Exient appoints Paul Topping as CCOTopping will oversee firm's first-party projects and third-party collaborationsImage credit: Exient News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Jan. 10, 2025 Developer and publisher Exient has appointed Paul Topping as CCO.Topping has over two decades of experience in games, having served in business development and advisory roles at Criterion, Codemasters, NaturalMotion and Tag Games.His most recent role was head of business development at heat management company Zircotec Group.Topping will lead Exient's business development team and oversee the developer's first-party projects and third-party work-for-hire collaborations."Paul's appointment will reinforce Exient's status as the go-to partner for IP owners in games and entertainment, building on the entire team's outstanding job of securing and delivering on the creative ambitions of our partners," said Exient CEO Julian Jones."Looking ahead to 2025 and 2026, we aim to further accelerate our engagements with larger businesses and take on more projects.Topping added: "I'm excited to find us new partners to work with who value the quality of our work and timely delivery. I'm excited to be back in games and catching up with old friends and meeting new ones."Exient is an independent games developer and publisher operating in the UK and Malta, having worked on IPs including FIFA, Angry Birds, and F1.

Infinity Nikki generates $16m in player spending on mobileInfold Games' 2024 title made $10 million in its first weekImage credit: Infold Games News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on Jan. 10, 2025 Infold Games' Infinity Nikki has generated $16 million in player spending during its first month on mobile.This is according to App Magic data (via Pocket Gamer), with revenue reportedly driven by players in China who contributed $10.1 million making up 63% of global player spending.Infinity Nikki made $10 million in its first two weeks, reaching $16 million on January 3.It also saw 10 million downloads in five days after launch on December 5, 2024.This makes Infinity Nikki the most successful launch in the franchise. In comparison, 2017's Love Nikki generated $383,000 in its first month, while 2021's Shining Nikki made $46 million.

Panasonic returned to the US TV market last year, and only a matter of months later, Ive convinced myself that its latest flagship OLED is the best TV of CES 2025. Its an impressive resurgence for a brand that many home theater enthusiasts remember for producing superb plasma sets back when those represented the crme de la crme of display technology for the living room. After a long hiatus, Panasonic is back in the game and squaring off with Sony, LG, and Samsung in the very premium (and very pricey) TV category.The companys new OLED, the Z95B, will come in three sizes: 55 inches, 65 inches, and 77 inches. It uses the latest and greatest OLED panel from LG Display, which is a new four-layer tandem structure that beats out the brightness of last years LG G4 even without the micro-lens array technology that squeezed as much brightness as possible out of that TV. Last years Z95A from Panasonic also used MLA, but the new approach gets better results and is cheaper to produce.So the panel is top tier and should be a formidable alternative to the QD-OLED display used in Samsungs respective 2025 flagship, the S95F. OLED TVs just keep getting brighter, more vivid, and dazzling and consumers really cant go wrong with any of them. The Panasonic stopped me in my tracks on the show floor and looked phenomenal. I couldnt help but stare at it for several minutes. The Z95B also offers support for gaming at up to 144Hz, so its a strong contender there as well, though both LG and Samsung stepped it up to 165Hz this year.Technics (another Panasonic brand) handled the audio tuning of the Z95B.Another thing that sets the Panasonic apart is its built-in Dolby Atmos speaker array. The drivers and sound performance have been tuned by Technics, with a badge that advertises as much. I really dig the fabric sides of this TV; its a classy way of concealing the side-firing and upward-firing speakers.Yes, that audio hardware results in this being a thick set by 2025 standards especially for an OLED. Panasonic didnt hold back in making the Z95B a hulking beast of a TV. But the good news is that many people wont need to bother with a separate soundbar since this system will (likely) sound so good. As noted by the excellent Caleb Denison at Digital Trends, the company has also reworked the TVs cooling system with a new heat dissipation technique that should help keep that four-layer OLED panel in tip-top shape over the long term. The TV has a built-in woofer and revamped heat dissipation system.This is not a thin TV. But in exchange, you might be able to skip a soundbar.But there is one glaring dilemma with Panasonic TVs: they run Amazons Fire TV OS. Thats rather unfortunate. Its my least favorite TV platform among the pack, and Id argue Amazon has crossed the line when it comes to pushing ads on customers even if the most egregious examples can be disabled in settings. Fire TV has some good ideas here and there; the ambient mode widgets are