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Why NASA's twin Voyagers probes are the most important spacecraft ever launched — and could be the last evidence of humanity's existence

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voyager spacecraft probe golden records nasa jpl 540489main_pia14113 full_full

About 1 billion years from now, the sun will begin to die, blow off its outer atmosphere, and engulf our tiny planet in hot plasma.

Luckily, the galaxy will have NASA's twin Voyager spacecraft to remember us by.

The two nuclear-powered probes launched 40 years ago and became the first and only robots to take close-up photographs of Uranus and Neptune, the planets' moons and rings, and other objects in the outer solar system.

The Voyagers also carried with them a golden record of sounds, images, and other information about life on Earth — a basic human catalog that aliens might one day discover and decode.

The mission is now detailed in a remarkable PBS documentary called "The Farthest", which premiered on August 23 and will re-air on September 5 (the date of Voyager 1's launch).

"Fifty years from now, Voyager will be the science project of the 20th century," Brad Smith, a Voyager imaging scientist, said in the movie.

Here's why many scientists and engineers not only hail the Voyagers as the farthest, fastest, and longest-lived space mission, but also one of humanity's greatest endeavors.

SEE ALSO: The 15 most incredible plutonium-powered space missions of all time

DON'T MISS: You live on a tiny spaceship that's lost in the void, and these stunning photos prove it

NASA began working on the Voyager mission in 1972 with a budget of $865 million, or roughly $5 billion in 2017-adjusted dollars.

Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech, Bureau of Labor Statistics



The goal was to tour the outer solar system using a planetary alignment that happens just once every 176 years. The gravity of the planets would speed up the spacecraft, allowing at least one probe to visit Uranus and Neptune for the first time.


Source: "The Farthest"/PBS



NASA worried that Jupiter's radiation fields might short-circuit the Voyagers. So engineers shielded and grounded cables of the probes with kitchen-grade aluminum foil. (It worked.)

 

Source: "The Farthest"/PBS



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The best movie set in each state

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Wizard of Oz

The great thing about movies is that no other artistic medium is better at transporting you to another place.

To honor that quality, we took a look at the best movie from each state, plus Washington, DC. We looked at reviews, other resourcesthat analyzedmovies fromdifferent states, and our own professional opinion.

Each film on this list captures its setting, while also telling a great story.

ALABAMA: "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962)

The state's history as the flashpoint of race and criminal justice in United States history has made it the setting of excellent films about those subjects, whether serious dramas like "Selma," thoughtful satires like "Talladega Nights" and "Borat," or goofy comedies like "My Cousin Vinny."

The great forerunner of them all is "To Kill a Mockingbird" starring Gregory Peck, based on Harper Lee's seminal novel, which has a moral clarity few films can match.



ALASKA: "Grizzly Man" (2005)

Werner Herzog's documentary tries to peer into the soul of Timothy Treadwell, an environmentalist who dedicated his life to protecting Alaska's grizzly bears, only to be eaten by one.

The film combines Treadwell's own footage with Herzog's research into the circumstances of Treadwell's death and the nature of his relationship to wildlife. It's harrowing, darkly funny, and unforgettable.



ARIZONA: "Midnight Run" (1988)

Arizona has a wealth of great films that take advantage of its beautiful desert landscapes and idiosyncratic suburbs — like "The Searchers,""Thelma & Louise,""Johnny Guitar,""Raising Arizona," and "My Darling Clementine."

The greatest Arizona film, though, is the overlooked "Midnight Run," about a criminal accountant who jumps bail and get chased by a bounty hunter, the FBI, and the Mafia. It stars Robert De Niro, in an extremely good leather jacket and one of his rare excellent comedy roles, Martin Brest, Yaphet Kotto, and Charles Grodin.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

'The Rock' revealed how one of his movies helped saved a 2-year-old's life

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The Rock San Andreas 3

The INSIDER Summary: 

  • One of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's films helped save a 2-year-old's life.
  • 10-year-old Jacob O'Connor learned how to perform CPR and chest compressions by watching the movie "San Andreas."
  • This knowledge came in handy when O'Connor found his younger brother laying face down in a pool.
  • The Rock has since invited the whole family to visit the set of his new movie "Skyscraper."

Most celebrities want their movies to have a lasting impact, but Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson probably had no idea his film "San Andreas" would actually save lives. This entertaining action flick also taught a 10-year-old boy about chest compressions, which allowed him to save his 2-year-old brother from drowning.

Johnson posted about the incredible tale on his Instagram on Friday, explaining in a video, "You know, there is a little 10-year-old boy out there and his name is Jacob O'Connor. He's a real-life hero. He couldn't find his little 2-year-old brother, Dylan, so he went out back and found little Dylan laying face-down in their pool. Jacob pulled him out, remained calm, started administering CPR and chest compressions and saved his little brother's life."

Johnson added, "He learned how to do this by watching this big, brown, bald tattooed guy in his favorite movie, "San Andreas." Jacob, I'm so proud of you — so much so, I have got to meet you. I have got to shake the hand of a real-life hero." 

Oh, and it gets better, because Johnson — being the amazing man and real-life hero that he is — isn't just letting this story go with an Instagram video. He also invited Jacob, his little brother, Dylan, and their family to join him on the set of his new film, "Skyscraper."

