Disney brings ‘The Jungle Book’ to life in live-action adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic

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Following Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella, Disney continues to pump out live-action adaptations of its classic animated films and next up is The Jungle Book. Still based on Rudyard Kipling’s book, the new Jungle Book deviates from its 1967 animated adaptation by involving a real human boy playing Mowgli–newcomer Neel Sethi–and blending live-action with photorealistic CGI animals and environments. The differences don’t stop there. Iron Man helmer Jon Favreau takes the timeless tale into a more heightened direction; danger lurks around every corner in this teaser trailer. If you’ve seen Her, there’s no mistaking the voice of Indian python Kaa, seductively played by Scarlett Johansson. She narrates the action-packed teaser. The preview ends on a nostalgic note–free-spirited bear Baloo (voiced by Bill Murray) whistles “The Bare Necessities” as Mowlgi rides on his stomach down a river. The rest of the stellar voice cast is listed below inside the movie’s official synopsis:

“The Jungle Book” is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley), and the free-spirited bear Baloo (voice of Bill Murray). Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa (voice of Scarlett Johansson), a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie (voice of Christopher Walken), who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower: fire. The all-star cast also includes Lupita Nyong’o as the voice of the fiercely protective mother wolf Raksha, and Giancarlo Esposito as the voice of wolf pack’s alpha male Akela.

The Jungle Book hits theatres in 3D on April 15, 2016.

Latest Snapchat update adds selfie Lenses, Trophy achievements & more replays

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Today, Snapchat released a new version of its incredibly popular image and video-based social app and it comes with a slew of fun new features.

First up there’s Lenses. Previously, when users went to capture a selfie in Snapchat, they’d have the option to swipe through a bunch of different aesthetic and location-based Filters. Those remain, and being thrown into the mix now is Lenses, which are basically animated filters that make your selfies a bit more…exciting. Some of them are cute and endearing, such as the heart eyes (raise your eyebrows to make pink hearts pop from your eyes) and heart avalanche (open your mouth a pile of pink, purple, and white hearts fall on you). Others, meanwhile, are straight up bizarre; there’s one that paints your cheeks pink, super-sizes your eyes, and makes you puke a rainbow, and another transforms you into a scary demon. To activate Lenses, simply press and hold anywhere on your face before taking a Snap when you’re in selfie mode; a carousel of Lenses will appear along the bottom of the screen for you to scrub through. After your face gets scanned, on-screen instructions will tell you how to make the animations come to life (either by lifting your eyebrows are opening your mouth). You can snap a picture or hold down to record video, same as always. There are a total of seven Lenses to choose from, and Snapchat says it’ll rotate one out each day and replace it with a new one to keep things fresh.

Next there’s Trophy Case. It’s hidden inside the app’s main menu; in the snap screen, tap Snapchat’s ghost logo (located at the top-middle of the screen) and when the menu drops down you’ll notice a new trophy icon up top. Tap that to access your Trophy Case. It’s here where you’ll find unlockable achievements. The more you use Snapchat, the more achievements you’ll unlock. Achievements are presented as emojis. The one’s I have so far: “Your Snapchat score hit 1,000!” and “Sent a video Snap.” The company is not disclosing how to unlock them all, so you’ll have to send more Snaps to discover what’s hiding behind the unmarked locks. It’ll admit, it’s a smart way to keep users stuck inside the app!

And last, there’s a significant update to Snapchat’s Replay feature in this update. The app’s very first in-app purchase is the ability to purchase additional Replays. “We’ve provided one Replay per Snapchatter per day, sometimes frustrating the millions of Snapchatters who receive many daily Snaps deserving of a Replay. But then we realized — a Replay is like a compliment! So why stop at just one?” says Snapchat in a blog post. Starting today, users can purchase extra Replays for those moments when one a day simply isn’t enough. Pricing starts at 99 cents for 3 Replays. The company admits that’s pricey, “but time is money,” it exclaims. On the one hand, this optional purchase dilutes the magic of Snapchat and its image-focused self-destructive nature. Still, good on them for keeping the single (free) Replay around for users who want to use the feature but don’t want to pay up.

Now start freaking out your friends with those new Lenses by downloading the update today in the App Store.

