JJ Abrams
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Paramount announces yet another Star Trek prequel
How novel, a Star Trek prequel!
Amazon scoops up ‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ after HBO Max cancellation
Amazon has reportedly picked up Batman: Caped Crusader, the animated series Warner Bros. developed for HBO Max but scrapped last August to cut costs.
HBO Max cancels an animated Batman series from J.J. Abrams
The team behind 'Batman: Caped Crusader' will try to find another home for it.
Spotify strikes a multi-year deal with J.J. Abrams' new podcast unit
Spotify has struck a deal to be the exclusive home of podcasts from J.J. Abrams' new Bad Robot Audio division.
JJ Abrams says the 'Portal' movie is still in the works
JJ Abrams says the 'Portal' movie is still very much in development, although there's still much more work to do.
J.J. Abrams is bringing a new Batman animated series to HBO Max
J.J. Abrams is teaming up with Bruce Timm for Batman: the Caped Crusader on HBO Max.
WarnerMedia signs J.J. Abrams to a massive exclusive deal
WarnerMedia has emerged as the ultimate winner in a battle waged by several internet-focused companies to lock J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot into an overall content creation deal. The AT&T-owned media conglomerate has announced signing a wide-ranging agreement with Bad Robot chief J.J. Abrams and co-CEO Katie McGrath -- one that begins immediately and lasts until 2024. While neither side revealed the financial details behind the agreement, Variety says the deal is valued at a whopping $500 million. Sources told the publication that it could be worth even more if the projects that come out of it reach agreed-upon performance targets.
Apple loses bidding war for J. J. Abrams' production studio
Don't look now, but a major Hollywood upset just happened... much to the chagrin of streaming outlets. Hollywood Reporter and Deadline sources say that AT&T-owned WarnerMedia is near closing a roughly $500 million deal with Bad Robot, the production studio from J. J. Abrams and his wife Katie McGrath. Bad Robot had reportedly entertained deals from internet-focused companies like Amazon, Apple and Netflix (plus conventional firms like Comcast and Sony), with tipsters claiming that Apple "came close" to landing the deal.
HBO's 'Westworld' reboot with Anthony Hopkins will air next year
HBO has just green-lighted J.J. Abrams Westworld series, a reboot of Michael Crichton's now-classic 1973 movie about robots gone bad. it announced the series launch via Twitter, with a creepy Vine (see below) confirming the 2015 date. The original plot revolves around lifelike robots that help amusement park guests fulfill their fantasies but cause havok when the park's central computer fails. Execs told the Hollywood Reporter that each robot can come back after being killed off, allowing the actors to play different parts on different episodes. That helped HBO attract a star-studded cast, reportedly including Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris and Evan Rachel Wood. There's no exact air-date yet, but the concept and the cast look highly promising.
Barely Related: Star Wars cast, Doctor Who in Terminator
Good day, you lovely ladies and gents. Welcome to Barely Related, a conversational Friday column that presents the non-gaming news stories that we, the Joystiq staff, have been talking about over the past week. And no, we're not stopping our focus on industry and gaming news. Think of this as your casual weekly recap of interesting (and mostly geeky) news, presented just in time to fill your brain with things to discuss at all of those weekend shindigs. Grab a fresh drink, lean back in your armchair, and get ready to talk nerdy with us.
Captain's Log: Star Trek Online's new Starfleet tutorial
Star Trek Online recently revealed a freshly revamped tutorial for players who create new Starfleet characters. This week I had the opportunity to check the new material out for myself, so I rolled a new toon and experienced what it is like to have greatness thrust upon me! What? You don't believe me? It's true! My character went from academy graduate to captain of a Starfleet vessel in a matter of minutes! Oh wait, I guess that's not so surprising; even Captain James T. Kirk did it in an alternate universe. The fact of the matter is there's no easy way, story-wise, to get a new player's character into the command chair in a completely convincing manner. I'll be explaining how it all happens, so if you want to remain surprised about anything in the new Star Trek Online Starfleet tutorial, avert your eyes for the remaining portion of this away mission. But do me a favor and scroll down anyway, look at the pictures, and pretend to read it. It'll make me feel better. The rest of you are with me. Engage.
J.J. Abrams dropped involvement with Star Trek game
Though his team was involved at the project's outset, Star Trek film series director J.J. Abrams distanced himself from Digital Extremes' poorly received Star Trek: The Video Game prior to its completion, describing the finished product as a "big disappointment." "The last game was obviously a big disappointment to me," Abrams told GamerHub in a recent interview. "We were actually involved at the very beginning of it, and then we realized that it was not going in a place where we were going to get what we wanted. So we dropped out and they continued to do it." Abrams continued: "To me the video game could have been something that actually really benefited the series and was an exciting, fun game with great gameplay and instead it was not. For me, emotionally, it hurt, because we were working our asses off making the movie and then this game came out and it got [...] universally panned. I think that it was something that, without question, didn't help the movie and arguably hurt it." Valve co-founder Gabe Newell spoke with Abrams recently regarding the possibility of films based on Half-Life and Portal. "We're working with Valve right now on a couple of projects," Abrams told GamerHub. "The dream is to say, 'Despite its existence as a game or movie, what makes this great?' and starting from scratch -- from a place of, 'Let's make this from the ground-up great, regardless of what's come before.' [...] Anything that is based on something else needs to exist on its own terms. A lot of times, these things seem to exist as ancillary product. In which case, it will suck."
