New On HBO Max In February 2021: Batman, Saw, Blade Runner, And Tons More

Next week, it’ll already be time to flip the calendar to the second month of 2021. It’s hard to believe, but those eventful weeks passing by so quickly is softened by the sheer amount of content that will be on offer across all the streaming services–especially including HBO Max. Here’s a look at some of our suggestions and other notable additions to HBO Max’s schedule for February.

February 1 sees a surprising curtain lifting up on your chance to binge more than a few film trilogies and series. If you want to get back to roots with the live-action Batman films, and also be reminded why they eventually needed to be rebooted, the first of the month will see 1989’s Batman, 1992’s Batman Returns, 1995’s Batman Forever, and 1997’s Batman & Robin (the one where Batman’s suit has nipples)–plus the more recent 2008 animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Even if only viewed for a historical thrill of understanding what superhero movies were like when there was decidedly less of an audience for them, director Tim Burton’s take on the universe with the Michael Keaton-starring Batman movies are worth checking out. Unlike director Chris Nolan’s approach, Burton’s Gotham is much more tongue-in-cheek, generally weird, but still takes itself seriously. It’s worth a shot.

That same day, every Saw movie from the original through to The Final Chapter will also be released on HBO Max. Yes, February is usually associated with Valentine’s Day, but who’s to say you have to watch rom-coms to get in the spirit? If horror is your thing, you can hardly go wrong with one of the more enduring contemporary original franchises–plus it’ll get you up to speed with the upcoming Spiral, which intriguingly stars Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Rock (who helped produce and write the film).

Finally, February is book-ended by Blade Runner. February 1 has Blade Runner: The Final Cut–the only version of the influential sci-fi movie to have director Ridley Scott’s complete artistic control. Then, on February 27, you can catch up with Blade Runner 2049, the 2017 sequel to the 1982 original. Yes, it’s the sequel Blade Runner fans didn’t know they needed. But it also builds on the original quite well while also forging its own identity.

Below, you’ll find everything coming and going from HBO Max for the month of February. For your content-binging pleasure and planning, you can also check out what Netflix, Shudder, and Hulu each have teed up for next month.

New to HBO Max in February 2021

February 1

  • All Good Things, 2010
  • The Amityville Horror, 1979
  • The Amityville Horror, 2005
  • American Style
  • The Apparition, 2012
  • Austin Powers in Goldmember, 2002
  • Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery, 1997
  • Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, 1999
  • Backdraft, 1991
  • Batman & Robin, 1997
  • Batman Forever, 1995
  • Batman Returns, 1992
  • Batman, 1989
  • Batman: The Brave and the Bold
  • Be Cool, 2005
  • Blade Runner: The Final Cut, 2007
  • Butter, 2012
  • Captain Blood, 1935
  • Chewing Gum
  • Death Row Stories, Season 5
  • Deep Down, 2021
  • Drumline, 2002 (Extended Version)
  • The Four Feathers, 2002
  • Get A Job, 2016
  • Get Shorty, 1995
  • Getting Even With Dad, 1994
  • Ghoulies II, 1987
  • Ghoulies, 1985
  • Giant, 1956
  • The Graduate, 1967
  • Growing Up Milwaukee, 2020
  • Head of the Class
  • The Investigation, Limited Series Premiere
  • Jacob’s Ladder, 1990
  • Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday, 1993
  • Justice League
  • Justice League Unlimited
  • La Deuda, 2021
  • Lars And The Real Girl, 2007
  • The Last Exorcism, 2010 (Extended Version)
  • Lay The Favorite, 2012
  • Life Of Pi, 2012
  • Love & Basketball, 2000
  • The Lucky One, 2012
  • Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, 1983
  • Man of Steel, 2013
  • The Matrix, 1999
  • The Matrix Reloaded, 2003
  • The Matrix Revolutions, 2003
  • Monkey Shines, 1988
  • Murder On The Orient Express, 1974
  • My Bloody Valentine 3-D, 2009
  • The Neverending Story II The Next Chapter, 1991
  • Outbreak, 1995
  • Pathfinder, 2007 (Director’s Cut)
  • Presumed Innocent, 1990
  • Raw Deal, 1986
  • Robot Chicken, Season 10B
  • Safe House, 2012
  • Saw II, 2005 (Director’s Cut)
  • Saw III, 2006 (Director’s Cut)
  • Saw IV, 2007 (Director’s Cut)
  • Saw V, 2008 (Director’s Cut)
  • Saw VI, 2009 (Director’s Cut)
  • Saw, 2004 (Extended Version)
  • Saw: The Final Chapter, 2010 (Director’s Cut)
  • Selena, 1997
  • The Shadow, 1994
  • Sling Blade, 1996
  • Stop-Loss, 2008
  • Sunshine Cleaning, 2009
  • The Goonies, 1985
  • The Tank, 2017
  • This Must Be The Place, 2012
  • Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, 2011
  • Training Day, 2001
  • Unforgiven, 1992
  • United Shades of America, Season 5
  • Up In The Air, 2009
  • Wildcats, 1986
  • Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, 1971

