Author - Jerry Paxton

Dread X Collection 5 is Out Now with an Official Launch Trailer

2022/05/20

Geek News, Halloween, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

DreadXP — an independent horror publisher and production company — announced today via occult channels that the latest sequel to its anthology horror video game series, Dread X Collection 5, is available now for Windows PC. Dread X Collection 5 features twelve delightfully twisted short-form nightmares from the creators of such indie hits as 0°N 0°W, Lakeview Cabin, Sylvio, and The Mortuary Assistant.

Based on the theme of “entertainment”, Dread X Collection 5 invites players to a devilish party that is literally to die for! Players must explore terrifying locales like haunted nightclubs, dark carnivals, haunted puppet shows, the country Finland in the year 1888, a karaoke bar toilet, and so much more!

Each included game in the collection features unique gameplay mechanics and art style, and is accessible from within Dread X Collection 5’’s hub world called Outpost 3000 — an alien-themed party venue that houses something truly sinister. Dread X Collection 5 also further expands the meta-narrative that ties the Dread X Collection games together.

“We’re so excited to launch the fifth entry of the Dread X Collection series following a year of fans anxiously awaiting its arrival,” said Abbey “Scruncho” Smith, assistant producer at DreadXP. “The series’ much-anticipated return is a true celebration — a party, if you will — that’s quite literally out of this world. Its hosts, our legion of dreadful indie devs, have some frightening festivities in store!”

Dread X Collection 5 Key Features:

Variety Screamer: With twelve chilling horror shorts wholly unique from one another, there’s something for everyone in Dread X Collection 5. From first and third-person shooters, puzzles, text-based adventures, arcade-style games, to tabletops
Dread Head: DreadXP regular Michaela Laws, who voiced Ln’eta in the hit Lovecraftian dating sim Sucker for Love, co-stars along with Jans Holstrom as Dread X Collection 5’s mysterious (and monstrous) antagonist
Putrid Panels: An unfolding narrative told through comic book-style illustrations, featuring the returning talents of independent horror artist October Keegan, who contributed unlockable comic pages to Dread X Collection 2

Dread X Collection 5 features the following twelve games from new and returning independent developers to the anthology series:

Karao by Stroboskop (Sylvio), Rotten Sigma by VisceralError (The Gallagher Case), Spirit Guardian by Nikk F. (SCP: Nukalypse), We Never Left by Conner Rush of FYRE Games (Summerland), HUNSVOTTI by Roope Tamminen (Lakeview Cabin), Gallerie by Shackles (Totem), The Book of Blood by Darkstone Digital (The Mortuary Assistant), Vestige by Philip Hesselbäck (Axis Mundi – included in Dread X Collection: The Hunt), Resver by colorfiction (0°N 0°W, Ode to a Moon), Ludomalica by iwilliams (Haunted PS1 Madvent Calendar 2021), Beyond The Curtain by Matt Reeves (Two Lines, Family is Nothing), and INTERIM by Phantom Sloth Games (The Bends). Outpost 3000, the interactive hub world that launches each of the twelve games in the collection, was developed by Christopher Yabsley (Pigsaw), with additional support by KIRA (Lost in Vivo, Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion).

For a full synopsis for each of the games included in Dread X Collection 5, please visit the following link: https://www.dreadxp.com/dread-x/dreadxcollection5.

Neve Campbell Set to Guest Star in Peacock’s Twisted Metal Live Action Series

2022/05/20

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Movie News, News

Neve Campbell (Scream 5, Clouds) is set to Recur as a guest star, alongside previously announced series leads Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz and Thomas Haden Church in a live-action Twisted Metal series from Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions and Universal Television. The series is set to air on Peacock.

