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Given that it was the first movie in what’s now known as the Disney Renaissance period, it was to be expected that Disney would eventually give The Little Mermaid the live action treatment. Now we finally know who will be playing the eponymous protagonist, i.e. Ariel: Grown-ish’s Halle Bailey. The Mouse House itself broke the news today, with director Rob Marshall saying that after an “extensive search,” Halley Bailey was selected to bring Ariel to life in the live action version of The Little Mermaid because she had that “rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence, and substance,” not to mention a great singing voice. Jodi Benson voiced Ariel in the original Little Mermaid movie (a role she reprised for Ralph Breaks the Internet), and the character was also played by JoAnna Garcia in the ABC series Once Upon a Time. While Halle Bailey is the only actor to be officially confirmed for the live action Little Mermaid so far, she’s not the only name that’s been mentioned for the project lately. Melissa McCarthy is in talks to play Ursula, the main villain, and Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina have reportedly been cast as Ariel’s friends, Flounder and Scuttle, respectively. Spider-Man: Far From Home’s Zendaya had expressed interest in playing Ariel, Bailey will be the one to bring the character to live in a new cinematic setting. Halle Bailey is best known for singing alongside her sister Chloe, with the duo being appropriately called Chloe x Halle. As far as acting goes, the sisters starred in 2006’s Last Holiday and currently play Jazlyn and Skylar on Freeform’s Grown-ish. The Little Mermaid will be Halley’s first time not acting alongside Chloe in a movie. Behind the camera, along with Rob Marshall (whose credits include Chicago, Into the Woods and Mary Poppins Returns) directing and producing, John DeLuca, Marc Platt and Lin-Manuel Miranda are attached to The Little Mermaid as producers. This new adaptation will feature songs from the original that were written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, as well as some new tunes, with Menken handling the music and Miranda handling the lyrics. Disney has taken different approaches with its live action re-imaginings over the last several years, with some being more straightforward remakes and others taking many creative liberties. Judging by the information available so far, it sounds like The Little Mermaid will fall into the former category, with Halle Bailey’s Ariel also wanting to become a human and falling in love with Prince Eric. Assuming Melissa McCarthy, Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina are indeed part of this new Little Mermaid, that just leaves three important roles left to be cast: Eric, King Triton and Sebastian. Disney said that “additional announcements” regarding the project are expected in the coming weeks, so it’s a good bet we’ll know who’s making up the main cast by the end of July or August. The Little Mermaid doesn’t have a release date yet, but production is scheduled to begin in early 2020. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more news on its progress, but in the meantime, browse through our 2019 release schedule to learn what movies are hitting theaters later this year.

Given that it was the first movie in what’s now known as the Disney Renaissance period, it was to be expected that Disney would eventually give The Little Mermaid the live action treatment. Now we finally know who will be playing the eponymous protagonist, i.e. Ariel: Grown-ish’s Halle Bailey. The Mouse House itself broke the news today, with director Rob Marshall saying that after an “extensive search,” Halley Bailey was selected to bring Ariel to life in the live action version of The Little Mermaid because she had that “rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence, and substance,” not to mention a great singing voice. Jodi Benson voiced Ariel in the original Little Mermaid movie (a role she reprised for Ralph Breaks the Internet), and the character was also played by JoAnna Garcia in the ABC series Once Upon a Time. While Halle Bailey is the only actor to be officially confirmed for the live action Little Mermaid so far, she’s not the only name that’s been mentioned for the project lately. Melissa McCarthy is in talks to play Ursula, the main villain, and Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina have reportedly been cast as Ariel’s friends, Flounder and Scuttle, respectively. Spider-Man: Far From Home’s Zendaya had expressed interest in playing Ariel, Bailey will be the one to bring the character to live in a new cinematic setting. Halle Bailey is best known for singing alongside her sister Chloe, with the duo being appropriately called Chloe x Halle. As far as acting goes, the sisters starred in 2006’s Last Holiday and currently play Jazlyn and Skylar on Freeform’s Grown-ish. The Little Mermaid will be Halley’s first time not acting alongside Chloe in a movie. Behind the camera, along with Rob Marshall (whose credits include Chicago, Into the Woods and Mary Poppins Returns) directing and producing, John DeLuca, Marc Platt and Lin-Manuel Miranda are attached to The Little Mermaid as producers. This new adaptation will feature songs from the original that were written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, as well as some new tunes, with Menken handling the music and Miranda handling the lyrics. Disney has taken different approaches with its live action re-imaginings over the last several years, with some being more straightforward remakes and others taking many creative liberties. Judging by the information available so far, it sounds like The Little Mermaid will fall into the former category, with Halle Bailey’s Ariel also wanting to become a human and falling in love with Prince Eric. Assuming Melissa McCarthy, Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina are indeed part of this new Little Mermaid, that just leaves three important roles left to be cast: Eric, King Triton and Sebastian. Disney said that “additional announcements” regarding the project are expected in the coming weeks, so it’s a good bet we’ll know who’s making up the main cast by the end of July or August. The Little Mermaid doesn’t have a release date yet, but production is scheduled to begin in early 2020. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more news on its progress, but in the meantime, browse through our 2019 release schedule to learn what movies are hitting theaters later this year.

