When considering the adaptation of a classic science fiction universe as massive as Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series, the sheer scale of such an enterprise seems quite daunting. How can Apple TV+ take a story that spans centuries in a galactic empire with thousands of inhabited planets and make it accessible both to hardcore fans and to audiences unaccustomed to “space opera” sci-fi? When viewers watch the first two episodes of Foundation, set to release on September 24, they’ll see Asimov’s world come to life in an expansive yet character-driven vision that will please both groups....

In that same library, though, are a few games which some PS4 owners will ultimately remember differently than others. That’s obviously normal, but what is somewhat unusual is how the PS4’s three most divisive console exclusives each reveal a key component of how Sony won the PS4/Xbox One console war in terms of hardware sales and how the company will look to continue its success into the PS5/Xbox Series X generation....

What is The Animatrix? The Animatrix is comprised of nine short films, with stories ranging from a “historical file” of how the Matrix was created out of the war between humanity and machines in two-parter “The Second Renaissance” to the minimalist black-and-white noir of “A Detective Story” to a Westworld-like feudal fighting exercise that takes place in a Matrix-like construct in “Program.” The Wachowskis came up with the ambitious premise for The Animatrix when they were in Japan doing promotion for the first Matrix film....

Written by David Seltzer, The Omen featured Peck as Robert Thorn, a rising politician who is manipulated into adopting an orphaned baby after his own son dies in childbirth. But Thorn and his psychologically fragile wife (Lee Remick), who doesn’t know about the switch, are soon beset by unexplained “accidental” deaths, while Thorn is haunted by tormented figures who claim that little Damien is the Antichrist — the son of the devil, born into the world to bring about its end....

It only takes a small, insignificant moment to completely change the course of a life. It’s that premise from which The Blacktongue Thief starts. Kinch Na Shannack, working thief, is spared when a banditry gig goes south. The Spanth warrior who spares him, Galva, is on a quest—and the Taker’s Guild, for which Kinch works, assigns him to accompany her, gain her trust, and wait for further instruction. As he travels with Galva, and, soon after, a witch companion Norrigal, he begins to question just where his allegiance lies, and what he owes his newfound friends—and the world....

“We launched Harry Potter: Wizards Unite more than two years ago, bringing together a community of witches and wizards from all over the globe in an epic quest to put an end to the Calamity and keep the wizarding world safe,” says Niantic via a statement. “Not all games are meant to last forever. Our goal with Harry Potter: Wizards Unite was to bring the magic of the wizarding world to life for millions of players as they stepped outside and explored their neighborhoods....

Are people better off without June Osborne? In season four episode five ‘Chicago’, a Martha tells Nick that he would be, because everybody who helps June ends up dead. That Martha isn’t wrong. The Econo-Husband in season two, the Mackenzies’ Martha and Eleanor Lawrence in season three, the Guardian at the Keyes farm in season four, Alma, Brianna… all died at least partly because of June’s actions. And by the end of ‘Chicago’, we’re left with the possibility that the choice to stick with June has led to yet another casualty: Janine....

The book kicks off with John Constantine as he’s just graduated high school, but he’s still the chaos-hungry magician we all love. He’s just like the rest of us at that age, Garcia explains. “Like all 17 year olds, he thinks he knows everything.” That meant that Garcia had to essentially “reverse engineer” the character from “beloved weather-worn Constantine” to his teenage self. But as she tells us, it made a lot of sense because he’s still the punk-loving occult practitioner he always was....

It’s a familiar tact for stories about greatness cut short, and figures too large for a movie’s runtime to grasp. That’s how Lin-Manuel Miranda accounted for Alexander Hamilton via the envy of Aaron Burr, and why Jesus Christ Superstar told the its parable through the prism of the silver-tongued apostle. But in Judas and the Black Messiah, this narrative technique has never been more uncomfortable or slippery. Walking in the shoes of William O’Neal, the used and abused FBI informant who helped law enforcement eventually execute Hampton, is like spending two hours in an active crime scene where the blood is still fresh, and any semblance of justice remains perpetually out of reach....

The voice cast lineup for the special reveals that Kelly Marie Tran will return to voice her Sequel Trilogy role as Rose Tico, joined by trilogy-crossing veterans Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian and Anthony Daniels as C-3PO. Additionally, fans of the contemporary animated sphere of the franchise should be pleased to learn that it will be represented firmly with alumni from Star Wars: The Clone Wars with Matt Lanter (Anakin Skywalker), Tom Kane (Yoda and Qui-Gon Jinn), James Arnold Taylor (Obi-Wan Kenobi) and Dee Bradley Baker (Clone Troopers)....

