Latest news with #MinorityReport
Metro
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Netflix adds 'breathtaking' sci-fi movie 23 years after it was first released
A 'breathtaking', action-packed sci-fi movie is finally coming to Netflix, 23 years after it was first released. Minority Report was released in 2002, helmed by Steven Spielberg and based on the novel of the same name by Philip K Dick. The futuristic film transported viewers to 2054, and was set in a world where police had psychic technology and were able to arrest people for crimes before they happened. Tom Cruise starred as Precrime chief John Anderton who led the department, but found himself on the wrong side of the department when he was accused of a crime he hadn't committed yet. The Mission: Impossible icon was joined in the cast by Colin Farrell, Samanta Morton, Patrick Kilpatrick and Max von Sydow. Minority Report is being added to the streaming platform on July 1, meaning a new batch of fans will be able to watch on in terror as John goes on the run, desperate to clear his name. The dystopian flick currently boasts a Rotten Tomatoes score of 89% from critics, compared to 80% from the audience. An anonymous fan penned: 'This movie was awesome. It had an incredibly unique idea that was so much fun to watch unfold. Plenty of twists and turns. A perfect sci-fi movie.' 'Probably my favorite Tom Cruise movie! It had such an original plot and a great story line! Definitely a bit sci-fi-ish, but really well done,' Jeremy L said. 'This movie was amazing and way ahead of its time,' an unnamed fan said. 'I was very impressed. Tom Cruise had an incredible performance. 'The story was unique and captivating. Very thought provoking. All the future tech displayed in this movie is still impressive today in 2020 even to a seasoned Sci-Fi fan. A must see film, one of the best Sci-Fi movies out there.' Daniel W raved: 'On the short list of my all-time favorite movies, Minority Report is the rare film that has everything: breathtaking action and suspense, philosophical and ethical dilemmas, real emotion and well-placed plot twists. 'In fact, it has so much going on that it might have gone off the rails in lesser hands; but Spielberg's veteran direction shapes it into a masterpiece.' The official synopsis reads: 'In a near future where murders can be seen before they happen, the head of the Precrime unit goes on the run when he's accused of an imminent homicide.' More Trending Minority Report was released more than two decades ago, and made more than $225million at the global box office. It spawned a spin-off prequel series on Fox in 2015, with Stark Sands, Wilmer Valderrama, Meagan Good, Nick Zano and Daniel London in the cast. However, the program wasn't as successful as the blockbuster, and was axed after one season. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
Newsroom
22-06-2025
- Business
- Newsroom
Luxon's hot minute in the heart of the dragon
It's close to midnight as the Prime Minister swaggers down the stairs of the Airforce 757. Waiting on the tarmac next to the red carpet is the deputy mayor of Shanghai, with his ambassador to China and China's ambassador to New Zealand. Christopher Luxon needn't worry, the welcomes will get grander as the trip progresses. It's a muggy Shanghai night; Luxon doesn't linger. Into his car and the motorcade shifts into gear. His first official visit to one of the world's most consequential countries has begun. Any overseas trip takes preparation, but with China the stakes are high and the climate is … complex. Pre-trip briefings are par for the course. A security briefing from the country's spy agencies is not. Add to the growing 'to do' list: burner phone, burner computer, burner SIM, no wifi, and keep your tech and sensitive belongings on you at all times – just a suggestion, though. Day 1: Deals, deals, deals The sun rises on a 35C day in Shanghai and the dozen-strong media group bustles into the two waiting vans – or 'coasters' – to travel from their very nice hotel to the even nicer hotel where the PM and business leaders are staying. It's time for the first event of the trip: a group photo. The photographers move into position on the scorching concrete balcony high above the city, with a view out over the Bund River and the Shanghai skyline. Prep be damned. When the crowd arrives they mill around, confused. 