When Tom Holland nabbed the role of the MCU’s Spider-Man, it was the result of auditions upon auditions Marvel conducted to find the right Peter Parker to follow Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield and join the Avengers for their most intense battles yet. At one point even Tony Revolori, who plays Flash Thompson in Homecoming and Far From Home tried his hand at becoming the webslinger! In his words: I auditioned for Peter Parker years and years ago, before Tom was cast as well, when they were trying to find their Spider-Man. And that was open ethnicity call. They were just looking for everyone, which was really fun. I did terribly at the audition. Wow, in some other multiverse, Flash is Peter Parker and Tom Holland is the bully. Tony Revolori did have an impressive resume to show for before Spider-Man: Homecoming. He was Zero in Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel and Jib in Dope (alongside Spider-Verse’s Miles Morales, Shameik Moore). As proved in Tom Holland’s standout performance as Peter Parker across five movies, we can’t imagine anyone else playing the webslinger in the MCU. Although it’s certainly notable that Marvel was going the open ethnicity call route. While Holland himself doesn’t exactly shake up the typical ethnic diversity of the role, all his classmates do-- and Tony Revolori was given a couple more shots to be in the MCU. Here’s what else he said to Deadline’s New Hollywood Podcast: Then I came back and auditioned for what then would be the role Ned, for Spider-Man’s best friend played by Jacob. And I went maybe I want to say three or for auditions, auditioning for Ned. When finally they gave me another role to play, which was the bully. During his audition for Flash, the actor said he wasn’t originally told who he was reading for. Since he really is a comic book fan, and he was given the lines of Biff from Back to the Future, he put two and two together. Throughout the audition process, he was given all these opportunities but didn’t expect a role typically played by a 6’2 blonde-haired blue-eyed jock would be given to him; Tony Revolori is of Guatemalan heritage. Tony Revolori also told the podcast that he thinks he might have messed up his Spider-Man audition, because he felt like he needed to explain why he could play Peter Parker. The character has long donned a specific look and he didn’t match it. But what Marvel didn’t take chances on with their lead, they definitely make up for in the rest of the cast. Jon Watts’ Spider-Man movies have more realistically represented Brooklyn, by replacing all white characters with Zendaya’s MJ, Jacob Batalon’s Ned. And Crazy Rich Asians’ Remy Hii, transgender actor Zach Barack and muslim actress and model Zoha Rahman also now in the mix for Far From Home. The Homecoming sequel picks up after the Decimation in Endgame, explaining the aftermath of the two Avengers films on the world. The film made $3 million on Tuesday midnight showings opening night and is expected to make at least $125 million domestically during its six-day debut. Check it out in theaters now!

As far as animated franchises go, there are few quite as popular as Toy Story. The original movie hit theaters back in 1995, premiering cutting edge technology. Since then, the property has never been far from theaters, with Andy's toys popping back up every decade or so to break our hearts again. The Toy Story movies have always changed with the times, and now it looks like Disney has deleted a controversial scene from Toy Story 2. The scene in question occurs at the tail end of the first Toy Story sequel. Toy Story came with a "gag reel", which had extra scenes for audiences to enjoy as the credits. One of these vignettes shows Kelsey Grammer's villainous Stinky Pete speaking with a pair of Barbies. He's flirty and happy about their identical appearance, before telling them he can probably get them a role in the inevitable Toy Story 3. The scene in question hasn't aged particularly well, especially with the #MeToo movement shining a light on sexual harassment in the workplace. And it looks like the House of Mouse had concerns over the sequence, with Deadline reporting the studio pulled it from all future home release version of Toy Story 2. While it still lives on in the internet and DVD/VHS copies, Disney has made it feelings known by editing out Stinky Pete's triggering moment from the first sequel. As a reminder, you can check out the scene in question from Toy Story 2 below. Because while it won't be made available for new purchases, the scene in question lives on thanks to the internet. Yeah, that scene does not age well at all. It transforms Toy Story 2's villain into one off camera, who is presumably praying on the vulnerability of two unknown Barbies. And given how much conversation has revolved around the #MeToo movement and workplace harassment, it's understandably not a message that Disney wants to associate with. Toy Story 2 was released back in 1999, just a few years after the original animated blockbuster hit theaters. This was a decade and change before allegations of sexual misconduct against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and actor Kevin Spacey broke open the dam regarding harassment and assault. The world has changed quite a bit in the last few years, especially in the entertainment industry. As such, certain types of jokes and bits are simply no longer appropriate. This includes Toy Story 2's scene in question, which should be less available during future sales... even if YouTube has immortalized it. This isn't the first time The House of Mouse has put material back in the Disney vault. The studio has notably attempted to make the 1964 movie Songs of the South difficult to come by. The live-action/animated hybrid flick is arguably the most controversial movie to come from Disney, particularly regarding its portrayal of African-Americans. And while the Splash Mountain theme park ride is still based off Songs of the South, the movie itself has not been made available for home purchase in the United States. As for Toy Story 2, it never seemed to really get a bad wrap over the Stinky Pete scene. Instead, the studio got ahead of the story, and pulled the sequence themselves. Disney has been known to make decisions like this rather quickly, which can be seen in the way James Gunn was promptly fired from the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise when he was at the heart of his own controversy. Related: Can We Talk About How Toy Story Made 4 Consecutive Great Movies? The beloved animated franchise is currently back in theaters with Toy Story 4, seemingly ending Tim Allen's run as protagonist Woody in the process. The movie has been mostly spared of controversies, although the third sequel might not be as profitable as one would have assumed. Woody and Bo in Toy Story 4 The only other blemish on Toy Story 4 ahead of its release was the use of Bo Peep's signature crook, which PETA took umbrage with. The advocacy organization requested that Annie Potts' character lose her typical accessory, although the movie's animation must have been largely finished by the time the request was made. Ultimately Bo Peep remained with her crook, which she used as her primary weapon and accessory as a lost toy. Bo Peep has a major presence in Toy Story 4, regardless of her somewhat controversial accessory. After being unceremoniously written off ahead of Toy Story 3, the character's backstory and departure were directly addressed in the new movie. Bo is one of the biggest characters in Toy Story 4, with arguably more screen time and dialogue than franchise favorites like Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and Rex. And it seems PETA's outrage over the character died down quite a bit ahead of its release. It should be interesting to see if/when Disney makes a comment regarding the now controversial Toy Story 2 scene with Stinky Pete. It's almost surprising that no quote has been given, despite the scene in question being pulled from new purchases of the movie. Actor Kelsey Grammer hasn't made any statement either, as the voice actor behind the brief clip. We'll just have to wait and see if/when Disney addresses the situation with Toy Story 2. The sequel is considered one of the strongest additions to the film series, adding in beloved characters like Jessie and Bullseye. Stinky Pete is the movie's surprise villain-- arguably the most fleshed out antagonist of the entire franchise. Considering how much press was done ahead of Toy Story 4's release, it should be easy for the powers that be to respond back to an outlet, and officially confirm the reason for cutting out that brief scene in the sequel's "blooper reel." If and when that happens, CinemaBlend will be sure to update you regarding the ongoing Toy Story 2 situation. Considering the fourth movie is still in theaters now, smart money says the deleted scene is addressed sooner rather than later. Toy Story 4 is in theaters now, and heading into a competitive holiday weekend at the box office. In the meantime, be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Walt Disney World is getting ready for its 50th Anniversary in a couple of years and a lot of changes and updates are planned to the parks for the big event. Many of those changes are focused around Epcot's Future World, and renovations are about to get under way as a number of locations in the front of Epcot are now slated to close September 8. Some of these locations will be moving to temporary digs while renovations are getting underway. Others will be closed for the duration of the construction, and yet others will be closing down for good, making way for new or significantly improved spaces. According to Laughing Place, here are the spaces being affected. Fountain View Club Cool Pin Central Camera Center Heritage Manor Gifts Innoventions East Character Spot and Character Spot North The Fountain of Nations The fact that most of these spaces were going to be closing has been known for the last couple years, when we got our first look at a re-imagined Epcot. The front half of the park was significantly different, so it was clear that a lot of changes would be happening. Here's how they break down. Fountain View is the current location of the in-park Starbucks. Those needing their latte fix won't have to go without as a temporary building will be constructed to house the coffee shop until a new permanent structure is ready after this renovation is complete. The closure of the camera center and Pin Central are related. Pin Central has been the main place to do your Disney pin purchasing inside Epcot.The camera center will be closing for good in September, and will be the new home of the pin center. Until the space is ready, Pin Central will also move into a temporary location.

