DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ The Russian culture ministry is blaming a pirated version of the Barbie movie for weakening nationwide values
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Sebastian Cahill | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A pirated version of the "Barbie" movie made its way to Russia, and officials there aren't happy. The Russian Culture Ministry wants to shift from Western values towards "traditional" Russian ones. AdvertisementAdvertisementAs Russian citizens struggle to maintain morale during the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Culture Ministry is taking a shot at the "Barbie" movie as a representation of hated Western ideologies. Multiple offices and politicians are criticizing the "Barbie" movie for not promoting "traditional Russian values" — a vague phrase that seems to refer to patriotism and general conservatism — per the BBC. But what comprises appropriate, patriotic entertainment, then, free of Western values?

Persons: —, Barbie, Steve Rosenberg, Maria Butina, Butina, Rosenberg, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Russian Culture Ministry, Service, BBC Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian

☆ Shrek’s ‘swamp’ now available to rent on Airbnb
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

But this new Airbnb listing in the Scottish Highlands is an exception to the rule. Shrek’s “swamp” is located on the grounds of Ardverikie Estate, a 19th-century Scottish mansion in the Scottish Highlands, some 60 miles south of the city of Inverness. One-off experienceShrek's home is located in the Scottish Highlands. While vacationers will need to organize their own travel to and from the Highlands location, their sojourn at Shrek’s house will be free. Alix McIntosh/AirbnbIf images provided by Airbnb are anything to go by, vacationers can expect a faithful recreation of Shrek’s humble, swampy abode.

Persons: it’s, Alix McIntosh, Airbnb, HopScotch, Baz Luhrmann, Barbie, ”, “ Outlander Organizations: CNN, Scottish Highlands, DreamWorks Locations: Scottish, Ardverikie, Inverness, Scotland, Moulin Rouge, Malibu , California, Balmoral, London, Bank

☆ Top Sicilian mafia boss buried but the criminal enterprise lives on
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Rome CNN —Sicilian mob boss Matteo Messina Denaro, widely thought to be the last godfather of his kind, was buried Wednesday in a private funeral in Castelvetrano, Sicily. A police handout photo shows Matteo Messina Denaro after he was arrested in Palermo, Italy, on January 16, 2023. “With the death of Matteo Messina Denaro, a life full of violence, plots and mysteries ends,” Grasso told CNN. Messina Denaro, even with his rap sheet of murders, was highly critical of the Catholic church over the clerical sex abuse scandal. Matteo Messina Denaro was arrested at a private health clinic in Palermo after 30 years on the run.

Persons: Rome, Matteo Messina Denaro, Nicola Consales, Messina Denaro, Antonella Bonomo, Giuseppe Di Matteo, Paolo Borsellino, Giovanni Falcone, Messina Denaro –, –, Giovanni Motisi, “, ” Toto Riina –, He’s, Stefano Fidanzati, Pietro Grasso, Giuseppe Auteri, ” Grasso, Salvatore “ Toto ” Riina, Messina, Italy’s, ”, Don Ciccio Messina Organizations: Rome CNN, Reuters, CNN, Cosa Nostra, Catholic, Police Locations: Castelvetrano, Sicily, Palermo, Italy, Cosa, Messina, Campobello, Abruzzo, Calabria

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Costco, Paramount, MillerKnoll, ChargePoint and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Media stocks — A handful of media and studio stocks rose Wednesday after the nearly 150-day writer strike ended. ChargePoint , Blink Charging — Shares of ChargePoint and Blink Charging gained 4.1% and 5.5%, respectively after UBS initiated coverage of the electric charging stocks with buy ratings. XPO — Shares added roughly 2% after XPO stock was upgraded to outperform from Evercore ISI, with analyst Jonathan Chappell highlighting margin growth potential and stronger pricing power. Mattel — Shares of the toymaker rose more than 4% after Morgan Stanley initiated coverage of Mattel with an overweight rating. AAR Corp — Shares of the aircraft services company rose 2.3% on the back of its quarterly earnings report.

