The first three episodes of Andor season two are finally streaming on Disney+, offering a breakneck blast back into the early days of Star Wars rebellion. During io9’s interview with showrunner Tony Gilroy and star Genevieve O’Reilly, who plays Mon Mothma, the duo broke down the last moments of the third episode of this week’s drop. Gilroy also discussed how framing these pivotal years as three-episode mini-movies came about. Sabina Graves, io9: The initial plan was for Andor to run five seasons, with each season covering a year—but that evolved into these three-episode “movie” arcs. How much of the backstory was provided and developed as you went along? Tony Gilroy: I think when we came up with the idea and started to experiment with it, I originally thought, “Oh my god, well… is it going to work? Is it going to have lots of exposition when we come back?” Where people have to say “Oh since last I saw you…”? I didn’t want to do that, and if you’d asked me in the beginning I would have thought “Oh, I’m going to have to write a huge bible of negative space of all the things that happen in between,” you’ll have to issue these other memos and that’s a whole other month of writing and no, no. I mean in episode four, Adria [Arjona] and Diego [Luna] really needed to know what had happened with the soldier and what the missions had been like. That jump was specific; they needed to know certain things but as we went along there were so few questions. The pickups, the beginning of the episodes where people were and what they were talking about, seemed to be so available that I never had to write a memo about it. I had some conversations about it but I never had to go back in and and do the heavy lifting I thought in the beginning, no. io9: Genevieve, was it really liberating to have that negative space and those broad strokes to find Mon in these formative years in building the rebellion? I found her moment of letting loose in particular in episode three so cathartic. Can you take me behind where you were in having that moment unfold for her? Genevieve O’Reilly: Yeah, I mean those first three episodes go over three days. It’s in her ancestral home, it’s within her family culture. I felt really steeped in her history there and we didn’t—like Tony said, there was there was very little exposition. It’s just: there she is, that’s the practice, that’s the ritual. We understand it implicitly and then moving through those three days of that wedding and the inter-complications of the family relationships with her daughter, with her husband, the in-laws and then having Luthen there—there was so much going on. And as we come to the pointy end of those three episodes you really feel the implications of where she is at that moment, not just with the weight of those familial kind—that rigorous tension of what that wedding was, but then with Luthen being there and coming in with a clear eye in regard to her friend Tay Colma. We know Tay Colma so well from season one, he was such a fierce ally of hers, and so we start season two with him very loose, very tethered, or she sees that in him. It’s like he’s seeing those false gold idols of Davos Sculdun, he’s drinking that in and he wants some of that for himself and that is an implicit threat. Of course she sees the friend, she sees that’s maneuverable, but of course Luthen sees it much clearer—he’s much more brutal in his vision and he calls her on it. He calls her on her romanticism and he kind of really asks her to be honest with herself in regard to what rebellion really takes. He asks her to have that blood on her hands and she tacitly agrees, and so that moment that you’re talking about, that crescendo of movement and culture and celebration, is also a woman just wrestling with her own internal chaos. io9: it’s such a beautiful moment and the dancing and the drinking—Tony, what did you see as the strength and beauty of intercutting that with where everyone else is in that moment of crossroads? Gilroy: My brother John, who’s been with me forever, who’s just the master builder, post-production builder—we built a lot of crescendos. We’ve learned how to build these crescendos in the movies we’ve made over the years and then we did it in season one, the funeral. So this is really going to be a very complicated crescendo, we’re using a piece of electronic dance music which is really unusual. I’m getting to juxtapose Cassian saving the day and Mon Mothma with blood on her hands with Eedy showing up for lunch. I get to do everything all at once. I’m really pleased with the end of three. I’ll say one other thing about about Mon on the dance floor: it does another thing. It binds the audience to her because the only people in that room who know what’s going on are you and her. Everybody else is partying, everybody else is dancing, but you know what she’s into, and so that just creates what it does with the audience. I love how it binds the audience to the characters. Andor is now streaming on Disney+. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

By AJ Dellinger Published April 24, 2025 | Comments (0) | A sign reads "Enforcement Zone Ahead" on a street in New York City where congestion pricing is enforced. © Deb Cohn-Orbach/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Sean Duffy, Donald Trump’s Secretary of Transportation, would like to kill New York City’s congestion pricing. Donald Trump’s Department of Justice doesn’t think he has much of a case. We know that thanks to an apparent error on the part of the DOJ’s legal team, which uploaded and then removed an internal memo offering its opinion that the effort to kill the tolls is “unlikely” to win over the court. The 11-page document—uploaded Wednesday night to the docket for the ongoing lawsuit between New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Duffy’s DOT before being taken down—was originally sent on April 11 to DOT’s senior trial attorney Erin Hendrixson, advising her and her team to change their approach or risk losing their case. The DOT is defending Duffy’s decision to declare the project illegal. Yet the DOJ warned Duffy’s actions to dismantle the project “was contrary to law, pretextual, procedurally arbitrary and capricious, and violated due process”—none of which seems all that good if you’re tasked with defending the validity of the actions in court. As such, the DOJ’s attorneys concluded “It is very unlikely that Judge Liman or further courts of review will uphold the Secretary’s decision on the legal grounds.” Given that the current position seems to be a loser, the Justice Department attorneys recommended DOT change tact and argue the toll doesn’t align with the agency’s goals and was canceled “as a matter of changed agency priorities”—a position that is more legally defensible under regulations set by the Office of Management and Budget. According to Bloomberg, that argument fell flat in DOT offices. Normally, all of that would happen behind the scenes, and the parties would grit their teeth and move forward with a unified front. But then the DOJ went ahead and uploaded the document by accident—a fact it confirmed Thursday morning in a letter filed with the court that acknowledged it had inadvertently uploaded a privileged document to the public docket and asked the court to permanently seal the document. “Although the contents of the document have been made public in news reporting, the document was filed in error and should not be considered part of the court docket,” they wrote. The court has instead opted to temporarily seal it, though it seems a little silly given how widely available the document is at this point. The DOJ copping to accidentally uploading the document is a bit surprising. Luckily, the DOT’s behavior is much more on brand. In a statement to Courthouse News, a spokesperson for the agency rhetorically asked “Are SDNY lawyers on this case incompetent or was this their attempt to RESIST?” That same unnamed spokesperson called the mistake “legal malpractice,” and said, “It’s sad to see a premier legal organization continue to fall into such disgrace.” At least someone is on the ball in this mess! Daily Newsletter You May Also Like By Lucas Ropek Published April 23, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published April 21, 2025 By Matt Novak Published April 18, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published April 16, 2025 By Isaac Schultz Published April 11, 2025 Joseph Winters, Grist Published April 10, 2025

By Raymond Wong Published April 24, 2025 | Comments (3) | Motorola Razr+ 2025 in three different finishes © Raymond Wong / Gizmodo Two things were glaringly clear to me after sitting through a 2.5-hour event yesterday where Motorola pre-briefed press on its new trio of Razr Android phones. The company really believes in the flip-style foldable form factor popularized by Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip and it thinks more AI, shoved ever deeper into the software, will rescue us from the cruelty of pecking on apps and buttons with our fingers. Debuting today are three Razr flip-style phones: Razr, Razr+, and Razr Ultra. You can think of them as good, better, and best. Motorola claims the Razr Ultra is the most powerful flip-style smartphone with the best camera system available. We’ll be the judge of that when we get a device in for review. But the specs—including the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset—at least backs that up on paper. © Raymond Wong / Gizmodo They all look pretty similar, but here’s how you can spot the difference without pulling up a comparison chart. As the most premium model, the Razr Ultra sports the largest internal screen (7 inches), a dedicated Moto AI button on the left side, and fancier finishes such as Italian-made Alcantara, satin, faux leather, and wood. Upgrades over the other Razrs that you can’t eyeball right away: 50 megapixels for the main, ultra-wide, and selfie cameras; a large 4,700mAh battery; 68W wired charging; 30W wireless charging; and 5W reverse wireless charging. The Razr+ looks nearly identical to the Razr Ultra, but comes with a slightly smaller 6.9-inch internal screen, no physical AI button, a smaller 4,000mAh battery, slower charging (45W wired and 15W wireless), and a lower-resolution selfie camera (32 megapixels). It also has a less powerful Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset. © Raymond Wong / Gizmodo Sitting at the entry-level, the plainly named Razr has a smaller 3.6-inch external display (there’s a “forehead” bezel not present on the Razr+ and Razr Ultra), lower-resolution cameras (50-megapixel main, 13-megapixel ultra-wide, and 32-megapixel selfie), and a mid-range MediaTek Dimensity 7400X chipset. However, the Razr does have a larger 4,500mAh battery than the Razr+. I got to play with all three briefly and they all felt well-built to me, with the only major physical quality difference being the materials and finishes. I really liked the luxurious Alcantara on the Razr Ultra, but the polished aluminum and plastic Razr didn’t feel cheap in my opinion. © Raymond Wong / Gizmodo Motorola boasted other quality-of-life upgrades for the new Razrs. The hinges are titanium, which the company says is four time stronger than before and can handle “up to 35% more folds” compared to previous generation Razr flip phones. Motorola also says the crease on the internal folding display is 30% less visible (unclear how Motorola arrived at that number but it does seem less visible), and the Razr Ultra supposedly has the strongest external screen thanks to it being Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic. Gadget nerds might be salivating over the specs, especially the ones on the Razr Ultra, but the real appeal to these new flip-style phones might be Moto AI. Rather than develop its own AI—and risk embarrassing itself like a certain fruit-named tech giant—Motorola is partnering up with AI leaders and using their large language models and logic reasoning in the background for various tasks. Perplexity, the AI “answer engine” that’s been chipping away at Google’s search relevance, is deeply integrated into the Android 15 operating system. Google’s Gemini, Meta’s Llama, Microsoft’s Copilot, also power different aspects of Moto AI, assisting with general AI features like tasks suggestions (i.e. calling an Uber on your behalf or drafting an email), summarization, memory recall (think surfacing information from notes and screenshots), and more. Missing is any integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT (and there’s probably a reason for that) and Anthropic’s Claude. © Raymond Wong / Gizmodo The cameras also have Moto AI baked in with a feature called Signature Style. The phones use AI to automatically adjust tone and colors and then learns based on how you edit your shots. It sounds neat, but that also diminishes the whole point of photos which is that they usually don’t have the same uninspired look to them. I want to mix it up with my photos! Not have a specific look. Fact is, every phone maker is promising game-changing AI features that they’re touting as more convenient or efficient. AI crammed deeper into your phone will help anticipate your needs! AI will save you from hundreds of taps every day. AI will finally fulfill the “intelligent” promises that voice assistants such as Siri, Alexa, and the Google Assistant failed at. That’s the AI dream everyone (including Motorola) is selling. The AI in these new Razr phones is better and more useful, but also not quite capable enough to fully offload everything to just yet. And who even knows when that’ll be, if that ever happens. (Naturally, Motorola didn’t address AI hallucinations.) All three Razrs will be available for preorder on May 7 and available unlocked on May 15. The Razr costs $699.99, the Razr+ is $999.99, and the Razr Ultra is $1,299.99.   Daily Newsletter You May Also Like By Raymond Wong Published April 24, 2025 By Florence Ion Published April 10, 2025 By Florence Ion Published April 8, 2025 By Florence Ion Published February 4, 2025 By Florence Ion Published January 16, 2025 By Florence Ion Published January 14, 2025

