In the days and weeks leading up to the spectacular disaster that was Fyre Festival, organizers Billy McFarland and Ja Rule allegedly borrowed up to $7 million as they scrambled to get the event set up in time, according to a new report by Bloomberg.

Ezra Birnbaum, who is associated with lender EHL Funding LLC, is now suing the pair of organizers for defaulting on a $3 million loan. The complaint alleges that Birnbaum's firm was supposed to be reimbursed in part after Fyre Media received credit-card payments from festivalgoers who had loaded funds onto their "Fyrebands."

These RFID bands were the only method of payment allowed at the "cashless" festival. Attendees were encouraged to have money available on the bands for extra perks they might want to buy while on the festival's grounds in the Bahamas. The festival sent multiple emails to ticket holders prior to the date the event was supposed to take place, recommending that they each add several hundreds of dollars to their bands.

Fyre Media allegedly received over $700,000 in payments from festivalgoers via their Fyrebands, but it's not clear what has happened to that money, according to the complaint. Attendees were promised beforehand that unused funds would be returned (minus a $10 "handling fee"), but several subsequent lawsuits have alleged that that hasn't been the case. As the festival was cancelled as soon as many guests arrived on the island, it's likely that very little of the cash on the bands was spent by wearers.

Birnbaum's suit says that though Fyre did make a payment on the loan, it was not enough.  The promissory note states that 40% of the loan should have been repaid from revenue gained from festivalgoers putting money on their bands, according to Bloomberg.

Fyre Media had also taken out a second, $4 million loan that was connected to Carola Jain, wife of Millennium Management Co-CIO Bob Jain.

McFarland, Ja Rule, and Fyre Media have been named in at least seven lawsuits stemming from the Fyre Festival, with most claiming that the organizers defrauded festivalgoers by promising a luxury premium experience they knew they could not deliver.

SEE ALSO: The organizer of the disastrous Fyre Festival told employees they would no longer be paid but were welcome to stay and 'help out'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Fyre Festival expectations vs. reality — here's what attendees thought they were getting when they bought $12,000 tickets

Hackers are holding a Disney movie for ransom, but Disney isn't paying up, according to a new report from The Hollywood Reporter.

Disney CEO Bog Iger informed ABC staff on Monday about the situation, but didn't say which film it was, THR reports. The hackers want Disney to pay a "huge sum" of Bitcoin, or else they will release the film in parts. Iger said Disney won't pay, but is working with federal investigators on the matter. 

A second report on Monday, this time from Deadline, said the ransomed movie was the latest installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Disney is set to release "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" on Friday, which would make for some uncanny irony if it were indeed the one. 

This shouldn't be seen as an idle threat in light of the Netflix incident late last month, which saw 10 episodes of "Orange Is the New Black" leak online after Netflix didn't fork over the demanded cash.

“It didn’t have to be this way, Netflix,” that hacker, who goes by the alias thedarkoverlord, said in a message at the time. “You’re going to lose a lot more money in all of this than what our modest offer was.”

SEE ALSO: Pandora could unload a startup it bought for $450 million, as it looks for a buyer

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Chinese inventors show off the gladiator robot they want to use to challenge the US' 'Megabot'

Subscription-based services are taking over television as we know it, and if you want to learn more about the growth and success of subscription-based networks, don't miss Business Insider's flagship conference, IGNITION.

Richard Plepler, CEO of premium TV network HBO, will take stage at Business Insider's flagship event, IGNITION: Future of Media, November 29-30, in New York City.

With the success of Netflix, many other networks have jumped on board with, and recently began offering, standalone services. Hulu, Showtime, and Amazon Prime are just a few examples. HBO launched its standalone subscription-based service, HBO Now, in 2015.

In 2014, Plepler said HBO's "model is building addicts"— and they have certainly done that. Most recently, HBO has seen huge success with "Big Little Lies," which premiered in February. The finale, which aired on April 2, attracted 1.9 million viewers.

Of course with the success of HBO programs comes the success of its subscription service. As of February, HBO Now surpassed 2 million paid subscribers.

Whether it's a "Game of Thrones" spinoff or a second season of "Big Little Lies," we’re interested to see what’s next for Plepler and HBO.

That’s why we’re so excited to learn from Plepler this November.

We’re rolling out the rest of the lineup over the coming months, assembling a unique array of New York stars with the biggest names of Silicon Valley and beyond.

Business Insider IGNITION 2017 will take place November 29-30 at the Time Warner Center in New York City. Right now we're offering Extra-Early Bird tickets that will save you $1,000 — don't miss out!

Join the conversation about this story »

Pokémon Go players will soon have some new incentives to "catch 'em all." 

The game is kicking off its next big in-game "celebration," dubbed "Adventure Week," on Thursday. For the next week following, the game's 65 million active players will find it easier to collect Pokémon and other items. 

