Robin Williams' widow, Susan Schneider, just revealed that the beloved late actor was in the early stages of Parkinson's disease.

"Robin's sobriety was intact," says Schneider, adding that "he was brave as he struggled with his own battles of depression, anxiety as well as early stages of Parkinson's Disease, which he was not yet ready to share publicly."

The 63-year-old actor was found dead in his California home Monday after committing suicide. Parkinson's Disease, which affects nearly one million people in the U.S., is a chronic and progressive movement disorder with symptoms that worsen over time.

Read Schneider's full statement below (via The Wrap):

“Robin spent so much of his life helping others. Whether he was entertaining millions on stage, film or television, our troops on the frontlines, or comforting a sick child — Robin wanted us to laugh and to feel less afraid.

Since his passing, all of us who loved Robin have found some solace in the tremendous outpouring of affection and admiration for him from the millions of people whose lives he touched. His greatest legacy, besides his three children, is the joy and happiness he offered to others, particularly to those fighting personal battles.

Robin's sobriety was intact and he was brave as he struggled with his own battles of depression, anxiety as well as early stages of Parkinson's Disease, which he was not yet ready to share publicly.

It is our hope in the wake of Robin's tragic passing, that others will find the strength to seek the care and support they need to treat whatever battles they are facing so they may feel less afraid.”

The Parkinson's Disease Foundation notes that the cause of the disease "is unknown, and although there is presently no cure, there are treatment options such as medication and surgery to manage its symptoms." 

Actor Michael J. Fox has publicly battled Parkinson's disease since being diagnosed in 1992.

Williams won an Oscar in 1998 for his role in "Good Will Hunting" and was known for his comedies like "Mrs. Doubtfire" as well as dramas such as "The Dead Poet's Society."

He rose to fame on ABC's "Mork and Mindy" in the 1970s and most recently appeared on the ill-fated CBS sitcom, "The Crazy Ones."

SEE ALSO: Robin Williams' Ex-Wife And 3 Children Release Heartbreaking Statements

MORE: Ben Affleck And Matt Damon 'Owe Everything' To 'Good Will Hunting' Co-Star Robin Williams

AND: Robin Williams Still Has 4 New Movies Coming Out — Here's What They Are

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Warning: Don't go any further if you still haven't seen "Guardians of the Galaxy."

Some of our favorite scenes in"Guardians of the Galaxy" are Chris Pratt's awesome entrance to the film along with a surprise cameo from a long-teased villain entering the Marvel universe.

However, many people agree the best scene of the film comprises of a dancing baby version of Groot seen at the film's end grooving to Michael Jackson.

It's one of the cutest things we've ever seen and has quickly become one of everyone's most talked-about scenes.

If you've been dying to rewatch the scene, you don't have to head back to theaters. Yahoo! Movies has posted the footage online.

The clip is exclusively on Yahoo! right now. You can check it out here.

Here are the GIFs you'll want to see over and over again.

Also, for those of you who are obsessed with this scene, one genius individual has already made their own real-working dancing Groot. Disney, why aren't you capitalizing on this? 

SEE ALSO: Awesome photos of Lee Pace's transformation into the "Guardians of the Galaxy" villain

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On Friday, Robin Williams' wife, Susan Schneider, revealed the late actor had been suffering from the early stages of Parkinson's disease — a chronic and progressive movement disorder with symptoms that worsen over time.

While Schneider said "he was not yet ready to share publicly" the news of his disease, actor Michael J. Fox has been very public with his Parkinson's since being diagnosed in 1992.

Following Thursday's revelation about Williams' health, Fox tweeted to his nearly 1.2 million followers:

Stunned to learn Robin had PD. Pretty sure his support for our Fdn predated his diagnosis. A true friend; I wish him peace.

— Michael J. Fox (@realmikefox) August 14, 2014

Longtime pals, Fox also tweeted after news of Williams' death on Monday:

Famously kind, ferociously funny, a genius and a gentle soul. What a loss. #RobinWilliams

— Michael J. Fox (@realmikefox) August 12, 2014

Last year, Fox — who has become the de facto face of Parkinson's — even played a character who suffered from the disease on the short-lived NBC sitcom, “The Michael J. Fox Show."

Parkinson's Disease affects nearly one million people in the U.S.

The Parkinson's Disease Foundation notes that the cause of the disease "is unknown, and although there is presently no cure, there are treatment options such as medication and surgery to manage its symptoms." 

In Williams' wife's statement on Thursday, she expressed: "It is our hope in the wake of Robin's tragic passing, that others will find the strength to seek the care and support they need to treat whatever battles they are facing so they may feel less afraid."

SEE ALSO: Robin Williams Had Parkinson's Disease, His Wife Reveals

MORE: Hollywood Reacts To The Death Of Robin Williams

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Hello! Here's what people will be chatting about on Friday. 

1. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has agreed to step down from his post on Thursday, making way for potential successor Haider al-Abadi. The resignation marks the end of Maliki's eight-year rule. 

2. The World Health Organization said the number of deaths and reported cases from the Ebola outbreak "vastly underestimates" the scale of the crisis. "The outbreak is expected to continue for some time," WHO said in a statement. 

3. The situation in Ferguson, Missouri — the site of riots for last five days after the fatal shooting on an unarmed teen by an officer — appears to have turned around overnight. A photo of Police Chief Sam Dotson taking a selfie with a demonstrator is going viral on Twitter. 

4. Pope Francis held the first public mass in South Korea on Friday during the second day of his 5-day visit to the country. The first papal visit to the country in 25 years shows the growing influence of Catholicism in the region. 

5. A Russian aid convoy of nearly 300 trucks carrying food, generators, and other supplies, is stuck at the Ukraine border as the two governments argue over proper crossing procedures. The Ukraine government thinks the convoy "could be a cover for a Russian military incursion," Reuters said, though Moscow denies the claims. 

6. A separate fleet of Russian military trucks did cross the Ukraine border Thursday night, the Telegraph reports. "The convoy, which included at least 23 vehicles, appeared to be waiting until sunset near a refugee camp just outside Donetsk, before moving towards the crossing without turning off headlights or making any other attempt to conceal itself," the website said. 

7. Robin Williams' wife revealed on Thursday that the late actor was in the early stages of Parkinson's disease. Williams committed suicide in his California home at age 63. 

8. Louis Suárez can't play in an official game for Barcelona until October, a court said Thursday. The ruling upholds the Uruguayan striker's 4-month-ban from soccer after biting an opponent in the World Cup. 

9. Coca-Cola is buying a 17% stake in Monster beverage at a cost of $2.15 billion. Here's the full statement from Coke. 

10. Harvard scientists have found a way to make more than 1,000 tiny robots work together without a guiding central intelligence. "The beauty of biological systems is that they are elegantly simple and yet, in large numbers, accomplish the seemingly impossible," Harvard computer scientist Radhika Nagpal told The Wall Street Journal. 

And finally...

Whoops! A promo picture for Downtown Abbey features a major blooper: A plastic water bottle can be seen on the mantelpiece in the background of the show's characters. The drama is set in the early 1920s, before the water-filled plastic bottles we know today made their entrance. A fan first pointed it out and now it's an internet sensation. 

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Katy Perry went to a Starbucks in Chicago on Tuesday to order a tall, vanilla soy latte. The barista, 25-year-old Jason King, noticed the name "Katheryn" on a cup, looked up, and recognized his idol.

Perry was one of two people in the world he wanted to meet, and he had recently watched a documentary on the pop star, King told USA Today.

But he noticed Perry wanted to be discrete. She was wearing large glasses and a hat. So when he handed "Katheryn" her drink, he tried not to blow her cover.

"I know who you are," he said under his breath. "I just want to say that you're amazing and awesome. But I know you want to keep a low profile -- so I won't freak out."

Perry appreciated the thoughtful gesture and replied, "I can tell this drink is going to be really good, is there anything I can do for you?"

King says he was desperate for a selfie, but knew it'd be too obvious. So he asked Perry for a handshake.

Later that day, Perry tweeted at King to her 55 million followers:

"Dear Jason @Starbucks on Ohio and N State in Chicago, you make a mean soy latte."

That tweet was retweeted more than 3,000 times and favorited more than 8,000 times.

King tells USA Today that his friends and family are "over the moon" about the incident.

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When visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal's theme parks this August, there were a few things I couldn't wait to do: ride the replica Hogwarts Express train which carried Harry from King's Cross Station in London to his magical wizarding school; try Butterbeer, a magical non-alcoholic beverage beloved by all wizards; and check out the new thrill ride in Diagon Alley.

However, there was one thing I was even more excited about: getting my hands on a working magic wand from the film. 

When the first Harry Potter theme park opened in 2010 as a new attraction in Universal's Islands of Adventure, Universal began selling replica character wands from the film ranging from Harry Potter and Hermione's to the villainous Lord Voldemort's for $34.95. 

Sounds awesome, right?

However, these wands didn't do anything. It was like paying nearly $40 for a fancy, specialized stick.

Other than a full out Potter nerd (such as myself) or a collector, I'm not sure who wants to buy Potter's wand if you can't swish it in the air, say "Wingardium Leviosa," and make some magic happen.

When Universal Studios opened a new Harry Potter section to its park last month called Diagon Alley, they started selling new interactive wands priced at $47. 

These wands allow fans to run around the neighboring Harry Potter parks in Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure to "perform magic" with a flick of the wrist at areas marked by gold medallions on the ground. 

The magic of the wands lies in a sensor at its end so when a wand is moved in a certain way it triggers another sensor in areas ranging from window displays to water fountains to light up lanterns, squirt water from a frog's mouth, and so forth.

