Ambitious Stars-Hana Fund Lining Up Video Games Based On James Wan, Sam Raimi, Roy Lee, Jon M. Chu Projects; Film Slate Revealed

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SAG-AFTRA signed a deal on Tuesday with an AI voiceover studio that sets terms for the use of artificial intelligence in video games. The union announced the deal with Replica Studios on Tuesday at CES in Las Vegas. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union’s executive director, said that the terms include informed consent for the use of AI to create digital voice replicas, as well as requirements for the safe storage of digital assets.

Amid a lengthy contract negotiation with the video game industry, SAG-AFTRA has inked a deal with Replica Studios regarding the use of AI digital voice replicas in video games.

Pedro Pascal has singled out the actor that he considers to be “the greatest American actor in our lifetime”.The star of The Last of Us and The Mandalorian was speaking at a ceremony in Hollywood yesterday (January 8) for the unveiling of a new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.The star being unveiled was for the actor Willem Dafoe, and in his speech to the audience at the event, which also included Guillermo Del Toro, Patricia Arquette and Mark Ruffalo, Pascal lavished his fellow actor with praise.“I saw Platoon in the movie theatre with my father and he made me cry so hard my dad sent me to the bathroom,” Pascal said.“He redefines the concept of rebel and originality by making it about generosity, integrity, kindness and fun. Willem is a good time and an amazing friend.”“He has been my greatest teacher,” Pascal continued about Dafoe, with whom he co-starred in the 2017 film The Great Wall.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter “Night Swim,” a supernatural thriller produced by horror mavens Jason Blum and James Wan, waded to second place in its debut. The film, marking the first nationwide release of the year, collected a moderate $12 million from 3,200 North American theaters. Those ticket sales weren’t enough to topple “Wonka,” which claimed first place again with $15 million in its fourth weekend of release.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter “Night Swim,” a supernatural thriller about a ghost-plagued pool, is attempting to start the 2024 box office with a splash. The Universal Pictures film, which marks the year’s first nationwide release, is targeting a debut of $9 million to $11 million from 3,200 North American theaters. It’s a decent start for the $15 million-budgeted movie, which won’t face competition on the horror front until March’s haunted-teddy-bear-inspired “Imaginary.” “Night Swim,” written and directed by Bryce McGuire and starring Wyatt Russell and Kerry Condon, follows a family who finds out that an otherwordly presence haunts the backyard swimming pool in their new home.

Iwan Rheon, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Ramsay Bolton in the hit series Game of Thrones, is starring in a new BBC drama called Men Up, and he had to film a particularly “awkward” scene for it involving his member.

British pop star Dua Lipa has binned a music video despite spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on production, after deciding it was too “insensitive” to release amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. 

Prince William once got into a "water fight" when he let loose during a Royal Family Christmas party. It has been revealed that the Prince was playing around with a member of staff in St James' Palace, while in the company of Prince Harry and Camilla. Former royal butler Grant Harrold, recalled the moment and other "hilarious" times in an interview with Slingo.

Former EastEnders actress Shana Swash has announced that she welcomed her first child just days before Christmas. Announcing the new arrival, Shana, 33, shared a black-and-white photo of the newborn on her Instagram page, where she shared the tot's name, simply captioning the snap: "Kitty Frances Swash Jones [white heart emoji] 18.12.2023." Fans were quick to share messages of congratulations, with one writing: "Beautiful name for a perfect little girl congratulations." While another added: "She’s beautiful, huge congratulations to you all! Love her name xx" "ohh congrats! So delighted for you! Biggest hugs and love" penned a third, while a fourth said: "Massive Congrats @shana_swash She's divine! Sx" Over the summer, Shana who is the younger sister of Joe Swash announced she and fiancé Nick Jones were expecting their first child.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Hollywood got back on its feet on Wall Street this year, and if it wants to remain on solid ground in 2024 — or even climb a few steps higher — it needs to look beyond what movies and TV shows were the greatest hits. The biz is overdue when it comes to keeping an eye on the video game titles consumers poured their time into over the past 12 months.

Christmas morning is likely very similar for the Royal Family as it is for many of us up and down the UK. After the younger members of the family have woken up early to see if Santa Claus has been, they will then attend the annual morning service at St Mary Magdalene church. While the church service happens behind closed doors, the Prince of Wales previously revealed some of the best kept secrets from over the years during his appearance on the Apple Fitness + podcast Time to Walk.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” opened to $80 million at the international box office, which isn’t all that super considering those ticket sales are on par with eventual big-budget superhero disappointments like “The Flash,” “The Marvels” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” The comic book sequel, starring Jason Momoa as the king of Atlantis and directed by James Wan, has generated $120 million globally to start, including a weak $40 million in North America. The Warner Bros.

Similar to how Daniel Craig was vocal on his press tours for recent 007 films that No Time to Die was his swan song as James Bond, Jason Momoa has been casting great doubt that he’s coming back as the fishy superhero, Aquaman.

In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, directed by James Wan, and written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick Jason Momoa reprises his role as Arthur Curry, diving back into the deep and turbulent waters of superhero cinema. With an ensemble cast including Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Randall Park, Nicole Kidman, and Temuera Morrison, the film navigates through a series of high-stakes conflicts, both personal and global. However, it’s not just the seas that are stormy; the film itself walks a messy path of narrative and visual execution.

Not every video game experience has to be stress-inducing.

Oscar winner Octavia Spencer (Truth Be Told) and Emmy winner Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso) are set to star in and executive produce a new comedy series from creator Tessa Coates (Feel Good). In a highly competitive situation with multiple bidders, the as-yet-untitled series from Skydance Television has landed at Prime Video with a straight-to-series order.

Can tragedy provoke a larger discussion? Lulu Wang explores the complex issues surrounding privilege and social conscience in “Expats.” The filmmaker additionally serves as creator, executive producer, and writer on this adaptation of Janice Y. K.

Earlier this fall, news dropped that A24 wanted to get into big IP in the near future. And the future is now: the indie studio will team up with Hideo Kojima for a live-action film of the acclaimed video game “Death Stranding.” This follows up news from almost exactly a year ago that Kojima Productions had a film adaptation of their game in the works.

Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson are bringing their new DC Universe movie to London!

EXCLUSIVE: Prime Video has given a series order to Obsession, a drama based on Catherine Ryan Howard’s international bestselling novel 56 Days. It hails from James Wan’s Atomic Monster as well as Amazon MGM Studios, which earlier today landed its most ever Golden Globe nominations, 16, ten of them for television.