Eagle-eyed Game of Thrones viewers have spotted a rogue disposable coffee cup that has somehow made it into the final cut of the latest episode of season 8, The Last of the Starks.
The wildly anachronistic beverage vessel is easy to miss in a dimly-lit scene where just about everyone on screen is quaffing from some kind of cup, mug, or oversized horn, but it’s there nonetheless; parked directly in front of a slightly dour-looking Daenerys.
The 2018 lawsuit that alleged that Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer stole the idea from someone they worked with in the past has been dropped. Director Charlie Kessler, who alleged that the brothers stole his idea for what they later made into Stranger Things, dropped the lawsuit just 48 hours before the trial was scheduled to start on Tuesday.
His lawyer confirmed this to The Hollywood Reporter. Kessler said in a statement that the Duffer brothers “independently created the show.” As THR mentions, it’s unclear if Kessler was paid for dropping the lawsuit and releasing the statement, but Kessler said the decision to drop the lawsuit was not a settlement. Still, both sides declined to say if any money changed hands.
Kessler initially sued the Duffer brothers on a claim that he pitched them on an idea for a project that takes place on Long Island, New York near an abandoned military base and has sci-fi elements including government experiments.
The Duffer brothers always maintained that they created Stranger Things independently.
Intriguingly, it was believed that secrets about Stranger Things and Netflix’s own business models and other financial details might have emerged if the case went to court.
“After hearing the deposition testimony this week of the legal expert I hired, it is now apparent to me that, whatever I may have believed in the past, my work had nothing to do with the creation of Stranger Things. Documents from 2010 and 2013 prove that the Duffers independently created their show,” Kessler said. “As a result, I have withdrawn my claim and I will be making no further comment on this matter.”
For its part, a representative for Netflix said the company is happy to “put this baseless lawsuit behind us.” Stranger Things Season 3 premieres on July 4.
Avengers: Endgame continues to soar at the box office. After a second weekend at No. 1, the superhero movie has now made $2.188 billion worldwide after just 12 days.
Endgame passes James Cameron’s Titanic ($2.187 billion) to become the No. 2 highest-grossing movie in history worldwide. It only trails another Cameron movie, Avatar, which has made $2.78 billion globally.
Time it took to reach $2 billion at the box office: Titanic: 5,233 days Force Awakens: 54 days Infinity War: 48 days Avatar: 47 days Endgame: 11 days
Endgame made a further $145.8 million in the United States and Canada this weekend and $282.2 million from international markets to reach the new heights, according to EW.
The continued success of Endgame is no surprise. It opened last weekend to a record $1.2 billion worldwide. It’s made $2.187 billion now worldwide after just 11 days, a new record.
Endgame is now just the fifth movie to ever pass $2 billion worldwide. It joins Avengers: Infinity War ($2.048 billion), Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($2.068 billion), Titanic ($2.187 billion), and Avatar ($2.788 billion).
The movie needs to make around $580 million more to catch Avatar. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest on Endgame’s box office performance.
For the uninitiated, Puyo Puyo is played by clearing out four or more little blobs of the same color. If you’ve mastered that mechanic, Champions might be just what you’re looking for. This esports-focused version of the game is all about competitive online multiplayer, but you can also set up local tournaments if you want to battle on the couch.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 — May 9
Available on: PC
This remake of Yakuza 2 is the first time the game will be playable outside of a PlayStation, and the PC port has plenty of graphics options, including 4K support, plus unlocked frame rates and customizable controls. Otherwise, it’s the same story of Kazuma Kiryu being pulled back into the mob, packed with open-world quests and zany minigames.
More Coverage:
Life Is Strange 2 – Episode 3: Wastelands — May 9
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC
The Diaz brothers’ story continues this week, and Episode 3: Wastelands sees them traveling through the redwood forests of California with a group of drifters. Sean and Daniel have been loyal to each other since they went on the run after a police misunderstanding, but this chapter will put that relationship to the test.
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Ascendance — May 9 (Switch) / May 10 (Xbox One)
Available on: Xbox One, Switch
Ascendance is a minimalist platformer, but there’s a special surprise waiting at the end of its colorful levels. Each stage contains secrets too. This adventure has been available on PC for some time, but it makes the leap to Switch and Xbox One this week.
