Latest news with #HelluvaBoss
UPI
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Prime Video to bring 'Gen V,' 'Upload' to San Diego Comic-Con
July 14 (UPI) -- Prime Video has announced its programming panels for the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con. The streamer will showcase such series as The Mighty Nein, The Legend of Vox Machina, Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss, Upload, Butterfly and Gen V. The lineup kicks off with a July 24 11:15 p.m. panel featuring cast members from Mighty Nein and Vox Machina. Laura Bailey, Matthew Mercer, Marisha Ray, Liam O'Brien, Ashley Jonson, Taliesin Jaffe, Sam Riegel and Travis Willingham will be in attendance. Vivenne Medrano, Erika Henningsen, Amir Talai, Brandon Rogers and Richard Horvitz will be present during the 12:30 p.m. "Hellaverse" panel, which includes both Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss. The Upload Complete panel July 25 features "clips and conversation with Greg Daniels and the cast of Upload, while Daniel Dae Kim and other cast and crew will present Butterfly during the 1:30 p.m. panel. Jaz Sinclair, Erek Luh, Maddie Phillips, Hamish Linklater and P.J. Byrne are among the cast members who will attend the Gen V panel at 3:45 p.m. The Boys spinoff was renewed for Season 2 in 2023.
Business Insider
24-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
A former DreamWorks president just raised $11.6M to build franchises using AI
Chris deFaria's Chronicle Studios raised $11.6M to create Hollywood franchises using AI. Chronicle aims to help animators grow their audiences and monetize their projects beyond YouTube. AI has been used in Hollywood for things like script reading, dubbing, and visual effects. His company, Chronicle Studios, is backed by Patron and Point72 Ventures, with participation from Z Ventures, Sands Capital, and others. DeFaria and his cofounder, Aaron Sisto, met a few years ago through mutual friends. Sisto is a partner at First Spark Ventures, a firm cofounded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. The pair saw marketing and distribution as the best way to help creators take their shows to the next level and ultimately develop the next generation of franchises. As AI began to gain traction, deFaria and Sisto sensed an opening to use the tech to help boost audience growth, believing that conventional marketing methods were losing effectiveness. That contrasts with some other players in Hollywood, who have sought to apply AI to the creative process in areas like visual effects and idea generation. "AI can't really make stories that are enduring," deFaria said. "The biggest pain point is getting an audience. There's wonderful stuff being done. I'm not sure anyone's getting to see it." Chronicle is starting with a focus on animators, where deFaria's background lies. It provides funding, a business plan, and a homegrown suite of AI tools to help them distribute their shows and build a loyal fan base in return for an equity stake. The tools do things like automate the creation of thumbnail photos for YouTube and monitor social media for reactions to the content. They plan to invest as much as 40% of the $11.6 million raised in creators, in the form of multiple investments over time per creator. So far, they've evaluated some 200 creators and invested in six, with a goal of backing up to 15 by the end of the year. Checks run in the neighborhood of $50,000. Chronicle wouldn't identify any of the creators it's backing, but said they're in various stages with projects that include a short film that's coming out and another that's due next year. One creator they pointed to as the type they would like to back is Vivienne Medrano. She's the creator of the YouTube animated series "Hazbin Hotel" and "Helluva Boss," and got a first-look deal with Amazon's Prime Video. Medrano has built a fan base partly by showing the process behind her animation. YouTube is a natural starting point for many of the projects Chronicle is backing. The Google-owned platform is increasingly becoming a home for TV-like series, with top creators or media companies launching shows or distributing existing episodes there. Chronicle isn't alone in chasing the independent creator opportunity. There's Further Adventures, a new studio that's investing in digital creators and independent filmmakers. Promise, an AI studio, launched last year and has gotten backing from Peter Chernin's North Road, Andreessen Horowitz, and Google. Others have tackled the distribution side of creators. Jellysmack helped YouTubers recirculate their videos on other platforms like Facebook and Snapchat in exchange for a cut of ad earnings. Amazon-backed Spotter provides capital and services, including an AI product, to help creators come up with new video ideas and elements. Chronicle's long-term goal in all its work with creators is to help them monetize their projects in various ways. That could be by selling or licensing to a streaming service, creating a free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel, or even staging a musical.
