Author: Trafficblast

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has cast Ron Perlman (Hellboy) as Optimus Primal, the leader of the Maximals.

Announced by Collider, Perlman takes the place of original voice actor Garry Chalk – although he has played the character previously, in Transformers: Power of the Primes. Optimus Primal is leader of the Maximals and captain of the Axalon spaceship – and his beast mode form is a gorilla.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts was announced last week, and will introduce the Transformers: Beast Wars mythology to the Transformers movie series. Until now, the series has focused exclusively on Autobots and Decepticons, but the new movie will add Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons to the mix. It will be directed by Steven Caple Jr. (Creed 2), and arrives on June 24, 2022.

Set in the ’90s and taking place across Brooklyn, New York and Peru, the movie will see Maximals and Predacons, who are time travelling, robotic prehistoric animals, take their fight to Earth. Noah, an ex-military electronics whiz played by In the Heights’ Anthony Ramos, and Elena, an artifacts researcher played by Dominique Fishback (Judas and the Black Messiah) become embroiled in the battle.

“One of the most important things we were trying to do, with this movie, is give the audience a lot of ‘new,'” said producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura at a press event last week. “Our hope was ‘how do we find a new set of villains?’ and ‘how do we find a new set of priorities for these villains?’ If you’ve seen and been a fan of the other movies, you’re going to see villains you’ve never seen before, you’re going to see Autobots you’ve never seen before. It’s one of the driving decisions we’re making. Fortunately for us, Transformers has a lot of tribes so there’s a really large base of characters. This movie is bringing a lot of those tribes together.”

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Hellboy himself, Ron Perlman, has reportedly been cast as the voice of Optimus Primal in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, according to Collider. Optimus Primal, the leader of the Maximals, was originally voiced by Perlman in the animated series Transformers: Power of the Primes.

Rise of the Beasts will introduce Transformers: Beast Wars lore into the live-action films for the first time–meaning there will be robots that transform into animals and vehicles. For those that don’t closely follow the various animated incarnations of the property, that shouldn’t seem like too much of a logical leap. After all, we’ve already seen Dinobots in the films.

As of this writing, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is slated for a June 24, 2022 release. In the meantime, you can read everything we know so far and get up to speed yourself. You can also read our related overview of all the robots we know, so far, will have a role in the movie.

The Transformers are coming back in full force. In addition to this upcoming film, there’s also a new animated Transformers series coming to Nickelodeon, which is expected to run for 26 half-hour episodes. Casting and plot information hasn’t yet been announced for this show, but based on initial reports its creative concept is “about family” and broadly is expected to “tell a reimagined story featuring both original characters and fan-favorites for a whole new generation of kids and families.” Additionally, there’s also a Netflix series coming that released a trailer earlier this year.

It’s been almost 35 years since the release of Among the Living, the album that put Anthrax on the pop culture map. Now the band is revisiting that seminal work in a brand new form as an original graphic novel. And none other than living comic book legend Grant Morrison is one of the creators involved.

IGN can exclusively debut a preview of Morrison and artist Freddie E. Williams II’s story, which is based on the track “Indians.” Check it out in the slideshow gallery below:

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Each chapter of Among the Living is inspired by a different album track. Morrison and Williams are just two of the major creators involved with this comic book re-imagining of the classic heavy metal album. Among the Living also features work from Anthrax members Scott Ian, Joey Belladonna, Frank Bello and Charlie Benante, as well as Rob Zombie, Slipknot’s Corey Taylor and My Chemical Romance’s Gerard and Mikey Way. The creative lineup also includes writers Brian Posehn, Jimmy Palmiotti, Brian Azzarello, Rick Remender and Joe Trohman and artists J.G. Jones, Eric Powell, Darick Robertson, Scott Koblish, Erik Rodriguez, Maan House, Roland Boschi, Steve Chanks and Dave Johnson.

As if that weren’t enough, the book also features a new zombie-fied take on Anthrax’s iconic mascot, the Not Man, designed by The Walking Dead’s Greg Nicotero.

If a graphic novel adaptation of a heavy metal album seems like an odd twist, it’s worth remembering that Anthrax have often taken inspiration from other pieces of pop culture for their songs. Several tracks are directly inspired by Stephen King stories like The Stand and Apt Pupil, and the band has also homaged everything from Judge Dredd to Lost.

