Monument Valley 3 has officially launched on Netflix, having arrived on the streaming service today (December 10) and marks the latest addition ten years after the series first debuted.

With new characters, a standalone story, and all-new live service approach, the game is only available exclusively on Netflix.

While this is the third adaptation of the much-loved video game, it’s very much a stand-alone installment and can be played without having experienced the others.

It features the unique mind-benders that people have come to expect, involving logic-defying geometry and physics that ignores the laws of gravity.

This is an entirely new perspective on the world of Monument Valley. Enjoy this EXCLUSIVE animated short set in the mind-bending Monument Valley 3 universe. Step into the impossible. #netflixgames pic.twitter.com/dwr1IkrZo3

— Netflix Games (@netflixgames_) December 9, 2024

Netflix describes the third as being “a bold evolution that puts a fresh spin on the franchise’s beloved formula.”

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Monument Valley 3 director Jennifer Estaris said: “”At Ustwo, most of [our] games have been about respecting players’ time – these smaller experiences that are meaningful, things that you remember outside of that.

“But for Monument Valley, [we’ve] always done downloadable content. It’s just less rhythmic, less predictable, when they come out.

“And so for me, it was about: how do we make that a healthy habit for players, where they can know that something is coming and they get excited about it? But also tied to the themes of the game about caring for the world, not just being a one-and-done experience.”

What to expect from Monument Valley 3 on Netflix

Monument Valley 3 is a touch-based mobile game that “beautifully blends imaginative puzzle-solving play with a gorgeous, almost meditative presentation.”

While the first two games focused largely on geometry and physics, the third is a little different as it has been heavily influenced by modern art and architecture from around the world.

This becomes apparent throughout the game, with challenges and visuals being centered around this.

Although the core elements of the game remain the same as the others, the developer Ustwo Games has created a completely fresh approach with a new protagonist to star in a brand-new world.

Featured Image: Credit to Ustwo Games on X

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The new streaming platform Parti crashed after exceeding its limit on users.

Yesterday, the company announced it had smashed a record for simultaneous live streams but that meant reaching its server capacity. Parti detailed the situation in an irreverent way, seeing to emphasize the instant popularity of the “hottest platform out there”.

Users reacted to the news but there was no surprise or dissatisfaction, quite the opposite. The impact was welcomed with some taking to X to make noise and spread the word.

We just hit a new record for concurrent livestreams, maxing out our server allowance!

We’re already working with our partners to boost server limits ASAP. If you’re streaming right now, please end your session and try again in a few hours. Livestreams will be back online…

— PARTI.COM (@jointheparti) December 2, 2024

One said, “You ain’t growing if you ain’t crashing the servers,” while another remarked, “Legendary, let’s f***ing go.” 

Parti was launched last month, offering 30 “official streamer deals” to renowned creators and enthusiastic beginners alike.

The company stated small streamers could earn up to $1000 per month, while top-level operators could see returns of $10,000 per month from the outset. Parti has indicated an opportunity for greater earnings if the viewing figures can be delivered.

That is likely to be comparable to the status of Twitch’s Kai Cenat or YouTube’s IShowSpeed.

Parti wants to rival Kick and Twitch

Parti will be aiming to take market share away from the likes of YouTube (which recently launched a new creator support tool), Kick, TikTok, and Twitch, but those brands represent formidable opposition. There are plenty of streaming platforms vying for dominance so news of Parti breaking its initial user limits can only be encouraging for the company.

Parti allows users to live-stream content and share videos, while there is the option for interaction with a chat box panel on the platform. In the first few weeks, content categories have included gaming, music, IRL, fitness, and other creative purposes.

Jack Doherty is one of the most prominent early patrons of the platform.

Image credit: Via Midjourney

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The official trailer for the highly-sought after Squid Games Season 2 is finally here, with the show coming back to Netflix in the Christmas holiday break.

Netflix debuted the teaser on November 26, exactly a month before it will hit the screens of televisions worldwide.

Within the first 15 seconds of the trailer, we see Player 456 in the back of a vehicle saying ‘Put me back in the game’ which then prompts the iconic Squid Game sets to flash on screen.

If the trailer is anything to go by, some of the games from Season 1 could be replicated for the second time round as one of the first ones featured is from the first ever episode ‘Red Light, Green Light.’

While the games appear to be similar, it becomes apparent very quickly that there’s a different aim this time round – to put an end to the competition that targets people in debt or those looking to win a cash prize.

Now that we’ve seen a sneak peak of what’s to come, we can glean some insights for what to expect in Squid Game Season 2.

What is the story of Squid Game Season 2?

Unlike the first, viewers already know what to expect – a warped competition in which contenders risk their lives in a series of deadly games.

Player 456 will be the main character in the second season and it will explore him following through on his words after leaving the airport.

This time, however, Gi-hun will return with one goal in mind: to end the competition once and for all.

In an online article, Netflix explains more: “Forced to play a new set of games, Gi-hun finds himself locked in a tense battle with the shadowy Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), whose true motivations remain cloaked in secrecy as the twists and turns of Season 2 unfurl.

“Will Gi-hun succeed, and how many more lives will the system claim as he tries?”

When does Squid Game Season 2 come out?

The second season will be on Netflix on December 26.

However, it’s not yet known how many episodes will be featured and if all will be released at the same time. Netflix tend to split up new seasons, usually with two or three episodes coming out on the launch date and then the second batch shortly after.

Although the first season took 12 years to bring to life, the K-Drama took just 12 days to become the streaming service’s most-watched series and most-watched program in 94 countries. More than 142 million member households sat down to watch the drama take place.

