• Netflix has a massive cash burn problem, one of the company's most bearish analyst says. 
• Wedbush has a price target of just $110 for the stock, which is currently trading above $300. 
• Follow Netflix's stock price in real-time here.

Netflix investors are blissfully ignoring the streaming giant’s ballooning cash burn, according to one of the company’s biggest bears on Wall Street.

"Investors are oblivious to the fact that Netflix burns cash at an alarming rate," Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter told Business Insider. His price target of $110 is a full 64% below the stock’s $310 price.

Pachter expects Netflix to borrow another $2.5 billion this year, and another $3 billion in 2019, adding to its already growing debt and negative free cash flow growth.

"If free cash flow continues to get worse, the debt balance could approach $15 billion, or around $30 per share for a company that "earns" $3 to $4 per share annually," he said. "What’s not to love about that?"

Netflix’s massive spending has been largely well received by Wall Street as it ramps up content offerings. Netflix CFO David Wells said earlier this year that the company expects to spend a staggering $8 billion on about 700 new original shows in 2018. 

In February, the company poached Ryan Murphy, the well-known Hollywood producer of "Glee" and "American Horror Story, from 21st Century Fox with a five-year contract worth $300 million. He starts in July. 

The investments are likely to keep pace with competitors like Hulu, which recently nabbed popular shows like "30 Rock" and "Will & Grace." 

HBO, on the other hand, has taken a markedly different approach.

"In a crowded marketplace, it matters how you put things out into the world," the company's president of original programming Casey Bloys told The Hollywood Reporter this week. "We don’t put a new show out every week. We take our time, and we try to make every show feel like an event — something special because they are special to us."

Wedbush's Pachter says Netflix's expensive investments could end up hurting the company in the long run — even if they do create a content moat with shows no competitor has. 

"The vast majority of consumption typically occurs within the first six months of availability, due in large part to the fact that users can binge on the content, with multiple episodes and/or seasons available at the same time," he said in January. "The company’s content library has grown at a steep pace, with a clear disconnect between consumption and amortization."

Netflix is the top-performing of the so-called FAANG mega-cap tech stocks so far in 2018, up an astonishing 54%. Second-place Amazon is up just 22%.

The company will report it’s first quarter earnings on Monday, April 16 after markets close.

SEE ALSO: Netflix is surging as Wall Street anticipates another earnings beat

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NOW WATCH: Wall Street's biggest bull explains why trade war fears are way overblown

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's new monster movie "Rampage," based on the 1980s arcade game, crashes into theaters this weekend, but it will have to fight off some dismal (and hilarious) reviews if it wants to succeed.

Critics aren't being kind to the movie, in which Johnson plays a primatologist named Davis Okoye who has a strong bond with George, an albino silverback gorilla whom Okoye rescued as an infant from poachers.

It sounds like a cute friendship — until George is mutated by a chemical and goes on a (you guessed it) rampage. There are also a giant wolf and a giant crocodile.

Business Insider's own Jason Guerrasio said in his review that the movie was "a CGI wonder with little plot and a whole lot of awful clichés and bad dialogue" but that Johnson's charisma "proves why he's making millions of dollars a movie."

Johnson and his costar Jeffrey Dean Morgan seem to be the only silver lining in the movie among critics, but not even they can save what most have called a surprisingly bland monster movie with a horrible, unfocused script.

Check out some of the most scathing "Rampage" reviews below:

SEE ALSO: The director of HBO's Andre the Giant documentary explains how he debunked some major myths and got Vince McMahon to cry

"I think it's my duty to tell you that The Rock's latest movie is really, really dumb."

Jason Guerrasio, Business Insider

"It's an empty golem of multiplex entertainment so bland it will make you beg for Michael Bay to direct the sequel."

David Ehrlich, IndieWire

"The objective of the original 8-bit video game was to, while controlling one of three giant monsters (a gorilla, dinosaur or werewolf), reduce a city to rubble. Naturally, a story of such pathos and originality brought Hollywood rushing with a check for millions."

Jake Coyle, Associated Press

• On Wednesday, Netflix's Ted Sarandos announced that no Netflix movies would be shown at the Cannes Film Festival.
• One of those movies is the infamous final movie by Orson Welles, "The Other Side of the Wind."
• Welles' daughter, Beatrice, pleaded to Sarandos via an email to reconsider his decision, according to Vanity Fair.

For fans of famed filmmaker and actor Orson Welles, the news on Wednesday that Netflix would be pulling the movies it planned to show at this year's Cannes Film Festival — including the world premiere of Welles' infamous final movie — followed the narrative of the legend's complicated career.

His unfinished final movie, "The Other Side of the Wind," which many have tried to complete since his death in 1985, looked to finally be at the finish line when Netflix announced last year that it was taking the global rights and would finance the completion of the movie. This seemingly put a coda on one of the most insane tales of any movie ever made.

But like many projects Welles tried to complete in his career — which were delayed or watered-down due to lack of money or outside interference — showing "The Other Side of the Wind" at the most famous film festival in the world has been halted. And Welles' daughter, Beatrice, is pleading that the streaming giant reconsider.

“I was very upset and troubled to read in the trade papers about the conflict with the Cannes Film Festival,” Beatrice wrote in an email sent to Netflix head of content Ted Sarandos on Sunday, according to Vanity Fair. “I have to speak out for my father.”

“I saw how the big production companies destroyed his life, his work, and in so doing a little bit of the man I loved so much,” Beatrice continued. “I would so hate to see Netflix be yet another one of these companies.”

