Walt Disney Animation Studios' 60th feature film, Encanto, is a magical adventure featuring original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda that aims to be an absolute show-stopper. Premiering in theaters on November 24, right in the middle of Thanksgiving week in the U.S., Encanto seeks to dazzle and delight the entire family with a star-studded, heartfelt tale of – well – an entire family!

Set in Colombia, home to both magical realism and some of the greatest biodiversity on Earth, the film tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains, in a magical house, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift from super-strength to the power to heal — every child except one, Mirabel (Brooklyn Nine-Nine and In the Heights' Stephanie Beatriz). But when Mirabel discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, she decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might be her family’s only hope.

Directed by Byron Howard (Zootopia, Tangled), Jared Bush (Moana, Zootopia), and Charise Castro Smith, Encanto takes the animated musical to another level, telling a story with a very large ensemble, each character with their own personality, dimensions, and unique qualities. Speaking to the press, Howard spoke about just how integral Lin-Manuel Miranda was to the entire project. "I directed Tangled. Jared wrote Moana. And we knew that if we wanted to take a fresh approach to musicals, we were going to need to work with the best. And luckily on Moana Jared worked with [Miranda]. So we looked at a large, extended family and how these complex dynamics really work. And it became an exciting challenge for us."

The Songs of Lin-Manuel Miranda

Speaking to IGN, co-director Charise Castro Smith mentioned how Miranda's songs helped them all see the characters in new ways they'd never considered. "There are eight original songs in this movie that Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote and they are each mind-boggling in their own right," she shared. "It was such a joy collaborating with him on this. Jared and I were crafting the script, just coming up with ideas and bouncing them off him and when we were coming up with the song moments in the story we would pass those off to him and he would write incredible songs that would then inform characters through the rest of the movie. It would help form the story. He was a huge partner for us from the beginning and a very close collaborator with us throughout the entire process."

Director Jared Bush further explained how the songs worked to deepen a character. Regarding a song called "Surface Pressure," sung by Mirabel's ultra-strong sister Luisa (Jessica Darrow), Howard told IGN that Miranda's lyrics gave Luisa more depth.

"I think early on we knew that we had this sister who is incredibly strong and had all of these responsibilities but what [Miranda] added to that song, that really informed her character and changed her, was this notion of that responsibility being so hard and how behind-the-scenes with her it was a struggle," said Bush. "And I think he looked to his own family for that, and to give voice to that. It's a responsibility that some people take on, happily, but it does take a toll. And then knowing that with that character actually really grounded her. She's a fun, comedic, and broad character but to have this grounded soul really changed the way we saw her as she moved through the script."

One of Encanto's Heads of Animation, Kira Lehtomaki, broke down some of the process for animating these very large and complex musical numbers.

"The songs by Lin were a complete joy," she explained to IGN, "but also they were some of the most challenging things for us to animate. Because not only is there the musicality, which means the characters have to be dancing and moving to the beat and rhythm — so there is a constraint there and a technicality there — but also with Lin's songs you have very quick lyrics, and getting that lip-synced and the breathing correct was tricky."

"We wanted to make sure we got all of that right so we had a lot of people helping us," she continued. "We had professional singers who would talk about how they perform on stage. We had choreographers come in. The directors even wrote monologues for what each of the characters were thinking and feeling during the songs, and they would give them to Lin to help inspire him when he was writing the lyrics to the songs. Then once we got Lin's demos, we were able to engage our choreographer, Jamal Sims, and then our dance consultant, Kai Martinez, almost immediately."

Mirabel, the Relatable and Imperfect Heroine

Encanto features the voice (and singing) talents of Diane Guerrero, Wilmer Valderrama, John Leguizamo, Angie Cepeda, Rhenzy Feliz, and more, but it's Beatriz's Mirabel who the directors think audiences will most fall in love with.

"The movies that we worked on right before this — Zootopia and Moana — both had female characters at the center of them," Bush told IGN, "but to me it's actually really exciting to be at the center of this revolution where Mirabel is unlike any character we've ever put on screen before."