'Shuffle left', the photographer says, 'now right, more people on that side. And smile!' It's not the last time the group will perform this awkward dance. The official party posing on Shanghai's Bund on morning one. Photo: Pool The selfies done, the group moves into a room with a trio of economics experts. They have impressive CVs and even more impressive TedTalk-esque presentation skills. They talk through global uncertainty caused by toxic tariffs, low consumer and business confidence, and the opportunities for businesses and investors presented by these challenges. The first question in the Q&A session goes to the Prime Minister. He wants to know what's behind the downturn in China's real estate market. You can take the man out of New Zealand, but you can't take the property market obsession out of the man. Ahead of the trip, Luxon names tourism and education as his two priority areas. And true to his word, the first engagement with guts is with China travel booking platform Ctrip ( After the obligatory group photo (shuffle, shuffle, switch), CTrip chief executive Jane Sun leads Luxon to an interactive wall that does little to dispel the west's dystopian future view of China's approach to tech. An eerie AI-generated female voice overlays interactive visualisations bringing to life screeds of visitor data gathered by the booking platform. The Minority Report sheen is broken by one of the data points on the digital wall. Most popular restaurant for Chinese travellers in New Zealand: Ferg Burger. The CTrip data wall. Photo: Supplied Luxon is ushered into a room to record a promotional video. The door is closed behind him. Media move to an open-air balcony to set up for the first of what will be three hot and sweaty press conferences on the trip. The questioning is dominated by visa settings for Chinese travellers. It won't be the last time that topic rears its head on the trip. The delegation piles back into the waiting vehicles – shiny black sedans with flags for ministers, coasters for officials, business heads and media. It's time to pump up the primary sector at an event showcasing grass-fed dairy at the Langham Hotel. Champagne glasses half-full of Fonterra milk sit on the tables around the room. Beside them are miniature flags from the two countries. One delegation member says the milk actually tastes better out of a champagne glass. Maybe it'll catch on back home. Champagne tastes for NZ dairy. Photo: Laura Walters In any country – but especially China – everyone wants a piece of political leaders. Luxon's presence – even if it's a 15-minute whip around – helps grease the wheels. If an unrelenting smile and a whole lot of selfies is what it takes to go for growth, then Luxon is willing. The crew shuffles back into the cars and off to New Zealand Central, where the PM announces a change that will allow kiwi cosmetic brands to export to China. There's the handshakes, the signing, and then the sampling. Luxon shifts into a past persona: Unilever sales mode. This look takes a lot of work, he says, gesturing at his face. But rather than reaching for the antipodes eye cream to put on his own face, he wrangles an unwilling member of the travelling media. Luxon does eventually agree to sample the product himself. It's a day before the PM stops commenting on the journalist's eyes. Back to the PM's hotel for another business announcement, which turns out to be one of the most significant (and unexpected) deals of the trip. The long-talked about Southern Link between China and South America, via Auckland, will be in place by the end of the year. State-owned China Eastern is particularly stoked to announce one of its government's controversial Belt and Road Initiative expansionist projects. The PM says NZ doesn't have any Belt and Road projects, and China knows that. Do they? A warning at Yu Yuan gardens. Photo: Tim Murphy Vibe switch. Luxon has swapped blue suit for blue polo (adorned with a Silver Fern) but without his name and title on it, as in the past. Until now, Luxon has kept up with the bustling metropolis of Shanghai. Now, he's transported to ancient China, walking past the dragon statues and jade gardens of Yu Yuan Gardens with writer Mang Boyong. Mang studied at Waikato University and is a best-seller. Their conversation looks riveting, but no-one can get close enough to hear, as visitors swarm around the PM. Who is this man being followed by cameras and security? A metal plaque sits beside some concrete steps: Caution! Slippery Slope. Seems appropriate. Day 2: Sweating it in Shanghai Luxon starts the day with a visit to Fudan University. After being greeted by a robot, the PM makes his way to the technology gallery, where students are waiting. Following the formal (read: dry) opening remarks, the PM has a Q&A session with the students. One asks about the use of technology and AI to better deliver healthcare – especially to rural and isolated communities. The PM says he believes AI can be used to better connect people with services. For example, if you're a young mother with two kids, it can help you understand 'the entitlements that you're entitled to'. The political journalists in the room exchange glances. Last time the PM spoke about being entitled to entitlements he ended up giving back taxpayer money. One Kiwi student learning Mandarin at Fudan asks about the importance of learning languages to build connections and understanding. Luxon responds: 'You can see we send our brightest students overseas.' Ouch. The PM talks about his quest to learn Mandarin in the '90s. He later divulges he hired a teacher to come to