Anthrax: Among the Living is published by Z2 Comics and is scheduled for release on Tuesday, July 6. You can preorder the graphic novel on Amazon.

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This will actually be the second album-inspired graphic novel Mikey Way has worked on in 2021. Way recently debuted Electric Century, a graphic novel based on the album of the same name.

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Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

The first of at least two planned Knives Out sequels has begun filming in a completely different location than the first movie. Writer-director Rian Johnson shared a photo from the set in Greece, which looks very beautiful and sunny.

“Day one of filming on the next Benoit Blanc mystery,” Johnson said of Daniel Craig’s Knives Out character. “Thanks to all the lovely, patient people here in Greece for letting us do all this murdering on their peaceful shores.”

Not only is the setting new for Knives Out 2, but the cast has been changed as well. The sequel will feature an ensemble cast that includes big names like Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Janelle Monae, Leslie Odom Jr., and Edward Norton.

There is no word yet on the story, apart from how Blanc travels to Greece to presumably investigate a suspicious death. 2019’s Knives Out was a whodunnit that followed the investigation into the death of Christopher Plummer’s character.

The movie featured a long list of big names in the lead roles, including Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Lakeith Stanfield, Katherin Langford, and Jaeden Martell.

Johnson is producing Knives Out 2 as well, alongside Ram Bergman, who also worked on the original. According to a report, Johnson, Bergman, and Craig will be paid $100 million each for the sequels after Netflix bought the rights for hundreds of millions of dollars.

In addition to the untitled Knives Out sequels, Johnson is still lined up to direct a trilogy of Star Wars films following his Star Wars debut with The Last Jedi.

As part of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo Direct today, Nintendo announced that Tekken’s Kazuya will release as the latest paid DLC on June 29, while the company also revealed a new Amiibo set to release in 2022.

Kazuya, who was announced for Smash during Nintendo’s E3 showcase, will release June 29 for $6 USD. Alternatively, you can buy the latest Fighter Pass ($30 USD), which includes Min Min, Steve & Alex, Sephiroth, Pyra/Mythra, and one more character later on.

Kazuya is the 81st playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. A new stage, Mishima Dojo, is coming to Smash as well alongside the new character. “The dojo is closed off in all directions, but its walls and ceiling can be broken with strong attacks, turning the stage into dangerous terrain. With no floating platforms, the Mishima Dojo stage is more grounded than many other stages in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, requiring new strategies when battling on it,” reads a line from its description.

39 new music tracks from the Tekken series are coming to the game as well in the DLC.

Also during the broadcast, Nintendo’s Masahiro Sakurai said the final character in the Vol. 2 DLC pack will be announced and released later in 2021. What’s more, Nintendo announced that a new Min Min Amiibo figure will be released in 2022.

New Mii fighter costumes are coming to Smash Bros. Ultimate, too, including Dante from the Devil May Cry series and Dragonborn from The Elder Scrolls. Lloyd from Tales of Symphonia is also on the way, alongside Shantae. These new Mii fighter costumes will release on June 29 for 75 cents each. Here’s a trailer:

If you missed out on the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate broadcast dedicated to Kazuya, you can watch a replay here to see Sakurai speak at length about the new character and show off his moves.

The first-ever virtual Witcher event will be held on July 9, and ahead of that event Netflix has revealed what fans can expect from the show schedule. Streaming on both of Netflix’s Twitch and YouTube channels from 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, WitcherCon will be hosted by television presenter Julia Hardy.

WitcherCon will kick off when The Witcher showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and several members of the cast draw cards from a deck of fan questions that will determine the path of the panel and the fate of the guests involved.

From there, Witcher game developer CD Projekt Red will talk about the franchise and how it was developed over the years, with the next panel being a pub quiz-style game between the game developers and The Witcher Netflix series. Another panel on the upcoming comic books and board game from The Witcher expanded universe will take place next, with the main event of WitcherCon being Tales from the White Wolf: A Spotlight Conversation with Henry Cavill.

Hosted by Josh Horowitz, the show will close out with Cavill talking about the show and possibly even having “a surprise or two” in store. Now that The Witcher Season 2 has finished shooting and is currently in post-production ahead of its release on Netflix later this year, that’s likely a hint at a new teaser for the season being shown. A new promo was first released during Netflix’s Geeked Week, that revealed a new look for Freya Allan’s character Ciri.

