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AI Avatar of Parkland Shooting Victim Speaks Out on Gun Control

2025-08-06

The parents of Joaquin Oliver, a victim of the 2018 Parkland school shooting, created an AI avatar of their son. Former CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta conducted the first interview with the AI, where Oliver advocated for stronger gun control, mental health support, and community engagement. Oliver's father, Manuel, explained that the AI is intended to amplify his son's voice in the ongoing gun control debate and allow the family to hear his voice again. This initiative follows a previous AI-driven campaign using the voices of Parkland victims to contact lawmakers.

(variety.com)

Tech Gun Control Parkland Shooting

HBO Max is Back: Streaming Service Reverts to Original Name

2025-07-10

After a brief stint as simply "Max," the streaming service HBO Max has officially reverted to its original name, HBO Max, effective July 9th. This move, coming ahead of the Emmy nominations announcement, is seen as Warner Bros. Discovery's attempt to leverage the strong brand recognition of HBO to boost the platform's competitiveness. While executives previously stated the name change aimed to better position the service based on consumer data, the decision has drawn mockery from industry insiders and celebrities like John Oliver. The rebranding saga highlights a dramatic shift in branding strategy, ultimately circling back to the familiar HBO Max.

(variety.com)

Tech

Record-Breaking Memorial Day Weekend at the Box Office: Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible Dominate

2025-05-26

Record-Breaking Memorial Day Weekend at the Box Office: Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible Dominate

This Memorial Day weekend shattered box office records. Disney's live-action "Lilo & Stitch" remake raked in a massive $145.5 million opening weekend and an estimated $183 million through Monday, setting a new Memorial Day record. Meanwhile, Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One" achieved a franchise-best $63 million opening weekend and $77 million through Monday. The combined success of these films, along with other releases like "Final Destination Bloodlines," propelled the overall Memorial Day weekend box office to a record-breaking $322 million, exceeding the previous record set in 2013. This marks a strong start to the summer blockbuster season, providing a significant boost to the movie industry after a disappointing 2022.

(variety.com)

Game summer blockbuster Tom Cruise

FCC Approves Verizon's $20B Frontier Acquisition After DEI Policy Drop

2025-05-16

FCC Approves Verizon's $20B Frontier Acquisition After DEI Policy Drop

The FCC, led by Chairman Brendan Carr, approved Verizon's $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications after Verizon pledged to end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Carr hailed the move as a positive step for equal opportunity and the public interest. This approval comes as Paramount Global and Skydance Media's $8 billion merger remains pending, potentially due to DEI concerns. Carr previously indicated he would block mergers involving companies promoting DEI programs. The acquisition allows Verizon to upgrade Frontier's network in 25 states, potentially bringing fiber to over 1 million homes annually.

(variety.com)

Tech

HBO Max is Back: Warner Bros. Discovery Rebrands Streaming Service

2025-05-14

HBO Max is Back: Warner Bros. Discovery Rebrands Streaming Service

After a two-year experiment, Warner Bros. Discovery is bringing back the HBO Max name for its streaming service. The rebranding signals a shift away from a broad, Netflix-style approach to a focus on HBO's high-quality programming. This move acknowledges the value of the HBO brand and aims to attract a more discerning audience, boosting subscriber numbers towards a target of 150 million by 2026. The company highlights improved profitability and subscriber growth as justification for the change.

(variety.com)

Tech

Disney Data Breach: 25-Year-Old Pleads Guilty to Stealing 1TB of Confidential Data

2025-05-03

Disney Data Breach: 25-Year-Old Pleads Guilty to Stealing 1TB of Confidential Data

A 25-year-old California man, Ryan Mitchell Kramer, pleaded guilty to hacking a Disney employee's computer and stealing over 1 terabyte of confidential data. He disguised malware as an AI art generator, gaining access to the victim's computer and subsequently stealing data from numerous Disney Slack channels. This included employee personal information, internal communications, and recruitment data. Kramer then threatened the victim and publicly released the stolen information. Disney and the FBI are investigating the incident.

(variety.com)

Tech

Cameron: Can AI Rescue Hollywood's VFX Budget?

2025-04-11

Cameron: Can AI Rescue Hollywood's VFX Budget?

James Cameron recently stated that the future of blockbuster filmmaking hinges on cutting VFX costs in half. To that end, he joined the board of Stability AI to explore how AI can improve efficiency without replacing crew. Cameron believes AI should assist artists, not replace them, and expressed concern about AI-generated content mimicking individual styles. He also doubts AI's ability to create truly moving stories.

(variety.com)

Tech James Cameron

Minecraft Movie Leak: Unfinished Version Surfaces Online

2025-04-06

Minecraft Movie Leak: Unfinished Version Surfaces Online

An unfinished version of the highly anticipated 'Minecraft Movie' leaked online ahead of its theatrical release. Screenshots and footage quickly spread across social media and file-sharing sites, revealing incomplete visual effects. While copyright holders swiftly removed most of the leaked content, the incident raises concerns about film security and piracy. Despite the leak, the movie's debut is a massive success, projected to earn over $130 million and potentially rival 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' as the year's top-grossing film. Starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black, the film adapts the globally popular video game 'Minecraft,' following four friends who are transported to a blocky world.

