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The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is a true crime biographical drama miniseries created by K.J. Steinberg. Based on the life of Amanda Knox, the Hulu series revolves around the wrongful murder accusation and Amanda’s quest to prove her innocence. The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox stars Grace Van Patten, Sharon Horgan, John Hoogenakker, Francesco Acquaroli, Giuseppe De Domenico, and Roberta Mattei. So, if you loved the true crime story, intense drama, and compelling characters in The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

The Staircase (HBO Max & Rent...

Fathom Entertainment has announced that they, in collaboration with Sony Pictures, will be bringing all three of the films that make up Sam Raimi‘s Spider-Man trilogy back to theatres this year as part of their Fathom Fan Favorites series – and the screenings of the middle chapter in the trilogy will mark the theatrical debut of a 4K edition of the extended cut of Spider-Man 2, which is called Spider-Man 2.1!

Swing into action with the groundbreaking original Spider-Man movies in the “Fathom Fan Favorites: Spider-Man Trilogy.” Join Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) as he becomes the iconic web-slinging Spider-Man, and battles super-villains like Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Venom (Topher Grace), wins the heart of Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) and learns that with great power comes great responsibility.

Ray Nutt, Fathom Entertainment’s Chief Executive Officer, provided the following statement: “The success...

In 2001, Michael Chabon’s novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, which chronicled its protagonists’ careers during the Golden Age of comic books, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and according to a top Marvel editor, he “tried like hell” to recruit the author to write The Fantastic Fourat the height of his success. It didn’t work out, leading an all-time great behind-the-scenes Marvel “What If?”

In the latest edition of his Substack newsletter, Marvel Senior Editor Tom Brevoort responded to a reader’s question, asking if he’d read Chabon’s novel. Brevoort acknowledged that he read the book at the time of its release, twenty-five years ago, but the longtime Marvel employee dropped an even more fascinating bit of info in the process.

Brevoort even sent Chabon a “No-Pulitzer” prize, playfully modeled after Stan Lee’s iconic “No Prizes.” In retrospect, it is somewhat surprising that...

The Cannes Film Festival is underway, and Ethan Coen will have the distinction of capping off the year’s finest in cinema with a midnight premiere (this Friday) of his next solo-directing effort, Honey Don’t! Written with his partner Tricia Cooke, the neo-noir brings together Margaret Qualley, Aubrey Plaza, Charlie Day, Billy Eichner, and Chris Evans. While the duo plans a trilogy of lesbian B-movies we’ve been waiting to hear of the reported reunion between Joel and Ethan Coen, which was to be a “very bloody,” Blood Simple-esque horror film.

Well, the long-anticipated reunion isn’t happening soon, but it’s still very much in the cards. “Oh yeah. I assume we will [work together again],” Ethan Coen told THR. “We’ve written something. My god, it’s at least a year ago now we wrote something to do together. And we have an old thing that we’ve written. And maybe we’ll write something new.

Welcome to the 38th installment of Page One Rewrite, where I examine genre screenplays that just couldn't make it. This week, it's 1982 and comic book superstar Chris Claremont has submitted his pitch for an X-Men movie. Can you just imagine...the X-Men in a movie?! And if you have any suggestions for the future, let me hear them. Just contact me on Twitter.

While the massive commercial success of Marvel's Uncanny X-Men title in the 1980s didn't guarantee a feature film adaptation, the mutants' growing popularity in "nerd circles" did pique Hollywood's interest. Or, at least, the interest of Toronto-based animation studio Nelvana. Looking to enter the realm of live-action, Nelvana inked a deal with Marvel to produce X-Men as, potentially, the studio's debut non-animated film. Orion Pictures, one of the larger independent studios of the era, signed on to distribute.

RelatedWas the Best X-Men Movie Needlessly Scrapped?

X-Men Origins:...

Fourteen publishers have sued Canadia artificial intelligence firm Cohere for widespread unauthorized use of their content in developing and running its generative AI systems, alleging massive, systematic copyright and trademark infringement. It’s the latest legal salvo in the battle between content providers and generative AI models that digest their text and spit it back to users often word for word, including articles behind a paywall.

The complaint, filed in the Southern District of New York, says Cohere has infringed on thousands of articles and seeks a permanent injunction, jury trial and damages of up to $150k per work infringed.

“This is a lawsuit to protect journalism from systematic copyright and trademark infringement,” says the suit by Advance Local Media, Condé Nast, The Atlantic, Forbes Media, The Guardian, Business Insider, LA Times, McClatchy Media Company, Newsday, Plain Dealer Publishing Company, Politico, The Republican Company, Toronto Star Newspapers and Vox Media,...

On paper, it sounded like a surefire hit. Andrew Stanton, the two-time Oscar-winning director of Finding Nemo and Wall-e, was set to make his live-action debut just a year after fellow Pixar visionary Brad Bird had done so to astounding success. Stanton was working with one of the most influential science-fiction texts of all time, one that Avatar and Star Wars arguably wouldn’t exist without. All the right ingredients were in place, and yet 2012’s John Carteropened to greatly mixed reviews and disastrous box office returns, losing almost $200 million for Disney.

