Month: September 2019

Look to your left and then to your right: both of those people own Funko Pops. The impossibly popular toy company is now expanding further with a brand-new Funko movie.

According to Deadline, Warner Bros. has optioned the rights to Funko for a movie to be developed by Warner Animation Group based on the toys. Funko, which was founded 20 years ago, has been working with Warner Bros. for a long time already with its Batman, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Looney Tunes toys, among others.

Warner Animation boss Allison Abbate said, “Their fresh take on pop culture make these figurines incredibly appealing to fans of all ages.”

Warner Bros. has hired some big-name talent to work on the Funko Pop movie. Teddy Newton, who worked on Disney movies like Ratatouille and The Incredibles and earned an Oscar nomination for his short film Day & Night, is writing the story. Meanwhile, Mark Dindal (Emperor’s New Groove, Aladdin, Chicken Little, The Little Mermaid) is also attached to the project.

Funko CEO Brian Mariotti said in a statement, “We’re thrilled for this opportunity and are committed to make an amazing Funko movie that stands on its own merit. This isn’t about selling toys or building a brand. The team at Warner Animation Group have a unique vision of what the first film should be and we are extremely excited to take this journey alongside them.”

Warner Bros. picking up the rights to Funko Pops for a movie doesn’t mean a movie will ever be made, only that they have the option to do so. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Whatever the case, it seems to be very early days for a potential Funko Pop movie.

Another toy company, Lego, found enormous success converting its toys into movie mega-franchises with The Lego Movie and The Lego Batman movie series, among others. Toy company Mattel is making a Barbie movie with Margot Robbie in the lead role, while a Settlers of Catan film is also in the works.

Funko’s line of Funko Pop toys are immensely popular, and Funko has partnered with numerous different companies, sports leagues, and more to create toys. There are Funko Pop toys for Bob Ross, The Dude, Pinhead, and Vampire Mr. Burns, among many, many others.

GreedFall is almost everything I want out of a big, juicy, old-school RPG. While it’s still lacking a lot of polish, the exciting combat and excellent, complex quest writing bring it very close to that winning formula of a mid-2000s BioWare game – something the developer, Spiders, has previously aimed for but missed with its last couple of releases (and BioWare itself hasn’t shown much interest in lately). GreedFall’s sprawling adventure finally seems to have landed on the right foot, and it’s worth the wait.

Comparisons to The Witcher series and Dragon Age: Origins are easy to make as you travel across the wild, semi-open environments for a 60-hour campaign. Spiders has always been great at worldbuilding, and the Age of Discovery-inspired fantasy setting GreedFall throws you into doesn’t disappoint in that regard. Starting out in the moody, muddy streets of the city of Serene that evoke Paris or London in the 1700s, you set sail for the mysterious, volcanic island of Teer Fradee. These places serve as the backdrop for a many-layered, morally complex tale about colonization, religion, politics, and worlds colliding that had me taking steel and gunpowder to all manner of foes, human and mythical, while uncovering a compelling mystery with plenty of surprises in store.

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Wrestler-turned-actor Dave Bautista is now available as a playable character in Gears 5 multiplayer. The “Batista” character skin is free for everyone.

To unlock the skin, simply enter the character customization menu in Gears 5 multiplayer and select “Batista.” The skin is only available for the Marcus Fenix character, however.

Batista has more than 700 voice lines in Gears 5 multiplayer, and some of them are pulled from his “The Animal” character that he played in WWE matches.

“Adding Batista to Gears 5, we started with the fantasy of ‘Batista as Marcus,’ putting Batista into Marcus’ armor, and starting with Marcus’ script. Then we added elements of ‘The Animal’ Batista into his voice performance and onto his look by adding his signature Hollywood shades to his character,” The Coalition boss Rod Fergusson said in a statement. “Batista was great in the booth and I can’t wait for Gears and Batista fans alike to stomp some Swarm as The Animal.”

The Batista skin is free in Gears 5, but you only have a limited time to pick it up. The skin is available for everyone on Xbox One and PC through October 28.

Bautista, who also plays Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy movie series, publicly campaigned to portray Marcus Fenix in the Gears of War movie. Fergusson himself agrees that Bautista “would be awesome” but noted he has no role in casting decisions. Besides that, there’s no guarantee a Gears of War movie would feature Marcus Fenix at all.

