• The live-action "Star Wars" TV series that will be shown on Disney's upcoming streaming service will take place seven years after "Return of the Jedi," according to the show's executive producer Jon Favreau.
• He also added that the show will feature new characters, many of them brought to life with the CGI used in his movie "The Jungle Book."

"Iron Man" and "The Jungle Book" director Jon Favreau has revealed some details about the "Star Wars" TV series he's executive producing and writing for Disney's upcoming streaming service.

While doing press on the red carpet for Thursday's world premiere of "Solo: A Star Wars Story" (he voices the character Rio Durant in the movie), Favreau told Nerdist that the show will take place seven years after the Battle of Endor, which is the finale of "Return of the Jedi." 

The series will feature new characters, and many will be brought to the small screen using the motion-capture CGI that was used in "The Jungle Book," and the upcoming live-action remake of "The Lion King," which Favearu is currently working on.

In March, Lucasfilm announced that Favreau was taking on the series.

Disney's streaming service will launch in 2019. Along with Faveau's live-action "Star Wars" series, there's also a planned Marvel live-action series, as well as "High School Musical" and "Monsters Inc." series.

SEE ALSO: 7 great movies you can watch on Netflix this weekend

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NOW WATCH: What will probably happen with the North and South Korean peace treaty

• Netflix has another addictive drama series in "Safe," a new coproduction with France's Canal+.
• The series stars "Dexter" actor Michael C. Hall as a widowed father and surgeon whose daughter goes missing from their affluent neighborhood in England.
• "Safe" currently stands at an 83% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
• The show's eight-episode first season is available now on Netflix.

Netflix has found yet another stellar coproduction in the drama series "Safe" from France's Canal+.

Created by crime writer Harlan Coben, the limited series stars "Dexter" and "Six Feet Under" actor Michael C. Hall as a widowed father and pediatric surgeon whose daughter goes missing from their affluent neighborhood in England. The show's eight-episode first season debuted Thursday on Netflix.

"Safe" earned positive reviews ahead of its release, and it currently stands at an 83% "Fresh" rating on the reviews-aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

"Almost everything about 'Safe,' from the acting to the dialogue, is pulpy with a vengeance," The Daily Telegraph's Ed Power wrote in a review.

Variety's Maureen Ryan wrote that show "delivers the kinds of well-paced twists that mystery fans are likely to enjoy."

The series is the latest critically acclaimed coproduction that Netflix has released with a foreign network. Early this year, the streaming service found a popular and universally praised series in the dark comedy "The End of the F---ing World," which was first released in 2017 by Britain's Channel 4.

After eight episodes, "Safe" wraps on a conclusive note that suggests it won't air a second season. Michael C. Hall said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter this week that the show appealed to him because it was a "close-ended, eight-episode commitment."

"I'm certainly open to collaborating with some or all of those people again, but there's no plan to do more. It answers all the fundamental questions it poses," Hall told THR.

Watch the trailer for "Safe" below, and find the series on Netflix.

SEE ALSO: All 65 of Netflix's notable original shows, ranked from worst to best

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NOW WATCH: What Trump University was really like — according to a former professor

• Syfy cancelled its space-drama "The Expanse" on Thursday, but the show's production company is looking to shop the series around to other networks, according to Deadline.
• The third season of "The Expanse" premiered in April to universal critical acclaim, but its ratings were steadily slipping. 
• Many fans of the series took to Twitter on Friday to ask Netflix and its CEO Reed Hastings to consider picking up the series for renewal.

The cable network Syfy cancelled its critically acclaimed space-drama series "The Expanse" on Thursday, but the production company behind the show is planning to shop the series around to other networks for renewal, according to Deadline. 

The third season of "The Expanse" premiered in April to universal critical acclaim and a 100% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but its ratings steadily decreased in each of its seasons. The third season's last episode will air on Syfy on May 30. 

In a statement to Deadline on the show's cancellation, Chris McCumber, the president of entertainment networks for NBCUniversal Cable, said, "'The Expanse' transported us across the solar system for three brilliant seasons of television. Everyone at Syfy is a massive fan of the series, and this was an incredibly difficult decision."

The show, based on the series of novels by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (pen name James S.A. Corey), is set 200 years in the future when humanity has colonized the Solar System. The Solar System is divided and on the brink of war, and the series' conflicts deal with the rocky relationship between Earth, Mars, and the Outer Planets Alliance (OPA).

Moving forward, Alcon Television Group, the show's producer, will look to find a new home for the series, the company told Deadline. 

"We are very disappointed the show will not be returning to Syfy," Alcon Entertainment cofounders and CEOs Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson told the outlet. "We respect Syfy’s decision to end this partnership but given the commercial and critical success of the show, we fully plan to pursue other opportunities for this terrific and original IP."

Although Alcon did not specify any potential suitors for the series, a number of the show's fans took to Twitter on Friday to ask that Netflix and its CEO, Reed Hastings, consider picking up "The Expanse" for renewal.

Netflix does already own the international streaming rights for "The Expanse," and it has commissioned continuations of a number of cancelled series in the past, including Channel 4's "Black Mirror." 

Fans have also started a Change.org petition to get Netflix to pick the show up.

Below are a few fan reactions on Twitter:

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

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NOW WATCH: Why you should never release your pet goldfish into the wild

• MoviePass owner Helios and Matheson Analytics was trading at around 60 cents on Friday midday.
• That's an incredible 98% drop from its 52-week high of $38.86.
• Many observers question the firm's long-term viability, including its independent auditor, which said in April it had "substantial doubt" about Helios and Matheson's ability to stay in business over the next year.

