Donnie Darko Director Reveals His Next Project

A biopic about Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling is in the works, and now it’s found a director. Richard Kelly, who directed the cult classic Jake Gyllenhaal movie Donnie Darko, has signed on to not only direct, but also write the screenplay, according to TheGww.

The untitled Serling biopic would be Kelly’s fourth feature-length movie and his first since 2009’s Cameron Diaz-starring movie The Box (2009).

Kelly already has some kind of limited connection to Serling and The Twilight Zone. The Box was itself based on Richard Matheson’s short story, “Button, Button,” which was adapted into an episode of the ’80s version of The Twilight Zone show.

Serling lived an interesting life, with lots of material for the movie.

From Collider: “Immediately after graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and trained as a paratrooper. Since he was raised Jewish, he had hoped to fight Hitler and the German Army, though he was sent west to fight in the Philippines, where he saw death all around him each day. Though he was honored with a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star, Serling’s experience in the military haunted him and had a profound effect on his later work. After being discharged, Serling attended Antioch College, where he began writing and performing in radio shows on campus. At school, he had a reputation as a ladies’ man as well as a daredevil, as he took on the dangerous job of testing parachutes.”

Serling later worked for television shows, but he grew irritated with needing to compromise his vision for advertisers and censors, so he made his own show, The Twilight Zone. GameSpot parent company CBS Corp. currently owns the rights to The Twilight Zone.

The newest version of the show, from the mind of Get Out writer Jordan Peele, premiered this year on CBS All-Access. The show was very popular, and CBS ordered a second season.

There is no word yet as to who may play Serling in Kelly’s movie. As can be the case in Hollywood, there is no guarantee that the movie will ever even be made.

New Batman Star Robert Pattinson On Winning The Role

It’s not an understatement to say that the upcoming standalone DC movie The Batman has been through a few changes over the years. The film was first announced in 2016, and was set to be directed by and starring Ben Affleck, who played the Dark Knight in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. But things changed as time went on–first Affleck was replaced by Matt Reeves as director, then his script was abandoned, and finally he stepped down from the role. Affleck’s replacement is Twilight star Robert Pattinson, who has now spoken up about playing the iconic crimefighter.

In an interview with Variety, Pattinson revealed that the first reports about him taking on the role of Batman broke before he had even auditioned for it. “When that thing leaked, I was f***ing furious,” he said. “Everyone was so upset. Everyone was panicking from my team. I sort of thought that had blown up the whole thing.”

Pattinson ultimately won the part over rival Nicholas Hoult. But while it doesn’t seem surprising that the high-profile Twilight star would be chosen as the young Bruce Wayne, Pattinson revealed that it was actually him who chased Reeves for the role instead of the other way around.

“I’d had Batman in my mind for a while,” he said. “It’s such an absurd thing to say. I sort of had an idea to do it, and I’d been prodding Matt. He didn’t accept any prods. I kept asking to meet him. And then [when I did], I had to kind of try to imagine what he’d written, and I hadn’t even read the script. I’d come with this pad full of notes.”

Pattinson also spoke about trying on the Batsuit for the first time during the audition process for The Batman. “I put it on,” he said. “I remember saying to Matt, ‘It does feel quite transformative!’ He was like, ‘I would hope it does! You’re literally in the Batsuit.'”

“You do feel very powerful immediately,” Pattinson continued. “And it’s pretty astonishing, something that is incredibly difficult to get into, so the ritual of getting into it is pretty humiliating. You’ve got five people trying to shove you into something. Once you’ve got it on, it’s like, ‘Yeah, I feel strong, I feel tough, even though I had to have someone squeezing my butt cheeks into the legs. You’re trying to think of the way to balance, how to bring something new to it and not want to scare people off. And work in the confines of the costume.”

