Will Smith took to his personal YouTube channel to announce that Bel-Air, the previously announced dramatic series adaptation of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, has “just officially closed the deal with Peacock with an unprecedented two-season order from a pitch.” Smith, who has been working in television for 30 years, called the deal “unprecedented.” You can check out the full announcement below, which is more like an informal gathering with himself and the other principals involved in production.
Smith is not wrong when he says the trajectory for the series is unusual. Bel-Air started life as a four-minute concept video that went viral after being posted in March 2019 by Kansas City filmmaker Morgan Cooper. The clip quickly picked up steam and turned out to be a breakthrough video for Cooper, who is now collaborating with Will Smith on the series. Cooper will direct, co-write, and serve as co-executive producer alongside writer, showrunner, and executive producer Chris Collins (The Wire, The Man in the High Castle).
According to a release, Bel-Air is a serialized adaptation “that leans into the original premise: Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air. With a re-imagined vision, Bel-Air will dive deeper into the inherent conflicts, emotions and biases that were impossible to fully explore in a 30-minute sitcom format, while still delivering swagger and nods to the original show.”
While Peacock has ordered two seasons of the new show, there are no announcements regarding casting or tentative dates for when it will start airing.
Lego Ideas are fan-made sets that are voted on by the community. Those that reach over 10,000 supporters are then collected and submitted to Lego for review, with a handful potentially making their way to production. This time around, a staggering 35 designs made the cut–a new record for the program–with many based on both games and anime.
Below, you can see some of the designs that are in review, including Nook’s Cranny from New Horizons, a Glados scene from Portal 2, a stage from Fall Guys, Appa from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and a ramen shop scene from Naruto.
Games often make it to review in Lego Ideas, with the last batch including designs from Sonic: The Hedgehog and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Those are still being reviewed, and earlier design for the stables from Breath of the Wild was sadly rejected earlier this year. And with Lego not entirely forthcoming as to the reasons behind rejections, it’s unclear if it’s an issue with the design itself or the licenses required to produce it.
Still, it’s fun to see how games make the transition to these blocky creations, with the hope that some will perhaps find space on your shelves in the future. If you’re more into digital Lego, then Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga might be more to your fancy, even if it was recently delayed to Summer 2021.
Click To Unmute
Size:
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
CD Projekt Red has partnered with Rockstar Energy to ramp up promotions ahead of Cyberpunk 2077‘s November 19 release date. From October 1 until December 31, CD Projekt Red and Rockstar Energy will offer four different Cyberpunk 2077 energy drinks in North America. In addition to that, the US will receive a Samurai Cola version–the only custom flavor specifically created for Cyberpunk 2077. The other four designs and flavors are Male V (Original), Jackie (Sugar Free), Female V (Punched), and Brigitte (Silver Ice).
The cans come with other perks too. Every Cyberpunk 2077 energy drink will come with a $1 Xbox gift card, the ability to unlock the digital comic series “Where’s Johnny,” and the chance to win prizes. Players/energy drink-ers can bank up to $60 per Microsoft account. As Xbox’s blog notes, that is indeed enough to buy yourself a copy of Cyberpunk 2077, provided you’re willing to drink 60 cans worth of energy drinks.
You can visit Rockstar Energy’s site to sign up for the program and find the place to bank can codes. Additionally, if you purchase any Rockstar Energy product using the 7-Eleven Rewards app before September 30, you’ll get early access to the”Where’s Johnny” comic.
There are 15 prizes purchasers can win daily, and each can code is a single entry. Some of the prizes are merchandise and include SteelSeries Johnny Silverhand Edition Arctis 1 wireless headsets, hoodies, and hats. The big prize, however, is a Rockstar Energy x Cyberpunk 2077 car inspired by the in-game Quadra Type-66.
Ahead of Cyberpunk 2077’s release, news about the game has been flowing in a constant trickle. The game’s Chinese localization reveals how massive the Cyberpunk 2077’s file size is, driving home what has long been said about the game. CD Projekt Red president and joint CEO Adam Kicinski also stated that there will be microtransactions in the game’s multiplayer mode, but they will not be aggressive.
