Latest news with #AngelStudios
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
From AGE to RAGE: How Rockstar's engine evolved to power GTA 6
Source: Rockstar Games Rockstar Games has always been at the cutting edge of open-world gaming, and much of their success is due to the tech behind their games. The Rockstar Advanced Game Engine, or RAGE for short, drives some of the largest games in gaming history. With GTA 6 coming out, it's interesting to reflect on how this engine came of age from its humble beginnings as the AGE engine to become the force behind Rockstar's current masterpiece. The journey of transforming AGE into the force behind RAGE engine It all started with the Angel Game Engine (AGE) developed by Angel Studios, which was acquired by Rockstar in the early 2000s. First developed for racing and sports titles such as Midtown Madness and Smuggler's Run, AGE was a competent but unassuming engine. When Rockstar bought Angel Studios and renamed the engine the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE), the game changed. RAGE would support more advanced environments, realistic physics, and intricate character animation, features that were essential to Rockstar's growing vision for open-world games. The initial game to utilize RAGE was Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis in 2006, where smooth physics and realistic animations were demonstrated. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo RAGE then drove Grand Theft Auto IV (2008), which was revolutionary in bringing a realistic city with dynamic weather and realistic NPCs. Throughout the years, the engine went through several iterations that supported hit games such as Red Dead Redemption, Max Payne 3, and GTA V. With each game, RAGE was pushed further, with lighting, world detail, AI behavior, and physics simulation being enhanced. What RAGE 9 implies for GTA 6 and the future Rockstar is pushing the RAGE engine to new heights with GTA 6 using RAGE 9. While details are sparse, this newest version promises major upgrades in graphics, physics, AI, and world interactivity. The fans anticipate more realistic NPC behavior, seamless interior-exterior transition, and extremely detailed environmental effects. These enhancements should lead to an unprecedented degree of immersion in Vice City's massive world. RAGE 9 has the potential to not only advance visual fidelity, but also gameplay mechanics, making the world more reactive and livelier. This would lead to new avenues of gameplay, ranging from dynamic weather impacting missions to more intelligent AI responding to player actions in real time. Finally, Rockstar's transformation from the modest AGE engine to the state-of-the-art RAGE 9 reflects their dedication to quality and innovation. With GTA 6 on the horizon, this upgrade guarantees that players will be able to enjoy a rich, living world like no other, one in which technology and imagination converge to revolutionize open-world gaming. Also Read: Lucia's earbuds hint at on-foot music playback in GTA 6
Forbes
7 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Animated Biblical Movie Hit ‘The King Of Kings' Is Now Streaming
A scene from "The King of Kings." The King of Kings — the animated faith-based movie starring the voices of Oscar Isaac and Pierce Brosnan — is now on digital streaming. The King of Kings opened in theaters on April 11. The logline for the movie reads, 'Inspired by Charles Dickens, The King of Kings features a father telling his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. 'Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. The King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child.' The voice cast of The King of Kings includes Isaac as Jesus Christ, Brosnan as Pontius Pilate, Kenneth Branagh as Charles Dickens, Uma Thurman as Catherine Dickens, Mark Hamill as King Herod, Roman Griffin Davis as Walter Dickens, Forest Whitaker as Peter and Ben Kingsley as High Priest Caiaphas. The King of Kings, per a press release from Angel Studios, is available on premium video on demand. However, viewers can only purchase or rent the movie on Apple TV or Fandango at Home. The digital purchase price of the movie is $24.99. Star Wars icon and prolific voice actor Mark Hamill was impressed with the way director Seong-ho Jang brought The King of Kings to life, especially in the way he creatively weaved Charles Dickens (Kenneth Branagh) and his son, Walter (Roman Griffith Davis), into the story. He's really known for being a master of special effects, this is his first time as a director,' Hamill told Screen Rant in early May. 'The visuals are astonishing, it has an epic feel to it, and it's not like they fade away from Charles and Walter in London and go to the story. 'They are in the story, and that's what I thought was so strong was that Walter is able to observe all of these things in real-time,' Hamill added. 'It's just a clever way to involve the audience, and that's why I had a feeling, 'This will be very appealing to the younger audiences, at least.'" The King of Kings was a big hit in theaters, earning $60 million in domestic ticket sales and nearly $6.9 million internationally for a worldwide box office tally of $66.9 million. The King of Kings had a production budget of $15 million before prints and advertising, per Collider. Rated PG, The King of Kings is exclusively available on PVOD on Apple TV and Fandango at Home.