his office every Monday morning at 7am. The pursuit didn't last long, because there was no-one to practise with in Wellington. Perhaps he needed to get out of his bubble. From Fudan, Luxon is whisked away to meet the Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Jining. It's his first political meeting of the trip and it's held in a big room. This particular room is described by one member of the media delegation as 'one of the most well-lit rooms in communist party history'. All the rooms in China are big and bright. Most of the space isn't used. It feels like a big flex. After his meeting, Luxon walks outside to conduct probably the hottest press conference in history. Not in terms of the spicy questions, or the Prime Minister's hot takes, but thanks to the literal temperature, which rises past 35C (feeling more like 40C on the concrete). Sweat is soon drenching everyone there. Well, almost everyone. As Luxon Lore goes, the PM doesn't sweat. But after 20 minutes in the beating sun, beads are forming on his upper-lip. Luxon mentions the journalist's eyes again, commenting on their softness. It starts to feel uncomfortable – the joke and the heat. The motorcade swings by NZ Central to give the PM what he likes to call a bit of 'executive time'. Ostensibly it's for catching up on any reading or emails, but in this instance it's likely a chance to put his feet up, have a bite of lunch and change. Welcome to Beijing This time the welcome has military personnel lining the red carpet on the tarmac. And China's Customs Minister. Customs as in protocol? one person asks. No. Customs, as in please make sure New Zealand milk keeps flowing over the border. There's enough time to check in and shower (finally) ahead of a Matariki reception held at the New Zealand Embassy on Thursday evening. In some respects, Luxon is unlucky in his timing of the trip, between the Matariki holiday and Iran, Israel and maybe the US threatening an all-out war, the attention of the masses is elsewhere. But China watchers always be watching. Between the drinks and nibbles, Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue impresses with a breathtaking rendition of Pōkarekare Ana, a series of waiata and the crowd-pleasing Ka Mate. Following the PM's speech, Te Matatini-winning kapa haka group supports him with a waiata while Luxon stands with them. Later, Whakaata Māori asks Luxon how he feels being invited to stand with the kapa. Honoured, he says. Big day with the big names in Beijing If the first two days of the trip are hectic, the final day is high-stakes. The media pack makes its way to the Grand Hall of the People situated in the heart of Xi Jinping's seat of power. The rooms, halls and stairways inside G-Hop – as the acronym-loving foreign affairs officials say – puts the grandness of China's other very big rooms to shame. Gold-gilded marble, unfathomably large murals displaying traditional Chinese art, vases big enough for a grown adult to get inside, and yellow velvet curtains. The vast halls are lit by high-wattage bulbs in a series of chandeliers. The people walking through the rooms look like specks; utterly exposed. Travelling minister Mark Mitchell clocks the under-utilised space, and asks if he can rent a corner. It's hard to imagine the police minister getting sign-off on setting up a co-working space in CCP territory. First meeting of the day is with Zhao Leji, the chairman of China's parliamentary assembly. Chinese media includes a state archivist – the film will be kept for 100 years, he says. One of the cameramen has an earpiece that looks more security than broadcaster. On the carpet are two red stickers to indicate where Luxon and Zhao should stand. A dot for Luxon and star for Zhao. To their backs are flags from the respective countries, both crafted from paper and arranged into perfect cones. The press pack is ushered out and then it's a waiting game until Luxon's meeting with Xi. Chinese officials allow liberal media access. Photos, videos, voice recordings – it's all on the table. All 12 travelling media are granted access to the all-important Xi meeting, making the earlier bunfight over who would get the coveted spots wholly redundant. Luxon rounds the corner, flanked by his entourage. When he gets to the door, he pauses, takes a breath, pastes a smile on his face and walks into the room. A performer waiting in the wings, taking that steadying breath and putting on their persona, before stepping on the stage. Luxon with Xi. Photo: Pool The opening remarks start. Xi talks about 'ups and downs'. Luxon refers to global turmoil, calls on China to be a consistent, constructive global force. The PM shows he too can go one-for-one with one of the world's most powerful men. And then they leave, with both sides believing the relationship is 'in good heart'. Just like that, it's time to switch back to trade mode. Off to a posh department store to push kiwifruit. Think Harrods, but with a higher turnover. Then he's on a