Marvel fans PlayStation Showcase winners

Aside from PlayStation 5 (PS5) timed exclusive Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake, Marvel announcements from PlayStation Studios' Insomniac Games piqued my interest during PlayStation Showcase 2021.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Marvel's Wolverine were teased exclusively for PS5.



"We’re so thrilled to continue the journey of both Peter Parker and Miles Morales in their most epic single-player adventure yet, coming exclusively to PlayStation 5 consoles in 2023," writes Insomniac Games' head of franchise strategy and studio relations Ryan Schneider on the PlayStation Blog.

Schneider goes on to add that Tony Todd (of Candyman fame) will be voicing the alien symbiote Venom and confirmed that both Yuri Lowenthal and Nadji Jeter will be reprising their roles of Peter Parker and Miles Morales respectively.



These PS5 exclusives are some way off. But there'll be plenty of time to buy Sony's elusive consoles between now and 2023.

Are you looking forward to Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Marvel's Wolverine from Insomniac Games? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic on PS5

During Thursday's PlayStation Showcase 2021, Lucasfilm Games announced Aspyr Media is remaking BioWare's classic Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic as a timed exclusive for PlayStation 5 (PS5).



Aspyr Media has a storied history of porting games to macOS, iOS and Android devices. I reviewed the macOS port of Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy in 2004.

"With Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – Remake, our hope is to give both series newcomers and long-term fans an experience that can live alongside the very best modern releases. We’re rebuilding it from the ground up with the latest tech to match the groundbreaking standard of innovation established by the original, all while staying true to its revered story," said Ryan Treadwell of Aspyr Media on the PlayStation Blog.

Are you excited for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic on PS5, and are you tempted to buy Sony's newest console to play this timed exclusive? Let me know in the comments below.

Watch The Matrix Resurrections first trailer

An official trailer for The Matrix Resurrections drops today following an ingenious teaser campaign.



From visionary filmmaker Lana Wachowski comes “The Matrix Resurrections,” the long-awaited fourth film in the groundbreaking franchise that redefined a genre. The new film reunites original stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss in the iconic roles they made famous, Neo and Trinity.

The film also stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (the “Aquaman” franchise), Jessica Henwick (TV’s “Iron Fist,” “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens”), Jonathan Groff (“Hamilton,” TV’s “Mindhunter”), Neil Patrick Harris (“Gone Girl”), Priyanka Chopra Jonas (TV’s “Quantico,”), Christina Ricci (TV’s “Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story,” “The Lizzie Borden Chronicles”), Telma Hopkins (TV’s “Dead to Me,”), Eréndira Ibarra (series “Sense8,” “Ingobernable”), Toby Onwumere (TV’s “Empire”), Max Riemelt (series “Sense8”), Brian J. Smith (series “Sense8,” “Treadstone”) and Jada Pinkett Smith (“Angel Has Fallen,” TV’s “Gotham”).

Lana Wachowski directed from a screenplay by Wachowski & David Mitchell & Aleksander Hemon, based on characters created by The Wachowskis. The film was produced by Grant Hill, James McTeigue and Lana Wachowski. The executive producers were Garrett Grant, Terry Needham, Michael Salven, Jesse Ehrman and Bruce Berman.



The Matrix Resurrections, the first new instalment in the franchise after 18 years, is in cinemas and on HBO Max on 22nd December.

Are you looking forward to The Matrix Resurrections? Let me know in the comments below.

Are you afraid of the Darth?

As part of its Hallowstream celebration, Disney+ announced in August LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales, which is in the spirit of last year's LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special.

An official trailer for the upcoming Halloween special dropped today.



Read the official synopsis:

“Poe and BB-8 must make an emergency landing on the volcanic planet Mustafar where they meet the greedy and conniving Graballa the Hutt who has purchased Darth Vader’s castle and is renovating it into the galaxy’s first all-inclusive Sith-inspired luxury hotel. While waiting for his X-Wing to be repaired, Poe, BB-8, Graballa, and Dean (a plucky and courageous young boy who works as Graballa’s mechanic) venture deep into the mysterious castle with Vader’s loyal servant, Vaneé. Along the way, Vaneé shares three creepy stories linked to ancient artifacts and iconic villains from across all eras of Star Wars. As Vaneé spins his tales and lures our heroes deeper into the shadowy underbelly of the castle, a sinister plan emerges. With the help of Dean, Poe and BB-8 will have to face their fears, stop an ancient evil from rising, and escape to make it back to their friends.”

LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales stars Jake Green as Poe Dameron, Raphael Alejandro as Dean, Dana Snyder as Graballa the Hutt, Tony Hale as Vaneé, Christian Slater as Ren, Trevor Devall as Emperor Palpatine, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as NI-L8 and Matt Sloan as Darth Vader.

Like the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales is a follow-up to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and streams exclusively on Disney+ from 1st October.

Are you looking forward to LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales this Halloween? Let me know in the comments below.

Shang-Chi's Labor Day record box office

Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has set a new Labor Day box office record in the US.

Disney's decision to drop its earlier plan to simultaneously release Shang-Chi on Disney+ with Premier Access has seen the latest instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) bank an estimated $71.4 million during the long weekend.

This will only fuel further debate as studios continue to navigate through the ongoing pandemic. Personally, I would appreciate the opportunity to watch at home as consumer choice is always a good thing. However, seeing my Asian family and friends react to Marvel Studios' first Asian-led superhero movie is truly humbling.

“'Shang-Chi' is the ultimate confidence-builder for the theatrical movie industry,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore. “This was a very important film. This was the Marvel movie that’s opened exclusively theatrically since ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ in July 2019. ‘Shang-Chi’ is a real testament of the power of a theatrical-first strategy to drive huge numbers of moviegoers to the multiplex.”

Stay tuned for our review of Shang-Chi coming soon.

Star Wars Jumbo Grand Moff Tarkin figure

There may not be a Force Friday this September! However, Entertainment Earth has announced an exclusive Star Wars vintage action figure in association with Gentle Giant.

"Just like they were when you were a kid… only much bigger! This Entertainment Earth Exclusive Jumbo Grand Moff Tarkin Jumbo Vintage Kenner Figure, inspired by events in Star Wars: A New Hope, represents the latest in a series of Jumbo action figures spotlighting the entirety of the Star Wars saga. Featuring classically styled sculpting, details, and including a removable command staff, this poseable figure is styled to resemble the Star Wars figures of old, but at an epic 12-inch scale. It is manufactured to exacting standards, and comes packaged in a resealable clamshell blister card. May the Force be with you!"

You can pre-order Jumbo Grand Moff Tarkin (affiliate link) from Entertainment Earth.

Do you collect Gentle Giant retro figures and what are your fondest memories of playing with Kenner Star Wars toys? Let me know in the comments below.

The Wheel of Time on Amazon Prime

Amazon's billion-dollar adaptation of The Lord of the Rings doesn't begin until next September. However, The Wheel of Time should satiate fantasy fans (myself included) as an heir to Game of Thrones.



Read the official synopsis for The Wheel of Time:

"The Wheel of Time is set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists, but only women can use it. Meaning that in this series — women hold the keys to power. The story follows Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a member of the shadowy and influential all-female organization called the ‘Aes Sedai’ as she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women. Moiraine’s interested in these five because she believes one of them might be the reincarnation of an incredibly powerful individual, whom prophecies say will either save humanity or destroy it. The series draws on numerous elements of European and Asian culture and philosophy, most notably the cyclical nature of time found in Buddhism and Hinduism."

The first season premieres on Prime Video (affiliate link) on 19th November.

Are you looking forward to The Wheel of Time? Let me know in the comments below.

How ILM created ABBAtars

I rarely write about pop music acts, but when ABBA and Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) join forces for the beloved bands' virtual tour, Voyage, I'm going to take notice!

ILM's visual effects wizards are synonymous with Star Wars (George Lucas founded the company to work on the original movie).

Now ILM's de-ageing Benny, Björn, Agnetha and Anni-Frid as ABBAtars for a concert tour beginning in spring 2022. There's a TRON: Legacy/Daft Punk vibe and a friend suggested they could transform into Star Wars' Stormtroopers during Super Trouper!



“They got on a stage in front of 160 cameras and almost as many genius [digital] artists, and performed every song in this show to perfection, capturing every mannerism, every emotion, the soul of their beings — so that becomes the great magic of this endeavour. It is not four people pretending to be ABBA: It is actually them,” explained producer Ludvig Andersson.

Four of ILM’s five global studios are working on the project, revealed Ben Morris, ILM’s creative director. “The team size is certainly somewhere between 500 and a thousand artists working on the project around the world,” he added.

