The instant messaging (IM) platform ICQ, a name synonymous with early online communication, is set to shut down on June 26, 2024, after nearly three decades in operation. Originally developed by the Israeli company Mirabilis in 1996, the client was bought by AOL in 1998, and then by Mail.Ru Group (now VK) in 2010. ICQ predates giants like Yahoo Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger, making it a true pioneer in the realm of online chat.
ICQ, pronounced “I seek you,” offered a free service that allowed users to connect with others through unique identification numbers. The platform’s familiar bouncing ball notification system became a pop culture icon, signifying the presence of a waiting message.
While ICQ enjoyed immense popularity in its early days, it struggled to keep pace with the evolution of communication technologies. The rise of mobile messaging apps and social media platforms ultimately led to its decline.
The official ICQ website confirmed the impending shutdown and recommends visitors to try VK Messenger and VK WorkSpace, which belong to the ICQ’s current owners.
It’s the semifinals of the NBA 2024 and it comes down to just 4 teams; the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves for the Western Conference, as for the East Conf. we have the Boston Celtics and the Indian Pacers.
Minnesota and Indiana advanced to the Conf. Finals after a grueling Game 7. Dallas needed 6 games to advanced, while Boston just took care of the business in just 5 games and have been waiting on the sideline.
Game 1 of the WCF between Minnesota and Dallas will be this Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 3:00 AM (Saudi time)
Game 1 of the ECF between Boston and Indiana will be on Thursday, May 23, 2024 3:30 AM (Saudi time)
The USA Basketball has officially announced the 12-man roster of the 2024 USA Basketball Men’s National Team for this year’s Summer Olympic bound for Paris. The team was selected by USA Basketball Men’s National Team managing director Grant Hill and approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors.
The 2024 USA Men’s National Team will be led by head coach Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors), who is assisted by Mark Few (Gonzaga University), Tyronn Lue (L.A. Clippers) and Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat). Last summer, the quartet coached the 2023 USA Basketball Men’s National Team to a fourth-place finish at the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup in Manila.
The team boasts of 12 NBA All-Stars, four NBA MVPs and six NBA champions, as for their international experience, the team brings a combined 11 Olympic appearances and owns 10 Olympic gold medals as well as three FIBA World Cup titles. Talent-wise, we can say that the 2024 Dream team can be compared to the 1992 Dream Team, as for their performance, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
If you want to see the team in action, USA Basketball will commence training camp on July 6 in Las Vegas. Following the game vs. Canada, the Americans will embark on an international training window that begins when the USA hosts Australia and Serbia on July 15 and 17, respectively, at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Australia and Serbia will also face off on July 18 in Abu Dhabi.
The official trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine has finally arrived, but as always, it offers no clues about the film’s plot.
As explained by film’s Director, Shawn Levy, Deadpool & Wolverine is the 3rd Deadpool film but not Deadpool 3. Deadpool & Wolverine is written by Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Zeb Wells. The film will star Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman reprising their role as Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively, alongside Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, and Matthew Macfadyen. Aaron Stanford will also return as Pyro, from the X-Men films and Jennifer Garner as Elektra Natchios.
Deadpool & Wolverine will be in theaters this July 26th.
Newest Ray Ban will be the next best AI Assistant
A report, mentioned that Meta’s Llama 3 model will be integrated into Ray Ban. This will be an improvement to Meta’s previous collaboration with Ray Ban’s smart glasses.
Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer
The previous Ray Ban smart glasses featured a 12 MP camera, touch sensors for volume, voice control, and live-streaming capabilities. The smart glasses are currently available in the US, UK and Canada.
The development in the new AI model is thanks to Yann Lecun.
Meta’s New AI Developments
Yann Lecun is Meta’s chief AI scientist. His team is currently working on a video-based learning model for AI. V-JEPA (or Video Joint Embedding Predictive Architecture) is a model that aims to replicate the real-world observational capabilities of humans. The new learning model will “train” AI to have a foundation to give way to reasoning capabilities.
In their blog, Meta says that V-JEPA is all about helping AI develop a sense of “perception” to help improve AI assistants. AI assistants in smart glasses like the Ray Ban help provide contextual information for users of said products.
Yann Lecun’s interview with Lex Friedman revealed interesting developments regarding the competitor to the ChatGPT model. In the interview (in video below), Yann Lecun mentioned that the company is always developing models that will be integrated into consumer products.
People will be excited to know that Meta will release two smaller Llama 3 models in the next few weeks this April. Meta launched Llama 2 in July of 2023. This year, Meta plans to release their newest AI model around the same time.
