DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

SAG-AFTRA actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers walk the picket line during their ongoing strike outside Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, U.S., July 31, 2023. As evidence of its interest, Disney has 11 current job openings seeking candidates with expertise in artificial intelligence or machine learning. AI has become a powder keg in Hollywood, where writers and actors view it as an existential threat to jobs. In Switzerland, Disney Research has been exploring AI, machine learning and visual computing, according to its website. This technology is used to augment digital effects, not replace human actors, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Persons: Mario Anzuoni, Walt Disney, Walt Disney Imagineering, Indiana Jones, Disney Imagineer, Groot, Imagineer, Harrison Ford, STEAMBOAT WILLIE, Willie, Bob Iger, Marvel, Hao Li, Li, Scott Trowbridge, Dawn Chmielewski, Krystal Hu, Kenneth Li, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Walt Disney Studios, REUTERS, Hollywood, Reuters, Disney, Guardians, Screen Actors Guild, STEAMBOAT, U.S . Patent, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, Disney Research, Star, Galactic, Thomson Locations: Burbank , California, U.S, Hollywood, Zurich, Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Disney's, Switzerland, Los Angeles, New York

☆ Elon Musk's first dates with Grimes included driving his Tesla with his eyes closed on Autopilot, a 'Lord of the Rings' quiz, and a box of animal bones
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk and Grimes told Walter Isaacson about their first few dates together. Musk took Grimes for a spin in his Tesla and quizzed her on "Lord of the Rings," the biographer said. Walter Isaacson, Elon Musk's biographer, offered a window into the early days of the Musk's relationship with the singer Grimes on Monday. "I was like, oh shit, this guy is fucking crazy," Isaacson said Grimes told him of the experience. The singer told Isaacson she gave Musk a box full of animal bones and the two would listen to history podcasts and audiobooks before bed.

Persons: Elon Musk, Grimes, Walter Isaacson, Musk, they've, Elon Musk's, Isaacson, Claire Boucher, Amber Heard, Tesla, quizzed Grimes, Chelsea Manning, Natasha Bassett Organizations: Morning, Twitter Locations: Fremont, Australian

☆ An extra in Marvel's 'WandaVision' reportedly said she was herded to a trailer for a body scan and never told how her likeness would be used
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Kylie Kirschner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Strikers say that studios proposed paying a day's rate in exchange for actors' digital likenesses. 5 actors told NPR that they've felt pushed to undergo body scans by studios. Rubalcaba told NPR that she was never told how the digital replica of her that was created that day might be used. NPR interviewed 5 extras in total who also said that they underwent body scans by studios and feared retaliation if they pushed back or refused. You can read the other background actors' stories over on NPR.

Persons: they've, Alexandria Rubalcaba, Rubalcaba, Disney, Samuel L, Jackson, Duncan Crabtree, Crabtree Organizations: Hollywood, Strikers, NPR, Morning, Disney, Facebook, SAG, Alliance, Television Producers Locations: Alexandria, Ireland

☆ 'Barbie' to top $1 billion at the global box office Sunday
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Discovery and Mattel will top $1 billion in global ticket sales, before the end of the weekend, according to estimates from the studio. Gerwig joins Anna Boden, co-director of Disney's "Captain Marvel," as the only two women to helm a live-action billion-dollar film. Universal's "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" has topped $1.3 billion since its April debut. Each film tallied less than $200 million in domestic box office receipts. "The box office powerhouse isn't done yet as the coming weeks offer little in the way of direct competition, giving 'Barbie' plenty of runway to continue building on this success," Robbins said.

Persons: Barbie, Shawn Robbins, Greta Gerwig, Gerwig, Anna Boden, Marvel, Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck, Mario, Paul Dergarabedian, Indiana Jones, Robbins Organizations: Warner Bros . Discovery, Mattel, Disney, Warner Bros, Mario Bros, Comscore, Furious, Comcast, CNBC Locations: Comscore, NBCUniversal

☆ 'Barbie' makes history with $1 billion box office
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —“Barbie” has answered the billion-dollar question with a resounding “yes.” Barely three weeks into its run, writer-director Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster has raked in an astounding $1.03 billion at the global box office, according to official Warner Bros. estimates. He added the movie’s marketing campaign was the first hint “Barbie” would be a box office smash. “Barbie” was distributed by Warner Bros., which is owned by CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Its global success was driven by box office sales in some of the world’s largest movie markets, including the United Kingdom, Mexico and Australia. 1 release in these markets every weekend since its release, according to tracking site Box Office Mojo.

