China’s ambassador to the UK is confronted with drone footage that appears to show Uighurs being blindfolded and led to trains.
Italian police find cocaine hidden inside coffee beans
The package from Colombia was intercepted by Italian police at Milan Malpensa Airport.
Martin Luther King III: ‘John Lewis was ‘a giant’
Civil rights activist Martin Luther King III speaks about the legacy of John Lewis, who has died at the age of 80.
Coronavirus: ‘When coffins lined the streets of my hometown’
Ecuadorean journalist Blanca Moncada was on the front line of the Covid-19 crisis in her town of Guayaquil.
Animal Crossing’s Roald Just Got A Job At Walmart, Apparently
In another example of the absurdity that comes from brands tweeting like people, Walmart has apparently just offered Animal Crossing: New Horizons villager Roald a job. While the partnership likely would never be approved by Nintendo officially, it’s a sweet moment for fans of this popular little penguin.
The initial tweet came from popular Roald fan account @AC_Roald, featuring the penguin villager kitted out in a Walmart employee’s vest. The official Walmart account soon replied with a picture of Roald’s very own employee name badge, greeting him with his own signature phrase.
Walmart Roald is now canon in the animal crossing lore pic.twitter.com/hqmjvloWPu
— Roald from Animal Crossing (@AC_Roald) July 16, 2020
We’d like to welcome aboard our new b-b-buddy. 👏 pic.twitter.com/vrq0Xijqzb
— Walmart (@Walmart) July 16, 2020
While the Walmart Canada Gaming account seems to interact with AC_Roald fairly often–which is where the image of Roald in a Walmart uniform originated–this looks like the first time the company’s main Twitter account has acknowledged the penguin jock. Though some fans seem to think Roald deserves a better place of employment, others still appreciate the wholesome interaction.
Phantom Thread Director Paul Thomas Anderson Is Gearing Up For His Next Film
Paul Thomas Anderson, the auteur director behind Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, The Master, and Phantom Thread, is moving to MGM for his next film. Deadline is reporting that the director’s next feature is currently having its deal ironed out, with production not yet starting after a COVID-19 related delay.
Anderson’s previous film, Phantom Thread, was distributed by Focus Features on a budget of $35 million. It was nominated for multiple Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, and won for Best Costume Design. The plan was for Focus Features to release the director’s next film, too, but this will no longer be the case.
Deadline reports that the move to MGM is not contentious. Universal, the parent company of Focus Features, will likely still be involved, as they have previously helped with distribution on MGM titles (including upcoming Bond title No Time To Die).
Anderson’s next film does not have a title set yet. It will be set in the San Fernando Valley in the 1970s, and will be about a child actor. Casting has not been announced, and details are pretty vague right now.
Anderson is famous for his collaborations with actors–Daniel Day-Lewis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Joaquin Phoenix have all been acclaimed for the work they’ve done with the director in leading roles. Until 2019’s Uncut Gems, Adam Sandler’s most famously “good” performance was in Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love, a movie that taps into the comedian’s boiling inner turmoil.
Disney’s Frozen Almost Didn’t Have One Of Its Most Famous Songs
One of the most memorable parts of Disney’s 2013 animated movie Frozen is the song, “Do You Want To Build A Snowman?” which would go on to become a bonafide earworm. As it turns out, the song was not originally in the film. Actor Josh Gad, who plays Olaf the snowman in the movie, told PeopleTV that the song was only added after the first test screenings for Frozen came back ice cold.
As Gad tells it, songwriter Robert Lopez told Gad that the movie was a “mess” with its first screenings. Lopez’s idea was to address the problem by adding a new sequence that showcased a “moment where we really see the girls’ affection for each other early on.”
Lopez, who co-wrote “Do You Want To Build A Snowman?” with his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez, came to the producers with the song, and six months later, it was in a new cut of Frozen that was much more well-received.
Moving Out Update 1.2 Adds A New Character, Medals, And Dance Moves For Free
Moving Out, which makes moving house far more fun than it is in real life, has received a major new update that adds free content to the game. Update 1.2 adds a new character, challenges, and dance moves to the game, which is available on Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
The new character, T. Pott, is…well, a tea pot. You can see them in the trailer below, which also showcases some of the other new features–like the incredibly difficult Platinum medals, which you’ll need to be extremely good to unlock.
Other new features include additional dance moves, a “Disco Detector” that sends down a disco ball whenever all players are dancing at once, and improved visibility for your best times.
The complete list of changes is below.
Nintendo Direct Mini Event Slated For July 20, Here’s What To Expect
The next Nintendo Direct event has been announced, but this one is a little different. The first-ever Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase is slated for Monday, July 20, at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET.
The Partner Showcase is a new series “focused on titles from our development and publishing partners.” In the debut episode, Nintendo will share “a few updates” on Nintendo Switch games that have already been announced, so do not expect any new game reveals at this show.
On 7/20 we’ll debut the first #NintendoDirect Mini: Partner Showcase, a series focused on titles from our development & publishing partners. We’ll share a few updates on a small group of previously-announced #NintendoSwitch games. Check out the full video release at 7am PT. pic.twitter.com/GbEbxVL6fD
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) July 20, 2020
The broadcast will be streamed on YouTube, and you can watch it right here at GameSpot. It will be about 10 minutes long, according to Nintendo Japan.
Australia Is Putting Up $280 Million To Attract Hollywood Productions
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a new Location Incentive program, with $280 million in cash grants intended to attract big international productions to film down under, Variety reports. The new program has been added in addition to Australia’s Location Offset program, which provides tax rebates for productions and post-work carried out in the country.
The new program follows $175 million that was announced for Australian arts and entertainment industries last month, as both struggle to recover from the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Around $34 million of that will go towards insurance guarantees for the TV and film industries, enabling productions to restart after COVID-19.
The Australian government is no doubt hoping to capitalise on Australia’s low rates of coronavirus, while other production hubs in the US and UK are still virus hotspots. However a recent outbreak in Melbourne resulting in extended lockdowns and closed borders proves the threat is still very much present.