It’s been quite a roller-coaster ride for Helios and Matheson Analytics since acquiring MoviePass, and changing the startup's business model to offering a $9.95 monthly subscription to see one movie per day last August.

The stock’s 52-week high was $38.86 in October, as excitement built around the impressive subscription growth, and the potential disruption of the movie-theater business. But now it’s trading around 60 cents (as of midday on Friday). That’s a 98.5% drop.

The first recent tailspin for HMNY came in April when it filed its 10-K to the SEC and reported a loss of $150.8 million in 2017. The company's independent auditor also said it had “substantial doubt” that HMNY would be able to stay in business over the next year. That scared investors and the stock dropped 50% from its highest price the week before the 10-K filing.

The stock again crashed on Tuesday following HMNY’s update of its cash and losses to the SEC. 

HMNY said it had been losing about $21.7 million a month since September, and only had $15.5 million in available cash. The company did, however, note that recent tweaks to the service had led to a reduction of “more than 35%” in its cash deficit during the first week of May.

Investors clearly didn't think that reduction in losses was enough, and sent the stock zooming back down under $1. And HMNY has showed no sign of rebounding since.

SEE ALSO: MoviePass owner says it's figured out how to cut losses by more than 35%, but it's low on cash

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NOW WATCH: Why it's so hard for millennials to buy homes

• 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' has been renewed for a sixth 13-episode season.
• Cast and writers thanked fans on social media for causing such an uproar when Fox cancelled the show.
• The show will now be broadcast on NBC.

Fans were completely devastated when Fox announced the New York detective comedy 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' wasn't going to be renewed. Although some say it was the fans themselves at fault for not watching the show.

Twitter was covered in dedications to the show, and pleads with streaming services Hulu and Netflix to pick it up. But it was NBC to the rescue, commissioning the show for a 13-episode sixth season.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine's cocreator Dan Goor announced the news on twitter, saying it was in no small part thanks to "the best fans in the history of the world."

Melissa Fumero, who plays Amy Santiago in the show, also thanked fans on twitter for saving the show.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine has been critically praised for its diversity, and for the way it handles sensitive topics like racism and sexuality.

Andy Samberg, Terry Crews, Melissa Fumero, Joe Lo Truglio, Andre Braugher, Stephanie Beatriz, Chelsea Peretti, Dirk Blocker, and Joel McKinnon Miller are all stars of the show.

"Ever since we sold this show to Fox I've regretted letting it get away, and it's high time it came back to its rightful home," said Robert Greenblatt, the chairman of NBC Entertainment. "We're all thrilled that one of the smartest, funniest, and best cast comedies in a long time will take its place in our comedy line-up."

SEE ALSO: Fox was right to cancel 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' and the fans have no one to blame but themselves

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NOW WATCH: How a tiny camera startup is taking on Amazon and Google

It all started at the very beginning, really. Marvel Studios hired the most unlikely actor to play a superhero who wasn't very popular with the masses: Iron Man.

Director Jon Favreau, originally seeking an unknown actor to play Tony Stark, cast Robert Downey Jr. in the role, with some major pushback. Throughout the 90s and early 2000s, Downey had been arrested several times on drug-related charges. He went to rehab more than once. Downey said that he was introduced to drugs at the age of eight, because his father was also an addict and provided drugs to him. 

"The best and worst moments of Robert's life have been in the public eye," Favreau said about his casting. "He had to find an inner balance to overcome obstacles that went far beyond his career. That's Tony Stark."

Downey's casting proved to be brilliant when "Iron Man" received glowing reviews — especially for Downey's performance — when it came out in 2008. 

But as the MCU started to grow into the 2010s and a lot of people showed up to see its movies, the films got more formulaic: superhero finds his powers (2019's "Captain Marvel" will be the first female led MCU movie), superhero falls in love with a woman he has to save a few times, and superhero pretty easily defeats a forgettable villain with an accent.

But years into the universe it created, Marvel Studios was reminded of the unconventional choice that got people into this ambitious franchise in the first place, and made bolder and bolder decisions, from directors to casting to source material.

Here's our guide to the MCU's recent winning streak, where we analyze what started it, and how it can continue in the future. 

SEE ALSO: All 19 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, ranked from worst to best

What led to the stride?

Rather than adapt comic book source material for mass audiences, the MCU started to embrace the comic books and movies.

Instead of taking a story from a comic book and making it a vanilla action movie like so many of the early MCU movies were, writers and directors started making movies for themselves, instead of trying to please millions of people. And Marvel Studios is, thankfully, letting them do this, without many limits. 

Most people don't share the same favorite MCU movie now, and that's a good thing. There's a comedy, a political thriller, a period piece, and then there's "Doctor Strange." The movies have gone off on their own paths.

By seeing what works — and what doesn't  — the movies have become something more than a studio blockbuster made to draw people in. The MCU will sell tickets no matter what, so there's a certain artistic freedom that most studio movies never have. 

"Captain America: Winter Soldier" (2014)

The "Captain America" movies are altogether the strongest standalone trilogy in the MCU, and while each movie is a superhero movie, each individually represents a different genre. And it wasn't meant to be that way.

Originally, the Captain America sequel was going to be another period piece, but flashbacks were abandoned early on in the writing process. 

The idea was to make the sequel a political thriller reminiscent of those from the 1970s, like "All the President's Men" and "Three Days of the Condor." In "Winter Soldier," Captain America must fight S.H.I.E.L.D., the agency he's supposed to be working for.

