According to a new rumor, 2024's critically-acclaimed Metaphor: ReFantazio could be coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 in the console's launch window. Nintendo has not officially revealed the Nintendo Switch 2 just yet, but there have been no shortage of leaks about the highly-anticipated next-generation system.

By TREVOR HOGGImages courtesy of Warner Bros. PicturesMany attempts were made to bring The Lord of the Rings to the big screen with the most famous being John Boorman co-writing a script in 1970 that laid the foundation for his Arthurian classic Excalibur. Escape from development hell finally happened in 1978 when Ralph Bakshi did an adaption that covered half of the trilogy, which combined roto and hand-drawn animation. The franchise is returning to its animation roots with New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation bringing The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim to theaters under the direction of acclaimed anime filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama, who is making his first visit to Middle-earth after spending time in New Port City and Los Angeles in 2032 for Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Blade Runner: Black Lotus. The project takes place 183 years before the original trilogy helmed by Peter Jackson and revolves around the childhood friends Hra and Wulf becoming sworn enemies after their fathers engage in a hand-to-hand combat with each other resulting in one of them being killed. Serving as a producer alongside Joseph Chou and Jason DeMarco is Philippa Boyens, who developed the story with Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews and has been a frequent writing partner of Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh ever since The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.When the studio came to us and asked, What about anime? this story seemed to fit what we were looking to do, which is to tell a standalone story with fresh characters who we had not come across before and didnt involve any dark lords or rings of power. When they told us that Kenji Kamiyama was interested in directing it, that got me even more excited.Philippa Boyens, ProducerHra (Gaia Wise), Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox), Haleth (Benjamin Wainwright and Hama (Yazdan Qafouri) hold court in a scene that makes use of a live-action sensibility but in the style of anime.When it comes to horse riding, motion-capture footage was given to animators as reference so they could heighten the level of realism in their hand-drawn animation.From the beginning, the desire was to tell an animated tale that was a new take on Middle-earth while still having an air of familiarity. We did actually look at other forms of animation and other stories, states Producer Philippa Boyens while attending New York Comic Con to promote the feature with Kenji Kamiyama and Joseph Chou (who served as a translator for Kamiyama). When the studio came to us and asked, What about anime? this story seemed to fit what we were looking to do, which is to tell a standalone story with fresh characters who we had not come across before and didnt involve any dark lords or rings of power. When they told us that Kenji Kamiyama was interested in directing it, that got me even more excited. Shifting from television productions to a feature film did not radically change the animation process. A lot of anime directors set out to be a filmmaker, but in Japan the most freedom you get and the easiest path to directing is to go through the medium of anime, Kamiyama explains. Ive done a few films, but my prominent works have been series where the times demanded it; we either want more DVDs or episodes on streaming. But the filmmaking process and techniques are what I take to every single one of them when crafting and telling the story. When taking on this project [which started as 90 minutes and became 2 hours and 10 minutes], it was a different muscle that I had to use. I was so used to the 30-minute format that I had to change my way of thinking to be able transition into a two-hour format where you have a complete story told within that limited amount of time. Making a movie is like a 400-meter run while a series resembles a marathon. You have to pace yourself and hit your goal throughout that whole period. A movie is not a 100-meter dash, but you do need to move fast and get there by pacing yourself; it is quite an intense experience.Its mature storytelling and deserves a mature visualization. Thats one thing I wanted to do by taking on this film. It presented me with the opportunity to create that kind of visual and film that perhaps breaks the mold for anime in how its presented to audiences outside of Japan.Kenji Kamiyama, DirectorThe intention was always to do an animated film.There is no longer a divide between 2D and 3D animation as the best of both techniques are being creatively fused together in a large part by the growing popularity of adult animation. Animation targeted or appealing to adults is not something new for Japanese anime, Kamiyama observes. If you have seen my work, it has a lot of mature themes and storytelling. But there is definitely a shift in the West where theatrical animation is not