I'll always associate ABBA with Christmas 1979 when my parents bought a new Panasonic record player with a built-in Dolby "B" tape recorder and a vinyl box set of their hit singles, which we still own in mum's memory.

Are you booking tickets for ABBA Voyage? Let me know in the comments below.

Being James Bond only on Apple TV+

Amazon is in the process of buying Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) for $8.45 billion and adding the James Bond film franchise to Amazon Prime Video.

Ahead of the release of No Time To Die in cinemas, MGM and Apple TV+ have announced an exclusive retrospective documentary chronicling Daniel Craig's tenure as Ian Fleming's James Bond. Presumably, this deal was inked before the movie's various delays due to the ongoing pandemic and Amazon's proposed takeover of MGM, which is expected to conclude by the end of the year.

Being James Bond: The Daniel Craig Story.

“The 45-minute retrospective features Daniel Craig reflecting on his 15 years playing Bond, with never-before-seen archival footage from his oeuvre and conversations with 07 producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. It will be available for free to Apple TV customers in over 30 countries and regions from September 7 through October 7. No Time To Die, Craig's last outing as Bond, will be released in theaters on Sept. 30 in the U.K. through Universal Pictures International and in the U.S. on Oct. 8 through MGM via United Artists Releasing.”



“A lot of people here have worked on five pictures with me,” Craig tells Wilson and Broccoli in the film. “I’ve loved every single second of these movies, and especially this one because I’ve got up every morning and I’ve had the chance to work with you guys, and that has been one of the greatest honours of my life.”

“Daniel has just taken this, the character, the series, the whole thing, to a place that is so… extraordinary. And so emotionally satisfying,” Broccoli says.

“It’s also emotionally tough being Daniel’s last one. It’s tough on Barbara, it’s tough on me,” adds Wilson.

A final trailer for No Time To Die has also been released. It zeroes in on the premise that Bond is obsolete in an era of 24/7 cyber threats.



Read the official synopsis for No Time To Die:

"In No Time To Die, Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology."

If Craig's final outing as Bond equals Casino Royale and Skyfall, fans (myself included) are in for an early treat this holiday season.

Product placement has always been a cornerstone (sometimes to its detriment) of the franchise. I recently discovered Craig reportedly spurned a $50 million deal that would have seen James Bond using a Samsung phone (in Spectre) because the actor did not consider it good enough for 007! One would hope the super-spy would favour an iPhone.

Being James Bond debuts exclusively on Apple TV+ on 7th September. No Time To Die is in cinemas on 30th September.

Empire falls in Foundation on Apple TV+

Witness the fall of a galactic empire in the latest trailer for Foundation coming soon to Apple TV+.



Here's the official Foundation synopsis:

"Based on the award-winning novels by Isaac Asimov, Foundation chronicles a band of exiles on their monumental journey to save humanity and rebuild civilization amid the fall of the Galactic Empire."

Isaac Asimov's Foundation series has hugely influenced pop culture, including George Lucas' Star Wars saga. However, the books are very dry and not the most accessible. Whilst speaking with THR, series showrunner and executive producer David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight Trilogy) discussed why adapting the story has proven so problematic.

"There are three tricky aspects to Foundation that I think have tripped up all the other adaptations. The first is that the story is supposed to span 1,000 years with all these massive time jumps — that’s hard to tell. It’s certainly hard to capsulize in a two- or three-hour film. The second aspect is, the books are kind of anthological. You’ll have a couple of short stories in the first book with main character Salvor Hardin, then you’ll jump forward a hundred years and there’ll be a different character.

Goyer continued, “The third thing is that they’re not particularly emotional; they’re books about ideas, about concepts. So a lot of the action happens off-screen. In the books, the Empire, which is on 10,000 worlds, literally falls off-screen — like, it happens in between chapters. Obviously, that wasn’t going to work for a television show. So without giving too much away, I figured out a way to have some of the characters extend their lifespans. About six characters will continue from season to season, from century to century. That way it becomes half anthological, half continuing story.”

Foundation debuts on 24th September exclusively on Apple TV+. New episodes will drop every Friday. In related news. The Cupertino-based company is expected to announce the launch of iPhone 13.

Are you looking forward to Foundation on Apple TV+? Let me know in the comments below.