Yearly Archives: 2020

Scott Derrickson Shares Cool Doctor Strange Quarantine Poster

Director Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange, Sinister) posted some fun fan art to his Twitter account, showing Marvel's Sorcerer Supreme taking a staunch pro-quarantine stance. The poster, which was drawn up by a designer named NOVA, is a spoof on J. M. Flagg's 1917 "Uncle Sam" poster that was created to recruit American soldiers for both World War I and World War II. Check it out... NOVA's full piece is here... e Derrickson was originally in the director's chair for Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness but left over creative differences between himself and Marvel in January. Original Spider-Man Trilogy's Sam Raimi is reportedly stepping in as Multiverse of Madness' director, with Derrickson even praising the choice of Raimi as his successor. For more movie news, check out our review of The Big Lebowski sequel, The Jesus Rolls, as well as the cast of No Time to Die honoring healthcare workers and Animal Crossing fans recreating scenes from Midsommar in New Horizons. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=animal-crossing-movie-scenes&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

No Time To Die Cast Honors Healthcare Workers

Daniel Craig's final Bond film, No Time to Die, may have been postponed until November, along with dozens of other movie and TV show projects that have been delayed, but that didn't stop him, his wife (Black Widow's Rachel Weisz), and several key members of the No Time to Die cast from honoring those on the front lines of this pandemic -- the world's healthcare workers -- while in self-isolation. The official James Bond social media accounts sent out this video showing Craig, Weisz, Rory Kinnear, Ben Whishaw, and Naomie Harris as they "#ClapForOurCarers" in a quick montage. See for yourself... Despite no movie being released in April, as originally planned, Daniel Craig still hosted Saturday Night Live back at the beginning of March, where he parodied No Time to Die and his Southern accent in Rian Johnson's Knives Out. Billie's Eilish's "No Time to Die" topped the U.K. charts with the biggest opening week ever for a James Bond song. For other movie news, Anya Taylor-Joy is reportedly up for a role in the Mad Max Furiosa spinoff movie, Ryan Reynolds is in talks to star in an adaptation of classic arcade game Dragon's Lair, and the cast of Contagion has an important PSA for you. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/23/the-5-best-drama-movies-on-netflix-right-now"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Remaster of Original Nier Game Announced

Square Enix has announced a remaster of the original 2010 Nier game, dubbing it “Nier Replicant ver. 1.22474487139.” Watch the trailer below.

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Appropriately enough, 2020 marks the 10-year anniversary of the original Nier game, which released in 2010 as a spin-off of the Drakengard franchise. Square Enix released a new trailer showing off some imagery from Nier Replicant, along with some text alluding to its story’s core themes.

Making sense of the original Nier titles is a bit difficult. The original Nier released in 2010, and featured a man searching through the ruins of a world dominated by mysterious creatures known as “Shades” for a cure for his ailing daughter/sister. Nier Gestalt, which featured a father-daughter duo, was what western audiences and Japanese Xbox 360 owners got, but a different version of the game was released on the PS3 in Japan, called “Nier Replicant,” and featured a younger brother and sister duo rather than father and daughter.

From the text we see in the trailer mentioning a “young, kind-hearted boy” and his sister, it looks like Square Enix is going with the original Nier Replicant’s brother and sister dynamic.

The trailer also shows that this remaster will be developed by Toylogic, and not Platinum Games, who made 2017's Nier Automata.

Nier itself is a spin-off of the Drakengard franchise.

Nier Replicant ver. 1.22474487139 is coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. Square Enix has not mentioned a release date as of yet.

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Meanwhile, Nier Reincarnation is an iOS and Android game. Square Enix released a similarly vague trailer, showing off some more artwork featuring huge, seemingly empty cities (with giant fish floating in the air?), and some text describing an ominous place known as “the Cage.” Watch the trailer above.

If you translate Square Enix’s official page, it appears that Nier Reincarnation will be a free-to-play game with microtransactions, although what form those will take (or how extensive they’ll be) is still unclear.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN, and he does not look forward to writing out that title 40 more times.

Hasbro Releases Mini G.I. Joe Animated Series Marathon Online

"He'll fight for freedom, wherever there's trouble, G.I. Joe is there..." In these times of self-isolation and social-distancing, it's good to know that toy brokers Hasbro have your back. With many people at home, checking out all the movies hitting VOD early, or maybe even the best horror films on Netflix, Hasbro, whose toy properties My Little Pony, Transformers, and Jem and the Holograms were famously turned into '80s animated series, have released fifteen full episodes of perhaps their most iconic '80s cartoon - G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. Posted to YouTube, these fifteen episodes take us through the show's first two five-part miniseries -- "The M.A.S.S. Device" and "The Revenge of Cobra" -- as well as the first five-part story of Season 1, "The Pyramid of Darkness." The 15 episodes are:

[caption id="attachment_232767" align="aligncenter" width="720"]81j1FW7AdOL._SL1500_ Click the pic to watch G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero episodes on YouTube.[/caption] So enjoy watching Flint, Duke, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Roadblock, and other G.I. Joe giants as they clash with Cobra Commander, Destro, Baroness, Zartan, and more! Looking for more content to stream/binge? Here's everything coming to Amazon and Netflix in April. Syfy has also posted the premiere episode of its new snarky space adventure Vagrant Queen online. Now you know. And knowing's half the battle! [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/26/new-to-netflix-for-april-2020"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Resident Evil 3 Mod Gives Nemesis a Beach Thong

The Resident Evil 3 remake may not be officially out until April 3, but that hasn’t stopped enterprising modders from giving us what we’ve wanted all along: Nemesis in an Umbrella-branded beach thong.

