• Apple will release its first major original movie, "The Banker," to theaters and on Apple TV Plus in March after reviewing allegations of sexual abuse against one of the movie's producers.
• Bernard Garrett, Jr. — who is also the son of one of the movie's real-life subjects — was accused by his half sisters of molesting them when they were young.
• After the allegations were brought to Apple's attention, it delayed the movie's original December release.
• Apple bought the worldwide rights to "The Banker" for $20 million, according to The New York Times.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. 

Apple has decided to release its first major original movie, "The Banker," in March after delaying its initial December release in order to investigate allegations of sexual abuse against one of the movie's producers.

"We wanted to take the time to understand the situation at hand — and after reviewing the information available to us, including documentation of the filmmakers' research, we've decided to make this important and enlightening film available to viewers," Apple said in a statement to Variety.

"The Banker" will hit theaters on March 6 and then Apple's streaming platform, Apple TV Plus, on March 20. It was originally set for a theatrical release on December 6. It stars Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie.

Apple bought the worldwide rights to "The Banker" in June for $20 million after watching an eight-minute sizzle reel, The New York Times reported. Apple then abruptly canceled the movie's AFI Fest premiere in November, saying "concerns surrounding the film" had been brought to its attention. 

Those concerns regarded allegations of sexual abuse against one of the movie's producers, Bernard Garrett Jr., who is also the son of the movie's real-life subject, Bernard Garrett Sr., who is played by Mackie. Garrett Jr.'s half sisters accused him of molesting them when they were young, The Hollywood Reporter first reported.

Garrett Jr. issued a statement to Deadline in December denying the accusations, saying the alleged molestation "simply never happened."

The movie's director, George Nolfi, told Deadline in December that Garrett Jr. requested that his credit as a coproducer be removed from the movie. His name was then removed from the project.

Some filmmakers, actors, and crew members signed a statement in December defending the movie, saying, "The film itself is not based on the recollections of any of Bernard Garrett Sr's children, but rather, on recorded interviews with Bernard Garrett Sr himself, conducted in 1995, supported by congressional transcripts, court rulings, and other media articles from the era. We stand by the film, and its positive message of empowerment."

• Read more of Business Insider's coverage of Apple's "The Banker"
• Apple canceled the premiere of 'The Banker,' its first major movie, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie, as it investigates 'concerns surrounding the film'
• Apple's 'The Banker' crew and actors, including Samuel L. Jackson, defended the movie after its real-life subject's son was accused of sexual abuse
• Apple reportedly paid $20 million for the 'The Banker,' its first major movie whose release is now in doubt

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns explains why country music is universal

• "Little America" is Apple TV Plus' best-reviewed TV series since the service launched in November, with a 100% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.
• Apple's original shows have received mixed reviews from critics and struggled to stand out compared to the mega-hits of Netflix and Disney Plus, like "The Witcher" and "The Mandalorian."
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. 

"Little America," Apple TV Plus' latest episodic anthology series, is the platform's first truly great TV show, according to critics. 

The series, which premiered on Friday, tells a different story each episode inspired by the true stories of immigrants in America. It's developed by the writers of "The Big Sick," Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon, along with the former "Office" writer and producer, Lee Eisenberg.

The series has a 100% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes (based on 11 reviews). Indiewire's Ben Travers wrote that "Little America" is Apple's "first unconditionally good show" and that Apple TV Plus subscribers are "finally getting the quality promised a few months ago." The Hollywood Reporter's Inkoo Kang similarly wrote that "Little America" is Apple TV Plus' "first great show."

"In another era, such tales would be treated as exactly what they are: smart, generous portraits of lives rarely given this much thought by Western entertainment," Rolling Stone's Alan Sepinwall wrote. "It's a great show — easily the best of Apple's early output — that could be enjoyed almost entirely on that level. Arriving in the America of 2020, however, the mere existence of this series can't help but feel political."

Apple's slate of original shows haven't fared well with critics since Apple TV Plus launched in November.

Its flagship drama, "The Morning Show," was initially torn apart, but its Rotten Tomatoes critic score has since improved to 63%.