By putting a man who was made by the government for the government in a situation where he has to turn on who he's supposed to be fighting for was a fun twist on Captain America. And it helped make him one of the most complicated and interesting character arcs throughout the films. 

"I love that we're doing a sequel to a film that's a completely different genre than the first film," producer Kevin Feige said in 2013. "I think that's fun. And the comics do it all the time." 

It worked thanks to the skill of the Russo brothers (Joe and Anthony), who came from the TV directing world. Feige has said they were hired to direct "Winter Soldier" based on an action-packed episode of NBC's "Community" that they directed. 

"Captain America: Winter Soldier" received great reviews, and its unlikely superhero spin on a political conspiracy thriller was something critics and audiences loved. The shift in genre did not seem to upset anyone, which helped Marvel learn that it could reinvent a character that already had two movies, such as Thor (more on that in a bit). 

"Guardians of the Galaxy" (2014)

2014 was also a turning point for the MCU because of another movie: "Guardians of the Galaxy." 

"Guardians of the Galaxy" came to theaters several months after "Winter Soldier," and contributed to the MCU's new direction into quirky space stuff like "Thor: Ragnarok" and an action-comedy like "Ant-Man."

Without the MCU to back it up, this would've never been made into a movie. 

Even the Dan Abnett, the writer of the Guardians of the Galaxy relaunch the films are based on, couldn't believe his work got adapted into a movie of its scale, or at all. The Guardians of the Galaxy are not exactly new in the comics — they've been around since the late 60s. But the team seen in the films (Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot) made their debut in 2008. 

The movie's star, Chris Pratt, was quite a surprising choice as well. He's a movie star now, but just a few years ago, Pratt was known for playing a goofball on the NBC comedy "Parks and Recreation." Pratt's casting, as well as Dave Bautista and the voice actors including Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel (huge stars who, in any other movie, would be cast as Star-Lord and Drax to get more tickets in the theater), elevated the movie.

The Guardians of the Galaxy gained prominence after the movie came out, and it was really Marvel's first high-risk movie considering they were even less well-known than characters like Thor and Iron Man.

The Guardians are used in the same way in the 2017 sequel. They're funny, they have attitudes, and sometimes they hate each other. This franchise is both light-hearted and laugh-out-loud funny, has a soundtrack from the 70s and 80s, and stars former TV actor Chris Pratt as the unexpected lead. It really made everything that followed possible. 

"Fortnite" is everywhere, being played by everyone, and yet it's tremendously difficult. 

If you're one of the many new players just jumping into "Fortnite," or one of the many people still struggling to eek out a coveted victory royale, we've got your back.

Here are the eight best tips, tricks, and secrets we've got for surviving and mastering "Fortnite."

SEE ALSO: 15 tips and tricks to play and win at Fortnite Battle Royale, the most popular game in the world right now

1. Don't land in main regions.

This one might sound obvious, but the game gives you no indication that the many regions on the map in "Fortnite" are designated landing areas. They are not — they tend to be hotbeds of activity, full of people playing "spicy" (aggressively). 

Unless you're ready to fight the second you land, you're likely toast. And even then there's a measure of luck to what you'll find nearby in terms of supplies and armaments. Instead, simply don't land in main, named regions — Titled Towers and Wailing Woods and all the other names you see on the map above.

There are loads of houses dotted all over the map that provide plenty of supplies. Do yourself a favor and go there instead of smack into the heart of Dusty Divot.

2. Find a loot chest in your last match? Remember where it was!

There are lots of ways to find supplies in "Fortnite." You could pillage a house, or tuck into a tree with your pickaxe, or take out an enemy — just to name a few.

Most importantly of all, finding treasure chests full of loot is key.

Unlike the weapons and supplies you'll find in a given place, treasure chests aren't randomized. That means if you find a treasure chest once, you know where it is always — and that's a crucial, important difference. There's even a website dedicated to tracking the locations of said treasure chests if you're so inclined.

While it's possible — likely, even — that the locations of treasure chests will change in upcoming updates to the game, learning even a handful now will tremendously improve your chances of survival.

3. Master the art of building a basic structure — a "1x1" — in seconds.

More than anything else in "Fortnite," the most important survival tool is building. You can conjure full structures out of thin air, and you can do it near-instantly. 

The most basic of these structures — a so-called "1x1" — provides an instant fort of protection, as well as offering higher ground (a crucial tactical advantage in "Fortnite" combat). It's simple to build and can save your butt.

If you're playing on PC/Mac and iOS, there are various methods for mastering fast building. On PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, you should re-map your button layout (more on that in a moment).

No matter how you're playing "Fortnite," the best way to learn how to build is by dropping into a secluded area of the map and practicing. If you own the "Save the World" mode as well, you could always practice there. 

Let’s start off by getting this out of the way: All of the original movies to the sequels in this list are amazing.

If they weren’t, there would never have been a sequel (or sometimes, three, four, or even seven more movies).

But in some cases, the sequels that push forward what's explored in the origin story are better. That doesn’t lessen the quality of the original, but we love these franchises even more because these subsequent movies were made.

Here we look at 15 sequels that did just that:

SEE ALSO: The 33 most important deaths in the Marvel Cinematic Universe history, ranked by how say they were

“Aliens” (1986)

James Cameron expands Ridley Scott’s original movie while also giving it a jolt of insane thrills. Taking us from a ship infected by aliens in the first movie to a whole planet in the sequel, the idea of a franchise that can go on for decades is realized. And the Marines getting attacked by the aliens in the beginning of the movie is one of the top anxiety experiences I’ve ever had watching a movie.