"Adventure Week" will last from 1:00 PM PDT May 18th at until the same time on May 25th. Here's what players can expect:

• They'll only need to walk one-quarter of the normal distance for their Buddy Pokémon to find candy. So if they have a Pokémon that usually collects candy every 3 kilometers, they'll only have to walk three-fourths of a kilometer. In other words, their Buddy Pokémon will get four times as much candy in the same distance walked.
• More Rock-type Pokémon, including rare ones like Aerodactyl, Onix, and Sudowoodo, out in the wild. 
• More items at each Pokéstop. 
• An adventurer's hat for their characters, free to all players.

These temporary bonuses, especially the first one, should get players out and about — which is the goal of Niantic, the game's developer.  

Still, we're inching closer to the game's one-year anniversary in July, and promised features like player-versus-player combat and Pokémon trading have yet to materialize. So while Pokémon Go fans may be hyped, all eyes are on Niantic and its ability to deliver a bigger, more permanent update to the game. 

SEE ALSO: The fad may be over, but Pokémon Go still has 65 million monthly active players

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A psychologist explains why we need to 'catch 'em all' in 'Pokémon GO'

The world of e-sports is massive and still growing, and advertisers are wondering how they can profit from this phenomenon.

Kevin Lin, COO of Twitch, and Peter More, chief competition officer of EA, sat down with Business Insider's Steve Kovach at IGNITION 2016 to discuss the role advertisers play in e-sports.

In addition to revenue sources like subscriptions, donations, sponsorships, event-based ticketing, merchandise, food and beverage, and in-game items, Lin said advertising is the main way e-sports are monetized.

So why do advertisers want to get involved? For one thing, the viewership numbers are huge. “Some of them hit tens of millions,” Lin said. “In concurrents, you’ll see millions.” Additionally, users spend two hours a day, on average, watching content. During competitions, the number grows to 8 to 10 hours.

Another reason e-sports are intriguing to advertisers is the demographic they reach. According to Lin, 90% of the Twitch audience subscribes to Netflix or Hulu rather than traditional cable. “Broadcasters are wondering how to reach this demographic,” Moore said, so they want to be a part of e-sports.

With millions of young people not seeing traditional advertisements, companies are recognizing the need to engage with younger audiences in other ways. But there is a challenge in this form of advertising. Because this audience is not used to traditional advertising, they are quick to recognize when something is not authentic.

Moore mentioned that brands have to be careful when entering this space, and must be able to show they are truly interested in growing the field of e-sports rather than just selling a product.

“A lot of brands that are very interested in the space are building entire divisions that are hired from the community,” Lin said. “They can help craft a message and marketing plan that really resonates.”

When done correctly, massive success can be had. For example, Nissan launched a holiday campaign on Twitch. The Twitter impressions and chat messages involving the word “Nissan” were in the millions. Nissan did not expect this result, but because the campaign was authentic it succeeded.

Companies have huge potential to reach a new audience by dipping into e-sports, and we will likely be seeing even more of this in the future.

To learn more about the future of digital, be sure to attend Business Insider's IGNITION 2017!

We’re rolling out the speaker lineup over the coming months, and you won’t want to miss it. Business Insider IGNITION 2017 will take place November 29-30 at the Time Warner Center in New York City. Right now we're offering Extra-Early-Bird tickets that will save you $1,000 — don't miss out!

To hear more about the world of e-sports, check out the full interview below (the segment starts at 2:12).

Join the conversation about this story »

.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This is the worst part of Silicon Valley, according to the cast of ‘Silicon Valley’

Stephen Colbert called for President Donald Trump to step down after a report said Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian diplomats.

"The good news? Trump found the leaker," Colbert said during the opening monologue of Monday's "Late Show" of the president's search for those who have leaked information to the media.

On Monday, The Washington Post reported that Trump last week revealed classified information about an "Islamic State terrorist threat" while meeting with the Russian foreign minister and ambassador.

White House officials have since pushed back on the report. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement: "During that exchange, the nature of specific threats were discussed, but they did not discuss sources, methods, or military operations."

Meanwhile, the reaction to the reported sharing of classified information has been swift and harsh. Alan Dershowitz, a legal expert, said it was "the most serious charge ever made against a sitting president."

One US official told The Post that the leaked details were considered "code-word information."

In an effort to explain to his audience what that means, Colbert offered some examples: "The package has been delivered. The squirrel is in the basket. The idiot is in the Oval. It could mean anything. We don't know what that means."

Colbert then pivoted to the ongoing controversy surrounding the president's firing of FBI Director James Comey. The host focused on Trump's recent tweet, a vague threat suggesting he would release tapes of conversations he had with Comey if he leaked anything to the media.

