Latest news with #MichaelKeaton
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Inside Google's plan to have Hollywood make AI look less doomsday
For decades, Hollywood directors including Stanley Kubrick, James Cameron and Alex Garland have cast artificial intelligence as a villain that can turn into a killing machine. Even Steven Spielberg's relatively hopeful "A.I.: Artificial Intelligence" had a pessimistic edge to its vision of the future. Now Google — a leading developer in AI technology — wants to move the cultural conversations away from the technology as seen in "The Terminator," "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Ex Machina." To do so, the Mountain View, Calif., tech giant is funding short films about AI that portray the technology in a less nightmarish light. The Google initiative, called "AI on Screen," is a partnership with Santa Monica-based Range Media Partners, a talent management and production company that represents a wide variety of entertainment clients, including actors and writers. Range is producing the films. So far, two short films have been greenlit through the project: One, titled "Sweetwater," tells the story of a man who visits his childhood home and discovers a hologram of his dead celebrity mother. Michael Keaton will direct and appear in the film, which was written by his son, Sean Douglas. It is the first project they are working on together. The other, "Lucid," examines a couple who want to escape their suffocating reality and risk everything on a device that allows them to share the same dream. "They were looking for stories that were not doomsday tales about AI, which I was fine with, because I think we've seen so many of those," Douglas told The Times. "It's nice to see the more — not overly positive — but sort of middle-ground stories." The effort comes at a time when many Americans have mixed feelings about AI. A 2024 survey from Bentley University and Gallup showed that 56% of Americans see AI as doing "equal amounts of harm and good," while 31% believe AI does "more harm than good." Shifting the way AI is depicted in popular culture could help shift those perceptions, or at least that's what some techies and AI enthusiasts hope. Read more: OpenAI takes its pitch to Hollywood creatives after launching controversial video tool Google has much riding on convincing consumers that AI can be a force for good, or at least not evil. The hot space is increasingly crowded with startups and established players such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Apple and Facebook parent company Meta. The Google-funded shorts, which are 15 to 20 minutes long, aren't commercials for AI, per se. Rather, Google is looking to fund films that explore the intersection of humanity and technology, said Mira Lane, vice president of technology and society at Google. Google is not pushing their products in the movies, and the films are not made with AI, she added. "Narratives about technology in films are overwhelmingly characterized by a dystopian perspective," Lane said. 'When we think about AI, there's so much nuance to consider, which is what this program is about. How might we tell more deeply human stories? What does it look like to coexist? What are some of those dilemmas that are going to come up?' Google did not disclose how much they are investing in the films. The company said it wants to fund many more movies, but it does not have a target number. Some of the shorts could eventually become full-length features, Google said. Creators who work with Google are given access to tech experts at the company who can share more information about the technology. Does the technology in the script already exist, for example? How would it work in real life? 'We're living with this technology and AI — the questions arise include: How does it affect us and how can we emotionally connect via this type of technology?' said Rachel Douglas, a partner at Range, who is married to Sean Douglas. Read more: Darren Aronofsky joins AI Hollywood push with Google deal AI has been a controversial topic in Hollywood, playing a major part in the 2023 writers' and actors' strikes. Actors fear their likenesses and voices being replicated and manipulated without permission or payment. Writers worry their work is being used without their permission to create AI-generated scripts and story outlines. Animation and special effects jobs could be gutted. Publishers and record labels have sued to protect their intellectual property. Negative public perceptions about AI could put tech companies at a disadvantage when such cases go before juries of laypeople. That's one reason why firms are motivated to makeover AI's reputation. "There's an incredible amount of skepticism in the public world about what AI is and what AI will do in the