Persons: New York CNN — “ Barbie ”, Greta Gerwig’s, Barbie ”, “ I’ve, Barbie, ”, Paul Dergarabedian, Dergarabedian, ‘ Barbie ’, ‘ Oppenheimer, ’, Margot Robbie —, —, “ Barbie ”, “, Barbie ’, Michael Berry, Berry, Barbie haters, it’s, BoxOffice, Shawn Robbins Organizations: New, New York CNN, Warner Bros, Comscore, Collider, Warner Bros ., UCLA’s Center, Chinese Studies, BoxOffice Pro Locations: New York, United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia, China, United States

☆ Hollywood is helping boost the economy as fans flock to 'Barbie,' 'Oppenheimer,' and Taylor Swift's Eras Tour
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Zahra Tayeb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and "Barbenheimer" have been key drivers of consumer spending this year. "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" has also boosted theaters that are still struggling post-pandemic. "'Barbenheimer' likely drove the continued surge in year-on-year entertainment spending growth," analysts Shruti Mishra and Aditya Bhave wrote in a note. Nintendo/Universal"The Super Mario Bros. Bringing some more optimism to global economies is "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" — an animated adaptation of the Nintendo video game.

Persons: Taylor, Mario, quieten, hasn't, Swift, Barbie, Oppenheimer, Taylor Swift, Taylor Hill, Jamie Cox, Covid, Cox, Shruti Mishra, Aditya Bhave, Greta Gerwig's, Zelda Organizations: Mario Bros, Service, Hollywood, Federal Reserve, Institute, Harris Financial Group, Bank of America, AMC, Nintendo Locations: Wall, Silicon, Cincinnati , Ohio, what's, Philadelphia

☆ 'Barbie' is less than $100 million away from a billion-dollar box office heading into third weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"Barbie" is less than $100 million away from topping $1 billion at the global box office. "Joining the billion-dollar box office club is a watershed moment for 'Barbie' and Greta Gerwig as the latter will become the first solo female director to achieve that feat," said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. Anna Boden, co-director of Disney's "Captain Marvel," was the first female director to be attached to a billion-dollar live-action film. When "Barbie" tops this mark, it will become the first billion-dollar film to do so for the newly minted Warner Bros. Box office analysts don't expect "Barbie" ticket sales to stall after this weekend, either.

Persons: Barbie, Greta Gerwig, Shawn Robbins, Anna Boden, Marvel, Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck, Robbins, It's, Paul Dergarabedian Organizations: Warner Bros . Discovery, Mattel, BoxOffice.com, Disney, Warner Bros, Comscore, Screen, – American Federation of Television, Radio Artists Locations: Comscore, Hollywood

☆ The new 'tone deaf' Bob Iger might just be focused on a Disney and Apple M&A
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Peter Csathy | Fearless Media | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Fearless Media is a newsletter about the future of entertainment, media, and tech by Creative Media chairman Peter Csathy . Disney CEO Bob Iger's comments regarding the strikers may hint at his deeper M&A state of mind. For the past decades, Disney CEO Bob Iger has been perhaps the most revered media and entertainment titan, beloved by both employees and Wall Street — a rare feat and balancing act to be sure. SAG President Fran Drescher joined voices across entertainment in calling Iger's comments "tone deaf" and rich for someone who reportedly makes more than 500 times the median salary of Disney employees. Peter Csathy is the founder and chairman of Creativie Media and an internationally recognized media, entertainment, and tech expert.

