VisionQuest is what happens when AI really goes rogue
VisionQuest is what happens when AI really goes rogue

In Marvel’s VisionQuest, a superpowered robot tries to better understand humanity by getting lost in elaborate, digital daydreams in which he and other artificial intelligence-powered beings live together in a home. The series is deeply fantastical, yet it plays with some of the ideas that have come to dominate the conversation about real-world generative artificial […]

Blue Planet III is keeping the rough edges in the age of AI
Blue Planet III is keeping the rough edges in the age of AI

BBC’s Blue Planet III is looking to prove its authenticity by leaving in the less-than-perfect shots. Previous incarnations of the nature series were defined by their gorgeous, crystal-clear footage that seemed almost too good to be real. But one dead giveaway of AI is when things look too polished and seamless. To counter that, Blue […]

Netflix can’t fire its way out of this downward spiral
Netflix can’t fire its way out of this downward spiral

Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters assured investors this week that they have nothing to be concerned about. Sure, the company was going to lay off 1,000 employees, downsizing its product, tech, and legal departments, and was ousting its chief content officer, film chairman, and film vice president. But it had also hired a […]

New York’s first microdrama film festival searches for its audience
New York’s first microdrama film festival searches for its audience

It remains to be seen if people really want to watch vertical content on horizontal TV screens, but many filmmakers and creators were confident that their latest projects would play well at Alza – New York City’s first microdrama film festival. Founded by former Tribeca Festival chief operating officer Pete Torres, Alza, which took place […]

Vurt wants you to look at vertical videos as a genre of their own
Vurt wants you to look at vertical videos as a genre of their own

From Disney Plus to HBO Max, almost every major established streaming service is experimenting with ways to get into vertical content. It’s clear that these companies see video-focused social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram as existential threats. In this arms race for viewers’ attention, it has often felt like everyone is trying to find […]

Horror is big business
Horror is big business

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on how pervasive horror has become, follow Andrew Webster. The Stepback, arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes on Sunday at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started Resident Evil has been around for 30 […]

Xbox is launching a new film and TV division
Xbox is launching a new film and TV division

Xbox is launching a new division, called “XP,” that’s dedicated to Xbox experiences that aren’t video games, including films and TV adaptations, consumer products, live events, and partnerships with creators and brands. Different teams at Xbox already do this work, but it will all now fall under the centralized XP division. XP formalizes four “investment […]

Cupertino might be made for your mom, but it’s a good take on tech
Cupertino might be made for your mom, but it’s a good take on tech

Cupertino brings the tech backlash to the CBS procedural – an initially awkward combination, but with rewarding results. The show starts off just slightly unsure, but quickly figures out what to do with these strange times, creating fictionalized dupes of the Zizians, Polymarket, Jeff Bezos’ looksmaxxing obsession, OpenAI stealing Scarlett Johansson’s voice, and the fight […]

Apple TV’s great year continues with Small Prophets
Apple TV’s great year continues with Small Prophets

Apple TV has had a really great run in 2026 – and a cozy new addition is helping expand its lineup even more. As the streaming service has attempted to grow in order to better compete with the likes of Disney and Netflix, it has steadily broadened the range of its series. This year has […]

Amazon reportedly pays $120 million to stream the Emmys for free
Amazon reportedly pays $120 million to stream the Emmys for free

The Emmys have a new home – and it looks like Amazon paid plenty for the rights. The awards show and Amazon announced a six-year deal that will move the Emmys from its traditional broadcast television home to Prime Video. The shift begins with the 2027 ceremony, which will air next September, though you won’t […]