"When you come to my movie sets, it's like "Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory," dude, because you can eat all the sweets you want and it's all free," Johnson promised. "I'll see you next week buddy."

And you thought Johnson couldn't get any cooler. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: We dare you to oversleep with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s new motivational alarm clock app

14 famous mother and daughter duos who have been in movies together

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Meryl Streep Mamie Gummer

Kids sometimes follow in their parents footsteps. For these mother and daughter duos, that means stepping in front of the camera. 

Some roles consist of these moms and daughters playing relatives on-screen, like Demi Moore playing Rumer Willis' mom in "Striptease." But others have no relation at all, like Angelina Jolie and daughter Vivienne Jolie-Pitt in "Maleficent." 

Acting for these duos just runs in the family. 

Here are 14 mothers and daughters who have been on-screen together. 

Leslie Mann and her two daughters, Maude and Iris Apatow, first appeared in husband/dad Judd Apatow's "Knocked Up."

Mann and her two daughters returned for "This Is 40," playing the same characters from "Knocked Up," and were also in "Funny People." 

Mann told the Hollywood Reporter that she feels"lucky" to work with her daughters, even if she has more to pay attention to.

"With Maude and Iris, I just feel lucky that I get to be with them all day, but it's also hard, because I'm mom and I'm also working," she said. "So if they're having problems or they hurt themselves or they're fighting with each other, I have to deal with that and put out that fire and I have to work, so it's like double the amount of work."



Meryl Streep and her eldest daughter Mamie Gummer portrayed mother and daughter in "Ricki and the Flash."

During "Ricki's" premiere, Gummer admitted to People that she was nervous during certain scenes because she didn't want to hurt her mom's feelings.

"There's this one scene where I really was quite eviscerating and I was worried about if my words actually wounded her, but after the first take, I looked over and she just had this big grin on her face, so that was a pleasant surprise," she said. 

Gummer made her onscreen debut as a toddler alongside her mother in "Heartburn," but she was credited as Natalie Stern to avoid the publicity.

Gummer played a younger version of her mother in the drama "Evening."



Vanessa Redgrave and daughter Natasha Richardson played mother and daughter in "Evening."

The two reunited onstage for a concert production of "A Little Night Music" shortly before Richardson's untimely death. They had been preparing to costar in a Broadway revival of the show.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Apple wants to sell 4K movies for $20, but the movie studios think that's too cheap (AAPL)

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Tim Cook Eddy Cue Bob Iger

Apple is talking to movie studios about offering high-definition 4K movies through iTunes, but there's one sticking point: price.

Apple wants to sell 4K movies for $19.99, but "several" movie studios want the price range to be $25 to $30, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. 

The ability to watch video in 4K, which is a higher-definition format than the current standard, is expected to be one of the major features underpinning an update to the Apple TV reported to come out this fall. One report suggested Apple could launch the new Apple TV as soon as September. 

Viewers who buy Apple's new set-top box will need 4K content to watch on it, and that's where the movie studios come in. But judging from the report, the studios are pushing back on Apple's proposed price, which is under the current prices for 4K movies on services that support it, like Vudu. “I wouldn’t tell Apple how to price their iPads,” one unnamed executive told the Journal

The report even suggests that negotiations are ongoing, with both sides hoping to strike a deal before September 12, which is reportedly the day Apple plans to launch new iPhones alongside the new Apple TV. 

If Apple doesn't strike these deals, that means it launches an Apple TV with a major content hole, so it remains to be seen if it blinks during these negotiations and settles on the higher prices that the studios want. 

SEE ALSO: Apple is invading the office with another big enterprise partnership

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This 6-minute short film starring Jared Leto shows what happened between the original 'Blade Runner' and its upcoming sequel

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Blade Runner 2049

In anticipation of "Blade Runner 2049," Collider has premiered an "in-world" short film meant to help bridge the 30 years that will take place between the original "Blade Runner" and its upcoming sequel.

The six-minute short film, titled "Nexus: 2036," centers around Jared Leto's character in the sequel, Niander Wallace.

Wallace claims to have "perfected" a new line of replicants (human-like robots), and he's seeking to repeal a prohibition of replicants that took place after the events of the original film. 

In "Blade Runner 2049," Ryan Gosling stars as an LAPD officer and nascent blade runner (robot hunter). He searches for Harrison Ford's Rick Deckard (the original "Blade Runner") after unearthing "a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos," according to a press release.

"Nexus: 2036" is one of three short pieces that will debut ahead of the release of "Blade Runner 2049" on October 6. 

Watch the short film below:

SEE ALSO: 34 movies you have to see this fall — including 'Justice League,' 'It,' and 'Blade Runner 2049'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 8 details you might have missed on season 7 episode 4 of 'Game of Thrones'

An all-female remake of 'Lord of the Flies' is in the works

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EXCLUSIVEScott McGehee & David Siegel have made a deal at Warner Bros to write and direct a new version of Lord Of The Flies, based on the iconic William Golding novel. They plan to be faithful to the novel with one major twist: the young students stranded on a remote island who descend into a savage social order will be girls.

