MUCH OF WHAT IS PRODUCED

by independent content creators on youtube and elsewhere on the internet is far (or infinitely) better than any of the stuff produced by the “professional industries and studios.” Just saying…

WYRDROAD

I have established a new Facebook Gaming Group.

I haven’t had much time to build up the membership yet because I’ve been busy but I have tried to build up some interesting content. The primary interest of the group is gaming, but like this blog it will cover history, archeology, warfare, science, technology, fantasy and science fiction, literature, pop culture, comics, etc.

You’re welcome to visit and to join. Just hit the links provided.

 

STAR TREK BRIDGE CREW

You’re in Command with Star Trek: Bridge Crew

StarTrek.com Staff

June 13, 2016

A+ A A-

Today at E3 in Los Angeles, Ubisoft announced a fall release for Star Trek: Bridge Crew, a new virtual reality game that will allow players to explore space as a member of the Federation. Supporting the announcement: a cool video featuring LeVar Burton, Jeri Ryan and Karl Urban trying out the game. Playable co-operatively with a crew or solo as Captain, Star Trek: Bridge Crew puts players directly onto the bridge in a Starfleet ship. The game will be available on PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

Bridge Crew puts a player and their friends in the heart of a brand-new starship, the U.S.S. Aegis, where every action and decision made will determine the fate of the ship and her crew. The overriding mission is as follows: Explore a largely uncharted sector of space known as The Trench, in hopes of locating a suitable new home world for the decimated Vulcan populace — while coming into direct conflict with the vaunted Klingon Empire.
As developed by Red Storm Entertainment, a Ubisoft Studio, Bridge Crew is designed exclusively for VR. It capitalizes on the powerful sense of social presence only possible through virtual reality. Through hand tracking and full-body avatars, including real-time lip-sync, players can experience what it’s like to serve as an officer on the bridge of a Federation starship.
As a crew, players will form a team of four to operate the roles of Captain, Helm, Tactical or Engineer. Each role is crucial to the success of the varied missions players face, and only by working together can the crew complete their objectives. Also playable in solo, players will assume the role of Captain and dispatch orders to their NPC crew mates. The Captain’s strategic decisions will be vital in order to successfully complete missions. In other words, it’s your ship and you’re in command.

Keep an eye on StarTrek.com for additional details about Star Trek: Bridge Crew.

—

– See more at: http://www.startrek.com/article/youre-in-command-with-star-trek-bridge-crew#sthash.pGLwqy04.dpuf

BONDSTON

He looks a great deal more like Ian Fleming, a classic Brit, and a WWII era Brit than any other Bond I’ve ever seen. And having watched him as Loki and Henry he’s certainly crafty enough.

 

Tom Hiddleston In Talks To Be New James Bond — Report

By Vikram Murthi | IndiewireMay 27, 2016 at 2:08PM

Sony representative had no comment on the matter.

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“The Night Manager”

Tom Hiddleston is having quite the year with starring roles in Ben Wheatley’s “High-Rise,” about a tower block stratified by class that devolves into chaos, Marc Abraham’s “I Saw The Light,” a Hank Williams biopic, and the AMC limited series “The Night Manager,” based on the John le Carré novel of the same name. Now, BMD reports that a source has confirmed that Tom Hiddleston is in talks to replace Daniel Craig as the new James Bond. Though no official offer has been made, Hiddleston is interested in the job and the relevant discussions are under way. Indiewire reached out to a Sony representative on the matter and they had no comment.

READ MORE: Why the Next James Bond Won’t Be a Woman

If Tom Hiddleston were cast as Bond, he would be the eighth actor to play the role after Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig. The Bond film series kicked off with “Dr. No” in 1962, after which Bond films were released at steady clip until 1989 when a legal dispute stalled the series until 1995 with the release of “GoldenEye.” In 2006, Eon Productions effectively rebooted the series with “Casino Royale” and Craig who portrayed Bond much closer to author Ian Fleming’s vision of the character. The last Bond film was “Spectre,” which received a mixed-to-negative reception.

READ MORE: Ranked: Every James Bond Film From Best To Worst

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JON SNOW AND CONSEQUENCES

THIS SNOW DON’T MELT, OR HOW THE RED WOMAN MAY HAVE GAINED A SOUL BY REALLY TRYING

Yeah, well Kit, it’s not like nobody saw through it. It was as transparent as transparent aluminum..

