Tag Archives: Arts & Entertainment

A new trailer for the Dune: Prophecy series just dropped

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A new trailer dropped on the opening day of the New York Comic Con for the new six-episode spinoff series Dune: Prophecy, a prequel to the recent films directed by Denis Villeneuve.

The new series will premiere November 17 at 9PM on HBO. Each episode will be available to stream on Max on Sundays following its TV broadcast.

The Dune prequel is based on the novel Sisterhood of Dune by Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert, the son of Dune creator and science fiction writer Frank Herbert. The new HBO series takes place 10,000 years before the rise of Paul Atreides when the Bene Gesserit begins its ascension to power.

It tells the story of two Harkonnen sisters Valya and Tula, played by Emily Watson and Olivia Williams, who create the sisterhood that will inevitably become the Bene Gesserit, the social, spiritual and political order of powerful women seeking to control and shape the universe. Other members of the cast include Travis Fimmel, Jodhi May and Mark Strong.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a-new-trailer-for-the-dune-prophecy-series-just-dropped-212154554.html?src=rss

Unity mounts a comeback with launch of Unity 6 game engine

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Unity has released the latest version of its engine for developing games and interactive experiences. Unity 6 has new workflows for creating online multiplayer games and more tools for projects intended for mobile platforms, including mobile web support for Android and iOS browsers. The engine promises improved performance, particularly in graphics rendering, and adds several features for creating more realistic environments via global lighting and other VFX. And it wouldn't be a tech announcement without some AI component; the company has also released the latest version of its Sentis neural network inference library for using AI models within the Unity engine.

The company took a real hit to its public perception when it attempted to revise its pricing structure last September. The proposed payment model would charge devs a fee whenever a player downloaded their creation. The move led to outcry among game developers, particularly the indie scene. After a leadership shakeup and a massive workforce reduction, the company walked back most of the changes it had announced. This September, the controversial fee was dropped entirely.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/unity-mounts-a-comeback-with-launch-of-unity-6-game-engine-205332034.html?src=rss

Amazon is rebooting its live-action adaptation of the God of War reboot

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Amazon is reshuffling the deck with its God of War series. After the success of Fallout, it wants its next Prime Video gaming adaptation to live up to those lofty expectations — and it’s apparently willing to start fresh to do so. Deadline first reported on Thursday that the series showrunner and two executive producers have left the project as the streamer recalibrates “to move in a different creative direction.”

Showrunner and executive producer Rafe Judkins (Wheel of Time) and executive producers Mark Fergus and Hawk Otsby (Children of Men and Iron Man) are no longer involved with the project. Amazon and Sony reportedly praised their screenplays, which suggests the shakeup is more about wanting a fresh take than quality concerns. According to Variety, Amazon plans to hire a new showrunner and put together a new writers’ room to take another stab at a live-action Kratos.

Kratos and Atreus in a still from God of War. Atreus sits in a boat while Kratos looks grimdark.
Sony / Santa Monica Studio

The series is an adaptation of the 2018 franchise reboot that shifted the action from Greek to Norse mythology. Amazon’s description should sound familiar to anyone who played the game:

“When his beloved wife dies, Kratos sets off on a dangerous journey with his estranged son to spread her ashes from the highest peak — his wife’s final wish.[The quest] will test the bonds between father and son, and force Kratos to battle new gods and monsters for the fate of the world.”

Amazon Studios is co-producing the series alongside Sony Pictures Television. According to Deadline, Santa Monica Studio creative director Cory Barlog is staying on as an executive producer. Also reportedly remaining are PlayStation Productions’ Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan, as well as Santa Monica Studio’s Yumi Yang and Vertigo’s Roy Lee.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/amazon-is-rebooting-its-live-action-adaptation-of-the-god-of-war-reboot-203305237.html?src=rss

Bloober Team’s next horror game is Cronos: The New Dawn

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Bloober Team unveiled what it’s been working on at today’s Xbox Partner Showcase event. The studio showed off a cinematic trailer for Cronos: The New Dawn, which is a brand-new IP.

The developer describes the game as “a twisted time travel story set in an unforgiving post-apocalyptic future.” It’s a third-person survival horror title that looks to have plenty of action. This is a far cry from the type of psychological horror games the studio cut its teeth on, like the Layers of Fear series. We spoke to Bloober Team last year and were told it was moving away from psychological horror and, well, here’s the proof.

The trailer primarily consists of a lengthy scene in which a character who looks sort of like Isaac from Dead Space and a bit like a Big Daddy from Bioshock plays chess with a lady before wandering an apocalyptic hellscape. There is actual gameplay here, but only toward the end of the trailer.