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)

It’s only been out for a few weeks, but you can tell instantly that this movie is special. The original Avengers movie was a thrill because we got to see all of our childhood heroes on the screen at the same time. But “Infinity War” uses that to give us a punch in the gut that we won’t forget for a while.

“The Dark Knight” (2008)

It’s the high point of Christopher Nolan’s fantastic Batman trilogy. There’s the greatness of Nolan at the helm, but also the Oscar-winning performance by Heath Ledger as the Joker. With a talent like Christian Bale as Batman, putting him up against an equal talent like Ledger resulted in one of the best acted comic book movies of all time.

For one night in August 2017, President Donald Trump broke his streak of staying exclusively at hotels he owns, and stayed at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia.

The AAA Four Diamond Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona was one of only two non-Trump properties he has stayed at in the United States while in office, according to Politico. The other was The Ritz-Carlton in Waikiki Beach, Hawaii.

Perhaps part of the reason was because no Trump properties are nearby. Trump tried to build a high-rise hotel and condo tower in the early 2000s, but Phoenix residents petitioned against the proposed 190-foot tower and the City Council killed the plan.

See inside the lavish Omni resort, which has not one but two presidential suites:

SEE ALSO: Inside Mar-a-Lago, Trump's exclusive club that the public doesn't get to see

DON'T MISS: Inside Number One Observatory Circle, the often overlooked but stunning vice president's residence where the Pences live

Trump traveled to Phoenix for a "Make America Great Again" campaign rally on August 22. It was a raucous event at the Phoenix Convention Center.

Source: Business Insider

It was his first rally since he faced enormous backlash for his comments following the riots in Charlottesville, Virginia. The city braced for demonstrations, and pro- and anti-Trump protesters clashed in a violent showdown.

Sources: Associated Press, Business Insider

It was also the first time Trump visited Arizona since the election. He left the crowds, and headed for the hotel around 9 p.m.

Source: White House pool report

• The Royal Wedding will grant Meghan Markle a host of titles — including "Princess Henry of Wales."
• She can be called that because she takes the official first name of her husband — and Harry's real name is Henry.
• However, recent royal bridges have ignored the title, and recent tradition dictates that the odd-sounding style will never be used.
• Princess Michael of Kent, who married in 1978, is the only living royal to be known by her husband's name.

When Meghan Markle ties the knot with Prince Harry on May 19, she will officially become part of the royal family. That brings with it a new career, instant celebrity, a colourful cast of relatives — and several royal titles.

It is highly likely that Markle will become a duchess, like Kate Middleton did. But there's another title she will gain from the marriage that she will almost certainly never use for anything.

In keeping with royal tradition, after she marries Markle can technically be called Princess Henry of Wales.

She gets that title from the days when royal spouses took their husband's name (Prince Harry's name is not actually Harry, but Henry).

However, the realities of modern life mean that nobody will call her Princess Henry, mainly because it sounds really weird.

The clunky name emphasises the fact that Markle won't be a princess in her own right, but through marriage. Women who are royal by blood, like Princess Charlotte or Princess Eugenie, get to use their own name.

The same rule means that Kate Middleton can also be called Princess William of Wales. But in reality she is never called that, even in official royal documents, which usually call her the Duchess of Cambridge.

Only one royal still sticks to this convention: Princess Michael of Kent. The 73-year-old took the name when she married Prince Michael back in 1978, when it wasn't so strange.

The present Duchess of Gloucester also used to be known as Princess Richard, after her husband Prince Richard, but dropped the title when Richard inherited the dukedom from his father.

The situation has become so odd that Princess Michael's website includes a "frequently asked questions" section explaining why she seems to have a man's name.

So, although this convention is perfectly correct — and indeed the only way Markle will be able to refer to herself as a princess — it is extremely unlikely to make a comeback.

READ MORE: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Prince William, Kate, and 11 other royals all live in the same palace — here's a breakdown of their lavish quarters

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• "Saturday Night Live" presented a terrifying mashup of "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Sex and the City."
• The three-minute parody featured episode host Amy Schumer, who played a handmaid in the style of Carrie Bradshaw.
• Watch the full video below.

This weekend, "Saturday Night Live" put a "Sex and the City" spin on "The Handmaid's Tale."

Its three-minute sketch, "Handmaid's in the City" — which aired on Saturday and featured comedians Amy Schumer, Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong, and Aidy Bryant — is a terrifying mashup of the two TV programs.

Schumer kicked off the sketch with a Carrie Bradshaw-esque monologue:

"As I waited for the girls in downtown Gilead, I was feeling like an uptown gal-ead, and I couldn't help but wonder, are women allowed to do anything anymore?"

The three women joked about the brutal treatment of women depicted in the TV series, based on the book by Margaret Atwood. In the story, which is now a show on Hulu, a totalitarian regime treats women as property of the state, and forces some into sexual servitude to reproduce.

"It doesn't matter what our faces look like as long as we are fertile," the sketch joked.

SNL's parody even featured the notorious "Sex and the City" voiceover, which introduced this new twisted version as being a show that's "more uplifting than the news."

What the full video below:

SEE ALSO: Hulu's 'The Handmaid's Tale' season 2 has a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, topping its Emmy-winning debut season

DON'T MISS: 'Enough with the Trump jokes!': 'SNL' moms tell cast members they do too much politics in amusing Mother's Day sketch

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• "Avengers: Infinity War" wins the box office for a third straight weekend.
• The movie is the second fastest ever to cross the half-billion mark at the domestic box office.

Disney/Marvel Studios' plan to bump up the release of "Avengers: Infinity War" (or was it Robert Downey Jr.'s idea?) a weekend earlier than originally planned has worked out perfectly.