- Peacock announced today that Neve Campbell (Scream 5, Clouds) will recur as guest star in the new action-comedy series TWISTED METAL, a live-action adaptation of the global video game phenomenon.
- Anthony Mackie (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) is also starring and executive producing. Stephanie Beatriz (Encanto, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) to co-star opposite Mackie, alongside Thomas Haden Church (Sideways, Divorce, Spider-Man: No Way Home).
- Will Arnett and Marc Forman from Electric Avenue (Murderville) secured the rights to the material and helped put the project together alongside Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan from PlayStation Productions, are also set to executive produce.
- Michael Jonathan Smith (Cobra Kai) will serve as showrunner, writer and executive producer for the live-action comedy from Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. Kitao Sakurai (The Eric Andre Show, Bad Trip) will executive produce and direct multiple episodes of the series.
- TWISTED METAL, a half-hour live-action TV series based on the classic PlayStation game series, is a high-octane action comedy, based on an original take by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Deadpool, Zombieland) about a motor-mouthed outsider offered a chance at a better life, but only if he can successfully deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. With the help of a trigger-happy car thief, he’ll face savage marauders driving vehicles of destruction and other dangers of the open road, including a deranged clown who drives an all too familiar ice cream truck.

NEW SERIES GUEST STAR AND CHARACTER DESCRIPTION:
NEVE CAMPBELL (Scream 5, Clouds) will play “Raven.”

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED SERIES LEADS:
ANTHONY MACKIE (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) will play “John Doe,” a smart ass, motor-mouthed Milkman who talks as fast as he drives, facing savage vehicles of destruction as he delivers much needed supplies from one post apocalyptic settlement to another. With no memory of his family or past, John’s only goal is survival, until he gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make his wish of finding community come true.

STEPHANIE BEATRIZ (Encanto, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) will play “Quiet,” a ferocious, badass car thief who acts purely on instinct – you couldn’t stop her any more than a manhole could stop a volcano. Coming from a community that oppressed her into silence, Quiet’s wish is to find her place in this dark, chaotic world. But when she becomes clouded by her need for revenge, Quiet forms an unlikely, antagonistic bond with John Doe.

THOMAS HADEN CHURCH (Sideways, Divorce, Spider-Man: No Way Home) will play “Agent Stone,” a cold and unyielding post-apocalyptic highway patrolman who rules the roads with a silver tongue and a twisted iron fist, prosecuting even the smallest crimes with the harshest of judgements. Agent Stone will stop at nothing to bring law and order back to the Divided States of America, and will kill anyone in his path who defies his power.

ABOUT THE SERIES

Showrunner / Executive Producer / Writer: Michael Jonathan Smith (Cobra Kai)
Executive Producers: Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Deadpool, Zombieland), Will Arnett and Marc Forman (Electric Avenue), Jason Spire (Inspire Entertainment), Peter Principato (Artists First), Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan from PlayStation Productions and Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios
Executive Producer / Star: Anthony Mackie (Make It With Gravy Productions)
Executive Producer / Director (Multiple Episodes): Kitao Sakurai (The Eric Andre Show, Bad Trip)
Produced by: Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group
Format: half-hour live-action comedy

WRC Generations Official Announcement Trailer

2022/05/20

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 News, PlayStation 5 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News, Xbox Series X News

NACON and the studio KT Racing are pleased to announce their new rally game, WRC Generations, the official video game of the FIA World Rally Championship, scheduled for release in Autumn 2022 on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Steam for PC. The result of 7 years of collaboration with legendary drivers, who have already made WRC 10 and WRC 9 the references of the genre, the latest entry in the series is an authentic and comprehensive rally racing simulation, giving players the chance to drive powerful cars in the most famous rallies of all time!

An unrivalled level of realism

Never before have games come this close to the real-life World Rally Championship! Hailed by both critics and professionals, this year’s WRC simulation has been reinforced with numerous improvements and optimizations requested by the community.

Just as in the real-life WRC, a major new competitive feature, hybrid cars, have been included in WRC Generations! The potent blend of electric power and combustion engines gives players the opportunity to experience brand-new driving sensations, both in terms of physics and through a completely overhauled sound design.

Previous vehicles can still be found in the game, even more authentically portrayed than ever before. In total, there are no fewer than 37 legendary cars, each carefully recreated with its respective mechanical characteristics.

On top of the 13 rallies of the 2022 season, the game includes 9 other locations for a total of 22 different countries and 165 Special Stages – a record for the genre! The brand-new Swedish route makes its appearance. It is the only completely snow-covered rally with physics even closer to the actual conditions.

