Europe’s biggest tech trade fair Vivatech opens Wednesday in Paris for a 10th-anniversary edition where enthusiasm for generative AI will rub shoulders with anxiety about the continent’s technological dependence. Organisers have recruited Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos as Wednesday’s star guest, with French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian leader Narendra Modi expected Thursday. … Read more
Organizers of the Annecy Intl. Animation Festival aren’t shy about calling this upcoming edition “historic.” With 18,300 accredited attendees from 118 countries already confirmed, participation is poised to meet, and likely exceed, past records. More consequentially, the June 21-27 edition will be the first held under the recognition of the International Federation of Film Producers … Read more
One of the more baffling mysteries in modern entertainment is why the 2018 blockbuster “Crazy Rich Asians,” a rom-com that grossed $239 million worldwide on a $30 million production budget, didn’t get a sequel. We maynever know the answer, but eight years later, the Hong Kong-set soapy drama “The Season” offers a spiritual — if … Read more
The Annecy festival will continue to grow even as the wider animation sector contracts — a tension set to define this year’s Marché International du Film d’Animation (MIFA), which runs June 23-26. “What people call an animation crisis is, at root, a financing crisis,” says MIFA director Véronique Encrenaz. “When you look at how the … Read more
“Toy Story 5” should send the box office to infinity… and beyond. The latest entry in Disney and Pixar’s beloved animated franchise is targeting a debut of $145 million to $150 million from 4,400 North American theaters. Industry watchers believe that initial ticket sales could soar even higher — with some predicting a tally closer … Read more
When the Culver City Council voted to approve its annual budget last week, the temporary film incentive measures that were implemented in May formally became a permanent part of the city’s pitch to production companies. Already, new projects from Netflix and Amazon-owned MGM+ are lensing in the Los Angeles-adjacent city that emerged around the legendary … Read more
The last time Google released a smart speaker, the world was in the throes of a pandemic. Yes, it’s been six years since the company trotted out a dedicated speaker. However, this newest Google Home Speaker brings a big change with it: The device has been redesigned to showcase the new Gemini assistant instead of … Read more
Since the start of his second term, Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested his control over many congressional Republicans is so complete that he’s serving as both the president and the House speaker simultaneously. Some have told related jokes that he’s the House majority leader, too. But Trump appears eager to keep expanding his portfolio: Now, … Read more
When Daft Punk ended, the news did not arrive as a conventional announcement. There was no long explanation, no final interview, just a cryptic video, a handful of images, almost no words. Even in disappearing, the duo added one last layer to the myth. Then Thomas Bangalter, one half of the duo, dropped off the … Read more
Apple MacBook Air (M5, 2026) Our favorite laptop for most people, the MacBook Air is deceptively powerful with the update to the M5 chip. (Did you know the GPU in the M5 Air is as powerful as the M3 Pro MacBook Pro?) The M5 makes everything significantly faster, whether you’re rendering video or playing games. … Read more