Persons: Peter Csathy, Bob Iger's, Iger, Bob Iger, —, Fran Drescher, Iger's, Sun, Tim Cook —, Steve Jobs, Rupert Murdoch, Palminteri, Keyser, doesn't bode, Read Organizations: Creative Media, Disney, Morning, Fearless Media, SAG, Mouse House, Marvel, Pixar, Apple, Wall, Fox Television, Wall Street, Hollywood, Creativie Media Locations: Sun Valley, Nice

ESPN has been Disney’s financial engine for nearly 30 years, powering the company through recessions, box office wipeouts and the pandemic. With its dual revenue stream — fees from cable subscribers and advertising — the sports juggernaut continues to earn billions of dollars for Disney. In the first six months of the 2023 fiscal year, Disney’s cable networks division, which is anchored by ESPN and its spinoff channels, generated $14 billion in revenue and $3 billion in profit. Disney is now exploring a once-unthinkable sale of a stake in ESPN. Disney has held talks with the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball about taking a minority stake.

Persons: Century Fox, ESPN’s, Robert A, ” Organizations: ESPN, Disney, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar, Century, CNBC, National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball

☆ Marta: How Brazil’s all-time record goalscorer became the greatest of all time and an ‘icon’ in her country
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

10, it the greatest women's player of all time and has become an 'icon' Brazil. Marta has won the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year award an unprecedented six times. The only achievement missing from a glittering CV is a major title with her beloved national team. Australia and New Zealand 2023 is her sixth and final Women's World Cup. If it weren’t for Marta, women’s football in Brazil would probably still be a very incipient thing.

Persons: CNN —, ” Sissi, “, Sissi, Vasco da Gama, Marta Viera da Silva, ”, Marta, chuckles, Stuart Franklin, wasn’t, Marta ’, John Walton, ’, that’s, ” Marta, Feng Li, Brazil’s, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Dida, Tina Ellerston, Ellerston, –, Juca Kfouri, Ronaldo O Fenômeno, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, ” Kfouri, Doug Pensinger, Pelé, Marta “ Pelé, Raphael Alves, she’s, Neymar, ‘ Marta ’, King, Marta –, Paul Currie, Kfouri, “ Marta Organizations: CNN, Brazil, Rio, Vasco, CNN Sport, FIFA, Nigeria, women’s, Champions League, Copa Libertadores, Germany, United, United States Women’s National, AFP, Getty, Brazil ” Locations: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, United States, men’s, Germany, USA, nestling, Australia, New Zealand, Alagoas, Marta’s, Brazilian

☆ A Fast, Fresh Pasta for Those Perfect Peak Tomatoes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Melissa Clark | More About Melissa Clark | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Add to cooked pasta, garnish with a handful of basil and dinner is done. I’ve been making tomato salads almost every evening, and I have to admit I’ve grown weary of my olive-oil-salt-basil minimalism. Kay Chun’s Thai-style crunchy vegetable salad, with its dressing of fish sauce and lime, turns out to be the perfect antidote. Peak summer is also peak slow cooker. It’s fancier, richer and less sweet than American icebox cakes, though you’re permitted to skip the chocolate curls on top.

Persons: I’ve, Kay Chun’s, Kay, they’re, Sarah DiGregorio’s, Genevieve Ko’s, Moka Dupont, It’s, you’re Locations: French

☆ Michelle Yeoh marries longtime partner Jean Todt
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh has married her longtime partner Jean Todt in a ceremony in Switzerland – nearly two decades after the French businessman first proposed to her. We love you and here’s to many more to come,” the Malaysian actress wrote. The post included images of the two exchanging rings and another of them sitting snuggled together on a bed decorated with flower petals. Todt posted the framed image on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, over the weekend, thanking long-time Bond producer Barbara Broccoli for the “touching” wedding gift. Todt, who made his name as a World Rally Championship co-driver, is also a former president of Formula 1’s governing body, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile.

Persons: CNN — Oscar, Michelle Yeoh, Jean Todt, Yeoh, Todt, Felipe Massa, “, M.Y, Oscar, ” Yeoh, don’t, Marvel, Rich Asians ”, ”, Pierce Brosnan, James Bond, Barbara Broccoli, General’s Organizations: CNN, Switzerland –, Ferrari, Academy, Rich Asians, Formula, Internationale de, United Nations Locations: Switzerland, French, Malaysian, Shanghai, J.T, Geneva, Hong Kong

