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Yale researchers recommend ways to cut nationwide health care costs by billions a year
A new Yale project argues the U.S. could save $450 billion a year on health care without overhauling the system. Economist Zach Cooper explains the proposed changes.
ASU researchers explain 2026 Nobel Prizes in the scientific fields
ASU researchers discuss the significance of the 2026 Nobel Prize winners and their discoveries within scientific fields.
Large dog breeds die younger. Biologists think they finally know why.
'Jumping genes' may explain shorter lifespans.
Pete Davidson reacts to “Tommy Karate” photo leak: ‘I wish my wig was set!’
The “SNL” alum explains how he really felt when those photos emerged of him in his upcoming mob movie.
Business Strategist Explains Why So Many Capable Leaders are Running on Empty
The book offers 101 specific redirects designed to help capable but exhausted professionals examine what is draining them.
Kelly Clarkson, a local business and the return of social media beef
The internet loves a bit of drama, but why? Experts explain the interest behind Kelly Clarkson's feud with a local business.
Scarred blood vessels may be one clue to APOE4’s Alzheimer’s risk
Scientists know APOE4 raises Alzheimer’s risk. A surprising change in blood vessel cells may help explain how.
Robot Entertainment Kombat California Shutdown Explained
California shut down Robot Entertainment Kombat's unlicensed robot fights, exposing a deeper gap: China controls the rare earth magnets powering the
NCBA Urges Cattle Producers to Document Ranch Business Activity Amid Hobby Loss Rules
In today’s Beef Buzz, senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays spoke with Kent Bacus of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association about tax rules that could affect cattle producers, particularly smaller operations that experience multiple years of losses. Bacus explains why keeping accurate records and understanding IRS guidelines are important for protecting family ranches, while
Intel (INTC) Fixed Its Chip Business. Can the Foundry Earn the Premium?
For years, the easy line on Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) was that it had become a fallen giant, losing ground on chip design and manufacturing at the same time. That line has aged badly. The stock now trades at a multiple usually reserved for high-flying growth names. Here’s the twist: the part of Intel that best explains […]
Kyle MacLachlan explains why he lost ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ role to Patrick Dempsey
Kyle MacLachlan isn’t confused about why he lost the role of McDreamy on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ to Patrick Dempsey.
The Political Economy Of Water Bankruptcy—Who Benefits And Who Pays
The architect of the water bankruptcy concept explains why the problem is so difficult to solve politically, even when the solutions are known.
"Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bull****." James Hetfield explains why you won't get any political statements at a Metallica show any time soon
The Metallica frontman seemingly took a pot shot at artists who use their platforms for political means during a brief speech on stage in Las Vegas
Liverpool legend claims the club must do January business
Liverpool January transfers: John Aldridge calls for signings after Manchester City defeatJohn Aldridge has urged Liverpool to strengthen in January, arguing that injuries alone cannot explain the squ...
Electrified Pickles Glow Orange And Scientists Are Closing In On Why, With Both Leading Theories Combining
What has yet to be explained was who thought of running current through a pickled cucumber, and why?
The Case for Shifting Mental Health Care From Institutions to Communities
Institutionalized mental health care is “outdated” and “a human rights issue hiding in plain sight,” write Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Kelly Clarkson ‘Pretty Woman’ Drama Explained As She Slams Store’s Response
The singer accused a Brooklyn store of treating her like Julia Roberts in 'Pretty Woman.' Now both sides are disputing what happened.
What is driving Ohio voters in 2026?
Ohio was once one of the nation's most closely watched political battlegrounds. A UC political scientist and voting advocate explain how the state has changed and what could shape voters in 2026.
Why Eating Fiber First Can Help Manage Type 2 Diabetes
A registered dietitian explains how the order in which you eat the food on your plate can help prevent post-meal blood sugar spikes.
Can keeping your phone in your pocket harm sperm health? Doctor explains what the science says
The idea that carrying a phone in your pocket might affect fertility sounds like the kind of health scare that spreads faster than the science behind it. According to Dr.
Popular weight loss drugs linked to a surprising fingernail problem
Popular GLP-1 weight loss drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, have been linked to unexpectedly high rates of nail detachment, hair loss, and scalp inflammation, with some problems occurring several times more frequently among users. Researchers found that weight loss alone could not fully explain the differences, suggesting there may be more to these overlooked symptoms.