What interested me most was not the Resurrection, saw that coming the moment you were killed. What was really interesting was the way.

I was right about the Red Woman. She was obviously different than all the other followers of the Lord of Light.

But is she now? She was obviously remorseful about her “failure of vision and foresight” (though who else might be resurrected in some odd way – Stannis – were all her visions false, or all true just in unexpected ways) though is she remorseful about her pagan sorceries and human sacrifices? Maybe so. Has she now learned a lesson? Will the Resurrection move her to becoming a Priestess of Light and not just a man and child burner, and a demon-birther? We’ll see I reckon. If she is really changed, and if so, exactly how.

And how will that influence the Truth of her real mission, what she is hoping to accomplish, and everything else that lies underneath her shell? The shell of her necklace that is…

Game of Thrones: Kit Harington breaks his silence — Exclusive

BY JAMES HIBBERD • @JAMESHIBBERD

Game of Thrones

Posted May 1 2016 — 10:03 PM EDT

This story contains a major revelation from Sunday’s Game of Thrones episode “Home.”

Jon Snow has returned to the land of the living.

As fans of HBO’s Emmy-winning hit Game of Thrones have now learned, Kit Harington’s murdered fan-favorite character Jon Snow was revived at the end of Sunday night’s episode. The Lord Commander was resurrected by the sorceress Melisandre, a reveal that caps 10 months of worldwide speculation following Snow’s death at the hands of his Night’s Watch brothers in last year’s finale.

During an in-depth interview exclusively with EW, Harington spoke about his incredible journey shouldering the show’s biggest secret. Actors typically only have to perform while in front of the camera. But to protect the Jon Snow twist, Harington was asked by the show’s producers to deliver an off-camera performance too — the role of an actor who departed a series that’s become a worldwide sensation.

SEE ALSO

This Week’s Cover: Kit Harington on his ‘Game of Thrones’ revival

‘Game of Thrones’ star explains Ramsay’s horrifying ‘Home’ murders

‘Game of Thrones’ recap: ‘Home’

The first thing Harington wants viewers to know after seeing his revival: “Sorry!” the 29-year-old says in the above video excerpt. “I’d like to say sorry for lying to everyone. I’m glad that people were upset that he died. I think my biggest fear was that people were not going to care. Or it would just be, ‘Fine, Jon Snow’s dead.’ But it seems like people had a, similar to the Red Wedding episode, kind of grief about it. Which means something I’m doing — or the show is doing — is right.”

RELATED: Game of Thrones: 17 Biggest Changes from Books to TV

For months EW has been working on a top-secret cover story on the extraordinary behind-the-scenes tale of Jon Snow’s death and resurrection — including an exclusive conversation with Harington.Subscribe to receive the issue in digital format and exclusive online access the moment the story is posted. Or buy the issue right now here. Follow @jameshibberd for updates – and check out our recap of “Home” now. More coming Monday on the shocking episode, including our Game of Thrones podcast, where we’ll break down “Home” — plus talk about our Harington interview.

Check out our exclusive cover below.

ENIGMA – DESIGN OF THINGS TO COME

Enigma: A Steampunk-Themed Cafe Filled with Kinetic Sculptures Opens in Romania by Christopher Jobson on October 20, 2015

Welp, now we’ve seen everything. Just last week, a new cafe opened in Romania called Enigma that claims to be “the world’s first kinetic steampunk bar.” We have no way to verify if that’s true, but it certainly looks impressive from these photos, if you’re into that sort of thing. A slightly terrifying humanoid robot with a plasma lamp cranium bicycles by the door, and a variety of kinetic artworks churn and rotate on both the ceiling and walls. Watch the video to take a peek inside, and if you’re in town you can visit Enigma Cafe at Enigma at Iuliu Maniu, Nr 12, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Photos by Zoly Zelenyak from The 6th-Sense Interiors. (via Steampunk Tendencies)

’66 AND COUNTING

Recently I’ve been reading the Batman ’66 set of graphic novels. If you haven’t read them then you really need to do yourself a favor and read them as soon as possible.

They’re superb! Absolutely superb!

 

THE WIZARD

LUKE CAGE – THE FORGE

Netflix Original Series ‘Marvel’s Luke Cage’ Adds to the Cast

Simone Missick, Theo Rossi, Frank Whaley and Rosario Dawson join the series!