She also wrote how much the festival supported her father: “Please reconsider and let my father’s work be the movie that bridges the gap between Netflix and Cannes,” she wrote.

However, in an interview with Variety on Wednesday, Sarandos confirmed that Netflix titles would not be at Cannes.

"We want our films to be on fair ground with every other filmmaker," Sarandos told the trade. "There's a risk in us going in this way and having our films and filmmakers treated disrespectfully at the festival. They've set the tone. I don't think it would be good for us to be there."

After last year's Cannes, in which Netflix had two titles in competition — Bong Joon-ho's "Okja" and Noah Baumbach's "The Meyerowitz Stories" — the festival announced that films with no plans to be released theatrically in France would no longer be considered for placement in the competition section of the festival.

On Wednesday, "The Other Side of the Wind" producer Filip Jan Rymsza reacted to the news on the movie's IndieGoGo page:

"I’d like to let you know that we fought long and hard to persuade Netflix to keep 'The Other Side of the Wind' in the festival. Our film was selected to screen Out of Competition, as an Official Selection in the Grand Théâtre Lumière, so it was not directly effected by the ban.

What’s sad and most difficult to come to terms with is that everyone loses in this decision — Cannes, Netflix, film lovers and all of us who worked so hard on this historic endeavor.

The film is a marvel. Cannes Festival Director Thierry Frémaux deemed it 'an extraordinary film, much more than a historical film … a message from [Orson Welles] to the world of cinema today.' No other festival premiere will rival what Cannes intended for the films. Their placement and reception will live only in our collective imagination.

Granted, I’m conflicted in my emotions. There would be no 'The Other Side of the Wind' without Netflix, but that doesn’t lessen my disappointment and heartbreak."

"The Other Side of the Wind" stars John Huston as a director who returns to Hollywood with hopes of a comeback after years of living in Europe.

Netflix has not officially announced when it will make the movie available to stream. It will also stream a documentary on the making of the movie.

Netflix declined to comment for this story.

SEE ALSO: The new book on iconic filmmaker Orson Welles looks at his infamous final movie

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NOW WATCH: These trucks are works of art

• The biggest game in the world right now is "Fortnite," with tens of millions of people playing monthly.
• The game, which is played entirely online, was offline from Wednesday night to Thursday afternoon.
• Epic Games, the studio that makes "Fortnite," worked non-stop to get the massively popular game online again.
• As of Thursday afternoon, the game was online again.

It's not just you: "Fortnite" was offline for everyone for nearly 24 hours.

More specifically, the wildly popular "Fortnite: Battle Royale" mode that pits 100 players against each other in a fight to the death was offline. The outage started on Wednesday night, according to Epic Games. An update on Thursday around 1 PM ET said that the game should be fixed "over the next couple of hours. It was back online by around 3PM ET.

Representatives for the North Carolina-based game studio behind "Fortnite" took to Reddit to explain what happened:

"We’re sorry for the ongoing extended instability. We had a critical failure with one of our account service databases. As a result, our login and matchmaking systems are unstable. Our team has been working through the night on fixes in order to bring the game fully back up. Right now we don’t know how long it will take, but we will update you hourly. Thanks for your patience while we work to resolve these issues."

That meant that for nearly 24 hours, you couldn't play "Fortnite: Battle Royale" on any of the many platforms it's available on, from PlayStation 4 to PC to iPhone (and everything else). 

Our attempt to access the game on a PlayStation 4 on Thursday morning was met with the following message:

Now, it's back, and everyone should be able to battle freely.

If you've somehow managed to miss the "Fortnite" phenomenon thus far, you may be wondering what this is all about.

The free-to-play game is a third-person shooter in the "Battle Royale" genre — 100 unarmed players parachute to an island, scavenge for supplies, and attempt to survive. If you're the last one left, you win! 

"Fortnite" has become such a phenomenon that celebrities like Drake have taken to playing it with major video game streamers. And thus, there are quite a few angry folks out there who'd like to get back into the game — somewhere in the realm of 45 million people are playing the game, though that number has assuredly grown since its recent launch on iPhone.

As of Thursday afternoon, the game was back online.

SEE ALSO: Over 45 million people are playing a bizarre shooter that pits 100 players against each other in a fight to the death — here's what's going on

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NOW WATCH: A neuroscientist explains why reality may just be a hallucination

The new "God of War" game, which launches as a PlayStation 4 exclusive on April 20, is one of the best-looking games ever made. Period.

Sony was kind enough to provide us with a review copy of the game a few weeks before launch, but while we don't want to spoil the game or any of its many surprises, we'd love to give you an idea of the kind of visual treat customers are in for.

All of these images show actual gameplay, and were captured on a PlayStation 4. Note: The thin black bars around the screen are present if you play the regular PS4 version of "God of War," but do not exist on the PlayStation 4 Pro version. It's hardly noticeable, but makes it possible for this incredibly visual game to run on years-old hardware.

Take an early look at "God of War" (don't worry — no spoilers here):

• In an interview with Vogue, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed he seriously considered running for president.
• A 2020 presidential run had been rumored, but Disney's acquisition of assets from Fox extended Iger's stay until 2021.
• Oprah Winfrey even pushed Iger to run for president and said he's "one of the people I respect most in the world."

In a revealing interview with Vogue, Disney CEO Bob Iger admitted that he seriously considered a 2020 presidential run — and Oprah Winfrey said she pushed him to do it.

Prior to Disney's acquisition of assets from Fox, it was rumored that Iger had considered a 2020 presidential run. But the Fox deal prolonged Iger's stay with Disney until 2021, and put to rest any potential run for the White House.

