We saw him died during Avengers: Age of Ultron when he tried to protect Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and a child from the devastating gunshot. But in the upcoming X-Men movie, the ninth installment for the X-Men series, Quicksilver’s back, and running faster than ever!

“It’s the biggest X-Men film. It’s about the apocalypse, so the scope of the film is huge,” Evan Peters told Details.com, who will reprise his role as Pietro Maximoff a.k.a. Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson portrays the role in the Avengers movie).

Peters, who also plays different roles in TV series American Horror Story, was asked whether the latest X-men film can be characterized as a zombie apocalypse movie as well (the current TV show trend),“Ha! No, it’s not. Although that would be amazing if Apocalypse [the evil mutant] brought back the dead to help him take over the earth. I love zombies; I can’t get enough.”

But he goes on to tell what his goal will be come X-Men: Apocalypse and how he managed to get on board X-Men’s goal to save the world, “the story is that my character is searching for his father and wants to find him. It starts there and then he jumps on the X-Men train and gets sucked up in this whole Apocalypse madness: He tries to stop him from destroying the world.”

X-Men: Apocalypse Official Synopsis

Since the dawn of civilization, he was worshiped as a god. Apocalypse, the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel’s X-Men universe, amassed the powers of many other mutants, becoming immortal and invincible.

Upon awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as he finds it and recruits a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto (Michael Fassbender), to cleanse mankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign.

As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) with the help of Professor X (James McAvoy) must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction.

X-Men: Apocalypse is scheduled to hit the cinemas May 27, 2016.

Quicksilver Talks about X-Men: Apocalypse

The single-player mode of GTA 5 has been neglected because of the GTA Online. GTA Online has been the focus of Rockstar since its fruition and with the DLCs this seems obvious as well. However it seems like things are going to change and Rockstar’s planning to create a DLC for the single-player mode of GTA 5.

Here’s the latest on ‘GTA 5’ and ‘GTA Online’ DLC release dates, news, and updates.

According to Mr. Boss FTW (a known GTA 5 tipster), Rockstar is apparently planning to release a DLC for the single-player more of GTA 5, a Liberty DLC.

Aside from this, another tipster, Funmw2 aka Tezfunz also tipped about the release of Lowriders 2.0 DLC and the Festive Surprise 3.0 Update.
There are also tweets coming from Funmw2 about the Executives and Other Criminals DLC, then there’s the Bahama Mamas Night Club.

According to Ross, we might also see another DLC that is focused on night clubs and disco clubs, similar to the Ballad of Gay Tony in GTA 4.

The upcoming Festive Surprise 3.0 is believed to be released by Christmas Eve, and Lowriders 2.0 is rumored to be moved to January or early February.

Now when it comes to the Liberty City DLC, according to IBTimes,

“The tipster clarifies to a fan that he is actually referring to the game location and not just the textures found in the files. This could actually mean that Rockstar’s recent release of Liberty City stories for mobile phones and the game’s secret unlockable T-Shirt reading: “I love Liberty City”, may have something to do with Rockstar’s plans for releasing a single-player DLC in GTA 5 for current-gen gaming platforms.”

So it means that this is not the GTA 5 map. The tipster added,

“GTA V is based of GTA IV since they use the same game engine. They don’t have to transfer the whole city, they can take a part of it and update it. Anyway I assume it’s coming with SP DLC.

Because from what I saw, they are going to re-create how the map is loaded with SP DLC. Creating new versions of existing scripts. With every update, you can also see them taking stuff from previous games that use RAGE engine and update it to transfer it into GTA V. Example: The Heist yacht (Max Payne 3), most of the DLC vehicles are from GTA IV.“

GTA 5 and GTA Online DLC Release Date and Updates: Single Player Mode DLC Set to be Released, Festive Surprise 3.0 Update Set to be Released Christmas Eve [VIDEO]

It is the biggest war in Marvel Universe, which is why it was split into two. But nevertheless, Thanos of Titan (played by Josh Brolin), the single and the most difficult supervillain The Avengers will have to face head on – shouldn’t they need more helping hands to defeat him? If so, will we see other Marvel superheroes like Guardians of the Galaxy, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Inhumans, The Defenders and others listed in the Marvel Universe to appear in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War?

“It’s complicated!”

That’s what Avengers: Infinity War co-director Anthony Russo toldSUPER Interessante (via Comic Book Movie) when asked whether The Defenders will help The Avengers in their fight with Thanos and his cohorts. Anthony will direct alongside his brother Joe.

Anthony explained, “The films are controlled by a group led by Kevin Feige, so they function as a unit. Other products, even if they are from Marvel, are controlled by others.”

But they are all under Marvel Cinematic Universe, right?

Well, here’s the complete transcript of what Anthony has to say about this possibility, or not:

“It’s complicated. When we start to serialize the telling of stories it’s difficult. You have to have a lot of control and focus on the course of history. The films are controlled by a group led by Kevin Feige, so they function as a unit. Other products, even if they are from Marvel, are controlled by others.

Then there is the possibility of a crossover, but it’s more complicated. It is a smaller scale version of the problem that exists when remembering that Fox holds the rights to some of Marvel’s most popular characters, as does Sony and others. As storytellers, we only have control over what happens in Marvel movies, but everything is possible, Spider-Man (whose rights were held by Sony) became possible!”

Well, guess it’s still possible after all. But the question is, if it is possible, how will they fit in all those superheroes so they can come up with a story or two?

And if it is really possible to let other superheroes to join the bandwagon, while not have the X-Men and Fantastic Four gear up once more. After all, it will be the greatest battle the world will ever see.

Indeed, it’s really complicated.

Avengers: Infinity War Updates and Rumors: X-Men, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Defenders and Other Marvel Superheroes – It’s Complicated, But Possible

After a long wait, Howard the Duck is finally coming toMarvel’s Avengers Alliance. It was revealed that Howard would be the holiday lockbox hero for December and as of Dec. 18 Agents will have a chance to earn lockboxes by completing Daily Missions and doing other weekly tasks.

So be sure to log-in everyday to complete the Daily Missions and get the weekly tasks done quickly because those give 20 lockboxes in Avengers Alliance.

Patch notes for Howard the Duck has not been posted yet but we’ll update when it does.

But enough about that, let’s dive into what makes the next Tactician hero in Avengers Alliance tick.

Howard’s passives Playdom

Howard has a few passives that include Anger Management and Private Eye. Anger Management gives Howard a stack of Grit when he’s attacked and gives him a chance to gain an extra turn when attacked.

Private Eye, like Jessica Jones, has a chance to apply Target Focus on enemies. Howard also gets a chance to give Howard Fatal Intel when enemies perform an action.

Howard’s first attack Playdom

Howard’s first attack is “Eat My Glove!” which has Knockout Punch — stunning a target with Combo Setup automatically — and True Grit, which consumes all stacks of Grit to deal extra damage.