• Sep 16, 2015

“Marvel’s Luke Cage” has added four important characters with Misty Knight, Shades, Rafael Scarfe and Claire Temple. The series will be streaming everywhere Netflix is available in 2016.

• 

Simone Missick to star as Misty Knight

MoreI

Simone Missick (“Ray Donovan”) has joined the cast to play popular character Misty Knight, a Harlem police detective who is determined to learn the truth about Luke Cage.

“We know fans have waited years to see Misty Knight brought to life, so we had to find the right actress,” said Executive Producer/Marvel’s Head of TV Jeph Loeb. “Simone blew us away with her performance as the strong-willed cop on a mission.”

• 

Theo Rossi to star as Shades

MoreI

Theo Rossi (“Sons of Anarchy,” “Bad Hurt”) has joined the cast as Shades, a ruthless criminal with ties to Cage’s mysterious past.

“Theo Rossi is a swiss army knife–no matter what you bring to him, he has a tool for it–and he’s playfully unpredictable,” said series Executive Producer and Showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker. “His Shades will be someone you hate to love.”

• 

Frank Whaley to star as Rafael Scarfe

MoreI

Frank Whaley (“Ray Donovan,” “Pulp Fiction”) has been cast as Rafael Scarfe, a hard-nosed NYPD detective who partners with Misty Knight in their Luke Cage investigation.

“Frank Whaley has a wiry intensity that he’s imbued in Det. Rafael Scarfe,” said Coker. “He’s a great counterpart to Misty, and a wonderful actor.”

• 

Rosario Dawson reprises her role as Claire Temple

MoreI

Actress Rosario Dawson, celebrated for her work in “Top Five,” “Sin City,” and “Kids,” will reprise her role from “Marvel’s Daredevil” as nurse Claire Temple. Her blossoming friendship with Luke Cage will have a major impact on both characters’ lives.

“We are thrilled to have Rosario in another one of our television series,” said Loeb. “Her performance as Claire Temple in Marvel’s Daredevil was astonishing and we can’t wait to see her shine in Marvel’s Luke Cage.”

It was previously announced that Mike Colter (“Marvel’s Jessica Jones,” “The Good Wife”) will play the charismatic lead character, Luke Cage, in the series. Mahershala Ali will play his archrival Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes. Cheo Hodari Coker (“SouthLAnd,” “Ray Donovan”) will write the series’ first two episodes in addition to serving as showrunner and Executive Producer along with Loeb.

After a sabotaged experiment leaves him with super strength and unbreakable skin, Luke Cage (Mike Colter) becomes a fugitive trying to rebuild his life in modern day Harlem, New York City. But he is soon pulled out of the shadows and must fight a battle for the heart of his city – forcing him to confront a past he had tried to bury.

“Marvel’s Luke Cage” is produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Studios for Netflix.

More on Marvel.com: http://marvel.com/news/tv/25106/netflix_original_series_marvels_luke_cage_adds_to_the_cast#ixzz3m1bryjnR

STRANGE THINGS – GAMEPLAY

Welcome to the Marvel family, Rachel McAdams! True Detective star signs on for Doctor Strange

By Justin HarpMonday, Sep 14 2015, 3:47pm EDT

645Shares

Rachel McAdams is joining the Marvel family in the highly-anticipated Doctor Strange movie.

The True Detective actress revealed on Monday (September 14) that she will star opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in the 2016 cosmic epic, reports TheWrap. A spokesperson for Marvel declined to comment to Digital Spy.

© Getty Images / Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

McAdams tipped a possible role in Doctor Strange in July, but cautioned at the time: “I don’t know where that’s gonna go, if it’s gonna go anywhere at all.”

Doctor Strange already boasts a star-studded cast, with Tilda Swinton portraying a gender-bending version of the Sorcerer Supreme’s mentor the Ancient One and Chiwetel Ejiofor as the baddie Mordo.

© Getty Images / Marvel Comics

Watch Benedict Cumberbatch’s Star Trek goof at Marvel’s D23 Doctor Strange presentation

Hannibal‘s Mads Mikkelsen is also apparently being courted to play a villain in Doctor Strange.

Scott Derrickson’s introduction to the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe is currently slated for October 28, 2016 in the UK and November 4, 2016 in the US.