Its worst-reviewed shows are the crime drama, "Truth Be Told," and the post-apocalyptic sci-fi series, "See," with 31% and 43%, respectively. "Dickinson" has a 74% critics score, "For All Mankind" has 73%, and M. Night Shyamalan's thriller, "Servant," has an 85% score.

The shows have also struggled to stand out in a crowded TV landscape, with mega-hits like Disney Plus' "The Mandalorian" and Netflix's "The Witcher" being the most in-demand shows among audiences, according to data company Parrot Analytics.

But if critical reaction is any indication, Apple TV Plus might be heading in a more positive direction with "Little America."

SEE ALSO: Authors describe losing thousands of dollars in monthly income when Amazon quietly shut down its fan-fiction service — and how they bounced back

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NOW WATCH: Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns explains why country music is universal

• "Dolittle" made under $1 million at the domestic box office in Thursday previews.
• It cost $175 million to make, meaning it will likely struggle to earn that back after what is expected to be a disastrous opening weekend.
• The movie, starring Robert Downey Jr., has been in development for years and has an abysmal 18% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.
• It marks another major misfire for the studio Universal after "Cats" bombed critically and financially.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

"Dolittle" is expected to be a major flop at the box office when it opens this weekend.

The movie, starring Robert Downey Jr. in the latest iteration of the doctor who can talk to animals, made $925,000 at the domestic box office in Thursday previews, a bad sign for its opening weekend. As Exhibitor Relations tweeted, anything under $1 million equals "DVD discount bin. Stat."

Box Office Mojo is projecting "Dolittle" to open with $22 million over the four-day holiday weekend and Boxoffice.com is anticipating $16.9 million over the normal three-day weekend. But those numbers could change depending on what Friday's box-office numbers look like.

It will be a disappointing start for the movie, which cost $175 million to produce and has been in development for years. The chance of profitability is complicated moreso by Downey's deal, which includes a percentage of the box office on top of his $20 million salary, according to The Wall Street Journal.

WSJ reported on Thursday that the studio, Universal, tinkered with the movie's screenplay and production in an effort to avoid disaster, which delayed its release by nearly a year.

Universal "commissioned script rewrites and hired two new directors to help with about three weeks of additional photography" in order to make the movie "appeal to younger moviegoers and overseas audiences," WSJ said.

The movie's credited director is Stephen Gaghan, who is known for dramatic fare like "Traffic" (which he wrote) and "Syriana" (which he wrote and directed). The directors brought in to help steer the movie in a lighter direction were "The LEGO Batman Movie" director Chris McKay and Jonathan Liebesman, the director of 2014's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" reboot, according to WSJ.

But Universal's efforts may not pay off. "Dolittle" has an abysmal 18% critic score on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, which won't help its box-office chances. The Atlantic's David Sims called it "one of the worst movies in years."

"It would be an exaggeration to say that 'Dolittle' has a plot," Sims wrote. "The viewing experience more resembles a series of malfunctioning screen savers in which Downey Jr. twitches his head left and right while animals gallivant around him, complaining of various ailments while tossing off hacky one-liners. The only part of this horrifying tableau that changes is the scenery."

At this point, Universal's best hope is an international box-office miracle. It will open in China in late February, according to WSJ.

"Dolittle" follows another recent major misfire for Universal. "Cats" opened in December to horrible reviews (it has a 20% Rotten Tomatoes critics score) and has so far made just $60 million worldwide off of a $95 million production budget.

The good news for Universal is that its war drama, "1917," is an Oscars frontrunner and topped the box office last weekend.

The studio should also have a solid 2020 with expected blockbusters like "Fast and Furious 9," a "Minions" sequel, "Halloween Kills," and the James Bond movie "No Time to Die," which it's distributing internationally. 

SEE ALSO: Why 'Cats' is one of the biggest box-office flops of the year

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NOW WATCH: Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns explains why country music is universal

• Celebrities dominate social media, with big names like Kim Kardashian, Ariana Grande, and Justin Bieber comprising some of the most-followed accounts on Instagram and Twitter.
• However, some celebrities have shirked social media entirely by choosing to delete their accounts or never launching them in the first place.
• Here's why celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence, Mila Kunis, and George Clooney live social media-free in today's uber-connected world.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

SEE ALSO: Caroline Calloway's story is a Fyre Festival-like drama playing out in real time, and we can't stop paying attention to see how far it goes

Comedian Amy Poehler, of "Parks and Recreation" fame, says she's "not a real social media person," and largely avoids its altogether. "I try not to read too much online because I always get my feelings hurt, even if someone's flattering you."