The magic may not be real; however, it will make any child — or fan of the books and films — feel like a wizard.

When I returned from Florida and told my editors that myself, my brother, and his girlfriend all invested in wands of our own (nearly a $150 purchase), they thought we were nuts.

But I can assure you, it was totally worth it.

The adventure to acquire our wands 

Though various Universal gift shops and carts through the Harry Potter World parks were selling wands, we headed straight to the main source, Ollivanders' Wand Shop, to acquire our ticket into geekery and wizardom.

That's where Harry found his wand in the books, and we wanted the same experience as our favorite wizard.

For those who waited in a relatively short line, you could watch a short demonstration where Ollivander himself selected one person from the crowd to demonstrate a wand selection ceremony. 

We weren't allowed to take photos, but here's what the experience was like:

It was essentially like stepping right into the first "Harry Potter" film.

After the show, we were finally able to purchase our wands from a giant selection.

We were pretty impressed not only with how they were packaged, but at the craftsmanship that went into each individual wand.

The Ollivanders' box detailed they were "Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC."

Here's the moment we couldn't wait for: the great unboxing.

I know the wand is supposed to choose the wizard, but since that wasn't in the cards, I chose Hermione Granger's wand. She's Harry's brainy friend played by Emma Watson in the films.

My brother, Sam, went for one of a few custom wands offered. These ones came in special cases marked with "Ollivanders" on the cover.  

Both are incredibly detailed.

Hermione's is decorated with small branches twisting and weaving through the wand with small leaves protruding throughout. 

Here's how they worked

Each interactive wand came with a map of the two Harry Potter parks highlighting the different areas where fans could locate sensors to try out their wands and perform spells.

The newer Diagon Alley section is home to 16 opportunities to cast spells while the older Hogsmeade section has been updated with nine interactive areas. 

Numbered circles show where to locate places to perform spells while diamonds highlighted where restaurants and shops could be found.

Around the maps' perimeter are instructions on the different spells needed to be used at each location.

Thankfully, little gold medallions were on the ground to identify when we were at a special location so we didn't have to look at our maps every five seconds. 

There were also kids lined up at nearly every location. If there weren't, and someone saw you successfully "perform a spell," flocks of kids were quick to come over. 

Getting the wands to work at first was a bit frustrating if you weren't patient enough to make multiple attempts.

Most of the locations asked you to perform simple two or three part movements with your wand that were usually a simple shape, letter, or number. The problem was matching your movements perfectly with a sensor hanging at these locations.  

Once you got the hang of it though, the results were incredible. 

A simple swirl of your wand and this house elf in shining armor sprang to life.

A triangular movement unleashed a green mist upon a defenseless bird in a window down a dark alley.

A popular attraction involved getting this umbrella to pour rain in Diagon Alley.

Here's my brother's girlfriend successfully activating one of her first sensors. This one made a window display come to life.

Another feature we activated was a water fountain with a small frog serving as the spout. 

Some of the best features were those found by accident. We noticed if two people activated sensors on each side of the above mentioned fountain at the same time, water shot out from the top at an innocent bystander. It was pretty funny.

There are also a few hidden off-map locations to perform magic we read up on to prep for our visit.

One we found was outside a stationary and ink store called Scribbulus in Diagon Alley. If you flicked your wand in any old fashion near a piece of parchment, invisible ink appeared on the empty scroll. The words we saw were different every time we tried it out.

Both phrases above are about the material wands are made of.

I'm sure there are other secret locations and that Universal will add even more interactive locations throughout the parks over time. 

During our 3-day visit, there was only one noticeable issue I noticed with the wands. 

Early on at the parks, there was a kid frustratingly swishing and flicking his wand at one window display to no avail. A worker at the parks soon told the distraught little boy and his family he needed an interactive wand to make a "magic spell."

The parks were still selling these pointless $35 wands when the real wands any kid wanted were the ones that made things move. It's an easy mistake to make upon purchase since the wands look nearly identical. There were no easily visible signs in the wand stores to differentiate the interactive ones from the simple replicas. I had to ask an employee in the wand store which wand was which.

One foolproof way to make sure you're getting your money's worth is to open up a box and see if there's a sensor at the end of the wand. (That's what I did to make sure I purchased the right one.)

Overall, as someone who invested over a decade reading seven Harry Potter novels numerous times and watching another eight movies, $47 dollars didn't seem like a huge drain to act out the scenes I once envisioned in my head.  

The 12-year-old me had a blast. 

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series was such a huge influence not only on my life but multitudes of people worldwide.

According to Scholastic, the series has sold more than 400 million copies worldwide while it has been translated into 68 languages. All together, the films have generated over $7.7 billion at theaters worldwide.

