This past week, the world lost Hayden Panettiere. Only 36 years old, the former child actress established herself as a household name in numerous iconic roles in film and television. From Claire, the super-powered cheerleader from Heroes, to Kirby Reed, the horror know-it-all from the Scream franchise, Panettiere proved herself to be a highly versatile actress in an ever-evolving industry. But perhaps some of her best acting work was found in video games, and we’re not talking enough about some of the fantastic performances she delivered in powerhouse games. Early on in her career, Panettiere took on voice acting roles in films such as A Bug’s Life and Dinosaur for Walt Disney Pictures. This built up her reputation within the company and led to her being cast in a major role in what would ultimately be one of Disney’s most ambitious projects of all time: Kingdom Hearts. A crossover between Square Enix’s Final Fantasy franchise and the world of Disney, Kingdom Hearts told the story of Sora searching for his lost friends through various Disney worlds. Panettiere voiced Kairi, one of Sora’s best friends and one of the secret Princesses of Heart that act as a driving force for the entire game’s narrative. Though early portrayals of Kairi have been critiqued for making her a damsel in distress, Panettiere’s performance brought a feeling of hope and optimism to the character that quickly established her character as the heart of the original game’s narrative. Panettiere would return to voice Kairi in the sequel, Kingdom Hearts II, which saw her character become the driving force of the plot when Kairi is kidnapped by the villainous Organization XIII. With these appearances Panettiere cemented herself as one of the main players in the wildly popular franchise. Panettiere also lent her voice to Xion in Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days, a spin-off that focused on the villainous organization from the sequel and Chain of Memories. 358/2 Days allowed her to stretch her voice-acting chops and deliver a more emotional performance in line with that particular entry's main tone and themes. 
Panettiere challenged herself even further when she accepted the lead role in Supermassive’s hit horror game Until Dawn. In it, Panettiere plays Sam, a kind and intelligent young woman who serves as the game's "final girl" after she and her friends are hunted down by supernatural forces during a strained trip to the mountains. An interactive title, the game used high tech motion capture technology to capture performances of real life Hollywood actors and implant them into a video game. This allowed Panettiere to not only voice Sam, but to physically portray her as well, more closely emulating her work in films and television. Although Until Dawn is packed with well-known actors and solid performances, it's easy to identify Panettiere’s performance as Sam as one of its strongest. Despite the game's melodrama--and the fact that games were still fighting the battle to be seen as artistic and meaningful--Panettiere approached the role with the same verve as she approached her roles in film and television. Her attachment, and to a greater extent, her commitment, arguably leant a lot credibility to the title. Her charming performance also offered a new spin on the “final girl” typically seen in horror films, as Sam doesn’t have any emotional baggage and tends to get along with every character in a relatively drama-free manner. Yet the biggest spin is that she can be killed in the story just as any other character can, and the narrative shifts to work around this major change. This means that, depending on your decisions, you may only see part of her performance, or only one version of it. Panettiere had to deliver multiple takes of the same material, which is probably best equated to an actor using every single take they film for a movie--it’s not an easy process. The game was remade in 2024, and added an entirely new epilogue end scene that brought back Panettiere’s character. With the recent announcement of a sequel in full production, one can’t help but wonder if there were plans to somehow bring her character back into the fold. 
Hayden Panettiere was a once in a lifetime talent. Though she got started at an early age as a child actor in various projects, she remained untethered to any one role, instead carving out a niche as a versatile actress. Though it could have been easy to stay in “girl next door” type roles, such as her work in I Love You Beth Cooper, she found ways to branch out into unconventional roles for “pretty” girls--her career in video games is but one example of this. Panettiere's work in video games gave the titles emotional weight, and a level of professionalism that was carried over from her work on the big and small screens. She also carried with her a deep sense of empathy that was reflected in her activism for marine life, her campaigns against domestic violence, and her willingness to discuss mental health struggles, such as post-partum depression. In an industry where authenticity is a rarity, she remained vulnerable. Her passing is a great loss not only to films and television, but to video games as well, as she leaves behind a legacy of roles that will live on and be cherished for generations to come...
Prime Video's God of War series has a new actor playing the stoic god-killer Kratos, and as previously reported, it is indeed Dave Bautista. After the original actor cast for the role, Ryan Hurst, suffered a bicep tear during filming that forced him to leave the role, Amazon and Sony moved quickly to find a replacement. Variety reported that Bautista will now play the iconic video game character across two planned seasons. 