Scott McGehee and David SiegelIt is an intriguing take on a novel that was most famously turned into a 1963 film by Peter Brook. It was later turned into a 1990 Castle Rock film by director Harry Hook, which is how Warner Bros wound up with some of the rights. McGehee & Siegel last directed the 2012 drama What Maisie Knew, and before that Bee Season and The Deep End. They are very good at depicting traumatic events and stories seen through youthful eyes. They told Deadline they are big fans of Brook’s original film, but thought a new contemporized version felt timely. It took awhile for Warner Bros and their ICM Partners reps to work out the rights issues with the author’s estate. That just happened, and they have just closed their deals and will begin writing immediately.

“We want to do a very faithful but contemporized adaptation of the book, but our idea was to do it with all girls rather than boys,” Siegel told Deadline. “It is a timeless story that is especially relevant today, with the interpersonal conflicts and bullying, and the idea of children forming a society and replicating the behavior they saw in grownups before they were marooned.”

McGehee said the subject matter “is aggressively suspenseful, and taking the opportunity to tell it in a way it hasn’t been told before, with girls rather than boys, is that it shifts things in a way that might help people see the story anew. It breaks away from some of the conventions, the ways we think of boys and aggression. People still talk about the movie and the book from the standpoint of pure storytelling,” he said. “It is a great adventure story, real entertainment, but it has a lot of meaning embedded in it as well. We’ve gotten to think about this awhile as the rights were worked out, and we’re super eager to put pen to paper.”

They are repped by ICM Partners and Nelson Davis.

Read the original article on Deadline. Copyright 2017.

SEE ALSO: 34 movies you have to see this fall — including 'Justice League,' 'It,' and 'Blade Runner 2049'

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Stephen King 'was not prepared' for how good the 'It' movie is

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stephen king it

Horror master Stephen King has seen the new "It" movie twice already and says he was "not prepared" for how good it really was, which is a scary good sign for horror-flick fans when the movie is released in theaters next week.

The big-screen adaptation of King's novel of the same name starring Jaeden Lieberher, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Chosen Jacobs, Jack Dylan Grazer, Nicholas Hamilton, Jackson Robert Scott, and Bill Skarsgård as the infamous Pennywise the Dancing Clown has already received early praise from those lucky enough to catch an early look at the clown — setting up "It" to be a huge box-office and critical success.

In a new video interview found on Bloody Disgusting, King talks about his reaction to seeing the movie for the first time, his thoughts on Skarsgård’s portrayal of Pennywise, and whether he thinks his fans will enjoy the movie.

King said he was actually surprised about just how good "It" really was, which isn't surprising considering that responses to King's adaptations have varied from positive (think "The Shining") to negative (think "The Dark Tower").

Here are King's thoughts on the film:

"I had hopes, but I was not prepared for how good it really was. It's something that's different, and at the same time, it's something that audiences are gonna relate to. They're gonna like the characters. To me, it's all about character. If you like the characters … if you care … the scares generally work."

"I'm sure my fans will enjoy the movie. I think they're gonna really enjoy the movie. And I think some of them will go back two or three times and actually savor the thing. I went back and saw it a second time, and I felt I was seeing things the second time through that I missed the first time."

King also commented and praised director Andy Muschietti and Skarsgård for their work on and in the film, respectively. It's no surprise that King had high hopes for Muschietti, his 2013 horror film "Mama" was a beautifully crafted horror film that was a breath of fresh air for the genre. Skarsgård, who is no stranger to the supernatural and is known for playing Roman Godfrey in Netflix's "Hemlock Grove," has received some pretty good feedback for his portrayal as the terrifying Pennywise.

Here is what King had to say about Muschietti and Skarsgård:

"Let's just say I had strong hopes for the movie, because I knew Andy's work from 'Mama,' and I thought he was a really, really talented director. And I also loved the idea of concentrating on the kids' half of the story.

"Skarsgard was great as Pennywise, and he's got big shoes to fill. Let's face it. Because people remember Tim Curry as Pennywise the Clown, and they remember the look that Pennywise had."

Based on what King has to say about the movie, it looks as if we are in for plenty of scares this Halloween season when "It" arrives at the box office.

SEE ALSO: The movie theater behind the women-only 'Wonder Woman' screening is hosting a clowns-only showing of Stephen King's 'It'

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NOW WATCH: 6 details you might have missed on season 7 episode 6 of 'Game of Thrones'


The Rock is the busiest man in show business

Why hundreds of ‘Harry Potter’ fans are flocking to the book’s iconic train station today

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harry potter epilogue

The INSIDER Summary:

  • September 1, 2017 is a special day for "Harry Potter" fans.
  • It's the day in the epilogue of the JK Rowling book series that sees Harry Potter sending his son off to Hogwarts. 
  • Hundreds of fans went to King's Cross to celebrate the anniversary. 


September 1 is a special day for young witches and wizards, because it's the day that the Hogwarts Express whisks them off to the magical "Harry Potter" school.

But September 1, 2017 is particularly special for fans of JK Rowling's popular book series. It's the day Harry returns to King's Cross with his son, Albus Severus, in the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" epilogue, which takes place 19 years from the end of the series. 

Rowling honored the day with a tweet.

"Today's the day Albus Severus Potter boards the Hogwarts Express at King's Cross for the first time," she said. 

The day is also where the events in the play "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" begin. The sequel play follows Harry's son on a new adventure that's tied into the Potter legacy.

harry potter epilogue

Hundreds of fans flocked to the real train station in London to celebrate the anniversary at the fake platform 9 3/4. 