something Google has taken note of. But I really hope that Panos Panay and the Fire TV team take a sledgehammer to this software and come back with something much sleeker, more intuitive, and worthy of a TV thats certain to be very expensive if the Z95A is anything to go by.Even so, I know plenty of people who mostly ignore their TVs default software and use an Apple TV, Nvidia Shield, or some other streaming player as their preferred entertainment interface. With Samsung and LG both being very aggressive with the AI gimmicks this year, I anticipate seeing even more of that. The LG G5 will feature an LLM-powered chatbot, has an AI button on its remote, and even ships with Microsoft Copilot built in. Its getting to be a little much, no?Panasonics using the very latest, very brightest LG Display with a four-layer tandem structure.To me, the best TV of CES comes down to what kind of home theater experience it will provide. And Panasonic is already doing an impressive job keeping pace with Sony when it comes to delivering a living room centerpiece that nails both picture and sound. I wish the Z95B (and the companys 2025 Mini LED TVs) ran, well, any other TV operating system. But I dont think Fire TV OS is bad enough to sink this high-end set. If you disagree, at least its relatively easy to just use something else most of the time.Its great to see Panasonic giving Sony, LG, and Samsung some premium TV competition.I cant wait to spend more time with the Z95B when it starts shipping later this year. More competition benefits everyone whos on the lookout for a new TV. Companies like TCL and Hisense have done a great job setting new expectations of what you can get for under $1,500. And now Panasonics return is showing us whats possible for those with the means to splurge on their next big upgrade.Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge

Tesla has officially revealed the latest version of its Model Y crossover following images leaking online that teased the EVs redesign. Codenamed Juniper, the Model Y 2025 refresh is now live on Teslas website in China and other Asia-Pacific markets with deliveries expected to begin in March.Its the most significant update to the Model Y design since it first launched in 2020, which became the first EV to top global car sales last year. Notably, the new variant launching in Australia clearly shows a physical turn signal stalk, which had otherwise been replaced by capacitive buttons on recent Teslas. The refresh comes after Tesla experienced its first year-over-year drop in sales since the company started mass-producing cars in 2012 with CEO Elon Musks antagonistic behavior suspected to have contributed to the decline.Blessed be, is that a turn stalk I see inside the updated cabin? Good news for capacitive-button haters. Image: TeslaThere are two specifications of the Model Y available at launch according to the Chinese website listing. The 263,500 Chinese yuan (about $35,935) rear-wheel drive edition features an estimated range of up to 593 kilometers (about 368 miles), while the 303,500 Chinese yuan (about $41,390) long-range version can supposedly reach 719 kilometers (about 446 miles). These are estimated ranges based on Chinas CLTC driving cycle standard, however, which Electrek notes isnt as strict as the US EPA system.Both specs have a top speed of 201 kilometers per hour (about 124 mph), and peak charging speeds remain at 250kW. Tesla says that the tires, wheels, and suspension have been updated to provide a smoother, quieter ride, with 19- and 20-inch wheel options available on both models. The estimated vehicle ranges have been calculated using the smaller 19-inch wheel configurations. A performance version has yet to be announced.1/4Heres a closer look at the exterior of the Tesla Model Y 2025 refresh. Image: Tesla1/4Heres a closer look at the exterior of the Tesla Model Y 2025 refresh. Image: TeslaThe new Model Y otherwise features many of the same improvements as the 2023 Model 3 sedan update, including higher efficiency and performance, an eight-inch touchscreen display for rear passengers, and a quieter cabin with an ambient lighting strip running throughout. The back seats can be folded down electrically to expand the total storage capacity to 2,138 liters, and theres a front-view camera to provide a wider field of view when using assisted driving features.1/2Theres a new eight-inch infotainment system for rear passengers to play with... Image: Tesla1/2Theres a new eight-inch infotainment system for rear passengers to play with... Image: TeslaThe exterior design doesnt look terribly different from its predecessor, save for a few changes like switching the headlights and tail lights for slimmer light bars that stretch across the front and rear of the vehicle. The front and back ends have also been slightly reshaped, which effectively improves the vehicles endurance, performance, and service life, according to Tesla.Its unclear when we can expect the redesigned Model Y to launch in other markets like the US and Europe. Mass production of the vehicles is expected to start in Shanghai this month though, and we know that it took the Model 3 update around four months to reach the US last year.

