February, 2024 | CompuScoop.com

Apple TV+ sci-fi series ‘Foundation’ season 3 filming delayed

CompuScoop Staff February 9, 2024 1

The ambitious Apple TV+ sci-fi series “Foundation,” based on the award-winning novels by Isaac Asimov, chronicles a band of exiles on their monumental journey to save humanity and rebuild civilization amid the fall of the Galactic Empire. But, the production of season 3 has been beset with problems.

ssues with budgeting and physical production/ prompted the delay of filming in Prague and Poland, which had been scheduled to begin this month, sources tell Deadline. Cast and crew who had already convened for the shoot were told to return home while production issues are sorted out, with the budget brought down. No new start date has been set.

This is the second time Season 3 production has been paused on the series that stars Jared Harris and Lee Pace… According to sources, the sci-fi drama filmed for several weeks in spring 2023 before shutting down due to the strike. About a third of Foundation’s third season is in the can, sources said.

Via: Deadline.com

Disney+ will start password sharing crackdown in summer, 2024

CompuScoop Staff February 8, 2024 0

Disney’s password-sharing crackdown will officially begin this summer. During an earnings call on Wednesday, Disney chief financial officer Hugh Johnston said Disney Plus accounts “suspected of improper sharing” will see an option to sign up for their own subscription.

Disney will also start letting account holders add people outside their household for an “additional fee” — but it didn’t say how much that will cost. “We want to reach as large an audience as possible with our outstanding content,” Johnston said. “We’re looking forward to rolling out this new functionality to improve the overall customer experience and grow our subscriber base.”

This year, both Disney Plus and Hulu have updated their terms of service to ban users from sharing their subscriptions with people outside their households. The new terms started applying to new subscribers on January 25th, but it’s coming for existing members on March 14th. Netflix already rolled out a similar version of paid sharing last year, costing subscribers an extra $7.99 per month to add a person located outside their home.

“Paid sharing is an opportunity for us,” Johnston added. “It’s one that our competitor is obviously taking advantage of, and one that sits in front of us ... We’ve got some very specific actions that we’re taking in the next couple of months.”

This comes as Disney Plus plans to launch a one-app experience with Hulu in March after releasing it in beta last year. The company’s earnings report also revealed that Disney Plus lost 1.3 million subscribers in the US and Canada following last year’s price hikes, while Hulu added 1.2 million members.

On Tuesday, Disney-owned ESPN revealed plans to launch a new live sports streaming service in partnership with Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery. The not-yet-named service will launch this fall and will also be available to Disney Plus bundle subscribers with Hulu and ESPN Plus. The news of the service even comes as Disney plans to launch a direct-to-consumer version of ESPN in August 2025, reflecting a shift away from pay TV amid a declining viewershipand shrinking ad market.

Disney invests $1.5B in Epic Games

CompuScoop Staff February 8, 2024 4

Entertainment conglomerate Disney has announced plans to invest $1.5 billion for an "equity stake" in gaming conglomerate Epic Games. The financial partnership will also see both companies "collaborate on an all-new games and entertainment universe that will further expand the reach of beloved Disney stories and experiences," according to a press release issued late Wednesday.

A short teaser trailer announcing the partnership promises that "a new Universe will emerge," allowing players to "play, watch, create, [and] shop" while "discover[ing] a place where magic is Epic."

Via: ARS Technica