Building a science of biodiversity recovery
Nature Reviews Biodiversity - Biodiversity science has built powerful systems for detecting decline, but must now pivot towards defining, explaining and scaling recovery. The 17th Conference of the...
Tom Murphy explains his Associated Press Top 25 ballot
Oklahoma's upset of Texas in the Red River Rivalry led to a shake-up near the top of the ballot.
Kona Destroys You Like No Other Ironman. We’ve Got the Receipts to Prove It.
From muscle micro-tears and brain fog to gut distress, science explains why racing - or even watching - the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii leaves you utterly steamrolled for days.
Rob Bonta explains why he should be reelected Attorney General
As California Attorney General Rob Bonta seeks reelection, he emphasized his effort to protecting Californians’ rights, address affordability, and improve public safety during his time in office in an interview on California Politics 360.
Keri Russell explains why ‘it’s nice’ spending time apart from Matthew Rhys: ‘A gift’
Keri Russell explains why ‘it’s nice’ spending time apart from Matthew Rhys: ‘A gift’
Manchester City charges: Appeal, sanctions and timelines explained
City have been found guilty of breaching the Premier League’s financial rules and now face points deductions, huge fines and even expulsion as punishment
Political mailer sparks Vermont disclosure complaint
The attorney general is reviewing allegations that a PAC failed to disclose donors and file a required report.
Scientists discover why a 100-year-old mushroom disease won't go away
Scientists have uncovered a surprising secret behind a mushroom disease that has frustrated growers for more than a century: It involves more than 17 species of harmful bacteria, not just one. The discovery could explain why treatments have struggled to stop the disease and open the door to more effective, eco-friendly solutions.
Scientists make stunning discovery that could help explain why life exists
Scientists have discovered that the universe's fundamental physical constants may be finely balanced to make life possible. Even tiny changes to these constants could make liquids too thick or too thin for essential biological processes, potentially preventing life as we know it. Surprisingly, these life-friendly conditions existed billions of years before living cells appeared. The findings raise intriguing questions about why the laws of physics seem so well suited to life.
Former Microsoft engineer left $200K job to build AI startup solo
Junead Khan left Microsoft after two years to pursue his AI startup. He explains why he quit his six-figure job without customers or VC funding.
Scientists Identify Brain Cells That May Explain Why Cannabis Triggers Anxiety
This is important.
After Callais ruling, plaintiffs now raise questions over Louisiana's 2nd District
The winners of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that led Louisiana to eliminate one of its two majority-Black congressional districts now have their eyes on the state’s remaining seat held by a Black lawmaker.
Clover Health (CLOV) Stock Looks Reasonable Despite New 5 Star Ratings
Clover Health Investments has seen sharp swings in its share price in recent years, and the stock closed at US$4.79 most recently. With the business in the spotlight after new Medicare plan ratings, the question for investors is whether that price can be explained by its sales. The stock has delivered a very large 3 year return of about 365.0%, which puts a lot of weight on whether current revenue levels and future top line potential can support today’s valuation. Clover Health’s Medicare...
ASU without starting center Tana Alo-Tupuola
Tana Alo-Tupuola's absence throughout the week had not been explained during the week, as he was coming off playing all 75 center snaps the previous week against Baylor.
Russian Anti-Plague Laboratory Death Raises Questions On Biosafety And Global Health
A number of questions linger after the Russian anti-plague laboratory death. A doctor explains the most important questions that remain that impact public health.
Commanders GM Adam Peters explains release of rookie running back
Commanders GM Adam Peters explained the decision to waive rookie running back Kaytron Allen.
Mets’ Proposed Yankees Swap Is More Complicated Than It Looks
A Mets–Yankees trade proposal involving Giancarlo Stanton and Jorge Polanco has major hurdles. His veto rights, salary and DH fit explain why. The post Mets’ Proposed Yankees Swap Is More Complicated Than It Looks appeared first on HEAVY.
White House Announces $6 Billion Science Initiative Package
The White House says its new science package includes industry computing pledges, a virtual-biology initiative and quantum research competitions, but much of the headline total is not federal cash spending.
