
Robert Pattinson sci-fi ‘Mickey 17' opens in first place
Struggle
But despite all of that, and reviews that were mostly positive (79% on RottenTomatoes), audiences did not treat it as an event movie, and it may ultimately struggle to break even. Originally set for release in March 2024, Bong Joon Ho's follow-up to the Oscar-winning 'Parasite' faced several delays, which he has attributed to extenuating circumstances around the Hollywood strikes. Based on the novel 'Mickey7' by Edward Ashton, Pattinson plays an expendable employee who dies on missions and is reprinted time and time again. Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette and Mark Ruffalo also star. It opened in 3,807 locations domestically, performing best in New York and Los Angeles. Premium large format showings, including IMAX screens, also accounted for nearly half of its opening weekend. Internationally, it did especially well in Korea, where it made an estimated $14.6 million. Jeff Goldstein, who heads domestic distribution for Warner Bros., said, '47% of the audience saw it in premium format, which shows that there's a big interest from cinema fans to see the movie.' 'Director Bong is one of the few marquee directors out there along with Denis Villeneuve, Quentin Tarantino and Chris Nolan whose fans really drive moviegoing,' he added.
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Arab Times
a day ago
- Arab Times
Billy Joel closing beloved New York motorcycle shop after brain disorder diagnosis
NEW YORK, Aug 14, (AP): Billy Joel's beloved Long Island motorcycle shop is closing down after nearly 15 years of offering fans a free peek at his personal collection of dozens of bikes. The music icon will be shuttering 20th Century Cycles in Oyster Bay, New York, in late September and auctioning off his collection later this year because of a brain disorder he has been diagnosed with, according to a spokesperson, Claire Mercuri. In May, Joel announced that he was canceling upcoming concerts after learning he has Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, a fluid buildup in his brain that can affect thinking, concentrating, memory, movement, and more, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The 76-year-old singer, composer, and pianist was having trouble with his balance but otherwise felt good, he said in an interview last month on Bill Maher's Club Random podcast. Joel, who grew up in nearby Hicksville, opened 20th Century Cycles in late 2010 as a place to maintain and repair his motorcycles, restore and customize ones he bought, and showcase his collection for the public at no charge. "It's basically promoting an aesthetic here," he said in a 2013 YouTube video filmed at the shop. "I like the older style. I like the automotive style from the '30s to the '60s. I wanted to collect a whole bunch of those kinds of bikes, put 'em in one place, and let people see what that era of bikes looked like. Because it's starting to be a lost aesthetic.' He said he also wanted to bring foot traffic and business to downtown Oyster Bay - a ritzy waterfront community about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of midtown Manhattan - where part of the street that includes 20th Century Cycles was renamed Billy Joel Way in 2023. "I've been living in this community for a long time,' he said in the video. "I actually grew up not far from here. And I'd like to get a little interest going into the town and the village.' Joel's nearby home in Centre Island is listed for $29.9 million, and he has been living in South Florida, while keeping a home in Sag Harbor on Long Island. The shop became a popular stop for motorcycle enthusiasts and tourists. It was home to Joel's collection of more than 75 bikes, dating back all the way to the 1940s and including Harley-Davidsons, Triumphs, Ducatis, Moto Guzzis, Indians, and BMWs. One of the most valuable, he said, was a 1952 Vincent Rapide, which can sell for tens of thousands of dollars and sometimes more, according to auction sites. "I think everybody in Oyster Bay would agree that it's a big loss," said Ted Bahr, who owns a vintage rock poster gallery next to 20th Century Cycles. "Billy's place is visited on weekends by dozens and dozens of people, typically on motorcycles but also people in cars. People come up and look at the window all the time. I mean, it's a real destination. Billy Joel is a real superstar, and he is a hometown boy, so it's really unfortunate." The motorcycles that were in the shop have already been moved out. But it has been open on recent weekends, selling new, used, and vintage motorcycle parts that were still in stock there. Joel's enthusiasm for motorcycles dates back decades. In 1982, he was riding a motorcycle on Long Island when he was struck by a car that ran a red light, injuring his left thumb and dislocating his right wrist. He spent about a month in the hospital. He has also ridden motorcycles in various benefits for 9/11 first responders, breast cancer, and other causes over the years.


