Blizzard Entertainment Faces Backlash from Employees Over Leadership and Reduced Profit-Sharing Plan

IDW Publishing, one of the largest comic book companies in the US, is undergoing changes in leadership roles and cutting costs by eliminating over a third of its workforce due to a decline in comic book revenues, especially after the end of Locke and Key at Netflix. The company aims to adapt more of its comic book properties into television and film projects but is struggling with that approach. On the other hand, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" will launch its 16th season on Wednesday, June 7, on FXX and Hulu. Meanwhile, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, a third-person galaxy-spanning action-adventure game, is set to continue Cal Kestis's story five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

28 Apr 202351s

For in-person coverage of CinemaCon follow @straw_hat_goofy on TikTok and Instagram. #BlackMirror returns with a star-studded cast for its sixth season, promising to push boundaries in exciting new ways. #BobaFett's fate remains uncertain in the #StarWars universe as Lucasfilm has new projects in the works. #Microsoft's $69bn acquisition of #ActivisionBlizzard has been blocked by the UK government’s Competition and Markets Authority due to concerns over the implications for #cloudgaming. Microsoft plans to appeal the decision, emphasizing the importance of a free, competitive market for innovation and choice. -------------------- *Check Out All Our Podcasts!* Geek Freaks Podcast: https://linktr.ee/GeekFreaks Disney Moms Gone Wrong: https://linktr.ee/disneymomsgonewrong Challenge Accepted: https://linktr.ee/challengeacceptedgf Headlines: https://tinyurl.com/2p8bvu6d Level Up!: https://linktr.ee/PushingButtonsPodcast TrekFreaks: https://linktr.ee/TrekFreaks Geek Freaks Interviews: https://linktr.ee/GeekFreaksInterviews Outlast Podcast: https://linktr.ee/OutlastPodcast Round Three: https://linktr.ee/RoundThree From The Pages: https://www.patreon.com/GeekFreakspodcast -------------------- *Hang Out With Us!* Discord: https://discord.gg/6Jrvyb2 Twitter: twitter.com/geekfreakspod Facebook: facebook.com/groups/227307812330853/ Instagram: instagram.com/geekfreakspodcast E-mail: thegeekfreakspodcast@gmail.com Twitch: twitch.tv/geekfreakspodcast Site: geekfreakspodcast.com --------------------- *Support Us!* Patreon: https://patreon.com/GeekFreakspodcast Store: redbubble.com/people/GeekFreaks

26 Apr 20231min

Terry Matalas proposed the idea of a new series called Star Trek: Legacy, which could feature legacy characters like Worf, Will Riker, Deanna Troi, Seven of Nine, and Raffi. Even Sir Patrick Stewart has expressed interest in returning, although he may not be the central focus of the show. Fans and critics are excited about the potential return to a more classic The Next Generation adventure, especially after the success of Star Trek: Picard. The show could explore a wide open timeline and bring back characters from Deep Space Nine and Voyager. #StarTrek #TheNextGeneration #Legacy #Picard #PatrickStewart #Worf #Riker #DeannaTroi #SevenofNine #Raffi #DeepSpaceNine #Voyager #scifi #tvseries #25thCentury

26 Apr 20232min

Wizards of the Coast, the creator of Magic: The Gathering, recently hired Pinkerton detectives to recover an upcoming booster box from a YouTuber. The streamer, Dan Cannon, had mistakenly purchased booster boxes that were not yet released while assuming that they were part of the recently released set. Pinkerton agents showed up and intimidated him into giving the cards back, citing several statutes related to copyright infringement and threatening him with jail time and hefty fines if he failed to cooperate. Pinkerton, known for its anti-labor activities in the past, now advertises itself as a risk management and security company, and has also been hired by tech companies like Facebook and Google to spy on their employees. There has been no comment from Pinkerton or Wizards of the Coast regarding their approach to handling the situation. #MagicTheGathering #WizardsOfTheCoast #PinkertonDetectives #BoosterBox #DanCannon #CopyrightInfringement #RiskManagement #SecurityCompany #AntiLabor #Facebook #Google #Kotaku

