Long before kids around the world experienced the joy of carefully maneuvering an Italian plumber past perilous pits and grumpy goombas, there was Monopoly. The game initially launched all the way back in 1935.

In 2017, the 80-plus-year-old board game is getting a new version explicitly intended to address the new generations who grew up with the likes of Super Mario.

The new game, dubbed "Monopoly Gamer Edition," arrives this August. But this isn't your grandma's Monopoly. Here's what's new in the "Gamer Edition" of Monopoly:

SEE ALSO: This incredible mom created an enormous Nintendo-themed game room for her kids

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Despite the name, this is really more "Super Mario Monopoly" than anything else. Every character, from Donkey Kong to Mario to Boo to Wario, is pulled from the world of Super Mario.

That theme extends to the game board itself, which is literally a series of Super Mario worlds. You use gold coins to buy land, and each character has their own "power-up" that has in-game effects.

You'll get a hefty box of stuff for the $24.99 it costs: the game board itself, various cards associated with gameplay, a bunch of gold coins, and four characters.

Jay-Z's critically acclaimed, platinum-selling album "4:44" is now available on Apple Music, iTunes, and Amazon after a week-long stint as a Tidal exclusive.

Jay-Z, who owns a large stake in Tidal, has noticeably kept the album off Spotify so far.

"4:44" was expected to see a wide release on other streaming platforms after the one-week exclusivity period of Tidal's deal with Sprint ended.

Sprint invested $200 million in Tidal early this year, and the phone company helped the album go instantly platinum by purchasing a million copies of "4:44," which fans could download for free (up until midnight on Thursday). 

A physical version of the LP is also expected to be released in the near future, featuring three bonus tracks. 

"4:44" is still absent, however, from the market leader in streaming services, Spotify. Jay-Z pulled all of his albums from Spotify in April, while leaving some of his work on Apple Music. 

On the "4:44" track "Smile," Jay took a shot at Apple Music executive Jimmy Iovine, rapping, "Respect Jimmy Iovine / But he gotta respect the Elohim / It's a whole new regime / And n----- playin' for power, huh / 'Til our music is ours." Tidal has struggled to grow in recent years, and Apple was rumored to buy Tidal last year, though Iovine denied the rumor at the time.

As of this posting, all of Jay's albums are available for purchase on iTunes, but only "4:44" can be streamed on Apple Music. None of the rapper's solo work is currently available on Spotify.

Spotify had no comment on the matter when we reached out.

SEE ALSO: The strange and ingenious evolution of JAY-Z's approach to selling albums

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Warning: Minor spoilers ahead if you haven’t seen “Spider-Man: Homecoming”

If you're fed up with the boring bad guys in superhero movies that are completely forgettable, then this is another reason why you need to see "Spider-Man: Homecoming" (in theaters Friday).

Michael Keaton as one of Spidey's oldest rivals, Adrian Toomes (aka Vulture), delivers a performance that is playfully chilling and seeped with real stakes. Days after seeing the movie, I'm still recalling moments from Keaton's performance, which I feel is kind of a big deal. I couldn't tell you the names of the villains from most of the superhero movies I've seen the last few years.

If there's one thing all the recent movies based on comics have in common, whether it's Marvel or DC Comics, it's that there isn't much thought put into how to portray the villains — outside of making sure they are pure evil. 

Dormammu ("Doctor Strange"), Enchantress ("Suicide Squad"), Yellowjacket ("Ant-Man"), Doomsday ("Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice") — yes, I had to look up the names of these villains because they were that forgettable — all looked really menacing, but that's about it. The most tolerable of late have been David Thewlis as Sir Patrick/Ares in "Wonder Woman," and Kurt Russell's Ego in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." But Keaton gave Vulture a style and wicked swagger that puts him up there as one of the best villains in recent memory.

Since his first appearance in "The Amazing Spider-Man" #2 comic back in 1963, Toomes has been a favorite for his blue collar roots and motivation to give payback to those who tried to pull a fast one on him. 