"That would be huge. It would be the first time a leaked tape made Donald Trump look good," Colbert said, alluding to the video that leaked before the 2016 election showing Trump boasting lewdly about making aggressive sexual advances toward women.

Amid the fallout over Comey, Trump has reportedly been unhappy with his staff and considering replacing key members in what has been called a "reboot." But Colbert made a plea to keep White House press secretary Sean Spicer, a frequent source of entertainment for the host.

"I have something to say here. Donald Trump, if you're watching, first of all: You're a bad president. Please resign," Colbert said. "Second: Please, please, please don't take Sean Spicer from us! Where am I going to get my daily dose of veiled anger and condescension?"

Watch Colbert's monologue:

SEE ALSO: Seth Meyers: Trump 'just admitted everything the White House has been saying is a lie'

DON'T MISS: Stephen Colbert gleefully fires back at Trump calling him a 'filthy,' 'no-talent guy': 'I won!'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here are the major events leading up to Comey's abrupt firing

“We’re at a point now in the Trump presidency that feels very much like a pivotal moment for our democracy,” “Late Night” host Seth Meyers said on Monday night's show.

Meyers explained that just before Monday’s show started taping, The Washington Post reported that Trump had revealed highly classified information to Russian diplomats last week.

As usual, Meyers was not easy on Trump in his “A Closer Look" segment. He compared Trump’s behavior to “a sh--ty high school student who always gets a pass because his parents are wealthy.”

He also shared that, according to Time, Trump requests extra sauce with his chicken, and more scoops of ice cream than anyone else at his White House dining table. Meyers went on to compare the president to Richard Nixon.

“Trump is worse than Nixon. He’s shameless Nixon,” Meyers said. “Nixon famously said, ‘I am not a crook.’ Trump’s basically saying, ‘I am a crook and there’s nothing you can do about it and, in fact, I’m having three scoops of ice cream.'”

Meyers also said that it’s “disorienting how blatant Trump is about all the shady stuff he does. Trump just admits to wrongdoing and then dares the rest of us to do something about it.”

The host finished his blunt look at the scandal by imploring other politicians to do their jobs.

“Our democracy only works if both parties choose to exercise the checks on presidential power that our Constitution prescribes," Meyers said. “Republicans can’t just abdicate their responsibility.”

You can watch the segment below:

SEE ALSO: Kevin Bacon gets real about nudity and being a male sex object: 'It's not the worst thing'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 7 details you might have missed in episode 1 of 'American Gods'

Dave Chappelle regrets suggesting that Americans should give Donald Trump a chance while hosting the first post-2016 election episode of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" in November.

The comedian made the apology during a dinner benefiting Robin Hood, the nonprofit organization that fights poverty in New York City, on Monday.

"I was the first guy on TV to say, 'Give Trump a chance.' I f---ed up. Sorry," Chappelle said, according to MSNBC and "Today" cohost Willie Geist, who was also at the event.

On "SNL," Chappelle, who was making his hosting debut on the sketch show, approached Trump's win with hope.

Chappelle recalled being at the White House for an event held by BET while former President Barack Obama was in office and acknowledged that black visitors to the White House weren't always so welcome.

"I thought about that and I looked at that room and saw all those black faces," Chappelle said, "and I saw how happy everyone was, these people who have been historically disenfranchised. And it made me feel hopeful, and it made me feel proud to be an American, and it made me very happy about the prospects of our country."

He then concluded his monologue, "So, in that spirit, I'm wishing Donald Trump luck and I'm going to give him a chance. And we, the historically disenfranchised, demand that he give us one, too."

SEE ALSO: Stephen Colbert fires away at Trump: 'You're a bad president. Please resign.'

DON'T MISS: Seth Meyers: Trump 'just admitted everything the White House has been saying is a lie'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here are the major events leading up to Comey's abrupt firing

For a rising pop star, the money side of the music business has drastically changed in the last few years, according to Andrew Gertler, who manages teen singer-songwriter sensation Shawn Mendes and runs AG Artists.

“The music really is not as much the revenue generator as the marketing tool to then create other income streams,” Gertler told Business Insider, speaking by phone from Mendes’ worldwide arena tour.

Those other income streams include not only things like live events and brand deals, but also opportunities at the crossroads of music and TV (or video in general), where Gertler said the line is getting more and more blurred.

The growth stage

Though Mendes has already cracked the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 multiple times, Gertler looks at his career as a growth-stage business.

“For the artists' fans and for artists, in terms of exposure, music should be everywhere and as easily accessible as humanly possible ... especially for an artist you are still building,” Gertler said. Mendes is on an upward trajectory, and hasn’t yet reached mega-stardom, Gertler explained. The idea is this: “Let’s get him in front of as many people as possible.”