Aside from the release date, an interesting take is that Meta’s Llama 3 will reportedly match ChatGPT 4’s capabilities. The company is in a race with OpenAI as more and more companies join the AI hype including Google and Bing.
There are no official dates yet for the release for the new model. Aside from the AR glasses, Meta plans to integrate their AI models into Whatsapp.
Just hours earlier, the world had its first solar eclipse. This phenomenon is a natural occurrence where the moon occludes the sun’s light, casting a shadow that can be seen in parts of the world. In some areas, the sun completely blocks out the light, leaving only a halo of light called the corona. Other times, there’s a partial solar eclipse, leaving a crescent of light that evokes the mysterious.
Residents of Texas to Ohio and all the way up to Main will enjoy a full view of the total solar eclipse. The day completely turns dark as the moon and sun come together to become a celestial wonder.
Several videos on social media show the event. Luckily for those who see it in person, they will get to enjoy this and won’t see a total solar eclipse again for another 20 or more years.
But why are solar eclipses such a big deal? It’s mostly people’s appreciation of a cosmic event. It turns out some cultures in the world celebrate it for more than its rarity.
The Navajo tribe in North America view solar eclipses as a time of sacredness, rebirth, and renewal for the cosmic bodies. During this time, the Navajo people reflect quietly inside their homes. Some of them forego food, water, and all activities until the event is over.
For some religions, it’s either a bad omen or a good one. For the Hindu, the variety of beliefs surrounding eclipses result in different activities. Some Hindu either venerate the event, and some believe the eclipse brings negative energies.
It’s not only people and their traditions that change during a solar eclipse. Even animals have a change in behavior during an eclipse, especially if their environment is on the path of totality.
Studies that include anecdotal evidence have shown that the majority of the species of birds become quiet and stop feeding during the event. Other people have reported seeing increased activity from mosquitoes, and nocturnal animals come out of burrows to hunt. The same cannot be said for domesticated dogs and cats.
Whether you’re praying in a temple in India, or have flown to Dallas, or just staying at home with your pets, it’s always best to be safe. To truly appreciate the beauty of this cosmic union, make use of appropriate protective lenses.
There’s a charm to anime that can’t be transferred over to other formats. One tragic example of this would be the 2009 Dragon Ball Evolution . People criticized the film for its confusing plot, the bad dialogue, bad acting, and a lot more. The movie was so bad, the director issued an apology for the film.
Artists have liberty to portray character’s expressions in a multitude of ways in anime. While there are actors who portray facial expressions with ease, it’s not easy to imitate one from a fictional character. This is where the transition from anime to film breaks.
Official poster of Dragon Ball Evolution, for the live action adaptation for Dragon Ball.
While the trend with live action adaptation is staying close to the source material, most adaptations still fall flat. Aside from the more animated facial expressions, we can attribute the difficulty in emulating fiction to the fantastical nature of anime.
In this case, it’s the directors’ and writers’ job to custom fit a plot to ensure it’s appropriate for a live action adaptation. How the creators of Parasyte The Grey wrote it is an example of a custom fit.
Policewoman Choi Joon Kyung showing a demo of the custom-fit helmet to contain a parasite host.
It’s worth noting that this Netflix live action series isn’t the first to adapt the Parasyte anime. However, what sets it apart from the previous films is its entirely new plot. While the main plot device still focuses on the parasites, the series differs in that the main focus is not of a singular character.
In the original source material, Shinichi’s conflicts drive the plot forward. He has to come to terms with the fact that he is something more than a high school student. Shinichi has to survive by eliminating other parasites. In this new spin-off, the plot focuses on how the parasites systematically take over humanity in the form of an organization. This central conflict affects multiple characters, and the series does a good job in magnifying individual conflicts in the larger frame of the story.
A congregation of murderous parasites paints a darker picture of organized religion.
While the series may not be a frame-by-frame adaptation, Parasyte the Grey still pays homage to how exposition is used in anime. Spoiler alert: There’s this one scene where the main character explains something about transportation methods reducing combat potential. And this one scene was done just right. Not excessive, but in passing.
Director Yeon Sang-ho did a good job with the series. Parasyte the Grey’s themes show influence from his past work, The Fake(2013), where the plot revolves around organized religion. Sang-ho’s audience tends to lean towards adults, hence the lack of excessive slasher-action cutscenes in the adaptation.
