DC’s New 52: 5 Things We Liked
Love it or hate it, DC's New 52 relaunch was one of the most significant comic book developments in recent memory. The publisher made the bold move of wiping the slate clean and giving new and old readers alike a fresh jumping-on point and 52 new comics. Though the relaunch had its fair share of problems, it also attracted a lot of new readers and helped reinvigorate the comics industry as a whole.
As DC prepares to end the New 52 and refocus their attention on a new wave of accessible, story-driven comics, we've decided to look back on the legacy of this relaunch. In the first of three articles, we're examining five things the New 52 has done well over the past three years. Be sure to check back tomorrow and Wednesday too, as we'll focus on what the New 52 did wrong and what we're hoping to see from DC's latest big relaunch.
Birdman’s Original Ending Would Have Had Johnny Depp
Warning: Full SPOILERS from Birdman follow...
If you saw Alejandro González Iñárritu's Oscar-nominated Birdman, then you likely picked up on its meta-skewering of the Hollywood movie industry. In the film, Michael Keaton portrays a washed-up actor, Riggan Thomson, who used to play an iconic superhero and is gearing up for a Broadway play in hopes of reclaiming his former glory. Obviously, Keaton also played Batman in the 1989 and 1992 feature films directed by Tim Burton, which lent to Birdman's satirical dark comedy.
Ultimately, the film follows Riggan all the way to the end, where it ends on a somewhat ambiguous note. However, Birdman co-writer Alexander Dinelaris recently revealed on The Q&A Podcast (via Screen Rant) that he and Iñárritu originally had a different ending in mind: After shooting himself on-stage, Riggan would be seen getting interviewed on a talk show about the positive reception to his play. Then the focus would shift to another actor -- Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp.
2 Fifty Shades of Grey Sequels In The Works
Fifty Shades of Grey will be getting two sequels, based on follow-up books Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed.
At a fan-screening for the upcoming film -- aptly titled "Fifty Shades First" and hosted at New York’s Zeigfeld Theatre -- director Sam Taylor-Johnson, writer E.L. James, and stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan told the excited crowd that there will be two more films in the erotic romance series.
The news comes after the Fifty Shades movie broke records by having the biggest trailer launch ever, and becoming the fastest-selling R-rated movie of all time.
2 Fifty Shades of Grey Sequels In The Works
Fifty Shades of Grey will be getting two sequels, based on follow-up books Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed.
At a fan-screening for the upcoming film -- aptly titled "Fifty Shades First" and hosted at New York’s Zeigfeld Theatre -- director Sam Taylor-Johnson, writer E.L. James, and stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan told the excited crowd that there will be two more films in the erotic romance series.
The news comes after the Fifty Shades movie broke records by having the biggest trailer launch ever, and becoming the fastest-selling R-rated movie of all time.
Kevin Smith to Voice M.O.D.O.K. in the Marvel Experience
Filmmaker and Comic Book Men star Kevin Smith will voice the supervillain M.O.D.O.K. in The Marvel Experience, a live-action attraction for comics fans.
TheWrap reports that the announcement came alongside an advertisement for the event, in which Smith plays a security guard whose nap is interrupted by Thor's hammer and Captain America's shield.
“Ever since I was a wee butterball-looking comic book fan, I dreamed of going to a live event as amazing as ‘The Marvel Experience,’” Smith said in a statement. “This is like actually being inside of a giant comic book come to life.”
Nintendo Tried to Secure the Rights to Harry Potter Games
In the late 90s, Nintendo tried to secure the exclusive rights for the Harry Potter series. The game maker only had plans to develop video games with the license even though the deal would have included movies and television, according to a report from Unseen64.
Unseen64 is a site that specializes in digging up details on cancelled or unreleased games. Their latest finding shows that in 1998, Nintendo of America had one week to pitch Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling for the rights to the Harry Potter universe.
When the company heard the Potter license was for sale, Nintendo NST studio reportedly halted development on Ridge Racer 64, Bionic Commando, and Crystalis to quickly prototype Potter games for the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, and GameCube.
Nintendo Tried to Secure the Rights to Harry Potter Games
In the late 90s, Nintendo tried to secure the exclusive rights for the Harry Potter series. The game maker only had plans to develop video games with the license even though the deal would have included movies and television, according to a report from Unseen64.
Unseen64 is a site that specializes in digging up details on cancelled or unreleased games. Their latest finding shows that in 1998, Nintendo of America had one week to pitch Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling for the rights to the Harry Potter universe.
When the company heard the Potter license was for sale, Nintendo NST studio reportedly halted development on Ridge Racer 64, Bionic Commando, and Crystalis to quickly prototype Potter games for the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, and GameCube.
Lady Sif Returning to Agents of SHIELD
Lady Sif, the Asgardian warrioress played by Jaimie Alexander in both Thor movies, is making a return appearance on Marvel's Agents of SHIELD.
The last time Sif joined Coulson and his team, it was to track down the fugitive temptress Lorelei. This time though, Sif won't exactly be herself.
In the episode following March 3rd's SHIELD midseason premiere, Sif will visit Earth once again and do battle with a foe whose strength matches her own (Marvel's keeping the villain's identity under wraps for now) and when the dust settles, Sif will have lost her short-term memory.
"Sif has no idea who Thor is or that she serves a king, and we're going to have fun with that," executive producer Jeffrey Bell told TVInsider.com. "It'll give us some much-needed humor in a season that's been full of betrayal and death. Sif can't even recall who she came here from Asgard to stop, but Agent Coulson and his team will try to help her figure all that out."
Out This Week: February 9, 2015
With so many new games and movies coming out, it can be hard to keep up. Lucky for you, IGN is here to help with a weekly round-up of the biggest releases each and every week. Check out the latest releases for this week, and be sure to come back next Monday for a new update.
Note: The prices and deals compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.
Out This Week: February 9, 2015
With so many new games and movies coming out, it can be hard to keep up. Lucky for you, IGN is here to help with a weekly round-up of the biggest releases each and every week. Check out the latest releases for this week, and be sure to come back next Monday for a new update.
Note: The prices and deals compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.