Will there be a Season 3 of Squid Game?

Although the second installment isn’t even out yet, Season 3 has already been confirmed by the director.

Season 3 will be the last in the series, with director Hwang Dong-hyuk promising another ‘thrill ride’ to end the show on a high note.

The final season will premiere in 2025.

Image Credit: Netflix

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Once again, video game adaptations are proving lucrative for the streaming industry. Netflix’s Arcane is following in the footsteps of last year’s smash hit The Last of Us from HBO.

It follows the story of sisters Vi and Jinx who find themselves on opposite sides of a war between the cities Piltover and Zaun.

What is Arcane based on?

Arcane is an animated show set in the same universe as the online game League of Legends. The first season premiered in November 2021 and it quickly became popular with League fans and those new to the franchise.

The highly anticipated season two is now being released in three parts. Parts one and two are available to stream on Netflix and the third will be released this Saturday (Nov. 23).

The sacrifices we make for progress.#Arcane Act II streaming now on @netflix. pic.twitter.com/18BfiKv45d

— Arcane (@arcaneshow) November 19, 2024

Season two debuted at number two on the global Netflix charts last week. It racked up more than 6 million views and an impressive watch time of 12 million hours. Arcane is also in the top ten shows on Netflix in 88 countries.

The show has also seriously impressed critics – seasons one and two combined currently have a perfect 100 per cent score on review site Rotten Tomatoes.

Fans will be disappointed to hear then that there are no plans for a third season. Christian Linke, the show’s co-creator explained the decision in an interview with ComicBook:

“We always had a story in mind with a beginning and an end. I think it was really just the character arcs. We knew that there was a specific thing we wanted to do.

“We didn’t necessarily have a specific episode count in mind, but we always knew it would be a finite story. It wasn’t this open-ended concept for a series.”

Netflix also celebrated success over the weekend with its record-breaking stream of the boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. 60 million households tuned in.

Feature image credit: Netflix

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Netflix broke new records over the weekend, as 60 million households tuned in to watch the Jake Paul and Mike Tyson boxing fight.

The streaming provider partnered up with Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions company, with the duo creating the event that was streamed live on Netflix on Friday (November 15).

While many were hoping to see the champion win once more, it was the YouTuber turned boxer, Jake Paul, who was declared the winner by unanimous decision.

The fight consisted of eight two-minute rounds and a record number of viewers were watching. In a Netflix press release, the company says: “60 million households watched the Paul vs. Tyson main event live around the world, peaking at 65 million concurrent streams.”

The hashtag PaulTyson was the number one trending topic worldwide on Elon Musk’s X platform, with the fight dominating the social conversation as it accounted for 11 of the Top 11 trending topics in the US.

Watched by millions, Netflix breaks records with Paul vs Tyson fight

The co-main event featured Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano who fought a bloody 10-round rematch war for the Undisputed Super Lightweight World Championship. Nearly 50 million households globally watched Serrano vs Taylor 2 which could make it the most watched professional women’s sporting event in US history.

Not only did the night bring in huge numbers and a star-studded ringside audience, but Paul vs. Tyson and Taylor vs. Serrano 2 has been declared the biggest boxing gate outside of Las Vegas in US history.

The Paul vs. Tyson gate has surpassed $18 million which is double the previous Texas gate record for combat sports in both boxing and MMA, topping Canelo Álvarez’s record of $9 million.

The event began before Friday for Netflix though as they brought out a documentary called ‘Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson’ just days before the main event began. This offered boxing fans an insight into their training camps and personal lives as they prepared for the heavyweight boxing match.

Its the latest in the company’s push into the sports world. Over the last few years, several sports-related series have been created including Formula One’s ‘Drive to Survive,’ the golf-focused ‘Full Swing,’ and the Tennis-based ‘Break Point.’

Netflix also made the move into live sports streaming at the end of 2023 when it launched ‘The Netflix Cup’ which was a star-studded celebrity golf tournament. In March of 2024, it then did the ‘The Netflix Slam’ event with Carlos Alcaraz.

Featured Image: Via Netflix  (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images for Netflix © 2024)

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Apple TV+ is bringing back one of its biggest hits with the return of Silo for a new season, taking viewers right into the excitement of the new year. The sci-fi series, inspired by Hugh Howey’s dystopian novels, became an instant favorite—especially with Rebecca Ferguson leading the talented cast.

While Apple TV+ has found success with sci-fi dramas, the unique dystopian edge of Silo adds a thrilling dynamic that helps the show stand out. Now, nearly a year and a half after the first season concluded, the next one is finally here.

Here’s what you need to know about Silo season 2.

When is the release date for Silo season 2?

The second season of Silo will premiere on Apple TV+ on November 15, with the first episode available to stream. Although the exact release time hasn’t been confirmed, fans can expect the same number of episodes this season.

Season 2 will delve deeper into Juliette’s journey, featuring numerous flashbacks to her early years growing up in the silo, as well as insights into the second bunker she encounters at the start of the season. These flashbacks promise to reveal more about the intricate world of Silo and its hidden layers.

Apple TV+ has released the first five minutes of the new season on YouTube for fans to watch.

How many episodes are there going to be?

Instead of releasing all episodes at once, Apple TV+ will stick to a weekly schedule for Silo season 2. New episodes will drop every Friday at midnight ET, allowing West Coast viewers to tune in on Thursday nights at 9 p.m. PT. Apple TV+ has sometimes released premieres a bit early, so fans might want to watch for an earlier drop during premiere week.

