If you see Black Widow in a standard theater when it comes out on next month, you’ll be missing something–the top and bottom of the picture. When Black Widow hits IMAX next month, moviegoers will get 22 minutes of scenes with an expanded picture, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
If you catch the movie on an IMAX screen, you’ll see Black Widow shift from its standard 2.40:1 to a taller 1:90:1 aspect ratio. It’s not quite as square as what we saw with Zack Snyder’s Justice League, but it’s a noticeable difference. That film expanded from a typical widescreen aspect ratio to a 4:3 ratio to fill up the largest IMAX screens (despite it playing almost exclusively on home televisions).
To be clear, these screenings will not include any additional footage–but 22 minutes of the existing footage will be shown in IMAX aspect ratio. The above image is a rough idea of how much more space IMAX offers, but is not indicative of the final product; Natasha’s forehead will likely be appropriately visible in close-ups.
After Marvel Studios completes a film, the studio sends it off to IMAX, THR notes. IMAX then sends the film through its Digital Media Remastering process for the appropriate scenes. Marvel has done this with a bunch of its other movies; according to Deadline, these shots usually make up about 30 to 45 minutes of other Marvel films.
Black Widow hits theaters and Disney+ Premium on July 9.
Knockout City is getting patch 1.2 later this week, in addition to the season one, week three playlist update, which brings a new game mode on June 8, Coin Hoarders. In a blog post, Velan Studios gave a quick overview of the next week in Knockout City, including a brief description of patch 1.2, with the full patch notes coming later.
The blog post discusses three highlights from the upcoming patch, which include reducing the likelihood of players getting put into high ping matches. It also addresses a bug that plays the match audio before you load in when joining a match in progress. The other highlight is that mouse and keyboard settings will no longer reset whenever the game is closed.
The new game mode, Coin Hoarders, is a 3v3 objective-based mode where teams must collect and hold eight coins placed around the map. Each player can hold up to three coins and are dropped whenever a player is knocked out. Teams win the round whenever they hold all eight coins at once and two rounds win the match. Coin Hoarders will be added when season one, week 3 starts on June 8.
The new week also adds new contracts for players to complete and items to buy. This update releases on the heel of the arcade-style dodgeball game reaching over 5 million players during the game’s Block Party, a ten-day free trial. While the full game trial has ended, new players can check out the game for free up to level 25.
Loki has taken the forms of Captain America, Odin, and Thor in the MCU movies; he even once took the form of a snake, according to Thor himself, and the sky’s the limit for a trickster god. Now, Disney has confirmed via a teaser video that the character is genderfluid, as his ability would seem to suggest.
Check out the last couple seconds in the video accompanying the tweet above for a look at Loki’s TVA rap sheet. In Norse mythology and the MCU alike, Loki can take virtually any form he likes. Shapeshifters in Marvel and general fiction alike are often faced with the question, ‘if you can take any shape, what is your actual shape?’ While Loki seems to have chosen the body we see in the films–that of actor Tom Hiddleston–he’s anything but limited.
In the comics, Loki has taken multiple female forms. Sometimes it’s borrowing the form of someone like Scarlet Witch for subterfuge, but the character has his own female body that he’s lived in on multiple occasions.
While Hiddleston is undoubtedly Loki’s primary form in the MCU, including the upcoming show, this little tidbit seems to suggest we could see Loki becoming Lady Loki at some point.
Loki debuts on Disney+ on Wednesday, June 9, so make sure you’re ready with our How to Watch guide. In the meantime, check out the tricky new Loki twist on Lucky Charms, and see what Owen Wilson is bringing to the table as Mobius M. Mobius (not to be confused with Morbius, the Living Vampire), and hear Hiddleston’s own version of Loki’s epic MCU journey.
Niantic is holding a Special Raid Weekend event in Pokemon Go from June 12-13. Raids will be occurring more frequently throughout the weekend, and you’ll earn twice the usual amount of Candy for catching Pokemon during the event.
In addition to the aforementioned bonuses, Niantic says that players who have hit level 40 or higher will have three times the chance to receive Candy XL when they catch Pokemon. You can read more details about the event on the official Pokemon Go blog.
The Legendary Regi trio–Regirock, Registeel, and Regice–are back in five-star Raids until June 17, while Mega Slowbro will be appearing in Mega Raids. You’ll have more chances to battle and catch these Pokemon during this weekend’s Raid event. After that date, Niantic teases that a “surprise” Legendary Pokemon will make its debut in Pokemon Go.
In the meantime, a Slowpoke-themed event is kicking off starting June 8. As part of that event, the aforementioned Mega Slowbro is being introduced to the game, as are Galarian Slowpoke and Galarian Slowbro. Niantic is also offering exclusive Field Research tasks and a new Collection Challenge to complete during the event.
Niantic has a few other June events lined up for Pokemon Go, including a Solstice event from June 17-20 and a mystery event set to begin on June 25. Pokemon Go Fest 2021 will follow on July 17-18. This year’s event will have a musical theme, and Niantic is reducing the price of a virtual ticket to only $5 USD.