The movie was always destined to make an incredibly large amount of money its opening weekend, but instead of one weekend between the latest Marvel hit and its biggest competition, Fox's "Deadpool 2," "Infinity War" had two weekends to shine. And that has led to a multi-record-breaking box office performance.

After becoming the quickest movie ever to $1 billion worldwide last weekend and having the second-largest second weekend ever in US theaters, "Infinity War" won this weekend's box office for a third-straight weekend and has crossed the half-billion figure domestically.

The movie took in an estimated $61.8 million, according to Exhibitor Relations, which puts its domestic total at $547 million ($1.06 billion worldwide). That makes it the second-fastest title ever to cross the $500 million mark domestically. It hit the milestone five days later than the fastest title ever to the figure, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

"Infinity War" basically sucked the life out of the other big release of the weekend, New Line/Warner Bros.'s "Life of the Party." The latest Melissa McCarthy comedy came in second place but only took in $18.5 million.

It was the first time a release directed by her husband, Ben Falcone ("Tammy," "The Boss"), didn't open over $20 million. It also didn't help that the movie only had a 41% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

But in a respectable third place was Universal's "Breaking In." The thriller starring Gabrielle Union was only made for around $6 million, but it took in $16.5 million.

Now, "Infinity War" will have to make way. The box office will get into the full summer movie season swing when "Deadpool 2" opens next weekend to kick off a constant string of big releases. The movie's early industry projections have it opening around $150 million.

SEE ALSO: Why Disney rarely pays movie stars huge salaries

DON'T MISS: 19 details you may have missed in 'Avengers: Infinity War'

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NOW WATCH: What Trump University was really like — according to a former professor

• Disney has been the most profitable movie studio in Hollywood for several years — and remarkably, it hasn't had to pay hefty sums to its actors.
• The studio has proved that today's moviegoer is more interested in the characters in the movies than the actors playing them.
• But Ben Fritz, the author of "The Big Picture: The Fight for the Future of Movies," explains that actors in a successful Disney movie can still make serious bank — they just might have to wait a few movies. 

On Tuesday, Variety listed the salaries of the biggest movie stars working today.

Daniel Craig led the pack with a $25 million payday for the next "James Bond" movie, followed by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's $22 million for the upcoming "Red Notice," and then Vin Diesel's $20 million for last year's "The Fate of the Furious."

Of the projects listed for the 20 actors on the Variety list, not one was made by the most profitable movie studio in Hollywood: Disney.

And there's a reason for that.

In the past decade, as Disney has led the charge in superhero franchises — like the Marvel Cinematic Universe from its Marvel Studios arm — and given the "Star Wars" saga a rebirth after buying Lucasfilm, it has shown that its intellectual property is king, not the actors. And because of that, the studio realizes the actors don't have to be paid a huge amount of money.

It's a big shift in how Hollywood has worked for decades.

The 1990s were the high-water mark for the movie star. The biggest actors on the planet — Will Smith, Julia Roberts, Jim Carrey, Tom Hanks, and Tom Cruise — were earning $20 million just to show up on set, then getting hefty back-end deals that would give them a taste of the box office earned by their projects, sometimes even before the studio.

But for the most part, in today's industry, it's more about Batman being on the screen and less about who's behind the mask.

Disney has used that for years to rake in billions while not giving a major slice to the stars on the movie posters. That's not to say Disney doesn't open the vault for some actors — they just have to work a little harder now.

The $2.5 million man

Take, for example, the actor responsible for launching the MCU: Robert Downey Jr., who was cast as Iron Man.

When Marvel Studios was getting into the movie business, it was a company known more for being bankrupt than for making hits. "Iron Man" was made for $140 million, and Marvel was not going to let any star walk away rich if it was a hit.

According to the book "The Big Picture: The Fight for the Future of Movies," by the Wall Street Journal reporter Ben Fritz, Downey agreed to a $2.5 million salary, an incredibly small figure for an Oscar-nominated actor cast as the lead of a studio movie. (Paramount released "Iron Man" and "Iron Man 2.") In fact, the biggest paycheck went to Terrence Howard as Rhodey, aka War Machine, who made $3.5 million thanks to his recent Oscar nomination for "Hustle & Flow" — though all the actors received bonuses when "Iron Man" hit box-office milestones.

But once "Iron Man" became a hit and the MCU gained traction, Downey got a bigger cut. From 2013 to 2015, Downey topped Forbes' list of the highest-paid actors of the year. By 2015, he earned $80 million thanks in part to his starring role in "Avengers: Age of Ultron." (Sony paid him $10 million for being in a handful of scenes in "Spider-Man: Homecoming" last year, according to Variety.)

But Downey is the exception.

From Emma Watson being paid $3 million up front for the live-action version of "Beauty and the Beast" — though she had a clause that she would earn $15 million if it was successful at the box office — to Chris Evans getting $1 million for "Captain America: The First Avenger" and Chris Hemsworth earning just $150,000 for 2011's "Thor" (the latter two reported in Fritz's book), Disney has made clear that its characters are the stars.

"I think many stars and their agents are realistic and know that the days of getting paid $10 million or $20 million for whatever movie they want to do are largely gone," Fritz told Business Insider. "If they want to remain relevant for global audiences, it's very helpful to be attached to these franchises. Plus, it raises their profile and helps them to get paid more for other movies, including possible sequels and spin-offs to that franchise down the road."

Getting involved in a Disney project can catapult an actor to bigger paydays elsewhere — look at Johnson after starring in Disney's "Moana," or Chris Pratt, who was in "Guardians of the Galaxy" and is now earning $10 million for "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom," according to Variety.

