मनोरंजन

By Danielle Broadway LOS ANGELES, Dec 10 (Reuters) – For James Cameron, following the release of the 2025 movie “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” it’s imperative to cut costs for future “Avatar” franchise films.  If the Canadian and New Zealand filmmaker can’t find a way to make the cost of production “cheaper,” he may be “doing something else” before getting to the fourth and fifth “Avatar” films that he’s previously announced plans for.  “There are many, many variables ahead of us before we can talk about four and five and beyond," he told Reuters.  "It’s a universe, like the (George) Lucas universe, for example, it’s open-ended. I’ve only imagined a few more stories. Maybe it continues. Maybe it doesn’t,” he added. "Avatar: Fire and Ash," distributed by Disney, is scheduled to debut in movie theaters on December 19, continuing the saga of the blue Na'vi people. Sam Worthington plays Jake Sully, and Zoe Saldana portrays his wife, Neytiri. All three of the “Avatar” films that have been completed utilize advanced motion capture technology, requiring large-scale budgets.  Cameron worries that with the popularization of streaming platforms, less people will see films in the movie theaters, including his “Avatar” projects. However, he remains optimistic.  “I still think people want to go have that deeper, more profound experience that you have when you can’t pause it (a movie). The second you can pause it, you lose that,” the Oscar-winner said.  For the cast members, it was meaningful to find emotional connections to their characters to keep themselves immersed in the fictional world.  “I plastered burn victims all over my trailer, which was horrific,” said Oona Chaplin, who portrays the new antagonist named Varang, the Na'vi leader of the volcano-dwelling clan.  While she said she doesn’t think she would do that again, it did help her channel some of her character’s anger and grief.  Similarly, Zoe Saldaña, who reprises her role as Neytiri, said that being a real-life mother helped her channel Neytiri’s grief after losing a child. Cameron applauded each actors’ authentic performance, noting that “Avatar” does not use any generative AI (artificial intelligence) to develop films.  “We have not historically used generative AI on “Avatar” films. I think the broad public doesn’t know how we’ve made these movies. They think it’s some kind of computer thing and now AI,” he added.  While the idea of synthetic actors replacing human actors worries the “Titanic” director, he does see the value in using AI as a supplementary tool to support creative endeavors.   (Reporting by Danielle Broadway, Editing by William Maclean)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Danielle Broadway LOS ANGELES, Dec 10 (Reuters) – For James Cameron, following the release of the 2025 movie “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” it’s imperative to cut costs for future “Avatar” franchise films.  If the Canadian and New Zealand filmmaker can’t find a way to make the cost of production “cheaper,” he may be “doing something else” before getting to the fourth and fifth “Avatar” films that he’s previously announced plans for.  “There are many, many variables ahead of us before we can talk about four and five and beyond," he told Reuters.  "It’s a universe, like the (George) Lucas universe, for example, it’s open-ended. I’ve only imagined a few more stories. Maybe it continues. Maybe it doesn’t,” he added. "Avatar: Fire and Ash," distributed by Disney, is scheduled to debut in movie theaters on December 19, continuing the saga of the blue Na'vi people. Sam Worthington plays Jake Sully, and Zoe Saldana portrays his wife, Neytiri. All three of the “Avatar” films that have been completed utilize advanced motion capture technology, requiring large-scale budgets.  Cameron worries that with the popularization of streaming platforms, less people will see films in the movie theaters, including his “Avatar” projects. However, he remains optimistic.  “I still think people want to go have that deeper, more profound experience that you have when you can’t pause it (a movie). The second you can pause it, you lose that,” the Oscar-winner said.  For the cast members, it was meaningful to find emotional connections to their characters to keep themselves immersed in the fictional world.  “I plastered burn victims all over my trailer, which was horrific,” said Oona Chaplin, who portrays the new antagonist named Varang, the Na'vi leader of the volcano-dwelling clan.  While she said she doesn’t think she would do that again, it did help her channel some of her character’s anger and grief.  Similarly, Zoe Saldaña, who reprises her role as Neytiri, said that being a real-life mother helped her channel Neytiri’s grief after losing a child. Cameron applauded each actors’ authentic performance, noting that “Avatar” does not use any generative AI (artificial intelligence) to develop films.  “We have not historically used generative AI on “Avatar” films. I think the broad public doesn’t know how we’ve made these movies. They think it’s some kind of computer thing and now AI,” he added.  While the idea of synthetic actors replacing human actors worries the “Titanic” director, he does see the value in using AI as a supplementary tool to support creative endeavors.   (Reporting by Danielle Broadway, Editing by William Maclean)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