House of the Dragon adds three new cast members. Taskmaster can’t get a break in a new Thunderbolts* clip. And is the next Mission: Impossible movie really longer than Magnolia?  Morning Spoilers: you opened it, we came. Your spoiling will be legendary, even in hell! The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping According to Deadline, Joseph Zada has been cast as Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson’s character) in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. Whitney Peak will play “girlfriend,” Lenore Dove Baird. Herbert West: Reanimator Deadline also has word Haunting in Connecticut screenwriters Adam Simon and Tim Metcalfe are now at work on a new “contemporary reimagining” of H.P. Lovecraft’s short story, Herbert West: Reanimator. Predator: Badlands During a recent interview with Screen Rant, director Dan Trachtenberg discussed developing the Predator’s alien language in Badlands. We reached out to the guy who does the Navi language [for Avatar], who was very occupied, and recommended his mentee. We did it the way that The Lord of the Rings does Elvish or Game of Thrones does Dothraki. Except with those, there’s more of a precedent. As we discovered with that language expert… [the Yautja language] in the other Predator movies is complete nonsense. There’s no sense to it. People from the internet have tried to make sense of it, but none of it was made with intention. So we decided to make it with intentions. We completely developed the language. Everything they’re speaking has actual rules and structure and all that was written as verbal. Early on, we just did explorations with concept art of what we could do. I think lots of times, when people do more in a franchise, there’s a tendency to go into the Senate trading committees. I thought we… should have a sliver of that, but not let the movie be that. When people hear the premise, they may think this is all about the inner workings of the Yautja culture. That’s not what we want to do. This is an invention of the premise. Now the Predator is on a planet, and he’s going to be hunted by things, and he has to use his guile to figure stuff out. Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning According to Comic Book, Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning runs 2 hours and 49 minutes long, making it the lengthiest film in the Mission: Impossible franchise and second-longest of Tom Cruise’s entire acting career behind Magnolia. Thunderbolts* Taskmaster, Ghost, Yelena, and U.S. Agent battle in a four-way brawl before deciding to arrest Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in two new clips from Thunderbolts*. Until Dawn Elsewhere, the latest TV spot for Until Dawn sells itself on the film’s practical effects alone. House of the Dragon Variety reports Tom Cullen (Trespasses), Joplin Sibtain (Star Wars: Andor), and Barry Sloane (Sandman) have joined the cast of House of the Dragon as Ser Luthor Largent,  Ser “Bold” Jon Roxton, and Ser Adrian Redfort, respectively. Star Wars: Mace Windu During her recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast (via The Direct), Bryce Dallas Howard confirmed she’s discussed a potential Mace Windu series with Disney and LucasFilm. Sam Jackson has been incredibly supportive of me and has told me many times that he would act in something that I directed, which is, like, I’m not worthy, basically. And then I went straight to Dave Filoni and I was like, ‘So, let’s just talk about Mace Windu and where he is. Can we just talk about this? Because, is he dead? Is he?’ Strangers Things: Tales from ’85 Comic Book also has word Netflix’s Stranger Things animated series is officially titled Strangers Things: Tales from ’85. Doctor Who Russell T. Davies discussed casting Rose Ayling-Ellis as a character named Aliss in this week’s “scary” episode of Doctor Who. Aliss wasn’t written as a deaf character. But then Rose’s name came up, and she’s acted for a long time on British television, and I instantly said yes. Because she’s just wonderful. It was a delight to work with Rose. As I talked with her, we put things into the script I never would have thought of. She modified things, and we modified things….[after submitting the script for a compliance reading] they tell us what we’ve gotten wrong, which is exactly the way it should work, [but] it came back with such a glowing report. [There’s a line of dialogue] about how hearing people can get paranoid around those who are quietly signing. “I’ve never seen that said out loud before,” they said. I don’t want to give away too much…is she the villain? Maybe she’s behind it all? [TV Line] Ghosts Spoiler TV has a synopsis for “Kyle,” the May 1 episode of Ghosts. Click through for images. Sam and Jay’s relationship is tested when Kyle (Ben Feldman), a handsome living who shares Sam’s ability to see ghosts, arrives at Woodstone B&B, on the CBS Original series GHOSTS, Thursday, May 1 (8:31-9:01 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. The Last of Us Spoiler TV also has images from “The Path,” the next episode of The Last of Us. More at the link. © HBO YOLO: Rainbow Trinity Finally, Rachel and Sarah go on a musical adventure with a pebble, bush and snake to get their electricity back in the trailer for this Sunday’s episode of YOLO: Rainbow Trinity. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Daydreamers doesn’t stray too far from vampire movie narratives we’ve seen before; there are warring clans of bloodsuckers, a brother versus brother face-off, and visits to flashy clubs stuffed with fang-faced partiers. But it’s one of very few vampire movies to come from Vietnam, which makes it a curiosity worth seeking out. And once you start watching, Daydreamers‘ stylish execution and ridiculously good-looking cast just might hook you in. What you should not do is spend too much time worrying about the movie’s particular vampire “rules.” Basically, it comes down to this: there are two kinds of vampires roaming around contemporary Ho Chi Minh City. One group clings to the belief that if they resist killing humans and survive instead on animal blood, they may one day reverse the curse and walk freely in the sunlight again. (They are who the movie title refers to, if that wasn’t already obvious.) It’s a lonely, angst-ridden existence, especially for Nhat (Tran Ngoc Vang), who doggedly keeps to his “blood trial” training, hoping to become human again. It’s something his late mother dreamed would be possible for him and his brother, Marco (Thuan Nguyen), but since her death the siblings have become estranged. Marco is now part of that other vampire clique: flashy, vapid, and glamorous, they have fun living undead life to the fullest and have no desire to revert back to mortality. They give off major Lost Boys vibes. Thanks to the brief animated segment that Daydreamers opens with, we know that vampires have been around for hundreds of years but were nearly exterminated some time ago by revenge-seeking humans. To ensure their eternal survival, there’s a general shared agreement not to kill any humans, though not everyone sticks to that. An even bigger no-no, however, is letting any non-vampire become aware of vampire existence. “Leave no witnesses” is a sacred creed, though it was either a failing of Daydreamers‘ subtitles or script that made this point a little confusing, since it seems to create a pretty gaping loophole for that whole “kill no humans” thing. Any vampire who dares spill the secret is also supposed to get taken out, which can be accomplished using silver weapons, a stake through the heart, or good old-fashioned sunlight. Every vampire movie offers its own tweaks on genre lore, and Daydreamers leans really hard into its rules. You kind of wish it had just been “if we don’t kill humans we might heal ourselves” versus “hell yes, kill humans!”—and focused solely on Nhat versus Marco, rather than introducing a plot about Nhat falling for Ha, a human girl (Trinh Thao) he must protect once she accidentally figures out monsters are real. It’s a forbidden romance, but Daydreamers unfortunately provides precious little evidence of sparks between Nhat and Ha, despite the fact that they’re willing to die for each other within days of meeting. There’s a much spicier connection between Marco and vampire queen Trieu (Vietnamese superstar Chi Pu); the latter in particular has a charismatic screen presence that makes you wish Daydreamers had shifted more of its focus her way. © Dark Sky Films At just under two hours, Daydreamers has a lot of time to explore the push and pull between Marco and Nhat, whose shared history goes back over 100 years (at one point, Nhat reveals he was last in school in 1895), but has come to a head with their mother’s tragic passing and Marco’s subsequent transformation into a murderous bad boy. At its core, Daydreamers is mostly fascinated with Nhat’s dilemma: he doesn’t want to die, but even after all this time, he also doesn’t know how to live—though he becomes very certain that Marco’s way is not for him. Daydreamers takes place almost entirely at night, naturally, and it makes good use of that setting to lean into the neon-tinged glamour of eternal debauchery. The “vampire nightclub” trope was used to hilarious effect in What We Do in the Shadows, but Daydreamers plays it very straight. Perhaps that’s because the film hails from a culture that hasn’t already done vampire stories to death—or perhaps Daydreamers is a little too self-serious. Whatever the case, this movie is dripping with blood and eye candy in equal parts, and that’s a praise-worthy achievement even if the plot gets a little wobbly at times. Daydreamers opens in select theaters May 2; it’ll hit all the major VOD platforms June 3. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Driverless big rigs may soon be cruising down a particular highway in Texas. Axios writes that, later this month, driverless trucks plan to unleash themselves upon a 200-mile stretch of Interstate 45 between Dallas and Houston. Aurora Innovation, a Pittsburgh firm founded in 2017, has developed a truck, outfitted with sensors and specialized software, that can allegedly operate 24/7, with no breaks and no driver, while transporting large amounts of cargo to and fro across America’s freeway system. Aurora has been testing its vehicles in closed environments, and has also used “virtual testing” of real-world conditions. Aurora calls its AI-fueled software system the “Aurora Driver,” and plans to have its driverless trucks on the road by the end of the month. According to Axios, the new industry will revolve around a business model in which AI vendors lease their automated software to truck manufacturers, who will then sell the vehicles to logistics companies that need driving fleets. If all of this conjures Final Destination type scenarios, the companies behind this technology swear it’s safe (and some data agrees). In fact, one of the advertised benefits of driverless trucks is that they are actually safer than those with someone behind the wheel. “At Aurora, we believe that the benefits of self-driving technology will increase efficiency and mobility, while bringing a reliable driver supply and heightened safety to America’s roads,” the company’s website says. “A safer world where goods never stop moving.” Earlier this month, Aurora released a report that purported to explain how its model of automated big rigs can safely navigate roadways.

