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The period drama Bridgerton will be getting a new spinoff at Netflix, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The untitled series will be an origin story for the show’s Queen Charlotte’s character, and Shonda Rhimes (How to Get Away with Murder) will be writing at least the pilot or each episode of what’s being billed as a limited series.

“Many viewers had never known the story of Queen Charlotte before Bridgerton brought her to the world, and I’m thrilled this new series will further expand her story and the world of Bridgerton,” said Netflix vice president of content Bela Bajaria (via THR). “Shonda and her team are thoughtfully building out the Bridgerton universe so they can keep delivering for the fans with the same quality and style they love. And by planning and prepping all the upcoming seasons now, we also hope to keep up a pace that will keep even the most insatiable viewers totally fulfilled.”

The untitled spinoff will also reportedly expand the show’s universe to include stories about the young Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) and Lady Dansbury (Adjoa Andoh). For a streaming series that has only debuted in December, it has proven to be explosively popular: The show was already renewed for Season 2 this January. By April, when production was already underway for Season 2, the show was picked up for Seasons 3 and 4–and now comes news of this spinoff.

Bridgerton is the first project from Grey’s Anatomy veteran Shonda Rhimes after she signed a nine-figure deal with Netflix

Nolan North, the voice actor who plays Nathan Drake in the Uncharted series, has shared a little more insight into the upcoming Uncharted movie starring Tom Holland.

He said on the Good Game Nice Try podcast that he believes in Holland as an actor and the take that Sony is going for with the film and its story. Instead of tracing the story of any of the Uncharted games, the movie will pick up with Drake in his 20s, which is about a decade before we met him in the games.

North said the Uncharted movie is not being labeled as a prequel, but it does tell the story of what Drake was doing before the events of the game, it seems.

“They don’t say this, it’s not a prequel, but here’s our version of Nathan Drake but in his 20s,” North said of what the movie is going for.

North also said he’s encouraged by the fact that the filmmakers are telling a new story as opposed to adapting one of the games. Going with that approach could make the movie feel stale, North said, because people had already experienced that for themselves in the game.

North also said there is a great dynamic between Holland and Mark Wahlberg, who plays Sully in the movie. In the games, the relationship between Drake and Sully–who is essentially a father figure to Drake–is very important.

As for Holland, North had nothing but praise for the actor.

“He’s a super nice kid. Big fan of [Uncharted]. I love the fact that he travels everywhere with his brother Harry and their golf clubs. He’s enthusiastic. He’s so athletic. He’s an amazing dancer. He actually did a lot of, with safety harnesses, he did a lot of the stunts. His physical intelligence is off the chain, the way he moves,” North said.

Finally, North said he’s not upset that he wasn’t cast as Drake, despite being an actor himself and obviously intimately familiar with the material. North said he has let go of Drake and wants to move on to other projects and pursuits, leaving Holland to make his own mark.

The Uncharted movie is scheduled for release in February 2022. It’s directed by Ruben Fleischer, who previously helmed the Zombieland movies for Sony.

Actor Gillian Anderson (The X-Files, The Crown) will be making a guest star appearance in The Great for Season 2, according to a release. In the Hulu series that’s an ahistorical, satirical dramedy about Catherine the Great’s rise to power, Anderson will play Catherine’s mother, Joanna.

In the show, Joanna will be “a glamorous socialite from Germany, sometimes also known as the ‘maestro of marriage’ for her abilities to arrange high-profile partnerships for her daughters.” Anderson will play Joanna for two episodes, in which the character “has heard rumors of her daughter’s coup and come[s] to Russia to see it for herself” with “sinister intentions.” It’s a safe bet that Anderson’s recent performance as Margaret Thatcher on The Crown will have come in handy with how to spoof a historical performance based on a real person.

In addition to Anderson as guest star, the series regulars include stars Elle Fanning (20th Century Women) as Catherine, Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: First Class), Phoebe Fox (Black Mirror), Adam Godley (The X-Files: I Want to Believe), Gwilym Lee (Bohemian Rhapsody), Charity Wakefield (Day of the Flowers), Douglas Hodge (Joker), Sacha Dhawan (Line of Duty), and Belinda Bromilow (Packed to the Rafters).

The Great is created, written, and executive produced by Tony McNamara–who is also a co-writer on the upcoming live-action Cruella movie, which is scheduled to be released both theatrically and on Disney+ on May 28. There’s no release date yet for Season 2 of The Great, but in the meantime you can check out what’s coming this month to both Disney+ and Hulu.

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Katy Perry has dropped a new track in collaboration with The Pokemon Company for the franchise’s 25th anniversary of its titular product, Pokemon. The song, titled “Electric,” is an endearing homage to the story and characters, illuminating that it’s possible for anyone and everyone to evolve.

What’s more, Pikachu makes an appearance as Perry’s companion throughout the “Electric” music video. And about a third of the way through, after Perry conjures her younger self (portrayed by performer Meili Aspen Caputo), Pichu shows up. The song’s overall message states that “if you believe it then you can” achieve any and all goals you have laid out for yourself.

