Mark Millar is returning to the spy genre. Netflix and the Kingsman creator have announced King of Spies, an all-new graphic novel created by Millar. The graphic novel translation of the Netflix original property will be written by Millar. The announcement also teases that the novel will be “drawn by a superstar artist chosen from the comic-book world.”
King of Spies will follow Sir Roland King, one of Britain’s top secret agents, as he is forced to come to terms with his own mortality after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. Determined to use his remaining months productively, King sets out to attack a system he no longer believes in and tend to the damage he’s made in his personal life.
“We’ve been quietly working on this for a couple of years in-house and we’re all buzzing about it,” Millar said in a statement. “The spy world was very good to us with Kingsman and a return to the genre had to be something special. This is that project. I love stories about an old gun-fighter back for one last job and this is the Granddaddy of them all. It’s so incredibly violent and emotional, but really fun too. I can’t wait for people to see it and wanted to share a couple of the images we’ve been putting together for the comic-book side of the project.”
Meet KING OF SPIES, a new project from Mark Millar and Netflix
The story, first up as a graphic novel, follows Britain’s greatest secret agent, who faces his deadliest enemy: his own mortality. When the world’s most dangerous man goes rogue, time to go after the REAL monsters… pic.twitter.com/GiqwHeRdKl
The first promotional image, featuring a portrait of King and a shooting target, was drawn by Mark Chiarello, who served as DC’s art director until recently. The second promotional image was drawn by Ozgur Yildrim and depicts King wielding a shotgun over the London skyline. In his statement, Millar clarified that neither Chiarello nor Yildrim will work on the King of Spies graphic novel.
Following its initial theatrical-only run, A Quiet Place Part II is now also available to stream for all Paramount+ subscribers.
A Quiet Place Part II, which made its debut in theaters on May 28, 2021, has already earned $279 million at the global box office, and now it is available on Paramount+ for no extra charge for its subscribers.
The sequel from writer and director John Krasinski stars Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Djimon Hounsou and Krasinski himself. The film follows the events of the original and tells more of the adventure of the Abbot family as they face the terrors of the outside world.
In our review of A Quiet Place Part II, we said that “director John Krasinski delivers that rare horror sequel that (almost) stands toe-to-toe with its predecessor.”
A Quiet Place: Part II is now available to stream on Paramount+, according to a release. In addition to its current theatrical release, the film has obviously just gotten a fair deal easier to watch in your home if you’re a Paramount+ subscriber.
The sequel to writer-director John Krasinski’s 2018 horror hit was expected to land on streaming platforms sometime this month, but this welcome bit of good news came as a somewhat sudden surprise with little notice. In March, ViacomCBS revealed that Paramount’s big movies–such A Quiet Place: Part II–will debut on the streaming service 45 days after their theatrical releases. In related news, Paramount also announced that the sci-fi action movie Infinite would skip theaters entirely and debut on Paramount+ in June. The film, which stars Mark Wahlberg, was previously set for a release in September. So this is likely to become more of a thing, overall.
As franchise fans know, Krasinski’s character Lee didn’t make it out of the first movie alive, and this sequel focuses on his widow Evelyn (Emily Blunt) and their two kids (Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe), fighting to survive in this dangerous world. A Quiet Place: Part II also stars Djimon Hounsou and Cillian Murphy.
In June, it was announced that Paramount will be making a third movie in the series–being described as a spin-off–slated for a 2023 release. The new film is written and directed by Jeff Nichols, who previously directed Mud and Midnight Special. It’s releasing March 31, 2023.
While it’s been a few months since WandaVision wrapped up its nine-episode season, many Marvel fans are still ecstatic about series breakout Kathryn Hahn and her performance as Agatha Harkness. Introduced as Wanda Maximoff’s mysterious neighbor, Hahn’s character comes to take on a major role within the show’s ever-changing town of Westview. Now, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has expressed his own excitement for Harkness’ future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe again,
“You will see Kathryn Hahn in Knives Out 2 next, then maybe an assortment of other things,” Feige said in a discussion with Rotten Tomatoes. “But within the MCU, it can’t come soon enough. Let’s put it that way.”
Feige also described the process of casting Hahn for the role of Agatha Harkness, saying that the leadership at Marvel Studios were fans of the actress beforehand and took a general meeting with her.
“[Marvel Studios co-president] Louis D’Esposito actually sat down and had a general [meeting] with her,” Feige said. “[It] very quickly went from that. ‘She’s great. What could she do for us someday? Anyway, who’s going to play Agatha? We really have to cast this part. Wait a second…’ It was honestly almost exactly like that.”