"Spider-Man: Homecoming" director Jon Watts and the Marvel Studios brass did a fantastic job of taking those roots of the character and updating them to fit the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Toomes, in the movie, is a guy who is on the ropes financially. But thanks to all the Chitauri technology left behind after The Battle of New York, which took place in 2012's "The Avengers," he has a contract with the city to clean up the mess that will bring in some serious cash. Tony Stark's creation of the Department of Damage Control, however, strips Toomes and his team of the work.

All they are left with is some of the Chitauri tech. 

With no other options, Toomes and his team begin to make weapons out of the material, and for years sell it on the black market at a hefty price. Toomes also builds jet-powered wings for himself to create his Vulture alter-ego. This leads to the present day when Spidey (Tom Holland) comes on the scene in New York. 

To embody that character, Keaton is perfect casting. Well aware of the pressure that goes into these movies, having been the face of the "Batman" franchise in the late 1980s/early 1990s, the stage isn't too big for him. In fact, sometimes during his performance he seems to be working at half-effort (not a knock, but hey, this isn't heavy "Spotlight" material here). And he also possess the comedic talents needed for the lighthearted moments in the movie. 

Keaton's greatness is personified in the scene when Peter Parker comes to pick up Toomes' daughter, Liz (Laura Harrier), for the homecoming dance, and Toomes realizes Parker is really Spider-Man. Keaton changes Toomes from a loving father busting the chops of the boy on a date with his daughter, to a serious killer. Sitting in the car with Parker as Liz runs off to see her friends, Toomes turns cold, and with a gun in his hand, attempts to scare Parker into keeping out of his affairs. But what's most scary isn't the situation, but how Keaton delivers the threat: He's a man who no longer has options. Society has forced him to a life of crime, and to provide for his family he can't stop. Keaton brings that across in such a way that you, as an audience member, are scared for Parker. Sadly, you don't get that kind of feeling with most superhero movie villains these days. 

In a movie where Holland dazzles as the latest version of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Keaton as Toomes really gives it that extra jolt it needs to be a fantastic moviegoing experience.

SEE ALSO: The director of "Valerian" used his film school students to pull off an insane 18-minute action scene

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Comedian Bill Cosby will be retried on three charges of assault, and the trial is expected to start on November 6, according to ABC News.

Cosby was charged with aggravated indecent assault for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in January 2004.

Cosby's first trial was in June, but the jurors could not agree on a verdict. As a result, Steven O'Neill, the Montgomery County, Pennsylvania judge overseeing the trial, declared a mistrial. 

Constand is one of over sixty women who have accused Cosby of similar crimes.

Business Insider reached out to Cosby's reps for comment, but did not receive a response before publication.

SEE ALSO: What happens now that Bill Cosby's sexual-assault case has been declared a mistrial

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NOW WATCH: Here's everything we know from the second trailer for 'Game of Thrones' season 7

Emma Stone has opened up about the challenges she's gone through to be paid the same wage as her male costars in movies. 

In a revealing interview for Out Magazine — with her costar in her upcoming movie "Battle of the Sexes," Andrea Riseborough, and the tennis icon Stone is playing in the movie, Billie Jean King — the Oscar winner opened up about how some of her male costars have helped her in regards to the pay gap.

"In my career so far, I’ve needed my male costars to take a pay cut so that I may have parity with them," Stone said. "And that’s something they do for me because they feel it’s what’s right and fair. That’s something that’s also not discussed, necessarily — that our getting equal pay is going to require people to selflessly say, 'That’s what’s fair.'"

In Hollywood, successful actors have a quote, which is the amount of money they often will want to be paid per movie, based on the level of past movies they've work on, the size of those roles they've taken, and the box office those movies have made.

Stone admits her quote hasn't been on par with the male actors she's worked across in her career. But, that can change if the male star doesn't ask for their quote.