Read more: http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/news/a668484/welcome-to-the-marvel-family-rachel-mcadams-true-detective-star-signs-on-for-doctor-strange.html#ixzz3llFmMJZr
Follow us: @digitalspy on Twitter | digitalspyuk on Facebook

WONDER WOMAN – THE FORGE

Confirmed: Wonder Woman To Begin Filming In November

• Jay Jayson
• – 09/09/2015

  

Wonder Woman producer Deborah Snyder (Zack Snyder’s wife) has now confirmed that filming for Gal Gadot’s solo film, which will be directed by Monster director Patty Jenkins (replaced Michelle MacLaren), will begin filming in November.

“But we still wanted a female director and we found Patty Jenkins, who had the right vision and the same vision as we had for the character,” Snyder said at Geena Davis Institutes’ Gender In Media event. “And we’re really happy to be going into production in November and it’s been a really great process. We tried to hire as many female people on the crew as possible.”

 

Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman solo film, also starring Chris Pine (Star Trek), will hit theaters on June 23, 2017.

FF4 TRAILER – DESIGN OF THINGS TO COME

Final ‘Fantastic Four’ Trailer Brings the Team in Full View

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BY: BRAD BREVET
TUESDAY, JUL 14, 2015 AT 7:08 AM

Photo: 20th Century Fox

The biggest thing the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot has going for it is its cast. Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Miles Teller and Jamie Bell make up the titular superhero team and they, and they alone are the reason I have any modicum of interest in this movie as it’s become harder and harder to actually muster interest for superhero movies nowadays as they all feel part of a larger whole that’s more about selling toys and tickets than telling a good story. In fact, the supposed turmoil behind-the-scenes concerning director Josh Trank may actually be further evidence the goal here was to make something more than just another visual effects extravaganza. I guess it all depends on how you choose to look at it.

Today a final trailer for the upcoming Aug. 7 release has arrived and it offers the most extensive look at the film yet. For video see link.

 

 

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO SEE – ALLTHING

Everything You Need To See From This Year’s San Diego Comic-Con

PETER SPIDERFIELD?

Looks Like Asa Butterfield Is The New Spider-Man

BY ERIC EISENBERG 2 HOURS AGO 20 COMMENTS

UPDATE: The validity of this story has been challenged. Borys Kit from The Hollywood Reporter is saying that no offer has been made yet. Asa Butterfield is apparently testing for the role this week, but he isn’t the only actor doing so. That being said, it does sound like he is still the frontrunner for the gig.

The story as it was originally published is below.

With Joe and Anthony Russo’s Captain America: Civil War now in production, we knew it was only a matter of time before Marvel Studios finally settled on an actor to sign as their new version of Spider-Man. Well, if new reports are to be believed, it sounds like they may have found their man, as a source is now claiming that Ender’s Game star Asa Butterfield has entered into negotiations for the role.

This story comes from known scooper Umberto Gonzalez, who claims to have heard from his sources that Asa Butterfield and his representatives is now sitting down with the comic book movie studio to hash out a deal that could see him become the third live-action version of Peter Parker. No deal has been finalized yet, but the fact that they’re at the table is a big sign.

Asa Butterfield’s name first entered the mix back in late April, but at that time he was reportedly in consideration alongside Nat Wolff, Tom Holland, Liam James, and Timothee Chalamet. Two weeks ago, it was said that the Hugo actor was considered the frontrunner in the group, though it was said Holland was presenting his biggest competition. It seems as though since then they have been able to make a decision.

When thinking about what Marvel Studios has said about their new direction for Spider-Man, Asa Butterfield does make a good amount of sense. They have gone on record saying that they are looking to find a legitimately young actor to play Peter Parker, and Butterfield just turned 18 a month-and-a-half ago (which also happens to mean that he’s no longer a minor and can work full days during a movie shoot). The young actor also has the experience of headlining his own projects before, including the aforementioned titles Ender’s Game and Hugo. It’s worth noting that he is currently in production on Tim Burton’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiars, but that filming shouldn’t impact potential for him to show up in Captain America: Civil War – regardless of the size of the role that has been carved out for the character in the movie.