COPENHAGEN, Dec 10 (Reuters) – Iceland will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, the country's public broadcaster RUV said on Wednesday, after organiser the European Broadcasting Union last week cleared Israel's participation. The decision to allow Israel to take part in the next Eurovision, which will be held in Vienna in May, earlier prompted Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia to withdraw in protest, citing Israel's conduct in the Gaza war. "It is clear from the public debate in this country and the reaction to the EBU's decision last week that there will be neither joy nor peace regarding RUV's participation," the broadcaster's Director General Stefan Eiriksson said in a statement. Iceland was among the countries that had requested a vote last week on Israel's participation. But the European Broadcasting Union, or EBU, decided not to call a vote on Israel's participation, saying it had instead passed new rules aimed at discouraging governments from influencing the contest. Iceland has never won the song contest but came second in 1999 and 2009. The Eurovision Song Contest dates back to 1956 and reaches around 160 million viewers, according to the EBU. (Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen in Copenhagen and Essi Lehto in Helsinki, editing by Terje Solsvik)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

COPENHAGEN, Dec 10 (Reuters) – Iceland will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, the country's public broadcaster RUV said on Wednesday, after organiser the European Broadcasting Union last week cleared Israel's participation. (Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen, editing by Terje Solsvik)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

COPENHAGEN, Dec 10 (Reuters) – Iceland will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, the country's public broadcaster RUV said on Wednesday, after organiser the European Broadcasting Union last week cleared Israel's participation. The decision to allow Israel to take part in the next Eurovision, which will be held in Vienna in May, earlier prompted Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia to withdraw in protest, citing Israel's conduct in the Gaza war. "It is clear from the public debate in this country and the reaction to the EBU's decision last week that there will be neither joy nor peace regarding RUV's participation," the broadcaster's Director General Stefan Eiriksson said in a statement. Iceland was among the countries that had requested a vote last week on Israel's participation. But the European Broadcasting Union, or EBU, decided not to call a vote on Israel's participation, saying it had instead passed new rules aimed at discouraging governments from influencing the contest. Iceland has never won the song contest but came second in 1999 and 2009. The Eurovision Song Contest dates back to 1956 and reaches around 160 million viewers, according to the EBU. (Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen in Copenhagen and Essi Lehto in Helsinki, editing by Terje Solsvik)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

COPENHAGEN, Dec 10 (Reuters) – Iceland will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, the country's public broadcaster RUV said on Wednesday, after organiser the European Broadcasting Union last week cleared Israel's participation. (Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen, editing by Terje Solsvik)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

COPENHAGEN, Dec 10 (Reuters) – Iceland will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, the country's public broadcaster RUV said on Wednesday, after organiser the European Broadcasting Union last week cleared Israel's participation. The decision to allow Israel to take part in the next Eurovision, which will be held in Vienna in May, earlier prompted Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia to withdraw in protest, citing Israel's conduct in the Gaza war. "It is clear from the public debate in this country and the reaction to the EBU's decision last week that there will be neither joy nor peace regarding RUV's participation," the broadcaster's Director General Stefan Eiriksson said in a statement. Iceland was among the countries that had requested a vote last week on Israel's participation. But the European Broadcasting Union, or EBU, decided not to call a vote on Israel's participation, saying it had instead passed new rules aimed at discouraging governments from influencing the contest. Iceland has never won the song contest but came second in 1999 and 2009. The Eurovision Song Contest dates back to 1956 and reaches around 160 million viewers, according to the EBU. (Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen in Copenhagen and Essi Lehto in Helsinki, editing by Terje Solsvik)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

