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    “Trolls World Tour” scores record digital debut

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1286 Views
    This image released by DreamWorks Animation shows characters Poppy, voiced by Anna Kendrick, left, and and Branch, voiced by Justin Timberlake in a scene from the animated film "Trolls World Tour." (DreamWorks Animation via AP)
    LOS ANGELES (AP) --

    "Trolls World Tour" became the biggest digital debut of all time this weekend, Universal Pictures said Monday. 

    The animated sequel featuring the voices of Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick was No. 1 on all the major platforms, including Apple, Amazon and Comcast. FandangoNow also said the release of "Trolls World Tour" helped the service have its best weekend ever. It was also its most preordered film ever.

    "Trolls World Tour" was the first film from a major studio to debut on digital platforms on the same date as its theatrical release due to the coronavirus pandemic. It also played in 21 drive-in theaters over the weekend that have remained open. 

    Most traditional theaters have closed indefinitely, forcing studios to push planned releases back a number of months. Many films that had already hit theaters, including Universal titles like "The Hunt" and "Emma," are now available for digital purchase or rental. 

    "Trolls World Tour" was an outlier, however, in keeping its release date. Specific numbers were not provided. 

    Tags:coronavirusTrolls World TourUniversal Pictures



    Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)

    Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.

    Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.

    "We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.

    Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.

    His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.

    Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.

    "Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More

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