This is reinforced as the “Electric” music video showcases the young Perry singing alongside Pichu, the only one who would listen to her perform. Perry’s biggest cheerleader, Pichu encourages her to continue playing music despite the slow-growing audience. It all culminates with a young Perry performing at a packed talent show, as present-day Perry and Pikachu look on in amusement.

In a statement obtained by Pitchfork, Perry cited her trip to Japan, where she visited the Pokemon Café, as the inspiration behind the song’s creation.

“When I visited the Pokemon Cafe while touring Japan, I got so nostalgic,” Perry said. “It took me back to junior high years. So when I got the call to be a part of the 25th anniversary celebration alongside Post Malone and J Blavin, I was elated. The song’s themes-resilience, igniting your inner light–have guided my life and also parallel Pokemon’s story and characters. Pikachu is the evolved form of Pichu, so in the video, you see the younger version of me with Pichu and myself in the present day with Pikachu. We both evolve, yet retain a sense of playfulness.”

A compilation record, Pokemon 25: The Album, is slated to drop this fall. Post Malone’s “Only Wanna Be With You” cover, which was performed during a February virtual concert, will also appear on the record.

In other Pokemon news, retailers like Target have temporarily stopped selling trading cards due to high demand and low supply. The friction has caused prices to skyrocket, with many taking advantage of a McDonald’s Happy Meal promotion to make a quick buck off Pokemon cards online.

It’s been nearly 20 years since Microsoft launched its original Xbox, with the anniversary taking place later in November this year. Not content with waiting, Microsoft has kicked off its Xbox 20th anniversary celebrations already, which includes a new range or merchandise at the official Xbox Store. If you’re looking to really show your love for Xbox, you can pick up new T-shirts, caps, and more for the special event. You can take a closer look at some of the new 20th-anniversary merch below or browse the full collection at the Xbox Gear Store.

$28

All the new merch is adorned with the Xbox 20 logo that Microsoft has splashed across all its media for the anniversary, but some of the best new items play with this a little bit. This Halo 20th Anniversary Tee is a good example of that, making sure you know what the event is for but spicing up the gold print with a silhouette of Master Chief. Since there hasn’t been Halo Infinite news lately, this might be the next best thing until E3 2021. It’ll be comfy, too, with the shirt made from 100% cotton.

$30

The same logo is featured on a lovely black and gold throw pillow, measuring in at 18×18 inches. You can remove the case using a hidden zipper, letting you keep this collector’s item as fresh as the day you bought it. Also included in the Halo-themed portion of the collection is a gloriously gold mug, and a laser-engraved tumbler that looks more like a flask than anything.

$28

If you’re just looking for something a bit more simple and classic, the Xbox 20th Anniversary Tee ditches the Halo protagonist for the standard green Xbox logo, printed on a plain black shirt. This shirt is also made from 100% cotton like the Master Chief one above, so you don’t have to worry about compromising on quality for the style. This logo is also featured on a 20th Anniversary Trucker Hat and a Premium Tote Bag.

$15 each

If you’re looking for a new vessel for your coffee (or tea, no judgment here), the new black-and-green Xbox 20th Anniversary Mug will certainly fit the bill. You can personalize it with your name or GamerTag too, making sure no one steals it from the office kitchen. It’ll hold 11oz of your beverage of choice, and it’s both microwave- and dishwasher-safe. For those who prefer the look of the golden Halo design, you can also get it on a mug for the same price.

If you’re new to the Xbox family, you can also benefit from a returning deal on Xbox Game Pass. Grab a three-month subscription to Game Pass Ultimate (that includes access on Xbox and PC) for just $1 directly from Microsoft. That gives you access to over 300 games across both platforms, including new additions like FIFA 21, Red Dead Online, and the Double Fine classic Psychonauts.

Warner Bros. has released a series of new posters for Space Jam: A New Legacy, showing off the cast of the “Goon Squad,” which includes WNBA and NBA stars. It has also been confirmed that Michael Jordan will appear in the film in some capacity.

The Goon Squad are the villains who take on LeBron James and the rest of his Looney Tune team. The Good Squad is portrayed by famous WNBA and NBA players such as Diana Taurasi (White Mamba), Klay Thompson (Wet-Fire), Anthony Davis (The Brow), Damian Lillard (Chronos), and Nneka Ogwumike (Arachnneka). You can see the new Goon Squad posters in the image gallery below, while here are posters for LeBron and his Looney Tune teammates.

Alongside the release of these posters, cast member Don Cheadle confirmed that basketball legend and the star of the original Space Jam–Michael Jordan–will appear in A New Legacy. Speaking to Access, Cheadle said, “Michael Jordan is in the movie.” After a brief pause, Cheadle added, cryptically, “But not in the way you’d expect.”

A New Legacy debuts on July 16 in theaters and on HBO Max. The first trailer showed LeBron James in the lead role of the live-action/CGI hybrid film.

The plot’s broad strokes are at this point known: “During a trip to the Warner Bros. studio, NBA superstar LeBron James and his son accidentally get trapped within a world that contains all of Warner Bros.’ stories and characters… to get back home, LeBron and the Tunes have to unravel [a] mysterious plan and win an epic basketball game.”

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GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.