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11 true-crime documentaries to watch that are as jarring as ‘Making a Murderer’

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"Making a Murderer" has had a profound effect on everyone who has watched it.

Whether or not you believe Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey are guilty of the murder of Teresa Halbach, the Netflix docuseries raised uncomfortable and worthwhile questions about how the US justice system works and its failings.

And while “Making a Murderer” is widely acclaimed, it’s not the first nor the last documentary to shake viewers to their core over real-life, true-crime stories.

If you’re looking for something to watch after “Making a Murderer,” these are the 11 well-reviewed documentaries to sink your teeth into.

“The Thin Blue Line”

Perhaps one of the most famous documentaries about wrongful conviction and a botched trial is Errol Morris’s 1988 documentary “The Thin Blue Line.”

The film tells the story of Randall Adams, who spent 12 years in prison for killing a police officer. Morris’s documentary ended up suggesting five witnesses committed perjury and that the case suppressed key evidence in the trial.

Rent “The Thin Blue Line” on Amazon or watch it on YouTube



“The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst”

“The Jinx” miniseries made waves in 2015 for its explosive look into the life of eccentric and potentially dangerous real estate heir Robert Durst.

The six-part documentary features recreations of Durst’s alleged crimes and has an ending so shocking it will leave you speechless.

Watch “The Jinx” on HBO



“The Staircase”

In 2001, American novelist Michael Peterson’s wife Kathleen was found dead at the bottom of the couple’s staircase. Peterson suggested she had fallen to her death while the cops had a much more sinister theory.

“The Staircase” covers the trial of Peterson for his wife’s murder and has more twists than a Steven King novel. Though it’s been criticized by viewers for not presenting all the facts of the case accurately, the eight-part documentary is still worth a watch.

Rent “The Staircase” on Amazon or watch parts 1 and 2 on Vimeo



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The 17 worst movies of 2015 according to Rotten Tomatoes

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The year 2015 brought us some real gems like "Mad Max: Fury Road" and "Ex Machina," but there were also a lot of clunkers.

We consulted film aggregator Rotten Tomatoes to sort out the worst-reviewed movies of 2015. What did we learn? Remakes aren't always the way to go.

Keep reading to see the worst films of the year.

[TIE] 16. "Pan": 26%

Now that Disney is finding success in turning all of its animated movies into live-action films, Warner Bros. wanted to cash in on the trend, too. The only problem? They probably should have reconsidered doing a prequel to "Peter Pan." 

"Joe Wright's Pan is lacking in the fun, excitement, and magic that made earlier adaptations of Peter Pan so endearing and memorable, leaving behind a troubled prequel that even kids will more than likely find to be a tremendous bore," said the Examiner's Jeff Beck.

It also didn't help that its star, Hugh Jackman, was mostly unrecognizable as Blackbeard. Nope, he's not even Captain Hook.



[TIE] 16. "Jupiter Ascending": 26%

Channing Tatum in eyeliner and with wolf ears does not a good movie make. Fans should have been alarmed when the Wachowski siblings' next sci-fi movie was abruptly pushed back 10 months. What was supposed to be Warner Bros.' big summer tentpole in 2014 turned out to be a wacky romance between a reincarnated royal and a half-human, half-wolf creature (Tatum) who team up to stop youth-hungry aliens from harvesting humans for their cells. 

It also gave us this strange performance from now Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne.

 



15. "Transporter: Refueled": 17%

The first few "Transporter" films with Jason Statham were enjoyable, but when you make a fourth film and replace him with an unrecognizable newcomer (Ed Skrein), it's a lot of rehashing what the first trilogy did without making it feel fresh. 

"Cheap silliness abounds, including car chases that are more about loud crashes and CGI than the thrill of speed," writes the Los Angeles Times' Robert Abele.



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Here's why Michael Moore doesn't think documentaries should be streamed on Netflix first

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As streaming giants like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu are building more original content, documentaries have become a major attraction for these companies to acquire or develop on their own.

Netflix has been leading the charge in original nonfiction works with the recent success of their "The Jinx"-like true-crime series "Making a Murderer," and receiving Oscar nominations for documentaries they've acquired like "The Square" (2013), and "Virunga" (2014).

Legendary documentary filmmaker Errol Morris is also working on a true-crime project for Netflix.

But when it comes to the direct-to-stream route Michael Moore is one filmmaker you won't see doing a deal with Netflix and the rest.

"It is crucial that documentaries that are made for a theatrical audience have theatrical distribution," Moore told Business Insider in a recent interview. "I think for the audience it's much better to see some of these films with 200 other people in a dark theater than home alone."

Moore's new movie, "Where To Invade Next," follows the Oscar-winning filmmaker as he travels to countries around the world to highlight things he believes other countries are doing better than the United States. The documentary was a hot item to purchase when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall. There were even rumors among industry attendees at the festival that Netflix was interested in buying the worldwide rights to the film.

Michael Moore Jason Merritt GettyBut Moore decided to go with a yet-to-be-named upstart company made by former Radius Founders, the streaming arm of The Weinstein Company, and the founder of the Alamo Drafthouse. The film has already played theatrically in New York and Los Angeles, and will play at more theaters in February.

"I have to be honest, when I'm watching a movie on television or my computer, I don't really in my head think that I'm watching a movie," said Moore.

This isn't to say that "Where To Invade Next" won't be available on streaming services in the future. But for the initial run, Moore was adamant his film be shown in traditional theaters. 

"I and the others that make these movies for theaters, we make them for a 50-foot screen," said Moore. "We make them to be experienced with others, because you're going to have a different emotional response. The laughter, the crying, the anger, whatever it is. And I think there's something very valuable about that."

SEE ALSO: We asked Michael Moore about the gun-violence epidemic, his new movie, and why Donald Trump will get the Republican nomination

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HBO's 'Game of Thrones' will show storylines ahead of the books because George RR Martin missed a crucial deadline

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The sixth season of HBO's "Game of Thrones" TV show will show storylines and characters that haven't even happened in books yet — that's because author George RR Martin failed to meet the deadline for the series next installment.

Martin confirmed on his personal blogging website that he failed to meet the December 31 deadline for his sixth book, "The Winds of Winter," and therefore when the new season of Game of Thrones goes live in early 2016, the TV show will surpass what has happened in the books.

Here are some excerpts from his blog explaining what happened:

THE WINDS OF WINTER is not finished.

Believe me, it gave me no pleasure to type those words. You're disappointed, and you're not alone. My editors and publishers are disappointed, HBO is disappointed, my agents and foreign publishers and translators are disappointed... but no one could possibly be more disappointed than me. For months now I have wanted nothing so much as to be able to say, "I have completed and delivered THE WINDS OF WINTER" on or before the last day of 2015.

But the book's not done.

Nor is it likely to be finished tomorrow, or next week. Yes, there's a lot written. Hundreds of pages. Dozens of chapters. (Those 'no pages done' reports were insane, the usual garbage internet journalism that I have learned to despise). But there's also a lot still left to write. I am months away still... and that's if the writing goes well. (Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn't.) Chapters still to write, of course... but also rewriting. I always do a lot of rewriting, sometimes just polishing, sometimes pretty major restructures.

