List of All Articles with Tag 'pce'

There were always question marks over which lessons that executives from toy making giant Mattel would learn from the roaring success of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. Some said it could show the power of giving a top indie filmmaker like Gerwig the budget, time and resources to make a piece of memorable – and at times subversive – cinema which drew on people’s childhood memories. However, it looks like executives have already decided to pick option B: create an intellectual property-driven movie machine, and crank out a film about every toy they can think of to boost profits. Because that’s what people liked about Barbie, right? Mattel wants to create a cinematic universe similar to that of Marvel, following the immense success of its first feature film – and they already have more than a dozen projects in the works. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Products that are already in line to get the Barbie treatment include “Barney”, “Polly Pocket,” and “Hot Wheels”. “Barbie, as a brand, has many different iterations. The product lines of Barbie is a very broad brand. In addition to the main Barbie figure, she has family, she has a lot of elements around in her universe,” Mattel chief executive Ynon Kreiz told Variety. “It’s a very rich universe… It’s a very broad and very elastic brand, in terms of opportunities.” “At the outset, we’re not saying, ‘Okay, let’s think already about movie two and three.’ Let’s get the first one right and make that a success. And if you do that, opportunities open up very quickly, once you establish the first movie as a successful representation of a franchise on the big screen.” “Successful movies lend themselves to more movies,” the CEO added. “Our ambition is to create film franchises.” Robbie Brenner, the Oscar-nominated producer in charge of Mattel’s new film division, said the company was hopeful Barbie would become a box office success, so that it would open the door for franchises like “Masters of the Universe” and “Hot Wheels". “Everybody hopes that when you create a movie that there is going to be a franchise,” Brenner told Variety. “That’s the hope — that it goes on and on and it’s a gift that keeps giving. But, in this day and age, you just want to get the first one right.” Here are the films Mattel wants to make next: Barney Produced by Daniel Kaluuya, the purple dinosaur is going to be made into a live-action movie. Brenner said: I don’t know that it’s necessarily going to be darker. It’s just going to be unique — more of like [Spike Jonze films] Being John Malkovich or an Adaptation." “Any movie that has Barney is not certainly going to be straightforward,” Brenner adds. Referencing the Seth MacFarlane comedies, she quips: “We’re not making Ted. You know what I mean?” The upcoming film will apparently be about “identity and finding who you love and who feels alienated” and “what does it all mean?” Brenner says the film will “be more adult and have adult themes — and sort of be a little bit off-kilter”. Polly Pocket Starring Emily In Paris star Lily Collins, the Polly Pocket dolls will be made into a film directed by Lena Dunham. Brenner said there is already a “great” script, and that Dunham and Collins would be “an amazing collaboration. Lena is so collaborative and rolls up her sleeves and really likes to roll around in notes and listen. She’s incredible”. “Lily is so smart and so specific and so productorial. It’s just been an incredible collaboration, so we are thrilled about it. Hopefully, we’ll be making that at some point in the future.” Hot Wheels This one will be produced by JJ Abrams – because the world needs yet another film about toy racing cars, of course. Abrams has described the adaptation as “grounded and gritty” and said the film will have “real characters that you can relate to, that are three-dimensional, that have emotional journeys”. She added: “Look at any JJ Abrams movie. All of his movies have an incredible story and incredible characters. That was something that was important to him — to make a movie that’s not just going to be fun and exciting, but that has real emotion and real stakes to it.” And plenty more… There is a film about Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, starring Vin Diesel, which could be absolutely bizarre, while another doll franchise movie, American Girl, is “in the works”. Magic 8 Ball will “probably be a PG-13 thriller,” Brenner said, while a Masters Of The Universe film about the superhero He-Man could also become reality. Other projects include Thomas The Tank Engine (yep, that’s right folks) and, in a surprise turn, Uno. How corporate executives think a film about the playing card game will turn out is anybody’s guess. But it’s going to happen. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

The rapper's spectacular show at the Egyptian landmark is officially cancelled at the last minute.