Now, Iger has finally addressed the rumors head-on. And it turns out there was a lot of truth in them.

Iger told Vogue he "believed that there was a need for someone in high elected office to be more open-minded." After gaining his wife Willow Bay's reluctant permission — who he said hated the idea — he began to seriously explore the possibility of a presidential run.

“The thought I had was coming from the patriot in me, growing up at a time when we respected our politicians not only for what they stood for but because of what they accomplished," he said. "I am horrified at the state of politics in America today, and I will throw stones in multiple directions."

Iger told The Hollywood Reporter in 2016 that many people had urged him to seek political office.

One of those people was Oprah Winfrey (who was previously rumored to be considering a presidential run herself). And she still thinks Iger would be the perfect candidate for president, she told Vogue. 

"Bob is one of the people I respect most in the world," she said. "That’s a very short list. He is infinitely capable of multiple categories of expertise, and he has created an environment where you can disagree with him — and that’s not just because I’m Oprah. I really, really pushed him to run for president, so much so that I said to him, 'Gee, if you ever decide to run for office, I will go door to door carrying leaflets. I will go sit and have tea with people.'"

SEE ALSO: 'Avengers: Infinity War' is outpacing the last 7 Marvel movies combined in pre-sale tickets

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NOW WATCH: In 50 years we'll have 'robot angels' and will be able to merge our brains with AI, according to technology experts

• CBS CEO Leslie Moonves could reportedly make up to $280 million if he is fired over an embattled potential merger between CBS and Viacom, Bloomberg reported.
• CNBC reported on Wednesday that Shari Redstone, the controlling shareholder of CBS and Viacom, was "likely" to remove Moonves as the head of CBS if merger negotiations between CBS and Viacom fell through. 
• Moonves' contract entitles him to $150 million if he is fired before its expiration in 2021, Bloomberg reported.
• But his payout figure could reportedly balloon to $280 million when taking into account CBS' stock and potential performance over the next few years.

CBS CEO Leslie Moonves could make up to $280 million if Shari Redstone, the controlling shareholder of CBS and Viacom through her company National Amusements, fires him over the embattled potential merger between the two TV companies, according to a Bloomberg report.

CNBC reported on Wednesday that Redstone was "likely" to remove Moonves as the CEO of CBS if merger negotiations between CBS and Viacom fell through, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Moonves' contract entitles him to $150 million if he is fired before his contract expires in June 2021, Bloomberg reported. But his payout figure could reach up to $280 million when taking into account CBS' stock and potential performance over the next few years, according to Bloomberg.

CBS is expected to make a new offer for the purchase of Viacom, but the network's bid is expected to be an insufficient price on Viacom's side of the deal, CNBC reported Wednesday.

CBS originally made a "lowball offer" of about $11.9 billion for Viacom (below market value), which was countered by Viacom with an offer of about $14.7 billion, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In a recent profile of the embattled potential merger, THR reported that Viacom's struggling assets like MTV and Nickelodeon have made a merger plan "repellent to Moonves." CBS and Viacom were previously part of the same company from 2000 to 2006, under the ownership of National Amusements, before Viacom spun-off as a separate company in 2006.

Redstone is expected to not only replace Moonves but the entire CBS board if a merger isn't reached between the two companies, according to CNBC. But Bloomberg's report would suggest that Moonves' massive payout could throw a kink into that plan. 

In a statement to Business Insider on Wednesday, a CBS representative touted Moonves' track record, which is well-regarded by shareholders and the industry. "The industry and the marketplace know Leslie Moonves' record and we think it speaks for itself," the CBS representative said.

SEE ALSO: Shari Redstone is reportedly 'likely' to fire Les Moonves as CEO of CBS if the Viacom merger falls through

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NOW WATCH: We talked to Charles Schwab's investment strategist about what 2018 holds for equities, the Fed, and bitcoin

• HQ Trivia is a a free app, available for iPhone and Android, that hosts a daily live game show for real cash prizes.
• During a recent special event hosted on the app, twelve lucky HQ players won more than $20,000. 
• One of those winners was Peter Manley, a father from Vermont who hasn't worked for years due to his poor health.
• He says he isn't going to buy anything "too fancy," because the money helped put his financially struggling family back on track. 

"There was a lot of yelling and screaming," Peter Manley said, describing the night he won more than $20,000 on HQ Trivia, a popular smartphone app that hosts a live trivia game show with real cash prizes. "I was in the kind of shock where you stand up and look around 'cuz you can't believe it. You lose your breath and just start screaming!"

Normally, HQ Trivia requires users to answer 12 questions perfectly for the chance to split a prize pool that starts at $5,000. HQ itself is a red-hot app, said to be valued at $100 million at its last round of funding in February.

On the day Manley won, it was a special event at HQ, sponsored by the movie "Ready Player One" — HQ players would have to answer 15 questions, instead, to split a whopping $250,000 pool.

When the game's host, Scott Rogowsky, called 5 minutes after the big win, Manley almost didn't pick up the phone. He normally doesn't answer calls from unknown phone numbers, he said. Rogowsky congratulated Manley and his family and asked them how they planned to spend the money.

"It's a non-glamorous answer, really," Manley said, describing the conversation to Business Insider about a week following the win. "It's going to stay in the bank. We'll buy food and fuel, and that's it."

In an interview with Business Insider, Manley explained that his family has had a rough few years before HQ came into their lives, and the money couldn't have come at a better time. Both he and his wife of 21 years, Margaret, have serious health issues that prevent them from working. He has struggled a rare, genetic disorder that causes a high risk of thyroid cancer, and a laundry list of related health complications. Margaret suffered a spinal injury a few years ago, and the family's finances haven't been the same since.

