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Sunday, March 31, 2013

WonderCon 2013: Arrow's First Season Is Going To End With a Bang

Arrow was the highest rated premiere on The CW since The Vampire Diaries, and its popularity has continued over the course of the first season, leading to an early renewal for Season 2. Producer Marc Guggenheim was joined by cast members Stephen Amell (Oliver Queen), Willa Holland (Thea Queen), Colin Donnell (Tommy Merlyn), and Paul Blackthorne (Quentin Lance) at WonderCon today to tease what's ahead as the season finale inches closer.

Though the finale isn't written yet, Guggenheim promises it's going to deliver. The Undertaking is where they're headed, and they've been saving resources for these last few episodes. “We've been basically setting aside money for the last several episodes to put towards the last two episodes of the season.” All the things they've been hinting at in terms of what the Undertaking is and all the stuff happening on the island will come to a head, and they've earmarked the money to do it justice.

In episode 21, they'll flash back to the past before the island. Guggenheim said, “We'll flash back to the days before the ill-fated boat trip. In those flashbacks, Colin Salmon will come back to reprise his role as Walter in days past.” Amell assured the crowd questions would be answered in the remaining hours. “There are no loose ends in the season, everything that happens eventually comes back home. Even the little things.”

Viewers can also expect Deadshot to come back in a very big way, and Guggenheim teased another return for the finale: “For those people who have been waiting for rematch of lifetime between Arrow and the dark archer from episode nine ["Year's End"], your wishes are going to be granted in ways you can't expect.”

Thea will apparently have a character defining moment in the season finale that Holland seemed excited about. She keeps asking for a bow and arrow for her character. Guggenheim pointed out how in the first nine episodes Thea was sort of all about Oliver; that's changed though. “She was two dimensional, and we've made an effort to make her into her own character and not just servicing Oliver.” He wouldn't reveal when or if she discovers Oliver's secret or whether Thea or Roy is Speedy.

Change is coming for Oliver, too. He's walking a line between doling out his form of punishment and becoming a serial killer. Felicity Smoak recently called him out on it. “We're coming to a point where Oliver is so hellbent about the list his father gave him and that is creating a lot of collateral damage. But, the list isn't going to be around forever and one of the things we're driving towards is Oliver doing things for a more virtuous reason than just revenge,” stated Guggenheim.

They are always trying to stay true to Green Arrow from the comics. Guggenheim said, “The Arrow has a long history of comics of being the voice of the underdogs. We're always honoring that.” They look all over the DC Universe for inspiration and though they have certain “jaw-dropping” moments plotted for certain points, the rest of it just depends on how fast the stories move. They've always had a five year plan for the island flashbacks, but Shado appeared a little sooner than they'd planned.

Rest assured they're keeping track of everything. Guggenheim teased their "boards have boards." They're tracking every piece of the series from the mythology to the character relationships and dynamics to even having a wish list of stuff they'd like to work in when it fits the plot. They have plenty of stories to tell in this universe.

Arrow airs Wednesdays at 8pm on The CW.

Amy Ratcliffe is a writer for IGN TV. You can follow her on on Twitter at @Amy_Geek and IGN at  alratcliffe.


Source : ign[dot]com

WonderCon 2013: Arrow's First Season Is Going To End With a Bang

Arrow was the highest rated premiere on The CW since The Vampire Diaries, and its popularity has continued over the course of the first season, leading to an early renewal for Season 2. Producer Marc Guggenheim was joined by cast members Stephen Amell (Oliver Queen), Willa Holland (Thea Queen), Colin Donnell (Tommy Merlyn), and Paul Blackthorne (Quentin Lance) at WonderCon today to tease what's ahead as the season finale inches closer.

Though the finale isn't written yet, Guggenheim promises it's going to deliver. The Undertaking is where they're headed, and they've been saving resources for these last few episodes. “We've been basically setting aside money for the last several episodes to put towards the last two episodes of the season.” All the things they've been hinting at in terms of what the Undertaking is and all the stuff happening on the island will come to a head, and they've earmarked the money to do it justice.

In episode 21, they'll flash back to the past before the island. Guggenheim said, “We'll flash back to the days before the ill-fated boat trip. In those flashbacks, Colin Salmon will come back to reprise his role as Walter in days past.” Amell assured the crowd questions would be answered in the remaining hours. “There are no loose ends in the season, everything that happens eventually comes back home. Even the little things.”

Viewers can also expect Deadshot to come back in a very big way, and Guggenheim teased another return for the finale: “For those people who have been waiting for rematch of lifetime between Arrow and the dark archer from episode nine ["Year's End"], your wishes are going to be granted in ways you can't expect.”

Thea will apparently have a character defining moment in the season finale that Holland seemed excited about. She keeps asking for a bow and arrow for her character. Guggenheim pointed out how in the first nine episodes Thea was sort of all about Oliver; that's changed though. “She was two dimensional, and we've made an effort to make her into her own character and not just servicing Oliver.” He wouldn't reveal when or if she discovers Oliver's secret or whether Thea or Roy is Speedy.

Change is coming for Oliver, too. He's walking a line between doling out his form of punishment and becoming a serial killer. Felicity Smoak recently called him out on it. “We're coming to a point where Oliver is so hellbent about the list his father gave him and that is creating a lot of collateral damage. But, the list isn't going to be around forever and one of the things we're driving towards is Oliver doing things for a more virtuous reason than just revenge,” stated Guggenheim.

They are always trying to stay true to Green Arrow from the comics. Guggenheim said, “The Arrow has a long history of comics of being the voice of the underdogs. We're always honoring that.” They look all over the DC Universe for inspiration and though they have certain “jaw-dropping” moments plotted for certain points, the rest of it just depends on how fast the stories move. They've always had a five year plan for the island flashbacks, but Shado appeared a little sooner than they'd planned.

Rest assured they're keeping track of everything. Guggenheim teased their "boards have boards." They're tracking every piece of the series from the mythology to the character relationships and dynamics to even having a wish list of stuff they'd like to work in when it fits the plot. They have plenty of stories to tell in this universe.

Arrow airs Wednesdays at 8pm on The CW.

Amy Ratcliffe is a writer for IGN TV. You can follow her on on Twitter at @Amy_Geek and IGN at  alratcliffe.


Source : ign[dot]com

WonderCon 2013: Arrow's First Season Is Going To End With a Bang

Arrow was the highest rated premiere on The CW since The Vampire Diaries, and its popularity has continued over the course of the first season, leading to an early renewal for Season 2. Producer Marc Guggenheim was joined by cast members Stephen Amnell (Oliver Queen), Willa Holland (Thea Queen), Colin Donnell (Tommy Merlyn), and Paul Blackthorne (Quentin Lance) at WonderCon today to tease what's ahead as the season finale inches closer.

Though the finale isn't written yet, Guggenheim promises it's going to deliver. The Undertaking is where they're headed, and they've been saving resources for these last few episodes. “We've been basically setting aside money for the last several episodes to put towards the last two episodes of the season.” All the things they've been hinting at in terms of what the Undertaking is and all the stuff happening on the island will come to a head, and they've earmarked the money to do it justice.

In episode 21, they'll flash back to the past before the island. Guggenheim said, “We'll flash back to the days before the ill-fated boat trip. In those flashbacks, Colin Salmon will come back to reprise his role as Walter in days past.” Amnell assured the crowd questions would be answered in the remaining hours. “There are no loose ends in the season, everything that happens eventually comes back home. Even the little things.”

Viewers can also expect Deadshot to come back in a very big way, and Guggenheim teased another return for the finale: “For those people who have been waiting for rematch of lifetime between Arrow and the dark archer from episode nine ["Year's End"], your wishes are going to be granted in ways you can't expect.”