Hollywood movies have long perpetuated harmful stereotypes, whether it be the oversexualization of women or clichés of various racial groups - such as pitting Middle Eastern people as criminals and terrorists. So when Rami Malek, who portrayed Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, was approached to play the villain in Bond 25, at first, he had some concerns. In his words: It’s a great character and I’m very excited. But that was one thing that I discussed with Cary. I said, ‘We cannot identify him with any act of terrorism reflecting an ideology or a religion. That’s not ­something I would entertain, so if that is why I am your choice then you can count me out.' Rami Malek was born in Los Angeles and lived in America his whole life. His parents immigrated to the U.S. in the ‘70s from Cairo, Egypt when his tour guide father became intrigued by Western visitors. Malek is very proud of his heritage, describing it as “the fabric of who I am.” CLOSE AD Throughout his career, Rami Malek's been able to avoid playing the villainous (and offensive) Arabic-speaking caricature. Thankfully, that’s not the kind of character Bond 25 director Cary Joji Fukunaga was looking for in Malek. He continued with Mirror: But that was clearly not his vision. So he’s a very different kind of terrorist. It’s another extremely clever script from the people who have figured out exactly what people want in those movies. But I feel a substantial weight on my shoulders. I mean, Bond is ­something that we all grow up with. According to recent reports, Bond 25's story will involve genetic warfare, which Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge has come on to make sense of for audiences, along with infusing her humor to the script as well. Rami Malek has apparently met with genetic experts in preparation for the role as well. Bond 25 has had a rocky production so far, as a round of five writers are now attached to the script and there have been many incidents on set. Daniel Craig suffered an ankle injury back in April while filming in Jamaica. After a minor surgery and a road to recovery, he recently stepped back on set for his fifth and final time as 007. The latest rumor is franchise alum Grace Jones was expected to make an appearance in Bond 25, but quit moments after stepping on set. There was also an explosion on set that gave one crew member an injury and rumors of the director showing up late to set after getting sidetracked by a video game. Rami Malek has previously admitted the shooting schedule has been taxing since he’s also shooting the final season to Mr. Robot at the same time, and all while the schedule has shifted amidst Craig’s injury. He’s assured fans that “they have it together” and is excitement to play his undisclosed character.

While there is certainly a cynical way to look at Disney's recent litany of remakes, it has to be said that one of the wonderful things about the films is that it allows fans to see movies they already love in entirely new ways. This includes hearing brand new versions of favorite Disney songs. We've only been given a few teases of the new music that will be part of the remake of The Lion King, including a bit of Donald Glover and Beyonce performing "Can You Feel The Love Tonight?" Now, a new behind the scenes video gives us our first listen to "Hakuna Matata." Check it out. In the new Lion King, Timon is voice by Billy Eichner while Pumbaa is given life by Seth Rogen. Simba is voiced by both Donald Glover as the adult version of the character and JD McCrary as the younger version. Based on what we see in the The King Returns clip, and as it follows from the animated original, both versions of Simba will part of the song. It sounds pretty good, though Seth Roegen has said that recording it wasn't easy. I've always found "Hakuna Matata" to be an interesting choice for a song. It's an upbeat number that is clearly designed to be the ear worm tune that it became, and yet, it's a song whose message flies in the face of that which the movie as a whole is trying to convey. The Lion King is about facing your past and accepting it, no matter what you may have done, in part because forgiveness is always possible. However, "Hakuna Matata" is about leaving your past alone, moving on from it and essentially forgetting about it. The philosophy of "Hakuna Matata" is specifically against the idea of facing your past.

