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Dune Reboot Movie To Receive New Spin-Off TV Show

One of 2020’s most anticipated movies is Dune, the new adaptation of the classic sci-fi novel, which will be directed by Blade Runner 2049’s Denis Villeneuve. It has now been reported that there is also a Dune TV show on the way, with Villeneuve set to direct the first episode.

According to Variety, the show will be titled Dune: The Sisterhood, and it is being developed for Warner’s upcoming streaming platform. The site states that the new show will focus on the Bene Gesserit, a mysterious order of women with incredible powers. The group have featured across Herbert’s Dune book series.

Villeneuve will direct the opening episode and executive produce the entire run. In a statement he said: “The Bene Gesserit have always been fascinating to me. Focusing a series around that powerful order of women seemed not only relevant and inspiring but a dynamic setting for the television series.”

Warner’s streaming platform does not yet have a confirmed launch date, but it is expected to appear later in 2019. According to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal, the service will bundle HBO, Cinemax, and a library of Warner movies and TV shows. Pricing is expected to be in the $16-to $17-a-month range.

Villeneuve’s Dune movie releases in November 2020. The film has assembled an impressive cast over the past few months, including Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Dave Bautista, Oscar Isaac, and Stellan Skarsgård.

Dune was previously adapted for the big screen in 1984. The lavish movie was directed by David Lynch and starred Kyle McLachlan, Patrick Stewart, and Sting. While it was a commercial failure, it has since gained a cult reputation. The Sci-fi Channel (since re-branded Syfy) also produced a Dune mini-series in the early 2000s.

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E3 2019: Halo Infinite Has Split-Screen, Microsoft Reaffirms

Microsoft’s press conference at E3 2019 featured plenty of new Halo Infinite details. Almost a year after it was first announced, Microsoft revealed the game’s release window, confirmed it will be a launch title for Xbox Project Scarlett–in addition to launching on Xbox One and PC–and showed off a new cinematic trailer.

Now, Microsoft has shared a blog post on Xbox Wire from Brian Jarrard, community director at Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries. “Like last year’s reveal trailer, this latest look at Halo Infinite is powered by our new Slipspace Engine–an engine built from the ground up to realize our incredibly ambitious aspirations for the future of the franchise,” Jarrard writes. “Which yes, also includes the long-awaited return of split-screen support to the series.”

Halo has a legacy of featuring couch co-op in both the campaign and multiplayer portions of its games. Fans of the series were miffed when Halo 5: Guardians–the last entry in the series–neglected any sort of split-screen functionality, so the reaffirmation that Halo Infinite will support split-screen is welcome news. Most Halo players likely have fond memories of playing through each campaign with a friend by their side. Even if local co-op isn’t as prominent as it was prior to online gaming becoming so widespread, it’s fantastic that Halo Infinite is still sticking to the series’ roots in this regard.

Halo Infinite is set for release in Q4, 2020 for Xbox Project Scarlett, Xbox One, and PC.

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E3 2019: Nintendo Conference Date, Time, Predictions, and Announcements

Nintendo’s E3 Direct is scheduled to begin on today, June 11 at 9am PT/12pm ET/5pm UK (June 12 at 2am AET).

We already got a few Nintendo Switch surprises ahead of the Nintendo Direct, but if history is any indicator, there are plenty more to come. During its E3 2019 conference last night, Square Enix announced a remastered Final Fantasy VIII is coming to Switch (among other systems).

The Nintendo Switch era has see a fire relit under Nintendo. While some of its best games came out for the Wii U, the Wii U itself wasn’t a success. However, the Nintendo Switch has been a dominant force in gaming since its release, and many of those overlooked Wii U games made their way to the hybrid console. But it’s more than just ports of Wii U games. Nintendo’s core franchises, like Super Mario, Pokemon, and Metroid, are all on, or making their way to, the Nintendo Switch.

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Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled Gets Spyro, New Tracks

Activision Blizzard and developer Beenox announced that Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled will release free seasonal content starting on July 3, 2019.

The post-launch content includes a Grand Prix, which will have new tracks, unlockable characters and karts, along with customization options.

Revealed on CTR TV by hosts Chick and Stew, players will unlock a new track with every Grand Prix. The first being Twilight Tour, which takes place in the middle east, driving from day to night.

New characters and items will be in the Pit Stop rotation of each Grand Prix, which include members of the Nitro Squad.

Iconic character from Crash Bandicoot, Tawna, will also officially be in the CTR world, as she will be an earnable character in the first Grand Prix.

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E3 2019: The Division 2’s New Expeditions Feature Explained

During Ubisoft’s press conference at E3 2019, Massive Entertainment shed some light on The Division 2’s year-one DLC roadmap. We now know the first year of free content updates will include a series of three-story episodes that will see you venture outside of Washington DC, with the third and final episode even taking you back to New York City, the setting for the first game.

Episode one is titled DC Outskirts – Expeditions, and a post on The Division 2’s official website has now detailed what the new Expeditions will feature and what exactly they entails.

Expeditions are free events that let players travel to unexplored locations to discover new narrative and gameplay opportunities. These are different from the episode’s new story missions set in Manning National Zoo and Camp White Oak, which is a tad convoluted but might speak to the breadth of content available in each episode. A full Expedition site–like the overgrown Kenly College–consists of three locations, each one having a specific theme and tone. As you complete one location, another will open up, with a treasure room full of rewards waiting for you once you’ve completed all three.

Massive Entertainment says each site will offer unique content and lore not found anywhere else, and it sounds like this DLC will expand upon The Division 2’s base gameplay mechanics, with environmental puzzles and unique boss mechanics to contend with. There’s an emphasis on exploration, too, as hidden secrets are waiting to be discovered by those who veer off the beaten path.

Once you’ve completed a full Expedition site, there’s an additional challenge layer called The Mastery System. This optional system introduces tailor-made challenges to each location, with players awarded a bronze, silver, or gold rating based on their performance in completing these optional challenges. The higher your rank, the more rewards you gain. This is graded on an individual level, as opposed to groups, so there’s a competitive element to progression as the quality of the payout is a direct result of your efforts.

On the face of it, the first episode of The Division 2’s DLC seems to be playing to the base game’s strengths, offering new locations to explore and exciting ways to unlock more of that sweet, sweet loot.

DC Outskirts – Expeditions is due out in July. Ubisoft will also be opening a Division 2 free trial starting June 13, and the game will be on sale through June 24. If you participate in the free weekend and then purchase the full game you’ll keep your progression.

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