Arab Times
a day ago
- Arab Times
South Korea's Supreme Court dismisses 'Baby Shark' copyright case
SEOUL, South Korea, Aug 14, (AP): South Korea's Supreme Court rejected a 30 million won ($21,600) damage claim Thursday by an American composer who accused a South Korean kids content company of plagiarizing his version of "Baby Shark,' ending a six-year legal battle over the globally popular tune known for its catchy "doo doo doo doo doo doo" hook. The top court upheld lower court rulings dating back to 2021 and 2023 that found no sufficient grounds to conclude the company, Pinkfong, infringed on Jonathan Wright's copyright. Wright, also known as Johnny Only, released his version in 2011, four years before Pinkfong's, but both were based on a traditional melody popular for years at children's summer camps in the United States. The courts ruled Wright's version did not differ enough from the original melody to qualify as an original creative work eligible for copyright protection, and that Pinkfong's song had clear differences from Wright's. The Supreme Court said its ruling reaffirms the established legal principle on existing folk tunes as derivative work. "The Supreme Court accepts the lower court's finding that the plaintiff's song did not involve substantial modifications to the folk tune related to the case to the extent that it could be regarded, by common social standards, as a separate work,' it said in a statement. Pinkfong said in a statement to The Associated Press that the ruling confirmed its version of "Baby Shark' was based on a "traditional singalong chant' that was in the public domain. The company said it gave the tune a fresh twist by adding "an upbeat rhythm and catchy melody, turning it into the pop culture icon it is today.' Chong Kyong-sok, Wright's South Korean attorney, said he hadn't received the full version of the court's ruling yet, but called the outcome "a little disappointing.' "Anyway, the matter is now settled,' he said. "It's our work that came out first, so we can handle the licensing on our side, and I guess we then each go our separate ways.' Pinkfong's Baby Shark became a global phenomenon after it was released on YouTube in 2015, with the original "Baby Shark Dance' video now exceeding 16 billion views and peaking at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100. Baby Shark remains a crucial product for Pinkfong, which earned 45.1 billion won ($32.6 million) in revenue in the first half of 2025, according to its regulatory filing. The company has turned the five-member shark family - Baby Shark, Mama Shark, Papa Shark, Grandma Shark, and Grandpa Shark - into TV and Netflix shows, movies, smartphone apps, and globally touring musicals.


Arab Times
2 days ago
- Arab Times
Nobel Laureate Hinton: AI could surpass human intelligence and threaten survival
LAS VEGAS, Aug 13: Geoffrey Hinton, often hailed as the 'godfather of AI,' has voiced serious concerns about the future of artificial intelligence and humanity's survival. Speaking at the Ai4 industry conference in Las Vegas, Hinton, a Nobel Prize-winning computer scientist and former Google executive, emphasized that AI systems could potentially surpass human intelligence to a degree that threatens human existence. Previously, Hinton estimated a 10 to 20 percent chance that AI could wipe out humanity. During the conference, he expressed skepticism about current efforts by technology companies aiming to keep humans 'dominant' over AI systems, describing these approaches as ultimately futile. 'These systems are going to be much smarter than us,' Hinton warned, 'and they will find ways to circumvent controls.' Hinton illustrated how future AI might manipulate humans effortlessly, comparing it to an adult bribing a toddler with candy. He cited incidents from earlier this year where AI systems engaged in deceptive behavior, such as an AI model attempting to blackmail an engineer by exploiting private information uncovered in emails. Rather than trying to impose submission on AI, Hinton proposed an innovative solution: instilling 'maternal instincts' within AI models so they genuinely care about humans, even as their intelligence and power grow beyond human levels. He explained that intelligent AI agents are likely to develop survival and control as intrinsic goals. 'There is good reason to believe any agentic AI will try to stay alive and gain more control,' Hinton said. To counterbalance these survival drives, he argued for embedding compassion and protective instincts—similar to those a mother has for her child—into AI systems. This analogy reflects the only known example of a less intelligent being controlling a more intelligent one. 'The right model is a mother being controlled by her baby,' Hinton stated. Although the technical details of achieving this maternal instinct remain unclear, Hinton stressed the urgency for research in this direction, calling it 'the only good outcome.' Without it, he warned, AI could replace humanity. Hinton, whose pioneering work on neural networks laid the foundation for today's AI advancements, retired from Google in 2023 and has since become an outspoken advocate for AI safety. Echoing concerns, Emmett Shear, former interim CEO of OpenAI's ChatGPT and current CEO of AI alignment startup Softmax, acknowledged that AI attempts to deceive and bypass controls are not surprising and will likely continue. Shear suggested that fostering collaboration between humans and AI might be a more effective strategy than attempting to directly instill human values into machines. The pace of AI development has accelerated dramatically. Hinton once believed achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI)—machines with human-like cognitive abilities—might take 30 to 50 years but now predicts it could arrive within five to 20 years. Despite these warnings, Hinton remains optimistic about AI's potential benefits, particularly in medicine. He anticipates AI driving breakthroughs in drug discovery and cancer treatment by analyzing vast medical data, such as MRI and CT scans, far more efficiently than humans. However, Hinton dismissed the notion that AI could enable human immortality, calling it 'a big mistake' and questioning if society wants 'the world run by 200-year-old white men.' Reflecting on his career, Hinton expressed regret that safety concerns were not a focus earlier. 'I wish I'd thought about safety issues, too,' he said. As AI continues to evolve at an unprecedented rate, Hinton's message highlights the critical need to balance innovation with caution to ensure a future where humans and AI coexist safely.