As fans wandered the Universal theme parks dressed in wizard robes, their faces lighting up like the very lanterns and window displays their wands conjured to life, it was difficult to feel like you were anywhere but inside a real Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

SEE ALSO: Awesome photos of Lee Pace getting transformed into the "Guardians of the Galaxy" villain

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Bionic robots on screen — ranging from the Terminator, R2-D2, and WALL-E — give us a glimpse of what may come from artificial intelligence in the future.

Since 1927's "Metropolis," these film characters have been built using a mix of costumes, practical machinery, and animatronics. Over the past few decades, technology has leapt forward, allowing filmmakers to create these same machines via computer graphics.

We've compiled a list of the best bionic characters in film over the past three decades to see how far our technology has come.

While this list excludes many that required no visual effects (like the many androids and artificial intelligences on screen over the years), it highlights the creation of some of the bots we've grown to love.

"The Terminator": T-800 (1984)

Director James Cameron could have never imagined that the robot he saw in a fever dream would one day help create a movie franchise that has generated $1.4 billion worldwide.

Yet, thanks to his vision of the T-800, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, that's exactly what happened.

The unstoppable villain from the film was created by visual effects artist Stan Winston via stop-motion photography and puppeteering.

This included crewmembers carrying around a puppet of the T-800's metal exoskeleton as it was shot from the waist up.

"Short Circuit": Johnny Five (1986)

A random strike of lightning rewires Johnny Five, originally conceived as a weapon, into the fun robot who is at the center of the comedy/sci-fi film.

Twenty-seven robots, ranging from full-size animatronic robots to small puppets of the character, were created to bring the personable robot to life. The team focused working on the facial features of the bot to give it more human-like personality and expressions.

"RoboCop": RoboCop (1987)

Thanks to Peter Weller's steely performance as the human-robot hybrid in 1987's "RoboCop," the film has grown a legacy as an action classic.

Though the movie may be best remembered for tagline "I'd buy that for a dollar," the RoboCop suits worn by Weller in the film were actually some of the most expensive objects on set, coming in at $1 million for the six suits combined.

A statue of the famed cyborg officer was recently commissioned in Detroit, the film's setting. The movie also received a reboot by Sony Pictures this year, though it wasn't as well received as the original.

Two decades ago, author Lois Lowry published her best-selling novel, "The Giver."

Today, "The Giver," the movie, finally comes to theaters — 18 years after the film rights were first optioned.

Lowry told The New York Times Magazine's Jessica Gross about her involvement with bringing the popular book to the big screen:

The film rights were optioned probably 18 years ago, so this has been a very, very long process. My entire involvement is as an interloper, an onlooker, an opinion giver. I don’t have any contractual involvement, so they could have gone ahead and made it without consulting me at all, but they’ve been gracious about involving me.

But the 77-year-old author did have one crucial note for filmmakers:

I remember seeing the costume designs for the female lead, Fiona (Odeya Rush) — in the book she’s 12, and in the movie she’s 16. I advised them that some of the costumes were too sexy. And so the hem was dropped a little bit. I asked them: 'Please don’t turn this into a teenage romance.'

Main character Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) is also aged in the film. In the book, Jonas is just 12 years old, but the character is age 16 in the movie — an alteration that co-star Jeff Bridges wasn't initially comfortable with.

"When I heard that they were going to cast older people, I had to really decide, ‘Bon voyage’ and go our separate ways, or engage,” Bridges has said. “And I decided to do that (stay), even though I knew it wasn’t going to match my particular vision. I’m so glad that I did get on board."

In the end, only three kisses are exchanged throughout the entire film and there is much less violence than in other young adult adaptations like "The Hunger Games" or "Divergent."

Instead, "The Giver" tells the story of Jonas, who is chosen to learn from an elderly man (Jeff Bridges) about the true pain and pleasure of the "real" world outside of his seemingly utopian society.

Katie Holmes and Alexander Skarsgard play Jonas' mother and father.

The film also stars Meryl Streep as "Chief Elder." Lowry was so impressed with the actress' performance that she said: "[Meryl] turns it into a complex character. I think they did a terrific job adding that level in. I wish I could go back and rewrite the book and expand that role."

"The Giver" hit theaters on Friday.

SEE ALSO: New Trailer For Best-Selling Novel 'The Giver' Shows An Eerie World Without Color

MORE: Why The 'Expendables 3' Leak Won't Hurt Lionsgate At The Box Office

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Mara Wilson, who played Robin Williams' youngest daughter in 1993's "Mrs. Doubtfire," was deeply saddened after hearing about her former co-star's unexpected death on Monday.

After news broke of the actor's passing, Wilson — now a 27-year-old writer and prolific tweeter — posted her reaction to her 129,000 followers: "Very sad, very upset, very glad I did not have to hear about this though Twitter. Probably going to be taking some time off it for a while."

Three days later, Wilson expressed her thoughts a bit further on Thursday in a new blog post. 