Whether you work from home or you do most of your playing from home, a new monitor is always a good idea. Think of how much you probably look at the screen on a daily basis. It’s not good for your eyes, that’s for sure. If there were a monitor you could use instead to try and make things as comfortable and as healthy as possible, you’d use it, right? Well, here’s the good news: there is, and it’s on sale right now. The 27-inch Asus 4K Eye Care Monitor is just $199 now at Amazon, down from its usual price of $249. That’s $50 off and a discount of 20%. It’s a limited time deal, so make sure you get yours fast if you want to make sure you don’t miss out. See at Amazon A monitor that protects and looks good on the eyes This monitor is the perfect size for just about any desk or computer setup at home. It’s 27 inches, with a 4K UHD screen, and that gives you 3840 x 2160 resolution with an IPS 178-degree viewing angle. It also supports HDR to give you bright and vibrant colors as well as darker areas on the screen for improved contrast. It also uses Adaptive Sync for a visual experience without artifacting. But the most important thing about this monitor is its Eye Care Plus technology, which is meant to help keep your eyes in tip-top shape. That might be a bit hard to believe about something you’re meant to stare at all day, but that’s why you buy this monitor in the first place, to help make your daily “stare at the screen all day” count. It uses a special tech called Color Augmentation to help you better differentiate between hues for less eye fatigue. It also gives you rest reminders so you know when to step away. All of these types of tech combine to make a monitor that you can rely on as a daily driver and one that still looks good for all the use you’ll get out of it for your various purposes. And now’s a great time to go ahead and get it at its record-low price, because with warmer weather you might be working at home a bit more. You want to preserve your vision as best as you can too, since you can’t just get it back once it’s deteriorated. Take some important steps to do that now and save some cash while you’re at it. See at Amazon

A Blade Runner game called Time to Live was once in development but never officially announced—and now that title is no more. All that’s left are a few details about what might have been. That’s according to Insider Gaming, which claims the project was in development with Until Dawn developer Supermassive Games. The title was reportedly a character-focused action-adventure title where players would take on the role of So-Lange, the sole Blade Runner existing in 2065 “well beyond their limited lifespan.” Pre-production allegedly began in late 2024, with several staff on 2023’s The Quarry involved. Had it gone into production,  the game was aiming to land in fall 2027 for PC and current and next-gen consoles. Documents obtained by the outlet mention gameplay would’ve been a mix of stealth, action, exploration, and investigation, similar to Cyberpunk 2077 or the Deus Ex games. What reportedly did Time to Live in was Alcon Entertainment, which owns the IP. The company allegedly canceled the project late last year, though a specific reason wasn’t given as to why; when asked, Supermassive told Insider Gaming it was “unable to comment.” io9 reached out to both it and Alcon for comment, and the latter acknowledged “discussions” of a Blade Runner project last year that “did not proceed for business reasons.” To date, Blade Runner has had three video games. The 1985 game was a shoot-em-up loosely inspired by the film, and the 1997 title was a point-and-click adventure. Then, 2018’s Revelations was a VR title from Seismic Games. A few years ago, Annapurna Interactive revealed it was developing Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth, its first in-house game. However, that project’s status is unclear following the developer’s internal collapse in late 2024. Whether Time to Live existed or not, Blade Runner has been gradually expanding into a larger franchise these past few years. In addition to the games, Prime Video has an upcoming TV series starring Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

The search for young Haymitch Abernathy in Lionsgate’s film adaptation of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is over. Joseph Zada (East of Eden) will be playing the young version of the character previously portrayed by Woody Harrelson. As fans will know, Haymitch was the last winner from District 12 before his mentee Katniss Everdeen. The Hunger Games official account shared the news. Additionally, Whitney Peak (Hocus Pocus 2) will be playing Lenore Dove Baird, Haymitch’s love interest and co-lead in the 50th Hunger Games, where double the tributes of children are offered to compete for their lives. In a statement from Deadline, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-President Erin Westerman shared, “The Hunger Games franchise has long been a launching pad for remarkable young actors, and Jo and Whitney carry that legacy forward with incredible heart, depth, and fire.” “After auditioning hundreds of gifted performers from around the world, these two stood out—not just for their talent, but for the emotional truth they brought to these iconic roles. Haymitch has always been a fan favorite, and his origin story is one of the most anticipated in the franchise. His relationship with Lenore Dove is deeply woven into the emotional history of Panem. We can’t wait for fans to experience the story that shaped one of the most compelling characters in the series.” Francis Lawrence, who has directed all of the Hunger Games movies except the 2012 original, is returning. The script by Billy Ray is based on Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins’ latest prequel installment, Sunrise on the Reaping. The film is due out November 20, 2026. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

The slate of animation coming to France’s annual Annecy Festival, running June 8-15, has been announced. And with it comes a lot of exciting presentations from global studios big and small celebrating the timelessness and reach of the medium around the world. Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros. Animation, DreamWorks, and Sony Animation are among the larger studios making a splash at the festival, including anticipated projects from Star Wars, Stranger Things, Marvel, and DC. None other than Bugs Bunny himself, drawn in classic 2D by Warner Bros.’ Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, presented the Annecy trailer this year. The delightful short ad was directed by Grant Orchard (Hey Duggee) with executive producer Ben Bocquelet (The Amazing World of Gumball) with Eric Bauza voicing WB’s iconic character. It’s got us really excited for the annual international event and hopeful for more of the Looney Tunes’ presence during the ceremonies. Here are some of the titles we’re most excited to see and learn more about. Star Wars: Visions Fans of the anthology series will get an early peek at season three, which arrives in October and is led by Japanese animation houses. The specific short getting an Annecy spotlight, “Black,” is directed by Shinya Ohira and centers “a psychedelic battle between past and present, light and dark, and life and death plays out in the haunted psyche of an Imperial trooper who is on the cusp of defeat.” Pixar Animation Studios Spotlight Pixar CCO Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc., Up, Inside Out, Soul) will be presenting a showcase of the studio’s upcoming slate including Elio, Hoppers, and Toy Story 5. The festival will also celebrate 30 years of Toy Story with new behind-the-scenes look at the CG animated film that started it all. Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Zootopia 2 Walt Disney Animation Studios’ CCO and award winning director-writer Jared Bush (Encanto, Zootopia, Moana) will appear at Annecy for the first time to give a sneak peek at Zootopia 2. Marvel Animation – Eyes of Wakanda Marvel Animation will host a special “making-of session” that will double as an exclusive premiere screening of the first episodes of its Black Panther universe series Eyes of Wakanda. “The story follows the adventures of brave Wakandan warriors throughout history. In this globe-trotting adventure, the heroes must carry out dangerous missions to retrieve Vibranium artifacts from the enemies of Wakanda. They are the Hatut Zaraze and this is their story.” The series hits Disney+ in August. A Legendary Encounter: Icons of Animation Celebrate The Simpsons The Simpsons creator Matt Groening, executive producer and showrunner Matt Selman, and animator David Silverman are set to be honored at the festival for the longest-running animated show’s achievements in the arts. A panel will “offer a rare insight into the groundbreaking legacy of The Simpsons in animation,” among other events that will take attendees behind the scenes of modern pop culture’s first family of animation. WB Animation’s Bat-Fam © WB Animation The creators behind Merry Little Batman including director Mike Roth will lift the lid on the caped crusader and son’s continuing adventures with Bat-Fam. Creating Creativity: Celebrating 25 Years of Cartoon Network Studios A conversation between creators of Cartoon Network’s most formative animation shows during its first 25 years, including Gendy Tartakovsky (Dexter’s Laboratory), Craig McCracken (The Powerpuff Girls), Pendleton Ward (Adventure Time), Rebecca Sugar (Steven Universe), J.G. Quintel (Regular Show), and  Adam Muto (Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake). Netflix Animation’s Stranger Things and In Your Dreams Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 showrunner Eric Robles will be on hand to give the world a first look at the animated show in the universe of Stranger Things. The streaming platform will also give a peek at  brother and sister adventure feature fantasy film In Your Dreams, which centers around the siblings going dream-hopping to find the sandman. Animal Farm Andy Serkis’ adaptation of  George Orwell’s ever-so timely Animal Farm will make its debut at Annecy as an official selection screening event. The film is directed by Serkis, written by Nick Stoller, produced by Aniventure and Imaginarium with CG production by Cinesite. Naruto x Oasis © Annecy Festival This looks unhinged as beloved anime Naruto sees a collab with Oasis “celebrating manga culture with an animated film inspired by the openings, taking the audience into an epic adventure alongside the Oasis mascots. This project pays tribute to the aesthetic and narrative codes of anime, captivating manga fans.” Sony Animation The all-animal animated sports feature Goat from Tyree Dillihay and co-director Adam Rosette will be featured at the festival. No word on any Spider-Verse action, however. DreamWorks The Bad Guys 2 will make its debut at the festival. We’re hoping there will be some sort of update on The Wild Robot 2, which we’re eagerly anticipating. For more information about Annecy 2025 visit the festival’s official site here. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is generating massive hype but if you haven’t preordered yet, you may want to know that stock is already very low at most retailers. Most retailers have limited allocations and not every customer is going to be guaranteed a unit at launch. Among the handful of stores still regularly stocking, Walmart is one of the sole retailers where you can still preorder and with some added perks that make it your best option. Preorders start on April 24 at midnight Eastern Time (12:00 a.m. ET), the equivalent of 9:00 p.m. Pacific Time on April 23. The sale allows gamers nationwide to place orders from home but the demand is so robust that most retailers will sell out immediately. Walmart has a steady supply of both the standard Nintendo Switch 2 console at $449 and the Mario Kart World bundle at $499, and it guarantees the delivery on launch day (June 5). Preorder Switch 2 at Walmart Preorder Switch 2 + Mario Kart at Walmart Launch Day Delivery The offer that truly sets Walmart apart from the other retailers is the guarantee of launch-day delivery which is June 5. Customers preordering through Walmart by 8 a.m. local time on June 4 will have their console delivered for free by 9 a.m. local time on June 5—launch day, no less. That guarantee is a valuable benefit especially when you know that many other retailers can’t promise launch-day delivery due to low inventory. If you don’t want to suffer the frustration of waiting in endless lines or indefinite shipping dates, Walmart is a great choice. The Nintendo Switch 2 console itself is ready with everything necessary for a seamless gaming experience: The box contains the console, Joy-Con 2 controllers (left and right), Joy-Con 2 Grip, Joy-Con 2 Straps, Nintendo Switch 2 Dock, ultra high-speed HDMI cable, AC adapter, and a USB-C charging cable. This means that you can play immediately without the need to make additional accessory purchases. As you probably know the Switch 2 is a significant upgrade from the original: It features a larger, crisper 7.9-inch 1080p display for handheld play and 4K output when docked to a TV which offers stunning visuals, and HDR support. The console also boasts improved processing capabilities for smoother gameplay and faster load times, along with improved audio for a better overall experience. With demand through the roof and supplies limited, most retailers will sell out shortly after preorders open. Walmart is one of the few places accepting preorders but make sure you get yours before it runs out of stock (like it’s the case in the UK). If you want to reserve your place as one of the earliest to receive the Switch 2 when it’s released on June 5, your best bet is to act quickly and go with Walmart. Preorder Switch 2 at Walmart Preorder Switch 2 + Mario Kart at Walmart

