Box Office: 10 Reasons Why ‘World of Warcraft’ Opened Big in China- Beating ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’
Fantasy video game adaptation Warcraft tore up several chapters of the record books in China as it debuted with a stellar opening weekend of $156 million in the Middle Kingdom. The mega-wide release last Wednesday – on 67% of China’s 39,000 screens – was the culmination of an unprecedented combination of marketing, corporate investment and ‘big data.’ (VAR)
Tony Awards: Watch as James Corden Stands Up for Love After Orlando Shooting- “Hate Will Never Win”
The awards show said earlier on Sunday that it was dedicating that evening’s ceremony from New York’s Beacon Theatre to the victims of the massacre at Pulse nightclub, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. (THR)
Tony Awards: The 5 Biggest Snubs & Shockers
In a 2015-16 season in which the top winner at the Tony Awards, Hamilton, had been a foregone conclusion since the musical opened last summer, the biggest uncertainty of the Tony telecast was how Broadway would sensitively acknowledge the recent shootings in Orlando while also going on with the show. Here are five of the evening’s biggest snubs and surprises. (VAR)
Microsoft is Buying Linkedin for $26.2 Billion, But the Question is Why?
Microsoft just surprised the world with its LinkedIn acquisition. Valued at $26.2 billion, it’s a huge price to pay for a social network, and it tops the charts as Microsoft’s biggest-ever acquisition. While many are surprised at the cash figure, the question on everyone’s lips is, why does Microsoft want LinkedIn? (VRG)
Netflix Snags ‘The Discovery’ Starring Rooney Mara, Robert Redford and Jason Segel
SVOD giant Netflix has acquired global rights to Charlie McDowell’s The Discovery, starring Rooney Mara, Robert Redford and Jason Segel. The Discovery is a sci-fi story set two years after the discovery of an afterlife that has been scientifically proven where millions of people have taken their own lives in order to start over. (DL)
James Cameron Dives in with NatGeo to Produce ‘Search for Atlantis’ Documentary
James Cameron is re-teaming with National Geographic Channel to executive produce Search for Atlantis, an expedition documentary about the Atlantis myth. Cameron has been part of other exploration docs, like the Ghosts of the Abyss, about the making of the Titanic. (THR)
Netflix Greenlights BFF Series ‘Big Mouth’ From Real-Life BFFs Nick Kroll & Andrew Goldberg
Netflix has greenlit Big Mouth, an animated series from Nick Kroll with a 10-episode order, Variety has learned. The 30-minute “edgy, surreal animated comedy” about the teenage adventures in puberty hails from Kroll and his real-life best friend Andrew Goldberg, a writer/producer on Family Guy. (VAR)
CBS Taps Jim Lanzone to be the Chief Digital Officer as Interactive Audience Doubles
CBS Interactive CEO Jim Lanzone will now also be the Chief Digital Officer, a newly created job that reports to CEO Les Moonves. CBS Interactive’s audience has more than doubled since he joined as president in 2011, following the company’s acquisition of Clicker Media which Lanzone co-founded. (DL)
TNT & TBS to Search for Buried Treasure in the Online Community Wattpad with New Deal
Wattpad is partnering with Turner, owner of TV networks like TBS and TNT, to give its writers the opportunity to have their stories adapted for Turner’s networks. The initial focus of the partnership will be on the upcoming Tales from the Crypt show, a horror anthology airing on Turner’s TNT and featuring executive producer M. Night Shyamalan. (BK)
Trailer Buzz: ‘Moana’
Disney has released the first trailer for its upcoming animated movie, which focuses on the first Polynesian princess, Moana. The film stars Dwayne Johnson as the demi-god Maui and newcomer Auli’i Cravahlo as the titular character, Moana. (PYG)