The opening scene of "Spectre," the latest James Bond film, centers on a Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) parade shot on location in Mexico City.

The details behind it make it even more impressive. The shoot, which took six months to plan, used 1,500 extras. Crowd scenes today are usually done with CGI, using only a handful of actors.

Each extra got a specially designed costume. It took just 75 minutes to do all their makeup. That's 20 skeleton faces a minute.

"I wanted the audience to be dropped right into the middle of a very, very specific, very heady rich environment." director Sam Mendes said.

"Spectre" was shot in locations all over the world. It will be out in theaters November 6.

Story by Ian Phillips and editing by Carl Mueller.

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It can be hard for authors to get their books turned into movies, and even harder to get control of those movies once they're being made.

For every Mario Puzo who's let in Hollywood's door (author of “The Godfather” who also penned the screenplay for all three films), there’s a Stephen King who isn’t (he's publicly bashed most of the adaptations of his work).

And though the J.K. Rowlings, Stephenie Meyers, and E.L. James' of the world have had a lot of power in shaping their pages to screen in the last few decades, recently the movie world has opened the door even wider for input from authors in the adaptation process.

Author Stephen Chbosky adapted his own novel "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" (he also directed the film), Gillian Flynn wrote the book “Gone Girl” and the screenplay (which earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Screenplay), and now there’s Emma Donoghue.

The Irish-Canadian has written eight novels, but the adaptation of her 2010 New York Times Best-Selling book "Room" is the one that has now given her cross-over appeal as it has become one of the most buzzed about films this awards season.

But what sets Donoghue apart from many other author/screenwriters is that Donoghue wrote the screenplay for “Room” before the book was even published.

“I didn’t want to have some company come along and say ‘Let us take it off your hands and have some experienced writer take it,’” Donoghue told Business Insider. “I decided that, privately, I’d do a draft of it myself before anyone could tell me what to do.”

Donoghue had experienced the more traditional path with her previous books — a production company hired on a screenwriter to adapt her stories.

But those movies never got off the ground.

The author had such a good feeling about "Room"’s cinematic prospect, she wanted to be ahead of the game this time.

“And I wanted to be honest,” said Donoghue. “If I found the right filmmaker I wanted to be able to say, ‘Look, I’m not trying to force you to hire me, here’s my script, can we work together?’”

But Donoghue also admitted that if her book were to be made into a movie she wanted to try her best to keep it as true to what she created.

"Room" is an emotional tale filled with as much tension as warmth. It follows a 5-year-old boy and his mother as they are held captive in a small shed. But a big stand-out about the book is it’s told in the voice of the 5-year-old, Jack. The only glimpse we get of his mother, which he calls Ma, is from Jack’s point-of-view.

Certainly not an easy task to adapt into a movie for the author of the book, let alone a screenwriter.

But Donoghue said she wasn’t afraid to rework the story so it was more cinematic. She took out a lot of the social commentary that’s in the second half of the book, as well as an incident where Ma had a stillbirth before Jack was born.

“You always have to streamline,” she said about writing a screenplay. “I’m not left with any regrets.”

While taking meetings with numerous filmmakers who wanted to make the film, which included established names, she was given a ten-page hand-written letter from a fellow Irishman, independent filmmaker Lenny Abrahamson.

“I had a big emotional reaction to the novel, being a parent with a young boy at that point,” Abrahamson told Business Insider. “I had very strong images of how this novel should be adapted and what not to do and what to do. So the letter to Emma was, ‘I know it, I know how your novel works. I promise I won’t f--k it up.'"

Donoghue instantly felt that Abrahamson got the book and got what she was doing.

“He immediately got my references to Plato in the book,” she explained. “He understood this was both a realistic story about people being kidnapped and a metaphor for the moment when you move from childhood into adulthood. And he didn’t call it The Room.”

Once Abrahamson realized that Donoghue had a script he embraced her involvement. In fact, he pushed her to keep things in the script from the book that she was reluctant to include.

“One thing I changed immediately for my first draft of the script was Jack’s long hair,” said Donoghue, who felt that looking at a boy’s hair that goes down below his shoulders in a movie would have looked bizarre.

“But Lenny said, ‘No, go back to the long hair.’ He was just unafraid of the unconventional aspects of the screenplay.”

Donoghue and Abrahamson worked on the script together for months. Flying back and forth to each other's home, with almost no interference from the film's backers. They fleshed out Ma so the character in the film would be a stronger presence than in the book while still keeping Jack as the foundation for the story.

The finished product is an emotional, tear-jerking ride that is excels with Abrahamson's direction and Oscar-worthy performances by actress Brie Larson as Ma and newcomer Jacob Tremblay as Jack.

The film won the Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Winners of the prize often go on to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination.

For Donoghue, seeing the film was a thrill, especially watching Larson as Ma.

"Ma was a very real character in my mind but for the book I had this frustrating fact that she was just through Jack," she said. "So seeing her on screen was beautiful. She's strong, and motherly."

