Tag: Warner Bros.

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The Batman’s emo-ness drives Nirvana streams up by 734 percent

One of the standout elements of the marketing for Warner Bros.’ recently released The Batman has been the film’s use of Nirvana’s “Something in the Way.” In addition to featuring in the movie’s trailers, the 1991 song plays twice in the actual film.

Now, all of that exposure has led the track to top music streaming charts. According to music sales data firm MRC Data, The Batman‘s opening weekend (Friday, March 4th through Monday, March 7th) saw “Something in the Way” accumulate 3.1 million on-demand U.S. streams — up 734 percent from the previous four days.

What’s even more impressive is that this only includes “official” streams on platforms like Spotify, and it also only accounts for the U.S. It’s unclear how many people were listening to the song via other means and/or in other countries like Canada.

Earlier this year, The Batman co-writer and director Matt Reeves told Esquire that he chose the song for the film after listening to it early on in the writing process.

“When I considered, ‘How do you do Bruce Wayne in a way that hasn’t been seen before?’ I started thinking, ‘What if some tragedy happened and this guy becomes so reclusive, we don’t know what he’s doing? Is this guy some kind of wayward, reckless, drug addict?’” said Reeves. “And the truth is that he is a kind of drug addict. His drug is his addiction to this drive for revenge. He’s like a Batman Kurt Cobain.”

This isn’t the only DC Comics property that’s recently led to a spike in popularity of an old song. Earlier this year, James Gunn’s use of Wig Wam’s “Do Ya Wanna Taste It” in his Peacemaker series pulled the Norwegian glam metal rock band out from a career slump and allowed it to keep its agent. The song plays during the catchy, meme-worthy opening credits of Peacemaker, which streams on Crave in Canada.

Image credit: Warner Bros.

Via: Billboard

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Hogwarts Legacy getting PlayStation State of Play stream this week

Warner Bros. Interactive and PlayStation are teaming up for a special State of Play presentation dedicated to Hogwarts Legacy.

The Harry Potter game stream will air on March 17th at 2pm PT/5pm ET on PlayStation’s Twitch and YouTube channels. Warner Bros. says the presentation will run for 20 minutes, 14 of which will be actual PS5 gameplay footage.

https://mobile.twitter.com/PlayStation/status/1503370414122274821

A few members of the Avalanche Software development team will also provide some insight into the making of the game.

Hogwarts Legacy is an action-RPG set in the Wizarding World in the 1800s, telling an original story many years before Harry Potter was even born. The game will allow players to create their own witch or wizard and explore a vast Hogwarts setting and its surrounding areas.

Originally unveiled during the big September 2020 PS5 showcase for a 2021 release, Hogwarts Legacy was later delayed until 2022 and we’ve had no update ever since. Therefore, this is a long-awaited update on the game, especially considering the reveal trailer has topped 28 million views on PlayStation’s YouTube channel alone.

Hogwarts Legacy is set to release sometime this year on PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox consoles and PC.

Image credit: Warner Bros. Interactive

Source: PlayStation

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Dune is coming to Crave in March

Dune (2021) will begin streaming on Crave on March 18th, Bell has confirmed.

The company had been promoting the March window in Crave commercials throughout February, but it’s now confirming a specific day.

Dune was originally released in October 2021, at which time it debuted in U.S. theatres and on the U.S.-only HBO Max service. However, the film only opened in Canadian theatres, with Warner Bros. Canada only later making it available on premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms in December. March 18th marks the first time the film is being offered through a Canadian subscription streaming service.

Directed by Canada’s own Denis Villeneuve, Dune is the first in an ambitious two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal epic sci-fi 1965 novel. Dune: Part One follows Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his family as they get caught up in a war on a deadly and inhospitable sand planet. The film is up for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The sequel is set to hit theatres in October 2023.

A Crave Total subscription costs $19.99 CAD/month, while a Mobile plan is priced at $9.99/month.

Image credit: Warner Bros.

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Where to stream the Harry Potter reunion special in Canada

Cast reunions are all the rage nowadays, be it last year for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, this year for Friends or anytime in between virtually for COVID.

Now, Warner Bros. is back with perhaps its biggest reunion special yet — a 20th-anniversary celebration of the Harry Potter film franchise.