One Law of Citation? Scientists Find Shared Rules Behind Science, Law and Patents
A new Nature Communications study shows that scientific papers, U.S. case law, and patents share similar statistical citation dynamics, which a community-centric model with three core mechanisms can reproduce, explain delayed recognition, and better predict future impact.
New CPT codes are expanding reimbursement for AI-powered CCTA tools
New codes for these technologies have made a world of difference for clinicians. Reimbursement for the use of AI is an area where cardiology is far ahead of most other healthcare specialties.
Karl-Anthony Towns sees Knicks lessons in boxing's sweet science
Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns explains how boxing translates to basketball and why he expects a hungry Canelo Alvarez against Christian M'billi.
AI companies are betting on Tennessee politics. Here's how much
The Tennessean explains how companies like Oracle and Anthropic are spending in Tennessee's midterms this year.
Garmin Enduro 4 Everything You Need To Know: What’s Actually New?
Garmin Enduro 4 vs Fenix 9 vs Enduro 3: What's Actually The Difference? I dive into all the features side-by-side to explain.
Deep-sea expedition around the Hawaiian Islands includes 10 local scientists, students, educators
The expedition will utilize remotely operated vehicles and seafloor mapping technologies to explore never-before-seen ridges, seamounts and abyssal plains throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago.
Michigan attorney general sues state’s Blue Cross health insurer
The federal court complaint says the company conspired with other Blue Cross plans to carve up territory and reduce competition.
How the Grand Canyon could have lost 1 billion years of geologic history
The rise and fall of a continent-spanning cliff may help explain a mysterious 1-billion-year gap in Earth’s geologic history, a new study suggests.
Ali Larter explains why she feels ‘so distant’ from her “Landman” character
Angela and Ainsley need to reunite STAT!
Supermassive Black Holes
Through studying the early universe, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has brought us closer to understanding one of the most prominent theories that explain the origins of supermassive black holes, that of black hole "seeds."
WWE's Michael Cole refuses to dip his toe into political waters, bucking trend among sports broadcasters
Michael Cole explains why he never makes political statements during WWE broadcasts, calling himself an actor playing a role in scripted entertainment.
‘He wants me to lose’: Paxton complains about lack of support from Cornyn in leaked audio
Ken Paxton has publicly said he would “love to have” John Cornyn’s support after their bruising Republican primary runoff in the Texas Senate race. But privately, Paxton has grown frustrated with the outgoing senator’s distance from his campaign.
Dr. Texas Rüegg explains the science behind every sip at Rueggenbach Brewing Co.
When it comes to the craft beer scene in East Texas, Dr. Texas Rüegg has made a name for himself as co-owner of the Rueggenbach Brewing Co in Marshall. In this edition of East Texas Tonight, we learn why Dr. Rüegg went from working in education to opening his own brewery, the challenges of starting your own business, and the science behind every sip!
Hamilton County School Board approves new health clinic in Howard School
School board members explained that Erlanger had challenges staffing the school-based health clinic during their partnership that started in 2024.
East Texas Tonight: Dr. Texas Rüegg explains the science behind every sip at Rueggenbach Brewing Co.
In this edition of East Texas Tonight, we learn why Dr. Rüegg went from working in education to opening his own brewery, the challenges of starting your own business, and the science behind every sip!
Matthew Lillard explains why he ‘resented’ the “Scooby-Doo” movies ‘for a long time’
The “Scream” star is now “so grateful” for the “humbling” that the films inspired in him.
Doctor explains postpartum mental health conditions and warning signs
76ers Coach Nick Nurse Breaks Silence on Complicated Center Situation
The center position for the Philadelphia 76ers has been all anyone has talked about, as the injuries continue to mount. Nick Nurse explains his plans for the foreseeable future.
Street Fighter 6 Producer Reveals How He Helped Save Capcom’s Iconic Fighting Game Franchise From ‘Dying’
Street Fighter 6 producer Shuhei Matsumoto revealed how dire things were for Capcom’s flagship fighting game franchise during the Street Fighter V era and explained how he and director Takayuki Nakayama worked together to save the series from death.
