguided father to... well, a slightly more self-aware yet still bumbling, misguided father, Parnell has been able to imbue Jerry with a fantastic sense of depth as he's navigated everything from a rocky marriage to inter-dimensional sci-fi shenanigans over the years.
Beyond Rick and Morty, Parnell has made an impressive name for himself over the years with his comedic prowess. Parnell is best known for his decade of work on Saturday Night Live, and has made his mark on the comedy scene with roles in projects like Anchorman, 30 Rock, Archer and Suburgatory. We're thrilled to have him on the show!
Watch From Home Theater isn’t just a show or an opportunity to watch a movie; it’s a hangout with passionate people who share one thing in common -- their love of film. Each week, we'll invite our viewers to join in the conversation using our WFH Theater Discord channel to chat with our host, Clint Gage, as well as our celebrity guests. With running commentaries that range from insightful to silly, each viewing will take on a life of its own based on each film.
Check out highlights from our recent episodes of WFH Theater below!
WFH Theater - Netflix's Extraction with Chris Hemsworth, Joe Russo and director Sam Hargrave
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/extraction-full-one-shot-scene-breakdown-wchris-hemsworth-joe-russo-and-director"]WFH Theater - Star Trek: First Contact with actor/director Jonathan Frakes
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/data-and-the-borg-queen-totally-had-sex-and-other-star-trek-first-contact-secrets"]WFH Theater - Jurassic Park with original movie star Joseph Mazzello
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/25/jurassic-park-the-t-rex-detail-you-never-noticed-and-other-secrets-revealed"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Terri Schwartz is Editor-in-Chief of Entertainment at IGN. Talk to her on Twitter at @Terri_Schwartz.Nicolas Cage Cast as Tiger King’s Joe Exotic in New TV Series
Oscar winner Nicolas Cage will play the infamous Joe Exotic, the subject of Netflix's Tiger King docuseries, in a new scripted TV series. The project marks Cage's first TV role in his long career.
According to Variety, the eight-episode series, from Imagine Television Studios and CBS Television Studios, will be scripted by American Vandal's Dan Lagana, who will also serve as showrunner and one of the series' executive producers.
This particular incarnation of the Tiger King story will be an adaptation of the Texas Monthly article “Joe Exotic: A Dark Journey Into the World of a Man Gone Wild,” by Leif Reigstad.
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There's no word yet on this series' title, other casting or creative elements, or when it might air.
This also isn't the only scripted series in the works based on the sordid characters seen in Netflix's Tiger King. Kate McKinnon is attached to play Joe Exotic's rival Carole Baskin in a separate show, while Rob Lowe and Ryan Murphy are also teaming for another Joe Exotic TV project.
There's also a new docuseries in the works about Joe Exotic that will further investigate claims made about Carole Baskin.
To prepare you for Nic Cage playing the Tiger King, check out the trailer for Cage's 2019 movie Primal where he plays a big game hunter who battles a jaguar:
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For more coverage on Tiger King, discover all the revelations made in the recent aftershow, our picks for who should be cast in a Tiger King movie, and our review of the hit Netflix series.
The Last of Us Part 2 Has Gone Gold
The Last of Us Part 2, Naughty Dog's latest story-driven action adventure for PS4, has gone gold, according to creative director Neil Druckmann, who also advises players against judging the game based on bits and pieces of it they may have seen via The Last of Us 2 leaks online.
With The Last of Us Part 2's new release date, Druckmann's video message addressed the status of the game, noting its "gold" status — meaning discs can be pressed for physical release and the digital release can be prepped as well. Of course, if you've followed games going gold in the past, they're often accompanied by team photos with the development teams gathering together to celebrate. Druckmann noted how this can't be the case at the moment.
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"We wanted to let you know that we have gone gold. So back in April, we told you that due to the state of the world, logistics way beyond our control, we had to push the game, which gave us a few extra weeks to polish and now that we have a release date we submitted our gold master," he said.