"If my male costar, who has a higher quote than me but believes we are equal, takes a pay cut so that I can match him, that changes my quote in the future and changes my life," Stone said.

Women have been paid less than men in Hollywood since the moving picture was invented, but it became a public conversation in 2015 after Jennifer Lawrence wrote an open letter about her personal frustration, after learning she was paid less than her male costars for the 2013 movie, "American Hustle." 

Since then, actresses have become more vocal in the need for equal pay. Last November, Jessica Chastain told Business Insider women in all businesses need to be more aggressive when it comes to their pay, and that people need to welcome it.

"We need to reevaluate women who ask for a pay raise or ask for a promotion. It's actually an okay thing," Chastain said. "It's okay to be ambitious, it's okay to be over-prepared."

Stone, who plays King in the movie during her famous tennis match against Bobby Riggs, said in the Out interview that "at our best right now we’re making 80 cents to the dollar," comparing actresses' pay to male stars.

SEE ALSO: CBS responds to "Hawaii Five-O" controversy after 2 of its stars leave over equal-pay dispute

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NOW WATCH: Marvel just dropped the first trailer for 'Black Panther'

It's been a long time, but Sony is back to making great Spider-Man movies.

"Spider-Man: Homecoming," the latest reboot by the studio of the legendary Marvel superhero, took in an impressive $15.4 million at Thursday preview screenings, according to The Hollywood Reporter. This gives the movie a good chance for it to have an opening weekend of $100 million domestically, or more. 

The Thursday figure is the third-highest of the year, only "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" ($17 million) and "Beauty and the Beast" ($16.3 million) did better. Both of those movies went on to have domestic opening weekends north of $150 million: $146.5 million for "Guardians" and $174.7 million for "Beast."

The only other movie so far in 2017 to hit the $100 million mark its opening weekend is "Wonder Woman" ($103 million).

"Homecoming" certainly has the weapons to get near the openings "Guardians" and "Beast" had, as Sony is releasing the movie on over 4,000 screens, and 392 of them are IMAX. Also helping the movie will be its great word of mouth, as it has a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Tom Holland plays Spidey, who goes up against Michael Keaton as Vulture in this latest look at the comic book legend, which brings the story back to the character's high school days. This is the first time Sony and Marvel Studios have teamed up on the character (Sony previously went at it solo).

The previous version of Spider-Man, starring Andrew Garfield in the role, did not live up to the high standards his predecessor Tobey Maguire set.

Garfield's 2012 "The Amazing Spider-Man" only opened at $62 million (and went on to take in $757 million worldwide). The sequel in 2014 opened at $91 million ($708 million worldwide). These figures didn't cut it for a studio pushing out a blue chip IP.

It's looking like this time around, Sony is back on track.

SEE ALSO: Michael Keaton in "Spider-Man: Homecoming" gives one of the best superhero villain performances ever

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NOW WATCH: Here's everything we know from the second trailer for 'Game of Thrones' season 7

Kesha released her new single "Praying" yesterday morning, after four long years of being trapped in music purgatory, unable to produce any new music due to contract restraints, and the ongoing court battle surrounding them.

"Praying," as described by Kesha in a personal essay she wrote for Lenny Letter, is all about triumphing through adversity, and finding peace in forgiving those who have hurt you. Kesha credits Ryan Lewis and Ben Abraham fo helping her "channel all this raw emotion into a powerful song."  

For the last few years, Kesha has been trying to free herself from her contract with Dr. Luke, her former producer and mentor whom she alleges drugged, and sexually and verbally assaulted her during her time recording with him at Sony. Sony finally removed Dr Luke from the company back in April, according to Pitchfork, and now Kesha's new album "Rainbow" is being released under his former label Kemosabe.

In her Lenny Letter essay, Kesha also praises Jonas Åkerlund for helping her create the music video for "Praying," which juxtaposes vivid, dark imagery (men wearing creepily realistic pig masks taunting Kesha), with brilliant, bright hues, and compelling visual effects — presumably a nod to Kesha overcoming her legal battles and eating disorder.