Martin works closely with HBO's TV producers to make sure the TV series mirrors the contents of the books. However, it looks like that the audience will now learn more about what happens in the books before they are published.

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NOW WATCH: Jennifer Lawrence does something other actors won't, and it's why she keeps improving

The incredible career J.J. Abrams: How the 49-year-old 'Star Wars' director became this generation's Steven Spielberg

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J.J. Abrams has established himself as the king of the nerds and creator of blockbuster hits. 

The 49-year-old director, writer, and producer has been at the helm of two reboots of iconic franchises set in space — "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" — and jumped into the action world by joining the "Mission: Impossible" franchise.

He's taken on the sci-fi world with his own film, "Super 8," which he produced with his idol Steven Spielberg. The film provides an obvious glimpse at the inspiration Spielberg's earlier films provided.

And even before the two had a chance to officially collaborate, Abrams, as a teen, helped refurbish old films for Spielberg. 

Before he was a blockbuster director, Abrams was at the head of hit TV shows, creating or cocreating "Felicity," "Alias," and "Lost," which became a cultural hit. 

With "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" breaking box-office records and Abrams primed to produce more hits, here's a look at his established career: 

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Every character in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' from best to worst

Jeffrey Jacob Abrams was born June 27, 1966 on Long Island but grew up in Los Angeles with his parents, producers Gerald W. and Carol Ann Abrams. His sister, Tracy, is a screenwriter.

Source: The New York Times Magazine



Abrams adored films by directors such as Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, and when he was 13, his grandfather gave him a Super 8mm camera, prompting Abrams to begin filming home movies.

Source: The New York Times Magazine



He met Matt Reeves at a young filmmakers festival in Los Angeles and soon began collaborating with him. The two were asked by Kathleen Kennedy, then working for Spielberg, to repair and refurbish some Super 8mm films he had made as a teen.

Source: Vanity Fair 



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The next 'Game of Thrones' book has been delayed and HBO isn't happy

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It's going to be even longer before the next "Game of Thrones" book arrives.

In a post on his personal blog, "Game of Thrones" author George R.R. Martin had some disappointing news for fans: He wasn't able to finish the next book in the series, "Winds of Winter," by the end of 2015.

In fact, Martin warned it could be several more months before he's able to deliver the novel.

Here's what Martin said:

THE WINDS OF WINTER is not finished.

Believe me, it gave me no pleasure to type those words. You're disappointed, and you're not alone. My editors and publishers are disappointed, HBO is disappointed, my agents and foreign publishers and translators are disappointed... but no one could possibly be more disappointed than me. For months now I have wanted nothing so much as to be able to say, "I have completed and delivered THE WINDS OF WINTER" on or before the last day of 2015.

The hope was that Martin would be able to finish "Winds of Winter" in time for the premiere of season six of the HBO show, which has mostly caught up to the books. Season six premieres on April 6.

Martin said he simply ran out of time to finish the book. His original deadline was October 31, 2015. But when it became clear he couldn't meet it, his editors and publisher extended the deadline another two months, which would still give them time to get the book out in time.

But Martin still missed his deadline, and left things very vague as to when he thinks he'll be able to finish the book.

Luckily, Martin assured everyone that HBO and the publisher of his book had a plan in place just in case this happened. The show's producers and writers have the entire story sketched out. But it's still not an ideal situation for fans of the books who are concerned that the show is going to continue the story before the books can.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why Bran Stark will play a huge role next season on ‘Game of Thrones'

Here's why Hayden Christensen says he walked away from fame after the 'Star Wars' prequels

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Hayden Christensen Leonard Adam Getty final

Hayden Christensen became an overnight star when George Lucas cast him as the older Anakin Skywalker in the last two "Star Wars" prequels, "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith." And if it seems as if you haven't heard from him since, then, well, there's a reason for that.

After becoming globally recognized at age 19, and the target of many criticisms directed at the prequels, Christensen walked away from the spotlight. He has spent most of the years since on his farm in Canada.

"I guess I felt like I had this great thing in 'Star Wars' that provided all these opportunities and gave me a career, but it all kind of felt a little too handed to me," the actor told the Los Angeles Times. "I didn't want to go through life feeling like I was just riding a wave."

It's an interesting remark from an actor who, beyond the "Star Wars" films, was building a respectable if limited filmography with movies like "Life as a House" and "Shattered Glass." Even the Doug Liman action/thriller "Jumper," starring Christensen in the lead, has its moments.

Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones hayden christensen

Now 34, Christensen was recently the lead in the faith-based movie "90 Minutes in Heaven," and he has starred in straight-to-video titles over the past few years. But from what he tells the Los Angeles Times, it sounds as if he's not against making a comeback — on his own terms.

"You can't take years off and not have it affect your career," he said. "But I don't know — in a weird, sort of destructive way, there was something appealing about that to me. There was something in the back of my head that was like, 'If this time away is gonna be damaging to my career, then so be it. If I can come back afterward and claw my way back in, then maybe I'll feel like I earned it.'"

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Every character in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" from best to worst

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How to make millions as a YouTube star

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While YouTube stars often share the intimate details of their lives to millions of fans, there's one thing they usually leave out: money.

We hear conflicting mumblings. We hear that YouTube star PewDiePie has reportedly made $12 million, and that he’s not the only one to score a big payday.

But we also hear that stars with half a million subscribers can sometimes struggle to make ends meet. There’s a disconnect that comes from both the complicated nature of how these stars actually make money, and the lack of standardization in the industry.

We talked to Scott Fisher and Adam Wescott, who manage YouTube stars like MyLifeAsEva (5 million subscribers) and LaurDIY (2.6 million subscribers), to get a sense of how the industry is evolving, and where the money is coming from.

The money

While revenue from Google’s ads provide a baseline income YouTube stars can count on, Fisher and Wescott say that the key to success right now is being ready for any opportunity: brands, shows, books, appearances — the list goes on.

There is no set place all the money comes from.  

One area that's exploded in recent months is selling content to premium streaming video services, like Verizon’s Go90 or YouTube Red. To take advantage of this, Wescott says he's worked with each of his clients to develop a handful of original short-form ideas, two or three half-hour ones, and at least one feature-length concept. “We’re ready all the time,” he says. He never knows when the right call will come.

This might seem like overkill, but Wescott explains that it’s increasingly valuable for YouTubers to jump on a blockbuster opportunity. Brands, in particular, are starting to look for longer-term deals with stars — the type of opportunities that don't come around twice.

gigi gorgeous“They want to work with one person per year,” Fisher says, to sign someone to be a spokesperson a brand. Brands, in general, are less focused than they once were on one-time promotional videos on YouTube. In May 2015, one of his clients, Gigi Gorgeous (2.1 million subscribers), became the face of a Crest toothpaste line in Canada (she's Canadian).

This has driven a change in the way Fisher thinks about management.

“It’s not just signing people willy nilly,” he says, and hoping that one will work out. “It’s about helping to create that big star that you can do so much with, that generates the revenue 50 clients would.” Brands have begun to come back, not just to their management company, but to specific stars. And if you become one of those stars, it can be incredibly lucrative.