COPENHAGEN, Dec 10 (Reuters) – Iceland will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, the country's public broadcaster RUV said on Wednesday, after organiser the European Broadcasting Union last week cleared Israel's participation. The decision to allow Israel to take part in the next Eurovision, which will be held in Vienna in May, earlier prompted Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia to withdraw in protest, citing Israel's conduct in the Gaza war. "It is clear from the public debate in this country and the reaction to the EBU's decision last week that there will be neither joy nor peace regarding RUV's participation," the broadcaster's Director General Stefan Eiriksson said in a statement. Iceland was among the countries that had requested a vote last week on Israel's participation. But the European Broadcasting Union, or EBU, decided not to call a vote on Israel's participation, saying it had instead passed new rules aimed at discouraging governments from influencing the contest. Iceland has never won the song contest but came second in 1999 and 2009. The Eurovision Song Contest dates back to 1956 and reaches around 160 million viewers, according to the EBU. (Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen in Copenhagen and Essi Lehto in Helsinki, editing by Terje Solsvik)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Dec 10 (Reuters) – CBS News has named Tony Dokoupil anchor of its flagship “CBS Evening News” starting January 5 in one of the first major moves under new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss as she overhauls the network. Weiss, who joined CBS News in October through Paramount Skydance’s purchase of her outlet The Free Press, is trying to revive the third-placed broadcast news network that has been losing viewers in the age of social media and online information. The former New York Times and Wall Street Journal opinion writer, known for her pro-choice views and for being proudly pro-Israel, has been tasked with reaching a broader audience. "CBS Evening News" has a storied history that reaches back to Walter Cronkite, the trusted anchorman who guided Americans through JFK's assassination and the Vietnam War, but its viewership, like the network, has been declining. In Dokoupil, she is turning to an Emmy award-winning journalist who has been with CBS News for nearly a decade and covered major stories, including the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He has interviewed major global leaders and celebrities such as Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Dokoupil, who has co-hosted "CBS Mornings" since 2019, drew attention last year for his interview with author Ta-Nehisi Coates about his book on Israel and Palestinians, where the CBS host suggested the content 'would not be out of place in the backpack of an extremist' and pressed Coates on omissions about Israeli security concerns. The interview had received backlash from CBS executives that claimed Dokoupil brought his own bias to the stage, according to media reports. The Free Press strongly defended Dokoupil at the time, arguing he was wrongly admonished for doing legitimate journalism. Dokoupil "believes in old school journalistic values: asking the hard questions, following the facts wherever they lead and holding power to account," Weiss said in a statement on Wednesday.  "We live in a time in which many people have lost trust in the media. Tony Dokoupil is the person to win it back." CBS News on Tuesday also announced it hired veteran broadcast journalist Matt Gutman from ABC News as its chief correspondent, in the first on-air hire since Weiss took over.  (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Leroy Leo)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Dec 10 (Reuters) – CBS News has named Tony Dokoupil anchor of its flagship “CBS Evening News” starting January 5 in one of the first major moves under new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss as she overhauls the network. Weiss, who joined CBS News in October through Paramount Skydance’s purchase of her outlet The Free Press, is trying to revive the third-placed broadcast news network that has been losing viewers in the age of social media and online information. The former New York Times and Wall Street Journal opinion writer, known for her pro-choice views and for being proudly pro-Israel, has been tasked with reaching a broader audience. "CBS Evening News" has a storied history that reaches back to Walter Cronkite, the trusted anchorman who guided Americans through JFK's assassination and the Vietnam War, but its viewership, like the network, has been declining. In Dokoupil, she is turning to an Emmy award-winning journalist who has been with CBS News for nearly a decade and covered major stories, including the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He has interviewed major global leaders and celebrities such as Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Dokoupil, who has co-hosted "CBS Mornings" since 2019, drew attention last year for his interview with author Ta-Nehisi Coates about his book on Israel and Palestinians, where the CBS host suggested the content 'would not be out of place in the backpack of an extremist' and pressed Coates on omissions about Israeli security concerns. The interview had received backlash from CBS executives that claimed Dokoupil brought his own bias to the stage, according to media reports. The Free Press strongly defended Dokoupil at the time, arguing he was wrongly admonished for doing legitimate journalism. Dokoupil "believes in old school journalistic values: asking the hard questions, following the facts wherever they lead and holding power to account," Weiss said in a statement on Wednesday.  "We live in a time in which many people have lost trust in the media. Tony Dokoupil is the person to win it back." CBS News on Tuesday also announced it hired veteran broadcast journalist Matt Gutman from ABC News as its chief correspondent, in the first on-air hire since Weiss took over.  (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Leroy Leo)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)