Witchercon 2021 Schedule Of Panels

The Witcher Season 2: Deck of Destiny – Panel Guests: Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, Anya Chalotra, Freya Allan, Mimî M Khayisa, Paul Bullion

Destinies collide when the cast and showrunner of Netflix’s The Witcher draw cards from an enigmatic deck of fan questions that will determine the path of the panel and the immediate fate of the guests. But these are no ordinary cards – prepare for surprise reveals, backstage insights, and a dash of chaos as our panelists take us through their journey of filming Season 2.

CD Projekt Red’s Memories from the Path: Stories Behind The Witcher Games

For over 13 years, the Witcher series of games has captured the imagination of gamers worldwide. Now, the developers behind the games discuss how they brought their immersive stories to life — before revisiting old memories, uncovering forgotten artifacts, and reminiscing about their favorite moments from the franchise

Geralt of T-Rivia – Panel Guests: Błażej Augustynek, Philipp Weber, Declan De Barra, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich

It’s a meeting of the Witcher masterminds as key creators of the Witcher games and The Witcher Netflix series team up to test their knowledge of the wider Witcher universe. In this pub quiz-style game, behind-the-scenes tidbits and spoilery sneak peeks are prized just as much as the correct answers.

CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher: Beyond Video Games – Panel Guests: Rafał Jaki, Bartosz Sztybor, Łukasz Woźniak

From detective noir to dark horror — all the way to the Old World and beyond, prepare to experience The Witcher’s expanded universe with the latest details on the upcoming comic books and board game inspired by the franchise!

Tales from the White Wolf: A Spotlight Conversation with Henry Cavill, hosted by Josh Horowitz

To close out WitcherCon, fans will hear from Geralt of Rivia himself, Henry Cavill, who will sit down with moderator Josh Horowitz (MTV & Comedy Central host) for an in-depth conversation about fantasy, destiny, and the wider Witcher Universe. The White Wolf may even have a surprise or two in store…

Warning: this review contains full spoilers for Rick and Morty: Season 5, Episode 2! If you need a refresher on where we left off, here’s our review for the Season 5 premiere.

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Now that we’re five seasons into Rick and Morty, and with at least several more guaranteed, it’s inevitable the series is going to start repeating itself. Just look at how many times The Simpsons has had to update the origin story of Homer and Marge’s relationship to fit the show’s sliding timeline. The best fans can hope for is that Rick and Morty continues to find fresh ways to approach familiar sci-fi tropes. If “Mortyplicity” is any indication, there’s little reason to be concerned.

It’s actually surprising this episode works as well as it does considering the close conceptual similarities to the Space beth subplot introduced back in Season 3’s “The ABC’s of Beth.” Once again we have a storyline built around doppelgangers and the question of whether the Smith/Sanchez family can ever be certain they’re real. By all rights the end result should feel like a bland retread. But in execution, “Mortyplicity” proves to be a silly and extremely violent addition to the new season.

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“Mortyplicity” excels at keeping the viewer off-guard with its premise. It gradually evolves from a story about mysterious, squid-like aliens hunting Rick to a Battle Royale among countless decoy families. No sooner do we touch base with one family than they’re taken off the board and the focus shifts to the next family. That chaotic, fast-paced approach works well. The episode also builds on its little gags in amusing ways, whether through clever nods to films like Blade Runner and Highlander or the various ways each family differs slightly from the next.

Sidebar – this episode’s nod to the Interdimensional Cable format is a welcome treat. The “When-Wolf” clip is among the more memorable faux-shows introduced so far, to the point where it really deserves its own spinoff. The fact that both Season 5 episodes have delivered quick Interdimensional Cable references is probably a sign we won’t be getting a dedicated clip show installment this time around. Probably for the best.

While “Mortyplicity” is mainly Rick-focused, it’s worth pointing out this is another of those episodes where Jerry manages to steal the show whenever he does take center stage. Jerry’s unique brand of self-serving cowardice never fails to entertain. That’s to say nothing of Ventriloquist Dummy Jerry, who quickly comes to rival Cronenberg-verse Jerry as the show’s most entertaining Jerry offshoot. The post-credits scene is just sublime, especially with that Queen needle drop heightening the absurdity of this Jerry’s existential plight.