That style of thinking sounds strikingly similar to tech startups, where the initial focus is often on grabbing as many users as possible, before turning toward better monetization later on.

And as far as making money from the actual music, Gertler has also seen a shift. He used to see about 75% of that revenue from sales on iTunes, with 25% coming from streaming services like Spotify. Now it’s more like 65-70% streaming, and 30% iTunes. “It’s been a complete flip in only a few years,” Gertler said.

Unlimited access

Besides revenue, the other biggest change for up-and-coming music stars is the amount of access fans want to their private lives.

“Fans and the general public are so used to unlimited access,” Gertler said. So is there any line? “There really isn’t one,” according to Gertler. Fans “probably know [pop stars] better than anyone should know someone.”

This also means that it is extremely difficult for a pop star to have continued success without a sense of authenticity. It’s not like the past, where there were flashing lights and spectacle, and you didn’t really know what the artist was like in day-to-day life. Now you see what an artist is doing when they wake up, Gertler said.

Artists that succeed in this model are those who can make a one-to-many relationship feel like a one-to-one relationship. “How do you make it feel like they really know you,” Gertler said.

That necessity for a sense of authenticity can also make brand deals tricky. It used to be you could do an exclusive clothing deal, and no one saw you every single day, Gertler explained. Now people see stars at all times on social media, and you have to be a bit more careful. It’s more of a commitment.

Hand-to-hand combat

For a manager, this new world requires much more “hand-to-hand combat,” according to Gertler. He’s traveling all over the place with Mendes, and a lot of young managers doing the same, he said, citing Pat Corcoran who manages Chance the Rapper.

You have to be at the center of the universe of that artist to understand what is going on at all times — and what the fans want. It is an ongoing dialogue with fans that happens in real-time. If you aren't at the center of it, you could get out of step.

SEE ALSO: As YouTube stars pursue new dreams, keeping millions of loyal fans happy is a tough balancing act

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How to undo sent emails in Gmail

It's time for real talk, Hollywood: Stop trying to make King Arthur a thing.

The horrible performance for the Warner Bros. movie "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" over the weekend is the latest evidence. The epic was made for about $170 million — after marketing, you're looking at about $300 million — but earned a tiny $14.7 million domestically. That should be the nail in the coffin for any more attempts to make a feature-length film about the legendary British leader and his mythic sword in the stone.

Warner Bros. hoped director Guy Ritchie ("Snatch") could bring a hip and flashy protagonist to the screen, as he did with his successful "Sherlock Holmes" franchise. But one of the many problems of "Legend of the Sword" — perhaps its biggest — is that it lacked the talents of Robert Downey Jr., who starred in "Holmes."

That's not a knock against "King Arthur" star Charlie Hunnam. He's an incredible talent, but he doesn't have the presence or audience draw that Downey has — yet.

The movie tried to counter that with a flurry of CGI tricks to hopefully dazzle audiences, but it's obvious people didn't take the bait.

The first big box-office bomb of the summer

There were other warning signs the casual moviegoer rarely notices.

The movie had numerous release-date changes, meaning executives still wanted to tweak the movie, and it was a project that originated from a previous studio head — new boss, new ideas. That mix of factors often leads to what WB now has on its hands in "King Arthur," the first big bomb of the summer-movie season.

But WB isn't the first studio to attempt a recent gritty King Arthur movie. In 2004, Disney released "King Arthur" in the middle of the summer and also found low returns, especially domestically.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua on the heels of his success helming "Training Day," and starring Clive Owen as the king and a scantily clad Keira Knightley as Guinevere, the movie earned only $51.9 million in the United States. (It was saved by $151.7 million earned overseas.) Disney should have stopped with the successful 1963 animated movie "The Sword in the Stone."

WB brass did have some logic, clearly trying to capitalize on the current "Game of Thrones" fandom. But the HBO series has the hook of a book series that's every bit as beloved as "Lord of the Rings." And its enticing stew of explicit violence and sex works on premium cable in a way that doesn't translate to the big screen. (The new "King Arthur" is rated PG-13.)

But it's time to put King Arthur to bed, and perhaps any medieval movie or movie involving heroes on horses with swords — after all, a "Ben-Hur" reboot was the massive blockbuster bomb of summer 2016. Or at least let's be very selective with them.

Medieval movies had a good run: "Excalibur" (1981), "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc" (1999), "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" (1975). But it's obvious that if there isn't a whole lot of nudity and gore mixed with sword battles and big creatures, audiences will pass and wait for the next Marvel movie.

SEE ALSO: 30 differences between the 'Game of Thrones' books and TV shows you may not have noticed

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here’s what it takes to be a YouTube star — according to someone who’s been doing it for over a decade

It seems The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences liked how Jimmy Kimmel handled this year's debacle over the announcement of best picture at the Oscars. The comedian will return to host the Oscars next year.

