TV & movies

The latest news and reviews of TV shows and movies.

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Netflix nabs eco-drama 'The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind'
Continuing its spurt of new content announcements, Netflix has snagged the global rights to Chiwetel Ejiofor's directorial debut, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. The Oscar-nominated thesp's movie will be available on the streaming service worldwide -- barring the UK and Japan, reports Variety.
Netflix signs show deal with 'Sharp Objects' creator Marti Noxon
Netflix has convinced yet another high-profile TV producer to join its ranks. The company has signed a multi-year deal with acclaimed director, producer and writer Marti Noxon that will have her produce episodic content exclusively for the streaming service. It'll also get "first look" options (that is, first dibs) for Noxon's feature-length projects. There's no mention of what her first project will be under the deal.
BBC will broadcast every Formula E race this season
The BBC may have lost Formula 1 coverage years ago due to budget limits, but it's making up for that in style. The broadcaster has reached a deal to air every race of Formula E's 2018-2019 season in the UK, starting with the December 15th race in Saudi Arabia. In other words, it'll be very easy to follow the electric racing league if you live in the country. This is also important for exposure -- availability on a free-to-air TV network could introduce Formula E to people who otherwise wouldn't know it exists.
LG's OLED TVs get modest discounts for Black Friday
LG is offering discounts on a number of its TVs for Black Friday, and these reduced prices are available now through December 1st. For its OLED C8 with AI ThinQ line of TVs, LG is discounting the 55-inch and 65-inch models by $800, bringing them to $1,700 and $2,700, respectively. And while the 77-inch version, at $7,000, is currently priced $2,000 below what LG suggests, you've been able to purchase it at that price point for the past few months.
Marvel legend Stan Lee dies at 95
Pop culture is in a state of mourning today. Stan Lee, the famous Marvel publisher, editor and writer, has died at the age of 95 after a spate of illnesses over the past year. To say that he had a significant impact on the media world would be an understatement -- the franchises he created (and helped create) are virtually ubiquitous in modern society, including in the digital realm.
'Detective Pikachu' movie trailer offers a look at 'lifelike' Pokémon
After years of build-up, Warner Bros. has released the first trailer for the Detective Pikachu movie... and it's promising, if also slightly disconcerting. The movie follows the basic thread of the game, with young Tim meeting a Pikachu he can actually understand as they embark on a quest to find Tim's dad. To say the live-action movie has a different feel than the 3DS/2DS title would be an understatement, though. The creators have gone for a "realistic" look for Pokémon, and you're probably going to find it either very appropriate or decidedly weird.
Heat-rejecting film could reduce air conditioning costs
Climate change can be a vicious cycle when folks crank up the air conditioning during heat waves and add even more CO2 to the atmosphere. Scientists from MIT and the University of Hong Kong have developed a new type of window coating that could curb that trend. It remains highly transparent up to 89 degrees F (32 degrees Celsius), but beyond that, it becomes translucent like frosted glass. As a result, it reflects back up to 70 percent of the sun's incoming heat, reducing interior temperatures and the load on your air conditioner.
Michelle Yeoh may lead 'Star Trek' spinoff on CBS All Access
CBS All Access' rapidly growing library of Star Trek shows might including one revolving around a familiar star. Deadline claims Star Trek: Discovery's Michelle Yeoh is talking about reprising her role as Captain Georgiou in a "stand-alone" All Access series. The project would reportedly be an extension of Georgiou's story from Discovery season two. CBS has declined to comment on the apparent leak.
Giphy’s film festival turns GIFs into art
As I made my way into the Metrograph movie theater in New York City, I felt like I was attending a screening for the Tribeca Film Festival. There was a red carpet, people posing for professional photographers, an official film guide and, of course, drinks and popcorn. This isn't quite what I expected when I learned I'd be attending Giphy's first Film Fest. If that name sounds like an oxymoron, the event was a showcase of 118 videos of 18 seconds or less from five different categories: narrative, animated, stop-motion, experimental and wild card. Considering that most of my GIF consumption happens on a laptop or phone, I wasn't expecting this big a to-do.
Netflix’s ‘Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle’ debuts December 7th
Netflix snapped up the rights to Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, a film that had been in the works for some time, earlier this year, and now it has a release date and a new trailer. In the trailer, you see the familiar Jungle Book story -- a young boy is taken in and raised by jungle animals, but as he grows up, he grapples with the fact that he doesn't really belong with them or with his fellow humans. Of course this version has director (and Baloo voice actor) Andy Serkis' own spin.