In Yesterday, the question of what the world would be like without the music of The Beatles takes a sort of backseat to the notion of what it might be like if those classic songs were debuting in a modern context. Through the eyes of the film’s main character Jack Malik, played in his feature film debut by Himesh Patel, we see how the world of 2019 reacts to the music of The Beatles for the very first time. Taking that premise one step further during interviews on behalf of CinemaBlend, I asked members of the cast, as well as Yesterday writer Richard Curtis, about how they felt the band would fare if they had made the scene in our modern era, rather than back in the 1960s. Looking at those responses, starting with that of Himesh Patel himself, the picture painted is a clear one. Patel’s feelings on whether The Beatles would still be relevant have to do with the "magic" of the band's music. He said: I think they would, yeah. I think they’d just be doing their own thing. I think the modern music industry wouldn’t exist without them, in the same way as it does. I think their music is magic, there was something magic about the connection that had made them prolific as musicians, as songwriters. And I think that would rise to the top, no matter what the situation. CLOSE AD Songs such as “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” and “I Am The Walrus” are part of the amazingly unique catalog The Beatles released into the world during the band’s 1960-1970 run. Certainly, you have fans who prefer the more pop-friendly songs that saw the Fab Four donning mop tops and holding their guitars higher than most players ever would. Meanwhile, other Beatles fans are definitely more into the psychedelic beats inspired by musical stylings from around the world. Those years saw John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr shifting into more of an experimental stage, while also developing a message of universal understanding at the same time. It’s because of that combined legacy that Lily James, the actress who plays Jack’s supportive best friend Ellie in Yesterday, has a very similar outlook on how The Beatles would affect the world we live in today. Her views fall along these lines of thought: CLOSE AD Yeah, I really do, because I think their music is transcendental. The songwriting, the skill, the artistry, the message, and everything about it is so unique and one of a kind. I think whenever their songs came out, they would be heralded like something special. … Definitely today. We’re living in a time where we need to be rallied together and have messages of love and goodness. And their music was so modern. I mean the journey that they went through throughout their music was so huge. And they were really ahead of their time, and getting influences from India, and from across the world. What’s interesting is that James’ mention of the worldwide influences that informed the later years of The Beatles’ music could have been an interesting topic of discovery for the film to have taken. With Himesh Patel’s Jack traveling to various Beatles landmarks in order to write songs like “Eleanor Rigby” or “Strawberry Fields Forever," the film could have taken a globe-trotting approach to its very conceit. Certainly, Yesterday’s writer Richard Curtis may have had that sort of concept in his mind at some point, but the finished product is much more intimate and better suits the sort of story he was going for with this film. Even better, when it came to be his turn to discuss whether or not The Beatles would be as big now as they were then, Curtis cited a very interesting modern precedent: CLOSE AD I absolutely think so. It’s funny you should say that, I really think so. Just look at Ed Sheeran’s career. You know the thing they’re doing now with releasing a song every two weeks? That’s what Ed’s doing with his new collaborations album. And I just think they would, because they had such promiscuity, they did so many songs and such a variety. I think if they had made their first album and started releasing so often, I think the question is would they have the same work rate, and the same work ethic? That’s probably a big question, would they have thought in the very beginning, ‘We’ve got to produce an album every six months, and singles.’ I think the thing that might have stopped them was the sort of speed at which you’re meant to operate. But then some people, Drake, Rihanna, and now Ed are starting to operate at the same speed The Beatles did operate at. So I think, my opinion is that they would be the biggest band in the world. To understand how history originally played out for the band is to begin to see just what they brought to the table, which in their case was a unique blend of varying influences and tastes that generated something that truly is magic. The world can always use a little bit of peaceful magic to keep spinning for all that live on its surface, especially if it’s in a world where Harry Potter doesn’t exist. The Beatles’ contribution to the world of music and pop culture are undeniably invaluable to the way the world has developed. Yesterday not only understands this concept, but uses it to the best extent, as Jack Malik’s rise to fame is very similar to that of the band that inspired him. It’s where the film’s concept gets most of its steam, as the connections of fandom and inspiration form to tell a story that is positively entertaining, in a world that could definitely use some feel-good movies to spare.

While there is certainly a cynical way to look at Disney's recent litany of remakes, it has to be said that one of the wonderful things about the films is that it allows fans to see movies they already love in entirely new ways. This includes hearing brand new versions of favorite Disney songs. We've only been given a few teases of the new music that will be part of the remake of The Lion King, including a bit of Donald Glover and Beyonce performing "Can You Feel The Love Tonight?" Now, a new behind the scenes video gives us our first listen to "Hakuna Matata." Check it out. In the new Lion King, Timon is voice by Billy Eichner while Pumbaa is given life by Seth Rogen. Simba is voiced by both Donald Glover as the adult version of the character and JD McCrary as the younger version. Based on what we see in the The King Returns clip, and as it follows from the animated original, both versions of Simba will part of the song. It sounds pretty good, though Seth Roegen has said that recording it wasn't easy. I've always found "Hakuna Matata" to be an interesting choice for a song. It's an upbeat number that is clearly designed to be the ear worm tune that it became, and yet, it's a song whose message flies in the face of that which the movie as a whole is trying to convey. The Lion King is about facing your past and accepting it, no matter what you may have done, in part because forgiveness is always possible. However, "Hakuna Matata" is about leaving your past alone, moving on from it and essentially forgetting about it. The philosophy of "Hakuna Matata" is specifically against the idea of facing your past.

The horror genre is in the midst of a renaissance, dating back to James Wan's contributions with Insidious and The Conjuring. Rather than stale sequels, new terrifying works have been brought to theaters, thanks to minds like Jordan Peele and Ari Aster. The latter director got a ton of attention for last year's Heredity, which balanced horrifying imagery with character-driven family drama. Now all eyes are on what he'll do with his second feature film, Midsommar. Midsommar has finally hit theaters, allowing moviegoers to witness Ari Aster's sophomore run in theaters. Early reception for the movie teased how truly unsettling Midsommar is, especially the sensory experience Aster utilizes. Actress Florence Pugh leads the cast as Dani, and recently described the new horror movie in colorful terms, saying: Oh my God. I watched the film at 10 a.m. and it was quite the wake-up. I spent the rest of the day trying to figure out what it is I had just seen. It’s a total, beautiful nightmare. I honestly can’t describe it any other way. I sat with Ari (Aster) afterwards for about 10 minutes with my mouth open and I didn’t really know what to say. It’s a very unique set of images, let’s just say that. CLOSE AD Despite working on the film herself and knowing the various twists and turns Ari Aster has in store for audiences, it looks like Midsommar still packed a serious punch for its lead actress. It made Florence Pugh think and feel, so there's no telling what the experience is like for the average moviegoer. Florence Pugh's comments to The Toronto Sun seem to vibe with what we've heard so far about Midsommar's affect on audiences. Early reception for the film was super positive, and the experience of watching the movie led early audiences to drop expletives on social media. And now it seems that extends to even the cast, who were privy to the plot twists and unnerving imagery ahead of the general public. Related: Midsommar Star Opens Up About How 'Hard' Filming The Movie Was CLOSE AD Even Get Out and Us director Jordan Peele has spoken out about the truly unsettling experience of watching Midsommar. After seeing a cut of the film, the Oscar winning filmmaker was quoted saying: I didn’t feel victimized. I felt like I was being put up on this pedestal and honored through the eyes of the protagonist. It’s a very unique feeling for a film to conjure because after it ended, I found myself looking back at the final act like, ‘Holy shit. That was some of the most atrociously disturbing imagery I’ve ever seen on film, and yet I experienced it with this open-mouthed, wild-eyed gape.’ I think that part of how we get there is never reducing the villains to any kind of snarling monsters with an evil agenda. Considering Jordan Peele's perspective on horror and success with his first two movies, his approval of Midsommar carries some weight. Of course, Ari Aster's work on Hereditary was also enough to get fans of the genre onboard for his latest contribution to the genre.