Part of Howard’s second attack Playdom

Fury’s Closet is Howard’s second attack and is a multi-function action. The first item in the closet is Coulson’s BFG, which ignores defense and gives all allies One for All and All for One. These two buffs lets allies have a chance to counter and follow-up single-target attacks.

Part of Howard’s second attack Playdom

Reinforcements is a quick action summon attack that applies flanked and Cornered on one enemy.

Part of Howard’s second attack Playdom

Neurotripe is a quick action buff that has all the effects of the Neurotrope to your allies. It’s a very powerful item.

Part of Howard’s second attack. Playdom

Friggin’ Sword of Hope has Desperation Attack, Paragon Exploiter and is stealthy. It also applies Open Wound to one enemy.

Howard’s third attack Playdom

Quack-Fu applies Pressure Point debuffs, Combo Setup and Incapacitation to one enemy.

Howard’s fourth attack Playdom

Duck-tini is a free action buff that applies Feeling Ducky to Howard. This new buff gives Howard the Duck a chance to evade attacks, counter enemy attacks, follow-up after ally attacks, and ignore enemy defense when attacking. It also gives Howard a stack of Grit whenever this procs.

Overall, Howard the Duck is looking to be a powerful new hero who can work with a number of heroes. But let us know who you plan to use Howard the Duck with in the comments section below.

Marvel Avengers Alliance Update: Howard The Duck Is Holiday Lockbox Hero

‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Sets Its Sights On A $130M-$145M Friday & $250M-$275M Weekend

Shmi Skywalker Lars

Via img2.wikia.nocookie.net

Born; 72 BBY. Died; 22 BBY

The mother of Anakin Skywalker and therefore the one we must thank for essentially starting both the original trilogy series and the prequels. She spent almost her entire life as a slave before Watto lost her in a bet to Ciegg Lars, who freed her and married her. She died in the arms of her son after being captured by Sandpeople.

Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

Via img2.wikia.nocookie.net

Born; 41.9 BBY. Died; 4 ABY

The only child of Shmi Skywalker it was Anakin who was foretold to be the chosen one who would destroy the Sith, bringing balance to the force. A promising young Jedi, father to Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo and husband to Padme Amidala, it was his love of Padme Amidala that would lead to his fall to the Sith, under the influence of Darth Sidious. Anakin would redeem himself many years later, killing his master and saving his son in the process.

Cliegg Lars

Via img4.wikia.nocookie.net

Born; 82 BBY. Died; 20 BBY.

Cleigg is the man who freed Shmi Skywalker and married her, becoming Anakin Skywalker’s step-father in the process. He is also the father to Owen Lars, who would go on to become Luke Skywalker’s adopted father.

Jobal Naberrie

Via img2.wikia.nocookie.net

Born; 76 BBY. Died; N/A

The second mother whom is the key to the Star Wars saga; Jobal was the mother of Padme Amidala and her sister Sola. She is seen sparingly throughout the saga but most saddening was her appearance at the funeral of her daughter. Her date of death is not known and it is unclear how far she lived past the creation of the Galactic Empire.

Ruweee Naberrie

Via img4.wikia.nocookie.net

Born; 77 BBY. Died; N/A

The father of Sola and Padme, Ruweee married Jobal in 51 BBY and like his wife does not get mentioned hugely in the saga…aside from a couple of deleted scenes from Episodes II and III. It is unknown when Ruweee dies but he was also present at his daughter’s funeral in 19 BBY.

Sola Naberrie

Via img3.wikia.nocookie.net

Born; 50 BBY. Died; N/A

The sister of Padme Amidala and later the maternal aunt to Luke and Leia Skywalker, Sola is four years the senior of her sister and it is likely she survived beyond the creation of the Galactic Empire.

Padme Amidala

Via img2.wikia.nocookie.net

Born; 46 BBY. Died; 19 BBY
Birthname; Padme Naberrie

Much like her daughter, Leia, the Senator from Naboo had a strong political mind – serving first as Queen of Naboo and later as a representative in the senate – but wasn’t afraid to face more physical conflict. 
The Mother of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo and wife to Anakin Skywalker it was the unfortunate attempts of her husband to save her from death that inevitably caused it. Her funeral was held on Naboo in 19 BBY after the end of the Clone Wars.

Luke Skywalker

Via img3.wikia.nocookie.net

Born; 19 BBY. Died; between 45 ABY and 137 ABY.

The son of the Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker, and his wife Padme Amidala as well as founder of the New Jedi Order. He was raised by his Uncle Owen Lars and Aunt Beru. It was Skywalker’s natural gifts as a Jedi that would lead to his role in bringing down the empire and redeeming his father.

Owen Lars

Via img1.wikia.nocookie.net

Born; 52 BBY. Died 0 BBY

The son of Cleigg Lars, and by extension step-brother of Anakin Skywalker and uncle to Luke Skywalker. He and his wife Beru raised Luke after the death of Padme and the fall of Anakin. He was killed alongside his wife by the Empire in their attempts to track down C-3PO and R2-D2.

Beru Whitesun Lars

Via img3.wikia.nocookie.net

Born; 47 BBY. Died; 0 BBY.

Beru served as the maternal figure in Luke Skywalker’s life, encouraging him to follow his dream of joining the Rebellion, as opposed to her husband Owen who was afraid he would follow the path of his father and turn to the dark side. She died with Owen at the hands of the Empire, freeing Luke to go with Obi-Wan Kenobi to rescue Leia.

Leia Organa Solo

Via upload.wikimedia.org

Born; 19 BBY. Died; N/A.
Birthname; Leia Amidala Skywalker

The twin sister of Luke Skywalker and one of the founding members of the Rebellion, it is Leia’s bravery and determined attitude that saw her assume roles as both a diplomat and later a Jedi Knight. She had a significant role to play in the downfall of the Empire and in the years following the destruction on the Empire she would go on to marry Han Solo.

Bail Organa

Via img1.wikia.nocookie.net

Born; 67 BBY. Died; 0 BBY.

Bail Organa is the adoptive father of Leia Organa Solo and husband to Breha Organa. He was a close friend on Padme Amidala and following her death took in her daughter and raised her as part of his noble family. His was killed on his home planet of Alderaan as it was destroyed by the first Death Star.

Breha Organa

Via img2.wikia.nocookie.net

Born; Between 59 BBY and 49 BBY. Died; 0 BBY. 
Birthname; Breha Antilles

Breha was the Queen of Alderaan and wife to bail Organa. She was Leia Organa Solo’s adoptive mother and raised her alongside her husband following the death of Padme Amidala. She died with her husband and millions of others when the Death Star destroyed Alderaan.

Han Solo

Via img1.wikia.nocookie.net

Born; 29 BBY. Died; N/A.