Click To Unmute
Size:
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
The next season of CBS All Access’s Star Trek: Discovery is right around the corner. Season 3 will hit the streaming service on Thursday, October 15. Today, during a Star Trek Day panel, a new trailer was revealed for the show.
If you’ve been keeping up with the series, you’re well-aware that Season 3 is going to bring the crew of the USS Discovery somewhere completely new: the future. However, the galaxy isn’t a happy-go-lucky place where everyone is friends. It’s a bit of a dystopia from the looks of the new trailer, which you can check out below.
“After following Commander Burnham into the wormhole in the second season finale, Season 3 of Star Trek: Discover finds the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery landing in an unknown future far from the home they once knew,” reads the official synopsis. “Now living in a time filled with uncertainty, the U.S.S. Discovery crew, along with the help of some new friends, must work together to restore hope to the Federation.”
Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 cast:
Sonequa Martin-Green as Commander Michael Burnham
Doug Jones as Commander Saru
Anthony Rapp as Lt. Commander Paul Stamets
Mary Wiseman as Ensign Sylvia Tilly
Wilson Cruz as Dr. Hugh Culber
David Ajala as Cleveland “Book” Booker
Blu del Barrio as Adira
Ian Alexander as Gray
Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou
When new episodes of Season 3 arrives, it won’t be all at once. The first episode premieres on October 15, and new episodes will air weekly, on Thursdays. Season 3 will consist of 13 episodes.
CBS All Access is a streaming service from ViacomCBS–GameSpot’s parent company. There is currently a one-week free trial for the service. If you’d like to sign up, it costs $6 a month with limited commercials or $10 a month with no commercials and the ability to download videos and play them offline. You can save an additional 15% if you sign up with an annual plan.
Kena: Bridge Of Spirits was one of the most promising games to emerge from the PlayStation 5 reveal event back in June. Now, thanks to a Game Informer cover story, we have new details on the cozy adventure game, including the fact that it takes two seconds to launch from the console’s dashboard.
As one of the few games confirmed for a PS5 launch, the story gives us a few hints of the upcoming console’s features, including the fact that Kena will use Pikmin-like friends called the Rot to solve puzzles and battle enemies. Up to 100 of the Rot will appear on screen at one time on PS5, and less will appear on PS4, though this will have no effect on gameplay. The PS5 version of the game will also utilize the DualSense’s new haptic feedback for attacks, including tension on a bow.
According to the cover story, Kena: Bridge Of Spirits does not have a concrete release date, but will come out “in a few months.” The game will retail for some amount less than $60 and can be finished comfortably in a weekend. It also features multiple difficulty settings, with the hardest aimed at veteran players looking for a stiff challenge. If you want to preorder a PS5, you better get a move on: Sony says only limited amounts will be available for preorder.
Click To Unmute
Size:
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
Destiny 2‘s annual Solstice of Heroes has wrapped up, but players can still pursue a final Exotic weapon quest in Season of Arrivals, earning a reward that harkens back to the first year of the game. Four of Destiny 2’s planets will soon be sealed away in the Destiny Content Vault, and Zavala needs your help to clear those locations in the Evacuation quest. The adventure is lengthy, but the reward for evacuating Io, Mars, Mercury, and Titan is a sidearm that has been redesigned: Traveler’s Chosen.
The very first weapon that Guardians could wield in Destiny 2, Traveler’s Chosen has been retooled into an Exotic weapon with some formidable perks:
Gathering Light
Final blows with this weapon grant stacks of Gathering Light.
Consume stacks, granting melee, grenade, and class ability energy based on the number of stacks.
Gift of the Traveler
Each stack of Gathering Light improves this weapon’s reload, handling, and target acquisition.
The quest to obtain the new Exotic sidearm is free for all players during Season of the Arrivals, with the steps having been datamined and listed below for you to read through.
Exodus: Preparation
You’ll need to speak to Zavala to start this quest, so go pay the Vanguard leader a visit in The Tower. From there, you’ll need to visit several locations and speak to the Guardians there:
Preparation: Titan
Speak to Sloane and she’ll give you the Task at Hand quest. Finish one of her weekly bounties, report back to Sloane, and you’ll be sent to Io next.
