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Pluto TV adds 'ALF' and other classics to its free streaming library
Last we'd heard of Pluto TV, the ad-supported streaming service had just gotten a slew of shows from Hulu. Now Pluto is adding video-on-demand in the form of movies and TV shows from Lionsgate, MGM and Warner Bros. to complement its current programming according to Variety. Expected titles include the full run of ALF (seriously) in addition to the quirky Ryan Gosling movie Lars and the Real Girl among "thousands" of others. Pluto signed the deals earlier this month, and the programming should start appearing today.
MGM spends $1 billion to take full control of the Epix channel
Epix has long been the baby of four studios (Lionsgate, MGM, Paramount and Viacom), but it's about to have just one parent. MGM has bought out the stakes of its partners for just over $1 billion, giving it full control over the internet-friendly, movie-focused TV channel. The move will still see Lionsgate and Paramount supplying first-run movies as part of "multi-year" deals, so don't panic about a sudden dearth of content -- this is more about a changing media landscape than any kind of feud.
Lionsgate makes another move into eSports
Film and television production company Lionsgate has invested an undisclosed amount into Immortals, an eSports organization with teams competing in League of Legends, Overwatch, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Super Smash Bros.
'Halo 5' is getting an eSports reality TV show
Microsoft really wants to make a big deal out of competitive Halo 5 gaming, and it's taking an unusual route to get there. The company's 343 Industries and Electronic Sports League have reached a deal with Pilgrim Media Group to create an eSports-focused reality TV series. Details of what it involves are scarce, but it will bring the "intensity and extreme competition" of Halo 5 to the TV, whatever that might mean. There's no mention of a planned air date or even distributors, so it's unclear when you'll have a chance to watch. It's safe to say that Microsoft will find some way to make the series available to Xbox One owners, though.
Vimeo's on-demand TV store is now available in 150 countries
Last month Vimeo, STARZ and Lionsgate Entertainment -- makers of such fine prestige TV as Orange is the New Black and Mad Men -- announced a new partnership to put all that programming online with an on-demand pricing scheme. While many of the shows are already available via iTunes, Amazon or Netflix in the US, Vimeo is making a play for international audiences by offering the service in 150 countries around the world.
Candy Crush is becoming a game show
Candy Crush, the once ubiquitous mobile game behemoth that's now played almost exclusively by my aunt, is getting its own game show. CBS announced on Tuesday that it is teaming up with King Games and Lionsgate to produce the hour-long series. Details on game mechanics are still sparse but the network did explain that 2-person teams will "use their wits and physical agility to compete on enormous, interactive game boards." The series will be executive produced by Matt Kunitz, the guy behind Fear Factor and Wipeout, however there's no word yet on who will host or when the series will premier.
Vimeo partners with Lionsgate to expand its on-demand library
Vimeo and Lionsgate have announced a partnership today to offer nearly 80 of the studio's TV shows for rental in over 150 countries. The roster includes Orange is the New Black, Mad Men, Casual, Weeds, Nurse Jackie and others. The service will go live on October 18.
Lionsgate and Starz join forces to compete with HBO, Netflix
In an effort to compete with the likes of HBO and Netflix, Lionsgate Entertainment and Starz are joining forces. The former is picking up the latter for $4.4 billion in cash and stock, according to The LA Times. The deal seems mutually beneficial. With it, Starz gets some industry cachet (and a bunch of cash) that could help it attract projects that'd otherwise go toward HBO and Netflix. If that means more like the fantastic Ash vs Evil Dead, hey, alright.
Netflix orders a series based on the movie 'Dear White People'
As Netflix's store of original content continues to grow by leaps and bounds, The Hollywood Reporter notes it is adding another new series: Dear White People. It's based on 2014 film with the same name that took a satirical look at the experiences of minority students in a majority white Ivy League environment. Its creator Justin Simien made a trailer for the flick with his tax return to promote an Indiegogo campaign that funded the movie, which went on to win the Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent at the Sundance Film Festival.
Lionsgate deal brings big-name movies to Steam
You've had pretty slim pickings for major movie rentals on Steam (unless you really like Mad Max), but that's changing today. Lionsgate has reached a deal with Valve to put over 100 of its movies on Steam, including flicks you'll definitely recognize -- the Hunger Games, Saw and Twilight movies, for example. Availability might vary where you live, but the prices are at least right. You're usually looking at between $4 to $5 for a 48-hour rental, depending on how big a title you're hoping to watch.
Kevin Hart will anchor Lionsgate's new streaming comedy channel
Lionsgate has just announced it is launching a new streaming service focused on comedy, and comedian Kevin Hart will be the big draw and main talent for starters. Laugh Out Loud will feature a number of original series from Hart, the first of which is a hidden camera situation with the comedian working as an undercover Lyft driver. Beyond starring in his own shows, Hart will also "curate" other content, and the service will feature more shows from various comedians and social media stars.
Recommended Reading: The Super Bowl MVP is a huge nerd
Nerd Von Miller, The Players' Tribune You may not be able to tell by his on-field dominance, but Super Bowl MVP and Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller is a huge nerd. Miller, some fellow players and friends discussed his geekiness for The Players' Tribune recently. The stories are quite entertaining, and yes, he used to wear Rec Specs.