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Unfortunately, “Mortyplicity” does suffer from a pretty common problem for the series. The premise really needs one last big swerve in the climax, but that final twist never comes. The various families wind up killing each other off and… that’s it. There really needed to be something more to help the episode stick the landing. Granted, there is the lingering uncertainty over whether the last surviving family is the real deal or simply the one decoy family lucky enough to be off-world, but that’s not quite enough to build a proper conclusion. Rick has crossed dimensions and been killed and remade so many times that the question of whether he’s “real” is pretty much irrelevant now.

The fact that Space Beth makes a quick cameo at the end highlights that problem. While this episode manages to avoid rehashing the old Space Beth storyline, it does seem strange not to more directly reference the events of those episodes or make the two Beths a bigger part of the plot. Beth is the one character who almost always seems underused by the writers, and this episode could have gone a long way toward changing things. Maybe during the next Asimov Cascade.

Microsoft announced Windows 11 last Thursday, and added that eligible Windows 10 devices would receive a free upgrade. While Windows 11 is slated to launch later this year, users who hope to get it by way of a free upgrade will need to wait until 2022.

Responding to a user on Twitter, the official Windows account confirmed that Windows 11 will launch later this year and will be “delivered” over the next several months. However, active and eligible devices will receive the Windows 11 upgrade “through the first half” of 2022.

Windows 11 is due out later in 2021 and will be delivered over several months. The rollout of the upgrade to Windows 10 devices already in use today will begin in 2022 through the first half of that year.

— Windows (@Windows) June 25, 2021

While this may not be ideal for people eager to use Windows 11 as soon as it is released, this does make sense in some regard – Windows 10 users eligible for the upgrade will receive Windows 11 on their PCs as if it were a Windows 10 update.

There is also the possibility that some bugs and issues may appear on Windows 11 at release. Waiting to roll out free upgrades would give Microsoft the time to address any problems before rolling out the free upgrade. The computing giant did something similar in 2018 when it delayed its October update by a month after some users who installed the update reported losing files.

To receive a free upgrade to Windows 11, PC owners need Windows 10 installed on their PC and must meet the minimum requirements needed to run the forthcoming Windows OS, such as having a Windows 10 computer that features a 64-bit processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage.

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Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

A group of archivists that have been working to preserve every version of Minecraft ever released have finally found an early alpha version of the game that was thought to be completely lost.

The elusive version of Minecraft – Alpha 1.1.1, which was available for just over three hours on September 18, 2010 – was discovered by Twitter user @Lunasorcery on a hard drive that contained backups from an old laptop.

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As reported by Kotaku, Luna detailed the find in a Twitter thread, in which she explained that a member of the Minecraft preservation community recently contacted her after they discovered she had posted a tweet about a new Minecraft update back on September 18, 2010. Due to the date of the tweet, the person wondered if she had downloaded the update within the three hour window Alpha 1.1.1 was available.

Luckily, Luna had a USB hard drive back-up of the laptop she had been playing Minecraft on 11 years ago. And, even more luckily, it had the files for Minecraft Alpha 1.1.1. Luna posted the files to the Omniarchive Discord server, the place where the Minecraft preservation community gathers. They were able to verify that the files were legitimately Alpha 1.1.1, and that – remarkably – Luna had downloaded it just under 90 seconds before the version was replaced by Alpha 1.1.2.

So I posted in the Omniarchive server, and it would be an understatement to say that a few people noticed.

Just from the reactions, the reality of how big a find this is starts to set in. I literally start shaking. pic.twitter.com/cAg8vgu2ox

— Luna 🏳️‍🌈 (@lunasorcery) June 26, 2021

Alpha 1.1.1 has been considered a Holy Grail by the Minecraft community for years due to the way it was released. Minecraft updates in the game’s early years were dropped with no warning, usually on Fridays. However, Alpha 1.1.1 was dropped on a Saturday, which earned it its nickname “Seecret Saturday 1”. This update added fishing rods and sneaking, but had a bug that would make the screen go completely grey. As such, it was quickly replaced by Alpha 1.1.2 just over three hours later. Because this version was launched on an unexpected Saturday and only existed for three hours, the community had believed the chances of finding someone who had downloaded it and still had it was incredibly slim, and so assumed it was lost forever. Luna’s find has therefore been a massive breakthrough for Minecraft preservation.

In other Minecraft news, a popular Minecraft speedrunner has admitted to using mods to achieve his runs, and new DLC adds Sonic the Hedgehog to Minecraft.

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Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Entertainment Writer.