☆ Samuel Alito tells Congress to stay out of Supreme Court ethics controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Dan Berman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Congress should stay out of the Supreme Court’s business and stop trying to impose ethics rules on justices and clerks, Justice Samuel Alito said in an interview published by The Wall Street Journal editorial page Friday. “Congress did not create the Supreme Court,” Alito said. No provision in the Constitution gives them the authority to regulate the Supreme Court – period.”Spurred by a string of stories calling out questionable ethical decisions and a lack of transparency and disclosure, Senate Democrats have advanced legislation meant to create a code of ethics for the Supreme Court. In an unusual move, Alito last month sought to preempt a ProPublica report on him by publishing a Wall Street Journal op-ed rather than responding to ProPublica’s request for comment directly. “If we’re viewed as illegitimate, then disregard of our decisions becomes more acceptable and more popular,” Alito said.

Persons: Samuel Alito, “, ” Alito, David B, Rivkin Jr, Alito, George W, Bush, he’s, that’s, ”, I’ve, Roe, Wade, Brown Organizations: CNN, Wall, Democrats, Supreme, of Education

☆ With Actors on Strike, Sony Pushes Big Releases to 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Brooks Barnes | More About Brooks Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Hollywood studios, scrambling to contend with a strike by unionized actors, have started to remove big-budget movies from the 2023 release calendar, newly imperiling theaters and undoubtedly irritating fans. “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse,” is no longer on track for a March premiere, and a new “Karate Kid” will no longer arrive in June. Until now, the 2023 theatrical release schedule had been left relatively unscathed by the actors’ strike, which started on July 14. Warner Bros. has been debating whether to postpone “Dune: Part Two,” which is supposed to arrive in theaters on Nov. 3. “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” a big-budget superhero sequel, and “The Color Purple,” based on the Broadway musical, are among other 2023 holiday-season movies that could be delayed.

Persons: Kraven, Hunter ”, ” Organizations: Sony Pictures Entertainment, Marvel Comics, Sony, Warner Bros

☆ The secret to the huge 'Barbenheimer' box office take? FOMO
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Hannah Beier | The Washington Post | Getty Images'At a crossroads'The historic box office combination of Warner Bros.' "Barbie" and Universal's "Oppenheimer" arrived a time when even the most dependable franchise movies have failed to lure in audiences. Together "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" generated $244.5 million during their first three days in theaters — $162 million for "Barbie" and $82.5 million for "Oppenheimer." Adding ticket sales from Paramount's newest "Mission Impossible" film, Sony's "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" and Angel Studios' "The Sound of Freedom," the weekend box office topped $311 million, the fourth-highest weekend haul in history. watch nowThe FOMO effect"Barbenheimer's" historic weekend was also fueled by a sense of urgency, which the box office has been lacking in recent months. He noted that both films would have been box office hits regardless, but "the mystique of them opening on the same day elevated their profiles to an entirely new level."

Persons: Oppenheimer, Hannah Beier, , Indiana Jones, Shawn Robbins, Barbie, Robbins, shies Organizations: Colonial Theater, Washington Post, Getty, Warner Bros, Marvel, Angel Studios Locations: Phoenixville , Pennsylvania, ,

New York CNN —In mid-July at the construction site at 1 Java Street in Brooklyn, New York, the outside temperatures can reach sweltering highs in the 90s. Geothermal technology is essentially a more eco-friendly version of an HVAC system, allowing the building spaces and water to be cooled and heated more efficiently, without traditional window AC units and natural gas. 1 Java Street in Brooklyn will use a geothermal sytstem for heating and cooling. In the winter, when the underground temperature exceeds the surface air temperature, water is used to transfer heat from the ground to building interiors; the process is reversed in the summer. Installing the building’s geothermal system increased construction costs by around 6%, according to Madi, and required securing equipment and trained manpower that remains relatively scarce.