UPI
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
Neal McDonough: 'Rodeo' is 'Rocky' on a bull, 'Justified' family reunion
1 of 5 | Sarah Jones and Neal McDonough star in the new family drama, "The Last Rodeo." Photo courtesy of Angel Studios NEW YORK, May 23 (UPI) -- Neal McDonough says his new family drama, The Last Rodeo, reunited some of his favorite people from the iconic TV series, Justified. Directed by Jon Avnet and in theaters Friday, the film follows widower and retired professional bull-riding star Joe Wainwright (McDonough) as he returns to the ring to compete for the money to save his beloved grandson Cody (Graham Harvey) from the same type of brain cancer that killed his beloved wife Rose (Ruve McDonough). Helping him get back in the game -- over the objections of his worried daughter Sally (Sarah Jones) -- are Joe's estranged friends Charlie (Mykelti Williamson) and Jimmy Mack (Christopher McDonald). "The guy who cut my arm off [in Justified] happens to be now my best friend in this movie," McDonough, 59, told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. "How does that happen? Because Mykelti Williamson, in real life, is one of my best, dearest friends on the planet. I love him. What a great actor! He's a thief. He stole every scene he was in with me. It was awful," McDonough laughed. Avnet said his relationship with McDonough and Williamson dates back more than 20 years to the crime drama, Boomtown. "That's when I cast Neal with [Justified writer-producer] Graham Yost and Mykelti and they got to know each other, so when we got to work together all on Justified, it was a reunion, and it gave us an economy of words and the ability to explore things," the filmmaker said. "These are real pros and they're just great." Even Jones guest starred on Justified in 2011. The only main cast member who didn't have some connection to the show was McDonald, but McDonough said he was quickly embraced by The Last Rodeo family. "He showed up swinging for the fences," McDonough recalled. "He walks in a situation, which he's never worked with Jon before and there's me and Mykelti in our own shorthand and then Jon and I have our own shorthand, and here he comes into this like, 'How do I fit into this party?' And you know what he did? He manned up and he crushed it. Chris McDonald is a beast." Avnet agreed. "He wants to make sure he knows the character," Avnet explained. "It's not like they walk in and they're fearless. They care and they worry and they work to overcome that because they want to be worthy of the characters, worthy of the friendship, worthy of the respect," Avnet said of his cast. McDonough wrote the film with Avnet and Derek Presley after he was away on a film shoot, missing his wife Ruve and wondering how he would survive if anything happened to the mother of his five children. "This idea from above came into my head -- write a film about Rocky on a bull, about a grandfather that has to save his grandson because he's dying of the same brain tumor that his wife died of," said McDonough, who is a devout Catholic. "I'm a pretty smart guy, but I didn't come up with that myself and, within a week, we had the first draft, within another week, Ruve helped me raise the financing and the distribution through the amazing Angel Studios," he added. "They said, 'Who do you want to direct it?' And I said, 'There's only one choice for me -- the greatest director I've ever worked with, a guy who has been a mentor to me, but, also, like a big brother to me for all these years, and that's Jon Avnet.'" Catch these two powerhouse actors in The Last Rodeo - a story about family, brotherhood, and rodeo! In theaters May 23! Get your tickets now at ️ The Last Rodeo Movie (@lastrodeomovie) May 22, 2025 Avnet -- whose credits include Risky Business, Less Than Zero, The Three Musketeers and Fried Green Tomatoes -- said the aspect of the story that most intrigued him was the loving, but tense relationship between Joe and his daughter. "I've got two daughters, two older sisters, my wife has two sisters, there are three women in her family, and [I know] dads don't do the greatest job often communicating with their daughters," Avnet noted. "It's hard to figure out how to fix that. So, that interested me very much, and I thought it's really universal message of the whole film." Avnet also wanted to take a closer look at the friendship with Charlie that Joe abandoned when he sinks into his grief over Rose's death and why Charlie forgives Joe after their long estrangement. "He's become a kind of narcissistic, self-involved character that really has gone inside and he's hurt so many people who love them and the sad circumstances that forces him to ride also gives him the opportunity to, perhaps, mend the friendship with Charlie and, perhaps, have a second shot with his daughter," Avnet said. The filmmaker also was happy to see his longtime friend -- who is frequently cast as villains on shows like Justified, Tulsa King and Yellowstone -- finally get to play the hero. "I believed he could be something he hasn't been in films before -- the leading man in the mold of Clint Eastwood or John Wayne or Gary Cooper or Jimmy Stewart," Avnet said. "I believed if i did my job well, the audience would see him the same way and because he has that gravitas and, what people don't know about him unless they're close friends with him, is he is so emotionally accessible. He's just there and I knew he could bring that out in this character in film." Avnet offers as an example an emotional scene in which thousands of people stand and pray for Joe's family when he walks into the bull-riding ring. "It's so moving and Neal says nothing," Avnet said. "You just see on his face this private guy, this tormented guy, this guy who never knew how to mourn the loss of his wife, standing there and seeing these strangers sending their prayers and love." But McDonough credited Avnet for polishing the script he handed off to him and weaving the whole story together through his thoughtful direction. "He pulled so many amazing things out of the actors and their performances and there's a trust that we have with Jon because he protects the actors," McDonough said. "More than anything, he wants the actors to have complete comfort on a set and the ability to do something different and to try things and to build characters and build moments." McDonough said he doesn't generally play heroes because he refuses to do intimate scenes with anyone but his spouse. Luckily for him, Ruve played his late wife Rose in flashback scenes, so McDonough finally gets to kiss the girl on screen. "I'm famous for one or two takes [filming a scene], but I think I got to 13 takes that day before my daughter London got so disgusted, saying, 'Dad, that's enough.' So, I had fun. This is my moment," he said. "I'm the most blessed dude that I know."
