Author: Trafficblast

The next Evil Dead movie will start production later this year. The news was confirmed by the horror franchise’s star Bruce Campbell, who stated that the movie will shoot in New Zealand.

Campbell gave the update about the new Evil Dead film to Knox News, while promoting a virtual screening of Sam Raimi’s classic original 1981 movie. He also stated that the film will take place “out of the woods” and will instead have a “a modern-day urban setting.”

The new Evil Dead movie will be directed by Irish filmmaker Lee Cronin. In June last year, Campbell stated that the title was Evil Dead Now, and revealed that he wouldn’t be reprising his role as hapless hero Ash. “You could have different heroes, different heroines in this case,” he said. “This one’s gonna be a little more dynamic. We just want to keep the series current. And the mantra, really, is that our heroes and heroines are just regular people. That’s what we’re going to continue.”

The original Evil Dead was followed by 1987’s more comedic Evil Dead II and 1990’s Army of Darkness. Raimi and Campbell produced the 2013 remake, which was directed by Fede Alvarez (Don’t Breathe), and the Ash vs Evil Dead TV series, which ran for 30 episodes between 2016 and 2018.

Ash most recently appeared as a playable survivor in the game Dead by Daylight. Campbell performed the voice acting for the character. Another Evil Dead game is also in the works, with Campbell attached in some capacity.

Raimi’s next movie will be Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The Marvel sequel is currently in production in London and releases in 2022.

After getting approved by regulators, Microsoft’s $7.5 billion deal to acquire ZeniMax and its subsidiaries such as Bethesda has officially gone through. One of the biggest gaming deals in history is now complete, and it sets the stage for big things for Xbox going forward.

In a statement, Bethesda’s Pete Hines said you should not expect any “landmark announcement or changes right now.” Today’s announcement is about the deal getting officially approved; the specifics on what this means for Bethesda’s future comes later.

Hines did say that Bethesda expects that its studios will be able to continue to operate independently, but now with extra support and resources from Microsoft. Hines also teased that Bethesda will bring more of its games to the Game Pass catalog in the future.

“As we’e all shared, the expectation is that Bethesda Softworks and our studios will continue as we have in the past, just with more support and resources than we’ve ever had before,” he said. “Obviously, Game Pass has been an important initiative for Xbox, and we’ll be working on putting even more of our games into Game Pass than ever before. Beyond that? Stay tuned, we’re just getting started together.”

Xbox boss Phil Spencer released a statement as well in which he confirmed more Bethesda games are coming to Game Pass this week, though he did not name them outright.

Spencer also said it is “vitally important” for Bethesda to continue to make games “the way it always has,” which suggests Microsoft is not going to try to mix things up too much.

“We look forward to empowering Bethesda’s creative teams to reach even more players around the world, helping make future Bethesda titles the biggest and most popular games in their history” he said. “Xbox and Bethesda have long shared a common vision for the future of gaming. Both as fans and as creators, Bethesda understands the potential of Xbox Game Pass.”

With the buyout, Microsoft now owns a number of additional studios, including Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Arkane, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Studios.

“Now that everything is official, we can begin working together to deliver more great games to everyone,” Spencer said. “At every step building toward this moment, I’ve been inspired and motivated by the creativity, insight, and community-first approach of the talented people at Bethesda. Our goal is to give these teams the best foundation for doing their greatest work and to learn from them as we continue to build Xbox into an inclusive platform for all players.”

You can read the full statements from Pete Hines and Phil Spencer below.

A big unknown continues to be exclusivity questions that fans have about Bethesda’s future games. People want to do know if high-profile upcoming Bethesda games like The Elder Scrolls VI, Indiana Jones, and Starfield will come to PlayStation consoles.

Spencer said in his statement that Microsoft will of course prioritize Xbox and PC over rival platforms, and he teased that “some new titles” will be exclusive to Xbox and PC.

“With the addition of the Bethesda creative teams, gamers should know that Xbox consoles, PC, and Game Pass will be the best place to experience new Bethesda games, including some new titles in the future that will be exclusive to Xbox and PC players,” he said.

Spencer did not, however, provide any further details on what these exclusive games might be. We do know that one of Bethesda’s games, Deathloop, will still release on PlayStation as a timed exclusive.

Pete Hines Full Statement

“First, let me say that we’re not making any landmark announcements or changes right now. As we’ve all shared, the expectation is that Bethesda Softworks and our studios will continue as we have in the past, just with more support and resources than we’ve ever had before. Obviously, Game Pass has been an important initiative for Xbox, and we’ll be working on putting even more of our games into Game Pass than ever before. Beyond that? Stay tuned, we’re just getting started together.

