Jailhouse Rock

If you've been hanging on with eager anticipation for the release date of CGI spin-off Resident Evil: Death Island, then hang no more, as Capcom, and Sony Pictures have revealed that the cool/dopey-loo??king feature will arrive on physi??cal and digital media on July 25.

The latest in a long-running series of animated movies set within Capcom's survival horror universe, Death Island will see the A-list team of Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Leon Kennedy, and Claire Redfield, (oh, and Rebecca Chambers is there too), team up together for the very first time to handle a mutant outbreak on Alcatraz Island. Fans are particularly excited as this is the first time in Resi canon that Kennedy and Valentine have ever crossed pa?ths.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-vkuA8oqMY

It looks like harmless, monster-mashing fun, with action that you'd expect places its tongue firmly in its cheek, but is probably intended as utterly earnest. This probably will not be the only Resident Evil news we receive this month, as Capcom has recently announced a Capcom Showcase stream to take place this Monday, June 12. We can likely expect updates on updates for titles such as Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil Village, including?? the long-awaited "Separate Ways" D?LC for the former.

Resident Evil: Death Island launches on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, D??VD, and digital download July 25.

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Not to be confused with Mortal Kombat 1

Pre-production continues on New Line's incoming sequel to its surprisingly well-received adaptation Mortal Kombat �The sequel to the 2021 movie is currently in the casting process, with recent reports suggesting Tati Gabrielle is in final talks to pick up the mantle of the Edenian assass??in, Jade.

TV and fantasy fans will recognize Gabrielle from her recurring roles in various TV series. Gabrielle played Prudence of The Weird Sisters in Netflix' The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, as well as librarian Marienne Bellamy in the acclaimed psychological thriller series You. For video game fans, Gabrielle may be most recognizable from her turn as the villainous mercenary Jo Braddock, who made life difficult for Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg in Sony Pictures' Uncharted.

Gabrielle is a great fit for Jade, who made her debut in 1993's Mortal Kombat II as a hidden character, before becoming a roster mainstay. One of the most p??opular of the kult kharacters, Jade is typified by her love and loyalty of Princess Kitana, whom she is charged with bodyguarding, and utilizes a mythic Bojutsu staff and boomerang in battle. A master of stealth and assassination??, Jade is able to move swiftly in the shadows, practically unseen, before striking with deadly efficiency.

Mortal Kombat 2 is expected to commence shooting this summer. Seeing somewhat more recognizable names such as Gabrielle and Karl Urban show up in casting is perhaps a testament to the original film's financial suc?cess, clearly allowing New Line to throw a little more cash at this sequel and take a few more gambles on its theatrical success.

Mortal Kombat 2 is not to be confused with Mortal Kombat II. Nor is it the sequel to upcoming video game Mortal Kombat 1, nor the original 1995 Mortal Kombat movie.

Tati Gabrielle in Final Talks?? to Play Jade in Mortal Kombat 2 [The Hollywood Reporter]

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The Boys star tipped to play MK's arrogant megastar

Whispers out of Tinseltown are suggesting that Karl Urban is in final talks with New Line to portray arrogant Hollywood star Johnny Cage in the studio's upcoming sequel to 2021's Mortal Kombat.

According to TheWrap, Urban, perhaps best known for playing the titular role in the excellent Dredd (2012), as well as portraying Billy Butcher in the smash hit Amazon show The Boys, is rumored to be on the cusp of accepting the role, which will see him don the wraparound shades of one of the most well-known and grudgingly beloved characters in the Mortal Kombat franchise. Johnny C?age, as fans will know, is depicted as a martial arts expert with an ego a mile wide and a line in smart-arse dial??ogue.

Would Urban be suited to the role? Well, he certainly has the acting chops and the physical presence for the role, but he's most definitely a little rugged and rough around the edges to portray the whitened-teeth smugness of our man Cage. Urban is a clear Kano, but that role was taken up (ably, I might add) by Josh Lawson in the original film. Personally, I'd like to see Urban adapt the role of Cage, presenting a former martial arts A-lister who has somewhat lost his way, but is still fully convinced that he's the best actor/fighter on the block... Basically, a sort of satire of modern-d?ay Steven Seagal.

Mortal Kombat 2 is expected to commence shooting presently, helmed by returning director Simon McQuoid. The original film, while a little campy, was good, harmless fun, and featured some pretty flashy martial arts sequences and a spirited sense of humor. The addition of Johnny Cage could, by default, make him the protagonist of the piece, so I'm not sure where that would leave MK's Original Character Do Not Steal Cole Young.

Oh, and before people jump on the social media bandwagon of?? calling for The Miz' casting: I get it, his WWE persona is arrogant and yes, he also wears sunglasses. But let's cast someone who can definitely carry a movie and knows whe??n to dial it down. File this under "Ronda Rousey should definitely play Captain Marvel in the MCU."

New Line's Mortal Kombat 2 is currently in production at New Line Cinema.

Karl U??rban Reportedly Set to Play John?ny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2 [TheWrap]

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But who's your favorite?

Legendary anime producer TMS Entertainment has released a new trailer for its upcoming animated movie Resident Evil Death Island, which will see a who's who of Resi heroes gather together to battle the rotting forces?? of bio-weapons corporation Umbrella.