Major spoilers for the latest Spidey adventure can be found all through this entire article, including in the comments from director Jon Watts himself. So, if you don’t want to be spoiled, please skedaddle. The multiverse is something that Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse was able to explore in animated form, but the live action MCU hadn’t jumped into a concept that convoluted ahead of Spider-Man: Far From Home. Although the early trailers for the latest web slinger adventure seemed to indicate the MCU would finally be taking the plunge, that’s not what happens in the movie. Still, Spider-Man: Far From Home director Jon Watts has a pretty cool theory regarding Nick Fury and what he actually thinks is going on with the multiverse within the MCU. While doing press ahead of the release, he told CinemaBlend’s Sean O’Connell that Talos might actually not find the concept of the multiverse to be too wacky thanks to previous experience. Per Watts: CLOSE AD I do think about the multiverse thing. People were really excited about it. And we're not saying that there couldn't be a multiverse in this movie. We are saying that what Jake is saying -- what Mysterio is saying in the movie -- is bullshit. But there's something that I think about is that the fact that Nick Fury, who's actually Talos, completely believes this story about the multiverse makes me wonder… now this is off book now, but like, does that mean that Talos is aware of some sort of multiverse? Because there's… this is fan-fiction, to me. But he seemed to accept it! Prior to the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home, the trailers indicated the multiverse theory was heading to the MCU. Of course, Mysterio is a bit of a trickster in the comics, so many people thought he might have a trick up his sleeve this time around as well. In fact, in the movie, there’s a lot of tricking going on. Mysterio is actually Quentin Beck, a man who in this big screen universe is not from another Earth and is not, in fact, superpowered at all. Instead, he’s one of Tony Stark’s disgruntled former employees who tricks Spider-man into giving him access to E.D.I.T.H., a Stark-owned artificial intelligence system that can wreak havoc and keep up his superpowered appearance.

The US Chamber of Commerce Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC), in partnership with NERA Economic Consulting, has published a study, Impacts of Digital Video Piracy on the US Economy, detailing the economic impact digital video piracy has on the US economy. While the proliferation of streaming services provides consumers with unprecedented choice, content, and convenience, it also presents new challenges. “As the video streaming industry has grown, we have seen a dramatic increase in digital video piracy, especially of US-produced television series and movies,” said Jeff Eisenach, Managing Director and Co-Chair of NERA’s Communications, Media, and Internet Practice. “Those illegal views and downloads deprive the content production industry and the broader US economy billions in lost revenue – and hundreds of thousands of jobs – every year.” In 2017, the US movie and television production industry accounted for approximately $229 billion in domestic revenues and 2.6 million jobs. In recent years, video streaming has grown in popularity with more than 500 licensed online video portals worldwide. Currently, more subscribers pay for streaming services than traditional cable. This shift has given rise to a new source of online piracy. Now, over 80 per cent of stolen and shared content is viewed on streaming sites. Overall, the study finds that approximately 26.6 billion viewings of US-produced movies and 126.7 billion viewings of US-produced TV episodes are digitally pirated each year. “Video streaming, driven by innovative technologies, has transformed the industry, fuelled the US economy, and changed how people around the world consume content. However, digital piracy has emerged as a serious problem that undermines this growth,” said Jonathan Weinberger, Senior Vice President of the Global Innovation Policy Center. “The findings from this study highlight the urgent need to coordinate enforcement efforts against illegal streaming and strengthen IP protections both in the US and abroad. GIPC will continue to champion strong IP protections to promote creativity and protect content online.” “For anyone in the creative, inventive, or innovative community, intellectual property laws are the only bulwark that protects our ability to make a living,” noted Mark Olshaker, bestselling author of Mindhunter and the Emmy Award-winning writer of Roman City. Theft of intellectual property is the same as theft of money or anything material because it prevents us from earning a living. Moreover, it rewards the copycat or exploiter at the expense of the creator.”

Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and several Hollywood studios are seeking default judgement regarding millions in damages from a shuttered Florida-based streaming service accused of copyright infringement. The SVOD services and studios last year — through their Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment anti-piracy coalition — filed litigation against Set Broadcast LLC, which had marketed an online set-top device dubbed “Set TV Now” affording 260,000 subscribers access to preloaded movies and TV shows. “Defendants market and sell subscriptions to ‘SeTVnow,’ a software application that defendants urge their customers to use as a tool for the mass infringement of plaintiffs’ copyrighted motion pictures and television shows,” read the complaint filed last April in U.S. District Court in Central California, Western Division. The complaint cited 51 copyrighted works illegally distribution causing more than $7.6 million in statutory damages. Defendants include Jason Labossiere, owner of Set TV, and employee Nelson Johnson. Subscribe HERE to the FREE Media Play News Daily Newsletter! After reportedly hiring legal representation to answer the lawsuit, Labossiere and Johnson allegedly failed to respond to legal inquiries or pay their legal bills. “Though the Setvnow service appears to no longer be available, Set Broadcast’s apparent cessation of its willful and flagrant infringement does not and should not prevent this court from exercising its discretion to permanently enjoin Set Broadcast from infringing plaintiffs’ copyrighted works,” read the amended complaint first reported by TorrentFreek.com. “There is a significant threat of continuing irreparable injuries to plaintiffs.” Whether Netflix & Co. see any damages paid remains to be seen. Dish Network already has a $90 million judgement against Set TV that must be paid. A hearing on the default judgement is slated for July 29.