26 Apr 202359s

Universal Studios has reportedly cast Jack Dylan Grazer from "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" as the lead in the live-action adaptation of "How to Train Your Dragon." Auli’i Cravalho is also in talks for the role of Hiccup’s love interest, while Joel Edgerton is rumored to play Hiccup’s father. The movie is set to release in theaters on March 14, 2025. Netflix has announced that the third season of "The Witcher" will be released in two volumes, with the first five episodes arriving on June 29 and the final three episodes dropping on July 27. This may be Henry Cavill's last time playing Geralt of Rivia, with Liam Hemsworth taking over the role in future seasons. Season 3 will see Yennefer taking Ciri to Aretuza to better understand her magical abilities, but instead, they find themselves in the midst of political corruption, dark magic, and treachery. #UniversalStudios #HowToTrainYourDragon #JackDylanGrazer #Auli’iCravalho #JoelEdgerton #LiveActionAdaptation #Netflix #TheWitcher #HenryCavill #LiamHemsworth #Season3 #SplitSeason #Yennefer #Ciri #Aretuza #Magic #PoliticalCorruption #DarkMagic #Treachery

25 Apr 202359s

A lot in this episode! John Boyega is rumored to join Daisy Ridley's upcoming Jedi-focused movie as Finn, but not yet officially confirmed. #StarWars #Jedi #Finn Pedro Pascal's absence from the final episode of The Mandalorian Season 3 due to scheduling conflicts for his role in The Last of Us. #TheMandalorian #PedroPascal #TheLastofUs Filming reportedly begins for Season 3 of Amazon Prime Video's The Wheel of Time, with returning and new cast members spotted on set. #TheWheelofTime #AmazonPrimeVideo #Fantasy BBC to adapt William Golding's classic novel Lord of the Flies into a four-episode series, with Jack Thorne as screenwriter and Joel Wilson and Jamie Campbell as producers. #LordoftheFlies #BBC #WilliamGolding Juno Temple in talks to join cast of Sony and Marvel's Venom 3, with her role and plot details kept under wraps. #Venom3 #JunoTemple #TomHardy

21 Apr 202358s

Paramount Global has filed a $50 million-plus countersuit against Warner Bros Discovery over streaming rights to the long-running cartoon satire, South Park. This is in response to Warner Bros Discovery's $200 million lawsuit against Paramount Global over the same issue. The countersuit seeks to recover unpaid license fees and a declaratory judgment confirming the parties' rights and obligations under the Term Sheet. The legal battle has become increasingly heated, with both sides making strong accusations against each other. This legal dispute is significant as it could impact the launch of Warner Bros Discovery's revamped Max streaming service next month. Expect to see lawyers making a lot of money as this legal battle continues. Demetrious Polychron, a Lord of the Rings fan fiction writer, is suing the Tolkien Estate and Amazon for $250 million in copyright infringement, claiming that The Rings of Power show infringes on his work, The Fellowship of the King. Polychron claims his work is "inspired by Lord of the Rings and J.R.R. Tolkien" but is a "wholly original book and concept." He has attempted to work with the Tolkien Estate professionally but was rebuffed, so he delivered a copyrighted copy to Simon Tolkien's home. The lawsuit points out similarities between the two works, but some of Polychron's claims, such as one of his characters having the same name as a character in Rings of Power, are contested.

21 Apr 20231min

Lionsgate Television is reportedly in early development of a TV adaptation of the best-selling book series, The Twilight Saga. The specific take on the series and whether it will be a remake of the books or an offshoot is yet to be determined. Sinead Daly is attached to write the script and author Stephenie Meyer is expected to be involved in the adaptation. Lionsgate plans to lead the development before shopping the rights to the package. The Twilight Saga films collectively grossed more than $3.4 billion worldwide, and the TV adaptation is expected to be a valuable addition to Lionsgate’s library. Adult Swim has released a clip for the upcoming movie "The Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart," which picks up after the events of the show's seventh season. The film follows a nationwide manhunt for Hank Venture and features unexpected revelations and untold dangers. The clip features Brock leading a team to track down Hank while Dr. Venture and Dean watch from the control room. #Twilight #VentureBros #PowerRangers

20 Apr 202349s