Dougherty sets his mood with a brilliant opening credits sequence: as Bing Crosby croons “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” we are treated to slow-motion scenes of Christmas shoppers trampling and beating each other as they grab for merchandise in a big-box store right out of a consumer nightmare. The director (who co-wrote the screenplay with Todd Casey and Zach Shields) then focuses on Tom and Sarah Engel (Adam Scott and Toni Collette), who watch in horror as their son Max (Emjay Anthony) turns his own Christmas pageant into a brawl right on the stage....

He also didn’t have a clue at the time that those films would endure decades later as classics of their era. “I had no idea,” he says while speaking to us on the phone about his latest film, Falling. “I was just grateful to have a job and do my best and try. It was a gift. Every job I’ve ever gotten, I feel it was a gift. I don’t make any bones about that....

Legends of Tomorrow Season 7 Episode 2 With about ten minutes left in last week’s Legends of Tomorrow season 7 premiere, I started shaking my head and chuckling. As soon as I realized the crew was going to become bank robbers in the 1920s, through Hoover’s death at Nate’s hands (or forehead, whatever), I both could and could not believe that this was where the show was going. That didn’t stop this week – as soon as Ava looked at the bottles of whiskey on the table, I slapped myself in amazement that they could make something as obvious as “running hooch during prohibition” feel like a surprise....

“Sega shared a decent chunk of Sonic Frontiers gameplay this morning, showing off some of the shenanigans the blue hedgehog will get up to in his next adventure. Sonic collects rings. Sonic dashes through verdant fields. Sonic grinds floating rails. Sonic climbs (and then eventually runs up the sides of) ancient towers. Sonic solves simplistic puzzles for collectible knick-knacks.” Read more at Kotaku The announcement came much later than it should have, but Our Flag Means Death has finally been renewed for a second season on HBO Max....

“Now, this is the kind of Halloween news we love to see: Hannah Waddingham is joining the cast of Hocus Pocus 2! The Emmy winner, best known for playing Rebecca on the smash-hit series Ted Lasso, will be playing an undisclosed role in the highly anticipated sequel. Disney confirmed the sequel and announced several new cast members on Twitter.” Read more at The Mary Sue Sorry, everyone, there will not be a director’s cut of Dune despite campaigns from star Jason Mamoa....

“Pam & Tommy is telling the story of the infamous sex tape of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. If you were a kid of the ’90s, you probably heard whispers of this tape. I know that I knew it existed, but I was way too young to know anything else about it. But for whatever reason, Craig Gillespie loves the ’90s, and I love the ’90s and Craig Gillespie, so it is a win-win for me....

It’s only a brief line of dialogue with no face behind it, but this could be a ground-breaking reveal for the future of the MCU. “Marvel’s cinematic universe is now the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse thanks to Loki, What If…?, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. But while we’ve seen the consequences of messing with the multiverse, we have yet to see it be the sole focus of a Marvel story. That is… until now....

Whatever happened behind the scenes, a new creative team is forging ahead and we got a small insight into what’ll make this show different from the original series. Albert Kim, showrunner, executive producer, and writer of the live-action series, spoke about staying true to core story of the original but adapting it to the Netflix format. Specifically he said, As much as ATLA is famous for its serialized storytelling in a kid’s series, the first season especially did feature mostly stand-alone episodes....

Loki episode 5 introduced a multitude of new Loki variants, including an older Classic Loki sporting the character’s iconic comic costume, a younger Kid Loki version, and most importantly: Alligator Loki. This small reptilian variant – complete with tiny golden horns! – is apparently just as much of an Asgardian trickster as his more human counterparts. (Even though, admittedly, his very existence raises some legitimate questions about his birth and adoption status that the show does not and sadly will probably never address....

Love, Death & Robots is a stylistic experiment that harkens back to projects like Heavy Metal, The Animatrix, or MTV’s old Liquid Television programming block that just wanted to have fun, be awesome, and prove that cartoons can be for adults, too. Love, Death & Robots carries the spirit of those older animation touchstones, but the difference in quality is a little more noticeable than in those other endeavors, largely because there’s a lot more content here....