“[For brands] it used to be, round up a bunch of influencers and see what happens,” Fisher says. Not anymore.

The logical extension of this is a divide between the haves and have-nots, even among YouTubers with high subscriber counts.

Who is a superstar?

When Fisher and Wescott assess whether a YouTuber has a potential to be a star in the wider world, they look at both traditional “star quality” and what the market needs.

“Brands have a huge need for mothers,” Wescott says. “There are less than a dozen successful moms on YouTube,” he continues. “There are ‘mommy bloggers,’ yes, but as far as video, no.” And brands want the spending dollars of moms who relate to a YouTube personality.

But does the deep intertwining of corporate brands with the income of YouTubers threaten their audiences?

Gaby Dunn (529,000 subscribers) wrote a compelling article for Fusion about her experiences with sponsored videos angering some of her fans.

laurDIY“Every time Allison and I post a branded video — a YouTuber’s bread and butter — we make money but lose subscribers,” she explains.

“A video we created for a skincare line, for instance, drew ire from fans writing ‘ENOUGH WITH THE PRODUCT PLACEMENT,’ despite this being our third branded video ever.”

I asked Fisher and Wescott whether their clients experienced this, or whether fans understood that this was simply a reality of the business — and of them getting to enjoy content for free.

“I don’t think the fans worry about the talent making a living,” Fisher says. ‘They are more concerned about if they are being entertained or not. As long as the content is exciting for them, if they get to see Eva go to Hawaii on this amazing trip, they don’t mind if she is wearing Sperrys the whole time. It’s a primal instinct: are you having fun, are you liking this content or not.”

The trick, then, seems to be becoming one of the superstars who is able to score brand deals with favorable terms. Indeed, having a star wear Sperrys is not particularly invasive. But to do this you need to be in a position of relative power, which is easier said than done.

We say no to a lot of incoming stuff,” Fisher says.

The big question mark

Westcott says the focus moving forward is going to be on conversion — translating eyeballs watching YouTube into dollars.

In the past, stars, managers, and brands have relied on sheer numbers to make money.

“These books, these independent films. Just because there is an influencer attached they get made,” Wescott says. The thought is, “If I get 2% [of my YouTube] audience to buy a book it warrants a bestseller.” That’s part of the reason there is such a glut of YouTuber books on the market.

“You have some YouTubers that are putting out ‘memoirs’ and they are 21 years old,” Wescott laughs. “How much of a life story do you have to tell at 21, I don’t know.”

But those audiences haven’t always translated. Wescott points to Verizon’s Go90 app.

“Even they have started to take a step back and say, ‘Wow, we invested all these millions of dollars, and we forgot about the paid media and marketing component. We assumed that by attaching all these creatives and influencers, the eyeballs would come.’ Now that they’ve got the content, there is this second wave of how do [they] better market it.”

Figuring out how to pull audiences into other places is the next challenge. Part of that burden is on services like Go90, or corporate brands, but some will need to be figured out by the stars themselves.

If you want to be one of the “haves” in this superstar economy, you will have to prove not just that you have an audience, but that it will follow you with its dollars.

SEE ALSO: Hugely successful YouTube star and novelist John Green explains why he's 'only' a millionaire five times over

Join the conversation about this story »

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George R.R. Martin says he missed the critical due date for his new 'Game of Thrones' book because he's bad at deadlines

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George R.R. Martin, author of the fantasy series "A Song of Ice and Fire," which has been turned into the smash-hit HBO series "Game of Thrones," had some bad news for fans on Saturday.

Martin was supposed to finish his latest book in the series, "The Winds of Winter," before the sixth season of "Game of Thrones" airs in April. Unfortunately, he's missed multiple deadlines due largely to writer's block.

The author penned an honest blog post to try and explain why his latest book probably won't be available for purchase before HBO's show returns. In it, he says "writing didn't come fast or well" and that thinking about missing the deadline — and press reports that he was going to miss the deadline — made him so stressed that it became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

"I grew unhappy with some of the choices I'd made and began to revise... and suddenly it was October, and then November... and as the suspicion grew that I would not make it after all, a gloom set in, and I found myself struggling even more," Martin wrote. "The fewer the days, the greater the stress, and the slower the pace of my writing became."

Basically, he got in his own head. And Martin admits he's never dealt well with the stress of deadlines.

"You can blame my travels or my blog posts or the distractions of other projects and the Cocteau and whatever, but maybe all that had an impact," Martin explained to fans. "You can blame my age, and maybe that had an impact too...but if truth be told, sometimes the writing goes well and sometimes it doesn't, and that was true for me even when I was in my 20s."

Martin says his disdain for deadlines is the reason he became a novelist rather than a newspaper reporter. He's a creative perfectionist who can't be rushed.

"I have always had problems with deadlines," Martin wrote. "For whatever reason, I don't respond well to them. Back in November, when I returned to Northwestern to accept my Alumni Award, I told the Medill students that was why I started writing fiction instead of getting a job on a newspaper. I knew even then that daily deadlines would kill me."

Martin says he's disappointed with himself, and that there are no excuses, but he hopes his audience can enjoy the show — which he admits will likely spoil some of the book — as well as his finished work, whenever it's finally finished. He makes no promises about when "The Winds of Winter" will be published.

"I am going back to my stance from last March, before all this," he says. "It will be done when it's done. And it will be as good as I can possibly make it."

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Here's how the massive earnings from the new 'Star Wars' really get split up

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Though "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is making a killing at the box office, that doesn't mean the over $1 billion it's earned worldwide so far goes directly into the pockets of the filmmakers and studio Disney.

Not counting that weekly box-office reports don't generally factor in a film's production or marketing costs, the theater chains also split ticket sales with studios.

A studio takes an average of 53% of ticket earnings in the US, according to NBC News. But it seems Disney anticipated the worldwide smash "The Force Awakens" would be and was able to secure more than 60% of ticket sales.

In most deals, studios get a bigger cut in the beginning of a release — one reason why the opening weekends of movies are so important. Then over time, deals favor the theaters. With the higher-than-average 60% of tickets sold, Disney is making out very well through most of the film's theatrical run.

As the NBC story notes, theater chains aren't exactly crying poverty. The must-see attraction that "The Force Awakens" has become means more popcorn, soda, and other items sold outside of ticket sales that account for the main revenue of any Cineplex.

But what's most exciting about "The Force Awakens" to the theaters is that it could woo in people who haven't gone out to the movies in years. "Avatar" was credited with driving up moviegoing attendance over the three to six months after its release, and "Force Awakens" will likely do the same.

All of this means that if your movie has a trailer showing before the new "Star Wars," you're feeling pretty great right now, too.

SEE ALSO: The 50 games coming in 2016 you can't miss

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Jennifer Lawrence has an awesome attitude about trying something hard and new

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At some point in the near future, Jennifer Lawrence, world's highest-paid actress, will direct her first movie.

Called "Project Delirium," the movie will be based on a true story about chemical warfare in the 1960s.