Thea will apparently have a character defining moment in the season finale that Holland seemed excited about. She keeps asking for a bow and arrow for her character. Guggenheim pointed out how in the first nine episodes Thea was sort of all about Oliver; that's changed though. “She was two dimensional, and we've made an effort to make her into her own character and not just servicing Oliver.” He wouldn't reveal when or if she discovers Oliver's secret or whether Thea or Roy is Speedy.

Change is coming for Oliver, too. He's walking a line between doling out his form of punishment and becoming a serial killer. Felicity Smoak recently called him out on it. “We're coming to a point where Oliver is so hellbent about the list his father gave him and that is creating a lot of collateral damage. But, the list isn't going to be around forever and one of the things we're driving towards is Oliver doing things for a more virtuous reason than just revenge,” stated Guggenheim.

They are always trying to stay true to Green Arrow from the comics. Guggenheim said, “The Arrow has a long history of comics of being the voice of the underdogs. We're always honoring that.” They look all over the DC Universe for inspiration and though they have certain “jaw-dropping” moments plotted for certain points, the rest of it just depends on how fast the stories move. They've always had a five year plan for the island flashbacks, but Shado appeared a little sooner than they'd planned.

Rest assured they're keeping track of everything. Guggenheim teased their "boards have boards." They're tracking every piece of the series from the mythology to the character relationships and dynamics to even having a wish list of stuff they'd like to work in when it fits the plot. They have plenty of stories to tell in this universe.

Arrow airs Wednesdays at 8pm on The CW.

Amy Ratcliffe is a writer for IGN TV. You can follow her on on Twitter at @Amy_Geek and IGN at  alratcliffe.


Source : ign[dot]com

The Walking Dead: "Welcome to the Tombs" Review

Hey, there's no review in this review!

Unlike most of the episodes this season, AMC did not send The Walking Dead season finale out early to press. That being the case, with the episode having just ended as I post this, I'm currently writing my review and it will be up later tonight at this same url.

In the meantime, we figured you'd be itching to discuss what occurred as Rick and the Governor's conflict came to a head, so let us know your thoughts in the comments!


Source : ign[dot]com

WonderCon: The Cast of Vikings Discuss the Hit Show and its Future

A loud and excited crowd gathered in the early hours of WonderCon to listen to the cast of History's Vikings dish the goods on the new hit series. As the cast took the stage, they were met with thunderous applause from the pack room. Audience members also took to calling out the names of the shows characters as each actor was introduced.

"We knew the subject matter; it was the right subject matter for us," Dirk Hoogstran said of the cable channel's decision to tackle Vikings as its first scripted show. Apparently, every time the channel would air a special or documentary on Vikings, there would be a significant ratings spike. This made the decision to greenlight the series an easy one. Hoogstra also told the audience that selecting the cast was an easy process, since most of the actors seemed to be natural fits for their respective roles.

"The scripts were so good and I'm a kid at heart and I wanted to run around with an axe and not get a haircut," Travis Fimmel said. The cast stressed the great characters really drew and writing made joining the show an easy sell. Fimmel made sure to point out that his fellow cast members made the job easy, since they had quickly become friends and family.

For the show, The History Channel paid extra close attention to historical details. Two replica Viking ship were built, one of which is actually sea worthy. The cast rowed and manned the ship themselves in order to maintain a true to the era feel. "It really put in you in the time and place," Fimmel said of the experience.

The costume designers tried to make the cast as comfortable as possible, but historical accuracies always took precedent over the comfort level of the actors. "They did a fantastic job, it felt authentic. You felt that this is what you would have worn," Katheryn Winnick said.

The discussion then moved to the future of Vikings and what fans can expect as the series progressed.

"You can feel a lot of tension. My character, nothing is ever enough, so he's gonna keep raiding for sure. He gets in some bad environments and maybe bits off more than he can chew," Fimmel said, teasing about upcoming episodes. The cast did the usual song and dance when asked about where the season was going, carefully avoiding spoilers or details of any sort.

"What I will say, is that it's such a gift to be given such a character. It's a massive arc, to be able to play a character that goes through so many changes is just a really good time," George Blayden said.

"What I can say right now is that we are thrilled with the performance of the show right now," Dirk Hoogstra said when asked if there more seasons of the show in the works. The cast laughed and pointed out that Hoogstra had not answered the question at all. "It's called an artful PR dodge," he laughed.

While no one on the panel could confirm that Vikings would be renewed for more seasons, Hoogstra was quick to point out, "This is my favorite show. I'm over lots of projects at History, and this is my favorite one."

"Look at him, he's nodding!" Fimmel laughed, which lead to loud cheers and applause from the audience. The cast then urged the crowd to watch the show and to tell their friends and family about the show. "We wanna do more," Fimmel said.

The crowd was then shown a teaser episode 5, which featured tons of bloody, violent action which was again met with a huge response.

Benjamin is a writer and storyteller. He owns many leather-bound books and his office smells of rich mahogany. He also thinks the dudes from Vikings are pretty good looking dudes. Follow Benjamin on Twitter @616Earth, or find him on IGN.


Source : ign[dot]com

WonderCon: Netflix Prepares to Unleash Hemlock Grove

The cast and producers of Netflix's Hemlock Grove were on hand at WonderCon to give an excited crowd the inside scoop on the upcoming horror-thriller and things got bloody and fun by the panel's end. Things got started with a discussion about why it took producer Eli Roth so long to jump into the world of television.

"I can't just kill everybody every week," executive producer Eli Roth said. He stressed that networks had been asking for him to create a television series. "As the medium evolved, shows like Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire and Waling Dead changed the rules and suddenly horror became a real possibility."

"We've been talking about this as a TV series since grad school and he was working on the first draft," executive producer said of Brain McGreevy's novel. "The problem was the expansion of the story, so there'll be lots of surprises for fans of the novel. One really, really big surprise."

The cast, which includes Famke Janssen, Dougray Scott, Bill Skarsgård, Landon Liboiron, Penelope Mitchell, Freya Tingley, Aaron Douglas and Kandyse McClure told the audience that the story is built on the characters who populate the town.

"When things start spiraling out of control in his sleepy little town, he's a man that's attempting to hold onto a thousand strings at once. And he's also trying to raise two young daughters," said Battlestar Galatica alum Aaron Douglas of his small-town sheriff character.

The cast then took turns describing their characters and how they fit into the small community of Hemlock Grove. The story, which revolves around murder, deception and werewolves, involves a complex narrative web that quickly intertwines all the characters. Like any good small-town focuses story, nearly all the characters have secrets they wish to keep buried, so to speak.

"The story and the characters all have an incredibly interesting arc and that's what makes the show and the novel so great. It makes for incredible television," said Dougray Scott of the appeal of the show. Repeatedly, the format of the show was referred to as one that is open to "binge watching" by several of the panel attendees. All 13 episodes will be available on the first day of release, and the panel laughed saying that the future of television was marathon viewing shows rather than waiting from week to week.

The producers than stressed how great the experience of working with Netflix was. Hemlock Grove was approached as a 13-hour movie without boundaries such as content and language like one would find on regular, network shows. The cast did receive the scripts on a weekly basis, despite the bulk of them being ready early on.

"The experience was very similar to film any other show, other than the Netflix doesn't restrict anything. Length, structure, all of it was very open," said Aaron Douglas. He pointed out that, compared to other networks, Netflix was very hands off.

"It's not that traditional kind of television making," Famke Janssen chimed in.

"I feel very blessed, how could I not feel very blessed," Brian McGreevy said of seeing his novel come to life as a series. He noted that it was very surreal seeing a story that had existed solely inside his head for so long.

Eli Roth told the crowd that he wanted to ground the supernatural horror of the series, especially when it came to the werewolf and its transformation. "I wanted it to be violent and like a birth. I wanted every teenager who saw Twilight with a shirtless boy walking behind a tree and coming out a werewolf to be horrified now imagining what happened behind that tree. It needed to be visceral."