What the 2024 series did was develop an entirely new plot while staying thematically similar to the original source material. The anime did show lots of visceral fights, and the upfront violence of the murderous aliens. The show did a good job of reflecting this and includes how humanity is similarly capable of such violence.
The stark contrast of the supermarket’s slow pace prior to the car chase following it makes for effective portrayal of the theme of violence.
Building on thematic similarities may be the best step forward in terms of live anime adaptations. There are other techniques that make an adaptation successful. An example would be the 2017 Ghost in the Shell’s world building and environment. The setting was a successful recreation of the original’s dystopian sci-fi theme.
Recreating the dystopian sci-fi environment helped Ghost in the Shell stand out from a long list of anime adaptations.
In short, Parasyte the Grey’s success may have been a combination of the right director, the right plot devices, a perfect casting, and overall, a well-written piece of fiction. Our suggestion? Go watch the series now.
Main casts of Parasyte – The Grey via asianwiki.com: Jeon So-nee / Koo Kyo-hwan / Lee Jung Hyun
You can stream season 1 of the Parasyte – The Grey on Netflix.
Riot Games finally withdrew all lawsuits against Moonton for alleged copyright infringement.
History
The first time Riot Games filed a lawsuit against Mobile Legends was in 2017, for the supposed copyright infringement of their assets, in addition to stylistic similarities. Prior to this, Riot Games had reached out to Google to remove Mobile Legends from the Play Store. However, Moonton relaunched as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang before Google could take action. The court dismissed the copyright infringement lawsuit in 2017. Tencent, which is currently the parent company for Riot Games, again filed a case against Moonton CEO Xu Zhenhua for allegedly violating the non-compete clause in his contract. The lawsuit settled for $2.7 million. Despite Tencent’s win against Moonton, the case details never revealed if Xu Zhenhua did in fact infringe on copyright. Riot Games still filed lawsuits against Moonton in the following years for a variety of reasons, including title card similarities – the Mobile Legends Bang Bang title card was updated the following year as League of Legends released its new logo in 2019.
Comparison of Art Styles
League of Legends new logo in 2019Mobile Legends Bang Bang most recent logo receives ire for allegedly copying Riot Games
Moonton’s 515 Unite isn’t an exception to the similarities between the two franchises. It shares visual aesthetics with some sections of K/DA’s POP/STARS, and a closer examination reveals definite similarities in both the music and artistic style.
League of Legends’ virtual Kpop Group K/DA
Moonton’s 515 Unite
Just more recently, Moonton has released a new hero that closely resembles Riot Games’ Arcane character Vi. The new Mobile Legends hero Julian has been criticized by League fans as an amalgamation of League’s Sylas and Arcane’s Vi.
New Mobile Legends: Bang Bang hero Julian from MoontonLeague’s Sylas official skin splash art from leagueoflegends.comVi from Riot’s Arcane
Moonton’s Guinevere Psion of Tomorrow skin also sparked comparisons, with its design having a striking resemblance to League of Legends’ K/DA Ahri skin.
K/DA Ahri’s official skin splash art from League of LegendsGuinevere from Mobile Legends: Bang Bang featuring Psion of Tomorrow skin with fox tails
Following ongoing legal disputes, Riot Games and Moonton Games have settled their differences under undisclosed terms.
We now have the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Bracket and that Albany 2 bracket is brutal, whether you’re a fan of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese from LSU or UCLA.. it looks like it will be a long journey to the Final 4.
On the countrary, Gamecocks fans should be celebrating, since they are in the easiest bracket of the tournatment. The South Carolina Gamecocks, who are undefeated going to the tournament are the favorite to win it all, let’s be real, if you’re team is undefeated for the season, any bracket will be an easy bracket regardless of the matchup.
Here’s the complete 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Bracket, click the image for a larger view, you can also visit the interactive version of the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Bracket at ncaa.com
You can check the complete schedule for Women’s 2024 NCAA College Basketball Tournament here.
It’s March Madness once again, but this time my eyes are on the Women’s 2024 NCAA College Basketball Tournament. Whether you’re just jumping on the Women’s College Basketball bandwagon or have been following it for a long time, this year Women’s College Basketball is at its all-time high in terms of popularity and media coverage. It may be the Caitlin Clark effect or a combination of a lot of things.
Sixty-eight of the best collegiate basketball teams will compete for the NCAA championship title. The women’s bracket will be revealed along with their seeding and matchups during Selection Sunday on March 17 on ESPN.
First Four: March 20-21
These games feature play-in matchups between the lowest-seeded teams for the final spots in the main bracket.
