It’s not only something new to watch but something the whole family will actually enjoy.
HBO Now = everything HBO’s ever made. HBO Max = all of that, *plus* a bunch of other streaming goodness you’ll love.
Disney World parks will have a few different rules in place if and when it reopens this summer.
In a surprising last-minute maneuver, HBO Max worked some serious magic for Harry Potter fans by locking down all eight of the original films and making them instantly available for subscribers just before the new streaming service launched on Wednesday.
According to TVLine, the deal wasn’t as simple as just waving a wand. Despite both HBO Max and the Harry Potter films being Warner Media properties, the new service still had to navigate notoriously convoluted streaming rights, which in this case, involved ponying up some serious cash to get another studio to relinquish its hold on the franchise.
Universal back in 2016 inked a deal to secure exclusive rights to the franchise, including on-air and digital dibs on all Wizarding World films (including two Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them flicks). That means that Warner Media had to actively buy back what it once owned, for many a shiny galleon. (As industry analyst Matthew Ball put it on Twitter, it was a “big, costly, and important move” for the newbie streaming service, akin to how Disney+ has made it a mission to accumulate as many Marvel films as possible.)
But the deal wasn’t an entirely clean break where Warner Bros. flew off into the night with the beloved franchise. As of this writing, the second Fantastic Beasts film, The Crimes of Grindelwald is only available through HBO Max if you already have an HBO cable subscription. (It’s complicated.)
The acquisition is still a major win for the streaming service’s first day though. Knowing that the entire Harry Potter series is available is sure to entice new subscribers, which is why HBO Max content chief Kevin Reilly made it a point to cite landing the massive franchise as a “high on our priority list” during a lengthy interview with Business Insider just a few days ago. However, it’s notable that just that recently, Reilly couldn’t confirm a timetable on when the films would be available on HBO Max, so it sure sounds like the ink isn’t even dry on this surprise addition.
(Via TVLine)
The Knicks will soon begin the head coach hiring process to fill the vacancy left when the franchise fired David Fizdale earlier this season, according to Shams Charania and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. At the top of their list will apparently be veteran NBA coach Tom Thibodeau, who has been out of a job since the Timberwolves let him go in January 2019.
Prior to this report, the Knicks officially announced Wednesday morning the rounding out of their front office, as well as a one-year extension for general manager Scott Perry.
.@nyknicks Announce Front Office Hirings pic.twitter.com/kTX4ARC4vM
— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) May 27, 2020
The Athletic report, however, specifically said new president Leon Rose will be leading the coaching search, and he also is the one who hired the staff to fill out Perry’s front office. The implication here is that Perry is as close to a lame duck as a GM can get, but if he nails this coaching hire and continues to build out New York’s young core, there is hope he can become the team’s long-term lead executive.
In addition to Thibodeau, the duo reported former Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson will also be interviewed by the Knicks. These two candidates are quite different coaches, but in terms of pedigree, they are two of the most well-known established candidates on the market. If experience is what Rose values here, then having those two on his list makes sense.
The Knicks have the makings of a team that could take a step forward in 2020-21, after promising seasons for rookie R.J. Barrett and the continued development of prospects like Mitchell Robinson and Kevin Knox, not to mention whomever New York nabs from this year’s draft class. The right coach could help the Knicks become one of the most-improved squads in the NBA next season.
Jessie Reyez released her long-awaited debut record Before Love Came To Kill Us in late March. While the singer hasn’t been able to tour behind the record, Reyez still offered her fans a treat Wednesday with a duo of singles for the Spotify Singles series. The singer gave a stripped-down cover of Drake’s “Headlines” as well as a version of “Love In The Dark” from her recent album.
For her cover, Reyez added her own artistry to the track. With only a piano and her soaring vocals, Reyez managed to turn Drake’s Take Care anthem into a heart-throbbing ballad. The singer’s unique vocals complement Drake’s steady flow, with Reyez delivering each verse with a self-assured cadence. “I might be too strung out on compliments / Overdosed on confidence / Started not to give a f*ck and stopped fearing the consequence,” she sings.
Ahead of the coupled singles, Reyez detailed how rolling out her album during a global pandemic was less than ideal. In a statement, Reyez said releasing Before Love Came To Kill Us at the time made her feel uneasy. “It messed me up because I was like ‘I don’t want to seem insensitive,’” she said. “I’ve grown up thinking about death as something that could easily happen tomorrow. But I know that for everybody else, there’s a lot of fear right now. I’m conflicted. But I’ve decided I’m putting it out because indecision never did anything for nobody.”
Listen to Jessie Reyez’s Spotify Singles release below.
Before Love Came To Kill Us is out now via Island. Get it here.