To commemorate the milestone, the company has brought together the cast and crew of the beloved fantasy series for Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, including, most notably, Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron) and Emma Watson (Hermione).

For Warner Bros., it’s a significant piece of original content to bolster its HBO Max catalogue in the U.S. Thankfully, though, the company’s ongoing partnership with Bell Media means Return to Hogwarts is coming to the latter’s Crave service in Canada on January 1st, 2022. This is the same date as the American HBO Max premiere.

Filmed at Warner Bros. Studios Tour in London, Return to Hogwarts offers a reflection on 20 years since The Philosopher’s Stone with Radcliffe, Grint, Watson, Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid), Tom Felton (Malfoy), Gary Oldman (Sirius), James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix) and more. The series’ four directors — Chris Columbus (the first two films), Alfonso Cuarón (Prisoner of Azkaban), Mike Newell (The Goblet of Fire) and David Yates (the final four movies) — will also appear.

However, Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling will only be seen in archival footage. Presumably, Warner Bros. is attempting to distance itself from Rowling amid the ongoing controversy surrounding her transphobic views, which much of the Potter cast has condemned.

Crave costs $9.99 for a mobile-only tier or $19.99 for a ‘Total’ plan that includes all HBO content, including Return to Hogwarts. 

It’s worth noting that all eight Harry Potter films hit Crave late last month. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses, a Helen Mirren-hosted game show, is also now streaming on Crave.

Image credit: Warner Bros.

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The Lord of the Rings film series turns 20, but it’s not on any Canadian streaming service

On December 19th, 2001, Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring opened in North American theatres.

The fantasy flick, of course, was a critical and commercial smash hit that spawned two equally beloved sequels, 2002’s The Two Towers and 2003’s The Return of the King. The decidedly less popular Jackson-helmed The Hobbit trilogy came nearly 10 years later.

Given the 20th anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring, it would make sense if you wanted to revisit the original trilogy. I definitely thought of it — it’s been nearly 10 years since I’ve seen them. Unfortunately, though, it’s not that simple.

As it stands, none of the original three LOTR films are on a Canadian streaming service. While they were once on Netflix Canada, they aren’t anymore. The only digital services that have the films are premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms like iTunes and Google Play. It’s worth noting, however, that the digital collection of the Extended Editions of the trilogy currently cost $25.99 (Google Play) and $19.99 (iTunes) to purchase.

It’s odd that the LOTR series isn’t streaming on any service in Canada, especially with the 20th anniversary. By contrast, fellow Warner Bros. series Harry Potter — which also is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year — recently came to Crave. While it’s likely that licensing agreements are preventing the LOTR series from hitting any Canadian streaming service, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a bit of a bummer for consumers.

It’s worth noting that The Hobbit trilogy is actually available on Canadian streaming services — well, mostly. 2012’s An Unexpected Journey is on both Crave and Amazon Prime Video, as is 2013’s The Desolation of Smaug (Crave/Amazon Prime Video). However, 2014’s The Battle of the Five Armies is only on CBC’s ICI Tou.TV. Otherwise, they’re all offered on PVOD platforms like Google Play and iTunes.

Hopefully, the LOTR series will come to a service soon. For now, though, I’ll likely just buy the digital Extended Edition trilogy collection while it’s on sale.

Image credit: Warner Bros.

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Where to stream The Matrix trilogy in Canada before The Matrix Resurrections

Nearly 20 years after The Matrix Revolutions, Neo is back.

The Matrix Resurrections, once again starring Canada’s own Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, will open exclusively in theatres on December 22nd. The sci-fi action flick is being helmed by original The Matrix series co-director Lana Wachowski, who also co-wrote the script.

Given that it’s been so long since the last Matrix, you might want to revisit the trilogy, or even experience it for the first time. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up the ways in which you can stream the three original Matrix films.

The first film, simply titled The Matrix (1999), can be streamed on Crave. However, its two sequels, 2003’s The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, are both available on Netflix. If you only have one or the other of these services, it’s worth noting that each film is available to rent for $4.99 CAD on premium video on demand (PVOD) platforms like iTunes and Google Play.