Indie game developer Pendulo Studios is making a game called Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, but if you were hoping to hear Nolan North’s best Jimmy Stewart impression, you might be disappointed. When publisher Microïds announced in 2018 that it had licensed Hitchcock’s name and likeness for a Vertigo game, it said that the game would be “loosely based” on the classic film.
However, based on the trailer that premiered recently, it seems that the game will mostly share thematic parallels with the movie. It will also borrow the trademark visual motifs from its opening sequence, which was designed by Saul Bass. As many insufferable moviegoers know, Vertigo follows an ex-police officer who becomes obsessed with a client’s wife and slowly begins to wonder if he can trust his own mind. It is widely considered one of the greatest films of all time.
According to a recent dev diary by narrative designer Josué Monchan, the game follows a man who becomes traumatized after a car crash. The man believes that his family was in the car with him at the time of the collision, but it’s not clear if he can trust his own recollection, similar to Jimmy Stewart in the film. In that same dev diary, Monchan said that the studio plans to recreate some of Hitchcock’s signature techniques, including the “dolly-zoom effect” that is highly associated with Vertigo. (It involves rolling a camera on a dolly one way and zooming in or out to distort an otherwise static image in a subtle way.)
Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo will come to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X sometime in 2021.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart launches later this week, yet developer Insomniac is referencing one of its old games strangely frequently. Over the past week, the studio has called out Sunset Overdrive in its promotional materials for Ratchet and Clank at least three times, seemingly indicating that it’s teasing… something.
Today, the Insomniac Twitter account–which has been entirely dedicated to the Rift Apart launch–posted an image depicting the inflatable Sunset Overdrive mascot Fizzie bursting through a dimensional rift. The photo also shows a Sunset Overdrive character wielding one of the game’s cartoonish weapons. This tweet was posted nearly simultaneously with a post from the Fizzie Twitter account, which had previously been dormant for over two years.
The first reference to Sunset Overdrive, though, was snuck into a trailer that Insomniac and Sony put out last Friday. The video features a TV on an entertainment center that’s decorated with all manner of Ratchet and Clank merchandise, but a Fizzie toy is also visible on the top shelf behind a Ratchet figurine.
Insomniac has been similarly referencing other Sony first-party games through its Twitter account, like the Sly Cooper series. The strangest aspect of Insomniac’s teases, though, is that Sunset Overdrive remains an Xbox One and PC exclusive to this day, even though Insomniac is now owned by Sony. Released in 2014, Sunset Overdrive is a terrific open-world action game with an over-the-top aesthetic. It seems unlikely that Sony would promote references to an Xbox exclusive just for fun, so we have to guess that something’s up. What that could be, though, will likely have to wait for Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart’s launch on PS5 on June 11.
Chargin’ Chuck’s presence in Mario Golf: Super Rush raises one question: why use a 9-iron when you can yeet a ball across the green? In the Mario-ified sports title, players that pick the athletic Koopa can forgo the limitations of a club in favor of pure, unbridled brawn to get a golf ball towards the green.
Sadly, players won’t always be able to just throw a golf ball in Mario Golf: Super Rush. Instead, it seems the ability to charge up a chuck is just Chargin’ Chuck’s Special Shot, hence the name. The Koopa’s ability was shown off in a video posted to Twitter by Nintendo of America.
The clip also shows Chuck sprinting across the fairway, rushing to reach his ball. At the end, we see Chuck activate his Special Dash and dive under a Bullet Bill being ridden by Bowser Jr. That Bullet Bill is the result of Bowser Jr.’s Special Dash, which lets him surf one of the oversized ballistic bullies.
Chargin’ Chuck is just one of 16 playable characters that will be available when the game launches on June 25. Preorders for Mario Golf: Super Rush are open right now.
A recently released trailer for Mario Golf: Super Rush also goes over two of its new game modes. The first, Speed Golf, has players tee off at the same time and rush to finish the hole before anyone else, even if it means racking up more strokes. Battle Golf, the second twist the game is placing on the old sport, places players in an obstacle-filled arena with the goal of winning just three out of its nine holes.
If you’re looking for more of the latest Mario Golf title, you’ll probably be able to see more during the upcoming E3 Nintendo Direct.
After finding a new director and delaying production due to COVID-19, Indiana Jones 5 has finally begun shooting. While Harrison Ford hasn’t been seen on the film’s set so far, it seems that the actor has a look-alike on the premises. Leaked photos published in The Daily Mail feature a stuntman that appears to be wearing a face mask resembling a younger Ford, indicating that the movie may feature a flashback scene exploring Indiana Jones’ past.
The photos show the production crew filming a motorcycle stunt, including the aftermath of the stuntman tumbling off of the bike and a crew member retrieving the head-mask. Other notable elements in the leaked photos include a vintage steam train with Nazi insignia as well as a troop-carrying truck that bears a strong resemblance to similar vehicles featured in Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade.