The first season of Andor took moments to show the small ways the Empire oppresses its people. Season two’s premiere episodes continue that thread, with the darkest example so far coming in episode three, “Harvest.” Spoilers and a content warning for discussions of assault below. On a farming settlement, Cassian’s old friend Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona) is still recovering from her torture on Ferrix last season. The Empire’s come for a routine inspection (and to find undocumented workers), and an officer has taken a particular interest in her, asking when her “husband” is coming home and casually noting comms have been blocked. He then forces himself on her, resulting in her killing him in a blow to a head and a declaration to the man’s subordinate: “He tried to rape me.” In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Tony Gilroy—the show’s creator and writer of this season’s first arc—said it felt “organic and right” to incorporate the scene, which is part of Bix’s “difficult path” back to herself pre-torture. “I get one shot to tell everything I know or discovered about revolution and battles, with as many incidents I can get in there without having the story tip over,” he explained. “I mean, let’s be honest: in the history of civilization, there’s a huge arterial component of it that’s rape. […] Armies and power throughout history have committed it.” Star Wars has previously touched on sexual assault via Leia’s slave outfit and mentions of Qi’ra’s backstory in Solo, but it’s never shown an attempted assault. Gilroy noted the “very clear” limits of sex and violence Andor is allowed, but otherwise, Disney had no pushback on the scene. In a separate interview with Variety, Arjona recalled a mix of emotions reading and filming the scene. On one hand, she admitted being “really scared” beforehand, but she considered it “really fucking powerful” to get to do it in this franchise. “Bix is in the most vulnerable state she can possible be in, and someone tries to take advantage of her,” she said. “We’ve heard that story many times. The fact that Tony gave it to Bix was a big honor—and it was right.” There was “so much power” felt in declaring the attack an attempted rape, added Arjona, and advised for “any woman, for anyone, when you have a stranger, a male stranger, in your own space, everything becomes survival.” Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

By Kyle Barr Published April 23, 2025 | Comments (0) | Get it while it's hot or, you know, just wait until its in stock. © Alex Cranz / Gizmodo Absence only makes the heart grow fonder. If that idiom holds true, it means bad tidings for Americans looking to get their hands on the Switch 2. U.S. and Canada-based Nintendo fans will be some of the last in the world to have the opportunity to preorder the Nintendo Switch 2 at 12:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, April 24. If you want an inkling of how hectic events will be this week, take a gander at the hysteria of worldwide Switch 2 preorders. Nintendo itself indicated that even preorders through the My Nintendo Store’s anti-scalper “priority” console lottery may not guarantee you a first crack at the new handheld at launch June 5. Though some people online complained relentlessly about the $450 price tag of the Switch 2, Nintendo is already apologizing to people in Japan who may not get a Switch on release day. In a post to X (read via machine translation), Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said it received “an extremely large number of applications” in Japan alone for its lottery sale of the Switch 2. Approximately 2.2 million people in the country signed up, which “far exceeds the number of Nintendo Switch 2 consoles that can be delivered from the My Nintendo Store on [release day] June 5.” Furukawa says: Just Japan My Nintendo Store received 2.2 million applications for the lottery sale Those who didn't get picked will be auto carried to the next lottery sale. Even with the second lottery sale they won't be able to accommodate every applied person!This is hype! https://t.co/jszUwkFtAh pic.twitter.com/SmUkmpBBid — Switch 2 Stock (fan account) (@Switch2Stock) April 23, 2025   There will be a second drawing for Switch 2 preorder ticket in the country, but even then Furukawa wrote “we cannot fulfill all of the applications we received.” The company is bumping up production for Japan. “We plan to continue producing and shipping a considerable number of Nintendo Switch 2 units in the future,” the Nintendo president said. Nintendo’s priority picks for Switch 2 buyers in the U.S. will be sent out on and after May 8. At least Nintendo is being up front about stock plans, though it may not aid folks overseas. In other countries where Switch 2 preorders already went live, the demand for the new handheld was “completely crazy.” That quote comes courtesy of Charlotte Massicault, the head of gaming at French retailer Fnac. Massicault told Frandroid (read via machine translation) that the first weekend of preorders reached “historic levels.” The retailer claimed it opened up preorders on April 2, the same day Nintendo fully unveiled the Switch 2. The French retailer seemed relatively confident Nintendo would avoid a shortage in the country. As with any product release as big as the Switch 2, demand will be different depending on the region. In countries like the UK, where Switch 2 preorders went live April 7, stocks are completely sold out on Amazon (which does not seem to have a U.S.-based page for Switch 2) and retailers like EEStore and Argos. That doesn’t mean the U.S. will meet the same fate, though it’s a factor of whether Nintendo had enough foresight to guess demand for different regions. Back during the original Switch launch, Nintendo sold around 360,000 units in Japan during the first month of release. Today’s figures indicate the legacy console maker is seeing many times more demand than its first handheld, but it’s not an apples to apples comparison. Nintendo lists “The Americas” as its biggest region for sales, of which the U.S. is the lion’s share of customers eager to snap up whatever the Mario maker provides. The Americas counted for 54.5 million original Switch sales compared to 34 million in Japan, according to Nintendo’s latest sales data. The company does not provide data broken out by country, though the entire European region made up 36 million unit sales over the Switch’s lifetime. Industry analysts have near-universally claimed the Switch 2 will be a big launch. Analysts who spoke to Gizmodo previously said Nintendo had put in more effort than most companies to generate enough stock of console units for launch on June 5. Other industry insiders claimed Nintendo may have shipped around 137,000 units to the U.S. earlier in the year, before Trump tariffs messed with worldwide supply chains and shunted the Switch 2 preorder date. Still, that’s a small number compared to how many handhelds Nintendo could sell in June alone. In Nintendo’s last financial earnings report, Furukawa indicated his company had learned from its mistakes with the original Switch’s launch stock woes. He further claimed Nintendo was working to meet “as large a demand as possible” for the Switch 2. He also hedged, saying “we believe it will not be easy to rapidly increase production capacity, so based on our prior experience, we are making preparations to be able to respond as quickly as possible.” U.S.-based preorders go live at midnight, 12 a.m. ET for Walmart, Best Buy, and Target. GameStop, with its too-good-to-be-true trade-in policy, will start selling Nintendo’s handheld at 11 a.m. ET. If your heart is set on getting a console on release date, you may need to stay up late just to make sure you get your place in line. Or, better yet, avoid the hubbub and buy one when it’s back in stock, though that could be awhile. Daily Newsletter You May Also Like By Kyle Barr Published April 22, 2025 By Kyle Barr Published April 18, 2025 By Kyle Barr Published April 15, 2025 By Germain Lussier Published April 14, 2025 By Sabina Graves Published April 11, 2025 By Sabina Graves Published April 9, 2025

By Margherita Bassi Published April 23, 2025 | Comments (1) | An Egyptologist in Paris has discovered secret messages on the capital's Luxor Obelisk. © Connie Ma from Chicago, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons In 1830, the viceroy of Egypt gifted France a 3,300-year-old Egyptian obelisk—a carved stone pillar with a pyramidal top. In 1836, the obelisk found its home in Paris, in Place de la Concorde. One would think that after standing in the center of the French capital for almost 200 years, Parisian Egyptologists would have learned all there is to discover about the ancient monument. But it turns out the famous obelisk still has its secrets. Jean-Guillaume Olette-Pelletier, an Egyptologist and cryptologist from the Catholic University of Paris, claims to have discovered seven previously undocumented messages carved into the 13th-century BCE Luxor Obelisk. Altogether, the inscriptions were intended to establish Pharaoh Ramses II’s divine authority in the eyes of the ancient Egyptian elite. The discovery and its interpretation were first reported by French media, and the researcher aims to further detail his findings in a paper forthcoming in the journal ENiM (Egypt of the Nile and Mediterranean). Olette-Pelletier identified the inscriptions in December 2021, when the obelisk was surrounded by renovation scaffolding. The scaffolding allowed Olette-Pelletier to observe the monument’s highest inscriptions, close to its golden pyramid-shaped top. According to EuroWeekly, it was when Olette-Pelletier attempted to read the hieroglyphs horizontally, rather than vertically, that he began to spot previously unidentified inscriptions. Some (perhaps all) of the new messages were hidden in the hieroglyphs themselves, a technique known as “crypto-hieroglyphs” used by the ancient Egyptian elite that today only six Egyptologists in the world are able to interpret, according to La Brújula Verde. “People had not noticed that under [one of the drawings] of the god Amun, there is an offering table. This allows us to discover a sentence where no element is missing: an offering that the king gives to the god Amun,” Olette-Pelletier told BFMTV. Combinations of the newly identified inscriptions produce additional meanings in what’s called three-dimensional cryptography. In total, the Egyptologist identified seven encrypted messages across the obelisk’s various facades. He explained that the enigmatic text can only be understood by walking around the monument. Additionally, the messages in question can only be seen from a specific angle. In particular, when the obelisk stood at the entrance of Egypt’s Luxor Temple, one of the messages would have been visible to vessels sailing on the Nile, according to EuroWeekly. This suggests that the message, exalting Pharaoh Ramses II’s divine power, was intended for elite individuals arriving by boat. Another inscription encourages viewers to make divine offerings to appease the gods’ anger. Overall, the secret inscriptions highlight Ramses II’s power, victories, longevity, and his appeasement of the gods through word-play from well-known papyrus texts. “These messages are a form of propaganda in favor of the builder of the site: Pharaoh Ramses II,” Olette-Pelletier told Le Point. He argues that Ramses II wanted to further legitimize his divine claim to power in the eyes of the noble class, as reported by EuroWeekly. Ramses II ruled from 1279 to 1213 BCE and is one of ancient Egypt’s most famous pharaohs. The Luxor Obelisk in Paris is one of two that he erected at the entrance of what today is known as the Luxor Temple—the second obelisk remains in Egypt. Ultimately, Olette-Pelletier’s discovery highlights that even the most familiar ancient monuments still hold secrets left for us to unravel. Daily Newsletter You May Also Like By Margherita Bassi Published April 23, 2025 By Margherita Bassi Published April 21, 2025 By Margherita Bassi Published April 15, 2025 By Margherita Bassi Published April 4, 2025 By Margherita Bassi Published March 26, 2025 By Margherita Bassi Published March 7, 2025