Donoghue knows that the experience she had with Abrahamson making "Room" is extremely rare. And though she wants to continue writing screenplays, so knows she'll likely never have that kind of bond and understanding with a director again (although they both say they want to work with each other moving forward).

"The whole thing was made protectively," she said. "It's like the little room."

“Room” opens in limited release on Friday.

SEE ALSO: The less you know before seeing "Room," the better

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Disney and Lucasfilm surprised "Star Wars" fans Friday with a new Japanese trailer for "The Force Awakens."

The trailer appeared on Disney Japan's YouTube page and contains a lot of new footage and dialogue.

Did you notice everything? First, check out the trailer here if you haven't seen it.

All right, let's get right to it!

Warning: There are potential spoilers ahead.

SEE ALSO: 10 stunning 'Star Wars' fan theories about what'll happen in 'The Force Awakens'

The trailer opens with someone, who is probably Rey (Daisy Ridley) or another scavenger, about to enter an old starship.

If you've been watching all of the trailers, the scene looks like it comes right before this one, where we see someone who appears to be Rey in her scavenger gear.

Here we see Rey and BB-8's first meeting. Rey asks the droid where it comes from.

James Bond film producer Michael G. Wilson says he expects Daniel Craig will return for a fifth outing as the iconic 007.

"I think we've got Daniel Craig," Wilson tells The Hollywood Reporter in an interview, waving aside the actor's recent protestations that he was through with the role. Wilson makes a comparison to director Sam Mendes, who said he was done with Bond after 2012's "Skyfall," only to return for "Spectre.""[Mendes] said they were never going to make the picture again, and he told the press that."

Asked if Craig was legally bound to do another Bond film, however, Wilson acknowledges: "We don't have a contract."

As "Spectre," the latest in the Bond franchise, opens in U.S. theaters (it already has set box office records in the U.K.), Wilson says he thinks there will soon be a resolution to the question of which studio distributes the Bond films. With Sony's deal up, MGM (which produces the series but does not release it) has been talking to three studios in all, he says, without naming them. (Warner Bros. and Paramount have been rumored to be interested in taking over Bond if the price is right, though MGM is expected to drive a hard bargain.) 

"It's not primarily our decision," he notes, referencing MGM. "We will consult with them, and they'll make sure we're happy, but they have to [decide]. It's their responsibility because it's for all their whole slate [of films]. It isn't just for us. And so they will do it, and then they'll talk to us about it. But of the three people they're considering, all of them are more than suitable with us. They’re all fine."

Wilson says he has met with executives from the prospective studios. Asked how one would be chosen, he continues: "It's almost impossible for us to evaluate it except on the basis of their past successes or failures. That's the only thing you can use. You know, until you work with people, you can't evaluate their marketing executives or their publicity people...  And we pretty much run the marketing anyway, ourselves. So they execute it. We create it and they execute it."

In terms of timeframe, he says a decision will be made "probably in January or February."

Wilson, who has produced all the recent Bond films with his sister Barbara Broccoli, spoke to THR at Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film & TV, where he took part in the ongoing Hollywood Masters interview series.

He praises Broccoli for believing Craig was the right man to play Ian Fleming’s secret agent from the very beginning, even when others expressed doubts.

"I thought he was good, but she knew he was the right one," he says. "[Craig] was very reluctant. He didn't want to do it. And we kept asking him to come in, talking to him, and finally he says, 'Well, if I do it, I'll do it 100 percent. I'll totally do it.' So then, when we hired him, he went into a six-month physical thing that really transformed his body. I've never seen anything like it. He must have added, I don’t know, 10 inches to his thighs and the whole chest. He actually transformed himself. And he kept at it. And he eats this scientifically controlled diet all the time, and he goes to bed at nine o'clock at night when he's making the movies. He's like a monk."

"Spectre" opens in theaters on Friday.

SEE ALSO: All 24 James Bond theme songs, ranked from worst to best

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NOW WATCH: How they shot the epic opening scene in the new Bond movie 'Spectre'

Tetris, the classic video game, could be coming to a much bigger screen than your computer or iPhone in the near future. 

Earlier this week, Chinese billionaire Bruno Wu announced he's working on several new projects, including a Tetris-inspired flick, Deadline reports. It's just one of 440 movies Wu is reportedly working on, including a new "Zorro" and a "Titanic" reboot. 

In case you're not familiar with him, Wu is the founder and CEO of Sun Seven Stars Entertainment and Media, a major media group in China which includes more than 60 film production companies. In 2012, the New York Times called him the "Chinese version of Rupert Murdoch," and Wu has partnered with major names in the movie industry like Marvel Studios founder Avi Arad. 

Also this week, Wu announced a new fund with Yucheng Group’s Muse Era worth $1.6 billion to "support film and TV makers,"Deadline also reports. 

While those billions certainly sound like enough to back a Tetris movie, it's worth noting that video game-inspired movies, with a few notable exceptions, often flop at the box office. Though we're still holding out hope for the "Angry Birds" movie, which hits theaters in 2016. 

