Disney Entertainment Co-Chair Dana Walden goes one-on-one with Jim Cramer
Disney Entertainment Co-Chair Dana Walden joins 'Mad Money' host Jim Cramer to talk Disney's streaming strategy, quarterly results, growth opportunities and more.
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Forbes
3 hours ago
- Forbes
Hollywood Drops The Hammer On AI, Midjourney And Stable Diffusion
BURBANK, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 16: A sign refers to A.I. as striking SAG-AFTRA members and supporters ... More picket outside Disney Studios on day 95 of their strike against the Hollywood studios on October 16, 2023 in Burbank, California. Contract negotiations between the actors union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) broke down last week in the strike which began July 14. (Photo by) The simmering tensions between creative industries and artificial intelligence companies erupted into open legal warfare this week, as Disney and Universal filed a landmark copyright lawsuit against AI image generator Midjourney, while Getty Images' high-profile case against Stability AI began in London. Mickey Mouse et Minnie Mouse présentant la maquette d'Euro Disneyland. (Photo by Yves ... More Forestier/Sygma via Getty Images) On June 12, Disney and Universal filed a 110-page complaint in Los Angeles federal court, accusing Midjourney of 'systematic, ongoing, and willful' copyright infringement. The studios allege that Midjourney trained its AI on 'countless' copyrighted images, then enabled users to generate unauthorized reproductions of beloved characters like Darth Vader, Shrek, and Homer Simpson with a simple text prompt. The complaint includes side-by-side comparisons of original movie stills and AI-generated images, and language characterizing the image generators as a 'bottomless pit of plagiarism.' AUSTIN, TX - MARCH 09: David Holz, now CEO of Midjourney, speaks onstage at the Leap Motion & the ... More Disappearing User Interface panel during the 2013 SXSW Music, Film + Interactive Festival at Austin Convention Center on March 9, 2013 in Austin, Texas. (Photo byfor SXSW) Midjourney, which reportedly generated $300 million in revenue last year and boasts over 20 million users, did not comment on the lawsuit. In a previous interview, founder David Holz has described his popular AI model in ways I'm sure he wishes he could take back. 'It's just a big scrape of the internet,' he said. 'We weren't picky.' NEW YORK - JUNE 15: Cast of "The Lion King" perform on stage during the 62nd Annual Tony Awards at ... More Radio City Music Hall on June 15, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage) *** Local Caption *** 'Piracy remains piracy, and the fact that it is perpetrated by an AI company does not diminish its infringement,' said Horacio Gutierrez, Disney's chief legal and compliance officer, in a statement. 'Our world-class intellectual property is built on decades of financial investment, creativity, and innovation, investments that are only viable due to the incentives enshrined in copyright law.' Kim Harris, general counsel for NBCUniversal, echoed the sentiment: 'We are initiating this action today to safeguard the hard work of all the artists whose creations entertain and inspire us, as well as to protect the significant investments we make in our content.' Legal experts say the case will hinge on whether Midjourney's outputs are 'transformative' enough to avoid infringement, and whether scraping content from the internet without consent crosses a legal line. 'The similarity is so strong there,' said Dustin Taylor, an IP attorney at Husch Blackwell. 'If the courts agree, this could set a precedent that fundamentally changes how AI companies train their models.' Canadian filmmaker James Cameron joined the board of directors for Stability AI, in September, 2024. ... More (Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP) (Photo by JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images) While Stable Diffusion's influence has waned, Midjourney remains among the most popular image generators. One of the reasons behind its popularity is that it creates ultra realistic cinematic images that look like they are from big movies. There are dozens of other companies that do this, too, including Runway, Ideogram, Freepik, ChatGPT, Grok, and Leonardo (owned by Canva), to name just a few. These lawsuits will have a chilling effect on their use, creating a new hierarchy in Generative AI, with companies like Google's Veo, which indemnifies its users, as do others like Adobe. Moonvalley's new AI model, Marey, is trained on fully licensed content. Small shops like Invisible Universe and Toonstar train their own models without external data. Runway has a deal with Lions Gate to do their same thing with their IP. DANA POINT, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Craig Peters, CEO of Getty Images speaks onstage during Vox ... More Media's 2023 Code Conference at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel on September 27, 2023 in Dana Point, California. (Photo byfor Vox Media) Across the Atlantic, Getty Images' lawsuit against Stability AI began in London's High Court. Getty accuses Stability AI of scraping millions of its copyrighted photos to train Stable Diffusion. Getty CEO Craig Peters told CNBC, 'We're spending millions and millions of dollars in one court case… AI companies are making the argument that paying for access to creative works would 'kill innovation' by raising costs, but taking copyrighted work without permission or compensation is really stealing.' Stability AI has admitted to using some Getty images for training but claims its practices fall under 'fair use' and that its models do not reproduce original works directly. 'Artists utilizing our tools are creating works that build upon collective human knowledge, which is fundamental to fair use and freedom of expression,' a Stability AI spokesperson said. Getty is bringing a parallel lawsuit against Stability AI in the United States. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 29: Bryn Mooser speaks onstage during WSJ's Future of Everything 2025 at ... More The Glasshouse on May 29, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by) Bryn Mooser, head of new, AI-focused Asteria Studios, partnered with Moonvally to create an AI video generator trained exclusively on licensed content, Marey. 'There's no question to me that the studios are right. AI models must have consent,' he said on the AI/XR Podcast last week. Disney and Universal are seeking up to $150,000 per infringed work, but this is not about the money as much as it is defeating the fair use argument, which will set the legal and ethical boundaries for how AI companies use copyrighted material in the years to come.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘How to Train Your Dragon' Review: DreamWorks Live-Action Remake Retains Charm but Plays It Safe