New solo and online content

WRC Generations is more polished and detailed than its predecessors and promises countless hours of gameplay thanks to brand-new game modes and new ways to share your passion online!

Career mode lets players determine their own history, managing every aspect of their team and leading them to success. A new way to manage hybrid-powered cars will be included in the skill tree.
In League mode players can take each other on in the same category in daily and weekly challenges in an attempt to rise to the top of the rankings.
With the Teams system, players can choose to join a team or create their own, raising the standard high in every challenge.
The Livery editor enables players to customize their cars with a variety of finishes and stickers. In WRC Generations, players can now share their creations with each other!
Players can take part in training races on split screen or online, and enjoy the real experience with a friend in Co-driver mode.

WRC Generations will be available October 13th 2022 on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and later on PC and Switch.

ARROW Unveils Its June 2022 Film Lineup

2022/05/20

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Halloween, Movie News, News, Trailers / Videos

Arrow Video is excited to announce the June 2022 lineup of their new subscription-based ARROW platform, available to subscribers in the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland.

The June 2022 lineup leads with the ARROW release of Mark O’Brien’s extraordinary psychological chiller The Righteous, an award-winning standout on the genre festival circuit, available June 10 in the US, UK and Ireland.

This first feature from director-actor-writer Mark O’Brien (AMC’s “61st Street”, Ready or Not, Blue Bayou) is a dark chiller about a burdened man who feels the wrath of a vengeful God, after he and his wife are visited by a mysterious stranger. The film stars O’Brien, Henry Czerny (Ready or Not, Mission Impossible, “Revenge”) and Mimi Kuzyk (The Day After Tomorrow, The Final Cut, “Shadowhunters”).

The Righteous had its World Premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in 2021, winning the Cheval Noir and Silver Award, and has since gone on to win a Bloodie at the 2021 Blood in the Snow Film Festival, and the Grimmfest Award at the 2021 Grimmfest.

June 1 starts the month with The Trancers Collection, Charles Band’s tech-noir cyberpunk franchise) All six films, from the 1984 cult classic that started it all to the latest offering in 2002, will be available on ARROW in the US, UK, Canada and Ireland.
Enjoy a collection of new and contemporary classics with The Art of Cult (US/UK/CA/IRE).
Titles include: Children of the Corn, The Hills Have Eyes, The Stylist, Ringu.

Also available June 1, Hell High (US/UK/CA/IRE): a twisted tale of delinquency pushed to its horrifying extreme starring Christopher Cousins (“Breaking Bad”) and Christopher Stryker.

On June 6, enjoy a one-stop-shop on ARROW for all of Vinegar Syndrome’s screw-loose slices of saved-from-slaughter celluloid that makes it easy peasy to mainline all the underground genre films that will have you questioning your sanity that you can take: The Vinegar Syndrome Collection (US/UK/CA/IRE).
Titles include: Avenging Angel, The Passing, Star Time, Sweet Sugar.

On June 10, tremble before the Almighty in Mark O’Brien’s debut feature The Righteous (US/UK/IRE), a dark chiller about a burdened man who feels the wrath of a vengeful God, after he and his wife are visited by a mysterious stranger. The Righteous has been acclaimed by critics on the festival circuit, including such raves as: “A brazenly ambitious horror film about grief and belief” and “Mark O’Brien dominates both in front and behind the camera” from Alexandra Heller-Nicholas of The Alliance of Women Film Journalists, “Deeply engrossing and affecting… the film packs a philosophical punch” from Brian Fanelli at Horror Buzz, and “a remarkably assured directorial debut from O’Brien that provides a gratifying experience that is sure to chill, linger and provoke in ways that harken the best of horror cinema” from Harris Dang of In Their Own League.

On June 10, explore the dangers of being too polite with ARROW’s Season: I Think You Should Leave. We don’t want to come across as rude. We don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings. But, sometimes we’re prisoners of our own manners and our politeness can turn deadly. And end… badly. This is a Season where nobody heeds that advice and look what happens to them.
Titles include: The Righteous, The Bloodhound, Two Thousand Maniacs, Shiver of the Vampire.

