Brie Larson Shows Tessa Thompson How To Play Fortnite

In a YouTube video sponsored by Epic, Brie Larson (Captain Marvel) shows Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie) how to play Fortnite. The 10-minute video follows Larson demonstrating how to pick up weapons, tame a wolf, and eventually, achieve a Victory Royale.

Larson says that she’s clocked in a lot of hours in the game, mentioning that, “I stopped checking how many hours I’ve played. But a couple months into the pandemic, I was at about 300 hours.” (She does indeed own Fortnite’s Captain Marvel skin.)

Thompson, on the other hand, hasn’t played Fortnite at all before. But in her research of what Fortnite is about, Thompson states, “The taming wolf part is the thing that I remembered… I would love to tame a wolf.”

For the rest of the video, Larson demonstrates the trials and tribulations that come with playing a battle royale game. Her avatar dies to Raptor in one round, and to another player in a different round. But beyond that, Larson also hops in a purple card and Thompson quips, “I really feel like you should get some songs… Or you could do a Fortnite covers record.” The video ends with Larson and Thompson making potential plans to actually play together.

Recently, Epic Games teamed up with Captain Marvel’s actress to release Larson’s Fortnite locker. Her curated bundle includes five cosmetic items, including a slightly customized Bushranger outfit. It comes in blue with a unique BB necklace that stands for Bush Babies–Larson’s in-game squad. The locker also comes with the following items: Buzzy Bag (back bling), Honey Hitters (pickaxe), Glitter (emote), Freemix (emote). All of these items aren’t exclusive to Larson’s bundle, so if you’re interested in any one, they can be picked up separately.

Larson’s Fortnite locker is selling for 2,000 V-Bucks (so approximately $16).

In other Fortnite news, Horizon Zero Dawn’s Aloy is a new skin available in-game. Accompanying her arrival is a new limited-time mode called Team Up! Aloy & Lara. It’s temporarily disabled, but once it’s live, players will get to be Aloy or Lara Croft in Duos mode.

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Cinderella’s Evil Stepsisters Movie In The Works From Bridesmaids Duo Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumolo

On the heels of the recently released Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, writer-actor team Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo are currently writing an untitled, live-action musical comedy about Cinderella’s evil stepsisters. News of the project and the pair’s involvement was first reported by Deadline, who is also indicating that due to the movie’s early stage, it’s not yet known whether Wiig and Mumolo will also be starring in the film.

Together, Wiig and Mumolo made a huge impact in writing the 2011 comedy Bridesmaids. While Wiig is likely best known for her time as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, since leaving the sketch and variety show in 2012, she has gone on to prove herself as a multifaceted performer–ranging from Barbara Minerva/Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984 and the moody 2014 drama The Skeleton Twins to the 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters.

Mumolo has appeared in Judd Apatow’s This Is Forty, Bad Moms, The Boss, and also had a recurring role on Amazon’s Transparent. She and Wiig have been friends for decades, dating back to their meeting at the Los Angeles improv group The Groundlings in the early 2000s.

Will Ferrell and Jessica Elbaum are producing the movie via Gloria Sanchez Productions.

In related news, later this year Netflix is expected to release a stop-motion musical reimagining of Pinocchio, directed by Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water, Hellboy). That movie’s cast includes Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, and Cate Blanchett. Disney itself is developing a live-action version of Pinocchio as well, which recently added Welsh actor Luke Evans, who is set to play the villain.

Image credit: Getty Images/Todd Williamson/NBC

How To Watch Overwatch League Week 1: Start Times, Platform, And More

The Overwatch League kicks off its 2021 season today, April 16, and you can watch the entirety of the action right from your living room. A whole bunch of teams are competing in successive matches, and the official website makes it easy for you to keep track of your favorites and stay up to date on their matches.

Here’s how to watch The Overwatch League’s 2021 season.

Overwatch League Start Time And Schedule

The Overwatch League kicks off on April 16 at noon PT / 3 PM ET with a match between the Houston Outlaws and the Dallas Fuel. One subsequent match will take place later that day between the Los Angeles Gladiators and the San Francisco Shock before resuming on Saturday morning. The initial schedule is below, with times in PT.