Following a joint complaint filed by the Canal+ Group, beIN Sports and RMC Sport, in collaboration with anti-piracy group l’Association de Lutte contre la Piraterie Audiovisuelle (ALPA), and a preliminary investigation conducted by the Cybercrime Group of the Research Section of the National Gendarmerie of the French city of Rennes, the alleged creators and administrators of beinsport-streaming.com were arrested in June 2018 and will be tried shortly in the Tribunal Correctionnel (Correctional Court) of Rennes. The beinsport-streaming.com platform, which has since been closed by the authorities, offered some twenty pirate sites, streaming many programmes and live sports events, coming from the main French sports broadcasters, all totally illegally . During their last six months of activity, beinsport-streaming.com sites were visited by nearly 500,000 Internet users per month. The administrators were remunerated through the display of advertising banners. A large amount of money has been seized. Among the charges that can be held against the accused are that of counterfeiting in organised gangs, as well as that of aggravated money laundering. The accused face 10 years imprisonment and fines of €750,000. ALPA, beIN Sports, the Canal+ Group and RMC Sport welcome the work done by the Cybercrime Group. According to them, piracy of sports content is a growing and multifaceted scourge that is impacting the entire sporting ecosystem, from professional sports to amateur sport, as well as the media and pay-TV industry. “It is the responsibility of all involved to lead a common front against the fraudulent dissemination of the intellectual property rights of rights holders and official broadcasters,” they declare.

Amazon, Netflix and a handful of Hollywood studios are asking a court for millions in damages from Set Broadcast, a company accused of infringing multiple copyrights through a pirate video service named SET TV. According to TorrentFreak, the copyright holders have requested maximum damages on 51 different titles – totaling more than $7.6 million – as well as a permanent injunction against Set Broadcast. “Set Broadcast has willfully infringed Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works and, in doing so, caused Plaintiffs and their entire business model immense damage. The $7,650,000 statutory damages sought here therefore represents only a fraction of the actual damages inflicted by Set Broadcast on Plaintiffs,” the plaintiffs wrote in a motion filed in a California federal court. The motion this week comes after last year the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Set Broadcast – naming Jason Labossiere, the site operator and domain registrant of www.setvnow.com, and Nelson Johnson, a partner in Set Broadcast, as defendants. “‘Setvnow’ and other piracy software applications undermine the legal market for films and television shows, causing harm to a vibrant creative economy that supports millions of workers around the world. ACE is dedicated to protecting creators and reducing online piracy through dedicated actions against illegal enterprises like ‘Setvnow,’” ACE spokesperson Jolyon Kimble said in a statement. ACE has filed similar suits against other services including Tickbox and Dragon Box. In addition to Amazon and Netflix, ACE members include CBS, Discovery, Disney, HBO, Hulu, Lionsgate, MGM, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. The organization formed in 2017 with the intent to conduct research, work closely with law enforcement to curtail illegal pirate enterprises, file civil litigation and forge cooperative relationships with existing national content protection organizations to help curb or stop online video piracy.

Despite all the condemnation from media producers, torrents still exist. Users continue sharing movies, music, and software via P2P sites. The legal status of such platforms varies from country to country, but Mexico remains one of the few free zones, along with the Netherlands. Why is it so? There are numerous torrent trackers available online. Some are more successful than others at staying afloat. For instance, the kickass torrent has undergone shutdowns in several countries, but may still be accessed. Some sites are geoblocked by governments, which can be circumvented with a VPN. Users in Mexico, however, enjoy the freedom of file sharing with a few caveats. Mexican laws Modern technology has boosted human productivity overall, transferring numerous services to the internet. However, the progress has its downsides, such as leaking of content online. In Mexico, there are simply no working laws that would prohibit torrent trackers. You could download anything using a torrent site and get away with it. Some regulations do exist, but they lack clarity and are simply not respected enough. Non-commercial forms of file sharing still have not been addressed by legislators directly. Despite some initiatives concerning stricter penalties for unauthorized file sharing, it is only rhetoric. According to some research findings, torrents are a source of music files for an overwhelming majority of Mexican residents (up to 90%). The trend is perfectly logical considering the minuscule share of authorized music distribution services in the country. When there are few legal ways to access music, peer-to-peer networks save the day. Increasing broadband and the presence of internet cafes have contributed to the rise in such downloads. Piracy Rampant music piracy is a predictable outcome, and its scale is shocking. A local anti-piracy company reports that almost everyone – 97% of the country’s population – admits consuming music illicitly, with half of them using stream-ripping. Therefore, in terms of piracy, Mexico is high on the list, which triggers harsh criticism from the United States. Multiple USTR reports have highlighted low progress in enforcement. According to the American Chamber of Commerce, 80% of Mexicans who download pirated content consider it a minor offense. The entertainment industry incurs significant losses. According to the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the country is the second biggest foreign source of illegal camcords. A different view However, not all American companies are outraged. Spotify, which entered the Mexican market in 2013, is not angered by the soaring piracy rates. The company is extremely happy with Mexico-based customers. It has even dubbed Mexico the “streaming music capital” of the world. The city has more Spotify users than New York or any other megalopolis. Hence, torrent sites, which reflect the modern nature of easily sharable content, still exist and thrive. In Mexico, like the rest of the world, the digital revolution has transformed the human perception of numerous life dimensions, from personal relationships to learning to shop and entertainment. Whether restrictions will be introduced, is still unclear.

Doha-based broadcaster BeIN Sports has laid off a fifth of its workforce in Qatar, citing Saudi Arabian piracy for a downturn in revenues. More than 300 staff have lost their jobs at the network’s headquarters in Doha following a two-year diplomatic and trade row with Riyadh that has resulted in BeIN losing access to its biggest market in the region, Saudi Arabia. Fifa considering Arabsat legal action over Women’s World Cup piracy Since mid-2017, the Qatari media company has been dealing with illegal broadcaster, BeoutQ, pirating its content on an industrial scale and transmitting via Arabsat, a Riyadh-based satellite network. The rights sports properties stolen have included the Fifa World Cup, Uefa Champions League and Premier League, for which BeIN paid for exclusive access to across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. On 17th June, OSN, another leading broadcaster in the region, announced it was closing down its Pehla entertainment channel, which carries the last of its sports transmissions, as a result of piracy. OSN had already shut down five of its six sports channels back in March. ‘Illegal streaming sites, pirate IPTV decoders within OSN’s licensed territories, has made it difficult for OSN to continue offering Pehla,’ OSN said in a statement. BeIN subsequently issuing a warning that the broadcast industry was ‘sleepwalking towards a financial precipice unless decisive action is taken against piracy and BeoutQ specifically’. Confirming the staffing lay-offs, a BeIN spokesperson said in a statement: ‘In light of these challenges we have taken some difficult decisions to right-size our MENA business, but these decisions will secure our business for the future – we are not going anywhere.’ Since coming into existence at the time of the Saudi-led blockade of Qatar two years ago, BeoutQ piracy has spread from operating the Middle East into Europe and parts of the US. Uefa president, Aleksander Ceferin, has described piracy as a threat to the future of European soccer and a joint legal action has been launched in Saudi Arabia by the Premier League, La Liga and Fifa to halt the theft. Simon Murray, principal analyst at Digital TV Research, said: “Pay-TV in the MENA region has been hit by a Saudi-led ban on the sale of Qatar-backed BeIN decoders and subscriptions since mid-2017. “The region is no stranger to piracy, but the sophistication of the BeoutQ operation is beyond anything seen before. “BeIN is fiercely protesting BeoutQ, with the support of major content owners, especially sports federations. We believe that the situation will be resolved in 2019, given the international pressure to drop the ban and to close BeoutQ’. Last week a French court ruled that BeoutQ was being carried on the Riyadh-based satellite, Arabsat - in which the Saudi state is a majority shareholder - although the kingdom denies that this is the case. This was the latest in a series of actions taken by Qatar and BeIN Sports to try and stem the flow of piracy. In December last year, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) approved Qatar’s request to form a panel that would investigate Saudi Arabia for violating its obligations under the WTO’s guidelines on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights.