“One of the great things in building the MCU is seeing audiences respond to characters that they were not expecting or that they were not asking for,” Feige continued. “I wouldn’t say there was a huge contingency of people banging down the door for Agatha Harkness to appear in the MCU, but she’s a great character portrayed by a great actress. And by the first few episodes people are asking, ‘Where is she going to show up again? What else is she going to do?’”
Feige also discussed fan reactions to Florence Pugh’s MCU debut performance as Yelena Belova in the recently released Black Widow, expressing his own excitement about the character’s future. The Scarlett Johansson solo film leaves off with a tease of more adventures in store for Belova.
“The very first question that often comes out of people seeing Black Widow for the first time is when will Florence Pugh show up again in the MCU? And my answer to that is always ‘not soon enough,’ because she’s amazing,” Feige said. “[Scarlett Johansson chose to] make that film an ensemble and to surround herself with new characters portrayed by new actors entering the MCU and allowing them all to shine, knowing that lifting them up lifts up the whole movie, which is what a smart producer does – which Scarlett is.”
In our full series review of WandaVision, IGN gave the show an 8, saying it “triumphs in being entirely character focused, exploring the feelings and motivations of its heroes in a compelling manner.”
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J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.
They say the best thing we can do during an evolving local pandemic is park our butts at home. But then what? Spring clean? Talk to loved ones? Buy a bunch of rabbits and guinea pigs, dress them up in era appropriate attire and have them re-enact the Eureka Stockade? Here’s a more cost-effective answer: just score a cheap video game from our list below and cast off this stress-filled reality for a better one!
Call of Duty’s mid-season Reloaded update arrives on July 15, dropping a new map and mode themed around paintball for Black Ops Cold War‘s multiplayer, a new round-based map will arrive for Zombies, and Warzone is getting an objective-based mode.
Multiplayer
Season 4 Reloaded brings Call of Duty’s classic Capture the Flag mode, where teams must take their enemy’s flag and return it to their home base, while also defending theirs from the enemy team. The update also brings a remastered version of Rush from Black Ops 2. Rush is a small 6v6 map themed around a paintball course.
And speaking of paintball, Treyarch teases a new paintball experience is coming later in the season with Paintball Moshpit. This is described as a new way to play multiplayer with paintball visual effects and impact sounds.
Also coming at the mid-season launch is a Rush 24/7 playlist for the new map, in addition to new Cranked modes. There will be a Cranked Moshpit with new Cranked Team Deathmatch and Cranked Kill Confirmed, which will be similar to Cranked Hardpoint from the ’80s Action Heroes event.
Two new weapons are scheduled for Season 4 Reloaded. The OTs 9 Submachine gun will arrive at launch, which is a fully-auto submachine gun that can either be unlocked either through an in-game challenge or by purchasing one of its weapon blueprints bundles. And finally, the Mace melee weapon will be available later this season either by unlocking with an in-game challenge, or purchasing one of its weapon blueprints in the store.
Zombies
The wait for a new round-based map is almost over. Season 4 Reloaded will introduce Mauer der Toten, which translates to Wall of The Dead, serving as the third round-based Zombies map for Black Ops Cold War. The map is set in 1985 East Berlin after a zombie invasion devastated the city, and players will be navigating through dark streets and subway tunnels.
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Black Ops Cold War & Warzone – Season Four: Mauer Der Toten Gameplay Trailer
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Mauer der Toten will introduce a new CRBR-S Wonder Weapon, which starts off as an energy-based pistol, but it can be upgraded to three additional variants. There’s also a new craftable LT53 Kazimir grenade, which is similar to the Gersh Device from Black Ops 1.
The new map will also introduce a robot soldier named Klaus, who can assist players with slaying the undead. It’s quite possible that Klaus and the new Wonder Weapon will all be a part of the map’s new storyline quest. And Mauer der Toten’s questline hunt will begin at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET Thursday, July 15.
The update will also reintroduce the fan-favorite Mule Kick perk, which allows players to carry a third weapon. Players can also expect major changes to enemy health caps, enemy armor durability, sniper rifle critical and max damage buffs, Pack-a-Punched melee weapon damage buffs, as well as damage scaling for equipment, support items, and field upgrades.
Zombies is also getting a new Dynamic Wall Buys feature coming to all round-based Zombies maps in Season 4 Reloaded. This feature will give Wall Buy weapons a chance to increase in rarity at the end of every fifth round, and increase all the way up to Legendary rarity.