Mitch McConnell froze and briefly appeared to be unable to continue speaking during a Senate Republican press conference. He was led away by colleagues and returned not much later, stating that he was “fine”. This is not the first time that the 81-year-old has had a health scare. The scene occurred on Wednesday as Republicans held their last weekly press briefing before the August recess, and discussed remaining business including the chamber’s effort to pass a defence spending bill before the holiday begins. Mr McConnell was seen freezing at the podium for several seconds before a number of senators, including Joni Ernst of Iowa, approached him and encouraged him to step away. He did so, only to come back a few minutes later. He refused to elaborate on what had just occurred. “Can you address what happened here at the start of the press conference? Was it related to your injury from earlier this year when you suffered a concussion?” asked CNN’s Manu Raju. “I’m fine,” responded the senator. “You’re fine? You’re fully able to do your job?” Raju asked in response, to which the minority leader replied: “Yeah.” Mr McConnell entered the Senate in 1985 and has been the top Republican since 2007. Mr McConnell’s freezing at the press conference is likely to be looked at with scrutiny given the renewed interest in the issues presented by the increasingly advanced ages of many of the members of the upper chamber of Congress. Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, in particular, has been the subject of intense criticism on the matter as many have argued that the 90-year-old, who has sometimes appeared confused in interactions with reporters and staff, is no longer up to serving. This is a rundown of Mr McConnell’s previous health issues: Childhood polio He continues to walk with a limp, a residual issue caused by his battle with polio at a young age. When Mr McConnell was two years old in 1944, his upper left leg was paralyzed by polio and he was treated at the Warm Springs Institute in Georgia established by Democratic World War II President Franklin Delano Roosevelt for his own struggle with the same disease. “When I was a child and my dad was in World War II, I got polio. I recovered, but my family almost went broke,” Mr McConnell said in a 1990 re-election ad. “Today, too many families can’t get decent, affordable health care. That’s why I’ve introduced a bill to make sure healthcare is available to all Kentucky families, hold down skyrocketing costs, and provide long-term care.” Since that ad, Mr McConnell has been criticized by his political opponents for working against affordable healthcare. In 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic was underway, Mr McConnell told the AP that it reminded him of having polio as a child. “Why does this current pandemic remind me of that? I think number one is the fear,” he said. “And the uncertainty you have when there’s no pathway forward on either treatment or a vaccine and that was the situation largely in polio before 1954.” At the time of the AP interview, only 16,000 people in the US had died of Covid-19. As of today, more than 1.1 million have died in the US as a result of the pandemic, according to the WHO. “There’s hope that we’re going to get on top of this disease within a year, year and a half,” Mr McConnell told the AP in 2020. Speaking about his childhood polio, Mr McConnell grew emotional as he said he was “lucky” to have a mother “who was determined to see me walk again”. “Tenacity, hard work and not giving up – my mother instilled all that in me before I was four years old and I think it’s been a guiding principle in how I lead my life,” he added. Asked how his mother could afford his polio treatment, Mr Connell told the AP: “Honestly, I don’t know the answer to that.” He recalled the relief at the arrival of the polio vaccine. “I’ve had a normal life, but I’ve been acutely aware of the disease that I had and the relief that the country had when they found the vaccine,” he said in 2020, months ahead of the Covid-19 vaccine’s arrival. “We’re going to get that relief.” Triple heart bypass surgery Mr McConnell had a triple heart bypass surgery in February 2003 in connection to blocked arteries. The procedure was conducted at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, just outside Washington, DC. A fall that caused a concussion The 81-year-old Mr McConnell returned to the Senate in March of this year after suffering a fall that caused a concussion. “Leader McConnell tripped at a dinner event,” communications director David Popp said at the time, adding that Mr McConnell would be in hospital for “a few days of observation and treatment”. The event was at the Waldorf Astoria DC – previously the Trump International Hotel from 2012 to 2022. One of the colleagues at Mr McConnell’s side guiding him away after he froze on Wednesday, Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, a physician by training, said at the time that he expected that Mr McConnell would make a full recovery. Mr McConnell also fell at his home in Louisville, Kentucky in August 2019, suffering a shoulder fracture. Read More Mitch McConnell leaves press conference abruptly after appearing unable to speak Kevin McCarthy denies he made any deal with Trump to try to expunge his impeachments Kentucky attorney general can’t explain why he hasn’t used key to his office in three years Mitch McConnell recently ‘fell in airport and was using wheelchair’ before blackout Trump wants to see Biden impeached, and other Republicans are quick to pile on Mitch McConnell’s health history reveals previous issues after briefing freeze