Yet, despite being remembered as one of the biggest box-office bombs of all time, with maybe the single worst marketing campaign in modern history, is John Carter actually deserving of its reputation? We’d argue no — while far from perfect, it actually holds up surprisingly well as a pulpy sci-fi joyride, brimming with charm, action and humor.

Your...

The US novelist and co-writer of The Wire on why his new book isn’t about cops and robbers, his 80s drug addiction and the authors who have inspired him

Richard Price, 75, is a screenwriter and author whose books include the 600-page drug-war epic Clockers (1992), which was filmed by Spike Lee and inspired the HBO crime drama The Wire, co-written by Price. Michael Chabon has called him “one of the best writers of dialogue in the history of American literature”. Born and raised in the Bronx, he lives in Harlem – the setting for his new novel, Lazarus Man, in which four strangers cross paths amid the collapse of a tenement block.

The book’s acknowledgments mention its “incredibly long gestation”...

I signed the contract to write this 17 years ago; if it was a baby, it’d now be applying to college. I’d just written Lush Life, a sort of...

In Season 1 of Star Trek: Picard, Alison Pill played cyberneticist Agnes Jurati, a role she reprised for Season 2, but with a bit of a different take. At the end of Season 2 of Picard, Jurati was assimilated by the Borg, becoming a new, not-so-evil Borg Queen. Now, per Screen Rant, the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World actress says she’d come back to Trek if she were called.

Pill is currently starring in Young Werther, a romantic comedy from director José Avelino Gilles Corbett Lourenço. She said she’s not under any type of contract to return but would be open to the prospect of coming back to the Star Trek franchise.

“If I was on a retainer, I could pay my mortgage and just wait for Star Trek to call!” Pill said. “Then I could spend summers eating gelato! No, there is no retainer. But I would happily revisit Jurati Borg Queen any time.

The great 2004 superhero film Spider-Man 2, the second installment in Sam Raimis Spider-Man trilogy, is the rare sequel that improves upon its predecessor, Spider-Man, in every conceivable way. Like the superior Superman sequel Superman II, Spider-Man 2 achieves greatness by focusing primarily on the human qualities of its protagonist, Peter Parker, and his struggle to balance his superhero responsibilities with his desire to have a normal life.

The emphasis on character over spectacle in Spider-Man 2 is also embodied in the films villain, Dr. Otto Octavius, Aka Doc Ock, who is presented in the sequel as a good man whose ethical and gentle nature is overwhelmed by ambition and evil, after a disastrous attempt to create a self-sustaining fusion reaction killed his wife and left Octavius, played by Alfred Molina, neurologically and physically attached to four AI-generated mechanical tentacles.

One of the biggest surprises in Spider-Man 2 is how...

Jonathan Del Arco reveals Star Trek: Picard would have been a Borg spinoff show if Patrick Stewart didn't return as Admiral Jean-Luc Picard. Star Trek: Picard ran for 3 seasons on Paramount+ from 2020-2023. Picard had three different sets of showrunners, from Michael Chabon in season 1, to Akiva Goldsman and Terry Matalas in season 2, to Matalas running season 3 solo to great acclaim. Along with Jean-Luc, the Borg were part of every season of Star Trek: Picard.

The Borg originated in Star Trek: The Next Generation, with Jonathan Del Arco guest starring as Hugh in Tng's season 5 episode, "I, Borg." Del Arco reprised Hugh, a Borg drone separated from the Collective and adopting a personal identity, in Tng season 6 and 7's "Descent" two-parter. Jonathan returning as Hugh in Star Trek: Picard 27 years later was a welcome surprise. However, Hugh's story was underserved by Star Trek: Picard season 1, and abruptly ended when Hugh...

Star Trek often turns to Earth to give viewers a break from space battles, offering a glimpse into the everyday lives of Starfleet officers. Key locations like Starfleet Headquarters and the Academy provide insight into Earth's role in shaping the future in the Star Trek universe. Earth-based episodes explore themes of family, history, and the resilience of humanity, challenging the utopian ideals of the Federation.

Once in a while, Star Trek takes a break from exploring strange new worlds to tell stories set on Earth and here are the 10 best. One popular Earth destination for Star Trek is San Francisco, the home of Starfleet Headquarters and Starfleet Academy. Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Star Trek: Prodigy have all visited either Starfleet HQ or Starfleet Academy at some point in Star Trek's 24th century. The upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy...

Stan Lee has appeared in many Marvel movies but there was one role that he didnt get.

The well-beloved comic book writer and creative leader at Marvel Comics was present in several of their big-screen superhero films. From the early 2000s X-Men films to the flagpole Avengers films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe; Stan Lee has cameos here or there in almost all of them. But in an interview with GQ, actor J.K. Simmons revealed that the comic book legend had originally wanted his role in Sam Raimis Spider-Man trilogy.

