David Ellison announced yesterday, as financial markets closed, that the Paramount-WB merger would be paused until mid 2027 in response to ongoing antitrust concerns. The 12 intervening states successfully obtained a restraining order last Monday.

From the Gizmodo article:

Paramount has agreed to a delay of its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery after a group of 12 states sued to stop the $111 billion deal. The states, led by California, brought the lawsuit over antitrust concerns, and Paramount has agreed to close the deal until five days after a potential trial is held or June 1, 2027, whichever comes first, according to a court filing.

Cool article about a great initiative.

If you’re not reading articles frequently from The Japan Times, the paywall shouldn’t kick in.

A suitably summery Godzilla cartoon from Grickle. Available for purchase from the creator at the link to their website.

Titans in a theme park ride set in the Hollow Earth? Sounds cool.

A press release describes it as a “multimedia dark ride,” as well as “the world’s first attraction to integrate Legendary’s Monsterverse into a fully immersive theme park experience,” and it’s joining Lotte World Adventure‘s slate of attractions starting July 24. Here’s an effects-heavy trailer setting the mood but not giving too much actual insight into what to expect.

Wish it were closer than Seoul, South Korea. Perhaps Canada’s Wonderland could add something like this?

This coverage by Variety of the legal challenges to the Paramount-WB merger is intriguing.

Are blockbuster films a separate market? Or are they interchangeable with other forms of entertainment?

The $111 billion Paramount–Warner Bros. merger may hang on that question. On July 13, a coalition of 12 states sued to block the deal, arguing that it will lead to excessive concentration in the theatrical and basic cable markets. The strongest claim may be that the combined entity will control 30% of the market for “anticipated top-grossing films.”

📣 REMINDER: Next The Ark Mastodon watch / rewatch party will this upcoming Saturday, July 11th 3:00 pm EDT (UTC-4).

S1E7 A Slow Death is Worse

S1E8 Every Single Person Matters

I host there from my account @AlsoPaisleyCat@tenforward.social.

We took a hiatus for the US national holiday last week but will be continuing with the first season this Saturday.

Please feel welcome to join in. There’s a groupbot to help boost posts and federate. If you would like to participate or just lurk, please make a follow request to to the fedigroups bot and I will approve.

While the production information in US-based entertainment media have emphasized that the new Apple Cold War 1980s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters spinoff — working title Birdwatcher — will be shooting in Australia or South Pacific locations, it appears that production licences are in place for Prague and surrounding areas in Czechia.

Given the Cold War focus, locations in Eastern Europe make sense. Canadian locations can only stand in for so much of Russia and Kazakhstan (as they did in Monarch). Prague features in many shows needing urban Eastern European locations now that Russian coproductions are not viable.

In the May issue of Location Internationalmagazine, Czech Film Commissioner Pavlína Žipková discusses international productions filming in the country this year, and references the project under the title The American Birdwatcher. 

Stillking Films, one of the Czech Republic’s leading production service companies, has registered the project with the Czech Audiovisual Fund and will coordinate local production activities.

JG Dillard shared this first behind the scenes production photo on Instagram for the new ‘Young Lee Shaw’ Monsterverse Apple spinoff series starring Wyatt Russell.

The working title is ’Birdwatcher’. Production started in mid June.

Just watched the Mainland Chinese movie Per Aspera Ad Astra on Netflix. It’s the summer movie I’ve been wanting.

It had a cinematic release earlier this spring and was released on Netflix June 18th.

While set in space, it’s focused on virtual reality and AI. Some have described as a mix of EEAAO and The Matrix. I’d add in a fair dose of high concept Star Trek too.

It’s a fun ride with a good message. Highly recommend it for sci-fi fans looking for a well executed story with competent problem solving and positive values.

Dylan Wang He Di, Victoria Song Qian and Wang Duo deliver a compelling and action packed tale. While I watched with subtitles because the cast all voiced their own parts in the original Mandarin, the English language dub is reportedly excellent. I found the special effects well done (but would really welcome the views of experts here ).

Here’s the synopsis from Netflix:

An AI system lets people live their dreams during space travel, but when a crisis arises a technician must enter the dreamscape to save the passengers.

And here’s a translation of the original promotion for the movie:\

High school student Zhang Qi Meng, focused on preparing for exams, is pulled out of the examination hall by a stranger named Brother Biao, who breaks through the window. He is then informed of a shocking fact: his world is just a virtual metaverse program. In reality, Qi Meng is an astronaut in hibernation, and at this moment, disaster is rapidly approaching their spaceship...

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For those not aware a ‘Godzilla El Niño’ is forecast for Africa in the coming months.

It’s a serious threat to the well-being of the population on the continent. Seems worthy of the name.

Severe damage to agriculture and infrastructure is expected across large parts of the continent, and Africa has just a few months to prepare.

Both droughts and floods may cause “severe” exacerbation of food insecurity, says Rainer, who notes that some of the worst affected areas are also grappling with the effects of conflict. “In the worst case, drought can mean a complete loss of the harvest including the seeds for the next season, especially if non-adapted varieties, for example of maize, are grown.”

Climate models suggest Africa has just a few months to prepare for the short-term impacts.

This cash-crop industry perspective from a coffee industry publication definitely is doing its bit to serve its clientele.

Given the overlap between OG The Magic School Bus and science fiction / genre fans, this project from Legendary Entertainment to bring the show to the big screen in live action may be of interest.

Given the quality of Legendary’s Dune and Monsterverse productions, there’s reason to believe that it will be a cut above many other legacy IP adaptations.