Arnold Schwarzenegger will headline his first-ever TV series in a new, untitled spy project for Netflix.
Schwarzenegger will star opposite Monica Barbaro (Top Gun: Maverick) in a new eight-episode drama series about a father and daughter who learn they both secretly work for the CIA without the other knowing. Now that they know their relationship has been built on a lie, the two will team up as partners in this globe-trotting spy drama.
The untitled Netflix show is created by Nick Santora, who has credits on shows like Jack Reacher and The Fugitive series, and he will also serve as showrunner and executive producer alongside Schwarzenegger. Skydance Television is working with Netflix on the production.
Schwarzenegger has had a long, storied career starring in films like Terminator, Predator, and way more than can be listed. But he has not headlined any TV shows before. Other than a couple of cameos and celebrity guest appearances (along with a stint hosting The New Celebrity Apprentice), Schwarzenegger has mostly kept to starring in movies.
But with the era of prestige TV well underway, stars typically known to only stick with movies are now starring in their own shows and it looks like Schwarzenegger is getting in on the trend.
In a statement, Schwarzenegger says, “Fans from all over the world have been asking me for a wild ride like this for years, and now they’re finally going to get it because of our great partners at Skydance and Netflix. I am beyond pumped to start work on the show with Nick and Monica and the whole team.”
Netflix is still showing that it’s ready to compete in the crowded streaming field. Netflix recently locked down the exclusive rights to two Knives Out sequels, and the cast for that film is shaping up nicely with Dave Bautista and Edward Norton set to join Daniel Craig.
The PlayStation Store is bringing back one of its most budget-friendly sales this week: The Remasters & Retro Sale is live now until June 3, bringing steep discounts on over 200 PS4 games. The sale spotlights older games that have been remastered and/or repackaged, like Gravity Rush Remastered and Spyro Reignited Trilogy, as well as retro-inspired games like Streets of Rage 4.
The Remasters & Retro sale includes the usual suspects, such as God of War III Remastered for $10, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered for $20, and Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection (which compiles Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood, and Revelations) for $12. A few Final Fantasy games are included, such as the original Final Fantasy VII for $8 for those who want to catch up on the full story after Remake. Final Fantasy VIII Remastered is on sale for $10, and Gravity Rush Remastered is available for $15. All of these games should be playable on PS5 thanks to backwards compatibility and may also benefit from the additional horsepower.
Check out some of the best deals that caught our eye below, or just browse the full sale on the PlayStation Store.
Remasters & Retro Sale on PSN: Best Deals
Amnesia Collection — $6 ($30)
Amnesia Rebirth — $16.49 ($30)
Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection — $12 ($40)
Catherine: Full Body — $20 ($40)
Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition — $6 ($30)
Destroy All Humans remake — $26 ($40)
DMC Devil May Cry: Definitive Edition — $10 ($40)
Final Fantasy VII — $8 ($16)
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered — $10 ($20)
God of War III Remastered — $10 ($20)
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — $17.49 ($35)
Gravity Rush Remastered — $15 ($30)
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit — $20 ($40)
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition — $12 ($15)
Spyro Reignited Trilogy — $14 ($40)
Streets of Rage 4 — $15 ($25)
Yakuza Kiwami — $5 ($20)
Yakuza Kiwami 2 — $9 ($20)
Alongside the Remasters & Retro sale, Sony is still running the Extended Play sale that features deals on over 400 games and DLC, including Destiny 2, Mortal Kombat 11, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and more. And those looking for cheap games can still check out the latest iteration of PSN’s Games Under $15 sale, which has markdowns on Little Nightmares, The Division 2: Warlords of New York, Infamous: Second Son, and other games that’ll cost you less than 15 bucks.
“It never crossed my mind to be in a Marvel movie,” actress Salma Hayek told Variety in a new interview. “I guess that I thought that boat had sailed, and it was an absolute shock.”
Hayek reflected on her Marvel’s Eternals role in an article that also covered her decision to take a break from politics, her starring role in Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, and her life-threatening bout with COVID-19. She talked about how hard it is to be an action hero as a 54-year-old Mexican woman, and how she had to keep the information that she had been cast in the role to herself “for so many months.”
“[T]o be an action hero, being Mexican, a woman, and my age, it felt like they were punking me,” Hayek said.
Hayek will take on the role of Ajak, a spiritual leader for the community of Eterans on Earth who has superior strength, stamnia, and speed. Ajak does not age and is capable of communicating with the Celestials, an ancient race of entities present long before even the Asgardians. The character was originally created by Jack Kirby in 1976. Hayek says that she “knew the name” of her character, but didn’t initially look at the comics.
“When I did look at the comics, I was a man,” she said.
Marvel’s Eternals is part of Phase 4 of the MCU, and will be directed by Chloé Zhao, who recently won an Oscar for her work on Nomadland. It was “shot very differently” from most MCU films, with a big emphasis on practical locations. Hayek praised Marvel vice president of film production Victoria Alonso, says she “could not love this woman more” for her support of the cast.