just for kids but can also be enjoyed by adults as well. However, when you say animation, there is still this perception that it is for kids. But, for me, I believe that animation has the potential to elevate certain types of storytelling as a visual medium that can appeal to a general audience. One of the motivations for taking this film was this was a chance to do that and have that platform where the audience will be able to come in and at least check out how this kind of storytelling can be done by animation. Its not only about how attractive the drawing is or how good the art is, but its about how people are moving within the frames of the animation; that connects with the technique of how you would want to do this.Hra is modeled in a large part on owyn, with Mirand Otto, who played her in the original trilogy, serving as the narrator.An unconscious agreement exists between animation filmmakers and audience members. Explains Kamiyama, The reason why I took on motion capture and CG animation [is because] even though animation is not as detailed as live-action, audiences come in understanding that it does exist and fill in certain gaps. By adding some element of reality, it heightens the experience so much that it actually makes them appreciate what is happening on the screen even more. That is something which can be done differently from live-action where there is already so much visual detail. Its about how people move, how they get on a horse or how people put things in pockets. The depiction of those little things needed to be done by human hands, but in order to get it done by human hands you need the assistance of CG animation. For me to visualize, set the timing, decide on the camera lens and how the angle should be, all of that was done with motion capture data in an Unreal Engine setting. Then I would go and do the acting for certain actors in specific situations in CG animation. That would be provided completed as a film to the animators to use as a guide to create the hand-drawn animation. Tolkien does not write childrens fairy tales. Its mature storytelling and deserves a mature visualization. Thats one thing I wanted to do by taking on this film. It presented me with the opportunity to create that kind of visual and film that perhaps breaks the mold for anime in how its presented to audiences outside of Japan, Kamiyama remarks.You have this familiar landscape of that valley, which you have seen from the live-action films, but now set against the backdrop of the Long Winter] it has this beautiful, frozen quality. Even when you get a bit of sunlight coming through, you still see the sheets of ice on the side of the cliff faces, and that frozen quality that Kamiyama brings to it visually makes it feel different. We know that silhouette and have seen that long ramp before, but this is different. The subtle changes are beautifully done.Philippa Boyens, ProducerJ.J.R. Tolkien does not write childrens fairy tales, so a mature approach was taken towards the storytelling and the animation.Animation is not simply about drawing pretty pictures but also how characters move within the frame.The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim takes place 183 years before the original trilogy helmed by Peter Jackson.Childhood friends Hra (Gaia Wise) and Wulf (Luke Pasqualino) become sworn enemies after their fathers engage in a hand-to-hand combat with each other resulting in one of them being killed.Assisting with concept design was the Wt Workshop.Serving as the narrative spine of the story is the father/daughter relationship between Helm Hammerhand and Hra.Even with the big battle sequences, it is the subtle details that immerse audiences in the world-building and characters.I believe that animation has the potential to elevate certain types of storytelling as a visual medium that can appeal to a general audience. One of the motivations for taking this film was this was a chance to do that and have that platform where the audience will be able to come in and at least check out how this kind of storytelling can be done by animation. Its not only about how attractive the drawing is or how good the art is, but its about how people are moving within the frames of the animation; that connects with the technique of how you would want to do this.Kenji Kamiyama, DirectorRather than have a well-known character as the protagonist, the decision was to explore the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand and the ancient stronghold of Hornburg, which figures prominently in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers as Helms Deep, through the eyes of Hammerhands daughter Hra. Hra is in the story, so shes not created from whole cloth, Boyens explains. I examined a lot of the characters in that story who didnt necessarily out-live it. When you look at the story and what sparks the conflict, it centered around her. Who might actually see through this conflict to its final ending? You begin to realize that its this character, potentially. Hra is not without precedent within Professor J.R.R. Tolkiens world. Obviously, we are distinctively drawing upon owyn, but if you go back even further to the first Haleth, who was a woman, you could see that there is this tradition of quite