Forbes
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Hit Animated Biblical Movie ‘The King Of Kings' Gets Streaming Date
"The King of Kings" partial poster. Angel Studios The King of Kings — Angel Studios' hit animated Biblical movie starring the voices of Oscar Issac and Pierce Brosnan — is coming soon to digital streaming. Rated PG, The King of Kings opened in theaters on April 11 and set a record for the biggest opening weekend for an animated faith-based film with $19 million in ticket sales from 3,200 theaters domestically. The tally was enough to beat the record previously set by 1998's The Prince of Egypt, which earned $14.5 million in North American theaters in its opening weekend. The official summary for the movie reads, 'Inspired by Charles Dickens, The King of Kings features a father telling his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. 'Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice. The King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child.' Directed by Seong-Ho Jang, The King of Kings stars the voices of Isaac as Jesus Christ, Brosnan as Pontius Pilate, Kenneth Branagh as Charles Dickens, Uma Thurman as Catherine Dickens, Mark Hamill as King Herod, Roman Griffin Davis as Walter Dickens, Forest Whitaker as Peter, and Ben Kingsley as High Priest Caiaphas. Angel Studios announced in a press release on Thursday that The King of Kings will be released on digital streaming via premium video on demand on Tuesday, May 27, exclusively on Apple TV and Fandango at Home. The studio did not indicate how much The King of Kings will cost to purchase or rent on PVOD. Generally, PVOD purchases cost anywhere from $14.99 to $29.99, and rentals cost anywhere from $9.99 to $24.99 for a 48-hour period. The release of The King of Kings on digital streaming marks Angel Studios' first offering of one of its films on PVOD. The King of Kings to date has earned $60 million from North American theaters and $6.8 million internationally for a worldwide box office tally of $66.8 million. The King of Kings had a reported budget of $15 million before prints and advertising costs, according to Collider. The King of Kings earned a 63% 'fresh' rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics based on 56 reviews. The RT Critics Consensus reads, 'Putting the Christ story in an approachable frame for children, The King of Kings isn't the most sophisticated example of family animation but makes for a solidly watchable Sunday school.' The film also received a 97% 'fresh' score on RT's Popcornmeter based on 2,500-plus verified user ratings. The RT audience summary reads, 'A meaningful offering from Angel Studios, The King of Kings movingly tells the story of the four Gospels with reverence and grace, and is revelatory for believers of all ages.' The King of Kings arrives exclusively on Apple TV and Fandango at Home on PVOD on May 27.
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘The Last Rodeo' Review: One for the Money, Two for the Show
With jaw set and cowboy hat solidly secured, Neal McDonough strides through 'The Last Rodeo' as Joe Wainwright, a former champion bull rider who's believably broken in body and spirit. Ever since the death of his wife ten years earlier, Joe has retired to his Texas ranch to lick his wounds and nurse his regrets. And he has a lot of both, including the broken neck he sustained while riding drunk, an injury that derailed the life of his daughter (Sarah Jones) as well as his own. So when his young grandson develops a brain tumor, Joe needs a way to pay for the boy's treatment and make amends for his own indifferent parenting. And, wouldn't you know it, there's a bull-riding tournament this very weekend in Tulsa, Okla., with a million dollars in prize money. Can Joe hoist his aching knees and weary butt back in the competitive saddle? Oh you just know he can. Directed by Jon Avnet (who wrote the script with McDonough and Derek Presley), 'The Last Rodeo' — the latest Christian-themed film from Angel Studios — proceeds with easeful predictability. The story's conventional beats (the get-back-in-shape montage, the bad news delivered at a critical moment) cohere into a wholesome journey of long-delayed healing. The inclusion of the wonderful Mykelti Williamson, as Joe's longtime friend and rodeo partner, injects a buddy-movie vibe that anchors the action in riding bouts that are smoothly thrilling without being punishing. Keeping religious prodding to a minimum — a crucifix here, a mass prayer there — the movie concludes with McDonough's earnest plea to scan a QR code to purchase tickets for other viewers. The studio used the same gambit with its 'King of Kings' a couple of months ago and hey, if it gets more people into actual theaters, I'll be the last to complain.