Friday

  • Noon–Houston vs. Dallas
  • 1:30 PM–Los Angeles Gladiators vs. San Francisco

Saturday

  • 2 AM–Guangzhou vs. Shanghai
  • 3:30 AM–Los Angeles Valiant vs. Chengdu
  • 5 AM–Philadelphia vs. Seoul
  • Noon–Toronto vs. Vancouver
  • 1:30 PM–Atlanta vs. Florida
  • 3 PM–Dallas vs. Los Angeles Gladiators

Sunday

  • 2 AM–Guangzhou vs. Seoul
  • 3:30 AM–Chengdu vs. Shanghai
  • 5 AM–Philadelphia vs. Los Angeles Valiant
  • Noon–Houston vs. San Francisco
  • 1:30 PM–Florida vs. Vancouver
  • 3 PM–Toronto vs. Atlanta

How To Watch The Overwatch League

You can watch the entirety of The Overwatch League on YouTube via the official Overwatch League account. The matches are streamed, and you can see a schedule of upcoming livestreams below the current matches to plan your own viewing sessions.

The full season will last for 19 weeks according to the official site, ending in August before heading into the playoffs. As of now, not every match has been scheduled.

While you’re watching the matches, you can also use the website’s “Pick ‘Em” tool to predict who will win. There are leaderboards and a points system associated with guessing correctly, as well as special double-points matches. The first of these lasts until early May, with a few more running afterward.

If you link your Blizzard and YouTube accounts together, you’ll also earn special goodies all season long, and you can even vote on the types of sprays and skins that will be available. For every hour you watch live content, you’ll earn 5 League Tokens to spend on rewards.

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Oculus Quest Adds Subscription Options For Fitness, Meditation, And Music Apps

Oculus Quest is getting subscription options in several of its popular apps, giving active users more content across fitness, workplace, music, and meditation programs. The system is not one-size-fits-all, offering additional content in certain apps while being required to use others. However, anything you already purchased from an existing app will still be available, no matter what.

“With app subscriptions, some of your favorite developers will be able to seamlessly deliver new, exciting content, tools, and features to subscribers,” Facebook said in a blog post. “App subscriptions will give you access to exclusive content from some of your favorite titles.”

FitXR, previously known as BoxVR
FitXR, previously known as BoxVR

Thus far, the following apps are supported:

  • FitXR (formerly BoxVR)
  • Rec room
  • Tribe XR
  • vSpatial
  • VZfit
  • TRIPP

FitXR has existed in a few different forms for years, and the subscription service option will give you access to a different class every day. You’ll also get multiplayer workout access, and there is a free week trial to see if you like it. Those who own the game have this trial extended to 90 days. Interestingly, the app itself is a free download now and the paid version is gone, so those who didn’t buy it already have to get a subscription.

Rec Room Plus, meanwhile, is a premium service that gives you access to $10 in tokens per month along with new items and an exclusive section of the game’s store. All content already in the game will remain free. The membership costs $8 per month, so those who were already buying items could actually be spending less via a subscription.

It extends to workplace management, as well, such as the vSpatial app. With a subscription, you can have 15-person meetings, virtual cameras and microphones, and WAN remote connection, while other content remains free.

It seems like this could be a contentious decision, depending on how developers implement it. Several comments on FitXR’s page express concern with the plan, particularly how it now handles DLC.

Pat McAfee Joins WWE Smackdown Live Announce Team

Friday morning, WWE announced that Pat McAfee will debut as the new commentator on Smackdown, joining Michael Cole at ringside. This comes after Corey Graves moved to Raw, to join Byron Saxton and new commentator, MLB and NHL announcing veteran Adnan Virk, on that show’s new announce team.

Previously, ring veteran Samoa Joe was a member of the Raw commentary team but was recently released, along with other WWE superstars. Tom Phillips will head to being the backstage voice of 205 Live as well as continue to be senior manager of on-air talent. In addition, Phillips will oversee special projects for WWE’s programming on Peacock and at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando.

McAfee dropped the news with a huge social media announcement to WWE fans.