The Matrix Resurrections follows Neo as he re-enters The Matrix with Trinity and joins a group of rebels to fight a new enemy. It’s worth noting that you can enter a special Warner Bros. QR code contest for a chance to win a trip to the December 16th Canadian premiere of The Matrix Resurrections with Reeves and Moss. Learn more here.

Another big December movie is Spider-Man: No Way Home — read more on where to stream the seven live-action Spidey flicks in Canada ahead of that multiverse adventure here.

Image credit: Warner Bros.

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This clip of Keanu Reeves’ Neo isn’t actually real — it’s from Epic’s Unreal Engine 5

As part of the lead-up to The Matrix Resurrections, Warner Bros. has teased a new The Matrix-themed experience for gaming consoles called The Matrix Awakens.

A full reveal of the experience will be shown at The Game Awards on December 9th, but WB says The Matrix Awakens is entirely made in Fortnite creator Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5. In other words, the brief glimpse we get of Keanu Reeves’ Neo asking “how do we know what is real?” is, in fact, not real — it’s entirely digital.

Reeves, as well as fellow Canadian and The Matrix star Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity), will reprise their respective roles in The Matrix Awakens. The pair will appear at The Game Awards to formally unveil the title.

“Created by members of the original movie team including Lana Wachowski along with Epic Games and partners, ‘The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience’ is a wild ride into the reality-bending universe of ‘The Matrix’ that features performances by Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss,” reads Warner Bros.’ official description of the experience.

Given that this is an “experience,” you shouldn’t expect a full-sized, playable game; it’s definitely just going to be more of a tech demo. Still, it’s an impressive showcase for the ever-growing medium of gaming, in which technology is continuously being pushed to achieve photorealistic visuals.

The Matrix Awakens can be pre-loaded for free on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

In the meantime, Canadians can enter Warner Bros. Canada’s special QR-themed contest for a chance to win a trip to the Canadian premiere of The Matrix Resurrections, at which Reeves and Moss will appear.

Co-written and directed by Lana Wachowski, The Matrix Resurrections opens exclusively in theatres on December 22nd.

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All eight Harry Potter movies are now streaming in Canada on Crave

All eight of the main Harry Potter films are streaming on Crave.

This is a pretty notable get for the Bell-owned service, as the massively popular franchise wasn’t previously available on any streaming service in its entirety. Instead, the final four films were streaming, for a time, on Netflix, with the first four unavailable due to “territorial licensing.”

Crave has gotten all eight movies to coincide with the 20th anniversary of The Philosopher’s Stone, which opened in North American theatres on November 16th, 2001.

For reference, these are the eight movies now on Crave:

  • Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
  • Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
  • Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
  • Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
  • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part I
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part II

All of these movies can be found in ‘The Harry Potter Collection’ on Crave.

It’s worth noting that the two Fantastic Beasts movies, which are prequels Harry Potter prequels, aren’t currently on any streaming service outside of PVOD platforms like iTunes and Google Play. The third Fantastic Beasts film, The Secrets of Dumbledore, will hit North American theatres on April 15th, 2022.

That said, this is the first of three major Harry Potter content releases for Crave. On November 28th at 8pm ET, the streaming service will also debut Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses. Hosted by Oscar winner Helen Mirren (The Queen), the four-part competition series will pit fans against one another in Potter trivia battles. Special guests, including Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy himself) and late-night comedian Jay Leno, will also appear.

Finally, Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts will premiere on January 1st, 2022. The reunion special sees Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron) and Emma Watson (Hermione) join Christopher Columbus (director of The Philosopher’s Stone and The Chamber of Secrets) and a variety of other guests from the films to reflect on 20 years of Harry Potter on the big screen.

However, series creator J.K. Rowling has been noticeably absent from all of these 20th-anniversary celebrations, including the Return to Hogwarts special. It appears that Warner Bros. is trying to distance itself publicly from the writer, who’s come under fire in recent years for repeated transphobic comments.

Many of the Harry Potter films’ stars, including Radcliffe, Watson, Grint and Fantastic Beasts‘ Eddie Redmayne, issued separate statements to voice their disagreement with Rowling. During this time, there’s been a marked increase in hate crimes against trans people in both the U.K. and U.S., which LGBTQ+ activists have warned comes, in part, from harmful rhetoric from public figures like Rowling.

Image credit: Warner Bros. 

