• Sylvester Stallone Slams the Latest Rocky Spin-Off, Calls Producers ‘Parasites’

    Rocky star Sylvester Stallone is extremely upset about the new Rocky and Creed spin-off, has dubbed the franchise's owners 'parasites', and called out Dolph Lundgren for not telling him about plans for the movie in advance.

    After hearing about Drago – the upcoming film starring Dolph Lundgren and Florian Munteanu, Stallone unleashed a damning rant via Instagram:

    “Heartbreaker… Just found this out… ONCE AGAIN, IRWIN WINKLER , this PATHETIC 94 year old PRODUCER and HIS MORONIC VULTURE CHILDREN, Charles And David , are once again picking clean THE BONES of another wonderful character I created without even telling me,” he said. “I APOLOGIZE to the FANS , I never wanted ROCKY characters to be exploited by these parasites… By the way, I once had nothing but respect for Dolph but he NEVER told me about what was going on behind my back with the character I created for him !!! REAL FRIENDS Are more precious than gold.”

    Stallone is clearly unimpressed by the news of Creed’s upcoming spin-off – a film that will focus on the Russian father and son boxing duo, Ivan and Viktor Drago. Irwin Winkler is one of the producers of the Rocky franchise, and who has presumably been a part of getting this spin-off off the ground.

    “WINKLER And FAMILY SUCK ROCKY DRY!” he added in a separate post, depicting Winkler as a vampire draining blood from Rocky Balboa. “Presumed to be the most hated , untalented , decrepited [sic], producer in Hollywood and his cowardly children have found their next meal… Drago ? Throughout history so many artists in every industry, recording, painting, writing, you name it have been destroyed by these blood suckers who have destroyed so many families, lining their pockets with other people work. #parasite producers #exploited artists victims.”

    Stallone has been very vocal about his displeasure with the current state of the Rocky franchise. Only last month, he called on social media to help him regain the rights to the series he created. Stallone has already pulled out of appearing in Creed 3.

    After Lundgren’s appearance in Creed 2, it’s no surprise to see him back in the franchise proper. He had also been teasing a Drago spin-off for some time, so it shouldn’t really come as that much of a surprise to Stallone… at least, if he’d been paying attention.

    However, it looks as though Lundgren and Stallone may have already smoothed things over:

    “Just to set the record straight regarding a possible Drago spinoff,” said Lundgren via Instagram. “There’s no approved script, no deals in place, no director and I was personally under the impression that my friend Sly Stallone was involved as a producer or even as an actor. There was a press leak last week which was unfortunate. In touch with Mr Balboa – just so all the fans can relax…There ya go.”

    Creed 2 starred Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed, with Sylvester Stallone returning as the former Heavyweight champion turned coach, Rocky Balboa.

    The sequel saw Adonis takes on the son of Ivan Drago – the former Russian champion, Rocky’s nemesis, and the man who ultimately killed Adonis’ father with a knockout blow during an exhibition match in Rocky 4. Florian Munteanu starred as Viktor Drago and is expected to return in the upcoming Creed 3.

    Creed 3 has already been pushed back from its November release date and is now expected to debut in March next year.

    Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

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    Tony Hawk Sang With a Tony Hawk Cover Band and Gave a Crowd in the UK a Night to Remember

    Tony Hawk has once again proved why he is just a wonderful human being as he recently jumped on stage with a Tony Hawk cover band called The 900 in the UK to sing a couple of songs for a very surprised crowd.

    Hawk took to Twitter to share a video of him and The 900 singing Agent Orange's Bloodstains, which appeared in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4, at Signature Brew Haggerston. Hawk also said that Bloodstains was a huge inspiration for him in helping shape the soundtracks for his games.

    "My / our rendition of Agent Orange's Bloodstains from last night's show at @SignatureBrewE8," Hawk wrote. "This was one of the first punk songs I heard as a kid and it was a catalyst for shaping the soundtracks to THPS games. Thanks to @The900Banduk for summoning me to the stage!"

    Hawk and The 900 also sang Goldfinger's Superman, which appeared in in the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and again in both Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2.

    Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is the latest entry in the long-running and beloved skateboarding franchise and, in our review, we said that it "is such a tremendous turnaround from 2015’s disastrously dismal Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 that it’s difficult to believe they share even a shred of DNA. The accessible yet tricky skating is earnest and old-school fun, the wonderful looking levels are lovingly designed odes to the past, and the music is like the hearty embrace of an old childhood buddy."

    For more on Tony Hawk, check out our look at how Tony Hawk's Pro Skater made games cool for '90s kids, the making of THPS' soundtrack, and our interview of Tony Hawk him about going from a skateboarding superstar to a video game icon.

    Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

    Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

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    Pat Carroll, the Emmy and Grammy Award-Winning Voice Behind The Little Mermaid’s Ursula, Dies at 95

    Pat Carroll, the Emmy and Grammy Award-winning voice behind The Little Mermaid's Ursula and an entertainer whose career lasted over 70 years, has died at the age of 95.

    As reported by Variety, Carroll's death was confirmed by her representative, Derek Maki, and he shared that Carroll "died with her best friend by her side" in Cape Cod, Massachusetts while recovering from pneumonia.

    Carroll was born on May 5, 1927, in Shreveport, Louisiana, and her family moved to Los Angeles when she was five. Before becoming an actor and securing her first role in 1947 in the film Hometown Girl, she enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II.

    After Hometown Girl, she would appear on many variety shows and would win an Emmy Award in 1956 for her work on Sid Caesar's House. She could also be seen in Make Room for Daddy, The Jimmy Durante Show, The Danny Thomas Show, Too Close for Comfort, and She's the Sherriff.

    Carroll also popped up on some of the most iconic TV shows of all time, including The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Laverene & Shirley, The Love Boat, Designing Women, and ER alongside a handful of game shows.

    She would win a Grammy in 1980 for best spoken word (documentary or drama) for her performance as Gertrude Stein in her one-woman theater show.

    1989's The Little Mermaid would prove to be one of her best roles and she helped make Ursula one of the most beloved villains in Disney's long history. Carroll would continue to lend her voice to Ursula in the following years, including for video games like Kingdom Hearts, Disney theme park attractions, and the 1993 Little Mermaid CBS series.

    Carroll is survived by her daughters, Kerry Karsian and Tara Karasian, and her granddaughter, Evan Karsian-McCormick.

    Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

    Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

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    Aussie Streaming Guide: The Best TV & Movies for August on Netflix, Disney, Prime and Binge!

    When it comes to binge watching TV, winter is the best season for it. There's no guilt factor compared to the rest of the year. It's bloody freezing outside (or flooding). Of course the sensible play is to stay inside, de-pants, popcorn up and watch telly. Sadly, August is the last winter opportunity you've got, but I've got plenty of shows/movies to make your final Netflix and literal chill sessions memorable.

    The monthly catalogue refresh of the five major streaming networks represents thousands of hours of viewing possibilities. Clearly you're only one person, though, with very little free time. So let me serve you nothing but the best TV bandwidth and bucks can buy.

    With all that said, let's explore my top three picks of the month’s schedule – House of the Dragon, Andor and Prey.

    Best of the Bunch Streaming TV, August 2022

    New in August on Foxtel and Binge

    Though Westerosi winter isn't coming for at least 200 odd years, it's gonna be mighty ice to see Game of Thrones' prequel, House of the Dragon. This series will chronicle the graceful rise (and colossal nosedive) of House Targaryen. Better yet, it's being showrun by the Emmy award-winning directors of that Battle of the Bastards episode.

    My other picks include Tom Holland in the game-to-movie blockbuster Uncharted. Same deal with The Soparanos sequel The Many Saints of Newark and that "who's gonna freeze first?" reality show Alone: Frozen.

    Related: Sign up for a free 14-day Binge

    New in August on Netflix

    If you dig occasional coarse language and action that's gritty, of course The Sandman will be your thing. Exec Produced by David S. Goyer and based on the Neil Gaiman's comic, this series follows Morpheus — imprisoned King of Dreams — as he makes a cosmic comeback.

    Additional shoulder taps go to Jamie Foxx going full John Wick on vampires in Day Shift. Also the Sliding Doorsesque pregnancy 'what if' tale of Look Both Ways and the self-explanatory reality TV series Indian Matchmaking.

    Related: Secure your subscription to Netflix

    New in August on Disney Plus

    If you like your heroines lime-green and litigious, well, you'll have few objections against She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. In the interest of avoiding spoilers, I'm going to take the Fifth and keep discovery to a minimum. That said, it's no secret that Tim Roth (Abomination), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), and Benedict Wong (er…Wong) are all starters.

    You should also set course for the morally grey Rebel antics of Star Wars: Andor. That's backed by a surprisingly great Predator franchise entry called Prey and Steve Carell playing a captive shrink to a serial killer in The Patient.

    Related: Sign up for Disney Plus

    New in August on Amazon Prime Video

    While it's a shame Tom Hanks couldn't be lured back from "the bigs" for this, A League of Their Own is still a series worth lacing one's cleats up for. The setup is still as timeless as it ever was: a comedic look at the WWII All-American professional women's baseball league. Homerun potential is high.

    Make extra time Thirteen Lives, Ron Howard's star-studded retelling of the Tham Luang cave rescue. I also dug Stallone doing his best Mr. Incredible impression in Samaritan and the fashion reality series Making the Cut (which does exactly that).

    New in August on Stan

    Arguably one of the best series to ever grace television, Better Call Saul is dispensing its final episodes on Stan this month. Come and witness the dismount that decides if this lawyerly Breaking Bad prequel can eclipse its progenitor. Personally, i say Jimmy ain't slippin'. He's well on track for greatness.

    You should also keep your square eyes peeled for new eps of reality TV darling RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under. Ditto for that sizzling Kevin Bacon crime-drama called City on a Hill and the docuseries House of Ho.

    Related: Score your free 30-day trial of Stan

    Adam Mathew is our Aussie streaming savant. He's @grizwords and games on YouTube.

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    Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek Legend Who Played Nyota Uhura, Dies at 89

    Nichelle Nichols, the Star Trek legend who played Nyota Uhura on Star Trek: The Original Series, has died at the age of 89.

    Nichols son, Kyle Johnson, shared the news on his mother's official Instagram account, saying that he regrets to inform us that "a great light in the firmament no longer shines for us as it has for so many years."

    "Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away," Kyle Johnson wrote. "Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration. Her's was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.

    "I, and the rest of our family, would appreciate your patience and forbearance as we grieve her loss until we can recover sufficiently to speak further. Her services will be for family members and the closest of her friends and we request that her and our privacy be respected."

    Nichols was born in Robbins, Illinois in 1932 and was one of six children. She would grow up in Chicago and would make her first big appearance as an actor in the musical Kicks and Co. in 1961. She would act in other roles following that one, including as a guest star in Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's first series The Lieutenant, but Star Trek was where she made her historic mark.

    Her legendary run as Nyota Uhura in Star Trek: The Original Series can't be justly put into words. She was one of the first black women to be featured in a major television series and would pave the way for so many others that followed her.

    However, Nichols almost left Star Trek after only a year on the series, but Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a huge fan of Star Trek, changed her mind and said she "could not give up" because she was making such a difference for black children and young women around the world.

    Nichols is also part of what is cited as the first interracial kiss on scripted U.S. television when she kissed William Shatner's Captain James T. Kirk on the Star Trek episode "Plato's Stepchildren."

    Following the cancellation of Star Trek: The Original Series in 1969, Nichols would continue on as Uhura in Star Trek: The Animated Series and six Star Trek films.

    After Nichols stopped playing her, the role of Nyota Uhura lived on with Zoe Saldana playing her in the Kelvin timeline films and Celia Rose Gooding becoming a younger version of her in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

    Besides Star Trek, Nichols recieved her first Daytime Emmy nomination for her work on The Young and the Restless and also appeared in an episode of Futurama, Gargoyles, Batman: The Animated Series, Snow Dogs, Heroes, The Blacks, and more.

    She also worked closely with NASA to help recruit minorities and females to the agency.

    Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

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