Wilson, who also starred in "Matilda" and "A Simple Wish," said losing Williams made her feel "shocked, confused angry, regretful, and above all, sad."

She goes on to say, "He was as warm and talented as everyone says, and a joy to be around. It's as if my favorite teacher died."

Read Mara's full blog post below:

SEE ALSO: Ben Affleck And Matt Damon 'Owe Everything' To 'Good Will Hunting' Co-Star Robin Williams

MORE: Robin Williams' Ex-Wife And 3 Children Release Heartbreaking Statements

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Check out the Business Insider Jobs section >>

As part of our new partnership with CareerBuilder.com, each week we'll feature one of the awesome jobs advertised on the Business Insider jobs board.

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Los Angeles' Sunset Strip is an odd place. Not many other places on Earth let you see wildly wealthy people and homeless people on the same street, along with unkempt free-spirited folks, well-groomed hip young people, street performers, and a million tourists taking pictures of it all.

Turns out, in the late 70s and early 80s it was pretty much the same.

In 1979, at the age of 17, photographer Matt Sweeney packed up his things and moved to Los Angeles to make it as a filmmaker. It didn't quite happen right away (or at all, as it would turn out), so Matt spent a lot of time on the streets of LA, photographing the people and things he saw. 

He fell in love with photography, and the rest is history.

Recently, Sweeney began posting these old Kodachrome photos on his website. Spanning from 1979 to 1983, the photos give a great sense of how the Strip was at this point in time. Here are our favorites. 

Sweeney says he spent much of his time in LA walking, driving his moped, or riding the bus.He met a lot of unusual, intriguing characters on the Strip. Sweeney says this women obliged his request to pose for a picture, saying, "Of course, dear. We're all vain."Some people, of course, didn't like to get their pictures taken.For a street photographer, the Strip is full moments and bits of visual interest.Weird stuff was everywhere, like this nature diorama seen in the back of car on the Boulevard.Back then, the Hollywood Strip was a cool place to go for young people. Here, we see a Samurai and a cigarette girl, dressed up for Halloween, in front of a Pussy Cat Theater, a chain of pornography cinemas that is no longer in existence.Here, Sweeney's young friends climb around a parking structure and show off for a passing bus full of tourists.Of course, there were older people on the Sunset Strip, too.The Frolic Room, which opened its doors in 1934, is still in business today. It was originally connected to the Panteges Theater, located next door.People came from all around to shop at the Strip. Here, a big shoe store on Hollywood Boulevard is having a sale. The Broadway Hollywood was once a fine department store. Today, it's upscale residential lofts. The Plaza Hotel is still open, though.The famous Capitol Records building was finished in 1956 and still stands today. It's only a coincidence that it resembles a stack of records.Hairstyles were a little different back then.A women stands on a corner. Over his time photographing the Strip, Sweeney grew an affinity for photographing women in bright red.You can still see any number of interesting odd people, like this cowboy statue street performer, outside of Mann's Chinese Theater, seen here.A family poses for a picture in front of the theater, by one of the almost 200 hand prints, footprints, and signatures created by celebrities.Frederick's of Hollywood, which sells women's lingerie, still exists today as well. We're not sure this lady wants anything to do with it, though.This photo booth was just down the street from Frederick's. Remember photo booths?A scene at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street. Check out how it looks today.

SEE ALSO: What It Was Like To Vacation In Hawaii In 1973

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If "The Giver" had opened in the 1990s as originally intended, before the young adult dystopia boom, it could have been huge. Analysts estimate the film could open anywhere between $12 and $17 million this weekend, which is chump change compared to other movies in the genre. 

Unfortunately for The Weinstein Company, the film's distributor, we live in a post-"Hunger Games" world where the market is incredibly overstuffed with dystopian young adult projects. While somesucceed, othersflounder, and even though 'The Giver' may have been the novel that inspired the entire genre, its formula has been sucked dry by all the competition and the film is no longer as culturally relevant as a result.

The blockbuster "The Hunger Games" series likely would not have existed without Lois Lowry's "The Giver," and according to the film's producer, "The Giver" film itself would never have made it to the screen if it weren't for the success of "The Hunger Games."

This seemingly mutual relationship is actually more one-sided than it appears — since "The Hunger Games" was released first, it not only stole "The Giver's" proverbial thunder, but also its shot at financial success. 

Rebecca Ford at The Hollywood Reporter reported on the film's tumultous path from page to screen and points out a number of fascinating details, like the fact that adapting the novel has been a passion project of Jeff Bridge's for nearly two decades.

Bridges originally wished to direct his father in a "Giver" adaptation, but the project slipped through the cracks time and time again, and he eventually lost the rights. In 2009, 

Bridges got the rights back (after more failed attempts to set up the film at different production companies) and, after the success of "The Hunger Games," Harvey Weinstein expressed interest in adapting the seemingly unadaptable novel. This time Jeff Bridges would play the role originally intended for his father.

