New board game expansion based upon Batman: The Animated Series will be backed by crowdfunding

Beloved Batman Characters and Storylines Debut as Part of IDW Games’ Miniatures-Driven Adventures Universal Game System Tabletop Brand

IDW Games, in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC, announced that Batman: The Animated Series Adventures – Shadow of the Bat will launch on Kickstarter on February 18, 2020. A miniatures-driven board game, Shadow of the Bat is part of the Adventures Universal Game System (AUGS), and is compatible with all other AUGS products. Arkham Asylum, a full-sized expansion, will also launch on Kickstarter alongside Shadow of the Bat. Both Shadow of the Bat and Arkham Asylum are expected to arrive to backers and in stores in Fall 2020.

Running off the AUGS engine, Shadow of the Bat offers unrivaled flexibility and player choice. Players can take the role of any hero in their roster in the game’s 24 unique missions, all inspired by fan-favorite episodes. Likewise, even villains can be swapped out in every mission to change up the threats that players will face. In Shadow of the Bat, 1-4 players will take to the streets as Batman, Batgirl, Robin, Commissioner Gordon, and Catwoman, each with their own unique character abilities, skills, and custom dice. And they’ll have to work together in order to take down the likes of Two-Face, The Penguin, Mr. Freeze, The Riddler, Scarecrow, Man-Bat, The Joker, and Harley Quinn. As with other AUGS games, villains can be controlled by the game itself for full co-op play, or by a 5th player. AUGS’ modularity means that players can even create their own dream scenarios and teams, including bringing in elements from other AUGS products.

Launching alongside Shadow of the Bat is the Arkham Asylum expansion, which will add 13 more missions to play through, and an all-new game mode: Clayface mode. In Arkham Asylum players will explore the halls of the infamous psychiatric hospital as they tangle with Clayface, Poison Ivy, Jervis Tetch, The Ventriloquist, Killer Croc, Maxie Zeus, Lock-Up, Clock King, Baby Doll, and Hugo Strange. In Clayface mode, each hero will be given a card that will indicate if they are who they appear to be, or if they’re actually Clayface in hiding. At any time, the Clayface player can reveal their true identity, transforming into the massive Clayface, and turn on their former friends!

Players will also have the option to expand their roster of heroes and villains with The New Batman Adventures character pack, containing Nightwing, Tim Drake as Robin, Calendar Girl, and Firefly. Story Packs for Mask of the Phantasm and Mystery of the Batwoman will also be available, adding new missions and characters–The Phantasm and Bruce Wayne in plain clothes, and Batwoman and Bane, respectively–that follow the films’ stories.

Anyone looking to try before they buy will be able to play a digital demo of Batman: The Animated Series Adventures – Shadow of the Bat through either Tabletopia or Tabletop Simulator. This demo contains 3 missions that follow The Joker-centric episode Joker’s Favor. For more information on the digital demos, please go to IDWGames.com/BTASDemo

IDW Games is a leading publisher of licensed tabletop games. Publishing games such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures – City Fall, Metal Gear Solid The Board Game, Ghostbusters x MIB: Ecto-terrestrial Invasion, and numerous Dragon Ball Z titles, IDW Games aims to bring the highest quality production and gameplay to fans of beloved licenses.

The Adventures Universal Game System (AUGS) is IDW Games’ flagship tabletop brand. An engine for multiple tabletop games, AUGS products are universally compatible with one another, and allow players the freedom to mix and match their games’ heroes, villains, and missions as they choose.

Fourteen Classic Movies Will Be On The Big Screen Again for the 2020 TCM Big Screen Classics Series

More Than 60 Years of Incredible Hollywood History Will Be Back on the Big Screen, Playing Across the U.S. for the Enormously Popular Event Cinema Series

“Surely, you can’t be serious!” In 2020, 14 of movie history’s greatest romances, funniest comedies, scariest monsters, boldest visions, ultimate adventures, and most unforgettable dramas will be back in movie theaters across the country as Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies present the fourth annual, yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics series. Among the highlights are the first national theatrical release of 1933’s King Kong in more than 60 years; the tear-jerking Love Story for Valentine’s Day; the 60th anniversary of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho; and a rare big-screen appearance of Fiddler on the Roof. Plus, 2020 is the 40th anniversary of Airplane! We are serious. And don’t call us Shirley.

The 2020 lineup for the TCM Big Screen Classics series is:

An American in Paris (1951)
Love Story (1970)
The Color Purple (1985)
King Kong (1933)
A League of Their Own (1992)
Airplane! (1980)
Annie (1982)
The Blues Brothers (1980)
Ghost (1990)
Babe (1995)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Psycho (1960)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Now in its fourth year, the TCM Big Screen Classics series continues to grow in popularity. In 2019, many events in the series experienced sold-out audiences and ranked near or at the top of box-office results, showcasing the enduring appeal and popularity of gathering in a darkened movie theater to see the sights and hear the sounds of the best Hollywood has ever created. Each film is presented with pristine digital projection and movie-theater-quality sound, further enhanced by fascinating pre- and post-feature insights presented by popular TCM hosts.