First and Second round: March 22-25
These games will determine which teams advance to the Sweet Sixteen.
Sweet 16: March 29-30
The winners will move on to the Elite Eight, this means the team are just 4 wins away from the NCAA championship title.
Elite Eight: March 31-April 1
The winners will move on to the Final Four.
Final Four: Friday, April 5
This is a do-or-die games for the remaining teams and the two winning teams will then battle it out for the championship title in the National Championship game.
NCAA championship game: Sunday, April 7
Will this be the year for Caitlin Clark to finally get cement her legacy as the greatest collegiate athelete in the world, since a National Championship is the only missing piece in her decorated college career.
The MSI Claw Gaming Console is now in Saudi Arabia, their entry to the growing popularity of handheld gaming console category. The MSI Claw Gaming Console was first revealed in CES 2024 earlier this year, the MSI Claw is now available for preorder in Saudi Arabia. The MSI Claw Gaming Console will be competing with Asus, Lenovo and Steam.
The MSI Claw Gaming Console is said to be the world’s first gaming handheld powered by the Intel Core Ultra processor, Intel’s newest flagship CPU optimized for premium thin and powerful laptops (and handheld), that features 3D performance hybrid architecture, advanced AI capabilities, and available with built-in Intel Arc GPU. The Claw will be running Windows 11 Home right out of the box which can also be upgraded Windows 11 Pro and it features an Intel Arc Graphics card on a 7-inch touchscreen display with 1080p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It two 2W Hi-Res speakers, a 6 cell (53Whr) Li-Ion battery, a Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI port, a microSD slot, and features a fingerprint scanner built in to the power button for added security.
There will be 3 available variants of MSI Claw Gaming Console which is differentiated by the their CPU, CPU Speed and storage size but all other components will remain the same. You can head to specs page of the MSI Claw Gaming Console for more details.
In Saudi Arabia, the based model MSI Claw Handheld Gaming Console with Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and 512 GB storage is priced at SR 3,299, which is around Php 48,944.50, while a more powerful Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and 512 GB variant will be available at SR 3,799, that’s Php 56,362.58.
The availability of the MSI Claw Gaming Console in the Philippine market is yet to be announced.
The cult classic The Crow (1994) is getting a remake this year. The Crow (2024) stars Bill Skarsgård as the murdered musician-turned-avenger, Eric Draven.
The Crow (2024) Poster
This fresh take on a story of love, crime, and vengeance will especially delight newcomers. However, it also has a legacy to uphold. The 1994 film set a high bar that sequels couldn’t quite reach.
The Crow (1994) Poster
The Crow (1994) achieved cult status not just for its goth aesthetic, but also due to the tragic death of Brandon Lee during filming. A technical error caused a prop gun to fire a fatal shot, forcing rewrites and graphic alterations.
Despite these challenges, the film garnered a devoted following, positive reviews, and a global box office gross exceeding $90 million.
Watch the trailer below and see if Skarsgård can bring a new dimension to this iconic role!
Aniplex USA just release the official trailer of Demon Slayer Season 4 – Hashira Training Arc. Unlike the previous trailer, this one includes actual footage from the series and as expected, it’ll be an extensive training for Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke, in order to become a Hashira, the Demon Slayer Corps’ highest ranking swordsmen and members.
To the Hashira Training…
The Hashira, the Demon Slayer Corps’ highest ranking swordsmen and members. The Hashira Training has begun in order to face the forthcoming battle against Muzan Kibutsuji. Each with their own thoughts and hopes held in their hearts, a new story for Tanjiro and the Hashira begins.
The trailer also confirmed the release date of the series, which will premiere on Crunchyroll on the 12th of May. Demon Slayer Season 4: Hashira Training Arc will adapt Chapters 128 to 136 of Koyoharu Gotoge’s manga of the same name.
The world has lost one one of the legendary creators in anime, Akira Toriyama. Kids and adults all around the world enjoy the world of Dragon Ball, and fans may find themselves revisiting the anime franchise after Toriyama’s passing.
It’s no doubt that the world he created had so much influence on other anime. The latest episode of the anime adaptation of the Solo Leveling manhwa referenced Goku’s training jumps.
In Episode 9 of Solo Leveling, Sung Jin Woo reunites with former hunters to explore a dungeon. The old friends find themselves in a tense temporary alliance with three hunter-prisoners looking to reduce their sentences. Accompanying the ex-convicts is the mysterious Kang Tae Shik from the Hunter’s Association.
