TV, Movies & Home Theatre News - Page 1

The latest and most important TV, Movies & Home Theatre news.

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Kung Fu Panda 4 is the first animated movie in High Frame Rate at 48FPS in select cinemas

Anthony Garreffa | Mar 14, 2024 8:01 PM CDT

Kung Fu Panda 4 is now out in theaters, and DreamWorks Animation has announced that it's their first animation movie released in TrueCut Motion High Frame Rate at 48FPS in select theaters.

Kung Fu Panda 4 is the first animated movie in High Frame Rate at 48FPS in select cinemas

This means Kung Fu Panda 4 is the fifth release in the HFR 48FPS format, with previous releases including Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water, Titanic, and Argylle. We also saw Gemini Man with Will Smith in 48FPS. At the same time, TrueCut Motion's High Frame Rate version uses scene-by-scene grading to retain the cinematic look while reducing problems associated with judder at 24FPS.

Pixelworks, the company behind the TrueCut Motion High Frame Rate standard, said: "The high quality, visual artistry of this amazing, animated work - the first new "Kung Fu Panda" film in almost a decade -will come to premium theatrical screens in cinematic high-frame-rate; achieving dramatically new crystal clear motion playback on the brightest, exceptional high-contrast, high-quality 3D and 2D screens that naturally enhance the look and the feel of the world of the film".

Continue reading: Kung Fu Panda 4 is the first animated movie in High Frame Rate at 48FPS in select cinemas (full post)

Recent hiring suggests that Apple TV+ could be getting a new ad-supported tier

Oliver Haslam | Mar 13, 2024 1:00 PM CDT

If you've looked at the price of Apple TV+ and wished that it was just a little bit cheaper, you might be in for some good news if a new report is anything to go by. According to that report, Apple has hired a former NBCUniversal ad exec and that suggests that the company is getting ready to bring an ad-supported tier to the Apple TV+ streaming service for the first time.

Recent hiring suggests that Apple TV+ could be getting a new ad-supported tier

Other streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Disney+ all offer ad-supported tiers as a way for people to pay less to access their streaming wares. In exchange for a cheaper subscription, people have to watch some ads before and sometimes during their content. Now, Apple might be ready to go a similar route.

The ad exec in question is Joseph Cady, a man who had worked at NBCUniversal for 14 years. Business Insider reports that his most recent title was EVP of advanced advertising and partnerships, a role that meant he was in charge of data-driven and targeted TV advertising. Cady was also involved in new partnerships between NBCUniversal and Amazon, Google, TikTok, and others.

Continue reading: Recent hiring suggests that Apple TV+ could be getting a new ad-supported tier (full post)

Nintendo officially reveals new animated Super Mario Bros. movie release date

Jak Connor | Mar 11, 2024 12:16 AM CDT

Nintendo has officially announced that its working on a new animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros., with the company teasing they are thinking about "broadening Mario's world further".

Nintendo officially reveals new animated Super Mario Bros. movie release date

It's no surprise that Nintendo is working on another Super Mario Bros. animated film as "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" starring Chris Pratt, Jack Black and Charlie Day was a hit success becoming the biggest worldwide opening weekend for an animated film and the first film based on a video game to gross over $1 billion. In total The Super Mario Bros. Movie grossed $1.36 billion worldwide and only had a budget of $100 million.

With those kind of numbers, it's a no-brainer that Nintendo would be more than happy to have a second movie released, and now we have heard about it from none other than Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto. The legendary video game character creator took to the Nintendo of America X account to announce that Illumination, the animation studio behind the first film, is currently working on a new animated film in conjunction with Nintendo that is "based on the world of Super Mario Bros."

Continue reading: Nintendo officially reveals new animated Super Mario Bros. movie release date (full post)

Dune: Part Two box office so far: $82.5 million in the US, $182.5 million globally

Anthony Garreffa | Mar 4, 2024 11:07 PM CST

Dune: Part Two is now out in cinemas across the planet, with its opening weekend seeing box office receipts of over $82 million, and over $182 million globally so far.

Dune: Part Two box office so far: $82.5 million in the US, $182.5 million globally

This success marks Dune and Dune: Part Two director Denis Villeneuve with his biggest US debut ever, with the original Dune opening up to $41 million. Dune: Part Two is visually best when seen in gorgeous 70mm IMAX, with demand for IMAX sessions of Dune: Part Two being so feverish that people had to choose late-night 3:15 AM sessions just to see it in IMAX.

IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond said: "Our most iconic film locations are virtually sold out for weeks".

Continue reading: Dune: Part Two box office so far: $82.5 million in the US, $182.5 million globally (full post)

Fallout TV show showrunner and producer says the show is basically Fallout 5

Kosta Andreadis | Mar 3, 2024 10:57 PM CST

Fallout 5 is a long way off, with Bethesda planning to begin work on the game after it launches The Elder Scrolls VI - which could mean we won't get to play the next mainline Fallout game until 2030... if we're lucky. On the bright side, some fantastic large-scale fan projects are on the horizon, including the impressive Fallout: London and Fallour: Miami.

Fallout TV show showrunner and producer says the show is basically Fallout 5

And this year, we're getting a proper 4K remaster or special edition of Fallout 4 from Bethesda, with its release set to coincide with the upcoming Fallout TV show adaptation on Amazon Prime. Based on the recent trailer, the Fallout TV show looks to capture the look and feel of the iconic gaming franchise - sporting a mix of drama, sci-fi, comedy, and over-the-top violence.

