Tag Archives: Arts & Entertainment

There’s a TV show coming based on Sega’s classic arcade game Golden Axe

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Comedy Central just greenlit a cartoon based on the classic Sega arcade cabinet Golden Axe, further proving we are in something of a gilded age of video game adaptations. The animated show is getting a ten-episode first season and features a voice cast filled with comedic heavy hitters, like Danny Pudi from Community and Carl Tart from Grand Crew (RIP) and the Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast universe.

It also stars Matthew Rhys, from The Americans and Perry Mason, and comedian Lisa Gilroy. The pilot is being written by Mike McMahon, the creator of Star Trek: Lower Decks and Solar Opposites, and Joe Chandler, a regular writer for American Dad. Chandler is the showrunner and McMahon is on board as the executive producer. Interestingly, several big Sega names are also involved with the show, including Haruki Satomi, Shuki Utsumi and Toru Nakahara, the latter being largely responsible for shepherding the Sonic the Hedgehog cinematic universe.

The plot looks appropriately zany, as there wasn’t too much story in those old arcade cabinets. The show bills itself as a “hilarious and loving homage to Sega’s 1989 video game series” and follows several warriors as they attempt to save the realm from franchise antagonist Death Adder. It does look to be doing a deep dive on the franchise, as one of the characters is the panther/man hybrid beast from Golden Axe III. Comedy Central promises “plenty of exciting cameos” from the fictional world. There’s no release date yet and the show is still in the script-writing stage. Animation takes a long time, so hold your horses.

We’ve really gone from zero to sixty when it comes to game adaptations, right? In just the past year, we’ve had shows based on The Last of Us, Fallout, Twisted Metal and more. There’s also a little-known movie about two Italian plumbers that may or may not have set the box office on fire. A TV show based on another Sega property, Knuckles, premieres April 26 on Paramount+. 

As for Golden Axe, there hasn't been a franchise installment since 2008, though that's about to change. Sega recently announced that its rebooting the property, alongside other classics like Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/theres-a-tv-show-coming-based-on-segas-classic-arcade-game-golden-axe-185336446.html?src=rss

Apple renews For All Mankind and announces a spinoff series set in the Soviet Union

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For All Mankind is coming back for a fifth season of space-based alt-history hijinks on Apple TV+. This is unsurprising news, given the near-universal critical acclaim heaped on season four. However, the company also surprise-announced a spinoff series called Star City that will follow the Russian space program.

Original series creators Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi are all onboard for Star City, though there’s no cast yet. The plot synopsis calls it a “robust expansion” of the universe and refers to it as a “propulsive, paranoid thriller.” It also looks to be taking viewers back to the events of season one of For All Mankind, chronicling the Russian moon landing that started the story.

“This time, we explore the story from behind the Iron Curtain, showing the lives of the cosmonauts, the engineers and the intelligence officers embedded among them in the Soviet space program, and the risks they all took to propel humanity forward,” Apple wrote in a press release.

The company didn’t say if the show would rely on frequent time jumps, like its forebear. To that end, Apple hasn't released any casting information for season five of For All Mankind. Given the show’s propensity toward expansive time skips, it’s highly possible series regulars like Joel Kinnaman and Krys Marshall are on their way out. After all, their characters were really getting up there in age and stretching credulity in season four. 

Joel Kinnaman looking old in a spaceship.
Apple TV+

This is some seriously good news for sci-fi fans, but still doesn’t take away the brutal sting of Star Trek: Lower Decks getting canceled. Paramount should probably just sell Star Trek to Apple already, since the latter actually seems to care about science fiction.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-renews-for-all-mankind-and-announces-a-spinoff-series-set-in-the-soviet-union-173950761.html?src=rss

Apple renews For All Mankind and announces a spinoff series set in the Soviet Union

Posted on by

For All Mankind is coming back for a fifth season of space-based alt-history hijinks on Apple TV+. This is unsurprising news, given the near-universal critical acclaim heaped on season four. However, the company also surprise-announced a spinoff series called Star City that will follow the Russian space program.

