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Bloom Energy says it has an expanded remit from Oracle to provide the energy for its US datacenter buildout plans with up to 2.8 GW of fuel cell systems.…
Sony’s Tom Rothman Slams Theaters for Endless Pre-Show Ads
Tom Rothman, Chairman of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, has a notoriously big mouth when it comes to riling up theater owners at CinemaCon. The outspoken executive is a passionate defender of the movie-going experience, unafraid to call out its many percieved enemies. You may recall one of his more notorious retorts from 2017, “Netflix, my ass.” At this year’s CinemaCon, Rothman turned his attention toward theater operators, slamming them for long pre shows and expensive ticket pricing. Sony Animation
“What I’m about to say, I say as a lifelong defender of movie theaters. But I urge you all now to make some hard choices for the long term rather than the short-term health of your business,” said Rothman. “Now is your own Olympic moment with three immediate goals.”
Rothman began by urging the enforcement of longer theatrical windows. Once the clapping died down for that one, he addressed a far bigger annoyance: lengthy ad breaks and pre-shows. As I’m sure anyone who frequents the theater knows, preshows last close to thirty minutes nowadays. That’s as a result of sandwiching ads into the previews. Trailers are a vital part of the movie-going experience, and even I can agree that the amount of ads has gotten a little out of hand.
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GODZILLA MINUS ZERO Stomps CinemaCon With Its First Teaser“Get off the ad crack,” Rothman put bluntly. “Infrequent moviegoers come at the showtime and hate being forced to watch endless commercials, which they don’t have to do at home where the movies are free.”
His final concern is rising ticket prices. “Affordability is by far the number one economic issue along the majority of Americans. Going to the movies must be more affordable again. I know business has been tough. I’m not heckling; I’m rooting for you because many of you have made wonderful investments in upgrading your theaters.”
Sony/Marvel StudiosAccording to Rothman, this couldn’t be a more perfect time to strengthen the movie-going experience. The 2026 box office is looking to be among the best in years. With that, Rothman stepped down from his proverbial soapbox.
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Hollywood A-Listers Release Open Letter Opposing Paramount-Warner Merger
It’s been headline after nauseating headline about Paramount Skydance’s megadeal to acquire Warner Brothers Discovery. You’ve heard about it. I’ve heard about it. We’ve all heard about it. It all became official after Netflix dropped out of the hostile bidding race earlier this year, giving Skydance free rein. To put it mildly, Hollywood isn’t happy about the acquisition. On Monday, April 13, more than one thousand A-List names tossed an open letter expressing their “unequivocal opposition.” Attached to that letter include bold-faced names such as Bryan Cranston, J.J. Abrams, Glenn Close, and several others. Paramount has since responded, claiming the merger will give creatives more avenues for their work. Paramount/Warner Bros. Discovery
The open letter was released by an alliance of groups, including Norm Eisen’s Democracy Defenders Fund and Jane Fonda’s Committee for the First Amendment. A throng of actors, directors, producer, and other creatives can be found on the list of signatories. Some A-List examples include Jason Bateman, Ben Stiller, Pedro Pascal, Rose Byrne, Denis Villeneuve, and Yorgos Lanthimos.
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Warner Bros. and Paramount Keep Bickering Over Billions“This transaction would further consolidate an already concentrated media landscape, reducing competition at a moment when our industries, and the audiences we serve, can least afford it,” the letter reads. “The result will be fewer opportunities for creators, fewer jobs across the production ecosystem, higher costs, and less choice for audiences in the United States and around the world. Alarmingly, this merger would reduce the number of major U.S. film studios to just four.”
“We are deeply concerned by indications of support for this merger that prioritize the interests of a small group of powerful stakeholders over the broader public good. The integrity, independence, and diversity of our industry would be grievously compromised.”
In addition, some individuals spoke out on social media. Damon Lindelof shared his complicated thoughts in an Instagram post.
How Did Paramount Respond?Shortly following the letter, Paramount spoke up to address the situation. Below is an exerpt of the company statement. You can read the full statement in an article on Deadline.
“This transaction uniquely brings together complementary strengths to create a company that can greenlight more projects, back bold ideas, support talent across multiple stages of their careers, and bring stories to audiences at a truly global scale—while strengthening competition by ensuring multiple scaled players are investing in creative talent.
We have been clear in our commitments to do just that: increasing output to a minimum of 30 high-quality feature films annually with full theatrical releases, continuing to license content, and preserving iconic brands with independent creative leadership —ensuring creators have more avenues for their work, not fewer.” – Paramount Skydance
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HBO Max and Paramount+ to Merge Into ONE Streaming Platform Warner Bros.Sorry Paramount, but no amount of talking is going to make people who’ve made up their minds see things any differently. Media consolidation is, by any stretch of the term, bad. We need competition. We need varying viewpoints. Monopolies simply do more harm than good. Hollywood isn’t afraid to speak out, and this letter is proof of that. You can read the open letter in its entirety here.
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HOKUM Trailer Is a Haunting Horror Tale
Horror fans rejoice! There’s a new trailer for Hokum, the haunted house thriller from Neon that will hit theaters on May 1. We’ve seen a few looks at this very creepy flick, but star Adam Scott himself made a special appearance during NEON’s presentation at CinemaCon 2026 to debut a new trailer for those in the audience. And yes, Nerdist is one of the lucky ones to get a peek at this new Hokum trailer. Hopefully, it will hit the internet soon!NEON
He says making the film was incredible and that there are moments that will stay with you long after leaving the theater. We get into the crux of the film’s folklore about a witch that lived a long time ago. Scott’s character is basically in a hotel from hell but doesn’t buy into any of the whispers and rumors about its hauntings. Always, always listen to those around you, especially if you’re in a very weird looking abode that’s far from the city.
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Adam Scott Gets Terrified in HOKUM TrailerThat obviously doesn’t work in his favor and, well, we get some pretty frightening images of what he will face. We cannot wait to see what truly unfolds when Hokum hits theaters.
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