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What's coming to Netflix in September: 'The Politician' and 'The Spy'
We're edging into the final embers of the summer and as the weather starts to turn for many of us, we'll perhaps find ourselves curled up on the couch a little more often to stream some movies, shows and whatever else happens to be on offer. To wit, Netflix has revealed much of what's coming to its platform in September.
Warner Bros. pulls Lego 'Lord of the Rings' games from digital stores
If your child is a big Lord of the Rings fan, they might be a little crestfallen. Warner Bros. has pulled both Lego: Lord of the Rings and Lego: The Hobbit from digital stores, including Steam. The company told Kotaku that you could still download them if you'd already purchased copies, but newcomers will have to track down physical copies or go without.
What's coming to Netflix in January: 'Kimmy Schmidt' and Star Wars
Most of us will have a couple of days off at the start of the year before getting back to work after the holidays, and Netflix hopes to keep us occupied with a slew of show and movie additions. January 1st brings the final season of A Series of Unfortunate Events, along with stand-up series Comedians of the World and Tidying Up with Marie Kondo -- perfectly timed to inspire a start-of-year clear out.
A 'Lord of the Rings' game is coming from the publisher of 'Warframe'
If you're itching for a new Lord of the Rings game to move past the controversy of Shadow of War, we have good news -- although it might not be quite what you're expecting. Athlon Games (partner to Digital Extremes and Splash Damage) has signed a licensing deal that will see it create an "online game set in the world of Middle-earth." There are precious few details beyond that, but you can likely rule out seeing the likes of Frodo or Aragorn when the title will be set "long before" the events of the LOTR novels, with new places and characters. Much like Amazon's future show, Athlon isn't messing with the canonical material.
Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' showrunners hail from 'Star Trek'
Amazon is finally attaching some creative talent to its still-mysterious Lord of the Rings series, but it's not who you might expect. The internet giant's Jennifer Salke has revealed that writing duo JD Payne and Patrick McKay will develop the Tolkien-based Prime Video show. While their full roles aren't clear just yet, their backgrounds are. They're best known for their sci-fi work, helping to write Star Trek Beyond (though not credited) and the in-progress fourth 'reboot' movie. They're not legendary in Hollywood writing circles, including in the fantasy genre -- that's not necessarily a problem, but they're untested in this realm.
Amazon offers first details about its 'Lord of the Rings' series
Amazon initially said precious little about its Lord of the Rings series beyond acknowledging its existence, but details are finally starting to trickle out. In an interview with Deadline, Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke provided a few tidbits about the fantasy show despite its early stages. For one, there will be familiar characters. Amazon isn't "remaking the movies," Salke said, but nor is it is "starting from scratch." The Prime Video production will make at least some effort to shape its own identity, then.
Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' prequel will need to forge its own identity
When rumors broke that Amazon was hoping to turn J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings into a TV series, many felt that CEO Jeff Bezos had found his own Game of Thrones. We're still many years out from seeing a final product, but the first steps were taken today: Amazon just announced that it is producing a multi-season series based in Tolkien's Middle-earth. But if Bezos really wants to emulate HBO's wildly popular adaptation of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Amazon's series will likely end up feeling rather foreign to Tolkien devotees.
Amazon confirms a 'Lord of the Rings' TV series is in the works
There have been rumors that Amazon is working on a Lord of the Rings TV series in its quest to find the next Game of Thrones, and now there's confirmation. Amazon announced today that it has acquired the global TV rights to The Lord of the Rings. Amazon Studios will produce a multiseason television series in cooperation with New Line Cinema, the Tolkien estate and HarperCollins.
Amazon reportedly eyeing a 'Lord of the Rings' TV series
Hollywood is buzzing with rumors (Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter) that Warner Bros. and Amazon are considering a deal for a series based on J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books, with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos "personally" involved in the talks. None are claiming that a deal is done yet, although Warner settled a lawsuit with the Tolkien estate this summer that may make it easier to produce new projects. Of course, Amazon has upheaval on its end with the recent removal of Studios head Roy Price, who has been replaced on an interim basis by Albert Cheng. Despite that, and the loss of drama and comedy head under separate allegations of conflict of interest, Amazon Studios recently announced it's moving into The Culver Studios at the end of this year.
