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☆ The career rise of 'Avatar' and 'Titanic' director James Cameron
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Travis Clark | Ayomikun Adekaiyero | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

James Cameron recently addressed the implosion of a Titanic-bound submersible that killed 5 people. Cameron told ABC News that he has visited the shipwreck on his own expeditions 33 times. CBS via Getty Images; Steve Granitz/FilmMagicIn June 2023, a submersible owned by diving company Oceangate, which was carrying five people to see the Titanic shipwreck at around 13,000 feet under the surface, lost contact with its mothership. Years before the expedition, experts, including OceanGate's own director of marine operations, had raised concerns about the safety of the vessel. In another interview with CNN, Cameron said he knew "in my bones" that the submersible had imploded before it was announced.

Persons: James Cameron, Cameron, Steve Granitz, I'm, — Organizations: ABC News, CBS, Getty, US Coast Guard, CNN

Over the last several years, Juul has gone from a darling of Silicon Valley to a company beset by legal challenges. The e-cigarette maker recently agreed to pay $462 million in a settlement that ends lawsuits against it. Here's a rundown of the company's history, from its $38 billion valuation to legal settlements. Over the last several years, Juul has gone from a darling of Silicon Valley to a company beset by legal challenges. It also fell from a valuation of $38 billion in 2018 to just $1 billion last October, according to the Journal.

☆ Netflix is ending its DVD-rental service after 25 years. Here's how the company grew into a Hollywood disruptor with over 230 million subscribers.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Travis Clark | Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

1998: Netflix launches a DVD-by-mail rental service. That same year, Amazon founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos offers to buy the company. Charles Krupa/APIn his book "That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea," Randolph wrote that he and Hastings met with Bezos in 1998, who offered them "probably something between $14 million and $16 million," Randolph wrote. But they turned down the offer.

☆ 130 Regal, Eastgate, and other movie theaters could close in the US — see the list of those already shuttering
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Travis Clark | Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Cineworld has sought to exit its leases for 130 theaters in the US. A bankruptcy court in Texas has already approved its plan to walk away from 47 of those locations. Cineworld filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September. So far, the Texas bankruptcy court overseeing the proceedings has approved the company's plan to exit 47 leases, according to court filings. The North American box office hit $7.4 billion in 2022, according to Comscore, down from over $11 billion in 2019 and 2018.

☆ The career rise and stumble of Will Smith, whose notorious slap was the star of last year's Oscars
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Will Smith's films have grossed nearly $10 billion combined at the worldwide box office as of March 2023. Smith in "Ali." SonyHe's ranked No. 15 in total US box office among actors in leading roles. Source: The Numbers

☆ All 31 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, ranked by how much money they made at the global box office
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Travis Clark | Samantha Delouya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Universal Pictures Worldwide box office: $264.7 million Total domestic box office: $134.8 million Domestic opening weekend: $55.4 million Budget: $150 million 29. Disney/Marvel Worldwide box office: $370.6 million Total domestic box office: $176.7 million Domestic opening weekend: $65 million Budget: $140 million 28. "Ant-Man" (2015) Marvel Worldwide box office: $519.3 million Total domestic box office: $180.2 million Domestic opening weekend: $57.2 million Budget: $130 million 23. Marvel Studios Worldwide box office: $644.8 million Total domestic box office: $206.4 million Domestic opening weekend: $85.7 million Budget: $170 million 19. Marvel/Sony Worldwide box office: $880.2 million Total domestic box office: $334.2 million Domestic opening weekend: $117 million Budget: $175 million 11.

☆ James Cameron reportedly made at least $95 million from 'Avatar: The Way of Water'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

James Cameron earned at least $95 million for "Avatar: The Way of Water," Forbes reported. The long-awaited "Avatar" sequel has earned $2.2 billion worldwide, including $647 million in the US, since opening in theaters about two months ago. The $95 million Cameron earned for "The Way of Water" made him the No. He earned $350 million for the first "Avatar," based largely on box-office and home-entertainment sales, Deadline reported in 2010. "The Way of Water" has performed well enough at the box office that the planned third, fourth, and fifth "Avatar" movies will be made and released, Cameron said in January.

☆ AMC Theatres shouldn't be charging more for the best seats — it should be getting rid of the empty ones
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AMC Theatres announced this week that it would charge more for the best seats in its auditoriums. Here's what it looks like on the AMC Theatres website for a screening at a New York City location:What the new seat pricing looks like on the AMC Theatres website. "This new initiative by AMC Theatres would essentially penalize people for lower income and reward for higher income." AMC's seat-pricing plan isn't going to help the theatrical business. Patrick Corcoran, spokesman for the National Association of Theatre Owners, told Insider in September.