This isn't the first Tetris-inspired film we've been promised. In 2014, Threshold Entertainment announced it would bring the classic game to the screen in a live-action movie. 

“It’s a very big, epic sci-fi movie,” Threshold’s CEO Larry Kasanoff said in 2014. “This isn’t a movie with a bunch of lines running around the page. We’re not giving feet to the geometric shapes.”

We haven't heard anything else about that movie, so Wu might be our only hope to see Tetris on the silver screen. 

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In a veiled threat, the largest police union in the country says it has a "surprise" in store for Quentin Tarantino.

Jim Pasco, executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police, would not go into any detail about what is being cooked up for the Hollywood director, but he did tell THR: "We'll be opportunistic."

"Tarantino has made a good living out of violence and surprise," says Pasco. "Our offices make a living trying to stop violence, but surprise is not out of the question."

The FOP, based in Washington, D.C., consists of more than 330,000 full-time, sworn officers. According to Pasco, the surprise in question is already "in the works," and will be in addition to the standing boycott of Tarantino's films, including his upcoming movie "The Hateful Eight."

"Something is in the works, but the element of surprise is the most important element," says Pasco. "Something could happen anytime between now and [the premiere]. And a lot of it is going to be driven by Tarantino, who is nothing if not predictable.

"The right time and place will come up and we'll try to hurt him in the only way that seems to matter to him, and that's economically," says Pasco. 

When asked if this was a threat, Pasco said no, at least not a physical threat. "Police officers protect people," he says. "They don't go out to hurt people."

The director of the upcoming "Hateful Eight" has drawn the ire of unions from the largest police departments in the country, border patrol and other law enforcement organizations. 

Last month while marching in New York for a rally against police brutality, Tarantino called police "murderers." He has since gone public to clarify his remarks, saying that he is not anti-police, but against unarmed men and women being killed by them. 

At this point, most box-office analysts don't think "Hateful Eight" will be hurt at the box office by the dust-up.

"Tarantino is no stranger to controversy. At the end of the day, this publicity only has people talking about the film more. I don't think it will negatively impact the box office," says Phil Contrino of BoxOffice.com. Adds Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations, "I think audiences can separate the auteur from the activist since most people who buy a ticket to a Quentin Tarantino film show up to hear what his characters say, not the filmmaker. "I mean 'Star Wars' is about to take over the known media universe. This is just white noise."

Rentrak's Paul Dergarabedian has a different opinion. "Quite simply, there’s no way to know whether it will affect box office. Even after it opens, you can’t quantify whether or not a boycott ultimately had an impact. But it has to cause a headache. It’s not the kind of thing you want surrounding your movie, especially in the crowded Christmas frame when it will be going up against movies like 'Joy'. And this situation is gaining traction. The idea that there’s no such thing as bad press isn’t necessarily true here."

TWC didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the FOP.

SEE ALSO: Quentin Tarantino refuses to apologize for police 'murderers' comment, says he's been 'demonized'

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One of the longest-running franchises, James Bond movies have been entertaining us since Sean Connery uttered the line "Bond ... James Bond" in 1962's "Dr. No."

As the franchise has made over $4 billion worldwide to date, and with the 24th movie, "Spectre," coming out November 6, there are still no signs that the world's coolest spy will be slowing down — even if Daniel Craig is getting tired of playing him.

But what has made the franchise so unstoppable for so long?

Let's dive in to the numbers and see which of the movies did the best in theaters and which did the worst. The results may surprise you.

Note about figures: Below domestic box-office totals are based on 2015 adjusted gross. (Source: Box Office Mojo)

SEE ALSO: The stylish actors of the James Bond movies ranked

1. BEST "Thunderball" (1965) — $624 million (actual $63.5 million)

Sean Connery's fourth time playing 007 turned out to be his most successful commercially. The film, in which Bond must recover two nuclear warheads from SPECTRE member Emilio Largo, exceeded the previous movies and, with adjusted numbers, is the highest-grossing Bond outing to date.

2. BEST "Goldfinger" (1964) — $553 million (actual $51 million)

In the third film in the franchise, Connery hit his stride playing Bond as he goes against villain Goldfinger, who attempts to rob Fort Knox. The spy gadgets and Bond's ride, the Aston Martin, became fan favorites.

3. BEST "Skyfall" (2012) — $315 million (actual $304 million)

Daniel Craig's third time as Bond became a modern-day classic in the franchise. With Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes at the helm and Javier Bardem playing the villain, the movie became not only the highest-grossing Bond movie — before adjusting for inflation — but also the highest-grossing movie ever in the UK.

“Inside Out” quickly became Pixar’s latest hit, getting universal acclaim from critics and becoming one of the highest-grossing animated movies of the year (“Minions” has just edged out the movie for top grosser worldwide).

A big reason for its success is the clever story in which we watch the personified emotions of young Riley (Joy, Fear, Sadness, Anger, Disgust) trying to cope with her move to San Francisco.

But many also left the theater with a new "core memory": Bing Bong, the lovable imaginary friend of Riley’s that’s part elephant, part cat, and part cotton candy.