“2019 was a banner year for Fathom and the TCM Big Screen Classics series, with record levels of attendees and a bigger box office than ever before,” said Fathom Events Vice President of Studio Relations Tom Lucas. “That success challenged us to search out some of the greatest films ever released, including iconic titles from over six decades, featuring world-renowned filmmakers, legendary stars, Best Picture winners, and epic productions, all meant to be seen on the big screen.”

“This is a slate of films to make every movie lover genuinely excited, and our partnership with Fathom Events means we can bring these films to a bigger audience than ever. This series celebrates the magic of the movies all throughout the country, proving that there is nothing that matches the joy of seeing these films in a movie theater,” added Genevieve McGillicuddy, vice president of enterprise and strategic partnerships, TCM.

Tickets for all films in the 2020 TCM Big Screen Classics series are available beginning Friday, December 6, at www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. For a complete list of theater locations for each event, visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

The movies coming soon to a theater near you in the TCM Big Screen Classics are:

An American in Paris (1951) from Warner Bros.
Sunday, January 19, and Wednesday, January 22
Nominated for eight Academy Awards, and winner of Best Picture, this musical-romance is frequently heralded as one of the great works in the genre. In post-war Paris, complications arise when a love triangle develops between three friends.
CAST: Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant, Georges Guétary, Nina Foch
SCREENPLAY BY: Alan Jay Lerner
DIRECTED BY: Vincente Minnelli

Love Story (1970) from Paramount Pictures
Sunday, February 9, and Wednesday, February 12
One of the most romantic movies ever made remains one of the most endearingly popular. This heartfelt tale of the love of a lifetime received seven Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress.
CAST: Ryan O’Neal, Ali MacGraw, John Marley, Ray Milland
SCREENPLAY: Erich Segal, based on his novel
DIRECTED BY: Arthur Hiller

The Color Purple (1985) from Warner Bros.
Sunday, February 23
Resilient Celie endures decades of abuse, bigotry and violence, as she finds love – and family – amid her harsh and unforgiving surroundings. Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and presented to honor National Black History Month.
CAST: Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Avery, Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, Akosua Busia
SCREENPLAY BY: Menno Meyjes, based on the novel by Alice Walker
DIRECTED BY: Steven Spielberg

King Kong (1933) from Warner Bros.
Sunday, March 15
“No, it wasn’t the airplanes. It was Beauty killed the Beast.” When King Kong is captured and taken off his tropical island for the bright lights of Manhattan, an unexpected bond is formed between the great beast and a damsel in distress.
CAST: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot, Frank Reicher, King Kong
SCREENPLAY BY: James Creelman and Ruth Rose
DIRECTED BY: Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack

A League of Their Own (1992) from Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sunday, April 26; Monday, April 27; and Wednesday, April 29
There is absolutely, positively no crying in baseball … but cheering is definitely allowed while watching this star-studded account of a real-life, World War II-era women’s professional baseball league.
CAST: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty
SCREENPLAY BY: Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel
DIRECTED BY: Penny Marshall

Airplane! (1980) from Paramount Pictures
Sunday, May 17, and Wednesday, May 20
A masterpiece of off-the-wall comedy, Airplane! boasts an all-star cast and an uproarious plot that spoofs airplane disaster movies, religious zealots, television commercials and romantic love … nothing and no one is safe on this flight.
CAST: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Peter Graves, Lloyd Bridges
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker

Annie (1982) from Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sunday, June 14, and Wednesday, June 17
As a young orphan living in New York City during the Great Depression, Annie knows it’s a “hard-knock life.” Follow the plucky redhead’s journey in the lavishly produced 1982 musical-comedy that’s based on the iconic Broadway musical.
CAST: Albert Finney, Carol Burnett, Bernadette Peters, Ann Reinking, Tim Curry and introducing Aileen Quinn as Annie
SCREENPLAY BY: Carol Sobieski
DIRECTED BY: John Huston

The Blues Brothers (1980) from Universal Pictures
Sunday, June 28, and Wednesday, July 1
“Joliet” Jake and Elwood Blues set out on “a mission from God” to save an orphanage from foreclosing. Getting their band back together for a benefit show turns into a hilariously chaotic ordeal set in the home of the blues: Chicago.
CAST: Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, James Brown, Carrie Fisher, Aretha Franklin
SCREENPLAY BY: Dan Aykroyd and John Landis
DIRECTED BY: John Landis