☆ The Harry Potter video game 'Hogwarts Legacy' is here, and topping sales charts — despite the JK Rowling controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"Hogwarts Legacy" was at the top of the Steam PC and PlayStation Store sales charts on Friday. The early success comes despite backlash over Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling's anti-trans comments. The game's early success is in the face of some calls for a boycott over Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling's past anti-trans comments. Warner Bros. Games, which released "Hogwarts Legacy," wrote on the game's FAQ page that Rowling was "not directly involved in the creation of the game." Discovery CEO David Zaslav in November expressed an interest in doing "something with J.K. on Harry Potter going forward."

☆ Frustrated Magic: The Gathering fans say Hasbro has made the classic card game too expensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Travis Clark | Max Adams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Magic: The Gathering fans are upset with how much product Hasbro has been releasing. Some game shop owners have had to sell cards at a lower cost — meaning they lose money and Magic loses value. At this point, given the huge costs to keep up with the game, fans felt that they were rightly concerned that Magic was becoming a luxury hobby. Hasbro's Magic: The Gathering strategy has alienated a lot of longtime fans, LaGaccia said, which has left many game shops with unsold product. Some fans have moved on from Magic to other card gamesSome Magic: The Gathering fans have found alternatives.

☆ Disney CEO Bob Iger says ESPN will 'one day' be streaming only
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Disney CEO Bob Iger predicts that ESPN will "one day" shift to a streaming-only model. They include Disney Entertainment, which consists of the movie studios and streaming platforms; parks, experiences, and products; and ESPN, which encompasses both the linear ESPN network, and the ESPN+ streamer. "A so-called over-the-top model — a streaming model — it would be a phenomenal product for the sports fan," he added. When asked directly if ESPN will one day largely be a streaming service, Iger said that "there's an inevitability to it." "It created a huge divide between the creative side of the company — the content engines, movies and television — and the monetization and distribution side of the company," Iger said on Thursday.

☆ Newly returned Disney CEO Bob Iger is cutting 7,000 jobs and reorganizing the company
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Disney CEO Bob Iger announced layoffs on Wednesday. During the company's quarterly earnings call on Wednesday, Iger said the company would cut 7,000 jobs. ESPN will be led by James Pitaro, formerly chair of ESPN and Sports Content, and president of ESPN before that. will be led by James Pitaro, formerly chair of ESPN and Sports Content, and president of ESPN before that. Disney reported in its earnings report that Disney+ lost subscribers for the first time — over 2 million, all from India's Disney+ HotStar.

☆ Cartoon Network reportedly investigated 'Ricky and Morty' co-creator over allegations of workplace misconduct in 2020, years before it severed ties with him
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Cartoon Network investigated alleged workplace misconduct by Justin Roiland in 2020, per The Hollywood Reporter. Adult Swim recently cut ties with Roiland over domestic abuse charges against him. The network also investigated Roiland years ago over accusations of workplace misconduct, The Hollywood Reporter reported on Tuesday. He will be replaced on "Rick and Morty" and "Solar Opposites," according to THR. Adult Swim ordered 70 more episodes of "Rick and Morty" in 2018 and has aired less than 50% of those.

☆ Twitch suspended a GPT-powered AI comedy show trained on 'Seinfeld' episodes after it made transphobic comments
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

An AI-powered comedy shoe trained by "Seinfeld" episodes was suspended from Twitch. The stream, called "Nothing, Forever," had made transphobic comments shortly before the suspension. The notice doesn't specify the reason for the suspension, but it came soon after Sunday night's stream included transphobic and anti-LGBTQ+ comments, according to Vice. One of the "Nothing, Forever" creators, called Xander, said on Discord that the suspension is for 14 days, according to Vice. "We've appealed the ban, and we'll let you know as we know more on what Twitch decides," Xander said.

☆ You'll have to pay more to see a movie at an AMC Theatre if you want prime seating
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

It's the latest evolution in variable pricing at movie theaters. AMC Theatres, the largest theater chain in the world, announced new pricing variations for seating on Monday in an imitative called Sightline at AMC. The variable pricing is for any showtime after 4 pm, and doesn't apply to "Discount Tuesdays," AMC said. Here's the catch: Value Sightline is only available for members of AMC's subscription program, AMC Stubs A-List. But it's also the latest evolution of variable pricing at movie theaters — which has until now been more focused on charging different prices based on the movie or format, and not necessarily on seat location.

☆ What to read to prepare for James Gunn's new DC movie and TV universe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

On Twitter, Gunn later shared the comics that are acting as the inspiration for the films. Gunn shared some of the comics inspiring his new DC film universe. The future of the DC universe is looking more clear based on the stories Gunn shared, and it suggests a departure from the scattershot nature of the previous DC and Warner Bros. regime. The DC Extended Universe, as it was called prior to Gunn and Safran, tried to build a connected cinematic universe. Gunn and Safran's DC universe will likely play with different tones and styles, as well, based on the stories Gunn shared — but under a unified creative direction.