Persons: New York CNN —, it’s, Biden, Layth Madi, Lendlease’s, “, ” Madi, ”, Adam Alaica, ” Alacia, — Madi, York —, Alacia Organizations: New, New York CNN, New York State, International Energy Agency, CNN, Marvel, Lendlease, Geosource Energy Locations: New York, Brooklyn , New York, Greenpoint, Brooklyn’s, New York City, Brooklyn, Madi, York

☆ Opinion: Vacations as we know it are over
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Opinion Bill Mcguire | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

On the contrary, the extreme weather conditions across southern Europe this summer are a wake-up call — a reminder that not even our vacations are insulated from the growing consequences of global heating. Even northern Europe would see a tripling of extreme heat events, which could be expected once every five years. Climate breakdown is set to become all-pervasive and affect every aspect of our lives and livelihoods, and already extreme weather can happen pretty much anywhere. This can’t go on, nor should it, both for the peace of mind of holiday-makers increasingly worried about growing extreme weather, and for the good of the planet. Holidays abroad need to be decoupled from flying, which means – as far as Europe is concerned – train, car or coach.

Persons: Bill McGuire, Read, Lefteris Damianidis, jetting, staycations, we’ll Organizations: Geophysical, University College London, CNN, Reuters, Greenpeace, scot, Catania, Twitter Locations: Rhodes, Corfu, Evia, Europe, American, Lindos, Greece, Palermo, Sicily

☆ 'Barbie' box office dominance extends beyond the weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Warner Bros. flick based on Mattel's iconic fashion doll continued to tally record ticket sales following its historic opening weekend. On Monday, "Barbie" added $26 million to its haul, the biggest Monday in the history of Warner Bros. and the best-ever for a female director. Greta Gerwig's bubblegum pink feature added another $26 million on Tuesday, extending its domestic box office to $214 million. "Barbie" exceeded opening weekend expectations, snaring $162 million over its first three days in domestic theaters. In just five days in theaters, "Barbie" has topped $470 million globally.

Persons: It's, Greta, Harry Potter, Margot Robbie, Mario, Barbie, Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer Organizations: Warner Bros, Marvel, Star, Mario Bros, Universal, Comcast, CNBC Locations: Hollywood, NBCUniversal

☆ Who’s Buying Whom in the PacWest Merger? Why It Matters
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Who’s Buying Whom in the PacWest Merger? Why It MattersPacWest and Banc of California are structuring their deal as a reverse merger. (Morgan Lieberman/Bloomberg News)However the tie-up between PacWest and Banc of California turns out, it’s already a marvel of financial engineering. The two banks are structuring their deal, announced late Tuesday, as a reverse merger. That means PacWest shareholders will receive Banc of California stock when the deal closes—making Banc of California the so-called legal acquirer.

Persons: Morgan Lieberman, it’s Organizations: Bloomberg Locations: Banc, California, PacWest

CNN —One fighter was shot twice, sent from the hospital back to the front, where he drank melted snow to live. Forced to assault Ukrainian positions repeatedly, until a grenade blinded him. CNN also spoke to a rare survivor of the Storm-Z units, Sergei – who was first interviewed by phone in a military hospital months earlier and last week recounted the savage and deteriorating life in the Russian trenches. While the appalling fighting conditions are well known, much Russian testimony is from prisoners of war, and provided through Ukrainian facilitators. Sergei recalls the quotidian horrors of the Russian trenches.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Andrei, Sergei –, Sergei, CNN Sergei, amputees, ” Sergei, ”, “, Don’t, Yulia, ” Andrei, CNN Yulia, Andrei messaged, Putin, ‘, ‘ we’re, ’, ” Yulia sobbed Organizations: CNN, Nazis, Russian Ministry of Defense, Kremlin, Ministry of Defense Locations: Russian, Red Square, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Sell Disney as falling Marvel popularity and lower TV ad revenue pressure stock, Atlantic Equities says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The firm downgraded Disney stock to underweight Tuesday and lowered its price target to $76 per share from $113. "Box office performance has also struggled with a clear decline from the 2019 Avengers: Endgame series climax," Hamilton said. To be sure, the most recent "Guardians of the Galaxy" film, released this year, hauled in more than $800 million at the box office, according to Box Office Mojo . Disney stock has slipped less than 1% from the start of the year, lagging the S & P 500's 18.6% gain. DIS YTD mountain Disney stock is down less than 1% in 2023.