February 2

  • A Rodeo Film, ABFF HBO Short Film Competition Finalist
  • A Storybook Ending, ABFF HBO Short Film Competition Finalist
  • Black Boy Joy, ABFF HBO Short Film Competition Finalist
  • The Cypher, ABFF HBO Short Film Competition Finalist
  • Dolapo Is Fine, ABFF HBO Short Film Competition Winner
  • Fake Famous, Documentary Premiere

February 3

  • Tacoma FD, Season 2

February 4

  • Haute Dog (S1C), Max Original Series
  • Selena + Chef, Season 2 Finale

February 5

  • Aquaman , 2018
  • Earwig and the Witch (Studio Ghibli Premiere), 2021
  • In Other Words, 2021
  • Vengeance: Killer Coworkers
  • Vengeance: Killer Lovers
  • Vengeance: Killer Neighbors

February 6

  • Irresistible, 2020
  • The Windsors: Inside The Royal Dynasty, 2019

February 7

  • We Bare Bears: The Movie, 2020

February 9

  • Black Art: In The Absence Of Light, Documentary Premiere
  • Gen:Lock, Season 1

February 10

  • C.B. Strike: Lethal White, Season Finale

February 11

  • There is No “I” in Threesome, HBO Max Documentary Premiere
  • February 12:
  • Dunkirk, 2017
  • El Inconveniente (Aka One Careful Owner), 2021
  • Havana Street Party Presents: Beatriz Luengo
  • Judas and the Black Messiah, Warner Bros. Film Premiere, 2021
  • Very Scary People, Season 2

February 13

  • The Book Of Eli, 2010

February 14

  • The Lady And The Dale, Documentary Series Finale
  • Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Season 8 Premiere

February 15

  • 30 Coins, Season Finale
  • The Batman
  • Food Wars! The Fourth Plate (Dubbed)
  • Hot Ones, Season 1
  • Jimmy Carter: Rock and Roll President, 2020
  • Static Shock

February 18

  • Arthur’s Law (Dubbed), Max Original Series Premiere
  • Ben 10, Season 4B
  • It’s a Sin, Max Original Limited Series Premiere

February 19

  • The Killer Truth, Season 1

February 20

  • Argo, 2012 (Extended Version)
  • Jujutsu Kaisen, Season 1 Episodes 1-12 (Dubbed)

February 22

  • Beartown, Series Premiere

February 23

  • Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel

February 26

  • Blade Runner 2049, 2017
  • Lupe, 2021
  • Painting With John, Season Finale
  • Tom & Jerry, Warner Bros. Film Premiere, 2021

February 27

  • Bill And Ted’s Bogus Journey, 1991
  • Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure, 1989
  • How It Really Happened, Season 5

Now Playing: Blade Runner 2049 Video Review

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 Is Coming To Steam In March

Sega has announced that Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 will be coming to Steam March 23 for $30 USD. Players who grab the limited-time Steam launch edition will also receive a pack of rare Item Cards featuring items from the Sonic the Hedgehog series for an extra boost.

PC players will finally be able to catch up with their current- and next-gen console counterparts with this release. This version will have all of the features of the console versions, including 4-player online and local co-op. You’ll also be able to check out the new online co-op Boss Raid mode, where you can call three friends to help you take on a CPU-controlled boss. New players will also gain access to a deep and ever-growing roster of playable characters like Sonic the Hedgehog, Ms. Accord, Lidelle, and The Ocean Prince.

If you’re looking for a bit more story, this release may scratch that itch. Adventure mode will have you navigating a new overworld map on a quest to help your characters rescue their friends from a looming dark corruption. The Skill Battle mode is an RPG-inspired test of might where you’ll assemble a team of characters with complementary skills to create the best power trio you can. And if the puzzles are proving a bit tricky, you’re a bit rusty, or you just want to sharpen your skills, the Lesson mode is included with over 150 lessons that cover everything from beginner tips to strategies professional players use.