Preparation: Io
Speak to Asher Mir, get the Novel Data quest, and report back to him. You’ll be told to report back to Zavala. Once you’re back at The Tower, Zavala will reward you with a fully Masterworked Militia’s Birthright and send you to Mercury.
Preparation: Mercury
On Mercury, go talk to Brother Vance in the Lighthouse. Pick up one of his weekly bounties, complete it, and report back. Next stop, Mars.
Preparation: Mars
Speak to Ana for the final weekly bounty quest. Once again, you’ll need to complete it and report back to her. You’ll be told to report back to Zavala once again, who’ll reward you with Altered Element and give you the Exodus: Preparation Triumph.
Exodus: Evacuation quest
Now that all the preparations are complete, it’s time to start evacuating several planets in the solar system. To begin the quest, talk to Zavala in The Tower.
Exodus: Evacuation quest – Io
Head back to Io and talk to Asher Mir. You’ll then be tasked with the following objectives:
Collect a sample from Taken Phalanx Barrism in Lost Sector: Sanctum of Bones located in the Rupture close to Asher Mir. Investigate the chest in the Sanctum of Bones. Collect Traces of Corruption by defeating Taken on Io.
Collect a sample of Taken Barrism from Taken Phalanxes
Open the chest in the Sanctum of Bones Lost Sector.
Complete the Pyramidion strike
Collect 40 Scan Traces on Io by killing Vex
Complete the Unexpected Guest adventure on Heroic difficulty.
Talk to Asher Mir again, and you’ll then be sent to Titan.
Exodus: Evacuation quest – Titan
Talk to Sloane to start your next quest, which has the following objectives:
Head to the Methane Flush Lost Sector to defeat the Hive Knight Dek-Thra
Open chests in the Solarium or Festering Halls that are protected by Hive Ultras.
Complete the Savathun’s Song strike.
Collect Tech Fragments by killing Hive Ogres, Wizards, and Knights on Titan.
Once you’re finished, report back to Sloane and then head off to Mercury.
Exodus: Evacuation quest – Mercury
Back at the Lighthouse, talk to Brother Vance and he’ll give you the following set of objectives:
Complete the A Garden World strike.
Defeat Vex Hydras, Minotaurs, and Cyclopses on Mercury.
Complete the Tree of Probabilities strike.
Defeat Cabal on Mercury.
Complete the Bug in the System adventure on Heroic difficulty.
When you’re done, talk to Brother Vance and you’ll be ready for the final destination in the Evacuation quest.
Exodus: Evacuation quest – Mars
On Mars, go talk to Ana Bray. She’ll ask you to do the following:
Investigate Mindlab Rasputin where you’ll find a signal from the Warmind.
Take part in Escalation Protocol and defeat bosses to collect pieces of Rasputin’s shattered frame.
Complete the Deathly Tremors adventure on Heroic difficulty.
Claim Traveler’s Chosen
With the planets now evacuated, you can return to Zavala in The Tower and receive your reward: the Exotic sidearm Traveler’s Chosen.
Click To Unmute
Size:
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
Let’s be honest: the design of the upcoming PS5 is divisive, to say the least. It’s huge, it’s white, and it looks a little bit like a device that would digitize your soul in a bad sci-fi movie. That said, if you’d prefer a more luxurious design, you’ll get your chance later this week.
The previously-announced gold PS5 will soon be available for preorder from a third-party UK retailer, and the price tag is a whopping £7999 for the 18K rose-gold version and £8099 for the 24K gold version. (That’s around $10,500, if you’re wondering.) If you just want a part of the look, you can nab a gold PS5 controller for £649 and a headset for £399. Preorders will start on Thursday, September 10.
Eiji Aonuma, producer of The Legend of the Zelda series, has said those looking for new updates for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 will have to “wait a bit longer.”
Speaking during the announcement video for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, a new game set 100 years before The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Aonuma said the team is working hard on the long-awaited sequel, and he asked fans to have a bit of patience until new updates arrive.
