How's it hangin', cool cats and kittens? Cinemagnetic is your movie zookeeper. We'll wrangle the wildest film news for you.

Let's roar:

• Digital Domain and PRG Join Forces 🤝

• Traditional TV Bounces Back... Kind of 📺

• Stephen Fry's Voice Hijacked by AI 🎙️

• Marc Webb to Direct 'Bermuda' 🔺

Daily US Box Office: September 18, 2023 💸

Digital Domain and PRG Join Forces 🤝

Digital Domain, the wizards behind mind-blowing visual effects in movies like Titanic and Black Panther, have just teamed up with PRG (Production Resource Group), a big shot in production tech and services. It's not an exclusive deal, but it's pretty exciting.

Here's the deal: for certain projects, they're offering a package deal, a "one-stop shop" kind of thing. PRG will bring their gear to the table, like LED walls and on-set equipment, while Digital Domain will dazzle with their digital VFX skills, especially in the world of virtual production.

What's their mission? Well, they want to grab a bigger slice of the market, push the envelope with new trends and tech, and tell stories like never before. All this while saving their clients some serious cash without compromising on quality. Lala Gavgavian, President and COO of Digital Domain, is all about these goals.

Digital Domain isn't just about movies; they're into virtual reality and gaming too, and they've got a global footprint.

As for PRG, they're no slouch either. They do everything from live event broadcasting to audio, video, lighting, and virtual production. This partnership is all about combining their strengths to offer top-notch solutions for the entertainment and production world. It's going to be fun to see what these two powerhouses can cook up together!

What's coming? 🤔

Traditional TV Bounces Back... Kind of 📺

In August, traditional TV saw a minor bounce-back from a tough July, with combined viewership for broadcast and cable TV reaching 50.6% of total TV usage. Broadcast TV marked its first gain since January, comprising 20.4% of TV consumption, while cable TV also made strides, rising by 1.7%.

Broadcast TV benefited from shows like "America's Got Talent" and "Big Brother," while cable saw a boost from NFL preseason events and the initial presidential debate.

However, the overall trend for linear TV is still on a downward slope, with a 5.5% year-over-year decline in broadcast viewing and a 10.6% decrease in cable viewing in August.

Streaming, despite a slight dip to 38.3%, remained the dominant form of television. The decline in streaming was partly attributed to students returning to school, with 80% of the drop coming from viewers aged 2-17.

Famous Birthdays on September 20th 🎂

Stephen Fry's Voice Hijacked by AI 🎙️

Stephen Fry, the iconic voice behind the "Harry Potter" audiobooks, just dropped a bombshell at the CogX Festival. He revealed that AI software snagged his voice and made a replica of it, all without his say-so. Yep, it's like a page right out of a sci-fi thriller.

Stephen, who's been supporting the actors' union SAG-AFTRA during their three-month-long strike (where AI's a hot topic), played a clip at the festival. But here's the kicker – it wasn't him speaking. It was the AI, sounding just like him. He hadn't recorded a single word of that historical documentary narration; the machine did it all.

Stephen expressed his shock, saying, "They used my reading of the seven volumes of the 'Harry Potter' books, and from that dataset, an AI of my voice was created, and it made that new narration." He didn't keep this revelation to himself. He immediately sent it to his agents on both sides of the Atlantic, and they went ballistic.

This issue isn't just about Stephen Fry. It's a broader concern in the entertainment industry, with actors and unions like SAG-AFTRA worried about their jobs potentially being taken over by AI. The message is clear: they won't let their work be stolen, and they won't let AI take away their dignity. It's a battle that's far from over.

Movies and TV Shows Released on September 20th 🎞️

Marc Webb to Direct 'Bermuda' 🔺

Director Marc Webb is taking the helm of the long-awaited action-adventure film, "Bermuda," for Skydance. But here's the twist – they're still in the early stages, and there's no writer attached yet. Once that's sorted out, Webb will give his two cents on the script, although he won't be co-writing it.

Now, "Bermuda" is being pretty hush-hush about its plot, but it's all set to unfold in the mystifying Bermuda Triangle, that eerie slice of the Caribbean where planes and ships have mysteriously vanished over the years.

Behind the scenes, you've got David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger producing this for Skydance, with Aimee Rivera keeping an eye on things for the studio.

In case you're wondering who Marc Webb is, he's the guy who brought us “(500) Days of Summer" and more recently directed Disney's live-action take on "Snow White." He also dabbled in Disney+ with an episode for "Just Beyond."

New Trailer / Dream Scenario ▶️

Still of the Day ⏸️