A Galaxy Quest series is reportedly under development for Paramount+. A new show based on the 1999 cult-classic film — a spoof of Star Trek and its fandom — will land on the streaming home of five original Trek series, according toThe Hollywood Reporter.

The sci-fi comedy followed a cast of washed-up actors making a meager living from the convention circuit after their television series — also called Galaxy Quest — was canceled. The plot involves aliens who picked up transmissions of the show from Earth, believing it to be a real-life documentary. The socially awkward extraterrestrials, gelatinous creates who take on humanoid forms, seek the actors’ leadership as their planet faces extinction. The cast eventually finds itself transported to outer space, where they reluctantly face the threat and eventually learn to live up to their TV personas. Galaxy Quest was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $90 million at the box office and gaining cult-classic status.

Paramount

If the series brings back the film’s original cast, it will have to make do without star Alan Rickman, who died of cancer in 2016. In addition to his scene-stealing turn as Alexander Dane, the movie starred Tim Allen as narcissistic William Shatner equivalent Jason Nesmith, Sigourney Weaver as Gwen DeMarco, Tony Shalhoub as Fred Kawn, Daryl Mitchell as Tommy Webber and Sam Rockwell as Guy Fleegman (a spoof of Star Trek’s expendable “redshirts”).

The new Paramount+ series is in its “early development stages.” Mark Johnson, an executive producer of the movie, returns for the upcoming series. No casting or writing decisions have been reported. Paramount TV Studios will develop the film for its streaming counterpart.

The upcoming series isn’t the first attempt to revive the IP. It was reported in 2021 that Simon Pegg and Succession writer Georgia Pritchett were helming a new series; it’s unclear whether the new project includes them. Before that, in 2015, an adaptation with the original cast was also under development. However, that one never advanced beyond the development stage after Rickman’s death and scheduling conflicts with Allen. In a 2016 interview, Rockwell told the Hollywood Reporter, “We were ready to sign up, and [then] Alan Rickman passed away and Tim Allen wasn’t available — he has [Last Man Standing] — and everybody’s schedule was all weird. It was going to shoot, like, right now. And how do you fill that void of Alan Rickman? That’s a hard void to fill.”

No matter how you feel about it, Star Trek: Picardis a bonafide hit so you know what that means: more Star Trek. Paramount+ is finally making the long-rumored Section 31 project, starring recent Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh. However, this is not a TV show, as previously surmised, but a feature-length movie.

A Yeoh-led Star Trek: Section 31 has been in development since 2019, transitioning from a series to an “event film” with this latest announcement, according to Variety. Production starts later this year, led by writer Craig Sweeny and frequent Star Trek: Discovery director Olatunde Osunsanmi. Producers include Alex Kurtzman, who is behind every iteration of modern Trek, and Rod Roddenberry, son of franchise creator Gene Roddenberry.

In this film, Yeoh reprises the character of Emperor Philippa Georgiou from Star Trek: Discovery, a sort-of evil, sort-of-lovable dictator from a parallel universe. (It’s a long story.) The official logline says that the movie starts when “Georgiou joins a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets and faces the sins of her past.”

That brings us to the titular Section 31. The shadowy organization was introduced in the beloved 1990s series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as a foil for Starfleet, testing the boundaries of the idealism depicted in the future world of Star Trek. Since then, it has popped up in most modern Trek installments, including the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks and in movies like Star Trek: Into Darkness.

Star Trek: Section 31 joins multiple forthcoming Trek projects, such as that just-announced Starfleet Academy show and upcoming seasons of Star Trek: Prodigy, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Lower Decks. Star Trek: Picard finishes its three-season run this week and Star Trek: Discovery returns for a final season sometime next year. In other news, we only have 40 more years until we make first contact with the Vulcans, so there’s that to look forward to.

YouTube already bans videos that directly promote eating disorders, but now it's clamping down on content that may unintentionally encourage that behavior. To begin with, the service banning videos on eating disorders that feature "imitable" behavior or weight-oriented bullying. The company will also restrict informative and artistic videos containing disorders (such as someone discussing their recovery) to users 18 and older.