(variety.com)

Game movie leak

Boxing Legend George Foreman Dies at 76

2025-03-22

Boxing Legend George Foreman Dies at 76

George Foreman, the charismatic boxer and infomercial icon, passed away Friday at age 76. A two-time Heavyweight Champion, Foreman transcended the boxing world, becoming a pop culture figure thanks to his wildly successful George Foreman Grill. His life story is one of remarkable resilience: from impoverished beginnings to Olympic gold, world champion, and eventually a business mogul. A near-fatal boxing experience in 1977 led him to faith and a career as an ordained minister, only to shockingly return to boxing in 1987, reclaiming the Heavyweight title in 1994. His death marks the end of an era, but his legacy will live on.

(variety.com)

Misc entrepreneur

Hollywood Stars Unite Against AI Copyright Grab

2025-03-18

Hollywood Stars Unite Against AI Copyright Grab

Over 400 Hollywood creative leaders signed an open letter to the Trump administration, protesting AI companies' use of copyrighted material without permission for AI training. They argue this undermines the economic and cultural strength of America's creative industries. The letter, signed by A-list stars like Ben Stiller, Mark Ruffalo, and Cate Blanchett, calls for upholding existing copyright laws and has sparked widespread industry debate.

(variety.com)

Tech

Technicolor Files for Bankruptcy Protection, Thousands of VFX Jobs at Risk

2025-02-27

Visual effects giant Technicolor, home to MPC, The Mill, and other prominent brands, has filed for bankruptcy protection in France after failing to secure new investors. The move threatens thousands of VFX jobs across the US, UK, Canada, and India. Some employees are already finding new opportunities; for example, a portion of The Mill's US team is launching a new venture, Arc Creative, with Dream Machine FX. Technicolor's struggles highlight challenges in the post-production industry, raising concerns within the VFX community and jeopardizing numerous ongoing film projects.

(variety.com)

Tech Visual Effects

Spotify Paid Out $10 Billion to the Music Industry in 2024: A Streaming Success Story?

2025-02-04

Spotify Paid Out $10 Billion to the Music Industry in 2024: A Streaming Success Story?

Spotify announced it paid a record $10 billion to the music industry in 2024, a billion more than the previous year. This brings its total payouts to roughly $60 billion since its founding in 2006. While artist compensation from streaming remains a contentious issue, Spotify highlights its contribution to the industry's revival after a period of decline due to illegal downloading. The company attributes its success to high user retention, a freemium model, and global expansion, claiming to be both the most popular and highest-paying subscription streaming service. Further details on royalty distributions will be released in their annual Loud & Clear report.

(variety.com)

Tech Streaming Music Music Industry

David Lynch, Visionary Director of 'Twin Peaks' and 'Blue Velvet,' Dies at 78

2025-01-16

David Lynch, Visionary Director of 'Twin Peaks' and 'Blue Velvet,' Dies at 78

Acclaimed director David Lynch, known for his dark, surrealist style in films like 'Blue Velvet' and 'Mulholland Drive,' and the television series 'Twin Peaks,' has passed away at age 78. Lynch's films blended horror, film noir, mystery, and European surrealism, creating a unique narrative style. A recipient of an honorary Oscar, his work profoundly impacted cinema and television.

(variety.com)

Film Twin Peaks Blue Velvet

Delta Air Lines Partners with YouTube Premium for In-Flight Entertainment

2025-01-09

Delta Air Lines Partners with YouTube Premium for In-Flight Entertainment

Delta Air Lines has partnered with YouTube to offer free YouTube Premium and YouTube Music to its SkyMiles members on flights. This exclusive deal includes curated content from top YouTube creators and is part of Delta's broader strategy to enhance the in-flight experience and attract entertainment industry travelers. The airline is also rolling out an AI-powered personal assistant, Delta Concierge, and a new in-flight series hosted by Tom Brady focused on wellness travel tips.

(variety.com)

Tech Airlines

Indie Animation 'Flow' Scores Upset Golden Globe Win

2025-01-07

Indie Animation 'Flow' Scores Upset Golden Globe Win

Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis' 'Flow' pulled off a major upset, winning the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature. Made on a modest $3.7 million budget, the Latvian, Belgian, and French co-production beat out Disney/Pixar blockbusters and other big-budget contenders. The film, a post-apocalyptic tale of animals surviving a biblical flood, showcased the growing inclusivity of the Golden Globes towards independent and international cinema. 'Flow's' win is also a testament to the power of open-source software, as it was created using Blender, a first for a Golden Globe winner in this category. Zilbalodis' acceptance speech highlighted the significance of this win for the small Latvian film industry and his personal journey of learning collaboration.

(variety.com)

Game Golden Globes indie film