strong women existing in the Rohirrim culture. Also, having an unnamed character does give you more freedom to be able to say, What happens to this character? Why is she so pivotal to this story? What is her relationship not only to her father but this antagonist? Once you start delving into that, the story came into focus fairly quickly. The thing that Kamiyama found and works beautifully on an emotional level is theres a level of father/daughter story in this that is interesting and beautifully played by Brian Cox and Gaia Wise.The Oliphaunt causes battlefield mayhem, just like in the original trilogy.Helms Keep is revisited, but in a different way. This is a much longer siege that were dealing with in this film, set against the backdrop of the Long Winter, which is an event that affected all of Middle-earth, and a lot of people suffered through it, Boyens states. For the Rohirrim, its one catastrophe on top of another. You have this familiar landscape of that valley, which you have seen from the live-action films, but now it has this beautiful, frozen quality. Even when you get a bit of sunlight coming through, you still see the sheets of ice on the side of the cliff faces, and that frozen quality that Kamiyama brings to it visually makes it feel different. We know that silhouette and have seen that long ramp before, but this is different. The subtle changes are beautifully done. Obviously, the gates are destroyed somewhere in this film because the gates are different than the ones you see in the live-action movies. Kamiyama pushed it even further with other settings, like Isengard, which we are so familiar with in connection with Saruman who inhabited it. Now were seeing it well before that, when the Orthanc is locked up, so what has risen around it are deserted guard towers, which have been taken over by another force of people. You get to see Isengard that was once familiar, but he uses it in a much different way. Then you actually get to see even more details in stuff that we didnt get to see in the live-action films. We get to spend more time in the stables, weirdly. We get to see Edoras alight, which is quite shocking when you see that happen. We get to see the ruins of that city. Again, familiar, but then with this twist that Kamiyama brings to it, which is so beautifully done and visually stunning. The mood that he is able to capture in the film, youve got to see it in a big cinema. Im telling you!

Uniqlos collaborations with popular games and media are typically great, and this Dragon Ball Daima collection is no exception. The clothing company recently launched a themed lineup of T-shirts and sweatshirts, with a few of the T-shirt designs even coming in sizes for kids. Prices start at $14.90 for kids shirts, or $24.90 for adult sizes, and go up to $39.90 for the sweatshirts.The shirt designs mainly focus in on Goku from Dragon Ball Daima, who, along with the other Z fighters, was turned into a kid by Gomah in the new series. However, the collection also features some scenes from the original Dragon Ball. Whichever you gravitate to more, its great to have some of the late Akira Toriyamas signature character designs that you can wear around.You can order these shirts online, or check your local store for stock, through the links below.

In the heart of San Sebastin, a compact 861-square-foot apartment has undergone a radical transformation that challenges traditional notions of domestic design. Spearheaded by Spanish architect and designer Ismael Medina Manzano, the project, known as the Unplanned Domestic Prototype, reimagines living spaces to reflect the evolving dynamics of 21st-century life. This experimental intervention serves as both a critique of mid-20th-century housing policies and a bold step toward adaptable, sustainable living environments.Constructed in 1966, the apartment building originally adhered to the rigid design principles of the eras Stabilization Plan, a 1959 Spanish initiative aimed at economic recovery. Housing units were standardized, compartmentalized, and optimized for nuclear family living a reflection of the social norms and efficiencies valued at the time. Medinas design disrupts these conventions, introducing a fluid, multi-functional layout that caters to the diverse needs of modern inhabitants.The project pivots away from rigid boundaries, fostering an environment that integrates flexibility and inclusivity. By breaking free from the constraints of traditional spatial organization, the apartment transforms into a dynamic living ecosystem capable of accommodating various forms of coexistence.At the core of this reimagined space is a striking curved wall, crafted from green glazed ceramic tiles. This feature is both a practical and aesthetic innovation, functioning as a hub for storage and social interaction. Surrounding the wall are strategically positioned storage units, including pantries, closets, and kitchen cabinetry, which dissolve the boundaries between functional and ornamental design.One end of the wall seamlessly integrates with a mirrored showcase, concealing everyday household appliances. In another area, a sandstone portal crafted from locally sourced stone reveals the geological history of the region. This fusion of materials connects the