Redmi is first to bring the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 to EuropeRedmi is first to bring the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 to Europe / Redmis Note 14 Pro Plus 5G arrives in Europe, bringing Qualcomms latest midrange chipset in tow.By Dominic Preston, a news editor with over a decades experience in journalism. He previously worked at Android Police and Tech Advisor. Jan 10, 2025, 11:00 AM UTCShare this storyThe Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G launches in lavender purple, frost blue, and midnight black. Image: RedmiToday Xiaomis subsidiary Redmi brings its affordable Note 14 series to Europe, along with the Western debut of the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3. After launching in August 2024, the Qualcomm chip had to sit and watch while the flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite came along two months later, drew more attention, and even launched in a Western phone first in the form of this weeks OnePlus 13. But the more affordable Snapdragon chip is now getting its dues.There are five phones in the Note 14 line, ranging from the 4G-only Note 14 up to the Note 14 Pro Plus 5G, the only phone in the series powered by the Snapdragon silicon. The entry-level chip in Qualcomms Snapdragon 7 series, the 7s Gen 3 is a 4nm chipset thats most notable for making the jump to Arms v9 CPU architecture, with a 2.5GHz Cortex-A720 core at the heart of the processor. The other four phones use a variety of MediaTek chipsets.The Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 powers the Note 14 Pro Plus 5G. Image: RedmiStarting at 399/499.90 (about $500), the Pro Plus is positioned as a natural competitor to Googles $499 Pixel 8A, but outpaces it comfortably in most hardware specs, with improved IP68 water-resistance; up to 12GB RAM and 512GB storage; and a larger, brighter OLED display protected by Cornings flagship-grade Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The big trade-off is on the software side, especially given that Google has guaranteed Android updates for the Pixel 8A until 2031.The other Note 14 phones offer a gradual drop-off in specs and connectivity. The Note 14 Pro 5G shares the Pro Plus models display, 200-megapixel camera, and IP68 rating, but drops to a cheaper MediaTek 7300-Ultra chipset and slower charging. The regular Redmi Note 14 Pro is similar, but ditches 5G for 4G connectivity and is only IP64-rated. The Note 14 and Note 14 5G have reduced specs across the board though the 4G models IP54 water-resistance still impresses for a phone that costs less than half of a Pixel 8A. The Redmi Note 14 4G is the cheapest model in the new series. Image: RedmiAll four phones launched in China and then India late last year, but today go on sale in ten European countries, including the UK and Germany. Somewhat confusingly, the European models have altered specs from their Asian counterparts the Pro Plus 5G has completely different cameras and battery, for example which isnt uncommon for Redmi.The Redmi Note 14 series already has stiff competition from within the Xiaomi family, after the similarly priced Poco X7 and X7 Pro launched globally yesterday. Those phones lean on IP68 ratings and big batteries 6,000mAh in the Pro in the effort to draw budget buyers away from Google and Samsung.Most PopularMost Popular

Heres the deal: The PlayStation 5 Pro is now available, carrying a hefty price tag of $699.99. Thats steep on its own, but it gets pricier if you also need to grab the PS5 Disc Drive and Vertical Standboth of which are sold separately.If you are willing to shell out on the new premium console (or were lucky enough to unwrap one over the holidays), here's another quick PSA: The PS5 Disc Drive will cost you $79.99 and the vertical stand will set you back $29.99. The disc drive has already sold out multiple times across most retailers, and is only now available again at Amazon. Shipping is delayed at two to four weeks, and stock is extremely limited, so snap one up as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.Where to Buy PS5 Pro Disc DriveDisc Drive For PS5 Pro and Slim ConsolesInternet connection is required to pair Disc Drive and PS5 console upon setup.