Heart Attack Recovery Isn't Just Physical. Your Mental Health Matters, too
A heart attack or heart disease diagnosis can affect more than a person's physical health. Depression, anxiety and other emotional challenges are common following a cardiac event, making mental health an important part of the recovery process. In recognition of National Depression Screening Day, Dr. Amar Doshi discusses the connection between heart health and emotional well-being, explains why psychological distress is common after a cardiac event and shares strategies to support both mental and physical recovery.
Aidan Hutchinson Is the NFL’s Best Pass Rusher
Aidan Hutchinson owns a league-leading number that makes the Lions' 2-2 start even harder to explain. #Lions
Tim Cook Explains Why He Stepped Down as Apple CEO Before iPhone Duo Launch
The Independent's David Phelan on Wednesday interviewed Apple's executive chairman Tim Cook at Apple's U.K. headquarters in the Battersea Power Station, and one of the topics they discussed was John Ternus taking over as Apple's CEO. Ternus, who was previously Apple's hardware engineering chief, succeeded Cook as Apple's CEO on September 1. Cook said the transition "started years ago". "It's been an interesting transition," said Cook.
Why labor & business groups are teaming up to fight Chicago's data center ban | The Chicago Report
Operating Engineers Local 150 Executive Director Marc Poulos joins the Chicago Report to discuss why trade unions and business groups are uniting to block Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed one-year data center moratorium. He explains why labor believes the pause will stifle job growth and innovation and shares what his alliance is planning to thwart the proposal.
Shared family factors influence screen use and mental health problems in young people
Shared family factors, such as genes and upbringing, are likely to explain a large part of the link between high screen use and mental health problems in young people.
Missouri Jury Awards $10 Million In Marijuana Business Ownership Dispute
“We are here trying to get back the business that they stole from us.” By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent A St. Louis jury awarded $10 million Tuesday to three plaintiffs in a sprawling ownership battle over six Missouri cannabis licenses involving more than 20 businesses and individuals. Over a week of testimony, jurors heard about […]
‘Survivor 51’ star Patt Cannaday explains why she was ‘internally furious’ after blindside
‘Survivor 51’ star Patt Cannaday explains why she was ‘internally furious’ after blindside, and reveals what happened to her missing pants.
What the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger means for the future of film
Paramount now owns Warner Bros., CNN, and HBO Max. FSU students explain what that means for the movies you see and the jobs they want.
‘Minding my business’ – Candace Parker explains her reaction to Caitlin Clark talking trash to her
Candace Parker was sitting at the announcer’s desk when Caitlin Clark took a shot at her after making a clutch three-pointer. Parker had been critical of Clark’s effort on the defensive end of the court, believing that the former University of Iowa standout needed to be more energetic on that front.
CVS Health (CVS) Stock May Trade Below Fair Value On Integrated Care Push
CVS Health has delivered a 37.5% share price gain over the past three years, which puts fresh attention on a simple question. Is the current US$87.95 price tag adequately explained by the earnings power investors are paying for today? The 37.5% return over three years means anyone buying now needs to judge whether that past performance has already reflected what the business is earning. Recent developments, from extended distribution agreements with Cardinal Health and McKesson to regulatory...
Glen Powell on why he doesn’t talk about politics: ‘My calling is elsewhere’ – 101.9fm The MIX
Glen Powell is opening up about why he refrains from speaking publicly about politics.In a recent interview with Esquire, Powell explained why he doesn't make i
Glen Powell on why he doesn't talk about politics: 'My calling is elsewhere'
Glen Powell is opening up about why he refrains from speaking publicly about politics.In a recent interview with Esquire, Powell explained why he doesn't make it a point to talk about politics despite...
'Below's foreboding ending, explained
Is Josh Hartnett in for yet another sea monster fight?