You'll also see crisis resource panels for eating disorders in more places. While they already appear in search results in nine countries (including the US, Canada and UK), you'll now see them underneath relevant videos in those areas. Viewers in the US may be encouraged to call or chat with the National Eating Disorder Association in the US.

The new approach will initially be viewable today and reach more people in the weeks ahead. YouTube says this is an "ongoing" effort.

The addition is an acknowledgment that videos can affect people in "different ways," YouTube says. Ideally, this will minimize the chances of helpful video creators inadvertently fostering eating disorders in at-risk viewers.

Whether or not this works as intended is another matter. YouTube's enforcement hasn't always been consistent, and it has occasionally had to reverse policies (such as one limiting profanity in monetized videos) that inadvertently punished certain creators. Gaming and LGBTQ video producers, for instance, have complained that YouTube has demonetized clips that aren't harmful. With that said, the updated policy is focused on limiting access to videos, not removing their money-making potential.

Too often now it seems you'll be watching a movie or show only for the characters' conversations to be muffled by what's happening in the background. Sure, you can pick up the remote and raise the volume, but then everything increases, and eventually subtitles are needed to catch everything. Amazon is attempting to resolve this issue by rolling out a new Prime Video feature called Dialogue Boost, which lets you increase the volume of conversation relative to other sounds. 

It appears pretty easy to use as it lives right in the audio menu with Low to High boost available, depending on what you're looking for. Amazon also claims that Dialogue Boost should benefit anyone who is hard of hearing. 

Amazon

The AI-based technology works by isolating audio and enhancing speech volume in any scenes it determines that the background sound or music may overwhelm the dialogue. Of course, the tool is exclusive to Prime Video and, right now, is only on a select few Amazon-produced titles. You can test it out through any device with Amazon Originals like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Harlem or movies like Being The Ricardos and The Big Sick. Program to program, the details page will let you know whether Dialogue Boost is available. 

Amazon plans to integrate Dialogue Boost across more titles later this year. 

Two weeks ago, Netflix confirmed it would livestream the Love Is Blind season four reunion. But when the time came, first it was delayed, then, after an hour, Netflix pulled the plug. The streaming service soon tweeted an apology and aired the reunion yesterday.

This was only Netflix's second attempt at livestreaming. Its first, Chris Rock's comedy special Selective Outrage, aired live in March. But Netflix edited his material about being hit by Will Smith at the Oscars. Rock got a film name wrong in a punchline when performing live and corrected himself mid-delivery. The streaming service subsequently cut around the hiccup. Netflix also owns the rights to stream the Screen Actors Guild Awards live, next year, which should give it enough time to fix those technical difficulties.

– 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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Google wants you to help listen for fish

Help train a conservation-focused AI model by listening for fish sounds.

Google

Google’s new project, a collaboration with marine biologist Steve Simpson and marine ecologist Mary Shodipo, is training AI to recognize aquatic wildlife sounds, hoping to replenish them and raise awareness of the ocean’s troubled habitats. The Earth’s coral reefs have been declining thanks to climate change, overfishing and pollution. The project has online volunteers listening to some reefs and flagging fish noises. Is it thrilling? No. But at least it works, unlike the Love Is Blind livestream.

Continue reading.

Nike’s first digital shoe collection, with real-world perks, launches

But you won't know exactly what design you're paying for until later.

After launching its .Swoosh web3 platform in November, Nike is ready to unveil its first set of digital collectibles today. The company has announced the Our Force 1 (or OF1) series of "virtual creations" will be available to invitees on May 8th, while general access opens on May 10th. You can choose to buy one of two boxes – Classic Remix or New Wave – and each will cost $19.82.

That gets you a digital box – but you won't know which design you got. On an undisclosed date after May 10th, Nike will reveal all the OF1 boxes, but you can choose not to open the box, leaving it as a virtual Schrodinger's sneaker situation.

Continue reading.