"And you're going to have our game in just a few short weeks. Normally this would be a moment of celebration. We'd be at the office having a drink, eating cake. But we're all stuck in our homes and I want to take this moment to congratulate the team that has pulled off the most ambitious game we've ever made."
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Druckmann celebrated the full team's work in the long-awaited sequel, and went on to explain that, while The Last of Us Part 2's leaks may have revealed parts of the story, "nothing compares" to playing the sequel in full. The rest of his statement reads:
"I know I've said this before, but you won't know to what degree until you get your hands on it and just see the care, the care that has gone into every detail, from the level design, the mechanics, just graphically how the game looks, the environments, art direction, characters, story, the audio design, the soundtrack, oh my god the soundtrack is so amazing. Even for us, who have played this game, we can't even count how many times, we know it inside out, we're still emotionally moved]. I just finished a playthrough and I was crying by the end of it. And it's just pretty incredible, and I'm extremely proud of it, the team is extremely proud of it, and we can't wait to hear what you guys think. "On behalf of Naughty Dog, thank you to you guys. You've been very patient waiting for this game for years with us, and you're just a few weeks away from getting it. A lot of you have sent us sweet and encouraging messages along that time that have been really helpful. No matter what you've seen or heard or read, nothing compares to playing this game from beginning to end. It's a video game, you've got to play it. I hope you guys are doing well. Stay safe, take care of your loved ones, and we'll have a lot more for you soon."[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/how-to-avoid-the-last-of-us-part-2-spoilers-ign-daily-fix"] On the topic of those leaks, PlayStation recently confirmed it identified the Last of Us Part 2 leakers, and that those individuals were not affiliated with Sony Interactive Entertainment or Naughty Dog. The leaks came just as Sony announced The Last of Us 2's new release date (alongside a new date for Ghost of Tsushima) of June 19. More information about the leak has allegedly revealed how aspects of The Last of Us 2 were taken in the first place, though Sony has not officially commented on the methods. For more on The Last of Us Part 2, find out about its PS4 hard drive minimum required space, Druckmann's initial thoughts about the Last of Us 2 delay, and a report of how The Last of Us 2's delay allegedly led to sustained crunch. And, be sure to check out our hands-on preview with The Last of Us Part 2 to find out more about the game, including why The Last of Us 2 isn't open world, and how dogs will affect The Last of Us 2's combat. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor and host of Podcast Beyond!, IGN's weekly PlayStation show.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Free DLC Revealed
A surprise DLC for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is now live and it brings new cosmetics, a battle grid, and combat challenges to the game.
This free DLC update was revealed in a trailer from developer Respawn today as part of the Star Wars 'May the Fourth' celebration. The Jedi: Fallen Order DLC unlocks cosmetics and new combat challenges that can be accessed through meditation points. These challenges take place on different planets featured in the game like Illum and Kashyyyk. You can check out the trailer below.
As you can see, the combat challenges are wave-based arena challenges that will see protagonist Cal Kestis face off against a number of foes found throughout the game's story. If the trailer is any indication, it won't be just creatures found in the game but bounty hunters as well. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=all-lightsaber-colors-in-star-wars-jedi-fallen-order&captions=true"] The challenges also include unique parameters like "no healing" and "take no damage." Launching alongside these combat challenges is a new Battle Grid system that allows you to create your own challenges by placing enemies on a grid for you to fight against. New cosmetic rewards are available in the game, too, including the Inquisitor Cal appearance and lightsaber color. This update is available to download now. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/11/14/the-best-star-wars-games-that-never-were"] If you need a refresher on Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order's combat, give our Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Wiki Guide a once through. If you haven't yet played the game, we thought it was amazing, giving Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order a 9 out of 10. For more Star Wars news, check out the other Star Wars announcements that happened today on May the Fourth including the announcement that Vader Immortal is coming to PSVR and that Taika Waititi is directing a new Star Wars movie. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.It's time to ignite your lightsaber once again. Combat Challenges, Battle Grid, and more await you. #JediFallenOrder pic.twitter.com/N97jjRox88
— Respawn (@Respawn) May 4, 2020