rooftop, supporting the launch of Tourism New Zealand's 100% Pure campaign. Sounds familiar. Just seven hours before his flight out, Luxon is back at China's Great Hall. And, finally, he receives the pomp and ceremony of a full military welcome. When the marching and anthems are done, Luxon and his counterpart Premier Li Qiang follow the strips of red carpet to inspect the troops. Luxon fights every instinct to not smile, say hello and shake a gun-wielding hand. Instead, a respectful nod. The PM joins the Premier for a banquet dinner. Officials and the business crew stay. The media coasters head off. Without the PM's motorcade the vans move at a crawl along China's boulevard of power. Next to the Great Hall lies Tiananmen Square. There are conspicuous security cameras throughout Beijing, but the clusters around the site of historic bloodshed are something else. No journalists allowed. Dinner has finished and the Prime Minister is running an hour early for his final press conference of the trip. Media hustle out of the local Peking Duck restaurant and move to the embassy to set up. As the sun goes down, journalists spend 25 minutes trying (mostly in vain) to squeeze details of the day's meetings out of the Prime Minister. He's met with the most powerful men from one of the world's most powerful countries, and he's staying mum. The stand-up fast becomes an exercise in creative question composition and reading between the lines. What he will say is that he sees no evidence that China is joining a fearsome foursome of Iran, Russia and North Korea to conspire against the west. That's not how Nato head Mark Rutte sees it. Will Luxon stick to this line once he's in the warm embrace of his security partners in Europe? A couple of days will tell.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How Criterion turned its film archives into a streaming powerhouse
The average consumer subscribes to 4.5 streaming services, many of which offer content that feels largely indistinguishable from one another. How one company is revolutionizing the way we use everyday water Pentagon Pizza Index: The theory that surging pizza orders signal global crises 5 signals that make you instantly more trustworthy at work When Netflix disrupted film and television in the late 2010s, it introduced a new model of viewership: an endless blend of originals and archives, delivered through a finely tuned personalization algorithm. Today, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Peacock, and many others follow the same playbook. Not the Criterion Channel. The streamer rejects the infinite-content model, instead curating rotating collections of select films that appear for just a few months. Their offerings range from mass-market to niche indie: A recent example, 'Surveillance Cinema,' matched the $350 million-earning Minority Report with the tiny French neo-noir Demonlover. It also turns away from algorithmic recommendations—every title is handpicked by a programmer. Aliza Ma, the Criterion Channel's head of programming, says that she's 'offended' by the big streamers' model of curation. 'It's absurd in the face of art and curiosity that you would think somebody's past behavior could indicate future taste,' she tells Fast Company. This approach has earned the Criterion Channel a loyal following among artistically curious cinephiles, creating a stable, low-churn subscriber base. For just $10.99 a month, viewers from the U.S. and Canada can escape the clutches of streamer sludge. The mega-viral Criterion Closet doesn't hurt either. 'I would have expected that broader is better,' Ma says. 'It's a brilliant surprise to us that the more specific we get, the more we pull focus on a subject or theme, the better it seems to reach people.' For over 30 years, Criterion was known as a seller and refurbisher of physical media. Their DVD and Blu-ray archives sustained the business, while the company licensed their films to several video-on-demand (VOD) services. First they were available on Mubi, then Hulu, and finally FilmStruck, the streamer from Turner Classic Movies. But when FilmStruck shut down in 2018, Criterion president Peter Becker and his team decided to create their own point of access. The Criterion Channel was running by 2019 and has since eclipsed the company's physical media business. In 2024, Criterion and its sister company, Janus Films, were sold to billionaire Steven Rales, founder of the film studio Indian Paintbrush and a minority owner of the Indiana Pacers. The channel's focus on curation naturally narrows its appeal. In the ongoing 'streaming wars,' Criterion isn't trying to compete on scale. Instead, it leans into its niche. 