Month: November 2019

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The Batman: Robert Pattinson Learning Jiu-Jitsu to Beat Up All the Villains

Robert Pattinson is doing all he can to prepare for his turn as Batman, including learning from Rigan Machado, an 8th degree red and black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu who also trained Keanu Reeves for the John Wick films.

As reported by Men’s Health, Machado posted an image of him and Pattinson at his gym The Academy Beverly Hills with the caption “Batman is coming.”

Brazilian jiu-jitsu focuses on grappling and ground fighting and using leverage to defeat opponents, which may suggest that “Pattinson’s Batman will have a gritty, realistic fighting style.”

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The Witcher TV Showrunner Has Plans For 7 Seasons

One of Netflix’s next big original shows is The Witcher, which is based on the books (not the games). The program’s showrunner, Lauren S. Hissrich, has now commented that she has multiple seasons planned for the fantasy project. She told SFX Magazine that she has seven seasons of the show mapped out, though only one season has been greenlit so far.

“We don’t have a second season yet–God willing we will–but right now it’s just about, ‘How do you set up stories that really capture audiences for years at a time?'” she said (via GamesRadar). “The worst thing we could do is put all of our energies just into season one, and not be thinking about where these characters can grow to.”

There is a lot of death in the Witcher series (and games), and Hissrich teased that “not all” of the characters from Season 1 will return in future seasons, if there are more.

Writing on Twitter, Hissrich said “fingers f**king crossed” about the possibility of future seasons of The Witcher, though she acknowledged those decisions will be made by Netflix. “There’s business, and there’s creative. As often as I can, I leave the business to Netflix, so that I can concentrate on delivering story and character with every ounce of my brainpower,” she said. “That said–fingers f**king crossed, you know?”

A new trailer for The Witcher premiered recently, and yes, it showed Geralt in the bathtub. Superman actor Henry Cavill plays Geralt in the series.

The Witcher TV show premieres on December 20.

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Star Trek Discovery Actor Anthony Rapp Wants A Role In Dragon Age Writer’s Next Game

Chorus: An Adventure Musical, the first game from Summerfall Studios, is currently seeking funding on Fig. It’s very close to its target–it’s sitting on 97% at the time of writing, and is on track to get fully funded. The game, which comes from a team headed up by Dragon Age writer David Gaider, is a musical, a genre not often explored in games. Now, one actor has reached out to discuss the possibility of playing a part in the new game, and the folks behind the game are keen to have them on board.

Anthony Rapp, who is currently starring on Star Trek Discovery as Lieutenant Commander Paul Stamets, and is well-known for his singing talents in Broadway productions such as Rent and If/Then, has reached out to the team over Twitter. Rapp is excited at the concept of Chorus, and has asked if he could potentially play a role in it.

The official Twitter account for Summerfall Studios and Gaider both responded separately, expressing enthusiasm over the idea.

It looks like preliminary discussions might have already happened, as shortly afterwards Rapp tweeted again to suggest that he might have a role to play in this game if it receives full funding.

The game is set to star Laura Bailey (Uncharted 4, Gears 5) in the lead role, and will be composed by Austin Wintory (Journey). You can secure a copy of Chorus: A Musical Adventure with a $22 pledge on Fig, while the Early Bird tier is still available.

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Smash Bros Ultimate Direct Dated, Will Focus On Terry Bogard

The next DLC fighter for Super Smash Bros Ultimate is Terry Bogard, one of the most recognizable fighters from the Fatal Fury series. We haven’t seen much of what Terry can do yet, but that’s set to change in an upcoming livestream.

Nintendo has announced via their Nintendo Versus Twitter account that Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai will host a 45 minute livestream of the game at 5 AM PT on November 6, showing off the upcoming fighter’s abilities and fighting style. In the past, these videos have released very shortly before the characters themselves were made available to purchase: Joker, Hero and Banjo-Kazooie all followed a similar pattern.

Terry Bogard is the fourth DLC character to be added to Super Smash Bros Ultimate since the game’s release. An unannounced fifth character will be added as part of the first Fighter’s Pass, but more DLC characters will arrive beyond that too.