“When people see me, and not just girls, minorities or even short people — anybody — I want them to think even if things don’t look like they can happen, anything can happen. But I don’t want it to be based on you have to suffer a lot and then eventually it’s going to happen. I want it to be based on why not?” Hayek said.
DC has revealed its next direct-to-video animated movie, and it’s a big one. The wildly popular fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us is getting a movie adaptation.
Oddly, neither DC nor Warner Bros. Animation made a formal announcement of the new project. Instead, its existence was revealed via a press release for Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two. Among the bonus features included on that Blu-ray set will be a trailer for an Injustice movie.
At this time, no other details are known about the Injustice movie, though with The Long Halloween, Part Two scheduled for a July 2021 release, it seems likely we’ll see the Injustice drop before the end of the year. It remains to be seen just how closely the movie will follow the plot of the original game and whether the game’s voice cast will reprise their roles for the film.
2013’s Injustice: Gods Among Us and its 2017 sequel are set in an alternate DC Universe where Superman is driven mad after being tricked by Joker into killing his wife Lois and their unborn child. Five years after that tragedy, Superman rules the world with an iron fist, forcing the Justice League of the regular DCU to cross dimensions and battle this tyrannical Man of Steel.
The Injustice saga has also been greatly expanded through various spinoff comics, which flesh out the five years leading up to the events of the first game and then bridge the gap between the first game and the sequel. It’s possible the animated movie could be an adaptation of the comics rather than the games, or even an entirely new story set within this dystopian DC Universe.
Presumably a formal announcement of the Injustice movie will follow, hopefully with plot details and a confirmation of the cast and crew involved. For now, check out the trailer for Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two:
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl arrive on Nintendo Switch later this year, but those aren’t the only Pokemon titles on the way to the console. Series creator Game Freak is releasing a brand-new kind of Pokemon adventure called Pokemon Legends: Arceus in early 2022, and it looks to be the most radical departure the franchise has taken in years.
Billed as a “new approach for the Pokemon video game series,” Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a new game set in ancient Sinnoh that appears to take some inspiration from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The Pokemon Company revealed the title during the Pokemon Presents event back in February, giving us our first look at its expansive setting and real-time gameplay elements.
Although the title is still a little while away, here’s everything we know so far about Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
When Does Pokemon Legends: Arceus Launch?
Pokemon Legends: Arceus does not have a firm release date yet, but the game is slated to launch for Nintendo Switch in “early 2022.”
Trailer
We got our first look at Pokemon Legends: Arceus during the February 2021 Pokemon Presents broadcast. The reveal trailer focused primarily on the game’s expansive environments, showcasing the rolling hills and vast fields that make up the Sinnoh region. It also offered a glimpse at the battle system. In a departure from previous Pokemon games, Pokemon Legends: Arceus doesn’t transition to a separate battle scene when you encounter a wild Pokemon; rather, you can throw a Poke Ball at the monster in real-time to catch it or initiate a battle by sending one of your own Pokemon out into the field near it.
Click To Unmute
Pokémon Legends Arceus – Official Reveal Trailer
Size:
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
Unlike Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, which are also set in the Sinnoh region, Pokemon Legends takes place in the distant past, “before ideas such as being a Pokemon trainer or having a Pokemon League even existed.” As part of your adventure, you’ll travel around the region catching Pokemon to create Sinnoh’s first Pokedex.
Rather than choosing between Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup at the start of your adventure, as in Diamond and Pearl, Pokemon Legends features an entirely different lineup of starters: Rowlet, Cyndaquil, and Oshawott. According to The Pokemon Company, these Pokemon were brought to Sinnoh “by a certain Professor who encountered them while traveling around various regions.” There is a subtle link between these three starters that fits the feudal theme running throughout the game and its story.
Also playing a prominent role in the story is the Mythical Pokemon Arceus. In Pokemon lore, Arceus is said to have “shaped all there is in this world,” making it the Pokemon equivalent of a creator deity. It’s unclear how Arceus fits into the game, but The Pokemon Company teases that it “holds the key to this tale.”
Gameplay Details
According to The Pokemon Company, Pokemon Legends: Arceus “represents a new approach for the Pokemon video game series,” blending the series’ traditional RPG mechanics with some real-time elements to create a new action-RPG experience. The adventure unfolds across a vast, open setting that evokes The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in its scope and visual style.
As in the Wild Areas in Pokemon Sword and Shield, wild Pokemon can be seen roaming about the environments in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. You can catch these monsters by observing them and throwing a Poke Ball in real-time. You can also initiate a battle with a wild Pokemon by manually calling one of your own partner Pokemon out near them. Once your Pokemon is in the field, you can select from its four attacks, much like in previous Pokemon games.
Catching a wild Shinx
Beyond that, The Pokemon Company hasn’t revealed many details about Pokemon Legends: Arceus, so we don’t yet know if other staple elements of the series–such as a villainous organization bent on controlling a Legendary Pokemon–will appear in the game. It’s also still unclear if you’ll be able to battle and trade with other players, as you can in previous Pokemon titles.
Confirmed Pokemon
The Pokemon Company hasn’t confirmed how many Pokemon will be available in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, but we got a glimpse at a variety of monsters in the game’s reveal trailer. Pokemon denoted in bold could be seen in the video, while the others are evolutions or pre-evolutions that can be inferred will be in the game.