Reviewing a live-action remake is a fraught task. How many times can you underscore the profit motive driving these endeavors? Or lament the lack of originality or creativity? Even when they are soulless, these remakes have made companies a lot of money (see: Disney) and many moviegoers embrace the experience of introducing their young ones to CGI-ified versions of their favorite animated features. In light of these trends, DreamWorks has decided to follow in the footsteps of Disney and cash in on the remake industrial complex: How to Train Your Dragon is the studio's first foray into that world. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'How to Train Your Dragon' Star Nico Parker Reacts to Trolls About Her Casting: "I Can't Value Your Opinion on My Hair" What Sold Gerard Butler on Reprising His Role in the Live-Action 'How to Train Your Dragon' Inside the Making of Universal Epic Universe's 'How to Train Your Dragon'- Inspired Isle of Berk The studio originally released How to Train Your Dragon, based on the book series by Cressida Cowell, as a charming animated feature in 2010. Now they're running it back with Dean DeBlois, who co-directed the original with Chris Sanders (The Wild Robot). He serves as both screenwriter and sole director on this version, and is joined by a cast of new-ish faces whose formidable performances help carry an entertaining, if not quite necessary, feature. This version of How to Train Your Dragon doesn't stray from the original all that much, but there's a minor tonal shift, more robust characterization (especially for Astrid, played by Nico Parker) and the experimentalism of CGI. Mason Thames, a teenage mainstay of horror films, plays Hiccup, the clumsy and empathetic hero of this franchise. The actor brings a Disney Channel star kind of energy — that familiar, endearingly optimistic gusto — to his performance, which differs from Jay Baruchel's more humorously weary and sometimes sardonic approach to the character's woes. When we meet Hiccup in DeBlois' remake, he's introducing us to the goings-on of his Viking village, Berk, while the townspeople are embroiled in a ferocious battle with dragons. Because Hiccup is a less-skilled Viking — not really gifted with agility, hand-eye coordination or any other traits that make one a competent warrior — he's stuck sharpening tools and offering provisions. That is until he decides to test a new instrument he's built to catch the most elusive creature of them all — the Night Fury breed. His plan predictably backfires and he humiliates himself and his father, Stoick, the burly Viking chief played again by Gerard Butler. If you've read Cowell's books or seen the 2010 film, you know what happens next. The next day Hiccup ventures into the forest and finds the Night Fury he trapped with his Rube Goldberg-esque invention. He tries to kill the beast, but a moment of connection stops him. When Hiccup looks into the dragon's lime green eyes, he sees not an enemy but a similarly fearful creature. He decides to tell his father he no longer wants to kill dragons. But before he can deliver the news, Stoick tells his son that he can train with the other young people in the village for the title of dragon slayer. This sets off a humorous but stressful few weeks during which Hiccup splits his time between befriending the Night Fury, which he names Toothless, and attending sessions led by his boss, Gobber (Nick Frost). As Hiccup gets to know Toothless, he uses the information gleaned to help with the dragon slayer training. Instead of fighting the caged creatures with hammers or protecting himself from them with shields, Hiccup disarms them with dandelions or repels them with eels (which they hate). Soon he's surpassing Astrid (Parker), who was previously the best in the class. Astrid grows suspicious and DeBlois further rounds out her backstory by explaining why she cares so much about succeeding. Hiccup's other peers are played charismatically by Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldywn and the always winning Julian Dennison. Soon Hiccup becomes the talk of the town and transforms his reputation. He wants to share with others that everything they've learned about dragons is untrue, but the subject is touchy for the Viking community. DeBlois does a fine job capturing the intimacy of Hiccup's friendship with Toothless, and fans of the original will be glad to know that the test flight scene remains, as well as the early encounter in which Hiccup tries to touch Toothless for the first time. On a tonal level, this version of How to Train Your Dragon seems much more geared toward children; most of the cutting and sarcastic jokes have been revised. There's also the question of aesthetics: While the 2010 film didn't have the most adventurous animation, it's even harder to drum up enthusiasm for the live action, which never distinguishes itself visually. Still, How to Train Your Dragon honors the charm of the original. I's not an essential remake, but at least it's not an offensive one. 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New York Post
6 hours ago
- New York Post
101 dogs rescued from alleged puppy mill in NC home
Over a hundred dogs have been saved from an alleged puppy mill in North Carolina that was so cramped and dirty that it mirrored a scene from the Disney classic, 'One Hundred and One Dalmatians.' The SPCA of Wake County and Raleigh Animal Control rescued the poor pups from a Raleigh home on June 4 after a complaint, according to the SPCA's Facebook page. 'They were housed in egregious conditions, surrounded by their own waste, packed five or six to a cage and stacked floor to ceiling, or free roaming in cramped quarters and filth,' the nonprofit explained. Pomeranians, Yorkies and Doodle mixes were among those rescued, and according to Scripps, some of the hounds were pregnant or nursing as well. Pomeranians, Yorkies and Doodle mixes were among those rescued from the Raleigh home. Facebook/SPCA of Wake County The team at the SPCA of Wake County is giving the canines some much-needed TLC. Facebook/SPCA of Wake County The SPCA shared photos of the fur babies getting much-deserved pampering two days after the rescue. 'These dogs have been getting the spa day of their lives—and their first taste of fresh air, possibly ever. Our medical team is hard at work treating each dog's individual needs (lots of skin and dental issues), and the matted dirty fur is coming off in heaps,' they explained in a Facebook post. 'We're seeing a lot of smiles from these guys—This is the biggest moment in these dogs' lives, and we are feeling so grateful to be a part of their healing.' On June 10, the organization shared the happy news that the first rescue, Jaime, was adopted after they 'removed two pounds of fur, thick with painful mats.' 'His new mom promises to spoil, love, and groom him the way he has always deserved,' they said in the post.