The Batman hits theaters on June 25, 2021. While no further cast has been announced so far, Reeves has previously spoken about what fans can expect. “It’s very much a point of view-driven, noir Batman tale,” he said. “It’s told very squarely on his shoulders, and I hope it’s going to be a story that will be thrilling but also emotional. It’s more Batman in his detective mode than we’ve seen in the films. The comics have a history of that. He’s supposed to be the world’s greatest detective, and that’s not necessarily been a part of what the movies have been.”

Sayonara Wild Hearts Hands-On Preview: A Sailor Moon-Inspired Rhythm Trip

If you ever wished Sailor Moon was a badass biker who fought rival gangs set to a soundtrack that’s kind of like something Carly Rae Jepsen would produce, turn your attention to Sayonara Wild Hearts.

Sayonara Wild Hearts is developed by Swedish developer Simogo, best known for the critically acclaimed mobile horror game Year Walk. Like Year Walk, Sayonara Wild Hearts combines eye-catching art direction with a simple but solid gameplay hook. In this case, it plays almost exactly like the brilliant “rhythm violence” game Thumper.

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Everything We Know About His Dark Materials, HBO’s Golden Compass Adaptation

His Dark Materials' release date, where to watch, and more.

His Dark Materials’ release date, where to watch, and more.

Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” books are ripe for adaptation–in fact, they already got a big screen version in the 2007 film The Golden Compass. Unfortunately, that movie, despite starring big name actors like Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman, missed the mark significantly. That’s why we’re thrilled that we’re getting another shot thanks to New Line, Bad Wolf, HBO, and the BBC.

His Dark Materials is a fantasy book trilogy originally published between 1995 and 2000, including Northern Lights (called The Golden Compass in North America), The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. The three novels follow Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry, two children in a world where people’s souls are embodied in companion critters–called dæmons–that accompany them everywhere. The series starts out small, but grows fantastically epic in scope by the end.

Between the His Dark Materials trailers, the San Diego Comic-Con panel, and various announcements, we know plenty about the upcoming show. Read on to find out everything you need to know.

One Piece Creator Sounds Prepared To End The Series

Eiichiro Oda’s long-running One Piece series has reached 900 episodes and 93 volumes after debuting more than 20 years ago. Now, after its widespread success, Oda seems intent on ending the series after just five more years.

A YouTube comedy group named Fischer visited Oda at his home, where the famed manga creator was asked just how much longer Monkey D. Luffy will sail around looking for the elusive One Piece. Oda has a very set goal in mind. “I want to end it after five years,” he told Fischer.

Oda said the manga was 80 percent finished last year, but it remains unclear whether One Piece as a whole or just the Straw Hat Pirates’ voyage will come to an end in five years. Either way, it seems Oda is prepared for One Piece to anchor ship in some capacity.

In other One Piece news, Bandai Namco announced the latest One Piece game, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4, at Anime Expo 2019 in July. The upcoming action-adventure hack-and-slash romp is slated to launch on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One sometime in 2020.

The biggest One Piece game before the Pirate Warriors 4 reveal was One Piece: World Seeker, which released on March 15 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Jump Force, the Shonen arena brawler mash-up from earlier this year, featured a handful of One Piece characters, including Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Vinsmoke Sanji, and more.

Never Played Resident Evil Outbreak? Here’s What You Need to Know

Capcom is experiencing a bit of a resurgence right now, with franchises like Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, and Devil May Cry seeing massive success recently. Its most successful franchise from a sales standpoint, Resident Evil, surpassed 92 million units sold with the recent remake of Resident Evil 2. The company’s next project, known as Project Resistance, is set to be shown at Tokyo Game Show 2019. The website currently shows a logo with the letters ‘RE’ emblazoned in red, as well as information on when you can catch the reveal. However, if some recent leaks are any indication of what’s to come, we may be seeing a revival of the long-dormant Resident Evil Outbreak series.

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WoW Classic Free Character Moves Coming Soon For Select Servers

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Blizzard is preparing to help adjust player counts on certain World of Warcraft Classic servers, and it’ll allow some players to make the move for free.