Related J.K. Simmons Reveals How His Surprise Spider-Man: Far From Home Cameo Was Filmed

Reflecting on J. Jonah Jameson's return, J.K. Simmons discloses when Spider-Man: Far From Home added his cameo to the film and re-developing his look.

Stan Lee Wanted To Play J. Jonah Jameson

While breaking down his iconic role as J. Jonah Jameson with GQ,...

Top authors suing OpenAI over the use of their novels to train its artificial intelligence chatbot have hit a stumbling block, with a federal judge narrowing the scope of their case.

U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín on Tuesday evening dismissed a claim accusing the Sam Altman-led firm of unfair business practices by utilizing the works of authors — including Sarah Silverman, Paul Tremblay and Ta-Nehisi Coates — without consent or compensation to power its AI system.

The writers’ primary claim for direct copyright infringement was left untouched.

In February, the court dismissed other claims for negligence, unjust enrichment and vicarious copyright infringement. It denied dismissal of the unfair competition law claim, but lawyers for the authors tweaked it after lawsuits from Silverman, Tremblay and Michael Chabon — all of whom originally brought their own class actions — were grouped together. OpenAI seized upon the changes for a second try at dismissal, which was challenged by the plaintiffs.

Sir Patrick Stewart gained worldwide fame when he starred as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the show Star Trek: Picard. He played the role of the empathetic yet assertive leader of the USS Enterprise-d for seven seasons and returned with the cast for four films.

While returning to the role in Star Trek: Picard, Stewart reportedly was on the fence as he did not want to tarnish the legacy of the original show. He mentioned that his stardom was so huge that he could not walk on the streets of China as he was thronged by fans.

Sir Patrick Stewart’s Picard Fame Reached China Sir Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: The Next Generation | Credits: Paramount Domestic Television

When Sir Patrick Stewart was cast as Captain Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, the actor was still a relative unknown, who was only known for his work on the stage and...

Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard received rave reviews as the original Next Generation Enterprise crew reunited. Some cast members did not return for season 3, which was "heartbreaking" for Michelle Hurd. Changes in the cast and storyline left some plot threads unresolved.

Season three of the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Picard earned rave reviews from fans, as the original Next Generation Enterprise crew reunited for a final adventure. However, for cast member Michelle Hurd, the season was a bittersweet one, as cast members from previous seasons did not return with the shift in the Picard storyline. During an appearance on the D-Con Chamber Podcast, Hurd discussed how the changes affected her personally.

Actors Isa Briones (Soji), Allison Pill (Dr. Agnes Jurati), Santiago Cabrera (Cristbal Rios), and Evan Evagora (Elnor) did not return for season three, which Hurd (Commander Raffi Musiker) called "heartbreaking." She said it became clear during the last month...

Twenty years ago, Spider-Man 2 boiled down the basic appeal of the Web-Head in movie form. Peter Parker is the guy for whom wearing a mask and fighting crime is a noble duty, sure, but it’s also sometimes just a job—one complete with busy work, tedium, and 99 problems that distract from the other important things in life. In Peter’s case that’s studying for midterms, hanging out with his best buddy Harry Osborn, and, dare he dream, making it to Mary Jane Watson’s play on time.

In the two decades since the movie’s release, there have been plenty of other Spider-Man pictures. Some have been good, some amazing (looking at you Spider-Verse!), and more than a few that left you wanting. None of them though have been able to so succinctly tap into the appeal of those earliest comic book runs that defined the character...

Warning: Spoilers for Star Trek: Discovery's Series Finale - "Life, Itself"

Star Trek: Discovery surprised fans by tying up its story with Short Treks' "Calypso". Discovery's final mission leads to Zora's thousand-year wait to meet Craft in the 43rd century. Setting up "Calypso" as the real ending completes Star Trek: Discovery's saga with a tragic yet poignant conclusion.

Star Trek: Discovery came to a powerful and emotional conclusion with its season 5 finale, but Discovery's coda establishes that the series' real ending actually happened in 2018. Written by Kyle Jarrow and Michelle Paradise, and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 10, "Life, Itself", wrapped up Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery's hunt for the Progenitors technology. But the finale's stunning epilogue flashes forward 30+ years to Admiral Burnham launching Discovery on her final mission - to synch up with the 2018 Star Trek: Short Treks episode,...

Jonathan Del Arco's photo of Michelle Hurd and Jeri Ryan sparked the romance between Raffi Musiker and Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Picard. The love story between Raffi and Seven was not originally planned but was added after Del Arco's photo caught the showrunners' attention. Michelle Hurd and Jeri Ryan's chemistry in the photo led to the creation of an unexpected romance storyline in the series.