Vizio is selling a Product RED TV to help fight AIDS in Africa
If you've ever found yourself looking at your TV, wishing its gray or black casing was a little more exciting, Vizio might have the answer. Plus, you might help out a good cause, too.
EU approves Disney's purchase of Fox assets, with conditions
Disney's acquisition of Fox studios and TV channels is one step closer to becoming a practical reality. The European Commission has approved the mega-deal under the condition that Disney has to divest its stake in "factual channels" it controls in the European Economic Area, including History, Crime & Investigation and Lifetime. The buyout would have eliminated competition between two rivals in several countries, the Commission said.
Animated 'Super Mario Bros.' movie tentatively planned for 2022
That Super Mario Bros. animated movie in development finally has a release window. In a chat with Variety, Illumination founder Chris Meledandri confirmed that the animated flick was in "priority development" with hopes of putting it in theaters by 2022. And yes, as Nintendo announced in January, Shigeru Miyamoto is involved -- the iconic game designer is "front and center" in the process, Meledandri said. The involvement of the series creator will theoretically add depth to the (frankly rather threadbare) plot without souring the spirit and producing a fiasco like the 1993 live-action flick.
Netflix has six new animated films and series in the works
As Disney gears up for its own streaming service, Netflix is adding to its slate of family content, and it just revealed six new animated projects that are in the works. As Variety reports, the latest animated additions include two films and four series, a few of which have some big names attached.
Sinemia offers discounted weekday-only movie subscriptions
Sinemia might have a way to get you to the movie theater on quieter days of the week. The service has launched weekday subscription plans that cut the prices if you're content with skipping movies on weekends. The exact discounts vary depending on how often you visit, but individual plans start at $4 per month for a single visit (versus the usual $5) and top out at $24 per month (versus $30) for a ticket every eligible day. There are family plans as well, although their pricing wasn't available as of this writing.
What's on TV: 'Tetris Effect' and 'Great British Baking Show'
This week Netflix premieres Outlaw King, starring Chris Pine as a hero in medieval Scotland, as well as "Collection 6" of The Great British Baking Show. On PS4 and PS VR, there's Tetris Effect which puts a Tetsuya Mizuguchi spin on the classic puzzle game as well as the Road Rash-like Road Redemption, while FMV is back with The Shapeshifting Detective. Ultra HD Blu-ray fans can check out The Incredibles 2, Wreck-It Ralph and The Thing. Look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
AMC hikes prices for its MoviePass rival in 15 states
It's not just upstarts like MoviePass hiking rates for their movie subscription services. AMC is raising prices for its Stubs A-List service in the 15 states where it's "most popular." As of January 9th, 2019, the service will jump from $20 per month to $22 per month in Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington state and DC. That price is climbing to $24 per month in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. You'll still get the $20 per month rate for a year if you subscribe before January 9th, as well as in the 35 other states not affected by the price increase.
Netflix will debut three Oscar hopefuls in theaters
Netflix movies don't always get shown on the big screen, but whenever they do, they also debut on the streaming service at the same time. That won't be the case for three of its upcoming films, though, and it might all be due to the company's desire to finally win a certain golden statuette. Netflix will debut Alfonso Cuarón's black-and-white Mexican drama ROMA, the Coen Brothers' Western anthology The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and Susanne Bier's thriller flick Bird Box (starring Sandra Bullock) in theaters ahead of their online release.
CBS gives 'Entertainment Tonight' its own streaming service
CBS expanding its repertoire of free streaming services. It just launched ET Live, a no-cost Entertainment Tonight offshoot that provides 24/7 coverage of celebrity news, fashion and other not-so-deep fare. It's not a strict expansion of the TV show -- it relies primarily on original programming with a new set of hosts (including Lauren Zima, above), and will only occasionally feature appearances from ET regulars. There will be tie-ins with CBS' other online properties, though. Deadline notes that you'll have quick access to ET Live from services like CBS All Access and CBSN, and you may see guest spots from ET Live elsewhere when there's relevant news.
Ubisoft is adapting 'Child of Light' for TV
With more and more games turning into TV and movie properties (such as The Witcher, Street Fighter and Alan Wake), it's only natural that a major studio such as Ubisoft would want a bigger slice of the action. Among other projects, the company is working on scripts for a Child of Light TV series and a Werewolves Within movie, it told Variety.

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