$79.99 at AmazonWhere to Buy PS5 Vertical StandIt's not an essential purchase, but if you really want to have you PS5 Pro standing up looking its best with optimal airflow, a vertical stand isn't a bad shout. Just a shame it's not packed in with the $700 console in all honesty. But, similar to the Disc Drive, these have been in and out of stock since the console launched.Vertical Stand For PS5 Consoles$29.94 at WalmartNow you've spent an extra $110 + tax on completing your purchase, congrats! Yeah I know, it's a tough sell. Plenty of fans have already expressed shock at the $700 price, and myriad IGN polls suggest as few as 15% of people plan to buy a PS5 Pro. In a questionnaire asking if the console is reasonably priced, with more than 50,000 responses, 73.9% of responders said it was way too expensive. The PS5 Pro has a GPU with 67% more compute units than the current PS5 console and 28% faster memory, which enables up to 45% faster rendering for gameplay.If you're looking for even more game deals, you've come to the right place. It's worth having a look at our roundups of the best PlayStation deals, the best Xbox deals, and the best Nintendo Switch deals to see the highlights from each platform, from games to hardware to accessories. We also have an overall roundup of the best video game deals that focuses on the standout offers from each platform that are worth putting your money down on. Another place to look for the best deals of the moment is our Daily Deals roundup, where you can see everything from discounts on games to new offers on tech.PlayRobert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Disney has recast the role of fan-favorite Star Wars character Baylen Skoll in Ahsoka Season 2 following the death of actor Ray Stevenson, with Game of Thrones' The Hound actor Rory McCann taking over.As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Disney is opting to continue Skoll's story in Ahsoka Season 2 and potentially beyond instead of bringing it to a close following the death of Stevenson in 2023.The famed actor, who also appeared in Thor, RRR, and Punisher: War Zone, suffered from a brief illness and died three months before the premiere of Ahsoka Episode 1. His portrayal of Skoll was widely considered a standout performance of the first season.Ray Stevenson (l) and Rory McCann(r). Image credit: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney and Doug Peters/Variety via Getty Images.Disney later announced that Season 2 of the show is being developed and, alongside The Mandalorian and its incoming film sequel, its story is expected to continue into a Star Wars film from Lucasfilm chief creative officer Dave Filoni.As Skoll's story was left open at the end of Ahsoka Season 1, Filoni seemingly has big plans for the character that required a recasting. McCann, who most famously played The Hound in Game of Thrones but has also appeared in Knuckles, Hot Fuzz, and more, will therefore take over beginning in Ahsoka Season 2.The first season was relatively well-received, especially perhaps for fans of Star Wars: Rebels. "Ahsoka starts off rocky before soaring into the weirdest corners of Star Wars lore," IGN said in our 8/10 review.Image Credit: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney and Doug Peters/Variety via Getty ImagesRyan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Sony has signalled that The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered on PC requires a PSN account three months before the games release on Steam.As spotted by VGC, the Steam page for Naughty Dogs single-player adventure includes the now-standard Sony requirement for a PlayStation Network account.PC gamers had little hope that Sony would budge on the PSN requirement for its Steam releases, and so it has proved with The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered. As a result, PC gamers in over 100 countries wont be able to buy the game on Steam because Sony does not operate PlayStation accounts in those markets.PSN is available in just 73 countries, leaving many out in the cold. The Baltics, including states that are part of the European Union (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), and the vast majority of countries in Africa are also excluded. For years, some players in these countries have created a PSN in a supported region to get around the restrictions, but there are concerns that Sony could ban the accounts of those who do.Sonys PC push has been controversial to say the least, with most of its games suffering negative Steam reviews as a result of the PSN requirement regardless of whether the games themselves are great or run well. In September, God of War Ragnark met with a mixed user review rating on Steam following its PC launch, with most of the complaints revolving around the PSN requirement.One disgruntled fan even created a God of War Ragnark mod that removed the requirement, but it was pulled down out of fear of reprisal from Sony. Exacerbating the backlash is that Sony has doubled down on this policy even for single-player games, such as God of War Ragnark, Until Dawn, and now The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered.Sonys