The audience was then treated to a scene of bloody and graphic werewolf transformation  -- as seen below -- which featured tearing skin, lots of blood and eyes literally popping out of heads. The scene closed with a scene of the wolf beginning to eat its own, discarded flesh.

"We really wanted the wolf to be born and then eat its own placenta," Roth laughed. "We approached it, like, a person with epilepsy. It's painful and violent. It's a natural thing, but a horrific one."

"It's like a home birth, a sick gorgeous thing," said producer Lee Shipman.

"It was very important to understand that Roman was not horrified by this, he thought it was something so special," Landon Liboiron said of his character, who was featured in the scene watching the werewolf transformation.

"If you thought that was horrific, you should see when he turns back into a human," Bill Skarsgård laughed.

Hemlock Grove is set to launch April 19th on Netflix.

Benjamin is a writer and storyteller. He owns many leather-bound books and his office smells of rich mahogany. Follow Benjamin on Twitter @616Earth, or find him on IGN.


Source : ign[dot]com

G.I. Joe: Retaliation Debuts Atop the Box Office

The Joes were back in full force at the weekend box office, with G.I. Joe: Retaliation debuting with an estimated $132 million worldwide. Domestically, it finished in first place with $41.2 million, the second largest March opening on record. The sequel/reboot has made a total of $51.7 million at home including Thursday screenings.

Proving it's no Twilight, the big screen adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's The Host bowed with a mediocre sixth place opening of $11 million. Meanwhile, Tyler Perry's Temptation finished strongly in third place.

Here are the weekend box office estimates via Rentrak:

  1. G.I. Joe: Retaliation $41.2 million
  2. The Croods $26.5 million
  3. Tyler Perry's Temptation $22.3 million
  4. Olympus Has Fallen $14 million
  5. Oz the Great and Powerful $11.6 million
  6. The Host $11 million
  7. The Call $4.8 million
  8. Admission $3.3 million
  9. Spring Breakers $2.8 million
  10. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone $1.3 million

Listen to the Keepin' It Reel podcast to find out how we fared with our predictions!


Source : ign[dot]com

True Blood Season 6 Teaser: Bloodshed, Mayhem and Bill

Season 5 of HBO's wildly popular vampire series True Blood was leading towards a war that never fully took shape. The Season 6 trailer seems to be promising that that war will now play out. Take a look below and let us know what you think. Are you excited for this upcoming season or hoping that the phrase "the beginning of the end" is referring to the series at large?


Source : ign[dot]com

WonderCon: First Footage Shown from Under the Dome

At WonderCon Saturday, the first footage was shown from Under the Dome, CBS’s upcoming new series based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name. The show is only a month into production so they had no final footage ready, but they did show a reel that incorporated interviews with King and showrunner Brian K. Vaughan (repurposed from a video shown to press in January) with dailies from production - so it's possible these may not be the final takes used, in some cases.

Even in such an early form, the footage looked very cool – showing immediate effects of what happens when an invisible dome suddenly covers an entire town, including a girl collapsing to the ground, a truck smashing into seemingly nothing and, most grisly of all, a bloody, severed arm falling to the ground in front of people’s eyes – just one result of a plane flying into the dome. Natalie Martinez’s Linda is seen looking in confusion at the press gathered on the other side of the dome, who she can’t hear.

We see the first signs of the power wielded by James “Big Jim” Rennie (Breaking Bad’s Dean Norris) as he tells the local sheriff, played by Lost’s Jeff Fahey, “Councilmen have the ability to authorize additional police officers.” When the sheriff asks, “Are you threatening me?”, Jim replies, “No, just reminding you of the lay of the land.”

There were also ominous scenes of Angie (Life Unexpected and The Secret Circle’s Britt Robertson) trapped in some sort of bunker by a guy who seems to have gone off the rails. When she asks, “Have you lost your mind?” he replies, “I’m the only person who understand what’s going on here.”

During the panel that followed, executive producer Neal Baer said Under the Dome will show this town in a situation that will display “What they’re really made of. People’s good hearts and evil hearts may come out.”

Vaughan -- creator of Y the Last Man and Ex Machina and a former Lost writer -- said he was a big fan of King’s work, and his ability to deal with big themes without feeling like he was being too blunt, saying they wanted to make “a super fun, pulpy show with these great characters you care about.”

Baer agreed saying the show would deal with some basic questions like, “Can the sun shine through the dome? Can it rain in the show?”, noting that is somewhat touching upon a theme like climate change, but in a very genre-fueled manner. “We can tackle issues without being preachy.”

He added the characters would face some very basic questions to answer. “What happens when you run out of Tide Soap? Do you really need a banker [in this situation]? Farmers, maybe you do…”

Norris chuckled, “One thing you definitely need is a bad guy!,” elaborating that, “The dome allows certain types of people, Big Jim being one of them, the opportunity to become a bit of a dictator – to exercise their power, because they are cut off from anyone who would check that power.”

Stephen King on the set of Under the Dome

Vaughan and the writers had spoken with King frequently, who’d encouraged them to feel free to make changes from his book and King had also sat in with them for a day to discuss the series. Vaughan said King has been, “Super hands on and really supportive of things we changed from the book that I thought he'd stab me for.” Vaughan said they’d also love to have King write an episode, in the manner Elmore Leonard has written for Justified and George R.R. Martin for Game of Thrones.

Under the Dome will air over thirteen weeks this summer, but Baer stressed it is not intended as a miniseries and they hope to continue for more seasons. As noted, for CBS, it’s “the first launch of this kind of series,” which is more serialized than most of their shows and obviously is not airing during the traditional September to May TV season. Everyone felt the simple question was, “Why can’t you see them during June, July and August?”

Vaughan noted they have an overall plan and “We know ideally exactly how this series would end” down the line. He stressed tough that, as with every TV series, they’d need, “the freedom to change some things along the way,” noting actor availability or casting a guest star who pops and you want to do more with are just some of the things that can occur.

Added Vaughan, “We have a road map, but with the freedom to take side trips that are fun.” As for his idea for the final episode, he said it is not the same as the ending of the book, but he’s spoken to King about it, who endorses the idea.

Director Jack Bender, best known as an executive producer and the most frequent director on Lost, said that what drew him to Under the Dome was, “When I read this script I had same reaction after the Lost pilot - I wanted to spend time with these characters.” Asked how the show will differentiate itself from other post-apocalyptic stories like the Walking Dead, Bender stressed that Under the Dome is not post-apocalyptic, in that the rest of the world is functioning normally while this bizarre scenario is happening to this one town.

Bender remarked that he felt that we were seeing so many “What if the worst happens?” stories now because “the s**t storm” is always on the news these days and it’s how we live now.

Vaughan has the unique distinction of executive producing and showrunner a series based on a book that he himself is mentioned in. In the novel, the character Scarecrow Joe is mentioned as being a fan of “the graphic novels of Brian K Vaughan.” Said Vaughan, “It is totally surreal to be mentioned in a book to standing under the actual dome talking to Joe about that moment.” He joked that he wanted to tell the actor, “In the TV show, your character hates Brian K. Vaughan comics!”

An audience member asked if Under the Dome might have references to other King stories, much like King’s novels do to one another. Vaughan said there would be, causing actress Rachelle Lefevre, who plays Julia, to turn to him and say, “Please don't send us Pennywise, I beg you!”

Under the Dome premieres Monday, June 24 on CBS.

Eric Goldman is Executive Editor of IGN TV. You can follow him on Twitter at @EricIGN, IGN at ericgoldman-ign and Facebook at Facebook.com/TheEricGoldman.