A quick flashback reveals Kang Tae Shik is not only accompanying the three prisoners but is out to execute them. Two of Sung Jin Woo’s former hunter companions witness the brutal scene, but they die in the hands of Kang.
Sung Jin Woo and his two close friends discover what happened and confront Kang Tae Shik. The main character engages in a bloody knife fight with Kang, until the former has no choice but to sink into a murderous intent (wink).
The scene shows Sung Jin Woo jumping from side to side in preparation for his attack, which strongly parallels that of Goku’s battle prep against Broly in Dragon Ball Super: Broly.
While the animation had been prepared months before Toriyama’s unfortunate passing, fans can’t help reference Goku in this scene. After all, Akira Toriyama’s indelible legacy lives in Dragon Ball and in the minds of all anime fans.
But even wish-granting dragons cannot bring back a legend.
Despite some of the negative reviews of Netflix’s live action adaption of Avatar: The Last Airbender, the streaming giant just announced that they’re renewing the series for two more seasons.
The Avatar will return!! Seasons 2 & 3 of AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER are coming! pic.twitter.com/NDxSDP7kZE
The announcement was both made by the company’s social media account and also by Daniel Dae Kim in a recent video meeting with the rest of the cast.
Whether you like the series or not, it appears that enough people love the show for Netflix to renew it for two more seasons.
Here are some numbers about the show that the Netflix released with their announcement.
Since it premiered two weeks ago, Avatar: The Last Airbender has been the No. 1 English-language TV show, amassing 41.1 million views in just the first 11 days. Additionally, the show was No. 1 in 76 countries and in the Top 10 in 92.
Netflix’s live action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender was created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, which is based on animated series released by Nickelodeon. AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER Season 1 is now available for streaming on Netflix.
Netflix just released the official trailer for the live action adaptation of the famous manga/anime Parasyte.
This film adaptation however does not have Shinichi as the main character. The film may possibly explore other characters from the manga.
The trailer shows a female lead, starred by Jeon So-Nee, as she attempts to survive in a world ravaged by parasite-infested humans. The premise does have similarities to how Shinichi co-exists with his parasyte Migi.
Other cast members are new-ish faces in Netflix, but with rather diverse performance portfolios. Koo Kyo-Hwan takes on the role of Seol Kang-woo. The trailer doesn’t reveal much of his role but it looks like he will be a major supporting character. Singer-actress Lee Jung-hyun will act as part of a police force that will combat the onslaught of deadly parasites.
The trailer doesn’t reveal too much info, and this will be good news for would-be fans of the Netflix show.
This is not the manga’s first live-action adaptation. The 2014 film Parasyte: Part 1, directed by Takashi Yamazaki, was followed shortly by Parasyte: Part 2 the following year.
In comparison to the first two films, this adaptation seems to be more visceral and has a darker undertone due to an urban setting and more mature characters.
Parasyte: The Grey will stream on Netflix starting April 6 this year.
The sudden loss of Jaclyn Jose saddened the Philippine Entertainment Industry. The cause of death was a heart attack. Jaclyn Jose, born as Mary Jane Santa Ana Guck, received international acclaim when she won Best Actress in Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first ever Filipino to receive it.
She starred famously in the Batang Quiapo drama series as the antagonist Dolores Espinas. Even before, she played antagonist roles convincingly well. Her family found her in her Quezon City home March 3, 2024. The family has stated they will share details soon, and is requesting privacy during their time of grief.
WATCH: Andi Eigenmann confirmed in a press conference that her mom Jaclyn Jose passed away due to myocardial infarction or heart attack on the morning of March 2. pic.twitter.com/DylsAybatk
Jaclyn Jose’s role in Ma’Rosa (2016) was of a mother trying to make ends meet by selling crystal meth. She plays Rosa, a mother of three children. Her daughter Andi Eigenmann also played in the film as one of Rosa’s children.
Jaclyn Jose’s role in Ma’Rosa (2016)
Jaclyn Jose is originally from Angeles, Pampanga. She grew up with six siblings. Her mother was also an actress, as well as her sister Veronica Jones. The police say no foul play has been involved in the incident. The official statement from the bereaved family confirms the investigation.
Adidas has just announced that it will sell the remaining YEEZY inventory in the coming weeks, across the globe. This includes one of the most popular designs, the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 in Steel Grey. The news comes after Adidas terminated its partnership with YEEZY in October 2022, following antisemitic remarks and actions by Kanye West, now known as Ye.
Here the full text of Adidas official announcement;
Today adidas began a further release of YEEZY inventory with a range of existing products being available in phases over the coming weeks across the world.