“We mentioned in the June 2019 Nintendo Direct presentation that we had started development on the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” Aonuma said. “Many people around the world are still playing Breath of the Wild, so I’d like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Everyone, thank you so much. Regarding the sequel, in order to make the vast world you enjoyed exploring in the original game even more impressive, the team is working hard on its development, so you’ll have to wait a bit longer before we can provide more updates.”
In the meantime, Aonuma helped announce a new game that will let players return to Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule 100 years before the events of the first game and experience the Great Calamity.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity will allow players to learn more about the BOTW’s world and play as Link, Zelda, the four champions – Mipha, Revali, Urbosa, and Daruk – and more. Additionally, it will feature 2-player co-op, and will be filled with environmental puzzles, unlockable weapons and skills, crafting, shops, the Sheikah Slate, and more.
CI Games has announced the creation of a brand-new development studio called Hexworks. Situated in both Barcelona and Bucharest, the new studio will develop Lords of the Fallen 2 before focusing on new IP.
“It’s been a long time since we started talking about Lords of the Fallen 2 and trying different ideas,” CI Games CEO Marek Tyminski said. “I am very excited for us to be able to announce the new studio that has been already at work for the last half of the year and made significant progress.
“Initially we decided to keep that quiet as we didn’t want to bring that to public eyes before we would build the core team and before we would all agree on the details of the first project and move forward with our vision. So, this is the time to officially say we are here and we’re here to stay.”
The 25-person team at Hexworks is comprised of veteran staff with AAA game development experience, led by creative director Cezar Virtosu and executive producer Saul Gascon. Virtosu was previously at Ubisoft Bucharest and Paris-based support studio Virtuos, while Gascon was global development director at Overkill Software (and executive producer on the now-discontinued Overkill’s The Walking Dead) before a brief tenure at Smilegate Barcelona.
The new studio will finally provide a stable home for Lords of the Fallen 2. The action-RPG sequel has had a troubled development thus far. First, it lost its original executive producer, Tomasz Gop, back in 2015. Gop was heavily involved in the development of the first game and was previously a senior producer on The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. Then, Defiant Studios began work on the game in 2018 after taking over from an in-house studio at CI Games. In May 2019, however, Defiant was removed from the project in a less than amicable split between the two companies.
CI Games announced that it had terminated its agreement with Defiant because of “inadequate execution” at a key milestone in the game’s development. The studio said the quality of work was lower than expected, although Defiant categorically disagreed with this statement.
Hexworks will now finish development of the game, which is described as “a shift from the original’s power fantasy to a dark fantasy.” CI Games also promises it will be much more challenging than its predecessor, matching the combat experience those in the Soulsborne and Souls-like communities enjoy.
Lords of the Fallen 2 will be coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
Click To Unmute
Size:
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
Netflix has released a new–and the final–trailer for Ratched. Due out on September 18, the upcoming psychological thriller promises to be a suspenseful drama that also serves as the origin story for Nurse Ratched, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’s tyrannical villain in charge of an asylum. You can watch the trailer below.
Starring Sarah Paulson (Mrs. America, The Notorious Bettie Page), the TV series comes from writer-director Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story, Nip/Tuck) and Ian Brennan (Glee, The Politician). Netflix’s official synopsis states that Ratched takes place in 1947, when Mildred Ratched “arrives in Northern California to seek employment at a leading psychiatric hospital where new and unsettling experiments have begun on the human mind.” Mildred then embarks on covert medical missions where she “presents herself as the perfect image of what a dedicated nurse should be, but the wheels are always turning as she begins to infiltrate the mental health care system and those within it… revealing that true monsters are made, not born.”
In addition to Paulson (who is also executive producing), the series also stars Cynthia Nixon as Gwendolyn Briggs, Sharon Stone as Lenore Osgood, and Vincent D’Onofrio as Gov. George Wilburn.
The Nurse Ratched character was first featured in Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and then later in Miloš Forman’s 1975 adaptation starring Louise Fletcher, Jack Nicholson, Christopher Lloyd, and Danny DeVito.