The Math Singularity Is Here, and Science May Be Next
OpenAI has released an extraordinary body of mathematical work produced by an unreleased frontier model: 722 manuscripts spanning 372 research families across fields including number theory, complexity theory, and mathematical physics. Each result required, on average, the equivalent of roughly three hours of ChatGPT Pro reasoning. A New Era of Discovery We may be witnessing the beginnings of a “math singularity”: a point at which machine-generated discovery accelerates beyond humanity’s ability to independently reproduce, verify, or fully absorb it. If frontier models can generate hundreds of meaningful results in the time it takes a human researcher to investigate one, the constraint will no longer be producing new mathematics. It will be our capacity to validate, interpret, and integrate it. This does not make mathematicians obsolete. It changes their role. They may increasingly serve as guides, critics, and meaning-makers. Increasingly, they will decide which questions matter, determining which results can be trusted, and explaining why they are important. Mathematical insight may become abundant, while human judgment becomes more valuable than ever. Mathematics May Be Only the Beginning Every scientific discipline could eventually experience a similar acceleration. AI systems could generate and test hypotheses, connect findings across specialized fields, and explore possibilities at a scale no human research community could match. In medicine, imagine models identifying overlooked disease mechanisms, designing drugs and clinical trials, personalizing treatments, or discovering cures in months rather than decades. In materials science, AI could help create better batteries and cleaner industrial processes. In climate science, it could accelerate advances in energy, forecasting, and carbon removal. In biology, it could uncover relationships hidden across enormous genomic and molecular datasets. The result would not simply be faster research. It could expand the frontier of what is scientifically possible. The New Bottleneck Scientific discovery, however, is not the same as scientific progress. A medical breakthrough must still survive laboratory testing, clinical trials, regulatory scrutiny, manufacturing constraints, and real-world deployment. As machine-generated ideas multiply, the bottleneck may shift from producing breakthroughs to validating them safely and translating them into practice. We may soon have more hypotheses than laboratories can test, more drugs than clinical trials can evaluate, and more mathematical results than experts can review. That imbalance will require better systems for automated verification, reproducible research, prioritization, peer review, and collaboration between AI and domain experts. The importance of OpenAI’s work is not merely the number of manuscripts produced. It offers a glimpse of a world in which intelligence can explore thousands of intellectual paths in parallel. If ideas cease to be scarce, humanity’s defining challenge will be deciding which are true, which matter, and how to turn them into progress. The math singularity is not the end of human inquiry. It is the beginning of a new kind—one in which machines expand the frontier of knowledge and humans decide where it should lead. Subscribe Share Leave a comment
How Machines and Magnets Taught Science a New Way to Explain the World
A new historical analysis argues that cognitive science and statistical physics independently converged on a shared simulative methodology, the synthetic method, as the only viable path to understanding complex systems.
Fighting Drought in Texas Cotton Country
Drought and an ailing aquifer were major topics of conversation when NASA scientists visited with farmers in the Texas High Plains.
A Vital European Hub for Theistic Views on Science
Dr. Alistair McKitterick explains how intelligent design and natural theology provide a robust framework that challenges modern scientific materialism.
This Key Stat Also Helps Explain Denver’s Struggles
The Denver Broncos defense can't get off the field, and it's been hurting them badly.
Yankees’ Aaron Boone Explains Jazz Chisholm Jr., Anthony Volpe Decision
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone explained Wednesday's decision to start Anthony Volpe over Jazz Chisholm Jr. The post Yankees’ Aaron Boone Explains Jazz Chisholm Jr., Anthony Volpe Decision appeared first on HEAVY.
Who Won August and September: Original Films or Franchises?