Comedian Lewis Black appeared on 'GMA3' as a guest and explained that his stand-up material comes from the news

Since it was announced last night that Sinead O'Connor has died aged 56, people have been remembering her life. The Irish singer's family announced the death "with great sadness" on Wednesday evening (July 26). The cause of death was not made public. O'Connor wrote a memoir and lines from it feel heartbreaking now, knowing she has died. The book, written in 2021 is called Rememberings. The closing lines look towards life after the coronavirus pandemic and read: "Then between albums and tours, I'll have an occupation. Not be sitting round for a year at a time with nothing but idle hands. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter "Because of the virus, it feels like the end of the world and the beginning of another. "Maybe a better one." The Grammy-winning singer shot to international stardom in 1990 with the hit ballad Nothing Compares 2 U, and released 10 studio albums between 1987 and 2014. A 2022 documentary about O'Connor, called Nothing Compares, was set to be aired on television for the first time by Sky on 29 July. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Ukrainian troops are inching closer to the eastern city of Bakhmut, the scene for some of the fiercest fighting in the continuing invasion, officials in Kyiv have said. Deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said fierce fighting raged near the villages of Klishchiivka, Kurdyumivka and Andriivka on the southern flank of Bakhmut, a small city reduced to ruins in a bloody, months-long battle that gave Russian forces control of the area for now. Despite steady Western military aid, Ukrainian military officials have said Russia still has an advantage in artillery, tanks and manpower. But Volodymyr Zelensky’s military is about to receive a consignment of 1,700 strike and reconnaissance drones to help with its counteroffensive. It comes as Russian forces struck port infrastructure in Ukraine‘s Odesa region in an overnight missile attack, killing a security guard and damaging a cargo terminal, the region’s governor said on Thursday. Odesa’s ports have been regular targets for Russian attacks since Moscow withdrew on July 17 from a U.N.-brokered deal that allowed Ukrainian grain to be exported via the Black Sea. Read More Angry Russia refuses to speak at UN meeting on its attacks on Ukraine's key port city of Odesa. Putin’s forces pushed back around Bakhmut as Ukraine’s troops press on with counteroffensive Wrongfully detained in Russia and injured fighting in Ukraine. Everything we know about Trevor Reed Russian fighter jet strikes another American drone over Syria in the sixth incident this month

Donald Trump is said to be preparing for the federal grand jury to potentially vote to indict him on charges over the January 6 Capitol riot and his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election today. Sources told NBC News that the former president’s legal and political teams are getting ready for the possibility that the vote will take place on Thursday – and that Mr Trump will be hit with his third criminal indictment. Last week, Mr Trump said he had received a letter from special counsel Jack Smith’s office saying he is the target of a grand jury investigation. Former New York City Police Department commissioner Bernie Kerik, a Rudy Giuliani ally, has since agreed to turn over hundreds of documents to the DOJ as part of its probe, court documents reveal. Ahead of the potential looming indictment, Mr Trump has gone on the attack against his political rivals and Mr Smith, and also posted a video begging Congress to help save him from his escalating legal troubles. This comes as Melania Trump is reportedly distancing herself from her husband’s 2024 campaign, rejecting multiple requests to join him at campaign stops. Read More What Donald Trump’s trial date means for the 2024 election Trump demands cameras in courtroom for potential election fraud case Trump legal team tries again to block Georgia election interference grand jury probe Is Donald Trump a legal unicorn?