Business Insider
24-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
A former DreamWorks president just raised $11.6M to build franchises using AI
Chris deFaria, a former animation president at Warner Bros. and Comcast's DreamWorks, is betting he can create the next Hollywood franchises with the help of AI — and just raised $11.6 million in venture capital to do it. His company, Chronicle Studios, is backed by Patron and Point72 Ventures, with participation from Z Ventures, Sands Capital, and others. DeFaria and his cofounder, Aaron Sisto, met a few years ago through mutual friends. Sisto is a partner at First Spark Ventures, a firm cofounded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. The pair saw marketing and distribution as the best way to help creators take their shows to the next level and ultimately develop the next generation of franchises. As AI began to gain traction, deFaria and Sisto sensed an opening to use the tech to help boost audience growth, believing that conventional marketing methods were losing effectiveness. That contrasts with some other players in Hollywood, who have sought to apply AI to the creative process in areas like visual effects and idea generation. "AI can't really make stories that are enduring," deFaria said. "The biggest pain point is getting an audience. There's wonderful stuff being done. I'm not sure anyone's getting to see it." Chronicle is starting with a focus on animators, where deFaria's background lies. It provides funding, a business plan, and a homegrown suite of AI tools to help them distribute their shows and build a loyal fan base in return for an equity stake. The tools do things like automate the creation of thumbnail photos for YouTube and monitor social media for reactions to the content. They plan to invest as much as 40% of the $11.6 million raised in creators, in the form of multiple investments over time per creator. So far, they've evaluated some 200 creators and invested in six, with a goal of backing up to 15 by the end of the year. Checks run in the neighborhood of $50,000. Chronicle wouldn't identify any of the creators it's backing, but said they're in various stages with projects that include a short film that's coming out and another that's due next year. One creator they pointed to as the type they would like to back is Vivienne Medrano. She's the creator of the YouTube animated series "Hazbin Hotel" and "Helluva Boss," and got a first-look deal with Amazon's Prime Video. Medrano has built a fan base partly by showing the process behind her animation. YouTube is a natural starting point for many of the projects Chronicle is backing. The Google-owned platform is increasingly becoming a home for TV-like series, with top creators or media companies launching shows or distributing existing episodes there. Chronicle isn't alone in chasing the independent creator opportunity. There's Further Adventures, a new studio that's investing in digital creators and independent filmmakers. Promise, an AI studio, launched last year and has gotten backing from Peter Chernin's North Road, Andreessen Horowitz, and Google. Others have tackled the distribution side of creators. Jellysmack helped YouTubers recirculate their videos on other platforms like Facebook and Snapchat in exchange for a cut of ad earnings. Amazon-backed Spotter provides capital and services, including an AI product, to help creators come up with new video ideas and elements. Chronicle's long-term goal in all its work with creators is to help them monetize their projects in various ways. That could be by selling or licensing to a streaming service, creating a free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel, or even staging a musical. That's why they say they're not using AI just for short-term monetization gains on YouTube but rather to build loyal fan bases. "Hacking views does nothing for us," Sisto said. "If you're just hacking views, you won't get fandom or community."