PSN account requirement for its PC games was thrust into the limelight with the release of Arrowheads explosive PC and PS5 co-op shooter Helldivers 2 earlier in 2024. Helldivers 2 suffered a review bomb campaign on Steam after Sony made PSN accounts mandatory for PC gamers on Valves platform (Arrowhead subsequently decided to turn the user review history graph into a cape, which is ready for launch but has yet to release).Sony eventually backed down and reversed Helldivers 2s PSN account requirement, but the game remains unavailable in the many countries that lack PSN. And indeed all Sonys games on PC now suffer from this problem.When it announced the PSN requirement for Helldivers 2, Sony said it had to do with player security. Account linking plays a critical role in protecting our players and upholding the values of safety and security provided on PlayStation and PlayStation Studios games, Sony said in a statement issued at the time. This is our main way to protect players from griefing and abuse by enabling the banning of players that engage in that type of behavior. It also allows those players that have been banned the right to appeal.Perhaps bracing itself for a backlash it knew was to come, Sony added: We understand that while this may be an inconvenience to some of you, this step will help us to continue to build a community that you are all proud to be a part of. Many thanks for your continued support of Helldivers 2!The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered likely faces a similar backlash on launch that Sonys other PC games have seen, despite the Steam warning months in advance.Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

With the spice giving everyone Dune fever and Star Trek in a second renaissance, sci-fi fans have had it good these past few years. 2025 doesnt have another Dune movie in store, but it does have a new James Cameron film, and its hard to get better than that. Additionally, weve got some smaller stories coming to streaming services, a few reimagingings of classic tales, and another movie about dino DNA. What more could you want?Star Trek: Section 31 (Jan 24)Star Trek: Discovery might be done, but the world it established continues. Star Trek: Section 31, premiering straight on Paramount+, checks in on Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), the Mirror Universe duplicate of Michael Burnhams former beloved captain. Once the cruel Empress for the Terran Empire, Georgiou now serves in Section 31, Starfleets Black Ops division.Look, its hard not to be skeptical about Section 31. The concept was used well in its initial appearances in Deep Space Nine, but it has come to represent the edginess Discovery too often infused into its stories. Still, it does have the glorious Yeoh in the lead alongside the always likable Sam Richardson and Kacey Rohl as Rachel Garrett, the doomed Captain from the Next Generation classic Yesterdays Enterprise.Mickey 17 (March 7)We really hate even typing the date next to Mickey 17 for fear that Warner Bros. will bump back the release again or cancel the thing altogether. But it seems like we might finally, FINALLY get to see Bong Joon-hos follow-up to Best Picture winner Parasite. Bongs English-language films have always been his most bonkers, whether its casting Chris Evans as a baby-eating revolutionary or letting Jake Gyllenhaal do whatever it is Jake Gyllenhaals doing in Okja. Mickey 17 promises to continue that trend with Robert Pattinson playing several clones of a man who sold himself to a corporation. Wackiness and anti-capitalism will surely ensue.The Electric State (March 14)Before making their triumphant return to the MCU with Avengers: Doomsday, Joe and Anthony Russo have another Netflix project in the works. Based on the illustrated novel by Simon Stlenhag, The Electric State takes place in an alternate version of 1994. Because this is a Netflix movie, Millie Bobby Brown takes the lead, this time as a woman who seeks the help of a robot to find her missing brother. The Russos have also recruited a number of MCU folks and MCU-adjacent folks to flesh out the cast, including Chris Pratt and Ke Huy Quan in live-action roles. Meanwhile Jason Alexander, Woody Harrelson, and Anthony Mackie provide voices.Read more A Minecraft Movie (April 4)Its a bad sign when even Jack Black looks tired onscreen. We can see a bit of sorrow behind the boisterous comedians eyes as he finds himself in yet another video game adaptation and yet another movie about people getting sucked into a game. The fact that hes alongside Jason Momoa coming straight from a T-Mobile commercial and recent Academy Award nominee Danielle Brooks absolutely slumming