"We almost lost our house...Christmases were rough, because we really can't get gifts anymore," Manley said. The financial troubles were compounded with recent losses of loved ones, including Margaret's father and a young family friend, who died of an opioid overdose. Manley says it's all too common in their community, a small town in Central Vermont.

"If you don't get this one right, I'll never talk to you again," Manley's daughter Paige told him that night, as she watched him play. The two had been kicked out of the living room by Manley's wife Margaret, who was trying to watch an episode of Rachel Maddow in peace. It was a weeknight, after all.

The question was about '80s music and Paige's father, Peter Manley, had been a music buff for a long time—he had a collection of every top 40s jam since 1958. His poor health had prevented him from working for many years, so music provided a great hobby and creative outlet, especially now that his two children are grown.

The final, winning question was about Patrick Swayze's famous line from "Dirty Dancing:" After he says "nobody puts Baby in a corner," what's the next line?

Manley had never seen the movie.

Still, the game only provides three possible answers, so he guessed. That guess helped him became one of 12 winners—out of 2.3 million original contestants—to split the $250,000 pot. (The correct answer, by the way, was "Come on.") 

"Winning this money, it's emotional — it's tied up with our health. Just to have a cushion is a big relief...and to know good things can still happen to us," Manley joked. "We've always said we have lots of luck, it's just usually bad luck."

Manley admitted that he's been considering one little splurge: Treating himself to a new stereo. He says he couldn't afford to replace his old one when it broke. 

"But that's it," he swears. "We're just so happy to be all right."

Just yesterday on HQ Trivia, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson hosted the show to promote his new movie, "Rampage," as players competed for the largest pot yet: $300,000.

Here's a video of the game on March 28th, the night that Pete won:

SEE ALSO: Here’s how to play HQ Trivia, the smartphone game from a red-hot startup rumored to be worth $100 million

SEE ALSO: HQ Trivia, the biggest iPhone game of 2017, has delayed the release of its Android app

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NOW WATCH: We asked the host of HQ Trivia 12 questions to see how much he knows about game shows

Movies and TV shows tend to use real food when they can, but there are a number of times when they need something fake. We spoke with two fake food artists who specialize in making custom, inedible treats for restaurants, trade shows, and Hollywood.  Here's how fake food props are made to look so delicious. Following is a transcript of the video.

Narrator: Is this food making you hungry? Well, don't try to take a bite because these delicious looking foods are actually fake. TV shows and movies will try to use real foods on screen when possible, but there a number of reasons why food props might be used instead. For example, if ice cream is used, they don't want it to melt between takes, or if you need a lot of food in the background of a shot.

Companies like Independent Studio Services and Display Fake Foods offer pre-made food props that can be ordered in bulk. But often times, movies need items specially made. That's when they seek out a fake food artist, like Lisa Friedman.

Lisa Friedman: For people who need something specific, that's why they reach out to me. I'm an artist. I went to school for art and I also love to cook and bake. There's not a lot of us out there that do this.

Narrator: Brenda Chapman also makes fake foods in Oklahoma.

Brenda Chapman: I just kind of figure it out. I've had no formal training, didn't go to college. I started this just so I could be a stay-at-home mom with my kids.

Narrator: Both women work out of studios in their homes. They can recreate pretty much anything. Much of their day-to-day business is in restaurant displays and food shows. But prop masters will contact them if they need food items for movies.

Brenda Chapman: In the last 20 years, I've done almost 3 million dollars worth of fake food business.

Narrator: Brenda has had her work featured in a number of productions. For Glee, she made some ice cream for this diner scene.

Brenda Chapman: In their diner scene, they wanted milkshakes and hot fudge sundaes and banana splits that were new, half-eaten, quarter-eaten so that they could switch them out during the takes.

Narrator: She says you don't always know where your food will end up. Like when some of her items popped up in the Muppets. - When Miss Piggy eats my doughnuts, I didn't realize they had bought my doughnuts. - Pardon moi, Mademoiselle Cochonne? - Can't you see I'm busy! - [Receptionist] Of course.

Narrator: And sometimes your food doesn't even make the final cut.

Brenda Chapman: Thor, the movie, actually bought like $500 worth of doughnuts, and they had a building that said Donut Shop or Donut Land, they never went inside, so I didn't get to see my doughnuts. I was very sad.

Narrator: Here's a creamsicle Lisa Friedman made that was featured in a scene from Kevin Saves the World.

"The coldest thing they have." "Oh, thank you."

Lisa Friedman: I guess, his eye was swollen, he got hit in it.

Narrator: While the details may vary based on the artist, the creation process is pretty standard. We stopped by Lisa Friedman's home in New York to see how she makes her fake foods. After the order is submitted, typically the customer will send her a real version of they want duplicated. Then she will produce a mold out of the item to get the exact size and shape.

Lisa Friedman: We try to mold it close to the color, so that we're not starting with a blank white canvas.

Narrator: Typically fake foods are made with rubber or foam. She pours the material into the mold and lets it set. Foam rises like actual dough, so she needs to prevent it from spilling out.

Lisa Friedman: It's like I'm baking a cake, right? I'm baking my bread.

Narrator: Then she sands the excess pieces down. Once the item is dry, it's painted and detailed to look like real food.

Lisa Friedman: With my background in painting, I can color it to be as realistic as it is.