Persons: Hamilton Faber, Hamilton, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Disney, Marvel, Marvel Studios, Guardians, Office Mojo, DIS

☆ Barbenheimer could be the one-two movie punch that blasts away the superhero smash
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

'Barbie' dominated at the box office, bringing in $155 million in its opening weekend in the US. Fury of the Gods (from Warner Bros.), with $58 million in domestic box office sales since it premiered on March 17. 3” have so far helped the film collect $359 million in box office sales domestically since it premiered on May 5. “The superhero movie is not the novelty that it used to be,” Shawn Robbins, chief analyst with Boxoffice Pro, said in an interview with CNN. 'Oppenheimer' raked in $80.5 million at the box office in its opening weekend in the US.

Persons: New York CNN —, Barbie, Oppenheimer, “, ”, Greta Gerwig’s “ Barbie, Christopher Nolan’s “ Oppenheimer, Robert Oppenheimer, “ Barbie, “ Oppenheimer, ” Shawn Robbins, don’t, Robbins, “ It’s, we’ve, “ Barbie ”, ” Michael O’Leary, ‘ Barbie ’, ‘ Oppenheimer, ’ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Yankee, Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Warner Bros, Pictures, Universal Studios, Warner Bros ., DC, “ Guardians, Boxoffice, CNN, US, Universal, ‘, Galaxy, DC Comics, Marvel, mojo, “, National Association of Theatre Owners Locations: New York, America, New York City, United States

On Douban, a popular Chinese movie review site, the movie is currently scored 8.6 out of 10, with nearly half of all viewers giving it full marks. Another top comment compared “Barbie” to another recent Chinese release, “Lost in the Stars,” which had previously received criticism for its portrayal of gender stereotypes. “There isn’t any new thinking about feminism, the movie is just an expression of old thoughts,” one person wrote on Douban. By Monday, cinemas had increased the number of screenings allocated to “Barbie” to make up 8.7% of all movie screenings, according to Maoyan. The film’s success is all the more notable given mounting challenges for US films to break into the Chinese movie market – the world’s second biggest, briefly holding the top spot during the Covid pandemic.

Persons: Barbie ”, “ Barbie ”, Greta Gerwig, Bird, don’t, ”, “ Barbie, China’s, Greg Baker Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Twitter, Weibo, Publishing, Warner Bros, Warner Bros ., Getty, Hollywood Locations: Hong Kong, China, United States, Shanghai, Beijing, AFP

☆ Generative AI is coming for the visual effects industry: What the technology means for the future of animation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Four VFX artists told Insider that AI could boost productivity and inspire creativity. Four visual-effects artists spoke to Insider about how generative AI could change their industry. Given its impressive capabilities, they believe AI has the potential to save visual-effects artists time on laborious tasks and create new forms of storytelling. Generative AI is impressing VFX artists — but it's not ready for prime timeAll four VFX artists who Insider spoke with said the quality of AI-generated animations impressed them. McCarron believes that the technology will enhance the quality of artists' work — not take over.

Persons: Runway's, Sebastien Francoeur, Francoeur, it's, Paul Franklin, Franklin, Christopher Nolan's, Mark Chavez, Jennifer Twiner McCarron, McCarron, Rick, Morty, It's, Mark Patch, Patch, Chavez, — Organizations: Adobe, Marvel Studios, Disney, International Alliance, Employees, Thunderbird Entertainment, Netflix, PBS, Marvel Locations: Hollywood

☆ 'Barbenheimer' tops $235 million in domestic debut, eyes second-highest box office weekend ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"Barbenheimer" exploded over the weekend, generating an estimated $235.5 million in ticket sales and reinvigorating the domestic box office. "It was a truly historic weekend and continues the positive box office momentum of 2023," said Michael O'Leary, president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners. Some box office analysts project that Monday's official weekend numbers could be quite a bit higher than Sunday's estimates, and push "Barbenheimer" weekend up the charts. The success of "Barbenheimer" comes at a time when the domestic box office has faced some hurdles. They've reignited the summer box office flame, and they've proven that studios can be a little more aggressive with counter-programming strategies in the future."

Persons: Barbie, Oppenheimer, Shawn Robbins, Michael O'Leary, O'Leary, Paul Dergarabedian, Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones, Robbins, They've, NBCUniversal Organizations: Marvel, Star Wars, Warner Bros, National Association of Theatre, Rotten, Angel Studios, Comcast, CNBC Locations: Hollywood, NBCUniversal

Search resuls for: "Marvel"

25 mentions found