Even more game features, characters, and other new content will also be coming to the Steam version of Puyo Puyo Tetris 2. These will be announced ahead of the game’s release, so keep an eye out for more details to come in the near future. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is currently available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch.

Now Playing: Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 – New Content Trailer

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Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Zombies Firebase Z Trailer Coming January 28

The first trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War‘s new Zombies map is almost here. Developer Treyarch has confirmed that the video will arrive on January 28.

Ahead of that, the studio tweeted an animated GIF that teases some of what to expect, but it’s not exactly clear what’s happening in the image or what it means.

Firebase Z is a new Zombies map that is scheduled to release on February 4, and it will be free for all players across platforms.

“With the destruction of the WWII-era ‘Projekt Endstation’ site after investigating the otherworldly Dark Aether anomaly in Poland, Requiem now sets its focus on the latest Dark Aether outbreak site: Outpost 25, known by the code name ‘Firebase Z,'” reads a line from its description.

Firebase Z is set in the jungles of Vietnam. It introduces multiple new characters, including some enemies, along with “new gameplay mechanics” to be announced later. A new mega-powerful Wonder Weapon will be included in the new map, too.

Black Ops Cold War was the best-selling game of 2020 in the US. In addition to the Zombies mode, its standard multiplayer mode continues to see new additions and improvements, while Black Ops Cold War weapons have crossed over into the battle royale game Warzone.

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Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Champions Amiibo Are Back In Stock On Amazon

Released in November, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity offered The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild fans a look at the events that occurred 100 years prior–namely, the war fought by Link, Zelda, and the four Champions of Hyrule. The game’s launch led to the re-release of the four Breath of the Wild Champions Amiibo, and while the collectibles have only been available at Best Buy recently, all four are currently back in stock at Amazon.

The Champions Amiibo include each of the four heroes that star in both Breath of the Wild and Age of Calamity: Daruk, the Goron Champion; Revali, the Rito Champion; Mipha, the Zora Champion; and Urbosa, the Gerudo Champion. Originally released in 2017 for Breath of the Wild, each of the four Amiibo are available to buy again, though it’s curious that Amazon is just now getting stock, months after the release of Age of Calamity. In any case, you can buy them for $16 each.

While Amiibo are neat collectibles to have, they also have in-game functionality. The Champions Amiibo can be used with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to unlock various bonuses. Daruk will gift you the Vah Rudania Divine Helm (with Flame Guard Level 1), while Revali will unlock the Van Medoh Divine Helm (with Cold Resistance Level 1). Mipha will grant you the Van Ruta Divine Helm (with Swim Speed Up Level 1), while Urbosa will get you the Vah Naboris Divine Helm (with Electricity Resistance Level 1). Each of the Divine Helms will trigger a set bonus when you equip them with the Ancient Cuirass and Ancient Greaves, and each figure will also unlock randomized in-game materials and weapons.

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How To Complete Fortnite Season 5, Week 9 Challenges

Fortnite has a new set of challenges and legendary quests to complete for Season 5, Week 9. You can get an early look at the leaked challenges below. You won’t be able to start grinding away at these quests until Thursday, January 28, but stick with us for a quick rundown of each challenge, including how to shakedown an IO guard, where to find the hidden bunkers, and where to find the crashed plane’s black box.

Fortnite Season 5, Week 9 Epic Quests – 140,000 XP

  • Shakedown an IO Guard – 0/1 (20,000 XP)
  • Find a hidden bunker??? – 0/1 (20,000 XP)
  • Find the crashed plane’s black box – 0/1 (20,000 XP)
  • Deal damage while in water – 0/200 (20,000 XP)
  • Emote at stone statues – 0/1 (20,000 XP)
  • Ride the Steamy Stacks – 0/1 (20,000 XP)
  • Deal damage to a Loot Shark – 0/1 (20,000 XP)

Fortnite Season 5, Week 9 Legendary Quests – 143,000 XP

  • Shakedown Opponents 0/5 (55,000 XP)
  • Shakedown Opponents 0/10 (22,000 XP)
  • Shakedown Opponents 0/15 (22,000 XP)
  • Shakedown Opponents 0/20 (22,000 XP)
  • Shakedown Opponents 0/25 (22,000 XP)

Shakedown an IO Guard

IO Guards are hostile NPCs that spawn near Elevators around the island. To complete the “shakedown an IO Guard” challenge, you’ll have to locate and knock down an IO Guard, then perform a shakedown when they’re downed. They have 250 Shield and 100 Health and can be pretty tough to take out since they spawn in groups.