Lastly for June 10, discover Viy (US/CA), the first horror film ever produced in the Soviet Union. In 19th century Russia, a seminary student is forced to spend three nights with the corpse of a beautiful young witch. But when she rises from the dead to seduce him, it will summon a nightmare of fear, desire and the ultimate demonic mayhem.

On June 13, the overnight crew at a supermarket find themselves falling prey to The Intruder ((US/UK/CA/IRE). Featuring early appearances by Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, this 1989 cult slasher sees bodies pile up one by one in the most gruesome fashion.

June 16 explores the question of what dangers lurk when the clairvoyant cannot see. When you can see the future with the power of your mind though – and you still manage to end up putting yourself or your friends on the butcher’s block – you really Should Have Seen It Coming (US/UK/CA/IRE).
Titles include: Dark August, The Premonition, Death Has Blue Eyes, Psychic Killer.

June 17 delivers a trio of terror for ARROW fans: Blood Dolls (US/UK/CA/IRE) and the cult classic slasher sequels Maniac Cop 2 (US/CA) and Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence (US/CA).

June 20 caps off the month with an ode to ARROW’s favorite Texan preservers of the legacy of genre movies. ARROW celebrates the American Genre Film Archive with The AGFA Collection (US/UK/CA/IRE).
Titles include: Bat Pussy, Who Killed Captain Alex, She Mob, The Zodiac Killer.

Disney+ Has Released A New Trailer for Baymax! Series

2022/05/20

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Movie News, News, Trailers / Videos

In celebration of National Streaming Day, Disney+ has released a new trailer and key art for Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Baymax!” Streaming exclusively on Disney+ on June 29, the all-new series of healthcare capers returns to the fantastical city of San Fransokyo where the affable, inflatable, inimitable healthcare companion robot, Baymax, sets out to do what he was programmed to do: help others. “I thought it would be fun to do a Disney+ series with Baymax interacting with normal folks,” said series creator Don Hall, who helmed 2014’s Oscar®-winning film “Big Hero 6.”

“In each of our six episodes, Baymax just wants to help someone—and a lot of times they don’t want to be helped. He sets out to fix a physical issue that he’s identified, and in the process, gets to a deeper, more emotional place and can be almost transformative in that role.”

“Baymax!” is produced by Roy Conli and Bradford Simonsen. The series’ episodes are directed by Dean Wellins (Eps 1, 2, 6), Lissa Treiman (Ep 3), Dan Abraham (Ep 4) and Mark Kennedy (Ep 5). Screenwriter is Cirocco Dunlap. Scott Adsit returns as the voice of Baymax. Voice talent featured in episodes include Ryan Potter, Maya Rudolph, Emily Kuroda, Lilimar, Zeno Robinson and Jaboukie Young-White.

Marvel Announces New ALIEN Comic Series for this August

2022/05/20

Jerry Paxton

Book News, Comics News, Geek News, News

This August, writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson will continue his bold contributions to the world of ALIEN in an all-new comic series! Featuring the incredible and terrifying artwork of rising star Julius Ohta, ALIEN #1 will kick off a new saga that will serve as a perfect entrypoint into the legendary horror/science-fiction franchise for newcomers and a must-read for longtime fans. Packed with thrilling revelations and fresh insights into the ALIEN mythos, this new chapter promises to further explore the hard-hitting themes Johnson presented in the title’s first era as a new cast of characters must go deep into Xenomorph territory for a chance to combat human extinction.

A small colony of synths have settled in secret on a backwater moon. When a company of United System soldiers come to them for help retrieving biotechnology on a hostile planet that could be the key to saving humanity, the synths must decide whether the prospect of peace between man and machine is worth the risk of betrayal.

“Writing season one of Marvel’s Alien was a horror fanboy’s dream come true,” Johnson said. “We got to tell exactly the story we wanted to tell, bringing horrific new species of Xenomorph to life while also exploring the themes of family and corporate distrust that are such a crucial part of the films. And as much as I loved our season one, we’re outdoing it in every way in the new series.

“Julius Ohta is exceeding all expectations as series artist. Every background, every facial expression and emotion, and of course, all the environmental creepiness and full-on body horror is lovingly rendered by Julius, who is at the absolute TOP of his game right now. I can’t say enough great things about him. Fans are going to be truly spoiled. Stay tuned for one of the best, most beautiful Alien comics ever made.”

