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NewJeans’ PUBG collab has already captured the attention of fans online

Posted on June 14, 2024 by faz_business

It seems like no world — physical nor digital — is immune to the girly pop flair of NewJeans. The globally famous K-pop group made its debut in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds as part of the 30.1 update on Wednesday. The collaboration adds each member of the group as a playable character, adorable accessories to dress up your characters, emotes for popular dances set to songs like “OMG,” and more. Equal parts bizarre and wonderful, the PUBG update has already captured the fascination of fans online.

Krafton released the NewJeans x PUBG: Battlegrounds collaboration on Wednesday to Windows PC users and will release it to console users on June 20. The PC patch has introduced some environmental changes as well. For example, the Taego School has been transformed into a sparkly rainbow wonderland and there’s now a pink and purple truck stage on the starting island of every 8 km map. You can play as any member of NewJeans — Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, or Hyein — and dress your character up in adorable pastel accessories. You can view all the details on the PUBG site.

The collaboration brings a vibrant pop of color to the gritty world of PUBG. Just like other live-service games, PUBG is no stranger to surprising collaborations. PUBG has featured collaborations with the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion and other games like Angry Birds. Despite that, the NewJeans collab manages to stick out from previous events and now people online are sharing videos showing the girls emoting in the game. The dances just look that good. Here is a video of Minji from NewJeans doing several dances from songs like “Super Shy” and “OMG.”

It’s only been a day, but people have already started to make memes of the girl group in the game. This video features several moments, including one where Haerin dances on a knocked out played and then shoots them at point blank range.

I personally can’t get this video of several characters joining in on dancing the choreo for “Hype Boy” out of my head.

There’s a lot to check out, so if a ton of Bunnies suddenly found themselves interested in trying out PUBG, I wouldn’t blame them.

Let’s Never Ever Remake Possession

Posted on June 13, 2024 by faz_business

Possession poster art by Barbara Baranowska — A crop of Barbara Baranowska’s iconic *Possession* (1981) poster art.

Yes, io9 used a very similar headline back in 2017 regarding a remake of The Crow—and Hollywood clearly did not listen; that long-in-the-works project is arriving in theaters this August. How The Crow do-over fares is yet to be seen (maybe Bill Skarsgård’s Joker look will work magic?), but we must insist, yet again, that another much-loved genre classic be left the hell alone, no matter how much we enjoy the involved talent.

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According to the Hollywood Reporter, Andrzej Zulawski’s singularly unsettling 1981 film Possession is chugging down the remake track with writer-director Parker Finn (Smile) and producer Robert Pattinson—an obvious choice to also star, though THR notes “his acting involvement will be clarified down the road as the script and schedules develop.” The original film stars Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani as a couple living in West Berlin whose marriage fractures amid surreal, supernatural circumstances. It’s haunting, and has since become a cult classic.

The trade also reports that multiple studios are currently battling over who will, uh, get possession of Possession, including “A24, Netflix, Paramount, Sony and Warner Bros,” and that “other companies may enter the fray.” Also of note: “the reception to the pitches has been extremely positive, with execs talking about the ‘batshit’ and ‘out there’ story but also its strong commercial potential. How to market the eventual movie is also part of the conversations.”

What do you think about remaking Possession—and for that matter, are you counting down to The Crow?

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Tell Us Your Thoughts on Furiosa

Posted on May 26, 2024 by faz_business

Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa in the titular 2024 film. — Image: Warner Bros.

Nearly 10 years ago, George Miller brought the Mad Max franchise blasting back to relevance with Fury Road. The film wasn’t just well-liked, it was basically a game changer for plenty of moviegoers and delivered them something they’d never really seen at the time. And of the many things to love about Fury Road, people fell greatly in love with Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa, who is more of the film’s true protagonist than Tom Hardy’s Max.

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When Miller revealed he was following up Fury Road with a prequel focused on Furiosa, eyebrows were definitely raised, particularly when Anya Taylor-Joy was cast as a young version of the character. Then we got to see Furiosa’s first trailer, and it instantly became clear Miller was about to cook yet again. Now that it’s out, people have gotten to experience what’s been said in the weeks since its premiere at Cannes: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is the real deal, and a more than welcome return to mad, mad car-heavy wasteland.

While not quite the revelation that Fury Road was, or at least not in the same way, critics and audiences have been fairly high on Furiosa. Amid criticisms of the pacing and visuals, those who like it really like it, particularly its cast and 15-year scope that makes it feel like the post-apocalyptic epic it’s been marketed as. With the summer movie season in full swing, this film will probably end up as the highlight for many once all is said and done.

If you saw Furiosa, let us know what you thought about it. Did it live up to whatever expectations you had, and wht do you want out of Miller and Mad Max next? Tell us in the comments below.

Bryan Fuller Has Departed Friday the 13th Prequel Series Crystal Lake

Posted on May 9, 2024 by faz_business

Mrs. Voorhees Friday the 13th — Image: Paramount Pictures/Warner Bros.

Friday the 13th prequel series Crystal Lake hasn’t aired a single episode and it already has a body count. The series, set for streaming on Peacock through A24, will no longer have Bryan Fuller—the Hannibal creator who’s no stranger to leaving projects early, including American Gods and Star Trek: Discovery—guiding the summer-camp slaughter.

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Fuller broke the news in a post shared to his Instagram and X accounts. “Adapting classic horror is something I have some experience with. These shows require a vision that elevates and transforms, as well as delivers what audiences have come to expect, which is an ambitious and risky endeavor. It requires people to take the leap with me,” he wrote. “When it works, as with Hannibal, the results can be powerful for the storytellers and the audience. I couldn’t be more proud of the work my co-showrunner Jim Danger Gray and I were able to accomplish with our brilliant writing staff despite the challenges we faced.”