Brenda Chapman: You just kind of have to look at things a little differently, um, and think, okay, it's not made for this but it does look like this. We use a lot of Styrofoams, a lot of stuff from the local hardware store, you know, caulking, and drywall patching, and sheetrock mud.

Narrator: To replicate granola and ground beef, Lisa uses crushed cork board.

Lisa Friedman: Cork is kind of breaks up like granola, so we took some cork boards and we started breaking it down.

Narrator: Sometimes real food is used. Like covering actual popcorn, cereal, or candy in resin to preserve it. It's often hard to tell the finished product from the original.

Lisa Friedman: I don't do this for the money. It's more for the accolades, when my customers write, oh, I love it, it came out great.

Narrator: And while these items might make your mouth water, they're only a feast for your eyes.

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• Actress Gabrielle Union and NBA star Dwyane Wade now have their own house-flipping show on HGTV, "All Star Flip."
• The 30-minute special will air on HGTV Thursday night at 9:30 p.m. ET.
• The power couple will renovate a house and will use the sale to raise money for charity.
• No additional episodes have been announced yet, but the trailer makes it feel like the network is open to extending the series.
  
• If it were up to the real-estate obsessed Union, it sounds like there would be more episodes, saying, "It took a while, but I finally convinced Dwyane that we should try flipping a house."
• You can see the promo trailer for the show below.

SEE ALSO: The NBA playoff bracket is set

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NOW WATCH: What will happen when Earth's north and south poles flip

• Season two of "Westworld" is even better than season one.
• With more room to expand now that the world within the show has been established, there's more excitement, action, and character development.
• The second season puts women in charge of the story, which is the season's major strength so far.

Origin stories are hit or miss. And so are sequels.

Judging by the excellent season two of “Westworld” (HBO made the first five episodes available to the press), season one was just the beginning, serving mostly as an introduction to the infinite possibilities of what this show can be. While sticking to the structure of telling stories in various timelines, the action-packed second season defeats the sci-fi trope of using women as a narrative device to motivate male anti-heroes, by letting them take control the story (both within the show and within the parks).

The first season of the “Westworld,” which premiered on HBO in 2016, was a huge hit with critics and audiences. It quickly established itself as a worthy successor to “Game of Thrones,” generating millions of viewers each week and even more fan theories and critical analysis.

I enjoyed season one of “Westworld,” but didn’t love it. Beyond its cinematic look and incredible performances, particularly from Jeffrey Wright (Bernard), Evan Rachel Wood (Dolores), and Thandie Newton (Maeve), I was underwhelmed. It felt like a basic origin story with a lot of build-up to not much pay-off. Its season-long arc was more of an introduction than an immersion into this interesting world and complicated characters. But I tuned in because I looked forward to the potential expansion of that world and characters.

In season two, the show expands the story (and the way it's told) in even more ways than I imagined, particularly the scope of Delos and the filmmaking used to explore Bernard's memories. Having an audience that already understands this world allows the writers to minimize reliance on violence, sex, and classical piano covers of pop songs to draw us in. There’s still brutal violence, but it’s used more skillfully than in season one. And yes, this is “Westworld” so there is nudity, but it’s used just as sparingly as the violence. The same goes for piano covers of pop songs: Season one wasn’t the last time you’ll hear a piano play The Rolling Stones’ “Paint it Black.”

Between flashbacks that give us more insight on the experiences of hosts, humans, and the origins of the park; adventures featuring other worlds that I will not spoil for you; and revelations happening below the park at the Delos facility, season two delivers multiple arcs that will have fans theorizing away. But unlike season one, you’ll have no idea what’s coming.

While season one was a bit of a slow burn — using the repetitive days the hosts experience in early episodes to tell a larger story of the hosts’ journey to self-awareness — season two introduces a more rapid pace that’s more reminiscent of an action film than sci-fi.

Another sci-fi trope season two conquers is its treatment of women. For decades, women in sci-fi have been largely used as narrative devices: their deaths motivate a male anti-hero, or they’re sexualized for no true purpose. This was an obvious flaw in Netflix’s “Altered Carbon,” and is even present in “Blade Runner” and its recent sequel “Blade Runner 2049.” In season two, women including Dolores and Maeve seamlessly move the story forward while in positions of power that they earned on their own.

Season two of “Westworld” premieres on HBO Sunday, April 22 at p.m.

SEE ALSO: 'The Expanse' is a hit sci-fi TV show that critics say is the best since 'Battlestar Galactica'

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NOW WATCH: Facebook can still track you even if you delete your account — here's how to stop it

• The world's most popular game, "Fortnite," was offline from Wednesday evening to Thursday afternoon.
• Tens of millions of players were unable to access the insanely popular game for nearly 24 hours.
• As an apology, Epic Games is giving out a some free stuff to players of the game's "Battle Royale" and "Save the World" modes.

The folks behind "Fortnite" are real sorry their game was offline for nearly 24 hours this week, from Wednesday evening to Thursday afternoon, and they're giving away free stuff as a means of making up for it.

For fans of the winner-take-all Battle Royale mode — the part of "Fortnite" that has exploded in popularity this year — there's a "Back Bling" gift available in the game's storefront for free. For fans of the game's "Save the World" mode — the tower defense-style foundation of "Fortnite" — there's a "Troll Stash Llama" waiting in the loot tab this weekend.

In addition to that stuff, Epic Games is planning to give out a pack of "Battle Stars" to Battle Royale players, and "Seasonal Gold" to Save the World players. All of this is free, intended as a make nice from the unplanned "Fortnite" outage this week.

