Thor: Love and Thunder’s Chris Hemsworth has shared the exciting news that the upcoming MCU movie has finished filming alongside an image of him looking absolutely ripped.
Hemsworth took to Instagram to post an image of himself and Taika Waititi, who plays Korg, and his arms look worthy of the God of Thunder, even on “national don’t flex day.”
“That’s a wrap on Thor Love and Thunder,” Hemsworth wrote. “It’s also national don’t flex day so I thought this super relaxed photo was appropriate. The film is gonna be batshit crazy off the wall funny and might also pull a heart string or two. Lots of love, lots of thunder! Thank you to all the cast and crew who made this another incredible Marvel journey. Buckle in, get ready and see ya in cinemas!!”
Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder will be released in theaters on May 6, 2022, and will star Hemsworth and Waititi alongside Natalie Portman, Chris Pratt, Tessa Thompson, and Christian Bale as the villain, Gorr the God Butcher.
There’s a permeating sense throughout The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It that the stalwart horror franchise has come to a fork in the road. After two movies which mined the haunted house setup to great effect, the series could’ve played it safe and sent the Warrens to another spooky home to battle an entity plaguing an unsuspecting family. Instead, director Michael Chaves (The Curse of La Llorona) reframes Ed and Lorraine Warren as paranormal detectives as they try to prove a murderer was not acting of his own volition at the time of his crime. It’s admirable to see this latest Conjuring movie taking narrative risks — most of which will assuredly pay dividends in future installments — but on its own merits, The Devil Made Me Do It is a mixed bag that doesn’t quite balance its interesting central mystery with the scares followers of the franchise have come to expect.
The opening sequence, the exorcism of David Glatzel (Julian Hilliard), serves as a sort of tonal handoff and feels like it could’ve been the end of an alternate-universe version of the third Conjuring movie. Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) have endeared themselves to the ailing Glatzels and, after an intense demonic assault featuring some great body horror, seemingly succeed in casting the entity out of young David. But saving David’s soul comes at a cost: not only does Ed suffer a massive heart attack, the demon takes hold of Arne Johnson (Ruairi O’Connor), the boyfriend of David’s sister Debbie (Sarah Catherine Hook). The demon’s influence over Arne is swift and deadly. In a fit of harried psychosis, Arne murders he and Debbie’s landlord, Bruno Sauls. Realizing that the crime was fallout from David’s exorcism, Ed and Lorraine encourage Arne to plead guilty by reason of demonic possession and set about finding evidence to confirm it.
The Conjuring franchise has always been marketed on its “based on true events” credentials, but The Devil Made Me Do It falters out of the gate in how it tries to service both the drama and the facts of Arne’s murder. Many of The Conjuring series’ strongest horror beats — and indeed, some of this film’s as well — happen when characters experience demonic activity in total isolation, forcing the viewer to question whether the demon is actually having an effect on the real world or if it’s in the character’s mind. The buildup to the murder is marred by cutaways to the perspective of Debbie and Bruno’s experience of the possessed Arne, making plain that, possessed or not, the man is not in his right mind. We already know Arne’s not a murderer by nature, so if the film had committed to limiting the crime to one character’s perspective, it may have been more impactful. It feels like a huge miscalculation, especially when Chaves actually nails this dynamic later on in another scene of a character detaching from reality and experiencing something different than what’s actually happening.
There’s also an uncomfortable choice made to paint Bruno as a volatile drunk. While this may be in keeping with the accounts of the real Johnson and Glatzels, here it feels as if the audience is asked to absolve Arne from the murder, possessed or not, because Bruno had it coming. It’s an odd move for a franchise that’s never let the facts get in the way of a good story. Taken with Arne’s limited displays of remorse for killing Bruno as the film goes on, and it becomes hard to emotionally attach to his plight in the same way it was for a loving mother in the first Conjuring or a working-class girl in the second. Chaves often cuts away to Arne and his continuing struggles against the demon terrorizing him, but most of these beats feel hampered both by our empathy for the character and the restricted avenues for horror that the prison setting allows. These telegraphed scares and over-engineered misdirects, which are a problem throughout The Devil Made Me Do It, feel endemic of The Conjuringverse going through growing pains as it closes in on a decade on screen.