Source : ign[dot]com

WonderCon: First Footage Shown from Under the Dome

At WonderCon Saturday, the first footage was shown from Under the Dome, CBS’s upcoming new series based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name. The show is only a month into production so they had no final footage ready, but they did show a reel that incorporated interviews with King and showrunner Brian K. Vaughan (repurposed from a video shown to press in January) with dailies from production - so it's possible these may not be the final takes used, in some cases.

Even in such an early form, the footage looked very cool – showing immediate effects of what happens when an invisible dome suddenly covers an entire town, including a girl collapsing to the ground, a truck smashing into seemingly nothing and, most grisly of all, a bloody, severed arm falling to the ground in front of people’s eyes – just one result of a plane flying into the dome. Natalie Martinez’s Linda is seen looking in confusion at the press gathered on the other side of the dome, who she can’t hear.

We see the first signs of the power wielded by James “Big Jim” Rennie (Breaking Bad’s Dean Norris) as he tells the local sheriff, played by Lost’s Jeff Fahey, “Councilmen have the ability to authorize additional police officers.” When the sheriff asks, “Are you threatening me?”, Jim replies, “No, just reminding you of the lay of the land.”

There were also ominous scenes of Angie (Life Unexpected and The Secret Circle’s Britt Robertson) trapped in some sort of bunker by a guy who seems to have gone off the rails. When she asks, “Have you lost your mind?” he replies, “I’m the only person who understand what’s going on here.”

During the panel that followed, executive producer Neal Baer said Under the Dome will show this town in a situation that will display “What they’re really made of. People’s good hearts and evil hearts may come out.”

Vaughan -- creator of Y the Last Man and Ex Machina and a former Lost writer -- said he was a big fan of King’s work, and his ability to deal with big themes without feeling like he was being too blunt, saying they wanted to make “a super fun, pulpy show with these great characters you care about.”

Baer agreed saying the show would deal with some basic questions like, “Can the sun shine through the dome? Can it rain in the show?”, noting that is somewhat touching upon a theme like climate change, but in a very genre-fueled manner. “We can tackle issues without being preachy.”

He added the characters would face some very basic questions to answer. “What happens when you run out of Tide Soap? Do you really need a banker [in this situation]? Farmers, maybe you do…”

Norris chuckled, “One thing you definitely need is a bad guy!,” elaborating that, “The dome allows certain types of people, Big Jim being one of them, the opportunity to become a bit of a dictator – to exercise their power, because they are cut off from anyone who would check that power.”

Stephen King on the set of Under the Dome

Vaughan and the writers had spoken with King frequently, who’d encouraged them to feel free to make changes from his book and King had also sat in with them for a day to discuss the series. Vaughan said King has been, “Super hands on and really supportive of things we changed from the book that I thought he'd stab me for.” Vaughan said they’d also love to have King write an episode, in the manner Elmore Leonard has written for Justified and George R.R. Martin for Game of Thrones.

Under the Dome will air over thirteen weeks this summer, but Baer stressed it is not intended as a miniseries and they hope to continue for more seasons. As noted, for CBS, it’s “the first launch of this kind of series,” which is more serialized than most of their shows and obviously is not airing during the traditional September to May TV season. Everyone felt the simple question was, “Why can’t you see them during June, July and August?”

Vaughan noted they have an overall plan and “We know ideally exactly how this series would end” down the line. He stressed tough that, as with every TV series, they’d need, “the freedom to change some things along the way,” noting actor availability or casting a guest star who pops and you want to do more with are just some of the things that can occur.

Added Vaughan, “We have a road map, but with the freedom to take side trips that are fun.” As for his idea for the final episode, he said it is not the same as the ending of the book, but he’s spoken to King about it, who endorses the idea.

Director Jack Bender, best known as an executive producer and the most frequent director on Lost, said that what drew him to Under the Dome was, “When I read this script I had same reaction after the Lost pilot - I wanted to spend time with these characters.” Asked how the show will differentiate itself from other post-apocalyptic stories like the Walking Dead, Bender stressed that Under the Dome is not post-apocalyptic, in that the rest of the world is functioning normally while this bizarre scenario is happening to this one town.

Bender remarked that he felt that we were seeing so many “What if the worst happens?” stories now because “the s**t storm” is always on the news these days and it’s how we live now.

Vaughan has the unique distinction of executive producing and showrunner a series based on a book that he himself is mentioned in. In the novel, the character Scarecrow Joe is mentioned as being a fan of “the graphic novels of Brian K Vaughan.” Said Vaughan, “It is totally surreal to be mentioned in a book to standing under the actual dome talking to Joe about that moment.” He joked that he wanted to tell the actor, “In the TV show, your character hates Brian K. Vaughan comics!”

An audience member asked if Under the Dome might have references to other King stories, much like King’s novels do to one another. Vaughan said there would be, causing actress Rachelle Lefevre, who plays Julia, to turn to him and say, “Please don't send us Pennywise, I beg you!”

Under the Dome premieres Monday, June 24 on CBS.


Source : ign[dot]com

WonderCon: First Footage Shown from Under the Dome

At WonderCon Saturday, the first footage was shown from Under the Dome, CBS’s upcoming new series based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name. The show is only a month into production so they had no final footage ready, but they did show a reel that incorporated interviews with King and showrunner Brian K. Vaughan (repurposed from a video shown to press in January) with dailies from production - so it's possible these may not be the final takes used, in some cases.

Even in such an early form, the footage looked very cool – showing immediate effects of what happens when an invisible dome suddenly covers an entire town, including a girl collapsing to the ground, a truck smashing into seemingly nothing and, most grisly of all, a bloody, severed arm falling to the ground in front of people’s eyes – just one result of a plane flying into the dome. Natalie Martinez’s Linda is seen looking in confusion at the press gathered on the other side of the dome, who she can’t hear.

We see the first signs of the power wielded by James “Big Jim” Rennie (Breaking Bad’s Dean Norris) as he tells the local sheriff, played by Lost’s Jeff Fahey, “Councilmen have the ability to authorize additional police officers.” When the sheriff asks, “Are you threatening me?”, Jim replies, “No, just reminding you of the lay of the land.”

There were also ominous scenes of Angie (Life Unexpected and The Secret Circle’s Britt Robertson) trapped in some sort of bunker by a guy who seems to have gone off the rails. When she asks, “Have you lost your mind?” he replies, “I’m the only person who understand what’s going on here.”

During the panel that followed, executive producer Neal Baer said Under the Dome will show this town in a situation that will display “What they’re really made of. People’s good hearts and evil hearts may come out.”

Vaughan -- creator of Y the Last Man and Ex Machina and a former Lost writer -- said he was a big fan of King’s work, and his ability to deal with big themes without feeling like he was being too blunt, saying they wanted to make “a super fun, pulpy show with these great characters you care about.”

Baer agreed saying the show would deal with some basic questions like, “Can the sun shine through the dome? Can it rain in the show?”, noting that is somewhat touching upon a theme like climate change, but in a very genre-fueled manner. “We can tackle issues without being preachy.”

He added the characters would face some very basic questions to answer. “What happens when you run out of Tide Soap? Do you really need a banker [in this situation]? Farmers, maybe you do…”

Norris chuckled, “One thing you definitely need is a bad guy!,” elaborating that, “The dome allows certain types of people, Big Jim being one of them, the opportunity to become a bit of a dictator – to exercise their power, because they are cut off from anyone who would check that power.”

Stephen King on the set of Under the Dome

Vaughan and the writers had spoken with King frequently, who’d encouraged them to feel free to make changes from his book and King had also sat in with them for a day to discuss the series. Vaughan said King has been, “Super hands on and really supportive of things we changed from the book that I thought he'd stab me for.” Vaughan said they’d also love to have King write an episode, in the manner Elmore Leonard has written for Justified and George R.R. Martin for Game of Thrones.