Star Trek: Picard's Michelle Hurd reveals how the love story between Lt. Commander Raffi Musiker and Jeri Ryan's Seven of Nine came to be. Hurd played the troubled but noble Raffaela "Raffi" Musiker in all three seasons of Picard, and Raffi was the only original character created for the series who was in every season. At the end of Star Trek: Picard season 1, Raffi and Seven were seen holding hands, sparking a romance that was explored in Star Trek: Picard season...

Michael Dorn wanted to kill Quark, not Sneed, in Star Trek: Picard season 3, but Armin Shimerman shut down the idea. Michael and Armin are friends in real life, making the request to kill Quark surprising to him. Listen to TrekMovie's All Access Star Trek podcast to hear more from Shimerman, Kitty Swink, and Jonathan Frakes about this funny Trek tidbit.

Captain Worf (Michael Dorn) killed the Ferengi named Sneed (Aaron Stanford) in Star Trek: Picard season 3, but Armin Shimerman says it was Quark who Dorn wanted to kill instead. Dorn and Shimerman starred together in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine seasons 4-7. Although the Klingon warrior never liked the Ferengi bartender, in real life, Michael is good friends with Armin and his wife, Kitty Swink - which is why Dorn's request for Worf to murder Quark caught Shimerman off guard.

Appearing on TrekMovie's All Access Star Trek podcast to promote...

By all conventional wisdom, Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 should have been a disaster. Instead, it's one of the best superhero films of all time. While the Spider-Man trilogy's first chapter is wonderful, its immediate sequel took everything that worked from it and did it better. While slightly less financially successful than the films on either side of it, Spider-Man 2 is perhaps the finest effort to come from this creative team. However, nailing down the story almost doomed it.

After Spider-Man's success, Sony and Raimi quickly inked a deal to produce the sequel. The first film was, effectively, a proof-of-concept. Knowing that the adventures of Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) and his wall-crawling alter ego worked on the big screen imbued the sequel with a new creative energy. Before filming began, however, five writers struggled to crack a worthy follow-up. Smallville's Alfred Gough and Miles Millar were the first two to tackle the script.

The main reason anyone will pick up Star Trek: Picard: The Art and Making of the Series is right there in the title. The book is filled with the immaculate work of concept artists, production designers, plus makeup and effects artists responsible for making Patrick Stewart's return to Star Trek look as good as it did. But with 60 years of history behind the universe created by Gene Roddenberry, longtime Trekkies know the drama unfolding behind the camera is often just as interesting as (or even more so than) the shows themselves. This book does not disappoint when it comes to chronicling Star Trek: Picard's history and creation.

Making any television series is a near-impossible effort, even more so when it's part of a franchise as storied Star Trek. Like every set that brought Starfleet's adventures to life, Star Trek: Picard encountered many hurdles. The largest, of course, was...

Brian Michael Bendis is bringing three of his comics to Prime Video, those being Jinx, Murder Inc., and Pearl. These shows promise action-packed, thrilling storylines adapted from his independent comics. The TV series are part of a first-look deal with Amazon, showcasing Bendis' creative talent in a new medium.

Miles Morales co-creator Brian Michael Bendis is developing three of his independent comics into TV shows on Prime Video. The comic author is known for having helped to create many unique Marvel characters, including Jessica Jones, Maria Hill, and Riri Williams. He also publishes his own slate of comics under Jinxworld, his independent publication company.

Now, Variety reports three of Bendis' comic book series from his Jinxworld imprint will be adapted into TV series by Prime Video. These shows will be Jinx, Murder Inc., and Pearl, all of which promise action-packed, thrilling storylines. The development of these shows are part of...

Comic book author Brian Michael Bendis has set a first-look deal with Amazon is already developing three TV series under the new pact based on his previous works: “Jinx,” “Murder Inc.” and “Pearl.”

“Jinx” is a crime-ridden love story unfolding on a high stakes treasure hunt, per Amazon’s series description. Our players are: Jinx Alameda, a bounty hunter at the top of her game who’s tired of her grimy life; Goldfish, a charming con man and wanted felon who falls head over heels for Jinx; and Columbia, Goldfish’s loose-cannon partner, who has big criminal dreams. Their paths join when they’re pulled into a search for missing mob money — a payout so big that it lures them away from the familiar streets of Cleveland, into a dangerous, unpredictable misadventure that will change the course of their lives.

“Jinx” is executive produced by Bendis along with showrunners Ayelet Waldman and Michael Chabon.

Star Trek: Picard season 1 introduced a new cast and focused on a dense mystery involving a Romulan conspiracy and a new robotic threat. Peyton List played Colonel Narissa, a member of the Zhat Vash, a fanatical sect of the Romulan Tal Shiar secret police. The Zhat Vash story was dropped from seasons 2 and 3, leading to unresolved questions about Narissa's brother and the Romulans' status. Peyton List's roles remain memorable.

Star Trek: Picard season 1 introduced a new cast including Peyton List, who played the Romulan villain Narissa. Set in 2399, nearly 15 years after Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) gave up command of the USS Enterprise-e, Picard season 1 brought Jean-Luc back to space on a new mission to save the galaxy. But this time, instead of his loyal crew from the USS Enterprise-d and E, Picard was surrounded by a new, motley crew of misfits pitted against an insidious Romulan conspiracy.

