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Walmart is getting ready to announce ad-friendly Vudu originals
Walmart is reportedly developing at least six original series for its Vudu streaming service. It's set to reveal a few of them to advertisers at a presentation this week. According to Bloomberg, it's been in talks with studios to reboot old family-friendly shows.
Epix Now streaming service expands to Roku and Amazon Fire TV
Last month, the MGM network Epix launched a standalone video streaming service called Epix Now. Initially, it was available on Apple TV, Android and iOS. But as of today, it's also available on Roku and Amazon Fire TV, too. This will give more customers access to the network's four live channels, original shows and movies. The expansion will also help Epix Now secure a better foothold in the living room, where Roku and Amazon Fire TV have a stronghold.
MGM is somehow making a live-action movie about the View-Master
If you have fond memories of playing with a View-Master as a kid, Mattel is hoping to cash in on your nostalgia. The toy maker is teaming up with media company MGM to produce a live-action film based on the classic stereoscope toy. Details on the film are sparse -- there doesn't appear to be writers, directors or actors attached to the project at this time -- but it sure seems like studios are running out of ideas if they're reaching for the View-Master as their source material.
Epix is the latest TV holdout to launch a streaming video service
Epix has been one of the TV industry's more conservative outlets. Where HBO, Showtime and other premium services launched stand-alone streaming services a while ago, Epix has insisted that you subscribe to a TV package to sample its wares. Now, however, it's ready to buck tradition. The MGM-owned brand just launched a $6 Epix Now service that provides all four of the network's live channels as well as on-demand access to original shows (like Berlin Station and the Batman-based Pennyworth) and "thousands" of movies.
Walmart taps MGM to create original shows for its Vudu service
Walmart is bringing original programming to its Vudu video streaming service and it's partnering with MGM to do so. The studio will develop original, family-friendly series for the platform, with the first expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2019. The new content will be hosted by Vudu's ad-supported Movies On Us service.
‘District 9’ director will helm new ‘RoboCop’
Neill Blomkamp, director of sci-fi hits District 9, Elysium and Chappie, will helm a new RoboCop film. MGM wants to revive the franchise with the appropriately-titled RoboCop Returns, which will apparently directly follow the 1987 original film -- and ignore the 2014 reboot.
Watch 'Stargate Origins' for free in VR starting March 8th
Want to (legally) watch Stargate Origins for free? If you splurged on a virtual reality headset, you can. MGM and Bigscreen have teamed up to screen the first two episodes of the sci-fi TV show for free in VR between March 8th at 6PM Eastern and March 11th at 3AM Eastern. The virtual 'showtimes' will start every 30 minutes and will be available in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Germany. Naturally, Bigscreen is hoping you'll sign up for Stargate Command to watch the rest of the series when all is said and done.
Epix is the first US network to stream 4K content within its apps
If you're about eye-watering clarity when it comes to home entertainment, get yourself an Epix subscription. The network has announced that from today it'll be offering Ultra HD content on its platform -- the first such offering from any premium network in the US. The service launches with a select number of movies and original programs, including a raft of old-school James Bond films and newer additions such as Arrival, Star Trek Beyond, Transformers: The Last Knight and the Epix original series Get Shorty.
Unlimited 'Stargate' streaming will cost you $20
MGM Studios announced a new web-based entry into its popular Stargate franchise, Stargate Origins, this past July at San Diego Comic Con. In order to see the prequel series, though, you'll have to subscribe to a Stargate-only streaming service, too. Called Stargate Command, the new portal for all things Stargate is now online and ready for subscribers.
Apple and Amazon reportedly pursuing James Bond film rights
Sony's distribution rights to the James Bond films expired with 2015's Spectre and MGM has been looking for a new distributor ever since. As of now, Warner Bros. is expected to land the rights, but two new rather surprising players have jumped into the game -- Amazon and Apple. Sony has also pursued a deal with MGM, as have Universal and Fox, but sources tell the Hollywood Reporter that the tech companies are willing to throw down as much as or more money than Warner Bros. to land the rights.
Roku launches a free, ad-supported movie channel of its own
Roku announced today that is has launched its own movie channel. The Roku Channel will be available on all Roku players, sticks and TVs in the US and it will carry a selection of films that will update every month.
'Stargate' revival will launch a new MGM streaming service
At Comic-Con, MGM celebrated the 20th anniversary of Stargate by announcing a new TV show in the series: Stargate Origins. Other than a teaser trailer and news that it will serve as a prequel there isn't much info about the show, but we know that to watch it, fans will be asked to subscribe to a new streaming service.
Here's the 'Words With Friends' TV show you didn't ask for
Zynga's Words With Friends is one of those few smartphone games that has survived for far longer than many early mobile titles -- it still has a huge fan base (55 million active games at any one time) 8 years after its debut. And now, the developer wants to milk that ubiquity for all it's worth. It's teaming up with MGM Television on a Words With Friends game show that would translate the phone-friendly Scrabble-alike to the big screen. While the two aren't saying much about what the show will entail, they expect to draw on the "rich social experience" of WWF and integrate pieces of other With Friends games (Crosswords With Friends seems a natural fit).
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.
Gamble on your smartphone in MGM's Vegas casinos
If you wanted an even more convenient way to gamble while strolling the floors of casinos, MGM Resorts has the answer. Today, they announced a new mobile platform that lets users bet money on classic games so long as they're within the confines of the company's Las Vegas locations.
'WarGames' reboot will let you choose your own adventure
It's been more than 30 years since Matthew Broderick, Ally Sheedy and a WOPR supercomputer named Joshua came close to triggering World War III in the hacker movie WarGames. The phrase "Shall we play a game?" still resonates with people today, but it may soon find a new audience after MGM, which owns the rights to the cult film, announced it's getting a modern reboot. The studio has teamed up with interactive video company Interlude to create an "original interactive short drama," turning WarGames into a Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA) video with brand new characters and storyline.
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.
Amazon adds more MGM TV shows and movies to Prime Instant Video
Looking for more videos to feed that new Kindle Fire HDX? You'll be glad to hear that Amazon has just added a slew of them to Prime Instant Video through an expanded deal with MGM. The agreement gives subscribers access to the TV series Vikings as well as a handful of better-known movies, including Fargo, Hotel Rwanda and Platoon. While the pact doesn't represent one of Amazon's bigger coups, it's hard to object to getting more streaming content at no extra cost.
Barnes & Noble signs licensing agreement with MGM, Lionsgate, National Geographic and more for Nook Video service
Barnes and Noble has just dealt up some good news for movie-loving owners of its Nook HD and HD+ slates, with the announcement of new licensing agreements with a host of studios. Lionsgate, MGM, Paramount, Relativity Media as well as National Geographic, Little Pim and Film Buff are all part of the new wave of additions to the Nook Video line-up. This means titles such as The Hunger Games, Mad Men, and the Twilight Movies will be available for rent or purchase starting today. Little Pim provides foreign language learning for kids, so there's something to expand the minds of the little ones too. This, combined with that UltraViolet integration and the odd item at the FCC suggests that Barnes & Noble is taking its media content offering more seriously than ever. We're certainly not complaining.