The new trailer is something of an exciting moment for fans of Capcom's survival horror series, as it brings together a party of beloved Resident Evil characters, some of whom will be meeting for the very first time in series history. The preview, which you can check out below, sees Redfield siblings Chris and Claire team up with former R.P.D. officer Leon S. Kennedy, S.T.A.R.S. Bravo team medic Rebecca Chambers, and �the Master of Unlocking herself �Jill Valentine. A pretty exciting team-up for the community, that's for sure, and one that frankly should have happened as the theme of Resident Evil 4.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=T??hmEKGQC_s8&ab_channel=KADOKAWAanime

It should be noted that the trailer is, putting it mildly, fucking bonkers. Following on from some Tom Cruise-esque mo??torbike stunt silliness, we see our heroes battle flesh-eating zombies, undead sharks, and T-Virus packing Lickers on a deserted Alcatraz Island. At one point, Chris Redfield casually arms himself with a rocket launcher like it's nothing, and a hilarious moment sees the team attempt to one-up each other while dodging a mutated tentacle. Silly? Very. Kinda cruddy looking? That too...

The true sequel to Resident Evil 3? Absolutely.

Resident Evil Death Island will premiere in Japan July 7, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has picked up the rights for a western release, and the film is expected to release in North America and Eu??rope later in 2023.

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Biggest animated movie opening of all time

Illumination release The Super Mario Bros Movie has smashed box office records in its opening weekend, with a recorded $377 million global box office affording the Nintendo adaptation the mant?le of biggest-ever opening for an animated movie.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which opened in American theaters on Wednesday, April 5, has seen sensational early success, with opening numbers surpassing those of the previous record holder, Walt Disney's 2019 sequel Frozen 2. The film, which sees Chris Pratt take up the role of the iconic Nintendo mascot, is being touted by analysts to become the highest-grossing movie of 2023, a feat that the animated movie looks set to achieve wit??h ease, desp?ite receiving mediocre reviews from many outlets.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjNc??TBXTk4I?&ab_channel=Illumination

While trailers have shown much promise in regards to the big-screen version of the Mushroom Kingdom and its denizens, some critics have lambasted the film for being all sizzle and no steak, complaining of wafer-thin storytelling, egregious use of cliched music, breathless pacing, and world-building that relies purely on reference recognition. Clearly, these comments have �and will �not divert the attention of the movie-going public, with the Mario Bros Movie set to dominate the spring box office and deliver further on the st?reaming and home release market for the remainder of the year.

Hope you like video game adaptations. We?'re about to get a decade of them. Shuffle over, Marvel.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is now showing in No?rth America, Europe, a??nd China. It will premiere in Japan on April 27.

Super Mario Bros. Movie barrel?s to record $204 million (US) debut [Variety]

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Movie: The Game: The Movie

Behaviour Interactive's asymmetical multiplayer horror game, Dead by Daylight, will soon hit the silver screen courtesy of Blumhouse and Atomic Monsters. There currently is neither a screenwriter nor director signed to the project, so that’s more or less all? we’re getting for now in terms of concrete information.

“In Dead by Daylight, the Behaviour team has created a love letter to the world of horror, building an incredible environment teeming with atmosphere and terrifying villains �perfect for a scary cinematic adaptation. We’re big fans of the game at Atomic Monster, and are thri??lled to be teaming up with Blumhouse to bring this frighteningly visceral world to the big screen,�says? Atomic Monster Founder and CEO James Wan.

Dead by Daylight is a constantly expanding title that has grown to absorb characters from other video game and movie franchises like Resident Evil, Scream, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. As James Wan pointed out in his PR quote, the gam??e is a love letter to slasher movies. That kind of makes me confused about why it needs to be adapted into a movie. It’s strength is emulati?ng movies already, so you’re essentially making a game about movies into a movie.

[embed]//youtu.be/JGhIXLO3ul8[/embed]

I guess it’s a?? brand recognition thing here. Ev??erything’s about branding.

Still, it’s a largely empty foundation to build a narrative on, so it could be really good. It certainly has the studio pow??er behind it, even though we don’t have any idea what the creative force is goin?g to look like.

In the opposite motion, Blumhouse just recently announced that they’ve established a video game studio of their own, so I look forward to a game based on the Dead by Daylight movie.

Dead by Daylight was released in the halcyon days of 2016. It’s currently available on PC, mobile, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One??, and Xbox Series X|S.

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Michael B. Jordan will star

Video game adaptations are everywhere these days -- why not throw another one on the pile? We now know there's a Rainbow Six movie coming from Paramount, and it's just been announced that John Wick director Chad Stahelski is attached to the project, as covered by The Hollywood Reporter in an exclusive. Actor Michael B. Jordan is also involved, and he'll star as John Clark -- the protagonist of Tom Clancy's famous book series that inspired the games. Jordan's already taken on the role of Clark after starring in the 2021 film Without Remorse which was also based on Clancy's work.

This new movie will likely serve as a sequel to Without Remorse, as at the end of the film, Clark is planning to establish the famed multinational anti-terrorist "Rainbow" team. While the first film only took inspiration from Clancy's writing, this potential sequel will instead focus on the team that was made so popular by Ubisoft's game series: Rainbow Six. Details are sparse as of now, as the movie does not yet ha??ve a release date or plot summary, so keep in mind that it's all pretty much speculation. Even so, it's hard to imagine they'd p?ass on drawing inspiration from the games at least a little bit, especially for an action movie.

[caption id="attachment_358479" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Paramount Pictures[/caption]

Chad Stahelski is best known for his directorial debut with the John Wick movies, but he's actually been around the industry for a long time as a stuntman, having worked on films like The Matrix, Van Helsing, and Escape from L.A. H??ere's hoping that such a prolific figure in the action space will make unique, compelling work of the IP he's drawing on because a lot of fans are hoping to see their favorite series done justice on the silver screen.