Kesha describes her new album as "just the beginning," and even the last scene of her music video is superimposed with the words "The Beginning."

In "Praying," Kesha sings: 

"You brought the flames and you put me through hel / I had to learn how to fight for myself / And we both know all the truth I could tell / I'll just say this is I wish you farewell"

It seems like Kesha is saying goodbye to her painful past, and the result is a beautiful, soulful song, and a visually striking music video.

Kesha's single "Praying" comes from her new album "Rainbow," set to be released August 11.

You can watch the music video for Kesha's new single "Praying" here:

SEE ALSO: 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' could have a big $100 million opening at the box office

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In season 6 of "Game of Thrones," the mini Stark family reunion between Sansa Stark and Jon Snow was a breath of fresh winter air in a season that didn't give us much room to breathe.

But before their reunion at the Wall, Jon and Sansa had a rough relationship growing up in Winterfell. Like her mother, Catelyn, Sansa looked down on Jon for being born a bastard. 

Sansa withheld her knowledge of the Knights of the Vale's interest in helping them take Winterfell from Ramsay Bolton (which probably mostly had to do with Littlefinger, the creepiest character in Westeros), but Sansa admitted to Jon that she should've trusted him with this information all along. 

Even though Sansa admitted this, season 6 ended with looks that suggest Sansa might have a problem with Jon being proclaimed King of the North. And to prove nothing's ever good in Westeros, Kit Harington recently told Entertainment Weekly that there's a power struggle between the two siblings in season 7.

"There is definite tension between them right from the first scene," said Harington. "There are the same problems — she questions his decisions and command; he doesn’t listen to her. But as far as where that goes or takes them or how dark it can get, we’ll see. It gets past sibling squabbling, it gets into two people power struggling."

But take Kit Harington's words with a grain of salt. For a year, he said that Jon Snow was definitely dead and not coming back. If he's telling the truth, however, it sounds like all may not be well between Sansa and Jon this season.

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 15 best 'Game of Thrones' episodes so far

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This week, Toro y Moi released an introspective new album, and rapper Joey Badass dropped a handful of Statik Selektah-produced singles.

Here are the best songs from the past week that you can stream right now:

SEE ALSO: The best new songs from last week: Jay-Z, Calvin Harris, and Tyler the Creator

Toro y Moi — "Mona Lisa"

"Mona Lisa" is a standout track from indie singer-producer Chaz Bundick's meditative new album, "Boo Boo." Bundick has said the album was inspired by acts like Travis Scott, Daft Punk, and Frank Ocean, and Scott's production is a clear influence on the panoramic synths of "Mona Lisa."  

Cut Copy — "Airborne"

Australian indie electronic trio Cut Copy return with "Airborne," a soaring and inviting guitar-led single. It's the band's first new music since their 2013 album "Free Your Mind."

HAIM — "Kept Me Crying"

The lone highlight from a tedious new album by Los Angeles rock band HAIM, "Kept Me Crying" finds the three Haim sisters producing an inventive and off-kilter take on '70s pop music.

Sequels, prequels, spinoffs, and reboots all seem inevitable after the release of a profitable superhero film.

It's safe to assume that most superhero films make an insane amount of money at the box office, considering the high volume of superhero films that are churned out each year, but which superhero franchises are the most profitable? 

To answer this question, we compiled a list of the 10 highest-grossing superhero franchises in the United States, and included how each movie, sequel, spinoff, and reboot stacks up to the competition.

These are the 10 highest-grossing superhero franchises of all time.

Note: All numbers are based off of domestic gross income via Box Office Mojo, and have been adjusted for inflation. Some prices may have been adjusted to account for re-releases of the films. 

10. "Thor" - $417,317,200 total grossed

"Thor," while the smallest of the superhero franchises, is still among one of the highest-grossing superhero properties. "Thor: Ragnarok," the third addition to the "Thor" series, is set to be released November 3, 2017.