Second, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that it is a bittersweet day given that our founder, Robert Altman, passed away last month. Among his many admirable qualities was the incredible spirit of family and loyalty that he shared with all of us. I will be forever grateful for his efforts to find the perfect place for ZeniMax, Bethesda, and our studios and employees to continue their excellent work going forward.I’d also like to thank Phil Spencer and all the folks at Xbox and Microsoft who have been such a pleasure to work with as we prepare for this new chapter. The collaboration, mutual respect, and support they’ve shown to us during this process has been extraordinary.

I’m pleased to continue the great relationships we’ve built together over the past few decades, first as partners and now as colleagues in the same company. And of course, I want to say thanks to all of you for your support. It is not something we ever take lightly or for granted. This year marks 35 years since the original creation of Bethesda Softworks. Reaching a milestone like that, while also going through a historic occasion like this acquisition, puts in perspective just how far we’ve come in that time. A journey that wouldn’t be worth it without all of you to share it with.”

Phil Spencer Full Statement

This is an exciting day for Xbox. Today we officially complete the acquisition of ZeniMax Media, parent company of Bethesda Softworks. It’s an honor to welcome the eight incredibly talented development studios – Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Arkane, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, and Roundhouse Studios–and their passionate global communities to the Xbox family. Now that everything is official, we can begin working together to deliver more great games to everyone. At every step building toward this moment, I’ve been inspired and motivated by the creativity, insight, and community-first approach of the talented people at Bethesda. Our goal is to give these teams the best foundation for doing their greatest work and to learn from them as we continue to build Xbox into an inclusive platform for all players.

This is the next step in building an industry-leading first party studios team, a commitment we have to our Xbox community. With the addition of the Bethesda creative teams, gamers should know that Xbox consoles, PC, and Game Pass will be the best place to experience new Bethesda games, including some new titles in the future that will be exclusive to Xbox and PC players.

As we shared previously, it’s vitally important that Bethesda continues making games the way it always has. We look forward to empowering Bethesda’s creative teams to reach even more players around the world, helping make future Bethesda titles the biggest and most popular games in their history. Xbox and Bethesda have long shared a common vision for the future of gaming. Both as fans and as creators, Bethesda understands the potential of Xbox Game Pass.

We would also like to honor the life and memory of my close friend Robert A. Altman, founder of ZeniMax Media. Robert believed deeply in the power of gaming and we are privileged to be able to continue his work by joining forces with the teams he built and led for many years. I will miss the opportunity to work directly with him on the future of our combined teams but I know that his spirit will live on in the shared work we do and motivate us to make this partnership all he envisioned.

Thank you to all our players for joining us on this incredible journey and to the millions of Bethesda fans around the world. Now that we’re one team, we can start working together on the future ahead. We will have more to share about what’s next for our teams later this year. In the meantime, to properly celebrate this special moment, we are bringing additional Bethesda games into Xbox Game Pass later this week. Stay tuned for more details!”

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

We were all thinking it as we watched Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit last year. “There isn’t enough singing in this show about chess and drugs.” Worry no longer, because entertainment company Level Forward has acquired rights to bring the captivating chess tale to the stage, according to The Guardian.

Level Forward announced Monday that it has acquired the rights to produce the 1983 novel as a stage musical. The company is also responsible for turning Alanis Morrissette’s Jagged Little Pill into a musical, a new production of Oklahoma, and a variety of documentaries.

“It is a privilege for Level Forward to lead the charge of bringing The Queen’s Gambit to the stage through the beloved and enduring craft of musical theater,” said CEO Adrienne Becker, and producer Julia Dunetz in an official statement. “Audiences are already sharing in the friendship and fortitude of the story’s inspiring women who energize and sustain Beth Harmon’s journey and ultimate triumph.”

Level Forward has not yet announced where–or when, considering the ongoing pandemic–it will produce the show, but The Guardian points to Broadway as the likely destination.

The series adaptation of The Queen’s Gambit hit Netflix last fall and quickly became one of the service’s most-watched shows, and helped grab star Anya Taylor-Joy both Golden Globe and Critics Choice awards. The show was also just nominated for an award from the Directors Guild of America. The Queen’s Gambit will be, to our knowledge, the second chess-themed musical. The first was the aptly-named 1986 musical Chess.

WandaVision has just ended, but already has its first award nomination thanks to the Directors Guild of America, which also offered up noms for Ted Lasso, the Mandalorian, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and more.