“For as long as I can remember WWE has been a company that I have admired, both for its incredible staying power of creating riveting entertainment and for its ability to connect people all over the globe,” McAfee said. “I’ve been fortunate to try a lot of cool professions but working for WWE was the one I looked forward to most.”

He also stated how “incredibly honored and grateful for the chance to give back to the business” he now has. McAfee said he’s excited to sit “at the same table that legends have graced” and he’s ready to get to work.

With a resume that includes being a popular stand-up comedian and former All-Pro punter for the Indianapolis Colts, McAfee is also the host of The Pat McAfee Show, which is simulcast both on YouTube and on Sirius XM Channel 82 Mad Dog Sports Radio. Additionally, McAfee hasn’t shied away from getting into altercations with WWE performers. Last year he was involved in a feud with NXT Champion, Adam Cole.

Apple TV+’s Mythic Quest Returns In Special Episode Featuring Anthony Hopkins

After a sweet and somber season one finale, Apple TV+’s Mythic Quest is back with a special episode featuring Anthony Hopkins and an unusual-looking team building exercise. The episode, titled “Everlight,” comes three weeks ahead of the show’s season two premiere on Monday 7, and wraps up the current quarantine arc established in the season one special. According to executive producer Rob McElhenney, “Everlight” seeks to address “the practical and emotional difficulties of returning to normalcy.”

Written by Ashly Burch (who also plays game tester Rachel in the show), “Everlight” picks up several months after season one ends and follows the developers behind fictional MMO Mythic Quest as they return to the studio after a long and stressful period of working from home. In order to unify the team following their separation, creative director Ian Grimm (McElhenney) plans a day of live-action role-playing for the staff in the shape of an annual holiday called “Everlight.” However, in classic Mythic Quest fashion, Ian and his now-fellow co-creative director, Poppy Li (Charlotte Nicado), have very different ideas as to what the celebration is about and hijinks ensue.

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Despite airing ahead of Mythic Quest’s sophomore season, “Everlight” was shot towards the middle of season two’s production in an effort to adhere to guidelines established to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, this wasn’t completely effective, and McElhenney admitted transmissions did occur on set, adding a very unfortunate weight and authenticity to the show’s quarantine arc.

For those unfamiliar with Mythic Quest, which first came to Apple TV+ February 2020, the half-hour comedy show follows a game studio as they struggle with the press, bugs, and each other. Written and produced by several of the folks from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia–and co-starring Dany Pudi of Community–it feels a lot like a strange combination of both, and it works. The entire first season, as well as “Everlight,” are available to stream on Apple TV+ now.

GTA Online Lives The High Life In Latest Weekly Update

This week’s GTA Online update has gone live, and for anyone looking to celebrate 4/20 Day before it goes up in smoke, there’ll be plenty of worthwhile rewards. Green clothing, an SUV that will make nearly everyone jealous, and automobile wrestling were all detailed in the latest blog post from Rockstar Games, which you can read the highlights of below.

Triple Rewards On Classic Sumo Modes

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If you’re interested in taking part in the ancient Japanese sport of wrestling but with cars instead, then this week’s Sumo event will be well worth venturing into the ring for. Just like the real sport, you’ll need to stay in the ring, using either pure horsepower from a heavy-duty vehicle or a more nimble strategy with a sleek and sporty car to take control of the zone.

Survive and you’ll earn triple the usual cash and respect points in Sumo and Sumo Remix until April 21.

Double Rewards On Biker Business Sales

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The market is blazing right now with contraband sales, and any completed biker sales in this joint will see a double cash and reward points payout.

Double Rewards On RC Bandito Races

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More double rewards can be had with RC races over the next week, leaving you free to drive like a maniac without having to worry about injuring yourself in the process. Weekly time trials–including the RC time trial–will also pay out double for the next seven days.

4/20 Day Gifts And Bonuses

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To celebrate the cloudiest and hippest day of the year, visit Ammu-Nation to collect the rare High Flyer parachute bag. Binco, Ponsonby’s, or Suburban shops will hand out the Green Space Horror Suit for free, and you can grab free green tire smoke on the house from LS Customs. Anyone who logs into GTA Online this week also gets the Fake Vapid T-shirt and the black Rockstar camo shirt for gratis, but you only have until April 20 to claim them.