What a year for games based in Japan and featuring samurai, huh? After Assassin’s Creed Shadows in March, players can look forward to the PlayStation 5 exclusive Ghost of Yōtei October 2. Developed by Sucker Punch, the game takes place in 1603 Japan, over 300 years after 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima. Players take on the role of Atsu (Erika Ishii), a warrior seeking revenge against the people who killed her family. In the trailer below, we learn about her targets, the Yōtei Six: the Oni, the Snake, the Dragon, the Kitsune, the Spider, and Lord Saito. Armed with the katana Saito used to pin her to the wall during her family’s slaughter, Atsu sets about tracking and cutting them down, adopting the moniker of the Ghost first used by Tsushima’s protagonist, Jin Sakai. Like its predecessor, Yōtei is an open-world game, and players will explore Ezo (now Hokkaido), taking on contracts and killing enemies in various forms of combat. Unlike Jin, Atsu has dual katanas and other tools at her disposal like a gun, an odachi, and a wolf buddy that can attack enemies. There’s a lot of overlap between this and Shadows, the key difference being Yōtei players can be led to their objective via the way the wind blows. It’s a small thing, but it gave Tsushima a lot of charm and highlighted the beauty of its recreated island, so it’s nice to see that return here. Ghost of Yōtei will initially be exclusive to the PlayStation 5, but a PC release is likely some time after its release. PlayStation’s previously expressed hope this’ll be big enough to adapt into a movie or film, so keep that in your mind when you eventually play it. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

“At what time exactly can you preorder the Nintendo Switch 2?” For eager gamers, that’s the very big question as June 5, 2025 (release date) gets closer. The general Switch 2 preorder window is officially opening at a very specific time: midnight Eastern Time on April 24, 2025. So at 12:00 a.m. ET, or 9:00 p.m. Pacific Time on April 23, preorders for the Nintendo console will be available to fans all over the United States online. See Switch 2 at Walmart See Switch 2 + Mario Kart at Walmart Where to Buy the Console? Walmart is one of the best retailers to preorder the Switch 2 from. Like Target and Best Buy, Walmart’s online pre-orders begin precisely at midnight ET on April 24. What sets Walmart apart is its promotion of free (and guaranteed) delivery by 9 a.m. local time on release day, June 5, for orders placed by June 4 at 8 a.m. ET, while supplies hold out. This early delivery promise on launch day is a special advantage that can be a lifesaver if you’re eager to start playing as soon as possible. Two general buying options have been provided by Nintendo for the Switch 2: The standard console is priced at $449.99 and a bundle of the console and the new Mario Kart World game is available for $499.99. Since Mario Kart World alone retails for $79.99, the bundle is a great value if you want to get into the new racing game immediately. See Switch 2 at Walmart See Switch 2 + Mario Kart at Walmart Best in Class Console What’s the difference between this new 2025 model and the previous version of the console? The portable display has increased to 7.9 inches at full 1080p resolution which is a big jump from the original’s 6.2-inch 720p screen. If you like to play on your TV, you will find that the new console offers 4K output for visuals that were not possible on the original Switch. The refresh rate is doubled (to 120Hz) when in handheld mode, and you’ll get HDR support. Beyond the screen, the Switch 2 also features a new kickstand design that is wider and adjustable at various angles for improved comfort. The Joy-Con controllers now magnetically clip on and connect via pins for simpler setup. Audio improvements include integrated speakers with 3D audio and a new Chat button that activates a built-in noise-cancelling microphone. Storage has also been increased to 256GB (from the original 32GB) and it supports faster microSD Express cards. What’s for sure is that securing a Switch 2 preorder requires moving quickly: demand will probably outpace supply. Stock will likely be gone quickly, and tariffs or import fees can cause prices to increase at any time. Preordering the Switch 2 via an established retailer like Walmart that guarantees release-day shipping is the best option to make sure you receive your console for the listed price. See Switch 2 at Walmart See Switch 2 + Mario Kart at Walmart

The evolution of home security has made smart doorbells essential, and Eufy’s Security Video Doorbell stands out with its dual-camera system and innovative features. Unlike traditional video doorbells, this model combines front-facing and downward-facing cameras to eliminate blind spots, ensuring you never miss a package or visitor at your doorstep. In a market flooded with smart doorbells, Eufy’s approach to comprehensive coverage and local storage sets it apart from subscription-dependent competitors. See at Amazon Right now, Amazon has dropped the price to $140, down from its regular $200 price tag. That’s a significant $60 (30%) savings on a doorbell that includes an extra battery pack – a valuable bundle that ensures continuous operation. For a device that offers premium features without monthly fees, this discount makes it an even more attractive option for budget-conscious homeowners. Affordable home security that you can rely on The standout feature is its dual-camera system, providing comprehensive coverage of both visitors and the ground in front of your door. This unique setup helps prevent package theft and gives you a complete view of your entryway, something single-camera doorbells simply can’t match. The innovative approach to coverage means you’ll never miss important deliveries or have blind spots in your security setup. Image quality is impressive with 2K resolution, offering crystal-clear footage that makes identifying visitors and reading package labels easy. The doorbell really shines at night, featuring industry-first dual-light technology paired with advanced processing for color night vision up to 16 feet. This clarity ensures you can identify visitors or monitor activity around your door at any hour. Power management is thoughtfully designed, with two quick-release 6,500 mAh battery packs included. This dual-battery system means you can charge one while the other keeps your doorbell running, eliminating any security gaps during charging. The quick-release mechanism makes battery swaps simple and convenient, ensuring your doorbell stays powered year-round. Integration capabilities are extensive, working with existing chimes, Eufy’s HomeBase systems, and popular voice assistants like Alexa and Google. Best of all, there’s no subscription required – all your footage is stored locally. This approach not only saves money long-term but also ensures your privacy by keeping your data under your control. For homeowners looking to upgrade their front door security, this deal offers excellent value. The combination of dual cameras, reliable power system, and high-resolution video makes it a compelling choice, especially at this discounted price. Whether you’re concerned about package theft, want to monitor visitors, or just need peace of mind, this doorbell delivers premium features without the premium price tag or ongoing subscription costs. Just don’t miss out on this all-time low deal while it’s available. Getting up from the couch is so overrated. See at Amazon

The Nintendo Switch 2 is now available to pre-order starting tonight with the official release date as June 5, 2025. Walmart is beginning pre-orders of the Switch 2 precisely at midnight Eastern Time on April 24, 2025 (which is 9:00 p.m. Pacific Time on the 23rd). Nintendo fans have two choices to choose from now: the Switch 2 console for $449.99 on its own, or the Mario Kart World bundle that includes the console and the eagerly awaited new Mario Kart game for $499.99. This is a great deal since Mario Kart World by itself can be bought for $79.99, so this is a great purchase for fans wanting to dive right into the new racing adventure from the start. Make sure you pre-order your Switch 2 asap as it can run out of stock pretty quickly. See Switch 2 at Walmart See Switch 2 + Mario Kart at Walmart Where Should You Pre-Order the Nintendo Switch 2? One of the most popular retailers to put your Nintendo Switch 2 preorder is Walmart: Walmart surpasses many other retailers by ensuring delivery by 9 a.m. local time on release date, June 5, for customers who preorder by June 4 at 8 a.m. ET (while supplies last). The guarantee of on-time delivery is a major advantage, especially with the expected high demand and short supply. Remember, Nintendo just postponed the pre-order phase in the U.S. by a few weeks, and the stock is still pretty short. So, why should you buy the latest Nintendo console? The Switch 2 hype is well-deserved given its stunning upgrade over the original Switch and the most impressive feature is a larger 7.9-inch LCD touchscreen with a 1080p full resolution in handheld mode (which is a gigantic improvement over the 6.2-inch 720p screen of the original). For those who like to play on the TV, the Switch 2 can output at 4K resolution for some games and offers beautifully rendered pictures the older system could not deliver. The refresh rate has also been doubled to 120Hz in handheld mode to allow for smoother gameplay especially for fast-paced genres like fighting and shooters. HDR support brings even more color vibrancy and lighting effects to the gaming experience. Other than simply the screen, the Switch 2 available for pre-order has a new and wider kickstand that spans almost the whole back of the console and offers multiple adjustable angles. The new Joy-Con controllers snap on and off magnetically and connect via pins which makes the setup easier and their durability better. Sound also got a boost with built-in speakers that support 3D audio while a new Chat button offers voice chat using a built-in noise-cancelling microphone. Storage has been also increased massively to 256GB from the original Switch’s 32GB and the console supports faster microSD Express cards. The gaming community is eager for the hardware but also for the launch games of the Switch 2. Mario Kart World promises expansive race courses with changing weather and improved water effects and other nostalgic franchises like Donkey Kong and Kirby are back with optimized-for-the-new-console games as well. Worth pointing out is the fact that Switch 2 remains compatible with the majority of today’s Switch titles. If you’re looking to pre-order the Switch 2, you must act quickly. Nintendo is trying to close down scalping and outrageous resale price markups but demand will greatly exceed supply. There will be stock shortages and with tariffs and import fees unpredictable, prices could skyrocket. Putting in a preorder today on the Nintendo console, especially with a good retailer like Walmart that guarantees on-launch delivery, is the best way to ensure that you’ll be able to get your hands on the new console asap. See Switch 2 at Walmart See Switch 2 + Mario Kart at Walmart