"The amount of Instagram selfies seems crazy out-of-control," Poehler said in an interview with Paper Magazine in 2013. "Pictures [used to be] an addition to the experience. Now the picture is the experience."

However, Poehler's nonprofit, Amy Poehler's Smart Girls, does have a presence on Twitter and Instagram.

Her frequent co-star and longtime friend, Tina Fey, stays away from social media just as much. Fey also once said to Entertainment Tonight she would only join social media when she was able to show her nipples. When asked by a fellow actor why she wasn't on Instagram, Fey reportedly responded: "Why would I give my jokes away for free?”

Source: TIME, Entertainment Tonight

Meanwhile, Benedict Cumberbatch's reasons for avoiding social media have more to do with the fact he thinks he would be a "disaster" online. "It would just consume me and I find that whole thing ultimately very toxic," Cumberbatch told People in 2016. "I’d much rather spend my energy doing what brought me to their attention in the first place, which is my work.”

Source: People

Actress Mila Kunis has also voiced her views about the downsides of social media, which is why she hasn't created any accounts. "[The internet] took an ugly turn and became all about who can be the loudest, who can be the angriest and the most negative," Kunis said in an interview last year. "Then it’s just not a fun game to play.”

Source: Cosmopolitan

Kate Winslet hasn't minced her words about the negativity of social media, and has referred to it as "the single most damaging place for a young woman to spend her time." Social media has created so-called "perfect" images of beauty for young people that are ultimately "unattainable," Winslet said in 2017.

Source: Vogue UK

As an incredibly public figure, like actress Emma Stone, the level of scrutiny and desire for perfection is amplified on social media. "It wouldn’t be a positive thing for me," Stone told ELLE. "If people can handle that sort of output and input in the social media sphere, power to them."

Source: ELLE

In the case of Jennifer Lawrence, a true millennial at age 29, she doesn't have social media because "the internet has scorned me so much." However, Lawrence revealed last year she made an account where she doesn't post, but only watches to see what unfolds.

Sources: Huffington Post, InStyle

Actress Scarlett Johansson has called social media "a very strange phenomenon," where people freely share mundane photos of making dinner or running errands. "I can’t think of anything I’d rather do less than have to continuously share details of my everyday life," Johansson said in 2011. "I’d rather that people had less access to my personal life."

Source: Interview Magazine

In fact, some stars are just like us regarding technology — or at least like our parents. Emily Blunt, 36, said she's "like a dinosaur" when it comes to social media. She said last year that encounters with celebrities have turned into a "social media currency" for fans, instead of a "genuine interaction."

Sources: Vulture, Glamour

Kristen Stewart has acknowledged that social media is incredibly omnipresent in society, but has said it's not something she wants to invest time in. "Much cooler, productive rad things could be happening," Stewart told CBS in 2016. "We could be doing way cooler s--t. It’s so time-consuming."

Source: CBS News

George Clooney has said that in the entertainment industry, being popular on social media is often aligned with talent, although the two don't go hand-in-hand. However, Clooney also said that social media can help "force you to make better products" in response to instant online backlash.

Source: Adweek

Some celebrities, like Keira Knightley, have tried their hand at social media, only to delete their accounts. "I did actually join Twitter for about 12 hours because I tried to be down with the kids and it just creeped me out," Knightley said in a radio interview in 2014.

Source: Daily Mail

Daniel Radcliffe, of "Harry Potter" fame, has said he doesn't need to try out social media to know he'd be "crap" at it. "I would get into fights. I don’t have the mental fortitude for the internet," Radcliffe said on a talk show in February. "I’ve never quite been comfortable with it.”

Source: Just Jared

In the past, "Friends" star Jennifer Aniston has said she's stayed off of social media simply to maintain her sanity. However, Aniston changed course in 2019 and created an Instagram account — which created such a frenzy that she promptly broke the platform and set a Guinness World Record.