The Academy's Twitter handle announced the news on Tuesday. The 2018 ceremony will take place March 4, 2018, on ABC.

Expect a lot of nostalgia lingering on historic moments from past years in the show, as the 2018 edition will mark the awards ceremony's 90th year.

And we can only imagine how Kimmel will address what happened in 2017, the biggest gaffe ever in awards-show history, when presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were given the wrong envelope and incorrectly announced "La La Land" as best picture before the rightful winner "Moonlight" got its due.

The same producers behind the 2017 Oscars, Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd, will work on the 2018 show.

And yes, the company behind the massive screwup, the accounting firm Pricewaterhouse Coopers, will still be handling the winning envelopes, but the people who did the handing out this year will not be involved. 

SEE ALSO: Danny McBride talks about what his "reinvention" of "Halloween" will be like

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here’s what it takes to be a YouTube star — according to someone who’s been doing it for over a decade

While we might be in a golden age for TV creatively, we're nowhere close to the appointment viewing of an older era.

Modern technology like DVRs has made it so people can watch several shows that air at the same time whenever they want. Before that, fans had to make hard choices about what to watch and make sure they got home in time for it.

And TV ratings don't come in the huge numbers of yesteryear. When they do, they tabulate viewing over several days. The 1990 series finale of alien comedy "Alf" brought 21.7 million viewers to their TV sets all at the same time. For comparison, last year's season finale for the most-watched show on TV, CBS's "The Big Bang Theory," had 14.73 million viewers.

Since we're in that time of year when dozens of shows are ending their runs, we compiled the finales that had the most Americans gathered around to watch ever.

Here are the 20 most-watched scripted TV series finales of all time:

SEE ALSO: All the TV shows that were just canceled

DON'T MISS: Here are all your favorite TV shows that are coming back for another season

20. "L.A. Law" (NBC) — 22.1 million viewers

After eight seasons, "L.A. Law" made its final closing argument on May 19, 1994. On the series finale, Becker (Corbin Bernsen) is feeling his best days are behind him at the ripe old age of 42. At the same time, the firm plans to celebrate senior partner Mckenzie's (Richard Dysart) 65th birthday, but he has a surprise for them: He's retiring. That throws the firm into chaos and forces the partners to look for new jobs.

Source: The Quad City Times

19. "MacGyver" (ABC) — 22.3 million viewers

The adventures of a young MacGyver are currently airing on CBS, but it's tough to live up to the success of the original crafty secret agent. The "MacGyver" series finale, which aired on May 21, 1992, in its seventh season, revealed that Sam — a cool, young biker, who helped out on a tough case — was actually MacGyver's son!

Source: World Heritage Encyclopedia

18. "St. Elsewhere" (NBC) — 22.5 million viewers

"St. Elsewhere" was a groundbreaking urban medical drama that aired on NBC from 1982 to 1988. Its alumni include Denzel Washington, Ed Begley Jr., Howie Mandel, and Mark Harmon. Viewers tuned into its May 25, 1988, series finale to find out that the whole series took place in the very active imagination of a young autistic boy! 

Source: Star-News

The HBO movie “The Wizard of Lies” (airing Saturday) showcases the legendary talents of both its star and director, Robert De Niro and director Barry Levinson, who worked together for the fourth time on the feature. They deliver a powerful look at the revelation that Wall Street pillar Bernie Madoff concocted the biggest Ponzi scheme in history and how it dismantled his entire family.

De Niro plays Madoff as a cool and calm hustler who, after the 2008 crash, runs out of tricks and finally admits to swindling over $50 billion from people since the 1970s (he's currently serving a 150-year prison sentence). Levinson takes a complex financial story and turns it into a heartbreaking family saga, in which the patriarch fails his loyal children, Mark (who committed suicide in 2010) and Andrew (who died of lymphoma in 2014), along with his wife, Ruth (extraordinarily played by Michelle Pfeiffer).

De Niro and Levinson talked to Business Insider about the challenges of bringing “The Wizard of Lies” (based on Diana B. Henriques' book of the same name) to the screen, developing their classic 1997 movie “Wag the Dog” as a TV series (also for HBO), and what De Niro has gone through to reverse-age himself for his upcoming movie with Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman.”

Jason Guerrasio: Mr. De Niro, I believe Diana's book was optioned in 2011. Were you involved in the project since then?

Robert De Niro: Yeah, I don't know when it was optioned, or dropped by other people, but as far as I know we were on it for a few years. 

Guerrasio: What attracted you not just to Madoff but to Henriques’ book?

De Niro: The book was great. We were just trying to make it into a good screenplay and it went through a few iterations and finally Barry and his son Sam came on and that was good. We were finally at a point where we could make it. 

Guerrasio: Mr. Levinson, when you came on, where was the script at and where did you want to take it?

