The Office Cast Reunites For Fake Pillow Commercial (That’s A Real Ad For AT&T)
Ever since The Office came to an end in 2012, there’s been a lot of talk about potential spin-offs. As recently as January, Greg Daniels–the man who developed The Office from the original British TV series–has been working with a team on ideas for potential follow-up series. But as far as getting the original cast together, Sleep with Rain may be the closest thing that we’re going to get.
Via EW, Sleep with Rain is an elaborate ad for AT&T Business Next Level Network. That’s why none of the assembled cast members have anything bad to say about their internet connection in this extended video. Rainn Wilson is essentially the main character, as he starts a new business centered around pillows with speakers that feature Wilson’s voice speaking to the user as they sleep. Hence the name of Wilson’s product.
This is not an official Office reunion, so neither Wilson nor his fellow cast members are actually stepping back into their familiar characters. However, Wilson definitely seems to be channeling his inner Dwight Schrute. Craig Robinson, Jenna Fischer, Kate Flannery, Brian Baumgartner, and Creed Bratton also adopt some of the characteristics of their previous roles. The video even mimics the mockumentary tone of The Office itself.
Much like a plotline on The Office itself, Wilson’s grand plans for Sleep with Rain hit several snags along the way. And because this is ultimately meant to glorify AT&T’s product, the Business Next Level Network is the thing that saves the day for Wilson and his friends. But even though this is simply an advertisement, it’s still fun to see these performers back together again.
Grab A Pair Of Sony Bluetooth Earbuds For Only $59 At Walmart
Over at Walmart, you can pick up a pair of popular Sony Bluetooth earbuds at a steep discount. Available for $59 (normally $100), the Sony WF-C500 earbuds offer impressive audio quality and a solid design for the price.
This is great value for money, as the WF-C500 offers great audio, a comfortable fit, and they’re moisture-resistant so they can work nicely as a jogging or gym headset. For battery life, there’s up to 10 hours from a full charge, and you can quick-charge these for around 10 minutes to get an hour of listening time. With the included charge case, you can increase the battery life to 20 hours.
You can also fine-tune the sound further, with Sony’s smartphone app. There are some compromises here, as these earbuds don’t have active noise cancellation.. But overall, this is a pretty good set of earbuds from a popular brand that has earned a positive reputation for its audio hardware.
For another option, you can also check out the Samsung Galaxy Buds. Normally $149, these are on sale for $69 right now. Similar to the Sony set, these have great sound, a decent battery life, and will fit snugly in your ears. The big difference? These earbuds have active noise-canceling tech that can be activated with a single tap.
These particular Sony and Samsung earbuds are good alternatives to Apple’s AirPods, which are on sale at Amazon for $89 (was $129).
If you’re a PC or PlayStation gamer, you should also check out Sony’s high-end Inzone Buds, which are currently on sale for over $20 off at Amazon.
First Trailer For M. Night Shyamalan’s New Movie Has Very Eerie And Unsettling Vibes
The first trailer for M. Night Shyamalan’s newest movie, Trap, has arrived–and it’s a doozy. The film stars Josh Hartnett as a serial killer who attends a concert with his daughter, only to discover that the whole thing was a set-up, or a trap, if you will, to catch him. Or so that’s what the trailer leads us to believe. Shyamalan’s movies are known for their twist endings, so while the trailer looks like it gives a lot away in terms of the plot, there is presumably more under the surface.
Shyamalan said during an event attended by Variety that he was interested in making a movie “from the vantage point of an unexpected person,” and this is Hartnett’s character.
“It kind of led more and more to this dark humor angle that Servant has and The Visit and Split had,” he said. “It’s odd … when you should be terrified and you’re laughing at the same time.”
Shyamalan also spoke about casting Hartnett, who took a break from acting but is now making a comeback with roles on Black Mirror and most recently in Oppenheimer. The writer-director said he was looking to cast someone who was “willing to just let go completely” and “give themselves over” to the project, and that’s what he found in Hartnett.
“That beautiful electricity that requires the right actor at the right time in their life. And that’s where Josh was when when I when I met him,” Shyamalan said.
Trap releases in theaters internationally on August 1 and then in the US on August 9, which is the same day that the Borderlands movie comes to cinemas. Shyamalan wrote and directed the movie, which also stars Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills, and Allison Pill.
The movie also features original songs from Saleka, performing in the movie as the fictional pop star Lady Raven. Shyamalan earned multiple Academy Award nominations for the movie The Sixth Sense. He also directed the films Unbreakable, Signs, Lady in the Water, The Visit, Split, Glass, Old. His most recent release was 2023’s Knock at the Cabin.
Shyamalan doesn’t just work on spooky thrillers, as he also co-wrote 1999’s Stuart Little.