Original series creators Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi are all onboard for Star City, though there’s no cast yet. The plot synopsis calls it a “robust expansion” of the universe and refers to it as a “propulsive, paranoid thriller.” It also looks to be taking viewers back to the events of season one of For All Mankind, chronicling the Russian moon landing that started the story.

“This time, we explore the story from behind the Iron Curtain, showing the lives of the cosmonauts, the engineers and the intelligence officers embedded among them in the Soviet space program, and the risks they all took to propel humanity forward,” Apple wrote in a press release.

The company didn’t say if the show would rely on frequent time jumps, like its forebear. To that end, Apple hasn't released any casting information for season five of For All Mankind. Given the show’s propensity toward expansive time skips, it’s highly possible series regulars like Joel Kinnaman and Krys Marshall are on their way out. After all, their characters were really getting up there in age and stretching credulity in season four. 

Joel Kinnaman looking old in a spaceship.
Apple TV+

This is some seriously good news for sci-fi fans, but still doesn’t take away the brutal sting of Star Trek: Lower Decks getting canceled. Paramount should probably just sell Star Trek to Apple already, since the latter actually seems to care about science fiction.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-renews-for-all-mankind-and-announces-a-spinoff-series-set-in-the-soviet-union-173950761.html?src=rss

Amazon debuts a generative AI-powered playlist feature

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Amazon Music is joining Spotify in starting to offer a generative AI-powered playlist feature. For now, Maestro is available in beta to a small number of Amazon Music users in the US on iOS and Android.

Folks who are included in the beta will see Maestro on the home screen after they update to the latest version of the app. They can also access the tool by tapping the plus button to create a new playlist.

The idea is to use natural language prompts to create any kind of playlist imaginable. Your prompts can include sounds, activities, emotions and even emoji. Amazon suggests you might ask Maestro to whip up a playlist of songs that sound like the robot emoji (in which case you'll probably hear a bunch of Daft Punk tracks). Other prompts the company suggests include "😭 and eating 🍝," "Make my 👶 a genius," "Myspace era hip-hop" and, bizarrely, "Music my grandparents made out to." Ewwww.

Based on those ideas, it does seem that Maestro is more or less ready to handle whatever prompts you can throw at it, though Amazon notes that the tech is still in beta. As such, Maestro might not always get things right immediately. The company also says that it has safeguards in place to prohibit offensive language and inappropriate prompts.

Amazon plans to roll out Maestro more broadly over time. As things stand, Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers can listen to Maestro playlists instantly and save them for later (or share them with friends). Prime members and users on the ad-supported free tier can listen to 30-second previews of their playlists before saving them.

Earlier this month, Spotify debuted a similar feature for Premium members in the UK and Australia. AI Playlist works in much the same way as Maestro.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-debuts-a-generative-ai-powered-playlist-feature-150848360.html?src=rss

Amazon debuts a generative AI-powered playlist feature

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Amazon Music is joining Spotify in starting to offer a generative AI-powered playlist feature. For now, Maestro is available in beta to a small number of Amazon Music users in the US on iOS and Android.

Folks who are included in the beta will see Maestro on the home screen after they update to the latest version of the app. They can also access the tool by tapping the plus button to create a new playlist.

The idea is to use natural language prompts to create any kind of playlist imaginable. Your prompts can include sounds, activities, emotions and even emoji. Amazon suggests you might ask Maestro to whip up a playlist of songs that sound like the robot emoji (in which case you'll probably hear a bunch of Daft Punk tracks). Other prompts the company suggests include "😭 and eating 🍝," "Make my 👶 a genius," "Myspace era hip-hop" and, bizarrely, "Music my grandparents made out to." Ewwww.

Based on those ideas, it does seem that Maestro is more or less ready to handle whatever prompts you can throw at it, though Amazon notes that the tech is still in beta. As such, Maestro might not always get things right immediately. The company also says that it has safeguards in place to prohibit offensive language and inappropriate prompts.