 

 

In the series, the train leaves promptly at 11 a.m. As the time approached this morning, fans participated in a countdown, cheering when 11 finally hit.

Fan site Pottermore launched a virtual Hogwarts experience to coincide with the anniversary.

SEE ALSO: 2 new Harry Potter books will be published in October

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: NASA released rare footage of the SR-71 — the fastest plane to ever exist

The summer box office sunk to an 11-year low

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Transformers The Last Knight 2 Paramount final

This year's North American summer box office revenue is expected to come in at an 11-year low, according to The Hollywood Reporter's cited figures from comScore. 

The analytics company predicts domestic revenue for the box office will reach roughly $3.87 billion, which represents a 15.7-percent decline since last year.

It will also be the first time since 2006 that the summer box office season didn't reach $4 billion in revenue. 

One reported cause of the drop is that a number of "tentpole," or franchise, films drastically underperformed in the domestic market, including "Transformers: The Last Knight" ($132 million) and the Tom Cruise-led "The Mummy" ($80.1 million).

Many films that underperformed domestically were, however, rescued by a more robust international market, according to The Hollywood Reporter. For instance, "Transformers: The Last Knight" earned $604 million globally, but $474 million of its revenue came from overseas.

"The lesson for Hollywood this summer is that every movie counts when it comes to box office and there are no 'throwaway' titles," Paul Dergarabedian of comScore told THR. "At least three tentpoles missed the mark in North America as well as a handful of R-rated comedies that left audiences frowning, and the missing revenue from those failures could arguably have left a $500 million-plus void in the marketplace — enough to turn a potentially strong $4 billion-plus summer season heavyweight into a 98-pound weakling."

Read THR's assessment of the summer box office markets here.

SEE ALSO: The 5 biggest winners and losers at the box office this summer — including 'Wonder Woman,' Rotten Tomatoes, and sequels

Join the conversation about this story »

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Warner Bros. reportedly wants Leonardo DiCaprio to play The Joker in the upcoming origin film

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the joker leonardo dicaprio

Warner Bros.' approach to an upcoming origin film for The Joker looks like it could be moving in a promising direction. 

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the studio will "make an ambitious attempt" to bring in Leonardo DiCaprio as the film's star.

Martin Scorsese, a longtime DiCaprio collaborator, was reported to be joining the movie as a producer last month, and the outlet's sources say that the studio will try to lure DiCaprio "into the world of comic-book movies" through Scorsese.

The report notes, however, that no offer has been made for DiCaprio at this time, and according to their sources, Scorsese isn't even finalized yet. 

According to the initial scoop from Deadline, Todd Phillips ("The Hangover") will be directing the film, cowriting the script with Scott Silver ("8 Mile"), and producing alongside Scorsese.

The Joker origin movie will be the first title in a spin-off of Warner Bros.' DC Comics Extended Universe that will delve deeper into the DC catalog to focus on iconic characters. 

Jared Leto, who starred as The Joker in 2016's "Suicide Squad," will not be playing the character in Phillips and Scorsese's film. THR's sources say that Leto was "caught off-guard" by the plans for a separate Joker movie, and that he "made his displeasure" known to his agents. 

SEE ALSO: An origin movie about The Joker is in the works without Jared Leto — and Martin Scorsese is involved

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 8 details you might have missed on season 7 episode 4 of 'Game of Thrones'

15 movies with completely different titles in other countries

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The Mighty Ducks

"Champions" is a movie about a hotshot lawyer required to coach an underdog peewee hockey team as community service after getting arrested for drunk driving. If you think this plot is suspiciously similar to "The Mighty Ducks," you are correct.

And it's not just a low-budget Hallmark Channel remake either — it's actually the Australian title of the same movie. 

Movie titles can change from country to country for many reasons, such as specific cultural references that go over people's heads or marketing ploys to get the attention of a larger audience.

Here are 15 movie title that were changed in other English-speaking markets. 

SEE ALSO: 34 movies you have to see this fall — including 'Justice League,' 'It,' and 'Blade Runner 2049'

"13 Going on 30" (2004) became "Suddenly 30" in Australia.

This romantic comedy from 2004 was released as "13 Going on 30" in the United States, however the title was changed to "Suddenly 30" in Australia. 

The expression that the original title uses is more commonly heard in American culture compared to Australian, and according to IMDb, it was changed to "Suddenly 30" because distributors thought audiences would misunderstand the original title. 



"Airplane!" (1980) became "Flying High?" in Australia and New Zealand.

Distributors in both Australia and New Zealand changed the title of this classic comedy from "Airplane!" to "Flying High" because they thought it would be too similar to another American movie released at the same time.

"The Concorde... Airport '79" was an unrelated film to "Airplane." However, due to release delays of US films at the time, it was released in 1980 in Australia and named "Airport '80." Having "Airplane" and "Airport '80" released at the same time would have caused much confusion to moviegoers, so distributors changed the title.



"Fever Pitch" (2005) was transformed into "The Perfect Catch" in the UK.

"Fever Pitch" is actually an American adaptation of a 1997 British movie with the same name starring Colin Firth. The British movie was about soccer, and the American version adapted it to baseball.