Source: Vogue, Business Insider

• The director of Netflix's "Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez," Geno McDermott, spoke to Business Insider about the making of the documentary series and the process of getting interviews and footage.
• McDermott talked about being unsure if Hernandez was behind the gun for all the murders he was charged with.
• McDermott shared his thoughts on future docs about Hernandez and working with Netflix.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Netflix's latest documentary sensation is the three-part "Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez" (now available on the site), which is a gripping look at the former NFL star who, while being a fan favorite playing tight end for the New England Patriots, was also linked to three murders.

Directed by Geno McDermott, "Killer Inside" uses archival footage, security camera surveillance, courtroom proceedings, interviews with people who knew Hernandez, as well as jailhouse phone calls made by Hernandez, to piece together the life of the gifted athlete and what led to his downward spiral.

After the Patriots drafted Hernandez in the fourth round of the NFL Draft in 2010, he rose to prominence in the Patriots' Tom Brady-led offense, which included a trip to Super Bowl XLVI in 2012 (in which Hernandez scored a touchdown in a loss to the New York Giants). Hernandez was thought to be another diamond in the rough found by coach Bill Belichick, as he was awarded a 5-year, nearly $40 million contract with the team in 2012.

But Hernandez's life imploded the following year when he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder of Odin Lloyd, the boyfriend of his fiancée's sister. Hernandez was later charged with the murder of two men in a 2012 Boston drive-by shooting.

Hernandez became front-page news coast to coast. Could an NFL star also be living a double-life as a murderer?

In just over three hours, "Killer Inside" maps out what police found and what they believe to be Hernandez's involvement. But that's hardly it. McDermott weaves in Hernandez's youth in Bristol, Connecticut, which included watching his mother be physically assaulted by his father (a star high-school football player), and Hernandez being molested by an older child, according to his brother, Jonathan. McDermott also tracked down Hernandez's high-school teammate, Dennis SanSoucie, who said he and Hernandez had a sexual relationship, adding to the tabloid speculation that Hernandez was gay (SanSoucie also recounted their relationship to The Boston Globe's Spotlight team and Hernandez came out to his mother in prison, according to Jonathan Hernandez's book). Then there's the theory that Hernandez's behavior was triggered by CTE, brain trauma caused by a lifetime of playing football.

The public will likely never get a complete account of Hernandez's story and motives, as he committed suicide two days after getting a not guilty verdict in the 2012 drive-by murder case (he had previously been found guilty of the murder of Lloyd). He was 27 years old.

Business Insider spoke to McDermott about how an 87-minute documentary on Hernandez he showed at a film festival led to Netflix turning it into a doc series, the interview he wish he landed, and why he's not convinced Hernandez was the gunman for all the murders he was accused of.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Jason Guerrasio: It sounds like you got involved in 2017, which is around the time the second trial was starting. Aaron was already found guilty in the Odin Lloyd case.

Geno McDermott: Yes. I had started this company called Blackfin and I was 28 years old at the time. Just bootstrapped it and selling projects here and there. So my agents at WME said I should come to meet these two writers who had been doing a book on Aaron Hernandez. But they couldn't sell it, for whatever reason. So in January of 2017, I met with Dan Wetzel and Kevin Armstrong (who are both interviewed for the series), and they had been following Aaron Hernandez all the way back to high school covering his football career. They also reported the first trial. We decided to partner.

What was interesting about the second trial was that it seemed everyone had forgotten about Aaron. He was already a convicted murderer so the thought was he's a thug, he's got a bunch of tattoos, it's par for the course, we're over it he's going to be convicted again and spend his life in prison. So I was fascinated by that. I couldn't believe that everyone had dropped the story and these guys couldn't sell a book on him.

Guerrasio: So you have no distribution lined up at this point, you're just making it.

McDermott: Right. I was just so passionate about the story I decided to self-finance it. So we started getting interviews. We also were able to tap into the courtroom feed of the second trial. Our goal was to eventually interview Aaron Hernandez. 

Guerrasio: From the start, are you building a strategy on how to get him on camera?