Bing Bong was voiced by veteran character actor Richard Kind. This is the fifth time he’s lent his voice to a Pixar film, and this time he felt that Bing Bong was going to be special, even if no one else did.

“We were doing early screenings and Bing Bong didn’t get as many laughs as I thought the character deserved,” Kind recently told Business Insider. “I think the wit came out and not the ha-ha funny. I worried about that.”

But Pixar quickly caught on to Bing Bong's appeal. The company decided to keep the character under wraps during promotion of the film's release, as not to overexpose the potentially popular character.

Kind said he understood the decision, which led to him not doing any press around the release, but there was one thing that upset him.

“I did not go to the Cannes Film Festival,” said Kind, who was left out when the rest of the cast traveled to the South of France for the film's screening there in May. “I got to tell you it’s a heartbreaker. How often am I going to be in a movie that goes to Cannes? And I would go on someone else’s dime!”

The upside is that the reaction to the character since “Inside Out” opened is beyond what Kind could've imagined. He says that when people at a party or on the street realize he's the voice of Bing Bong, all they talk about is how emotional they got during the character's final scene, when Bing Bong helps Joy get out of the memory dump by staying behind.

Kind admits he got choked up doing the scene.

“I knew what that moment was, and all I wanted to do was be perfect,” said Kind, who recorded the character in eight sessions over two years. “I wanted to do it over and over. I think subliminally you can see the tears that I had. Because I was crying when I was doing it. I remember standing very close to the monitor and wanting to reach out to Joy when Bing Bong says, ‘Give me your hand, I got a good feeling about this.’”

“I wanted it to feel like I knew something good and wonderful is going to happen. It just made me sob. But I wanted to feel perfect when I did the line. I wanted to feel what the audience was going to feel.”

“Inside Out” comes out on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday.

SEE ALSO: Pixar's imaginative "Inside Out" was so powerful that it changed the way I understand my own emotions

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The 24th James Bond movie, "Spectre," didn't hit the astounding opening day number that its predecessor "Skyfall" did in 2012, but it still had an impressive opening weekend.

With an estimated $73 million, "Spectre" now has the second best opening of all time for a Bond movie. "Skyfall" still tops them all with an opening weekend of $88.3 million.

Though some in the industry thought "Spectre" could have an $80 million opening, as it got the widest release of any Bond film ever with 3,972 theaters, the film still has one of the biggest opening weekend figures to date this year.

One reason why "Spectre" didn't get to that $80 million figure is because of its competition.

"The Peanuts Movie" had a better-than-expected opening weekend with an estimated $45 million, as Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and the rest of the gang in their first feature-length film certainly had the attention of their core family audience (we will certainly see more "Peanuts" movies).  

There were also numerous award-season hopefuls hitting the theaters this weekend, too. "Brooklyn,""Spotlight," and "Trumbo" all had strong first-weekend earnings with "Spotlight" having the best with an estimated $300,000-plus in five theaters ($60,000 per-screen). 

The ensemble drama that looks at Boston Globe investigative writers who expose the Catholic Church child molestation scandal stars Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, and John Slattery.

SEE ALSO: "Spectre" destroyed a crazy number of James Bond cars

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There are less than two months until the release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," and still little is known about the characters' origins or any major plot points (thanks no doubt to Disney's anti-spoiler strategy).

With every new set photo or teaser, rumors begin to circulate around the internet, some with a basis of truth and others merely speculation. But nothing will stop fans of the series from spreading their ideas and trying to guess the film's secrets.

The seventh installment in the "Star Wars" franchise takes place 30 years after the events of "Return of the Jedi" and features original cast members reprising their roles, including Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford, as well as new characters portrayed by Oscar Isaac, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Adam Driver.   

None of these theories will be confirmed until the film's December 18 release, but here are 10 fan predictions making their way around the web:

(Warning: potential spoilers in case any of these turn out to be true.)

SEE ALSO: This scene from 'The Empire Strikes Back' led to a huge mystery that 'Star Wars' fans haven't been able to solve for 35 years

Rey is the daughter of Han Solo and Princess Leia

Proponents of this theory reference the Extended Universe book series in which Han and Leia get married and have twins, a boy and a girl. Following Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm, it was decided that the film sequels would be original stories, but this still hasn't deterred fans from speculating on this rumor.

Director J.J. Abrams also told Entertainment Weekly that the exclusion of last names for both Finn (John Boyega) and Rey (Daisy Ridley) was intentional, which further fuels the fan fire. 

During the Star Wars Celebration in April, Ridley revealed that her character is a scavenger currently living on a desert planet named Jakku, but that was about all she could say.

Kylo Ren and Rey are siblings

Following stories established in the Extended Universe, some fans believe that if Rey is Han and Leia's daughter, then Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is her brother, possibly her twin. In the same series, the son does turn to the dark side, while the daughter stays on the light side of the Force.

Abrams also revealed that Kylo Ren isn't the villain's real name. Since we don't know anything about his lineage, there are a number of possibilities.