European media and entertainment executives have almost no faith that content piracy will wane in the coming years, despite content owners’ increasing engagement in combatting the problem with a combination of technology and cross-industry initiatives. That’s according to a new report from security and multiscreen user experience solutions firm NAGRA, which found a mere 7% of M&E executives saying the proportion of European consumers accessing content illegally will fall by 50% or more in the next five years. “In mostly smaller, emerging [Central and Eastern Europe] markets where piracy hits hard, there might be a more significant decline as the ecosystem acts to address the problem and its impact on churn and revenue,” the report reads. “What we’re seeing with the growth of premium OTT services are new opportunities for people to stream content illegally. There are always new emerging challenges for pay TV operators to deal with.” Live video streams — including the rebroadcasting of live streams on social media platforms — was pointed out as one of the top concerns among executives in the report, though content owners are more actively engaged in combatting these forms of piracy, using a combination of technologies like forensic watermarking and cross-industry initiatives, to identify and remove illegal streams. Outside of piracy, the report also polled executives on OTT disruption, with 26% of executives saying the growth of paid OTT services will have a negative impact on the industry over the next five years. Additionally, 79% said OTT subscription services are a valuable component of pay TV offerings. “These latest findings shed new light on the key priorities and trends affecting service providers in Europe and are the first of a range of findings to result from the 2019 Pay TV Innovation Forum research program,” said Simon Trudelle, senior director of product marketing for NAGRA. “The growth of OTT services is undoubtedly having an impact on the pay TV and content industries and digital transformation is emerging as a key priority. It is exciting to see that while challenges exist, focus is on creating opportunities for growth and in the end, delivering services that will delight consumers and keep them engaged. The next few years will prove to be pivotal in this regard.” Jon Watts, managing partner of MTM— which published the report with NAGRA — added: “Europe’s pay TV industry is at a crossroads, with slowing growth in many markets and increasing competition on the horizon. After nearly two decades of growth, we’re starting to see the signs of a very different industry – with a greater focus on the network, a broader offering of products and services, and new approaches to aggregation and content retailing. It’s encouraging to see signs of optimism and widespread interest in these new approaches, as the industry looks for the next wave of growth opportunities that will see it into the 2020s.”

@kunkun I apply for that. Like+Rep added.

Winner - @HDYu and @AboKhaled

First Allied Advisory Services Inc. grew its position in Spotify (NASDAQ:SPOT) by 4.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,482 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 157 shares during the period. First Allied Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in Spotify were worth $482,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of Spotify by 8.2% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,189,947 shares of the company’s stock worth $215,178,000 after purchasing an additional 90,326 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Spotify by 129.5% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 88,115 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,934,000 after purchasing an additional 49,726 shares in the last quarter. Shine Investment Advisory Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Spotify by 21.6% during the 4th quarter. Shine Investment Advisory Services Inc. now owns 489 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV lifted its holdings in shares of Spotify by 22.8% during the 4th quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 522 shares of the company’s stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Zweig DiMenna Associates LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Spotify by 13.4% during the 4th quarter. Zweig DiMenna Associates LLC now owns 101,397 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,509,000 after purchasing an additional 12,000 shares in the last quarter. Spotify (NASDAQ:SPOT) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 29th. The company reported ($0.90) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of ($0.37) by ($0.53). The business had revenue of $1.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.47 billion. Spotify’s revenue was up 32.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($1.01) earnings per share. Several equities analysts have commented on the company. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Spotify from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Credit Suisse Group assumed coverage on Spotify in a research report on Friday, March 29th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $120.00 target price for the company. UBS Group dropped their target price on Spotify from $182.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 16th. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Spotify in a research report on Tuesday, April 30th. Finally, Raymond James decreased their price target on Spotify from $182.00 to $172.00 and set a “strong-buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 26th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, twenty-one have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $180.73. Spotify Company Profile Spotify Technology SA is an innovative digital music service offering music fans instant access to a world of music. The company enables on-demand streaming of audio content and aim to combat music piracy by offering a user experience, while monetizing licensed content with both an ad-supported, free-to-the-user model and a premium, paid model.