Distributors in the UK changed the movie title to "The Perfect Catch" to separate it from the original 1997 movie. Australia and New Zealand used the UK title. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A new 'Star Wars' toy has fans convinced we could see an iconic character return in the next movie

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luke skywalker obi wan kenobi

The INSIDER Summary:

  • Hasbro and Disney just released a bunch of new "Star Wars" toys. 
  • Among them are Hasbro's coveted Black Series figures. One in particular shows a Force spirit Obi-Wan Kenobi.
  • Fans think it may hint we'll see the character return in the next "Star Wars" movie, "The Last Jedi." Kenobi has already appeared in Rey's mysterious Force vision in "The Force Awakens."
  • A scene at the end of "Revenge of the Sith" may have hinted at Kenobi's eventual return. 
  • It would also make sense that he would continue mentoring Luke Skywalker over the years.
  • There have been rumors a Force ghost or ghosts will appear in "The Last Jedi," including Kenobi.
  • Disney is reportedly working on a Kenobi spin-off movie.


A bunch of "Star Wars" toys and products are hitting stores September 1 to get fans excited for "The Last Jedi" in December. 

A lot of them offer peeks at new and mysterious faces we'll see in the movie like evil droid BB-9E and Supreme Leader Snoke while others offer ideas of which characters may appear together on screen. (Rey and Poe Dameron teaming up to take down the First Order? We're here for it.)

But there's one that had us and some fans do a double take. Among the many Black Series figures Disney and Hasbro are releasing is the following six-inch Obi-Wan Kenobi doll. 

star wars the last jedi obi wan kenobi

Does that give you pause at all? My initial thought was the obvious. This could be a cool retro nod to the character from the end of "Return of the Jedi" when Kenobi appears as a Force ghost. Hasbro does that all the time. But there were a few pieces of evidence that made me wonder if Kenobi could appear in December's "The Last Jedi." 

Some fans thought so, too. 

Feel free to take this all with a grain of salt, but it seems too good of a coincidence that we're getting a toy Force ghost version of Kenobi right now.

Here's everything that has us convinced we may see Kenobi on the big screen soon.

The Obi-Wan Kenobi doll is called a "Force Spirit"

force spirit obi wan

This is where it starts to get interesting.

The toy is labeled "Force Spirit." Okay. No big deal. Kenobi was also a Force Spirit in "Return of the Jedi." But there's no mention on the box from what we could tell that this is supposed to be a render of the "ROTJ" Kenobi. The photos we were sent from Hasbro are labeled "Obi-Wan Kenobi (Force Ghost)."

The description on the box hints that Kenobi's "Force Spirit" could be in a future movie 

Here's the vague description for the character we were sent: 

"Even after his untimely demise, Obi-Wan Kenobi remains a mentor to those strong with the Force. This 6-inch scale The Black Series figure features articulated movement and is based on the Force Ghost as seen in the films." 

The keywords here are that Kenobi has remained a mentor suggesting he's been communicating with others. That's something we haven't seen in the films yet. The other word that stands out is the plurality of "film." We've only seen Force ghost Kenobi in "Return of the Jedi," though his presence was definitely felt when he connected with Luke Skywalker several times.

It would be a pretty sneaky workaround if a Force spirit Kenobi popped up in "The Last Jedi" ("TLJ") to communicate with Luke or Rey (we'll come back to this). He already reached out to Rey in "The Force Awakens."

The first thing that made me consider the character could pop up in "TLJ" was how the photo arrived to us. The "Force Spirit" Kenobi is an exclusive to Walgreens and arrived in a photo collection of other store exclusives. It was curious that every other item in the photo gallery sent to us was a toy attached to "The Last Jedi."

force ghost obi wan

Why and how Obi-Wan could even appear in "The Last Jedi"

obi wan kenobi star wars revenge of the sith

Say what you will about the prequel movies, but there's one thing that has always stuck with me from "Star Wars: Episode III." Near the film's end, there's a scene between Senator Bail Organa, Yoda, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. The three are discussing what to do with Luke and Leia Skywalker after the death of their mother.

When Organa leaves, Yoda asks Kenobi to stay behind for a brief chat. Yoda says there's a way for Kenobi to communicate with his old master Qui-Gon Jinn from beyond the grave.

"In your solitude on Tatooine, training I have for you. An old friend has learned the path to immortality. One who has returned from the netherworld of the Force  — your old master," Yoda tells a surprised Kenobi. "How to commune with him, I will teach you."

You can watch the scene below:

And that's it! We never get anything else. It's presumed that in between movies three and four that Kenobi may have been able to communicate with Jinn while in hiding. In the movies, we never know for sure. Why would Yoda drop that line if it was never supposed to have more significance later on in the film series?

The reason I mention this is because Kenobi completed his training before his death in the following film, "Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope." His body disappeared when he was struck down by Vader and we know he's able to communicate with others. He helped guide Luke Skywalker after his death throughout Episodes IV, V, and VI mentally. He's seen again at the end of "Return of the Jedi."

anakin skywalker force ghost

Why would he stop all of a sudden? Similar to Kenobi, Luke has been living his days in hiding on the planet of Ahch-To. What do we think he's been doing on that island all by himself (and presumably surrounded by adorable porgs) all this time? Meditating is a good guess. But another is that he has been trying to communicate with his old master.

luke skywalker

From what we can discern from footage released so far, it looks like we'll be getting some flashback scenes in "The Last Jedi." Why did Kylo turn dark and go to the Knights of Ren? What led Luke to go into exile? It probably has a lot to do with the hints at that supposed Jedi temple burning down from teasers. If that's the case, Skywalker was probably in turmoil and started questioning a lot of his faith in the Force. With no one to turn to, wouldn't it make sense for him to search for answers from his old master?