Darth Vader returns

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Abrams revealed that Kylo Ren is obsessed with Darth Vader, even basing his mask design on that of Vader. "[Ren] is well aware of what’s come before," the director said, "and that’s very much a part of the story of the film.”

This obsession has led some fans to speculate that Kylo Ren is working on a way to bring Darth Vader back, possibly through cloning.  Clones are a familiar part of the "Star Wars" universe, so it's a plausible idea, but chances are he's more just inspired by the villain since he does say, "I will finish what you started," in the full trailer.

The songs played over the opening credits of James Bond movies over the last five-plus decades have been done by some of the most recognizable musicians on the planet.

In some cases, these tracks have been so popular that they extend past the movie and end up as chart-topping hits that win Grammys and Oscars.

But they can't all be hits. And like the more forgettable Bond flicks, there are title songs from the movies that you never want to listen to again.

Here we've ranked all the theme songs from the Bond canon from worst to best. (Sorry, Sam Smith.)

SEE ALSO: 10 facts about James Bond's favorite co-star, booze

24. "Spectre" - Sam Smith ("Writing's On The Wall")

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23. "Tomorrow Never Dies" - Sheryl Crow

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22. "Thunderball" - Tom Jones

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Director J.J. Abrams revealed some insights into his process making "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in an exclusive interview with Wired published today. 

Every aspect of "The Force Awakens" has been meticulously planned and crafted to fit an already established history and a plan for future sequels. Having the already familiar backstory helped determine the plot in an "organic" way, Abrams said.

"We didn’t have to come up with a backstory that would make sense; it’s all there," he said. "But these new characters, which 'Force' is very much about, find themselves in new situations — so even if you don’t know anything about 'Star Wars,' you’re right there with them. If you are a fan of 'Star Wars,' what they experience will have added meaning." 

But with Abrams not coming back to direct the forthcoming "Episode VIII" (the entry after "Force Awakens"), transparency with director Rian Johnson and producer Ram Bergman was important. Abrams also revealed that the script for "VII" is written. 

"I showed Rian an early cut of the movie, because I knew he was doing his rewrite and prepping," he said. "Withholding serves no one and certainly not the fans... That will be his movie; he’s going to do it in the way he sees fit. He’s neither asking for nor does he need me to oversee the process."

When collaborating on the story for "The Force Awakens," Abrams said he and Lawrence Kasdan, who also co-wrote "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi," focused on the film both as filmmakers and as fans of the series.

"That was really the only requirement Larry and I imposed on each other: The movie needed to be delightful," he said. "It was not about explaining everything away, not about introducing a certain number of toys for a corporation, not about trying to appease anyone. This has only ever been about what gets us excited." 

As for casting, Abrams said it was important to find actors capable of carrying the story through for "at least three" films. 

"That, to me, was the biggest challenge. When we met Daisy Ridley, when we found John Boyega, and then Oscar Isaac and Adam Driver came aboard, we got really excited. And yes, Daisy and John could work together, but what happens when Harrison’s in the mix? What will that feel like? If it doesn’t spark, it’s a fucking disaster. Yes, BB-8 is a great character, amazingly puppeteered, but what will happen when he’s suddenly in a scene with C-3P0 or R2-D2? Will it feel bizarre? Will it feel wrong? Somehow it didn’t...We worked really hard to cast and to write and to put it all together, but you just don’t know until you start shooting. Then all of a sudden, you’re on-set watching it and you know."

Abrams also credited Disney for allowing him to keep secrets about the film held close, which has spawned numerous fan theories. But the director also understands the importance of teasing material and actually pushed for the short teaser that was released last year.

SEE ALSO: The Japanese 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' trailer is out and packed with awesome new footage

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NOW WATCH: Here's why the new 'Star Wars' movie might stink

Quentin Tarantino is being criticized by police across the country, and now Michael Moore is wondering why more people in Hollywood aren't sticking up for him.

Tarantino has refused to apologize for comments he made at a rally against police brutality, saying, "I have to call a murder a murder and I have to call the murderers the murderers."

Police across the country are boycotting the director's latest film, "The Hateful Eight," and one police union said it has a "surprise" coming for him. Tarantino went on Bill Maher's show Friday night to clarify that he doesn't think all cops are murderers, but he thinks the "blue wall" that protects police needs to come down.

He has a sympathizer in "Bowling for Columbine" and "Fahrenheit 9/11" director Michael Moore. Moore recently posted his support for Tarantino on Instagram. "Stay strong Quentin. They're just frightened and in shock that a well-known and respected white guy would dare to speak out," he wrote.

Quentin Tarantino, a brave and good American, standing with families who've lost loved ones to police violence. Now certain police, the same ones who defend the cops who've killed unarmed innocent black citizens, are out to get Tarantino. They've called for a boycott of his movies. Really? I think just the opposite. I think millions of us not only stand with Tarantino, we're going to make sure we go see his next movie! Who's with me? Stay strong Quentin. They're just frightened and in shock that a well-known and respected white guy would dare to speak out.