In other news, Microsoft recently announced that Gears 5 reached 3 million people during its first week to set a new Xbox One record.

Watch our video review for the Downton Abbey movie in the player above.

Polish the fine china, don your best fascinator, and put the kettle on because the glamorous world of Downton Abbey has finally come to theaters, giving the six-season British series a lavish sendoff that should leave Downton fans satiated. It’s 1927, and the Crawley family are hosting the most prestigious of guests — King George V and his wife, Queen Mary, which provides a provocative backdrop for both Downton’s servants and aristocracy, as they scramble to prepare for the royal visit.

Series creator and screenplay writer Jullian Fellowes’ move from the small screen to the big screen — apart from its total runtime — doesn’t try to drastically change Downton’s tried and true formula. Directed by Downton alum Michael Engler, the movie feels like a two-hour episode, which isn’t a bad thing since the show already had a cinematic aesthetic, complete with long sweeping views of the gorgeous Downton grounds, and impressive tracking shots following the servants through the bustling downstairs corridors. Accompanied by long-time Downton composer John Lunn, whose melodious tunes evoke a feeling of grandeur that’s appropriate for a film about royalty, this Downton adventure is a fitting continuation of its TV origins.

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There’s religious fanaticism, and then there’s Inquisitor Aloysius from Greedfall, a man so excessively villainous his whole schtick borders on farcical. A member of Thélème, one of the game’s six factions, he appears when you first step into the town square of the city San-Matheus. What draws your eye is the sight of a hulking woodland beast howling in pain while tied to a stake in an enormous burning pyre, as a captured native islander looks on helplessly. When asked why the creature and his people are subjected to such cruelty, the Inquisitor bellows an odious response about cleansing the corrupt souls of his tribe. Then in one swift movement, he yanks the islander’s head, stabs the poor soul with a knife, and yells obscenities about heresies into the sky.

That uncomfortable scene is emblematic of the plot in Greedfall; its tales of colonialism and political subterfuge are tackled with such little nuance that it verges on parody. The islanders wear face paint, have heavy accents, and venerate the woodland beasts as deities, while the cardinals, bishops, and alchemists refer to them as savages that need enlightenment or salvation. Greedfall relies heavily on these kinds of blunt narrative tropes for its setting, much in the same way it does on a very familiar open-world RPG structure. And while it’s very easy to lose yourself in its competent, if comfortable, formula, it means that Greedfall ultimately feels unremarkable at best.

You play as the charming diplomat De Sardet from the Congregation of Merchants, who’s in charge of brokering peace between two warring factions: the Thélème, a theocratic nation that preach their gospel heavily and want to convert as many natives as possible, even if it’s by force, and the Bridge Alliance, home to a nation of alchemists who wield their vast and incomparable knowledge of science for political ends.

Both factions want to colonize a mystical island called Teer Fradee, which is brimming with fantastical flora and fauna. They, as well as the clans of indigenous people who are resisting their incursions, seek your help for their own ends. But that’s not all; you also have something you want from the island: the cure for the Malicor, a mysterious plague devastating your home. In short, everyone wants a piece of this enchanted isle, and your task is to navigate through this political minefield for the best outcome–whatever you think that is.

Greedfall attempts to tweak certain aspects of its otherwise conventional colonialist plot (the islanders aren’t depicted as crazed natives or hungry cannibals, and the factions are somewhat multicultural), but beyond a vague sense of awareness about its oppressive legacy, Greedfall’s heavy-handed themes never make way for anything more nuanced or interesting. Sure, it highlights the exploitative behaviors of the Thélème and Bridge Alliance factions, but their actions are so moustache-twirling malicious that they become mere caricatures of evildoers.

Even your companions and other characters are cookie-cutter emblems of their group: Siora is the native princess who wishes to seek peace for her clan; Petrus is the religious Thélème advisor with tons of political savvy; and Kurt is the loyal, headstrong mercenary whose stoic demeanour can barely disguise his world-weariness. Most damning of all is your character, De Sardet, who, as the big hero, embodies the “white man’s burden” allegory that also plagues other colonial-themed narratives; it’s all on you to liberate the natives or unite the factions against them.