[Via Snapchat]

Jam-packed Apple event introduces iPad Pro, iPhone 6s & all-new Apple TV (and so much more)

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Today is a HUGE day for Apple. The tech company managed to pack in so many updates across its ever-expanding product lineup. The Apple Watch, the iPad and iPhone families, and even the Apple TV all received notable boosts in functionality. There’s so much to discuss, so without further ado, let’s dive right into it. Jump after the fold for a comprehensive breakdown of the day’s events. Continue reading Jam-packed Apple event introduces iPad Pro, iPhone 6s & all-new Apple TV (and so much more) →

TV reminder: 5 series to look out for in September

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As summer draws to a close, we’ve made it to my favorite time of the year: new fall programming is upon us. But before we dive into the Big Network’s schedules (that’s coming later this week), let’s take a quick look at some of cable’s anticipated offerings premiering this September. Jump after the break for the rundown. Continue reading TV reminder: 5 series to look out for in September →

BB-8 by Sphero is the droid you’re looking for

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We’re a mere three months out from stepping into a new chapter in the Star Wars universe. In an effort to ramp up anticipation of The Force Awakens (as if everything else hasn’t already), Disney Consumer Products and Lucasfilm have branded today “Force Friday,” a day to celebrate all things Star Wars with officially licensed products including toys, collectibles, gadgets, you name it. Retailers nationwide are selling brand new Star Wars stuff, and perhaps the most coveted of them all is the app-enabled droid BB-8 from Sphero.

Sphero, the company behind app-controlled spherical robots, was chosen by Disney and Lucasfilm to imagine and produce an interactive iteration of everyone’s favorite Astromech Droid, BB-8. Though little is known about this cute little droid who’s set to make his debut in The Force Awakens, Star Wars fans worldwide immediately embraced BB-8 following its impressive stage presence at this summer’s Star Wars Celebration. BB-8 is director J.J. Abrams’ shining example of how he’s following in George Lucas’ early footsteps using practical effects above CGI ones where possible. BB-8 looks like a giant soccer ball with an R2D2-like head magically balancing on atop its body. The droid stunned the crowd at Celebration, and now, thanks to Sphero’s handiwork, you can call BB-8 your own.

The BB-8 toy is significantly smaller than its movie character counterpart, fitting in the palm of your hand. Pair it with your phone via Bluetooth and you’re in control of its movements. A free companion app on iOS and Android allows you to guide it around, a patrol mode makes it roam around your space autonomously, and a message mode lets you create, send, and share holographic videos (the droid does not actually beam out holograms, mind you; you’ll see the augmented reality images displayed on your phone or tablet). Gyroscopic propulsion and magnets make the magic happen. Be careful, though; BB-8’s head will fly off if you slam it into a wall hard enough or accidentally drop it from an elevated surface. Battery life is listed at an hour, and it comes bundled with an inductive charging cradle. The coolest bit? Sphero says its BB-8 has an “adaptive personality that changes as you play.” Its got a range of expressions and sounds, and it’ll perk up when you give voice commands.

Simply put, this is the droid you’re looking for. See BB-8 in action after the break.

What will all this tech cost you? Sphero’s newest robotic toy is a pricey $149.99, and it’s available today. Good luck tracking one down, though. BB-8 is the new Tickle-Me-Elmo, if you know what I mean. Sphero sells it on its website, and major retailers carry it, too.

Happy Force Friday!

[Via Sphero 1, 2] Continue reading BB-8 by Sphero is the droid you’re looking for →

Hulu lets you ditch ads for $11.99/month

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And just like that, Hulu’s jumping on the ad-free bandwagon. To compete with the ad-free competition (namely Netflix and Amazon), Hulu is now offering a No Commercials plan at $11.99/month. That’s four dollars more than the Limited Commercials plan (formally known as Hulu Plus) that has been around for awhile now. Nearly all of Hulu’s library of TV shows and movies will steam without ads; there are only a handful of series that will roll ads before and after (but not during) a viewing session and they are: Grey’s Anatomy, Once Upon A Time, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Scandal, Grimm, New Girl, and How To Get Away With Murder. The reason? It’s simply a matter of licensing deals. Other than that, you can say goodbye to commercials on Hulu as long as you sign up for or upgrade to the new plan.

“At Hulu, we pride ourselves on listening to our customers and giving them the best possible experience,” said Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins in a blog post. “Many of our customers have asked us for a commercial free option, and so today we are excited to introduce just that. Providing more choice for consumers is fundamental to the Hulu experience, in addition to an array of choices in content and devices, our customers can now choose to watch with or without commercials.”

