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New 'Ready Player One' trailer reveals more of the real-world story
The initial trailer for Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Ready Player One focused on the virtual world of OASIS, and for understandable reasons: it's a visual showcase for a crucial part of the story. However, Warner Bros. wants to remind you that reality plays an important part as well. It just posted a new trailer that dives deeper into the real-world story, even as it makes a few extra nods to video game nostalgia.
Harley Quinn animated series slated for DC's streaming service
If you've been hankering for some more animation from comics juggernaut DC, or if you simply love Harley Quinn (originally created for Batman: The Animated Series herself), then you'll dig the news from Warner Bros. According to Deadline, the villainess will be heading up her own animated show for DC's upcoming streaming service.
AT&T CEO: DOJ never demanded CNN sale in Time Warner deal
Yesterday, reports surfaced that the Department of Justice (DOJ) had requested a sale of either Turner Broadcasting, which owns CNN, or DirecTV before it would approve AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner. However, the agency said that it didn't request those sales, but merely presented them as options that would quell its antitrust concerns over the $85.4 billion deal. Speaking at the Dealbook conference today, AT&T CEO randall Stephenson confirmed that, saying, "I have never been told that the price of getting the deal done was selling CNN. And likewise I have never offered to sell CNN. There is absolutely no intention that we would ever sell CNN." He added that AT&T was also not willing to sell HBO or Warner Bros., which would also come along with Time Warner if the deal goes through. "You shouldn't expect that we would sell something larger [than CNN] to get the deal done. It's illogical. It's why we did the deal," he said.
Amazon reportedly eyeing a 'Lord of the Rings' TV series
Hollywood is buzzing with rumors (Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter) that Warner Bros. and Amazon are considering a deal for a series based on J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books, with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos "personally" involved in the talks. None are claiming that a deal is done yet, although Warner settled a lawsuit with the Tolkien estate this summer that may make it easier to produce new projects. Of course, Amazon has upheaval on its end with the recent removal of Studios head Roy Price, who has been replaced on an interim basis by Albert Cheng. Despite that, and the loss of drama and comedy head under separate allegations of conflict of interest, Amazon Studios recently announced it's moving into The Culver Studios at the end of this year.
Nielsen is tracking streaming services like it does broadcast TV
To address the new normal of cord cutting, Nielsen is going to start tracking subscription-based streaming numbers in a big way. The idea is to measure streaming services in the same way that the outfit has tracked broadcast TV for decades: with demographic info and the number of people streaming a program. As TechCrunch notes, Nielsen is only tracking Netflix for now, but expects to start getting data from Amazon and Hulu streaming services by next year.
Disney, Fox, Warner and Universal may team up on downloadable movies
After nearly a decade of battling between movie lockers, Disney may finally have support from other studios. According to a report from Bloomberg, "several major Hollywood film studios" are signed up to participate in a new film service with Disney, including Fox, Warner and Universal. Since 2010, most of the industry has relied on Ultraviolet to enable cross-store digital movie ownership, with the exception of Disney, which launched its own Movies Anywhere service in 2014. Most of us got our first taste of the systems that link purchases across stores like iTunes, or Amazon via digital copy codes included with DVDs and Blu-rays. The studios hope that by finally banding together, they can convince customers to buy more movies instead of relying on subscription services or other avenues to get their flicks. There's no word about what might happen to studio support for Ultraviolet, or stores that support it like Walmart's Vudu, but Disney Movies Anywhere currently links to iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, FiOS and not Microsoft. The other major studios, Lionsgate and Paramount, are reportedly "supportive" but aren't joining yet.
'Batman: The Animated Series' is coming to Blu-ray in 2018
Batman: The Animated Series is finally getting the remaster treatment it deserves. From this weekend's New York Comic Con Warner Bros. announced that "later in the year" in 2018 it will release the influential animated show to high-def formats. As Polygon notes, the specifics are a bit fuzzy at this point. Will the 85-episode show come out all in one boxed set, or in volumes like the DVDs before? At this point that's up in the air. However, any package will likely look and sound better than streaming the show on Amazon Prime. Plus, every episode will almost assuredly have the iconic opening credits sequence attached.
Snapchat's AR Lenses are the newest tool for ads
Remember Snapchat's dancing 3D hot dog? Well, you might start seeing a few more Lenses like that one because Snap is opening up its 3D World Lenses to advertisers. So far, it has partnered with Warner Bros. and Bud Light to create Lenses featuring the Blade Runner "Spinner" car and a bud light vendor.
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.
