WARHAMMER 40K’s Eisenhorn Coming to TV

Eisenhorn Warhammer TV Show

Games Workshop’s iconic character Eisenhorn is to get his own live-action TV show. X-Files & The Man in the High Castle producer Frank Spotnitz is to be the showrunner of this gothic sci-fi/fantasy television series. Spontnitz brings with him the award winning Big Light Productions.

Warhammer 40,000 is a world famous franchise. Set in a grim-dark future, mankind’s vast galactic empire teeters on the brink of annihilation. The TV series will focus on the Imperial Inquisitior Gregor Eisenhorn and his band of agents, whol lead the charge in the fight against the mutant, the heretic and the alien.

The Eisenhorn series is based on novels written by New York Times bestselling author Dan Abnett, who is perhaps known for creating the story that the Guardians of The Galaxy movies are based on.

The books chart the journey of this troubled hero, who begins with the purest of motivations but is constantly tempted by darker forces as things get more and more desperate. The Starburst team are eagerly anticipating casting, not only for Gregor himself, but for his team. It would be intesting to see who they cast as the likes of Harlon Nayl, Kara Swole and Cherubael.

Dan has told the press “Gregor Eisenhorn is a relentless force in the dark future of the Warhammer universe: a destroyer of daemons and a purger of heretics, implacable, powerful and dedicated. But the appeal to me, from the moment I started writing him, was his complexity. He is not the simple, ruthless hero he appears to be. His battle with the Warp leads him into dark places and forces him to question his duty, his understanding of the Imperium, and his own identity. With Eisenhorn, it’s not just the adventures, and they are certainly vivid: it’s the journey he takes to the very limits of what he is and what it means to be loyal.”

Frank Spotnitz, series showrunner and Big Light Productions CEO, has added: “We are delighted to collaborate with Games Workshop to develop the beloved visionary world of Warhammer 40,000 into a TV series. Warhammer 40,000 is steeped in rich and complex lore, with a myriad of traditions and stories that have accumulated over time in this thrilling and complex world, making it one of the most exciting properties to adapt for television audiences and the franchise’s loyal global fanbase. There is nothing else like it on television, and we are incredibly excited to tap into our own experience creating imaginative, complex and compelling worlds to bring this incredible saga to the screen.”

Take Part in the EVE Aether Wars Phase Two Playtest

aether

Gamers have something amazing to look forward to as Vanguard playtest will showcase new 10,000 player battle in August. London-based tech start-up Hadean and CCP Games, creators of the biggest single-shard spaceship MMO game of all time EVE Online, have revealed the date for their hugely ambitious EVE Aether Wars: Phase Two playtest: Sunday August 18th.

Announced at EVE North, EVE Aether Wars: Phase Two is the next iteration of the partnership between Hadean and CCP Games that resulted in the original EVE Aether Wars, the ground-breaking tech demo that brought together 3,852 players in a single battle that saw the destruction of 88,988 ships live at Game Developers Conference earlier this year.

Phase Two is even bigger and better, with Hadean and CCP Games targeting 10,000 players in a single battle while also offering a richer, deeper gameplay experience that will set new standards in large scale multiplayer simulation. EVE Aether Wars: Phase Two is a rare opportunity for players to take part in a large-scale space battle involving thousands of players. Check out this video for a glimpse of what’s being worked on:

To take part, PC players can sign up for free by visiting hadean.com/eveaetherwars. The playtest will take place at 13:00 EDT / 17:00 UTC on Sunday August 18th, which has been selected based on feedback from the EVE community following the original EVE: Aether Wars playtest.

As with the original, EVE Aether Wars: Phase Two will be powered by Aether Engine, Hadean’s cloud engine for persistent, massively multiplayer games. With Hadean focusing on the engine powering Phase Two, CCP Games is driving development of its gameplay, as part of its ongoing research and development with large-scale multiplayer technology to push the boundaries of what’s possible in EVE Online.

EVE Aether Wars proved that the underlying technology works; Phase Two will demonstrate what exciting and compelling gameplay experiences look and feel like when thousands of players are battling each other at the same time.

“This is the start of something special,” said Craig Beddis, CEO of Hadean. “We wanted to show the world that our Aether Engine technology can perform flawlessly under unprecedented strain. We’ve done that. Now we want to show the world unique and exciting gameplay experiences that can only be delivered by our technology. It’s not just gamers who will be thrilled by EVE Aether Wars: Phase Two but the games industry as well. We can’t wait for everyone to join us in this ambitious project.”