Adobe Firefly's new AI tools can do some simple editing tasks for you

Use prompts to animate text and add b-roll, music and sound effects to your projects.

Adobe

Adobe announced Monday it’s working on more AI upgrades, coming to Firefly's beta program later this year. Building on the company's long-running AI program, Sensei, Firefly is a suite of generative AI models that can both create and transform audio, video, illustrations and 3D models using text prompts in the same way that Dall-E and ChatGPT do. Firefly's features are already available across Adobe Premiere Pro, Illustrator, After Effects and Photoshop, with these new features accessible through the closed beta program later this year. They’re to help professional editors cut down on their drudge work, boosting color levels, inserting placeholder images, adding effects, even autonomously recommending b-roll for video projects.

Continue reading.

Just like that, a new Harry Potter game is on its way. On Monday, WB Games revealed Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, a title the Hogwarts Legacy publisher is billing as a “fast-paced, competitive multiplayer” game that will be available on PC and consoles. According to the company, Unbroken Studios, best known for its work supporting the recently delayed Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, has been working on Quidditch Champions for the past “several years,” making the sport’s absence from Hogwarts Legacy make a lot more sense.

"Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is a complete, standalone Quidditch experience," a newly published FAQ says of the project, noting fans will need an online connection to play the game. "It engages players in the sport of Quidditch and other broomstick adventures alongside friends in a competitive, multiplayer setting." The FAQ additionally states J.K Rowling was not involved in the creation of Quidditch Champions, and that the game is not a direct adaption of any of the existing Harry Potter books or films.

For the past few years, Rowling has been controversial for her transphobic views. Ahead of the release of Hogwarts Legacy, some fans chose not to buy or play the game for that reason. In addition to a new game, WB Games parent Warner Bros. Discovery is working on a new live-action adaption of all seven books in the Harry Potter series. Quidditch Champions does not have a release date. For now, WB Games is accepting signups for “limited” playtests.

It's not just American broadcasters departing Twitter in opposition to the "government-funded media" label. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) is "pausing" its use of Twitter over the label's implication that the government may influence its editorial output. Reporting is "impartial and independent," the media outlet says.

There's no word on whether or not the CBC is in discussions with Twitter to alter the label. We've asked the broadcaster for comment. The UK's British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) succeeded in having Twitter change its label to "publicly-funded" soon after a quickly-organized interview with Elon Musk, who said he agreed with the corporation's description of itself.

The CBC is a Crown corporation, which means it's completely owned by the Canadian government but editorially independent — the country's Broadcasting Act enshrines that hands-off approach in law. It also makes some of its money from advertising.

Attention to the issue in the US began in earnest when National Public Radio (NPR) objected to "US state-affiliated" media labelling. Twitter changed the label, but to a "government-funded" designation that still implied bias. NPR quit the platform days later. The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) made a similar move, noting that most of its revenue comes from private sources.

The CBC's halt won't necessarily lead Twitter to change its label policy. However, it makes clear that the exodus is an international phenomenon. Don't be surprised if the trend continues in other countries where similarly structured broadcasters operate.

Twitter may have a looser stance on bans under Elon Musk, but it's still willing to flag content that runs afoul of its rules. The social network will label tweets it believes are violating its Hateful Conduct policy. You'll see a notice that Twitter is limiting the "visibility" of the problematic post with an opportunity to learn more.

The labels will cover more types of policy violations in the months ahead. Users can initially provide "feedback" on a label if they feel it was in error, but they'll have to wait until sometime in the future to formally appeal decisions. The company stresses that the labels only apply to individual tweets, not an entire account.

Twitter sees this as a reflection of its Musk-era "freedom of speech, not freedom of reach" philosophy where it more often shies away from outright bans in favor of limiting exposure to content. Theoretically, this prevents offensive speech from spreading without completely silencing users on the platform. It also promises greater transparency to address concerns of "shadow bans" that limit reach without someone's knowledge. Musk has lifted bans on a number of high-profile accounts, including former President Trump's, although it was willing to temporarily suspend Ye despite lifting a permanent ban in November.