If this news is accurate, we will hopefully be hearing official word at some point in the near future – but the announcement of Asa Butterfield may not be the only thing revealed. It’s also very possible that they have chosen a filmmaker to helm theSpider-Man movie that is currently scheduled for release in the summer of 2017 (thelast we heard, Jonathan Levine, Ted Melfi, Jason Moore, John Francis Daley & Jonathan M. Goldstein, and Jared Hess). As always, stay tuned for more updates about this constantly developing story, and look for Captain America: Civil War in theaters on May 6, 2016.

ELDRITCH ARCHER – THE FORGE

5th Edition Builds: The Eldritch Archer

Original artwork by the incredible Jason Engle

The eldritch knight archetype for the 5th edition fighter can technically be used to create a version of the arcane archer, though its powers are more suitable to melee weapons than ranged. With a few tweaks, the eldritch knight can become an impressive ranged combatant, while still allowing the knight’s melee advantages.

The Eldritch Archer

Spellcasting
The spellcasting feature of the eldritch knight remains the same with the following addition. Note: These changes apply to the spellcasting class feature of all eldritch knights.

Anytime the eldritch archer is able to learn wizard spells, including those limited to theabjuration or evocation spell schools, they may instead choose one or more ranger spells from the following list. These spells are considered wizard spells.

3rd: hail of thorns, hunter’s mark
7th: cordon of arrows, pass without trace
13th: conjure barrage, lightning arrow 
19th: conjure volley, swift quiver

Weapon Bond
The weapon bond class feature remains the same. Eldritch archers commonly bond one ranged weapon and one melee weapon. Though spells with a somatic component require one hand to cast, 2-handed ranged weapons such as bows and crossbows may be held in one hand while casting a spell.

War Magic
The war magic class feature remains the same with the following addition. Note: These changes apply to the war magic class feature of all eldritch knights.

If you use your weapon bond on a ranged weapon and that weapon is in your hand, you may spend a bonus action whenever you cast a cantrip to imbue one piece of ammunition with the cantrip’s arcane power. As a part of the bonus action you may fire the piece of ammunition at any target or location within the weapon’s range. If the spell requires an attack roll, the attack is rolled normally for the ranged weapon using Strength or Dexterity as appropriate, not your spell casting ability. If the spell requires a saving throw, you must make a successful attack roll against either the target creature or the desired point of origin (use a base AC 10 if the target is a point instead of a creature) before forcing the target to make the saving throw.

Whether or not the spell requires an attack roll or a saving throw, a successful ranged attack roll deals damage from the ammunition in addition to the effects of the spell (weapon damage is dealt before applying the spell’s effects, including any associated saving throws). Should the damage be reduced to 0, such as through the monk’s Deflect Missiles class feature or similar effect, the spell’s effects are negated.

Eldritch Strike
The eldritch strike class feature remains the same.

Arcane Sniper
At 15th level, you learn to weave arcane magic around yourself in order to hide your position. After you take an attack action while hiding, you may expend one 1st level spell slot to become invisible until the beginning of your next round. You may expend a 2nd level or higher spell slot to use this ability. For each slot level above 1st, the invisibility lasts 1 additional round. Invisibility gained through use of the arcane sniper class feature is not broken by attacking or casting spells.

Improved War Magic
If you use your weapon bond on a ranged weapon and that weapon is in your hand, you may spend a bonus action whenever you cast a spell (not only a cantrip) to imbue one piece of ammunition with the spell’s arcane power. Otherwise, this feature works as the war magic class feature.

SUPERGIRL – ALL-THING

I think my wife and daughters will like this. I’m not sure I won’t.

 

CIVIL WAR CAST

Excellent!

Civil War is the future Marvel film I am most looking forward to seeing. Especially after seeing the Age of Ultron. (Which kicked ass by the way.)

If you ask me Civil War was the best, and by far the single most realistic thing, Marvel ever did with their comic book superheroes. It also finally got me to firmly liking Captain America.

Who before I had always thought of as a naive government dope.

But afterwards I thought of as an independent, stand-up, fearless, patriotic solider beholding to his true and best ideals (American ideals) rather than to a corrupt US government.

And when he brought down both Hydra and SHIELD in Cap 2 I could really, really respect him.

