The theme for this week’s entertainment roundup is surprising synergy. First, Uniqlo showcases yet again why they are the masters of collaborations with this brand new Final Fantasy x UT Collection drop. One-Punch Man inches closer to its Hollywood live action debut in this big update. And finally, Keanu Reeves embodies his inner edgelord as the voice of Shadow in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
Final Fantasy x Uniqlo Collaboration
Uniqlo keeps knocking gaming collaborations out of the proverbial park. The LifeWear fashion brand has just shared a new collaboration with Square Enix, featuring T-shirts bearing the motifs of Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, Final Fantasy XIV online and Final Fantasy XVI. The announcement of this collection couldn’t have come at a better time as the latest title, Final Fantasy XVI will also be getting The Rising Tide downloadable content on April 18.
We’re loving the neutral-beige T-shirt with embroidered pocket details of the mascot characters, Chocobo, Moogle and Fat Cat. With just the name ‘Final Fantasy XIV’ written on the back, it’s an overall sleek and discreet piece while still being rather cute. The white Final Fantasy XVI T-shirt has a lot more symbolism involved with a large piece of art on the back that depicts all eight of the Eikons that make up the world and the lore of the game.
Long time Final Fantasy fans will definitely have to cash in for the Final Fantasy VI T-shirt featuring a very cute Tina and a Moogle on the front. The back, however, showcases a stunning piece by famed Japanese visual artist, Yoshitaka Amano, depicting the aforementioned characters but in his signature romantic fantasy style. Collectors take note as this is an exclusive piece for the UT collection only.
Keep your eyes on the prize as the collection is slated to drop in late June. The official release for this collection is late June. As always, make sure to call ahead before visiting a Uniqlo store as start dates can vary.
One-Punch Man Heads to the Big Screen
It’s high time we received an update on the live action film adaptation of our favorite low-key superhero, One-Punch Man. This week, some news just dropped which suggests that the production of this hotly anticipated film is moving along quicker than originally thought.
The news originally broke back in 2020, when Columbia Pictures first revealed that a live-action film adaptation of One-Punch Man was already in development. While there was no news on who would be playing the titular character or any of his allies and foes, the studio was able to confirm that Scott Rosenberg (Kangaroo Jack, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle) and Jeff Pinkner (The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Venom) had signed on as writers. Avi Arad, founder of Marvel Studios, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, was named as a producer.
In 2022, Justin Lin (Fast & Furious, Space Jam: A New Legacy) was announced as co-producer and director. The film was also set to fully enter into production that same year. This week, an update from The Hollywood Reporter informed us that Dan Harmon and Heather Anne Campbell of Rick and Morty fame have been hired to rewrite the script.
It’s unclear if the previously announced writers are no longer part of the project or if this means additional production delays due to the aforementioned rewrite. However, since it’s been two years since the last piece of news was shared, we’re grateful that this project hasn’t been forgotten about and that a real-life Saitama will see the light of day, hopefully quite soon.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Movie Gains A New Voice Actor – Keanu Reeves
We’re just as surprised as you are. Hollywood superstar Keanu Reeves will voice Shadow the Hedgehog in the upcoming film, Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
According to the Sonic lore, Shadow carries the burden of revenge after witnessing the death of his best friend but ends up keeping his promise to her to protect the world. In the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, Shadow is often depicted as an antihero with good intentions who often clashes with Sonic due to his determination to do whatever it takes to accomplish his goals.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the third installment to the film series with its two prior films released back in 2020 and 2022. Reeves joins an already star-studded cast of voice actors, including Jim Carry as Dr. Eggman, Ben Schwartz as Sonic and Idris Elba as Knuckles. Although Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was announced way back in February 2022, incidents such as the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike have resulted in delays to production. At the moment, the film is planning its theatrical release for December 20 2024. We’ll be sure to keep everyone posted once we’ve heard the official dates for movie theaters in Japan.
While the inclusion of Keanu Reeves might seem like an unusual one, this is far from the John Wick actor’s first digital role. In the past, Reeves has lent his voice to roles in animation films such as Toy Story 4 and DC League of Super-Pets. Over in gaming, he has reprised his role as Neo in several of the Matrix video games. However, he’s best known for his voice and motion capture work for one of the key characters of Cyberpunk 2077, Johnny Silverhand.