Levinson: I think it was the focus on Bernie and the family dynamic that we wanted to get to and then build it out. So if you understand Bernie's behavior with his family, which would lead to the ultimate destruction of the family, you will learn a lot about Bernie. And then you have all these thousands of people whose lives were affected by this man. So I think it was to shift the focus from the pure financial aspects of it and see the man and his behavior and the family and how it all came unglued. With that design we can get connected to the character and the emotions and then you deal with the financial. 

Guerrasio: Mr. De Niro, did you want to meet Madoff?

De Niro: We thought about it. [Producing partner] Jane [Rosenthal] and I talked about it, and I thought it may be too much to go down there. And other people were having problems. Even Diana Henriques, she was very limited in her time with him. Someone else I knew had gone down to see him and he was very limited. He couldn't do an interview with him. I forget exactly what he did, but he could talk to him but couldn't do an interview. So I just felt with the limited time, and me going there would have been a big deal made about it, that I just didn't. I met his lawyer and some of his friends. Relatives and in-laws. 

Guerrasio: Did you feel you had to hear him on tape? Did you need to hear his voice?

De Niro: I heard his voice. There's little on him but there was one thing that I played over and over again.

Guerrasio: His voice is similar to yours.

De Niro: Exactly. And my hair is similar to his. And as far as the baldness in the front, we looked at that very carefully and shaved the front of my scalp. Because when you put on those bald caps and the fake hair on top, it looks good but not as good as when you do it with your hair. And doing it this way is a commitment because you then know there are things you can't do later in reshoots because the hair grows back. But there are ways to work around it. 

Levinson: The interesting thing is Diana plays herself in the movie and doing the scenes with Bob, seeing she was the person who sat across from Bernie when interviewing him for the book, after a few takes I would go to her and say, "How is Bob's Bernie?" And she said, "There are some moments that he's so close to Bernie that it gave me goosebumps." And I thought that was good. 

Guerrasio: Was it a challenge to portray Madoff, who is obviously a con man, as seeming trustworthy?

De Niro: Because he's?

Guerrasio: He's full of sh--.

De Niro: But people want to believe him. So he's doing a good job. He's letting you do all the work. And then there's the reputation. People want to come to him and he will only choose who he wants to be in his investment circle, if you will, then it becomes easier and easier. 

Guerrasio: Because his reputation precedes him. He was a chairman of the NASDAQ — why would he not be on the level?

De Niro: Exactly. 

Levinson: The con artist has to keep evolving, otherwise he's caught. His thing was he would tell people, "I don't know if I want your money." 

De Niro: That was his MO and his strength. I don't want to say it's his brilliance, but that was the scheme he used. He had this fatherly persona so people would put their guard down and think, "How could this guy screw me?"

Guerrasio: The way you guys highlight Madoff's sons and what they went through is so heartbreaking. The suicide of Mark — was that always in the script and did you always want to show it in such a raw manner?

Levinson: It's one thing to say his son committed suicide, but to understand what took place, cause and effect — that he could not live with this shame and he so desperately needed Bernie's love — that's what happened. You can't back away from it. You want to understand the gravity of what this man brought about. Mark commits suicide, an investment banker commits suicide, there are casualties. This isn't a guy with a gun that kills people but this man destroys the lives of thousands of people. 

Guerrasio: He kills you with a smile and a handshake. 

Levinson: Right.

Guerrasio: Mr. De Niro, can you compare this character to anyone you've played in the past?

De Niro: No. I don't think so. Unless you see —

Guerrasio: I see a little Sam "Ace" Rothstein from "Casino." A little. 

De Niro: A little. Possibly. It's different. He was not a person who would lie or betray his family like Bernie did. This is a whole other thing. 

Guerrasio: This isn’t the only HBO project you guys are working on. What's the latest on the "Wag the Dog" series?

Levinson: It's developing, we're waiting on a script. 

Guerrasio: Mr. De Niro, is there any interest in coming back as Conrad, your character from the movie?

De Niro: I don't know. We haven't talked about it. [Turns to Levinson] Should I?

Guerrasio: [Laughs] So it's really early in development. 

Levinson: It is. 

Guerrasio: Watching what's unfolding in politics, is it like watching "Wag the Dog" all over again? 

De Niro: It is. It's unbelievable. 

Levinson: You just look at it all: Deny, deny, deny. Keep shifting the headline all the time. All those things are in the movie, and we've ended up with all of those things now. It's crazy to see that's what has come about now. The idea of diversion. It's like what Bob says in the movie when William H. Macy says, "There's no war," he says, "Of course there's a war. I see it on TV."

De Niro: [Laughs and shakes his head]

Guerrasio: Mr. De Niro, can you talk at all about the technology being used in "The Irishman" to make you look decades younger? Is that something you guys are still planning to do?

