First Look At Rupert Friend As The Super Assassin Agent 47

Originally published on For Your Excitement.  21 February  2014.

The first look of Rupert Friend as Agent 47 has been revealed. IGN posted the picture from the video game adaptation’s set of the Homeland star, who looks every bit like his digital counterpart.

Agent 47 is a follow up to The Hitman, which starred Timothy Olyphant and was based on the video game of the same name.

Last month, Friend replaced the late Paul Walker in sequel’s the titular role as the genetically-engineered super assassin. Plot details for the film have yet to be released officially but ScreenRant notes previous reports that had 47 protecting a young waitress from a group called the Syndicate.

Full production on Agent 47, which also stars Zachary Quinto and Hannah Ware, begins next week in Berlin and will then move to Singapore.

Drivers, Start Your Engines: Need For Speed Super Cars Revealed In Behind-the-Scenes Featurette

Originally published on PopWrapped.  24 January 2014.

To rev up audiences for its feature film, Need for Speed, DreamWorks Pictures has been debuting featurettes every Tuesday. This time we get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the biggest stars of the movie: the cars.

Based on the best-selling racing video game series, Need for Speed pits blue-collar mechanic Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul) against an ex-NASCAR driver Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper) in a dangerous underground race. Marshall is out for revenge against Brewster who framed him for manslaughter but he will have to dodge cops and Dino’s bounty hunters along the way.

The film promises plenty of intense racing action, which means they need cars that are up to the task.

Check out the featurette below to see how the production uses replica vehicles that match the look, feel, and speed of multi-million dollar cars.

Also starring Imogen Poots, Kid Cudi, and Michael Keaton, Need for Speed hits theaters in the UK on March 12 and in the U.S. on March 14.

Gran Turismo 6 Adds Sebastian Vettel To Game Experience In New Update

Originally published on PopWrapped.  19 December 2013.

If you have ever wanted to learn how to drive a racecar from one the greatest drivers of all time, the new update for Gran Turismo 6 is your chance. Available now, the update introduces Sebastian Vettel as one of the racing game’s mentors.

For those of us not as up to date on the world of Formula One racing, Vettel is the reigning world champion four years running. Only 26-years-old, he is one of the most dominant and successful Formula One drivers ever.

“To be taught how to drive downforce cars by the best racing driver in the world is very special,” said Kazunori Yamauchi, president of game developer Polyphony Digital.
Gran Turismo 6 was released just two weeks ago for PS3 and hit number eight on the all-format games chart. Along with Vettel, who drives for Red Bull Racing, the update for the game includes new Red Bull cars and the Red Bull X Challenge though commentators were quick to point out that these additions simply supplement Vettel’s inclusion.

The update, which comes so soon after the game’s release, may be an attempt to boost game sales, which have been significantly lower than Gran Turismo 5’s. In their review of Gran Turismo 6, Digital Spy remarks that there is little difference between the game and its predecessor. With the additional of Vettel and his Red Bull challenge and cars, Gran Turismo 6 could be looking to quiet those criticisms and bring in some new players.