Persons: MillerKnoll, XPO, Jonathan Chappell, Morgan Stanley, Levi Strauss, TD Cowen, Levi's, Piper Sandler, Kosmos, — CNBC's Brian Evans, Alex Harring, Jesse Pound, Hakyung Kim Organizations: Media, Warner Bros . Discovery, Paramount Global, Comcast, Disney, Netflix, UBS, Costco —, Costco, Evercore ISI, Mattel —, Mattel, Federal Trade Commission, AAR, Kosmos Energy, Bank of America

☆ Here are Wednesday's biggest analyst calls: Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, Mattel, Amazon, Costco & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

UBS reiterates Apple as neutral UBS said its survey checks show wait times for Apple's newest iPhone are shorter than compared to one year ago. Deutsche Bank reiterates Tesla as buy Deutsche said it sees "meaningful downside risk" in 2024 for Tesla, but that it's standing by its buy rating. " Bank of America reiterates Costco as buy Bank of America said it's standing by its buy rating after the company's earnings report Tuesday. "We initiate coverage of Leonardo DRS with a Buy rating and a $20 price objective, implying 23% upside potential." Bank of America reiterates Walmart as buy Bank of America said it sees gross margin expansion continuing for shares of the big box retailer.

Persons: Tesla, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Brent, Morgan Stanley, Leonardo, Mattel, Evercore, TD Cowen, Levi's, William Blair, Berenberg, DA Davidson Organizations: Street, HSBC, Johnson, UBS, Apple, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche, Chevron, Bank of America, Occidental Petroleum, Costco, Kosmos Energy, of America, T Bank, MTB, Amazon, Electric Vehicle Supply, Leonardo DRS, BMO, Microsoft, Mattel, Biosciences, Twist Bioscience Corp, Walmart Locations: China, Europe, Berkshire

☆ Morgan Stanley says this toy stock is a top pick that can rally more than 25%
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Toymaker Mattel can shine even as the environment for consumer companies looks shaky, according to Morgan Stanley. Analyst Megan Alexander initiated Mattel with an overweight rating, calling it a top pick, and assigned the the stock a price target of $27. That suggests the stock could gain 27.2% over the next 12 months. Alexander noted that headwinds reflecting the tough macroeconomic outlook are partly priced into the stock, but that revisions haven't bottomed yet. "They expect a decline in goods consumption, in particular durable goods, and a deceleration in services consumption."

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Megan Alexander, Alexander, Morgan Stanley's, Michael Bloom Organizations: Mattel

☆ 'Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ concert film set for global theatrical release
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Stefan Sykes | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Taylor Swift performs onstage during her The Eras Tour concert at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, on July 22, 2023. Taylor Swift's highly anticipated concert film is getting a global release. "Been so excited to tell you all that The Eras Tour concert film is now officially coming to theaters WORLDWIDE on Oct 13!" "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" is set to screen in more than 100 countries, starting in most of them on Oct 13. Swift's successful foray into film comes after her The Eras Tour, along with other concert tours, filled stadiums across the country, boosting local economies.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Lumen, Taylor Swift's, Swift, Barbie, Mario, — CNBC's Sarah Whitten Organizations: AMC Entertainment, Odeon Cinemas, AMC, American, Mario Bros Locations: Seattle , Washington, U.S, Canada, Mexico, North America, Europe

☆ The ‘Barbie’ movie has people buying ‘emotional support’ dolls. Psychologists say that’s a good thing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The “Barbie” movie is a bona fide cultural moment. Some videos show people carefully roaming toy aisles to pick out dolls that speak to their careers, identities or just their sense of whimsy. In one popular TikTok, a daughter surprises her mom with a Dia De Muertos Barbie, and no one comes away dry-eyed. Greene thought the idea of an emotional support Barbie was a little silly at first, but she found herself in a Target one weekend and caved. When Flora saw the “Barbie” movie with her daughter, she says nearly the whole audience was decked out in pink, sparkles and sunglasses, bubbling over with excitement.