'You have to think you care about movies enough to want a streaming service really devoted to movies,' Becker says. But specificity also creates a highly loyal customer base, he adds. Asked whether one specific collection surged traffic at the site, Becker notes that there are 'different points of entry for everybody.' Some are more popular within the streamer's walls than others—both Ma and Becker reference the 2023 'High School Horror' set featuring movies like Donnie Darko and I Know What You Did Last Summer. But subscribers come more for the curation than for any individual film, meaning they're likely to stay longer. Michael Cunningham, acclaimed author of Day and The Hours (the latter of which was adapted into a film starring Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman), is a subscriber to the Criterion Channel. 'I'm a fan because Criterion is keeping alive films that would otherwise fade away and be forgotten,' he writes in an email to Fast Company. 'It reminds us that greatness resides in a wide range of movies, from Potemkin to Some Like It Hot.' Estimating the Criterion Channel's size is a difficult task. The company declined to provide Fast Company with revenue or user figures, only saying that it 'has grown steadily since we launched.' When its predecessor FilmStruck shut down in 2018, the subscriber base was estimated at just 100,000. The Criterion Channel has likely surpassed this—it has over 100,000 downloads on the Google Play store alone. But that's still small compared with other specialty streamers like Mubi, which has more than 5 million Google Play downloads. It's audience is also shifting. 'If you had gone back 10 or 15 years and looked at who was collecting DVDs and Blu-rays, you would have seen a heavy disproportion of people who were male and over 30,' Becker says. 'That has been completely shattered.' Criterion, the company behind the channel, still operates its specialty DVD business and commissions a stable of writers to pen essays on its archive. But the Criterion Channel is the company's 'most far-reaching project,' Becker says. And then there's the company's infamous closet. It began in 2010, when Guillermo del Toro stepped into Criterion's DVD archive in New York and picked out his favorites. Choosing among a collection organized only by spine number, del Toro professed his love for François Truffaut's The 400 Blows. Criterion has continued to pump out these 'Closet Picks'—the videos are now significantly less grainy—and posts them to YouTube. 'We record a couple a week, and we're always amazed by the conversations we have in there,' Becker says. 'I think it's a relief for the people in the Closet, because they don't have to talk about their own movies.' Creatives see the Criterion Closet as more than a stop on their press tour, though. Griffin Dunne, star of films like Martin Scorcese's After Hours, relished the opportunity to rifle through Criterion's archives. 'There are a few benchmarks in an actor's or director's career,' Dunne wrote in an email to Fast Company. 'Getting your first job, any job, in the movie business. Seeing your name in a New York Times review for your first film. Getting nominated or winning for any of the EGOTs. Being invited to the Criterion Closet to talk about your favorites films.' The closet has since gone mobile. Criterion now takes a portable version on the road, drawing fans who line up for hours. Becker even recalls a couple who got engaged inside. 'We're always amazed and gratified at how young the people who come out are,' he says, noting that most attendees are in their 20s and early 30s. The traveling closet of films also reveals the diversity of Criterion's audience. Few titles are picked more than a handful of times. While some favorites recur—Richard Linklater's films, for example, or Anora—most picks are highly personal and eclectic. Has the Criterion Closet helped funnel audiences back to their streamer or paid offerings? Becker isn't interested in talking shop. The closet wasn't set up as a marketing tool, so they don't track it as one. But it has been a helpful brand extension, he concedes. 'When 13 million people see the Ben Affleck video, that's a lot of people,' Becker says. 'We're definitely reaching more people than would have sought us out without it.' Affleck's first pick from the Criterion Closet was Jean Renoir's The Rules of the Game, the 1939 French satire celebrated for its humanist worldview. It's hard to imagine the film finding traction on Netflix. How would they package it? What thumbnail image or search-friendly pitch could make it click? Its age alone might be a barrier—back in March, the oldest title on Netflix was 1973's The Sting. But viewers can find The Rules of the Game on the Criterion Channel. It appears in a 'French Poetic Realism' collection, alongside commentary from Cunningham, the novelist. They can watch the film, explore its historical context, and dip into criticism, too. That's what the Criterion Channel offers: not just content, but curation. This post originally appeared at to get the Fast Company newsletter: Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
New Indian Express
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Gary Oldman receives Knighthood in King Charles' birthday honours
