Sad news as The Purple One passes away, Supergirl‘s first flight comes to a close, deciphering details of the next PlayStation upgrade, Hasbro solidifies plans for a massive movie universe, and a new look at Jason Bourne.
Here’s “The Week in Fandom” for April 21:
Prince Dies at Age 57
Legendary artist Prince died on Thursday at age 57. News of the iconic musician’s death broke shortly after he was found unresponsive in his Paisley Park studio. Prince had been briefly admitted to the hospital days earlier suffering from flu-like symptoms.
While the Artist has gone, he left an unforgettable musical legacy. Over the course of his career, Prince sold over 100 million records worldwide making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He won seven Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
Supergirl Season Finale Cliffhanger
The first season of CBS’ Supergirl came to a close this week with “Better Angels,” an episode that brought Kara’s origin arc to a suitable conclusion, while teasing a shocking surprise when the show returns in the fall.
Beware of spoilers! The episode ends as Kara’s party is interrupted by a flaming object in the sky. She flies to investigate only to discover another Kryptonian pod, much like the one that brought her to Earth. Who or what is inside? Are they friend or foe? We won’t know the answer until Supergirl returns in October.
What Is PlayStation NEO?
Leaked documents appeared online earlier this week supposedly detailing the specifications of the rumored upgrade to the PlayStation 4, referred to until now as the PS4.5 or PS4K. Sources close to the project have confirmed the existence of the hardware, known internally as the PS4 Neo.
The new console will reportedly contain an upgraded CPU, an improved GPU, and faster memory. What this means in layperson’s terms is that games will run more smoothly on the NEO than they will on the PS4. That’s pretty much it. While the NEO contains the capacity to run games in 4K resolution, optimizing games for the format isn’t required.
Hasbro Solidifies Shared Movie Universe
Hasbro, the toy giant who owns the rights to G.I. Joe, Micronauts, Visionaries, ROM the Spaceknight, and M.A.S.K., has announced plans to link the nostalgia-heavy franchises together in a shared cinematic universe, a la Marvel. On Thursday, they announced an impressive group of behind-the-scenes talent who will (hopefully) right the ship of the Joe franchise, and introduce a slew of others.
Michael Chabon, Brian K. Vaughn, and Nicole Perlman have been brought on to head up the writers’ room. Chabon wrote the essential novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Vaughn is responsible for landmark comics like Y: The Last Man and Ex Machina (no relation to the excellent movie), and Perlman is a screenwriter on Guardians of the Galaxy and the upcoming Captain Marvel film. Akiva Goldsman will also be a guiding force in the project.
New Jason Bourne Trailer Looks Great
The new trailer for Jason Bourne is here, and fans of the Matt Damon franchise will not be disappointed. The film appears to be something of a soft reboot, meant to work as an entry point for new viewers, but provide an equally rewarding story for long-time fans. Damon looks like he never left the role, and the action we see in the trailer looks pretty bombastic even for this franchise. That could be due to the return of director Paul Greengrass.
Universal has set a release date of July 29 for the movie. The Bourne films have all done very well at the box office, and with the added marquee value of Damon’s return, it’s very likely that Jason Bourne could be one of the summer’s biggest hits.