With a total of 10 episodes, the season finale of season 2 is set for January 17, 2025.

• Episode 1, the Engineer: November 15
• Episode 2: November 22
• Episode 3: November 29
• Episode 4: December 6
• Episode 5: December 13
• Episode 6: December 20
• Episode 7: December 27
• Episode 8: January 3
• Episode 9: January 10
• Episode 10: January 17

How many seasons are there going to be of the Silo?

There’s no official word yet on Silo season 3, but the prospects look promising, given the comments from both the cast and the showrunner about the show’s future.

Ferguson previously hinted that the series is expected to wrap up after Seasons 3 and 4, meaning there’s plenty more action ahead for fans of the Apple TV+ hit. Since the show is based on a trilogy of novels, it’s likely there will be at least three seasons to explore the full story.

Featured image: Apple

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Prime Video has just released a full trailer for its next video game TV series adaptation, centered around a series of RPGs from Sega.

Like a Dragon: Yakuza is based on Rya Ga Gotoku Studio’s hit RPGs, a series made up of 13 main games and spin-off titles. Running since 2005, it follows ex-Yakuza Kazuma Kiryu and his battle to uncover a conspiracy between his former employers, the Tojo Clan, and his best friend.

Lead actor Ryoma Takeuchi, playing Kazuma, shows off his dragon back tattoo from every angle in the trailer but it quickly evolves to showcase various fights, explosions, and tense stand-offs. The show is entirely in Japanese, with subtitles for international audiences.

The series’ story is split across two timelines, 1995 and 2005, following two childhood friends and the impact the Yakuza had on their lives and relationships.

What did Prime Video take from the original games?

This isn’t the first time that Amazon has tried to adapt a video game into a TV show, building on the recent success of Fallout – which is now preparing for its second season. To capture that gaming audience, there are several shared characteristics with the games, including the setting (a fictional distinct of Tokyo called Kamurochō) and recurring fan-favorite character Goro Majima, identifiable through his eye patch and played here by Munetaka Aoki.

That’s ahead of the character getting his very own game, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC in February.

The games are dominated by intense martial arts fights and some humor, especially in the later games. However, Amazon’s adaptation is seemingly leading with the former rather than the latter, taking a more serious tone and skimping on the jokes – at least from the initial look of the trailer.

The TV series will seemingly focus largely on the plot from the games Yakuza and its remake Yakuza Kiwami. It will be available to watch on Prime Video from October 24 worldwide.

Featured image: Prime Video

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The filmmaker known for Titanic, Avatar, and other major Hollywood productions, James Cameron, has joined the board of directors at Stability AI.

The artificial intelligence company best known for its text-to-image model Stable Diffusion will now have a hugely influential name on its side.

“I’ve spent my career seeking out emerging technologies that push the very boundaries of what’s possible, all in the service of telling incredible stories. I was at the forefront of CGI over three decades ago, and I’ve stayed on the cutting edge since,” said James Cameron in a statement.

The director was one of the first to utilize computer-generated visual effects within his films, with the most recent usage being in Avatar: The Way of Water.

Today, our CEO, @premakkaraju, announced that legendary filmmaker, technology innovator, and visual effects pioneer, James Cameron, has joined the Stability AI Board of Directors.

Cameron’s addition represents a significant step forward in our mission to transform visual media.… pic.twitter.com/UCirE4WTUs

— Stability AI (@StabilityAI) September 24, 2024

“…generative AI and CGI” is the next wave says James Cameron

“Now, the intersection of generative AI and CGI image creation is the next wave. The convergence of these two totally different engines of creation will unlock new ways for artists to tell stories in ways we could have never imagined.

“Stability AI is poised to lead this transformation. I’m delighted to collaborate with Sean, Prem, and the Stability AI team as they shape the future of all visual media.”

The Canadian will join other newly appointed board members including co-founder and managing partner of Greycroft Dana Settle and COO and general partner of Coatue Management Colin Bryant. The former President of Facebook, Sean Parker, is also on board and will serve as Executive Chairman.

In the press release sharing the news, the CEO of Stability AI, Prem Akkaraju, describes Cameron as living “in the future.”

“Stability AI’s mission is to transform visual media for the next century by giving creators a full stack AI pipeline to bring their ideas to life.

“We have an unmatched advantage to achieve this goal with a technological and creative visionary like James at the highest levels of our company. This is not only a monumental statement for Stability AI, but the AI industry overall.”

Prior to being the CEO of the AI firm, Akkaraju served as the CEO of the visual effects firm WETA Digital.

Featured Image: Via Gage Skidmore on Flickr

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Lionsgate has signed a deal with AI research company Runway, which will see the tech firm train a new generative AI model on the Hollywood film studio content. The collaboration will also allow the entertainment company to use the model set as it produces future film and TV projects.

While there have been few details regarding the agreement, the companies said in a statement that the new system will be “customized to Lionsgate’s proprietary portfolio of film and television content,” and exclusive to the studio.

Today we are excited to announce that we have entered into a first-of-its-kind partnership with @Lionsgate to bring our next generation of storytelling tools into the hands of the world’s greatest storytellers.

Learn more: https://t.co/0Yg9F1b7Sq

— Runway (@runwayml) September 18, 2024

The studio is known for making movies such as John Wick, and more recently, the game-to-screen adaptation of Borderlands.

Lionsgate Vice Chair Michael Burns said: “Runway is a visionary, best-in-class partner who will help us utilize AI to develop cutting-edge, capital-efficient content creation opportunities.

“Several of our filmmakers are already excited about its potential applications to their pre-production and post-production process.”