As announced at the start of 2024, adidas will release the remaining YEEZY inventory, which features products from 2022, in the course of the year. The range available will include some of the most popular designs beginning with the 350 V2 in STEEL GREY.
The products will be exclusively available through adidas digital platforms including the CONFIRMED app, adidas app and adidas.com. The phased release of products will help ensure a fair and premium experience for consumers. Availability and timing of release will vary depending on location.
Since terminating the YEEZY partnership in October 2022 adidas has donated to selected organizations to combat discrimination and hate, including racism and antisemitism.
Currently on sale from Adidas Philippines website is the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 in Steel Grey with a price tag of ₱15,000.00
Warner Bros. Entertainment just release the official trailer of Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Two. This is the second part of a trilogy that will be concluded by the end of the year.
The trailer hinted that the film immediately pickup from where we left our heroes in Part One, where members of ‘Legion of Superheroes’ start to disappear. We also see Justice League members from different multi-verse battle shadow demons.
An endless army of SHADOW DEMONS bent on the destruction of all reality swarms over our world and all parallel Earths! The only thing opposing them is the mightiest team of metahumans ever assembled. But not even the combined power of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and all their fellow superheroes can slow down the onslaught of this invincible horde. What mysterious force is driving them? And how do the long-buried secrets of the Monitor and Supergirl threaten to crush our last defense?
Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Two is schedule for an April 23rd release.
Netflix just released the full animated film Nimona on its channel four days ago. The story centers on Ballister and his shapeshifting sidekick, Nimona.
Nimona was Blue Sky Studio’s last project before shutting down. Blue Sky Studios is the team behind the widely successful Ice Age series, Rio, and Spies in Disguise.
Due to economic uncertainty, Blue Sky Studios had to shut down before they got the chance to finish the project. However, previous employees at Blue Sky Studios still worked on the project to bring it to life.
The film had been in the works since 2015, and the release date originally scheduled for a 2022 release. Disney also rejected the film, stating that it contained LGBT themes, as revealed by an interview by three former Blue Sky Studios employees.
In a fortunate turn of events, Annapurna Animation picked up the project and brought it back from development limbo. The voice cast for Nimona includes Chloe-Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed, Frances Conroy, and Eugene Lee Yang.
The film received positive reception by the audience, scoring a high 7.5 in IMDb.
Watch the full film below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4CFWTYFRlw
One of the best-selling games to ever hit the markets is finally getting a film adaptation.
The game, originally by game studio Gearbox, is a fast-paced, comedy–laden, FPS game. The game centers around completing missions and obtaining powerful loot, in addition to-exploring Pandora.
While the game has an open-world style due to its RPG mechanics, it presents challenges to producers wanting to adapt it perfectly into the big screen. However, the minds behind the plot for the Borderlands film could be taking liberties with each character’s uniqueness.
Borderlands Movie Poster
Some big names were cast for the film. We’ve all seen Cate Blanchett as Hela in the MCU. This time, she will be taking the role of Lilith. In addition to Blanchett, Jack Black will be voicing the annoying, but entertaining robot Claptrap, Jamie Lee Curtis will play Tannis the scientist and more.
Lilith (Blanchett), an infamous bounty hunter with a mysterious past, reluctantly returns to her home, Pandora, the most chaotic planet in the galaxy. Her mission is to find the missing daughter of Atlas (Ramírez), the universe’s most powerful S.O.B. Lilith forms an unexpected alliance with a ragtag team of misfits – Roland (Hart), a seasoned mercenary on a mission; Tiny Tina (Greenblatt), a feral pre-teen demolitionist; Krieg (Munteanu), Tina’s musclebound protector; Tannis (Curtis), the oddball scientist who’s seen it all; and Claptrap (Black), a wiseass robot. Together, these unlikely heroes must battle an alien species and dangerous bandits to uncover one of Pandora’s most explosive secrets. The fate of the universe could be in their hands – but they’ll be fighting for something more: each other. Based on one of the best-selling videogame franchises of all time, welcome to BORDERLANDS.
Borderlands will premiere this year by late August.
In a recent Instagram post, Diesel shared an update after a meeting with the writers and team, describing the atmosphere as “incredibly powerful” and the excitement for the “grand finale” as “an understatement.”
This news comes after Diesel previously announced “Fast X” would be the final chapter in the saga, but it seems plans have shifted. While “Fast X” will likely tie up loose ends, Diesel assures fans that the sequel will be more than just an ending: “This grand finale is not just an ending; it’s a celebration of the incredible family we’ve built together.”