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Considering the period detail, the photos suggest that Indiana Jones 5 will feature a flashback scene to another clash between Jones and Nazi Germany, possibly using de-aging technology to bring Ford closer to his look in the series’ first three films.
Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade also opened with a flashback scene on a train, featuring River Phoenix as a teenage version of the archaeologist.
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Alongside Ford’s return to the series, Indiana Jones 5 boasts an impressive ensemble that ranges from Phoebe Waller-Bridge to Mads Mikkelsen, though plot and character details are being kept under wraps. Disney has set a July 29, 2022 release date for the as-yet-unnamed sequel.
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J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.
Update 6/7/21 4:20 PM PT:
The teases have culminated into a big reveal for the RYNO 8, an in-game weapon in Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. This inter-dimensional portal gun can summon large objects from other dimensions (read: PlayStation games) and drop them on enemies.
Ratchet: We made it outta the rift with a new super weapon: the RYNO 8!
Clank: It seems this device can drop objects from other dimensions into ours. Fascinating.#RatchetPS5Takeover #SunsetOverdrive @Guerrilla @SuckerPunchProd @Naughty_Dog @PlayStation pic.twitter.com/TavBdHw3oL
— Ratchet, Clank, and Rivet (@insomniacgames) June 7, 2021
The RYNO 8’s ability to take literal objects from other games, like a Thunder Jaw from Horizon Zero Dawn, explains all of Insomniac’s earlier tweets where large objects from other PlayStation Studio games are seemingly being teleported through a Rift.
Hopefully this doesn’t dash any hopes for Sunset Overdrive on PlayStation.
Original story continues…
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Sunset Overdrive is a game published by Microsoft for the Xbox One and developed by Insomniac Games, a studio now owned by PlayStation. This begs the question: Will Sunset Overdrive ever come to PlayStation?
Sony added Insomniac Games to its PlayStation Studios lineup in 2019 after acquiring the Spider-Man developers for roughly $229 million. Fans have wondered since then if such a purchase would allow Sunset Overdrive to come to PlayStation consoles considering the IP is owned by Insomniac.
There still isn’t definitive news on that front, although Sony recently registered a trademark for the game, and Insomniac creative director Marcus Smith says there’s nothing stopping the studio from making a sequel. But today, for the first time, PlayStation actually tweeted about Sunset Overdrive and fans are freaking out.
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) June 7, 2021
As you can see in the tweet above, Insomniac Games made this Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart-centered tweet that features Fizzie from Sunset Overdrive coming through a Rift Apart portal. Where it gets interesting is that the official PlayStation account quote-tweeted that tweet. Add the “#PlayStationStudiosFamily” into the mix — is Sunset Overdrive now a part of the PlayStation Studios family? — and things get interesting.
There’s no official word on what this means, but regardless, it has people in a frenzy. Gene Park, a games reporter (and waifu war correspondent per their Twitter account) at The Washington Post, responded to PlayStation’s quote tweet with “wait what,” to which Insomniac game designer, Grant Parker, responded with a smiling emoji. Curious, right?
Elsewhere, a Twitter account for an in-game Sunset Overdrive mascot named Fizzie tweeted for the first time since 2018 today, likely in response to the PlayStation tweet that has people freaking out.
What the heck. Did anybody hear that?
— Fizzie! (@FizzieSays) June 7, 2021
Fizzie is the character coming out of the Portal seen in the original Insomniac Games tweet. All of these tweets have combined to create a storm of fans asking Sony and PlayStation to finally bring Sunset Overdrive to PlayStation consoles while others speculate on what all of this could mean.
@PlayStation: Ports #SunsetOverdrive to #PS5 & #PS4
PlayStation Gamers: Buys the gameEasy money, it’s yours whenever you guys want it. Just tell me when I can pre-order the game 😉
— Fernando Cid Tio (@TheCraftOfGames) June 7, 2021
— Mike (@Lodato_) June 7, 2021
Don’t play with my emotions! 🥺 Is @SunsetOverdrive coming to @PlayStation?!?
— 🦾🤓 Optimizm Prime 🤓🦾 (@Optimizm324) June 7, 2021
Now, there’s also the possibility that Insomniac is just having fun. After all, Sunset Overdrive isn’t the only game that’s part of the Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart marketing happening on Twitter today. The studio has made a similar tease on Twitter for Sucker Punch Productions’ Sly Cooper, Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series, and Guerilla’s Horizon: Zero Dawn.
In a dream world, all of these tweets are teases for Sunset Overdrive on PlayStation consoles, perhaps a new Sly Cooper game, a PlayStation 5 update for Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, and a PS5 update for Horizon: Zero Dawn, but considering Rift Apart hits PS5 this Friday, all of this is probably marketing for the game.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart hits PS5 on June 11. While waiting for that, read about how the game will feature a 60FPS ray tracing mode at launch and then check out the game’s extensive accessibility features list. Read our latest thoughts on the game in IGN’s final Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart preview after that.
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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. The world is ready for a PS5 update for Uncharted 4. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.