Under the Dome will air over thirteen weeks this summer, but Baer stressed it is not intended as a miniseries and they hope to continue for more seasons. As noted, for CBS, it’s “the first launch of this kind of series,” which is more serialized than most of their shows and obviously is not airing during the traditional September to May TV season. Everyone felt the simple question was, “Why can’t you see them during June, July and August?”

Vaughan noted they have an overall plan and “We know ideally exactly how this series would end” down the line. He stressed tough that, as with every TV series, they’d need, “the freedom to change some things along the way,” noting actor availability or casting a guest star who pops and you want to do more with are just some of the things that can occur.

Added Vaughan, “We have a road map, but with the freedom to take side trips that are fun.” As for his idea for the final episode, he said it is not the same as the ending of the book, but he’s spoken to King about it, who endorses the idea.

Director Jack Bender, best known as an executive producer and the most frequent director on Lost, said that what drew him to Under the Dome was, “When I read this script I had same reaction after the Lost pilot - I wanted to spend time with these characters.” Asked how the show will differentiate itself from other post-apocalyptic stories like the Walking Dead, Bender stressed that Under the Dome is not post-apocalyptic, in that the rest of the world is functioning normally while this bizarre scenario is happening to this one town.

Bender remarked that he felt that we were seeing so many “What if the worst happens?” stories now because “the s**t storm” is always on the news these days and it’s how we live now.

Vaughan has the unique distinction of executive producing and showrunner a series based on a book that he himself is mentioned in. In the novel, the character Scarecrow Joe is mentioned as being a fan of “the graphic novels of Brian K Vaughan.” Said Vaughan, “It is totally surreal to be mentioned in a book to standing under the actual dome talking to Joe about that moment.” He joked that he wanted to tell the actor, “In the TV show, your character hates Brian K. Vaughan comics!”

An audience member asked if Under the Dome might have references to other King stories, much like King’s novels do to one another. Vaughan said there would be, causing actress Rachelle Lefevre, who plays Julia, to turn to him and say, “Please don't send us Pennywise, I beg you!”

Under the Dome premieres Monday, June 24 on CBS.


Source : ign[dot]com

WonderCon: First Footage Shown from Under the Dome

At WonderCon Saturday, the first footage was shown from Under the Dome, CBS’s upcoming new series based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name. The show is only a month into production so they had no final footage ready, but they did show a reel that incorporated interviews with King and showrunner Brian K. Vaughan (repurposed from a video shown to press in January) with dailies from production - so it's possible these may not be the final takes used, in some cases.

Even in such an early form, the footage looked very cool – showing immediate effects of what happens when an invisible dome suddenly covers an entire town, including a girl collapsing to the ground, a truck smashing into seemingly nothing and, most grisly of all, a bloody, severed arm falling to the ground in front of people’s eyes – just one result of a plane flying into the dome. Natalie Martinez’s Linda is seen looking in confusion at the press gathered on the other side of the dome, who she can’t hear.

We see the first signs of the power wielded by James “Big Jim” Rennie (Breaking Bad’s Dean Norris) as he tells the local sheriff, played by Lost’s Jeff Fahey, “Councilmen have the ability to authorize additional police officers.” When the sheriff asks, “Are you threatening me?”, Jim replies, “No, just reminding you of the lay of the land.”

There were also ominous scenes of Angie (Life Unexpected and The Secret Circle’s Britt Robertson) trapped in some sort of bunker by a guy who seems to have gone off the rails. When she asks, “Have you lost your mind?” he replies, “I’m the only person who understand what’s going on here.”

During the panel that followed, executive producer Neal Baer said Under the Dome will show this town in a situation that will display “What they’re really made of. People’s good hearts and evil hearts may come out.”

Vaughan -- creator of Y the Last Man and Ex Machina and a former Lost writer -- said he was a big fan of King’s work, and his ability to deal with big themes without feeling like he was being too blunt, saying they wanted to make “a super fun, pulpy show with these great characters you care about.”

Baer agreed saying the show would deal with some basic questions like, “Can the sun shine through the dome? Can it rain in the show?”, noting that is somewhat touching upon a theme like climate change, but in a very genre-fueled manner. “We can tackle issues without being preachy.”

He added the characters would face some very basic questions to answer. “What happens when you run out of Tide Soap? Do you really need a banker [in this situation]? Farmers, maybe you do…”

Norris chuckled, “One thing you definitely need is a bad guy!,” elaborating that, “The dome allows certain types of people, Big Jim being one of them, the opportunity to become a bit of a dictator – to exercise their power, because they are cut off from anyone who would check that power.”

Stephen King on the set of Under the Dome

Vaughan and the writers had spoken with King frequently, who’d encouraged them to feel free to make changes from his book and King had also sat in with them for a day to discuss the series. Vaughan said King has been, “Super hands on and really supportive of things we changed from the book that I thought he'd stab me for.” Vaughan said they’d also love to have King write an episode, in the manner Elmore Leonard has written for Justified and George R.R. Martin for Game of Thrones.

Under the Dome will air over thirteen weeks this summer, but Baer stressed it is not intended as a miniseries and they hope to continue for more seasons. As noted, for CBS, it’s “the first launch of this kind of series,” which is more serialized than most of their shows and obviously is not airing during the traditional September to May TV season. Everyone felt the simple question was, “Why can’t you see them during June, July and August?”

Vaughan noted they have an overall plan and “We know ideally exactly how this series would end” down the line. He stressed tough that, as with every TV series, they’d need, “the freedom to change some things along the way,” noting actor availability or casting a guest star who pops and you want to do more with are just some of the things that can occur.

Added Vaughan, “We have a road map, but with the freedom to take side trips that are fun.” As for his idea for the final episode, he said it is not the same as the ending of the book, but he’s spoken to King about it, who endorses the idea.

Director Jack Bender, best known as an executive producer and the most frequent director on Lost, said that what drew him to Under the Dome was, “When I read this script I had same reaction after the Lost pilot - I wanted to spend time with these characters.” Asked how the show will differentiate itself from other post-apocalyptic stories like the Walking Dead, Bender stressed that Under the Dome is not post-apocalyptic, in that the rest of the world is functioning normally while this bizarre scenario is happening to this one town.

Bender remarked that he felt that we were seeing so many “What if the worst happens?” stories now because “the s**t storm” is always on the news these days and it’s how we live now.

Vaughan has the unique distinction of executive producing and showrunner a series based on a book that he himself is mentioned in. In the novel, the character Scarecrow Joe is mentioned as being a fan of “the graphic novels of Brian K Vaughan.” Said Vaughan, “It is totally surreal to be mentioned in a book to standing under the actual dome talking to Joe about that moment.” He joked that he wanted to tell the actor, “In the TV show, your character hates Brian K. Vaughan comics!”

An audience member asked if Under the Dome might have references to other King stories, much like King’s novels do to one another. Vaughan said there would be, causing actress Rachelle Lefevre, who plays Julia, to turn to him and say, “Please don't send us Pennywise, I beg you!”

Under the Dome premieres Monday, June 24 on CBS.


Source : ign[dot]com

Saturday, March 30, 2013

WonderCon: Del Toro Talks Justice League Dark Movie

During Saturday's panel for Pacific Rim at WonderCon, director Guillermo del Toro said that John Constantine -- a blond one, he emphasized -- will be the main protagonist in his planned Justice League Dark movie tentatively titled Dark Universe.

Constantine will be the central figure who rounds up the gang. The director revealed that the film won't be an origin movie per se, with each character already established but elements of their backstory coming into play during the course of the story. For example, Swamp Thing is now at peace with who he is, but Deadman will still be in search of the man who murdered him.

In addition to Constantine, Deadman and Swamp Thing, del Too said the team's members will include Etrigan the Demon and Jason Blood, whose past with Merlin's Knights will be mentioned. (Zatanna and the Spectre have also been previously mentioned as members.)