“We are keen to build on the success of our joint efforts with Hadean on EVE Aether Wars and push our prototype even further,” said Hilmar V. Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games. “By using this technology to test the limits of the virtual worlds we can build, we hope to open up new possibilities for developers, the industry and ultimately the players themselves. We’re eager to explore the boundaries of what can be achieved in large-scale multiplayer gaming, which may even lead to the creation of spectacular new genres.”

Hadean will be attending Gamescom in Business Hall 2.2 in booth B-057, with appointments available for delegates who want to learn more about the Aether Engine tech powering EVE Aether Wars: Phase Two. For further details on Hadean and the Aether Engine, visit hadean.com

For more information about CCP Games and the EVE Universe, visit ccpgames.com/products.

CRAWL Scribes’ THE UNHEARD Finds a Director

Crawl

As UK audiences await Alexandre Aja’s Crawl stalking its way to the silver screen this August, now comes word on a new project for the Crawl writing team.

Courtesy of The Wrap, Monster Party’s Chris von Hoffmann has been brought in to direct the Michael and Shawn Rasmussen-penned The Unheard. The brothers Rasmussen will also serve as executive producers on the film.

At this point, there are absolutely zero plot details known about The Unheard, but expect more on the picture as we get it.

In the meantime, Crawl hits UK cinemas August 23rd. Having managed to check out an advanced screening, trust us, this is one terror-tastic effort you do not want to miss.

Live-Action LITTLE MERMAID Adds Harry Styles as Prince Eric

Harry Styles

Following the recent casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel in Disney’s upcoming live-action take on The Little Mermaid, the movie has now found who’ll be getting the chance to “kiss the girl”.

Via The Hollywood Reporter, Harry Styles has signed on to play Prince Eric in this new take on an old favourite. Now while Styles may seem like a slightly left-field choice, you have to remember that the One Direction star did impress in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk back in 2017. Since then, he’s been looking to explore the acting world in a larger way, including auditioning for the lead role in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Presley biopic.

As for Prince Eric, The Little Mermaid sees him fall in love with Ariel after she saves him from drowning. This love story takes an eerie twist when the nefarious Ursula manages to get Ariel to swamp her star singing voice for a pair of legs that would allow for her to join her new beau on land.

Currently, only Bailey and Styles are the confirmed cast members for The Little Mermaid, although Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina having held talks to join the film – not to mention, Melissa McCarthy in negotiations to play the aforementioned villain of the piece, Ursula.

Mary Poppins Returns’ Rob Marshall is on directing duties for The Little Mermaid, as the House of Mouse eyes an early 2020 production start date. The film has yet to be given a release date.

Taiki Waititi Signs Up for THOR 4

Taika Waititi

In some great news for Thor fans, Taika Waititi will be returning to direct Thor 4. But as is often with great news, it’s also accompanied by some less than great news for Akira fans.

Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, Waititi has signed on to return to the director’s chair for the Thor: Ragnarok follow-up. The downside of this, however, is that this will mean further delays for Warner Brothers’ long-gestating live-action Akira movie.

Akira was previously booked in for a May 2021 release, although that now looks like it will be pushed back. The fourth Thor picture has yet to actually be given a set release date, but the issue here is that ongoing script and budget issues with Akira had Warner. Bros getting nervous that the production start dates of both movies were a little too close for comfort.

This does not mean that the hugely talented Taika Waititi is completely off Akira, with Warners keen to move forward with a Waititi-directed Akira once the New Zealander is finished up on Thor 4.

Given that Chris Hemsworth’s Thunder God was last seen heading off into space with the Guardians, it may well be that we next see Thor in James Gunn’s 2021 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Either way, expect more on both Guardians 3 and Thor 4 as we get it.

Oliver Jackson-Cohen Returning for THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR

Oliver Jackson-Cohen

Hot off yesterday’s news that Oliver Jackson-Cohen will be headlining Leigh Whannell’s upcoming new spin on The Invisible Man, now comes word that the actor will be returning for The Haunting of Bly Manor.

If you remember, The Haunting of Bly Manor is the follow-up season to Mike Flanagan’s stunning The Haunting of Hill House. In Hill House, Jackson-Cohen played poor Luke Crain. This time out, with The Haunting of Bly Manor telling a completely different story, Jackson-Cohen will be playing a “charming fellow” called Peter. The Wrap confirmed the news, and the actor joins fellow Hill House alum Victoria Pedretti in returning to the whole Haunting of anthology offering.