Being a director is one of the toughest jobs in Hollywood, and it's a huge step for Lawrence. However, she's not afraid of potential failure.

"['Joy' director] David [O. Russell] cannot wait to try and see me organize a schedule. And focus," Lawrence said. "It might be a hilarious failure."

A recent study by the Directors Guild of America (DGA) found that just 6.4% of Hollywood movies were directed by women. Lawrence hopes to break new ground with her directorial debut. She is also working on a script with Amy Schumer.

"Joy," starring Lawrence, is now playing in theaters. 

Story by Ian Phillips and editing by Carl Mueller

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SEE ALSO: Jennifer Lawrence has one thing in common with the self-made millionaire she plays in her new movie

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The shocking backstory behind the Bill Cosby rape allegations that led to criminal charges

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Bill Cosby

Bill Cosby was charged with aggravated indecent assault Wednesday for an alleged incident involving a former Temple University employee that happened over a decade ago.

That employee, Andrea Constand, said Cosby gave her Quaaludes in order to sexually assault her.

She is one of dozens of women who have claimed they were drugged and assaulted by the comedian.

Constand had filed a civil suit against Cosby, and over the summer a damning deposition from that suit was made public.

In that deposition from 2005, Cosby answered "yes" to the following question:

"When you got the Quaaludes [a type of sedative] was it in your mind that you were going to use these Quaaludes for young women that you wanted to have sex with?"

The revelation from his deposition spurred his onetime supporter, singer Jill Scott, to tweet that she was "completely disgusted."

Bill CosbyAfter she filed her lawsuit that produced the deposition, Constand claimed that she could produce more than a dozen other women with similar stories. But that suit was settled in 2006, and Cosby's wholesome reputation remained intact — until last year. 

That's when another comedian, Hannibal Buress, suggested Cosby was a hypocrite for telling African-Americans how to behave.

"Pull your pants up, black people! I was on TV in the '80s. I can talk down to you 'cause I had a successful sitcom," Buress said, sarcastically. He continued, imitating Cosby, "'I don't curse on stage."

"Well, yeah, you're a rapist," Buress said to the audience.

The taped set went viral, spurring more women to come forward. The renewed attention ultimately led The Associated Press to compel the release of the court deposition from 2005. 

Cosby has maintained his innocence even as more and more women come forward to accuse him of rape. 

phylicia rushed bill cosbyWe reached out to a longtime spokesman for Cosby, David Brokaw, to give him an opportunity to comment on the charges against Cosby. We will update this post if we hear back.

The accusations have common threads, painting a picture of a man who allegedly used his power and influence in the entertainment industry to seek out vulnerable young women and lure them in with the promise of mentorship.

Some have said they felt discouraged from going public because of Cosby's fame, power, and reputation as "America's dad."

Even before Cosby was criminally charged, these accusations hurt his career. Deadline Hollywood reported on July 8 that Cosby's agency, Creative Artists Agency, had quietly dumped him late last year

TV networks have yanked reruns of "The Cosby Show," and Disney took down a statue of the comedian at Hollywood Studios. In October, Inside Higher Ed reported that a dozen colleges had revoked his honorary degree

Here's an overview of some of the more high-profile women who have made allegations against Cosby, starting with the one whose case resulted in criminal charges. 

Andrea Constand

Andrea Constand

Constand alleges that Cosby sexually assaulted her in his Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, home in 2004.

She went to police with the allegations, but a previous district attorney ruled there wasn't enough evidence to charge Cosby. The district attorney on the case told the Daily Mail that at the time, he thought Cosby was probably guilty, and he wanted to arrest him, but he didn't have sufficient proof of the alleged assault.

There wasn't any physical evidence for the case because Constand waited a year before going to police.

After police declined to charge him, she filed a civil suit and lined up 13 other women as supporting witnesses who had stories about Cosby similar to hers. She settled the lawsuit in 2006 for an undisclosed amount. 

Constand used to work for the women's basketball program at Temple University, Cosby's alma mater. She said she met Cosby in 2002 and saw him as a mentor. He invited her for dinners at his house, she told the Daily Mail.

She claimed in court documents that in 2004, she went to Cosby's house for a visit at his request. He reportedly told her that he wanted to help her pursue a new career. When Constand talked about being stressed, he allegedly gave her three blue pills that he said were an "herbal medication" to help her relax.

Constand said she then began to feel shaky, weak, and dizzy. She said she told Cosby she wasn't feeling well, and he led her to a sofa where he laid her down. Constand was allegedly so impaired that she couldn't walk on her own.

She said Cosby then positioned himself behind her on the sofa and began touching her inappropriately. He then allegedly sexually assaulted her. Constand claimed she was barely conscious throughout the alleged attack.

Constand woke up at about 4 a.m. with her clothes and underwear in disarray, according to the lawsuit. Cosby allegedly greeted her in his bathrobe before she left his house.

Tamara Green

Tamara GreenGreen, a lawyer who lives in California, was the only named supporting witness in Constand's suit.

When Green heard the district attorney thought Constand's story was weak and that she didn't come forward quickly enough, she decided to step forward and tell her story.

She claimed Cosby assaulted her in the 1970s. Green told Newsweek she met Cosby through a friend when she was 19 years old and modeling in Los Angeles.

Green said she met Cosby for a business lunch one day while she had the flu. He allegedly gave her pills he said were cold medicine.

Green told the "Today" show in 2005 she was "face down on the table of the restaurant" about 30 minutes after taking the pills. Cosby allegedly offered to take her home. Once they were at Green's apartment, he allegedly undressed her and assaulted her in her bed.

Eventually, Green said, she started throwing things. Cosby left her apartment after leaving two $100 bills on her coffee table, according to Green.

She never reported the alleged assault to the police because, as she said in the Newsweek interview, "it never works out [for the victim], unless you’re bleeding and there’s DNA and an eyewitness. I was 19 and he was the king of the world ... Nobody would've believed me."

Green told the news magazine that coming forward with the allegations essentially ended her career as a lawyer.

Barbara Bowman

Barbara Bowman

Bowman, another witness in Constand's lawsuit, came forward and identified herself in 2006 in interviews with Philadelphia news outletsShe more recently wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post in light of the viral comedy video that called Cosby a rapist. 

Bowman said she met Cosby in 1985 when she was a 17-year-old aspiring actress. He became a father figure and mentor to her, she said. 

She claimed Cosby drugged and raped her several times during the two years they knew each other. Bowman told the Daily Mail that he flew her all over the country and invited her to attend events with him to "see if [she] was worth mentoring and grooming" for an acting career.

Bowman said in the Daily Mail interview that Cosby brainwashed her and befriended her mother to gain her trust. He eventually started giving her drugs and raping her, Bowman alleged. She said she continued to see him because he was a useful mentor while she was trying to build a career in the entertainment industry.

One time, Bowman said, she had one glass of wine at Cosby's house and then came to a while later slumped over a toilet throwing up while wearing a man's T-shirt. She told the Daily Mail that he was wearing a robe as he was helping her after she regained consciousness.