The move might not please some. Advocacy groups have criticized Twitter for not doing enough to protect frequent targets of hate, such as the LGBTQ community. While offenders can still face bans if they're "bad actors" or violate the law, they're more likely to stay on the service. This also isn't certain to satisfy advertisers leaving Twitter over concerns their ads may run alongside objectionable material. And while it will address concerns over possible censorship, it won't necessarily please those who see labels as tarnishing a post's worth.

Two weeks ago, Netflix confirmed it was taking a rare opportunity to livestream Love Is Blind's season 4 reunion. However, when the time came, what was an exciting prospect became a source of frustration as technical difficulties led to canceling the reality dating show's real-time viewing.  

At first, subscribers were told there would only a few minutes of delay, but Netflix finally pulled the plug after over an hour. The streaming service soon tweeted an apology: "To everyone who stayed up late, woke up early, gave up their Sunday afternoon… we are incredibly sorry that the Love Is Blind Live Reunion did not turn out as we had planned. We're filming it now and we'll have it on Netflix as soon as humanly possible. Again, thank you and sorry."

The show is incredibly popular, with Nieman reporting it was 2022's eighth most streamed original show. The reunion, hosted by real-life couple Nick and Vanessa Lachey, checks back in with Love Is Blind contestants months after filming has finished. If you're not familiar with it's premise, the show follows 30 men and women who date each other over 10 days from inside pods that prevent them from seeing each other. The idea: Avoid letting any physical aspects weigh in on how they feel. All in all, it made sense for Netflix to choose Love Is Blind for a livestream but the streaming service just couldn't hold up the technical end of the bargain.

Frustrated users responded with calls for Netflix to lower its subscription prices and to resume shipping DVDs as it was more their "speed." Other brands got in on the fun — if you can call it that — with Paramount+ tweeting that it was "pouring one out" for Netflix's social team and Tile asking if Netflix lost the remote and offering to send a tracker. 

Early in the morning, Netflix tweeted an update alongside a photo of the Love Is Blind cast with a "promise" that the reunion will be available to stream today at 3PM ET. 

This was only Netflix's second attempt at live-streaming, with Chris Rock's comedy special Selective Outrage airing live in March. Netflix also owns the rights to stream the Screen Actor Guild Awards live on its platform in 2024. We'll have to wait and see how the company's next attempt goes. 

Sega is buying Rovio, the Finnish video-game company best known for creating Angry Birds, in a €706 million (~$776 million) deal. Though a slew of existing Sega games are available on iOS and Android, like Sonic the Hedgehog, the company is looking to "accelerate its expansion" into mobile gaming.   

Buying Rovio will give Sega access to Beacon, its "high-level experience" platform designed to improve and simplify game design, monetization and maintenance. Basically, its the accelerator Sega is looking for to bring it's current and future titles into the big leagues of mobile gaming. "I feel blessed to be able to announce such a transaction with Rovio, a company that owns Angry Birds, which is loved across the world, and home to many skilled employees that support the company’s industry leading mobile game development and operating capabilities," Haruki Satomi, President and CEO of Sega Sammy, said in a statement. 

Angry Birds truly was the definition of a "phenomenon." There was a time in the early 2010s when if you asked someone if they were playing Angry Birds, almost everyone said yes. In early 2014, Rovio said the Angry Birds series had surpassed two billion downloads, with 200 million playing the games each month.

Its popularity has certainly dipped in the years since, but that's not to say Angry Birds disappeared from the world's consciousness (Rovio has over five billion downloads). A 2015 movie inspired by the game grossed just under $347 million worldwide, though 2019's 'The Angry Birds Movie 2' dipped to $147.8 million, according to Box Office Mojo. Just last year, Angry Birds returned to the App Store for 99 cents as Rovio Classics: Angry Birds.

Rovio has yet to produce anything close to the success of Angry Birds but, with the deal expected to close "during the third quarter of 2023," it'll be interesting to see what comes next.