doesnt help.Then again, the video game that inspired A Minecraft Movie has always been much more than it appears on the surface. And director Jared Hess got one of Blacks strangest performances in Nacho Libre. Maybe he can craft something spectacular out of what appears to be a joyless mess.Lilo & Stitch (May 23)Okay, its easy to scoff at the upcoming remake of Lilo & Stitch, especially since people will keep calling it live-action, despite having a computer animated character at its center. Furthermore, almost all of the Disney updates to classic animated movies have been ugly cash grabs, adding nothing to the beauty and simplicity of the originals. That said, Lilo & Stitch has a few things in its favor. One, animator Chris Sanders, who co-directed the original film and helmed The Wild Robot just last year, is back on hand, if only as the voice of Stitch. Second, it is directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, who made the delightful Marcel the Shell With Shoes On shorts and movie. Maybe this thing will have a heart missing from all Disney remakes that arent Petes Dragon.Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning (May 23)Youre just asking for trouble when you start using words like failure around Tom Cruise and/or Ethan Hunt, both of whomcould be called the living manifestation of destiny. But it sure looks like Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning may be the last outing for the unstoppable Hunt.Although the movie no longer bears the title Dead Reckoning Part Two, The Final Reckoning picks up where the 2023 left off, with Hunts IMF team chasing an AI called the Entity. Although Ilsa Fausts death in the previous film means well go without Rebecca Ferguson for this one, the rest of Hunts team is there, which means we get more of Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Vanessa Kirby, alongside new addition Hayley Atwell. Even better, Christopher McQuarrie is back again to direct Cruise doing a few more insane stunts.From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (June 6)When it was announced that the John Wick franchise would continue with the wonderfully titled From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, people kept asking if the original series director Chad Stahelski would be back after the glorious John Wick: Chapter 4. Instead journeyman Len Wiseman signed on to helm the story of newcomer (Ana de Armas) to the Ruska Roma killers.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Ballerina will add some new wrinkles to the deep killer mythology, including Norman Reedus as a mysterious benefactor and Gabriel Byrne as the chief villain. Well also get to see welcome faces again, including Ian McShane as Winston and the late Lance Reddick as Charon. But the best news comes from Stahelski himself, who said Yeah, Im thinking Im back after it was revealed he directed a few action sequences for the new movie.Elio (June 13)Pixar may have dumped Turning Red directly to streaming, but it soon found an audience and established itself as one of the studios better recent entries. Turning Red director Domee Shi teams up with Adrian Molina, co-writer and co-director of the also excellent Coco, and first-time feature director Madeline Sharafian for Elio.Elio follows a nerdy 11-year-old (Yonas Kibreab) who gets beamed into space to serve as humanitys representative at an intergalactic conference. Jameela Jamil, Brad Garrett, and Shirley Henderson voice the various aliens who, probably, teach him something about life.28 Years Later (June 20)The best part of Danny Boyle and Alex Garlands 28 Days Later came when Jim (Cillian Murphy) and his fellow survivors arrive at a military base only to find not safety from rage-infected zombies, but a thoroughly human threat. Boyle and Garland will certainly have more of that in mind for their latest collaboration 28 Years Later, which begins on an island where survivors live in peace. But eventually peace always leads back into the wasteland.Our guide into that nightmare will be played this time by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who certainly seems to be getting a lot of prime roles. Hell be joined by Ralph Fiennes and Jodie Comer, at least one of whom will certainly play a human who does terrible things. Or maybe that role will go to Jim, played by a returning Murphy.M3GAN 2.0 (July 27)The delightful Chucky TV series may have met its end, but were not done with killer dolls just yet. The TikTok eras answer to Talking Tina is back in M3GAN 2.0, along with all of the same cast and creatives. Gerard Johnstone directs and Akela Cooper writes this sci-fi horror about the titular overprotective AI doll (voiced by