Showrunner...

This Star Trek: Picard article contains spoilers.

Do you remember how great it felt when Jean-Luc Picard stepped onto the bridge of the restored USS Enterprise-d, with all the members of his senior staff around him and ready for one last adventure? Remember how much better that was than watching Icheb from Voyager get mutilated or watching Picard ride dune buggies in Star Trek: Nemesis? Patrick Stewart does not.

In a recent interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Stewart talked about an upcoming Star Trek movie centered on at least part of the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast. “I heard only last night about a script that is being written, but written specifically with the actor, Patrick, to play in it,” Stewart told host Josh Horowitz. “And I’ve been told to expect to receive it within a week or so.”

That sounds exciting, right? After all, while...

Star Trek: Picard season 1 effectively sets up Jean-Luc's new life and establishes his character development since Star Trek: The Next Generation. The addition of Irish Romulans, particularly Laris, adds depth to Picard's relationship with the Romulans and hints at a romantic plotline in season 2. The exploration of Starfleet's response to a terrorist attack in season 1 shows the Federation abandoning their principles, leading to a redemption arc for Starfleet in later seasons.

The acclaim for Star Trek: Picard season 3 went a long way to rehabilitating Patrick Stewart's Star Trek spinoff, but Picard season 1 still has a lot of good things going for it. Prior to Terry Matalas' Star Trek: The Next Generation reunion season, Picard seasons 1 and 2 were tonally uneven and had some serious pacing issues. There was also a harsher edge to the spinoff, particularly in Picard season 1, that felt more akin to Star Trek: Nemesis than the optimism of Tng.

In what may be a landmark case, The New York Times has sued Open AI and Microsoft for copyright infringement, saying the publication’s content is being lifted by the platform to feed automated chatbots, constituting “unlawful copying and use of The Times’s uniquely valuable works.”

“Defendants seek to free-ride on The Times’s massive investment in its journalism by using it to build substitutive products without permission or payment,” it said.

It’s the first time a major media organization has sued an AI platform although there are a handful of pending cases brought by IP owners from Sarah Silverman to John Grisham to Getty Images.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York today (read it here), says Open AI and backer Microsoft should be responsible for “billions of dollars in statutory and actual damages” and that chatbot and training...

Though superhero movies may be entering a decline from relying on more of the same, many directors have since left strong impressions on the genre. Between publishers like Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse, there is a slew of imaginative characters — hero, villain, and otherwise — that these filmmakers managed to adapt to the big screen successfully.

In one way or another, these larger-than-life figures were tastefully recontextualized for general moviegoing audiences while largely satisfying fans of the source material. From creatives like Sam Raimi putting Spider-Man on the theatrical map and Christopher Nolan redeeming Batman's mainstream reputation, the superhero genre has enjoyed some especially talented directors.

Sam Raimi Made Spider-Man a Hollywood Juggernaut

Sam Raimi's Spider-Man

After being bitten by a genetically-modified spider, a shy teenager gains spider-like abilities that he uses to fight injustice as a masked superhero and face a vengeful enemy.

Created by Sam Raimi , Miles Millar , Alfred Gough...

The intent of THR‘s annual list of the 50 Most Powerful Showrunners is to provide an accurate state of the TV union — a rundown of the writer-producers selling in an increasingly fraught media climate, making culturally relevant and awards-friendly shows and serving the masses at a time when consensus entertainment has all but vanished. It’s also a great opportunity to pick some brains.

Those showrunners who made the 2023 list were polled on a variety of subjects. If Suits can become a streaming hit years after ending, what other shows deserve a similar fate? What IP are they dying to get their hands on? What’s already a pressing issue for the next WGA contract negotiation with the studios? And if they found themselves with a burner social media account, what would they do with it?

Here are some of the best answers to those and more questions.

If I...

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' musical episode was a successful big swing, landing in the Nielsen streaming Top 10 and having its soundtrack top the Apple music streaming charts. Dr. Agnes Jurati singing in Star Trek: Picard season 2 set the stage for the idea that Star Trek can do a musical, which Strange New Worlds delivered. While it's unclear if there will be more musical episodes in Star Trek, the success of Strange New Worlds' musical episode suggests that it could be a possibility for other Star Trek shows, though it may lose its novelty if done too frequently.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds delivered the first-ever Star Trek musical, but Dr. Agnes Jurati (Alison Pill) in Star Trek: Picard season 2 set the stage for it. Directed by Dermot Downs with music and lyrics by Letters to Cleo's Kay Hanley and Tom Polce, Strange New Worlds season 2's musical episode,...