Del Toro said they have finished the bible for the movie and hope to start the screenplay soon with a writer whose identity he still can't reveal. Dark Universe will not be del Toro's next film, though, as the helmer said he expects to shoot Crimson Peak after Pacific Rim is done.


Source : ign[dot]com

WonderCon: Del Toro Talks Justice League Dark Movie

During Saturday's panel for Pacific Rim at WonderCon, director Guillermo del Toro said that John Constantine -- a blond one, he emphasized -- will be the main protagonist in his planned Justice League Dark movie tentatively titled Dark Universe.

Constantine will be the central figure who rounds up the gang. The director revealed that the film won't be an origin movie per se, with each character already established but elements of their backstory coming into play during the course of the story. For example, Swamp Thing is now at peace with who he is, but Deadman will still be in search of the man who murdered him.

In addition to Constantine, Deadman and Swamp Thing, del Too said the team's members will include Etrigan the Demon and Jason Blood, whose past with Merlin's Knights will be mentioned. (Zatanna and the Spectre have also been previously mentioned as members.)

Del Toro said they have finished the bible for the movie and hope to start the screenplay soon with a writer whose identity he still can't reveal. Dark Universe will not be del Toro's next film, though, as the helmer said he expects to shoot Crimson Peak after Pacific Rim is done.


Source : ign[dot]com

WonderCon 2013: This is The End of Seth Rogen

Funnymen Seth Rogen, Danny McBride and Craig Robinson previewed their apocalyptic comedy This Is the End for fans at Saturday's WonderCon. Please be advised of some spoilers ahead due to the nature of the footage screened.

Top 10 Seth Rogen Moments

The movie, scripted and co-directed by Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who was also at WonderCon, follows six friends trapped in a house after a series of strange and catastrophic events devastate Los Angeles. As the world unravels outside, dwindling supplies and cabin fever threaten to tear apart the friendships inside.  Eventually, they are forced to leave the house, facing their fate and the true meaning of friendship and redemption. The cast also includes James Franco, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Michael Cera and Emma Watson.

The actors play themselves in the movie -- OK, heightened versions of themselves -- with one of the high points being seeing which stars get killed and how. The first scene screened was a party at Franco's house when the apocalypse hits. The celeb guests include Michael Cera, who is coked up and slapping Rihanna on the ass (which prompts her to then smack the crap out of him). The celebs all run outside only to find the Hollywood Hills ablaze and the earth opening up beneath the feet. We then witness a series of stars perish in a series of hilariously gruesome ways, including falling into a fiery abyss through a chasm in the ground.

The second scene shown was called "The Exorcism of Jonah Hill." That pretty much sums itl up, doesn't it? Suffice to say exclamations of "The power of Christ compels you!" isn't always as effective as these guys think.

This is The End opens June 12.


Source : ign[dot]com

WonderCon: Teen Titans Go! Isn't Afraid To Go To Weird Places

The Teen Titans are popular, iconic characters and there's been a lot of buzz about how the new series Teen Titans Go! will handle them. Producers/writers Michael Jelenic and Aaron Horvath were joined by voice talent Greg Cipes and Khary Payton at WonderCon to share the debut episode and to discuss the different, funnier direction.

It's no secret fans are skeptical about the strictly comedic take on the super team, but the overall reaction to the episode seemed positive. Laughter drowned out the punchlines at some points. The premiere episode (split into two eleven minute stories as they all will be) showed just how silly things are going get. It's reminiscent of the Star Wars: Detours clips.

The first story was about the legend of a perfect sandwich and featured Raven watching and loving a show called Pretty, Pretty Pegasus. The second story was about poking fun at Robin for not having superpowers (which seems to be a consistent joke actually) and then getting them and learning they are a curse. Each one was full of easter eggs for comic book fans and plenty of gags and food.

Sam Register, who was a co-producer on the 2003 Teen Titans, moderated the panel and admitted bringing it back was nerve-racking. “This was a very scary show to make. I worked on the first series, and it was so loved. This was a scary thing to do.” He said the premiere is just the beginning of how insane the show is.

Jelenic and Horvath both agreed it's been relatively easy to adapt the characters into this funny format. “The easy part is bringing back the same guys [voice talent]. They created characters that were so iconic that it was easy to change them from an action section to a comedy setting,” stated Jelenic.

They emphasized the 11 minute format is perfect for the type of jokes they're doing. Jelenic said, “It's just long enough to do some really weird stuff but not long enough to overstay your welcome. The abrupt ending works.” You can hit the reset button.

What do they mean by weird? Register said there will be puppets, kittens, and meatballs. You get the idea. Additionally, any character who appeared in the original Teen Titans series is up for grabs. You might see Blackfire, and you will see Speedy, Terra, Titans East, and Más y Menos. Many characters who return from the original series will be voiced by the same actors.

Lest you think it's all jokes all the time, there is action in the series. The episode showed at the panel was full of superheroes beating up bad guys. Jelenic said, “All the action is cool. It's a little silly, but the characters come off as cool superheroes. We don’t want to make fun of them. They are the best superheroes in the world.”

Check out the premiere on Tuesday, April 23, at 7:30pm on Cartoon Network.

Amy Ratcliffe is a writer for IGN TV. You can follow her on on Twitter at @Amy_Geek and IGN at  alratcliffe.


Source : ign[dot]com

The Art of Making Gamers Cry

The most conspicuous thing about Beyond: Two Souls is just how unlike a video game it looks. During the 45 minute presentation we saw recently in Paris, we were struck by the number of video game trappings developer Quantic Dream has discarded, even by the studio’s own defiant standards. There’s nothing on the HUD. On-screen prompts are rare. Characters look less like digital puppets and more like famous actors. It’s symbolic that Cage and his gameplay team headed up by Quantic veteran Caroline Marchal have all but done away with the quick-time-events so omnipresent in the studio’s last game, Heavy Rain. Too mechanical. Too distracting from the game’s heart; its story.

bmuploads2013-03-191758homeless012jpg

Beyond: Two Souls offers further proof that the landscape of big budget video games may eventually be smoothed out and reshaped, even if it’s a long, hard slog to get there. One gets the feeling that if Quantic had its way, in twenty years we would not be referring to video games as ‘games,’ so much as ‘experiences’ (or perhaps a less ostentatious word with the same meaning.) It’s not entirely a pipe dream; Quantic’s focus on stories grounded in emotion and human experience is not as rare as it used to be.

“We’re not as alone,” says Marchal. “I played Telltale’s The Walking Dead for instance...very good work, very well written. I think since Heavy Rain, several studios have realized they could talk about normal life and story. The Walking Dead is a great example.”

Telltale and Quantic Dream’s efforts have much in common. We don’t talk about ‘levels’ in their games, we talk about ‘moments,’ or ‘scenes’. We talk about the stuff that made us cry, the experiences we had. And while The Walking Dead was more traditionally grounded in a genre than Heavy Rain or Beyond, its sucker-punch storytelling was a revelation. It’s not just games with a narrative focus at their core, either; even well-trodden franchises like Tomb Raider are starting to shake off the shackles of tradition to focus on character arcs and emotionally-driven storytelling.

“The thing is, gamers get older,” says Cage. “Game creators get older. I was 10 when video games appeared, I'm 42 today. I don’t have the same tastes I don’t have the same expectations, I don’t play the same games, I don’t watch the same films. So how does the industry address this issue of creating content for an older audience having different expectations?”

“Some people are more interested in mechanics, and that’s fine,” continues Marchal.  “There are lots of games out there that rely on mechanics. But I think since Heavy Rain, several studios have realized they could talk about normal life and story and produce great games.”