future," said Sean Pak, an intellectual property lawyer at Quinn Emanuel, on a conference panel. "We, as an industry, have to do a better job of communicating the public benefits and explaining in simple, clear language what it is that we're doing and what it is that we're not doing." Read more: Jamie Lee Curtis just wanted an AI ad removed, not to become the 'poster child of internet fakery' AI companies, including OpenAI, Google and Meta, have demoed or shared their tools with movie and TV studios and directors. Meta has partnered with horror studio Blumhouse and Cameron's venture Lightstorm Vision on AI-related initiatives. On Tuesday, Google announced a partnership with "The Whale" director Darren Aronofsky's venture Primordial Soup, which will work with three filmmakers on short films and give them access to Google's AI video generator Veo. Proponents say the tech can make filmmaking cheaper and give artists more flexibility at a time when the movie business is struggling. "If we want to continue to see the kinds of movies that I've always loved and that I like to make and that I will go to see ... we got to figure out how to cut the cost of that in half," Cameron said on a podcast last month with Meta's chief technology officer. Cameron sits on the board of startup Stability AI. Read more: Must Reads: Roy Orbison hologram concert in L.A. invites awe and debate AI companies are finding other creative ways to make the technology more approachable. In one example, major artificial intelligence firm Anthropic is sponsoring an upcoming exhibit at the Exploratorium, a science and art museum in San Francisco. Eric Dimond, senior director of exhibits, said he hopes the exhibit, called "Adventures in AI," will cause more people to explore the costs and benefits of AI. Anthropic was not involved in the conceptualization of the exhibit, Dimond said, though visitors can interact with its AI model Claude, as well as AI tools from OpenAI and ElevenLabs. As Google and others try to put a softer focus around technology, moviegoers are still getting plenty of stories about the dangers of robots run amok. Recent tales of AI gone wrong include Blumhouse's 2023 horror film "M3GAN," about a robot who becomes so protective of a young girl that she starts wreaking havoc. Last year, another Blumhouse horror film, "Afraid," followed a family terrorized by an AI-powered assistant. This summer, "M3GAN" is getting a sequel, released in theaters by Universal Pictures. It's expected to be a box office hit. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why we may be underestimating Hulu's ‘Good American Family' at the Emmys
Unlike its real-life subjects in the news, Good American Family has not exactly made a big splash in Gold Derby's Emmy charts. Following a mixed-to-negative critical and audience reception and muted online buzz throughout its eight-episode run, the Hulu limited series isn't expected to land any major nominations, according to the odds, which currently account for the series and top acting races. But people may be writing off the show too quickly. It's a top priority for Hulu in limited this year, and if the past few years have taught us anything, it's never to underestimate the streamer in this field. Since becoming the first streaming service to win a series prize, with its flagship drama The Handmaid's Tale in 2017, Hulu has only been growing stronger at the Emmys, particularly in the limited series categories. It finally broke into the Best Limited Series race with Little Fires Everywhere in 2020, and it has since fielded three additional nominees in the category in Dopesick, The Dropout, and Pam & Tommy, all of which were nominated in 2022. Since 2020, it's also notched an impressive 19 acting bids and one win, for Dopesick's leading man Michael Keaton. Much like Netflix, it's a streamer to which the majority of Emmy voters now likely have access and whose titles therefore benefit from visibility. More from GoldDerby Film reviews trash the Weeknd's 'Hurry Up Tomorrow' as 'self-indulgent' and a 'feature-length ego-stroke' 'It was just so seemingly unbelievable': 'Earnhardt' director reflects on Dale Earnhardt's NASCAR fame, quest for greatness, and tragic death 2025 Drama League Awards winners announced: Nicole Scherzinger takes Distinguished Performance Of the streamer's combined 23 series and acting nominations from the past five years, the following 12 were not predicted by the odds: — Under the Bridge (2024): Lily Gladstone, Best Limited Series/TV Movie Supporting Actress (eighth place in the odds) — Tiny Beautiful Things (2023): Kathryn Hahn, Best Limited Series/TV Movie Actress (11th), and Merritt Wever, Best Limited Series/TV Movie Supporting Actress (10th) — Welcome to Chippendales (2023): Kumail Nanjiani, Best Limited Series/TV Movie Actor (12th); Annaleigh