(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) I just heard someone say that if you’re reading a pundit or data analyst, and they don’t tell you that they got anything wrong, they’re not a pundit but an “influencer”. I agree with that. You have to tell your audience when you get things wrong, or they won’t (or shouldn’t) trust you as much. Today, we’ve got another edition of “What I Got Right, What I Got Wrong”. In general, I’m patting myself on the back (and patting very hard) about a few things like IP at the box office, LIV golf, horror films, crowdfunding movies, superheroes, and old people going to the theaters. That said, I also made a couple of data mistakes on the streaming bubble popping and HBO’s datecdotes, so I’m not perfect. But first, I need your feedback... Subscribe Follow-Ups: What Should We Call Mid-Budget Movies Which Aren’t Cinematic Enough for Theaters But Are Too Expensive to Make Money on Streaming? After I asked for feedback on what we should call straight-to-streaming films that are too big to pencil out on streaming but not really big enough to resonate in theaters, I got some great suggestions from you all, including... “Moldilocks” from John Aboud “Little Big Indie” from Travis Frick1 “Midflicks” from Jonathan Funke. “Extra-Medium” from Jona Nwuke. (Read the explanation in the footnote.) Between these and Brandon Katz—who suggested “Bermuda Budget Triangle”, “The Platform Gap” and “The Distribution Deadzone”—we’ve got some excellent suggestions. And they’re better than my suggestion, the “Streaming Budget Dead Zone”, so let’s take a poll! The winning entry becomes the new term. Loading... RIGHT: LIV Golf is Fully Bankrupt…Is Anyone Else Next? A few years ago, I was always a bit perplexed at all the articles I’d read praising LIV Golf and their strategy to disrupt the PGA. LIV Golf, a brand new professional golf league, offered PGA stars ten times what they made on the PGA Tour to join their new league. And folks praised this strategy for its initial “success” in that a lot of big names did indeed leave the PGA. Yeah, of course the players came over. LIV Golf paid them so, so, so much more! But LIV Golf hadn’t discovered a way to increase potential revenue. So think about this in basic business terms… They paid much more in costs… …but had no real way to increase revenue. That’s not a strategy! That’s deficit financing. It won’t work unless you bankrupt the competition (and then turn around and pay those same golfers much, much less). It’s not a sustainable strategy and only lasts as long as the company/person/nation backing it decides they’re cool with losing money. For LIV Golf, that meant Middle East oil wealth, in particular Saudi Arabian money. Clearly, the current Iran War has hurt Middle East finances, so they need to trim their more exorbitant spending. And LIV Golf was part of that trimming. This should be a major warning for others. TGL’s parent company, TMRW Sports, just got a $1 billion valuation, despite TGL’s (the indoor golf league) horrible TV viewership of less than half a million viewers per match. Unrivaled, the women’s basketball league, just secured a $650 valuation, despite its horrible TV viewership and a new rival (Project B) entering the scene next year. To relate this to streaming, Hollywood should ask which streamers may have wealthy patrons funding their losses. (Let’s be clear: Google, Amazon and Apple.) Could those patrons lose their appetite? For Amazon, probably not. But Apple has a new boss, so maybe! WRONG: My Analysis of the Streaming Bubble Was Missing a Week I’m going to be congratulating myself a lot today, but I make mistakes too, like this data goof. When I last compiled the data on the decline in TV shows, I was missing one week at the end of June. If you look at the first image, you can see that one week was mislabelled as “July”. Mainly, this image got updated to show a 27% decline, not 29%: This change doesn’t really impact the overall analysis, but it is two percent better. By the way, through the third quarter, the decline increased and it’s now a 30% decrease since 2022. (I’ll write/visualize this in an upcoming article.) But I want you to trust me and my data. Especially these days, when many people are using LLMs that I know are inserting faulty data into their charts, I want to keep earning my audience’s faith. So that’s the accurate data. RIGHT: IP Remains Very, Very Popular In July, I wrote a giant (and I mean giant) article on Backrooms, Obsession, and the box office, going over what we know, what we don’t know about what works in theaters, looking at YouTubers, IP, the horror genre, comic book movies, and a whole lot more. The month of August really tested a lot of my theses and, being honest, mostly supported my arguments. Let’s start with IP. Looking at 8-Aug (the weekend after Spider-Man: Brand New Day came out) to 18-Sep (the weekend that Resident Evil came out, which I think provides a nice bookend to this time period), there were seven films based on pre-existing IP: Resident Evil (2026) ($126 million) Practical Magic 2 ($65 million) _Insidious: Out of the Furthe_r ($65 million) Coyote Vs. Acme ($59 million) Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie ($53 million) Tony ($15 million) Super Troopers 3 ($7 million) Compare those to