The post also expressed gratitude to the dedicated fanbase, acknowledging their role in shaping the franchise’s success: “Thank you for being the backbone of this global saga that because of you, transcends the screen.”
While specific plot details remain under wraps, Diesel’s enthusiasm hints at an epic conclusion that will honor the “Fast & Furious” legacy. The sequel, currently untitled, is slated for release on April 4, 2025, directed by Louis Leterrier (“The Transporter”).
This update is sure to ignite speculation among fans, with questions swirling about returning cast members, potential storylines, and the level of over-the-top action the finale will bring. With “Fast X” hitting theaters in May 2023, the wait for the grand conclusion might feel like an eternity, but Diesel’s words promise a thrilling ride worth waiting for. Get ready to say goodbye – or maybe just see you later – to Dom, Letty, and the rest of the “Fast & Furious” family in what promises to be an explosive farewell.
The live action adaption of Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender is scheduled to be available tomorrow Feb 22, 2024 on Netflix, to help promote the series in the region, Netflix Philippines taps the services of Melai Cantiveros for their Appa Air video promo.
In a 3 mins video (embedded below), Melai who plays as the flight attendant of Appa Air provided a brief explainer of the coming series mixed with her comedic chops. It even featured the Philippines and a couple of its tourist spots like the Coron, Palawan for WATER, Chocolate Hills for EARTH, Mayon Volcano to represent Fire and the Bangui Wind Mills for AIR.
Mabuhay! Momshie Melai welcomes you aboard Appa Air. Now fasten your seatbelts and get ready for mindbending thrills and excitement in Avatar: The Last Airbender, ETA: tomorrow, only on Netflix ! ⬇️
Avatar: The Last Airbender will consist of eight episodes and will premier on Netflix tomorrow, Feb. 22th.
Disney just dropped a new trailer for its newest animated series Iwaju. Set in a futuristic Lagos, Nigeria, the animated series will explore themes of class divide and inequality.
Watch the trailer below:
The trailer reveals a young girl named Tola and her cyborg critter pet Otin. Otin is an Agama lizard, also called a rainbow lizard for their striking color patterns. Tola’s new cyber friend will be a hero of sorts as it becomes Tola’s protector.
Important to point out though: Disney did not animate Iwaju. The series is a collaboration between Britain-based company Kugali Media and Disney+. African artists, who comprise a majority of Kugali media, founded the company with the goal of telling African stories through animation and media.
Iwájú Series Poster
Iwaju’s creator, Ziki Nelson, takes inspiration from Lagos being a melting pot of cultures in Africa, and says that the city has a “distinct feel”.
Department of Education (DepEd) has announced that they will gradually shift the school year calendar start next school year 2024-2025, this is when the school starts in June then ends by April or May. Philippines School was moved to October, instead of June, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote learning was also implemented. It was then moved to August in the succeeding year.
Below are the key dates to remember
School Year 2024 – 2025: opening on July 29th and then will end by May 16th.
School Year 2025 – 2026: opening on June and then will end by April or May.
DepEd added that the national activities will be conducted on the following dates:
Palarong Pambansa – July 6 – 17, 2024
National Festival of Talents – July 9 – 13, 2024
National Schools Press Conference – July 9 – 13, 2024
Learners’ Convergence – July 9 – 15, 2024
You can read the full text of DepEd’s announcement below;
BMW has officially launches the BMW i5, an all-electric luxury sedan.
In a report by Top Gear Philippines, the BMW i5 eDrive40 will have a price-tag of P5.79 million, that comes with a five-year comprehensive BMW warranty, an additional six-year BMW Service inclusive package, an eigh-year high-voltage battery warranty, and a BMW Wallbox charger to be installed in the customer’s home by a BMW i partner.
To know more about the new BMW i5 Series and BMW 5 Series, you can checkout the 17-min video below;
Madame Web is the latest “addition” to Sony’s Spider-verse. The Spiderman film franchise has been hugely successful thanks to amazing leads like Toby Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland.
However, it looks like not even Dakota Johnson’s acting skills can wrap the movie up nicely. We know Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steel sold the Fifty shades fantasy well. Her personality bleeds into Anastasia Steele and she sets up the submissive role perfectly.
Additionally, Dakota Johnson’s dry humor is what makes her likable in interviews.
Madame Web Trailer
So why do audiences and film critics not like the latest Spider-verse “addition”?