De Niro: Yeah. We're doing that. 

Guerrasio: Have any preliminary things happened? Getting all the motion-capture dots all over your face?

De Niro: We did that. Then we did some tests. I did a scene from "Goodfellas" and then they worked on that piece and we've been slowly moving along. We're going to make it great. 

Guerrasio: Was it a trip seeing a CGI version of yourself as a younger person?

De Niro: If they can perfect it, I'll be able to work for another 30 years. [Laughs]

SEE ALSO: Danny McBride talks about what his "reinvention" of "Halloween" will be like

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Judge Judy's friend of 40 years explains what she's really like

Will Ferrell has been a successful comedian for much of his life.

Even during his time at the University of Southern California, the SNL legend frequently had his friends and classmates in stitches after crashing lectures in character.

But despite going on to star in popular films like "Anchorman" and "Elf," Ferrell told USC's graduating class of 2017 that the fear of failure never goes away.

It's what you do in spite of it that matters.

Ferrell learned that from his own experience trying to make it in comedy. After graduating from USC with a degree in sports information, his comedic career didn't kick off right away.

"Yeah, I moved back home for a solid two years, I might add," Ferrell told the graduates. "And I was lucky, actually. Lucky that I had a very supportive and understanding mother, who is sitting out there in the crowd, who let me move back home. And she recognized that while I had an interest in pursuing sportscasting, my gut was telling me that I really wanted to pursue something else. And that something else was comedy."

In the beginning, Ferrell wasn't always sure that he could even make a living in show business.

"Now don't get me wrong, I wasn't extremely confident that I would succeed during this time period, and after moving back to LA there were many a night where in my LA apartment, I would sit down to a meal of spaghetti topped with mustard, with only $20 in my checking account, and I would think to myself, 'Oh well I can always be a substitute schoolteacher,'" he said.

Despite his eventual professional success, Ferrell said that his fear of failure has never quite left him. However, he credited another fear with keeping him going, despite his early setbacks.

"You're never not afraid," he said. "I'm still afraid. I was afraid to write this speech. And now, I'm just realizing how many people are watching me right now, and it's scary. Can you please look away while I deliver the rest of the speech? But my fear of failure never approached in magnitude my fear of 'what if.' What if I never tried at all?"

Ferrell left the USC audience with some insight for the graduates who don't have "it all figured out" yet.

"To those of you graduates sitting out there who have a pretty good idea of what you'd like to do with your life, congratulations," Ferrell said. "For many of you who maybe don't have it all figured out, it's okay. That's the same chair that I sat in. Enjoy the process of your search without succumbing to the pressure of the result. Trust your gut, keep throwing darts at the dartboard. Don't listen to the critics and you will figure it out."

Watch the full speech below:

SEE ALSO: Jon Hamm explains how working as a waiter changed the way he sees the world

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Actor John C. Reilly reads a touching yet hilarious poem at Will Ferrell's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony

In June, Bill Cosby goes to trial on the basis of many charges of sexual assault against him. Sixty women have accused the comedian of sexual assault, with stories spanning decades. He could potentially face 10 years in prison.

On Tuesday, the 79-year-old said in an interview with SiriusXM 's Michael Smerconish — his first recorded interview in over two years — that he will not testify during his trail.

Cosby also suggested that the accusations could stem from racism.

In a recent statement, Cosby's daughter Ensa said, “I believe that racism has played a big role in all aspects of this scandal."

“Could be,” Cosby said, addressing his daughter's statement. "I just truly believe that some of it may very well be that.”

Cosby didn't respond when Smerconish asked him to explain the racism claims given that some of his accusers are black.

Cosby also told Smerconish that he thinks more accusers came forward in order to shift the public's opinion against him.

“I think that the numbers came because the numbers prior to [these] numbers didn’t work,” he said. “So the piling on, so to speak, is a way — and certainly an impressive, impressive way — to get public opinion to come to the other side.” 

SEE ALSO: Robert De Niro talks about how he got inside the head of Bernie Madoff for his new movie

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Watch the first trailer for 'Blade Runner 2049' starring Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford

The Xbox One has a major advantage over the PlayStation 4 in one crucial way: It's able to play a vast library of games from the Xbox 360. Not just any old games, either — games like "Mass Effect," and "Red Dead Redemption."

Right now, for a full week, Microsoft is offering a massive selection of those Xbox 360 games at ridiculous discounts. The sale is happening exclusively online, for digital versions of the games, on Microsoft's XBL marketplace.  Some of these games are going for less than $2.

It's the latest sign that Microsoft is getting more serious about sales for the Xbox Live platform as it adapts and reacts to the approach taken by online markets such as Steam, which regularly have big sales.

You can check out the absurdly long list of more than 200 titles here, or you can peruse the choice cuts and best discounts that we've selected below.