A photo posted by Michael Moore (@michaelfmoore) on Nov 5, 2015 at 10:32am PST

Moore spoke at more length to the Hollywood Reporter, and openly wondered why Tarantino isn't getting more backing from his peers.

"Has any white person in this town, in the industry, stood up for Quentin Tarantino?" Moore asked. "The white guy stuck his neck out there, and they're trying to chop it off."

In fact, last week actor Viggo Mortensen defended Tarantino on MSNBC, though the industry has remained largely silent in the fight between the director and police unions.

"The Hateful Eight" is out Christmas Day, when we'll finally know how this police boycott will affect Tarantino's film.

SEE ALSO: Quentin Tarantino responds to police protests on Bill Maher, says the 'blue wall' needs to come down

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While we all know Hollywood to be the official home of the film industry, some of the most memorable movies actually take place in New York City.

And while some of these films are produced in Hollywood — on movie sets imitating New York apartment stoops — only one outdoor studio backlot is currently operating in the five boroughs, helping bring to life New York City-centric stories as well as countless others. 

The Kaufman Astoria Studios are located in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, about a 20-minute subway ride from Times Square, and they're one of the biggest and most complex production centers along the East Coast.

Screen actors that have graced the sets of Kaufman include Al Pacino, Harrison Ford, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Meryl Streep, but those are only a handful of the dozens of award-winning actors who have done work at the studios. 

Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas," Woody Allen's "Radio Days," and Francis Ford Coppola's "The Cotton Club" were all shot at Kaufman. More recently, the studio has been home to blockbusters like "Birdman,""Men In Black 3,""The Bourne Ultimatum,""The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," and "Spider-Man 3."

TV shows have also used the facilities. "Sesame Street" has filmed there since 1992, and "Law and Order" used the premises about a decade ago. The popular Netflix series "Orange Is the New Black" is one of the new star shows using the studios.

Constructed in 1920, the studio was the original home of Paramount Pictures, well before it was even called Paramount. The company originally went by the name Famous Players-Lasky, until the lasting name change was made in 1927. Kaufman Studios was opened by Paramount's founder, Adolph Zukor. 

At the time, the movie business was still focused on making silent films. Hundreds of them were made at the studios until 1929, when newly advanced technology allowed sound to enter the equation. The studio would continue to make films with sound — or "talkies"— until 1941, when Zukor moved Paramount out to Hollywood, along with the majority of the film industry.

It wasn't long until the United States Army moved in to the studio. The Signal Corps division moved in in 1942 and began producing films for various needs, including training and medical films as well as TV broadcasts. They gave Kaufman Studios a new name, the Signal Corps Photographic Center, and used the facilities throughout the Korean War and anti-communist years.

Eventually, their production came to a stop. In 1970, the army turned the property over to the federal government. In 1972, the government offered the grounds to the City University of New York, to build a campus for LaGuardia Community College. Unfortunately, or perhaps for the best, there was not enough money from the city to bring the school to life.

In 1976, the studios were granted official National Historic Landmark status. A year later, a lease for the property was granted from the government, and the studio re-opened. It was renamed the "Astoria Motion Picture and Television Center Foundation." Production picked back up, and the filming of movies such as "The Wiz" and "Arthur" began.

In 1982, the city was given back ownership of the land. George Kaufman, a real estate developer, got the opportunity to bring the studio back to its glory days. They wanted him to bring life back into the walls of the studio, and that's exactly what he did.

Through expansion and renovation, the studio was able to get back on its feet. A consistent flow of commercial films has been shot there ever since. 

The studio's backlot didn't always exist, however. While Kaufman had wanted one built since the 1980s, it was actually added just two years ago, in the summer of 2013, after gaining approval from both the community and the city. The tall steel gate, reminiscent of a style often found in Hollywood, cuts off a one-block section of 36th Street in Queens.

Now, the 34,800-square-foot backlot provides an outdoor space for filming car chases and other stunts so that film crews don't have to block busy city streets. Dressing rooms, building workshops, and production offices are nearby, too — so it's easy for the crew to move back and forth. The block is under lease from the city through 2049, costing $140,000 per year and rising every five years.

The studio provides over 500,000 square feet of space, which includes sound stages, production offices, and service space. The biggest stage is 26,000 square feet, the largest east of Hollywood. 

All the biggest networks and production companies have used the studios throughout its history — including Universal, FOX, Warner Bros., Columbia, Miramax, and Paramount, when they need an east coast partner. TV studios like NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS, MTV, A&E, HBO, Lifetime, and Disney have also filmed at the facilities. 

Demand for the space is at an all-time high, according to the studio — and with the Musuem of Moving Image next door, and the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts across the street, Kaufman Astoria Studios is more than just a production center for New York — it's an important foundation to a growing arts community.

SEE ALSO: 'The Peanuts' just turned 65 years old — Here's how Charlie Brown became a massively successful franchise

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Generally, 2015 has been an incredible year for Universal. It's responsible for three of the top five earners in the country: "Jurassic World,""Furious 7," and "Minions." But no one is bulletproof in Hollywood, and that's evident with one of the studio's most recent releases.