JJ Abrams and Gabe Newell full DICE keynote presentation
Here's the DICE 2013 keynote conversation between movie director J.J. Abrams and Valve co-founder Gabe Newell, which concluded with the news of the pair trying to figure out a Portal or Half-Life film.This was the only DICE presentation not released this past weekend from the annual video game executive conference. You can watch the rest here.
Captain's Log: Ruminating on Star Trek Online's future story
As a self-confessed altaholic, I spent a lot of time in Star Trek Online over the past week. The third anniversary celebration is still in full swing (although it does end on Thursday, February 14th), and I needed to get all 13 of my characters through the special featured episode in order to obtain the special ships being given as rewards. Suffice it to say that I pretty much know the episode by heart now. I actually dusted off my two low-level Klingon Defense Force characters and took them out for a spin so I wouldn't miss out on the beautiful new Kamarag class vessel, but in doing so I found myself chewing on the story as presented so far in Star Trek Online and what the most recent missions could mean for the rumored introduction of a Romulan faction, as well as what they might mean for the mighty Klingon Empire.
Newell: Valve looking to make Portal or Half-Life movie with J.J. Abrams
During today's DICE keynote conversation between movie director J.J. Abrams and Valve co-founder Gabe Newell, the latter noted a collaboration he's looking forward to making a reality if possible."We're going to try and figure out if we can make a Half-Life movie or a Portal movie together," said Gabe Newell.The two sparred on storytelling methods in movies and film, and used scenes from each other's work to illustrate how player agency can augment storytelling, and how films can use "forced" foreshadowing to set up later events. According to the creative pair, they wanted to pursue this dialogue more seriously, and now hope to collaborate on a film based in some way on Half-Life or Portal.There are no details available beyond this brief announcement, likely because the process is still in its early stages.
J.J. Abrams and Gabe Newell to duel in DICE 2013 opening keynote
J.J. Abrams, prolific film director and dual-wielder of beloved franchises, will headline the opening keynote of the 2013 D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit alongside Valve co-founder Gabe Newell. The Star Wars/Star Trek director will bring his cinematic perspective and flair to a discussion entitled "Storytelling Across Platforms: Who Benefits Most, the Audience or the Player?" on February 6."J.J. thoughtfully weaves together suspense, action, emotion, and fun into every one of his projects – elements every game developer aspires to capture as well," said Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences President Martin Rae. "Each year, the D.I.C.E. Summit sets the tone for the year ahead in games and adding J.J. and Gabe's shared insights is a natural fit as we see all forms of entertainment converge."The D.I.C.E. Summit will have a host of talks swirling around the impending entertainment singularity, and run from February 5 until February 8 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. The D.I.C.E. Awards, which seek to honor the best games released over the past year, will take place on February 7.
Portal 2 contains an 'interactive teaser' for JJ Abrams' Super 8
Buried in Portal 2's "Extras" menu is an "interactive teaser" for Super 8, this summer's J. J. Abrams-helmed sci-fi monster movie. "What exactly is an interactive teaser?" you ask, half-knowing the answer. Do you remember that original teaser for Super 8, in which a train crashes and something lets itself out of a train car? This is like that, except interactive (thanks, Source Engine!), and it takes place from the point-of-view of someone inside the train. You can find it in that copy of Portal 2 you've undoubtedly already purchased or, if you're still stuck at work like we are, watch a video after the break.
Captain's Log: A non-trekkie guide to Star Trek Online
Perhaps you've been hearing a lot of buzz about Star Trek Online lately. Or, perhaps you're reading this article in the year 2018, after the robots have begun their bloody revolt. Either way, you've never been way into Star Trek, but find yourself curious about this new MMO based on the franchise. In that cast, this iteration of Captain's Log is just for you. As a side note, this will be the last week you'll find this feature going live on Friday. Henceforth, a new Captain's Log will appear every Thursday -- so keep an eye out!
Star Trek Online lore: 2379 to 2384
It's rare for an MMO to bring with it a history as rich and generational as Star Trek. The Trek universe is as deep and rich with lore as Lord of the Rings or Star Wars, and just like both those titles the lore has been passed down from parent to child over generations now. This leaves any game which attempts to encapsulate that lore in a precarious situation of both having to remain close to the canon, yet leaving enough creative room for the player to feel like they're making a true difference in the universe. And while we have yet to see if Star Trek Online lives up to the second part of that criteria, we can take a look at how they are moving the lore forward and dealing with the canocial events of past Trek incarnations. The main conduit for this lesson in lore has been through the sporadic postings of The Path to 2409 on the official STO website. However, there's a lot of information there and it's quite easy to get lost in it all. So, let's take a look at the Star Trek Online timeline Cryptic has released thus far. To begin with, we'll go over the years 2379 through 2384.
New Sims 3 trailer treks into our hearts
The Sims 3 has quite a marketing push behind it for a game expected to sell more copies in its lifetime than there are digits in Pi. The upcoming sequel to the best-selling PC title is poised to attack store shelves on June 2 and honestly, we can't wait. In this video (showing off the game's movie-making magic), our Simlish-speaking pals show off their creativity in a hilarious Star Trek parody. If you thought J.J. Abrams knew pacing, drama and action ... Maxis is going to blow the brains out of the back of your skull.