Elevators can spawn at 20 different locations around the map. Refer to the map provided by dataminer Mang0e below.

Find a hidden bunker

There are three hidden bunkers around the map. Below you’ll find the general location of each one and how to uncover the secret bunker. For more detail, check out our guide on where to find the hidden bunkers in Fortnite.

Unremarkable Shack bunker

You can find one secret bunker under the Unremarkable Shack, on the tiny island northwest of Craggy Cliffs. Simply approach the shack from the side of the beach and destroy the wooden pallets and other debris blocking the way.

Underwater bunker

Another hidden bunker is located under the ocean, south of Holly Hedges and northwest of Slurpy Swamp, right off the shore near the circle of stone statues. (While you’re here, perform an emote in the middle of the statues to easily complete another challenge on this week’s list.) To find the bunker, you have to use the jump button to dive underwater. It’s between two patches of coral. Make sure you dive close to it to register it as a landmark.

Campsite bunker

The last secret bunker can be found on the cliffs east of Retail Row. Find the small campsite overlooking the ocean and turn away from it so you’re facing south. You should see a large bush between two trees. Destroy the bush to reveal the hidden bunker underneath.

Find the crashed plane’s black box

You can find the crashed plane on the beach at the southeast end of Coral Castle. It is broken up into several parts. The black box should spawn somewhere around here once this challenge goes live on Thursday, when you’ll be able to interact with it to complete this challenge.

Deal damage while in the water

This one is pretty straightforward, but might still require some explanation. All you need to do is deal 200 points of damage to an enemy or enemies while you are standing in a body of water. Your opponent does not need to be in the water for this to count.

Emote at stone statues

You can find the circle of stone statues south of Holly Hedges and northwest of Slurpy Swamp, on the section of cliff jutting out over the water. To complete this challenge, just stand in the middle of the circle and perform an emote.

Ride the Steamy Stacks

To complete this challenge, head to Steamy Stacks in the northeast corner of the map. Just head over to one of the stacks, walk under it, and let yourself be whisked into the sky by the wind.

Deal damage to a Loot Shark

This one is straightforward and can probably be knocked out at the same time as another challenge, which asks you to deal damage to enemy players while in the water. However, we don’t recommend actually fighting the Loot Shark while in the water, because they can deal a lot of damage and have about 2,000 Health themselves. Just hang around on land near bodies of water, like Sweaty Sands or Pleasant Park, until you see one swimming around, and start shooting. One thing to keep in mind is the amount of ammo required to take down a Loot Shark. They can be quite the ammo drain, so make sure you have an extra weapon handy. Loot Sharks may also drop weapons when defeated.

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The Office Superfan Episodes: The Best New Gags, Scenes, And Storylines On Peacock

Nintendo Reveals Monster Hunter Rise Special Edition Switch Model

Nintendo has revealed a new Monster Hunter Rise variant of the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.

Posted to Twitter by Nintendo of Europe, the special edition Monster Hunter Rise Nintendo Switch is adorned with a variety of runes and symbols relating to the game, with some engraved onto the back of the console. The Joy-Cons also feature golden accents, with the dock itself depicting the Magnamalo and raining fire.

The tweet reads, “This Monster Hunter Rise #NintendoSwitch bundle (includes download code for #MHRise + Deluxe Kit DLC + bonus content) will be available on 26/03, alongside this special edition Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.” pic.twitter.com/38qm3qPZF0

According to the tweet, the Monster Hunter Rise Nintendo Switch bundle will include a download code for the game as well as “Deluxe Kit DLC + bonus content.”

The bundle and the Monster Hunter Rise Nintendo Switch Pro Controller will be available for purchase on the 26th of March to coincide with the game’s release.

In other Monster Hunter Rise news, Capcom is set to launch ultra-rare and golden Japan-only Monster Hunter Rise amiibo, available as part of a 7-Eleven promotion. If you want to figure out what version of the game to buy, check out our article rounding up all of the different editions of the game.

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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Elder Scrolls Online Oblivion Prequel Expansion Gets June Release Date

Bethesda has revealed The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood, a new story chapter that serves as a prequel to the events of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It will launch on separate dates in June for PC and consoles.

Revealed in a livestream on the Bethesda Twitch channel, the chapter will launch on PC on June 1 and June 8 on consoles. Blackwood will task players with “uncovering the schemes of the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon,” who served as the primary antagonist of Oblivion. 30 hours of story content is set to be added to the game, set over 800 years before the events of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

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This update will also introduce Oblivion Portal World Events, quality-of-life features and a Companions system similar to the single-player Elder Scrolls games, where players will be able to recruit, develop and customize NPCs to fight alongside them.