The last incident happened in Atlantic City, she said. She wrote in the Post op-ed that she fought him when he tried to pin her to his bed, and he called her a "baby" and sent her home.

Beth Ferrier

Ferrier met Cosby in 1984 while she was working as a young model in New York, according to Philadelphia Magazine. She was another unnamed witness in the Constand lawsuit.

She came forward with her story in the Philadelphia Daily News in 2005 after the suit was filed but before it was settled.

Her relationship with Cosby started as a consensual affair, she told the Daily News. She said in 2005 the affair lasted about six months, but she told People magazine in 2006 that it was an on-and-off affair that lasted several years. Ferrier claimed that at one point after they decided to end the affair, Cosby drugged and assaulted her when she went to see him perform in Denver.

Cosby allegedly gave Ferrier her "favorite coffee" that he made to relax her. After she drank it, she said, she started to feel woozy. She allegedly woke up in the back seat of her car several hours later with her clothes disheveled.

When she confronted him at his hotel later, he allegedly told her she had too much to drink.

Ferrier told People magazine in 2006 that she had recently lost her father when she met Cosby and was "very vulnerable." Cosby was a mentor and father figure to her, she said.

Joan Tarshis

Joan Tarshis

Earlier this month, Hollywood Elsewhere published accusations from Tarshis, a former actress who said Cosby raped her in 1969. She decided to come forward after seeing renewed media attention on the Cosby allegations.

Tarshis was 19 years old when she flew to Los Angeles to work on a monologue. Friends she was staying with reportedly knew Cosby. She said she met Cosby at a lunch and he took a liking to her.

Cosby reportedly asked Tarshis to work on some material with him one day, and he gave her a drink. Tarshis claimed that she vaguely remembers being undressed by Cosby and telling him she had an infection so that he wouldn't have sex with her. He allegedly still sexually assaulted her.

Tarshis told Hollywood Elsewhere about one other incident that allegedly occurred in a hotel room when he invited her to an event. She said she went because she was too ashamed to tell her mother what had happened and turn down the invitation.

She never went to police with the allegations. Tarshis told Philadelphia Magazine: "What could I say? I was 19 years old. I felt, 'He's Bill Cosby. He'll lawyer himself up. I don't have a lawyer. It's going to be he said, she said, and they'll look at me like I'm crazy.' ... My reputation would have been ruined."

Tarshis also pointed out that at the time the assault allegedly happened, no other women had come forward with similar accusations.

Janice Dickinson

Janice Dickinson

Dickinson, a supermodel and TV personality, is so far the most high-profile woman to publicly come forward and accuse Cosby of sexual assault.

She told Entertainment Tonight last year the alleged assault happened in 1982. Dickinson said she met Cosby at the request of her agent, who was trying to get her booked on "The Cosby Show."

Dickinson later landed in rehab for drug and alcohol abuse. She said Cosby called her while she was there, and then after she got out, he invited her to visit him while he was performing in Lake Tahoe. He allegedly told her he wanted to offer her a job and help her develop a singing career.

Dickinson claimed that after she had dinner with Cosby in Lake Tahoe, she had a glass of wine and a pill that Cosby gave her in her room.

She said the last thing she remembers before she passed out was seeing Cosby take off his patchwork robe and get on top of her.

She told ET that she never went to police about the alleged assault because she was "embarrassed and ashamed" and "was afraid of being labeled a whore or a slut and trying to sleep my way to the top of a career that never took place."

Dickinson has previously alluded to her issues with Cosby, but hadn't publicly accused him of sexual assault before last year. She told ET that she wanted to write about the assault in her 2002 autobiography, but was pressured by Cosby and his lawyers to remove the details of the incident.

She said the alleged assault is one of the "biggest resentments" of her life.

Therese Serignese

Therese Serignese

Serignese, a nurse in Florida, came forward last year and identified herself as another of the 13 witnesses in Constand's suit. She claimed Cosby raped her 38 years ago in Las Vegas.

Serignese told The Huffington Post that she met Cosby in 1976 when she was 19 years old.

She was in Las Vegas visiting her mother and Cosby was in town to perform at the Hilton, she told WPTV News. She said she ran into him at the hotel's gift shop while she was there with her sister looking at jewelry. He reportedly came up to her, put his arm around her, and invited her to come see his show later.

Backstage after the show, Cosby allegedly gave Serignese two white pills. She said the next thing she remembers is Cosby raping her in a bathroom.

She kept in touch with him intermittently throughout the next 20 years, she told HuffPo. There was reportedly one more sexual encounter in 1985.

Serignese also alleges that Cosby put her up in a Hilton penthouse for three weeks after the alleged rape in Las Vegas and then sent her money in 1996 after she got into a car accident.

She said she was initially reluctant to report the alleged assault because she thought no one would believe her, but she eventually came forward after hearing about Constand's allegations.

Beverly Johnson

Beverly JohnsonIn December of last year another high-profile woman came out to accuse Bill Cosby of drugging her: Beverly Johnson, the first black model to appear on the cover of Vogue. 

Writing in Vanity Fair, Johnson said Cosby drugged her in his home in the mid-'80s when she'd gone there to read lines for a part on "The Cosby Show." Here's what she said happened when Cosby gave her a cappuccino:

I knew by the second sip of the drink Cosby had given me that I’d been drugged — and drugged good ... My head became woozy, my speech became slurred, and the room began to spin nonstop.

She said she began shouting at Cosby, prompting this response: 

I recall his seething anger at my tirade and then him grabbing me by my left arm hard and yanking all 110 pounds of me down a bunch of stairs as my high heels clicked and clacked on every step. I feared my neck was going to break with the force he was using to pull me down those stairs.

While she didn't allege that Cosby raped her, she did allege that Cosby physically assaulted her. 

Chloe Goins

Chloe Goins Cosby accuser

In January, a 25-year-old woman named Chloe Goins told the Los Angeles Police Department that Cosby had assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion when she was 18, according to CNN.

While few details of her case have been revealed, it's notable because the alleged assault took place in 2008. California has a 10-year statute of limitations on rape cases, making the case the first that could lead to criminal charges, according to her lawyer, Spencer Kuvin.

"She was drugged. She doesn't know what happened, she blacked out and woke up finding Mr. Cosby over her as she was in a state of complete undress," he said, according to CNN.

"I don't want to go into details about what he was doing, and I don't believe any of these cameras can actually publish what he was doing," Kuvin told reporters.

Lili Bernard and Sammie Mays

Gloria Allred In May, celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred held a press conference to announce that two more women were accusing Cosby of assaulting them: writer Sammie Mays and Lili Bernard, who guest-starred on "The Cosby Show."

Mays claimed Cosby drugged her in the late '80s when she was writing about a convention in New Orleans that Cosby attended, according to USA Today. She believes he raped her while she was unconscious.

Bernard says Cosby drugged, raped, and threatened her in the studio of the "Cosby Show" in 1992. She said she still has panic attacks.

"I stand here to take back my power and to confront the fear that has paralyzed me for so many years," Bernard reportedly said during the press conference with Allred.