the notable original films from the past month—I actually could have included more movies, but here are just thirteen, bringing us to an even twenty films—including.... The End of Oak Street ($54 million) Buddy ($26 million) Mutiny ($15 million) By Any Means ($15 million) The Dog Stars ($14 million) Runner ($14 million) One Night Only ($11 million) Hope ($8 million) Spa Weekend ($7 million) The Uprising ($6 million) Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma ($6 million) Onslaught ($3 million) Eli Roth’s Ice Cream Man ($2.8 million) Here’s that in chart form: Five of the top six films in this time period were all based on IP. I made a big chart of films that grossed over $200 million at the box office before Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey hit theaters. Let’s update that chart! By the way, if you want to see how I categorized each film—so another bar chart—here it is: I know that many of my fellow critics/pundits/analysts dislike films based on IP and how Hollywood is making so many of them. And I’m sympathetic to this point of view. As I’ve written many, many times before, you need a balance between existing franchises, new IP, and original films. And Hollywood clearly needs to make more films like Resident Evil (a well-made film from a visionary director) and fewer Practical Magic 2’s (which didn’t get critical or customer buzz). But at some point, critics and pundits need to contend with what audiences are telling them: Movie-goers aren’t showing up to original films. Audiences are speaking with their dollars, telling you they want more IP and franchises. You can try to convince studio heads to make fewer IP-based films and franchises, but the data and numbers aren’t there. Instead, critics need to work harder to convince audiences to show up for original films. Aim your ire/concern at the average person, not studio heads.2 Because they’re just making the films that audiences are telling them to make. WRONG: Original Horror Films Didn’t Break Out I’ll be honest, even though I wrote an article casting some skepticism on the horror genre in July, if you asked me to make a prediction, I would have predicted that, in August, a new, original horror film would have blown up. No, seriously, I just assumed that Obsession and Backrooms presaged a change in audience behavior. But none of the buzzy new original horror films from August—Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, Onslaught (not an action film in spite of the ads), The End of Oak Street, Eli Roth’s Ice Cream Man, or _Buddy—_broke out. To be clear, exactly one of those films (Buddy) had good “ROI”, but again—I try to be specific in my language—none were “popular” in any broad sense of the word. None of them will be “saving” movies theaters like Backrooms or _Obsession_helped save the summer. The new Insidious film and Resident Evil, both based on IP, were far and away the biggest horror films since July. (We’ll see if this changes in October/Halloween season.) RIGHT: Stay Skeptical about Crowdfunding... I’ve long been skeptical about crowd-investing platforms as one of Hollywood’s saviors, mainly because there’s so much hype/buzz. People need to stay more skeptical about more things, explaining both the potential upside but also the downsides. In particular, the media often hypes crowdfunding at the start and never checks in on the actual results after they’ve come in later. And August gave us our first update! _Ice Cream Man—_directed by Eli Roth—grossed $6 million off of a $5.5 million budget. This is a production of The Horror Section, which was one of the first “crowd investing” studios with 2,400 investors, which means that 2,400 investors probably lost money. They certainly aren’t getting as great of returns as if they had just invested their dollars in the stock market. Hopefully Stiletto (Tagline: “Someone’s Going to Make it Rain Blood!”) does better next month. WRONG: Another Data Goof Here’s another data error. When the first episode of House of the Dragon came out, HBO put out that it had 21.5 million viewers in the first three days, and I read that to mean in the US…but no, it was global. So my US-only datecdotes charts shouldn’t have included it. We never got US-only numbers for the first episode, but for the final episode, HBO put out that it had 11 million US viewers. (And that global dropped to 21 million viewers.) Here’s the updated chart (which I’ve since used in the Streaming Ratings Report): Still, this show is absolutely huge. RIGHT: Superhero Films Remain Very, Very Popular After Supergirl flopped, I read a few takes that “comic book movies are going the way of the Western”. Post-Spider-Man: Brand New Day, that take didn’t age well. To be fair, I have a very nuanced take on the superhero genre right now; it’s down right now, for a lot of reasons. But it’s not “dead”. Maybe _Spider-_Man is just a really popular character? I saw that take, and it’s a fair counter-argument. (But pundits arguing that superhero movies were dead should have mentioned this $1.5 billion counter-argument…) But is it just Spider-Man? The next Avengers film already has $50 million in pre-sales (and I was skeptical that that film would do well) and the Avengers: End Game re-release topped the box office two weekends ago (over three original