 

Marvel Studios Reveals Captain America: Civil War Synopsis, Confirms Cast

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR BY SPENCER PERRY ON MAY 7, 2015 Marvel Studios has commenced principal photography at Pinewood Studios in Atlanta, Georgia onCaptain America: Civil War, the third installment of its Super Hero franchise. The production will shoot on location in Atlanta, Georgia, which serves as the base for the film’s production, as well as locations in Germany, Puerto Rico and Iceland. Set for release in the United States on May 6, 2016, Captain America: Civil War is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo (Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, “Community”) from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (Captain America: The Winter Solider, Marvel’s Captain America: The First Avenger). The film returns Chris Evans as the iconic Super Hero character Steve Rogers/Captain America along with Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon, Paul Bettany as The Vision, Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Don Cheadle as Jim Rhodes/War Machine and Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch. After his debut in Marvel’s Ant-Man on July 17, 2015, Paul Rudd will make his first appearance alongside the Avengers as Scott Lang/Ant-Man in Captain America: Civil War. The cast of the film also includes Chadwick Boseman (42, Get on Up) as T’Challa/Black Panther, Emily VanCamp (“Revenge”) as Sharon Carter/Agent 13, Daniel Brühl (Inglourious Basterds,Bourne Ultimatum) as Baron Helmut Zemo, Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow/Crossbones, William Hurt (Marvel’s The Incredible Hulk) as General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross and Martin Freeman (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey). Captain America: Civil War picks up where Avengers: Age of Ultron left off, as Steve Rogers leads the new team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. After anotherinternational incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability and a governing body to determine when to enlist the services of the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers while they try to protect the world from a new and nefarious villain. Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War is produced by Marvel Studios’ president, Kevin Feige, with Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Victoria Alonso, Patricia Whitcher, Nate Moore and Stan Lee serving as executive producers. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo’s creative team also includes director of photography Trent Opaloch (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Elysium), production designer Owen Paterson (Godzilla, The Matrix), and three time Oscar-nominated costume designer Judianna Makovsky (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone).

THE IMAX INFINITY WAR

Interesting…

 

Avengers: Infinity War to be Filmed Entirely with Brand-New IMAX Cameras

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR BY SPENCER PERRY ON MAY 7, 2015 On the heels of the reveal of its nine-month production schedule, Marvel Studios, the Russo brothers and IMAX today announced that Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War – Parts 1 & 2 will be shot in their entirety using IMAX and ARRI’s next generation revolutionary 2D digital camera – a joint customized digital version of ARRI’s new large format camera, the Alexa 65. The two-part “Avengers” saga marks the first time a Hollywood feature film will have been shot completely using IMAX cameras and will feature IMAX’s exclusive aspect ratio, providing moviegoers a uniquely immersive experience. Prior to filming Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War – Parts 1 & 2, Joe and Anthony Russo, who also directed Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, will use the IMAX/ARRI 2D digital camera for select action sequences on the forthcoming Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War, which will release in IMAX theaters in May of 2016. “The intent with the Infinity War films is to bring ten years of accumulative storytelling to an incredible climax,” Joe and Anthony Russo stated. “We felt that the best way to exploit the scale and scope required to close out the final chapter of these three phases, was to be the first films shot entirely on the IMAX/ARRI Digital camera.” “Over the years, IMAX has had the incredible good fortune to work with some of the world’s finest, most talented filmmakers, who continue to push the envelope both technically and creatively,” said Greg Foster, Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. and CEO of IMAX Entertainment. “We could not be more excited to deepen our partnership with Joe and Anthony Russo, a pair of filmmakers we believe are next-generation trailblazers. Marvel’s Avengers franchise has become aglobal phenomenon and to have it pay off in this epic way using the IMAX/ARRI digital camera is the very definition of event movie-going.” The next-generation 2D digital camera – co-developed by IMAX and ARRI – is meant for use by today’s leading filmmakers working in the IMAX format. The joint solution is designed as a complementary tool to IMAX’s high-resolution capture technologies – including its 3D digital and 15perf / 65mm film cameras. Moreover, IMAX worked with ARRI to achieve the highest level of digital image capture for playback on IMAX’s xenon and new laser projection systems. Set to be directed by the Russo brothers and featuring a script by Marvel favorites Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War – Part 1 is slated for release in IMAX theaters on May 4, 2018; Part 2 will open on May 3, 2019.