It’s all part of a year-long ‘Gates of Oblivion’ content roadmap for Elder Scrolls Online. The expansion will send players to famous locations related to the fourth Elder Scrolls game, including Leyawiin and Blackwood itself, which is “caught between the Argonian homeland and Imperial province of Cyrodiil.”

The Blackwood narrative will kick off with the Flames of Ambition DLC, which adds new dungeons that “reveal the threat of Mehrunes Dagon”. Flames of Ambition is set to launch on March 8 for PC, Mac and Stadia and March 16 for Xbox and PlayStation consoles.

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Bethesda’s stream also teased an “end-of-year story DLC” which will take players to the Deadlands, Mehrunes Dagon’s personal realm. In other Bethesda news, a Naughty Dog veteran recently joined Elder Scrolls Online developer Zenimax Online to work on a “new, unannounced AAA IP.”

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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Tomb Raider Anime Series in Development at Netflix

A Tomb Raider anime series is in development at Netflix, and will be set after the events of Crystal Dynamics’ most recent trilogy of games.

The streaming service announced the news in a press release on Wednesday. Tasha Huo, who is working with Netflix on The Witcher: Blood Origin, will write and executive produce.

Legendary Entertainment is working with Netflix on Tomb Raider after previously working with the streamer on the Lost in Space remake. It was also announced on Wednesday that Legendary is working on a Skull Island anime series at Netflix.

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dj2 Entertainment is also working on the Tomb Raider anime. It’s the latest in a long line of video game adaptations for the company following the Sonic the Hedgehog movie. They have a movie based on Sleeping Dogs in development along with TV shows based on My Friend Pedro, Disco Elysium, Life is Strange, and more.

There’s no word yet if Camilla Luddington, who played Lara Croft in the reboot trilogy, is part of this project. The actress is currently starring on Grey’s Anatomy and recently played Zatanna in the animated Justice League: Dark movie from 2017 and its 2020 sequel, Apokolips War.

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Shadow of the Tomb Raider was the last game released in the series. It came out in 2018 and earned mostly positive reviews from critics. IGN’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider review praised the game and said, it “convincingly leaves her in a place resembling where she was when we were first introduced to her more than 20 years ago.”

The Tomb Raider movie franchise is also still in full swing. The sequel will be written and directed by the creator of Lovecraft Country with Alicia Vikander once again playing Lara Croft.

Anybody looking for some current anime recommendations on Netflix can check out IGN’s updated list of the best anime on Netflix.

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Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.

Kevin Feige Says The Marvel’s Eternals Pitch Was the Best He’s Ever Heard

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has packed on the praise for Eternals filmmaker Chloé Zhao and, more specifically, the pitch that she delivered for her upcoming MCU Phase 4 movie.

Rolling Stone magazine recently published a profile piece on Zhao, featuring insight from Feige and others in the industry about the process of bringing her visions to life on the big screen. Feige commended the Eternals helmer for catching his attention with her ideas for the upcoming MCU entry, as he apparently referred to “Zhao’s pitch for the movie the best he’d ever heard.”

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“Not only does Chloe make remarkable, small, personal movies in a remarkable, small, personal way, but she thinks in grand, cosmic, gigantic terms, which fit perfectly with what we wanted to do,” Feige explained, speaking about Zhao’s journey to the MCU. “Eternals is a very big, sweeping, multimillennial-spanning story. And she just got it.”

During last year’s D23 Marvel panel, Disney officially revealed the celestial costumes for Thena, Ikaris, Ajak, Phastos, Kingo, and the rest of the Eternals. Despite being a clan of god-like beings, Rolling Stone says Zhao wanted to keep the story grounded and experimental, “like you’re right there in this space with these characters,” so she shot the movie with the same rig she used for her indie film Nomadland.

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Marvel’s Eternals, the third film in the MCU’s Phase 4, features a stellar cast consisting of Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kit Harington. Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Brian Tyree Henry, and Salma Hayek. Reportedly the most “sci-fi” movie of the MCU, Eternals follows the exploits of an immortal alien race created by the Celestials as they reunite to protect humanity from their evil counterparts, the Deviants.

Sadly, Eternals was part of the huge slate of Disney movies that were delayed towards the end of last year, with the movie now scheduled to arrive on November 5, 2021. For more on Marvel Studios’ future slate of projects and releases, read our breakdown of the biggest and most noteworthy developments in the MCU, on Disney+, and in Marvel’s comics this year.

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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.