Jonathan Nolan, who co-wrote the excellent The Prestige and The Dark Knight films with his brother Christopher Nolan, is one of the lead producers and showrunners of the series. In a recent interview with Total Film, after collaborating with Todd Howard and Bethesda and creating an original story for the series, the Fallout TV show is like the next game in the long-running series. "It's almost like we're Fallout 5," Jonathan Nolan says.

Continue reading: Fallout TV show showrunner and producer says the show is basically Fallout 5 (full post)

Netflix is canceling payments for people who pay via an App Store subscription

Oliver Haslam | Feb 27, 2024 6:00 AM CST

Netflix, the hugely popular streaming platform, previously stopped allowing people to sign up for its service and pay via the App Store subscription option on iPhones, iPads, and Apple TV devices. But those who were already paying that way were left to continue binging the latest must-watch TV shows and movies. However, it was only going to be a matter of time before that changed - and it's now started to happen.

Netflix is canceling payments for people who pay via an App Store subscription

According to a new report by The Streamable, Netflix has begun to reach out to those who pay for the streaming service via the App Store to warn them that their time is running out. Subscribers will need to find a new way to pay for their Netflix subscription if they want to make sure that they maintain access to the streamer's growing library of content.

The reason for the move is simple - Netflix doesn't want to pay Apple. Like other apps and services available via the App Store, Apple takes a cut of all payments made via the App Store payment system. Netflix knows that it's giving up a chunk of money that would be better in its own coffers, so it's now warning users that they need to switch to an alternative non-App Store payment method. Emails have started to go out in some territories, and others are sure to follow.

Continue reading: Netflix is canceling payments for people who pay via an App Store subscription (full post)

One of Apple TV+'s biggest shows faces uncertainty over budget clashes

Oliver Haslam | Feb 26, 2024 12:45 PM CST

Foundation, one of Apple TV+'s most popular sci-fi shows, currently has its first two seasons available to watch on the streaming service. But work on the third season is starting to experience issues with a new report noting that there is confusion over its showrunner while there are also worries over the budget related to the show.

One of Apple TV+'s biggest shows faces uncertainty over budget clashes

According to a Hollywood Report report, co-creator David S. Goyer is stepping back from his showrunner duties and instead, it will be down to executive producer Bill Bost to move to Prague to oversee filming. Prague is where the third season of the show is being shot.

The same report says that Goyer and executives at the show's production company, Skydance, had clashed over the budget for the third season. Streamers, including moneybags Apple, are thought to be tightening their belts in an attempt to make sure that they aren't overspending.

Continue reading: One of Apple TV+'s biggest shows faces uncertainty over budget clashes (full post)

WB Discovery CEO David Zaslav says bundles are the future of streaming

Derek Strickland | Feb 23, 2024 5:01 PM CST

WB Discovery CEO David Zaslav sees multi-subscription bundles as the future of streaming services.

WB Discovery CEO David Zaslav says bundles are the future of streaming

Now that the Warner Bros. and Discovery merger is complete and that Max is a profitable subscription, one of the key parts of streaming growth could lie in cross-service bundling options. Streaming allowed the world's disparate content creators, providers, and labels to fragment the market and monetize their TV shows and movies on a wholly-controlled platform. The results led to the downfall of cable TV as consumers shifted towards streaming.

But now the future of streaming could look a lot cable TV, at least that's what WBD CEO David Zaslav believes. In a recent Q4 earnings call with investors and analysts, Zaslav said some interesting things about subscription service bundles, and hints that WBD might be able to broker more favorable deals with other content providers.

Continue reading: WB Discovery CEO David Zaslav says bundles are the future of streaming (full post)

Apple confirms the 2024 MLS Season Pass kicks off today on Apple TV

Oliver Haslam | Feb 21, 2024 1:15 PM CST

Fans of Major League Soccer can start to get excited - the 2024 MLS season is upon us, and those who subscribe to MLS Season Pass on Apple TV have plenty to look forward to. Apple has today confirmed that the season kicks off later today with a standalone match between Lionel Messi's Inter Miami and Real Salt Lake with four more games streaming at the weekend.

Apple confirms the 2024 MLS Season Pass kicks off today on Apple TV

This is the second MLS Season Pass, part of a ten-year deal that Apple signed for a cool $2.5 billion. The deal means that the Apple TV app is the only place to stream the MLS season including its growing roster of high-profile, big-name players including Messi.

Apple confirmed that the match will air at 8 p.m. ET on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. The streamer's prematch coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET with a special 90-minute edition of MLS Countdown/MLS La Previa. After that, the following Matchday 1 games will be available to stream for free on MLS Season Pass.

Continue reading: Apple confirms the 2024 MLS Season Pass kicks off today on Apple TV (full post)

Marvel reveals the new Fantastic Four in an extremely weird way

Jak Connor | Feb 15, 2024 3:33 AM CST

Marvel has taken to its socials to announce the cast for the highly anticipated Fantastic Four reboot film in what could be one of the strangest ways it could.

Marvel reveals the new Fantastic Four in an extremely weird way

Marvel knows just how to tug on fans' heartstrings, taking to the official Marvel X account to post a Valentine's Day card with the caption reading "Happy Valentine's Day from Marvel's First Family! Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby. Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn are The Fantastic Four."

The card depicts all four actors in their respective roles enjoying each other's company with Pascal as Marvel's Mr Fantastic Reed Richards, Kirby as Susan Storm Richards a.k.a the Invisible Woman, Moss-Bachrach as Benjamin Grim, a.k.a The Thing, and finally Quinn as The Human Torch. Also included in the picture is a robot H.E.R.B.IE, built by Mr Fantastic.

Continue reading: Marvel reveals the new Fantastic Four in an extremely weird way (full post)