"Jem and the Holograms," the movie reboot of the popular late-1980s cartoon, opened in wide release October 23 and has done so poorly that Universal appears to be yanking it from theaters after only two weeks. Though a small number of theaters have the movie on their schedules, it has disappeared from most theaters, and Universal isn't reporting any box-office figures for it after last week.

This is an unheard of move for a movie that was in theaters nationwide.

But when you crunch the numbers, it's clear they had to stop the bleeding.

Things didn't start out well for the movie, as early reviews were awful, with the film currently at a 20% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Many critics noted that it wasn't true to the TV show, basically alienating core fans.

Then the harsh numbers were reported.

"Jem" came in 15th place its opening week in theaters, taking in $1.37 million on 2,413 screens. That's $570 per screen.

Things didn't get any better for the movie its following week. In 2,417 screens, "Jem" took in $387,925. That's only $160 per screen. To compare, the new "Steve Jobs" film, even when it was performing poorly in wide release, was making $1,080 per screen.

But taking the movie out of theaters instead of scaling it down was a shock to box-office vets who thought they'd seen everything.

"Theater chains are contractually obligated to hold a film for two weeks after booking it. However, in all my days as an analyst, I've never seen a studio actually stop reporting after two weeks," Jeff Bock, senior box-office analyst at Exhibitor Relations, told Business Insider Monday. "This is unprecedented, and shows just how badly this film flopped. Not only is it the lowest-grossing debut for a studio film this year, but it's the worst all-time — by a considerable margin — for any film released in 2,000-plus theaters."

With a reported budget of only $5 million and obviously little promotion, it won't be a huge dent in Universal's monster year at the box office.

But it's safe to say that the "Jem and the Holograms" franchise has flatlined.

Universal has not responded to our request for comment on this story.

SEE ALSO: 'Spectre' had the second-best opening of all time for a Bond movie

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"Aladdin" is one of those animated classics that could never be replicated, and a good part of that fact is due to the fact that the voice and performance of Robin Williams is so iconic and irreplaceable that it can't be duplicated. According to a clause in the late actor's will, Disney will have no means of even trying, as a treasure trove of outtakes are off limits for any future usage.

The New York Post broke the details, as a former Disney executive dropped the knowledge that there was enough excess material from Williams' 1991 recording sessions to constitute a fourth performance as the Genie in a new "Aladdin" film. Unfortunately for the powers that be, Williams' estate had a prohibition on such activity for at least 25 years after his death. The reason is that any future sequels would have generated financial penalties for his family – as any posthumous earnings are subject to such technicalities. Though looking back on the comedian's history with Disney, we're not sure finances were the only reason.

When Robin Williams worked on the original "Aladdin," he had one major stipulation to ensure his participation: he didn't want his work to be used in shilling any sort of merchandising or tie-in products, such as fast food advertisements. Disney agreed with this stipulation, only to turn around and do exactly the opposite of what Williams asked them to honor – and that left some hurt feelings between the actor and the studio. Though apparently, time and a Picasso peace offering are enough to heal old wounds, as Williams eventually returned to Disney for one more film – the direct-to-video sequel "Aladdin and the King of Thieves."

Despite the "Aladdin" series closing itself off with that final film, the clause in Robin Williams' will has us wondering if this was the reason the studio decided to move forward with the prequel / re-imagining of the series, "Genie." With a fresh take on the character coming into play, we would assume that Disney's endgame is to eventually introduce everyone's favorite blue wise-cracker to a new generation, with his street rat of a best friend by his side. As the studio has taken this tack with many of their other franchises, this could be written off as just an action that fits with the business model, so this could be just a coincidence.

Even if the restrictions on the deleted material from the original film were non-existent, crafting a fourth "Aladdin" film out of Robin Williams' legacy wouldn't be a move forgiven by the fans of both animated films and Williams' comedic stylings. However, after the 25-year clause expires, don't be surprised if some enterprising Disney executives decide to resurrect the materials in question and make good on their plans to give the world one last ride on the magic carpet. Let's just hope that whoever this hypothetical person may be goes through the right channels, so as not to alienate any fans or descendants of Williams' family down the line.

In the meantime, you can enjoy the original "Aladdin" on Diamond Edition Blu-ray, as it's available in stores now.

SEE ALSO: Robin Williams' widow says 'we were living a nightmare' in first interview about his death

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Hedy Lamarr was one of the most beautiful and talented actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Age, but she was a lot more than that. She was also an accomplished inventor and scientist who is credited with several new technologies, some of which are still used today. All of this is shown is a short animation you’ve likely already seen if you needed to perform a web search at all today. If for some reason you didn't check it out, do yourself a favor and do it now. If you did, do yourself a favor and watch again.