"She's unbelievably human," Bush added. "She's super flawed and she's imperfect and weird and she gets it wrong, and she keeps trying in ways that are not always the best. Which I really really love about her. What Stephanie [Beatriz] was able to do with Mirabel was absolutely bonkers. She ad-libbed a lot of what you hear on screen. She has to sing a lot in this movie, both on her own and with other characters, but for me I think that her unique personality is going to be something that a lot of people can relate to."

Relatability was the name of the game here, with the creation of Mirabel. "When I was first getting into animation I was in college," Howard explained, "and I saw The Little Mermaid for the first time and for me Ariel kind of brought a new life to Disney heroines. "She felt like she was a great step up in storytelling because she felt like people I knew. Whereas before, with the characters in the movies, I would say 'I like them,' but this new kind of relatability was huge with Ariel. And I think with Mirabel, she is, from the get-go, someone in your family who's very relatable. She's an underdog who feels like they're not worthy. I think all of us feel that way and for me that was key."

Disney's Encanto, along with the new Disney short Far From the Tree, will premiere theatrically in the U.S, on on November 24, 2021. Brush up on all the big movies debuting over the next few months by checking out IGN's Fall 2021 Movie Guide.

Valve could be working on a standalone virtual reality headset, similar to the Oculus Quest and Quest 2.

Spotted first by YouTuber Brad Lynch (SadlyItsBradley), multiple references to a device codenamed "Deckard" have been found inside Valve's SteamVR code. Lynch notes that the information he found indicates multiple iterations of the headset exist, including a "proof of concept" version, which was last updated in June. The code string also mentions the term "standalone," in addition to a string of code that implies Deckard may feature internal processing power, meaning the headset would function without being tethered to another device like a computer.

Outlet Ars Technica has also reported on the existence of Deckard through its own sources, noting the information Lynch reported on was fact, but only in terms of products that Valve was currently making from within its headquarters — further noting that these products do not always get a retail release. Ars Technica also confirmed that the rumored VR headset has updated optics, meaning you would be able to move the lens closer to your face, offering a few benefits such as better weight distribution and performance.

Valve already released its own virtual reality headset, the Index, in 2019, but that headset requires external sensors and a PC to function. The reports that Valve could be working on a standalone VR headset are interesting as the company is currently working on its first handheld gaming device, Steam Deck. Though the Steam Deck's FAQ mentions that while the headset can technically be connected to a VR headset, the handheld is "not optimized" for VR gaming.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

No Time to Die will debut in international theaters on Sept. 30, and in the U.S. on Oct. 8.

A global pandemic is exactly the kind of obstacle you’d expect 007 to face, but not in the most literal of forms. But finally, after almost two years of theatrical delays, No Time to Die has made it to the big screen, and that’s exactly where the concluding film of the Daniel Craig era deserves to be watched, too. An explosive and emotive adventure, it’s yet another Bond movie classically calibrated for theaters. Unfortunately, though, it’s torn between offering modern thrills and old-school tropes, making for an uneven watch. As such, No Time to Die works as a reasonable and enjoyable farewell to Craig, but falls short of topping the saga’s high points.

As you’d expect for his swan song outing, No Time to Die is a showcase of everything Craig has brought to Bond. A well-shaken cocktail that’s equal parts grizzled and emotional, he continues to work as a 007 that subverts the classic mold of the character, even if the film around him is doggedly determined to lean old school. As a fighter, he’s enjoyably brutish, ever Britain’s blunt instrument and rejecting any sense of elegance in the line of duty. But Craig will be best remembered for turning a weapon into a human, and No Time to Die doubles down on that idea. He runs the emotional gamut here, from moments of genuine happiness and love, to fury and even sadness. Craig handles it all with incredible skill, leaving behind the unshakable impression that he’s not just been the right Bond for modern times, but the best of them all.

He’s able to do this despite No Time to Die being an overly safe and largely unsurprising outing for 007. It’s a film at war with itself; in many ways, this is a thoroughly modern Bond movie, but it all too often seems like it’s ticking off franchise tropes in a manner that feels as if No Time To Die is enslaved to the past rather than simply paying homage. The result is a story that ties up all the dense plot threads that have flowed through the Craig era, but also attempts to tell a standalone tale that feels plucked from the 1960s. The former is fascinating but the latter is shallow and dull, and while these components are elegantly dovetailed, the structure of the story crams the best stuff into the first hour of a film that runs for a gargantuan 163 minutes.

To the credit of director Cary Joji Fukunaga, No Time to Die never feels as long as its runtime. It motors along at pace, particularly in the fantastically twisty opening act, and introduces new concepts with each major turn. As it does this, it’s consistently handsome; there’s gorgeous wide shots of Italy that are near enough drawn in sepia tone, a sequence in Norway where you can practically feel the chill of the ice, and a forest chase shrouded by so much fog and tension it becomes something akin to a horror scene. There’s some accomplished and impactful action here too, especially when it comes to the series’ staple of car chases. An early sequence featuring Bond’s gadget-packed Aston Martin DB5 is an absolute belter, and undoubtedly the best use of a vehicle in the series since Casino Royale earned a world record for flipping its DBS seven times in a row. But while the direction is strong, there’s nothing quite as memorable or special as Sam Mendes’ work on Skyfall. I can’t help but wonder if Fukunaga is hampered by the traditions of the series, which perhaps has no tolerance for something as adventurous as his efforts on True Detective and Maniac.

He may not get to flex his more unique directorial muscles, but Fukunaga orchestrates a cast of new and familiar characters that, for the most part, are operating at the top of their game. One of this era’s best assets is the interpersonal connections between Bond and the people he works with, and that’s as evident as ever here. There’s great conflict between Bond and his MI6 chief, M (Ralph Fiennes), that helps propel a morally messy plot forward. Christoph Waltz’s Blofeld returns and while he’s unambiguously cast as Bond’s Hannibal Lecter, the duo’s interactions are equal parts shockingly aggressive and enjoyably humorous. Providing a delightfully fresh spin on espionage is Ana de Armas, whose CIA agent Paloma spills over with Chaotic Good energy that opens up Craig’s more endearing side. She’s the best non-Bond character in the entire movie, which makes her fleeting appearance feel quite the missed opportunity.

Bond’s closest relationships in No Time to Die are reserved for Léa Seydoux’s Madeleine Swann, who returns from Spectre, and Lashana Lynch’s Nomi. Seydoux’s gloomy performance fails to captivate but the love between Swann and Bond does, especially when haunted by the shadow of James’ former lover, Vesper Lynd. There’s an authentic sense of difficulty to their relationship, and while a couple of important details feel skimmed over rather than thoroughly investigated, their romance nonetheless serves to make Bond incredibly human. If that all sounds a bit much for an action flick, it’s balanced out by Lynch’s new 00 agent, who acts as both a fun rival and valuable partner to Bond. The bickering between the two can be a bit much at times, but when it’s at its best, the banter keeps the rivalry snappy and amusing. That’s something that applies across the board; No Time to Die is much funnier than the brooding goodbye I expected.

Not funny at all is Rami Malek’s villain, Safin, who’s less a character and more a backstory in human form. Armed with barely anything beyond the tired Bond tropes of a genocidal weapon, a foreign accent, and a disfigured face, Safin is an underdeveloped and uninteresting foe. Yet, bafflingly, the story is so fascinated by him that it sacrifices the chance to provide a satisfying and meaningful end to Bond’s long-running conflicts that started in Casino Royale. It’s this trade that ultimately does the most harm to No Time to Die; while the film still remains enjoyable, its focus is so formulaic that during the second half, it rarely feels like the momentous final chapter in the Craig era that it should be.

Marvel has said that Insomniac's Spider-Man 2 will present fans with a "darker" follow-up to its previous two installments, comparing the game's tone to The Empire Strikes Back.

Speaking on a recent episode of the This Week in Marvel podcast, Creative Vice President of Marvel Entertainment Bill Rosemann gave fans a brief insight into what they can expect from Spider-Man 2.

"If the first Spider-Man game was Star Wars, Spider-Man 2 is kind of our Empire," Rosemann said. "It gets a little darker." Insomniac's first Spidey adventure did well to set fans up with the studio's take on Peter Parker by exploring elements of the character's superhero secret identity and relationships without leaning too far too early into some of Spidey's grittier storylines.

Similarly, the studio's release of Spider-Man: Miles Morales gave fans a story exploring a teenage Miles establishing himself and finding his rhythm as a superhero while Peter Parker was out of the picture taking annual leave.

That's not to say that neither character faces darker elements within their respective storylines, but there's definitely room for Insomniac to explore further now that both characters have established themselves. From the teaser trailer shown off during Insomniac's reveal of Spider-Man 2 at this year's PlayStation Showcase, we know that the sequel will see Peter and Miles teaming up to take on notorious symbiote villain, Venom.

As a Marvel villain, Venom's appetite for destruction and aggression lends himself well to a darker storyline in Spider-Man 2. While Venom isn't always depicted as being truly evil, such as in Tom Hardy's recent movie adaptations of the character, the symbiote life-form certainly has the potential to create for a far more sinister fully-blown sequel.

Elsewhere in the interview, Rosemann remained relatively tight-lipped when talking about Insomniac's upcoming Wolverine game, which was also showed off in a brief teaser trailer at this year's PlayStation Showcase. "We will eventually reveal when Wolverine is aimed to launch," Rosemann said. "For more, go back and study those trailers – they are packed with details and Easter eggs."

For more on Spider-Man 2 make sure to check out our breakdown of the game's teaser trailer where we explore what villains could be coming to Insomniac's Marvel universe and how Venom could end up featuring in the upcoming sequel. Alternatively, if you'd like a bit more insight into why the game isn't being released until 2023, then check out this article where Venom voice actor Tony Todd talks a little more about the scale of Spider-Man 2.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Alan Taylor, the director behind Thor: The Dark World, has expressed interest in returning to the MCU to helm a director's cut of the Marvel sequel.

During a recent interview with Inverse, Taylor said he would very much like to be given the opportunity to revisit The Dark World, and referred to Zack Snyder's recent experience with Justice League as an example of how he would approach the sequel a second time, though he doesn't really expect it to work out like that for him.

"I was cheering for Zack Snyder when he was doing that and thinking, 'Will he pull this off? This is amazing,'" Taylor told the outlet. "I think every director was kind of rooting for that. I would love to, I mean to. Can you imagine that? They give me however many millions of dollars they gave him to go back in. Yeah, I don't think I'm going to get that phone call."

Taylor also addressed some of the changes that were made to the 2013 MCU installment as he explained how the studio decided to change direction after initially bringing him on board to add a touch of "Game of Thronesiness" to the Thor sequel. He said decisions were made in post-production that ultimately altered the movie's narrative and tone.

"For me, the process was not fun," Taylor admitted, reflecting back on his own personal experience of working on the Marvel movie. "I focused all my attention on making a certain movie, and then in the editing process, decisions were made to change it a lot. [Kevin Feige has] got an empire he's running and things have to be changed to fit into other things.

"My regret was that the movie that got released was changed quite a bit in a way that I couldn't shape really," he said in conclusion, looking back on the project. "I mean, I shot all the material that we put in the movie, but we set out to make one movie, and then major plot points were reversed in post. It's not the ideal way to work."

Thor: The Dark World was by no means a box office bomb. The sequel earned $644 million globally, but production seemed troubled before Taylor even arrived on the scene. Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins bowed out as director due to script issues, as she didn't believe she "could make a good movie out of the script that they were planning on doing."

This isn't the first time that Taylor has been vocal about his experience on Thor 2, either. In an interview earlier this year, he offered up a few more details about the unseen Taylor Cut of The Dark World after admitting he had "lost the will to live as a director" following negative backlash to the poorly received Thor sequel — and later Terminator: Genisys.

In the aftermath of those releases, Taylor returned to TV where he directed episodes of Roadside Picnic, Game of Thrones, and Electric Dreams. His most recent project, The Many Saints of Newark, is out now in UK cinemas and will hit US theaters and HBO Max on October 1. However, there are four things you should know before watching the Sopranos prequel.

Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.