First spotted by Eurogamer, a Patreon-backed modder by the name of Marcos RC is responsible for this new abomination. As if Resident Evil 3’s iconic undead, invincible boss wasn’t already bad enough, we now get to see him stomping around the streets of Raccoon City all half-naked. You can watch Marcos RC’s video on his YouTube channel, or check out screenshots below.

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The mod is officially called the “Beachboy Nemesis” mod, with a 3D body base created by “MisterHecks.” You can download the mod from Marcos RC’s Patreon page here. Could you imagine how horrifying this would be with the first-person Resident Evil 3 mod?

Sexy Nemesis mods are all we get for now, since Capcom recently delayed the Resident Evil Resistance beta on PS4 and Steam, with the Xbox One version rolling along as originally planned. Capcom has also warned that physical editions of Resident Evil 3 may be delayed in Europe thanks to COVID-19 impacting shipping infrastructure.

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MisterHecks, who created the Nemesis model that Marcos RC utilized, similarly made a thong mod for Mr. X in the Resident Evil 2 remake.

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Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN, and looks forward to gamers rising up for this mod.

Watch the Premiere Episode of Syfy’s Vagrant Queen for Free

In this quaran-tainment era, with a ton of TV being postponed and hit movies hitting VOD sooner, Syfy has posted the premiere of its new snarky space opera, Vagrant Queen, on YouTube for all to see. Vagrant Queen, based on the Eisner Award-nominated comic series by Magdalene Visaggio, follows a self-exiled child queen, Elida (Adriyan Rae), who's now grown up living the life of a scavenger and outlaw. When an old frenemy turns up with news about her long-lost mother, Elida is forced to return to her broken kingdom with in hopes of staging a rescue. The first episode, "A Royal Ass-Kicking," is now posted for free viewing, with the series' first season having just started on Syfy on Friday nights. [caption id="attachment_232763" align="aligncenter" width="720"]vagrant-queen-adriyan-rae-elida Click the pic to watch Vagrant Queen's first episode, "A Royal Ass-Kicking," on YouTube.[/caption] In other sci-fi news, check out our review of Star Trek Picard: Season 1, Doctor Who giving self-isolation tips, and news of a Terminator star being cast in The Mandalorian: Season 2. CBS All Access is also free until April 23, allowing you to watch the first season of Picard and both seasons of Star Trek: Discovery. Vagrant Queen airs on Syfy on Fridays at 10pm EST/9pm CST. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/27/picard-season-1-review-is-the-star-trek-spinoff-worth-it-spoilers"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Call of Duty Datamine Reveals Possible Modern Warfare 2 Remaster Release Plans

In what seems to be becoming a regular thing, a well-known dataminer, Senescallo, leaked a bunch of upcoming Call of Duty content on Reddit, revealing plans for the rumored Modern Warfare 2 Remaster, along with details on new maps and weapons that are headed to Modern Warfare (you know, the latest one) Season 3. Perhaps the biggest bit of information revealed by the Call of Duty leak seems to indicate that the highly anticipated Modern Warfare 2 Remaster could be sold from within Modern Warfare (2019) and as a standalone game. Further, spotted by Eurogamer, the Reddit leak indicates that Activision only plans to remaster the Modern Warfare 2 campaign, not the multiplayer. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-call-of-duty-review&captions=true"] Based on the leak, players will be able to purchase the remaster as a standalone game and will receive the Underwater Demo Team Classic Ghost Bundle with their purchase. Alternatively, players could purchase the Ghost Pack: Oil Rig Bundle from within Modern Warfare to receive the MW2 campaign remaster, a legendary skin for Ghost, weapon blueprints for the M4A1 and 1911, and a few other commodities. Purchasing the Modern Warfare 2 Remaster from within Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is expected to cost 10,000 COD points, which comes out to about $80. It's currently unclear how much the standalone version would cost. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/call-of-duty-warzone-isnt-just-a-battle-royal"] Remaster's aside, the leak also revealed some information about Modern Warfare Season 3, which is expected to release in the coming weeks. It seems that two maps from previous titles will be making a return to the franchise in the third season — Backlot (Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare) and Village (Modern Warfare 3). [caption id="attachment_232761" align="alignnone" width="720"]village Source: Reddit user Senescallo[/caption] [caption id="attachment_232761" align="alignnone" width="720"]backlot Source: Reddit user Senescallo[/caption]   Additionally, an SKS Sniper and a Renetti Pistol are likely two be added along with two new Operators, Alex and Ronin. Lastly, Season 3 could be receiving creator codes, which would allow players to support their favorite Call of Duty creator with any in-game purchases. Activision and Infinity Ward have yet to confirm any of this, so of course take it all with a grain of salt. Developers recently launched Warzone, the highly anticipated battle royale mode, which hit 6 million players in the first 24 hours. While it's gotten off to a great start, we think Warzone is imbalanced in one specific way. For more on Warzone, be sure to check out our review. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Andrew Smith is a freelance contributor with IGN. Follow him on Twitter @_andrewtsmith.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Street Date Broken, Square Enix Issues Warning