'Titanfall 2' will have a real single-player campaign
Respawn hasn't said much about its Titanfall sequel beyond plans for multi-platform support, but some details are starting to trickle out... and they'll be good news for fans of the robot-slash-infantry shooter. In a chat with Forbes, head writer Jesse Stern notes that Titanfall 2 will have a real, honest-to-goodness single-player campaign when it arrives either late this year or early next. That's not completely shocking given that the team didn't have the resources to flesh out its solo game the first time around. Still, it's reassuring if you were frustrated by the original's barely-there offline experience, which really just amounted to AI matches with a sliver of story in between.
Tribeca Shortlist movies arrive on iPhone, Roku and Fire TV
Since launching in October, Tribeca Shortlist had only been available on the iPad. But, starting today, the movie-streaming service will expand to iPhone, Roku and Amazon's Fire TV. To make things better, if you're an iOS user, Tribeca Shortlist says its entire film catalog can now be downloaded and viewed offline -- which, notably, isn't something supported by apps like Netflix or Hulu Plus.
'Twilight' author Stephenie Meyer is making a show for Hulu
You may still see Stephenie Meyer as synonymous with vampire books and movies, but she's determined to shake things up -- including where she puts her big-screen productions. The Twilight writer is working with Lionsgate on Rook, a TV show that's destined for both Hulu's streaming service as well as a currently unnamed UK TV provider. The studio isn't saying anything about what the show entails, although it's clearly betting that Meyer will help the show rise above the pack. Whether or not it does is still up in the air, mind you. While Twilight was a license to print money, Meyer's producer roles on Austenland and The Host didn't make those movies blockbuster hits. [Image credit: David Edwards/MediaPunch/IPX]
Tribeca and Lionsgate's video-streaming service is now available
It took almost a year to get here, but Tribeca and film distributor Lionsgate have finally launched their paid video-streaming service. Shortlist, as the on-demand product is called, will have a $5 monthly subscription fee and give users access to over 150 "critically acclaimed" movies. Among them are Crash, City of God, Chasing Amy, Fargo and The Producers, to mention a few. Right now, Tribeca Shortlist is only available on the web and for iPad, although we're told it'll be available on the iPhone, Fire TV and Roku later this year, as well as Apple TV and Android in 2016. Tribeca, which is the company behind the Tribeca Film Festival, says the $5 price is set to stay until the end of 2015, but then it plans to increase it to $6. Nevertheless, if you're interested in seeing what it has to offer, you can sign up for a free trial.
Netflix hopes you won't mind losing access to some big movies
Here's hoping that you weren't bent on watching The Hunger Games: Catching Fire or World War Z on Netflix -- if so, you don't have much time to do it. Netflix has confirmed that it won't renew its longstanding movie deal with Epix, which will lead to many Lionsgate and MGM titles disappearing from the service come September. The company hopes you won't mind, though. As Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos points out, there are legions of original shows lined up -- Netflix is betting that you'll be too busy watching Narcos to worry that a favorite flick just disappeared.
Comic-Con is going to last all year ... through video-on-demand
Can't make it down to San Diego for the annual geek Mecca that is Comic-Con? Well, you'll soon be able to get a taste of it on your couch. Comic-Con International announced this morning that it's teaming up with Lionsgate, the studio behind the blockbuster Hunger Games franchise, to launch a subscription-based video-on-demand service later this year. As you'd expect, it'll include plenty of archival footage from the convention, "exclusive" short content and movies and shows from Lionsgate. Given that Comic-Con lasts a scant four days (only three of which have major events), it's difficult to imagine how a standalone VOD channel could host enough content to last a year. And it's also unclear what the exclusive content will be for subscribers.
Telltale Games and Lionsgate are working on a 'Super Show' TV series
Telltale Games has created quite the following with episodic titles like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead. Now, with the help of Lionsgate, the studio is looking to tackle a televisions series with a similar approach: a game/show hybrid the studio is calling a Super Show. The format includes both scripted and "playable" elements for episodes, so just like the games, viewers will be able to decide the sequence of events. "It's not an interactive series with a show, or a TV show with a game, but a story integrated in a way that only Telltale can do," Telltale CEO Kevin Bruner told Entertainment Weekly. "For us it's a very natural evolution of the interactive story telling expertise we've pioneered."
Whoa, Keanu Reeves is in Payday 2
Whoa. Keanu Reeves' character John Wick (of the new film, also called John Wick) is now playable in developer Starbreeze's Payday 2. The free DLC is the result of a partnership with Lionsgate, which also partnered with Devolver Digital back in August to create The Expendabros. "Lionsgate's entry into the game space is continuing to build momentum with the addition of another great partner and a tremendous piece of IP," Lionsgate President of Interactive Ventures & Games Peter Levin said in a press release. In addition to playing as John Wick, the DLC also offers a new perk system called Hitman, which includes the ability to dual-wield weapons, a Chimano Compact pistol with modification options, a knife and three pairs of sunglasses. If you don't already own Payday 2, you can score a free Steam code of the game when you purchase tickets to see John Wick via Fandango. Like ... whoa. [Image: 505 Games]