“When I got the invite to draw the new Alien series, I had a professional and standard reaction – I was glad to be invited and I was determined to make it the best work of my life. But then, a few minutes later, it came all at once – I understood that I was going to draw Alien… THE ALIEN. I freaked out (in a very good way) and then I knew the tremendous responsibility that is to be in this franchise,” Ohta added. “Even though there’s a huge responsibility to bring the series to life, I couldn’t expect a better welcome from the creative team. It’s been fantastic to work with Phillip, Sarah [Brunstad] and everyone involved. Phillip is a genius and also a gentleman and is always looking for something to make the story better. When I started reading the script, I couldn’t stop until I reached the last page. I could talk about it forever… Sarah is such a kind editor and it’s been a dream to work with these guys!

“The Alien franchise influenced an entire generation and I’m among the people who were hugely influenced by the movies, designs, games and so much more. I hope readers enjoy the series we are bringing to them.”

MAN, MACHINE, AND THE MOST TERRIFYING CREATURE IN THE UNIVERSE…IT’S AN EXPRESS ELEVATOR TO HELL, AND YOU’RE GONNA WANT TO BE ON IT! Don’t miss ALIEN #1 when it arrives this August! For more information, visit Marvel.com.

PC Gaming Show Returns for 2022 on June 12

2022/05/19

Jerry Paxton

E3, Geek News, Industry News, News

The world’s first and only annual showcase of upcoming PC games and hardware returns on Sunday, June 12, at 12:30 PM PDT / 3:30 PM EDT / 8:30 PM BST on Twitch and YouTube. Now in its eighth year, the PC Gaming Show will feature a mix of exclusive world announcements, brand-new trailers, and interviews with developers from all over the globe.

“We want the PC Gaming Show to convey just how permanently vibrant this hobby is,” says PC Gamer Global Editor-in-Chief Evan Lahti. “PC gaming contains multitudes – it’s a big tent of creativity. This year’s show puts high-end projects like Arma 4 side-by-side with boutique gems from Klei, tinyBuild, and Maximum Games, stunning indie sci-fi, and an ambitious modding project that builds on the acclaimed Half-Life: Alyx.”

This year’s PC Gaming Show will be hosted by Sean ‘Day[9]’ Plott and Mica Burton. PC Gamer’s 2010 “Gamer of the Year,” Sean ‘Day[9]’ Plott is a gaming and esports player, host, and personality whose videos attract more than two million views each month. Mica Burton is an actress, digital content creator, live event presenter, and professional cosplayer whose credits include hosting the Overwatch League for Blizzard Entertainment and Star Trek Day for CBS.

Last year’s PC Gaming Show attracted more than 36 million viewers, and this year’s event will feature more games than ever before, with over 45 exciting titles included. Here’s a sneak peek at some of this year’s incredible lineup:

An unannounced game from 11 bit studios
A brand-new project from Klei Entertainment
An exclusive interview on Arma 4 with Bohemia Interactive
The final trailer for Sam Barlow’s mind-bending Immortality
New gameplay of the ambitious mod project Half-Life: Alyx – Levitation
An update on Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 from Saber Interactive’s Tim Willits
First gameplay from the highly anticipated grand strategy game Victoria 3

“We feel more strongly than ever that the PC deserves its own place amidst the hectic schedule of summer reveals,” says PC Gamer Brand Director Tim Clark. “I’ve been blown away by the sheer quality and variety of projects that we’ve been able to include, and we can’t wait to pull the curtain back on our biggest show yet.”

During the show, one viewer will also have the chance to win a dream PC from the custom builders at iBUYPOWER.

Following the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase taking place on the same day, the PC Gaming Show will be broadcast on twitch.tv/pcgamer, youtube.com/pcgamer, and twitch.tv/twitchgaming as part of the summer season of gaming events, which also includes the Future Games Show on Saturday, June 11. For more information, visit pcgamingshow.com.