Saints Row: The Third – The Full Package — May 10
Available on: Switch
As the name implies, this version of Saints Row: The Third contains all previously released DLC. Thanks to the Switch’s portability, you can take all the criminal craziness on the go. This game sees the Saints battling a crime syndicate led by three gangs that dominate the city of Steelport.
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May has just gotten started, and there are many more video games on the horizon this month. Next week, New Releases will take a look at the action-packed Rage 2 and A Plague Tale: Innocence.
Warning: full spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 4 “The Last of the Starks”!
With the Night King now nothing more than icy dust in the wind, the characters of Game of Thrones didn’t waste much time getting back to, well, playing the game of thrones. However, while Daenerys started Episode 4 in a good position, by the end she lost momentum to the point where, despite being on the doorstep of King’s Landing, the Iron Throne couldn’t be further away.
The Death of Rhaegal
The single biggest blow to Dany this episode came when Euron Greyjoy launched a surprise attack from the Iron Fleet that resulted in the death of the dragon Rhaegal. While flying south to prepare for the assault on King’s Landing, the green dragon was pierced by a pair of scorpion bolts and crashed down to a watery grave.
The old adage is that information is power and on “The Last of the Starks,” Jon Snow lets Sansa and Arya Stark in on his big secret — that he is really Aegon Targaryen — information that Sansa intends to use to tip the scales of power in the war for the Iron Throne. But why would Jon do something so naive — dare we say, stupid? Something that will almost certainly provoke strife not the unity and peace he seeks?
Game of Thrones: Episode 4 has just aired, and after tensions ran high (both political and bedroom related), we’re fast approaching the penultimate moment in the battle for the Iron Throne.
Warning: Spoilers for Game of Thrones: Episode 4 below.
In the final moments of Episode 4, Missandei is precariously stood beside Cersei having been taken prisoner. Dany watches on as Tyrion attempts to negotiate for her life and Cersei’s surrender. Unfortunately, his diplomacy fails and Cersei turns to Missandei and tells her to share any final words. Missandei looks to her queen below and declares “dracarys”.
The word translates to “Dragonfire” in High Valyrian; it is the same word Dany uses to signal her dragon to fire upon her enemies. In this case, the word is a final utterance of allegiance and support to her queen, knowing full well it will be her last. It’s not a far stretch to assume Missandei’s last word may also be a call for Dany to destroy Cersei in the same way as she has the rest of her enemies.
The word also has some significance to the relationship between Missandei and Dany. The two first met when Missandei was still a slave who served as an interpreter to slave-trader Kraznys mo Nakloz of Astapor. Dany ultimately frees Missandei by ordering the enslaved Unsullied to turn on the slave-traders of Astapor. In the fray of the uprising, Dany turns to Kraznys and calmly says “dracarys”. Upon hearing the instruction, her dragon Drogon breathes a ball of fire onto the slave-trader and reduces him to ashes. Missandei’s choice of her final word is almost certainly a callback to this moment and Dany’s impact on her life.
Author George R.R. Martin has provided an update on how the Game of Thrones “successor” TV shows are shaping up. In a post on his blog, Martin said three of the five shows in development are moving ahead. They’re coming along “nicely,” he said. As for the other two, their status is uncertain.
This news comes not long after Game of Thrones director and producer Bryan Cogman said his Game of Thrones successor show was canceled. One of the shows, which may or may not be called The Long Night, stars Naomi Watts and will start shooting this year.
This one is set thousands of years before the mainline HBO show. The other two are still working on scripts, but there is no word yet on the stories they’ll tell or who may star in them.
“We have had five different Game of Thrones successor shows in development (I mislike the term ‘spinoffs’) at HBO, and three of them are still moving forward nicely,” he said. “The one I am not supposed to call The Long Night will be shooting later this year, and two other shows remain in the script stage, but are edging closer. What are they about? I cannot say. But maybe some of you should pick up a copy of Fire & Blood and come up with your own theories.”
HBO has only ordered a pilot for the Naomi Watts Game of Thrones successor show, so it remains to be seen if it will get picked up to series.