Sinead O’Connor's son Shane took his life in January 2022 after escaping from the hospital where he was on suicide watch

The surprise hit of high summer, colourful crochet is everywhere right now. What started on the spring/summer 2023 catwalks as more of a laidback, seaside-inspired look – with cream, custard and khaki beach dresses at Gabriela Hearst, Khaite and Ulla Johnson – has bloomed into a rainbow-bright riot on the high street. The fabric – which is created by using a hook to weave loops of yarn – has fallen in and out of fashion throughout the decades. The hippy heyday of the Seventies saw a massive boom in crochet clothing, in particular garments made from a patchwork of ‘granny squares’. More recently, London Fashion Week designer Christopher Kane (known for his love of ‘granny chic’) put black and blue crochet on the catwalk, styled with leather and latex. Singer Harry Styles – known for his love of Seventies styles – has inspired fans to weave their own crochet cardigans after he was spotted on stage in a patchwork design. According to Klarna Shopping Index research, shoppers are embracing the retro look in a big way, with sales of crochet items up 81% year on year. The most popular garments are trousers (up 269%), shirts (193%) and skirts (140%). So how should you wear the trend now? This year’s revival is all about fun in the sun. A mesh dress or cover-up is a beachwear must-have if you’re jetting off somewhere hot on holiday. For a subtle Seventies look, team a bright crochet vest with wide-leg or flared jeans or denim cut-offs. Heading to a festival? Go bold with a ‘granny square’ dress in a cocktail of colours or co-ord set in this season’s hottest hue: emerald green. Accessorise your look with some vintage-style cork sole wedges or espadrilles (another classic trend that’s making a comeback right now) and add a woven beach bag for a cute finishing touch. Here’s our pick of the best crochet pieces to shop this summer… Boohoo Premium Patchwork Crochet Knitted Dress, £32 (was £38) Simply Be Orange Wide V Neck Crochet Jumper, £30; Blue Crochet Straw Hat, £10.80 (was £18); Pink Wide V Neck Crochet Jumper, £27 (was £30); Bright Blue Crochet Wide Leg Trouser Co-ord, £30 Pep&Co at Poundland Cerise Pink and Yellow Striped Bodycon Dress, £14 (in store only) Roman Multi One Size Cotton Blend Crochet Cape, £28 (was £35); Light Denim Stretch Denim Mom Shorts, £24 Matalan Pink Crochet Look Long Beach Dress, £19 Monsoon Sleeveless Crochet Top with Lenzing Ecovero Green, £50; Winnie Wrap Midi Skirt Black, £55 V by Very Crochet Flared Sleeve Top, £14 (was £22); V by Very Crochet Shorts Green, £8.50 (were £18) Bimba y Lola Orange Crochet Top, £44 (was £110) Accessorize Pink Raffia Crochet Beach Shopper, £15.20 (was £38) Esprit Robyn Cotton Hobo Bag in Crochet Knit, £46, La Redoute FatFace Penelope Tile Crochet Sliders, £47.20 (were £59)

Sinead O'Connor achieved international stardom in 1990 with her rendition of 'Nothing Compares 2 U', a song originally written and composed by Prince

Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor has died at the age of 56 and tributes celebrating her life have poured in. Her death was announced on Wednesday (26 July) by her family in a brief statement. No cause of death was given. It read: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.” The singer hailed from Dublin, Ireland, and rose to fame thanks to a global hit with the 1990 ballad Nothing Compares 2 U. Throughout her musical career, O’Connor was no stranger to controversy and famously shocked the US by ripping up a picture of Pope John Paul II during a 1992 appearance on the talk show Saturday Night Live in protest against child abuse in the Catholic Church. The news of her death stunned many, from the world of entertainment and beyond, and has led to an outpouring of heartfelt tributes for the musical icon. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter O’Connor’s death comes 18 months after that of her 17-year-old son Shane. In one of her last posts on social media, she said he was “the love of my life, the lamp of my soul”. She will be remembered not only for her singing voice but for her activism and bravery in opposing atrocities, even in the face of significant backlash. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A Michael Jackson estate lawyer said such a premise 'would require low-level employees to confront their supervisor and call them pedophiles'