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Classic cinema streaming service FilmStruck will close November 29th
FilmStruck, WarnerMedia's streaming service that focuses on classic and indie cinema, is shutting down November 29th. The two-year-old platform is already closed to new subscribers.
Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. join Hollywood's open-source tech forum
Just months after its launch, Hollywood's first forum for open-source technology tools is adding more big names to its lineup -- along with its first software project. Sony Pictures Entertainment / Sony Pictures Imageworks and Warner Bros. are among the newbies, who'll be joining launch members including DreamWorks, Walt Disney Studios, Epic Games, Autodesk and Google Cloud.
'Hitman 2' will let everyone kill Sean Bean
Movie producers have seemingly gone out of their way to kill Sean Bean in whatever role he plays, so it only makes sense that you could off him in a game, right? IO Interactive certainly thinks so -- it has revealed that the first Elusive Target in Hitman 2 is none other than the perpetually ill-fated actor. Bean plays Mark Faba, an ex-MI5 agent who has become a freelance assassin. He's nicknamed "The Undying" due to his knack for faking his own death, but you're clearly there to put an end to that streak.
AT&T's WarnerMedia will launch streaming TV service in late 2019
Add AT&T to the list of media giants launching streaming services that revolve solely around their own content. The company's WarnerMedia is launching a streaming offering in the fourth quarter of 2019 with access to the group's collection of movies and TV shows. Most details are under wraps, but CNN has obtained an internal memo from CEO John Stankey showing that it would "start with HBO" and "package" Turner and Warner Bros. content. And while it would be a stand-alone service, Stankey stressed that it would "complement" the company's conventional TV distribution. It's trying to avoid a fight with cable and satellite giants worried they'll lose customers, in other words.
Footage leaks of a mysterious Harry Potter RPG
You can now play Harry Potter on mobile, but if you're craving something more substantial, a new leak is sure to get your pulse racing. Redditor VapeThisBro briefly shared footage of an apparent new RPG set within J.K. Rowling's wizarding world, starring your own custom-built character. The clip was only up a short time before it was pulled from YouTube and replaced with a notice that Warner Bros. Entertainment Interactive had filed a copyright claim. Filmed in third-person, the clip showed a wand-waving protagonist battling goblins and walking through a town square scattered with NPCs. Hogwarts' famous hall also made an appearance.
Music labels sue Cox again for allegedly ignoring piracy
Music labels really, really aren't a fan of Cox's internet service. Sony, Universal and Warner Bros. have sued Cox again for contributing to copyright infringement after it allegedly refused to take "reasonable measures" to fight piracy. While internet providers are supposed to terminate the accounts of users who ignore warnings against bootlegging music, Cox only ever conducted "soft terminations" (temporary disconnections) and warned some users over 100 times. It even instituted a cap on the volume of accepted copyright complaints and cut back on the number of anti-piracy staffers, according to the labels.
'Minecraft' movie delayed amid director changes
Were you eagerly awaiting Minecraft movie's May 2019 release? You'll need to make a change of plans. Director and co-writer Rob McElhenney has informed TheWrap that the originally slated debut is "not happening" as he's leaving the project. It's not clear why he's departing or who will replace him as director. However, Warner Bros. is asking Aaron and Adam Nee (both working on Masters of the Universe) to draft a new script.
DC's comic streaming service beta launches August 2018
After a seemingly never-ending series of teases, DC is ready to formally unveil its comic book-themed streaming service... most of it, anyway. DC Universe is now official, and will launch beta access this August with a wider debut in the fall. It'll be available on the web, Android and iOS as well as living room platforms like Android TV, Apple TV and Roku. There's still no mention of pricing, but you'll at least know what to expect when the service goes live.
Redbox will rent Warner Bros. films on release day (updated)
Redbox's new deal with Warner Bros. to make all its movies available for rental the day they're released on home video. The previous agreement delayed arrivals until a week after they'd come out for consumer market. Now, not only can folks pick them up on DVD in the company's signature kiosks, they can also access them via the provider's Redbox On Demand service.
Bethesda lawsuit claims ‘Westworld’ game is ‘Fallout Shelter’ rip-off
Bethesda Softworks filed a lawsuit this week against Behavior Interactive and Warner Bros., alleging that the new Westworld mobile game is a "blatant rip-off" of its Fallout Shelter, Polygon reports. The company cites a number of reviews of Westworld that noted the similarities and points to specific parts of Westworld's gameplay and imagery that it says are largely indifferentiable from Fallout Shelter. "Working with the same copyrighted computer code used by Fallout Shelter, Westworld has the same or highly similar game design, art style, animations, features and other gameplay elements as Fallout Shelter, all of which are owned by Bethesda," the company says in its suit.