In 2009, I wrote a book about James Cameron called The Futurist, in which I detailed the Avatar and Titanic filmmaker’s complicated relationship with technology. Cameron has spent his career on the bleeding edge of science, from the visual effects he helped pioneer to the submersibles he designed and rode to the deepest points in the world’s oceans. But much of Cameron’s storytelling has been devoted to warning against technology’s dark potential, starting with 1984’s The Terminator, in which an artificially intelligent defense network known as Skynet becomes sentient and starts a war between humans and machines.

“It’s not the machines that will destroy us, it is ourselves,” Cameron told me when I interviewed him for The Futurist. “However, we will use the machines to do it.”

I couldn’t help but think of this conversation when I learned this week, thanks to a remarkable piece...

For OpenAI, the lawsuits just keep on coming. The company behind the innovative chatbot ChatGPT is the target of a copyright infringement suit organized by the Authors Guild and headlined by scribes like George R.R. Martin, Jodi Picoult, and John Grisham.

The suit was filed on September 19 in a New York federal court. The plaintiffs include 17 authors, led by literary titans like Martin, Picoult, Grisham, David Baldacci, Sylvia Day, Jonathan Franzen, and Elin Hilderbrand. The writers are arguing that OpenAI has enabled “flagrant and harmful infringements of plaintiffs’ registered copyrights” by building ChatGPT upon “systematic theft on a mass scale.”

As evidence of that theft, the Authors Guild pointed to ChatGPT-written works like “A Dawn of Direwolves.” The unauthorized Game of Thrones prequel uses the same characters Martin created for his unfinished book series A Song of Ice and Fire.

“It is imperative that we stop this theft in its...

Star Trek: Picard's three seasons were created and executed by different storytellers with different goals. Each Picard season connects to each other in surprising ways, building a sensible and satisfying narrative for its characters. Picard highlights how being a Star Trek fan means different things because of the dynamic, versatile nature of the universe.

Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation were extremely satisfied with Star Trek: Picard Season 3 for its reunion story and how it drew from the franchise's history. However, Star Trek: Picard The Complete Series on DVD and Blu-ray showcases how versatile the universe Gene Roddenberry created can be, from moments of fan service to how disparate stories come together to make a single narrative. Every season of the series picking up 30 years after Jean-Luc Picard's last adventure tells a unique, discrete story. However, taken together as a body of work, throughlines and themes emerge. The...

Authors are escalating efforts to block artificial intelligence companies from using their copyrighted works to train artificial intelligence systems, this time taking aim at Meta and OpenAI in proposed class-action lawsuits.

Michael Chabon and other decorated writers of books and screenplays sued Meta on Tuesday in California federal court, accusing the company of copyright infringement for harvesting mass quantities of books across the web, which were then used to produce infringing works that allegedly violate their copyrights. OpenAI was sued on Sept. 8 in an identical class action alleging the firms “benefit commercially and profit handsomely from their unauthorized and illegal” collection of the authors’ books. They seek a court order that would require the companies to destroy AI systems that were trained on copyright-protected works.

The lawsuit is the latest volley from creators in a barrage of court challenges over the legality of the way large language models are trained.

Pulitzer Prize-winner Michael Chabon and Tony-winning playwright David Henry Hwang are among a group of writers that filed a class action lawsuit against Meta in San Francisco federal court for having “copied and ingested” their works to train its LLaMA AI platform.

Plaintiffs also including authors Matthew Klam, Rachel Louise and Ayelet Waldman are seeking class action status for the suit, which says their copyrighted books appear in the dataset that Meta has admitted to using to train LLaMA.

“Plaintiffs and Class members did not consent to the use of their copyrighted books as training materials for LLaMA,” said the group, which filed a similar suit last week against ChatGPT parent OpenAI.

Comedian Sarah Silverman sued Meta and OpenAI this summer for copyright infringement.

As AI grows, so do lawsuits by the creative community against its large language model. That’s an AI software program designed to produce convincingly natural text in response user prompts.

San Francisco, Sep 12 (Ians) Microsoft-backed OpenAI has been sued by another group of writers, claiming that the Sam Altman-run company illegally used their works to train its chatbot called ChatGPT. Authors Michael Chabon, David Henry Hwang, Rachel Louise Snyder and Ayelet Waldman alleged in the lawsuit that OpenAI benefits and profits from the “unauthorised and illegal use” of their copyrighted content.

The lawsuit is seeking class-action status.

“OpenAI incorporated plaintiffs’ and class members’ copyrighted works in datasets used to train its Gpt models powering its ChatGPT product,” read the lawsuit.

“Indeed, when ChatGPT is prompted, it generates not only summaries, but in-depth analyses of the themes present in plaintiffs’ copyrighted works, which is only possible if the underlying Gpt model was trained using plaintiffs’ works,” it added.

The lawsuit alleged that “OpenAI’s acts of copyright infringement have been intentional, willful, and in callous disregard of Plaintiffs’ and Class members’ rights.

