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Showtime Is Producing A TV Series On The US Capitol Riots

A limited series that follows the events of the January 6 US Capitol riots is in the works at Showtime. Deadline reports that Billy Ray and Shane Salerno, who made the politically driven The Comey Rule for Showtime, are teaming up again for an untitled series about the January 6 events.

The shocking real-world event saw Trump supporters gathering at the Capitol and entering the building, causing chaos and unrest on the day that political leaders were due to certify the results of then-President elect Joe Biden’s victory. Five people died and more than 100 people were injured in the event, which Biden called an insurrection.

Showtime has ordered three scripts for the show so far. Ray is attached to write and direct, with Salerno serving as executive producer.

“The limited series will examine and explore multiple points of view of the events leading up to the January 6 attack, including the final days of the Trump administration, and culminate with the attack itself, the aftermath, and the FBI and Congressional investigations,” a line from Deadline’s description says. “The narrative is still unfolding and arrests of those who breached the Capitol and assaulted police are still being made.”

The Comey Rule, which starred Brendan Gleeson as Trump and Jeff Daniels as James Comey, was the highest-rated limited series of all time for Showtime when it debuted in September 2020.

There is no word yet on when the Capitol Riots TV series will air or who may star in it.

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Rated For PC

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD may be coming to PC. This comes just as a set of preorder dates may narrow the release window for the game.

Gematsu reports that the Nocturne HD remaster is listed for PC on both the ESRB and PEGI sites–the ratings boards for the United States and Europe, respectively. Previously the game had only been announced for PS4 and Switch.

Meanwhile, Twisted Voxel notes that Nintendo of Europe sent out an announcement that included preorder dates for Nocturne 3, and the preorder end date is listed as May 24. That could mean a late May release date for the game, though no specific date has been confirmed by Nintendo or Atlus. The game had been slated for spring 2021, so this would fit that window.

Nocturne HD was first announced during a Nintendo Direct Mini last year. The PS2 original, which debuted almost 20 years ago, featured Dante from the Devil May Cry series. This remake looks to be based on Nocturne Maniax Chronicle, which replaced Dante with Raidou from Devil Summoner.

Shin Megami Tensei V has also been announced for a Switch release this year, though it likewise does not have a release date set.

Now Playing: Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster Reveal Trailer

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Oscar Nominees Won’t Be Allowed To Zoom In, Wear Jeans

The 2021 Oscars ceremony will be in-person and Zoom-free, according to an email sent by producers to nominees (via Variety). The producers behind the email–Steven Soderbergh (Contagion), Stacey Sher (Mrs. America), and Jesse Collins (a prolific awards ceremony producer)–detailed their vision for a “safe, carefree evening” at “an intimate, in-person event” taking place and also airing on ABC on April 25.

On the heels of Los Angeles and New York area movie theaters recently re-opening with some restrictions still in place, the Oscars are following suit but taking a different approach. Assuring nominees that the Oscars can “be done safely,” the ceremony will be treated “as an active movie set, with specially designed testing cadences to ensure up-to-the-minute results, including an on-site COVID safety team with PCR testing capability.”

Beyond the safety precautions, the Oscars are seemingly wanting to be more equitable with the ceremony and try to lock horns with its infamously swollen runtime. Emphasizing the message that “stories matter,” the telecast’s producers want to interview every nominee so they receive “equal prominence,” to try to minimize acceptance speeches getting cut short day-of.

Furthermore, the letter reads, “There will not be an option to Zoom in for the show… We are going to great lengths to provide a safe and enjoyable evening for all of you in person, as well as for all the millions of film fans around the world, and we feel the virtual thing will diminish those efforts.”

And if the insistence of an IRL-only Oscars indicates that the reality of a hopefully post-COVID world is starting to hit, the letter also indicates that the dress code will be “a fusion of inspirational and aspirational, which in actual words means formal is totally cool if you want to go there, but casually is really not.” In other words, no more sweatpants. Can you imagine?

You can check out our breakdown of Oscar nominations here.

Jared Leto Speaks About Coming Back As The Joker In Justice League: Snyder Cut

One of the new additions for Zack Snyder’s Justice League was Jared Leto as The Joker, and now the actor has shed a little more light on his involvement in the film and what it means to him. Speaking to Stephen Colbert, Leto said he has always been a fan of Snyder and that it was a thrill to be asked to come back to play The Joker again after he first did so in Suicide Squad.

“I always loved Zack Snyder and I think the story behind this Snyder Cut is really kind of one for the ages. What happened around him not finishing the first film,” he said.

Snyder left Justice League and was replaced by Avengers director Joss Whedon.

In the video, Leto is wearing a shirt that says “We live in a society.” He said he ad-libbed the line for a Snyder Cut trailer, though the line was ultimately cut from the finished version of the movie.