He said the movie maker was hoping to use AI for “augmenting, enhancing and supplementing our current operations.”

Runway’s co-founder Cristóbal Valenzuela added: “We’re committed to giving artists, creators and studios the best and most powerful tools to augment their workflows and enable new ways of bringing their stories to life.”

The CEO added: “The history of art is the history of technology and these new models are part of our continuous efforts to build transformative mediums for artistic and creative expression.”

The issue of AI in Hollywood

However, the latest deal may be seen as contentious by some in the industry. This week, ReadWrite reported that California Gavin Newsom signed into law two bills that sought to protect actors and performers against unauthorized AI.

The bills titled AB2702 and AB1836 put protections in place against growing technology, with one requiring consent from actors and performers before a digital replica can be created and used. This includes their voice and likeness and is the first bill of its kind in the United States.

The other provides updated protections to the voice and likeness rights of deceased performers unless consent has already been provided by their estate.

In August, SAG-AFTRA actors union and an AI startup called Narrativ reached a landmark deal that would allow actors to be compensated fairly and retain relative control of their digital voices.

Featured image: Ideogram

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The Last of Us was one of those rare TV shows that scored a rare nine and 90 percent on both IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes. Hence, it comes as no surprise that fans are eagerly awaiting season 2 of the 2023 apocalyptic series, which drew 4.7 million viewers across HBO. It marked the largest debut since House of the Dragon and the biggest since Boardwalk Empire premiered in 2010.

The hit show is based on the 2013 PlayStation game titled the same and depicts a fungal-induced pandemic in the United States, overrun by infected, cannibalistic beings. It was the first HBO series adapted from a video game and is a joint effort between Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, Naughty Dog, the Mighty Mint, and Word Games.

Season 2. pic.twitter.com/YooeHDxaJk

— The Last of Us (@TheLastofUsHBO) August 5, 2024

Neil Druckmann wrote and co-directed the games and even helped with scriptwriting for the first season’s nine episodes. Gustavo Santaolalla, who also scored the games, and David Fleming composed the music for the series.

The game itself has sold over 17 million units as of June 2018. The 2020 sequel, The Last of Us Part II sold about ten million units as of mid-2022. Consequently, gamers and viewers alike have been wondering whether the show would also have a follow-up.

Will The Last of Us have a season 2?

Fortunately for fans, The Last of Us was renewed for a second installment after its creators “defined a genre with their masterful debut season,” said Francesca Orsi, head of HBO Drama Series and Films, in a statement at the beginning of 2024.

She continued: “After pulling off this unforgettable first season, I can’t wait to watch this team outshine themselves again with Season 2.”

What will it be about?

Although “The Last of Us” was renewed for a second season in early 2023, there has been little information about the specific details. However, showrunners Druckmann and Craig Mazin told Hollywood Reporter that it will probably follow the storyline of the second game in the video game series.

If that is the case, both Joel and Ellie, played by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey respectively, will return to our screens, as the second game is set in the aftermath of the first. The season is expected to span seven episodes.

Plans are in place to continue the story into a third season, given that the source material is more expansive than what was covered in the first season.

“The story material that we got from Part II of the game is way more than the story material that was in the first game, so part of what we had to do from the start was figure out how to tell that story across seasons,” Mazin said.

“When you do that, you look for natural breakpoints, and as we laid it out, this season, the natural breakpoint felt like it came after seven episodes.”

Who is in the cast of The Last of Us season 2?

As mentioned, Pascal and Ramsey are back for the new season. A new character called Abby has also been added to the roster and is being played by Dopesick actress Kaitlyn Dever. Abby is said to be a soldier seeking vengeance for a loved one and subsequently has her worldview challenged. Meanwhile, Isabela Merced has been cast as Dina, who is Ellie’s romantic interest.

Ramsey, who identifies as gender fluid, hinted at the plot line during her appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. She said: “I’m really excited, to be honest, for the Ellie/Dina story.”

It was announced that Beef star Young Mazino is joining the cast. He plays Jesse, described as “a pillar of his community who puts everyone else’s needs before his own, sometimes at terrible cost.”

Schitt’s Creek actress Catherine O’Hara will appear in an undisclosed guest role for this season. Max also announced in March 2024 that Danny Ramirez, Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, and Spencer Lord are joining the cast.

Ramirez plays Manny, a soldier with a cheerful demeanor and hidden traumas, while Barer is Mel, a young doctor whose ideals clash with the harsh realities of war.

Gabrielle portrays Nora, a military medic grappling with her past actions, and Lord plays Owen, a kind-hearted warrior. Hunger Games actor Jeffrey Wright joins as Isaac, the leader of a militia group embroiled in a prolonged conflict. Wright also voiced the character in The Last of Us Part II game.

Unfortunately, Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett, who played Bill and Frank, will not be back. The pair were praised for their moving performance in the third episode of season 1.

When is The Last of Us Season 2 expected to be released?

The second installment of the Max drama is expected to launch in 2025. HBO boss Casey Bloys first mentioned this timeline at the end of 2023.

In November, a sizzle reel was released by HBO’s streaming platform Max, which confirmed that release window.

Production kicked off on February 12, 2024, in Canada. In March, Deadline reported that Season 2 will be filmed in Vancouver, similar to that of the video game’s story, which was set in the Pacific Northwest. It was reported this week that production has finally wrapped up, after several months of shooting.

Where can I watch the show?

Season 2 of The Last of Us is expected to premiere on HBO and HBO Max again, and it will be shown on Sky in the U.K.