In terms of what we know about The Haunting of Bly Manor, this new season of television will be based around Henry James’ gothic terror The Turn of the Screw. That tale takes place at an old country mansion and largely centres on a pair of orphans who are looked after by a governess.

Should The Haunting of Bly Manor be even half as gripping as The Haunting of Hill House, genre fans will be treated to something truly special.

Sci-Fi Film Music Prom Coming to The Albert Hall

sci fi proms

So this sounds like a very interesting event coming to The Albert Hall on Wednesday 7th August! They have really put together some exciting pieces from outside of the mainstream. Check it out below…

A Late Night Prom with a futuristic spin brings together some of the best sci-fi film music. Excerpts from cult soundtracks come together with recent works by Hans Zimmer and Mica Levi. The award-winning London Contemporary Orchestra – whose collaborators include Radiohead, Goldfrapp and Steve Reich – perform music from Under the Skin, Interstellar and the recent Netflix series The Innocents, among other titles, as well as from Alien: Covenant, whose soundtrack the LCO recorded.

PROGRAMME

Music from sci-fi film and TV scores, including excerpts from:

Jed Kurzel Alien: Covenant

Hans Zimmer Interstellar

Mica Levi Under the Skin

Clint Mansell Moon

Steven Price Gravity

John Murphy Sunshine

Carly Paradis The Innocents

London Contemporary Orchestra

Robert Ames conductor

You can buy tickets here

New Line Developing a SPACE INVADERS Movie

Space Invaders

Mark this one in the “okaaaaay…” file, for a Space Invaders movie is on the way.

Via Deadline, New Line Cinema is developing a big-screen take on Space Invaders. As in, yes, that Space Invaders. Y’know, the mega-addictive video game of the ‘80s.

New Line has already brought in Greg Russo to pen the picture, with Russo first tackling the upcoming Mortal Kombat reboot for New Line.

For those who may not be familiar with Space Invaders, the basic crux of the game saw players have to blast no-good stinkin’ aliens into smithereens. Formulaic? Sure. Repetitive? Definitely. But man oh man was this a game that was as addictive as they come.

Expect more on Space Invaders as it develops.

POWER RANGERS Being Rebooted Already

Power Rangers

After largely disappointing back in 2017, it looks like the cinematic future of the Power Rangers is getting a rejig.

Previously, we’ve heard rumblings of there being a Power Rangers sequel on the way, yet Dacre Montgomery – the 2017 movie’s Red Ranger – has shed some light on proceedings.

During a Reddit AMA chat, Montgomery was asked about what’s happening with said sequel. His response seems to indicate that the franchise is getting rebooted, as he replied with, “I think there is a movie in the works, but it’s not with me and the cast. So, yes – but not with us.”

Montgomery was joined in that Dean Israelite-directed effort by Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Becky G, Ludin Lin, Elizabeth Banks, Bill Hader and Bryan Cranston, with the mid-credits scene for the film teasing the arrival of Tommy Oliver’s Green Ranger for any sequel.

While the response to Power Rangers was mixed, the box office return of $140 million from a $105 million budget would seemingly be worrying for Lionsgate and Saban. As such, it seems as if they’re going back to the drawing board with the Power Rangers franchise.

As ever, expect more on all things Power Rangers as we get it.

John Carpenter Writing a JOKER Story For This October

Joker: Year of the Villain

One of the greatest directors in the history of cinema? Handling one of the greatest villains in the history of comics? Yes please!

As part of the Year of the Villain showcase, DC Comics has announced that John Carpenter will be co-writing a new one-shot story for The Joker. Borderlands 2’s Anthony Burch will be on writing duties alongside Carpenter, with the pair having previously worked together on the all-kinds-of-fun Big Trouble in Little Trouble: Old Man Jack miniseries. Philip Tan and Marc Deering are handling the art for this new tale.

On this news, Carpenter enthused, “The Joker is the greatest villain in comics. I’m proud to be reunited with Anthony on this project.”

This story will begin after Lex Luthor turns himself into the human-alien hybrid known as Apex Lex. In this landscape where Lex is encouraging mankind to succumb to its most evil of thoughts, the Clown Prince of Crime is “on a mission to get his swagger back in a world gone bad by out-badding everyone else, proving that the greatest evil is always the one that leaves them laughing”.

Joker: Year of the Villain will be released this October.