Since the film was made on an estimated $25-$30 million budget, it shouldn't have any problem breaking even at the domestic box office. In that sense, "The Giver" is signifcantly smaller scale than most dystopian science-fiction, yet it's certainly trying to be just as ambitious. While it will certainly recoup its budget and most likely turn a (relatively small) profit,  the film will get nowhere near the exposure that it should for being an adaptation of the be-all, end-all dystopian YA novel that essentially started the trend. 

In Hollywood, timing can be everything. While bloggers argue over whether the tension in Ferguson this week will affect the box office results for "Let's Be Cops" (early estimates show that the answer to this quandry is "no"), in the case of "The Giver," it's just simply too late in the game for the film to thrive. The next installment of "The Hunger Games" trilogy-plus-one is on the horizon, as is the sequel to this year's slightly disappointing but still profitable "Divergent."

No matter how great the film may be (reviews are fairly mixed), there is simply no room for "The Giver" in this crowded and over-saturated demo to make a real impact.  

SEE ALSO: The One Thing 'The Giver' Author Lois Lowry Urged Filmmakers To Edit

MORE: Author Lois Lowry: Harvey Weinstein Changed The Ending To 'The Giver' Movie

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Warning: Spoilers ahead. 

When the long-awaited adaptation of "The Giver" comes to theaters this weekend, it will have a different ending than fans will remember in the 1993 bestseller.

Author Lois Lowry recently told New York Magazine that the head behind film distributor The Weinstein Company wasn't on board with the book's original ending for the movie. 

"I had a little trouble with the ending: In the book, it's ambiguous, but the movie people — and when I say 'movie people,' I mean primarily Harvey Weinstein, the head-honcho guy with the power and the money — felt that the ending should not be so ambiguous," said Lowry.

"You know, I'm a writer, I like to retain subtlety and nuance," she added.

The book, for which author Lowry won a Newbery Award, follows a 12-year-old boy Jonas who lives in a dystopian world disguised as a perfect utopia (Think Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World"). At the books end, Jonas runs off with a newborn baby who is about to be killed to find a better life in a far off place supposedly called "elsewhere."

Though Lowry wrote sequels to the book, the reader never learns in "The Giver" if he successfully makes it to his destination alive. Instead, the book ends with Jonas riding a sled down a hill to a town where he describes hearing what he believes must be music for the first time.  

We haven't seen the movie yet, but according to The Daily Beast, the ending is more clean cut.

It leaves out any of the guess work with Jonas "sledding to safety at a cute-looking cottage in the real world outside of the community, which they had to trek days of precarious terrain to get to."

"The Giver" is in theaters today and is expected to make around $12 million opening weekend.

SEE ALSO: The One Thing 'The Giver' Author Lois Lowry Urged Filmmakers To Edit

MORE: Why "The Giver" is one of the most banned books in America

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Tinder has been used the world over to hook people up. It's even produced marriages.

But this may be the first record deal to come as a result of the swipe-right matchmaking app.

Ryn Weaver, a 21-year-old rising pop starlet based in Los Angeles, talked with The FADER's Aimee Cliff on Friday, the day her debut EP "Promises" was released.

Weaver told Cliff the story of how she met producer Benny Blanco — who has worked with artists like Katy Perry, Maroon 5, and Wiz Khalifa — and after losing touch with him, met him again through Tinder. She said:

It was four years ago, I moved to New York City and it was actually on Halloween that I met Benny through my ex-boyfriend. We went out that night, and we ended up talking about music and all sorts of stuff. Then, [months later] randomly—are we ready for the real real?—my friend had a Tinder account, and we were out in LA, and she was like, “Who is this guy? We have mutual friends!” And I was like, “Oh my god, swipe yes! I know him!” And so we ended up asking [Benny] what he was doing here in LA. He was like, “I come here half the year to make music.” And then we all were going back and forth…and he was like, “Come to my birthday party tomorrow.” So we go to this party, it was so silly. My friend was going for him, and I was like, “Um, let me talk to you for a second, I’ve been really trying with the music thing.” And he was like, “Well, good luck.” [laughs] So then I sent him my Soundcloud, along with a couple of his friends, and he ended up calling me like two days later like, “We really want to work with you.” Tinder got me a record deal.

Read the whole interview with Weaver.

SEE ALSO: The CEO Of eHarmony Thinks Dating Apps Like Tinder Are Superficial And Will Never Work

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When Bungie released the beta version of its next-generation sci-fi adventure “Destiny” in July, players only got to explore a few limited areas of the Earth and the moon.

But in the latest trailer to debut, Bungie shows off what “Destiny” missions will look like on Mars in all its rust-colored glory.