Persons: Barbie, it’s, ”, “ Barbie, ” “, Muertos, “, Kristin Flora, she’s, ” Flora, Cameron Greene, Greene, Justin Sullivan, Flora, Pat Cafaro, tutu, ” Cafaro Organizations: CNN, Warner Bros, Pictures, Warner Bros ., Dia, Franklin College in, “, Retailers, rec Locations: Franklin College in Indiana, Lanham , Maryland, Corte Madera , California, Sarasota , Florida

☆ Airbnb is offering a weekend stay at Shrek's Swamp in the Scottish Highlands: Here’s how to book
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Shrek's Swamp will be available for a three night stay from Oct. 27 to Oct. 29. Three months after offering a stay at Barbie's Malibu DreamHouse, Airbnb's latest stunt is a long weekend at Shrek's Swamp. "Ogre enthusiasts can find peace and quiet watching the leaves fall in this mud-laden, moss-covered, murky-watered oasis that is Shrek's Swamp," the listing for the property based on DreamWorks' 2001 hit animated film reads. The bedroom is designed to look exactly how it does in the 2001 animated film. The stay even features Shrek's outhouse.

Persons: Airbnb's, Alix McIntosh Organizations: Malibu, DreamWorks, Scottish Highlands Locations: Scottish

☆ The WGA strike might be ending, but Hollywood’s bigger problems aren’t
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Demonstrators carry signs during the WGA strike in New York City in May. Leonardo Munoz/AFP via Getty ImagesWhatever the outcome of this battle, though, there are signs Hollywood overall is losing the war. Now with streaming gains slowing, the revenues from those new subscribers aren’t fully offsetting what’s being lost. That’s bad for the creative class.”So, were there “winners” and “losers” in the writers’ strike? To the extent the strike left their fall TV lineups looking relatively bare, this was a loss for them and gift to the streaming services.

Persons: –, Frederic J . Brown, Leonardo Munoz, they’re, “ Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer, Indiana Jones, ”, CHRIS DELMAS, ’, Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw, Strong ”, Oscar, Drew Barrymore, Bill Maher, Barrymore Organizations: CNN, Guild of America, WGA, Netflix, ”, Getty, Hollywood, Disney, Charter Communications, ESPN, SAG, Warner Bros, of America Locations: AFP, New York City

☆ Movie theater shares pop after writers, studios reach tentative labor deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Drew Richardson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Movie theater shares popped Monday following news of a tentative labor deal between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Extremely good news that progress is being made," AMC CEO Adam Aron said Sunday in a post on X, the site formerly known as Twitter. Shares of AMC were up roughly 7% Monday. The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is still on strike after failure to reach a labor agreement with AMPTP. The summer season saw a 19% year-over-year increase, due in large part to the success of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer."

Persons: Adam Aron, it's, Kraven, Hunter, Oppenheimer, Eric Wold, AFTRA, — CNBC's Sarah Whitten Organizations: AMC, Regal Cinemas, Writers Guild of America, Alliance, Television Producers, Twitter, Disney, Comcast, Warner Bros, Discovery, Hollywood, – American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, AMPTP, SAG, Riley Securities, WGA, Netflix, CNBC Locations: Square , New York, NBCUniversal

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham weren't enough to save “ Expend4bles ” from a debut box office flop. The Lionsgate and Millennium's film, also known as “Expendables 4,” pulled in a mediocre $8.3 million for the big-budget project. It starred several popular names, including Stallone, Statham, Curtis “50 Cent" Jackson, Megan Fox and Dolph Lundgren. It's been nearly a decade since the franchise released a film, which opened with $15.8 million and eventually grossed $214 million globally. But times have certainly changed, as the film barely placed second behind “The Nun 2," a horror movie that earned $8.4 million in its first week.

Persons: — Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham weren't, “, ”, Comscore, Stallone, Statham, Curtis “, Jackson, Megan Fox, Dolph Lundgren, It's, Michael Chaves, Venice ”, Kenneth Branagh’s, Agatha Christie, Denzel Washington, “ Barbie, Greta Gerwig, “ Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan Organizations: ANGELES, Lionsgate, Warner Bros, Orient Express, Sony, GameStop, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Writers Guild of America Locations: Venice

☆ Warner Bros to expand British studios' production capacity by over 50%
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The exterior of the Warner Bros. REUTERS/Alyssa Pointer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 21 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) on Thursday said it planned to expand production capacity at its Leavesden studios near London by more than 50%, adding 10 new sound stages to the facility where much of the "Barbie" blockbuster and HBO's "House of the Dragon" were filmed. Hunt told Reuters in a telephone interview that the investment would total 245 million pounds ($301 million). Warner Bros said it would increase the value of Leavesden's annual film and television production by 200 million pounds ($245.9 million), bringing it to 600 million pounds ($737.6 million a year, Warner Bros Discovery said. Hunt said the Leavesden project "is a huge vote of confidence in the UK" and will benefit from longstanding British tax breaks for local film and television production.

