Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT)ย is developing a live-action feature film with Sony Pictures Entertainment and Escape Artists based on the companyโs timeless 3-D image View-Master toy.
View-Master has entertained children and adults since its introduction in 1939. The stereoscopic viewing device has been a popular childhood staple for generations and has taken its fans all over the world with its 3-D image reels, creating worlds of imagination and storytelling for every adventure seeker at heart.
โView-Master has inspired generations to embark on boundless adventures, offering a treasure trove of storytelling possibilities for this film,โ said two-time Oscar nominee Robbie Brenner, president of Mattel Films. โWeโre thrilled to work with Sony Pictures Entertainment and Escape Artistsโ Todd Black to bring this Mattel franchise to life. Their creative and filmmaking expertise sets the stage to introduce a modern take on this beloved toy to audiences everywhere.โ
โView-Master has long been a window to the wonders of the world, sparking imagination in kids and adults alike,โ said Todd Black, producer for Escape Artists. โTeaming up with Robbie Brenner and Mattel Films gives us the chance to honor that legacy while creating an entirely new adventure for todayโs audience. We canโt wait to bring this treasured toyโs sense of exploration to the big screen.โ
Mattel is also collaborating with Escape Artists to produce the upcomingย Masters of the Universeย live-action feature film based on the iconic Mattel franchise.
Overseeing the four-quadrant family adventure film are Kevin McKeon and Arturo Thur de Koรณs for Mattel Films. Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch and Tony Shaw of Escape Artists (The Pursuit of Happyness,ย Fences) are set to produce.
Mattel Films’ vision is to collaborate with leading filmmakers to make standout quality movies based on Mattelโs iconic brands that will resonate in culture and appeal to global audiences.
Judge delays order in antitrust case requiring Google to open up its app store
A federal judge on Friday delayed an order requiring Google to open up its Android app store to more competition until an appeals court decides whether to block the shake-up because of legal questions surrounding a jury's verdict that branded Google as an illegal monopolist.
The delay granted during a court hearing in San Francisco comes less than two weeks after U.S. District Judge James Donato issued a decision that would have forced Google to make sweeping changes to its Play Store for Android smartphones starting Nov. 1.
The mandated changes included a provision that would have required Google to make its library of more than 2 million Android apps available to any rivals that wanted access to the inventory and also distribute the alternative options in its own Play Store.
Google requested Donato's order be stayed until the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals could examine the handling of a month-long trial that led to the December 2023 verdict, which framed the Play Store as an illegal monopoly that stifles innovation and drives up consumer prices.
In Friday's hearing, Donato scoffed at the notion that Google could succeed in overturning the trial verdict. "The verdict in this case was amply supported by a mountain of evidence about Google's anti-competitive conduct," the judge said.
But he decided the Ninth Circuit should be given a chance to consider a postponement until a panel of judges can decide can consider Google's appeal of the 2023 trial focused on antitrust claims lodged by video game maker Epic Games.
Donato said he wouldn't be surprised if the Ninth Circuit imposes an even longer delay on his ruling, "but that is for someone else to decide."
In a statement, Google said it was pleased Donato hit the... Read More