Bloober Team says players will need to successfully navigate that “deadly wasteland” and fight off “monstrous abominations.” It also says the game mixes the “eerie atmosphere of horror with the boundless potential of science fiction.” The trailer certainly confirms that sentiment.

Despite being announced at an Xbox event, Cronos: The New Dawn isn’t exclusive to Microsoft consoles. It’ll be available on PC, PS5 and, of course, Xbox Series X|S systems sometime in 2025. The studio just released its remake of the iconic horror game Silent Hill 2.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/bloober-teams-next-horror-game-is-cronos-the-new-dawn-184925036.html?src=rss

Amazon will stream an election night special with Brian Williams

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Amazon Prime Video will host a live election night special hosted by Brian Williams. The veteran newscaster will deliver “election results and analysis” starting at 5PM ET on November 5. Interestingly, this is a free special and doesn’t require a Prime membership. It’ll also be live streaming throughout the world, and not just America.

Williams will be joined by a bevy of contributors to discuss election returns and the whole thing is being directed by industry veteran Glenn Weiss. He’s directed a whole bunch of live events, from the Oscars to the Emmys and beyond.

Amazon doesn’t have a news division, so it’ll be pulling results and commentary from third-party sources across all political affiliations, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Williams said in a statement that he “will follow the storyline on election night wherever it leads us.”

Albert Cheng, VP and head of Prime Video, says this is a “one-night-only” event, but it’s not without precedent. Prime Video made its first Black Friday NFL game available to stream live, even to people who don’t subscribe to the service.

As for Williams, he hosted the NBC Nightly News broadcast for more than a decade. The newscaster stepped down after exaggerations were found in some of his reporting, particularly with regard to stories from Iraq and related to Hurricane Katrina.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/amazon-will-stream-an-election-night-special-with-brian-williams-172040097.html?src=rss

Netflix’s The Electric State trailer shows off cartoony robots and oversized VR headsets

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Netflix has released the first trailer for The Electric State, a post-apocalyptic road movie from Marvel (and Community) mainstays The Russo Brothers. The adaptation of Simon Stålenhag's 2018 graphic novel is set in a retro-futuristic version of the '90s after a robot uprising. It tells the story of Michelle, an orphaned teenager (Millie Bobby Brown) who ventures across the west of the US to look for her younger brother with a smuggler (a mustachioed Chris Pratt) and a pair of robots.

The movie's look draws heavily from Stålenhag's gorgeous artwork, right down to the oversized VR helmets. The robots, in particular the one accompanying Michelle, have a cartoon-inspired aesthetic that wouldn't look out of place in Fallout. A large teddy bear robot can be seen as part of a parade of machines, while our heroes appear to face off against a massive one that looks a little like Sonic the Hedgehog.

Meanwhile, the whole "slowed down iteration of a popular song in a movie trailer" thing might have jumped the shark with the version of Oasis' "Champagne Supernova" that plays over the top of this. It fits the '90s setting, of course, but I couldn't help but laugh as soon as I recognized it.

The movie has a hell of a cast. Alongside Brown and Pratt, it stars Ke Huy Quan, Jason Alexander, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Giancarlo Esposito and Stanley Tucci. The Electric State hits Netflix on March 14.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/netflixs-the-electric-state-trailer-shows-off-cartoony-robots-and-oversized-vr-headsets-143628514.html?src=rss

Apple Music helps artists turn concert set lists into playlists

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There's a certain level of fandom you hit when you research a band's tour set list before they come to your city. And some of us like to relive great concerts with some quick research on setlist.fm. The next logical step, once we're armed with this information, is to create a playlist on our preferred streaming service for quick access. Thanks to third-party options like Setify, the process is easy for Apple Music and Spotify users, but you still have to take the time to do it. 

Apple Music has now given artists the ability to turn set lists into playlists thanks to info from tour info site Bandsintown. Once an artist has connected the two services, they can select the type of show in Apple Music for Artists (concert, tour or residency) and link it to upcoming dates on Bandsintown. From there, artists can set a publish date and use search to build out the playlist. These collections of songs can include original tunes the artist covers or collaborations with other acts. Apple Music allows unlimited set list playlists for past or future shows, but the service recommends that artists select a track listing that most accurately reflects the whole tour if they're making one for an entire run of dates. 

Set lists playlists aren't entirely new on Apple Music. The service has been curating playlists for popular tours for a while now, like Zach Bryan's 2024 Quittin' Time Tour. What's more, Apple Music is touting this new tool as a promotional feature for artists, so there are a number of ways to share the playlists once they're live. However, it will also be a great item for fans who either want more info on the songs they can expect to hear, can't make it to a stop on a tour or want to relive the experience of seeing the band in person. 