Persons: Alyssa Pointer, Jeremy Hunt, Hunt, Warner Bros, David Lawder, Chris Reese, Michael Perry Organizations: Warner Bros . Discovery, REUTERS, Warner Bros Discovery, British Finance, Reuters, Warner, Warner Bros, Thomson Locations: Warner Bros . Discovery Atlanta, Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, London, Los Angeles, California, Silicon

☆ Warner Bros. to expand UK studios where ‘Barbie’ and ‘Harry Potter’ were filmed
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Olesya Dmitracova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Warner Bros. Discovery has announced plans for a major expansion of the UK studios where “Barbie” — its biggest movie of all time — was filmed. The “Harry Potter” series and the “House of the Dragon” television show were also shot at the Leavesden studios. News of the UK expansion comes as Warner Bros. CNN is owned by Warner Bros.

Persons: “ Barbie ”, —, ”, Harry Potter, Harry Potter ” Organizations: London CNN — Warner Bros, Discovery, DC Studios, Warner Bros, ’, “, Warner Bros ., Hollywood, Disney, Netflix, CNN, British Film Institute Locations: London, United Kingdom, United States

☆ ‘Everyone is in the same boat’: Is designing fashion worth going into debt?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Leah Dolan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Kylie Jenner is a known favorite, too, choosing a Spring-Summer 2023 look to wear during Paris Fashion Week last September; as well as posing in custom pieces for her 399 million Instagram followers. It’s as simple as that,” Findikoglu told CNN during an interview outside her east London studio on the first day of London fashion week. While 31-year-old American designer Michael Halpern — who has received two British Fashion Awards in his career — announced just last week that not only would his label be skipping London Fashion Week, but that it plans to close for good. Findikoglu believes more financial help should be available to all brands on the London fashion week schedule. I’m not going to come to the studio in my knife dress, you know?”A model walks the runway at the Dilara Findikoglu show in the avant garde knife dress during London Fashion Week February 2023.

Persons: Dilara Findikoglu, Olivia Rodrigo, Findikoglu —, —, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Bella Hadid, She’s, Margot Robbie, Barbie, Hari Nef, Kylie Jenner, Cardi, MTV VMAs, Taylor Hill, “, ” Findikoglu, I’m, she’s, ” Margot Robbie's corseted, Findikoglu, Stuart C, Wilson, Steven Stokey, Daley, S.S Daley, Michael Halpern —, ”, Loewe, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Celine, Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Saint Laurent, David M, it’s, I’ve, Cameron Smith Organizations: CNN, London CNN, MTV, Stone Magazine, Awards, London, Central Saint Martins, Savigny Partners, Brands, British Fashion Council, BFC, Getty Locations: London, Turkey, American, Savigny, Bottega Veneta, NEWGEN, Paris

☆ Why Barbie, Star Trek, and Star Wars succeed where other movie franchises fail to capitalize on fandoms, according to a new study
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Fandom unveiled the top 25 game and TV/film franchises of 2023 with Marvel, One Piece, Elder Scrolls, and Harry Potter following Star Wars. The idea was to give a unified view on what's capturing fan attention and why, said Perkins Miller, Fandom's CEO. Fandom study describes why franchises fans buy. "We saw original fans far less likely to watch those," Iaffaldano said of the animated shows. FandomOverall, world-building, as exemplified by Star Wars, was the most important factor in love of a franchise, cited by 32%.