How the films stack up:

1. "Thor: The Dark World" (2013) total grossed:$218,709,200

2. "Thor" (2011) total grossed: $198,608,000

9. "The Fantastic Four" - $442,956,700 total grossed

The most recent reboot of the "Fantastic Four" didn't stack up to the original, but that hasn't stopped the "Fantastic Four" from continuing to be one of the highest-grossing superhero series of all time. 

How the films stack up:

1. "Fantastic Four" (2005) total grossed:  $213,340,600

2. "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" (2007) total grossed: $169,504,100

3. "Fantastic Four" (2015) total grossed: $60,112,000

8. "Guardians of the Galaxy" - $748,524,200 total grossed

With its stellar soundtracks and crew comradery, "Guardians of the Galaxy" has quickly become one of the most popular superhero films over the past 3 years, and with only two films under its belt, the franchise has already grossed $748,524,200. With such a successful run so far, it's probably safe to expect a "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" sometime in the future.

How the films stack up:

1. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" (2017) total grossed: $384, 262, 100

2. "Guardians of the Galaxy" (2014) total grossed: $364,262, 100

"Spider-Man: Homecoming" has been heralded by critics as a return to glory for the web-slinger, with much of the credit being directed toward the franchise's newest Peter Parker: London-born Tom Holland. 

In the new film, Holland portrays a high school-aged Peter Parker who is still learning how to use his powers. But, as it turns out, Holland has had a lot in common with Spider-Man since well before he put on the iconic suit. The 21 year old beat out hundreds of actors vying for the coveted role, and it's easy to see why. 

In addition to reading lines, the actor told the Associated Press back in late 2015 that he made sure to show off his acrobatic skills on all the tapes he sent to the casting directors. 

For a year and a half on London's West End, Holland starred as the lead of "Billy Elliot," a role that demanded as much from him physically as it did from him as an actor. 

Holland recently shared a 2010 television appearance he made along with future "Game of Thrones" actor Dean Chapman where he is seen flipping across the stage as a 14 year old. 

Check out the video below, and fast forward to the 2:45 mark to see the future Spider-Man in action. 

SEE ALSO: 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' is easily one of the best Spidey movies ever made

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Nintendo's history with online services on its game consoles is, to put it nicely, quite poor.

Game purchases never carry forward, nor do usernames and friend lists — each subsequent console's service feels like Nintendo started from scratch. And in the case of Nintendo's newest console, the Switch, it outright launched without an online service.

Outside of a digital storefront (the "eShop") and a rudimentary friends list, none of the rich online features that people expect in modern game consoles are built into the Switch. You can't even watch Netflix on it, let alone browse the web or play a game in a party chat with friends.

Nintendo's taking steps towards a legitimate, paid online service in 2018 with the launch of "Nintendo Switch Online." You'll even get free, classic games every month as part of the membership. The service is getting a test run starting with "Splatoon 2" on July 21, and Nintendo just showed off what it'll look like for the first time. Let's dive in!

SEE ALSO: Nintendo's new online service offers subscription access to classic games for $20 a year

Rather than building the online service into the Switch, Nintendo's taking a different approach: a smartphone app that acts as liaison.

The app, seen here with "Splatoon 2," makes using the Switch online much more robust. Party chat, for example, is a primary component. You can even invite people you've played with, and folks from services like Facebook and Twitter.

You can simply mute your mic if you don't want to be heard, and it's easy to see everyone you're chatting with by their icons.

On Friday, Jay-Z released a short film for his revealing song "4:44," the title track to his new album ("4:44").

The song drew widespread attention upon the album's release because Jay-Z's candid lyrics on the song detail his infidelities, and find him apologizing numerous times to his wife, Beyoncé, for the turbulence of their marriage. 

The 8-minute long video for the track features a scattered collage of film, including video of actress Eartha Kitt speaking on love, clips of Beyoncé and Jay performing together, and dozens of other pieces of seemingly random footage. 