design to its geographical and cultural context, embodying a dialogue between architecture and the environment.Further enhancing the apartments versatility is a collection of mobile elements. A movable kitchen island, constructed from repurposed granite, exemplifies the projects commitment to sustainability and adaptability. Designed to orbit within the space, the island can be reconfigured to suit various activities and social gatherings. Other movable features include stools made from reclaimed tree roots and furniture crafted with materials from local industries, such as recycled aluminum and steel.The incorporation of greenery adds another layer of connectivity with nature. An internal irrigation system sustains mobile vegetation, blurring the lines between interior and exterior spaces and fostering a sense of harmony with the surrounding environment.The Unplanned Domestic Prototype encapsulates Medinas broader vision of architecture as a means to address societal and ecological challenges. By integrating local materials, sustainable practices, and innovative design elements, the project underscores the importance of contextual reflection in residential architecture. It is a space not merely to inhabit but to engage with a living prototype that invites its users to redefine their relationship with domesticity and the environment.Ismael Medina ManzanoFor more information on Ismael Medina Manzano and his work, visit ismaelmedinamanzano.com.Photography by Hiperfocal.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.There are days when cooking up three individual meals and finding snacks in between feels like too much work. When I need to lighten my cooking workload, my go-to move is to reduce the amount of new meals I make in a day. For my household, that would be this slow cooker grazing soup. Crock-Pot SCCPVL610-S-A 6-Quart Cook & Carry Programmable Slow Cooker $69.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $69.99 at Amazon What to expect from a grazing soupThe point of a grazing soup (or stew) is that its filling, simple, and something that you can make as a great big batch for snacking on throughout the day. You could do this in a large pot or Dutch oven on the stove, but I prefer using my slow cooker because its more hands-off, and once its finished, the cooker automatically clicks over to keep warm for as many hours as I want. Its certainly safer than keeping my stove flame on for six hours. Grazing soup ingredients stand up to long durations of low heat. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann The key to a grazing soup is choosing ingredients that dont deteriorate over the course of the day. You can use my recipe below, but if youre creating your own version of a grazing soup, consider the types of ingredients youre using. Carrots, celery, many cruciferous vegetables (like cauliflower and kale), beans, and bitter greens are good candidates that hold up in liquid. Potatoes can work too, but some potatoes stay together better than others. Opt for waxy potatoes (red potatoes are a good choice) because they have a lower starch content and hold their shape in liquid.How to keep it interestingIf eating the same soup all day sounds like a bore, you can still reap the benefits of not cooking multiple times while adding a bit of variety. You can do this with pre-made accoutrements or with (what Ive decided to call) soup evolution. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Adding pre-made accoutrements might be a scoop of leftover pasta or rice you didnt finish from earlier in the week. If you keep hard boiled eggs in the fridge, slice one of those into your bowl. I often keep Trader Joes frozen turkey meatballs in my freezer. Theyre fully cooked so maybe a half hour before my next graze, Ill drop a few of those into the soup to heat up.Soup evolution is adding a new bulk ingredient to your grazing soup as it begins to run out. Halfway through the day, after the soup has decreased in volume, I might dump in a can of chickpeasaquafaba and all. Maybe before dinner, you add a bag of frozen pelmeni, or a half-cup of raw pastina to the stew and it absorbs the rest of the broth to become a thicker dish. The soup essentially changes over from one major component to another, while still keeping a percentage of its former self.Lately, Ive enjoyed this red lentil soup with a chickpea evolution in the evening. Enjoy your grazing soup early and often throughout the day.Red Lentil Slow Cooker Grazing Soup RecipeIngredients: onion, minced2 waxy, medium-sized potatoes, cubed cup chopped carrots cup dry red lentils2 cups lacinato kale, de-stemmed and roughly chopped4 cups chicken broth teaspoon salt teaspoon MSG teaspoon garlic powder teaspoon cayenne pepper powder2 teaspoons lemon juice1 can organic chickpeas (optional), not drained1. In true lazy slow cooker soup fashion, dump all of the ingredients, except the lemon juice and the can of chickpeas, into the cooker.2. Cook the soup for 2 hours on high heat, stirring occasionally. Click the cooker over to the warm setting for the rest of the day. Just before eating your first bowl, stir in the lemon juice.3. If you notice your soup is running low and you dont want the party to end, stir in the can of chickpeas with its liquid.