Of course, if one of your favorites doesn't hop on this bandwagon, you still have options for set list playlists. With Setify, you can link either Apple Music or Spotify and pull in data from setlist.fm in order to make your collections. It's not perfect, but it works well most of the time, and you can always adjust things in the streaming service apps if you need to further curate a playlist. I recently missed one of my all-time favorites at Furnace Fest, but thanks to this combo, I can at least get a small piece of Blindside playing through About a Burning Fire.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/apple-music-helps-artists-turn-concert-set-lists-into-playlists-133916684.html?src=rss

The JRPG-inspired Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has a stacked voice cast

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Sandfall Games just announced the voice cast for its forthcoming turn-based RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and it’s absolutely stacked. The actors include Andy Serkis and Charlie Cox, as a start. For the uninitiated, Serkis played a weird little guy named Gollum in some unknown movies about a magical ring. He also gave the iconic “one way out” monologue in Andor. Cox is best known for playing a masked vigilante called Daredevil.

The rest of the cast includes seasoned voice actors. There’s Ben Starr, who played a doctor in the TV show Jamestown but is perhaps best known for playing Clive in Final Fantasy XVI. Shala Nyx has plied her trade in plenty of recent games, including Cyberpunk 2077 and Diabolo IV. Other cast members include Jennifer English, who played Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3, and Kirsty Rider.

For the uninitiated, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a JRPG-inspired fantasy epic with turn-based battles and a unique take on Belle Époque-era France. We got to see it in action earlier this year and came away (mostly) impressed. We called the graphics and environments “gorgeous” but the story “clear as mud.” However, it’s tough to nail down the narrative of a fantasy RPG just by watching a demo for a few hours.

In any event, we don’t have that long to wait before the game launches. The developers say it’ll come out in Spring 2025. It’ll be available for PC via Steam, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It’s also a day one Game Pass title. If you simply can’t wait until then for a new game in the genre, we heartily recommend checking out Metaphor: ReFantazio.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-jrpg-inspired-clair-obscur-expedition-33-has-a-stacked-voice-cast-165228134.html?src=rss

Uber Eats will now let users create and share lists of their favorite meals

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Uber Eats is adding a social element to ordering delivery tacos in the form of curated lists. Garden variety users can whip up one of these lists on the Account tab, pulling menu items from preferred local haunts.

All lists are shareable by default, so users can send them to friends and family. I don’t want other people to know the shameful food I gorge while endlessly watching episodes of Frasier, but maybe that’s just me.

This could actually prove useful for certain scenarios, such as when you’re sick in bed and want someone else to handle takeout. Just point friends and family to the list. Uber Eats also said that there’s a chance any particular list could end up on the home feed, turning the creator into a local food influencer for the day.

Speaking of food influencers, the app will also feature curated lists by pseudo-celebrities. Uber Eats is advertising initial participation by Sam Roby of Chicago Food Authority, Ella Kahan and Emma Matarasso of Chew York City and others. It remains to be seen how this will work in smaller markets.

Uber Eats has been making changes all over the place lately. The platform recently began to offer fresh produce from farmers markets in select cities. It’s also been experimenting with driverless vehicles for deliveries.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/uber-eats-will-now-let-users-create-and-share-lists-of-their-favorite-meals-140052032.html?src=rss

Sony’s Until Dawn movie gets April 25 release date

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Sony announced in January that it planned to create a movie adaptation of its 2015 PlayStation game Until Dawn and the project is moving quickly through production. Earlier this month, director David F. Sandberg posted on Instagram that the film had wrapped shooting, and today Sony production house Screen Gems announced that the movie's release date will be April 25, 2025.

Until Dawn became a cult favorite among the horror game fans, with a branching narrative that offers dozens of different endings based on a player's choices. If you haven't had a chance to experience the original Supermassive Games title yet, the game recently received a timely spooky season remake from Ballistic Moon. One of the big questions around creating a film from the game source is which of the many possible outcomes will the team choose for the plot? And the other big question is whether Until Dawn will follow in the footsteps of successful game adaptations like The Super Mario Bros. Movie or be an absolute trainwreck like Borderlands? 

So far, the signs seem promising. Director Sandberg has a solid track record in horror with Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation. The final script was written by Gary Dauberman, who worked with Sandberg on Annabelle: Creation as well as penning words for other Annabelle movies, It (2017), It Chapter Two and The Nun.

The game had some notable actors involved, including Hayden Panetierre and Rami Malek. For the movie, Screen Gems tapped a cast including Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Ji-young Yoo, Belmont Cameli, Odessa A’zion and Maia Mitchell. Peter Stormare will also reprise his role of Dr. Hill in the film version.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/sonys-until-dawn-movie-gets-april-25-release-date-223735333.html?src=rss