Leto is selling the t-shirts on his band 30 Seconds to Mars’ website, with proceeds going to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Going back to his involvement in the Snyder Cut, Leto said it was “just incredible” to be asked to reprise the villain again. “I was happy to be a part of his dream. And to get asked to play The Joker for a second time was just a treat. It’s just one of those roles–it’s just incredible,” he said.

Leto also described his version of The Joker in the Snyder Cut as an “evolution” of the character from Suicide Squad. Explaining the character’s different look for the Snyder Cut, Leto said the movie takes place years apart from Suicide Squad. Not only that, but Leto spoke about how Snyder brought a different vision and a different energy to the character compared to David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, which influenced his look.

GameSpot’s Snyder Cut review scored the movie a 3/10.

“The four hour long re-cut of the 2017 box office bomb, complete with extra scenes and re-shoots will land on HBO Max on March 18 and–well, if you’ve ever been brave enough to ask the question ‘is it possible for a superhero movie to feel like watching paint dry?’ This one’s for you,” reviewer Mason Downey wrote.

The Justice League Snyder Cut is available to stream right now on HBO Max.

Researchers Name New Beetle Species After Pokemon’s Legendary Birds

New species of Australian beetles have been recently discovered, and in a nod to the hobby of insect collecting that helped inspire Pokemon, the two entomologists responsible for the discovery have named them after three iconic pocket monsters.

Eastern New Mexico University entomology professor Dr. Darren Pollock and Australian National University Ph.D. student Yun Hsiao gave the beetles the names of Binburrum articuno, Binburrum moltres, and Binburrum zapdos, a reference to the three legendary birds of Pokemon Red and Blue.

“I made the acquaintance of a Taiwanese entomology student by the name of Yun Hsiao about 5 or 6 years ago,” Pollock said in an interview with the Eastern New Mexico University Press. “When he first made contact with me, it was very apparent that he knew his (beetle) stuff and was very enthusiastic about some of the same things I was.”

Pollock discovered the new genus–a taxonomic category ranking used in a biological classification that is below family and above species–during his Ph.D. studies and named it Binburrum. Hsiao then discovered several more beetles from that genus that were distinct, and the researchers collaborated on these findings, eventually publishing a paper on their discoveries in The Canadian Entomologist.

“The choice of a name for a new species is not trivial; it must be different from any other described species,” Pollock said. “One of the ways to ensure this is to make a name that nobody would ever have come up with before. Yun says that he was an aspiring Pokemon trainer when he was young, and so, because of the rarity of the specimens of the three new species, he suggested that we name them after the three Legendary bird Pokemon.”

Pollock says that there are plans to publish a paper that describes more new species of this genus, with some possibly receiving more Pokemon names. Binburrum Mewtwo has a nice ring to it, but the duo will have several hundred names to choose from if they go in that direction.

Pokemon itself owes a lot to beetles and other insects as well, as Game Freak co-founder and Pokémon director Satoshi Tajiri was an avid collector of them in his youth.

That passion would eventually go on to inspire the creation of the original Pokemon games, and the franchise is stronger than ever 25 years later. Nintendo has big plans for Pokemon, which include the release of a new Pokemon Snap game in April, remakes of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, and next year’s Pokemon Legends: Arceus will explore the creation of the Sinnoh region’s first Pokedex.

Now Playing: Pokémon Presents – Complete Pokemon 25 Presentation

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Batman Director And 300 Producer Told Zack Snyder To “Never” Watch Justice League

Zack Snyder has revealed some of the advice he received from Batman and Tenet director Christopher Nolan and his wife, Debbie Snyder, about the theatrical version of Justice League. They told him to never watch the movie and never speak about it.

Snyder revealed this is in an interview with Deadline where he said, again, that he has never seen the theatrical version of Justice League. Snyder was the original director of Justice League, but he dropped out, with Avengers director Joss Whedon coming in to replace him.

Nolan and Debbie Snyder–a veteran producer behind 300, Aquaman, Justice League, Watchmen, and more–saw the theatrical version of Justice League and they strongly advised Snyder to steer clear of it.

“I’ve never seen the theatrical cut of the movie. You know when Chris [Nolan] and Debbie [Snyder] saw it, they saw it, and then they came back to report to me, and they said, ‘You should never see that movie.’ They were just like, ‘Never see it, never talk about it.'”

Snyder worked out a deal with Warner Bros. to make a director’s cut of Justice League that fans have dubbed the Snyder Cut. Warner Bros. is said to have spent $70 million on re-shoots and other work on the re-release, and Snyder himself was not paid any money for the movie so he had more leverage in negotiations.

In other news, Snyder has said he may not return to the DC universe anytime soon. “To be honest, you know, Warner Bros. hasn’t really expressed any interest in making more movies with me, and that’s 100% fine. I understand,” he said.