A World of Warcraft community manager shared the news in a forum post, specifying that free character server moves are coming to select WoW Classic realms in the coming days. Once the service opens, you’ll see the option to start a transfer on either the character select screen or the realm queue screen. Currently, there are three restrictions outlined in the post: You can’t transfer a character if it’s a guild leader, has active auction listings or bids, or has mail. The community manager said a full post with further character restrictions and other details will be shared once the service goes live.

There’s no clarification on when the free character move service will be accessible, nor is there a confirmation on what servers will see the service.

In other WoW Classic news, more than 300,000 people watched as the game got its first level 60 player. Dot Esports reported that “Jokerd” leveled a gnome mage to 60 in three days, 20 hours, and 40 minutes, playing on the Mograine server in Europe. The game’s garnered so much attention, in fact, that it has surpassed Fortnite and all other games as the most popular title on Twitch. In a feature story, we examined why WoW Classic is great and concluded that it’s more than just nostalgia.

New Apex Legends Limited-Time Wraith-Themed Voidwalker Event Has Begun

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The newest limited-time event in Apex Legends has begun. The Wraith-themed event, Voidwalker, will only last a few weeks (similar to the Octane-themed Iron Crown event) and introduces a new town takeover, limited-time mode, and additional challenges to complete.

In Iron Crown, Octane took over the small settlement outside Thunderdome and transformed it into a skate park complete with launch pads, ramps, and a ring of fire. Likewise, in Voidwalker, a portion of King’s Canyon has transformed. If you drop at the base camp behind Hydro Dam, you’ll now find the remains of the mysterious facility where Wraith was once held captive.

Or at least, where one Wraith was held captive. As discovered through a brand-new animated short (embedded below), we learn that the Wraith we play as in Apex Legends is actually from another world. She escapes to this one through a portal, her counterpart taking her place in order to find the answers she seeks in the alternate reality. The counterpart’s appearance can be unlocked as a new Legendary skin for Wraith during the Voidwalker event.

You shouldn’t have any trouble finding the new map change. Just look for the giant Wraith-like portal that extends into the sky. Falling into the portal will teleport you directly into the facility for a faster drop. Once inside, you can exit through the front door or head back through the portal to redeploy back into the sky. In the facility, you can find additional Apex Legends lore details as well. Although we haven’t found any yet, we imagine there are a few Crypto-themed clues to be discovered–considering, based on the aforementioned animated short, it looks like the hacker aids Wraith in getting into the facility (his insignia pops up when she injects a flashdrive into the computer) and recent leaks suggest he’ll be the new Legend that comes in Season 3.

Instead of the return of Solos, Voidwalker introduces a brand-new limited-time mode called Armed and Dangerous. In it, loot is much harder to find and the only weapons you can discover are shotguns and sniper rifles. In a press release, Respawn wrote that it plans on rolling out these type of limited-time modes more often between season changes. Voidwalker, like Iron Crown, also adds limited-time, thematic challenges to complete and rewards to earn.

Voidwalker continues until September 17, so you only have until then to participate in Armed and Dangerous, complete the event’s challenges, and unlock the limited-time rewards like the Legendary Wraith skin. However, the Wraith town takeover is likely permanent, given that Octane’s skate park remained after Iron Crown ended, though, both town takeovers may disappear with the massive map change planned for Season 3.

Destiny 2 Patch Notes: New Update Makes These Hard-To-Earn Guns’ Quests More Doable

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As promised, Bungie has released a new update for Destiny 2. Patch 2.5.2.2 makes a number of very welcome changes, addressing a variety of common complaints regarding some hard-to-obtain weapons (namely, Mountaintop), item management, Reckoning, and more. Here’s a look at what’s changed and the full patch notes.