King Charles III has honoured Gary Oldman with a knighthood in the former's birthday honours list, recognising the acclaimed actor for his extensive services to drama. This marks Oldman's first royal recognition for his distinguished body of work. Oldman now joins a prestigious group of contemporaries, such as Sir Daniel Day-Lewis and Sir Kenneth Branagh, who have also received accolades at Buckingham Palace. Last year, a BBC News reporter asked Oldman about the reason for his lack of royal honour, and he explained that he never declined an accolade. 'You should ask them. No nod from the royals, but there we are,' Oldman stated. 'Maybe it's in my future.' That future has now arrived. Oldman is among the 1,215 individuals King Charles recognised in the honours list, including numerous prominent figures from the realms of film, television, and theatre. The King also knighted the National Theatre's outgoing director Rufus Norris for his significant contributions to the stage. Additionally, the Palace confirmed a knighthood for football legend David Beckham. Beyond the knighthoods, the King awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) to Minority Report and The Walking Dead star Samantha Morton. Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh received an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire). The monarch further elevated musical theatre icon Elaine Paige, celebrated for her iconic roles in Evita and Cats, to a Damehood. Other screen talents receiving honours included The Crown's Jane Lapotaire, who earned a CBE, and Friday Night Dinner star Tracy-Ann Oberman, whom the King presented with an MBE for her vital role in tackling antisemitism.
The National
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
Keir Starmer's silence has emboldened Netanyahu in Iran attacks
Now, through tepid and inappropriate rhetoric, the UK government continues to collude with a state which has today attacked a regional power amidst major diplomatic negotiations, violating international law. And all while that same state simultaneously bombs Yemen and Lebanon, occupies Syria and uses the Iran attack as a smokescreen for its annexation of the Palestinian West Bank. Westminster has consistently stuck to the line that Israel has a right to 'self-defence'. But seemingly taking its cues on defence strategy from the 2002 film, Minority Report, Israel calls its strikes on Iran 'pre-emptive'. READ MORE: Israel 'already planning even more brutal' attacks on Iran, Donald Trump claims Current reports say civilians, including children, have died in the attacks across Iran. In an official response, Keir Starmer describes the strikes as 'concerning' and urges 'all parties to step back and reduce tensions urgently'. He says, 'Escalation serves no-one in the region. Stability in the Middle East must be the priority and we are engaging partners to de-escalate'. But Starmer fails to mention who exactly is escalating at this moment. Nor does he condemn the inflammatory actions of Netanyahu and his regime. But this is nothing new. In the past two years, we have witnessed our leadership pander to the Israeli state as it illegally occupies and starves Palestinians, killing more than 55,000 people in Gaza. At least 181 journalists and media workers have been killed. According to UNICEF, at the start of this year, more than 14,500 children were killed in Gaza — the numbers are now likely considerably higher. Gaza has the highest percentage of child amputees in the world. In response, we learn that our government sells fighter jet parts to the Israeli military, that the previous Conservative government threatened to withdraw funding from the International Criminal Court over its plans to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, and we now know IDF soldiers are being trained on UK soil. More than 300 UK Foreign Office Staff raised concerns over the UK's complicity in Israeli war crimes. Amnesty International, Oxfam, War on Want, Plan International, Christian Aid and myriad other third-sector organisations have spoken out against the UK government's role in supporting Israel. (Image: PA) 'The UK government must stop equivocating when it comes to the widespread breaches of international law Israel is clearly responsible for — this only serves to conceal the truth about the crimes of apartheid and genocide being inflicted daily on the Palestinian people,' says Karla McLaren, Amnesty International UK's Government Relations Manager. When it comes to the suppression of its own people, Iran's Islamic Republic regime is undoubtedly a bad actor. This in no way justifies Israeli aggression or the targeting of civilian populations. Westminster must make this clear. Our government needs to understand that people in Scotland will not stand for its complicity with Israel as it destabilises the Middle East, attacks regional powers, and enacts war crimes. National demonstrations will take place across the country this weekend, I hope to see you there.