Perhaps most importantly of all is a small note attached to Epic's mea culpa: There will be additional downtime for the game next week. That downtime will come alongside a planned update for the game, and the Battle Stars/Seasonal Gold will arrive alongside that update.

So: Beware! "Fortnite" will go offline again once more this coming week, though this one's planned and unlikely to last anywhere near as long as this week's accidental outage.

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NOW WATCH: A neuroscientist explains why reality may just be a hallucination

• Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, writers and executive producers on Netflix's upcoming "Lost in Space" reboot, told Business Insider that the discovery of a new planet in 2016 influenced their take on the show.
• The films of Steven Spielberg and James Cameron were also huge inspirations.
• The two said that the show embodies the "spirit of pioneers" and seeking a better life for your family — but isn't a response to current events.
• They also discuss the alien robot that gets an upgrade for the new show.

"Danger, Will Robinson."

Those are the familiar words made famous by the robot of the 1960s sci-fi show, "Lost in Space," about a family of colonists (the Robinsons) who struggle to survive in unknown territory when their ship is thrown off course. Now, writers and executive producers Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless are entering their own type of danger: updating a beloved show for a modern audience. 

The two, who had worked together on movies like "Gods of Egypt" and "Power Rangers," were well aware of the responsibility when they set out to make Netflix's reboot of "Lost in Space," which premiered Friday.

They told Business Insider that they wanted to balance new and old, and a sense of adventure reminiscent of movies like "Jurassic Park" and "Avatar" with a sense of reality.

Here's our discussion with them, which swings from how the discovery of a new planet inspired them to what sci-fi influenced the series. (It has been lightly edited for clarity.)

Travis Clark:How much research was done while writing “Lost in Space?"

Matt Sazama: When we were first working on this in 2016 the news came out that a planet had been discovered around Proxima Centauri [the smallest star in the Alpha Centauri star system]. The Alpha Centauri system is the closest stars to Earth. In the original show, that’s where the Robinsons are heading because at the time that was a big discovery. We always wanted to use that because it was a touchstone of the show and then we realized there was an actual planet circling the star system that could support life.

Burk Sharpless: The philosophy for when we were coming up with this particular science fiction story is that we were very interested in science and research and an experience rooted in realism and authenticity. There’s a history of those kinds of science fiction stories that starts with H.G. Wells and then Arthur C. Clarke and Michael Crichton, who wrote "Jurassic Park." 

Clark: Did any other sci-fi stories inspire you?

Sazama: The two patron saints of our version of "Lost in Space" would be Steven Spielberg and James Cameron, and their sense of how you can have wonder and terror almost working hand-in-hand together. 

Sharpless: We have this philosophy that is similar to stories like "Jurassic Park" and even "The Martian," where you start from a place that everyone agrees is true and then as writers ... we move forward. When we were in the writers' room and building adventure moments, even in moments that were purely fantastic, we were always trying to ground it in physical laws, not in fantasy, but in what might actually happen.

Clark:Was it important for you that the science was written in a way that didn’t go over people’s heads?

Sharpless: One of the challenges is that while the show has a lot of science in it, we didn’t want it to be about science. You use the science as a building block. You create a way in for the audience that makes it relatable. Even if it’s an alien creature, it’s going to abide by the same rules we would here ... People will be drawn in, in ways that make them feel engaged. That’s something that Matt and I have always felt when watching our favorite adventure cinema, whether it’s "Jurassic Park," or "Avatar," or "Aliens." 

Clark:You mentioned the alien robot; what went into his design? What was going through your minds when writing his part of the story?

Sazama: The robot needed to be as compelling a character as the rest of the Robinsons. What does it mean to encounter something that’s alien? That’s the science-fiction part of the show. How do you communicate with it and how do you relate with it? The question of season 1 is, "What is the robot?" For us, the robot embodies the show: How to relate to something that’s different, something that’s dangerous but could also save your life. And what you’re looking at was an extraordinary project that involved a lot of designers and a lot of artists who were extraordinary technical craftsmen.

The robot’s face was the one design element that we wanted to carry over from the original show, with the clear face and twinkling lights. We felt like that was a way that our new robot feels like the old robot, and the face was an abstract constellation of stars that would give you an emotional response to it.

Clark: In regards to the reasons behind why humanity is leaving Earth in the show, what drove the story in that direction?

Sharpless: It feels like we’re making a point about global warming, but there’s actually a mystery that’s uncovered by the end of the season. But we don’t want the focus to be, "We’re destroying the Earth." We want this to be a more human story of, "What would you do to make a better life for your children?" Somewhere in your past, someone got on a boat for a journey to a better life. And we feel like that’s a very universal human story that we’re trying to tap in to. Our show tries to capture the spirit of pioneers, the spirit of NASA, the spirit of community.

Clark: With that in mind, do you think that this show comes at the perfect time with everything going on on the national stage in regards to immigration and climate change?

Sazama: We started working on this show four years ago, so this is not a response necessarily to current events. But sometimes shows come out at the right time. Our show is profoundly optimistic and I think people will like that right now. The Robinsons stick together, and that’s what we wanted to convey in this show — that if we stick together we can get through anything. And I think that’s a great message for now or 8 years ago or 10 years into the future.

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After 10 years and 18 movies, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become the most financially successful franchise in film history.

But that also means there has been a lot to keep track of before "Avengers: Infinity War," one of the most ambitious crossover events, comes to theaters later this month.

The movie is already projected to be a major success. Fandango announced this week that it was outpacing the past seven Marvel movies combined in presale tickets.