Along with being the box-office champ, Disney is the envy of Hollywood for another reason: Its intellectual property is so bulletproof that once stars find success starring in its films, if they can't get more out of the house Mickey Mouse built, they'll find a big check somewhere else.

SEE ALSO: Daniel Craig is getting paid $25 million for his next "Bond"movie, after once saying he's rather slit his writst than return

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NOW WATCH: How a tiny camera startup is taking on Amazon and Google

First lady Melania Trump stepped into the limelight this week to debut her anti-cyberbullying initiative, "Be Best."

Her campaign has been puzzling to some, given her husband's affinity for insulting his opponents on Twitter, and others ridiculed her for releasing an educational booklet that was virtually identical to one the Obama administration published.

But despite the criticism, the first lady is generally well-liked among the public and is far more popular than her husband, polls have found.

Though Trump is much more private than her predecessors, spending much of her time away from the spotlight, 57% of Americans say they have a favorable impression of her, according to a CNN poll released this week.

Here are incredible facts about Trump that set her apart from other first ladies.

SEE ALSO: White House slams 'opposition media' for pointing out that Melania Trump's anti-cyberbullying booklet is a recycled Obama FTC pamphlet

DON'T MISS: Trump says he was too busy to get Melania a good birthday gift, worries 'maybe I didn't get her so much'

She is only the second first lady in American history born outside of the United States, in Slovenia. The only other foreign-born first lady was Louisa Catherine Johnson, the wife of John Quincy Adams; she was born in England.

Source: Business Insider

Trump is also the only FLOTUS who grew up in a Communist country, back when Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia. Though money was tight for many people in the small town of Sevnica, people who knew Melanija Knavs back then say she was "always very fancy" and "never wore anything from the store."

Source: GQ

Trump is the only first lady to be her husband's third spouse. Donald Trump was previously married to Marla Maples until 1999, and, before that, Ivana Trump until 1992.

Source: Business Insider

• Many celebrities go from being rich and famous to being involved in lawsuits or spending sprees that trigger bankruptcy.
• One president was broke after leaving the Oval Office and had a famous author, who also went broke, write his memoirs.
• MC Hammer, Meat Loaf, and 50 Cent all went from being top musicians with great wealth to bankruptcy and debt.

The lives of the rich and famous often seem glamorous, but even the biggest celebrities have issues with money.

Despite many inspiring stories of celebrities who came from nothing and worked their way out of financial hardship, the opposite also happens. For many stars, their career arcs are riches-to-rags.

From musicians to athletes to movie stars, sometimes fame and wealth results in a disastrous spending spree. Many celebrities have ended up declaring bankruptcy. A bunch of famous people had trouble paying off loans and making child support payments. 

Take these 18 examples of rich and famous celebrities who lost all of their money. Some of them managed to bounce back, while others remain in financial trouble.

SEE ALSO: 31 celebrities who found success later in life

DON'T MISS: 'I never touched it': Serena Williams tried to deposit her first million-dollar check in the bank drive-thru

Michael Jackson

The King of Pop was supposedly $400 million in debt when he died unexpectedly in 2009. He was also close to foreclosure on his famous Neverland home. 

Large amounts of spending required Jackson to take out loans, many which he never paid back. Jackson's money problems got worse once he was involved in numerous expensive lawsuits.

Right before he died, Jackson planned on getting out of debt by going on tour. His estate has resolved the financial issues and Michael has been the top-earning dead celebrity for five straight years.

Nicholas Cage

Cage was one of Hollywood's biggest stars, earning $40 million in 2009 alone, but also one of its biggest spenders. He purchased many homes, automobiles, and rare artifacts. 

The IRS placed tax liens on multiple properties he owned and then had Cage hand over more than $6 million for failing to pay his 2007 tax bill. Cage's precarious financial situation led him to sell many of his personal belongings, including a treasured comic book, and take many film roles.

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Mayweather has never lost a match in the boxing ring, earning the nickname Money. Yet, Deadspin reported that Money Mayweather has owed the IRS money for over a decade.

The boxer's failure to pay taxes resulted in a $22.2 million debt to the IRS, even as he came out of retirement for a high grossing fight. There are rumors that Mayweather will again come out of retirement to settle his debts.

• Nintendo is re-releasing its NES Classic Edition console this June.
• The miniature console costs just $60 and comes with 30 games.
• The NES Classic Edition was originally released in late 2016 as a limited edition device. As a result, it was nearly impossible to find.

Nintendo is bringing back the NES Classic Edition console, the wildly popular, miniature version of the original Nintendo Entertainment System.

The console was intended a limited-time offering — it went on sale in late 2016, and was subsequently discontinued in April 2017. Between the low price and the heavy draw of Nintendo nostalgia, the NES Classic Edition was a major hit. It was nearly impossible to find as a result.

And now, Nintendo says it's bringing back the console this June.

"#NESClassic Edition will return to stores on June 29!" Nintendo tweeted on Sunday night. "This system and the #SNESClassic Edition system are expected to be available through the end of the year."

This is great news for anyone who missed out on a chance to buy the NES Classic Edition during its brief window of availability. The only other way to buy one at this point is to go through third-party re-sellers like eBay, where prices are often triple or more the original $60 cost of the console.

The new production run of the NES Classic Edition will mirror the original run.

"NES Classic Edition features 30 classic NES games such as the original 'Super Mario Bros.', 'The Legend of Zelda' and 'Donkey Kong'," Nintendo said in the release. In so many words, the same thirty classic NES games that shipped with the first run of the NES Classic Edition will ship on the new production run as well. 