The Page Effect

With this said, the team at Quantic Dream are always a step ahead of their peers in their ambition to evolve emotional storytelling in video games. This time the studio has further indulged its passion for movie language by casting a well-known – and more crucially, extremely capable - actress in Beyond’s central role. When talking about Ellen Page’s involvement in the project, David Cage sounds more like filmmaker catching his first big break than a gamemaker who has 15 years of experience in the industry.

“When you are a young director like me – and you have Ellen Page and Willem Defoe on your set – you try to be focused and try to be good,” says Cage.  “They’ve worked with some of the most talented directors in the world, and that was very exciting.”

Calling himself a director on a set might sound a little self-inflated, but directing is exactly what Cage has been doing. From the chunkiest section of the game we saw last week – showing off approximately 45 minutes of gameplay - Ellen Page is delivering a performance that could certainly be described as the most dramatically-challenging of her acting career. This is teenage angst beyond Hard Candy's Hayley Stark or Juno.

“I was born with a gift”, her Jodie mumbles. “Or what they call a gift. It’s really a curse, it’s ruined my life. Made me the person that I am today. A freak. A mistake. Someone I hate.”

In Page, Cage has found the perfect mixture of vulnerability, toughness and youthfulness, and always refreshingly one step away from that ironic candour she is so known for. Her performance is channelled through Quantic’s astonishing performance capture technology, which demonstrates a subtlety in expression far more advanced than anything we’ve seen in Rockstar’s L.A. Noire, the last game to push such graphical boundaries.

The result is - in moments - transcendent in the way it elicits empathy. Some journalists had tears in their eyes at the end of the section, a slice of gameplay that takes place during Jodie’s lowest ebb.  And while Quantic threw an awful lot at the group assembled in its French headquarters – including an attempted suicide, an escape from a burning building, a birth and a death – the material was arrestingly intimate.

“We hope this exceptional standard of performance is what will woo players,” says Executive Producer Guillaume de Fondaumiere. “It’s not about slapping a name on a box to sell copies.”

bmuploads2013-03-191762homelessbirth03jpg

Converting the Unconverted

Alongside this focus on emotional storytelling comes the need to expand Beyond’s target audience outside of those who know what to expect from the studio. Quantic must convince gamers that its brand-new, unusual game is worth playing, and it must convince non-gamers that its brand-new, unusual game is an ‘experience’ worth having. Both are tricky propositions.

“It’s very difficult to make these types of games,” says Marchel, “and it’s very difficult to understand how to play it when you haven’t played it.”

Cage has long been frustrated at the resistance to his vision, particularly in the wake of those who believed Heavy Rain was just a giant cut-scene. “There is some resistance (to this kind of experience). Maybe we’re not good enough at what we do. Maybe we need to tell better stories that are more appealing to all these people.”

He pauses, rethinks. “But maybe these people should listen more. At least give us a chance to convince them, which is sometimes really difficult.”

Cage is also concerned that the majority of those seeking mature storytelling in video games make up a giant untapped market, still ignorant of Quantic’s push for evolution. “There are people who would like to interact in this way but they’re just not interested in the games we make. And that’s an issue. The thing is, not everyone’s interested in shooting and driving cars; some people want something more meaningful.”

To combat preconceptions that Beyond will be a reskinned Heavy Rain, the elimination of constant quick-time-events was important, both as a gameplay decision and as a message to the unconverted. “The (quick-time-event) system was a barrier, explains Cage. “For people who didn’t play Heavy Rain it was confusing and gave them the wrong idea.”

“I’m pretty proud,” says Marchal of the new ‘contextual’ system she and her team have implemented. “Because the problem with QTEs is that they disturb the player, who only looks at the prompt and not the action itself.”

To broaden its reach further,  Quantic is honing in on a non-gaming female audience. Executive Producer Guillaume de Fondaumiere believes this bracket values the emotional core of what Quantic is trying to do above every other aspect.

“It was incredible with Heavy Rain. A lot of guys told us it was the first game they played with their girlfriend, and I think that David had that in mind when he came up with Beyond. I think it’s a game that could be attractive to women who never play, but might want to play this game. Because the themes are accessible.”

bmuploads2013-03-011589wdaepa12jpg

A Refinement of Vision

Beyond is, ultimately, the accumulation of 16 years worth of trial and error, a refinement of a vision David Cage has had since he introduced the first virtual actor – David Bowie(!) – in Omikron: The Nomad Soul in 1999. For detractors of Cage’s writing style, it’s unlikely you’ll find anything new here; as Cage notes, he and the team have been going in the same direction for 16 years.

“When you keep digging and going in the same direction, hopefully you go somewhere. Nowadays, it’s difficult to survive when you don’t have a distinct identity or vision for the industry.”

And while it’s narrow-minded to illustrate Quantic’s efforts as the only means to evolve emotional-storytelling in games - like Heavy Rain before it, Beyond is traditionally grounded in big, blockbuster film language than the more abstract experiences we’re seeing produced by indie outfits  – the studio is refreshingly consistent.

“We’ve always had people telling us what we’re doing is not the right direction,” says de Fondaumiere. That what we’re doing is not ‘mainstream’ – that magical word – enough, that the only options are to be mainstream or so far off-road nobody will be interested in what you’re doing.”

The challenge for Quantic is finding the financial means to survive long enough to prove naysayers wrong.

“We’re lucky - each game we’ve made sold 3 times more copies than the last,” explains Cage. So you have this kind of curve, where you can say game after game, ‘I’m doing them better.’ This is our curve. And maybe Beyond won’t sell three times more than Heavy Rain but I hope it will still sell more; just to prove there is more and more interest in this kind of experience we are trying to create.”

And perhaps, as we see more studios cautiously exploring the untrodden path of emotional engagement, the brazen Quantic Dream might be forgiven an ‘I told you so.’

Lucy O'Brien is Assistant Editor at IGN AU. You can follow her mumblings on IGN at Luce_IGN_AU,or follow her @Luceobrien on Twitter.


Source : ign[dot]com

WonderCon: Will the Old and New Evil Deads Collide?

Actor Bruce Campbell, star of the original Evil Dead trilogy, and Fede Alvarez, director of the new Evil Dead, chatted about the possibility of a crossover between the two takes on the horror franchise.

Campbell was coy about whether he made a cameo in the new Evil Dead, but he did say "yes" when asked if he would appear in a future sequel to the new Evil Dead.

The actor also said his dream is for there to be four original Evil Deads featuring his character Ash -- yes, he still hopes that he and director Sam Raimi will make Evil Dead 4 in the future -- and three installments of the new Evil Dead because seven is a good number.

The new Evil Dead opens April 5.


Source : ign[dot]com

WonderCon: DC Comics - The New 52 Panel Recap

The big Room 300AB was packed full with rabid comic book fans and the panelists were introduced: Ann Nocenti, Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Kyle Higgins, John Layman, Jimmy Palmiotti, Brian Buccellatto, Scott Lobdell, and James Robinson.

Snyder kicked off the panel talking about Batman: Zero Year, which covered the same topics as other discussions about the story this weekend (check out the write-up of the actual Zero Year panel).

He did offer some new details, though. “It’s divided into different chapters and each chapter is a very different moment in this era of Bruce’s life.” He also teased that’d we’d learn lots more about the Wayne and Kane families and all of our favorite villains. There will also be back-up stories co-written with Tynion and drawn by Rafael Albuquerque that will show new facets to Bruce’s training – “no ninjas, no Himalayas.”

Snyder also touched on Superman Unchained – I’ll again refer you to yesterday’s panels here and here – and spoke again about the epic fold-out page.

Tynion talked about Talon, and said that things are going to be changing drastically for Calvin Rose. He referenced the Talon #7 gatefold cover, saying that Bane is one of his favorite Batman villains. “You can’t do a small Bane story. We’re expanding Bane’s mythology, and we’re going to be bringing him back to his iconic core.” He also revealed that Talon #9 and Birds of Prey #21 would be tied together, as Calvin and Strix meet. “We’re going to have these two renegade Talons clash for the first time,” said Tynion.