films). And I wouldn’t bet against Batman or Superman. So maybe it’s just Spider-Man, Batman, Superman and the Avengers. Oh, and Deadpool, of course. And Black Panther. And Wolverine. And probably the X-Men. Plus a well-made Wonder Woman or the Hulk film could break out. But that’s it! It’s just those ten characters/teams. Oh, what’s that? Lanterns is also doing well on HBO? (See previous section…) To be fair, I’m actually pretty sympathetic to the argument that more popular characters—like Spider-Man and Batman—anchor more popular films. In fact, I made that exact argument three years ago when I first wrote about the “Marvel-cession”. In many ways, you can blame The Guardians of the Galaxy for fooling Marvel Studios (and the rest of us) into believing that any character could pop. It turns out, the list of iconic characters is probably smaller than most people think. But it’s probably too early to say that superhero films and comic book movies are dead unless “death” means a slight decline over a longtime. RIGHT: Who Killed Theaters? Old People I get frustrated whenever I see headlines or analysis about how young people are “returning” to theaters. As I’ve detailed(for years), young people have always powered the US box office, despite narratives about “kids these days” and their “phones”. Really, what’s changed post-2020/pandemic is that old people aren’t going to the movies nearly as much. This summer, I saw a movie (from an older director) in a theater near a retirement community, and multiple older people at the theater were talking about how this was their first time seeing a movie in years. I dislike personal anecdotes, so YouGov can fill in the data, best summarized by this headline: “Who killed movie theaters? Not the youths”. According to them, 64% of people aged 18-29 have seen a movie in the last year, but only 30% of 65-and-older. 20% of 18-29 have seen a movie in theaters in the last week and 42% in the last month. Here’s the polling data: Most concerning? Many Americans (17%) think theaters are a worse or much worse experience than watching films at home. Slight WRONG: Hadestown Opens Big A live theater capture of the Broadway musical, Hadestown, made $20 million at the US box office, which begs the question: was I wrong to be skeptical about musicals a few years ago? Yes and no. On the one hand, $20 million is a far cry from being “popular”, so yeah, the genre isn’t that popular overall and Hadestown is one of the more popular musicals from recent years (i.e. the “Taylor Swift Data Fallacy” in action). On the other, I doubt filming this cost all that much, and I don’t think that they spent much on marketing, so this is a good source of ancillary revenue. Smaller Updates WRONG: As I mentioned in a Streaming Ratings Report, I underestimated the budget for Enola Holmes 3. It probably cost more like $50 million, if not more. But... I’m not sure that it really matters? At sub-10 million hours, prices have to come down to make this work. WRONG: Netflix is giving Ink a 27-day in theaters! To quote the kids/YouTubers these days, let’s go! Now I might actually have a chance to see Danny Boyle’s latest in theaters. I’d complained about this in a “Coming Soon” section, but I was heartened to read that Netflix is giving multiple films longer theatrical windows this year. RIGHT: Netflix is sending 4-5 films per year to theaters. Netflix is slowly but surely sending more and more films to theaters, as I cautiously predicted earlier this year. For now, it’s just three big films and a number of awards contenders, but still, this is great news. And they’ll be releasing box office grosses! Just this week, Ted Sarandos confirmed that KPop Demon Hunters 2 will come to theaters (and my guess is it performs in the box office top ten at a minimum). WRONG: Angel has 3 million subscribers! How do I know this? Well, they told Deadline, who reported it. I marked this as “wrong”, since they’ve doubled their subscribers in one year but, you know, they don’t really have a hit film to speak of and they’re still losing money. WRONG: Furious was only renewed for one more season. I accidentally wrote “two more seasons” in my latest “Renewals, Cancellations, Un-Orders and Removals Update”. RIGHT: House of David is ending with its third season. In July, Prime Video renewed House of David for a third season, as I just wrote in my latest “Renewals and Cancellations” report. Well, now it’s ending after that third season. Why? As I’ve been writing, its viewership wasn’t great. I got feedback that this show didn’t cost very much, but it cost enough that its limited viewership didn’t save it. WRONG: Adults was a Hulu original! So I missed Adults when it first came out last year; I saw that it aired on FX and just assumed that it was a linear-first program. Turns out, it aired three episodes on FX, but binge-released the rest of its episodes the next day on Hulu. Huh. So I should have covered it last year! But I just wrote about it. 1 “When I was a kid in the 90s, if you wore a t-shirt to school that wasn’t too big and also wasn’t too small, but somehow didn’t quite fit, we’d say you were wearing an “extra-medium” shirt.” 2 As always, a huge exception is Disney, which barely makes anything original anymore.
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