Warzone
Activision continues to tease the mysterious Red Doors by saying: All Operators should report to Verdansk to either escort or halt important Payloads crossing the region, taking note of any additional Red Doors they may see after this update…
This could be leading into a new Easter egg quest for Warzone, and it could possibly be tied to an in-game reveal for the upcoming Call of Duty title.
Warzone’s mid-season update will also introduce a new objective-based mode, Payload. Activision says the mode is inspired by previous traditional Call of Duty game modes like Call of Duty: WWII’s War Mode. Payload pits two teams of 20 players against each other in a race that requires the attacking and defending of vehicles carrying vital satellite parts.
If the attacking team escorts all vehicles across all checkpoints within the time limit, they win the match. The defending team can use resources to help them fight off the attackers by buying and building obstacles to stall these vehicles. Players will also have their own custom loadouts, and they will be able to still earn cash and buy killstreaks just like normal matches.
The sentry gun from multiplayer is also being added to Warzone’s arsenal of killstreaks. The Sentry Gun can be found as a rare Legendary item drop within a Red Door room Supply Box.
There’s also a new event coming later in Season 4 Reloaded. Blueprint Blitz will be a new global event where Contraband Contracts automatically spawn after a player completes two regular Contracts. Contraband Contracts will award players with cash and a permanent weapon blueprint reward if they’re able to extract it. Blueprint Blitz will give players the opportunity to earn plenty of blueprints from prior seasons if they missed out or didn’t play Warzone during that time.
The Reloaded update will also add new cosmetic weapon bundles and another Operator for use in both Black Ops Cold War and Warzone. Grigori Weaver, who currently offers guidance in the Zombies mode, is arriving as a playable Operator. He can be purchased in the Tracer Pack: Weaver Operator Bundle at the start of Season 4 Reloaded. More details can be found on the Call of Duty blog.
In addition to all the new content for the mid-season update, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will have a Free Access period from July 22 to July 29. This free access will feature various multiplayer and Zombies experiences, including Rush playlists and the entirety of Mauer Der Toten.
Microsoft has revealed the patch notes for a new Xbox Insider update, which goes live on July 12 at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET for the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring. The full patch notes are below, but the headlining feature is a Quick Resume fix.
Since the Xbox Series X|S’s release, some games get stuck on a black screen after loading from Quick Resume. Reportedly, users had to close the game entirely to resolve the issue–if Quick Resume wasn’t already disabled in that title because of the bug. This new update should alleviate that glitch.
The update also fixes language issues on the platform. Now, the language you select should reflect properly throughout the console’s dashboard.
These are the only two problems this update addresses on Xbox Series X|S. There are a handful of known issues Microsoft is looking into–also outlined below–but they will require “more time to find a solution,” according to the company. This includes issues with Microsoft Edge not working, controller inputs not registering, and audio not playing when Dolby Atmos is enabled.
Xbox Insider Update Patch Notes (July 12)
Fixes Implemented
Thanks to the hard work of Xbox engineers, we are happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented for this build:
Games
Fixed an issue where some Quick Resume titles would show a black screen when resuming and then reload from start.
System
Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console.
Note: Users participating in Preview may see “odd” text across the console, for more information go here.
Known Issues
We understand some issues have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes. These items aren’t being ignored, but it will take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution.
We’re still tracking these known issues:
Apps
Some users are reporting that apps are failing to launch and getting an “Update in Progress” message or seeing error code 0x80073D0F.
Workaround: Uninstalling and re-installing the app should resolve the issue.
We’ve received some reports that video playback stops while audio continues when watching streaming content in the Disney+ app.
Workaround: Try pausing/restarting playback. If the behavior continues, try reboot the console and try playing the content.
Audio
Some users have reported that they are not hearing any audio with Dolby Atmos enabled.
Dolby Vision for Gaming
Some TVs do not support Dolby Vision at 120 Hz currently and will fall back to either 60 Hz or HDR. We are working closely with TV manufactures to update firmware support for Dolby Vision capabilities. Go to Settings>General>TV & Display Options>4K TV details and look for “Your TV setup supports Dolby Vision”.
Users may notice that some titles such as Mass Effect: Legendary Edition might stop supporting Dolby Vision for Gaming after the initial release. This is expected while the feature is in Preview.
Some users have reported Dolby Vision for gaming not performing as expected.