If you go back and watch the first teaser trailer for the film, you'll notice Luke has a series of books in his possession on the island, one of which has a symbol of the Jedi Order. 

luke skywalker jedi books

At the least, Luke is preserving the history of the Jedi. But it's possible he's been trying to seek council from them as well. 

The other reason it would make sense for Obi-Wan to pop up in "The Last Jedi"

daisy ridley the last jedi

People were left debating Rey's paternity after "The Force Awaken" debuted in 2015. One of the many theories suggests Rey is a Kenobi

If you're not familiar with the theory, some fans think Rey could be Kenobi's granddaughter. People believe he may have had a relationship while in hiding despite the fact that Jedi aren't supposed to marry or engage in relationships.

Let's run with this for a moment and say Rey is somehow connected to Kenobi. A new breakdown of Rey's mysterious "The Force Awakens" vision reveals Kenobi was connecting with Rey way more than we originally thought. His voice can be heard five times speaking to her, more than anyone else in the vision. He even calls out to Rey at the end of her vision. Why is he so interested in her? Is it because they're related or is he just looking out for the one who could potentially bring balance to the Force once and for all? 

It wouldn't be the first time a Force ghost (or spirit) appeared in the "Star Wars" universe

Before you think it may be a "jump the shark" moment to see Kenobi in "The Last Jedi," there is a precedence for Force ghosts showing up in the "Star Wars" universe. And, we're not talking about the end of "Return of the Jedi."

Qui-Gon Jinn's actual Force ghost is seen several times throughout Cartoon Network's popular "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" animated series. Anakin Skywalker was actually seen speaking with Jinn in season three of the show to seek guidance on whether or not he would bring balance to the Force. 

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Jinn also has conversations with Obi-Wan Kenobi on the cartoon series. The extra kicker was that Liam Neeson, who played the character in the live-action movie, returned to voice the character. 

If Jinn has popped up in the "Star Wars" universe to give guidance to his former padawan, surely we could see Kenobi doing the same.

It's already been rumored Force ghosts could appear in "The Last Jedi" 

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The big rumor is that we'll see more than just Kenobi's Force ghost. According to reports, we could also see Anakin Skywalker — Luke's father/Darth Vader — appear as a Force spirit in the movie, too. 

Hayden Christensen, who played the young Anakin in the prequel movies, was reportedly seen at Pinewood Studios where "The Last Jedi" was filming to provide some dialogue for the upcoming film. "Star Wars" theorist Mike Zeroh claims he has a source who also placed a Kenobi Force ghost in the film, too. But he may only be seen and not heard.

It makes sense to have both of them appear because of their direct ties to Luke Skywalker. Vader was also a heavy influence in Ben Skywalker (Kylo Ren) going to the dark side and it would be slightly odd if they weren't included in some way, shape, or form in the new trilogy at all. 

Disney's reportedly working on a standalone Obi-Wan Kenobi movie

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Adding fuel to the fire, The Hollywood Reporter recently said a spin-off Kenobi movie is in early stages. It may finally shed some light on what the Jedi was up to in the events between "Revenge of the Sith" and "A New Hope." 

Yes, there are cartoons which have explored this in depth, but not everyone is watching the toons.

Ewan McGregor already lent his voice to the character in "The Force Awakens." He told Business Insider in March he would be onboard to play the character again. If he reprises the character for a live-action spinoff, it wouldn't be odd to see him show up in "The Last Jedi," especially if the movie was setting up a Kenobi spinoff.

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" will be in theaters December 15, 2017. 

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The 24 best movies of the summer, according to critics

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This year's summer box office boasted a number of inventive, critically acclaimed films.

To find out which movies critics gravitated toward the most, we turned to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes to compile this list of the best movies of summer 2017. 

From box office hits like "Dunkirk" and "Baby Driver," to the indie thriller "Good Time," these summer releases won over the majority of critics on their way to achieving varying levels of "freshness."

Here are the 24 best movies of the summer, according to critics:

Note: The list only includes films that were released in 600 or more theaters and/or had 80 or more critic reviews. It tracks from May 1 through the last week of August.

SEE ALSO: 34 movies you have to see this fall — including 'Justice League,' 'It,' and 'Blade Runner 2049'

24. "The Hero"

Critic score: 77%

Audience score: 67%

Summary: "An ailing movie star comes to terms with his past and mortality."

What critics said:"You will almost assuredly leave The Hero knowing that [Sam Elliott] is a bona fide national treasure."— Rolling Stone



23. "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power"

Critic score: 78%

Audience score: 48%

Summary: "A decade after 'An Inconvenient Truth' (2006) brought climate change into the heart of popular culture comes the follow-up that shows just how close we are to a real energy revolution."

What critics said: "In a summer movie landscape with Spider-Man, a simian army waging further battle for the planet and Charlize Theron as a sexy Cold War-era superspy, it says something that one of the most compelling characters is Al Gore."— The New York Times



22. "Brigsby Bear"

Critic score: 79%

Audience score: 91%

Summary: "Brigsby Bear Adventures is a children's TV show produced for an audience of one: James. When the show abruptly ends, James's life changes forever, and he sets out to finish the story himself."