While this film may be the least scary of the mainline series, it does make some strides in how it opens the franchise up to stories of greater scope. Even though you may end up caring more about the Warrens’ success than Arne’s absolution, The Devil Made Me Do It’s central investigation plot is engaging and sets it apart from other films in the Conjuringverse. As the Warrens discover Arne’s demon may not be on our spiritual plane of its own accord, they’re faced with an enemy who, in many ways, is more threatening than any they’ve faced before. The Occultist (Eugenie Bondurant) is a nihilistic, off-putting foe with powers that rival Lorraine’s. While Lorraine’s abilities are usually used passively, The Occultist weaponizes her power in ways that put the Warrens into real peril. The ongoing game of psychic cat and mouse Lorraine and The Occultist engage in provides The Devil Made Me Do It with dangerous energy, especially during one attack that hits especially close to home for the Warrens.
Bondurant cuts an imposing figure throughout, and her appearances always portend especially harrowing challenges for Ed and Lorraine, whose enduring love for each other is exploited as both their greatest weakness and their only defense. Whether or not The Occultist has a future in the franchise, she’s certainly one of the strongest elements of The Devil Made Me Do It and leaves a lasting impression. The always-reliable John Noble (Fringe, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King) likewise delivers some dark gravity as Father Kastner. Kastner’s a retired priest who assists the Warrens in their hunt for The Occultist and makes the most out of his relatively short appearance. He does make a couple of head-scratching omissions that feel more in service of keeping the Warrens’ in the dark long enough to move them into place for the climax, but overall, Kastner’s contributions feel substantial.
At this point, it’s no secret that the chemistry between Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga’s Ed and Lorraine is one of The Conjuringverse’s secret weapons. Wilson and Farmiga are as watchable as ever here, but The Devil Made Me Do It rests on its laurels in furthering our understanding of them as a couple, and doesn’t do much more for them individually. Ed does have to grapple with the limitations his weakened heart puts on him, but Chaves implies most of this internal struggle with Ed’s labored breathing and frequent falling behind, rather than use it as fodder for conflict between he and Lorraine as they face more and more danger. Farmiga really gets to swing for the fences in her battles with The Occultist, but The Devil Made Me Do It doesn’t give us much insight into how she’s affected by them. Ed and Lorraine’s relationship is most effective in this film’s quieter moments, and glossy romantic cutaways to their first meeting don’t approach the understated sweetness of Lorraine remembering something Ed’s forgotten in a key moment late in the story.
While it may not be especially frightening, The Devil Made Me Do It is certainly the best looking Conjuring film. The freedom that the Warrens’ wide-ranging (well, New England-spanning) investigation allows for gives Chaves ample opportunity for technical setups that the first two films didn’t have room for. Lorraine’s Batman-style “investigation mode” reconstruction of a girl’s disappearance allows for some great in-camera day-to-night shifts and The Occultist’s dark influence blurs the line between reality and illusion with some great funhouse trickery. Chaves has a keen eye for visuals and even in scenes where you can see the scare coming from a mile away, at least every setting’s ominous atmosphere is thought out and shot with flair.
The King of Fighters XV has been delayed from 2021 to Q1 2022 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the game’s development timeline.
SNK shared the news in a press release, and The King of Fighters XV’s producer Yasuyuki Oda explained the team’s difficult decision to delay the upcoming fighting game.
“There are many fans who are anticipating the release of KOF XV in 2021, however at this point in time, we unfortunately have to announce that KOF XV will now be launching within the 1st quarter of 2022,” Oda said. “The development timeline we set out to reach in the beginning has been affected by the ever-still rising cases of COVID-19 within Japan.
“We have made the ultimate decision in the end that the product’s quality must come first, and so with that decision comes an altered release window. We sincerely ask for your kind patience and understanding as our development teams continue to work hard on KOF XV as we draw closer to its release.”
The King of Fighters XV was announced during EVO 2019 and we got our first look at gameplay earlier this year alongside six fighters that will be part of the game, including K’, Kyo Kusanagi, Leona, Benimaru, Shun’ei and Mai Shiranui
In honor of Pride Month, Square Enix has revealed a Pride Mascot designed by Final Fantasy 9’s Toshiyuki Itahana that it wants its fans to name.
Square Enix shared the Pride Mascot on Twitter and has asked its fans to reply to the tweet with a name idea that “might become part of Square Enix history.”
Our #Pride Mascot designed by Toshiyuki Itahana represents diversity and freedom, and we want you to help name them!
Itahana, who has also worked on Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, the Chocobo’s Dungeon titles, and more, explained why this mascot is so much more than just a colorful character.
“The character represents diversity and freedom, with its multitude of colours being the diversity aspect and the trainers and wings that allow it to travel anywhere symbolizing freedom,” Itahana said. “I designed this character hoping that the world can become even more free and diverse in the future.”