Greedfall’s saving grace is that its role-playing systems are adequate, and the game’s greatest strength is how well it sticks to what is tried-and-tested. It features mechanical design that’s common in the genre–exploring, looting, questing, etc–but it’s also savvy enough to incorporate the best versions of these elements–most notably it feels like it draws inspiration from CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 3, a title I couldn’t stop making mental comparisons to.

At the beginning, you’re given the choice of playing as one of three character archetypes: the melee-focused warrior, the stealthy gunslinger, or the spell-wielding tactician. But you’re also given the flexibility to break out of these standard classes through an array of skill trees. As you progress through the game, you can freely invest hard-earned points, which opens up a variety of methods you can approach combat with and even how you resolve quests–be it bludgeoning your way through conflict with a two-handed axe or wearing a horde of rampaging beasts down with poison traps.

And, as has become common in open-world RPGs, Greedfall also comes with a crafting system. Materials are in abundance–enemies, from human foes to wild animals, drop them frequently, while crates and jugs across most cities are bursting with goodies you can loot. One constraint, however, is that you can only craft upgrades to armor and weapons you own, rather than cobble brand-new equipment altogether. This streamlines crafting, and it also encourages you to still seek out better equipment. Meanwhile, combat is more than just a frenzied blur of swords and gunplay too; you can make tactical pauses to examine your enemies closely, change your target, consider your combat options, or silently contemplate how stunning your swashbuckling buccaneer looks in the heat of action.

Greedfall suffers from some bugs, primitive systems, and even glaring spelling errors, however. Some dialogue is clearly skewed towards a male De Sardet; in my playthrough as a female De Sardet, several characters still referred to me as “he.” The stealth mechanism is also unintentionally hilarious. When on a stealth mission, enemies tend to treat companions as invisible; they will not notice two big, oafish men blundering about in front of them, but will jump out of their skins when they notice De Sardet peeking out from behind a nearby crate. Romancing your companions is also another thing you can do in the game, but the moves you need to make to get into their hearts (and under the sheets) is so perfunctory, it’s almost unmemorable. You engage in a three-part companion quest with the lover of your choice, where you’ll find conversations that give you the chance to maximize your romance meter. But the game makes it obvious when you’ve said something wrong (characters will retort back unhappily, accompanied by a numerical drop in your reputation), so it’s an easy process to save scum, and the ultimate reward is a not-very-saucy bedroom cutscene.

In spite of the game’s blundering narrative issues, it’s still easy to get hooked into the rhythm of exploring, crafting, brawling, investigating, and interacting with the host of characters and beasts, while getting lost among the beautiful lush greenery of Teer Fradee. Running into more challenging enemies or engaging in boss fights are a particular treat, since it’s an opportunity to pit your hard-earned combat abilities against formidable foes. And tucked within the story, as hackneyed as it is, are occasional glimpses of genuine humanity, such as De Sardet’s close relationship with their cousin Constantin, who’s also the new governor of Teer Fradee.

But ultimately, because Greedfall is so cavalier about its colonialist themes, and because it plays it safe by sticking so closely to the template of open-world RPGs, it doesn’t really feel revelatory in any way. Instead, it’s content to be just another digital playground–just another world filled with magic, riches, secrets, and monsters for players to shoot and loot at will. I did have fun when I got lost in its familiar RPG loop, but its lack of nuance or innovation prevents it from being truly remarkable.

“We have no plan for a sequel,” Joker director Todd Phillips recently said at a post-screening reception for press in Los Angeles. The director was clarifying comments he made in an earlier interview after reports of Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix wanting to make a Joker sequel swirled online, which Phillips admitted he found “annoying.”

Phillips took the opportunity to say his words about a potential sequel were taken out of context in a Total Film interview. “The quote was, ‘I will do anything Joaquin wants to do.’ And I would. But the movie’s not set up to

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Actor Dan Aykroyd is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and that means he gets to vote for what he thinks are the best movies of a given year. Now, the Ghostbusters writer and star has revealed which movie he plans to nominate for Best Picture this year.

Appearing on the Joe Rogan Experience, Aykroyd said he plans to vote for Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood for overall Best Picture, at least based on what he’s seen so far.