Featured image: HBO

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The Blade Runner universe is expanding once again, this time on Amazon Prime. Apart from the original 1982 film and the 2017 sequel, there have already been animated and comic book entries. However, the streaming service is now betting big on this sci-fi classic.

Will there be a Blade Runner 2099?

While the sequel wasn’t enough to justify another blockbuster, a live-action series called Blade Runner 2099 is on the way, which may directly address some of the menacing ideas presented in Denis Villeneuve‘s Blade Runner 2049 film. However, this has yet to be confirmed, but we’ll likely see stories linked to mankind’s uncertain future.

Even though the 2049 movie didn’t reach the same heights as Ridley Scott‘s neo-noir classic, the universe has continued to see new additions, including the animation Blade Runner: Black Lotus and a comic book miniseries from Titan Comics. Blade Runner 2039 also emerged in 2022.

What is the plot of Blade Runner 2099?

Exact plot details of the upcoming series are still under wraps, but it’s confirmed that the story will unfold after the events seen in the original Blade Runner and its sequel, Blade Runner 2049. The series will introduce new characters, including a replicant named Olwen, played by Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh, who is nearing the end of her artificially created life. Alongside Olwen is Cora, played by Euphoria’s Hunter Schafer, a woman entangled in the conspiracies of their dystopian world. Rumors are hinting it may have a 10-episode arc.

The Blade Runner universe is rooted in Philip K. Dick’s 1968 novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” and showcases a dystopian version of Los Angeles set in 2019. This world is populated by synthetic humans known as replicants, who are bio-engineered for labor in off-world colonies.

The plot thickens when a group of advanced replicants escapes back to Earth, which forces the deployment of a special police unit called blade runners, tasked with “retiring” these fugitives.

The sequel, set thirty years later, goes even further into this world. Ryan Gosling plays a blade runner, who discovers his lineage ties back to an experimental replicant and a former blade runner, the first film’s protagonist. It takes up the mantle from the original and explores the replicant freedom movement even further.

Where does Blade Runner 2099 take place?

According to Space.com, the series will be set in Los Angeles in the year 2099. Cora, a character who has been on the run her entire life, is described as a “chameleon forced to adopt numerous identities” to protect her brother.

The series is currently being filmed in Prague and has plans to extend shooting to Barcelona. Filming is expected to continue through the end of the year.

Who is in the cast?

As mentioned, Yeoh and Schaefer take center stage. However, they’re expected to be joined by Dimitri Abold and Lewis Gribben as series regulars, as well as Katelyn Rose Downey, Daniel Rigby, Johnny Harris, Amy Lennox, Sheila Atim, and Matthew Needham in recurring guest star roles.

Is there a trailer?

There’s currently no trailer for Blade Runner 2099 — but for those eager to revisit this rain-soaked, neon-tinged future, check back soon. As soon as the footage is available, you’ll find it here.

Who is the director of Blade Runner 2099?

Neither Villeneuve nor Scott will be coming back for this project. However, Scott is serving as executive producer, just as he did for the sequel film Blade Runner 2049.

Speaking to Esquire, Scott said: “I’m one of the producers.

“It’s all set years on. To me, it circles the idea of Aldous Huxley’s ‘Brave New World.’”

Amazon officially ordered the series last September, which is being produced by Alcon Entertainment and Scott Free Productions.

Silka Luisa is credited as the creator, showrunner, and writer, but the show includes several unknown writers.

Shōgun’s Jonathan van Tulleken is directing the currently planned limited series, stepping in for Game of Thrones alumni Jeremy Podeswa, who had to leave due to scheduling conflicts following the WGA and SAG strikes.

When is Blade Runner 2099 expected to be released?

No release date has been announced, but based on the production schedule, the series is expected to premiere on Prime Video by late 2025. Produced by Scott Free Productions, Alcon Television Group, and Amazon MGM Studios, filming began in early May 2024.

While filming was originally set to begin in 2023, production was delayed to April 2024 due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, with official production beginning in June 2024.

Featured image: Warner Bros

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Netflix has dropped a hyper-violent Terminator trailer for the new show appearing on the streaming platform. It’s far more visceral than the world Arnold Schwarzenegger made famous with his signature glasses, shotgun, and leather jacket-clad anti-hero.

“I realized the first minutes of the show have to declare what it is,” creator and executive producer Mattson Tomlin tells Tudum. Tomlin is penning The Batman Part II script, and he also worked on Project Power for Netflix.

This take on the post-apocalyptic robotic future has a stellar cast of voice-acting talent. Including; André Holland, Rosario Dawson, Sonoya Mizuno, Armani Jackson, Ann Dowd Timothy Olyphant, and Carter Rockwood.

Terminator Zero comes to Netflix

The collaboration between Skydance and Japanese animation studio Production I.G looks to be a brutal, gory take on the death of the human world at the hands of sentient robots.

Netflix has released the first six minutes of footage, showing an opening showdown between Justified and The Mandalorian star, Timothy Olyphant as a ruthless Terminator, tracking down his target Eiko. She is voiced by Ex Machina and House of the Dragon’s Sonoya Mizuno.

Tomlin wrote the barebones of the battle of the elusive Eiko and the robotic killer and let Production I.G, known for the legendary anime Ghost in the Shell, do their part.

“They took what I wrote as a jumping-off point, and they just made it so much better,” he says. It was a realization that “all I have to do is do my work, arm [the animators] as much as possible, and then just get the f**k out of their way.”

“The way to do that was to have a sequence that had no dialogue, that was really planting a flag in letting everybody know this is going to be violent, it’s going to be dark, it’s going to be action-driven, it’s going to be horrific, and it’s going to be arresting,” Tomlin concluded.