Han Solo joined the Skywalker line upon marrying Leia Organa Solo, not bad for a simple smuggler. After being commissioned by Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi to take them to Alderaan, Solo got in deeper than he expected and ended up fighting many a battle in the name of the Rebellion. He would later marry Leia and father three children with her.

Mara Jade Skywalker

Via img1.wikia.nocookie.net

Born; 17 BBY. Died; 40 ABY.

At one time Mara Jade was the Emperor’s hand and was assigned to destroy her future husband Luke Skywalker. After failing to do so the pair had several other encounters and eventually could not deny their feelings for each other and married. They had one child together, Ben Skywalker. She was killed by her Nephew Jacen Solo after learning he had become a Sith Lord.

Ben Skywalker

Via img2.wikia.nocookie.net

Born; 26.5 ABY. Died; N/A

Ben Skywalker is the only child of Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker and grandson to Anakin Skywalker. Named after Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ben was a strong warrior, much like his ancestors and fought in many key battles in the years that followed the creation of the New Republic.

Jacen Solo/Darth Caedus

Via img3.wikia.nocookie.net

Born; 9 ABY. Died; 41 ABY.

The first son of Leia Organa Solo and Han Solo and twin brother of Jaina Solo, Jacen was a promising young Jedi, serving predominantly under the teachings of Luke Skywalker. However a vision of him killing his former master saw him turn to the dark side and submit to the tutelage of Lumiya. He would eventually be destroyed by his sister Jaina.

Jaina Solo Fel

Via img1.wikia.nocookie.net

Born; 9 ABY. Died; N/A

The only daughter of Leia Organa Solo and Han Solo and twin sister to Jacen Solo, Jacen trained alongside her brother at the Jedi Praxeum and became a promising warrior. She took part in many key battles, crucial in preserving the New Jedi Order. She killed her brother after learning he had fallen to the dark side and become Darth Caedus.

Anakin Solo

Via img2.wikia.nocookie.net

Born; 10.5 ABY. Died; 27 ABY.

The final child of Leia Organa Solo and Han Solo and younger brother of Jacen and Jaina. Anakin had a strong weight on his shoulders with the name is parents gave him but more than lived up to it with his impressive fighting ability. He met his heroic end at the hands of the voxyn, saving the lives of many of his family members and other Jedi in the process by sacrificing himself.

The Definitive Star Wars Family Tree

While the popular game systems are two years old now, plenty of families are new to the current generation of consoles. Microsoft Xbox One, Sony Playstation 4, and Nintendo WiiU continue to top holiday wish lists.

Here are some games and accessories suitable for the gamer in your life:

New on the WiiU are two additions to the Mario franchise, celebrating a 30th anniversary this year. Mario Tennis Ultra Smash adds jump shots for extra power and a mega mushroom to one-up the competition. An online mode allows you to compete with players around the world. ($50, nintendo.com). Also new this year, Super Mario Maker gives you the ability to create your own Mario lands and game play. Edit and modify levels, play as different characters, hide treasures within levels you create. Super Mario Maker works with Amiibo characters bring toys to life right on your Wii U game controller. ($60, nintendo.com)

The 2DS handheld gaming system plays most 3DS games, but in a less-expensive 2D format. A bundle with the new direct-from Japan phenomenon Yo-Kai Watch + Nintendo is available for under $100. Yo-Kai Watch is also available for a variety of other Nintendo systems as a standalone game or download. ($40-$100, nintendo.com)

Snoopy’s Grand Adventure, for Xbox One or Playstation 4, is a family-friendly adventure game where players are challenged to help Snoop find Charlie Brown and friends. Rated E for “Everyone”, the game is available from The Peanuts Movie Official Store powered by relentlessGenerator. ($50,http://store.snoopystore.com/)

Minecraft has quickly risen up the charts to be one of the most popular games of all time. Available for nearly every gaming system, Minecraft is newly available for the Wii U. The game’s creator, Majong studios , was purchased by Microsoft in 2014. Pick up Minecraft for $20 on Xbox One at the Microsoft Store or via. digital download for game consoles, computers, or mobile devices. ($20, microsoftstore.com)

Halo 5 is the latest installment in the “first-person shooter” series by Microsoft Studios. The game features a new story and three new worlds with extensive multiplayer content and updates available online. The new Xbox One-optimized game has been rebuilt for the new, faster, processor of the latest-generation console. ($50, microsoftstore.com)

The Elite Controller by Microsoft, for XBOX One, is a fully customizeable game controller with a pro-quality feel. It’s not the cheapest controller; pick it up and you’ll know why. The $150 controller allows users to swap out components and reprogram buttons to suit an individuals game play. It has already proven to be a tough find this holiday season so if you’re looking for one order early! ($150, microsoftstore.com)

Many of the latest games are available as digital downloads for instant gratification. Those looking for a gift might opt for a traditional boxed copy more suitable for wrapping.

Video games top holiday wish lists again this year. KING 5 tech reporter Brian Westbrook shows what’s hot in gaming.

Great gifts for gamers

The PS4 has returned to its rightful spot as the best-selling console for the month of November after it’s minor loss to the Xbox One the previous month

If it’s any indicator, this news arrived shortly after the results of the Black Friday console war, with the PS4 winning that weekend also. The poll we posted the week prior seemed to concur with those results, however the tides have seemed to shift with our most recent poll asking users which console they’re likely to buy for the holidays.

Xbox One currently stands with 46 percent (2124) of the votes, the PS4 with 43 percent (2022), the Wii U with 2 percent (106), and 6 percent (322) have opted not to buy any.

Both the PS4 and Xbox One were offered at $300 on Black Friday, and Sony has recently stated that they plan to carry that deal into this Christmas season. Xbox One has yet to announce a special holiday deal, making it benchmarked at $350.

While both consoles had a successful Black Friday weekend, Sony has announce this year to be its biggest. Sony’s Eric Lempel also added that November 2015 was the “biggest month ever for PlayStation Store indicating a strong digital marketplace complementing healthy retail sales.”

“We are sincerely grateful that gamers across the globe have continued to choose PS4 as the best place to play since launch two years ago,” Andrew House, the group chief executive at PlayStation stated. We are committed to bringing engaging games and entertainment services to users worldwide. Thanks to the support of our partners, PS4 continues to be the premier platform for game and interactive entertainment innovation.”

Microsoft hasn’t shared any sales figures, but claims that the Xbox One set new records for console sales, game sales, and Xbox Live engagement.

PS4 vs. Xbox One Console Sales War [POLL] – Sony Beats Microsoft in November 2015

Ubisoft has released a rather cool trailer for Assassin’s Creed Syndicate‘s upcoming Jack the Ripper DLC. The video, which you can watch below, is described as an “immersive 360° trailer and dive into the mind of notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper.”

Viewers are guided through a scene in which an Assassin brawls with the notorious serial killer, and the 360-degree video gives users control over where they are looking, much like being in a virtual reality scenario.

Ubisoft said the trailer initially began as a VR experiment.