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I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my life

The Matrix was red hot when I was in high school. I remember the anticipation my friends and I had for the upcoming Matrix Reloaded. I also remember the subtle disappointment that crept in when it was released. It wasn’t horrible, I guess it just wasn’t what we were hoping for. Matrix Revolutions kind of just nailed the coffin shut. What a da??rk time.

Around that time came Enter the Matrix, which probably still stands as the most ambitious attempt to tie a game into a movie series�canon. The Wachowskis were heavily involved, the live-action cutscenes had the same look as the movie, and parts of the plot were heavily extrapolated in the game. From a narrative perspective, it fit so well, but when it came to gameplay, well�/p>

I wasn’t terribly impressed by it as a teenager. My favorite part was the way you could unlock cheats through this command line mini-game. It was really cool, and someone obviously put a lot of work into it. The rest of the game, though. Somehow Enter the Matrix is even worse than I remember.

[caption id="attachment_357363" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Never send a human to do a machine's job

I find it amusing that the complaint I remember most about when Enter the Matrix was going through the press wringer is that you don’t get to play as Neo. He features very little in the game as a whole, even though the plot is parallel to the movie. Instead, you play as either Naobi or Ghost, who are featured in Matrix Reloaded in more minor ways.

The plot might be the one reason to ever return to Enter the Matrix. As I said earlier, the Wachowskis filmed over an hour of cutscenes with the actors. Without any introduction to the materials, you might’ve mistaken them for being pulled directly from Matrix Reloaded rather than having been made for the game. Some elements that were glossed over in the movie receive greater detail in the game. The recall of the captains, the highway chase, and the sabotage of the power plant all cross over with the mo?vie, lending greater context ??to the plotlines.

I’d make the comparison and say that this is like Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, but that was a plot inserted in and around the existing material. Enter the Matrix was designed to sit alongside it, and while this is tantalizingly am?bitious, it would not only prove to be the game’s downfall ??but would also cheapen the movie.

[caption id="attachment_357364" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

How do you define real?

The most major issue that arose from having Enter the Matrix be intended as a companion piece is that it had to come out in unison with the movie. Although Enter the Matrix did have a reasonable development time of about 2 years, it’s plain to see that it wasn’t finished. There ??are a lot of great ideas and small touches, but I’d have a difficult time fingering one that feels tight or polished.

If I had to theorize, I’d imagine that the development time wasn’t sufficient due to both the difficulty in working closely with the Wachowskis and over-ambition. I’m not implying the Wachowskis were demanding �I haven’t seen either side of the development stating complaints �it’s more that they were already busy directing the movies and coordinating with animators for the Animatrix.

That’s enough theorizing, however. The result is that the game is a mess. It’s the debris from a city-destroying meteorite impact. Contemporary reviews weren’t great, and more recent retrospectives seem to dance around the game’s failing, but often while playing through Enter the Matrix, my brain conjured images from Superman for the N64. I’m not saying it’s as bad?, but the way that nothing seems to click into place is just eerily si??milar.

[caption id="attachment_357365" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Not like this

That’s not to say there’s nothing of value in Enter the Matrix beyond the high-quality cutscenes. A lot of its idea would have been neat if they were executed with a greater degree of polish. The interplay between hand-to-hand combat and gunslinging is, uh, present. You can point to Max Payne as being a better Matrix series, but they games are more about shootouts and omit the martial arts that contribute to a lot of fight scene?s.

However, actually getting in a shootout is as basic and boring as it could poss?ibly be. Drawing your weapon and firing is the same button on the Gamecube controller, and you merely need to vaguely point your character in t?he direction of what you want to die and they’ll handle the rest as best they can. If you’re feeling sassy, you can lock on with R, but remember to let go when you want to target someone else because your character doesn’t take death as a good reason to change targets. You can zoom in and aim manually, but only if you don’t trust your character, which is understandable. Sometimes they’re willing to aim at the person across the room, but more often, they won’t acknowledge them until they’re being given a lapdance.

You can activate focus, which is usually more affectionately known as “bullet time.�Using this not only gives you more opportunity to react, but also makes your character hit harder and aim better. You can also dodge bullets and leap around like a gibbon on a hot plate, which gives you basically everything you need for a complete Matrix experie?nce, so long as it can stop squirreling out for a ?few minutes.

[caption id="attachment_357366" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Denial is the most predictable of all human responses

Again, to the credit of Enter the Matrix, there’s a lot of contextualized movement in the game. You can run up walls, dive back??ward, dive forward, run up a wall and kick someone in the face. If all of this was combined in a way that was well polished, it would open up for some pretty grand gun-fu. Instead, it’s more often just slow-motion slap-fighting.

The A.I. is cataclysmically daft. Mashing buttons never really fails to work; it’s mostly just up to you whether you kick or punch them to death. There are throws and disarming techniques, but when slow-motion fists work so well, I rarely found a need for it. If anything, throwing someone to the ground was detrimental to your progress, as trying to hit someone when they’re down is so dishonorable, that your character will rarely cooperate and do it. Shooting? them when they’re down is much more reliable, but it takes a decade to pull a shotgun out of your pants.

All the action is apparently moti?on-captured by the actor’s stunt doubles, and a lot of effort has gone into replicating the choreography of the movie, but it all goes together in such a jittery, incohesive mess. On medium difficulty, learning how to pull off all the maneuvers isn’t even as i?mportant as managing your focus and health as resources.

[caption id="attachment_357367" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony

That’s to say nothing of the horren??dous level design that left m??e lost in areas where I had already been. Or the in-game cutscenes that sometimes feel like they were edited together at the very last minute. Much of the non-combat animation is horrendous and the graphics for a 2003 game are terrible. Once again, all things that point to a rushed development.

Playing as Ghost and Niobe allow for some divergence. Levels play out differen?tly, and while sometimes the objectives are the same, in some situations, you actually complete complimenting goals. Niobe always drives the vehicles, for example, while Ghost rides shotgun. With Niobe, you actually get behind the wheel in some poorly designed driving sections, wherea??s Ghost has more of an on-rails shooter.

When it all comes together, “jank�isn’t a sufficient word to describe the sheer depth of the problems Enter the Matrix has. I play a lot of bad games, as that’s the point of this column, but rarely have I been as awestruck as I’ve been with Enter the Matrix. It’s obvious there was a lot of passion behind the project, but what we got was the interactive equivalent of emptying a toaster’s crumb trap. I’d say it would be worth playing merely as a companion to Matrix Reloaded, but the possibility that ??I’d be interested in ano??ther watch of that movie seems rather remote.

This is a long shot, but what I would love is if someone made another attempt at Enter the Matrix. Like, take the cutscenes and build an entirely new game around them. With new talent, modern technology, and no looming deadline, just try the concept again. That’s a situation where I’d actually watch Matrix Reloaded?? again; if the video g??ame companion to it was actually worth playing.

For previous Weekly Kusoge, check this link!

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Adaptation approaches wrapping phase

It seems that Lionsgate's live-action adaptation of apocalyptic shooter Borderlands is almost in the can. As reported by Deadline, the bombastic-sound?ing sci-fi flick has entered its reshoot phase, bringing in a new pair of eyes to put the finishing touches to what sounds like a particularly wild cinematic adventure.

While gorehound Eli Roth is credited as the director of the adaptation, the Hostel lensman has left the project at the final hour, as he has finally received the go-ahead to start work on his slasher throwback Thanksgiving �a project that Roth has been trying to get off the ground for well over a decade. Lionsgate has brought in Deadpool's Tim Miller to direct reshoots for Borderlands, with Deadline reporting that situation is ??extremely amicable between all p??arties.

Based on the pulpy video game series, Borderlands features an all-star cast as the band of rag-tag reprobates on the search for hidden treasure in a desolate and dystopian universe. As we have previously reported, the new film stars Cate Blanchett as world-weary outlaw Lillith, Kevin Hart as disgraced mercenary Roland, Jamie Lee Curtis as the unpredictable scientist Tannis, Ariana Greenblatt as cutesy bomb-lovin' maniac Tiny Tina manic explosives expert Tiny Tina, (along with her protector, Krieg (Florian Munteanu). The party of anti-heroes will be joined by wise-ass robot Claptrap who will be voiced by Jack Black.

Borderlands, as an incredibly visual franchise, has a lot of potential for its big-screen transition. With capable hands both behind and in front of the camera, it could prove to be a pretty darn entertaining venture. Projects such as these are not always the sum of their parts, but here's hoping that the finished film offers an authentically chaotic slice of in??terstellar action when its raggedy curtain finally rises.

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Hopefully it will launch faster than the movie

Sony Pictures' cinematic adaptation of Naughty Dog's adventure series Uncharted is to be further adapted into a new theme park ride: a roller coaster to be situated in Spanish park PortAventura World.

As reported by Variety, the new Uncharted coaster is described as a "multi-dimen??sional" dark ride, (that's an indoor coaster for all of you not adept in the art of roller coasting). Riders will be treated to a pre-show as they stand in line, before hurtling off into "unexplored territories" on a quest for unexplored treasure. The ride itself will feature 700 meters of track and will feature five launches with up to 1G of acceleration.

//twitter.com??/PortAventura_UK/status/1597954888037650434?s=20&t=xMqs09FCenwMTWPNoupbMw

That's not really the kind of "breakneck" that I'd associate with jovial psychopath/treasure hunter Nathan Drake, but as the ride is based on the 2021 movie, rather than the video game series, I'm sure that thrilling action and adventure are more on the ride's agenda �rather than machine-gunning mercenaries and performing krav maga takedowns. I hope the spiders from Uncharted 3 show up.

The Uncharted ride will be the latest in a litany of video game and movie-themed attractions to thrill and engage parkgoers over the years. Franchises such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Tomb Raider, Mario Kart, and Resident Evil have all had featured rides installed at various parks in the past, while rides based on film franchises such as Indiana Jones, Star Wars, The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jurassic Park, and The Mummy have also pulled in the punters. Perhaps the most famous of these was Universal Studios' Back to the Future ??attraction, which ran seasonally for an amazing 16 years.

In completely related unrelated news: I have a video from 1978 where Vincent Price disc??usses the history of roller coasters while riding roller coasters. He calls them "rolleee coasters" for the entire duration.

The Uncharted ride is expected to o?pen mid-2023 at PortAventura World, Barcelona, Spain.

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Knock my block off

When it comes to unpredictable gaming announcements in 2022, nothing is going to beat the news that 1988's Z-movie Killer Klowns from Outer Space was being adapted into a modern-day video game �While it still something of a leftfield concept, Teravision Games has offered up a littl?e more info on how accurately the developer is hoping to recapture the grotesque gory glory of the source material.

In a new blog post on the official website, Teravision details some side-by-side co?mparisons focusing on the locations, weapons, and, of course, the Killer Klowns themselves, showing the attention to detail being applied to the new asymmetrical adventure. While the characters and settings all?? look pretty superb, perhaps the best element on show here is the recreation of the film's aesthetic �its visual tone, its heightened use of vulgar color, and its unsettling emphasis on the juxtapositioned shadows.

It's looking pretty faithful, that's for ??sure. Check out the comparison shots in thi??s new trailer.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqS8joebwLo

As for the game outline itself, it is believed that KKfOS will be a chase-and-fight multiplayer title in the vein of Dead by Daylight, Predator: Hunting Grounds, and the upcoming Texas Chain Saw Massacre. A team of? Crescent Cov??e civilians will take on the Cirque de Puree itself, attempting to prevent the Klown invasion while staying one step ahead of their clumsy gloved hands �lest you end up a ball of cotton candy or a mound of acid cream pie. It's a fun idea, and it will be great to see the title in action as it continues along the road to the big top.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game is currently in development for PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms. Interested goofballs can sign up for a future beta over on the official website. In the meantime, read more about t?he or??iginal movie and how it came to fruition right here.

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Let's get this dude in a cardboard box

Top-tier thesp Oscar Isaac has reiterated his desire to get a Metal Gear Solid movie off of the drawing board and onto the silver screen �Speaking in an interview with ComicBook.com, the Star Wars, Ex Machina, and Annihilation star spoke of his continu?ed ambition to make this ?ongoing project a reality.

"We want it to happen," said Isaac in an abridged quote. "Be excited. What's the script? What's the story? What's the take? [...] Hopeful that comes to fruition because there's so much potential for that. It's an incredible game. It's ??my favorite."

There have been murmurs of a big-screen adaptation of Hideo Kojima's masterpiece PlayStation title ever since its initial 1998 release. Right now, the possibility of a Solid Snake movie seems more likely than ever, with Isaac on board to star and Jordan Vogt-Roberts (The Kings of Summer, Kong: Skull Island) penciled in to direct. With only a few ?names on deck, and no production schedule or release window even hinted at, we likely have some years to go before we hear the famous codec jingle rattling in our local IMAX th??eater.

In the meantime, you can check out Mr. Isaac's turn as Marvel's brooding avenger, Moon Knight, on the Disney+ network. In addition, his new, neo-noir graphic novel, Head Wounds: Sparrow, is available to order now from Legendary Comics.

Osc??ar Isaac Gives Update on Metal Gear Solid Movie [ComicBook]

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Christophe Gans back behind the lens

Alongside the slew of new and old video games announced during yesterday's Silent Hill Transmission live stream, Konami also revealed the existence of a brand new movie, Return to Silent Hill.

The live-action horror title will be directed by Christophe Gans, who was behind the lens for the original 2006 Silent Hill film adaptation �considered by many to be one of the better game-to-movie adaptations. Speaking in a short promo reel, which you can check out below, Gans revealed that the new film will be based upon the plot of 2001 game Silent Hill 2 �which is itself a fa??n favorite among the franchise's dedicated community.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_FOVN-UkEI

"This return is my return to a world, a universe I touched in 2006... 15 years ago," recalls Gans in the clip. "The film was a great success and we decided to go back to the best of these stories.... Silent Hill 2. The film tells the story of a young guy coming back to Silent Hill, where he ?has known a great love [but] what? he's going to find is a pure nightmare."

Konami also took the opportunity to officially announce a remake of Silent Hill 2 itself, which will be headed up by the horror gaming heads of Bloober Team. In fact, it was also suggested that Return to Silent Hill is something of a catalyst for the various incoming gaming efforts, with Konami hoping that the new film will inspire players to div?e back into the digital fog of the cursed town.

Return to Silent Hill will begin shooting in early 2023.

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The Mario movie leaps into action on April 7

Well, it's finally here. Today, we got the world premiere trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, from Nintendo and Illumination.

Shown off during a special Nintendo Direct today, we got a little bit?? of info from Shigeru Miyamoto and Illumination's Chris Meledandri on the putting-tog?ether of this collaboration.

Then, we got to see the trailer. We see an in??tro scene of Bowser and Kamek arriving to overthrow a penguin kingdom, eventually grabbing a star in the process. Then, we pan over to see Chris Pratt's Mario, hearing his ??take on the iconic plumber for the first time alongside a big look at the Mushroom Kingdom.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPpazvJrHm0

Mario goes to the movies

Reports of Nintendo and Illumination's team-up first started in 2017. In the time since, we've had a few crumbs here and there, including a full voice cast reveal last year. Alongside Pratt's role as Mario, several celebrities are set to len?d their talents, ranging from Charlie Day as Luigi to Keegan-Michael Key as T?oad. Both of those got a little spotlight in today's trailer too, though the main show was Mario and Bowser.

The video game-movie adaptation pipeline has certainly grown over the last few years. Sonic the Hedgehog has had two major motion pictures and more is on the way, leading the way for many more. PlayStation has been kicking up its own productions, with an Uncharted movie already out and The Last of Us headed to HBO.

This obviously isn't Mario's f?irst silver screen appearance, but it's a pretty big one. I will say, Jack Black's Bowser works pretty well for me. As for some of the others, I'm going to need to hear more (I was a little bummed we didn't hear more of Day as Luigi, or see Princess Peach at all).

The Super Mario Bros. Movie hits theaters on April 7, 2023.

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Hopper can't drive 55

A Stranger Things actor is getting behind the wheel for a PlayStation picture. David Harbour has been cast to star in the upcoming Gran Turismo movie.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions feature will cast Harbour as a retired driver and mentor. Harbour has garnered notoriety as Hopper in Stranger Things and as the Red Guardian in the Marvel universe.

The Gran Turismo movie will follow a teenage Gran Turismo player whose skills in-game lead to him win????ning a series of Nissan competitions. And thanks to his skills, he gets a chance to become a professional racecar driver.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQEondeGvKo

Neill Blomkamp, of District 9, is directing the project, with a script written by Jason Hall and Zach Baylin. Gran Turismo crea??tor Kazunori Yamauchi is executive producing, alongside Hall.

It's set for a theatrica?l premi?ere on August 11, 2023.

More PlayStation pictures on the way

Sony has quite a number of different media projects and adaptations on the way, alongside Gran Turismo.

The HBO series of The Last of Us recently got a short teaser. A Twisted Metal TV adaptation has wrapped filming for the Peacock streaming service. Netflix recently confirmed its Horizon series is in development under The Umbrella Academy's showrunner.

And that's not counting reports of several other projects in development, ranging from Days Gone to Gravity Rush.

Basically, a lot of PlayStation franchises are getting their shot at the silver screen. Which, given the reception to Uncharted, could be a good or bad thing. What HBO has shown so far for The Last of Us TV series seems to be ?getting the tone right, at the least.

As for the Gran Turismo series, Gran Turismo 7 sounds like it turned out pretty solid. Hopefully that? bodes well for its media adaptation aspirations.

_{Lead image via Netflix}

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Netflix signs on some notable talent for the underwater story

The BioShock film adaptation has found its director and scriptwriter. Netflix confirms today that I Am Legend director Francis Lawrence will be the BioShock director, with a script written by Michael Green.

Lawrence has a pretty solid list of action-thrillers on his resume, including I Am Legend and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Meanwhile, Green has penned scripts for Logan, Blade Runner 2049, and American Gods.

//twitter.com/netflix/status/1562864632708050945

These two will be tackling a live-action adaptation of the BioShock franchise. It's unclear which parts of that franchise will be adapted, but the Big Daddy is featured in Netflix's promos so far. It seems like an underwater venture seems like a ??safe bet.

 Would you kindly pass the remote?

Netflix also announced some more news for its ongoing video game adaptations, locking in The Umbrella Academy showrunner Steve Blackman for the development of its Horizon Zero Dawn series. Alongside Castlevania, Tekken, a?nd more,?? that's a lot of adaptations for Netflix.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3RXpEXA0jw

And there are even more if you take a look around the entertainment industry. Sony is heavily developing several different projects, including reports of Days Gone and Gravity Rush movies. Sonic the Hedgehog is doing well at the box office.

Basically, get ready for a lot of video game adaptations. It seems like the dam is open, and they're all going to flood in soon. At the very least for the BioShock film, this is a good pairing of writer and director. I've enjoyed a good chunk of their previous work, and they seem like a pairing that could tackle something like BioShock in an interesting way.

And hey, this news plus the recent 15th anniversary make for a good excuse to revisit BioShock. Here's ho??ping we get to see a Big Daddy on the screen soon.

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The Blue Blur returns to the silver screen

Paramount Pictures has quickly realized that it is on to a good thing and to strike while the iron is most assuredly hot �as such, the studio has announced that the second sequel in the hugely successful Sonic the Hedgehog movie franchise will premiere December 2024, a little over two years on from the release of the most recent entry, Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

"Running faster, flying higher, and punching harder," teased the studio on the official Sonic Twitter. "#SonicMovie3 hits theatres on December 20, 2024."

//twitter.com/Son?icMovie/status/1556795919688798208?s=20&t=cR4FO9LhiLrIFBXxSEkAsQ

No further details pertaining to plot, cast, or crew were announced, though it would be very unsurprising to see Ben Schwartz, Idris Elba, and Colleen O'Shaughnessey return to their respective roles of Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails. Given the success of the previous movies, one would also expect Paramount to roll out the buc??ks to resecure director Jeff Fowler for the new sequel.

The original Sonic the Hedgehog movie was launched to praise from critics and fans in February 2020, one of the last major releases before the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic began wreaking havoc on the global film industry. Following a tumultuous production period beset by the notorious "Ugly Sonic" reveal, ?the finished film was a massive success, earning a huge $319 million global box offi?ce.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 premiered in April of this year and, while critical praise was a little cooler on the movie itself, the box office was not, with the film pulling in $402 million. When you factor in that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has been given a prime holiday spot for its release date, it's easy to see that Paramount has massive faith in the franchise, and clearly expects the third movie to perform better still. As for Ugly Sonic... well, he's doing surprisingly well, all things considered.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 premieres in theaters December 20, 2024.

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And it's not even finished its world tour

Paramount Pictures has revealed that the blockbuster Sonic sequel is continuing to pull in the punters as it speeds its way through worldwide theaters. As reported by Deadline, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has smashed past an incredible $400 million USD box office since its release in April of this year?.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=47r8FXYZWNU

The movie, already pushing to be the highest-grossing video gam?e adaptation of all time, sees The Blue Blur (voiced by Ben Schwartz), in a race against the evil Dr??. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) to recover the fabled Chaos Emeralds. Sonic is assisted on his journey by long-time pal Tails (Colleen O'Shaughnessey) and must face down the powerful and mysterious echidna, Knuckles (Idris Elba). The sequel was praised for its comical script and likable characters, but criticized for its length and relatively rote narrative.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is currently number eight in the Top Ten Highest Grossing Movies of 2022, with the sequel still yet to hit the financially lucrative box office markets of Hong Kong and Japan, which will likely add further coffers to the Paramount Pictures vault. Of course, the incredible success of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a consistent reminder of how things could have been so different for the cinematic adaptation. Still, it's good to know that the "original" movie Sonic still eventually found his way into cinema hi??story.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is available now on streaming services, with a Blu-ray and DVD release planned for August. Sonic Origins launches today on Pl??ayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

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They're really doing it

Video game adaptations continue to be all the rage, and now Duke Nukem gets to join in. The movie rights to Duke Nukem have been acquired by Legendary Entertainment.

The Hollywood Reporter reports that Legendary has quite an interesting crew on board to produce the Duke Nukem project, too. Cobra Kai creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg are reportedly on boa??rd.

Alongside Legendary Entertainment, Marla Studios will also be on to produce. Marla Studios was founded by Assassin's Creed (the movie) producer Jean-Julien Baronnet and specializes in video game adaptations. THR reports the search for a writer is underway, and there's no director? attached just yet either.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZahQltQK5xQ

There was a Duke Nukem film project in the works not too long ago, over at Paramount. The ??project even had wrestling superstar John Cena attached to it, but the film reportedly stalled out.

The Duke is back?

By all accounts, this is some wild news. Duke Nukem may have been a heavy-hitter of the arena shooter era, but the series has stalled out. The infamously catastrophic Duke Nukem Forever seemed like it had forever shut the lid on new Duke Nukem games.

But not all video game heroes of the '90s have faded into obscurity. Lara Croft had her revival in both video game and movie form, and Serious Sam has kept trucking along. 2016's Doom was a brilliant revitalization,?? but it also made Doomguy a household name again.

Does Duke Nukem still have that appeal? Either way, Legendary Entertainment is picking the right team. The Cobra Kai is pretty dang good, and I'd imagine those showrunners could do something interesting with Duke. To be honest, after re-visiting the old Cena news, I'm now picturing a Peacemaker-style take on Duke Nukem and thinking it could somehow work.

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I'm still having nightmares about those tiny teeth

Who could forget ugly Sonic? After his horrifying design was announced to the world with a poster for the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie, he became one of the biggest memes of 2019. Fans, myself included, were disgusted by how human-like he was, especially when it came to his hands, eyes, and teeth. Following the tidal wave of backlash online, the studio finally decided to completely revamp Sonic's design ??for the live-actio??n movie, and it actually worked out for the better. But it seems that no one has forgotten, and certainly not forgiven.

So when the new Disney+ movie Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers featured a main plot thread of a wide variety of animated characters living alongside humans a la Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, the film's director, Akiva Schaffer (of Lonely Island fame), told Polygon that he saw ??his opportunity and took it. That's right, he fought tooth and nail to get Ugly Sonic in the movie, and apparently it took quite a bit of finessing? from the studio's lawyers to get the licensing all in order.

//tw??itter.com/GusLanzetta/status/1527631973153390593

A video has surfaced online of?? Ugly Sonic in action �the scene features him manning a bo??oth at a fan convention, and discussing newfound opportunities for his career that have arisen from his notoriety online.

The best part? Ugly Sonic is voiced by none other than Tim Robinson of I Think You Should Leave, and I honestly couldn't thi??nk of anyone better su?ited for the role. Robinson is able to achieve just the right level of smarminess for the character, and I have to admit it does make me want to see more of him. I think it's the fringe suede jacket that seals it for me.

This isn't the first time we've seen a meme become cemented in pop culture history in the past few years �after joke screenshots of Matthew Lillard doing interviews about his character Shaggy for the live-action Scooby-Doo movies surfaced, Powerful Shaggy began to materialize. Now Shaggy is an ultra-powerful fighter in the Warner Bros. Smash clone MultiVersus, which none of the Scooby-Doo shows, movies, or games foreshadowed. No,? Powerful Shaggy started as a meme and has now been cemented in the pop culture canon, and Ugly Sonic follows in his footsteps.

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Gotta Get Cash

Sega has proudly announced that Paramount Pictures' Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is officially the highest-grossing movie adaptation of a video game franchise at?? the U.S. box of?fice.

The colorful, action-packed sequel has smashed a $331 million USD in U.S. ticket sales, surpassing that of its predecessor, Sonic the Hedgehog, which raked in an? equally impressive $319 million during its spring 2020 release run. For the sake of clarity, it should be noted tha??t the original movie was released during the early days of the global COVID-19 lockdown legislation, which obviously hampered the film's initial performance at the box office.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=47r8FXYZWNU

Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which opened April 8 in North American movie theaters and March 31 in international territories, had a fantastic launch, grossing $72.1 million in i?ts U.S. opening weekend while debuting at No.1 in the box office charts in 47 global markets. The sequel is still yet to open in Japan, which will only serve to add higher numbers to the film's bottom line. Directed by Jeff Fowler, the movie follows The Blue Blur, his buddy Tails, and their human pals as they attempt to wrest control of the mysterious Chaos Eme??rald away from no-goodnik Dr. Robotnik and a mysterious echidna known as "Knuckles."

Of course, the forever fascinating footnote to this entire affair is the controversy that plagued the initial trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog. The disastrous reception to Sonic's initial appearance led to the entire character design (and all related merchandise) being scrapped and restarted. It was a studio decision that, without a doubt, saved the film series from being reme?mbered as one of gaming's greatest calamities, and a reminder that, sometimes, it's best ?to simply not mess with the classics.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 opens in Japanese theaters on August 19.

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Caught between The Rock and a Hard Place

Amazon Studios has announced that it will helm the movie adaptation of Electronic Arts' award-winning co-op adventure It Takes Two. According to the Hollyweirds over at Variety, the film will be produced ??by Seven Bucks Productions, the studio founded by Dany Garcia and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnso?n.

It Takes Two, which launched on PC and consoles in March 2021, tells the story of an estranged married couple forced to work together after being magically transformed into their child's handmade dolls. Developed by Josef Fares' Hazelight Studios, It Takes Two has a heavy focus on cooperative gameplay, as two players synergize to surmount the many hazards and obstacles that lie in our heroes' path. It Takes Two would go on to bag the prestigious Game of the Year Award at The Game Awards in December 2021.

The movie is in its very early stages and, as such, neither a cast nor a release window has been announced. It is possible that Johnson could star in the film, having been featured in many Seven Bucks productions including Jungle Cruise, Skyscraper, Jumanji, Rampage, and the NBC series Young Rock. While that seems like something of a vanity project, I can't deny that if I had the cash, I'd cast myself in a ton of movies based on video games I liked. So watch out for my stellar turn as Misako in River City Girls: The Movie.

It Takes Two ??is available now on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms.

/??/www.tiktok.com/@destructoid/video/7092146080606883078?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7052788164067706?373

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The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach is now in 4K

A little piece of Nintendo history is being preserved thanks to the efforts of dedicated fans. Super Mario Bros. - The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach is availab?le right now, in a 4K restoration of the original 1986 anima?tion.

Originally released in 1986, the animation predates shows like Captain N or even the Super Mario Bros. live-action movie. It's been easy enough to track down a fan-dub or other version on YouTube. But this restoration takes some significant steps?? to be the go-to version for classic Mario.

The upload from FemboyFilms has both a 4K UHD and 1080p restoration, which you can find on YouTube or here on the Internet Archive, as spotted by Polygon. The restoration comes from a 16mm reduction print, likely used for local screenings when the animation was firs??t released.

One fan, Carnivol, managed to acquire a reel, believed to be one of, "if not THE only surviving print" in the world. They scanned it, and set out restoring it. After years working on the project, Carnivol entered an agreement with FemboyFilms to restore the film based o?n the existing scan.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzlZy9zpw0Q

A clearer picture

Two team members spent months removing thousands of individual p??ieces of debris manually for the restor?ation. The latter color-corrected the entire film, using manga and promo materials for the movie as reference. Forest of Illusion contributed additional reference materials too, which helped with deciding what colors should look like.

Then, using the?? original VHS as a source, the crew created a brand-new audio capture. Alongside all of this, there's also a new subtitle track??. It sounds like a titanic undertaking, even for a whole team like this.

The result is the bizarre, offbeat Super Mario Bros. animation in a great resolution. The actual movie of The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach is fairly strange and dif??ferent from modern Mario. Yet without this effort, this piece of Mario's history might just be lost to time. In the great legacy of video game adaptations, it's good to have this so well-preserved moving forward.

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LOOK WHAT YOUR BROTHER DID TO THE DOOR!

Gun Interactive has revealed that upcoming hide 'n' hunt title The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: The Game, will retain the typical asymmetrical gameplay of titles such as Friday the 13th: The Game and Dead by Daylight, but w??ill be switching up the format in regards to its teams of hunters and survivors.

Unlike many recent asymmetrical titles, which often see a single overpowered killer chasing down teams of around four to five survivors, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre will instead feature three killers versus a team of four survivors. The killers are expected to be the three key members of the cinematic Sawyer family: The Hitch-hiker, The Cook, a????nd, of course, the terrifying Leatherface himself.

"We never want to make the same game twice. You either innovate or imitate, and I don’t have to tell you which one makes for a better game," said Gun Interactive CEO Wes Keltner. "Everyone at Gun prefers to innovate and push the genre forward. How do you do this? Well, when it came to the design of Texas we knew that 3vs4 was different. All the mechanics and features are built around this fun??damental rethinking of asymmetrical multiplayer."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAyQw3GT5GI

The key dynamic of switching up the team format lies in an effort to make the family feel powerful and frightening, while also offering key teamwork dynamics between both killers and survivors. It's interesting as a concept, but will make for some tough balancing. Leatherface is a force to be reckoned with alone by hot-pants-?wearing teenagers. Even if they gather together �dude has a fucking chainsaw.

It will be interesting to see how the balance of power is distributed, both among the hapless survivors and among the three individual members of The Sawyer Family. Will The Cook have skills that Leatherface does not? Will Leatherface be harder to bring down than The Cook? And will The Hitch-hiker be able to take shit photos ?and then attempt to scam you out of five bucks for the privilege?

One thing's for certain, as long as eve?rybody hates Fran??klin, then it's an authentic cinematic experience.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre: The Game is currently in development for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X. For further reading on Gun Interactive's mentality behind the title, check out the team's recent blog post.

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The most recent silver screen production of Mortal Kombat is getting a sequel

New Line's Mortal Kombat is reportedly greenlit for a follow-up. Deadline reports that a Mortal Kombat sequel is in the works with Moon Knight head writer Jeremy Slater on to write.

Further details on the follow-up are scarc?e. Deadline reports that no other deals for the sequel are locked at this point.

Mortal Kombat did pretty well in its box office opening, as it also premiered on HBO Max. And it was, for the most part, a pretty solid martial arts action flick. It used newcomer Cole Young to explore the world of Mortal Kombat and t?he conflict between Earthrealm and Outworld.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBa_aHwCbC4

Still, while introducing some movie-exclusive elements in one hand, it also kept faithful to the series' legacy with the o?ther. I was a big fan of its portrayal of characters like Jax and Hanzo Hasashi, a.k.a. Scorpion. The fight scene between Scorpion and Sub-Zero was pretty dang incredible.

For a new film, there's definitely still some lore left to use. It could move into an actual full-blown tournament, or go the Mortal Kombat: Annihilation route and mix elements of the first few games together. Hopefully wi??thout any Animalities, that is. Plus, the stinger at the end teased Cole head??ed off to Los Angeles to find the one and only Johnny Cage.

However far off a new installment is, it's nice to at least have some decently high hopes. I won't turn down an excuse to see another Mortal Kombat movie, and video game adaptations have been steadily improving over th??e years. Hopefully New Line can overcome t??he sequel slump with this one.

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