What critics said: "Scrappy and modest though [the] movie may be, it all coheres beautifully, and with a sweetness that never feels faked."— Los Angeles Times



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A pitiful Labor Day box office ends a historically awful summer movie season

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We've been leading up to a big crash at the box office this summer and that's just what happened over the Labor Day weekend.

For years now studios have all gone on break over the long holiday weekend, as most audiences skip the theaters and instead venture on vacations or the beach. But this is the first time in 25 years a movie wasn't released in over 1,000 screens over Labor Day.

That has led to a pitiful box office total that by Monday should land around $100 million domestically over the four days — not the worst in history but pretty bad as its down 22% from last year's total.  

Signs of Hollywood conceding the summer came two weekends ago when the only wide release was the action/comedy "The Hitman's Bodyguard," starring Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson. It won the weekend despite a 39% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

Then last weekend, things got worse when the movie biz had its worse box office in 16 years with a total of only $69 million ("The Hitman's Bodyguard" once again won the weekend). We've now hit the wasteland that is Labor Day weekend, and you guessed it, "The Hitman's Bodyguard" won for a third straight weekend with an estimated $10.2 million, according to Exhibitor Relations.

It's the only movie to win the weekend box office three weeks in a row this summer, but it's hard for Lionsgate to have bragging rights when the movie had zero competition.

close encounters of the third kindLabor Day weekend gets so barren studios like to brush off classics and release them in theaters.

This year, Sony brought out Steven Spielberg's classic, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," on 900 screens for the movie's 40th anniversary. Marvel used the holiday to release on the big screen a tease of its next TV series, "Inhumans," on just under 400 IMAX screens. Both titles took in under $2 million as of Sunday.

Then there's "Tulip Fever," a movie that has had numerous release date changes over years. The Weinstein Company finally gave the movie to the masses this weekend and audiences were as excited to see it as the Weinsteins were of releasing it.

The movie — sporting a 11% score on Rotten Tomatoes despite having a cast that includes Alicia Vikander, Christoph Waltz, and Zach Galifianakis — opened on under 800 screens and has earned around $1.25 million

Despite this summer movie season not being able to crack $4 billion for the first time since 2006 (2017 domestic total: $3.8 billion), the fall brings hope. The Warner Bros. release of the Stephen King classic "It" next weekend is projected to make $60 million.

SEE ALSO: The 24 best movies of the summer, according to critics

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15 movies ruined by cringeworthy CGI

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Computer generated imagery is a double-edged sword: it can create wonders or total disasters.

Some films use CGI very carefully to enhance practical effects, like in Mad Max: Fury Road. Other films rely very heavily on CGI, like the colorful fever dream that is The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl. CGI is an important tool that must be utilized with absolute care, and as many filmmakers have learned, poorly executed CGI can sink a movie, even if the movie has potential.

Digital effects have only improved as the years have passed. To avoid being too unfair, this list will only focus on films that are relatively recent, or ones that could have utilized more practical effects to achieve their visual goals. Not all of these films are completely meritless, but sometimes, truly ugly CGI can be hard to look past.

You’d be hard-pressed to meet someone who has never cringed in a movie theater before, but if you are somehow that person, maybe look into a few of the movies below. You may not like what you find.

Here are 15 movies ruined by cringeworthy CGI:

SEE ALSO: 34 movies you have to see this fall — including 'Justice League,' 'It,' and 'Blade Runner 2049'

15. "Hulk"

Ang Lee’s Hulk probably isn’t the worst entry on this list, but for a big-budget blockbuster starring a well-established superhero, these effects probably should have been better. Make no mistake, bad CGI isn’t this film’s only problem, but it certainly didn’t help it much.

The Hulk had been done practically before on television, with makeup and prosthetics. Naturally, this film chose to go big and give audiences what they believed would be a true adaptation of the Incredible Hulk, with a more authentic, giant-sized CGI Green Goliath. It soundes great in theory. Sadly, it may have come a little too early, as the effects just weren’t good enough. For many, this rubbery Hulk is a bit too cartoony to take seriously—and don’t even get us started about the Hulk-hounds.

CGI can be much worse, but this rendition of the Marvel hero was outdone with 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, and outdone again with his appearances in the MCU. And thankfully, Thor: Ragnarok has the Hulk looking better than ever.



14. "Tron: Legacy"

For all intents and purposes, Tron: Legacy actually looks quite good. The original Tron was ground-breaking in the special effects department, and its aesthetic needed to be both updated and recaptured in the sequel. While the world looked pretty decent, the most glaring special effects oddity came in the form of the film’s villain, Clu. With the CGI face of a young Jeff Bridges, it did not look good.

This CGI trick has been popping up more and more lately, and with each use, the de-aging effect has improved. Disney itself has used this effect quite a bit since their release of Tron: Legacy, in MCU movies like Ant-Man, Captain America: Civil War, and most recently, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. The de-aging effect has come a long way, but with this film back in 2010, it just wasn’t quite there yet. Clu looked rubbery, unnatural, and completely distracting. The movie itself was met with mixed reception anyway, but CGI Jeff Bridges did nothing to improve the film’s quality.