A live-action reboot of ‘The Jetsons’ is headed to ABC
The Jetson family is coming back to television. ABC has ordered a put pilot for a live-action reboot of the animated series, Variety reports. The show is said to be a multi-cam sitcom set 100 years in the future and the project is being executive produced by Robert Zemeckis and Jack Rapke while Gary Janetti -- who has written for Family Guy and Will & Grace, among others -- is set to write.
YouTube hopes to patch things up with the music industry
The music industry hasn't been too enamored with YouTube, what with all the unsanctioned content on the video site. Now that Google is planning to merge Google Play and YouTube into one music service, however, it's time to start fixing that awkward relationship. YouTube's head of music, Lyor Cohen, took the first steps toward reconciliation at the New Music Seminar in New York City this week, with a panel geared toward the lack of ad revenues and how the music industry can be more supportive of streaming services.
YouTube stars are blurring the lines between content and ads
Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner are just some of the celebrities under the microscope for using social media to shamelessly plug sponsored products. Advertising without proper disclosures has become a growing problem with influencers that have thousands or millions of followers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. And it's happening on YouTube as well, where it's often hard to tell whether videos from big-name "content creators" are paid ads or genuine reviews.
Intel made a VR tie-in for Christopher Nolan's 'Dunkirk'
Movie and TV tie-in books and games are a thing of the past -- these days, it's all about virtual reality. Fox made one to go with The Martian and HBO created a VR Castle Black to promote Game of Thrones. We even got to explore Westworld's and The Man in the High Castle's universes through their VR experiences at New York Comic-Con. Now, Warner Bros. has given Christopher Nolan's action flick Dunkirk the same treatment by teaming up with Intel, Microsoft and Dell to create an experience that shows you what it's like to be trapped on a beach while being attacked by enemy soldiers during World War II.
Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dunkirk’ will be biggest 70mm release in years
Christopher Nolan's WWII flick Dunkirk is getting the 70mm treatment and reportedly, it will have the widest release of any recent film using the format. According to Deadline, 125 theaters will show the film in 70mm, more locations than both Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight and Nolan's Interstellar, which also had 70mm viewings.
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.
DC is launching its own streaming service with a show TNT killed
DC Entertainment is getting into the streaming space with help from Warner Bros., according to The Hollywood Reporter. What's more, the company's own service is said to be launching with a Titans live-action show, as well as the third season of Young Justice. If you recall, a pilot for Titans, which centers around characters like Dick Grayson (aka Robin), Arrow, Flash and Supergirl, had been in the works at TNT before the network decided to kill that project unexpectedly. But now it looks like you'll have a chance to watch it come 2018, when DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. are rumored to be introducing the product.
Hollywood again considers $30 early movie rentals
Slowly, movie studios are putting the pieces in place for reducing the time between a film's theatrical run and when you can watch it at home. The latest step toward this is news that Warner Bros. would be cool with people watching its movies as soon as 17 days after theatrical debut, according to Variety. That privilege would come with a $50 price tag -- the same price Napster founder Sean Parker proposed over a year ago for his Screening Room service.
The Nemesis System is huge in 'Middle-earth: Shadow of War'
The standout feature of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor was the Nemesis System. It added a layer of strategy to an otherwise standard action game, allowing players to see the strengths and weaknesses of specific Uruk soldiers before striding into battle. The Nemesis System was like a game of chess superimposed on top of a rich fantasy world, innovating on the genre and tapping into players' desire to command an army rather than simply run around Mordor as a doomed man possessed by the spirit of a vengeful Elf. In Monolith's Middle-earth: Shadow of War, the Nemesis System is bigger, badder and more robust. Players will be able to not only gather information on the enemy armies -- staffed not only by Uruk anymore but also by mountain trolls and other beasts true to JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings universe -- but also to view strengths, weaknesses and personal history of their own armies.
'Injustice 2' beta registration opens for future brawls
Developer NetherRealm Studios' games are as well known for their over-the-top action as much as their shaky online multiplayer. It looks like the team has taken the latter to heart because its upcoming DC Comics fighter Injustice 2 will have a beta test prior to releasing on May 16th. A registration form is live right this moment and will be available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Voice actors will picket WB Games on November 3rd
Striking video game voice actors are determined to keep up the pressure on developers. In the wake of a picketing campaign against Electronic Arts last week, the SAG-AFTRA union is calling on actors and supporters to picket WB Games on November 3rd. This action by itself probably won't get WB and other targeted studios to change their ways, but it stresses that actors aren't backing down on calls for better pay, particularly for strenuous voice recordings or popular titles.
