Star Trek 3 Rumor: Cranston Eyed for Villain
Set a course for the Tread Lightly system. Rumor has it that Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston is being eyed for the villain role in Star Trek 3.
Film Divider claims that the bad guy is described as "Bryan Cranston-like, to the point that Cranston himself has had words with the studio about taking the role. We don’t know just yet if he said yes, or if this is an all-new character or somebody from continuity, but because they’re shooting for Cranston we at least know the filmmakers want to bring the intensity."
But that's not all. The site also purports that there will be three new female roles in the movie, with the leading one being the ex-wife of Dr. Leonard McCoy. Yes, the woman who, according to the 2009 reboot, is the reason he ended up with the nickname "Bones." Whether she's the previously created characters of Pamela Branch or Jocelyn Treadaway or an entirely new character created just for this movie is unknown.
Gotham to Begin to Set Up Joker By End of Season 1
It looks like the question "When will we see the Joker on Gotham?" has been answered. Well, more or less.
TVGuide.com is reporting that Joker, who creator Bruno Heller originally intended to debut in a later season down the line, is going to start to have his story told in Season 1.
"We've said you're going to be waiting a bit longer for it, but this is America -- nobody wants to wait," Heller told TVGuide.com. "So, we will scratch the surface of that story, yes. But just scratch it -- a little tap on the door."
So it's not clear how much we'll see regarding Joker, but the character's origins will be addressed in some fashion. Which makes us wonder if it will have anything to do with the upcoming episode that involves the Red Hood.
Can Your PC Run Battlefield Hardline?
EA has revealed the minimum and recommended specs for its upcoming shooter, Battlefield Hardline.
The details below apply to the final, retail version, but things will be slightly different for the open beta. EA says if your machine has fewer than 4GB of RAM, you may have issues with the beta because "gameplay performance for lower-end PCs is still being optimized." Try closing other applications while you play.
Minimum PC Specs
- OS: Windows Vista SP 2 64-bit (with KB971512 update)
- CPU: Intel Core i3/i5 2.4 GHz / AMD Athlon II/Phenom II 2.8 GHz
Just How Steamy Does Fifty Shades of Grey Get?
The British Board of Film Classification has branded the big screen version of erotic bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey with a strict "18" rating, barring anyone under 18-years-old from seeing the movie. The movie, however, was passed without any cuts being made to appease the UK censors.
Here are the BBFC's guidelines regarding sexual content in an 18-rated movie: "There can be strong and detailed portrayals of sex at 18, including full nudity. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context. Very strong, crude and explicit sex references are permitted at 18. An 18 film or video might also contain depictions of real sex, as long as the film or video is not a sex work. Sex works are works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation. Sex works containing only material which may be simulated are generally passed 18. Those containing clear images of real sex, strong fetish material, sexually explicit animated images, or other very strong sexual images will be confined to the R18 category. Material which is unacceptable in a sex work at R18 is also unacceptable in a sex work at 18."
Magic: The Gathering Introduces Its First Trans Character
Wizards of the Coast has revealed Magic: The Gathering's first ever trans character.
The new character, named Alesha, Who Smiles at Death, is part of Magic: The Gathering's latest expansion, Fate Reforged. While her card doesn't mention her gender, a story published on Wizards of the Coast's website reveals that she was born anatomically male, weaving her background into the tale of combat.
7 Things to Watch This Week
Despite new shows premiering on ABC and NBC during the middle of the week, all eyes will be on AMC this Sunday as The Walking Dead returns for the second half of Season 5 and the hotly-anticipated Breaking Bad prequel/spinoff Better Call Saul makes its big debut.
Amazon Prime in February: Hannibal, Orphan Black, More
Elsewhere on the dial, Gotham introduces proto-Scarecrow, Peggy Carter enlists the Howling Commandoes, Peek-A-Boo appears on The Flash, and Nashville returns.
The Flash: Atom is Going to Get Some Help with His Suit
Warning: Some spoilers for The Flash to date follow...
Recently, IGN's own Roth Cornet and a handful of other outlets spoke with The Flash executive producer Andrew Kreisberg about what fans can expect to see in the rest of Season 1. During the Q&A, the EP dropped a few hints about the upcoming Flash/Arrow crossover in which Felicity and Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh) travel to Central City. He also touched on the challenges of working with The Flash and Arrow's shared universe and how Arrow is more of a soap opera...
Last week, we learned that Ray would be joining Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) on her next visit to Central City. But what brings the future Atom to Barry Allan's neck of the woods? "At that point Ray needs a little help with his suit, and who better than Felicity's high-tech guys at STAR Labs?" Kreisberg said. "I hadn't gotten to write much Ray this season on Arrow. I got to write him in the comic book, in the Season Zero that we wrote. I loved it. So getting to write him, he's just so much fun."
Amazon Prime Dropping Doctor Who, Other BBC Series
The majority of the BBC's programming, including Doctor Who, is set to leave Amazon Prime February 15 as the streaming service focuses on gaining exclusive content.
The Verge reports that Amazon is removing the BBC's shows because its current licensing deal allows other subscription services, like Netflix, to also carry them. Because Amazon hopes to grow Prime by focusing on content that isn't available anywhere else, it has decided not to renew the agreement.
Amazon's commitment to exclusivity seems to be paying off, as it saw Prime membership grow over 53 percent last year. Currently, Amazon is the exclusive home for Hannibal, 24, The Americans, and Justified. It also closed an exclusive deal to stream the BBC's Orphan Black, which will remain on the service.
Are JRPGs Primed for a Comeback?
As a young kid in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, I was absolutely obsessed with my NES, and I voraciously consumed any information I could about my beloved console and its ever-growing library of games. There was a seminal moment of my childhood that charted a course for me and my future as a gamer: the first time I was exposed to Enix’s Dragon Quest, or as we knew it in the States back in the day, Dragon Warrior.
My neighbor’s older brother was a hardcore NES player with scores of games, and he’d generously let my brother and I borrow just about whatever we wanted. Among his impressive catalog was Dragon Warrior -- as well as, ultimately, Dragon Warrior II, III, and IV -- and I enjoyed not only watching these games be played and playing them myself, but diving into the lore of the games, the statistics, and of course the story (as underdeveloped as it was).
Five More Games Added to PlayStation Now
The February games line-up for PlayStation Now subscribers includes Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, God of War II HD, Red Faction: Armageddon, Galaga Legions DX, and Arcana Heart 3.
PlayStation Now is a service that offers over 100 games, available to stream directly to your console for a monthly fee of either $20 per month or $45 for three months. It was introduced to PlayStation 4 early last month.
Read up on IGN's PlayStation Now experience from CES 2015. You can find a full list of games included in the service in the PlayStation Now wiki.