13. "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies"

The Battle of the Five Armies doesn’t feature flat-out awful CGI, so much as overwhelmingly mediocre CGI. This is only made worse by the fact that the original Lord of the Rings trilogy is littered with beautiful practical effects that still hold up today. It’s a shame that this franchise—one that looked breathtaking only a decade prior—took so many steps backward with its prequel trilogy.

So much of the makeup, costumes, prosthetics, and sets of the original trilogy have been replaced with green screens and CGI. While it isn’t all bad, the locations lack visual depth, some characters look way too bouncy in action, and the armies themselves look so fake that the battle lacks any real emotional affect. It took a lot of work to make those original films look so real, and not repeating those painfully difficult endeavors is completely understandable. It’s just hard to go from the jaw-dropping battle of Helm’s Deep to the mushy gray chaos that is the third act of this film.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

18 movies coming out soon that are major Oscar contenders

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The Toronto International Film Festival starts on Thursday, which means it’s time for awards season to begin.

That’s right, with all of Hollywood heading to our neighbors in the north, it’s already time to start building the hype for those movies that we’ll be rooting for (or will be tired of hearing about) come Oscar night.

Some of those TIFF titles getting a lot of talk already include the Sundance hit “Call Me By Your Name,” Emma Stone as tennis legend Billy Jean King in “Battle of the Sexes,” and Guillermo del Toro’s latest unique fantasy, “The Shape of Water.”

Here are 18 movies playing at TIFF this year that will be contenders come Oscar time (and coming to a theater near you soon):

SEE ALSO: 34 movies you have to see this fall — including "Justice League,""It," and "Blade Runner 2049"

‘Battle of the Sexes’ (Release date: September 22)

Coming off a best actress win for “La La Land” at the most recent Oscars ceremony earlier this year, Emma Stone is looking to return to the big night for a second straight year with her portrayal of Billy Jean King. Stone plays the tennis legend in this look back at King’s historic match against male tennis pro Bobby Riggs (played by Steve Carell, who might get some Oscar buzz, too).



‘Breathe’ (Release date: October 13)

For the directorial debut of Andy Serkis (Caesar in “The Planet of the Apes” movies), he takes on the inspiring love story of Robin (played by Andrew Garfield) and Diana Cavendish (Claire Foy from Netflix's "The Crown"). At 28, Robin was diagnosed with polio and given only three months to live. However, he would go on to live into his 60s and become an advocate for the disabled. Garfield has had a knack, of late, for choosing movies that get award attention, and we’ll see if that continues with this one.



‘Call Me By Your Name’ (Release date: November 24)

An Oscar contender since having its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, this drama starring Armie Hammer as an American student who falls for the son of the teacher he’s staying with abroad in Italy, comes into TIFF with a lot of hype. That hype is likely to only build.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Disney CEO Bob Iger calls Trump's DACA shutdown 'cruel and misguided'

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Disney CEO Bob Iger released a statement on Tuesday condemning the Trump administration's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. 

"The Dreamers impacted by this cruel and misguided decision make significant contributions to our economy and our country," Iger said in a statement.

“I urge Congress to take immediate bipartisan action to pass legislation that will protect these innocent people,” Iger added.

DACA, an Obama-era policy, prevented the deportation of around 800,000 young immigrants living in the country illegally after being brought to the US as minors.

President Trump said in a statement on Tuesday that the action was taken in order to prompt a permanent legislative solution to the issue.

"There can be no path to principled immigration reform if the executive branch is able to rewrite or nullify federal laws at will," Trump said, adding, "It is now time for Congress to act!"

Many congressional Democrats have also condemned the action, labeling it "heartless" and "shameful."

Iger has a history of disagreeing with Trump's policies. In June, the Disney CEO resigned from Trump's business advisory council over the president's decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Climate agreement. 

"Protecting our planet and driving economic growth are critical to our future, and they aren't mutually exclusive," Iger said. "I deeply disagree with the decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and, as a matter of principle, I've resigned from the president's advisory council."

Michelle Mark contributed reporting to this article. 

SEE ALSO: The Trump administration is ending DACA, Jeff Sessions announces

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Colin Trevorrow is out as director of 'Star Wars: Episode IX'

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Lucasfilm announced on Tuesday that it had "mutually chosen to part ways" with director Colin Trevorrow on "Star Wars: Episode IX."

"Colin has been a wonderful collaborator throughout the development process but we have all come to the conclusion that our visions for the project differ. We wish Colin the best and will be sharing more information about the film soon," reads the brief announcement posted on StarWars.com.

Trevorrow rose to fame after directing the blockbuster "Jurassic World" in 2015, which went on to earn over $1 billion worldwide at the box office. But whispers about Trevorrow's ability to pull off a "Star Wars" movie started when his latest movie, the indie "The Book of Henry," opened earlier this year and was slaughtered by critics (it has a 22% rating on Rotten Tomatoes).

Lucasfilm has had a rough summer on the public relations front. In June, the directors of the untitled Han Solo movie, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, were fired from the project over creative differences with Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy. The movie has since been taken over by Ron Howard. 

The next "Star Wars" movie will be "The Last Jedi" (episode VIII). It opens in theaters December 15.

SEE ALSO: 18 movies coming out soon that are major Oscar contenders

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