Amazon plans to roll out Maestro more broadly over time. As things stand, Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers can listen to Maestro playlists instantly and save them for later (or share them with friends). Prime members and users on the ad-supported free tier can listen to 30-second previews of their playlists before saving them.

Earlier this month, Spotify debuted a similar feature for Premium members in the UK and Australia. AI Playlist works in much the same way as Maestro.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-debuts-a-generative-ai-powered-playlist-feature-150848360.html?src=rss

Netflix true crime documentary may have used AI-generated images of a real person

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Netflix has been accused of using AI-manipulated imagery in the true crime documentary What Jennifer Did, Futurism has reported. Several photos show typical signs of AI trickery, including mangled hands, strange artifacts and more. If accurate, the report raises serious questions about the use of such images in documentaries, particularly since the person depicted is currently in prison awaiting retrial. 

In one egregious image, the left hand of the documentary's subject Jennifer Pan is particularly mangled, while another image shows a strange gap in her cheek. Netflix has yet to acknowledge the report, but the images show clear signs of manipulation and were never labeled as AI-generated.

Netflix true crime documentary may have used AI-generated images of a real person
Netflix

The AI may be generating the imagery based on real photos of Pan, as PetaPixel suggested. However, the resulting output may be interpreted as being prejudicial instead of presenting the facts of the case without bias. 

A Canadian court of appeal ordered Pan's retrial because the trial judge didn't present the jury with enough options, the CBC reported. 

One critic, journalist Karen K. HO, said that the Netflix documentary is an example of the "true crime industrial complex" catering to an "all-consuming and endless" appetite for violent content. Netflix's potential use of AI manipulated imagery as a storytelling tool may reinforce that argument.

Regulators in the US, Europe and elsewhere have enacted laws on the use of AI, but so far there appears to be no specific laws governing the use of AI images or video in documentaries or other content. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-true-crime-documentary-may-have-used-ai-generated-images-of-a-real-person-090024761.html?src=rss

Keanu Reeves is reportedly playing Shadow the Hedgehog in Sonic 3

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When Sonic 3 hits the theaters later this year, you may be able to watch a franchise fan favorite be voiced by one of Hollywood's all-time fan favorite actors. Keanu Reeves will play the broody, tortured Shadow the Hedgehog, according to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. The antihero, who's both an arch-rival and an ally to Sonic, will be created by Jim Carrey's Dr. Robotnik after the events of Sonic 2, based on the movie's first footage presented at CinemaCon last week. 

Shadow has a long history in the Sonic universe and first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2, which came out back in 2001. The black-furred anthropomorphic hedgehog was created in the games to help find a cure for Dr. Robotnik's granddaughter Maria, who had a terminal disease. It's unclear if the movie will follow a similar storyline — though we can again expect Sonic and his gang to stop Dr. Robotnik's plans to take over the world — but we'll likely get more details about the film before it comes out on December 20. Jeff Fowler will still lead the production as its director, while Ben Schwartz and James Marsden are reprising their roles as Sonic and his adoptive father-of-sorts Sheriff Tom Wachowski, respectively. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/keanu-reeves-is-reportedly-playing-shadow-the-hedgehog-in-sonic-3-072847772.html?src=rss

Disney+ may add cable-style streaming channels focused on Marvel and Star Wars

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Disney is reportedly planning to add linear cable-style streaming channels to Disney+. According to The Information, the company wants subscribers to spend more time in the app and, by offering more viewing options, it may entice users to stick around. In addition, by running ads on these channels, Disney could boost its bottom line.

There are already a bunch of free, ad-supported streaming (FAST) services such as Roku, Pluto TV and Tubi. Last year, Warner Bros. Discovery brought FAST channels featuring its shows and movies to Roku and Tubi. Disney itself has some FAST channels inside the ABC.com app, including ones dedicated to General Hospital and 20/20. But none of those are inside a subscription service.