“Nicolas [Bouchet] and I started working on this as a test to see how we could adapt a trailer to offer a true VR experience,” explained Adrian Lacey, director of IP development at Ubisoft Montpelier.

“Originally, we hadn’t planned on releasing it, but the results were so good we had to share it. The Jack the Ripper VR trailer is just a small taste of what virtual reality can bring, both in terms of storytelling and how it can help players go deeper into our worlds.”

Ubisoft has previously expressed interest in making virtual reality games. Earlier in December, the publisher revealed a VR gamein which the player controls and eagle.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’s Jack the Ripper DLC will be available from December 15 on PS4 and Xbox One, and from December 22 on PC.

The downloadable add-on follows Evie Frye as she hunts for one of “history’s most mysterious killers.” The DLC is set some 20 years after the main game.

“The streets of London are filled with fear and Evie Frye is on the trail of one of history’s most mysterious killers,” Ubisoft’s official description reads. 

“The new Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Jack the Ripper campaign puts you in the shoes of Evie once more as she returns to London after being absent for 20 years. Armed with some new skills, she must investigate a series of crimes that draw her deep into the dark underworld of Victorian London’s Whitechapel district.”

The Jack the Ripper DLC will be priced at $14.99 or is included in the $29.99 season pass. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate launched on October 23 for Xbox One and PS4 and received a generally positive critical response, including an 9/10 from GameSpot.

Go Face-to-Face With Jack The Ripper in This Interactive 3D Assassin’s Creed Trailer

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” opens in theaters across America on Dec. 18, 2015. But that’s not the only new “Star Wars” property set to be released by Disney in a couple of weeks. At the height of “Star Wars” fever, Disney Infinity 3.0 will be launching a new playset based on the movie, featuring stories and characters based on Episode VII.

This week, Latin Post spoke with José Villeta, Senior Director of Technology at Disney Interactive, about how he ended up in his career, what “toys to life” gaming is, the upcoming “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” release for Disney Infinity 3.0, and the challenge of producing it while steering clear of Star Wars spoilers.

Interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Latin Post: You got your undergraduate and master’s degree in aeronautical engineering, particularly focused around testing experimental aircraft. That was also the focus of your first job. What changed after that? How did you end up pivoting to producing video games?

José Villeta: I was always a gamer, from the arcade machines to the Atari days to my first gaming computer, the Commodore64. Early on in my career, I worked for several years at different NASA Research Centers: NASA Langley in Hampton VA and NASA Dryden in Edwards Air Force Base in California.

During my time in California, I spent lots of weekends building video games as a hobby with my colleagues from MIT Media Lab. It was fun to not only play the latest games but also learn how to make them.

LP: What led you from NASA to then co-founding your video game company, Black Ops Entertainment?

JV: Once we got a Nintendo SNES Volleyball prototype working, we went around pitching it to publishers, but Virgin [Games] decided they had bigger plans for us. They wanted for us build a dream team based on our MIT Media Lab colleagues and build our first game around launch of the original PlayStation. We started Black Ops out of our home until we moved to our offices in Santa Monica.

LP: How did your experiences at NASA inform your career making games?

JV: Well, our first game was Agile Warrior, a flying shooter game — taking advantage of my NASA flight simulation experience and the 3D rendering powers of the PlayStation.

More generally, the first part of my career trained and inspired me to build games at larger scale. I programmed a large 360-dome flight simulator using latest Silicon Graphics supercomputer, with the power to recreate a whole 3D world and flight dynamics of latest experimental fighter aircrafts.

My MIT education and work experience at MIT Media Lab also opened my eyes to new technologies, not only around the aeronautical industry, but also on emerging entertainment and interactive game industries. For example, at the MIT Media Lab, I was exposed to new video displays, which eventually become the HDTVs of today. I also got a chance to see how interactive experiences can expand your imagination and curiosity.

LP: Encouraging imagination and creativity is a big part of Disney Infinity, but only one facet. To the uninitiated, the Disney Infinity toy-video game hybrid seems like a complicated system. Could you explain the various components and features for those who haven’t experienced it?

JV: So Disney Infinity 3.0 starts with a starter pack, where you get the software, the base, and you get a playset piece and sample toys with it.

For example, you get the “Twilight of the Republic,” it’s the playset based on the Clone Wars and the prequel movies. So you get the starter pack, it has the base, which is USB-connected to your console or Apple TV, and you can start playing.

The main modes Infinity has is playsets and toybox.

Playsets is the basic video game based on a chosen property — and gameplay that’s pretty common to classic adventure games. So there’s a few playsets available: Inside Out, there’s going to be all the three big “Star Wars” sagas, Episodes 4, 5 and 6 from the original, the prequel sagas in “Twilight of the Republic,” and then there’s “The Force Awakens,” the new playset for the movie.

So that’s one mode of play — you just use the toy and playset for that given property. So for example, I can put the Anakin character into the base with the playset piece and you can start playing. If you want to swap characters, you take them out of the base and put, for example, Obi Wan in and keep playing.

LP: So what’s the toybox mode?

JV: The toybox is probably one of the biggest software innovations we’ve done at Disney. If you know about games like Minecraft or Little Big Planet, where you can make your own creations and share with the community, toybox allows you to create your own map.

And that’s the place where you can mix everything. You can put stuff together like Marvel characters with “Star Wars” characters with Disney Pixar characters.

Anything goes — there are no rules in the toybox mode. You can build your own castle, put in your own vehicles, your own enemies, and build your won adventure. And the toybox gets saved and you can push it to the cloud, so you can share it to the community.

LP: You’re still using the physical toys for characters in the toybox mode?

JV: Yep, and the cool thing with the toys is that you can actually save your abilities — your skill tree and customizations — and that gets saved into the toys. So if I take my Anakin from my house and I go to your home and we play together, my Anakin will be different from your Anakin. Because there’s memory in the toy.

LP: What about the toys themselves? Do they do anything besides unlock characters and store your customizations?

JV: That’s probably the bulk of the emphasis, but there’s a something I learned about our toys. The quality is really good. These aren’t cheap toys — we’ve put a lot of emphasis on the collectable side of things. So there are people who have purchased these toys and collect them purely to put them on your desk. It’s not the most common use case, but we’ve seen some data that shows that.

LP: What gives Disney Infinity the edge over other toy-game hybrids like Lego Dimensions or Skylanders?

JV: We’re number one in the toys-to-life category right now by sales, and I think the reasons why are one, our software evolution has been great. We have a more complex software platform and we’re always thinking about how we can evolve the software.

That’s where the toybox mode, the multiplayer online, the capabilities of matchmaking and sharing with friends or the community — all of this stuff we’ve innovated in that space. Our competition doesn’t have any of that.