The Nemesis System is huge in 'Middle-earth: Shadow of War'
The standout feature of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor was the Nemesis System. It added a layer of strategy to an otherwise standard action game, allowing players to see the strengths and weaknesses of specific Uruk soldiers before striding into battle. The Nemesis System was like a game of chess superimposed on top of a rich fantasy world, innovating on the genre and tapping into players' desire to command an army rather than simply run around Mordor as a doomed man possessed by the spirit of a vengeful Elf. In Monolith's Middle-earth: Shadow of War, the Nemesis System is bigger, badder and more robust. Players will be able to not only gather information on the enemy armies -- staffed not only by Uruk anymore but also by mountain trolls and other beasts true to JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings universe -- but also to view strengths, weaknesses and personal history of their own armies.
Middle-earth Blu-ray set is gorgeous, but insanely expensive
Yes, many Lord of the Rings fans (including this writer) may be obsessive collectors, but the latest movie collection that Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema are releasing this far takes things into the realm of the truly crazy. The just-announced "Middle-earth Limited Collectors Edition" includes the extended editions of all six of director Peter Jackson's films set in J.R.R. Tolkien's imagined world on Blu-ray. That gets you the three movies based on The Hobbit and three more movies that make up The Lord of the Rings. It all comes in a lavish and beautiful presentation -- but that lovely physical package will set you back a whopping $799.99.
Explore New Zealand's 'Great Walks' with Google Street View
If you want to take a trip to Middle Earth tonight but don't have a passport, Google's got you covered with a new addition to Street View. The internet juggernaut's partnered with New Zealand's Department of Conservation to use Google Trekker to create some pretty rad 360 degree panoramas of the country's most stunning vistas, the "Great Walks." It isn't the first time Mountain View's gone someplace that inspired a movie before, and hopefully it won't be the last. The real question here is if that's an ent moot off in the distance or just your eyes playing tricks on you.
'Lego Dimensions' reunites the original 'Back to the Future' cast
We already knew that the upcoming Lego Dimensions video game would be a universe-bending mashup of characters from franchises including Back to the Future, Jurassic World, Ghostbusters, Lord of the Rings and, of course, The Lego Movie. Today, we found out a lot more about the voice actors behind the game, and it's a veritable treasure trove of big-name actors and some of the best video game voice talent you can find. Perhaps most notably, both Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd will reprise their roles as Marty McFly and Doc Brown. It's no surprise Lloyd is involved -- he voiced Doc in Telltale Games' Back to the Future series a few years ago and was featured in advertisements for Lego Dimensions. But Fox hasn't performed as McFly in any official capacity in years.
Epic Games partners with 'Hobbit' effects company Weta for VR tech
Last year, Epic Games Chief Technology Officer Kim Libreri and Unreal Engine 4 General Manager Ray Davis visited some friends at Lord of the Rings effects studio Weta Digital in Wellington, New Zealand. They only wanted a tour of the studio, but along the way they ran into Weta's head of R&D, Alasdair Coull. He mentioned that he was messing around with Unreal Engine 4, Epic's game development platform. Fast-forward to March 2015: Epic Games and Weta are showing off a virtual reality demo featuring the greedy dragon, Smaug, swimming through mountains of gold in the second Hobbit film, voiced in all his baritone glory by actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Smaug speaks directly to the person in the headset -- Oculus Rift's Crescent Bay model -- and his daunting size is on full display; 500 feet of red-scaled, deep-speaking Smaug.
Playdate: We're livestreaming 'Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor' on PS4! (update: game over!)
Welcome, ladygeeks and gentlenerds, to the new era of gaming. The one where you get to watch, and comment, as other people livestream gameplay from next-gen consoles. Because games! They're fun!
Palantir iOS app listens to you play video games, offers tips on the second screen
Apps like Shazam and Zeebox can listen to songs and TV shows and identify what's playing or what you're watching, but until now the tech hasn't been used much for gaming. A companion application for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor could change that. The Palantir iOS app (named after the networked seeing stones from Lord of the Rings canon) uses the aforementioned audio-sync technology to deliver exclusive content and contextual info (like walkthroughs) by listening in while you play the game. That content is curated from Wikia, which hosts vast reserves of lore, guides and minutia for games and pop culture. Shadow of Mordor doesn't have a release date just yet, but the Palantir app also works on trailers. If you want to give it a go for yourself, we've embedded the debut gameplay video after the jump.
Lego: Lord of the Rings calls iOS its precious, starting today
There are many Lego-branded games on the App Store, but today, one of the most popular movie crossovers, Lego: Lord of the Rings, gets the iOS treatment as well. Following in the footsteps of the iOS ports of other hand-held Lego titles, Lego: Lord of the Rings features more than 90 playable characters, a host of weaponry and, of course, the cheesy humor that has become a trademark of the series. However, if you're planning on picking this little gem up today for the asking price of US$4.99, be warned: The download is a whopping 3 GB. Once installed, the game takes up around half that space, but you'll need to clear the 3 GB ahead of time if you're planning on downloading it over WiFi to install.