Business Mayor
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Mayor
‘It gets me cackling like nothing else!' Your favourite YouTube TV shows
Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss, made by the same team, are as funny as anything on mainstream TV. Despite being animated, Hazbin Hotel is very much a show for adults, with both the comedy and plot lines often very not-safe-for-work. It has queer-friendly, gut-busting laughs, with surprisingly moving storylines and songs Lin Manuel-Miranda would be jealous of. The great strength of this being a YouTube show is that it would be extremely hard to pitch to a network. As they control their own content, creators can push the humour and actually build story around compelling (but risque) issues around sex, gender and identity. The show is essentially set in a version of hell. Hazbin Hotel focuses on the daughter of Satan trying to run a hotel for demons with the aim of rehabilitating them so they can get to heaven. It's extremely irreverent, silly and subtle – a rousing story of someone coming into their own. Will Green, 35, London Bangmouth Village An antihero for our time … Christopher Bliss in Bangmouth Village. Photograph: Youtube It's hard to think of a soap opera that's also unmissable prestige viewing. Bangmouth Village is neither. I found this ingenious and genuinely funny new show via TikTok clips, and immediately binged the three exquisite episodes to date. Here's hoping for more. It has everything from devastating twists to realistic phone conversations to a true antihero of our time in Billy Bangmouth (portrayed by writer and director Christopher Bliss), who we know has been in prison because he tells us. Bliss also shares insights into his writing process on TikTok which are worth a watch. But please, please don't be tempted to play 'sticky bonnet' in real life. Rob, 42, Devon Puppet History Like a historical version of the Muppets … the Professor in Puppet History. Photograph: Youtube I think when you stop being a child, history becomes dry and serious, so I love having a show like Puppet History, which feels like Horrible Histories – but for grownups. Every week they cover an event from history that's either mildly bonkers like 'Lisztomania' (the fan frenzy that surrounded Hungarian composer Franz Liszt in the 19th century) or someone you might not have heard of like Ching Shih, a pirate queen from China. They've always gone out of their way to shine a light on interesting bits of history that aren't often discussed, particularly when it comes to women and Africa. It's such a funny show and the Professor is my hero. Plus, each episode ends with an annoyingly catchy song! I would really recommend it as a historical version of the Muppets. Sabrina, Newcastle Video Game High School My favourite YouTube show has got to be Video Game High School, brilliantly produced by Freddie Wong and RocketJump Studios. The series is set in a world where video games and esports are treated with the same seriousness and passion as traditional sports, following students at a high school dedicated entirely to gaming. Thanks to its crowdfunding success, VGHS had an impressive budget, which meant the action scenes were shot with exhilarating cinematic flair. At the time, this was genuinely groundbreaking for a YouTube show. But beyond the action, what made VGHS truly special was the character development driven by great acting performances. Was it cheesy sometimes? Absolutely, but in exactly the way that all high school shows are. VGHS represented a fresh era of content that was different, engaging, fundamentally nerdy and perfectly captured YouTube at its creative height. Amen Tesfay, 25, London Jet Lag: the Game Jet Lag: the Game is a fantastic series of games played using geography and public transport. Previous examples include country-wide games of hide and seek, tag across Europe and races to claim as many states or countries in a region as possible. While it's greatly enjoyable to see games unfold, it also functions well as a travel show showcasing quieter, more obscure locations and a solid manifesto for good public transport infrastructure. John Son, 29, Glasgow The Most Upsetting Guessing Game in the World My favourite YouTube TV show is The Most Upsetting Guessing Game in the World (MUGG) on the Grouse House channel. I recommend it to anyone who loves a healthy dose of cracked Aussie alternative comedy. It's the highlight of my Monday evening when they upload new episodes. It gets me cackling like nothing else, and it's a great next show for anyone new to the Aunty Donna-verse. The goal of the MUGG is for the party host to guess each guest's 'quirks', but at the start of each episode the MC and the guests make all of the quirks as unhinged and unguessable as possible. As a result, things often go off the rails in hilarious ways. Each episode is intercut with talking head interviews where the players share their emotional states and try to explain what they were thinking as they tried to guess the unguessable. Silas Vriend, 29, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Good Mythical Morning Funny, silly and mostly about food … Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal on Good Mythical Morning. Photograph: Youtube Good Mythical Morning is a weekday breakfast show which comes out at about 11am in the UK. I started watching it during the pandemic. The mix of humour, food and interesting facts really appealed to me. In some ways it reminds me of morning TV back in the 90s. It is hosted by Rhett and Link who describe themselves as 'internetainers'. It is funny, silly and mostly about food. There are a lot of spin-off shows including Last Meals, which is a chatshow like the Off Menu podcast but if they made the meals, hosted by Mythical chef Josh. Mim Gale, Leighton Buzzard Soft White Underbelly Soft White Underbelly videos are documentaries that take a hard look at what abuse, neglect, drugs and untreated mental illness have done to so many Americans. It shows they are people and their lives have value. It's tragic and heartbreaking because we can do better by them. Christy, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA UNHhhh Trixie and Katya in UNHhhh. Photograph: Youtube UNHhhh's premise is simple: two drag queens, Trixie and Katya, sit on bar stools in front of a green screen and deviate wildly from the topic they're given to discuss. It's a hilarious mix of observation, personal anecdotes and surreal editing that's all done in under quarter of an hour. The first time I saw it back in 2021, I had no idea what was going on. It was such a fever dream. But I tried another episode, then another. The improvised introductions that lead to their signature 'Because it's our show, and not yours' are unpredictable, but the show itself is one of those reliable things I can reach for whenever I need to laugh. Call me basic for recommending this one, but episode 119, 'Gurl, You Gay', has 11m views for good reason. Mary, Northumberland PBS Space Time PBS Space Time is an educational show focusing mostly on space science but also delving into particle and quantum physics. The host Dr Matt O'Dowd does an excellent job at explaining very complicated subjects in ways that make them approachable. While some equations are covered, they are explained in a way that doesn't make them impossible to understand if you're not particularly gifted when it comes to maths. Mostly, however, the topics are discussed in a way that explains what is happening without you needing to understand the mathematical reasons behind it. All of this is combined with excellent visualisations that really pull the whole show together. If you're interested in space and like to learn, I would highly recommend this show as an excellent way to enhance your understanding of space time. Callum, 32, Blandford St Mary
The Guardian
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘It gets me cackling like nothing else!' Your favourite YouTube TV shows
Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss, made by the same team, are as funny as anything on mainstream TV. Despite being animated, Hazbin Hotel is very much a show for adults, with both the comedy and plot lines often very not-safe-for-work. It has queer-friendly, gut-busting laughs, with surprisingly moving storylines and songs Lin Manuel-Miranda would be jealous of. The great strength of this being a YouTube show is that it would be extremely hard to pitch to a network. As they control their own content, creators can push the humour and actually build story around compelling (but risque) issues around sex, gender and identity. The show is essentially set in a version of hell. Hazbin Hotel focuses on the daughter of Satan trying to run a hotel for demons with the aim of rehabilitating them so they can get to heaven. It's extremely irreverent, silly and subtle – a rousing story of someone coming into their own. Will Green, 35, London It's hard to think of a soap opera that's also unmissable prestige viewing. Bangmouth Village is neither. I found this ingenious and genuinely funny new show via TikTok clips, and immediately binged the three exquisite episodes to date. Here's hoping for more. It has everything from devastating twists to realistic phone conversations to a true antihero of our time in Billy Bangmouth (portrayed by writer and director Christopher Bliss), who we know has been in prison because he tells us. Bliss also shares insights into his writing process on TikTok which are worth a watch. But please, please don't be tempted to play 'sticky bonnet' in real life. Rob, 42, Devon I think when you stop being a child, history becomes dry and serious, so I love having a show like Puppet History, which feels like Horrible Histories – but for grownups. Every week they cover an event from history that's either mildly bonkers like 'Lisztomania' (the fan frenzy that surrounded Hungarian composer Franz Liszt in the 19th century) or someone you might not have heard of like Ching Shih, a pirate queen from China. They've always gone out of their way to shine a light on