Noise-cancellation is a great addition on any premium pair of headphones or earbuds, but what it does is drive up the price way high. It’s not something that’s always needed. If you’re not frequently riding on airplanes or trying to drown out the sounds of a couple arguing in the apartment next door, you’ll probably be find just listening on the standard mode. So, you’d only be paying the standard price, not premium. Well, Soundcore has a solid pair of wireless earbuds that get the job done and are crazy affordable. Normally they go for $40 which is already pretty reasonable. But for a limited time, you can secure yourself a pair for 50% off. That’s right. At the time of writing this, the Soundcore by Anker P20i true wireless earbuds are just $20. See at Amazon Available in a variety of fun colors including black, white, blue, light blue, and pink, these wireless earbuds feature 10mm drivers with big bass sound. You can still get lost in your music without the fancy noise cancelation of expensive headphones. Personalized Listening Experience These Soundcore earbuds let you customize their sound to your preferences. Within the Soundcore app, you can choose between 22 EQ preset modes. The app also has its own “Find My Earbuds” feature the way Apple does for all its products.  They’ll even emit a sound on demand to help you locate them. That comes in handy when you don’t remember what bag you place them in and don’t know if you left that at home or in the office. You can listen to your favorite music and podcasts through the entire work day as these Soundcore earbuds can get up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge. That time is extended further with the charging case which can boost that up to 30 hours. Find yourself in a pinch where neither the buds nor case are charger? No worries. A quick 10-minute charge will bring you back up to two full hours of listening time. The charging case also comes with a nifty lanyard attached to make it easy to clip onto your keys or a bag. These earbuds can be used to take phone calls thanks to their two built-in mics. They use an algorithm to identify your voice over background noises to ensure folks on the other end never have to hear your shout. You’ll come through crystal clear. For a limited time, you can pick up a pair of Soundcore by Anker P20i true wireless earbuds for their all-time low price of just $20. See at Amazon

It took the two biggest names in console gaming nearly a decade, but Sony and Microsoft finally seem to be learning the lesson Nintendo taught them ages ago. Handhelds are in season, and it seems Sony imagines its next big release will be a full-on portable PlayStation 5 (no, not that one). The real question is what it might be called, and if it will be released alongside a whole new console generation, namely the PlayStation 6. We have our doubts Sony will suggest a necessarily lower-power handheld console will be a sequel to the PlayStation 5 and—especially—the more-powerful PS5 Pro. It may indicate Sony is anticipating a dual-release, with one console focused on performance and the other on portability. Either way, the little flecks of info falling out the grinding rumor mill suggest this upcoming console could be the side-grade we’ve been hoping for. A mobile PlayStation that can access your complete library of digital titles in a device you can slip into your backpack. Late last year, reports from Bloomberg claimed Sony was hard at work on a handheld gaming device. There are still no details beyond the promise that it could be capable of playing PlayStation 5 games. That’s enough to get the thoughts racing, even though there’s still no hint of when we could see this handheld in action, or whether it will sit alongside a PlayStation 6. While Microsoft has not announced any official Xbox handheld, the company is reportedly working with Asus to create one slated for this year. Hell, Asus’ Republic of Gamers brand and Xbox have even added fuel to the rumor fires with cheeky teaser videos. Sony has been much more reserved. The company released the PlayStation 5 Pro late last year, which sported a fair number of hardware updates beyond the much-touted enhancements to the GPU. As for the PS6, known leaker KeplerL2 on the NeoGAF forums claimed the “PS6 design is complete” and further hinted the console could be running on next-gen AMD hardware. Some PlayStation diehards are betting on a 2027 release date. Sony normally works on a 6 to 7-year console cycle, with the PlayStation 5 debuting in 2020. I don’t see Sony waiting too long to release a proper handheld, not when the competition is so fierce. Still, there’s little left to a release date but pure speculation. Reuters reported last year that Sony is sticking with AMD for the PlayStation 6 chip. It suggests that the console may be compatible in some way with PS5 games. Depending on the when it launches, the new CPU in a PlayStation 6 could be running on the modern Zen 5 architecture or, according to the few leaks we have, on the supposed inevitable Zen 6, plus the chipmaker’s next-gen graphics architecture. The current version of the PS5 and PS5 Pro are running on modified Zen 2 architecture, but without more specifics we can only guesstimate the PS6’s performance. Sony sticking with AMD for the PS6 (and any handheld version) is practically a given. Lead PlayStation designer Mark Cerny said the company planned to introduce Fidelity FX Super Resolution, or FSR 4, to the PlayStation in the future. AMD’s updated upscaling technology takes a frame rendered at a lower resolution and uses AI algorithms to upscale it to a higher resolution, while keeping the framerate of the original rendering. FSR 4 introduced a whole host of new capabilities that increase the clarity and detail of upscaled images, and it’s already a winner on the latest AMD graphics cards, the Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT. Upscaling would be even more of a boon on a handheld, especially when trying to produce console-like, consistent performance that most PlayStation gamers expect. Leaker KeplerL2 also hinted that the next console would have “shader binary compatibility.” That just means games would “just work” on this new handheld. Otherwise, the leaker claimed it will have a 3nm chip running at 15W TDP, or thermal design power. Essentially, that means the chip will be running at relatively low wattages, equivalent to the max of what a Steam Deck can produce. AMD is already the main enabler of handheld gaming PCs, like the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally X. The chipmaker has also announced its AMD Ryzen Z2 Go and Ryzen Z2 Extreme for this year’s slate of handheld CPUs. The Z2 Extreme is meant to power top-end devices like the upcoming Lenovo Legion Go 2. Until we know more about the PlayStation 6’s performance, it’s hard to speculate about pricing. A portable PlayStation would need to be more powerful than a $450 Switch 2. Nintendo’s upcoming handheld is equivalent in performance to somewhere between a PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro. The Switch 2 is making use of Nvidia’s DLSS upscaler to help achieve 4K resolution in some games. If Sony makes use of upscaling through AMD, it may already have all the pieces in place to offer us a handheld and far sooner than 2027. The way gaming is going, as consoles become more and more portable, perhaps we may not even need a traditional PlayStation 6 at all.

If the upcoming movies based on Lego, Matchbox, and other childhood toys weren’t enough for you, next up is… a Toys ‘R’ Us movie? Yes, really. Per Variety, the toy store chain is coming to the silver screen, courtesy of Story Kitchen, the studio behind several recent game adaptations. The apparent idea here is to make something in the vein of Night at the Museum and Big, and other recent toy-related hits like Barbie. At the moment, the film is in early development, but producers Dmitri M. Johnson & Mike Goldberg are already talking with filmmakers about the project. Johnson and Goldberg, who co-founded Story Kitchen, called Toys ‘R’ Us “a cultural touchstone that continues impacting the child in all of us today. As ‘80s kids who considered the store one of the most magical places on Earth, we’re honored to partner to create a film that will capture the spirit of adventure, creativity and nostalgia it represents.” “This project is an exciting opportunity to bring the magic of our brand to the big screen,” added Toys ‘R’ Us Studios president Kim Miller Olko. “The movie will be a journey as boundless as play itself, evoking the electric sense of wonder that is the essence of Toys ‘R’ Us. This story will capture the imagination, adventure and joy that has made Toys ‘R’ Us a destination for kids of all ages.” Toys ‘R’ Us was founded in 1948 and for generations of kids was one of the coolest places ever. Those stores were big and felt like they had everything, and it didn’t hurt they had Geoffrey the Giraffe as a mascot and a catchy TV jingle. Over the years, online stores and mass merchants grew in popularity, and private equity loans put the company in significant debt. It went defunct in 2018, only to be revived in 2021—mainly as a subsection of Macy’s, but there are some standalone stores in New Jersey and Minnesota’s Mall of America. We’ll probably have more on the Toys ‘R’ Us movie as it develops, including whether there are plans to do a Babies ‘R’ Us spinoff. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