With Tynion taking over Red Hood and the Outlaws with issue #19, the writer said he wants to continue the spirit of what Scott Lobdell has established thus far. “It’s one of the few real adventure books in the DCU right now. You can cover any type of story. I really wanted to take advantage of that,” said Tynion. “People will start to see where we’re taking the series with issue #19.”

Robinson repeated the same general info about Earth 2 that was revealed at yesterday’s panel, but pointed out that New Gods like Steppenwolf and Big Barda are making a big appearance in the series.

The panel showed off the cover to Nightwing #21, which will continue Dick Grayson’s move to Chicago after discovering that Tony Zucco is still alive and living under an alias. “Once he gets to the city, there’s a whole mythology that Brett [Booth] and I are building that there used to be masks in the city years ago, and now they’re all dead. There were capes, but not anymore. So what happened to them is a mystery we’ll be weaving in and out of the book. We’re just trying to build a new world for Dick Grayson and Nightwing.” The characters on the cover of Nightwing #21 are called Ether and Ghostwalker, who are Chicago’s now dead incarnation of Batman and Robin that is a part of this larger mystery.

Nocenti touched on Catwoman, where there will be a Gotham gang war coming that will incorporate some of the cop characters from Gotham Central. Layman also touched on Detective Comics #19, which will be an 80-page special, 50 pages written by himself, 10 are a Talon back-up by Tynion, and the rest is pin-ups.

Palmiotti brought up Batwing #19, which he says will explain everything in regards to what happens to David, the current Batwing, as well as who the new Batwing is. “It’s somebody that’s tied closely to the Batman family,” said Palmiotti, and joked how awesome it would be if it was Alfred. “The new Batwing is going to be pretty much all over the world, and anything goes. We’re having a blast writing the book.”

Palmiotti added that All-Star Western will have a questionable guest star that will “take Jonah Hex on a crazy ride. The die hard Hex fans will just shake their heads and laugh and the new fans will just say, ‘what the hell are you guys doing?’ If you haven’t been reading All-Star Western, next month you’re gonna want to pick it up.”

Buccellato says issue #19 would find Barry without powers where he has to “go all John McClane” on his enemies for that issue. However, issue #20 would see the launch of the Reverse Flash arc, who is going around killing people that have been touched by the Speed Force. The writer also revealed that The Flash Annual would feature the first New 52 team-up with Barry Allen and Hal Jordan.

A cover for Superman #18 reveals the presence of Hector Hammond, and Lobdell said that “whatever you’re thinking about Hector Hammond is wrong.” He said that this story would have the opening volleys of a “psionic war” that is starting in the DC Universe, and that it would explore how powerless Superman is against that kind of power set.

Joey is a Senior Editor at IGN and a comic book creator. Follow Joey on Twitter @JoeyEsposito, or find him on IGN at Joey-IGN. If he could, he'd run away to live amongst wild cats for the rest of his days.


Source : ign[dot]com

WonderCon 2013: The Conjuring Scares Fans With New Footage

Director James Wan (Insidious, Saw) was at WonderCon on Saturday to debut new footage from his upcoming horror film The Conjuring.

The fact-based horror film recalls the most terrifying case legendary husband and wife paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) ever encountered. Set in 1971, the film involves a family (led by Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston) whose farmhouse is haunted by a witch's spirit. This is a forerunner to The Amityville Horror -- the case that made the Warrens famous -- and it touches upon the religious conflict between God and demons.

The first sequence screened showed Lili and her daughter playing a game of blindfolded hide-and-seek that culminates with Lili's first realization that something just ain't right in her home.As the sequence progressed, she hears a strange clapping sound that she believes is from her children playing past their bedtime, but obviously that's not it. Her investigation into the strange sounds leads her to make a very unwise trip to her cellar, a decision that got the crowd riled up and shouting at the screen for her to not go down there. Fun stuff.

The next sequence involved the family's daughters Christine and Nancy. Both girls are asleep when Christine is awakened by her leg being tugged by an invisible force. She initially thinks it's Nancy toying with her but, of course, it isn't. Christine is scared and won't get out of bed. She looks under her bed, but nothing is there. Then she notices something in the shadows, something we can't make out. She wakes up Nancy who gets and walks into the shadows by the door to prove there's nothing there. As you might guess, she's dead wrong.

The Conjuring opens July 19.


Source : ign[dot]com

WonderCon 2013: The Mortal Instruments Screens New Trailer

Sony Pictures gave attendees at Saturday's WonderCon a look at their upcoming adaptation of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. On hand to greet the fans were the book's author, Cassandra Clare, along with stars Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower and Kevin Zegers. Here's what they showed and had to say about the fantasy film.

What's The Next Hunger Games?

Collins plays Clary Fray, a New York teenager who discovers she is the descendant of a line of Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of young half-angel warriors locked in an ancient battle to protect our world from demons. After the disappearance of her mother, Clary must join forces with a group of Shadowhunters, who introduce her to a dangerous alternate New York called Downworld, filled with demons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves and other deadly creatures.

They screened the brand new trailer for the film before taking questions from the audience. Clare said that the film, which she hasn't seen in its entirety, is as close to the spirit of the book as possible without being 10 hours long. She recalled the great access she was given, from hours of conversations with the casting director to visits to the set and even being able to make a cameo in the movie.

Collins said they needed to make Clary accessible to the audience, someone who could be your friend amidst all these crazy situations. Bower said his character will be both vulnerable and snarky. All of the panelists said (surprise!) how much they enjoyed working on the film and with each other.

The Mortal Instruments opens August 23.


Source : ign[dot]com

WonderCon 2013: Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim

Director Guillermo del Toro and Legendary Pictures presented fans with an exclusive look at their giant robots vs. giant monsters epic Pacific Rim at Saturday's WonderCon in Anaheim, California.

What exactly is Pacific Rim about? Here's the official synopsis to shed some light: "When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot and an untested trainee who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind's last hope against the mounting apocalypse."

Del Toro screened a trailer that was cut just for WonderCon and the forthcoming CinemaCon. It was heavy on Jaeger vs. Kaiju battles, which were insane. At one point a Jaeger has a showdown in the streets where it beats the crap out of a kaiju with an oil tanker, which it wields like a baseball bat! The movie just looks amazing; the top-notch visual effects are both photo-realistic and capture the weight and movement of what such giant entities might really be like. Charlie Day's hipster geek scientist refers to the Jaegers at one point as "two thousand, five hundred pounds of awesome."

Del Toro was clearly proud that his film used as many practical sets as it did, and spoke at length about them. The set for the interior of the Jaeger's head alone was four stories high! The actors playing the Jaeger pilots were strapped into machinery the size of a VW Bug that they had to "operate" day in and day out. All the male actors griped about the physically exhausting nature of it; only actress Rinko Kikuchi, said del Toro, didn't complain. This prompted the director to quip that if childbirth were left to men we'd be an extinct species.

Del Toro especially praised his pal and frequent collaborator Ron Perlman's performance in the film as Hannibal Chou, the lowest of the low of black market dealers. Hannibal traffics in kaiju organs as remedies for everything from disease to erectile dysfunction, proving that there's no bad situation that someone won't try to profit from. Del Toro said Perlman steals the show in a scenery-chewing performance.

Overall, Pacific Rim really is as epic and jaw-droppingly, nerdgasm-inducing awesome as its trailer suggests. We're definitely looking forward to seeing these massive Jaeger vs. Kaiju brawls on the big screen when Pacific Rim opens in 2D, 3D and in IMAX on July 12.


Source : ign[dot]com