J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot expands into gaming with China's Tencent
J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions, the company behind blockbuster films and TV shows like Star Trek, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Lost and Westworld, is making a jump into gaming. It's joining forces with Chinese gaming giant Tencent, and minority partner Warner Bros. to launch Bad Robot Games. "I'm a massive games fan, and increasingly envious of the amazing tools developers get to work with, and the worlds they get to play in," said Abrams in a statement.
DC's streaming service has a name and a new show
DC's streaming service is no longer quite so mysterious. The unlimited video offering is now called DC Universe (not to be confused with the DC Extended Universe), and has a landing page to whet your appetite. There's a new show to go alongside the announcement, as well -- DC has unveiled Swamp Thing, an adaptation of the classic comic series. This version has CDC researcher Abby Arcane studying a swamp virus in Louisiana and falling in love with fellow scientist Alec Holland, only to 'lose' him. Needless to say, he isn't really gone -- and he's key to fending off "powerful forces" that want to use the swamp for nefarious ends. It premieres sometime in 2019.
The latest Harry Potter mobile game puts Hogwarts in your pocket
In Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, which launched today for Android and iOS, players create their own character and progress through seven years of rigorous tutelage at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They must choose their preferred House, survive potions class with Professor Snape, Transfigure themselves under the supervision of Professor McGonagall and even duel with other students. Not only that, players must also unravel the mystery as to why their in-game older brother was expelled from Hogwarts and reveal the sinister secrets he was pursuing.
'Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery' hits your phone April 25th
Warner Bros. announced its Harry Potter mobile game last December, promising that we'd all be able to experience life as a Hogwarts student, going to classes and interacting with the well-known professors in the magical school. Now Jam City, the mobile publisher tasked with making the game itself, has revealed that Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery will be available April 25th. It will also include some very famous voices reprising their roles as teachers of magic.
'Hitman' games have brighter future thanks to Warner Bros. deal
The Hitman game franchise has seen some tumultuous times lately: Square Enix tried to offload its developer, IO Interactive, prompting the studio to buy its independence. While that gave IO more control, it also left the company more vulnerable if sales fell short. Not to fear, however: IO has signed a Hitman publishing deal with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The agreement should provide some stability, and even gives fans a re-release in the short term.
Telltale's second 'Batman' season ends March 27th
Telltale's games are defined by in-the-moment choices that have far-reaching consequences, and that's never been truer than it is now. It's releasing the final episode of Batman: The Enemy Within ("Same Stitch") on March 27th, and your decisions from the previous four episodes are determining nothing less than the personality of The Joker. You could end up with an arch-nemesis similar to the classic comic book character, but you might also wind up with an "unpredictable vigilante" -- to some degree, he'd be on your side.
'Rocket League' DLC adds DC superhero flair on March 5th
When car-soccer game Rocket League was updated last November, it included two DC Comics-inspired customization options like The Flash wheels and player banner. On March 5th, the game will get an entire roster of Justice League cars from Warner Bros., including two different Batmobiles -- one from the 1989 film and the other from Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises.
FilmStruck's alternative streaming service is coming to the UK
A movie streaming service backed by Warner Bros. and Turner is launching in the UK in the "coming weeks," the pair have announced. FilmStruck has been lighting up screens in the US since late 2016, and will arrive across the pond with a slightly different name: FilmStruck Curzon. Underpinned primarily by the substantial archives of Warner Bros. and the Criterion Collection, the service will span "mainstream, cult, independent, classics, art house, foreign and documentary film." As well as providing logistical support, Curzon will have its own curated corner on the service that'll feature some content provided by its movie distribution arm, Artificial Eye.
Samsung adds another ally in its battle over HDR standards
This isn't exactly taking it back to the days of HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray, but Samsung's fight to push HDR10+ as an alternative to Dolby Vision is heating up. We have more details on how the two standards compare right here, but one main feature is that both improve on regular HDR10 by allowing content makers to dynamically adjust settings from one scene to another, or even from one frame to another.
Warner Bros. is making its own Harry Potter mobile game
Hogwarts is officially going mobile. From next year, Potterheads -- and muggles, should they wish -- will be able to create their own characters and experience life as a Hogwarts student in officially-licensed game Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. As a witch or wizard you'll progress through school years just like Harry et al, participating in the magical classes such as Defence Against the Dark Arts and Potions, with Hogwarts' iconic professors at the helm.