The report suggests that Disney may offer channels based on tentpole franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel, along with others showing animated movies from Pixar. Many folks have FAST channels on as background noise while cleaning and so on, and given the high brand affinity for Disney, this makes sense for the company to explore.

Beyond Marvel and Star Wars, Disney has a deep well of shows and movies to pull from for its linear streaming channels. There's absolutely a market for a channel that shows The Simpsons 24/7. There's probably an audience out there that would love to have Boy Meets World or Scrubs on in the background as they go about their day, and of course Disney has a large library of animated kids shows in its locker. A DuckTales channel seems like a no-brainer.

Disney is trying to make Disney+ a one-stop shop for consumers. It recently folded in Hulu and it reportedly plans to do something similar with ESPN when the sports network's standalone streaming service arrives next year. Adding linear streaming channels to the mix could help Disney pull eyeballs away from the likes of Roku and Pluto TV as well.

That said, Disney+ wouldn't be the first subscription streaming service to go down this path. Paramount+ added a Live Channels feature in 2021 to highlight some of the platform's most popular movies and shows. Along with genre-based channels (such as offerings for kids and reality competition fans), others are based on hit franchises such as Paw Patrol, Star Trek and RuPaul's Drag Race.

Another major streaming platform has explored different strategies too. At one point Netflix is said to have considered offering the option to subscribe to and watch other streaming services from within its app, much like Amazon does with Prime Video Channels. The Information notes that while Netflix hasn't moved forward with that plan, the company hasn't ruled it out as it too tries to get users to spend more time in its app.

Update 4/16 11:35AM ET: Added context about the Paramount+ Live Channels.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/disney-may-add-cable-style-streaming-channels-focused-on-marvel-and-star-wars-180035875.html?src=rss

Interstellar is coming back to theaters in September for its 10-year anniversary

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It’s somehow been almost 10 years since Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi odyssey Interstellar was first released in theaters, and to celebrate the upcoming anniversary, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. are bringing it back to the big screen. Per Variety, Paramount announced at CinemaCon this week that Interstellar will be re-released on September 27, 2024 in IMAX 70mm and digital. Interstellar, starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain, debuted in the US in fall 2014.

In true form for Nolan, the film is a bit of a mind-bender. Interstellar presents us with a near-future Earth that is becoming uninhabitable due to an unbeatable blight that’s wiped out nearly all food crops. A team of astronauts sets out to space in search of another planet that could support life, using a wormhole to reach a galaxy beyond our own, and space-time weirdness ensues. It’s a great movie and was well-received at the time of its release (even if it left a ton of people confused about what had actually happened), going on to rake in roughly $731 million globally, according to Variety.

If you didn’t get a chance to catch it in IMAX the first time around, it’s definitely worth taking a trip to the theater for this one.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/interstellar-is-coming-back-to-theaters-in-september-for-its-10-year-anniversary-173427501.html?src=rss

Interstellar is coming back to theaters in September for its 10-year anniversary

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It’s somehow been almost 10 years since Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi odyssey Interstellar was first released in theaters, and to celebrate the upcoming anniversary, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. are bringing it back to the big screen. Per Variety, Paramount announced at CinemaCon this week that Interstellar will be re-released on September 27, 2024 in IMAX 70mm and digital. Interstellar, starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain, debuted in the US in fall 2014.

In true form for Nolan, the film is a bit of a mind-bender. Interstellar presents us with a near-future Earth that is becoming uninhabitable due to an unbeatable blight that’s wiped out nearly all food crops. A team of astronauts sets out to space in search of another planet that could support life, using a wormhole to reach a galaxy beyond our own, and space-time weirdness ensues. It’s a great movie and was well-received at the time of its release (even if it left a ton of people confused about what had actually happened), going on to rake in roughly $731 million globally, according to Variety.

If you didn’t get a chance to catch it in IMAX the first time around, it’s definitely worth taking a trip to the theater for this one.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/interstellar-is-coming-back-to-theaters-in-september-for-its-10-year-anniversary-173427501.html?src=rss