Persons: Scrolls, Harry Potter, Perkins Miller, Warner, David Zaslav, Bob Iger, Marvel, Barbie, hasn't, Zelda, Anthony Iaffaldano, Iaffaldano, It's, Miller, they're Organizations: Star Wars, Marvel, Star, deca, Warner Bros, Discovery, Disney, Nintendo, Netflix, Paramount

☆ Hollywood Strikes Send a Chill Through Britain’s Film Industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Eshe Nelson | More About Eshe Nelson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

What do “Barbie,” “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning” and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” have in common? Besides being the summer’s big-budget movies, they were made in Britain, filmed in part at some of the country’s most esteemed studios. Big Hollywood productions are a critical part of Britain’s film and television industry. For years, they have brought in money, jobs and prestige, and helped make the sector a bright spot in Britain’s economy. Throughout the late summer months, when the industry would be at its busiest to take advantage of the long days, soundstages at Pinewood, Britain’s largest studios, were instead nearly empty.

Persons: Barbie, Indiana Jones, ”, “ Organizations: Big Hollywood, “ Locations: Britain, United States, Hollywood, Pinewood

☆ The Girlies Know: ‘Oppenheimer’ Was Actually About Us
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Iva Dixit | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Here the girlhood parallels move beyond the facetious to acquire a darker quality, as shame begins to erode Oppenheimer’s sense of self. The great Oppenheimer realizes that no amount of personal brilliance can counter the force of the state. Near the film’s end, Oppenheimer silently reckons with visions of what his brilliance has wrought: unimaginable suffering and fire as the invention he fathered wipes out civilization itself. For a Great Man like him, it took the twin shames of the bomb’s destruction and public disgrace to have this life-altering yet basic realization about his own powerlessness. This is a rule and a warning that life has drilled into girls from age 13, if not sooner.

Persons: callow, Murray Kempton, Oppenheimer, discontents, Lewis Strauss, he’s, Annie Ernaux’s “, Barbie ”, Iva Dixit, Sean Paul Organizations: Communist, U.S .

☆ A woman transformed her Halloween-themed mansion into a pink Barbiecore castle. It's on the market for $1.1 million — take a look inside.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

A Barbie-themed mansion in Wisconsin is on the market for $1.1 million. The Barbie-themed mansion. Edina RealtyBarbiecore Castle, a seven-bedroom mansion in Hudson, Wisconsin, is on the market for $1.1 million, according to Edina Realty's online listing. The house's exterior has been painted bright pink and there is Barbie-themed decor scattered throughout the property. The property is currently listed as Barbiecore Castle on Airbnb and costs $2,873 to rent per night.

Persons: Brooke Fleetwood, it's Organizations: Edina Realty, Edina Realty's Locations: Wisconsin, Edina, Hudson , Wisconsin, Airbnb

☆ Hot girl summer is about to come to a crashing halt, and winter is coming for women
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Emily Canal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

This year's hot girl summer was led by the women who propped up the US economy. The aid has been funding childcare for the past two years, which helps keep many moms working. The study polled 3,661 women and 1,144 men between November 19, 2020, and December 17, 2020. Simultaneously, if childcare centers closed, working women would bear the brunt — in a 2020 report, the National Women's Law Center found that 95% of childcare workers were women . AdvertisementAdvertisementParents, experts, and lawmakers have previously told Insider how vital childcare is to working parents.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Barbie, Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, doesn't, Annie E, Lisa Hamilton, who've, Sen, Patty Murray Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, of Labor Statistics, American, Century Foundation, Labor Department, Family Foundation, National Women's Law Center, Casey Foundation Locations: Wall, Silicon, America, it's

☆ How a Squiggly Line on a Map Got ‘Barbie’ Banned in Vietnam
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Erich Schwartzel | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/business/media/barbie-movie-banned-vietnam-b8d79faa

Persons: Dow Jones Locations: vietnam

☆ Taylor Swift helped lift the US economy this summer with her Eras Tour — she can't get back to the states soon enough
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

After five months and 53 shows, the economic impact of Swift's "The Eras Tour" was monumental and non-stop. Consider the following:"Taylor Swift's 'Eras' tour is rewriting the playbook of entertainment economics," Chris Leyden, director of growth marketing at SeatGeek told CNN. "It's no surprise that people are flocking to this Eras Tour experience in what is increasingly an otherwise digital environment we live in." AdvertisementAdvertisementOne Swiftie who spoke with Insider called their "Eras Tour" trip "a little bit concert, a little bit vacation." — Taylor Swift, who is releasing a film version of "The Eras Tour."