Substack tested live video last year, allowing Substack Bestsellers (the companys top users) to stream video and connect with a live audience and even collaborate with other Bestsellers. Now, the feature is open to every Substack publisher who wants to go live. The only primary requirement besides needing an account is having at least 10 free subscribers.Publishers who go live can read comments as they come in, similar to Twitch. They can also collaborate with other publishers by asking them to hop on a call. Currently, Substack is only supporting up to three people in a single call.After your stream ends, you get a copy of the VOD and also some AI-generated notes. The VOD can be posted as its own post to ensure readers and fans who missed out can experience the stream on their own time. The VODs are made public by default when shared as a post, but they can also be paywalled. Substacks AI can generate clips you can share to attract viewers to watch the main VOD if youre interested in promoting your content elsewhere.Substack claims that its Bestsellers are happy with the feature, which allows them to engage with their readers and viewers better than before. The full impact of live video on Substack still remains questionable until more publishers try it out. Given how many options there are for streaming live video these days, its far from a sure thing itll catch on here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/substack-is-now-letting-all-publishers-broadcast-live-video-165321645.html?src=rss

Apple is reportedly working on an AI health coach but we've heard this one before.

They will be seated on the platform nearby cabinet officials and elected leaders.

When Doritos announced it was bringing back its long-running Crash the Super Bowl contest, which originally ran from 2007 to 2016, it felt like a no-brainer. The original contest challenged fans to create their own big game Doritos ad, with finalists to be voted on by fans, and the winner got $10,000 and a trip to the Super Bowl. It was a massive hit every year for about a decade. The basics remain the samecreate your own Doritos adbut this time the prize is $1 million, along with that trip to the Super Bowl in New Orleans.Now the brand has announced the three 2025 finalists. First up is Abduction by Dylan Bradshaw and Nate Norell. Here we see a guy get into an extraterrestrial tug-of-war over a bag of his favorite chips.Next is Charades by Mark Blitch from Wylie, TX. One man just cant seem to get the clues his family is throwing at him.And third is Barbershop by Zach Shenouda and Ryan Robinson, senior students at the University of Southern California film school. Its a not-so subtle nod to a Crash the Super Bowl classic from 2014 called Finger Cleaner.Beyond the finalists, Doritos also recruited a few Kansas City Chiefs to hype the campaign. Patrick Mahomes and his teammates Chris Jones, Xavier Worthy, and Creed Humphrey go full focus group on the finalists, without giving anything away.First to put fans firstCrash The Super Bowl was the first Super Bowl campaign to introduce the idea of getting fans actively involved. This is now common practicelast year alone there was DoorDashs award-winning DoorDash All the Ads contest, FanDuels second year of Kick of Destiny where you could bet on the outcome, andMiller Lites QR-coded T-shirt giveaway. Launching in 2006, it was right at the dawn of a user-generated content revolution that evolved into a creator economy that could hit $480 billion by 2027.PepsiCo Foods chief creative officer Chris Bellinger told me back in September that Crash the Super Bowl always revolved around putting control into the hands of fans. With the evolution of the creator culture, the advances in technology, it just felt like a great time to bring it back, he said. And this new generation of contestants not only has access to better technology and equipment, but many have already built an audience on social. Theyre putting out content all the time, theyve built a following, now they can take that audience on a journey to try and get into the Super Bowl, said Bellinger.Fans can vote onDoritosCrash.com through January 28, and the winner will be revealed in early February, ahead of Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, February 9.