“This is going to win Best Picture. I’m a member of the Academy. I can tell you right now, and I’m going to get in trouble for this; that’s my vote for Best Picture right now. How great are those two guys in that film? How great was that cast? Just superb filmmaking.”

Speaking about the two leads, Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, Aykroyd said they are “masters.”

“I love to watch them work,” he said.

The Oscar nominations for 2019 will be announced in January 2020 before the awards broadcast takes place in February.

If Once Upon A Time In Hollywood wins the Best Picture Oscar, it will be Tarantino’s third Academy Award. He previously won writing awards for Django Unchained and Pulp Fiction. None of his movies have ever won Best Picture.

Pitt told Entertainment Weekly that he doesn’t plan to campaign himself for an acting Oscar this year, despite turning in some of his most acclaimed performances ever with Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and Ad Astra. “Oh, man. I’m gonna abstain,” he said. “I mean, you never know, and it’s really nice when your number comes up. But the goal is for the film to land, to speak to someone whether it’s now or a decade from now. I find chasing it actually a disservice to the purity of your telling a story, and a shackling thing to focus on.”

Actor Dan Aykroyd, star of the original two Ghostbusters films, is set to appear in the upcoming Ghostbusters 2020, THR reported Monday.

Aykroyd may have sort-of-spoiled the existence of Ghostbusters 2020 way back in 2018, but the actor has now confirmed his involvement in the sequel, where he’ll once again be playing the scientist-turned-Ghostbuster Raymond Stantz.

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If you’ve been playing Borderlands 3, you’ve probably been hearing a lot of talk about Shift Codes. These are limited-time codes you can use to potentially earn Golden Keys that unlock the Golden Chest in Sanctuary for high-tier loot. They can also net you unique cosmetics for your character.

Shift Codes are often distributed via Gearbox’s newsletters or social media accounts. During the game’s launch weekend, Gearbox’s Randy Pitchford shared a Shift Code on Twitter. This code has since expired, but there are still several active Shift codes making the rounds.

Below you can find a list of every working Shift Code so far and its respective prize. We recommend redeeming them as soon as possible, as they’re likely to expire sooner than later. Be sure to check back often as we’ll be updating this feature with even more Shift Codes.

Shift Codes

• ZFKJ3-TT3BB-JTBJT-T3JJT-JWX9H (3 Golden Keys)
• HXKBT-XJ6FR-WBRKJ-J3TTB-RSBHR (1 Golden Key)
• ZFKJ3-TT6FF-KTFKT-T3JJT-JWX36 (1 Golden Key)
• Z65B3-JCXX6-5JXW3-3B33J-9SWT6 (1 Golden Key)
• 9XCBT-WBXFR-5TRWJ-JJJ33-TX53Z (1 Golden Key)
• ZRWBJ-ST6XR-CBFKT-JT3J3-FRXJ5 (1 Golden Key)

To redeem a code, go to input it in the Shift Codes section in the game’s social menu. You can also login to the Borderlands VIP site to redeem Shift Codes. You can then acquire what you’ve unlocked from your mailbox one tab over. While it’s not easy to predict when Gearbox will share new Shift Codes, we’ll likely get more soon during the upcoming free Halloween-themed Bloody Harvest event scheduled for this October.

For more Borderlands 3, be sure to check out our Borderlands 3 beginner’s guide and our gallery of the best Legendary, Very Rare, and Rare guns we’ve found. We’ve also prepared a useful guide on which character you should choose before starting the game. But for everything else, read our roundup of all things Borderlands 3.

In our Borderlands 3 review, author Jordan Ramee gave the game an 8/10 and said, “Borderlands 3 has a few stumbling blocks when it comes to bosses, but these fights are overshadowed by the game’s rewarding gunplay and over-the-top humor. The game’s character-driven narrative acts as a satisfying finale for the loot-shooter franchise, and the new mechanics and features–especially the reworked skill trees and weapon manufacturer effects–give you plenty of agency in how you want to play through it. If you’ve never been a fan of the franchise, it’s unlikely Borderlands 3 does enough things differently to change your mind, as the game best excels at continuing what the series has always done: deliver a humorous tall tale of misfits looting and shooting their way to heroism.”