SEE ALSO: Forget the NES Classic Edition — this tiny $40 game console plays every old Nintendo game

DON'T MISS: How a Nintendo superfan turned his Switch into the perfect Super Nintendo throwback

1. "Assassin's Creed 2": $6.59

Buy it right here.

2. "Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts": $3.74

Buy it right here.

3. "Battlefield: Bad Company 2": $4.99

Buy it right here.

Michael Moore is not through with President Donald Trump just yet.

After making the documentary "Michael Moore in TrumpLand" before the 2016 presidential election, the Oscar-winning filmmaker is working on a new project focused on Trump. Moore, who predicted more months before the election last year that Trump would win it (and accurately predicted the states that would give him the victory), has been secretly working on a new documentary.

Titled "Fahrenheit 11/9," referring to when Trump was declared president (in the early hours the day after the election), the movie will be released by The Weinstein Company, which also put out Moore's Oscar-nominated 2004 documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11."

According to a release sent out by the Weinsteins, Moore has been working without any fanfare in the last few months on it, and the film is "expected to be key in dissolving Trump's 'teflon' shield and, in turn, his presidency."

"No matter what you throw at him, it hasn't worked," Moore said in the release. "No matter what is revealed, he remains standing. Facts, reality, brains cannot defeat him. Even when he commits a self-inflicted wound, he gets up the next morning and keeps going and tweeting. That all ends with this movie."

There's no word yet on when the movie will be completed or released.

SEE ALSO: Robert De Niro talks about how he got inside the head of Bernie Madoff for his new movie

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's the insane workout and diet The Rock used to get ripped for 'Fast and Furious'

"The Witcher" is officially coming to Netflix.

In a Wednesday press release, Andrzej Sapkowski, the Polish author of “The Witcher” fantasy novels that inspired the hit video game series of the same name, announced he would serve as a creative consultant on the Netflix series.

“I’m thrilled that Netflix will be doing an adaptation of my stories, staying true to the source material and the themes that I have spent over thirty years writing,” Sapkowski said in the press release. “I’m excited about our efforts together, as well as the team assembled to shepherd these characters to life.”

“The Witcher” Netflix series will be produced by Jason Brown and Sean Daniel (“The Mummy”), and will also include filmmakers Tomek Baginski and Jarek Sawko, who both contributed to the visual effects in “The Witcher” games.

Though you might think Netflix’s new series is just trying to capitalize on the success of a popular video game series, you have to understand that “The Witcher” is not your average video game.

SEE ALSO: The $300 Nintendo Switch has been great for my relationship

"The Witcher" games are based on a series of popular fantasy books by the same title, penned by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. He's won numerous awards for "The Witcher" including the Gloria Artis Medal for Merit to Culture in 2012.

The popular role-playing game series is beloved in Poland — so much so that back in 2011, the country's prime minister at the time, Donald Tusk, presented Obama with the collector's edition of "The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings" to commemorate his visit.

President Obama visited Poland again in June 2014 and had kind words to say about the game:

The last time I was here, Donald [Tusk] gave me a gift, the video game developed here in Poland that's won fans the world over, "The Witcher." I confess, I'm not very good at video games, but I've been told that it is a great example of Poland's place in the new global economy. And it's a tribute to the talents and work ethic of the Polish people as well as the wise stewardship of Polish leaders like Prime Minister Tusk.

In "The Witcher" games, you play a professional monster hunter (a.k.a. "witcher") named Geralt of Rivia — the protagonist from Sapkowski's books — who has developed supernatural abilities to battle monsters terrorizing the countryside.

Stephen Colbert took a moment to empathize with — but really, make fun of — officials at the White House, following the barrage of scandals surrounding President Donald Trump in the past week.

"I do not envy those people at the White House," Colbert said on Tuesday night's "Late Show." "I would not want to be working there right now, and apparently, neither would the people who work at the White House."

The Daily Beast reported on Tuesday that White House communications staff and senior officials were "hiding in offices" as reporters gathered in the hallways, waiting for a statement about a report that Trump shared highly classified information with Russian diplomats.

"Do not ask me about how this looks, we all know how this looks," one senior aide told The Daily Beast.

"Fine, forget how it looks. Do you know how it ends? Because the tension is killing me," Colbert joked.

To get an "insider's perspective," Colbert then cut to a Trump "staffer" hiding in her office, who said that White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer's assistant "just keeps stapling her hand."

After blasting Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know," the "staffer" eventually came out, hiding behind a bush.

"I'm not here," she said.

Watch Stephen Colbert mock the White House staffers who are in hiding below:

SEE ALSO: 100 movies on Netflix that everyone needs to watch in their lifetime

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Watch the first trailer for 'Blade Runner 2049' starring Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford