We’ve known there was a reboot coming of 1990s sci-fi cult hit Babylon 5 for a while now, but we didn’t have any concrete details until today. Original series creator J. Michael Straczynski just announced that it’s an animated feature length film developed by Warner Bros. Animation.

Straczynski is quiet regarding plot details but did say that the movie is “classic B5” with a “raucous, heartfelt” story, going on to suggest that the cartoon feature is “the most B5-ish” project since the original series bowed out in 1998. He also said that the movie is completely finished and just awaiting release. In other words, it’ll likely be a matter of months, not years, before mega-fans get their eyeballs on this one.

To that end, the writer said that the official movie title, release date and other details will drop next week. If the film is “in the can”, as Straczynski says, here’s hoping we also get a trailer or at least some animation stills with that release date announcement. It’s still unknown which original series actors, if any, will reprise their roles for the film.

Babylon 5 was originally on the air for five seasons, which was followed up by five made-for-TV movies (the last one aired in 2002). The show has long-been praised for its commitment to hard sci-fi and revolving crew of motley characters, netting two Hugo Awards and a Saturn Award during its run. It’s primarily set on the titular space station, calling to mind rival sci-fi epic Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. There’s some discussion as to which series came first, as DS9 aired a full year before Babylon 5, but B5 was first to production. In recent years, series creator Straczynski has been heavily involved with shows like Sense8 and plenty of high-profile comic books.

Praise, Shaï-Hulud. Warner Bros. has shared the first trailer for Dune: Part Two, and if you were a fan of Denis Villeneuve's adaption of the first half of Frank Herbert's seminal sci-fi novel, let's just say Part Two looks like it will be even better. The teaser opens with Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and Chani (Zendaya) talking about the future of Arrakis. "Where you see sand here, imagine water. If you dive in, you can't reach the bottom," Paul tells an incredulous Chani. 

Following that exchange, the trailer offers us our first look at Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan. Her character didn't make an appearance in Dune: Part One, but judging from the clip, Irulan will at least narrate some of the story, a change that could bring the movie closer to Herbert's 1965 novel. Another critical character that wasn't in Part One but makes an appearance in the trailer is Feyd-Rautha, played here by Austin Butler. Dune: Part Two will arrive in theaters on November 3rd. Unlike the first film, Warner Bros does not plan to simultaneously release Part Two to the soon-to-be-renamed HBO Max.

Yet more senators are trying to resurrect legislation aimed at protecting kids' online privacy. Senators Bill Cassidy and Ed Markey have reintroduced a "COPPA 2.0" (Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act) bill that would expand and revise the 1998 law to deal with the modern internet, particularly social media.

COPPA 2.0 would bar companies from gathering personal data from teens aged 13 to 16 without their consent. It would ban all targeted advertising to children and teens, and create a "bill of rights" that limits personal info gathering for marketing purposes. The measure would also require a button to let kids and parents delete personal data when it's "technologically feasible."

The sequel potentially makes it easier to take action in the first place. Where COPPA requires direct knowledge that companies are collecting data from kids under 13, 2.0 would cover apps and services that are "reasonably likely" to have children as users. The Federal Trade Commission, meanwhile, would have to establish a division committed to regulating youth marketing and privacy.

Cassidy and Markey portray the bill as necessary to tackle a "mental health crisis" where tech giants allegedly play a role. The politicians argue that social networks amplify teens' negative feelings, pointing to Facebook's own research as evidence.

Social networks have tried to clamp down on misuses of child data. Meta's Facebook and Instagram have limited ad targeting for teens, for instance. However, there have also been concerns that online platforms haven't gone far enough. On top of earlier calls for bans on ad targeting, states like Arkansas and Utah have already passed laws respectively requiring age verification and parental permission for social media. Another Senate bill, the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, would require parents' approval across the US.

Whether or not COPPA 2.0 makes it to the President's desk for signature isn't clear. The first attempt got stuck in committee ahead of the current Congress session. It also comes right as other senators are making attempts to revive the EARN IT Act (aimed at curbing child sexual abuse material) and the Kids Online Safety Act (meant to fight toxic online content as a whole). All three reintroductions are bipartisan, but they'll need considerably stronger support in the Senate, plus successful equivalents in the House, to become law.

Xbox has officially confirmed a summer games showcase for June 11th. The event will be livestreamed at 1:00PM Eastern and will feature “some new surprises” and “first-looks” from internal development studios. Expect to see plenty of reveals for upcoming Xbox, PC and Game Pass titles.

This is a double feature, however, so grab the popcorn and stick around after the first showcase for a deep dive into the forthcoming sci-fi epic Starfield. The Bethesda-developed RPG was delayed from last year until September, so the gameplay footage should be polished to perfection. The officially-named Starfield Direct (don’t tell Nintendo) promises “tons of new gameplay, developer interviews and behind-the-scenes insider information.”

There’s also a follow-up stream, like last year, called Xbox Games Showcase Extended. Tune in on June 13th at 1:00PM Eastern for more game updates, interviews and news. All of these streams are available via Xbox’s official social media accounts, like Twitch, YouTube and Facebook. Xbox says all content will be presented in over 30 languages, including American Sign Language.

The console manufacturer is also organizing a number of in-person FanFest events to watch the streams with other people. These little soirees are set for Los Angeles, Mexico City, São Paulo, Melbourne and Warsaw.

E3 was canceled this year so here’s to hoping we get some big juicy reveals to take the sting out. Xbox needs some major buzz to offset a recent decline in console sales and it looks like the lukewarm reception to vampire shooter Redfall isn’t gonna do it.

Apple and Google have announced a partnership to tackle unwanted tracking through the likes of AirTags and Tile devices. The companies have proposed industry standards "to help combat the misuse of Bluetooth location-tracking devices for unwanted tracking."

Apple and Google submitted the draft specification to the Internet Engineering Task Force, a notable standards development organization. Over the next three months, interested parties will review the documentation and weigh in on it. Beyond Apple and Google, the proposal has received backing from Samsung, Tile, Chipolo, Anker's Eufy brand, Pebblebee, and several safety and advocacy groups.

– Mat Smith

The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

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No Pornhub for Utah

The company behind Pornhub is challenging age verification laws.

Utah's age verification law, which targets publishers distributing material deemed to be "harmful to minors on the internet," has gone into effect. As a response, MindGeek, parent company to multiple adult sites, has blocked everyone in the state from accessing its websites, including Pornhub. As Motherboard reports, if somebody with a Utah IP address accesses Pornhub, they'll now get a video of adult performer Cherie DeVille. In it, DeVille explains the company believes requiring users to submit their government IDs isn't the most effective solution to protecting its users and could even put their privacy at risk.

Continue reading.

Watch the first ‘Gran Turismo’ movie trailer

‘Days of Thunder’ meets ‘War Games’ meets a tired-looking Orlando Bloom.

Sony

If you like cars and Gran Turismo, this might be the movie for you. This is not your standard video game adaptation – it’s pretty much grounded in reality and a world obsessed with the racing sim. Even weirder? This is all based on a true story. Even weirder again? It features Geri Halliwell Horner, AKA Ginger Spice. Now you’re going to watch it out of morbid curiosity, aren’t you?

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Hollywood writers are officially on strike

Streaming services have led to a "gig economy" for writers, the union said.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has called for a strike starting today, largely over streaming productions, saying studios are effectively creating a "gig economy" within the union. On the other side of the table, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) said the WGA was "unwilling" to compromise on key issues, like mandatory staffing. We’ll feel the effects of the breakdown in negotiations immediately, with talk shows like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel Live! already shutting down. The strike will also freeze film and TV production, affecting hubs like Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta.

Continue reading.

Ford's upgraded Mustang Mach-E offers more range at a lower price

More importantly, there's actually a chance you can buy one.

The crossover SUV's starting price has dropped $3,000 to $42,995 (before a $3,750 federal tax credit) for an RWD Standard Range trim, with a matching price cut for its $45,995 all-wheel drive (AWD) counterpart. Ford says it’s also scaling up Mustang Mach-E production for the second half of the year to help better meet demand.

Continue reading.

Twitter owner Elon Musk has reportedly emailed an NPR reporter to ask if the organization is returning to the website and to suggest that the company could reassign its account if it doesn't. According to NPR, Musk sent one of its reporters an unprompted email that reads: "So is NPR going to start posting on Twitter again, or should we reassign @NPR to another company?" If you'll recall, the organization quit Twitter in April after being labeled as a "state-affiliated media," along with state-run outlets, such as China's Xinhua News Agency and Russia's RT.

Before NPR decided to ditch Twitter altogether, the social network changed the label to "government-funded media" after being called out. However, NPR said the updated label is still "inaccurate and misleading," as it's "a private, nonprofit company with editorial independence." The label also prompted PBS to leave the website. Twitter ultimately decided to remove the "government-funded media" label entirely, even from state-run outlets, but neither NPR nor PBS has returned to the website.

Musk's surprise email turned into an exchange with the executive, wherein he reportedly wrote in one of his responses: "NPR isn't tagged as government-funded anymore, so what's the beef?" And when asked who would be taking over the NPR account on Twitter, he replied: "National Pumpkin Radio," along with a couple of emoji. We reached out Twitter for a statement, but the company doesn't have a communications team anymore. 

Under Twitter's policy, the company said that users can simply log in once every 30 days to keep their account active. Further, it said that accounts may be permanently removed due to inactivity, but it "cannot release inactive usernames at this time." It encourages people to find a variation if the username they want is "used by an account that seems inactive." However, NPR said that in their email exchange, Musk told the organization that Twitter's "policy is to recycle handles that are definitively dormant." He apparently added: "Same policy applies to all accounts. No special treatment for NPR." It's unclear if Twitter intends to update its official policy page for inactive accounts with that information, and if it will implement safeguards to protect former users from impersonation. 

Ever since taking the pandemic-soaked world by storm in 2020, the unique battle royale platformer Fall Guyshas added new gameplay elements and released on new platforms. Now, the developers are throwing a full-blown level editor into the mix.

Fall Guys Creativelaunches on May 10th and is part of Season 4 of the viral multiplayer title. The level editor lets you create legitimate multiplayer courses (called Rounds) using a wide variety of iconic items, enemies and obstacles. Developer Mediatonic encourages players to use the tools to “finally design the Round of your dreams”.

Once you make a level and test it out, you can share it with friends via a private lobby or share it on a larger scale with the entire community. The developer says they will also curate lists of its favorite player-designed levels to boost their popularity, housing them in a Playlists tab within the Show Selector.

To show off what’s possible with these creation tools, Mediatonic is dropping over 50 new Rounds designed by professional creators but using the toolkit available to regular players. This seems similar to how Super Mario Maker 2 handled things with all of its many tutorial levels. You’ll get 20 levels on May 10th, with the remainder releasing at various points throughout the season.

Season 4 is not just about the level editor, though that’s the primary new feature. Players will also find plenty of new costumes, like a neat-looking low polygon outfit, and new items at the store. Mediatonic is also teasing future collaborations, but has not offered any details. This likely refers to new branded costumes. The title has already featured costumes inspired by Sonic the Hedgehog, Doom, Ghost of Tsushima and other iconic titles.

Five months after Marvel's Midnight Sunsarrived on PC, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5, the game will at last land on last-gen consoles. Firaxis' turn-based RPG will hit Xbox One and PS4 on May 11th.

There's a disappointing update for those who've been waiting for Marvel's Midnight Suns to come to Nintendo Switch, however. That version is "no longer planned," according to a post on the game's website. In other words, Firaxis and publisher 2K have canceled the Switch port.

That may not be a huge surprise, given the extra time that Firaxis already needed to get the PS4 and Xbox One versions ready. Both of those consoles are considerably more powerful than the Switch and it may be the case that the extra work required to get the game running on Nintendo's console ultimately wasn't worthwhile. After all, despite strong reviews, the game was a "commercial flop," according to Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick.

On a positive note, the Xbox One and PS4 versions will drop on the same day as the game's fourth expansion. Marvel's Midnight Suns: Blood Storm will add Storm as a playable character and introduce new missions to the ongoing vampyre storyline. All of the DLC installments will be available to PS4 and Xbox One players out of the gate, enabling them to add the likes of Deadpool, Venom and Morbius to their hero rosters.

Now that The Super Mario Bros. Movie is finally (almost) done racking up coins, it’s time for another video game adaptation to head into theaters. Sony’s Gran Turismo film, highlighting the esteemed racing sim, has set a release date for August 11th and dropped a first-look trailer to prove it.

According to the trailer, this is not your standard video game adaptation. It doesn’t seek to adapt the “story” of Gran Turismo, but is rather set in a world obsessed with the racing sim. There's a tournament to find the best virtual racer out there (shades of The Wizard) and the winners get to race in real life (shades of The Last Starfighter).

Even weirder? This is all based on a true story. The film follows current professional racer Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe), who actually was a teenage Gran Turismo obsessive. He really did win competitions and even managed to parlay that into an actual career. David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Djimon Hounsou and Geri Halliwell round out the cast.

This might be an odd choice for a video game movie plot, but it’s not as if the Gran Turismo series has a deep well of lore to pull from. The film is directed by Neill Blomkamp, who made District 9 and Elysium, so this is at least worth keeping an eye on. In any event, August is just around the corner, so we don’t have long to wait.

If you like your fake racing with a bit more clown-based hyper-violence, Peacock just dropped a trailer for a Twisted Metal adaptation.

LinkedIn is experimenting with a new generative AI feature for job hunters. The company is testing a new feature that will generate brief, cover letter-like messages candidates can send to hiring managers on the platform. The feature is starting to roll out now for the site's premium subscribers.

With the update, users will see the option to “Let AI draft a message to the hiring team” alongside open roles on the platform’s jobs page. The feature draws on “information from your profile, the hiring manager’s profile, the job description, and the company of interest” to create a “highly personalized” message, according to the company.

LinkedIn

In the example provided by LinkedIn, the message reads like the opening few sentences of a cover letter. However, the AI-written message users see will likely vary based on how much information is in your LinkedIn profile. The company notes that “customization is still important,” and that users should double check and edit the text before sending it.

LinkedIn, which is owned by OpenAI partner Microsoft, has experimented with other generative AI features. The platform added AI writing suggestions to profiles, and “collaborative articles” which also make use of AI-written text.