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Warner Bros. making Smash-esque fighter with Batman, Shaggy, Gandalf and more: report

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment may be working on its own Super Smash Bros.-inspired platform fighter.

Over the past few days, an unverified rumour hit Reddit regarding such a game with characters from many popular WB brands.

While that normally would be sketchy in and of itself, VentureBeat‘s Jeff Grubb, a credible source with a solid track record, took to Twitter to back up the leak. Other than refuting the leak’s claim that Mortal Kombat and Injustice developer NetherRealm is working on the WB crossover fighter, Grubb stated that the rumoured game is, indeed, “real.”

Grubb didn’t specifically say if any other parts of the leak are true or false, though. According to the rumour, a variety of iconic WB characters are set to join the rumoured game’s roster, including Batman (DC), Gandalf (The Lord of the Rings), Shaggy (Scooby-Doo), Mad Max (Mad Max), Fred Flinstone (The Flinstones), Tom & Jerry (Tom & Jerry) and Johnny Bravo (Johnny Bravo).

Interestingly, the rumour claims that the Wizarding World’s Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were also mentioned as part of the roster. However, the leaker noted that the rights for the Potter characters are “weird” — presumably due to creator J.K. Rowling maintaining control over the series — and conceded that they may have even been mentioned in jest.

The leaker also makes the rather interesting claim that the game was originally conceived due to all of the memes over the mega-powerful ‘Ultra Instinct Shaggy.’ Given that a family-friendly character like Shaggy wouldn’t make sense in a game like Mortal Kombat, WB instead reportedly came up with the idea of a Smash-like crossover where he and other characters could face off instead. This is especially credible since we already knew that Warner Bros. was paying close attention to the memes, as the company even added a nod to them in the opening titles of its Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms animated movie. 

Further, the leaker says the game is a ‘tag team’ fighter, which suggests some sort of synergy between characters. They said they didn’t have any more details, but this sounds similar to Capcom’s Marvel vs. Capcom series, which lets you switch between a party of characters on the fly. This added layer of strategy would, in theory, help the WB game stand out not only from Smash, but the other inspired titles that have been popping up, including, most recently, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl.

It’s worth noting that while the leaker didn’t suggest a title for the game, WB did file a trademark for a project called “Multiversus” last month. It remains to be seen whether that’s actually related to the rumoured crossover fighter, but it certainly sounds like a fitting title.

The leaker concluded their post by teasing that the WB game is just one of “at least two” other companies “with major IP” working on Smash-like games. This would make a lot of sense, given that Smash Bros. Ultimate became the best-selling fighting game of all time in 2019.

Meanwhile, properties like Fortnite and the Marvel Cinematic Universe have proven immensely popular by featuring their own major crossovers. Warner Bros. itself has also dabbled in this realm, be it through its ‘DC Extended Universe’ of superhero films, major DC characters appearing in Fortnite or even this year’s Space Jam: A New Legacy, which featured dozens of WB properties.

The company has not yet commented on the rumoured crossover fighter.

Image credit: Warner Bros. (1), (2), (3)

Source: Reddit, @JeffGrubb

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Warner Bros. reveals first story trailer for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

Warner Bros. has released the first story trailer for its Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League game at the virtual DC FanDome event.

Developed by Rocksteady, the studio behind the Batman: Arkham trilogy, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League follows the titular team of supervillains as it’s assigned to, as the title suggests, take out the Brainiac-controlled Justice League.

The game was first revealed in a cinematic trailer at last year’s DC FanDome with a 2022 release window, although no gameplay was revealed. The new trailer similarly doesn’t feature gameplay, so it’s unclear exactly how it will play. Rocksteady has previously confirmed it will support one to four players via co-op.

That said, we did get three minutes of in-game footage in the new “Ticking” trailer. In the footage, we see more of Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang and King Shark from the first trailer, as well as first looks at Amanda Waller, the Suicide Squad’s boss, as well as Justice League members like The Flash, Superman, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman.

Interestingly, we only get a look at the Batmobile instead of Batman himself, which is especially notable considering Kill the Justice League is set in the Batman: Arkham universe. It’s unclear what role Batman may play or whether he’ll be voiced by veteran actor Kevin Conroy as he was in the Arkham trilogy.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC sometime in 2022.