Ashford (41st) and Juliette Lewis (40th), Best Limited Series/TV Movie Supporting Actress — Dopesick: Mare Winningham, Best Limited Series/TV Movie Supporting Actress (20th), and Will Poulter, Best Limited Series/TV Movie Supporting Actor (13th) — Pam & Tommy: Best Limited Series (14th) and Sebastian Stan, Best Limited Series/TV Movie Actor (seventh) — Little Fires Everywhere: Kerry Washington, Best Limited Series/TV Movie Actress (sixth) — Normal People (2020): Paul Mescal, Best Limited Series/TV Movie Actor (sixth) Good American Family has a lot in common with these under-predicted titles. Like Under the Bridge, Welcome to Chippendales, Dopesick, and Pam & Tommy, it's an accessible drama based on true events with an emotional hook that makes it stand out within its genre. Created by Katie Robbins, the series tells the story of Natalia Grace (Imogen Faith Reid), a Ukrainian-born orphan with a rare form of dwarfism who is adopted by a Midwestern couple, Kristine and Michael Barnett (Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass), just to be abandoned by them once they suspect she's lying about her identity. After telling Kristine's version of events, which paint Grace as an evil con artist trying to drive a wedge between Kristine and her family, the show switches to Grace's POV halfway through its run, forcing viewers to question whether the adoptee has actually been an innocent girl who was abused and neglected by her American family all along. Disney/Ser Baffo Though perhaps not as divisive as Good American Family, none of these other ripped-from-the-headlines series were big critical and audience darlings themselves, nor did they, with the exception of Pam & Tommy — an attention-grabbing retelling of the turbulent marriage between actress and model Pamela Anderson and drummer Tommy Lee — elicit a ton of online chatter. But that's also not uncommon for shows of this genre, especially those inspired by more obscure and/or grievous true events, as these rarely lend themselves to memes, theorizing, and other conduits for online conversations. What mattered most for these shows was that they were watched by voters — and there's no reason to believe Good American Family hasn't been. Boosted by Pompeo's star power, the miniseries consistently ranked in the top five on Hulu's Top 15 Today list throughout its six-week run and drew in record numbers for its finale across Hulu and Disney+. Within the first six days of its release, the finale, which dropped on April 30, became the most-viewed one of the year across the two streamers, as well as the third most-viewed one ever for a Hulu original. SEE A 'roller coaster' of perspectives: Good American Family creator on the show's unique structure and breakout star Imogen Faith Reid Per Gold Derby's odds, the show's best shot at a nomination is Best Limited Series/TV Movie Actress for Pompeo, who sits just outside the top five, in sixth place. Despite being the face of one of the longest-running scripted shows in prime-time history and one of the most defining series of the past few decades, the Grey's Anatomy star has never been nominated for an Emmy. But on Good American Family, her first major TV project since Grey's that she also executive-produced, she gets to show new sides of herself as an actor that might impress her peers in the TV academy. Plus, though a typically unsentimental bunch, Emmy voters may finally want to give the TV vet a pat on the back after overlooking her for so long. What further helps Pompeo's case is that her category is fluid outside the predicted top three, Cristin Millioti (The Penguin), Michelle Williams (Dying for Sex), and Cate Blanchett (Disclaimer), who are all safe bets for nominations. In fourth place is Renée Zellweger for Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy — a theatrical release internationally that went straight to streaming, on Peacock, in the U.S. — but she would have to overcome the apathy voters have recently shown toward performances in TV movies. The last person to be cited for one in this category was Laura Dern for The Tale in 2018. Rounding out the top five in the odds is Kaitlyn Dever for Apple Cider Vinegar, an Australian production that was liked by both critics and audiences but was only a modest success for Netflix and is currently not listed among the streamer's priorities in limited. If Pompeo makes the cut, there's a good chance she could bring along one of her co-stars in supporting, who could similarly capitalize on their races being rather unsettled. Particularly formidable are Reid, who's in 18th place in her category's rankings, and Duplass, who's in 22nd place in his. Though still a relative unknown as Good American Family marks her first-ever speaking role in a project, Reid, 28, is not just the heart of the miniseries