Jake Solomon, the former creative director and design lead for the XCOM franchise and Marvel's Midnight Suns, has teamed up with veteran developers behind such games as Sid Meier's Civilization, XCOM, and The Sims to launch Midsummer Studios and create a "next-generation entry to the Life Sim genre."
Solomon, who was at Firaxis for 23 years, is CEO and creative director of Midsummer Studios, and is joined by co-founder Will Miller, another ex-Firaxis developer who takes on the role of game director for this untitled game. Miller was a part of Firaxis for 16 years and was lead designer of Civilization: Beyond Earth and the lead engineer on Marvel's Midnight Suns.
Nelsie Birch, who has over 25 years in financial and operations management, is COO/CFO. Grant Rodiek, who spent 18 years at Maxis as a producer and director on a wide array of entries and expansions of The Sims, is also on the team.
While we don't know much more about the game the team is developing, the concept is a "next-gen Life Sim that emphasizes player-driven narratives, allowing communities to share memorable moments that grow out of the creativity of players themselves."
To help achieve that goal, the studio has raised $6 million from major investors, including Transcend Fund, Tirta Ventures, Betaworks Ventures, 1Up Ventures, F4 Fund, Krafton, and Day Zero Productions.
“The best stories in games are written by the players,” Solomon said. “At Midsummer we’re making a life sim focused on the drama of modern life, where our players will write meaningful stories just by playing, and then share those stories with the world.”
Now that the initial investment has been secured, Midsummer Studios will focus on "growing their studio sustainably. The founders hope to champion the health and happiness of their team members, offering shared equity in the company and unlimited paid time-off."
Tiana's Bayou Adventure, The Princess and the Frog-themed ride that will be replacing Splash Mountain, will officially open at Walt Disney World in Florida on June 28, 2024.
Disney Parks revealed the news in a blog post and on American Idol's Disney Night, sharing that guests will soon be able to "join beloved characters Princess Tiana, Mama Odie, Louis, and all-new friends on a thrilling adventure, all set against the music and excitement of a New Orleans celebration." Eudora, Charlotte, Prince Ralphie, and others will also be part of the fun.
There will be "dozens" of Audio-Animatronics during the ride, and many of the film's original voice actors will be reprising their roles for Tiana's Bayou Adventure, including Anika Noni Rose as Princess Tiana, Bruno Campos as Prince Naveen, Jenifer Lewis as Mama Odie, and Michael-Leon Wooley as Louis.
There will also be some new characters thrown in the mix for this ride, including some critters like an otter, a rabbit, a raccoon, a beaver, a turtle, and more who play instruments "made of natural materials found in the bayou." Furthermore, they will all be showcasing their Zydeco, Rara, and Afro-Cuban musical skills in a tribute to music that is authentic to the region of New Orleans. Oh, there will be new music from award-winning artists PJ Morton and Terence Blanchard that will join favorites from the film.
The ride will also honor New Orleans with artwork from Louisiana artist Malaika Favorite for the queue, an original metalwork weathervane from third-generation master blacksmith, Darryl Reeves and his apprentice, Karina Roca, and art from New Orleans artist Sharika Mahdi which was an inspiration for the attraction "from the beginning."
And you know this wouldn't be a New Orleans-inspired attraction without some beignets, and guests will even be able to catch the scent of the delicious treats as they walk through the attraction queue.
Tiana's Bayou Adventure will continue the story that was told in 2009's The Princess and the Frog, and will see Tiana throwing a Mardi Gras party to thank her loved ones and those in the community who helped make her dream come true of opening Tiana's Palace. And don't worry, while there is so much new here, Splash Mountain's 50-foot drop will be returning for this ride.
For those of you who are Florida-based Disney Cast Members, Annual Passholders, or eligible Disney Vacation Club Members, you may get a chance to ride Tiana's Bayou Adventure before its grand opening. Be sure to keep an eye out for more details on May 14.
Lastly, Disneyland will be getting its own Tiana's Bayou Adventure later this year, but we still don't have a firm date. Either way, we're almost there!
Roger Corman, the legendary filmmaker and king of B-movies who also helped launch the careers of Jack Nicholson, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Francis Ford Coppola, James Cameron, Robert DeNiro, and many more, has died at the age of 98.
As reported by Variety, Corman passed away on May 9 at his home in Santa Monica, California, while being surrounded by his family.
"His films were revolutionary and iconoclastic, and captured the spirit of an age. When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said, ‘I was a filmmaker, just that,'” the family said in a statement.
Roger Corman was born on April 5, 1926, in Detroit, Michigan, and he wasn't a person who grew up dreaming of making it big in Hollywood. He actually went to Stanford University and chose to study industrial engineering, but he discovered that field was not his passion.
After college, he spent a whole four days working at U.S. Electrical Motors and ended that run when he told his boss, "I've made a terrible mistake." With his future now in his hands and limitless, he chose to walk down the path of filmmaking since his brother, Gene Corman, was a working agent in the movie industry.
His first gig was in the mail room of 20th Century Fox and he would end up having a career that was the stuff of legend. However, he wasn't known for big budget blockbusters and instead found his niche in the world of low-budget films of many genres that could be made very quickly.
He helped spearhead hundreds of these films as the co-founder of New World Pictures, the founder of Concorde/New Horizons, and more, and he was given an Honorary Academy Award for his "rich engendering of films and filmmakers."
He was given such nicknames as "The King of the Cult Film" and "The Pope of Pop Cinema" as only a very few of his films failed to turn a profit in nearly six decades of making movies. While these films may not be the height of cinema, they helped lay the foundation for some of the greatest actors and directors that have ever lived.
In addition to the names listed in the intro, Corman was a key player in helping bolster the careers of Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa, Peter Bogdanovich, Gale Anne Hurd, Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Bruce Dern, William Shatner, Sandra Bullock, Jonathan Demme, Joe Dante, and many more.
As previously mentioned, he worked with Ron Howard when he was directing his first feature film in Grand Theft Auto in 1977. Howard complained a bit about Corman not paying for any extras in the film, to which he responded, "Ron, if you do a good job for me on this picture, you'll never have to work for me again."
He's also somewhat responsible for the mega-franchise known as The Fast and the Furious as he produced a film with the same name back in 1955. Producer Neal Moritz approached Corman about the name when he was getting ready to launch the franchise, and the two agreed to make it happen.
Most of his credits were as a producer for movies that boasted a budget of just $5 million or under, but he also directed over 50 projects, including Machine Gun Kelly, I Mobster, The Wild Angels, Little Shop of Horrors, House of Usher, and The Intruder.
He kept up a relationship with many of the stars he worked with over the years, and a lot of them gave him cameo roles in their films, including Coppola's The Godfather: Part II, Howard's Apollo 13, Demme's Philadelphia, Demme's The Silence of the Lambs, and Dante's Looney Tunes: Back in Action.
Speaking of those he helped and worked with, people from all over the world have already begun sharing a few words about the impact of Roger Corman, and we'll share a few below;
"RIP Roger Corman. A great movie maker and mentor. When I was 23 he gave me my 1st shot at directing. He launched many careers & quietly lead our industry in important ways. He remained sharp, interested and active even at 98. Grateful to have known him," Ron Howard wrote on Twitter/X.
"Roger Corman was my very first boss, my lifetime mentor and my hero. Roger was one of the greatest visionaries in the history of cinema. I am absolutely devastated by his loss and send my love and deepest condolences to the Corman family," Gale Anne Hurd wrote on Twitter/X.
"Roger Corman, one of the most influential movie directors in my life, has passed away. It was my privilege to know him.He was a great friend. He shaped my childhood with science fiction movies and Edgar Allen Poe epics. I'll miss you, Roger," John Carpenter wrote on Twitter/X.
"We lost a true legend! In 1994, I was in a low budget film when @markhamill visited. Why is a superstar like Mark here? I was confused. Well, it was a #RogerCorman project. Everyone who was anyone loved visiting with Roger! Even a jedi! Last Dec, at the NAEJ awards, I met up w/ Mr. Corman again. He was energetic, joyful and still super passionate for filmmaking. Pure inspiration! One of a kind. Sad to know this special human is not with us anymore. TY for everything. RIP," Ming-Na Wen wrote on Twitter/X.
"So very sorry to hear of Roger Corman’s passing. Working with Roger in The Wild Angels was a highlight of my life. He was a such a lovely man. Sending condolences to his wife Julie and their children," Nancy Sinatra wrote on Twitter/X.
Corman is survived by his wife, Julie Corman, and his two daughters, Catherine and Mary.
Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.
Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt has taken to X/Twitter to seemingly share a first look at the cape design that was inspired by the review bombing on Steam following the PSN account linking fiasco.
The image, which you can see below, is only a small tease of what's to come as we only get a look at the bottom right of the cape. However, that hasn't stopped fans from getting very excited.
@MadeByKoobi was one of the many who can't wait for this cape, and they shared the always-wonderful Jurassic Park meme of Dr. Ian Malcolm saying, 'You did it. You crazy son of a bitch, you did it."
The capes from both the community and Arrowhead are inspired by the horrifying red line of negative reviews that appeared on Steam following the announcement of this planned requirement, and it appears it will soon live forever in Helldivers 2 as a funny reminder of the rough patch for the game that has otherwise been a big hit all around.
Helldivers 2 received over 14,000 negative reviews today due to an update that will require PSN accounts next week.
Speaking of that rough patch, it also led to Helldivers 2 being pulled from 177 countries due to the PSN linking requirement, which obviously caused a huge headache for everyone inside and out of the studio.
Thankfully, Sony changed course and all is right in Helldivers 2 for the time being. Well, besides the constant threat of enemies at every turn doing their best to stop us from spreading democracy.
"Helldivers fans — we’ve heard your feedback on the Helldivers 2 account linking update. The May 6 update, which would have required Steam and PlayStation Network account linking for new players and for current players beginning May 30, will not be moving forward," PlayStation wrote on its official account.
"We’re still learning what is best for PC players and your feedback has been invaluable. Thanks again for your continued support of Helldivers 2 and we’ll keep you updated on future plans."
28 Years Later, the post-apocalyptic and zombie-filled sequel to 2007's 28 Weeks Later, is set to be released in theaters on June 20, 2025.
28 Years Later will be directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland, the same duo who worked together on the original 28 Days Later from 2002. Furthermore, this film will be the start of a brand-new trilogy and looks to star Ralph Fiennes, Jodie Comer, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
Cillian Murphy, who starred as Jim in 28 Days Later but didn't return for 28 Weeks Later, is a producer on the film. Will he also reprise his role? Only time will tell.
For those unfamiliar, Murphy's Jim was a bicycle courier who fell into a coma right before the outbreak of a "rage virus" that was highly contagious and was spread from an infected chimpanzee.
Alien and Avatar star Sigourney Weaver may be headed back to space as she is in talks to join the Star Wars universe with a role in The Mandalorian & Grogu.
THR and The InSneider reported the news, but there were no further details on who she would be playing or how close to a deal the two sides are. Despite that, Weaver is a sci-fi icon and would be a most welcome addition to that galaxy far, far away.
Weaver has won many awards during her career, including a BAFTA for The Ice Storm, two Golden Globes for Gorillas in the Mist and Working Girl, and even a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for Earth (The Book). She has also been nominated for three Oscars, with one of them being for her work in Aliens.
Connexion