Strange New Worlds season 2's musical episode was set up in season 1, episode 2, proving that the cast had singing abilities. Uhura's humming and Spock and Uhura's a capella singing in episode 2 foreshadowed the musical talents of Celia Rose Gooding and Ethan Peck. The idea for a musical episode was initially discussed in season 1, and its success in season 2 paved the way for potential future musical episodes in Star Trek.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2's musical episode appears to have been inevitable after Strange New Worlds' second episode set up the USS Enterprise's crew members can sing. Directed by Dermot Downs with music and lyrics by Letters to Cleo's Kay Hanley and Tom Polce, Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 9, "Subspace Rhapsody," was Star Trek's first-ever musical episode. However, Strange New Worlds season 1, episode 2 effectively foreshadowed that there would eventually be a musical episode.

In Strange New Worlds...

One of the biggest boons the new wave of Star Trek programming on Paramount+ has received is the return of Patrick Stewart to reprise his role as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Picard. The show reached its conclusion with its third season earlier this year under new showrunner Terry Matalas, receiving universal acclaim for paying off decades of storytelling threads and character arcs. Now, the final season has received a stellar physical home video release on Blu-ray and DVD, along with a limited edition steelbook and and the complete series collection on Blu-ray and DVD. Both sets look great on the shelf for any recent or longtime Star Trek fans.

The final season of Picard sees the title character and his former first officer, Will Riker, respond to a distress signal from their friend and the Enterprise's former chief medical officer, Beverly Crusher, without Starfleet's official support. As the two senior officers reunite with Crusher,...

Star Trek: Picard has captivated viewers with its celestial journey, blending beloved characters and intriguing new storylines. A poignant deleted scene between Picard and Crusher illuminates their relationship and explores the complexities of family and legacy. The final season delves into Picard's personal journey, showcasing his evolution as a character and his quest to protect his newfound son.

Star Trek series Star Trek: Picard, which recently unveiled its climactic final season, has been nothing short of a celestial journey, reacquainting us with revered characters whilst introducing us to riveting new arcs. It's a heartfelt continuation of a story that has shaped the realm of science fiction for decades. And now, as fans indulge in the series through Blu-ray, DVD, or the specially curated Blu-ray SteelBook, they have a golden opportunity to delve deeper into the complexities of the characters who've become akin to family.

In this particular vignette, unearthed by Screen Rant,...

In the final season of Star Trek: Picard, Jean-Luc Picard learns he has a son he never knew about and must protect him from an unknown enemy. A deleted scene from the season shows Beverly Crusher discussing her son Jack with Picard, expressing her regrets and the challenges she faced in raising him. The series wraps up the story of characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager, bringing family and legacy to the forefront.

Screen Rant is thrilled to present an exclusive look at a deleted scene from the final season of Star Trek: Picard, which is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. The three-season series brings Jean-Luc Picard out of retirement and back into the adventures of Star Fleet. Deeply impacted by the death of Data and the destruction of Romulus, Picard is living on his family's vineyard. However, when a synthetic daughter of Data turns up looking for help,...

Brannon Braga, executive producer of Star Trek: Voyager, expressed surprise at the direction of Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Picard, but acknowledged that it might have been better than his own ideas. Jeri Ryan's return as Seven of Nine in Picard was highly anticipated by fans, especially as her character had never interacted with Admiral Picard before. Seven's story in Picard sees her rejected from Starfleet, becoming a Fenris Ranger, starting a relationship with Commander Raffi, and ultimately becoming Captain of the USS Enterprise-g. Braga's comments were made before this storyline unfolded.

Star Trek: Voyager executive producer Brannon Braga remarked upon not being sure the direction Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) in Star Trek: Picard is something he would have done as a writer. Braga was one of the creators of Seven of Nine, who quickly became arguably the most popular character on Voyager, and he also...

Star Trek: Picard is a series that features new characters and brings back beloved icons from Star Trek: The Next Generation. The showrunner for each season changed, with Michael Chabon, Akiva Goldsman, Terry Matalas, and Terry Matalas all taking turns. The cast of Star Trek: Picard is made up of many familiar faces, including Patrick Stewart as Admiral Jean-Luc Picard and Jeri Ryan as Commander Seven of Nine.

Star Trek: Picard's 3 seasons introduced new characters and brought back all of the greatest icons from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Led by Patrick Stewart as Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: Picard was originally conceived as a solo series that wouldn't return Picard to the bridge of a Starfleet ship. Rather, Star Trek: Picard explored Jean-Luc's relevance to the galaxy and examined his finer edges. By Star Trek: Picard season 3, however, the series morphed into a full-on Tng reunion show and,...

One advantage Star Trek: Picard Season 3 had before an episode aired was the foreknowledge it was, effectively, a reunion of The Next Generation cast. Fans desperately wanted to see Worf, Geordi La Forge and Beverly Crusher again. However, Star Trek's best couple, Will Riker and Deanna Troi, were part of Picard from the beginning. Their character journeys are as profound as any in the show. Literary legend Michael Chabon took the creative lead on Picard Season 1, taking the story and characters in provocative directions.