WandaVision‘s nomination comes in the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Limited Series, with the nod going to director Matt Shakman–the first name you always saw as the show’s 10-minute credit sequence began. Other names in the category include Susanne Bier for The Undoing, Thomas Kail for Hamilton, Scott Frank for The Queen’s Gambit, and Lynn Shelton for the Little Fires Everywhere episode, “Find a Way.”

In the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series, Jon Favreau is nominated for the Mandalorian’s “Chapter 9: The Marshal,” the first of two nominations for Favreau. Vince Gillian is up for Better Call Saul‘s “Bagman,” Jason Bateman for the Ozark episode “Wartime,” Lesli Linka Glatter for Homeland’s “Prisoners of War,” and Julie Anne Robinson for “Diamond of the First Water” from Bridgerton.

For the Comedy Series category, both Ted Lasso and Curb your Enthusiasm grabbed two nominations. Zach Braff is nominated for Ted Lasso’s “Biscuits,” followed by MJ Delaney for Ted Lasso’s “The Hope that Kills You.” Susanna Fogel is nominated for The Flight Attendant’s “In Case of Emergency,” Erin O’Malley for Curb Your Enthusiasm’s “The Surprise Party,” and Jeff Schaffer for Curb Your Enthusiasm’s “The Spite Store.”

Other categories include one for regularly-scheduled Variety/Talk-style shows like the Daily Show and Last Week Tonight, Specials like The Late Night with Stephen Colbert’s “Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand: Building Back America Great Again Better 2020, reality programs like Jon Favreau’s The Chef Show, and more. The whole list is available on the Directors Guild website. The awardsceremony will be held virtually on April 10.

Amazon is no doubt celebrating its late-game acquisition of Coming 2 America, after the comedy sequel saw a huge opening weekend in Amazon Prime Video streams. While reviews for the Eddie Murphy film have been mixed, Coming 2 America managed to snag the top spot in streaming movies for the weekend, with a bigger opening than any other film this year.

Defining success for streaming films is a little more complicated than theatrical releases, without the clear data from the global box office, but Amazon has pointed to figures from 3rd party Screen Engine/ASI’s weekly VOD ratings.

The weekly chart shows Amazon’s Coming 2 America overtaking Paramount+’s The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run and Netflix’s To All The Boys: Always and Forever. Amazon also says the movie has seen the best opening weekend for a movie on a streaming service in all of 2021, and even since the COVID-19 pandemic first shut down cinemas last year. These numbers should be taken with a grain of salt however, as they’re based on viewer surveys rather than raw streaming data–with streamers like Netflix notoriously cagey about its viewer numbers.

Amazon’s marketing campaign for Coming 2 America has been aggressive, featuring a Superbowl ad, the relaunch of the 1988 movie on Amazon Prime, a themed TikTok dance challenge to “I’m a King” from the official soundtrack, and even widespread posters slapped on Amazon delivery trucks, vans, and one plane.

Coming 2 America is a sequel to the 1988 original, with cast members including Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, Shari Headley, John Amos, and Louie Anderson returning to reprise their roles. The sequel has changed up the formula a little, most notably swapping the original’s R-rating for a more family-friendly PG-13. New cast members include Wesley Snipes, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, Jermaine Fowler, and Bella Murphy.

Reactions to the film have been mixed according to Metacritic, with some bemoaning the sequel’s lack of originality, and others arguing the lush, nostalgic spectacle is exactly the kind of film we need right now. Coming 2 America is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video now.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Throughout its history, the Unreal Engine has maintained itself as one of the most popular development tools in the games industry. From its early days in the mid 90s, to its powerhouse performance as a games and film visual creation engine, the Unreal Engine has powered many of the most iconic video games over the course of nearly three decades–which includes Gears of War, BioShock, and Fortnite.

In this video, we’re taking a look at the evolution of Epic Games’ tech. Starting with 1996’s Unreal Engine 1 tech demo, we look at how Epic Games’ early tech revolutionized the rendering of 3D environments. Then after, we go over how Unreal Engine 2 took things further by adding improved lighting, detailed character animations, and a greater sense of depth in 3D spaces. From there, the video continues on, from Unreal Engine 3 all the way to the current day where we’re now still awaiting the upcoming release of Unreal Engine 5, which adds more realistic visuals and lighting.

Along with this look back at the advances to the Unreal Engine, we’ve also published an extensive video on the evolution of PlayStation consoles. For more information on what’s to come with the Unreal Engine 5, be sure to check back with GameSpot for more details.