The PC Gaming Show is proudly supported by our partners: Tripwire Interactive, SEGA Europe, iBUYPOWER, ION LANDS, Mana Interactive, SUPER PEOPLE, Square Enix, Shiro Games, All in! Games, Kepler Interactive, Ravenage, Modus Games, Frontier, Iceberg Interactive, tinyBuild, Prime Matter, Ravenscourt, and Compass Datacenters.

Gloomhaven Coming to Console Platforms

2022/05/19

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, PlayStation 5 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News, Xbox Series X News

Embracer Group companies Asmodee Digital and Saber Interactive have announced a new partnership to bring the critically acclaimed tactical RPG Gloomhaven to video game consoles in 2023. Originally developed by Flaming Fowl Studios based on Isaac Childres’ award-winning board game, Gloomhaven has sold over 500k units throughout early access and its official launch on PC and Mac last year. The console editions of the game will be published by Asmodee Digital and developed by Saber.

“We’re excited to bring Gloomhaven to new players around the world with Saber Interactive. Partnerships like this are one of the great advantages we have available to us now as part of Embracer Group, and we look forward to tapping into even more opportunities to deliver for our fans in the future,” said Pierre Ortolan, CEO at Asmodee Digital.

“Our partnership on Gloomhaven embodies the very reason we brought Asmodee into the Embracer family,” said Matthew Karch, Saber Interactive CEO and co-founder and Embracer board member. “Games are truly a transmedia experience, and it’s amazing to have the opportunity to collaborate with the world’s best board game makers to bring their IP to consoles. This is the first of many announcements of its kind to come.”

Set in a medieval dark fantasy universe, Gloomhaven is a tactical RPG mixing card-based strategy and adventurous dungeon crawling, featuring solo play and online co-op. Sell your sword to any who can afford it, and carve your way through dark caves, dreadful forests, and terrifying dungeons filled with horrific monsters to reap your rewards… or die trying.

Lead your band of mercenaries through an unforgiving world where every choice can have life or death consequences. Each of Gloomhaven’s 17 unique characters comes with their own skills and more than 1,000 different abilities to master. The digital version of Gloomhaven has continued to grow since launch with new content and updates, including the recently released “Jaws of the Lion” DLC.

Gloomhaven is currently available on Steam and GOG.com for PC and Mac. For the latest updates, follow the digital game on Twitter, Facebook and Discord.

Thomas Haden Church Set to Star in Peacock’s Twisted Metal Series

2022/05/19

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Movie News, News

Thomas Haden Church (Sideways, Divorce, Spider-Man: No Way Home) Is set to star alongside previously announced series leads Anthony Mackie and Stephanie Beatriz in series from Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions and Universal Television.

Peacock announced today that Thomas Haden Church (Sideways, Divorce, Spider-Man: No Way Home) will star in the new action-comedy series TWISTED METAL, a live-action adaptation of the global video game phenomenon.
Anthony Mackie (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) is also starring and executive producing. Stephanie Beatriz (Encanto, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) to co-star opposite Mackie.
Will Arnett and Marc Forman from Electric Avenue (Murderville) secured the rights to the material and helped put the project together alongside Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan from PlayStation Productions, are also set to executive produce.
Michael Jonathan Smith (Cobra Kai) will serve as showrunner, writer and executive producer for the live-action comedy from Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. Kitao Sakurai (The Eric Andre Show, Bad Trip) will executive produce and direct multiple episodes of the series.
TWISTED METAL, a half-hour live-action TV series based on the classic PlayStation game series, is a high-octane action comedy, based on an original take by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Deadpool, Zombieland) about a motor-mouthed outsider offered a chance at a better life, but only if he can successfully deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. With the help of a trigger-happy car thief, he’ll face savage marauders driving vehicles of destruction and other dangers of the open road, including a deranged clown who drives an all too familiar ice cream truck.

NEW SERIES LEAD AND CHARACTER DESCRIPTION:
THOMAS HADEN CHURCH (Sideways, Divorce, Spider-Man: No Way Home) will play “Agent Stone,” a cold and unyielding post-apocalyptic highway patrolman who rules the roads with a silver tongue and a twisted iron fist, prosecuting even the smallest crimes with the harshest of judgements. Agent Stone will stop at nothing to bring law and order back to the Divided States of America, and will kill anyone in his path who defies his power.