First and most notable are the changes to a pair of pinnacle weapon quests to make them a bit more reasonable. As first revealed last week, Mountaintop and Wendigo GL3 have seen their respective quests cut down significantly. Whereas Wendigo could be obtained by simply grinding out Strikes, Mountaintop has proven especially challenging for many, requiring a significant amount of grenade launcher usage in Crucible (with a focus on Competitive). Here’s how the requirements now look for each:

Wendigo GL3 – New Quest Steps

  • Grenade Launcher kills are worth 100% more for each objective
  • Death Penalty no longer exists for the final objective
  • Grenade Launcher multikills grant 50% more progress
  • Completing Playlist strikes grants a significant amount of progress towards the final objective

Mountaintop – New Quest Steps

  • Required number of multi-kills has been reduced from 200 to 75
  • Required number of medals has been reduced from 100 to 25
  • Points earned in Competitive has been further increased relative to other PvP modes
    • roughly 1x for Quickplay, 2x for Iron Banner, 3x for Competitive

Other areas of complaint addressed by this patch involve inventory management. Stacks of certain items–Planetary Materials, Gunsmith Materials, Vanguard Tokens, Crucible Tokens, and Iron Banner Tokens–now max out at 9,999, rather than the previous limit of 999. This should prove particularly useful for more hardcore players with stacks upon stacks of these items.

Reckoning has been a contentious component of the game since its launch, and Bungie is trying to address that by making it more forgiving (and rewarding). Enemies now have less health and deal less damage, and both Reckoning and Gambit Prime will be more generous with weapon drops. Tier 3 Reckoning in particular will be even more likely to drop weapons, though bad luck protection will ensure that anyone in Reckoning or Gambit Prime will periodically get a drop.

Finally, Bungie has tweaked the way Braytech Schematics work to make the related weapons easier to obtain, and it’s stopped selling Forsaken character boosts. The full patch notes can be seen below.

This update coincides with the start of the Mars Community Event, which tasks players with collectively playing a lot of Escalation Protocol and certain other Mars-centric activities. Those who participate will be eligible for a special emblem if all the objectives are met, and everyone will be eligible for bonus Menagerie rewards until the release of Shadowkeep on October 1.

Destiny 2 Update 2.5.2.2 Patch Notes

INVESTMENT

Inventory

  • Updated the stack size limit from 999 to 9,999 for Planetary Materials, Gunsmith Materials, Vanguard Tokens, Crucible Tokens, and Iron Banner Tokens.

Braytech Schematics

  • Braytech Schematics are no longer limited to 1 per day, per account
  • Braytech Schematics have a 25% drop chance when opening any Rasputin Data Cache
  • The four Braytech weapons offered by Ana Bray, and also tied to the Wayfarer seal, now have a greater chance of granting a weapon you do not currently have.

NOTE: The description of the item will be incorrect and still mention that it’s limited to 1 per day, per account. This will be addressed in a future hotfix.

Pinnacle Weapon Quests

  • Wendigo GL3
    • Grenade Launcher kills are worth 100% more for each objective
    • Death Penalty no longer exists for the final objective
    • Grenade Launcher multikills grant 50% more progress
    • Completing Playlist strikes grants a significant amount of progress towards the final objective
  • Mountaintop
    • Required number of multi-kills has been reduced from 200 to 75
    • Required number of medals has been reduced from 100 to 25
    • Points earned in Competitive has been further increased relative to other pvp modes
    • roughly 1x for Quickplay, 2x for IB, 3x for comp

ACTIVITIES

Gambit Prime and Reckoning

  • Enemies in Reckoning adjusted to have less health and do less damage to players
  • Increased weapon drop rates in Reckoning and Gambit Prime
    • Further increased bad luck protection to each activity, so players should receive a weapon reward after playing multiple matches without one dropping
    • Tier 3 Reckoning will have even higher drop rates, as it is more challenging

Eververse

  • Refunds
    • Fixed an issue that would cause wrapped items to no longer be refundable when transferred between characters
  • Character Boosts
    • The Forsaken character boost is no longer available for purchase
    • Players will continue to receive one free character boost when accessing Forsaken for the first time