Rowlet
Dartrix
Decidueye
Cyndaquil
Quilava
Typhlosion
Oshawott
Dewott
Samurott
Turtwig
Grotle
Torterra
Chimchar
Monferno
Infernape
Piplup
Prinplup
Empoleon
Pichu
Pikachu
Raichu
Rhyhorn
Rhydon
Rhyperior
Ralts
Kirlia
Gardevoir
Gallade
Spheal
Sealeo
Walrein
Chingling
Chimecho
Bidoof
Bibarel
Starly
Staravia
Staraptor
Shinx
Luxio
Luxray
Budew
Roselia
Roserade
Riolu
Lucario
Gible
Gabite
Garchomp
Arceus
Preorder Details
Although Pokemon Legends: Arceus does not have a release date yet, the game is already available to preorder at Best Buy. No preorder bonuses have been announced at the moment, although that may change as we get closer to the game’s launch.
Netflix has given an eight-order episode series order to an untitled “global spy adventure” starring and executive produced by Arnold Schwarzenegger, according to a release. The series is the action star and former politician’s first major foray into scripted television.
The hourlong series, which also stars Monica Barbaro (Top Gun: Maverick) playing Schwarzenegger’s daughter is about family members who “learn that they’ve each secretly been working as CIA Operatives for years” and “realize their entire relationship has been a lie and they truly don’t know one another at all.” They are then, of course, forced to team up as partners on a mission, in a series that is being billed as “tackl[ing] universal family dynamics set against a global backdrop of spies, fantastic action, and humor.” For what it’s worth, this should be an intriguing outing, but it does sound reminiscent of Schwarzenegger’s 1994 film, True Lies.
“Fans from all over the world have been asking me for a wild ride like this for years, and now they’re finally going to get it,” said Schwarzenegger.
This upcoming series is created, executive produced, and will be showrun by Nick Santora (Jack Reacher, The Fugitive series). It comes from an idea created and developed by Santora as part of his overall deal with Skydance Television, which will be producing. Skydance Television also has a long-standing relationship with Schwarzenegger through films like Terminator Genisys and Terminator: Dark Fate.
You can check out GameSpot’s guide to what’s coming to Netflix this month to help pass the time until more information on this new Schwarzenegger series, although no starting production or release date has yet been announced.
A small background shape in a recent Batman comic book has Fortnite fans speculating that Nintendo’s Samus Aran is on the way to the game. Yes, that’s a real sentence in this, the year 2021.
For some background, the comic Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point has the caped crusader pulled into the world of Fortnite, where the character recently made a cameo as a playable character in a crossover event.
GamesRadar reports that on page 12 of the comic, as Batman rides atop a car careening off of a cliff–you know, Batman stuff–the background shows a few silhouetted characters. The third one, seen on the right, has two very rounded shoulders, which some eagle-eyed fans have concluded belongs to the Metroid heroine.
Suffice it to say, the evidence is pretty thin by itself. But it’s somewhat strengthened by a recent revelation from the Epic vs. Apple trial. A leaked document showed Samus as one proposed character addition. That document was never intended to become public, so it’s unclear if those plans were ever finalized or if Samus really is coming, but that does show that Epic was at least aiming for a Samus cameo at some point. And of course, Fortnite has already imported other famous platform mascots like Master Chief and Kratos.
Epic has a tendency to hide elaborate clues around its big in-game events, and of course it’s constantly introducing new crossover characters like an upcoming NBA partnership, so teasing a character in a tie-in comic wouldn’t be out of character. Then again, Nintendo tends to be very protective of its properties, so it’s unclear if it would allow one of its most iconic characters to be lent out anyway. Time will have to tell.
EA has hired ex-Monolith (Shadow of Mordor) vice president Kevin Stephens to head a new studio focused on an open-world action-adventure game, GamesIndustry.biz reports.
Stephens worked as head of Monolith Productions for a little over eight years, after a five-year stint as vice president of development at WB Games, and a decade on the engineering team at Monolith before that.
The Seattle-based studio, currently unnamed, will potentially allow remote workers to supplement in-house employees.
“We’re still figuring out a lot of foundational questions,” says Samantha Ryan, EA senior vice president and group general manager. Ryan was previously president at Monolith Productions, working with Stephens there and at Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in the late 90’s. “How big? What games? How fast to grow? Kevin and I both know how important it is to get the foundations of any studio ‘right’ and he’ll take his time to figure it all out. When you rush, you don’t give yourself time to be thoughtful. Why rush?”
Stephens’ credits include engineering work on F.E.A.R., Condemned, plus the Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War games.
Ryan declined to say whether the new studio will work on a previously established IP or a new one, GamesIndustry reports.
It’s another move in EA’s recent (and growing) list of acquisitions and new partnerships. In the past few months, EA has purchased Super Mega Baseball developer Metalhead Software, DiRT and Project Cars developer Codemasters, and Glu Mobile, the latter of which cost a cool $2.1 billion.
EA reportedly plans to share more details about the new studio this fall, GI.biz says.