While Bernard tried to have criminal charges against Cosby filed in New Jersey, a prosecutor there ultimately decided not to file any

Others who came forward

Angela Leslie, a former model and actress, claimed in a New York Daily News report published in November of last year that Cosby assaulted her in a hotel room more than two decades ago. She said she met him in 1990 after she sent him a letter and photo hoping to land a role in his movie "Ghost Dad."

Cosby reportedly then invited her to the set of his show. She said the alleged assault happened in a hotel suite in 1992 when Cosby asked her to audition for him. Leslie said he gave her a drink and told her to act like she was intoxicated. She didn't drink what Cosby gave her, but after she came out of the bathroom, Cosby was reportedly lying in bed with his clothes off. Leslie alleges that Cosby took her hand and had her fondle him while he was in bed.

Carla Ferrigno, who is married to the actor Lou Ferrigno, has come forward and said that she experienced an unwanted sexual advance from Cosby at a party in 1967 when she was just a teenager. She was reportedly working as a Playboy bunny in Los Angeles when she was invited to Cosby's house. At one point in the evening, Ferrigno was alone with Cosby playing pool, she said. He then forcefully grabbed her and kissed her, she claimed.

She said: "I had never been treated so roughly and he pulled me hard to him so hard. And then kissed me so hard, right in the mouth. No one has ever been that physically violent with me. I was stunned. I was frozen. I took all my body strength and used both of my arms to stop him and push him away from me. He was so forceful."

Kristina Ruehli, a New Hampshire woman who says she was one of the unnamed witnesses in the Constand suit, told Philadelphia Magazine that Cosby drugged and tried to sexually assault her in 1965 when she was 22 years old. She said she met Cosby while she was working as a secretary at a talent agency in Beverly Hills. He reportedly invited her to a party at his home one night, but when she arrived, no one else was there. Cosby allegedly gave her two drinks, and after that everything became "foggy," she claimed. She eventually wound up in one of the bedrooms in the house. Cosby then allegedly tried to force Ruehli to perform oral sex on him. She said she pushed him away, ran into a bathroom, and started throwing up. When she came out of the bathroom, Cosby was reportedly gone, and she left his house.

Renita Chaney Hill, a Pittsburgh woman, told KDKA News that she had a four-year-long relationship with Cosby in the 1980s. She said she believes he drugged and likely raped her when she would go visit him. She was 15 years old when she met him. Hill told KDKA Cosby would fly her to various cities and she would visit him at his hotel room at night. He would allegedly insist that she drink even though he knew she was underage.

Hill claimed she would wake up the next day and not remember anything, despite not having that much to drink. She said that during one incident, right before she passed out, she remembers him kissing and touching her.

Linda Traitz, a woman who met Cosby in 1969 when she was waiting tables for a restaurant he co-owned in West Hollywood, came forward to accuse Cosby of sexual assault in an interview with The Washington Post. She said Cosby chatted her up one day at the restaurant and offered her a ride home.

But instead of going home, Cosby drove to the beach and took out a briefcase that had "assorted sections in it, with pills and tablets in it, different colors arranged and assorted into compartments," she told The Post. She said she told Cosby that she didn't want any of the pills, but he reportedly kept insisting. He then allegedly lunged at her and grabbed her chest. When she ran out of the car and onto the beach, he allegedly pursued her and offered to take her home.

Victoria Valentino, a former Playboy bunny, told The Post that she met Cosby in 1970. Another Playboy bunny knew Cosby and introduced him to Valentino, who reportedly met him for dinner with a friend one night following their initial meeting. Cosby reportedly offered Valentino and her friend red pills at the end of dinner. She said she then began slurring her words and "couldn't function."

Cosby then reportedly drove the pair to an apartment under the pretense of showing them memorabilia from his popular "I Spy" show. It was there that he allegedly assaulted Valentino. She said she never went to the police because "in those days, it was always the rape victim who wound up being victimized."

Shawn Brown, the only woman Cosby admitted to sleeping with, told the Daily Mail in November of last year that he also drugged her and raped her

Judy Huth filed a lawsuit in December of last year claiming Cosby sexually assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion when she was 15 years old. 

Helen Gumpel, who appeared on a single episode of "The Cosby Show," came forward in February and said Cosby made lewd advances toward her 1977, according to the Associated Press

Sunni Welles and Margie Shapiro claimed in March that Cosby sexually assaulted them in the '60s and 70's when they were teenagers, according to Reuters. 

Autumn Burns, Marcella Tate, and Janice Baker-Kinney, who are all represented by Gloria Allred, came forward in April to claim they'd been raped by Cosby in the '70s and early '80s

"All this time, and for many, many years, I felt this was my fault," Kinney said, according to USA Today. "I took the pills from him ... I never thought of it as rape ... I still felt like I was solely to blame."

SEE ALSO: One of the biggest talent agencies in the world has dropped Bill Cosby

Join the conversation about this story »

The 28 original Netflix shows and movies we know will be released in 2016 (NFLX)

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Netflix is poised to have a monster year.

The company has said that it plans to roughly double its output of original shows to 31 in 2016. Netflix also has the following in the pipeline: 10 feature films, 30 kids shows, 12 documentaries, and 10 stand-up comedy specials.

Netflix has repeatedly said that original content is its future, and this year will show whether it can maintain the high quality of its shows as it scales up production.

But what is Netflix actually putting out in 2016?

We put together a list of shows and movies that it has either explicitly confirmed will be released in 2016 or are already deep in production — we excluded kids shows. On each you'll see a release date (if available), a description, who is starring, and previous ratings on Metacritic if the show is one that's been renewed.

Here are the 28 original shows and movies you can look forward to on Netflix next year — the ones with firm release dates are listed first:

SEE ALSO: RANKED: All 16 of Netflix's original shows from best to worst

'Chelsea Does' (January 23)

Netflix description: "In her new documentary film series, Chelsea Handler delves into four topics that fascinate her: marriage, racism, Silicon Valley, and drugs."

Type: Docu-series

Star power: Chelsea Handler



'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny' (February 26)

Netflix description: "In this sequel to 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' four Martial World heroes must keep the legendary Green Destiny sword from villainous Hades Dai.

Type: Movie

Star power: Donnie Yen, Michelle Yeoh



'House of Cards' Season 4 (March 4)

Netflix description:Is it true that absolute power corrupts absolutely? Congressman Frank Underwood absolutely intends to find out.

Star power: Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright

Average critic score (25 critics): 76/100

Audience score: 9/10



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Donald Trump attack ad: Obama is watching 'Star Wars' instead of warring with ISIS

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Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump criticized President Barack Obama on Tuesday for supposedly seeing "Star Wars" while neglecting to deal with the threat of the Islamic State terror group, also known as ISIS.

Trump released an Instagram video splicing together news clips of ISIS militants potentially creating fake passports and a clip of Obama telling the White House press corps that he was ending a briefing "to get to Star Wars."

"Our president is busy with another war," a title card stated. "Time for a leader with real priorities!"

Earlier this month, the Obamas hosted a screening of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" at the White House for families of military personnel who died while serving the US.