But even if "Avengers: Infinity War" breaks box-office records, not everyone who watches it will have seen all the other MCU movies or remember all the details. That doesn't mean it can't still be enjoyable — but since this is the movie the others have been leading up to, it's best to know the basics.

For those who need a crash course or a refresher on the MCU, we've compiled all the important details and events you'll need to know before heading to the theater when "Infinity War" is released April 27.

SEE ALSO: Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that he seriously explored running for president — and Oprah said she 'really, really pushed him' to do it

Thanos is mad at Loki, which means bad things for Loki.

In the first "Avengers," way back in 2012, Thanos (Josh Brolin) provides the army that Loki (Tom Hiddleston) leads in the attack on New York City.

Obviously, the Avengers put a stop to that attack, so we can assume Thanos isn't happy with Loki.

Based on trailers for "Infinity War," it's almost guaranteed that Loki hands over the Space Stone — one of six Infinity Stones that Thanos is after that give him reality-bending powers — to Thanos, who may very well use it to end Loki's life. Maybe. (He doesn't show up in any other scenes in the footage we've seen.)

The Collector has the Reality Stone.

During the post-credits scene in "Thor: The Dark World," the Collector (Benicio del Toro), who collects rare artifacts across the galaxy, is given the red Reality Stone.

As far as we know, it's still in his possession for "Infinity War."

Star-Lord can hold an Infinity Stone.

Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) was able to hold the purple Power Stone in "Guardians of the Galaxy" — with the help of the other Guardians — because, as it was revealed in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," his father is a powerful cosmic entity.

His father is also evil and wanted to spread himself across the entire universe, but that's another story.

Because Star-Lord is only half human, though, he was able to wield the Power Stone without getting obliterated, as anyone else would be. That could prove useful when the Guardians and the Avengers take on Thanos in "Infinity War."

• A new full-length trailer has dropped for "Incredibles 2" and it's our best look yet at what the movie has in store for the superhero family.
• Elastigirl is on a mission to save the world this time, leaving Mr. Incredible at home with the kids — including Jack-Jack, whose powers are quickly developing.
• The trailer highlights more story and action than the first teasers, along with fan-favorite characters like Edna Mode and Frozone.

It's been 14 years since Pixar's "The Incredibles" was released. Now, the family of superheroes is back in a new official trailer along with director Brad Bird at the helm. 

After a short teaser trailer and a sneak peek that aired during the Olympics, the new trailer is the best look yet at what the long-awaited sequel has in store for audiences.

"Incredibles 2" seems to follow a similar path as the first film, with a mysterious figure — Winston Deavor, voiced by "Better Call Saul's" Bob Odenkirk — recruiting a member of the Parr family for some superheroic exploits.

This time, though, Helen Parr/Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) gets to have all the fun while husband Bob/Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) stays home with the kids. That includes watching Jack-Jack, whose powers are quickly developing.

The trailer begins with Violet teasing Dash at the dinner table about washing his hands before asking her parents if they are going to talk about "the elephant in the room" — Helen's new job.

Deavor then makes his debut, announcing his plan to "make some wrong things right" and to "bring supers back into the sunlight" (Supers are what the superheroes in "The Incredibles" universe are called). To Bob's surprise, Deavor thinks Elastigirl is his best shot at achieving this. 

The trailer then goes on to highlight more fan-favorite characters from the first film, including superhero costume designer Edna Mode and Samuel L. Jackson's Frozone, who is once again fighting with his off-screen wife ("Where you going, ASAP? You better be back, ASAP," she yells).

Judging by the trailer, it looks like "Incredibles 2" will be worth the wait when it finally arrives in theaters on June 15.

Watch the full trailer below:

SEE ALSO: 4 reasons why 'The Incredibles' is Pixar's best movie — and one of the best superhero movies of all time

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It’s time to dive into the best horror movies currently on Netflix.

Seeing as it's Friday the 13th, we’ve highlighted the best scary movies on the streaming giant so you can go into the weekend scaring the heck out of yourself and your friends.

Check out 23 scary movies below.

Note: Numerous Netflix titles drop off the streaming service monthly so the availability of titles below may change.

Brett Arnold contributed to an earlier version of this story.

SEE ALSO: All the Marvel Cinematic Universe details you need to remember before seeing "Avengers: Infinity War"

1. "47 Meters Down" (2017)

Mandy Moore and Claire Holt play sisters trapped in a shark cage with only an hour of oxygen left in their tanks. Question your future vacation plans as you watch these two try to survive with a school of sharks surrounding them.

2. "The ABCs of Death" (2012)

26 horror directors are each given a letter of the alphabet as a starting point to create a scary short.

3. "The Babadook" (2014)

A single mother struggling to keep up with her rambunctious son begins to lose it after a strange children's book comes to her doorstep.

• Actress Helen Mirren called Netflix's effect on the film industry "devastating" for directors, in a recent interview with the UK's The i. 
• "It's devastating for people like my husband, film directors, because they want their movies to be watched in a cinema with a group of people," Mirren said. 
• Mirren's criticism of Netflix follows similar criticism from the likes of directors Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg in the past year.

Actress Helen Mirren became the latest high-profile name to speak out against Netflix's impact on the film industry, in a recent interview with the UK's The i. 

Mirren said the streaming service's lack of emphasis on theatrical release of films was "devastating" to directors like her husband, "Ray" director Taylor Hackford. 

"It's devastating for people like my husband, film directors, because they want their movies to be watched in a cinema with a group of people," Mirren said. "So it's a communal thing."

Despite her strong stance on the service's presentation of films, Mirren went on to admit in the same interview, with a smile, that she herself will watch movies on her iPad. 

Mirren's criticism of Netflix follows similar criticism from the likes of directors Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg in the past year.

Spielberg made headlines last month for saying that a film released by streaming services like Netflix and Amazon should be considered a "TV movie" and should not be eligible for the Academy Awards. 

"I don't believe that films that are just given token qualifications, in a couple of theaters for less than a week, should qualify for the Academy Award nominations," Spielberg told ITV News.

Nolan last year called out Netflix's "mindless policy" of releasing films simultaneously on its streaming service and in theaters, though he also praised Amazon's 90-day theatrical window as "a perfectly usable model." Spielberg made no such distinction between Netflix and Amazon in his interview.

Read Mirren's interview with The i here. 

SEE ALSO: All your favorite Netflix original shows that have been renewed for another season

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Netflix has begun to cancel shows, but that doesn't mean it's getting rid of your favorites.

40 Netflix original series will be returning with new seasons in the near future.

Only a handful of the series have official release dates, including the premieres of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and "Marvel's Luke Cage."

This week, the streaming service announced the renewal of another critically acclaimed Marvel series, "Jessica Jones," along with a second season of its recent comedy series "On My Block."

Other hit Netflix shows that have been renewed by the streaming service, like "Stranger Things" and "Black Mirror," are either in production or awaiting release.

For this list, we have included only renewed Netflix series that are yet to air, and we've included official release dates if applicable. We've excluded children's shows and reality series.

Here are the 40 Netflix original series that are coming back for another season:

SEE ALSO: All 54 of Netflix's notable original shows, ranked from worst to best

"Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (Season 4) — Premieres May 30

"Marvel's Luke Cage" (Season 2) — Premieres June 22

"Orange Is the New Black" (Seasons 6 and 7)

Date renewed: February 5, 2016

Netflix has a lot of movies in its catalog and that can sometimes make it hard to find which ones are worth watching.

To make that easier, every week we comb through Netflix's selection to find you a handful of movies that are great choices for your weekend.

We select a few that have come onto the service recently and mix in a couple of favorites from the catalog you might have missed.

From MCU critical darling "Doctor Strange" to the vulgar but sweet comedy "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," these are awesome movies on Netflix that you can watch over the weekend.

Here are 7 movies on Netflix you should definitely check out:

SEE ALSO: The best and worst superhero movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ranked according to critics

"Friday Night Lights" (2004)

Netflix description: The drama chronicles the efforts of Gary Gaines, the coach of a football team in small-town Texas, to propel his squad to the state championships. 

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 81%

Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85%

This realistic portrait of a football team in Texas broke sports movie conventions. It wasn't feel good and its new take on the genre inspired the iconic television series, "Friday Night Lights."

"Doctor Strange" (2016)

Netflix description: After a neurosurgeon loses the use of his hands he meets a mystical mentor who helps him harness magic to become the most powerful sorcerer on Earth. 

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 89%

Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86%

Exciting visuals, compelling source material, and Benedict Cumberbatch's performance help "Doctor Strange" stand out among superhero origin stories and other movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Events in this movie pave the way for "Infinity War," so now is a great time to watch it. 

"Lincoln" (2012)

Netflix description: Director Steven Spielberg takes on the towering legacy of Abraham Lincoln, focusing on his stewardship of the Union during the Civil War years. 

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 90%

Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80%

"Lincoln" tells a little-known piece of history. Instead of following the formula for the average biography film, the movie focuses on Lincoln's final months in office. Daniel Day Lewis' immersive performance brings the script to life. 

• Netflix popped 3% on Friday following an upgrade from Deutsche Bank analyst Bryan Kraft.
• The firm says it has changed its thinking on the company's climbing debt. 
• Netflix is scheduled to report earnings on Monday.
• Follow Netflix's stock price in real-time here.

Shares of Netflix surged more than 3%, as high as $317.80, Friday morning after Deutsche Bank reversed course on the stock, upgrading it to buy.

"We've liked the secular growth story for some time, but have always struggled with valuation given what we saw as much higher investment levels (relative to the market's expectations) required to grow the international business," analyst Bryan Kraft* said in a note to clients Friday.

"We had underestimated the market's willingness to underwrite several years of negative FCF to drive growth. We were wrong about that, but it's more or less irrelevant now."

Deutsche Bank has upped its price target for the stock to $350, roughly 10% above where shares were trading Friday morning.

It's a steep departure from other Wall Street analysts, who have a bearish average target of $297 for the stock as they worry about continuing cash burn. One of Netflix's biggest pessimists, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter, told Business Insider earlier this week that Netflix investors were "oblivious" to the company's ballooning debt. He has a target price less than a third of Deutsche Bank's. 

Instead of a burden, Deutsche Bank sees the $8 billion Netflix plans to spend on 700 original shows this year as a way to further set itself apart from competition like Hulu, HBO, Amazon, and others.

"Netflix has changed the economics of content production by leveraging a global DTC revenue base and, in doing so, has changed the strategic direction for the rest of the industry, pushing them to follow Netflix's lead, not knowing whether or not they'll succeed," Kraft writes.

"Netflix continues to capitalize on this lead by reinvesting in content, marketing, and the user experience; which is growing subscribers and making it more of a magnet for talent, further extending the company's lead."

Netflix has easily outpaced its big tech company peers in the so-called FAANG group in 2018 so far, rising 56%. The closest competitor, Amazon, is up just 22% in the same period.

The company is scheduled to report earnings results for the first quarter on Monday April 16 after markets close. 

*an earlier version of this post misspelled Brian Kraft's last name. 

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