Here's the full list of games on the NES Classic Edition:

• "Balloon Fight"
• "Bubble Bobble"
• "Castlevania"
• "Castlevania II: Simon's Quest"
• "Donkey Kong"
• "Donkey Kong Jr."
• "Double Dragon II: The Revenge"
• "Dr. Mario"
• "Excitebike"
• "Final Fantasy"
• "Galaga"
• "Ghosts 'n Goblins"
• "Gradius"
• "Ice Climber"
• "Kid Icarus"
• "Kirby's Adventure"
• "Mario Bros."
  "Mega Man 2"
• "Metroid"
• "Ninja Gaiden"
• "Pac-Man"
• "Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream"
• "StarTropics"
• "Super C"
• "Super Mario Bros."
• "Super Mario Bros. 2"
• "Super Mario Bros. 3"
• "Tecmo Bowl"
• "The Legend of Zelda"
• "Zelda II: The Adventure of Link"

The NES Classic Edition will hit stores — for the second time — on June 29, and Nintendo says it will once again be a limited run. The console is expected to remain available "through the end of the year," alongside the Super NES Classic Edition.

Check out a video of the NES Classic Edition in action right here:

SEE ALSO: Nintendo's ridiculously popular $60 console sold over 2 million units in just five months

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NOW WATCH: Jeff Bezos on breaking up and regulating Amazon

It's hard to imagine anyone but Ryan Coogler making "Black Panther" or Patty Jenkins making "Wonder Woman." But there was once a time when that was a possibility, along with many other would-be superhero movies that never came to be.

James Cameron wanted to make a "Spider-Man" movie, Joss Whedon wrote an infamous "Wonder Woman" script, and "Mad Max: Fury Road" director George Miller had assembled a cast for a "Justice League" movie a decade ago.

These and other strange superhero movies almost saw the light of day, but were eventually scrapped.

For movies like "Black Panther," that's a good thing. But for other movies like Miller's "Justice League: Mortal," it's hard not to think about what could have been, considering last year's Zack Snyder-directed "Justice League" movie was a major flop.

Below are 6 of the strangest cancelled superhero movies, and the ones that actually got made: 

SEE ALSO: Disney CEO says the future of Marvel movies includes 'a new franchise' beyond 'Avengers' — here's what that could mean

James Cameron's "Spider-Man"

The scrapped movie: If James Cameron always got what he wanted, we would have gotten one of the weirdest, most unsettling superhero movies of all time — one that included Peter Parker spying on his crush as she changed, describing the mating habits of spiders to impress said crush, and waking up one morning covered in a white, sticky substance.

This was Cameron's vision for a "Spider-Man" movie back in 1990, the same man who made "The Terminator," "Aliens," "Titanic," and "Avatar." 

By the sounds of it, Cameron's version of Spider-Man was a lot more mature (and creepy) than the films we've seen come to life. And according to the Telegraph, Leonardo DiCaprio (pre-"Titanic" Leo even!) was strongly considered for the role. 

In 2014, Cameron told Collider that he wrote an extensive, 90-page treatment for the film, which Carolco Pictures bought the rights to. However, Carolco went bankrupt in 1995 and the rights were bought by Sony. 

Cameron reportedly wanted Fox to try to snag the rights, but he dropped it once he realized it would result in a long, expensive bidding war. Cameron's vision was lost ... thanks goodness.

The actual movie: Sony went through with making its own "Spider-Man" movie in 2002 directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire as the hero and Kirsten Dunst as love interest Mary Jane Watson.

After a poorly received reboot in 2012 and a failed attempt to make a "Spider-Man cinematic universe," Sony and Marvel struck a deal to include Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sony maintains creative control and distribution rights, but Marvel is basically free to use the character in any of its movies. Meanwhile, Sony is still rolling out Spider-Man related movies of its own, including a "Venom" spin-off in October starring Tom Hardy. 

Tim Burton's "Superman Lives"

The scrapped movie: Nicolas Cage as Superman is the only thing you need to know in order to decide whether this would have been the greatest or worst superhero movie ever (it's really all a matter of perspective). 

But it almost happened in the early 1990s. Tim Burton, who had made "Batman" in 1989, would have directed the movie, called "Superman Lives," and there were many scripts floating around to work with, including one from Kevin Smith. Tim Burton directing Nicolas Cage as Superman from a script by Kevin Smith is an actual sentence that could have become a reality.

After years of development, Warner Bros. finally canceled the movie, but a 2015 documentary called "The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened?" brought the long-forgotten movie back into the spotlight.

The documentary actually makes the case that Burton's film might not have been that bad, and reveals the suit that Nic Cage would have donned (it's ... not that bad).

Cage still stands by the project, so that must count for something. Last year, he said that if he and Burton had been able to make the movie they wanted to make, it would have been "more powerful than any of the Superman movies."

The actual movie: And maybe he's right. The character wouldn't make it to the big screen again until Bryan Singer's 2006 film "Superman Returns," which was more of an homage to the Christopher Reeve Superman films than a reboot. And now Henry Cavill plays Superman in the DC Extended Universe, which hasn't exactly been met with heaps of praise. 

Wesley Snipes' "Black Panther"

The scrapped movie: We know Wesley Snipes as another Marvel character, Blade, but in the early 1990s he was circling a different Marvel property.

Earlier this year, Snipes opened up about a potential "Black Panther" movie back in 1992. 