☆ Can't get enough of Showtime's 'Billions'? Get ready for 'Trillions'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Showtime is making spinoffs of some of its biggest shows, like "Billions" and "Dexter." It reflects its owner Paramount's larger content strategy of doubling down on franchises. Showtime is planning to make up to four spinoffs of "Billions," including "Millions" and "Trillions." The plan reflects Paramount's larger content strategy of doubling down on its biggest hits and expanding them into franchises. Showtime content is being fully integrated within Paramount+, and some Paramount+ originals will air on Showtime linear programming.

☆ The response to HBO's 'The Last of Us' shows homophobia is still a major issue in gaming
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Homophobia has long been an issue in the gaming community and larger fandoms. HBO's series is based on the 2013 video game of the same name and is set 20 years after a fungal pandemic leaves the world in ruins. Sunday's episode, titled "Long, Long Time," depicts a gay romance between Bill, played by Nick Offerman, and Frank, played by Murray Bartlett. Echoes of "gamergate" could be seen in criticism against "The Last of Us Part II," the 2020 video game sequel, in which Ellie's sexuality is further explored. On Metacritic, it has a 5.8 user score, while the first game received a 9.2 user rating.

☆ Amazon is bragging about the popularity of Netflix's 'Wednesday' and its star Jenna Ortega — even though the streamers are rivals
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Amazon touted the success of Netflix's "Wednesday" in its Q4 2022 earnings report on Thursday. The series, which stars Jenna Ortega, is one of Netflix's most-watched shows of all time. It was viewed for 1.237 billion hours globally in its first 28 days of release, according to Netflix's own figures. It bought the film and TV studio, which is also behind the James Bond films, last year for $8.5 billion, and recently launched the MGM+ streaming platform. Soon after, though, Netflix announced it had renewed the series for season two, exclusively for Netflix.

☆ You won't be able to watch movies and TV shows for free anymore on Peacock
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Peacock is no longer offering its free plan for new subscribers. As of Tuesday, Peacock has turned off its free tier for new users — meaning if you weren't already subscribed to Peacock, you'll now have to sign up for a paid membership. The free plan included ads and limited content compared to the paid tiers. An NBCU spokesperson told Variety that the change was part of the company's growth strategy for Peacock, but that existing users of the free plan will continue to have access to it for now. By Q1 2021, the service had just 9 million paid subscribers.

☆ DC's slate for its new movie and TV universe is bizarre, risky, and a bit confusing — but still promising
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

DC Studios announced the first wave of movies and TV shows for the new DC universe. There are also aspects of the old DC movie universe — but it still shows promise. The slate, titled "Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters," is, to put it plainly, bizarre — and even a bit risky. If anything, it's still a bit of the old DC Extended Universe. If Gunn and Safran wanted to keep any aspects of the old DC movie universe, they picked the right ones.

☆ Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos agree on at least one thing: They love HBO's 'The Last of Us'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos both love HBO's video-game TV series "The Last of Us." Bezos tweeted that Sunday's episode was "unbelievably good story telling," and Musk responded in agreement. "The Last of Us" is an adaptation of the 2013 video game of the same name. Bezos' Amazon has dabbled in making video games, with largely underwhelming results, including the online multiplayer game "New World." The agreement on "The Last of Us" is a rare break in the rivalry between Bezos and Musk.

☆ Are the 'Avatar' movies animated? Here's why the Oscars don't think so.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A viral tweet over the weekend started a debate around the "Avatar" movies and animation. The tweet asserts that "Avatar: The Way of Water" should be considered an animated film at the Oscars. And, last week, it was nominated for best visual effects at this year's Oscars — an award that the first "Avatar" movie won 13 years ago. "Avatar is an animated film and should've been put in the animated film category," tweeted artist Matthew Robert Davies, who's worked on TV shows "Roy" and "The Adventures of Paddington." It would be hard to argue that the "Avatar" movies could not be mistaken for live action.

☆ 'Avatar 2' is now the No. 4 biggest movie ever after passing 'The Force Awakens,' but it still has a long way to go to get the top spot
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

"Avatar: The Way of Water" passed "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" at the global box office with $2.12 billion. The sequel has grossed $2.116 billion at the worldwide box office after nearly seven weeks in theaters, and there are no signs of it slowing down. "Titanic," from "Avatar" and "The Way of Water" director James Cameron, is within reach. The 1997 movie stands at $2.194 billion at the global box office, about $80 million ahead of "The Way of Water." And "The Way of Water" has brought in enough money to ensure the planned third, fourth, and fifth "Avatar" movies are made, according to Cameron.

☆ 8 Netflix movies have been nominated for the best picture Oscar since the streamer broke into the race in 2018
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Eight Netflix movies have been nominated for the best picture Oscar over the years. It follows a streaming company winning best picture for the first time last year, when Apple prevailed for its movie "CODA" a little more than two years after launching Apple TV+. Eight Netflix movies have been nominated for best picture since 2018, as the company attracted high-profile filmmakers in recent years like Martin Scorsese and David Fincher. The Wall Street Journal reported in 2020 that Netflix was spending an estimated $100 million on its Oscars campaign. Below are Netflix's eight movies that have been nominated for best picture, including how many total nominations and wins they received:

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