Jenna Davis and performed by Amie Donald), who terrorizes her creator Gemma (Allison Williams) and young girl (Violet McGraw). But the most exciting part may be seeing what viral marketing ideas Blumhouse has this time around.Jurassic World Rebirth (July 2)Wait theyre rebuilding Jurassic Park again?! If only some movie existed to warn people against putting profits over good sense. Then again, given that the last entry in the franchise, Jurassic World: Dominion, decided that big bugs would be better than dinosaurs to bring the original cast back, maybe we want Universal to give it another go.Given that Gareth Edwards of Godzilla and Rogue One fame steps in, well likely have plenty of dino action in Jurassic World Rebirth. The plot involves a group of scientists led by Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Alis black ops expert, who search a dino reserve for a medical cure. This in turn will surely invite some conversation about humanitys hubris and chaos, and other ideas Universal will ignore when the box office receipts come in.Mercy (August 15)In Mercy, Chris Pratt plays a detective charged of a crime he did not commit. No, that doesnt sound terribly interesting, nor does it sound like sci-fi. But given that Mercy comes from director Timur Bekmambetov, a simple plot leaves more room for over-the-top action set-pieces. As he did in Wanted and Night Watch, Bekmambetov will surely fill the screen with eye-popping sequences. Moreover, Mercy takes place in a near-future, which means that there will be plenty of nifty gadgets and frightening surveillance equipment to add some oomph to the proceedings, as will co-stars Rebecca Ferguson and Annabelle Wallis.The Bride! (September 26)How do you improve on perfection? Thats the question facing veteran actor Maggie Gyllenhaal, who chose for her sophomore directorial effort a remake of Bride of Frankenstein. Her answer, it seems, is to veer as far as possible from the source material. Gyllenhaal sets The Bride! in 1930s Chicago where a murdered woman (Jessie Buckley) is resurrected as a mate for Frankensteins monster (Christian Bale). According to early synopses, the Bride will lead a womans movement in the Windy City, but if the stylish production photos are any indication, the movies tongue will be in its cheek enough to promise some zaniness to accompany its political relevance.Tron: Ares (October 10)Yes, its been a long time since 2010s Tron: Legacy, but not as long as it had been between that film and the original Tron from 1982. Still, Tron: Ares has been mired in production for several years now, as the movie went through several creatives before landing on director Joachim Rnning, who most recently made The Young Woman and the Sea. Throughout the process, Jared Leto has remained a consistent in the project. Leto plays Ares, a program who reverses the usual Tron plot and enters the human world on a secret mission. Although Daft Punk will not be on hand to score Aress adventure, they have an able replacement in Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails.Predator: Badlands (November 7)The original Predator was a delightful genre mash-up, one that used a sci-fi premise to inject horror into a gratuitous 80s action flick. Filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg pulled a similar trick with 2022s Prey, in which a Comanche woman fended off an alien attack in 1719. However, it remains to be seen if Trachtenberg can do it again for Predator: Badlands. Instead of directly following Prey, Badlands takes place on a wasted hunting ground where twin sisters played by Elle Fanning try to survive. Thats not the most compelling premise, but between Prey and 10 Cloverfield Lane, Trachtenberg hasnt disappointed yet.The Running Man (November 7)Edgar Wright movies are always worth keeping an eye on, and his next one is intriguingly a second adaptation of a 1982 Stephen King novel (published under the name Richard Bachman), The Running Man. While Wright wont likely be able to match the insanity of the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie and its gonzo Steven E. de Souza script, its clear that he has his own unique approach to The Running Man. In Wrights version, Glen Powell plays Ben Richards, a contestant on a post-apocalyptic game show in which hes chased by murderous hunters. Love Lies Bleeding breakout Katy M. OBrian appears as a fellow contestant, and Josh Brolin portrays Dan Killian, the shows malevolent producer.Bugonia (November 7)Another year, another Yorgos Lanthimos movie. Although the idiosyncratic Greek filmmaker is reteaming with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, both of whom appeared in Kinds of Kindness, Bugonia isnt