To start, the trailer revealed a voice over by Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson) that wasn’t even in the film. While some audiences may not care about this minor detail, it could have been useful to include it. Especially since the antagonist had a major role to play on how Cassandra came to be.
There were some awkward lines in the movie as well that deserve a meme comparable to Anakin’s in George Lucas’ Star Wars. Anakin’s “I don’t like sand. It’s coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.” is similar to “Hope the spiders were worth it, Mom.” In fact, the line has become a meme commodity for the internet.
Madame Web Film Poster
So bad dialogue aside, the directing also contributes to the film’s meme-worthiness. S.J. Clarkson did work on some episodes of successful series like Dexter, House, and Heroes. The director also worked on a Game of Thrones prequel entitled Bloodmoon, however, HBO didn’t air it. Most of these series have a tone vastly different from that of a superhero movie, and that’s probably the reason why Madame Webb just didn’t work.
While Madame Web is spinning out of control, one could wonder if the film’s meme status could reclaim it. Although it’s not a main Spiderman arc, Madame Web should be a solid reminder not to approach superhero movies the way Sony did Morbius.
From Marvel.com
For all intents and purposes, the movie is not a main continuity movie. For some film-goers, they eventually might grow to love Madame Web as its stand-alone film. Dakota Fanning does say we’ll love it and we’re going to see it twice.
If you missed the Steph Curry versus Sabrina Ionescu Three Point Challenge, then just hit the PLAY button from the video bellow to watch the entirety of the contest. Spoiler alert, Steph Curry barely won the event after rallying at the end.
Sabrina Ionescu, who won the WNBA’s 3-point shootout at its All-Star Weekend last year with a record 37 points, breaking Curry’s NBA shootout record of 31 points. Since then the challenge was issued and a plan to meet at the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend was made.
Since the Three Point Challenge was positively received, it’s not surprising if the NBA and WNBA keep the event for next year.
Marvel finally release the trailer the much awaited X-men 97 the animated series and the release date will be on March 20th on Disney+.
The trailer is started with final moment of Professor Charles Xavier, then the trailer quickly switched to what appears to be the opening theme of the series, then on the last 15 seconds of the video, Magneto appeared claiming that everything that Professor Charles have created “now belongs” to him.
You can watch the trailer below;
The series created by Beau DeMayo for the streaming service Disney+, it is based on the Marvel Comics superhero team X-Men. Produced by Marvel Studios Animation, with DeMayo serving as head writer and Jake Castorena as supervising director. A number of the original voice cast will reprise their role including Cal Dodd, Lenore Zann, George Buza, Catherine Disher, Chris Potter, Alison Sealy-Smith, Adrian Hough, Christopher Britton, Alyson Court, Lawrence Bayne, and Ron Rubin.
X-Men ’97 is scheduled to premiere on March 20, 2024, and its first season will beten episodes. A second season is already in development.
After a disappointing performance against the LA Clippers, Klay Thompson came off the bench for the first time since his rookie season, scored a season high of 35 points, knocking down 7 three-pointers in 13 shots, and lead the Golden State Warriors to win against the Utah Jazz, second time this week.
Draymond Green helped on both ends of the court scoring a season high 23 points, with 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks. Steph Curry was having another off-night, scored 16 points but was 2 of 8 from three-point line. Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga scored 19 and 13 points, respectively. Brandin Podziemski, who replaced Klay in the starting lineup, chipped-in 13 points, grabbing 6 rebounds and dishing out 8 assist. As a team, six players from Warriors scored in double figures and shot 53.3% from the field.
Final 📊
Klay – 35p/6r/2a Draymond – 23p/5r/5a/4s/2b Andrew – 19p/7r/2a Stephen – 16p/2r/10a/1s Brandin – 13p/6r/8a JK – 13p/5r/4a/1b Dario – 7p/3r/2a Lester – 6p/1r/4a/1s Gary – 4p/3r/2s/1b Trayce – 4p/1r/2a Kevon – 2r/3a pic.twitter.com/nE9A0dEPu9
For the Jazz, Collin Sexton and Keyonte George lead the Jazz, scoring 35 and 33 points, respectively, while John Collins scored 18 points but made a critical turnover by throwing the ball away ball after rebounding the ball and could potentially gave Utah the lead with just 3 seconds remaining in the game.
This is Utah and Golden State last game before the All Star break, that will take place in Indianapolis on Feb. 16-18, 2024. Next for the Warriors will be against the LA Lakers while Utah will face Charlotte Hornets both games will be on the 23rd after the All Star Break.
Watch the last 5 mins ending of the Warriors versus the Jazz;.