Since launching his campaign earlier this summer, Trump has used his Instagram account partially as a platform for quick videos contrasting the threat of terrorism with perceived aloofness of Democratic leaders. He previously posted similar videos mocking Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner.

Although Trump's ads have thus far been mostly limited to his social-media accounts, residents in several early primary states may soon see them on their TV screens. The billionaire businessman announced earlier on Tuesday that he would soon begin spending "big" on behalf of his campaign.

For his part, Obama has spent much more time publicly laying out his strategy for defeating ISIS since a November mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, that was linked to the group. Earlier in December, Obama gave a rare Oval Office address on the topic.

Watch Trump's ad below:

We need a real President!

A video posted by Donald J. Trump (@realdonaldtrump) on Dec 29, 2015 at 11:10am PST on

 

SEE ALSO: Donald Trump vows to 'spend big' on campaign after holding his fire all year

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Jeb Bush is psyched for the new ‘Star Wars’ — but isn’t a fan of the prequels

The 15 biggest career crashes of 2015

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career crashes 2015

Plenty of people resolve to jump-start their careers in the new year. For some, this resolution is more of a necessity than lip service.

Here are 15 high-profile people (and teams) whose careers or reputations took a big hit in 2015. While we expect many to bounce back, others may never recover.

SEE ALSO: 13 bad habits you should break in 2016 to be more productive

DON'T MISS: The 27 jobs that are most damaging to your health

Former pharma CEO Martin Shkreli

The former hedge fund managertook a lot of heat in September after he jacked up the price of a critical antiparasitic drug by more than 5,000%, from $13.50 a tablet to $750.

The controversial move prompted anger from Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, legislators to call Shkreli to Washington to explain his business practices, and a bipartisan senate investigation into price increases across the pharmaceutical industry.

Shkreli made news again in December when he was arrested by the FBI on charges of securities fraud related to events that happened while he was managing hedge funds. Following his arrest, Shkreli resigned as CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals and was fired as CEO of KaloBios Pharmaceuticals. He has pleaded not guilty to charges and is out on $5 million bond.



Former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle

Federal authorities raided Fogle's Indiana home in July as part of a child-pornography investigation. Hours later, Subway announced that the company and Fogle "mutually agreed to suspend their relationship." The company severed all ties with Fogle and scrubbed every mention of him from its website and stores.

In November, Foglepleaded guilty to charges involving at least 14 girls and boys under the age of 18 and was sentenced to more than 16 years in prison for possession and distribution of child pornography and traveling across state lines for sex with a minor.



Former president of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP Rachel Dolezal

The prominent civil-rights leader made headlines in June when her parents told media outlets in the Spokane area that, though Dolezal identified herself as white, black, and Native American in public appearances and on applications, her family's ancestry consists of Czech, Swedish, and German with traces of Native American heritage.

Dolezaltold "Today" that she started identifying as black when she was 5 years old, noting that at the time she drew self-portraits with a brown crayon instead of a peach crayon.

Less than a week after the news broke, Dolezal announced her resignation from the NAACP, writing in a lengthy Facebook post that her decision to step down had been influenced by the "unexpected shift" in dialogue to her "personal identity in the context of defining race and ethnicity."



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A key passage from the novelization of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' shows Kylo Ren might not be that evil after all

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Proceed with caution! Serious TFA spoilers lie just ahead.

There are new bad guys in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." But one of the most evil new characters, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), may not be as bad as you thought.

According to the movie's novelization (a book Disney/Lucas Films had to sign off on before it was published), Ren has as much light as dark in him, and he felt serious remorse after he killed his father, Han Solo.

To refresh your memory: Ren is a temperamental Darth Vader fanboy who is the son of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and General (Princess) Leia (Carrie Fisher). And he ends up stabbing Solo with a light saber, killing him.

The film touches on how Ren turned to the Dark Side, but the film's novelization written by Alan Dean Foster, delves into Ren's motivations and thoughts even more.

In a conversation with the dark Lord Snoke (Andy Serkis), the Supreme Leader tells Ren that no student before him had shown as much promise, and it's because of his bloodline.

"It is where you are from. What you are made of. The Dark Side—and the Light," Snoke explains (Darth Vader is Ren's grandfather). "The finest sculptor cannot fashion a masterpiece from poor materials. He must have something pure, something strong, something unbreakable, with which to work."

But as much as Ren believes he is committed to the Dark Side, the novel suggests that Ren's allegiance wavers. Perhaps the most telling passage is how Ren reacts to murdering his father, which was left out of the movie.

After stabbing Solo, Ren falls to his knees in shock. And he feels pretty icky.

"Following through on the act ought to have made him stronger, a part of him believed," the book states. "Instead, he found himself weakened."

In another book-only scene, Leia reveals to Solo that their son was born with "equal potential for good or evil." So it's possible, if LucasFilm follows the novelization, we could see Ren turn good, just like Darth Vader did, in episode VIII or IX.

SEE ALSO: Here's how 'Starkiller Base' — the deadly weapon from 'Star Wars' that can blow entire planets to bits — works

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: There was a 'Star Wars' made-for-TV movie you've never heard of — starring only Ewoks

These quotes from astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson may inspire you to achieve great things in life

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Neil deGrasse Tyson

If you've ever listened to StarTalk radio, then you'll know that its host, famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, has a great sense of humor.

But deGrasse Tyson also has a serious side, which he reveals time and again in his books, shows, Twitter page, and popular science articles.

Often, deGrasse Tyson's humor strikes a serious chord that not only makes us laugh but also think. As a popular science educator, deGrasse Tyson is out to inspire generations of innovators to reach for the stars.

While it's tough to narrow down his best quotes, we've taken a stab here. We've also paired some of them with photos of the most impressive science projects of our age:

LEARN MORE: There's a mission to this mysterious water world that could detect the first alien life

CHECK OUT: MIT scientists have charted a course for Mars that they say beats NASA's by a landslide

"The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it."

Source:CNN interview in 2011.



"During our brief stay on planet Earth, we owe ourselves and our descendants the opportunity to explore — in part because it's fun to do. But there's a far nobler reason. The day our knowledge of the cosmos ceases to expand, we risk regressing to the childish view that the universe figuratively and literally revolves around us."

Source: "The Cosmic Perspective" published in the Natural History Magazine in April 2007.



"I don't want students who could make the next major breakthrough in renewable energy sources or space travel to have been taught that anything they don't understand, and that nobody yet understands, is divinely constructed and therefore beyond their intellectual capacity. The day that happens, Americans will just sit in awe of what we don't understand, while we watch the rest of the world boldly go where no mortal has gone before."

Source: "The Perimeter of Ignorance" published in the Natural History Magazine in November 2005.



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The 21 most anticipated movies of 2016

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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them EW Cover 2

For film, 2015 was an exciting and storied year, from the release of critically acclaimed movies like AI-exploration thriller "Ex Machina" to "Spotlight," the ensemble drama chronicling The Boston Globe's Pulitzer-prize winning coverage of the Catholic Church, to "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and its record-breaking box-office debut.

But this year's poised to be even better with a thrilling lineup of reboots, sequels, and buzzed-about debut series hitting the box office.

