Sean Hollister
Google says 50 of its own Android apps are ready for big-screen tablets (and presumably Pixel Fold).
Also, Spotify and Disney Plus. The Fold hasn’t been fully announced here yet. Stay tuned.
Disney
Once the public face of squeaky-clean, harmless family entertainment, the Walt Disney Corporation has evolved into a widespread conglomerate known as much for the properties it controls as the films it produces. With subsidiaries including Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, National Geographic, A&E, 20th Century Fox, ESPN, Hulu, and Pixar, Disney has a commanding control of some of the world’s most lucrative franchises, plus an extensive library of film and TV classics. Its streaming service Disney+ signals a new interest in controlling its own online distribution, setting aside decades of licensing partnerships. Follow along with The Verge as we look at Disney’s new films and shows, and its strategies for dominating the box office and the streaming dollar.
Barbara Krasnoff
Have you ever tried to take a screenshot of your favorite Netflix video?
What you’ll get is likely to be a blank screen. Streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, and HBO Max are understandably nervous about letting people make copies of their copyrighted stuff — but just as understandably, fans want photos and clips of their favorite scenes. Here’s how to get that screenshot you’re trying for.
Quick fixes: take a screenshot on your streaming video service
Barbara Krasnoff
Barbara Krasnoff
Star Wars: Visions’ second season is a breathtaking reminder of how freeing living outside of the canon can be.
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Disney’s putting all 12 of Andor’s scripts online.
During an Andor-focused FYC Emmy event over the weekend, series creator Tony Gilroy announced that all of the show’s scripts will soon be posted online alongside concept art.
Charles Pulliam-Moore
The Little Mermaid’s IMAX poster has what the entire movie needs.
Some genuinely magical lighting that makes living under the sea look like a fairytale fit for a princess.
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Rather than dotting every single i and crossing all of its t’s The Mandalorian spent its extremely adequate third season trying to forge new lore for lore’s sake.
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Andrew Webster
An Everything Everywhere All At Once reunion.
A story about parallel worlds featuring cool martial arts and a cast that includes Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and Stephanie Hsu? No, I’m not talking about that movie that dominated the Oscars, but American Born Chinese, a new series coming to Disney Plus. It starts streaming on May 24th.
Andrew Webster
In non-Star Wars news...
It may be called Star Wars Celebration, but at this year’s event Disney made sure to show off another one of its properties with a trailer for the next Indiana Jones film. The Dial of Destiny (yes, that is the real name) hits theaters on June 30th, but will premiere at Cannes in May.
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Meet the directors of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.
We already knew The Daniels were set to direct an episode of Disney Plus’ Star Wars: Skeleton Crew series, but at this year’s Star Wars: Celebration (Europe) event, the rest of the directing lineup was revealed to include Jon Watts, David Lowery, Jake Schreier, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Lee Isaac Chung.
Emma Roth
Disney has a new head of streaming.
The latest shakeup in the streaming industry has Hulu president Joe Earley replacing Michael Paull as Disney’s direct-to-consumer president, a role that oversees Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Hulu.
There isn’t any word on who will take over for Earley just yet, as Disney says he’ll keep leading Hulu until they find a replacement. Earley first joined Disney in 2019 to help launch Disney Plus and became the president of Hulu last year.
Joe Earley Named President, Direct-to-Consumer, Disney Entertainment - The Walt Disney Company
[The Walt Disney Company]
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Sean Hollister
A real glimpse at Disney’s retractable Star Wars lightsaber from SXSW.
Finally we can see what all the fuss was about! Here’s how it apparently works. Shame you can’t touch one, not even if you pay thousands to stay in the fancy Star Wars hotel.
Disney also showed off a new robotic stuntbunny: Judy from Zootopia.
Emma Roth
Disney’s cutting down on bookings for its immersive Galactic Starcruiser hotel.
One year after the grand opening of its incredibly detailed Star Wars-themed hotel, Disney may have finally realized that not everyone has $5,000 to spend on a two-night “voyage” aboard the Halcyon.
Disney confirmed to the Theme Park Tourist that it will only schedule voyages two days per week starting in October, down from the three to four weekly bookings it offers right now. It’s too bad Disney didn’t take this as an opportunity to lower the price instead.
Charles Pulliam-Moore
What If…Marvel’s new cosmically-powered Iroquois hero joined the MCU in season 2?
And then what if Marvel Studios made sure that the episode introducing Kahhori, the MCU’s new character who hails from the precolonial Haudenosaunee Confederacy, was “created in close collaboration with members of the Mohawk Nation” in order to make sure her debut was both respectful and authentic to Haudenosaunee culture?
You know, what if?
Charles Pulliam-Moore
The Mandalorian’s Chapter 17: The Apostate is a big, breezy, and action-packed reminder that Star Wars has always been a magical space adventure for new fans first and everyone else second.
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Elizabeth Lopatto
Meanwhile in Canada...
Feeling insecure about the Canadian presence on digital streamers and social media, the Canadian government is days away from passing a law requiring more Canadian content on TikTok, YouTube, Spotify, Netflix and so on...
The idea, said Peter Menzies, a former official at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, is to promote Canadian artists, tell Canadian stories and “defend Canada from being completely swamped by American programming.”
Sad, isn’t it?