Persons: Taylor Swift, Swift, Taylor, Chris Leyden, SeatGeek, She's, —, Omar Vega, Alice Enders, Grace Smith, Andrew Heilmann, Robert Douglas, Cork, Oppenheimer, Klaus Vedfelt Piper, Nancy Lazar, Lazar, Barbie, — Taylor Swift, Charlie Harding Organizations: Service, CNN, Bloomberg News, Enders Analysis, World Trade Organization, MediaNews, Denver, Getty, Moody's, Cork Gaines, Bloomberg, Global, Fox News Digital, WGA Locations: Wall, Silicon, Arlington , Texas, LA, —, Hollywood

☆ Shrek Crocs are officially real
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —In the distant future, archaeologists will happen upon a Shrek Croc, its soft vinyl unsullied by the ages, and they will have questions. Crocs, the brand behind everyone’s favorite unapologetically ugly shoe, has collaborated with DreamWorks to craft an extremely important cultural artifact: The Shrek Croc. Green, freckled, and just a little scary, the Shrek Croc (or Shroc, if you will) has long been a dream for some Croc lovers. There actually is a 2018 Change.org petition floating around to “Make Shrek Crocs Real.” The good people at Crocs know what’s up too: In the run-up to the shoe’s launch on September 13, the official Croc X account retweeted 20 identical messages from an account called “Shrek Crocs,” all reading “Make Shrek Crocs real.”“The wait is over for the most wonderfully hideous Classic Clogs,” the shoe’s description reads. There are Pop Tarts Crocs (Croc-Tarts), Lisa Frank Crocs, Barbie Crocs, Crocs with fanny packs and even scented Crocs Jibbitz — a combination of words commanding almost as much dark energy as “Shrek Crocs.”Most reactions to the Shrek Crocs fall into one of two categories: “I need them immediately,” or “If you wear these in public I will perform a citizen’s arrest.” If your thoughts lean toward the former, you may want to hurry.

Persons: Margaritaville, Crocs, Lisa Frank Crocs, Barbie Crocs, fanny Organizations: CNN, DreamWorks

NEW YORK (AP) — “The Nun 2” and “A Haunting in Venice” virtually tied for the No. In its second weekend of release, Warner Bros.' “The Nun 2,” a spinoff from the studio's lucrative “Conjuring” franchise, grossed $14.7 million. If numbers hold, that will give “The Nun 2” (up to $56.5 million total and $158.8 million worldwide) the top spot at the box office for the second straight week. In three weeks, its grossed $73.7 million domestically and $132.4 million worldwide. Fourth place went to "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3” with $4.7 million in its second weekend of release.

Persons: —, Venice ”, Hercule Poirot, ” Kenneth Branagh's, Agatha Christie, ”, Denzel Washington, “ Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer ”, Barbie ”, Greta Gerwig's, Comscore, “ Barbie, “, “ Oppenheimer, Jake Coyle Organizations: Warner Bros, Orient Express, Century Studios, Walt Disney Co, It's, SAG, WGA, GameStop, Twitter Locations: Venice, ”, Telluride, Toronto

☆ Venice ‘not at risk’ after all? UNESCO leaves city off its heritage in danger list
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Rome, Italy CNN —The Italian city of Venice and its lagoon were not listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage in Danger list during a meeting of the UN agency in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, according to Italy’s culture ministry. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee had warned in July that Italy was not doing enough to protect the city from the threat of overtourism, development and climate change. It had recommended that it be added to its heritage in danger list. Recently, as part of its strategy to control tourism, the city adopted an entrance fee of €5 for day-trippers starting next spring. After the decision, the World Heritage Committee said Venice still faces major challenges and asked Italy to continue to protect it.

Persons: Italy CNN —, ”, Luigi Brugnaro, Andrea Pattaro Organizations: Italy CNN, UN, UNESCO World Heritage, UNESCO, Victory, UNESCO …, Getty, World Heritage Committee Locations: Rome, Italy, Venice, Saudi Arabia, UNESCO … Venice, AFP

Search resuls for: "BARBIE"

25 mentions found