From Pixar's "Finding Dory," the long-awaited follow-up to "Finding Nemo," to J.K. Rowling's screenwriting debut, "Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them," here's what's coming up in 2016.

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 10 best movies of 2015

SEE ALSO: The 50 most successful movies of 2015

"Kung Fu Panda 3"

Release date: January 29

It's been four years since the release "Kung Fu Panda 2," but the third installment of the DreamWorks franchise is rearing to go with the same all-star cast including Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, and Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons. 

 



"Deadpool"

Release date: February 12

Ryan Reynolds trades in his DC Comics Green Lantern suit for Marvel's Deadpool who, after being subjected to an experiment that leaves him with incredible healing powers, hunts down the man who almost destroyed his life.



"Zoolander 2"

Release date: February 12

It's been nearly 15 years since we first met Derek Zoolander and Hansel, but the models are back for another round of "Steel Blue." Joining the roster of comedy stars for the sequel are Penelope Cruz and former SNL cast members Kristen Wiig and Fred Armisen.



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Amazon's 'Mozart in the Jungle' producer Jason Schwartzman argues his show isn't too niche

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Television critics and journalists have often referred to Amazon's "Mozart in the Jungle," and its focus on a classical music orchestra as "niche." But executive producer Jason Schwartzman doesn't believe that should keep audiences away from the comedy.

"I want as many people to enjoy the show as possible," Schwartzman told Business Insider of the Golden Globe-nominated show. "I think it's sprinkled with a lot of things. I don't want people to say, 'It's a show about classical music. I don't like classical music. That's not a show for me.'"

Yet, there's plenty of references online that use the word "niche," which generally means something appeals to or is appropriate for a specialized market, when referring to the show. For example, Variety's TV columnist Brian Lowry referred to the show as "a niche confection" in his review last year. And A.V. Club's Vikram Murthi lumped the classical music comedy into a group of "niche" shows like Netflix's "Orange Is the New Black" and Amazon's "Transparent" in his review of the show's second season.

Schwartzman feels the idea that people would make decisions about their entertainment on the basis of whether they relate to the show's subject matter or setting is "disturbing" for two reasons.

Gael García Bernal mozart in the jungle

"One is it's about classical music in a way, but it's also about the people who play classical music. To me, I hope that people connect that it goes beyond the thing that it's about," said Schwartzman, who also plays Bradford on the show.

"The second thing, and this isn't my idea, it's Bret Easton Ellis," the 35-year-old continued. "He says too many people are making up their minds whether or not they want to read or watch or listen to something on whether or not it relates to them. He's like, 'Shouldn't we want to watch things we don't relate to, to learn new stuff?' So, if you're customizing everything to what you relate to, it could get to be a boring exercise."

mozart in the jungle gael garcia bernalOn the show's second season, there are rumbles from the musicians' union as their young conductor, Rodrigo (played by Gael García Bernal, who was just nominated for a Golden Globe for the role), has fresh worries about whether he has proven himself to be a good hire and whether this symphony and is truly his new home.

"I don't think that the show is niche. I think it's about a family of people," Schwartzman said. "Musicians, like Olympic athletes maybe, it's one of those few professions where you have to really want it and want that to be your job. That journey begins at a very young age. It's a tremendous amount of sacrifice. Not a lot of people can relate to that journey except their friends. So, the orchestra is a family of people who all understand what it takes to get there. I think that's what's special about this show."

The second season of "Mozart in the Jungle" is available now on Amazon Prime Instant Video.

SEE ALSO: Amazon says 'The Man in the High Castle' is its most-watched original show

MORE: RANKED: The 20 best TV shows in 2015, according to critics

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NOW WATCH: Amazon pulls controversial Nazi-themed 'Man in the High Castle' ads from New York subways

The 50 most powerful people in the world

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It isn't just wealth. And it isn't just control over people or resources. No, true power is a potent combination of money and influence that enables people to help shape the world. But only a select group of people really possess the economic and political clout to effect global change. For better or worse, their decisions affect millions, shake industries, and change nations.

Business Insider has compiled the following list of the world's most powerful people — heads of state, billionaires, CEOs, and entertainers. To determine the ranking, we considered more than 100 of the most influential players in business, politics, and entertainment, and we evaluated their influence by using metrics in four major areas: economic power, command, newsworthiness, and impact— a subjective measure that captures how important they are in their respective spheres.

Because the majority of these people span several industries, we took the logarithm of each and mapped those logarithms to a standardized scale, which allowed us to combine the metrics. (See our full methodology here.)

US President Barack Obama, leader of the world's chief superpower, takes top honors, followed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, ruler of the a country making a serious challenge to US supremacy. Read on to see the full list of the world's 50 most powerful people right now:

Editing by Alex Morrell with additional research by Andy Kiersz.

SEE ALSO: The 50 most powerful companies in America

SEE ALSO: The 25 richest self-made billionaires

50. Jay Z and Beyoncé

Titles: Singer (Beyoncé), rapper and entrepreneur (Jay Z)

Country: US

Age: 34 (Beyoncé), 45 (Jay Z)

Music's biggest power couple, Beyoncé and Jay Z turn nearly everything they touch into gold, which has helped them mint a combined fortune of $950 million.

Beyoncé shocked the music industry in 2013 when she released an album on iTunes without promotion — it went on to sell over 5 million copies thanks to hits like "Drunk in Love" and "Partition."

Jay Z is consistently one of the highest earners in music, reportedly raking in $56 million last year through his many ventures, including his Roc Nation music label and its sports division. Though his streaming service, Tidal, encountered some turbulencethe hip-hop mogul himself forgot he owned it— Jay Z is still just about everywhere in the entertainment industry.



49. Mukesh Ambani

Title: Chairman and managing director, Reliance Industries

Country: India

Age: 58

Mukesh Ambani took over as the chairman of Reliance Industries when his father, the company's founder, Dhirubhai Ambani, died in 2002. The enormous industrial conglomerate generates $61 billion in annual sales from its interests in energy, petrochemicals, textiles, natural resources, retail, and, more recently, telecommunications.

Ambani is the richest person in India with a personal fortune of over $23 billion. He owns a 27-story Mumbai mansion that cost $1 billion to build.

And if Ambani's projections for India's economy prove correct, expect that net worth to soar. Four years ago, Ambani predicted that India would grow from a $1.4 trillion economy in 2011 to a $30 trillion economy by 2030 — a bullish estimate considering that India's GDP today stands at $2.2 trillion.



48. Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán

Title: Leader, Sinaloa Cartel

Country: Mexico

Age: 60

Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán is perhaps the wealthiest and most notorious gangster on the planet, with a net worth of $1.1 billion. The leader of the infamous Sinaloa Cartel, El Chapo has been accused of importing over 180,000 kilos of cocaine into the US. Drug-enforcement experts estimate his cartel's annual revenues at greater than $3 billion.

Cunning and evasive, El Chapo escaped from a Mexican prison in July (not for the first time) by way of a labyrinthine tunnel he may have paid $50 million in bribes and construction costs to have built. The US State Department is offering a reward of up to $5 million to anyone with information leading to his arrest.



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