The ad-free plan comes at a time when Hulu really has to start showing its muscle if it wants to continue to compete with the likes of Netflix and Amazon. Both of those streaming services have consumers flocking to their content libraries thanks to high quality original productions (see: House of Cards, Transparent, etc.) and exclusive partnerships with major film houses. In addition to introducing this new plan, Hulu is doing its part by churning out original content (The Mindy Project is coming soon, as is an anticipated new series from J.J. Abrams and Stephen King, 11/22/63) and making deals with companies like EPIX. In fact, Hulu recently snagged EPIX away from Netflix, and this will result in an influx of hit films from Lionsgate, MGM and Paramount. Game on.

[Via Hulu 1, 2]

Nintendo brings the New 3DS to US gamers, ‘Animal Crossing’ bundle in tow

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That took awhile. Nintendo has finally decided to bring the New Nintendo 3DS stateside. In October 2014, the Mario makers introduced the New Nintendo 3DS XL in its home country of Japan (there they call it the 3DS LL). Three months later, it came to the U.S. with all its input enhancements including the C-stick nub and the ZL and ZR triggers, as well as NFC inside and improved facial tracking technology. However, if you’ve been in the U.S. market holding out for an updated version of the regular-sized 3DS, you’ve been SOL, until now, that is.

On Monday, Nintendo announced that the New 3DS is coming to the States on September 25. There’s a slight catch, however. Instead of coming in the standard red and black paint jobs, the New 3DS is bundled with Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, and the hardware itself is plastered with an Animal Crossing cover plate (see above). Of course, there’s no telling if/when Ninty will release a standard version of the New 3DS to consumers, so for now you’ll have to live with this (the interior of the hardware, mind you, is white). The bundle comes with two themed cover plates, the game, an amiibo card, and a 4GB memory card. The MSRP is $219.99; bookmark it to preorder soon.

On the subject of 3DS, also outed is a Legend of Zelda themed 3DS XL Hyrule Edition, priced at $199.99. The gold-colored, Hylian Crest emblazoned handheld releases October 23; Gamestop’s got it up on its site.

Elsewhere, Nintendo has entered into a partnership with Amazon allowing the online retailer to sell digital downloads of Wii U, Wii, and 3DS titles. Simply purchase a game, redeem a code, and the game will automatically download onto your console of choice. Browse the storefront here.

[Via BusinessWire; Engadget]

Taylor Swift cleans up at the 2015 MTV VMAs, presents Video Vanguard Award to Kanye West

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The 2015 MTV Video Music Awards was all about squashing beefs, for the most part. The award show opened with a performance by Nicki Minaj who was later joined by Taylor Swift. The two had been bickering back and forth on Twitter not so long ago, and so their stage collaboration put the kibosh on that. Later in the evening, Swift would come out to present the coveted Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award to Kanye West. Of course, Swift delicately buried the hatchet between them in regards to Kanye stealing her spotlight back in 2009 during the now infamous “Imma let you finish but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time” interruption. Two beefs squashed, and one emerges: Nicki Minaj managed to squeeze in a snipe at Miley when the “Anaconda” artist took the stage to accept the award for Best Hip-Hop Video. Host Miley apparently said some nasty things about Minaj in the press recently, and Minaj wasn’t ready to go quietly into the night. You could argue that the moment was scripted, but when the camera swung over to Miley just as she was about to start the next segment, she looked genuinely surprised and taken aback by it all. If MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch ever makes a comeback, I think they’ve got their first matchup all lined up for them now.

All in all, it was a rather lackluster VMAs. In terms of memorable performances, there really were only two: Tori Kelly blew away the competition with her talented set of pipes singing a powerful rendition of her single “Should’ve Been Us;” and The Weeknd’s massive hit “Can’t Feel My Face” got the crowd to its feet, even Kanye West was dancing in the aisles! Speaking of Mr. West, he accept the Vanguard Award late in the telecast. And instead of performing a medley of hits like Justin Timberlake did last year, he stormed the stage and presented a classic Kanye rant that went on for far too long. In a nutshell, he admitted he was high and he’s running for president in 2020. That last part is a joke…I think.