Houses by Richard Neutra and Ray Kappe are among more than 12,000 structures lost in the ongoing fires in Los Angeles. Here, we roundup five of the most significant to have been destroyed.The Palisades and Eaton fires are the two largest of the several fires that have caused at least 24 deaths and the destruction of more than 12,000 buildings in Los Angeles since they began early last week.The fires, exacerbated by strong winds and drought conditions, have destroyed whole neighbourhoods, and hundreds of thousands of people have had to evacuate. Power outages and contaminated drinking water have affected thousands more.As of today, increases in wind speeds threaten to expand the ongoing fires.Above: a home designed by Richard Neutra was destroyed in the fire. Image via Los Angeles Damage Inspection (DINS) database. Top: the house before the fire. Photo copyright of Julius Shulman and Juergen NogaiGroups such as the Los Angeles Conservancy and Save Iconic Architecture are tracking the status of buildings deemed iconic or noteworthy in the midst of the "unfathomable" damage in the city.Many iconic structures that were under threat have now been marked safe including: Eames House and adjacent Eames Case Study Houses, Getty Villa, Craig Ellwood's Hunt House in Malibu, Buff, Straub & Hensman's Bass House and The Alfred Newman-Martha Montgomery House by Frank Lloyd Wright.Read: "The scale of the damage is unfathomable" say Los Angeles architectsMeanwhile, officials have been compiling data on a house-by-house destruction report. Many of the destroyed modernist homes are located in Malibu and the Palisades, while the Eaton fire destroyed many historical Spanish Revival and Craftsmen-style homes in the town of Altadena.Below are some of the most significant houses lost in the ongoing Palisades and Eaton fires:Photo copyright of Julius Shulman and Juergen NogaiThe Benedict and Nancy Freedman House by Richard Neutra, Pacific PalisadesRenowned modernist architect Neutra designed this small house in 1949 for two screenwriters.Built primarily with wood, the original structure had a single low volume with massive glass windows and clerestories. It was slowly expanded to become a two-level house over the years, remodelled by local studio Nonzero\architecture (studio bau:ton).View this post on InstagramA post shared by Save Iconic Architecture (@saveiconicarchitectureRobert Bridges House by Robert Bridges, Pacific PalisadesArchitect Robert Bridges designed this home to cantilever off a cliffside in the neighbourhood, supported by massive concrete pillars.It was built in the 1980s in the brutalist style but clad in California redwood.View this post on InstagramA post shared by Save Iconic Architecture (@saveiconicarchitecture)Keeler House by Ray Kappe, Pacific PalisadesSCI-Arc founder Kappe built this home for a jazz musician in 1991, using his own house nearby as a reference.The modern structure featured mostly wood construction and multiple tiers with terraces that cantilevered out towards the street. It was one of many Kappe designs to be destroyed, including the Culbert House in Malibu.Photo via WikipediaAndrew McNally House by Frederick L Roehrig, AltadenaBuilt for the president of technology company Rand McNally, this Queen Anne-style mansion in Altadena was one of the first significant works in the area and had become indicative of its late 19th-century architecture.New York-born architect Frederick Louis Roehrig designed the house, constructing it out of mostly wood with massive rotundas on one side.Photo via WikipediaScripps Hall by C W Buchanan, AltadenaAlso known as the Pasadena Waldorf School, this Craftsman-style structure was designated on the National Historic Register.The three-storey structure was made from wood and brick and featured the extruded rafters typical of the style when it was completed in 1904.The post Richard Neutra house among iconic homes lost during LA fires appeared first on Dezeen.