By Matt Novak Published April 22, 2025 | Comments (0) | Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, April 10, 2025. © Photographer: Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images Tesla reported lower than expected earnings on Tuesday, with first-quarter profits dropping 71% on much lower sales of electric vehicles. The news isn’t altogether surprising, given the fact that Tesla CEO Elon Musk is the public face of the company and continues to help President Donald Trump destroy the U.S. federal government while peddling far-right extremism on his social media platform X. Musk tried to put a slightly rosier spin on the state of his EV company in an earnings call Tuesday, but he still sounded very depressed. The billionaire’s tone was subdued as he emphasized the autonomous taxi rides that he would be launching in Texas this June wouldn’t be the Cybercab vehicles many people on social media had expected. The company will only be operating Tesla Model Ys to pick up passengers, deflating news for some who had hoped Musk might deliver something unique. Tesla reported $19.3 billion in revenue in the first quarter, down 9% compared with the same period a year earlier. The company produced 362,000 vehicles and delivered over 336,000. Deliveries of Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y were down 12%. While the company doesn’t break out official figures for the Cybertruck, the product bucket that includes that truck was down 24%, perhaps because it’s the vehicle most associated with Musk’s brand of fascism. The Cybertruck started deliveries in late 2023, after Musk had begun expressing racist and antisemitic ideas. Consumers likely assume anyone with a Cybertruck is fully on board with Musk’s agenda, while owners of Model 3 and Model Y vehicles are given a bit more leeway since the cars predate the billionaire oligarch unmasking himself as an overt villain. Tesla reported adjusted earnings-per-share of 27 cents, far lower than expectations from analysts of 41 cents. The only bright spot in the company’s numbers were the $595 million in revenue brought in from carbon credits, the money paid by car companies making traditional gas-powered vehicles to offset the pollution they generate. Without those carbon credits, Tesla would’ve posted a loss. As the Wall Street Journal notes, Tesla is facing a future of high tariffs if President Trump’s ridiculously high taxes on imported goods remain. The cars that Tesla sells in the U.S. are manufactured in California and Texas, but many of the parts are imported from other countries and hit with 25% tariffs. Musk has been outspoken against tariffs and stressed on Tuesday’s earnings call that he was “one of many advisors to the president, I’m not the president.” Musk often tries to distract from bad news with splashy announcements. As one example, Reuters reported back in April 2024 that Tesla was planning to pivot away from producing a cheaper, long-anticipated $25,000 vehicle. After that report came out, Musk rushed out an announcement that he would produce a robotaxi, an event that was delayed from that summer to the fall of 2024. The actual unveiling was underwhelming to say the least, with some highly deceptive magic tricks, and Musk continues to promise big things about his Cybercab while we all wait. Musk insisted Tuesday that there will be fully autonomous taxi rides in Austin, Texas, by June, they just won’t be Cybercabs. “The Teslas that will be fully autonomous in June in Austin will be Model Ys, so that is currently on track to be able to do paid rides, fully autonomously in June, and then to be in many other cities in the U.S. by the end of this year,” Musk said on the call. Many people had previously taken his announcement about the Austin launch as a sign that he would be deploying the Cybercabs he announced back in October 2024. But it will take years and possibly decades for the Cybercab to become a reality at scale, if they ever do, according to most autonomous driving experts. Musk received a question from an analyst on the earnings call about details involving the kind of remote control that may be needed to operate his robotaxi service, but he seemed extremely reluctant to explain. “It’s only a couple months away. So you can just see for yourself in a couple months in Austin,” Musk said. The earnings call on Tuesday was perhaps notable for having far less hype than usual. Yes, Musk tried to promise that his Optimus robots would be operating in Tesla factories by the end of 2025. But Musk’s tone was noticeably downbeat and he didn’t have the same carnival-style salesmanship that often accompanies any public facing announcement for Tesla. © Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images Tesla dealerships and showrooms have been the site of mass protests across the country since Musk launched DOGE, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. And there have also been cases of vandalism and arson, with some people facing federal terrorism charges brought by the U.S. Department of Justice. Musk insisted on the earnings call that protest against him are “very organized” and “paid for,” repeating suggestions he’s made previously about shadowy financiers who are supposedly funding demonstrations. Musk also said the “real reason” there are protests against him is that people who are receiving fraudulent money from government agencies that are now getting cut. Musk said he would be stepping back from DOGE after May but didn’t go into any details about what that would mean. The billionaire said that he would remain in the government through President Trump’s entire term, which is only supposed to last four years, though he’s said repeatedly he’d like to stay in office beyond that. In his relatively short time in government Musk has helped destroyed vital services and unlawfully abolished the United States Agency for International Development. DOGE has been credited with laying off over 280,000 people at 27 different government agencies, according to CBS News, and Musk has been particularly heartless to those people, insisting they should get “real jobs.” Musk and DOGE don’t actually have the legal authority to do almost any of this so-called cost-cutting, since Congress alone has the sole authority to create agencies, allocate funds, and take those funds away when it decides to do so. But that hasn’t stopped Musk, who seems to believe he can unilaterally cut anything he wants. Incredibly, DOGE is reportedly not even doing much to cut actual spending by the U.S. government, according to the New York Times. How could that be? Well, the vast majority of federal spending is on things like the U.S. military, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. And while there has been some proposals to cut programs at the Pentagon, that’s money which will reportedly be spent on Trump’s pet projects like the Golden Dome missile defense program. Cuts to programs like Social Security have been relatively modest so far but they’re already causing longer wait times for seniors trying to get help over the phone. And there’s no telling what they’ll cut next after the congressional Republicans try to take their ax to Medicaid with their latest budget bill. Musk, along with Trump, has helped what the billionaire oligarch has repeatedly called a revolution. But it’s such an anti-human attack on anything good in America, that it’s no wonder consumers have decided maybe buying a Tesla isn’t for them. Daily Newsletter You May Also Like By AJ Dellinger Published April 22, 2025 By Thomas Maxwell Published April 22, 2025 By Matt Novak Published April 22, 2025 By Isaac Schultz Published April 22, 2025 By Thomas Maxwell Published April 21, 2025 By Lucas Ropek Published April 21, 2025

Grant yourself peace of mind in your own home. The Ring Doorbell is comprehensive home security solution. With its enhanced video quality, precise motion detection, and seamless integration with Alexa, the Ring Doorbell offers unmatched convenience and security. Upgrade your home security today and allow yourself top-tier home monitoring with the Ring Doorbell, which happens to be part of a limited time deal at Amazon. That’s right, for a the time being, you can save 45% on the battery-powered Ring Doorbell. It’s normally priced at $100, but after the discount, you can nab it for just $55. That’s a savings of $45. See at Amazon Unmatched Security Ring’s premier battery-powered doorbell camera is equipped with an HD camera, offering an expansive field of view that ensures you see more of what’s happening at your front door. The 2024 model of the Ring Doorbell utilizes 66% more vertical coverage than the previous model. A larger field of view means you’ll you’ll have coverage head to toe of anyone stepping onto your property, and then you can zoom in anytime for closer look. This high-definition video quality delivers exceptional clarity, allowing you to identify visitors and packages with ease. Security doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. Thanks to its enhanced imaging sensors, the Ring Doorbell  delivers clear color and clarity even in low-light conditions. This means you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your home is protected day and night. Never miss a delivery again with the Ring Doorbell’s Person + Package Alerts. This exclusive feature, available with a Ring Protect subscription, notifies you when your package is detected within a specified zone. Say goodbye to stolen packages and hello to that new expensive Breville espresso maker you finally ordered. The Ring Doorbell is designed for convenience, powered by a Quick Release Battery Pack that allows for quick and easy recharging. No more dealing with hardwiring or complicated installations. Simply recharge the battery pack and keep your doorbell running smoothly. See at Amazon Seamless Integration with Alexa Enhance your home automation setup by connecting the Ring Doorbell with Alexa on compatible Echo devices. This integration enables announcements and Two-Way Talk, allowing you to communicate with visitors directly from the comfort of your home. Whether you’re in the kitchen or upstairs, you’ll always be connected to your front door. For a limited time, you can get the newest-model of the Ring Battery Doorbell for just $55 (down from $100). You’ll be saving a nice $45 on your purchase. See at Amazon

Warner Bros. and Ryan Coogler have much to celebrate with the success of the filmmaker’s hit vampire movie. After Sinners‘ opening weekend, the Hollywood Reporter shared that it raked in $48 million domestically, which bodes well for original filmmaking and the studios still game to support it. Sinners was a gamble that Warner Bros. movie heads Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca are seeing pay off. Speaking to THR, De Luca said, “We kind of knew we had the goods just in terms of having watched the director’s cut. But to have the audience validate that— that’s really what’s giving us the most joy today. We’re also happy that as an original swing, it’s worked out and we hope it inspires the other studios to take more original swings because that’s how you get new franchises and keep the industry refreshed.” Warner Bros. boss David Zaslav called the producing team to congratulate the duo—”He was very proud of the group and very happy with the result,” De Luca said—putting to bed recent rumors that Abdy and De Luca were on their way out at the studio. Also not going anywhere, at least once he’s finished Black Panther 3 for Marvel, is Coogler. “That’s the long-term play … and I just spoke to him this morning,” De Luca said. “He will absolutely be back [to make more movies at Warner Bros.].” As for Coogler, he penned a heartfelt thank-you to everyone who took the time out to see the film. The letter was shared by Proximity Media on X and it thanks fans for buying tickets, carving the time out to see it in any of the formats available, and taking part in the discourse the film inspires. “I had the gift of the opportunity of making a film inspired by my family and my ancestry but it was always a film that we wanted to make for audiences, in theaters,” Coogler wrote. “We always had our minds on you, the audience, and felt a deep responsibility to entertain you, and move you in the way only cinema can.” “I believe in cinema. I believe in the theatrical experience. I believe it is a necessary pillar of society. It’s why me and so many of my colleagues have dedicated our lives to the craft. We don’t get to do what we do if you don’t show up. The global theatrical audience has allowed me to dream, find a career, and build a more sustainable life for me and my family. And the only way that I know how to thank you for that, is by continuing to mine my personal human experience and my relationships for more stories to bring to you in cinematic language. To see your response to the film has re-invigorated me and many others who believe in this art form.” Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Deadline reports Heather Graham is attached to star in Entity Within, a new movie based on the infamous Doris Bither haunting of 1974 at Alliance Media Partners (the same the studio that brought you the 2023 Graham horror vehicle, Suitable Flesh). Intended to be sold off at the Cannes Market, this new take on the subject co-stars Mimi Rogers (Ginger Snaps, The Rapture, The X-Files, Full Body Massage, etc.), Morgan Peter Brown (Absentia), and Kevin Keppy (Smile), and hails from director Nick Simon (The Girl in The Photographs) and Saw IV writer Thomas Fenton. In the words of AMP’s Anthony Bruckner, “We’re thrilled to be working with Heather Graham again and partnering with Nick Simon to bring Entity Within to Cannes. This is a high-concept, emotionally resonant horror film that we’re excited to share with international buyers.” For those unfamiliar with the story, Bither claimed she was, on more than one occasion, sexually assaulted by an invisible and vocally misogynistic spirit, attracting the attention of parapsychologists as well as Audrey Rose author Frank De Felitta. Felitta recounted the case in his 1978 novel, The Entity, which was later adapted for the screen by Sidney J. Furie in a 1982 film of the same name starring Barbara Hershey. If you haven’t seen it, it’s amazing (Martin Scorsese even hailed it among the scariest films of all time,  which is quite the coup for Furie, whose other credits include Superman IV: Quest for Peace). Boasting an Oscar-worthy lead performance from Hershey and a highly memorable percussion-heavy soundtrack by Charles Bernstein (Quentin Tarantino even lifted it for a scene in Inglorious Basterds), The Entity is likely the most disturbing movie about a ghostly haunting ever made—certainly the most disturbing to be released by a major studio. It’s likely for this reason 20th Century Fox decided not to release its planned tie-in video game for the Atari 2600 in which players were to use a pair of paddles to push its ghostly rapist skyward to a higher plane of existence. In part to its grim subject matter, the movie also does that great thing The X-Files often did where it suggests a logical, non-paranormal solution for its events if you so choose to accept them (SVU fans can probably guess what that is). As is often the case with these things, the out makes the idea this poor woman actually is being terrorized by a higher-dimensional monster even more frightening. Go figure. It’s worth noting, however, that even though this new project is based on the same source material, Deadline’s article fails to mention the existence of the 1982 film at all, so we can safely assume this project isn’t officially based on Furie’s novel. As producer Missy Valdez states in the article, “This film is based on a true story and that truth is chilling. It is an honor and a challenge to bring Doris’s raw and terrifying experiences to the screen with care and dignity … this is an elevated horror film that blends emotional depth with real-life terror, and we believe it will deeply resonate with both genre fans and new audiences alike.” Still, the story “so shocking, so threatening, it will frighten you beyond all imagination” (per one of The Entity‘s original taglines) is certainly ripe for a new examination. Godspeed, Heather Graham. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