Curious about the winners? It shouldn’t come as any surprise that T-Swift walked away with the most Moonman statues, this year specially designed by fashion designer Jeremy Scott. Her “Bad Blood” music video, which has racked nearly 500 million views on YouTube, was crowned Video of the Year and “Blank Space” was named Best Pop Video and Best Female Video. That video, mind you, has been viewed over 1.1 million times on YouTube! Elsewhere, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars took home the award for Best Male Video for “Uptown Funk,” Big Sean, Kanye West, and John Legend’s “One Man Can Change the World” won Best Video with a Social Message, Fall Out Boy remains relevant winning Best Rock Video for “Uma Thurman,” and Fetty Wap is The Artist to Watch thanks to his uber-popular banger “Trap Queen.”

Click here for the full list of winners.

Ryan Murphy dishes ‘American Horror Story: Hotel’ details: Lady Gaga is The Countess, and she’s out for blood [Update: New spooky teasers inside]

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Thanks to a new spread presented by Entertainment Weekly, we now have a clearer gaze into what the next iteration of American Horror Story with Lady Gaga is going to look like. The facts are these.

The titular hotel is named Cortez, and it was built in 1930 “by the rich and charming but deeply psychotic James March” played by AHS vet Evan Peters. EW goes on to describe the Cortez as “beautiful art-deco” and “a labyrinthine structure built to hide March’s murderous activities.”

Presently, the hotel is run by Lady Gaga’s character, The Countess, “a glamorous socialite who attends art openings and fashion shows.” She drinks blood for nourishment, but creator Ryan Murphy doesn’t want fans thinking he’s diving into the beaten-to-death world of vampirism. “I prefer the term ‘ancient blood virus,’” Murphy tells EW. “It’s not vampires. It’s really a form of hemophilia in a way. There’s no capes and fangs.” The Countess has an appetite for love and sex, and we see this manifest in a love triangle between Donovan (Matt Bomer) and Tristan (Finn Wittock). Those infected with the virus, including The Countess and her lover Donovan, crave human blood. Murphy promises answers around the halfway mark. “Around the middle of the season, we sort of explore the origins of all that and [The Countess] and where [the virus] comes from.” What we do know early on, though, is how they kill. Without fangs, the infected slice up their victims with chainmail gloves; Gaga’s sport razor-sharp nails as seen in the initial teaser.

We also have some insight about the other characters inhabiting the hotel:

Ramona Royale (Angela Bassett), an actress/former lover of The Countess’ seeking revenge; Iris (Kathy Bates), Donovan’s mother and the front desk clerk; Liz Taylor (Denis O’Hare), a cross-dresser nicknamed by The Countess; Hypodermic Sally (Sarah Paulson), a junkie and friend of The Countess; Detective John Lowe (Wes Bentley), a cop investigating a murderer named the Ten Commandments Killer; and The Addiction Demon, a creature in the vein of Rubberman or Bloodyface, who has no eyes or mouth but does wield a nasty, conical drillbit dildo.

Throughout the anthological series, Murphy has planted clues that help connect the disparate seasons together. With Hotel, he aims to make the most overt connection yet. “We do go to the Murder House for one episode,” he teases. Murder House, of course, was where spooky acts of terror took place in show’s debut season. In addition to that, a character from season 1 is making her way to Hotel. Marcy the realtor (Christine Estabrook), who sold the Murder House to the Harmons, returns as a real estate agent to show off the Cortez to Cheyenne Jackson’s character Will Drake.

And now, pictures! Lady Gaga’s Countess is on the cover of EW‘s latest issue, and inside you’ll find never-before-seen stills of other characters from AHS: Hotel including March, Donovan, and Tristan. Click here to view them all, and hop over here to browse more pictures from Gaga’s in-character photoshoot.

American Horror Story: Hotel premieres October 7 on FX.

Update (8/29): Murphy’s gone ahead and shared two more stills from the set: a turbaned Countess and a mystery man behind a mask.

Update 2 (8/30): Jump after the break to watch all five AHS: Hotel teasers, three of which are brand spankin’ new.

Update 3 (9/10): I’ve posted three more teasers after the break, “Spikes,” “Locked Up,” and “Hallways.” The latter is the first to include first looks at the ensemble cast!

Update 4 (9/14): Lady Gaga is the star of the latest 30-second spot for AHS: Hotel. Watch “Above & Below” directly after the break.

Update 5: (9/16): And the clips keep on comin’. This time around, however, it’s a 2-minute first look inside the new season, featuring soundbites from the cast. You know where to find it.

