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    Zemeckis’ “The Witches” heads to HBO Max for Halloween

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1239 Views
    This image released by Warner Bros. Entertainment shows Anne Hathaway, center, and Stanley Tucci in a scene from “Roald Dahl’s The Witches," making its U.S. premiere on HBO Max on October 22. (Warner Bros. Entertainment via AP)

    By Lindsey Bahr, AP Film Writer

    --

    The Robert Zemeckis adaptation of "Roald Dahl's The Witches" has found a new home on HBO Max this month just in time for Halloween. 

    Warner Bros. said Friday that "The Witches" will debut on the subscription streaming service, owned by parent company WarnerMedia, on Oct. 22. 

    The dark fantasy starring Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci and Kristin Chenoweth was originally intended as a theatrical release, but like many others was unset due to the effects of COVID-19 on movie theaters. 

    Dahl's 1983 novel about an orphaned boy who discovers a coven of witches that hate children was previously adapted for the big screen in 1990 by director Nicolas Roeg. It starred Angelica Huston, Mai Zetterling and Rowan Atkinson and was a box office flop, despite its critical acclaim. 

    This new version has actor Jahzir Bruno playing the boy who must try to stop the witches from turning the world's children into mice. Chris Rock provides his adult narration.

    Tags:HBO MaxRoald Dahl's The WitchesRobert Zemeckis



    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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