In our original Super Smash Bros Ultimate review, Edmond Tran gave the game a 9/10, writing that “Ultimate’s diverse content is compelling, its strong mechanics are refined, and the encompassing collection is simply superb.”

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Xbox Elite Controller Series 2: What It Looks Like And What It Can Do

A New Type Of Elite

Microsoft’s latest Xbox One controller, the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, is out now. In the following gallery, we detail many of the features included on the controller.

Like its predecessor, the Series 2 is designed for those looking to up their game in competitive or professional play–including additional thumbsticks, paddles, and accessories for you to change the controller. The Series 2 comes with several customization options, including ways to configure how certain inputs affect gameplay. Most of the Series 2’s features are designed for when you’re playing a shooter, but you may find some use out of the new controller even if you primarily play other genres.

The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 can connect with Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, or any PC running Windows 7 or later. When it releases during the holiday season in 2020, Xbox Project Scorpio will support this controller too. The controller supports up to 40 hours of battery life, and comes with a carrying case so you can travel with the included six thumbsticks, four paddles, two d-pads, and charging dock. The controller currently sells at around $180 USD–we’ve listed several available retailers below.

Where To Buy The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2

Carrying Case

The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 case is large enough to fit the controller itself, as well as additional accessories and the charging dock, making it easy for you to travel without losing any small pieces.

Carrying Case

There’s actually a port at the top of the case, allowing you to recharge the charging dock while your controller is stored.

Wrap-Around Grip

The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 features a rubberized grip that extends around the entire controller, making it easier to maintain your hold even after you start to sweat.

Headset Jack

The controller features a 3.5mm stereo headset jack, allowing you use pretty much any wired headset or earphones with it. The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 also supports the Xbox One Stereo Headset Adapter.

Face Buttons

The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 supports button reconfiguration, allowing you to remap certain inputs–such as specific voice commands–to one of the face buttons.

D-Pad

Two d-pads come included with the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2: the standard d-pad included on the original Xbox One controller and a faceted d-pad (the one pictured here). The former allows for four inputs, while the latter works as an eight-way d-pad that makes diagonal inputs easier.

USB-C Port

Like the standard controller, the Series 2 supports wireless connectivity, via Bluetooth, with Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs. However, you can also connect to consoles or PC via a USB-C cable. A 9-inch cable comes included with the controller–it can be used to charge the Series 2 as well.

Thumbsticks

The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 comes with six thumbsticks in total. Two are the standard thumbsticks used on the current Xbox One controllers, while another two are the smoother variants that were used for the original Xbox One controllers at launch. The Series 2 also comes with one tall thumbstick and one wide dome thumbstick.

Thumbstick-Adjustment Tool

The silver-colored thumbstick-adjustment tool allows you to safely remove a thumbstick without damaging it or the controller, as well as more easily secure a new thumbstick so it doesn’t accidentally pop-off in the middle of a multiplayer match.

Paddles

The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 comes with four programmable paddles, two on each side of the controller–letting you map any of the controller’s buttons to these paddles to help keep your thumbs on the sticks more often.

Charging Dock

The included charging dock allows you to store a charge that can recharge your Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 on the fly. The dock attaches to the back of the controller, allowing you to also recharge while continuing to play or while storing the controller in its carrying case.

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Jumanji: The Next Level’s Character Posters Introduce A Newcomer And A Horse

Jumanji: The Next Level will release next month. It’s a direct sequel to the hugely successful Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which grossed $404,515,480 domestically and $962,077,546 in total worldwide. Following on from Jumanji: The Next Level’s first and second trailers, the film’s official Twitter account has released some character posters to show off the film’s cast.

These posters focus exclusively on the characters inside the Jumanji video game that much of the film is set within, which means, unfortunately, that we don’t get posters for Danny DeVito’s Eddie or Danny Glover’s Milo–who are turned into Dwayne Johnson’s Dr. Smolder Bravestone and Kevin Hart’s Franklin “Mouse” Finbar, respectively, when they enter the game.

While most of these actors and characters are returning from the previous film, Awkwafina (The Farewell) is a new addition to the cast–as is the horse.

Jumanji: The Next Level will arrive in cinemas on December 13. It’s directed by Jake Kasdan, who also directed the previous Jumanji film.