by its end, but she's also essentially a co-lead next to Pompeo, especially in the back half. And Duplass is a previous winner (for producing the docuseries Wild Wild Country in 2018) who has surprised before — not once but twice — for The Morning Show in drama. Should the acting branch of the TV academy turn out for Good American Family, their support may also be enough to carry the show to a Best Limited Series nomination, seeing as that field, too, is largely wide open. Outside the top two in the odds, Netflix's spring breakout hit Adolescence and HBO's guild juggernaut The Penguin, both of which are shoo-ins, the predicted nominees all have strikes against them. Dying for Sex is in third place, but despite receiving glowing reviews, the eight-episode FX cancer dramedy debuted to little noise on April 4 on Hulu. Next in line is Apple TV+'s star-studded Disclaimer, which has also fizzled out since its fall release and was shut out of several of the top guilds, including the Producers and Writers Guild of America Awards. In fifth is Netflix's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which was an audience hit for the streamer but may lack in industry support, having missed at all of the major guilds save for the Screen Actors Guild Awards, where it nabbed a single bid for supporting actor contender Javier Bardem. Having premiered with two episodes on March 19, Good American Family also came out at the perfect time: early enough to give voters time to catch up with it before voting begins on June 12, but not so early that it risks being forgotten by then. So at the very least, you may want to rank the show a little higher than it is in Gold Derby's odds, where it sits in a distant 25th place at the moment. Best of GoldDerby How Natasha Rothwell helped Belinda get her groove back in 'The White Lotus' Season 3 Making of 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' panel: Bringing the Balrog to life was 'like doing a slight of hand card trick' TV Animation roundtable panel: '#1 Happy Family USA,' 'Secret Level,' and 'Arcane' Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Honeybee colonies decline in East Tennessee as officials research causes
DANDRIDGE, Tenn. (WATE) — U.S. Department of Agriculture is currently working with multiple colleges and nonprofits to identify the potential causes of a steep decline in honey colonies. According to a recent study, over 60% of commercial colonies, and over 50% of hobbyist colonies have declined this year. Michael Keaton of Dandridge said he has never seen bee colonies dwindle so fast in his five years of beekeeping Morristown seeks to boost sense of security, foot traffic with new camera system 'It is sad if you care about anything and care about life on earth when a colony dies,' said Keaton. According to the USDA, about 35% of the world's food crops depend on pollinators to reproduce. Keaton said cutting off bee's food supply by mowing, chopping down trees, or the use of pesticides could be contributing to the decline. 'I only lost two hives, I lost like 2% of mine, and a lot of people across the U.S. have lost up to 60%.' he said. While many beekeepers in the community have lost most or half of their colonies, Keaton said he's one of the lucky ones. He has only lost two this year, which is why he's hoping to help them bring their colonies back. 'I've seen a lot of people that have lost some of them, as much as almost 100% of their hives,' he said. 'I know a lady that had 39 hives, she has lost 38 of them. So a day in the life of beekeeper for me is to try to help people like that.' Hartford business owner praises volunteers who helped reopen flooded coffee shop Splitting hives and selling them is one way he hopes to help. But he said other factors, like the Varroa mite, are playing a role in the honeybee's decline. 'Little ticks we get on us. Varroa mites are like a little tick,' Keaton explained. 'It gets on them and they suck their blood, they overwinter, they got a nice big massive colony, but bees keep dying off due to the Varroa mites.' As researchers continue to investigate if they are the culprit, Keaton stresses the importance bees have on our lives and produce production, and he urges people in the community to support local beekeepers. ▶ See more top stories on 'I call them my girls. That's the girls, because most of the hive is girls,' he said. 'And you know what they do for America and what they do for the world pollinating and helping feed us, how many people can survive in the world without honeybees?' According to the USDA Agricultural Research Service, beekeepers have identified Varroa mites as their most serious problem causing colony losses today. Factors in their environment or exposure to chemicals are also being explored. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