McDermott: There was no way we were going to get him on camera before trial and while he's on trial, so we were going to wait for the trial to end and then approach him. So in the meantime, let's go out and get as many interviews as we can get. We start calling everyone we could in Aaron's life. Whoever was willing to give us an interview, on a moment's notice we flew to interview them. 

Guerrasio: Who were the early people you got?

McDermott: Stephen Ziogas [a childhood friend of Hernandez]. Mike Massey, Odin Lloyd's best friend. Carol Bailey, who was the neighbor in the flop house. We just started chipping away. Getting whoever we could get. And I think being in that courtroom and having the footage from the feed, that gave us another big amount of material. 

Guerrasio: But then Aaron commits suicide.

McDermott: Well, before that, Jose Baez did a great job and Aaron was deemed not guilty. That was the first big bomb. Everyone's minds were blown. Then him committing suicide days later, that was the mega bomb. 

Guerrasio: Did you even get off the starting blocks of trying to get him for an interview in that time from the trial ending to him committing suicide?

McDermott: There were so many press requests happening, we stepped back. Maybe a month later or two months later we would have started our outreach. 

Guerrasio: So you weren't even close to the ask when he died.

McDermott: No, I don't believe so.

Guerrasio: But you have this treasure trove of stuff from the court footage to the interviews, which culminates into you doing an 87-minute documentary titled, "My Perfect World: The Aaron Hernandez Story," which you submit to film festivals.

McDermott: Yes. I submitted it to 12 different festivals and we got denied to every single one except for Doc NYC. I had thought that the film was just going to die on the vine.

Guerrasio: Netflix has someone at the fest tracking it?

McDermott: Yeah. My goal in making it, my dream was to make something that was good enough to be on Netflix. I was always going to go with them. They saw it there. And the thing with festivals is they really want stuff to be under 90 minutes, so that's why it was 87 minutes long. There were a lot of text cards to explain things. But there was a lot more to explore. 

Guerrasio: So "My Perfect World" didn't have Aaron's calls from jail and other things?

McDermott: Didn't have the jail phone calls, Dennis SanSoucie, a lot of stuff.

Guerrasio: Your pitch to Netflix is basically, "This movie is just the tip of the iceberg."

McDermott: Yeah. So talking to Netflix we agreed it should be a doc series. 

Guerrasio: Now with Netflix backing you, do you go back and try to get Aaron's fiancée on camera, and his mom, and others?

McDermott: Yeah. We reached out both during the making of the film and the series to everyone two or three times. Every family member. Every friend. Anyone we could find in our research.

Guerrasio: Even Alexander Bradley, the person in the car with Hernandez for the drive-by shooting, that Jose Baez suggested in the trial was the actual shooter?

McDermott: We may have. But we had footage of him on the stand. 

Guerrasio: He's a fascinating part of the movie because you flip things with him to make the viewer wonder, did he kill the two people in the car? Did Aaron really shoot him in the face? Having done this ultimate deep dive do you believe Aaron was the trigger man in all these instances?

McDermott: Honestly, I still don't know. It's our job not to make those types of decisions in the series. Our job is to present all the facts and present all their perspectives and for the viewer to decide. We wanted to get as many people's perspectives as possible.

Guerrasio: Having said that, did it frustrate you that you never answer the "why" question in this? You build all this up but there's never a clear answer of why Aaron did all this.

McDermott: I think the "why" is what fascinates me and fascinates America about this topic. Most true-crime stories have a definitive ending: "This is the motive." But with the Hernandez true-crime story, it can be one of many things, and every time you put your finger on something, then something else pops up. It seems the story is still unfolding. There are still details. I wasn't frustrated by that, it was more I was fascinated by that. 

Guerrasio: How late in the game did the Hernandez jail calls come into your possession? Did you have a cut where there were no Aaron calls?

McDermott: After we put the movie in festivals is when we started getting access to the phone calls. So when we went from scratch with Netflix we had them. But you had to be persistent. With the FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests, they are frustrating because with your request letter you have to write it in a perfect way otherwise they reject it. 