Understandably, some fans took umbrage to the relative melancholy in the show, given the hopeful The Next Generation finale. The revelation Will and Deanna lost one of their two children to a sci-fi disease felt like too much. It was supposed to. The power of their story in Season 3 only works if Riker and Troi are having difficulty. Riker took off on a hare-brained...

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has made history with the first-ever musical episode in the franchise, overcoming previous unsuccessful attempts. The idea for a Star Trek musical was considered for Picard season 2, with a musical cameo by Patrick Stewart's wife sparking inspiration. Creating the musical episode required careful planning, assembling a team of lyricists, composers, and set designers, showcasing the dedication of the cast and crew.

In the vast expanse of the Star Trek Universe, known for its thrilling interstellar adventures and profound philosophical musings, a surprisingly bold and innovative event has occurred. The critically lauded series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has marked a significant milestone with the debut of the first-ever musical episode in the Star Trek saga. However, the road to this landmark musical performance was anything but simple.

Akiva Goldsman, the seasoned showrunner behind the scenes of Star Trek: Picard, recently divulged that their team...

This Star Trek: Strange New Worlds article contains spoilers.

When Strange New Worlds premiered last year, nobody expected the show to become a series of strange new genres. And yet, the most retro Star Trek series of the modern era has proved to be the most flexible. In a race to see which Star Trek show would have become a musical first, nobody could have guessed Snw would have beat Lower Decks to that particular punch. But here we are. The first official musical in the history of Star Trek has arrived, and like a lot of Snw season 2, “Subspace Rhapsody” contains multitudes.

Here’s every big easter egg from the Strange New Worlds musical and how some of the deeper cuts actually will change the way you think about Star Trek history…

“Triple the Speed of Subspace Communications”

Uhura and Spock are pumped about finding a “naturally occurring subspace...

A few weeks ago, in the build-up to the release of the Mattel Films production Barbie (read our review Here), The New Yorker published an article about the fact that Mattel is “raiding its entire toybox” to find products to turn into movies – for example, J.J. Abrams is working on Hot Wheels, Vin Diesel is plotting Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, Daniel Kaluuya is making a Barney movie, Tom Hanks will star in Major Matt Mason (author Michael Chabon has written the treatment), a script is being written for American Girl, etc. From that article, we learned that Cocaine Bear screenwriter Jimmy Warden has been writing a horror comedy inspired by Mattel’s toy Magic 8 Ball. Yes, the ball that you ask questions and then turn over to see which of twenty possible answers you might get. Now Variety has put together an article where Mattel gives information on their...

James Patterson, Suzanne Collins and Margaret Atwood are among thousands of writers endorsing an open letter from the Authors Guild urging AI companies to obtain permission before incorporating copyrighted work into their technologies.

“Millions of copyrighted books, articles, essays, and poetry provide the ‘food’ for AI systems, endless meals for which there has been no bill,” the letter reads in part. “You’re spending billions of dollars to develop AI technology. It is only fair that you compensate us for using our writings, without which AI would be banal and extremely limited.”

Read More: Margaret Atwood Stands Against ‘Enforced Childbirth’ In Abortion Rights Op-Ed

The letter is addressed to OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft and other AI producers. The Guild announced Tuesday that other signers include the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelists Jennifer Egan, Michael Chabon and Louise Erdrich, as well as authors Jonathan Franzen, Celeste Ng, Nora Roberts and Ron Chernow.

“If creators aren’t compensated fairly,...

While Joel and Ethan Coen worked on two more features together after Inside Llewyn Davis, many (such as Mia Hansen-Løve) thought the story of an artist trying to find his way after the loss of his partner portended the eventual parting of ways for the brothers. Following Hail, Caesar! and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Joel Coen went solo directing The Tragedy of Macbeth while Ethan Coen helmed a Jerry Lee Lewis documentary and the forthcoming Drive-Away Dolls. Thankfully, it looks the brothers will now reunite for a new project.

As revealed in the current issue of Empire Magazine (via /Film), Ethan Coen said that he’s already working with Joel Coen on developing a new script. He also noted he very much hasn’t “gone solo” as his wife Tricia Cooke not only co-wrote the script for Drive-Away Dolls but also co-directed the film with him, though the Directors...

Four years ago, it was announced that Blumhouse Productions and director Jeff Wadlow were teaming up again for a movie based on the Mattel toy Magic 8 Ball. Yes, the ball that you ask questions and then turn over to see which of twenty possible answers you might get. Since so much time has passed since that announcement was made, it’s not clear if Blumhouse or Wadlow are still involved with the project – but The New Yorker has revealed that Magic 8 Ball is still in the works, and Cocaine Bear screenwriter Jimmy Warden is writing the horror comedy.

The New Yorker reports that Mattel is “raiding its entire toybox” to find products to turn into movies, with Barbie looking like it’s going to be one of the biggest hits of the year. J.J. Abrams is working on Hot Wheels, Vin Diesel is plotting Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots,...