Judgement Day is looming for Netflix subscribers as the tale of automaton atomic devastation at the hands of Skynet will be coming to viewers from August 29.

Image: Netflix.

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The hit Amazon Prime Video series Fallout is coming back for round two, with executive producer Jonathan Nolan saying fans can expect even more this time around.

The show is based on the popular video game franchise of the same name, with the TV adaptation being well-loved from the very start of its release on April 10, 2024.

It quickly became one of Prime Video’s most-watched titles of all time and even earned a whopping 17 Emmy Award nominations, including the coveted Outstanding Drama Series.

In an interview with The Wrap, Jonathan Nolan teased the second season which will soon begin filming: “We learned an awful lot about the characters and the way they interact and talk with each other [in the first season] and the exciting possibilities for different encounters between characters who maybe haven’t met each other yet.

“But we also figured out how to make all the monsters, and there are more monsters, more environments, more factions that we are currently designing and building right now to begin production quite soon. So we’re really excited.”

“I hadn’t experienced anything like it…” said the Fallout season 2 producer

When asked how it felt to get the vote of confidence from fans, Nolan said even his mom has become a true fan.

“You never make anything planning on it being a giant global hit. I’m a big believer that you have to make the kind of stuff you love and not worry about whether it’s going to find a massive audience, but just try to make the best thing you can, and that’s what [cocreators] Geneva [Robertson-Dworet and] Graham [Wagnerand], myself, Todd [Howard] the rest of the team were trying to do.

“I think we knew how popular the games were, and I knew that as a fan of the games, you never know if that’s going to survive adaptation. But the reason why we wanted to adapt these games is that the games had a tone that was utterly unique. I hadn’t experienced anything like it in games or film or in television.”

Image Credit: Via Entertainment Media on YouTube

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The Acolyte has been canceled after just one season, despite a cliffhanger ending that appeared to be setting up for more.

Deadline has confirmed that Star Wars The Acolyte will only be getting one season, following a first season plagued by review-bombing by dissatisfied fans. Despite cheering crowds greeting an Acolyte panel at D23, it’s now been confirmed that the show will only ever see one season.

That’s despite at least two stones laid in the first season for future stories, with a glimpse of who can only be Darth Plagueis in Qimir’s cave lair and a faceless shot of none other than Yoda himself. It seems clear that The Acolyte was laying the groundwork for future seasons – but that’s not in the cards anymore.

Why is The Acolyte canceled?

Disney’s decision seemingly comes down, as it often does, to poor viewership numbers. While Disney doesn’t publish viewing numbers, Deadline reports that the Star Wars show earned 4.8 million views on its first day, making it the biggest series premiere on Disney+ this year.

This rose to 11.1 million views globally after five days of streaming but it couldn’t keep up its momentum, falling out of Nielsen’s Top 10 originals chart by the third week. Reviews were also unfavorable, particularly from fans dissatisfied with casting choices. The Acolyte scored just 18% for the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, despite scoring 78% on the Rotten Tomatometer.

This perhaps shouldn’t come as a surprise to those following the inner workings of Disney, with CEO Bob Iger stating last year that the entertainment company would be cutting spending on large-scale Marvel and Star Wars titles.

This has seen some major reshuffling of the MCU schedule and could also factor into The Acolyte getting canceled. With a reported budget of around $180 million, Lesyle Headland’s Star Wars show was far from cheap.

Disney+ has been making various pushes to earn more, from enforcing anti-password-sharing measures to teaming up with competitors like Warner Bros.

Featured image: Disney+

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Production on the second season of HBO’s The Last of Us has wrapped, after several months of shooting.

The Last of Us cast and crew have been shooting the second season of the HBO show throughout 2024, moving across various locations in Canada. Now, the editor of the show Timothy Good has officially confirmed that the show has finished production – meaning his and the rest of the post-production team’s work has only just begun.

Wrapped! Congratulations to the incredible production crew of #TheLastOfUs season 2. We will bring your hard work home now! #editing #postproduction #TLOU @HBO @StreamOnMax pic.twitter.com/3wZZaBnapE

— Timothy Good, ACE BFE (@timothygood) August 19, 2024

Good’s photos in his X post showcased a wrap party held to celebrate the close of shooting on the second season of the show, complete with an LED-lit DJ.

When will The Last of Us season 2 be released?

While we know that The Last of Us season 2 has finished production, there’s no word yet on a specific release date. HBO has confirmed that it will be coming out in 2025 but nothing further than that. Judging from typical production patterns, a release in the first half of 2025 seems possible.

A full trailer for season 2 has already been released, as well as a teaser trailer, bringing us back to Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie. It also introduces us to new characters, including Catherine O’Hara in an unknown role and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac (who he voiced in the video game).

The trailer for The Last of Us season 2 highlights that the second season will follow the fallout from Joel’s decision to save Ellie at the end of season 1, potentially dooming the rest of humanity by taking away hopes for the cure. The voiceover shows Joel and his brother Tommy (played by Gabriel Luna in the HBO show) debating Joel’s choice, with Tommy asking him what he has done.

In suitably dramatic Joel style, he replies with only: “I saved her.”

It’s been speculated that the second season of The Last of Us will split the plot of the second game in half. Those who’ve played the game can perhaps guess what inciting event would make a good season finale, although we won’t say more here to avoid spoilers…

Featured image: HBO

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The next idea for a video game movie is so off-the-grid even I forgot the game that it’s based on ever existed. But Skydance, the production company behind 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, as well as a slew of G.I. Joe and Transformers flicks, is going forward with an adaptation of Sega’s Eternal Champions, a 1993 fighting game for the Sega Genesis.