Here’s what the description for the trailer says:

What little we know of Mars may as well be a myth. We built a massive metropolis in the red dust. No one knows what remains of our lost age, now buried beneath the dunes.

Though Mars is the only planet revealed in this trailer, Bungie says all planets and moons featured in "Destiny" can be found in our own solar system. Gamers will be able to visit them all starting September 9.

Check out the full trailer below.

"Destiny" will release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, and Xbox 360 on September 9.

SEE ALSO: I Played The Most Anticipated Game Of The Year For Five Straight Hours And It Blew Me Away

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Robin Williams passed away Monday at the age of 63, leaving behind a long legacy of comedy and film. 

While we remember his performances in Oscar-winning film "Good Will Hunting" and Oscar-nominated "Dead Poet's Society," audiences will have a few more chances to see Williams on screen. 

The actor had a total of four movies in post production. The majority of them will be released later this year.

1. "Merry Friggin' Christmas"
Release date: November 7

The holiday picture stars Robin Williams and Joel McHale as an estranged father and son. When McHale's character Boyd Mitchler forgets his son's Christmas presents at home, the duo road trip together to retrieve them.

2. "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb"

Release date: December 19
Williams will reprise his role as the 26th President of the United States, Teddy Roosevelt, alongside Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson as the group try and figure out what's wrong with the magical tablet that brings all of the museum characters to life at night.

3. "Absolutely Anything"
Release Date: 2015

The sci-fi comedy follows Simon Pegg and Kate Beckinsale after a teacher is bestowed with magical powers by a group of aliens. Williams voices an animated dog named Dennis. 

Earlier this year, director Terry Jones ("Monty Python and the Holy Grail") told Empire Magazine he believes Dennis is "going to steal the show."

4. "Boulevard"

Nolan Mack (Williams) runs into a young man (Roberto Aguire) on his drive home from work one day which results in a life-altering epiphany. The film first premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year but has yet to receive a wide release.

Williams was also set to star in an unspecified sequel to 1993 comedy "Mrs. Doubtfire." Variety reports the movie will most likely be shelved; however, no final decision has yet been made on the film.

SEE ALSO: 10 of Robin Williams' best moments on screen

MORE: The 'Mrs. Doubtfire' Sequel Is Most Likely Cancelled

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Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are the latest celebrities to pay tribute to the late Robin Williams.

Except that Affleck and Damon have a special connection to Williams, who starred in the then-unknown young actor-writers' first, Oscar-winning film, "Good Will Hunting," for which Williams won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1998. "Good Will Hunting" went on to rake in nearly $226 million worldwide, and was a huge critical success.

Affleck posted a great statement on Williams' passing to his Facebook page:

"Heartbroken. Thanks chief - for your friendship and for what you gave the world. Robin had a ton of love in him. He personally did so much for so many people. He made Matt and my dreams come true. 

What do you owe a guy who does that? Everything. 

May you find peace my friend. #RobinWilliams"

Damon released the following statement of his own:

“Robin brought so much joy into my life and I will carry that joy with me forever. He was such a beautiful man. I was lucky to know him and I will never, ever forget him.

I truly hope the people in the media can find it within themselves to give his family some privacy during this horrible time.” 

In one scene between Damon and Williams in "Good Will Hunting," Williams' improv is so fantastic that you can even catch the camera shaking after catching the cameraman so off-guard with laughter.

According to Matt Damon's commentary on the DVD, Williams improvised the line about his character's wife farting in bed. Watch the great scene below:

When accepting his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for "Good Will Hunting" in 1998, Williams said to the young stars: "Thank you, Ben and Matt. I still wanna see some ID!" 

He ended the speech with, "Most of all, I want to thank my father, up there (pointing to the sky). The man who, when I said I wanted to be an actor, he said, 'Wonderful! Just have a backup profession, like welding.' Thank you."

(Williams' acceptance speech begins at 1:00)

SEE ALSO: Robin Williams' Ex-Wife And 3 Children Release Heartbreaking Statements

MORE: Hollywood Reacts To The Death Of Robin Williams

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Washington, D.C. may be obsessed with the political drama "House of Cards" on Netflix, but Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is not one of them.

"I watched the first couple of episodes until he cheated on his wife with that reporter. It turned my stomach so much that I just couldn’t watch it anymore," Ryan told Parade Magazine in an interview published Friday.

Ryan was of course referring to the character of Frank Underwood, an ambitious Washington insider played by actor Kevin Spacey. In the series, now in its second season, Underwood gets romantically-involved with reporter Zoe Barnes, among many other diversions from ethical behavior.

"His behavior was so reprehensible, and it hit too close to home because he was a House member, that it just bothered me too much. And what I thought is, it makes us all look like we’re like that," Ryan said in the interview.

While Ryan may be bothered by the show, a large number of Americans have continued watching. Soon after the second season of the show came out, a huge amount of people binge-watched the 13 new episodes over President's Weekend in February.