Visiting Cayo Perico will net you double the cash payout as well for any weed smuggled in your loot bag. A free Vaper’s Den T-shirt and Dark X-Ray Emissive mask can also be grabbed for free until April 21.

On The Podium This Week: Albany V-STR

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Pay a visit to the lobby of The Diamond Casino & Resort and you could stand a chance to win the Albany V-STR, a luxury sedan that only the rich and famous can normally afford. If you fail to win that coveted prize, you still stand a chance to claim to walk away with cash, reputation points, clothing, mystery prizes, and more this week.

Discounts

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  • Progen PR4 racing car – 40% discount
  • Ocelot R88 racing car – 40% discount
  • Karin Kurama armored vehicle – 50% discount
  • Grotti Brioso vehicle – 30% discount
  • RC Bandito – 40% discount
  • Invade and persuade tank – 40% discount

Prime Gaming Bonuses And Benefits

Prime Gaming members will receive The Kosatka submarine’s Sonar Station for free, $200,000 in GTA cash, 80% off both the classic Grotti GT500 sportscar and Pfister Comet Safari off-roader, and can save 70% off the price of the Pegassi Zorrusso.

Now Playing: Grand Theft Auto 5 PS5 Trailer | Sony PS5 Reveal Event

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Game Of Thrones Prequel House Of The Dragon Adds Fabien Frankel To New Cast

British actor Fabien Frankel (The Serpent, NYPD Blue) has joined the cast of House of the Dragon, the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series, according to Deadline. Frankel will play Ser Criston Cole, a “common-born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven… all he has to his name is his honor and his preternatural skill with a sword.”

Frankel is part of a cast that includes Doctor Who actor Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, and Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. It’s been rumored that the series will have five lead characters, so it’s possible these actors will fill those roles.

House of the Dragon is co-created by author George R.R. Martin and Ryan Condal (Colony, Rampage). Miguel Sapochnik (Trainspotting, Game of Thrones) will serve as showrunner along with Condal. Joining them as a writer and executive producer will be Sara Lee Hess (Orange is the New Black, Deadwood).

Check out our rundown of everything we know so far about House of the Dragon. Greenlit in 2019, the show’s first 10-episode season is set three centuries before the events of the Game of Thrones series, which means most fan-favorite characters won’t be making an appearance. As of this writing, it’s unclear whether this will be a limited-run event or something the creators hope will go for multiple seasons. HBO is also currently exploring the possibility of three other spinoffs.

IO Interactive Opens New Studio In Barcelona To Assist With Project 007 Development

IO Interactive, the developer behind Hitman 3, has just announced the opening of a new studio in Barcelona. This new studio, creatively named IOI Barcelona, is one part of its “ambitious and exciting plans for expansion over the coming years” according to a post on the developer’s site.

IOI Barcelona will be joining IO Interactive’s two other studios, IOI Copenhagen and IOI Malmö. It will assist these other studios in supporting Hitman 3, which already has extra content on the way. The game’s first DLC collection, Seven Deadly Sins, is now available, and its roadmap for April is packed with more new content.

Two other projects will also be tackled by IO Interactive’s new Barcelona studio. IOI Barcelona will be joining the developer’s two other studios in working on both Project 007, IO Interactive’s James Bond title, as well as another unannounced new intellectual property.

IOI Barcelona’s role in the development of these new projects will be more than simple support. According to the announcement post on IO Interactive’s site, all of the developer’s studios are “treated as Elite studios and will each make a significant impact to ongoing development and publishing efforts across all projects.”

In his own statement, IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak welcomed the team working at IOI Barcelona. “All three of our studios have extremely talented developers who are passionate and driven towards making an impact in our industry,” Abrak said. “A core part of our philosophy is that everyone at IOI has a significant and impactful role to play in realizing our dreams, regardless of where they’re located. Think of it as one studio, in multiple locations.”

A core team has already set up shop at IOI Barcelona, but the developer has a long list of vacancies at the studio that need to be filled. These open positions range from programming to animation, with developers needed for every project IO Interactive is currently working on.

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