ABOUT THE SERIES

Showrunner / Executive Producer / Writer: Michael Jonathan Smith (Cobra Kai)
Executive Producers: Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Deadpool, Zombieland), Will Arnett and Marc Forman (Electric Avenue), Jason Spire (Inspire Entertainment), Peter Principato (Artists First), Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan from PlayStation Productions and Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios
Executive Producer / Star: Anthony Mackie (Make It With Gravy Productions)
Executive Producer / Director (Multiple Episodes): Kitao Sakurai (The Eric Andre Show, Bad Trip)
Produced by: Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group
Format: half-hour live-action comedy

Frogwares Unveils Concept Art from Project Palianytsia

2022/05/19

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Screenshots / Photos, Windows PC News

Frogwares has announced they are working on a new title. The studio pivoted their entire remaining team onto a new game despite the war in Ukraine still impacting their lives.

For now, the name is titled Project Palianytsia and is a mix of eldritch horror coupled with Victorian-era mystery, aimed at fans of Frogwares’ The Sinking City and Sherlock Holmes series.

Four early concept pieces have been released to give people their first glimpse of the project. The official reveal will hopefully be ready to show sometime this summer.

“We are revealing the game now in this way to simply show people we are pushing on and also as a clear middle finger to those who thought they could just roll into our country hoping to disrupt and ruin our lives.”

“While still challenging, prior to this, everything we released during the war was existing projects that needed to be finalized. We are now making something almost entirely from scratch which is a lot harder under these circumstances so we needed to think smart about what is realistic for us. The idea was greenlit for this very reason as it is something our current team and setup can deliver compared to doing pre-production on another open-world title, which is what we were doing prior to the war.”

“The name Palianytsia is symbolic to Ukraine as it’s considered part of our national cuisine. But it’s also the equivalent of phonetical Dark Souls for russians who often can’t pronounce it correctly when trying to pass off as Ukrainian. And so now it’s often used in the field as a test to quickly identify possible affiliation of unknown individuals.”

– Sergey Oganesyan, Communications Manager, Frogwares

A full official statement from the studio has also been released detailing the need for such a project and why they have decided to proceed this way:

The war keeps going. And so do we. A new game is in the works.

We are now reaching the 4th month of the russian invasion. This so-called “special operation” was supposed to take only a few days to complete. Funny how life doesn’t always work out to plan. We have no doubt that Ukraine will remain an independent nation – no matter what the russian forces throw at us. But because of the war, we have to adapt. And the work must continue. With that, we have an announcement to make.

We can now officially reveal that we are working on a new game, codenamed “Palianytsia”. It’s a horror and mystery experience that fans of both The Sinking City and Sherlock Holmes should like. We’ll make a proper announcement soon, but for now, we have a few early concept pieces to share with you.

To be frank, “Palianytsia” is not the project we had originally planned on doing next, but with the war taking place, we needed to re-evaluate everything. It is a bit more streamlined than our latest open-world titles but it’s a game we are sure we can deliver under these extreme circumstances.

As an independent studio, we always have to balance our resources and workflow to be able to deliver our games. But the war has thrown notable hurdles at us and our established process. Constant communication and iteration between teams is harder to maintain, so we need a project where staff can have more autonomy. Roles and responsibilities had to shift around to fill the gaps left by those who signed up to fight or provide humanitarian aid. And the threat that tomorrow something could happen somewhere or to someone that would force us to drastically adapt all over again means we need to be more flexible. With this in mind, we had a decision to make.

Do we go ahead with a large scope project and risk disruption, have less room for R&D and innovation, less access to your highly skilled staff, and have smaller pre-production and development of specific tools? Or perhaps we can be smarter about this, and create a project with an easier turnaround and a tighter scope – but still ambitious, packed with quality, and with great storytelling and mystery behind it. This way, we can not only make a new game, but do so while supporting those fighting.

We will be revealing more about our next title shortly. And, if you are interested, we’d like to give you a more detailed look into our lives and our work during a war. Perhaps it might bring you and us a little bit closer. We’re also looking at other ways to bring the game to you directly – more info on that soon.

Thank you for all your support during this time. Stay safe wherever you are.

Team Frogwares