A number of congressman even starred in a parody video that month, where they delivered lines straight from Underwood's mouth.

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Since Robin Williams' death Monday, many are recalling his most memorable roles in Oscar-nominated films "Good Will Hunting" and "Dead Poets Society," along with Disney's "Aladdin." 

While plenty of Robin's most well-known comedy bits, movie scenes, and inspirational speeches have been making the rounds, there are many wonderful performances of his that seem to have fallen by the wayside.

Williams was an incredibly versatile actor whose on-screen presence always elevated the material no matter how small or large the role.

Here are five examples of Robin's lesser-known films in which his performance stood out.

5. "Deconstructing Harry" (1997)

Robin may have only been on-screen for a couple of minutes, but his cameo in Woody Allen's "Deconstructing Harry" as a man who is permanently "out-of-focus" is so delightfully silly that it may be the most memorable scene in the entire film.

4. "One Hour Photo" (2002)

Mark Romanek's unsettling debut feature stars Robin Williams in what has to be the darkest, creepiest, and least comedic role of his career. Robin plays a pharmacy photo lab clerk who becomes obsessed with a family whose photos he's been developing for years, and his performance totally anchors what is essentially a one-man-show. "One Hour Photo" is a bleak character study of a very disturbed individual, and while that fact may now hit too close to home, it doesn't take away from his extraordinary performance.

3. "Ferngully: The Last Rainforest" (1992)

Everyone seems to remember William as the genie in Disney's "Aladdin," but Robin also voiced a role in the cult favorite animated film "Ferngully: The Last Rainforest." Much like "Aladdin," Williams acts as the film's comic relief, this time playing a witty, rapping fruitbat named Batty. The environmentally concious, kid-friendly film has since become a cult classic and many claim it inspired James Cameron's "Avatar," though Cameron himself would disagree.

2. "Death to Smoochy" (2002)

This 2002 box-office bomb gets a bad wrap — it's actually a gleefully twisted satire that just may have been a little too over-the-top for its own good. The film (directed by Danny DeVito) cost a reported $50 million to produce and barely managed to gross $8 million during its entire theatrical run. Williams plays a publicly disgraced children's TV show host named Rainbow Randolph who gets replaced by a Barney-esque character named Smoochy (played by Edward Norton). As the title indicates, Rainbow Randolph doesn't take this career change lightly. The film may be crass and mean-spirited, but there's so many talented and funny people involved that it manages to remain engaging and fun. 

1. "World's Greatest Dad" (2009)

Robin Williams' performance in Bobcat Goldthwait's "World's Greatest Dad" is easily one of the best performances of his career. The underseen film suffered from a very limited release (during its widest theatrical release it was playing on just 30 screens) but has since found a second-life thanks to home video and streaming services.  

This film in particular will be quite difficult to revisit now, as suicide is a major theme, but the overall message will only be more relevant and profound. Williams plays the father of a child who can only be described as "the absolute worst." After the boy accidentally kills himself, his father stages the scene as if it were a suicide and pens a fake suicide note that winds up making him universally loved posthumously. I won't spoil anything, but the rest of the film depicts how Williams handles his son's newfound status and deals with the fallout.

Goldthwait strikes the perfect balance between "dark" and "heartfelt" here, and Williams performance is absolutely outstanding. While a dark comedy may not seem like the best recommendation, the film has its heart in the right place and will only be more affecting and powerful given the recent news of Williams' passing. 

SEE ALSO: Norm Macdonald Tweets Amazing Robin Williams Story

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The majority of the "Guardians of the Galaxy" cast had to undergo extensive makeup transformations for Marvel's latest blockbuster.

One of the most unrecognizable actors in the film may be Lee Pace who goes completely blue to play villainous tyrant Ronan the Accuser.

Pace is no stranger to the makeup chair. He has played Thrandull, the Elevenking of Mirkwood, in the "Hobbit" trilogy. The 35-year-old actor also appeared in AMC's new series "Halt and Catch Fire." 

Disney and Marvel shared a lot of behind-the-scenes photos of Pace's transformation with Business Insider courtesy of makeup designer Lizzie Georgiou.

In addition to designing the look for Ronan, Georgiou also oversaw makeup for Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Yondu (Michael Rooker), and The Collector (Benicio del Toro) along with all of the different alien races seen in the film.

See how Pace became Ronan below.

First, Pace had his face, lips, and head painted a soft periwinkle.

Darker veins were added throughout his face.

The Ronan we know is more blue, but he's still missing something.

A few added black accents add to Pace's piercing stare.

The headdress and purple contacts complete the look.

Here's a before and after of the actor: 

SEE ALSO: Awesome photos of Dave Bautista's 5-hour "Guardians of the Galaxy" makeup process

AND: It took 3 hours to do Zoe Saldana's makeup every day for "Guardians of the Galaxy"

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