If you’re scratching your head wondering what the heck Eternal Champions is, you are not alone, and I was 20 years old when the game published. If Capcom’s Street Fighter is the sun, and Mortal Kombat is Earth’s orbit, with Tekken either Mars or Jupiter, Eternal Champions is somewhere in the Oort Cloud of obscure fighting games arising from the early-1990s craze of cheap Kombat ripoffs.

The game had one sequel, coming in 1995 for the Sega CD; it didn’t sell well either, but that’s because the Sega CD was a flop of an idea for which nothing sold well. Eternal Champions also had controller shenanigans going on — you either had to pony up for a six-button Genesis controller, or use the start button to toggle a three-button controller between punches and kicks.

Additionally, Eternal Champions launched about a month after the arrival of the execrable Sega Activator, an early (and futile) stab at motion-controlled gaming. I’m sure that’s jogging your memory now. The Activator was an $80 bundle of sticks that you laid out in a hexagon on your floor. Punches, or kicks (or any body part) crossing one of the eight panels would be translated into a move on the screen — after the CPU rained about 12 hits on your noggin meantime. Think of the NES Power Glove, except with zero of the affection or ironic humor.

So yeah, someone in Hollywood looked at all this and said, “There’s a story in there.” This comes after Borderlands, a triple-A console game millions have actually heard of and still play, is destined to end up a money-loser for its producers, director Eli Roth, and Lionsgate Films.

Assuming Eternal Champions even has a story, who is writing it?

The Hollywood Reporter reported Friday that Skydance had tapped Jurassic World writer Derek Connolly to pen the Eternal Champions screenplay. Such that it had a story, Eternal Champions drew its roster from human history, choosing individuals who were destined for greatness but died before reaching it.

This group of woulda-beens are forced together in a tournament to the death, with the winner getting their life back and the losers sent back in time to the moments just before they croaked. The eclectic roster was probably Eternal Champions’ only point of praise, as it involved a cast as wide-ranging as a cat burglar from the 1920s, a caveman hunter from 50,000 BC, a bounty hunter from the future, and a Vietnam War veteran who turned into a vampire.

Connolly worked with Colin Trevorrow on the critically and commercially successful reboot of the Jurassic Park franchise with 2015’s Jurassic World, and two sequels in 2018 (Fallen Kingdom) and 2022 (Dominion). He’s currently involved in an untitled Transformers/G.I. Joe crossover movie for Paramount.

Featured image via Sega and YouTube.

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The Borderlands movie is epically awful, and not in a fun, ironic way, either. Critics have dumped all over it, and even audience metascores, which are generally more forgiving, don’t find much to like either. Other than that, Mr. Strauss Zelnick, how was the movie?

“Let’s give the film a chance,” Zelnick, the chief executive of Take-Two Interactive, told IGN. Take-Two is the owner of the Borderlands IP and parent company of its creator, Gearbox Software. And props to IGN for asking Zelnick the question on Thursday, before Zelnick faced investors on matters more consequential.

Zelnick, after praising the effort from an “amazing” cast working on a “phenomenal” intellectual property said, “So, let’s see what audiences have to say.” Presumably, he means the box office figures, which won’t be known until this weekend.

But if he wants to know what some of the user reviews really are saying, over at Rotten Tomatoes we’ve got:

• “The film is just a Flea-Market ripoff of “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
• “An absolute disgrace to the game lore. Ruins the opportunity for other games to get a movie/show. None of the producers or actors know anything about the game.
• “Straight money grabber, the cast was clearly not right, and it did not capture the real magic from the borderlands video game.”

And at Metacritic:

• “Never before have I been to a packed theater that was dead silent the entire time outside of the occasional groan. Nobody thought this was funny.”
• “Absolute trash. Going to go down as one of the worst video game adaptations ever.”
• “Terrible casting, poor writing, rushed, and unfunny would be an understatement for this film.”

None of that really matters, at least to Take-Two. Lionsgate and the picture’s producers are the ones on the hook if this flops commercially. “To answer your question, no,” Zelnick said to IGN, “the performance of the film wouldn’t have a financial impact on us or on the franchise one way or the other.”

Except, one hopes, not to license it or any other original IP out for a film adaptation again until all living memory of this one has passed. That’s the lesson Nintendo learned from 1993’s execrable Super Mario Bros., and it took almost 30 years for that franchise to see the big screen again.

On the upside, Borderlands’ critic score at Rotten Tomatoes continues to trend up, considering it started at 0%, hit 3% late yesterday, and is now at 6%. Can it break 10%?

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Well, the Borderlands movie sure landed with a splat: Zero percent on Rotten Tomatoes to start the day Thursday.

The figure has since “improved” to 3%, now that the movie review aggregation site found one (1) critic willing to speak a word of charity for the otherwise ill-conceived adaptation of Gearbox Software’s loot-shooter franchise. But that review, from Beyond the Trailer, was more about Cate Blanchett, whose performance most other reviews praised even as they ripped the rest of the picture.

At any rate, it was a nice lull, thinking that video game adaptations had finally shed their past as buck-grabbing cringefests that comprised 10 times as much marketing as story. In 2018, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s adaptation of Rampage stunned the world with a 51% score on the Tomatometer, the first video game movie to get a majority of critics to say it was good.