Ghost (1990) from Paramount Pictures
Sunday, July 19, and Wednesday, July 22
A ghost teams up with a psychic to uncover the truth behind his murder and protect the love of his life in this romantic mystery-thriller, which was nominated for five Oscars® including Best Picture, and won Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress.
CAST: Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Goldwyn
SCREENPLAY: Bruce Joel Rubin
DIRECTED BY: Jerry Zucker

Babe (1995) from Universal Pictures
Sunday, August 9, and Wednesday, August 12
“That’ll do, pig. That’ll do.” A pig raised by sheepdogs learns to herd sheep with the aid of a friendly farmer. Nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, this story has lessons for humans (and pigs) of all ages.
CAST: Christine Cavanaugh, Hugo Weaving, James Cromwell
SCREENPLAY BY: George Miller and Chris Noonan, based on the novel by Dick King-Smith
DIRECTED BY: Chris Noonan

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) from Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sunday, September 13; Monday, September 14; and Thursday, September 17
Mysterious, mystical and magical, this towering cinematic epic follows “everyman” Roy Neary, who sees UFOs and becomes embroiled in an adventure he can hardly imagine – one in which he’ll make the “third kind” of alien encounter: contact.
CAST: Richard Dreyfuss, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon, François Truffaut
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY: Steven Spielberg

Psycho (1960) from Universal Pictures
Sunday, October 11, and Monday, October 12
Audiences can check in to the Bates Motel and discover the awful truth of Norman Bates … and Mother. Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller was unspeakably shocking when first released and remains a groundbreaking moment in movie history.
CAST: Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin
WRITTEN BY: Joseph Stefano, based on the novel by Robert Bloch
DIRECTED BY: Alfred Hitchcock

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) from The Saul Zaentz Company
Sunday, November 8, and Monday, November 9
Seeking to avoid the hardships and danger of prison, rebellious criminal Randle McMurphy fakes mental illness in order to be moved to a psychiatric hospital in search of an easier stint. Unbeknownst to him, tyrannical Nurse Ratched awaits. Winner of all 5 major Academy Awards.
CAST: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, William Redfield, Will Sampson
WRITTEN BY: Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman, based on the novel by Ken Kesey
DIRECTED BY: Milos Forman

Fiddler on the Roof (1971) from MGM & Park Circus
Sunday, December 13, and Monday, December 14
This joyous, beautiful Oscar®-winning musical adaptation of the Broadway legend embraces a love of tradition and family – while acknowledging the bittersweet truth of the world as seen through the eyes of Jewish milkman Tevye.
CAST: Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon
WRITTEN BY: Joseph Stein, based on a series of stories by Sholem Aleichem
DIRECTED BY: Norman Jewison

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Will Return in April With a New Comic Book Miniseries

IDW Publishing will be bringing the beloved Deep Space Nine crew back to comics with a four-part comic book miniseries called Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Too Long a Sacrifice, under the license of ViacomCBS Consumer Products. It will be written by longtime Star Trek scribes David Tipton and Scott Tipton and illustrated by Greg Scott (Gotham Central). The new series marks the first Deep Space Nine comic book series published in over a decade. The first issue of the series will be published in April 2020, this long-awaited DS9 story line shines the spotlight on Constable Odo, the fan-favorite shapeshifter brought to life by the late actor René Auberjonois.

“Set during the most difficult hours of the Dominion War, Too Long a Sacrifice shows the station during trying times: a series of mysterious and seemingly unsolvable terrorist attacks just as the war has everyone strained to the breaking point,” says David Tipton. “We’ll get to see the darker side of life on the station as Odo leads the investigation, with increasingly desperate conditions forcing him and others to deal with new and unexpected allies and to use unusual tactics in their efforts to stop the attacks.”

Scott Tipton says, “We’re so excited to return to the world of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. With its ‘frontier setting’ and precarious place in the galaxy, Deep Space Nine offers the opportunity to tell truly unique tales of intrigue and suspense. Combine that with one of the best character ensembles ever assembled, and you get something no other Star Trek series can offer.”

“I’m really excited to be spending time with the DS9 crew,” says artist Greg Scott. “I’ve always loved Star Trek and can’t wait to draw these wonderful characters!”

“Deep Space Nine is one of the Star Trek series that I’ve been the most eager for IDW to dive into in comics form, so to be at the helm for the first series in over a decade is a dream come true,” says editor Chase Marotz. “I’ve worked with David and Scott Tipton on several amazing Star Trek books and know that they’re going to deliver a story that the fans will love, and it’s exciting to finally be able to work with Greg Scott. I’m a big fan of his style and I think we’re poised to create a Star Trek book that’s going to both surprise and delight.”

The first issues of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Too Long a Sacrifice will be available with multiple cover variants for retailers and fans to enjoy, including Cover A by Ricardo Drumond, a Photo Edition for Cover B, and two Retailer Incentive editions by J.K. Woodward (Star Trek: The Next Generation: Mirror Broken).