We can see it. While it's bad news for Hurst--who recently revealed how shredded he got the role--Bautista is well-suited to the part. A former WWE performer, Bautista made a name for himself in the sports entertainment promotion, first appearing as an intimidating enforcer for Reverend D-Von. Working under the ring name of Batista, his career took off after he joined Triple H's Evolution stable. Winning multiple championships throughout his run, Batista's whole gimmick was that of a hulking monster who towered over most of his opponents and dominated them with brute force--no small feat considering that WWE had no shortage of physically imposing performers on the roster. Beyond his physicality, Bautista has also proven his acting chops across multiple film and TV projects. In 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, he portrayed Drax the Destroyer, a fan-favorite role in which he played a bruiser with a tender heart (and remarkably good comedic timing), and Bautista used that momentum to build a successful acting career in Hollywood. While he has gotten slimmer over the years, the actor is expected to bulk up quickly for the role of Kratos, given how he has kept himself in shape and has been praised for his commitment to preparing for roles. It may not be the "GoW" dream role that Bautista has famously lobbied for, but Kratos could be a good match for the seasoned actor. It'll still be a while before God of War arrives on TV screens, but until then, there's still a lot to look forward to in that universe. The next big game in the series, God of War Laufey, launches on February 18, 2027, for PS5, and it'll be followed by a remake of the original God of War trilogy and another Kratos-led adventure...
Anime has become a key pillar of entertainment for several streaming services, and this is one genre where Netflix has made a concerted effort to lock in a few exclusive shows. The anime jewel in its crown is easily Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the wildly popular prequel and spin-off to CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077. While the game had its fans following its big turnaround after a disastrous launch, Edgerunners is considered to be a key driving force behind the resurgence of Cyberpunk 2077 several years ago. A second season was a given, and during a stacked block of reveals at the Anime NYC convention, Netflix showed off a new teaser for the show and an official October release date. Alongside that news, we also got a new look at the upcoming second season of the anime-inspired Blue Eye Samurai, a preview of the adorable Lego One Piece show, a teaser for Bass X Machina, and more. In case you missed it, we've rounded up all the reveals for you to check out below. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyeHKMfswHk Out on October 20, the new Cyberpunk: Edgerunners trailer showed off more of Night City's seedy underbelly and the new cast of characters that viewers will follow. Full of blood, neon, and cyber-psychosis, the new season follows washed-up legend Weak, the revenge-seeking nomad D, chrome-obsessed Talia, and young cinephile Roman across a 10-episode story focused on family, obsession, and legacy. Bass X Machina https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWbZBIrEfqI A wild and weird Western spin on the story of Bass Reeves--a real-life person who escaped slavery and later became the first Black deputy US Marshal--the new series imagines the legend as a cyborg looking for revenge. Set in a steampunk world, the series is being produced by the anime studios Mappa and Madhouse, and it features Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta, Transformers One) as Bass. It'll be hitting Netflix on November 3. Sakamoto Days: Season 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld4PMbghy78 What if the soft-spoken clerk behind the counter of your local convenience store was secretly the world's greatest assassin? You'd get Sakamoto Days, a hit anime series that earned rave reviews following its first season. The new teaser was light on animation, but it did feature new characters for the second season--Amane, Etsuko Satoda, and Yotsumura--who'll feature prominently in it. The second season of Sakamoto Days launches in January 2027. Fool Night https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we-eaYBtUDE Unveiled earlier this year, Fool Night is an adaptation of Kasumi Yasuda's manga of the same name. The animation is by Sunrise (Mobile Suit Gundam) and Shaft (Puella Magi Madoka Magica), and the show is set in a dystopian future where Earth has been plunged into eternal night. As oxygen ran out and plants began to die, scientists started transforming humans into hybrid plant creatures using a technique called transfloration. The series follows a boy named Toshiro Kamiya, who undergoes a procedure to cover his mother's medical expenses, but the operation causes his life to fall apart. It'll debut on Netflix on November 26. Blue Eye Samurai: Season 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oCx6HcYz9k The first season of Blue Eye Samurai was a sleeper hit for Netflix, blending slick animation with hard-hitting storytelling and even harder-hitting action scenes. Season Two shifts locations from 17th-century Japan to London, as Mizu continues her vengeance-fueled journey. It'll arrive January 2027 on Netflix. Lego One Piece https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z8oBbmkgXo Based on Netflix's live-action One Piece TV series--which is in turn adapted from the One Piece manga by Eiichiro Oda--Lego One Piece features the voices of the cast as they sail the Grand Line in Lego form. It looks adorable, and with Usopp spinning the tallest of tales, Lego feels like the perfect medium to bring his outlandish stories to life. This one is out soon on September 29. The One Piece 
The One Piece There's no trailer yet for The One Piece, but we did get some new key art for this show. A reimagining of Monkey D. Luffy's early adventures in East Blue from Attack on Titan's Studio Wit, it'll premiere in 2027...