[Via EW 1, 2, 3] Continue reading Ryan Murphy dishes ‘American Horror Story: Hotel’ details: Lady Gaga is The Countess, and she’s out for blood [Update: New spooky teasers inside] →

Apple rebrands its London-based music festival, announces headliners including Pharrell & Disclosure [Update: More performers added]

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Since 2007, the iTunes Music Festival has attracted many talented and hugely popular musicians to its London venue including Adele, Beck, Coldplay, Elton John, Foo Fighters, Justin Timberlake, Kings of Leon, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Muse, and Paul McCartney. For its ninth outing, Apple is rebranding it to give more exposure to its recently launched streaming music service. In September, the newly christened Apple Music Festival will headline 10 artists; so far, Pharrell Williams, One Direction, Florence + The Machine, and Disclosure are confirmed to perform live.

“We wanted to do something really special for music fans this year,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services in a press release. “The Apple Music Festival is a greatest hits set of ten unbelievable nights featuring some of the best performers on the planet appearing live and interacting directly with their fans on Connect and Beats 1.”

The festival will take place over ten nights from September 19-28 at London’s Roundhouse venue; each night is dedicated to a headliner and a special opening guest. As of today, only One Direction have selected its opening act–English girl group Little Mix. Tickets will be offered for free exclusively to London residents. If you’re Stateside or anywhere else around the world for that matter, you can still watch the concerts live via Apple Music (on an iOS device), iTunes (on PC and Mac) and Apple TV. In addition, Zane Lowe and his team of DJs on Beats 1 will air coverage from the festival, and participating performers will be posting backstage content on their Apple Music Connect pages.

Apple claims that iTunes Music Festival musicians have played in front of more than half a million fans and tens of millions more online and on-demand. With the proliferation of Apple Music subscribers (who’ll continue to use the streaming service for free until Sept. 30), I’ll bet that those numbers increase exponentially this fall when the Apple Music Festival jams out across iPhones, iPads, iPods, computers, and Apple TV.

Update (9/2): Apple’s announced more headliners and openers for this month’s Apple Music Festival. English pop group Take That, “I Can’t Feel My Face” singer The Weeknd, and British electronic dance music band The Chemical Brothers are the latest headliners to join the lineup. As far as new openers are concerned, Pharrell has picked Leon Bridges to warm up his crowd, and Florence + The Machine will introduce James Bay before taking over the stage. Will update this post as more performers are added.

What to watch this weekend: AMC’s ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ and Patrick Stewart in Starz’s ‘Blunt Talk’

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In TV Land, the people of Los Angeles have no idea what’s about to hit them. After years of tantalizing coverage, the time has finally come to sit back, relax tense up, and enjoy AMC’s Walking Dead companion series, Fear the Walking Dead.

Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead graphic novels and the incredibly popular AMC flagship series of the same name, is behind Fear and he’s joined by many familiar producers including Gale Anne Hurd, Dave Alpert, and Greg Nicotero. Fear stars Kim Dickens, Cliff Curtis, Frank Dillane, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Elizabeth Rodriquez, Lorenzo James Henrie, Ruben Blades, and Mercedes Mason.

This summer at San Diego Comic Con, I learned first-hand just how different the new series feels, tonally, in comparison to the flagship series. When the city gets ripped apart by freshly infected walkers, viewers will be privy to immediate government action and more significantly, we’ll witness a family unequipped for surviving the apocalypse approach the walkers head on. Fear‘s first season, after all, serves as a prequel for fans of the franchise in that events unfold before we meet Rick Grimes and his band of survivors. Remember how Rick was in a coma and missed out on the early days of the walker invasion? This is the period we will live in over the course of Fear‘s first six episodes.

As exhilarating and intriguing as it sounds to be privy to the virus spreading, EP David Erickson reminds viewers that the show will drill its focus on the family at the center of it all. “It starts as a family drama, and we filter the apocalypse through that,” he said to the crowd at Comic Con. It’s about “a highly dysfunctional blended family trying to hold it together.”

Never tuned into The Walking Dead, which enters its sixth season this fall? Fear not (heh!). Kirkman and his team have been adamant in saying that Fear stands on its own and does not require you having seen a single episode of their other series.

Fear the Walking Dead premieres Sunday, August 23 at 9pm on AMC. Click here to preview the first three minutes of the highly anticipated pilot episode. And here to watch the official trailer.

Jump after the break to learn more about Patrick Stewart’s return to TV in Blunt Talk. Continue reading What to watch this weekend: AMC’s ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ and Patrick Stewart in Starz’s ‘Blunt Talk’ →