Note: If you encounter an issue, please make sure to check the following:
Ensure the TV has the latest firmware
Use the Xbox-provided HDMI cable that was included with the console
Connect the TV directly to the Xbox and try to see if the problem still persists (i.e. remove any AVRs, Soundbars, HDMI boxes, etc.)
Edge (New)
Console browser links will not work if a user chooses the “new” browser version when prompted.
Workaround: Be sure to choose the “previous” version of Edge to ensure the page opens.
Pins related to the new Edge browser will not work if you decide to remove your console from the Xbox System Update Preview or change your console to the Omega ring.
Workaround: Pins should be deleted and re-added.
Some users have reported some streaming content is not playing audio in the new browser.
Workaround: Close the appcompletelyvia thecontext menu and then reopen the app and try playback again.
Games
We’ve received reports that controller input is not working when a game is launched.
Workaround: Reboot the console and relaunch the game.
Guide
We are investigating reports of the audio mixer being unable to adjust chat/game audio levels.
HDMI-CEC
We’ve received some reports that HDMI-CEC is not working correctly.
Note: Ensure that your TV supports HDMI-CEC and is also enabled before filing feedback.
Home
Some users have reported that the icon for a disc-based title is not appearing on the dashboard.
My Games & Apps
Titles in collection may incorrectly appear with a “trial” tag.
Narrator
There are several sections of the dashboard that the Narrator does not currently read. We are aware of the issue and investigating.
The PlayStation Store has no shortage of game deals right now, with multiple sales bringing hundreds of PS4 and PS5 discounts from now until July 22. The spotlight PSN sale right now is Planet of the Discounts, which features a random assortment of games at excellent prices, including Resident Evil 3 for $19.79, Dead by Daylight for $15, and Doom Eternal‘s Deluxe Edition for just under $30–the latter two deals also get you the PS5 editions of those games.
Budget-minded shoppers have another Games Under $15 sale to check out, which is chock-full with classics like The Witcher 3: Complete Edition ($10), Titanfall 2: Ultimate Edition ($4.49), and Dragon Age: Inquisition‘s Game of the Year Edition ($8). As we enter a slower period for new game releases, this is an excellent opportunity to snag some older gems for less.
Finally, the PlayStation Store’s add-ons sale lets you stock up on DLC for cheap, from season passes and expansions to costume packs. Notably, you can pick up The Outer Worlds‘ expansion pass for $20, Cities: Skylines‘ Ultimate Content Bundle for $50, and the Resident Evil 7 season pass for $12.
Check out more of the best PlayStation Store deals worth checking out below–all of these markdowns should be available until 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET on July 22. It’s also worth shouting out the Deal of the Week: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare for $30 (ends July 14). Keep in mind that PlayStation Plus members will save up to 10% more on some games!
The specific change the hotfix makes is to “reduce the scoring associated with each action required to achieve Gold in the Trial of the Wolf: Odin Mine Hideout.” This change makes it easier to achieve gold in the challenge, as players were having issues with some of the guards killing each other, making it extremely difficult to get enough kills to get gold.
We deployed a hotfix to reduce the scoring associated with each action required to achieve Gold in the Trial of the Wolf: Odin Mine Hideout.
“Our community is at the heart of everything we do, and we always strive to provide you with great experiences,” Ubisoft explained in April. “That said, we recognize that some of our recent title updates may not have met your expectations or been up to our standards.”
Call of Duty: Warzone’s gulag is usually a place for dead players to get a second chance on the battlefield by winning a 1v1 fight against another player, but a new glitch is enabling gulag spectators to crash other players’ matches.
As discovered by YouTuber NTrippy, spectators in Warzone‘s gulag can now parachute down onto the playable area of the 1v1 arena, causing chaos for the two players trying to battle it out for their right to respawn into Verdansk.
In NTrippy’s video, they’re somehow able to parachute from the waiting area above the gulag, joining the arena before their proper turn. Even worse, the players spawning into the gulag for their match can’t even kill them. NTrippy is able to punch and throw rocks, eventually punching one of the players to death. It’s uncertain the fate of the two competitors who were actually competing in the match, as it is possible neither got a chance to respawn back into Verdansk.
NTrippy stole the win, but was then loaded right back into the gulag for their own match. They end their YouTube video by saying, “This is too dangerous. I gotta make sure the devs know about this so they can fix it.”
Season 4’s gulag is inspired by the Hijacked map, but this glitch gives a whole new meaning to the name. Hopefully, this is a rare occurrence and the developers can get a patch out quickly. Otherwise, there’s going to be a whole lot of chaos, especially if multiple spectators start jumping in.