By AJ Dellinger Published April 22, 2025 | Comments (0) | A protester from Extinction Rebellion spraypaints "DOGE" with "no" symbol through it on a Tesla showroom window © Oliya Scootercaster/FreedomNews.TV via X The one thing Elon Musk really can’t have right now as he serves as the absentee CEO of Tesla is more negative attention—not only can his ego not handle it, as a recent report from the Washington Post suggested, but his car company’s reputation really cannot suffer any more hits. So it’s hard to imagine he’s thrilled about Extinction Rebellion, the occasionally controversial environmental movement, spray painting the windows of Tesla dealerships with anti-Musk messaging at a time when his tarnished image is already seemingly costing the company money. FreedomNews.TV documented protesters with the non-violent protest group hitting up a Tesla showroom in Manhattan on Tuesday, using spray paint to leave messages in opposition to Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. Demonstrators sprayed “Fuck DOGE” and “We do not consent” among other generally anti-Musk positions on the building as part of an Earth Day demonstration. It’s a pretty daring campaign given the Trump administration’s stated goal to crack down on those who vandalize Tesla dealerships and threats to hit the worst offenders with terrorism charges. BREAKING: Climate Activists TAG windows of Tesla Showroom in Manhattan on #EarthDay Extinction Rebellion tagged "F Off DOGE" and "WE DO NOT CONSENT" among other writings on the windows. pic.twitter.com/XMHBYnBxwY — Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) April 22, 2025 It also happens to come on the same day that Tesla is expected to report its first quarter earnings for 2025, in what some investors see as a potential make-or-break moment for the company. Tesla’s stock price has taken a hit over the course of this year as Musk’s role in government has drawn the ire of protesters and hurt the electric vehicle company’s brand. Certainly, the litany of demonstrations outside of Tesla dealerships has not been great for overall morale or the bottom line. Dealerships and showrooms have been the target of organized protests and seemingly less organized attacks that have included shooting out windows and setting vehicles on fire. Tesla drivers, embarrassed by the car’s association with Musk and in some cases afraid of getting heckled, have either ditched their cars or tried to cover their shame by covering up the branding. Theoretically, and certainly in Musk’s version of reality, environmental activists would support Tesla, seeing as it’s arguably the most noteworthy electric vehicle. But the thing is, when you throw your full weight behind an administration that straight up does not believe climate change is a real thing, intends to drill for more oil and burn more coal, and generally just revel in doing things that harm the planet, you kinda lose your credibility with that crowd. Instead, the world’s richest man is learning that you can buy a seat next to the President in the White House, but you can’t buy goodwill with the general public. It seems like it’ll be hard for Musk to put the toothpaste back in the tube on this issue. Even if he steps away from DOGE, which he might just have to do anyway due to the law, getting his reputation back among those most inclined to buy a Tesla is going to be a bit harder than just scrubbing off the anti-DOGE graffiti from a showroom window. That’s the kind of mark that stays with you. Daily Newsletter You May Also Like By AJ Dellinger Published April 21, 2025 By Matt Novak Published April 21, 2025 Christopher Bing and Avi Asher-Schapiro, ProPublica Published April 20, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published April 18, 2025 By Thomas Maxwell Published April 18, 2025 By Thomas Maxwell Published April 17, 2025

Besides a massive camera bump, this year’s iPhone 17 Pro will reportedly come in a sky blue, according to MajinBu, a prolific leaker who has previously shared accurate information on Apple products prior to their official announcement. Apple tends to play it safe when it comes to color options for its top-of-the-line iPhone Pro and Pro Max. Your choices are typically more mature—sorry, professional—colors like black, white, gray, or some shade of gold. Only normie iPhone users want fun and vibrant colors (like the teal iPhone 16!) apparently. It’s not that I hate sky blue—the hue might resemble the sky blue M4 MacBook Air—or blue. Blue is actually my favorite color. But if the rumor ends up correct, I just have one thought: blue again? Apple’s already done blue iPhone Pros, including ones that are sky blue-ish like the “sierra blue” iPhone 13 Pro in 2021. Before that, there was a darker “pacific blue” iPhone 12 Pro released in 2020. Last year, the iPhone 15 Pro came in “blue titanium.” That’s already three shades of blue! Sure, Apple has tried non-blue colors like the “alpine green” iPhone 13 Pro and “deep purple” iPhone 14 Pro, but those colors were so muted, they literally don’t shine through when you throw a case on. Would it kill Apple to give the iPhone Pro series at least one version with some vibrancy? © Anton_Ivanov / Shutterstock Gizmodo staff seem to agree. Consumer tech reporter Kyle Barr wants a banana yellow (like the iPhone 14/14 Plus) and Gizmodo alum and current contributing writer Alex Cranz wants Apple to bring back the alpine green. I’m demanding Apple go brighter. Somebody find Apple’s “courage” and toss in Tim Cook’s direction. Give us a new shade of the coral and lime green last seen on the iPhone 5C. Or how about a red? Apple’s red iPhones have been done in partnership with PRODUCT(RED), but the last one was the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus in 2022. Apple no longer sells any the last-standing PRODUCT(RED) iPhone SE after it released the iPhone 16e earlier this year. © Hadrian / Shutterstock It’s unlikely that Apple will surprise us with an exciting new color for the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max this year. I guess if you do like blue, Apple will be happy to sell you yet another shade of it.

While fans wait to hear whether or not Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time will return for a fourth season—something showrunner Rafe Judkins also has his fingers crossed about—there’s an adjacent nugget of news from Robert Jordan’s fantasy realm. An open-world RPG video game is in development from iwot Studios, which has owned the rights to Jordan’s 14-part book series since 2004, with the ability to create film, TV, video games, and comics based on the material. Variety reminds us that iwot Studios is behind Age of Legends, a Wheel of Time origin-story feature film that was announced back in 2023 with Kari Skogland (The Falcon and the Winter Solder) tapped to direct. iwot also produces the Prime Video series, which just wrapped up its third season on the streamer. The company also has an animated film in the works. So branching out into video games feels like a logical next step. The trade reports that the Wheel of Time game will be an AAA open-world RPG “developed wholly in house by the team at the newly launched iwot games, which will be led by Warner Bros. Games vet Craig Alexander.” It’s expected to take three years before its arrival on both PC and consoles. Alexander’s previous credits include The Lord of the Rings Online, Dungeons & Dragons Online, and Game of Thrones-themed mobile game, so he has a handle on sprawling fantasy settings. “Adapting such a legendary mythology into an open-world RPG is a rare and ambitious challenge,” he told the trade. “I’m thrilled to lead the effort and build a world-class team capable of honoring this beloved world.” iwot Studios CEO Rick Selvage’s explained that while the Wheel of Time game aims to build on the success of the TV show, its content won’t be limited to what we’ve seen across its three seasons so far. “It’s an open-world game, and it’ll be everything with the Wheel of Time. Everything that is covered in the books, as well as all the backstory elements of it,” he told Variety. “It’s not going to be limited to one area or another or a particular age … it will cover the entire world.” What do you think about The Wheel of Time becoming a game? And when do you think Amazon will finally spill the beans on a fourth season of Judkins’ show? Channel your thoughts into the comments below. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

No one likes to vacuum. If they say they do, they’re lying to you. It’s a chore that’s never really enjoyable. Who wants to push around a stick vacuum and suck up dirt all day? It hurts your arms, sometimes it’s too loud for the time of day you’re doing it. And most of all, it takes up too much time. It’s finally time to let the robots handle the vacuuming. And while they’re at it, they can go ahead and mop as well. Amazon has a great deal right now that can make just that very thing happen. Today, head to Amazon to get the Roborock Q5 Pro+ Robot Vacuum and Mop for just $300. That’s $400 off its normal $700 price, and you’re getting a discount of 57%. Think about how much of a deal that is. And stop thinking about it for too long, because it’ll be gone before you know it. It’s time to pounce and make sure you get one for your home now since this is such a good deal. See at Amazon Handle all the housework with this vacuum and mop combo This robot vacuum can handle just about whatever mess you need it to, with 7 weeks of hands-free cleaning, as touted by Roborock itself. It has a 2.5-liter dust bag so it can hold plenty of dirt, hair, and other debris from your home, and it can go empty it on its own as it travels back to its base. You can rest assured it can suck plenty of “goodies” out of the floor too, with 5500Pa of suction and different modes to choose from so you can make sure it’s as efficient as possible while cleaning. It uses LiDAR to get around your home and avoid obstacles too, so you can set it up to do its rounds and it’ll do it all on its own. But if you have hard floors in addition to carpet, you’ll especially appreciate its ability to mop. It can swap between the two modes so you can have it handle two different tasks on its own as it trades off the work back and forth by itself. Just assign it the hard flooring you want cleaned and it’ll handle the job. Life is too busy these days to spend every extra moment dealing with the kind of cleaning bots are suited for. Pick up this robot vacuum and mop combos at its lowest price and spend the rest of your day lounging around. You deserve it. See at Amazon

Sony has wanted to remake 1997’s I Know What You Did Last Summer for a decade, and it finally got its wish. Part reboot, part sequel to the originals, the new film keeps the same basic premise while hoping to get in on that legacy sequel craze that turned Scream into a franchise again. Set again in the town of Southport, a group of teenage friends find themselves being knocked off by a mysterious killer with a hook hand. The teens themselves soon realize it’s connected to a car accident from the previous summer they were involved in and never owned up to for fear of punishment—but what’s worse than being killed by someone with a grudge? Apparently, the only ones who can help them make sense of this whole thing are Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze Jr.), survivors from the first two films. The first two I Know What You Did Last Summer movies were followed up by a direct-to-DVD movie centered on a group of unconnected kids in Colorado, followed by a one-season show on Prime Video based more on the 1973 novel than the movies themselves. Do Revenge director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson got the gig for this new movie after her pitch, and may be looking to pass the torch from Julie and Ray to whoever survives this one. After all, summer never ends, and neither do slashers. Also starring Madelyn Cline, Tyriq Withers, Chase Sui Wonders, and Jonah Hauer-King, the new I Know What You Did Last Summer releases July 18. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.