The Witcher Renewed For Fifth And Final Season
Big news today in the world of Netflix’s The Witcher series, as the company announced that production has begun on Season 4 and that the show has been renewed for a fifth and final season. Seasons 4 and 5 are being filmed back-to-back and will wrap up the show.
Season 4 marks a big shift for the show, as Liam Hemsworth joins the cast as Geralt, taking over for Henry Cavill. “We’re thrilled to be able to bring Andrzej Sapkowski’s books to an epic and satisfying conclusion. It wouldn’t be our show if we didn’t push our family of characters to their absolute limit–stay tuned to see how the story ends,” showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich said.
Season 4 and 5 will cover Andrzej Sapkowski’s final three Witcher books–Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow, and Lady of the Lake.
It’s official, The Witcher season 4 is in production. But that’s not all, we’re already planning season 5, which will be the final season and bring this epic show to a fitting conclusion. See you on The Continent. pic.twitter.com/c0ilUCWYkF
— The Witcher (@witchernetflix) April 18, 2024
Season 4 adds new cast members, including Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix) as Regis, along with Sharlto Copley (District 9) as Leo Bonhart. James Purefoy (The Following) plays Skellen and Danny Woodburn (Watchmen) plays Zoltan. Freya Allan (Ciri), Anya Chalotra (Yennefer), and Joey Batey (Jaskier) reprise their roles in Season 4.
There is no word yet on a release date for The Witcher Season 4, but given that it’s just now beginning production, no one should expect it to release soon. Like Cavill before him, Hemsworth has been spending time in the gym to bulk up to play Geralt, and the 34-year-old has shown of his impressive gains on Instagram.
The Witcher series debuted in 2019 and was a big success for Netflix, which would greenlight and release the animated spinoff movie Nightmare of the Wolf and the live-action prequel Blood Origin.
As for the game series, CD Projekt is now developing a remake of the original game and The Witcher 4.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch Adds Even More Evil Endings
Baldur Gate 3’s next patch will add more evil endings to the game. Even players who did not take the murderous Dark Urge origin can expect new options for their most diabolical characters. You can see some previews of these endings, including a new musical track, in Larian’s community update post, but spoilers abound, so be warned.
Additionally, the patch will fix several reported bugs. These include Jaheira’s unwillingness to follow the group, Wyll’s unromantic greetings, and some disappearing narrator lines. It will also start to add official modding tools to the game. This mod support will be coming to consoles, but the exact timeline is as yet unknown.
As for future plans for BG3, the community update states that cross-play and a photo mode are on the way, but as these additions are pretty complicated, it will be a longer wait. The community update reaffirms that the studio will be not be adding major characters, new areas, or expansions to Baldur’s Gate 3 nor will it create Baldur’s Gate 4.
Baldur’s Gate 3 continues to be an award-show darling, taking home four BAFTAs including Best Game. Following the commercial success of BG3, Hasbro and Wizard of the Coast are investing $1 billion into their AAA ecosystem.
Millions of Borderlands Players Have Been Recognized For Their Contributions To Science
Four years ago, Borderlands 3 players were given the opportunity to do some science and have fun at the same time. Through a block-shifting puzzle mini-game, players could help scientists map and compare microbes, doing the work that even supercomputers struggled with. Developed in conjunction with McGill University, Massively Multiplayer Online Science, and The Microsetta Initiative, a study based on the data gathered from that game has been published and revealed that 4.5 million players took part. If you were one of them, this makes you a scientific contributor.
Published earlier this month in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature, the research focused on the microbial ecosystem within the human body: a complex field of study, as each person has trillions of these diverse microbes within their body. Scientists have been researching microbes for decades, examining them to see how they influence our bodies and how they change according to our diet, exercise, and several other factors.
“Here we have 4.5 million people who contributed to science,” said the paper’s senior author Jerome Waldispuhl (via IGN). “In a sense, this result is theirs too and they should feel proud about it.”
Canada McGill University’s Attila Szantner came up with the idea to approach gamers to help with the research, and together with Gearbox, players were able to remove computer errors and format valuable DNA data during their sessions of Borderlands Science.
In total, 135 million puzzles were solved and scientists gained access to more accurate data in their research, and the information will be used to research microbes related to how we age and many diseases–including inflammatory bowel disease and Alzheimer’s–that these organisms are involved in. The player-driven data will also be used by scientists to develop improved AI programs to help analyze cells, and in recognition of their efforts, “Borderlands Science players” and Gearbox Entertainment employees are listed among the authors of this new paper.
In other Borderlands news, Take-Two has acquired Gearbox from Embracer and has announced that “active development” has begun on the next Borderlands title. A sequel Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands sequel is reportedly in the works as well, and in August, the live-action Borderlands movie will hit the big screen.