The Final Fantasy 7 Remake is just around the corner, with an official release date of April 10. Some people just can’t wait, however, and have broken the street date, according to Eurogamer. Square Enix has also issued a warning, saying it can’t control when the game is released in western regions because of the various COVID-19 lockdowns.

“As you will be aware, many countries are limiting entry or closing their national and state borders and restricting the distribution and delivery of non-essential items,” Square Enix wrote in a blog post. “Understandably these restrictions are being implemented so that essential items can reach their destination as fast as possible. This does not mean that box copies of Final Fantasy 7 Remake will not be dispatched, it just means that we cannot control the date the game may arrive.”

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Square Enix added that it is taking steps to ensure that pre-orders of Final Fantasy 7 Remake made through the Square Enix store will reach customers by April 10.

Meanwhile, with some people breaking street date on Final Fantasy 7 Remake, pictures have begun appearing online of the final product.

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One Reddit user by the name of NateLo22 posted to the r/FFVIIRemake subreddit with a picture of the deluxe edition of the game and its packaging.

[caption id="attachment_2327575" align="alignnone" width="720"]final fantasy 7 deluxe edition leaked on Reddit Source: Reddit user NateLo22[/caption] Square Enix isn’t the only company facing some difficulties in getting their game to ship out in an orderly fashion. Resident Evil 3 remake developer Capcom said the game could experience a delay in Europe before its April 3 release date. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/Tifa-stan for IGN.

Shrek was Inspired By Chris Farley and David Spade

Though it may be (mostly) common knowledge that Chris Farley was originally cast as the voice of Shrek, Tommy Boy director Peter Segal recently spoke to Uproxx about how the DreamWorks Animation blockbuster, which spawned three hit sequels, was explicitly based on Farley's chemistry with best friend and Tommy Boy co-star David Spade. "After Tommy Boy, we got a lot of offers to do things together," Segal said, "and I of course was dying to find another project for us. Because, again, I took the leap of faith with him after working on two different television projects with him before Tommy Boy. And then, I did offer him a couple of things. He, by the way, almost did Shrek." Farley actually recorded some dialogue for Shrek prior to his death in 1997. He was, of course, replaced by fellow SNL alum Mike Myers, and the rest is Scottish-accented history. Segal added "Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot, who wrote Shrek, I met with them years after Shrek came out and they said, ‘You know who we patterned the donkey and the ogre off of? As far as their relationship? That was Spade and Farley in Tommy Boy. That’s why we wanted Farley." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/27/the-best-games-to-play-when-stuck-at-home"] Given that Shrek was such a massive money-maker, and that Myers and Eddie Murphy's voices are etched in history as Shrek and Donkey, it's hard to imagine a Farley-style Shrek with a Spade-type Donkey. But it works if you consider the two of them swapping the role of "hyperactive character who annoys the glum character." In other movie news, check out all the best comedies on Netflix right now, the news about Ryan Reynolds being in talks to star a Dragon's Lair movie, and a helpful PSA from the stars of Steven Soderbergh's Contagion. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=new-movies-coming-to-vod-early&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

ESPN Airing Disney Sports Movies in Place of Sports

Given that the sports world is currently on hiatus, along with the world of entertainment, ESPN is going to air famous Disney sports movies on Friday nights for families looking for programming they can watch together. ESPN's own press page announced that, starting March 27 with The Rookie (timed to MLB’s planned Opening Week), the network will continue to broadcast sports films over the next few Fridays. The lineup includes:

  • The Rookie (2002), starring Dennis Quaid
  • Glory Road (2006), starring Josh Lucas and Derek Luke -  timed to the traditional NCAA Final Four weekend
  • Miracle (2004), starring Kurt Russell
  • Invincible (2006), starring Mark Wahlberg
  • Secretariat (2010), starring Diane Lane and John Malkovich
  • The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005), starring Shia LaBeouf

Glory Road is set to air Friday, April 3, at 8:30 p.m. ET. Additional air dates will be announced. These films are also available to stream on Disney+. In fact, take a look at the best movies from Disney's streaming site right here... [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-movies-on-disney&captions=true"] For those of you looking for oddball gems or quirky cult favorites, Disney+ has some wickedly weird offerings as well... [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-15-weirdest-disney-plus-movies-you-may-not-have-seen&captions=true"] For those looking for more at-home entertainment, here's a list of movies that are hitting VOD early. IGN spoke with a number of medical experts to learn how movie delays may help stop the spread of COVID-19. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.