Courtesy of the always creative folks behind Google Doodles, the short clip puts together a beautiful summary of a woman whose talents were amazingly diverse. Born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in 1914, 101 years ago today, Lamarr's film career began in Germany before she moved to the U.S. in the late 1930s. She worked opposite some of the top actors of the day, from Clark Gable to Spencer Tracy to Bob Hope, though she was traditionally cast in roles that focused more on her beauty then her dialogue. The video exemplifies this by showing her in very similar poses about to kiss her leading man, only the costume changes because the films themselves were often interchangeable. The last outfit is a reference to what may be her most famous role, Delilah in 1949’s "Samson & Delilah."

There is so much more to Lamarr, however, than just her screen work. This video shows her looking bored at all the Hollywood glamour while being excited by chemistry, which probably isn’t too far from the truth. Lamarr was actually a very creative individual who was always looking for ways to change or improve things. The actress invented a tablet that turned water into a carbonated drink (although apparently not one anybody would be interested in drinking), and she also made improvements on the automatic stop light, and Google’s video includes both of these creations.

Her greatest contribution to the world, however, was her invention, with collaborator George Antheil, of frequency hopping for radio waves. While originally designed as a way to prevent radio controlled torpedoes from being jammed by the enemy, the technology has gone on to be used in many of our modern communication devices from cordless phones to Wi-Fi. Hedy Lamarr changed the world. There’s really no other way to say it.

Google does a fantastic job of summarizing all of this in barely a minute, without a single word. It’s a fantastic tribute that shows all sides of a woman who was infinitely more complex than her movie roles let her appear. Lamarr was a major inspiration to many of Hollywood’s current leading ladies. For her work both onscreen and off, she’ll never be forgotten.

SEE ALSO: How a 1940s actress and an avant-garde composer pioneered a powerful communication technology

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Next November, we'll be getting our first "Harry Potter" movie in over five years — except it won't star Harry or any of his friends.

Prequel film "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," based off of one of Harry Potter's schoolbooks of the same name, will star an entirely new cast led by Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne. However, it's an odd choice for a movie adaptation.

How exactly do you adapt a short 42-page encyclopedia on a list of magical creatures?

Apparently, that was a difficult question to answer. According to a new feature on the film in Entertainment Weekly, the early ideas for the film weren't so great either.

An original plan was to make a fake documentary. As EW explains, "think Animal Planet with hippogriffs instead of hippos." 

That sounds like something more worthy of a TV special than a big-budget feature film.

Others must have thought so, too, because soon after author J.K. Rowling came in and wrote an entire original screenplay for the upcoming movie.

Now, the movie will revolve around the author of "Fantastic Beasts," Newt Scamander (Redmayne) as he heads to New York City in the 1920s. This is a place where wizards aren't really welcome. Remember the Salem witch trials? Well there's an entire group called the "Second Salemers" full of humans who are dedicated to outing wizards.

Scamander has a briefcase filled with a bunch of these "fantastic" creatures from the mini-encyclopedia. (It's probably not long until they make some accidental escape).

He'll team up with a group of newcomers including U.S. Ministry of Magic worker Tina (Katherine Waterston), mind-reader Queenie (Alison Sudol), and factory worker Jacob (Dan Fogler). 

Colin Farrell will also star as an auror along with Samantha Morton ("John Carter") and Ezra Miller ("The Perks of Being a Wallflower").

If all goes well, we'll be seeing a lot more of Redmayne in the "Potter" universe. Warner Bros. hopes to make "Fantastic Beasts" into a new franchise.

"Fantastic Beasts" will be in theaters November 18, 2016.

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Back in August, Disney released all of its short films for the first time on Blu-ray and DVD.

The collection consists of 12 short films dating back to 2000. 

Some of them are more recent like Oscar winner "Paperman," which was attached to 2012's "Wreck-It Ralph." Then there's the new "Frozen" short which played exclusively in front of the new live-action "Cinderella" in theaters.

Others haven't been available to view on home video before. If you haven't had a chance to check them out, the Disney dozen are currently available to stream on Netflix.  

Keep scrolling to see the Disney shorts you may have never seen.

"Lorenzo" is about a blue cat who gets a hex put on his tail which then comes to life to cause mischief.

Director and writer Mike Gabriel was asked to take over the project from the late artist Joe Grant, the Disney legend responsible for animation in 1937's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and more recent hits like "Aladdin" and "The Lion King."

Work on "Lorenzo" began in 1949; however, it was never completed. Though "Lorenzo" originally played ahead of 2004 film "Raising Helen," this was the short's first release on film.

"John Henry" tells the story of the popular folk tale hero.

Originally released in 2000, "John Henry" tells the story of the titular steel-driver who went up against a steam-powered hammer which threatened his and others' jobs. Though he won in a test of power and speed, it was at the cost of his life.

It was released as one of four shorts in Disney's "American Legends" collection in 2002.

"Frozen Fever" originally debuted with 2015's live-action "Cinderella" in theaters.

The first new "Frozen" footage since the 2013 billion-dollar hit, "Frozen Fever" is a celebration of Anna's birthday; however, it gets interrupted when her magical sister Elsa comes down with a nasty cold.