Red 3 Now in the Works

Red 2 isn't due out in theaters until July 19, but Summit has already rehired Red/Red 2 scribes Jon and Erich Hoeber to pen a threequel to the action franchise.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian will produce Red 3. The first film earned the studio $199 million worldwide in 2010, so another installment of the over-the-hill operatives pic isn't too much of a surprise.

No deals are in place just yet, but if the script is approved, then production could start as early as January 2014.

Red 2 stars Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich and newcomers Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love by following @Max_Nicholson on Twitter, or MaxNicholson on IGN.

Microsoft Discusses Next-Gen Event, Xbox Exclusives

May 21 may be the reveal of the next Xbox, allegedly named Xbox Infinity, but "E3, if you're a gamer, it's going to be tons of exclusives, world premieres," said Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg. The head of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment business continued, "And obviously even beyond that we have a lot to share between than and this holiday."

Holiday seems appropriate for a next-gen Xbox release, of course -- Sony's PlayStation 4 is confirmed for this fall.

In a discussion on Microsoft's official gaming podcast, Major Nelson Radio, Greenberg, teased, "We definitely have a lot of surprises planned" for the Xbox Reveal event on May 21. "People are going to get a great inside look at really the making of the new platform and the team that's brought it to life."

Greenberg continued, "The team here has been hard at work for many many years on what we're going to show in the next few weeks. We have so much goodness that there's no way we could have packed it into one event."

See for yourself how the Xbox Reveal lives up to the hype on May 21. IGN's coverage of the event starts promptly at 9am Pacific and lasts throughout the day as we go behind the scenes on Microsoft's campus.

Mitch Dyer is an Associate Editor at IGN. He’s also quite Canadian. Read his ramblings on Twitter and follow him on IGN.

Hero Worship: Why It's Okay to Revisit Batman's Origin

Alongside Superman and Spider-Man, Batman’s origin is one that has permeated the boundaries of its comic book beginnings and is known the world over by nearly everybody. It’s simple and resonant; a young boy’s parents are murdered before his eyes and he swears vengeance against that superstitious and cowardly lot called criminals.

And yet, more than either Superman or Spider-Man, Batman’s origin has been revisited time and again on multiple occasions across many different mediums. While it remains to be seen what direction Warner Brothers will take with the inevitable Batman movie reboot – if they’ll go the Amazing Spider-Man route and redo the origin for the next generation or simply ignore it and introduce the character mid-career – the Batman origin is set to be retold in other mediums in 2013.

Batman: Arkham Origins aims to explore the younger days of the Arkham Asylum universe’s Dark Knight, while Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman: Zero Year will redefine the Batman origin for the New 52 continuity in the comics. While an origin video game has never been done before, Zero Year is certainly treading fragile ground as fans hold Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s Year One in the highest regard; a story that is often cited as the pinnacle of Batman comics (including on IGN’s own 25 Greatest Batman Graphic Novels list).

I understand the concern. Everyone knows Batman’s origin, so what’s left to say? The obvious answer is that we can’t be sure, and we’ll have to reserve judgment until we actually read the story (not comic fans’ strongest attribute, admittedly). But it’s worth noting that when Year One came out, Batman had already been around for nearly 50 years. Certainly, fans of the time had similar thoughts of frustration as to why DC Comics was going to spend four issues “recapping” what they already knew. In fact, this is absolutely true, as uncovered by iFanboy and Comics Alliance a few years back. Observe:

The more things change...

Sound familiar? And yet, Year One is now universally accepted as the origin for Batman, splattered pearls in the puddle and all. But the fact remains that comics evolve and the timeline shifts. Such is the way of stories that never end. Continuity and circumstances change; it’s impossible to avoid.

The natural evolution of these characters necessitates a look back at their origin from time to time to re-establish context for the modern era. Just because it’s familiar territory doesn’t mean that it can’t be done in new and interesting ways. After all, that’s exactly what Year One did.

...the more things stay the same.

As Scott Snyder has professed in our chats with him about Zero Year, events of Year One simply don’t line-up with the current DC Universe in the New 52. While superhero comics are, to a degree, about respecting what’s come before, the fact is that – continuity-wise – this isn’t the same Batman we had in 1987. And that’s okay. If the character hadn’t evolved since 1987, there would be far more important things to worry about than a new take on his origin.

To put it in perspective, it’s been 26 years since Year One. 26 years prior to Year One, this is what Batman was up to:

Batman #138, March 1961

Batman evolved from his days of scuba diving and fighting sea serpents, and the eventual result was the modern masterpiece of Year One. While Batman has remained tonally similar to what he became in the 1980s, he’s also undergone massive changes. He became a father, his Bat-family expanded, he’s seen friends brutally maimed, he’s seen friends killed, he’s lost his son; the list goes on.

Though the changes of the New 52 left Batman’s history mostly intact, the world around him changed quite a bit and thus, so did his place within it. Hopefully, Zero Year will act as the Year One of this generation; bringing Bruce Wayne’s origins up to speed with the rest of the world and contemporizing the events that would lead him to become the Dark Knight.

The most important thing to remember in superhero comics is that no matter what changes may come for any character, it never negates anything else that’s been said about them in the past. Year One is, and will remain, one of the most influential comics of all-time – as much for its artistic achievements as for its in-universe storytelling ones – and nothing that Zero Year does will change that.

As for Akrham Origins, since we’ve never had the opportunity to actually play through these early days of the Batman – save for some of those trippy Scarecrow sequences in the first game – this is less of a concern. Games are an entirely different medium as we are active participants in the story rather than just voyeurs, inherently offering an alternative experience even if Origins were to lift its script directly from Year One (which it won’t).

The idea of superheroes as modern mythology comes from the fact that these characters are reinterpreted generation after generation; the origin serves as the fundamental basis of that notion. Retold comic book origins can only be additive, as the stories are physical entities that can be acquired and enjoyed regardless of the year of publication. Year One is a book that existed in 1987, exists in 2013, and will continue existing in 2039. Any other incarnations of the Batman origin simply add to the overall myth of the character.

These kinds of tales, no matter how many times they are explored, only reiterate how important these characters have become to the fabric of our society.

Joey is a Senior Editor at IGN and a comic book creator. Follow Joey on Twitter @JoeyEsposito, or find him on IGN at Joey-IGN. He feels like he'll probably have to write a similar column in 2039 if he's not dead yet.

Weinstein Updates Crouching Tiger Sequel

Back in January, The Weinstein Company announced that it was making a sequel to Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Now, producer Harvey Weinstein says the film is on track to begin filming next March in Asia.

"I loved Ang Lee's film," Weinstein said in a statement. "I thought it was a master class in directing, but I know we are in fantastic hands with Yuen Wo Ping directing the second installment."

Director Yuen Wo Ping was the fight choreographer responsible for the first film's memorable wirework. The fighting followup is now titled Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Destiny. The cast includes Crouching Tiger's Michelle Yeoh as Yu Shu Lien.

John Fusco (The Forbidden Kingdom, Hidalgo) is writing the script adapted from the Wang Du Lu book Iron Knight, Silver Vase.

Via the LA Times

Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love by following @Max_Nicholson on Twitter, or MaxNicholson on IGN.

Feige Talks Marvel's Phase 3

Marvel's Phase Two slate is well underway, with Iron Man 3 leading the charge to the tune of a billion dollar gross already. But the fanboys of the world need to know what's next, next, next, so all (four) eyes are already looking towards Phase 3.

Check Out IGN's Massive Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki

We don't know much about Phase 3 yet, other than the fact that Edgar Wright's Ant-Man will be the first film on that slate (after Avengers 2). And in a new article at EW, it sounds like Marvel and studio president Kevin Feige haven't quite settled on what's up beyond that point either.

“I’d say 99 percent of our time right now is purely spent on Phase Two,” Feige tells the site. “It’s five colossally giant motion pictures that we have to produce. So that’s taking up the time. But within the next year or so we’ll start the advanced planning for post-Avengers 2.”

That said, Feige did discuss with the site the various projects that are at least under consideration. Read on for all the Marveliciousness:

Ant-Man:

Wright will begin work "in earnest" on this one once he finishes up this summer’s The World’s End. Interestingly, Feige says that it was in part because of Ant-Man that the decision was made to launch Marvel Studios. He recalls sitting in on pitch meetings "where confused people scrunched their faces and asked if this was about a guy who was half-ant and half-man. 'Do you know why we became our own studio?' he said. 'Because those are the conversations we used to have with studio execs. And they were very frustrating.'"

Doctor Strange:

Feige says Doctor Strange is "one of the prime candidates" for Phase Three. "I would love Strange to be a part of that only because he’s a great character. He’s a great standalone character,” he says. “He’s got a great origin story, for the most part. And that world of pure magic, we haven’t done yet. There’s a whole supernatural/magic alternate dimension going on in the Marvel comics that we haven’t ever touched on. So I think that’s exciting.” (Tell that to the Mandarin fans, Kev. Yep, I went there…)

Iron Man 4:

“I believe there will be a fourth Iron Man film and a fifth and a sixth and a 10th and a 20th,” Feige says. But, as we've heard before, he is not ruling out a reboot that would recast Tony Stark without Robert Downey, Jr. “I see no reason why Tony Stark can’t be as evergreen as James Bond. Or Batman for that matter. Or Spider-Man. I think Iron Man is a character just like that.”

Black Panther:

Despite all the rumors about T'Challa joining Avengers 2 and then getting a spinoff film from there, Feige says it's just speculation at this point. "Right now, those rumblings you hear are just evidence of the passion for this character -- internally as much as from outside," says EW.

Punisher, Ghost Rider, Blade:

As recently revealed, these characters have reverted back to Marvel after being on loan to other studios. “So Punisher, Ghost Rider, … Blade, all those characters are back,” Feige says. “They all have potential, but I think we need to find the right time.” In other words, don't expect them to be part of Phase Three.

Hulk:

Feige shoots down those Planet Hulk rumors -- the ones that had already been shot down elsewhere -- while also saying that while there is no solo Hulk movie in the works yet, “Mark [Ruffalo] could stand in his own movie. … We’re talking about it. We’re excited to sit down and go, ‘What is a stand-alone Hulk movie?’”

Inhumans:

The Inhumans had been floated by Feige in the past as a possible Phase Two team movie, though the slot they would've filled seems to have been taken by Guardians of the Galaxy. But he still seems hopeful that those wacky moon-dwellers might make it to the big screen eventually.

“… all the craziness that comes with Inhumans, we’ve done in the other movies already,” Feige says. “But this would have some of the social drama that we haven’t really done yet. [Fox’s] X-Men, obviously, has been touching on that stuff for a while.”

Runaways:

This Brian K. Vaughn comic was slated for a 2011 production start before being delayed indefinitely. Could it still happen?

“It’s a matter of where it fits,” Feige says. “The way the business is working now, you either have really inexpensive, sort of surprise movies that can come out and be hits, but don’t cost much. Or you have the big giant summer blockbusters that really swing for the fences. Right now, we’re just swinging for the fences every time. Runaways sort of falls in between those, in a way. We just haven’t found where or how to do it… right now.”

Marvel Zombies:

Feige seems inclined to not make a Marvel Zombies movie at the moment. “Are you going to draw figures in chalk with your 3-year-old with Hulk eating someone? Or Captain America with his brains coming out of the top of his head? Probably not,” Feige says. (Though I would point out that the first Minimates figures I ever bought for my son were Marvel Zombies. He was about one-year-old at the time. But that's just me.)

Still, you know, this is Marvel Studios. I wouldn't put it past them to zombify things if even with a standalone film at some point…

For even more from Feige, head over to EW.

Talk to Senior Editor Scott Collura on Twitter at @ScottIGN, on IGN at scottcollura and on Facebook.

Trion Hit By Massive Layoffs

Layoffs have hit Trion Worlds. IGN sources suggest that well over half the company has been let go, with some suggesting numbers as high as 80%.

The San Diego studio -- where development of MMO Defiance took place -- is said to have been hit the hardest. A source suggests that employees are being escorted out of the building and that senior leaders from various Trion teams may not receive severance due to "undelivered services." Another source tells us the layoffs were at all studios, "mostly Defiance support staff and dev staff."

A Trion representative confirmed the layoffs and provided the following statement to IGN:

"To best position Trion in a rapidly changing industry, we have reorganized our teams and are expanding our free to play offering. With Defiance, we delivered a great game that more than one million gamers registered to play and continue to enjoy. As we progress from launch to ongoing development of the game, we are adjusting our staffing levels to deliver new content and improved features. RIFT, and our other titles in development, were unaffected by these changes. We are very much looking forward to the free to play release of RIFT and are excited by the other new titles currently in development."

This is the second recent round of layoffs at Trion, following layoffs from the Rift development team in December. Earlier this week, Trion announced that Rift will soon transition to a free-to-play model.

If anyone with additional knowledge of the situation would like to contact us, submit a news tip.

IGN wishes the best of luck to anyone affected by today’s news.

Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following @garfep on Twitter or garfep on IGN.

Amazon Decides to Bring Alpha House and Betas to Series After Passing on Zombieland

Last month Amazon released 14 new pilots simultaneously, eight comedies and six children's shows. The outlet's plan was to analyze the reaction to these initial 14 to decide which they’d commit to with a full series order. It's already been confirmed that the most high-profile of the potential pilots, Zombieland, will not be receiving a series order. Indeed, Zombieland co-writer Rhett Reese took to twitter to say  that he felt that fan pre-hate effectively killed the pilot.

Alpha House" Pilot Review

According to Deadline, Amazon has decided to pick-up Alpha House, the D.C.-set political comedy starring John Goodman and written by Garry Trudeau and Betas, the Silicone Valley-set comedy which was produced by Michael London and written by Evan Endicott and Josh Stoddard.

Betas Pilot Review

No word yet on the other potential series, including one of our favorites Those Who Can't, though things reportedly look positive for The Onion News Empire. We will keep you updated as details emerge.

Roth Cornet is an Entertainment Editor for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @RothCornet and IGN at Roth-IGN.