A REALLY-REAL VIRTUAL REALITY? FOR REALLY-REAL? – THE FORGE

OCULUS RIFT WILL MAKE VR A REALITY IN 2016

GET READY TO JACK INTO THE MATRIX

By Dan Moren Posted Yesterday at 1:30pm

14

Oculus

Virtual reality is about to meet actual reality. Oculus VR, the company behind the long-in-development Oculus Rift, has announced that it will finally begin to ship the virtual reality headset beginning in early 2016.

Pre-orders of the device, which can been used for everything from immersive space sims to interactive VR movies, will kick off later this year, at a yet undisclosed price point. The shipping device, based on the company’s Crescent Bay prototype, will include built-in audio and what Oculus describes as “an improved tracking system” that works regardless of whether you’re sitting down or standing up.

The ergonomics and industrial design have been tweaked as well to make it a product that’s a little more polished for the consumer market. Previous models were only available for developers interested in building apps and games for the headset, though the company also helped produce the Gear VR headset being sold by Samsung.

We’ll get more details from Oculus VR in the coming weeks, including the price and full technical specifications, and the company teased that the upcomingE3 gaming conference might be one venue in which it would deliver further information. The big question remains exactly what software will work with the Rift upon launch. We’ve seen some examples already, including space simElite: Dangerous and the aforementioned interactive movies. Given how long developer kits have existed, it seems likely that game companies and others have had time to add support for the Rift into their products, but I’d expect to see some game announcements at E3 and more as we get closer to the Rift’s actual ship date. Like so many new peripherals, however, there’s a chicken-and-egg dilemma; some will no doubt buy a Rift sight unseen, but many may wait to see whether this is a literal game-changing experience before they invest. Yet if nothing else, there’s always Oculus’s parent company, social media behemoth Facebook, which has said it intends to provide some sort of social experience through virtual reality.

Of course, Oculus isn’t the only company interested in VR: HTC has teamed up with Valve to produce a headset targeted for later this year and gaming company Razer is taking a bigger picture approach with an open source platform that’s compatible with multiple VR platforms. One way or another, virtual reality will be a fact of life in the next year or so.

CAPTAIN AMERICA – FREEMAN?

Martin Freeman Joins The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Who Will He Play?

BY SEAN O’CONNELL 9 HOURS AGO 30 COMMENTS

There’s one sure-fire way to improve your movie or television show: Cast Martin Freeman. So by this logic, Joe and Anthony Russo’s Captain America: Civil War just got better, because Marvel just revealed that Freeman has been added in a mysterious role.

In a press release, Marvel notes that Martin Freeman, of Sherlock and Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, has joined the cast of the third Captain America movie, which has begun filming in Atlanta. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige talks about Freeman’s “range” in the announcement, and notes that Marvel couldn’t be more “honored or excited” to have the actor in the movie.

But you know what Feige doesn’t tell us? Who Martin Freeman will PLAY in Captain America: Civil War!

My best guess is that Martin Freeman will assume a supporting – possibly political – role, the kind occupied by the likes of Tommy Lee Jones or Robert Redford in the previous Captain America movies. Freeman’s not playing a superhero, or a villain. His casting wouldn’t be posted to Marvel.com casually if that were the case. One colleague already has suggested that Freeman could be cast as Henry Peter Gyrich, a government liaison who interacts with The Avengers, and eventually became a member of the Commission on Superhuman Activities… something we assume will have to be very popular in the Civil War storyline.

It’s very possible Martin Freeman is playing a small role, something like Garry Shandling’s character in Iron Man 2 and, later, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. But let’s expand out minds a little and have some fun. What if Marvel cast Martin Freeman as Norman Osborn, and is putting him in place for possible use in the untitled Spider-Man movie for 2017?

Norman Osborn played an unusual role in the Civil War storyline, leading up the government-sanctioned Thunderbolts, a team of villains hired to round up heroes who refused to register. (In a way, the act like the Suicide Squad… wouldn’t that be funny if the Thunderbolts were introduced the same year that DC tries to beef up its universe.) It would take a lot of set up on Marvel’s part – probably too much set up – to adhere to Norman’s traditional Civil War arc. But since we expect to see Spider-Man in Civil War, and Marvel now knows it needs to seed Spidey material ahead of the 2017 movie, it’s not that far-fetched to guess that Freeman’s role might have more implication than just a Senator of Congressman who sides with either Tony Stark or Steve Rogers.