an original screenplay. Instead Lanthimos remakes the 2003 Korean comedy Save the Green Planet!, directed by Jang Joon-hwan.In Bugonia, Stone plays a powerful CEO who gets kidnapped by a conspiracy theorist (Plemons) and his brother, who believe that shes an invading alien. Jang presented that material with zany lightness, but expect Lanthimos to give it lots of unusual dialogue and awkward silences.Avatar: Fire and Ash (December 19)What is there to say about Avatar: Fire and Ash? Its made by James Cameron and James Cameron never loses. Period. The third entry in the Avatar series takes its blue heroes Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaa) away from the sea people joined in Avatar: The Way of Water. This time they meet the fire people, bringing their adopted daughter Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) and probably villain Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) with them. But you know what? It doesnt matter what the plot is because its going to look amazing and were all going to love it, and Cameron will win again.Death of a Unicorn (TBA)Even though weve got a trailer and a synopsis for Death of a Unicorn, its still hard to figure out what exactly it is. Clearly its got comedic and satirical aspects. After all, it stars Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega as a father and daughter who hit and kill a unicorn while driving to a retreat hosted by a powerful pharmaceutical CEO. That modern medicine plot gives the movie a sci-fi angle, but A24 has been calling it a horror movie as well. Is it all of those things? None of them? Who knows, but even though it comes from a first time writer/director in Alex Scharfman, A24 tends to hit more than it misses, so were going in with optimism.Frankenstein (TBA)Its kind of surprising that Guillermo del Toro hasnt already made a Frankenstein movie. A romantic, misunderstood monster story, complete with lots of weird science, seems right up his alley. Thankfully, Netflix is finally giving del Toro the chance to make that film, and hopefully will allow him to get as expressive as he was in 2023s Pinocchio.Del Toros Frankenstein stars Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, who is urged by Dr. Pretorious (Christoph Waltz) to finish work on his monster (Jacob Elordi). Modern scream queen Mia Goth plays Frankensteins beloved Elizabeth while a perfectly cast Burn Gorman plays Frankensteins assistant Fritz. It sounds like del Toros hewing pretty closely to the Universal Monsters version of the story, so lets hope we get some florid speeches from Waltz.

A leaker with a good track record on iPhone camera improvements has lent their support to a report that the 12MP front-facing camera in current iPhones will be upgraded to 24MP in the iPhone 17 line-up. They also endorse the suggestion that all three rear cameras in the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have 48MP sensors.The latest report goes a little further, however, and suggests that this years upgrade to the 5x telephoto camera sensor will apply to the iPhone 17 Pro as well as the Pro Max The iPhone 16 Pro models currently have a mix of 12MP and 48MP camera sensors:Main camera: 48MPUltrawide: 48MP (up from 12MP in the iPhone 15 Pro)Telephoto: 12MPSelfie camera: 12MPIts more than a year since Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo cited supply-chain sources for a planned upgrade to the front-facing selfie camera in the iPhone 17 models.The front camera of the iPhone 17 will be upgraded to 24MP/6P lens (vs. the 12MP/5P lens of iPhone 15 & 16), which will significantly improve the image quality. Genius is the primary lens supplier for iPhone front cameras.The reference to a 6P over 5P lens refers to the number of elements in the lens. All other things being equal, more elements creates a lens with fewer distortions.Kuo also indicated that the iPhone 17 Pro Max would see the telephoto camera upgraded from 12MP to 48MP.Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station endorses both reports, but indicates that both iPhone 17 Pro models will get the new telephoto sensor, not just the Pro Max.The specifications are 48Mp 1/1.3 , ultra-wide angle 48Mp, periscope 48Mp 5X, main camera and telephoto are GP glass plastic lenses, and the front camera is upgraded to 24MpThis will mean that both Pro models have 48MP sensors for all three rear cameras.Digital Chat Station has credibility where iPhone camera upgrades are concerned, having posted accurate leaks about both the telephoto lens coming to the iPhone 16 Pro and the larger sensor size in the main camera last year.Image: Michael Bower/9to5MacAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel