Latest news with #Hades
The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
The West End Hercules is full of wit and energy – but Hades stole the show
I WAS swept headfirst into Ancient Greece like a thunderbolt from Zeus himself - straight into a world of gods, grandeur and glittering choruses. Inspired by the iconic '90s cartoon, this modern revamp of Disney's Hercules was a visual feast packed with sass, sparkle and out-of-this-world vocals. 8 8 8 It's got laugh-out-loud comedy, whip-smart one-liners, and enough feel-good vibes to make even Hades crack a smile. It's a mythological mash-up bursting with energy, attitude and family-friendly fun - no matter your age, you'll leave grinning like Hercules after lifting Mount Olympus one-handed. It had all the songs you loved from the original film - plus fresh new tunes that hit harder than Hades' mood swings. While the show bursts with insane vocals and dazzling visuals - it's the villain who steals the limelight. With a devilish grin, razor-sharp one-liners and show-stopping swagger, Hades lights up the stage like the underworld on fire. Hades gave full pantomime villain - and I was living for it The sass, the sneers, the deliciously devilish energy - it all reminded me of another Disney icon: Scar from The Lion King. You know, the shady uncle with the silky voice, major superiority complex and a flair for the dramatic. So when I clocked that the actor Stephen Carile once played Scar on Broadway, it all made sense – the evil excellence was second nature. Sure, I missed the classic flaming blue hair - but the menacing energy was spot on and he owned that stage! The actor took Hades to a whole new level – becoming the ultimate scene-stealing baddie we love to hate. From the moment the Muses belted their first note - I was hooked Those talented ladies lit up the stage with god-tier vocals, sparkling stage presence and storytelling. They delivered powerhouse performances packed with soul, sass and serious talent. You felt like witnessing something truly magical. Pure vocal perfection - and easily the highlight of the whole night. Meanwhile, Hercules (Luke Brady) had the god-like charm and vocals to match - but let's just say emotional depth wasn't exactly his superpower. Meg (Mae Ann Jorolan), on the other hand, was a total scene-stealer. She brought back all the iconic sass we loved from the original - but dialled it up with killer sarcasm and added one-liners about dating that had the crowd howling. The sets were bigger and bolder than you can imagine They whisk you from the moody depths of the underworld to a rose garden so romantic it would make Cupid blush. It was a full-blown visual feast – a riot of colour, dazzling lights and eye-popping textures. The special effects were pure magic as mythical beasts were brought to life. And the character costumes? On point. Hera finally gets her moment Unlike the film - where she barely gets a word in - the stage version lets the queen of the gods strut her stuff. Dressed to slay, she delivers some brilliant banter with Zeus and even dishes out the advice that sets her son Hercules back on track. About time, eh? Meanwhile, Zeus is as helpful as a sunbed in the Sahara. Why not 5 stars? As a Disney superfan, I love it when an adaptation is faithful to the original story, but there were a couple of major moments from the animated classic that were nowhere to be seen in the stage show. Some of the magic got left behind - including the flying favourite Pegasus. The mythical winged horse is a huge part of the 1997 film, and I was hoping to see him soar above the stage. But no such luck. Sure, I get that it's tricky - but Wicked manages to levitate a broom, and Back To The Future has a flying DeLorean. They could've made it work. Also missing? The epic Titans battle, which was completely scrapped - despite being one of the film's most jaw-dropping sequences. It would've been a visual knockout - but instead, it felt like the show fizzled out just when it should've peaked. So, if you're expecting every magical moment from the film, prepare to be a little underwhelmed. The plot also felt a little rushed - sprinting through scenes faster than Hermes on a caffeine high. Although it was action-packed and bursting with brilliant one-liners, there was barely a second to breathe – or laugh – before we were hurtling into the next big moment. The pace was so full-on, I was scared to blink in case I missed something golden. The story missed those quiet, soul-searching moments where the characters could reflect and reveal more of their inner worlds. Still, if you like your theatre like a double espresso - quick, punchy and full of flavour - this one's for you. Disney might've hit pause on their live-action remakes, but thankfully, that rule doesn't apply to gods or stage shows - because Hercules was an absolute musical feast for the ears and eyes. Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London ★★★★ 8 8 8 8 8
The Verge
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Netflix and Apple are backing away from great games
For the last few years, subscription gaming services like Apple Arcade and Netflix have offered mobile game developers something of a haven for high-quality, premium mobile games: a type of game that had become vanishingly rare following the rise of the microtransaction-stuffed free-to-play model. But as these services' once enviable lineup of indie games dwindles, that haven appears to be shrinking. In 2021, Netflix announced a new gaming initiative, offering users a chance to play games through the streaming service's mobile app. Apple launched a similar program with Apple Arcade just two years before that. Both services offered an interesting value proposition: Pay a monthly subscription fee to get access to a library of premium games, with some of those games available as mobile exclusives. Those games would have no ads or in-app purchases, and the money paid to studios would ostensibly be used to fund the development of more games. The games themselves covered an interesting range of genres and topics, from strategy games featuring depression and dodgeball to finding one's place by literally rearranging the space around you. Netflix funding something like Harmonium: The Musical, a game about a Deaf girl's love of music, signaled that the platform was taking its gaming initiative seriously, bringing titles from off the beaten path to the platform. But now that game appears to have been pulled from Netflix's lineup. In addition to serving as a publisher, Netflix took the additional step of outright purchasing game studios like Oxenfree developer Night School Studio and Cozy Grove studio Spry Fox to make bespoke games for the service. But late last year, Netflix closed down the studio it spun up to produce what was going to be the service's first blockbuster AAA game. Then, just this month, it announced it was going to delist some of its most notable third-party titles, including indie darlings like Hades and the Monument Valley series. Netflix is increasingly focused on games tied to its own content. In its most recent quarterly earnings report, the platform briefly extolled its continued investment in titles like Squid Game: Unleashed and Thronglets — games tied to Netflix-produced Squid Game and Black Mirror, respectively. This focus, though, seems to come at the expense of adding existing original games from independent developers. It's easy to understand this shift. While these services don't share much about hard numbers, third-party reporting suggested that the majority of Netflix users never engaged with the platform's gaming offerings. And the games they were playing, in however limited amounts, were familiar titles. It's no surprise that GTA had Netflix's biggest game launch. At GDC 2025, Netflix's president of games, Alain Tascan, spoke to The Verge about the platform refocusing its gaming efforts, saying of indie games, 'We will continue supporting some of them, but I feel that indie gamers are not really coming to Netflix to find indie games.' So far Apple has only purchased a single game studio to make content for Apple Arcade, though its retreat to more casual offerings follows a similar pattern as Netflix. Original or indie games appear less frequently in favor of those attached to big, family-friendly IP like Uno, Angry Birds, and Bluey, all three of which are featured in Apple Arcade's July update. Payouts from Apple Arcade have reportedly been shrinking while developers have complained that it's hard to get their games noticed on the platform. The free-to-play model has conditioned users that spending money for gaming content can be optional. Casual games like Monopoly Go make money through in-game advertisements or opt-in consumer spending on microtransactions, and few traditional paid games outside of Minecraft are now able to break through that mindset. Subscription services were viewed as a kind of equalizer. With investment from Apple and Netflix and elsewhere, quality games could be brought to a platform not generally associated with quality gaming experiences. Developers could fund their vision and not have to worry about monetization, while consumers could access those games with a monthly subscription and no added costs. But a few years in, the aim of these services has been adjusted, and casual games designed to keep eyeballs on an app for as long as possible, or promote the latest streaming series, have won out. Despite strong lineups of indie games, neither Netflix nor Apple could really cut through the noise, and their offerings are no longer unique. Worse still, the unique games they did have now have fewer places to go. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Ash Parrish Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Analysis Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Apple Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Entertainment Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Gaming Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Netflix Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Streaming Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech
San Francisco Chronicle
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
How Tom Holland's latest venture pays tribute to fiancé Zendaya
With Zendaya busy filming 'Dune: Part Three,' Tom Holland is keeping his fiancé close to his heart while on the road promoting his non-alcoholic beer brand Bero. The 'Spider-Man' star wore a custom cardigan by British knitwear brand Hades to a pre-Wimbledon Bero event in England last week. Though it looked like a simple navy blue piece, it featured distinctive buttons in the shape of mini Bero cans, each for the band's three flavors. The bottom button represented the Noon Wheat variety, named after Zendaya's beloved black miniature schnauzer, Noon. Zendaya received Noon as a Christmas gift in 2015, and has frequently been seen out and about with her beloved pet. As her relationship with Holland blossomed, it seems he too has grown a fondness for the dog. In April, he was spotted with Noon on the 'Euphoria' set when Zendaya was filming the HBO drama's third season. Noon was reportedly with Holland at last week's Bero event as well, according to Vogue. Zendaya, on the other hand, was recently seen playing with a fan's dog in the streets of Budapest, where she's currently shooting 'Dune: Part Three.' A video of the encounter went viral on TikTok over the weekend. Subtle fashion statements seem to be the way Zendaya and Holland enjoy expressing their love since the two went public with their engagement at the start of the year. Most notably, Zendaya donned a bridal-inspired look at the Met Gala and showed off the tiny 't' tattoo under her armpit dedicated to Holland in her latest Louis Vuitton campaign. (Holland has a 'z' tattoo on top of his ribcage.) The British actor's partnership with Bero began in 2022, when Holland decided to go sober but struggled to find a non-alcoholic beer alternative that 'scratched the itch,' according to Vogue. The brand officially launched in October 2024, with Holland noting that Zendaya lent a hand in finalizing its three flavors. 'Zendaya doesn't like beer,' he said. 'So when she doesn't like it, I'm like, 'Okay, that's good because that means it tastes like beer.'' In addition to Noon Wheat, Bero has an Edge Hill Hazy IPA, named after one of Holland's former schools, and Kingston Golden Pils, in honor of his hometown of Kingston. During last week's Bero event at the Chase Travel Court Club, Holland ended up on the court himself, playing tennis with guests. Holland attributes his skills to training with Zendaya, who played a lot of tennis in preparation for her role as fictional tennis champion Tashi Duncan in last year's ' Challengers.' He told Vogue that the two of them used to play at the court in the basement of their former New York apartment building. "Sometimes, I would (go) down and feed her balls, and we would rally together,' he said. 'I love how much she got into it.'
Yomiuri Shimbun
10-07-2025
- Science
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Rocks in Quebec Found to Be Oldest on Earth
Along the eastern shore of Hudson Bay in Canada's northeastern province of Quebec, near the Inuit municipality of Inukjuak, resides a belt of volcanic rock that displays a blend of dark and light green colors, with flecks of pink and black. New testing shows that these are Earth's oldest-known rocks. Two different testing methods found that rocks from an area called the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt in northern Quebec date to 4.16 billion years ago, a time known as the Hadean eon. The eon is named after the ancient Greek god of the underworld, Hades, owing to the hellish landscape thought to have existed then on Earth. The research indicates that the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt harbors surviving fragments of Earth's oldest crust, the planet's outermost solid shell. The Nuvvuagittuq rocks are mainly metamorphosed volcanic rocks of basaltic composition. Metamorphosed rock is a kind that has been changed by heat and pressure over time. Basalt is a common type of volcanic rock. The rocks tested in the new study were called intrusions. That means they formed when magma — molten rock — penetrated existing rock layers and then cooled and solidified underground. The researchers applied two dating methods based on an analysis of the radioactive decay of the elements samarium and neodymium contained in them. Both produced the same conclusion — that the rocks were 4.16 billion years old. Future chemical analyses of these rocks could provide insight into Earth's conditions during the Hadean, a time shrouded in mystery because of the paucity of physical remains.'These rocks and the Nuvvuagittuq belt being the only rock record from the Hadean, they offer a unique window into our planet's earliest time to better understand how the first crust formed on Earth and what were the geodynamic processes involved,' said University of Ottawa geology Prof. Jonathan O'Neil, who led the study published on June 26 in the journal Science. The rocks may have formed when rain fell on molten rock, cooling and solidifying it. That rain would have been composed of water evaporated from Earth's primordial seas. 'Since some of these rocks were also formed from precipitation from the ancient seawater, they can shed light on the first oceans' composition, temperatures and help establish the environment where life could have begun on Earth,' O'Neil said. Until now, the oldest-known rocks were ones dating to about 4.03 billion years ago from Canada's Northwest Territories, O'Neil said. While the Nuvvuagittuq samples are now the oldest-known rocks, tiny crystals of the mineral zircon from western Australia have been dated to 4.4 billion years old. The Hadean ran from Earth's formation roughly 4.5 billion years ago until 4.03 billion years ago. Early during this eon, a huge collision occurred that is believed to have resulted in the formation of the moon. But by the time the Nuvvuagittuq rocks formed, Earth had begun to become a more recognizable place. 'The Earth was certainly not a big ball of molten lava during the entire Hadean eon, as its name would suggest. By nearly 4.4 billion years ago, a rocky crust already existed on Earth, likely mostly basaltic and covered with shallow and warmer oceans. An atmosphere was present, but different than the present-day atmosphere,' O'Neil said. There had been some controversy over the age of Nuvvuagittuq rocks. As reported in a study published in 2008, previous tests on samples from the volcanic rock layers that contained the intrusions yielded conflicting dates — one giving an age of 4.3 billion years and another giving a younger age of 3.3 to 3.8 billion years. O'Neil said the discrepancy may have been because the method that produced the conclusion of a younger age was sensitive to thermal events that have occurred since the rock formed, skewing the finding. The new study, with two testing methods producing harmonious conclusions on the age of the intrusion rocks, provides a minimum age for the volcanic rocks that contain these intrusions, O'Neil added. 'The intrusion would be 4.16 billion years old, and because the volcanic rocks must be older, their best age would be 4.3 billion years old, as supported by the 2008 study,' O'Neil said.
Irish Daily Star
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Star
Disney's live-action Hercules set to drop wildly unpopular plot twist
Legions of die-hard Disney fans were sent into a frenzy after rumors that the live-action remake of a 1997 classic would deviate significantly from the original story. Since it was first announced, the upcoming Hercules film has been plagued by fan fury over reports of modernising the iconic soundtrack through to a shift in who the protagonist will be. It was the latter of these that has ruffled feathers the most, with sibling producers the Russo Brothers reportedly at odds with Disney over the story's direction. The pair allegedly wanted to put villain Hades at the centre of the story, and tell it from his perspective instead of flame-haired Herc himself. Guy Ritchie has formally signed on to direct In a 2022 Variety interview , Joe Russo teased fans with news that their take on Hercules, with Guy Ritchie on board as director, would be "a little bit more experimental in tone, a little bit more experimental in execution," adding: "I think they're excited to see what we can all bring to it in a way that isn't just a reinterpretation of the animated film." He also shared that they would use TikTok as inspiration, telling the publication: 'Audiences today have been trained by TikTok, right? What is their expectation of what that musical looks like and feels like? That can be a lot of fun and help us push the boundaries a little bit on how you execute a modern musical." However, irked fans can breathe a sigh of a relief as a recent Q&A with a Disney insider appeared to put rumors of a focus on Hades to bed once and for all. Skyler Shuler who runs The DisInsider was asked if the remake focussing on the villain was true. The original film released in 1997 (Image: Walt Disney) He said that the current plan was for the film to be a "faithful adaptation" of the original animation, especially in the wake of reception to the recent live-action Lilo & Stitch remake which featured an ending that deviated from its source material. The original Hercules generated $252 million at the box office upon its release after being made on an $85 million budget. It was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, and followed half-god Hercules (Tate Donovan) as he lived among humans after being snatched as a baby by Hades (James Woods). A release date for the live-action Hercules remake is yet to be announced