Lord of the Rings: War in the North will hit the Mac on Aug. 29
Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien and Middle Earth rejoice -- Feral Interactive will be shipping a Mac port of Snowblind Studios' The Lord of the Rings: War in the North (US$30) on August 29. Don't be surprised if you don't recall any of the events that take place in the title, which is an action role-playing game set in northern Middle Earth. About the only mention of the war in the trilogy came from Gandalf the White, saying "With his far-reaching right hand, Sauron might have done great evil in the North. Yet all that has been averted because a handful of heroes stood in his path." That small band of heroes consists of Eradin the Ranger, Andriel the Elf and Farin the Dwarf, who take on the forces of Sauron in the game. LOTR:WITN is playable in both single-player and co-op multiplayer modes, and requires at least OS X 10.7.5 (be sure to check the system requirements before purchase). [via MacNN]
LEGO Lord of the Rings brings Middle-earth to Mac on Feb. 21
There's a new Lord of the Rings game on the block and it's coming to Mac later this month. Oh, and it features characters and a world that are literally made out of blocks. Feral Interactive is preparing a port of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment's LEGO Lord of the Rings, released last fall on other platforms, and will be launching it on the Mac App Store and via its own site on February 21 for US$29.99. The game adheres to the formula employed by other LEGO titles from developer Traveler's Tales, such as LEGO Batman and Star Wars, and sees the Fellowship of the Ring battling orcs and other baddies from Tolkien's tomes while assembling things out of LEGO bricks to help them on their quest. Two players will be able to collaborate on the adventure which will offer the opportunity to unlock more than 80 playable characters. (Let us just suggest that you keep plastic Frodo and the gang away from the fires of Mt. Doom.) If this sounds like the sort of adventure you'd like to embark on, you'll need a Mac running OS X 10.7.5 with 4 GB of RAM and 256 MB of video memory to play. [Via Loop Insight]
The Lord of the Rings timeline is hidden within your Mac
As we crawl ever closer to the December 14th release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Mac Observer reminds us that our Macs are fans of Middle Earth as well. Hidden within OS X's Unix architecture is a FreeBSD calendar easter egg that chronicles the Lord of the Rings saga. You can view the full tally of fantastical event dates by heading to your Mac's Terminal utility and typing the following: cat /usr/share/calendar/calendar.lotr Once you hit enter, your computer will spit out a nicely detailed list of major dates associated with Lord of the Rings events. If you're not currently near your Apple desktop or MacBook, we've pasted the full calendar of events below for you to enjoy. TUAW's resident Middle Earth historian, Steve Sande, pointed out to me that the listed birthday of both Frodo and Bilbo are incorrect on the easter egg's list. According to the original books, both hobbits were born on September 22nd, rather than the 14th as is listed below. #ifndef _calendar_lotr_ #define _calendar_lotr_ 01/05 Fellowship enters Moria 01/09 Fellowship reaches Lorien 01/17 Passing of Gandalf 02/07 Fellowship leaves Lorien 02/17 Death of Boromir 02/20 Meriadoc & Pippin meet Treebeard 02/22 Passing of King Ellesar 02/24 Ents destroy Isengard 02/26 Aragorn takes the Paths of the Dead 03/05 Frodo & Samwise encounter Shelob 03/08 Deaths of Denethor & Theoden 03/18 Destruction of the Ring 03/29 Flowering of the Mallorn 04/04 Gandalf visits Bilbo 04/17 An unexpected party 04/23 Crowning of King Ellesar 05/19 Arwen leaves Lorian to wed King Ellesar 06/11 Sauron attacks Osgiliath 06/13 Bilbo returns to Bag End 06/23 Wedding of Ellesar & Arwen 07/04 Gandalf imprisoned by Saruman 07/24 The ring comes to Bilbo 07/26 Bilbo rescued from Wargs by Eagles 08/03 Funeral of King Theoden 08/29 Saruman enters the Shire 09/10 Gandalf escapes from Orthanc 09/14 Frodo & Bilbo's birthday 09/15 Black riders enter the Shire 09/18 Frodo and company rescued by Bombadil 09/28 Frodo wounded at Weathertop 10/05 Frodo crosses bridge of Mitheithel 10/16 Boromir reaches Rivendell 10/17 Council of Elrond 10/25 End of War of the Ring 11/16 Bilbo reaches the Lonely Mountain 12/05 Death of Smaug 12/16 Fellowship begins Quest #endif /* !_calendar_lotr_ */