"I had a good agent at the time who was sensitive to some of the artistic concerns that I had," Snipes said. "We thought it would be very cool and atypical for a Marvel comic-book character. Something that would be appeal to white people, black people, Asian people, and have some martial arts in it and expose the world of Africa in a way that most people were unfamiliar with and very contrary to the stereotypes that are projected about the continent."

However, the project fell apart because Snipes said there were "no templates" for it at the time and he was too busy.

The actualmovie: Now Black Panther is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Ryan Coogler's film is still fresh in our minds (as well as the character's appearance in "Avengers: Infinity War").

"Black Panther" blew away expectations at the box office, making $242 million in its opening 4-day Presidents' Day weekend in February. It eventually made over $1 billion worldwide.

Its February success has paved the way for big movies to open earlier in the year and outside of the usual summer release calendar. Probably for the best that Snipes' movie never got made. 

• John Oliver on Sunday's "Last Week Tonight" mocked AT&T for paying Michael Cohen, President Trump's personal attorney, for "insights into understanding" Trump's thinking. 
• "They put their trust in a political novice who turned out to be a total moron and was actually just bilking them for personal gain," Oliver said of AT&T and the several companies that admitted to paying Cohen.
• "You want to know how the Trump administration works? Congratulations, you just got a f---ing master class," he continued. 

John Oliver turned his attention, on the latest episode of "Last Week Tonight," to the series of controversies surrounding President Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen. 

"Donald Trump's personal lawyer and a lawyer so sh---y, he made Trump say, 'I need someone good — get me Rudy Giuliani on the phone,'" Oliver joked. 

In January, a Wall Street Journal report revealed that Cohen had facilitated a $130,000 hush payment to the porn actress Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 election campaign to prevent her from coming forward about an alleged affair with Trump.  

Last week, Cohen drew further scrutiny after a report from Stormy Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, alleged that Cohen's shell company, Essential Consultants LLC, accepted payments from corporations that included AT&T, Novartis, and Korea Aerospace Industries. 

Oliver proceeded to mock AT&T, which is currently in a legal battle with the Justice Department over its proposed merger with HBO's parent company, Time Warner, for the company's statement addressing the controversy, saying that they paid Cohen to "provide insights into understanding the new administration."

"If you want to understand this president’s thinking," Oliver said, "simply have a donkey kick you in the head five times and then watch Fox News for 72 hours straight. That would give you a pretty good idea of what’s going on his mind."

"These companies got exactly what they paid for, because they wanted to understand how the Trump administration worked, and think about it: They put their trust in a political novice who turned out to be a total moron and was actually just bilking them for personal gain," Oliver said of Cohen.

"So, you want to know how the Trump administration works? Congratulations, you just got a f---ing master class."

Watch a clip from the episode below: 

SEE ALSO: The best TV show of 2018 on each network so far — from FX to Netflix to HBO

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NOW WATCH: Jeff Bezos reveals what it's like to build an empire and become the richest man in the world — and why he's willing to spend $1 billion a year to fund the most important mission of his life

• Showtime's new miniseries, "Patrick Melrose," made its debut Sunday night.
• Critics are praising Benedict Cumberbatch for his riveting performance as Patrick Melrose, a man from an upper-class family who is an addict.
• The show spans decades of Patrick's life, from his traumatic childhood, to the peak of his addiction, and his recovery. 
• The series is stylish and is both both funny and dramatic. 

Benedict Cumberbatch is having a great year so far.

He's been praised for his work as Doctor Strange in "Avengers: Infinity War," and now he's receiving high praise for his performance on "Patrick Melrose," a miniseries that aired its first episode Sunday night on Showtime. It currently has a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Based on the acclaimed novels by Edward St. Aubyn, Cumberbatch plays the titular character, a man from an upper-class British family who had a traumatic childhood that led to substance abuse. The series documents different phases of Patrick Melrose's life spanning decades, from his early life in the South of France, partying in New York, to his recovery back home in the UK. 

The series, which will have five episodes, also stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Blythe Danner, and Hugo Weaving, who plays Patrick's father. 

NPR critic David Bianculli wrote that "parts of it are wickedly funny; other parts are searingly dramatic. But all of it is riveting, and excellent."

The darkly comedic series is getting praised by critics for its over-the-top but stylish look, its scathing take on high society, its portrayal of an addict, and Cumberbatch's performance which has been called a "masterpiece of vulgarity."

Cumberbatch's work on "Patrick Melrose" will easily get him an Emmy nomination later this year, and he already has a good chance at winning.

Ira Madison III of The Daily Beast even credited "Doctor Strange" for why Cumberbatch is so great in this "trippy" drama: 

"The drug-haze scenes are wildly over the top, like a blend of Charles Bukowski and Inherent Vice. It's reminiscent of the bright, trippy world that Cumberbatch dove into in Doctor Strange. It's what makes Patrick Melrose so wonderful."

"Patrick Melrose" airs Sunday nights on Showtime. 

Watch the trailer for "Patrick Melrose" below: 

SEE ALSO: 6 of the weirdest superhero movies that almost got made, from James Cameron's creepy Spider-Man to Joss Whedon's sexist Wonder Woman

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NOW WATCH: Why the Saudi crown prince met with Trump, Oprah, Bill Gates, and Jeff Bezos

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

41 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 upcoming premieres of "Arrested Development" and "GLOW."

This week, the streaming service announced the renewal of "Lost In Space," its modernized reboot of a 1960s CBS sci-fi series. 

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 41 Netflix original series that are coming back for another season:

SEE ALSO: All 65 of Netflix's notable original shows, ranked from worst to best

"Arrested Development" (Season 5) — Premieres May 29

Date renewed: May 17, 2017

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

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