And as far as our intellectual property, you know… it’s huge. We have Disney Pixar, we have Marvel, we have Star Wars. There’s something for everybody — it’s a game that’s not aged too young, so you actually can have a 25 year-old or 35 year-old have some fun with a character that he likes. The software is sophisticated enough that you quickly grow out of thinking of it as a kid’s game.

LP: The toybox mode — this open system has super customization and building features, with all of these mini-game modes and tools. How do you balance all of that with keeping it accessible and simple enough for younger kids, or adults, that may face a learning curve?

JV: This is something we’ve been involved in since 1.0: If you give somebody all of this power, and you don’t know how to start, it can be overwhelming.

So we have something called the toybox hub, where you can learn the toybox by going through different guides that explain the parts of the game. So you want to learn about combat, farming, platforming, or creations in the community, the toybox hub can be the beginning of your journey.

We also have a thing called toybox games — if you just want to mashup and mix all your stuff together and have quick fun. So like Mario Cart racing, we have speedway racing, with four characters. And that’s a great opportunity to go online, and have friends join you for a quick race.

But if you want to create some great stories and level design, we give you an immense number of tools and toys you can use. We’re a little different than Minecraft and others, because we give you smart options called creativity toys. They allow you to make logic connections, create scoreboards, and you can add logics to open doors or connect interior levels to outside locations. You just have all this power.

And we’ve seen some great stuff, not only great levels created from content from Disney. We allow you to create your own presentation of levels. So you lead the players, and then let the kids be the next designers.

LP: And that’s where the fan-generated community content comes in?

JV: We’ve seen that’s the future of the evolution in our game. We’ve seen a lot of power in the toybox.

And we’ve seen our fans stay with Disney Infinity because once they’re done with their playsets, you can go back to the toybox and have fun there by downloading new content, by building their own stuff, or by playing these toybox games.

LP: What’s your role in developing Disney Infinity? And what challenges have you run into?

JV: I’ve been working on this game since its inception, so since the beginning when it was nothing. Initially, it was just software, and then we worked out how to work with the hardware and the toys.

It’s definitely been a learning curve. Disney Infinity has been my first experience with the toys-to-life category, but I’ve learned a lot. I’ve been involved in all of the hardware parts of it, like the toys component and all the FCC regulations needed for the toys’ near-field communication (NFC).

I also worked on all the online-related technologies, so all the online services, the website, the community tools — my team does that.

And then, of course, a very important part of my job is actually closing the game. I work a lot with first-parties: manufacturers like Sony, Nintendo, Apple, or Microsoft. They control approval of what goes to the market or not, so we have to make sure we’re compatible with all of their requirements to maintain the highest quality possible.

LP: Speaking of Disney Infinity being a wide multiplatform game: How do you see its future as virtual reality or the HoloLens start emerging?

JV: A good friend of mine once mentioned, “The DVD’s going to go away. The Blu-Ray’s going to go away. Everything is going to be digitally downloadable eventually. But the one thing that’s never going away is toys.” You’re always going to have physical toys you want to play with.

So I think the toys will evolve, and for us, the toys could be used in more ways. Like you mentioned, they could be used in augmented reality like the HoloLens, or different ways as a mechanism for owning a particular character, or to recognize you in different locations. So there’s definitely a lot possibilities on the toy side.

But I don’t think it’s going to go away, it’s going to evolve. People love high-quality toys. The problem would be if we evolved the toys’ capabilities but they become too cheap, people would lose their collectable feeling. Like, “This looks like a cheap toy from a drive thru.” Then I think the nostalgia, and the toys, will go away. So we’ve put a hard line on the quality of the toys, to avoid getting into that.

LP: So about the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” playset — this is being released at the same time as the movie, right?

JV: Correct. Right on Dec. 18, the game will be playable. You can already pre-order and have it available right on that day. So the concept is that you see the movie, have a great time, and immediately you can go home and boot up Infinity and relive those moments.

LP: Since it’s a story mode, were there “Star Wars” spoilers that you were privy to? How tied to the actual movie’s plot is the new playset?

JV: It’s 100 percent tied to the story. We have been faithful to the story elements — and to security, to making sure the secrets are kept as tight as possible.

It’s very hard when you work with interactive, where people have to test the game, they have to be able to validate it.

That’s one of my duties as well, as security officer for my team: to make sure that my team does the best possible to protect the movie and not to spoil it, because no one wants to spoil a good experience at the movies.

LP: So you’re saying you know the details of the movie?

JV: I don’t want to spoil it for you either! Or for the fans. We’ve been exposed to it, but we’re all here trying to learn as little as possible so we don’t spoil it for ourselves, either.

So some people have, of course, seen the whole thing, and read the whole script. But other people have to just have a little glimpse of it while they test the game. All my friends and colleagues here actually want to learn as little as possible so they don’t spoil the movie.

But yes, we have access to all the content.

Disney Interactive’s José Villeta Shares Career Path & Talks Disney Infinity 3.0

It’s always the little things fans of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” pay attention to, especially with the actors outside of the show.

According to Vanity Fair, the next actor they are worried about getting killed off the show is Lauren Cohan, who plays the character of Maggie on “TWD.”

This worry came about when the actress debuted a new hairstyle in public for the first time, which is a departure from her usual long wavy hair. She now has short and stylish hair, which indicates to fans she may indeed be leaving the show for new ventures in the industry. But does that mean she will be killed off on the show?

Fans were wrapped in the turmoil of Glenn’s devastating drama and triumphant survival in the first half of the season, and when he turned out to be alive, the show might have crossed a barrier for fans.

What the comics have revealed to date is that Glenn does indeed get killed off, but that happens on the receiving of evil character Negan’s bat. So now that he is alive and the big ordeal is over, is it likely that the show will just bring him back long enough to get killed by the upcoming debut of Negan?

It certainly does not seem likely, which means that in order for the show to continue with its powerful elements, someone with an equally beloved standing on the show will have to take his place in death. Someone that will have just as much impact on devoted fans as Glenn’s own death. Someone like, oh say, his wife Maggie.

One thing that fans can count on for the TV series is that even though it takes most of its cues from the comic series, there are some big differences. Not everything that happens in the comic happens on the show — and vice versa.

‘The Walking Dead’ Season 6 Part 2 News: Is Maggie the Next on the Kill List?

NEW YORK — As director of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, J.J. Abrams is at the center of potentially the biggest movie of all time, iconic characters known around the world, and a sci-fi saga that looms over pop culture like a fully armed and operational Death Star.

If all this is weighing on him, he doesn’t show it. Instead on this rainy December afternoon, while holiday pop tunes play overhead in a Manhattan hotel bar, he’s less a world-renowned filmmaker and more the 11-year-old kid who first saw George Lucas’ 1977 Star Wars in a cinema in Westwood, Calif. He is showing a video on his phone of Oscar-winning composer John Williams conducting a new brass-heavy theme from The Force Awakens (in theaters Friday) to a journalist, both of them nerding out mightily.