Then, in 2019, Pokemon Detective Pikachu hit a whopping 68% on Rotten Tomatoes. 2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog was a very pleasant surprise at 64%, and its sequel tied Detective Pikachu’s 68% two years later, validating more than just fans of the Blue Blur.

Unfortunately, the genre backslid with Tom Holland in Uncharted the same year (only 40% “fresh”) but the trend looked good, and with The Last of Us and Fallout getting raves from the prestige-TV crowd, it felt like we were done with the days when a video game as a movie was implicitly schlock.

Are video game movies getting better, or worse?

Looks like we might be back to square one, if the subject is AAA tentpole games on a console, anyway. Remember, in 2016, Assassin’s Creed had Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, and Jeremy Irons — that’s five Oscar nominations and two wins among the three — and pooed the bed with an 18% rating on the ol’ Tomatometer. Then came Uncharted, and now this bomb.

Most of the reviews say Borderlands doesn’t even rise to the level of a popcorn flick — which is something that isn’t supposed to be a critic’s choice, but is at least a crowd-pleaser with some laughs and heavy action.

So the real verdict will be in the opening weekend gate, which will be counted on Sunday. Borderlands’ budget is estimated to be $100 million. It’ll probably need to make two or three times that to be considered a success by its own distributor.

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Apple has confirmed that 2023’s hit Silo is getting a second series before the end of the year. The show is a science fiction dystopia and is based on a trilogy of sci-fi novels named Wool, Shift, and Dust by author Hugh Howey.

The show features a massive underground bunker, the Silo, which descends hundreds of stories underground and houses over 10,000 people. There are regulations designed to keep people safe from the deadly wasteland that is on the surface, but people are starting to ask questions and even attempt to leave the Silo.

“In the event of a failed cleaning, prepare for war.” — The Order

Silo Season 2 arrives November 15 on Apple TV+ #JulietteLives #Silo pic.twitter.com/uDqxqAM5ve

— Apple TV (@AppleTV) July 27, 2024

During a Silo panel at San Diego Comic-Con last weekend Apple confirmed that the series is definitely coming back for season 2 – and it would be much sooner than fans expected. While many thought they would be waiting until 2025 to see the next installment, Apple has confirmed it will be this year – November 15 to be precise.

While there hasn’t been any official confirmation from AppleTV that there will be seasons beyond the second, actor Rebecca Furguson has hinted that there are plans afoot for a third and fourth season in an interview with Collider.

I believe that the show has an ending, and I know when that is. So that’s the answer. You will find out when the show is done. To be honest, I don’t think it’s a secret. The books are the books. It’s three books, and the three books are divided into four seasons. So I believe, unless any Apple person is gonna jump on, I think we’re absolutely fine with saying Season 1, we’ve done. Season 2 is shot and coming out, and we’re now looking at green-lighting Seasons 3 and 4. And I think we would film them maybe together, and that would be the end.”

AppleTV then proceeded to drop some promotional material over on X, with a fifteen-second teaser. “‘In the event of a failed cleaning, prepare for war.’ — The Order” said the post, alongside a particular hashtag that has fans excited: “#JulietteLives”, confirming the return of Ferguson as engineer Juliette Nichols.

Fans of the series are extremely excited for Silo season 2

The response to the news that the next season of Silo is coming this year has been almost entirely positive, with fans taking to X to express their excitement.

“Nice! This show is great and can’t get enough of Rebecca Ferguson,” said one user on X. “Let’s gooooooooo! Some of the best TV right now. Absolutely hyped!” added another. A third added in a repost, “I watched #Silo earlier this year and it blew me away. Season 2 cannot arrive soon enough.”

Featured image credit: AppleTV

An earlier version of this article stated the sci-fi novels Wool, Shift, and Dust were written by Graham Yost. This was incorrect, they were written by Hugh Howey. We apologize for our error. 

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HBO has released a 24-second teaser for The Last of Us season 2, which will continue to tell the story of Ellie and Joel, along with adding some new characters to the post-apocalyptic struggle.

The trailer includes a lot of frantic action and many shots of familiar faces as well as new ones. The one that had fans most excited was a very brief clip showing Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby, a character who was introduced in The Last of Us Part 2.

The shot, which is at 0:18 seconds in and lasts for less than a second, shows Abby in the snow, under a fence that has been weighed down by a horde of infected who are chasing her.

Fans of The Last of Us video games will recognize this particular scene because it leads to the events that are the catalyst for the whole game. We won’t spoil it here but you can read our plot rundown of The Last of Us Part 2 if you simply can’t wait for the show.

Fans are extremely excited for The Last of Us season 2

Even though there is no current release date announced for the second season of the popular video game adaptation, this short teaser has people hyped.

“Body is fully ready. Let’s go!” said one user on X in response to the trailer. One user reposted the trailer with a meme from The Office in which Michael Scott says “No question about it. I am ready to get hurt again.”

One post on X was by Michael Barclay, a Lead Designer at Naughty Dog, the studio behind the hit games. “Season 1 was wild to see TLOU come to life, but Season 2 is gonna hit differently for me.”

Season 1 was wild to see TLOU come to life, but Season 2 is gonna hit differently for me. I cannae wait to see what it’s gonna be like and especially what the sets and locations will look like
https://t.co/oxV8BzQvto

— Michael Barclay (@MotleyGrue) August 5, 2024

Pete Ellis, a former game designer at the studio also posted his excitement, saying “Ah this gave me goosebumps watching it! I can’t wait to see how they turn the game of #TheLastofUsPartII into TV; I’m eager to see if any parts of the game I worked on get used in an episode – that would be unreal!”

Featured image credit: Naughty Dog

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