Jay's platinum-selling album "4:44" is now available on all major streaming services (except Spotify). 

Tidal subscribers can watch the video for "4:44" below. If you aren't a subscriber, you can watch a 44-second preview:

SEE ALSO: The 5 best new songs you can stream right now

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NOW WATCH: Here's everything we know from the second trailer for 'Game of Thrones' season 7

Euron Greyjoy’s role in season 6 was brief (he only appeared in two episodes), but he made quite an impact — especially for a character introduced so late in the series.

If you need a quick refresher, Theon’s Uncle Euron came back to the Iron Islands after a long absence to push his brother Balon (Theon’s dad) off a rope bridge in the rain.

Since he took away his niece Yara's opportunity to be queen at the last minute, Euron is the King of the Iron Islands now. The last time we saw him, he wasn't happy with his niece and nephew after they took a bunch of ships to Daenerys in Meereen before he could get to her and form an alliance himself. 

Actor Pilou Asbaek recently discussed Euron’s bigger role in the upcoming seventh season with Entertainment Weekly.

“He’s much more just f—ing enjoying himself this season,” Asbaek said. “He’s more charming. He takes himself seriously, but not too seriously."

Without Daenerys Targaryen on his side, it sounds like Euron will have a better-suited ally for his unpredictable and menacing personality (and affinity for murder): Cersei Lannister.

“For Euron, the question is, ‘Who gives me the best odds?’” Asbaek said. “Is it the dragon mother? No. Is it with Cersei? I think it is. Dany is still trying to be a good, decent, honest person. Cersei sold her soul many years ago. Maybe that’s why Euron likes the idea of her.”

"Game of Thrones" returns on July 16th.

SEE ALSO: Kit Harington says there's definitely more tension between Jon and Sansa in season 7

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NOW WATCH: Here’s the first trailer for 'Inhumans' — the Marvel movie that was turned into a TV show

Each year, one album taps into the hearts and ears of the public on its way to topping the Billboard year-end album chart.

Times have changed, though. In the 2010s, pop stars like Adele and Taylor Swift have dominated the charts, while in the 1950s and early 1960s, musical soundtracks and Broadway cast recordings tended to top the list. 

Billboard has been tracking the top album of the year since 1956. From 1992 onward, total album sales were recorded by Nielsen SoundScan. Before 1992, the top album chart was "based on a survey of representative retail outlets that determined a ranking" and was "not a tally of actual sales."

Business Insider compiled all the best-selling albums and their respective notable singles, dating back to 1956, so you can see, and hear, which album was the soundtrack to your birth year (so long as you're between the ages of 1 and 61).

Check out which album made it to the top each year:

SEE ALSO: The 25 best songs of 2017 so far, ranked

2016: Drake — "Views"

Copies sold: 4,140,000

Notable singles:"Hotline Bling,""One Dance"

2015: Adele — "25"

Copies sold:8,008,000

Notable singles:"Hello,""When We Were Young"

2014: Taylor Swift — "1989"

Copies sold: 3,661,000

Notable singles:"Shake It Off,""Blank Space,""Bad Blood"

"Success! How I Did It" is Business Insider's podcast hosted by U.S. Editor-in-Chief, Alyson Shontell. Shontell interviews successful CEOs, entrepreneurs and business leaders about how they built successful companies, and the career paths that took them to the top. 

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SEE ALSO: The founders of Robinhood, a no-fee stock trading app, were initially rejected by 75 venture capitalists — now their startup is worth $1.3 billion

SEE ALSO: Dropbox founder reveals how he built a $10 billion company in his 20s — even though Steve Jobs told him Apple would destroy it

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Making any movie is hard, but being the director of a multi-million dollar blockbuster is really, really hard. 

That's been most evident in recent weeks when much of the chatter in Hollywood has been about the shocking firing of 'Star Wars' directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller from the untitled Han Solo movie over creative differences with Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy (Ron Howard has since been brought on to complete the movie). 

With so much at stake for a studio, the day-to-day job of a director isn't easy. They're the one who has to shoulder the burden of pulling off the (often times) short production schedule, all the while doing it in a way that satisfies his or her own creative impulses and appeases the high-powered cast, producers, and studio heads. And on top of it all, they're on the hook for the ticket sales of a movie expected to rake in a whole lot of money at the box office. 

Many have pulled it off (and been paid handsomely for it). But there are definite scares that pop up during the process of making a film.

Following the success of "Furious 7," the 2015 hit from Universal's profitable "Fast and the Furious" franchise that earned over $1.5 billion worldwide at the box office, director James Wan declined the studio's offer to return for the eighth movie in the popular franchise, "The Fate of the Furious." According to The Hollywood Reporter, one reason Wan passed was because the two-year production on "Furious 7" was so daunting (and included late rewrites following the death of franchise star Paul Walker) that it compromised Wan's health.   

F. Gary Gray ("Straight Outta Compton," "The Italian Job") signed on to direct "The Fate of the Furious," and the movie went on to earn over $1.2 billion worldwide and is currently the fifth-highest grossing movie of 2017 domestically ($225.4 million).

Gray is sucking in the accolades. He now has the distinction of being the first black filmmaker to make a $1 billion movie, and he's even getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next year. But he'll be the first to tell you that making "Fate of the Furious" wasn't easy, and at times he certainly felt the pressure of the franchise pushing down on him. 

"It's kind of a schizophrenic thing," Gray told Business Insider. "When you create you don't want to be influenced by that. But in those waking, sobering moments you're like 'Oh, s---! This movie has to perform!' Especially given the performance of the last few. Then you take that hat off and jump back into creative mode. I let the creativity influence me. I don't allow the numbers to influence me but I would be lying if I said it doesn't pinch you every once in a while, while you're in the process of making a movie. You have to acknowledge that it has to do business in order to be successful." 

But then there's also managing the egos that come with a blockbuster. Gray walked into a franchise that was already showing signs of unrest, and it hit a breaking point for two of its stars in the middle of production on "Fate of the Furious." 

Last August, during his final week of shooting, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, a star in the franchise since 2011's "Fast Five," took to Facebook to call out some of his male costars for being "candy a--es," writing that some don't “conduct themselves as stand up men and true professionals.” It turned out Johnson was calling out the franchise's main star and producer, Vin Diesel. There had been rumors for years since Diesel rejoined the franchise, after a two-film hiatus with 2009's "Fast & Furious," that he was a distraction on set.

Though some felt the whole thing was a publicity stunt, the proof is in the movie. Johnson and Diesel are literally never on screen at the same time. The storyline of Diesel's Dom character going rogue on his "family" made it easier for them to be apart, as Johnson's Hobbs character spends most of the movie trying to track down Dom while Dom is seemingly doing evil acts with the movie's villain, Cipher (Charlize Theron). But at the end of the movie when they all reunite, it's almost comical how the shots are positioned so it's not evident that neither star is present at the rooftop gathering at the same time.

It's certainly something Gray had to navigate, through he won't divulge how much. 

"I really can't," Gray said, when asked to comment on the feud. "First, because I'm a professional. It's something I will always steer everyone to Dwayne and Vin. When you make a movie on this level, with this size, it's so massive. You're taking about four continents, seven different units, and in some cases being filmed simultaneously. Hundreds of millions of dollars at stake. It's going to be a challenge. And everyone has their process. So I can't judge them. I'm very, very proud of the movie. And I hope they are, too. In terms of just their process, I don't have much to say. I'm happy we made it to the other side." 

Now the question becomes where Gray goes from here. The "Fast and Furious" franchise certainly isn't done yet. Is he up for another movie?

"Who knows what the future holds," Gray said, noting that he's currently focused on getting his production company off the ground. "I can say right now at this very second, I'm happy with 'Fate of the Furious.' I'm very happy with that movie. That's the one I poured my life and heart into and anything above and beyond that, who knows."  