Wham!’s Last Christmas just doesn’t measure up.

“He’s 83 and he’s (expletive) incredible,” says Abrams, 49, while sporting a boyish grin. “Dude, it was crazy.”

THEN: ‘Star Wars’ actors Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill first appeared onscreen in 1977. 

Since signing on for the beginning of a new Star Wars trilogy in January 2013, very few stages of the process have been free of the frequent freak-out for Abrams. Taking place about 30 years after the ending of 1983’s Return of the Jedi — which saw the heroic Rebel Alliance seemingly deliver a fatal blow to the evil Empire — The Force Awakens is just the first of a series of new movies taking place in the galaxy far, far away, and one that honors Lucas’ work while also forging its own path.

The two biggest movies of all time, 2009’s Avatar and 1997’s Titanic, opened in the same mid-December release slot as Force Awakens. If the new Star Wars is a good film and hits the right nerve for the fandom, it has a chance to be the first movie to reach $3 billion worldwide, says Rentrak senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

But financials aside, “this is a monumental event,” he says. “I’ve been doing this for over 20 years, and I’ve never seen this interest and passion in a single movie.”

The Force Awakens also sets up “the long-term success of this reinvigorated franchise and the whole notion of Star Wars and the next installments yet to come,” Dergarabedian adds.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” star John Boyega’s impressions of the cast and crew Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY

Episode VIII, written and directed by Rian Johnson (Brick, Looper), will continue the story and begin filming in Europe in January for release on May 26, 2017, and Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) has been tapped to helm Episode IX, set for 2019.

There are other stand-alone movies in the works that will be used to flesh out various aspects of the universe, including Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (out Dec. 16, 2016), which centers on a rebel mission to steal plans for the first Death Star, and a young Han Solo project (May 25, 2018), written by Force Awakens screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan and son Jon and directed by The Lego Movie filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.

The Force Awakens introduces a new crop of characters such as Rey (Daisy Ridley), a scavenger who was left on the planet Jakku as a child and now waits to find her family; Finn (John Boyega), a Stormtrooper for the villainous First Order who leaves his service and embarks on an adventure when he meets Rey; and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), a lightsaber-wielding masked antagonist who has an unhealthy obsession with fallen Sith lord Darth Vader.

Kasdan, who was a writer on 1980’s Empire Strikes Back as well as Jedi, sees a direct line from the first Star Wars to The Force Awakens, and not just because the movie returns such legacy characters as Harrison Ford’s smuggler-turned-hero Han Solo and Carrie Fisher’s General Leia.

“As with all things, there’s deterioration, there are people trying to stay together and be good partners to each other and it not working out,” says Kasdan, 66, who co-wrote the Force Awakens script with Abrams. “It’s just like real life, just in a different galaxy.”

We ask the cast of ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’: Who’s your favorite droid? Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY

As important as the Force, that mysterious energy wielded by Jedi that binds folks together, is the overriding theme of the Star Wars saga for Kasdan: How do people fulfill their potential and figure out who they are and what they’re capable of? The main characters of the original trilogy all dealt with it, from Solo to Princess Leiato Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker, the farm boy who went to space and became a Jedi knight. And now the new kids will, too.

Skywalker’s search for meaning is what made Force Awakens star Lupita Nyong’o, 32, a fan growing up in Kenya. “All children feel like this at some point, where you seek and you want belonging and you want a purpose and you want adventure,” says the actress, who plays alien pirate Maz Kanata via motion capture.

Luke’s quest seems to be reflected in Rey. She, too, seeks a bigger destiny and has heard the legends of what has happened in the past.

USA TODAY

Daughter still proud of family’s ‘Star Wars’ sound legacy

“The crux of her story is that she begins alone and she goes on this journey, but she never acts like she’s been alone the whole time,” says Ridley, 23. “She’s so open to everything, and that was what was so glorious about playing it. She’s not emotionally stunted and trapped in this world she’s built of her own.”

Abrams explains that The Force Awakens has aspects “that feel like significant required Star Wars-ian necessity” — TIE Fighters, X-wing Starfighters, lightsabers.Star Wars also has always been generational, so the new film showcases different personalities like Rey and Finn, a man who’s not the chosen one but is instead an aspirational figure for the rest of us.

“The Han Solos and the Finns of the Star Wars universe are representations of human nature,” says Boyega, 23. “If a dude was coming toward you with a crossguard red lightsaber and he was about to swing that at you, you wouldn’t be like, ‘Let me look heroic.’ You’d be scared. That’s Finn. Finn is everybody.”

Creating this large fabric included wondering about the fates of core characters —  What did Admiral Ackbar do after the Battle of Endor? Did Leia and Han live happily ever after? — and then figuring out whom to bring back.

The core original-trilogy trio was a no-brainer for Abrams and Lucasfilm, and Fisher recalls that she and Ford had a powwow when their cinematic return was proposed.

She was all for it. “I have been Princess Leia. I’m the custodian of her. Why not get paid a few dollars to do that anyway?” says Fisher, 59. “She’s me and I’m her, and it’s kind of a Möbius strip.”

USA TODAY

The 7 craziest ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ fan theories

As for Ford, “there is not an automatic yes in Harrison’s body, unless it’s for food or marijuana,” she quips. “And I’m not sure about the food thing either.”

Ask the 73-year-old actor, however, and there wasn’t much to ponder. “What am I doing? I’m sitting here on the porch of the Motion Picture Country Home in my rocker. Hell, yeah, give me some of that,” Ford says with a laugh.

Since Jedi, Solo has had experiences “we reveal that he has gone through in his life, which brings us a character who has aspects that he didn’t have 30 years ago, much like you and I,” Ford says. “We’re not necessarily any smarter, but we know more.

“The history they’ve developed for the character has got some real important emotional realities to it, and they aid in the telling of the story in a way that makes his contribution to the story significant.”

And when fans are reintroduced to Leia, the former face of the Rebel Alliance is in charge of the Resistance, “the company that she founded years ago that is in its own way still running,” Abrams teases. “It’s different in some ways, but it’s definitely of her making.”

She also has seen some serious stuff fighting the Dark Side, Fisher says. Plus, “I would imagine her job would probably get in the way of having relationships.”

As for Luke, well, no one’s really talking about Luke. Hamill is in The Force Awakens, but he hasn’t talked about his character much in interviews, and Luke has been missing from most of the movie’s huge marketing push. And Abrams is loath to spill anything about Leia’s twin bro.

If he was guilty of being coy about the secrets of his popular TV show Lost or villain reveals in his Star Trek Into Darkness film, Abrams has made it an art form in keeping most every plot point close to the vest in the rollout of The Force Awakens.

Will it begin, like the others have, with a spaceship? “It’s a different opening,” he allows with a polite curtness. Will there be emotional moments that tap into the history of the six previous episodes? “Sure, yeah,” Abrams says. “Nothing I’ll ruin for you.”

USA TODAY

‘Star Wars’ faithful wonder: Where is Luke?

He’s much more open to talking about the bigger picture of The Force Awakens. “Part of the story of this movie is history repeats itself, and part of it is who is going to tell your history and what do people know about what has come before” — or recounting the many times he had to suppress freak-outs so he could make his movie.

Abrams didn’t tear up, but he recalls being surprisingly emotional the first time old droids C-3PO and R2-D2 shared a scene with the new robot on the block, BB-8. Or the first time Ford moseyed back onto the Millennium Falcon in Solo garb. “Look, you get used to it. But not really.”

Lucas may have been the innovator, but what’s special about Abrams doing a Star Wars movie is his “sheer enthusiasm,” Fisher says. “You saw it every minute of the day,” adds co-star Oscar Isaac, who plays Resistance X-wing pilot Poe Dameron. “He made it part of his mission to continuously infuse the set with a sense of wonder and excitement and awe.”

Having the keys and joyriding with the franchise is one thing, yet it’s another to balance honoring Star Wars past while also building its future.

USA TODAY

Why I love the ‘Star Wars’ prequels (and you should too)

“I wouldn’t believe that Leia would lose her strength of purpose and determination to do the right thing and defeat an enemy she saw growing,” Abrams concludes. “I wouldn’t believe that Han would settle down and become complacent. I don’t believe that Threepio would stop complaining or that light vs. dark would go away as a fundamental tenet of the series.

“There’s no template. It’s gut. When you’re working on the story, you go, ‘Oooooh. That feels so right.’ ”

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS‘Star Wars’ fan brings droids to life | 01:27

R2D2 has always been a favorite among Star Wars fans. One California man takes his love for the droid very seriously: he built a fully functional replica in his garage. Mike Senna is now working on his new project, a robot called ” BB8.” Newslook

J.J. Abrams: ‘History repeats itself’ in new ‘Star Wars’

It’s been nearly 20 years since Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum and company saved planet Earth from bully aliens in 1996’s Independence Day, one of the biggest box office hits of all time.

Not so surprisingly, it seems like everyone’s coming back for more as the trailer for Roland Emmerich’s sequel Independence Day: Resurgence dropped Sunday.

Aliens want more delicious Earth. President Thomas J. Whitmore (Pullman) is back with a crazy big beard because he’s having bad alien dreams after defeating them last time. That has likely been a problem for re-election.

Genius David Levinson (Goldblum) is back looking REALLY freaked out again. Even Judd Hirsch is back and having his boat trip disrupted.

Okay, so the biggest movie star of them all in Smith is taking a powder on this Earth invasion. The guy simply cannot be expected to stop every alien when he’s going for Oscars.

But this new one’s got Liam Hemsworth, and he’s now officially only walking in slow motion as hotshot Jake Morrison for this trailer. And Resurgence has got a moon base which we apparently built after the last time the aliens invaded.

And you can expect the effects to be bigger for the new film opening June 24 since special effects have come a long way (even if the last one won an Oscar for best visual effects).

To further emphasize this, the spacesuit-wearing Levinson says to new BFF Morrison: “This is definitely bigger than the last one.”

Not subtle at all.

‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ brings the gang back (except for Will Smith)

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Australia’s bestselling 10 books: The Wimpy Kid keeps hold of top spot

Daniel ‘Harry Potter’ Radcliffe gets Hollywood star

“You see that he’s just a big vulnerable sad sack underneath that black helmet”

Oscar Isaac takes on the role of Poe Dameron, a X-wing pilot in the Resistance and a leader in the fight against the First Order, in the hotly anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens. While the J.J. Abrams-directed film is shrouded in secrecy, Isaac recently sat down with TIME to discuss what the Star Wars series has meant to him throughout his life and his own analysis of his character’s journey.

TIME: What’s your personal history with Star Wars? Were you a fan? Did you see the movies in the theater? What were your feelings about Star Wars before this?

Isaac: For me, it’s been a huge part of my childhood and actually, recent life. My family and I are all pretty big fans. The earliest movie I can remember seeing in the theater was Return of the Jedi and I went with my father and it made a huge impression on me, particularly when Darth Vader’s helmet comes off. You see that he’s just a big vulnerable sad sack underneath that black helmet and how fragile he is and what it says about the way that we look up to our parents sometimes and once we realize that they’re just human. Anyway, that stuck with me a lot and I was a huge fan. It just ignited my imagination in a way I couldn’t have imagined and then as I grew up, my family were huge fans, particularly my uncle and cousins, and they would collect the toys and we’d rewatch the movies. Then when the prequels came out, we were very excited and we would throw Star Wars-themed parties and collect the toys and dress up as the characters and actually memorize the fight scenes, the duels. We’d try to reenact them with the lightsabers, but to a T. You know, say, “okay no no no he goes left, right, left, right and then down.” So yeah, it was always a great way for the family to spend some time annoying the rest of the family.

What can you tell me about the character?

I can say that he’s a pilot for the Resistance. He’s incredibly dedicated. He’s perhaps sometimes a little overenthusiastic with wanting to prove himself as a pilot and so can sometimes find himself in slightly reckless situations, in situations that he maybe didn’t anticipate. So I think part of his journey is figuring out what a real leader is, what it means to be a leader, what it means to be a hero, and yet he’s a formidable opponent to the First Order.

This Will Change How You See Darth Vader Forever

West Coast Potterheads, the day you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived. Or rather: the day you’ve been waiting for won’t arrive for another four months, but at least we finally know when it is.

Universal Studios Hollywood has finally set a spring 2016 opening date for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park. Watch the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hollywood opening date announcement, and get more details, after the jump. 

Harry Potter movie art director Alan Gilmore and actress Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) were on hand to reveal that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hollywood opening date has been confirmed for April 7, 2016.

Although April 7 marks the grand opening of the new theme park, it’s likely Universal will very likely have a soft opening earlier in the year. We’ll be keeping an ear on the ground for updates on that front.

For the most part, Universal Studios Hollywood’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter shouldn’t be too different from the one at Universal Orlando Resort. One notable difference, though, will be in the ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. For the first time in the U.S., The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s flagship ride will be in “hyper-realistic 3D-HD.” (The 3D version of the attraction first opened in Japan, but the Orlando one remains in 2D).

Universal Studios Hollywood guests will also be excited to hear that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter brings the first outdoor roller coaster to the park, Flight of the Hippogriff.

To celebrate the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opening date announcement, Universal Studios Hollywood put out a brand-new TV commercial.

The first half of this TV spot might actually do too good a job selling the fantasy. After 30 seconds spent dreamily floating among the clouds, it’s almost disappointing to come back down to earth and realize Universal Studios Hollywood’s grand solution to the tragic lack of wonder in our everyday lives is… suggesting we shell out a bunch of money to visit an amusement park.

More convincing is this previously revealed video tour, which gives you a more concrete idea of what to expect from Universal Studios Hollywood’s The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Yeah, count us in. The press release follows:

Universal City, California, December 8, 2015 – It’s official: “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™” will open at Universal Studios Hollywood on Thursday, April 7, 2016, marking the highly-anticipated arrival of the West Coast’s dynamic new immersive experience at The Entertainment Capital of L.A.

This eagerly-awaited news coincides with the launch of the destination’s spellbinding campaign, which is stylistically designed to sweep guests into the land’s magical world through the lens of imagination.

The campaign is anchored by a new television spot designed to build suspense and enthusiasm while evoking a sense of wonder and succinctly capture the magical appeal that “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” has for cross-generational consumers as it announces the April 7 opening date.

In making the exciting announcement, Universal Studios Hollywood illuminated the land’s Hogwarts castle to signal the arrival of today’s momentous news.

To see the new campaign spot including a glimpse of the new land and today’s news, please click here.

More than five years in the making, and inspired by J.K. Rowling’s compelling stories and characters that were brought to life in the Warner Bros. films, “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” is being masterfully recreated with impeccable detail as a real-world interpretation at Universal Studios Hollywood. The land will be faithful to the visual landscape of the fiction and films, including Hogwarts castle which will serve as its iconic focal point.

From its snow-capped roofs and cobblestone streets to the historic British sensibilities that characterize the whimsical look and feel of the land, “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” will transport guests of all ages to the very places they read about in the stories or watched on the silver screen.

Upon entering the land through the archway, Hogsmeade will bustle to life with the same vitality of a quaint local village: merchants hard at work, a train conductor welcoming new arrivals and a pub packed to the gills with hungry patrons, but with the added element of enthusiastic guests intent on experiencing them all, including the land’s signature ride, “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey,” and the family outdoor coaster, “Flight of the Hippogriff™.”

An achievement in pioneering theme park ride technology, “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” will make its U.S. debut at Universal Studios Hollywood in hyper-realistic 3D-HD designed to further immerse guests in an already engaging storyline. The multidimensional thrill ride features a groundbreaking robotics ride system, fused with elaborate filmed action sequences and immersive visceral effects. In this updated adaptation of the ride, guests will sport Quidditch-inspired 3D goggles as they venture through journeys experienced by Harry and his friends, spiraling and pivoting 360-degrees along an elevated ride track on a whirlwind adventure of a lifetime.

Also within “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter,” the enchanting family coaster, “Flight of the Hippogriff™” will open as Universal Studios Hollywood’s first outdoor roller coaster.

“The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” will resonate with immense detail, inviting guests to revel in Harry Potter’s world with the opportunity to enjoy authentic food and beverage at multiple locations, including Three Broomsticks™, and Hog’s Head pub, as well as the Magic Neep and Butterbeer™ carts.

A foray through the shops will add to the authenticity of the land with eight retail venues and locations, including Honeydukes™, Ollivanders™, Owl Post™, Zonko’s™ Joke Shop, Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment, Dervish and Banges, Gladrags Wizardwear and Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods™.

Currently, Universal Studios Hollywood in-park guests can experience and purchase authentic merchandise, including wands, robes and other collectibles from “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter,” available within the Features Presentation shop, located just inside the theme park’s main entry.

As the countdown to the April 7th opening date continues, the website invites guests to learn more by signing up for the latest news and information at www.universalstudioshollywood.com/harrypotter/signup.

Universal Studios Hollywood’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter Sets April Opening Date

If you’re still waiting for your letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, then you’re in luck: we have something even better. Introducing Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy, your new favorite magic school. Come for the magic tricks, stay for the nonstop orgy of fun that is “The Magicians.”

Adapted from Lev Grossman’s bestselling fantasy book series of the same name, Syfy’s “The Magicians” follows Quentin Coldwater, a twentysomething bored with his mundane life. He yearns for the same kinds of adventures found in the fantastical “Fillory and Further” book series he loves so much. You see, Quentin isn’t The Boy Who Lived as much as he’s The Boy Who Is Living (Just Barely). Surprise acceptance to a prestigious magic school, however, changes everything.

“What it takes from the books, I think, is a certain tone, the settings, most of the characters come from the books, and the general arc of the story comes from the books,” Grossman says in our exclusive video below. “But the specifics, what they do on a daily basis and how they move the arc forward, in some places, is very different from the books, which is quite exciting.”

After his Princeton grad student interview is hijacked by some elite magicians, Quentin is accepted to Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy, a secret magic school in upstate New York. If you know anything about upstate New York, then you know all there is to do is party and bulls–t, even if you practice magic. So that’s exactly what Quentin and his new friends, The Physical Kids, do.The Physical Kids — Eliot, Josh, Margo and Alice — are a group of students who study Physical Magic, and they’re the definition of #SquadGoals. They know that magic school is really effing hard, so to blow off steam, they do what most normal young people do: drink, have casual sex and get demon tattoos. Oh, and they occasionally transform themselves in arctic foxes and polar bears just for fun.

“It’s a difficult thing to adapt these books to television because a lot of it is Quentin’s journey, and what’s going on in Quentin’s head,” Olivia Taylor Dudley, who plays Alice, shares in our video above. “And now we get the chance to explore all these other beautiful characters that Lev wrote.”

It even gives the show more opportunities to explore the world of Fillory, a Narnia-esque fantasy land that is more than just the setting of Quentin’s favorite book. In fact, it’s very real — and very dangerous. (Like “Game of Thrones,” hands are severed.) That’s when he kinda becomes your atypical Hero Guy.

But every Hero Guy needs a Hero Girl, and in “The Magicians” that girl is Julia, Quentin’s best friend since childhood. After getting rejected from Brakebills, Julia practices her magic on the DL. (Unlike Hogwarts, Brakebills is an elitist establishment; it doesn’t just let any old magically inclined student through its doors.) As we watch Quentin excel at Brakebills, we will also see Julia struggling to learn magic by any means necessary in the real world.

“This is one character that I was never able to map out,” Stella Maeve, who plays Julia, says in the video. “It was one of those things where I kind of showed up and let her takeover. He looked at me and said, ’It’s so funny that you should say that because that’s exactly how I wrote her.’ He said, ’I didn’t know how to write for the twentysomething-year-old girl. But once I put the pen to the paper, she wrote herself.’”

Despite having a limited role in the first book, Julia will have a prominent presence in the series from the very first episode. MTV News has already screened the pilot episode, and trust us, it might make you want to trade in that old Gryffindor scarf for some Brakebills merch.

“The Magicians” premieres January 25, 2016 with two back-to-back episodes. But if you simply cannot wait, an early unannounced showing of the premiere will air on December 16 at 10 p.m. ET on Syfy.

‘The Magicians’ Is The Dark And Twisty ‘Harry Potter’ You’ve Always Wanted: Watch