Square further explained that, in year’s past, its employees have “marched alongside others in support of intersectional equality, dignity and inclusion.” Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many of these parades and celebrations have been cancelled, and the company “wanted to do something special to honour the LGBTQ+ community and show our support.”
The yet-to-be-named Square Enix Pride Mascot has also found its way onto three shirts and a hoodie that can be purchased on the Square Enix Store. Throughout June, Square Enix will be donating all profits from the shirts to the Stonewall and GLAAD organizations.
Nintendo has announced that it will be opening a “Nintendo Gallery” museum in Japan by March 2024 that will give the company a way to showcase its product development history and philosophy to the public.
Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa shared the news in a press release, revealing that its Nintendo Uji Ogura Plant (Ogura-cho, Uji-city, Kyoto) and the surrounding land will be used to create the tentatively named Nintendo Gallery. Inside, Nintendo’s historical products will be featured alongside exhibits, experiences, and much more. The project is expected to be completed in Nintendo’s 2023 Fiscal Year, which ends in March 2024.
The Nintendo Uji Ogura Plant was built in 1969 and was used to manufacture both playing cards and Hanafuda cards in addition to operating as a customer service center for product repairs.
Originally known as the Uji Plant, the name was changed to the Uji Ogura Plant in 1988 after “the construction, extension and renovation of the current Uji Plant (Makishima-cho, Uji-city, Kyoto).” After the Uji Ogura Plant’s functions were transferred to the current Uji Plant in November 2016, Nintendo began deciding how to best use the building and land. The answer would come to be the Nintendo Gallery.
Nintendo’s storied history began in 1889 and, since then, the company has sold more than five billion video games and over 790 million hardware units globally.
We’re drifting you full-speed into a ton of discounts today. Aside from the titular NFS price blitz, we’ve found yet more gems in the Amazon Mid-Year Sale That Just Keeps on Giving. We’re talking everything from cheap Marioware on the Switch to must-own triple As on the PS5. It’s all here and it’s all going cheap like the budgie.
Not everyone is happy with Netflix’s most recent round of Sandman casting announcements. But Sandman co-creator/series executive producer Neil Gaiman makes it clear he “gives zero f****” about the negative backlash to the casting of actors like Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death and Mason Alexander Park as Desire.
“I give all the fucks about the work. I spent 30 years successfully battling bad movies of Sandman,” Gaiman tweeted. “I give zero f**** about people who don’t understand/ haven’t read Sandman whining about a non-binary Desire or that Death isn’t white enough. Watch the show, make up your minds.”
Much of the toxic backlash seems to center around the Death and Desire characters specifically. Death, like the rest of the Endless family, is depicted with ivory white skin in the comics, while Howell-Baptiste is Black.
Even Gaiman seems perplexed as to why Desire’s casting is such a source of controversy. In the comics, Desire is best described as a nonbinary or genderfluid character whose appearance and sex changes based on the sexual urges of those around them. Park is a nonbinary actor, perhaps best-known for playing the lead role in the Broadway musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
When Twitter user @slatingsun pointed out Desire has always been a nonbinary character, Gaiman replied, “Well, yes. But you’d have to have read the comics to know that. And the shouty people appear to have skipped that step.”
In short, Gaiman is urging fans to watch the series before judging the casting choices. Previously, Gaiman revealed casting Death was a long, difficult process that involved testing hundreds of actresses before finally discovering Howell-Baptiste.
“Hundreds of talented women from all around the planet auditioned, and they were brilliant, and none of them were right,” Gaiman wrote. “Someone who could speak the truth to Dream, on the one hand, but also be the person you’d want to meet when your life was done on the other. And then we saw Kirby Howell-Baptiste’s (she/her) audition and we knew we had our Death.”
The Sandman also stars Tom Sturridge as Dream/Morpheus, Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer Morningstar, Boyd Holbrook as The Corinthian and Charles Dance as Roderick Burgess. Production is currently underway on the first season, with a release date yet to be announced.
Two Point Studios appears to be hanging up the lab coat and reaching for a cap and gown in its follow-up to 2018’s Two Point Hospital, Two Point Campus. While the game has yet to be officially confirmed, a listing on the Microsoft store (since taken down) unveiled images and a lengthy description of the game, which promises to be full of laughs, “twists,” and “new creative tools to help you build the university of your dreams.”
Similarly to Two Point Hospital, Two Point Campus appears to be a comedic management sim packed with plenty of puns and nonsense. One such example is that players are permitted to teach “Knight School” at their universities, a series of classes where students can learn jousting and other chivalrous skills. The game also features a Gastronomy class, where students create “mouth-watering concoctions like giant pizzas and enormous pies.” When not creating a wacky course catalog, players must build up their campuses with the best professors and facilities to “watch the academic potential of your students get unlocked.”
However, just as importantly as academics is the happiness of player’s students. In addition to managing their money and resources, players must also get to know their pupils and “explore their individual personalities, wants and needs” in order to keep them happy with clubs, societies, and gigs. In fact, it seems like the happiness and relationship status of your students will play a pretty major role in your college’s success based on the game’s description. According to the listing, players will need to “surround [the students] with friends, help them develop relationships, furnish them with pastoral care and ensure they have the right amount of joie de vivre to develop into incredible individuals who will do the legacy of your university proud.”
On top of these shifts, Two Point Campus players will not only enjoy a change of scenery, but have more control over it as they unlock the ability to build outside. According to the game’s description, the title features additions that allow players to “lay down pathways with new easy-to-use tools, plant glorious collections of outdoor flora,” and “place benches, fountains, sculptures, hedgerows–even picket fences.” The listing then jokes “the only limit is your imagination (and your in-game bank balance).”
While the listing for Two Point Campus did not contain a release date, it did confirm the upcoming game will be coming to PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. It’s also worth noting Two Point Hospital did eventually come to both the Switch and PlayStation 4 a year and a half after it’s Microsoft exclusive launch, a pattern Two Point Campus could repeat.
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Watch live streams, videos, and more from GameSpot’s summer event. Check it out
This summer is littered with gaming events, sure to be filled with new announcements, surprises, and updates. For anyone looking to know what limited-edition physical games they can get their hands on, the Limited Run Games 2021 showcase will be taking place on Monday, June 14, at 1 PM PT/4 PM ET. Limited Run Games has said that the hour-long showcase will feature 25 announcements, including new games, physical editions of cult classics, and reissues of classic titles.
Limited Run Games 2021 Start Time
Limited Run Games’ “#LRG3 2021” goes live Monday, June 14, at 1 PM PT/4 PM ET. The show, produced by Mega64, promises 25 physical game announcements in an hour-long presentation. During the 2020 show the company announced physical versions of Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2, Katana Zero, To The Moon, and many more, so expect a variety of titles to be announced during the showcase.
In past showcases, Limited Run Games have announced a number of indie titles and older classics getting physical editions. Typically, most games are announced for PS4 and Switch–of the roughly 30 games announced in 2020, only 3 weren’t available on either PS4 or Switch–but it could be possible to see PS5 games this year since the console is now officially out.
On the May 2 episode of the Xbox Expansion Pass podcast, Limited Run Games founders Douglas Bogart and Josh Fairhurst said that the company has officially partnered with Xbox and plans to make announcements soon, so there could be Xbox games at the show as well.
On Twitter, the company also gave an update about some of the titles it has already announced but haven’t released, like Katana Zero and Night In The Woods, so it seems like the showcase will be reserved for new announcements.
The Limited Run Games live stream comes shortly after Summer Game Fest on June 10 and the Xbox and Bethesda Game Showcase on June 13. GameSpot will be live streaming all of the games events and showcases during June as part of Play for All 2021, raising money for AbleGamers, which focuses on helping people with disabilities play games and improving accessibility in games.
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With the release of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition in May, the sci-fi series has been garnering a lot of renewed attention, including from developers who worked on the original game. For example, a designer who worked on Mass Effect 3’s 2012 release recently unveiled an Easter egg that he put in the game that had never been discovered.
Cinematic designer Richard Boisvert posted on Reddit in May about the secret and gave some guidance to players who were interested in seeing it for themselves in the remasters. It’s a cool little homage to a Mars rover, probably Opportunity, near the beginning of Mass Effect 3’s Mars mission. If you follow a specific route, you can find a rover that’ll drive over to you and give you a little nod.
Image of rover Easter egg courtesy of Reddit user Tuskin38.
Boisvert himself believed that no one had ever even seen the rover, but that part isn’t exactly true. As pointed out by Kotaku, the rover itself had been spotted last year–but no one had ever figured out how to trigger its action.
While this is obviously just a cool gesture to NASA’s Mars rover program, it’s actually not that far-fetched that the little vehicles will still be around on Mars even as far in the future as 2186, when the game takes place. If no one removes them, they likely will still exist in some degraded form as monuments to past space exploration. Of course, it’s impossible for it to actually be functional in 2186. Opportunity no longer works, while Curiosity and Perseverance will continue on for the next few years.
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