Snyder also recently spoke about why the Snyder Cut is so long and why it was not split up into four installments as he originally planned.

GameSpot’s Snyder Cut review scored the movie a 3/10.

“The four hour long re-cut of the 2018 box office bomb, complete with extra scenes and re-shoots will land on HBO Max on March 18 and–well, if you’ve ever been brave enough to ask the question ‘is it possible for a superhero movie to feel like watching paint dry?’ This one’s for you,” reviewer Mason Downey wrote.

The Justice League Snyder Cut is available to stream right now on HBO Max.

PS Plus And PS Now Deal: New Subscribers Get $15 Store Credit

Sony is looking to win over new PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now subscribers with a pretty good deal through the subscription service. For a limited time, new PS Plus or Now subscribers will gain $15 in PlayStation Store credit. The offer ends March 23 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET.

It’s important to note that this offer only applies to digital subscriptions purchased directly through PlayStation Network, not Plus cards purchased at retail. It’s also worth remembering that signing up will automatically enroll you in auto-renew, so be sure to check if you don’t want to be billed again.

Keep in mind that a full year of PlayStation Plus or PS Now through PSN is $60. That means this isn’t quite the bargain of a current eBay deal, where you can get a year of Plus for just under $30. That leaves you with another $30 to spend on whatever you want, rather than a $15 PlayStation Store credit.

Best PS Plus deal

You can snag a 12-month PS Plus code for $29 via eBay.

See at eBay

PlayStation Plus is Sony’s services platform, which allows you to play online games and claim benefits like monthly free games and discounts. PS Now is its game subscription service, which grants a rotating library of games that can be downloaded or played through the cloud. Plus also gives a nice benefit to new PS5 owners, entitling them to a selection of free PS4 games. Of course, you have to find a PS5 first, which is still easier said than done.

Game Of Thrones Star Lena Heady Cast In New Sci-Fi Thriller

In her first live-action TV role since Game of Thrones ended, Lena Heady will be playing Aster in upcoming sci-fi thriller Beacon 23 for AMC and Spectrum Originals, Entertainment Weekly reports. Heady will also executive produce the series alongside creator Zak Penn.

Beacon 23, based on the book of the same name by Hugh Howey, sees a mysterious woman named Aster finding her way to a lonely deep-space lighthouse helmed by beacon-keeper Halan. Tension grows between the two as Halan begins to doubt Aster’s intentions. As a psychological thriller set in a lonely lighthouse, Beacon 23 looks to be a far cry from the sprawling cast and epic scope of Game of Thrones.

“Lena Headey was a wonderful, versatile actress before she gave one of the defining performances in television history. So, as they say, ‘no pressure,'” series creator Zak Penn said in a statement. “I’m thankful to all the people making this show possible, they just keep delivering beyond my expectations.”

Since the end of Game of Thrones Headey has branched into voice work, having lent her voice to characters in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and Infinity Train, and is also set to voice Evil-Lyn in Netflix’s upcoming Masters Of The Universe reboot.

Now Playing: Game Of Thrones: Cersei’s Most Heartless Moments

Falcon and Winter Soldier: The MCU’s US Agent Has Been Humanised Compared to the Comics

This story contains small spoilers for the first episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.

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We knew that Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier would feature Wyatt Russell as John Walker, aka U.S. Agent, but head writer Malcolm Spellman has explained that the MCU’s take on the character is somewhat different from his comic book counterpart in order to make him a more natural possible successor to Captain America.

The series will see Falcon attempting to live up to the legacy of Steve Rogers, having been handed the Captain America shield at the end of Avengers: Endgame, but it seems he’ll have a rival in the form of Walker – and to make that feel believable, Spellman altered the more brash, troubled U.S. Agent of Marvel history.

Speaking to IGN, Spellman explained, “We wanted John Walker to be worthy of being Captain America if we were going to give him the shield. You read the books, and he’s an awesome character in the books, but you can’t hand that guy the shield in the MCU. It wouldn’t work – to make him Cap would be violating some kind of logic that is indescribable, but you know it’s there.”

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In the series, Spellman explains that John Walker will be a perhaps more relateable character: “So we started with the books, and as we saw that he was going to become Cap, we- I’m not going to say softened him, but we humanised him, and made him much more worthy. But he does have an intense journey, and he does have to earn it.” Spellman ended with what seemed to be a tease as to the character’s potential future: “And if he doesn’t [earn it]… you know how Marvel is, you know what I’m saying?”

We’ve only seen a glimpse of Walker’s role in the series so far, and it will be interesting to see how the character ties into the show’s six-episode arc. What’s clear is that the show will be less of a mystery box than WandaVision, with Spellman saying that it will spark fewer fan theories than its MCU streaming predecessor.

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Episode 1 is out on Disney+ today – here’s when every episode comes out.

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Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].