interesting bits of history that aren't often discussed, particularly when it comes to women and Africa. It's such a funny show and the Professor is my hero. Plus, each episode ends with an annoyingly catchy song! I would really recommend it as a historical version of the Muppets. Sabrina, Newcastle My favourite YouTube show has got to be Video Game High School, brilliantly produced by Freddie Wong and RocketJump Studios. The series is set in a world where video games and esports are treated with the same seriousness and passion as traditional sports, following students at a high school dedicated entirely to gaming. Thanks to its crowdfunding success, VGHS had an impressive budget, which meant the action scenes were shot with exhilarating cinematic flair. At the time, this was genuinely groundbreaking for a YouTube show. But beyond the action, what made VGHS truly special was the character development driven by great acting performances. Was it cheesy sometimes? Absolutely, but in exactly the way that all high school shows are. VGHS represented a fresh era of content that was different, engaging, fundamentally nerdy and perfectly captured YouTube at its creative height. Amen Tesfay, 25, London Jet Lag: the Game is a fantastic series of games played using geography and public transport. Previous examples include country-wide games of hide and seek, tag across Europe and races to claim as many states or countries in a region as possible. While it's greatly enjoyable to see games unfold, it also functions well as a travel show showcasing quieter, more obscure locations and a solid manifesto for good public transport infrastructure. John Son, 29, Glasgow My favourite YouTube TV show is The Most Upsetting Guessing Game in the World (MUGG) on the Grouse House channel. I recommend it to anyone who loves a healthy dose of cracked Aussie alternative comedy. It's the highlight of my Monday evening when they upload new episodes. It gets me cackling like nothing else, and it's a great next show for anyone new to the Aunty Donna-verse. The goal of the MUGG is for the party host to guess each guest's 'quirks', but at the start of each episode the MC and the guests make all of the quirks as unhinged and unguessable as possible. As a result, things often go off the rails in hilarious ways. Each episode is intercut with talking head interviews where the players share their emotional states and try to explain what they were thinking as they tried to guess the unguessable. Silas Vriend, 29, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Good Mythical Morning is a weekday breakfast show which comes out at about 11am in the UK. I started watching it during the pandemic. The mix of humour, food and interesting facts really appealed to me. In some ways it reminds me of morning TV back in the 90s. It is hosted by Rhett and Link who describe themselves as 'internetainers'. It is funny, silly and mostly about food. There are a lot of spin-off shows including Last Meals, which is a chatshow like the Off Menu podcast but if they made the meals, hosted by Mythical chef Josh. Mim Gale, Leighton Buzzard Soft White Underbelly videos are documentaries that take a hard look at what abuse, neglect, drugs and untreated mental illness have done to so many Americans. It shows they are people and their lives have value. It's tragic and heartbreaking because we can do better by them. Christy, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA UNHhhh's premise is simple: two drag queens, Trixie and Katya, sit on bar stools in front of a green screen and deviate wildly from the topic they're given to discuss. It's a hilarious mix of observation, personal anecdotes and surreal editing that's all done in under quarter of an hour. The first time I saw it back in 2021, I had no idea what was going on. It was such a fever dream. But I tried another episode, then another. The improvised introductions that lead to their signature 'Because it's our show, and not yours' are unpredictable, but the show itself is one of those reliable things I can reach for whenever I need to laugh. Call me basic for recommending this one, but episode 119, 'Gurl, You Gay', has 11m views for good reason. Mary, Northumberland PBS Space Time is an educational show focusing mostly on space science but also delving into particle and quantum physics. The host Dr Matt O'Dowd does an excellent job at explaining very complicated subjects in ways that make them approachable. While some equations are covered, they are explained in a way that doesn't make them impossible to understand if you're not particularly gifted when it comes to maths. Mostly, however, the topics are discussed in a way that explains what is happening without you needing to understand the mathematical reasons behind it. All of this is combined with excellent visualisations that really pull the whole show together. If you're interested in space and like to learn, I would highly recommend this show as an excellent way to enhance your understanding of space time. Callum, 32, Blandford St Mary