"The Fate of the Furious" is now available to buy digitally and will be on Blu-ray/DVD beginning July 11.

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I'm using YouTube more and more these days instead of using a regular Google search to find the answers I'm looking for.

From useful keyboard shortcuts to adding captions so I can watch a video without disturbing people around me, there are a bunch of good ways to make YouTube easier and better to use.

Check out the 16 best YouTube tips I've discovered that I'll be using on a regular basis:

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Use the new redesigned YouTube before Google rolls it out.

You can check out YouTube's design refresh before Google officially rolls it out by typing youtube.com/new into your browser's search bar. 

In the new version of YouTube, you can turn on Dark Mode. It's easier on the eyes if you're watching YouTube in a dark room, and it looks sleek, too.

After you've selected the new version of YouTube, click on your profile on the top right > click on Dark Theme > enable Dark Theme.

When you're watching YouTube videos from a computer, press "J" to rewind 10 seconds

Steve Burns hosted the children's show "Blue's Clues" for 6 years, wearing a striped green shirt and solving puzzles with the help of his blue dog and viewers like you. Now, he's a musician and is about to release an album with one of the members of The Flaming Lips called "Foreverywhere." We chatted with Burns to find out what it was like being the victim of a death hoax, why he quit the show, and what he has been up to lately.

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Film studio profits have been suffering in recent years, and the "desperation level in Hollywood" has reached new highs, according to a new research note from Morgan Stanley. 

Hard times and thin margins could result in a major push toward a service called "premium video on demand" — streaming newly released movies at home for a higher fee in lieu of visiting the cinema — that may boost profits at studios but would likely harm movie theater operators, according to the bank.

Just how bad is it for film studios right now? Despite the gaudy, billion-dollar global box office figures, most of Hollywood isn't earning huge profits, thanks in part to the onslaught of streamable, high-quality TV content.

Apart from Disney, which in 2016 pulled in $1.8 billion in EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization), the studio industry generated a combined EBITDA of just $1 billion. Paramount and Sony suffered losses. 

One solution to juice those margins that Morgan Stanley says is "inevitable" is premium video on demand.

The idea is to make home viewing available when consumers are most aware of a movie — during the theatrical release when buzz and marketing are at a peak. Right now, people have to wait several months to rent or buy a new release.

Studios would charge $30 to $50 for the early access, compared with the $5 to $7 it currently costs to watch a movie on demand months after the theatrical release. 

Premium video wouldn't necessarily attract hordes of new customers, since it would likely cannibalize sales from people who visit theaters.

Market research conducted by Morgan Stanley's suggests that 25% of consumers would be interested in the product, but those who expressed interest already go to the movies. If you pay extra to watch a new release at home, you probably won't also go see it at the local Regal theater. 

"There is no evidence in our work that P-VOD is going to bring new consumers into the market," the bank's research note said. 

But, given a higher price point, this service could still amount to a significant increase in sales. Morgan Stanley estimates Hollywood studios could reap $2 billion in additional annual revenue, assuming a price point of $35 per premium rental. 

This scenario doesn't bode as well for movie theater owners, which could see attendance dip by 8% within a few years if consumers take to the service. Regal and Cinemark, two of the largest theater operators, could see EBITDA decline by 25% and 15%, according to the research note. 

That's a potentially dark future for theater owners, but it's still entirely hypothetical at this point, Morgan Stanley acknowledges. 

Studios and theater operators have contractual agreements that would have to be sorted out, and the theater owners could end up negotiating a slice of the revenue generated from premium video. Disney, which is still generating massive profits from its theatrical releases, has a vested interest in the continued health of cinemas like Regal and Cinemark.

It's also possible that people find the notion of paying $35 to watch a movie at home objectionably high and the service sputters without leaving much of an impact. 

But, given the current movie-studio malaise, Morgan Stanley thinks it's all but certain that Hollywood will give it a shot. 

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