Fuller continued, “For reasons beyond our control, A24 has elected to go a different way with the material. We hope the final product will be something Friday the 13th fans all over the world will enjoy.”

A report in Variety quotes Fuller’s social media post and characterizes the show’s writer, executive producer, and showrunner as having been “fired from the show due to creative differences.” However, the trade notes there’s still hope for the series itself, citing an unnamed source as confirming “the series order remains in place with hopes to line up a new showrunner as soon as possible.” Also, in contrast to a report last year that Fuller had cast original Friday the 13th star Adrienne King in the series, Variety writes that “production had not begun on the series, nor had any casting taken place.”

‘Banned’ Bluey Episode ‘Dad Baby’ Is Finally Viewable in the U.S.

Posted on May 3, 2024 by faz_business

Bluey Dad Baby Banned Episode — Image: Bluey – Official Channel

A Bluey episode originally released in 2020 everywhere except the United States finally gets the green light to be seen—with a catch: it’s only online (for now).

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“Dad Baby” was among a number of banned or altered episodes of the hit Ludo Studio global phenomenon that never made it onto Disney+ or the Disney cable channels when it was acquired by the streamer. It’s curious as to why because the official description on Bluey’s official YouTube channel is pretty straightforward: “When Dad shows the kids how to use their old baby-harness, a new game is born: Dad Baby! But dad is unprepared for the harsh realities of giving birth to a baby Bingo.”

It can be suggested that perhaps Disney initially didn’t want to include a very lightly sex-ed centered episode on the show aimed at their kid demographic. io9 watched the now-available episode and it’s not as much of a big deal as the banning was made out to be. “Dad Baby” is a relatable, hilarious depiction of a pregnancy—particularly from the point of view of kids who remember their younger siblings being born. Even the comedic bits—like when Bluey’s dad Bandit carries her sister Bingo as a baby in the “womb” and recalls what he witnessed with his wife Chili—are silly and inoffensive. And yes, he does go through it all down to “pushing” Bingo out, which leans more into the kids’ playacting aspect of Bluey wanting to know how babies come into the world. It’s cute, endearing, and a good emotional episode from the show that’s proved that it knows what it’s doing. If you wanna see if for yourself watch it below!

Dad Baby | Full Episode | Bluey

Most episodes of Bluey are now streaming on Disney+.

Google Wants to Show You More YouTube Ads When You Pause Videos

Posted on April 27, 2024 by faz_business

If you already hate ads on YouTube, then you’re going to have a bad time with Pause Ads. During its earnings calls on Thursday, Google crowed about the success of the tests it’s run on the ads, which could indicate the “feature” will roll out to even more watchers.

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As the name implies, Pause Ads are unskippable advertisements that play when you hit pause on a video. Google is trialing Pause Ads on TVs playing YouTube videos, and according to yesterday’s call, the company is happy with the results.

“In Q1, we saw strong traction from the introduction of a Pause Ads pilot on connected TVs, a new non-interruptive ad format that appears when users pause their organic content,” Philipp Schindler, senior vice president and chief business officer at Google, said in Thursday’s earnings call. “Initial results show that Pause ads are driving strong Brand Lift results and are commanding premium pricing from advertisers.”

Schindler didn’t say if Pause Ads will roll out to more YouTube users or if these unwanted advertisements will find their way to smaller screens like phones and desktops. YouTube first highlighted the feature last year in its Upfronts post saying how these ads were a great opportunity for brands to “drive awareness or action by owning that unique interactive moment when people pause a video.”

It’s no surprise that YouTube wants people to watch more of their ads because that’s where it gets a lot of its money. That and people who pay for YouTube Premium because they’re sick of the ads.

The video platform has been cracking down on ad blockers for the past year. This move appears to be helping Google’s bottom line as the company said in its earnings call that YouTube Ads revenue was up 21% over the same time last year.

Transformers One Will Have Younger, Messier Robots in Disguise

Posted on April 21, 2024 by faz_business

Megatron (D-16) and Optimus Prime in Transformers One. — Image: Paramount

Earlier in the week, we got our first look at Transformers One, and it probably didn’t look like what you were imagining. The animated movie, which is meant to serve as an origin story for Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth) and Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry)—here respectively known as Orion Pax and D-16—is sillier than expected, and predates the Autobot/Decepticon war that serves as the franchise’s foundation. If you’re on the fence after that trailer, director Josh Cooley’s here to assuage your concerns, and also give some more insight into how the movie will serve its characters.

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Talking to IGN, Cooley explained that the trailer’s comedy focus was in part to help audiences “fall in love with [Orion and D-16] as brothers and friends” before things hit the fan. “They’re from the same generation and have a very tight relationship,” he continued, “[and] something happens on their planet that they both have two different reactions to. By the end of this film, there’s some serious stakes.”

In D-16’s case, those stakes involve treating him like he’s not automatically booked to be a villain. Cooley described the future Megatron as someone who should be “very real and fully rounded. D-16 takes [things] to a place, just a lot of anger, but you understand why.” With Henry’s insight, the team ensured that audiences would relate to D-16 and get where he was coming from before an undescribed event changes his outlook on Cybertron in ways that lead to a “natural split” with Orion. Cooley hopes that before the credits roll, fans and newcomers will view D-16 and Orion’s conflict as a very real and tragic split between old friends.

As for Orion, he’s described by Cooley as someone who’s driven, but doesn’t always put the drive to its best use. He’ll have to discover how to earn the name Optimus Prime, and what being Optimus Prime really even means. “Like anybody else, there is a level of maturity that we don’t have unless we’ve gone through something. […] We’re really taking these characters to heart and treating them with the respect that they deserve and knowing where they’re going to end up. It’s just seeing how they get there.”

Transformers One comes to theaters on September 20.