Big businesses may spend more on security but their complexity makes them easier to hack, a former teenage hacker told an audience of big-business CSOs in opening up a day of insights at CSO Australia’s SecurIT conference this month. More than 120 security executives attended the inaugural Melbourne event, which brought together a range of speakers from industry and end-user organisations to explore the threats facing organisations and their CSOs today. Smaller organisations had fewer potentially vulnerable systems and more predictable IT environments that could be effectively secured and controlled – which makes them harder to compromise. However, a history of problematic strategic decisions, such as Sony’s controversial move to silently install rootkit-based digital rights management (DRM) on many of its CDs, had made the massive entertainment company “a classic hacker target,” former hacker Mustafa Al-Bassam said in opening the conference. Sony’s efforts to combat online piracy and protect its multi-modal business had led hackers to poke and prod its systems – with great success, since the firm was bristling with major core systems and ephemeral web sites that were set up to promote movies and music, then left abandoned but online. That broad exposure made Sony the “game of the year” among hackers that breached the company nearly two dozen times in 2011 – the year when Al-Bassam, who had joined hacktivist and anti-group Anonymous in 2010 to support its anti-copyright control campaign, co-founded the LulzSec splinter group. LulzSec – which would eventually lead the 16 year old hacker to arrest and a suspended sentence that forced him off the Internet for 2 years – went on a hacking spree that included posting fake news, compromising Web sites, and leaking the personal details of more than 80m users of Sony’s PlayStation Network (PSN) gaming site. Years later, Al-Bassam – now a PhD candidate who has left his hacking days in the rearview mirror – said LulzSec “wasn’t really a hacking group, but more of a comedy group, in my opinion.” “The point of LulzSec wasn’t to show that we were expert hackers,” he told the audience. “It was to show that internal security was not strong. The question was ‘why are all these systems suddenly being exploited?’ and the answer is that they probably were being exploited before, and there probably were a bunch of hackers in the system before – but those hackers didn’t have any reason to tell the world about them.” Data loss isn’t the only potential damage that hackers can cause, Sophos senior director of product marketing Anthony Merry said, noting that many attackers were focused purely on financial objectives – and are increasingly beginning their compromises by using ‘cryptojacking’ malware to implant cryptocurrency miners. “The fact is that someone got into your organisation, whether through a phishing attack or a poorly configured firewall,” he said. “Once they’ve got those credentials, they’re in and can do whatever they like.” Cryptomining tools capture free computing cycles from their victims’ environments and turn them into financial gain, and has become increasingly problematic for companies that already face issues with employees tapping into company resources to make a quick buck. Although there are a range of views on the ethics of cryptomining, using company resources to mine cryptocurrencies creates availability issues for IT and cybersecurity staff, as well as problems for employees – as happened last year, when two Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) IT staff were investigated for allegedly leveraging that agency’s powerful computers to mine cryptocurrency. And last month, a Sydney government employee faced two charges that could potentially see up to 12 years’ imprisonment for allegedly mining more than $9000 worth of cryptocurrency. Hackers leveraging victims’ computers for cryptomining often do so without fear of reprisals, however – and this can mean major problems for victims that may not even find out about the breach until major damage has been done. Sophos was recently called in, Merry shared, to help a company deal with a cryptomining operation that hackers had set up in its Amazon Web Services (AWS) environment using stolen privileged developer credentials. Those credentials gave hackers free license to spin up one virtual machine after another, scaling their cryptomining operations to massive scale out of office hours and winding them back when staff were more likely to be around to notice. The operation was only discovered when AWS sent usage alerts warning of the excess usage – and received an eye-watering bill from AWS for use of virtual machines that had been accumulating at more than $US100,000 per hour, for four or five hours per day, for more than a month. Given the potential financial gains, hackers have an interest in not impeding the operation of those environments. Yet that’s no guarantee of security, Merry noted: “if they get bored with cryptomining and the value of the currency drops to near zero, nothing stops them uninstalling that miner and installing something much worse.” Source - www.cso.com.au

The $138 billion video game market has become a lightning rod for cybercriminals looking to make a quick buck. Game-related crime such as piracy is as old as the industry itself, but the rising prevalence of online connectivity has opened up a plethora of new avenues for fraud. In-game purchases have grown increasingly common over the past decade, with a recent study by gaming research firm Newzoo finding that approximately half of all personal computer (PC) and console gamers spend money in game — a number that reaches more than 75 percent for mobile gamers. The same study discovered that as many as one in five gamers have been victims of payments fraud. Developers want to enable seamless payments, allowing users to make purchases with a single click, but these simple processes are drawing fraudsters to gaming platforms. Online games store and centralize users’ payment information, making them prime targets for hackers who acquire data via account takeovers (ATOs). Account takeovers: the ultimate boss fight ATOs are arguably the most nefarious type of fraud. Bad actors acquire login information — either by purchasing it on the dark web or using phishing scams and malware — and use stored payment information to make illicit purchases. Steam, a gaming platform with more than 125 million users around the world, has become a popular target for such attacks. Valve, Steam’s developer, stated that more than 77,000 ATOs occur on the platform every month, thousands of which are orchestrated by Steam Stealer, a malware program available on dark web marketplaces for as little as $3. Hackers who gain access to accounts not only steal linked credit cards, but also valuable digital items like trading cards, which can be sold on Steam’s Community Market for hundreds of dollars. A post on Steam’s blog noted, “Practically every active Steam account is now involved in the economy, via items or trading cards, with enough value to be worth a hacker’s time. Essentially all Steam accounts are now targets.” ATOs have also become common in multiplayer strategy game League of Legends. Scammers who gain access to accounts message other players, offering them links to free character skins or in-game currency. The link leads victims to a classic phishing scam that prompts them to enter their usernames and passwords, leaving their accounts ripe for takeover. Younger gamers are particularly vulnerable to this type of fraud. They are less likely to notice the warning signs of an account takeover and give hackers unfettered access to their or their parents’ credit cards. ATOs like this are especially prevalent in Fortnite, one of the most popular games in the world and a hit among children and teens. There were reportedly 4,770 fraudulent Fortnite websites and 1,390 related videos containing links to malware as of October, and bad actors were on track to make more than a million dollars off of these scams last year. How developers and gamers fight fraud Gamers are growing wise to the rising tide of cybercrime, with approximately 33 percent of players completely abstaining from in-game purchases to avoid being targeted. That’s obviously not something developers want, and they have instituted new measure to help protect users as a result. One of Steam’s latest security efforts is two-factor authentication, enabling gamers to secure their accounts with codes sent to their phones. Users must input these codes before they can access their accounts. Steam also put a 15-day hold on traded items from its Community Market, giving consumers the chance to spot illicit transactions before they lose their money. Gamers should adopt best security practices, such as strong passwords, and vigilantly monitor their in-game purchases and credit card histories. Fraudsters aren’t looking for challenging battles — if gamers can make themselves difficult targets, bad actors will move on to easier scams. ——————————– Latest Insights: With an estimated 64 million connected cars on the road by year’s end, QSRs are scrambling to win consumer drive-time dollars via in-dash ordering capabilities, while automakers like Tesla are developing new retail-centric charging stations. The PYMNTS Commerce Connected Playbook explores how the connected car is putting $230 billion worth of connected car spend into overdrive.