Guerrasio: Doing some digging, I found in the calls Aaron made from jail that he talked about wanting to go back to the NFL, being angry about the gay accusations, being mad that Belichick didn't have his back, why did stuff like that not make the cut? 

McDermott: I feel like with a story like this you could go on forever with those 900 calls. We felt we could tell the story in around three hours, so that was the guideline we put ourselves under. A lot of these true-crime series get accused of being too long, so you're trying to find the happy medium.

Guerrasio: You felt there was a sweet spot in telling this story.

McDermott: Exactly. We could have spent entire episodes on those court cases. They went on forever. You had to truncate them and present what you feel the viewer needs the most to know the story. 

Guerrasio: Looking back, is there a person you wished you got to interview?

McDermott: We really wanted to interview Jonathan Hernandez, Aaron's brother. Obviously, everyone in the Hernandez family and his world has been reached out to a thousand times, so we were trying to be respectful of that and doing it the right way. But it would have been great to have his perspective in there. 

Guerrasio: Did he stonewall you?

McDermott: No. He was very respectful and said, "Thanks for your interest, I just won't participate at this time." He was super nice and professional. 

Guerrasio: You say that it seems this is a story that won't go away. Something new always comes up. Do you feel you can tell more or is this the definitive story?

McDermott: I think there's always more story to tell. I fell this is the definitive doc series on the topic, but it's hard to predict the future. But we're really happy where we landed and the response has been insane.

Guerrasio: So if Netflix called tomorrow and asked, "What else you got on this?" You're not hanging up the phone. 

McDermott: [Laughs.] I don't think any filmmaker would hang up the phone on that call.

SEE ALSO: How the "Bad Boys" franchise found new life thanks to 2 Belgian directors who never made a Hollywood movie before

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NOW WATCH: Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns explains why country music is universal

• Baby Yoda has become the undisputed star of Disney Plus' "The Mandalorian"— no offense to Mando. 
• These 17 gifts are perfect for anyone who's obsessed with the hairy and green 50-year-old, or even for those who haven't even watched the show but know everything about it.
• Some items like a Disney Plus gift subscriptionare available now while others like a squeezable Baby Yoda plush that makes sounds are available for pre-order and will arrive sometime in the spring. 
• See more: How to get a free week of Disney Plus, Disney's new ad-free streaming service

Even if you haven't watched "The Mandalorian" on Disney Plus, you've undoubtedly seen all the Baby Yoda memes, fan art, and merch. 

As soon as the adorable green creature appeared on the Disney Plus Star Wars series "The Mandalorian," everyone — including yours truly — wanted a piece of Baby Yoda. With the exception of a Disney Plus gift subscription that they can use immediately, most of the items in this list are only available for pre-order and would arrive later this spring. Better late than never we say. 

The top 5 Baby Yoda gifts:

1. A Disney Plus gift subscription
2. A Baby Yoda-printed phone case
3. A Baby Yoda plush
4. Baby Yoda PopSockets
5. Collectible Baby Yoda figures

Here are 17 Baby Yoda gifts for fans of "The Mandalorian": 

A Disney Plus gift subscription

Disney Plus gift subscription, $69.99 for a year, available at Disney Plus

In addition to hundreds of classic Disney movies, old shows, and original programming, Disney+ is the only place to see the Child in action. From day one of Disney Plus, "The Mandalorian" has been a hit both with audience and critics. If they don't already have Disney Plus, now's the time to get it for them.

Here's everything to know about Disney Plus and about its gift subscription here.

A Baby Yoda-printed phone case

The Child 3-D iPhone Case XR/11, $34.99, available at shopDisney

Protect your phone just like you'd protect the Child with a hard-shell case featuring prints of Baby Yoda. 

A cuddly and soft Baby Yoda plush

The Child Plush Toy, $24.99, available at shopDisney

This Baby Yoda plush is one of the cutest and cuddliest versions of the Child we've seen. Pre-order this adorable toy you should; it will ship by April 20, 2020. 

A Baby Yoda PopSocket

Baby Yoda PopSockets, from $15, available at PopSocket and Amazon

Make your phone 10 times adorable by adding a Baby Yoda PopSocket. They'll smile every time they pick up their phone, which is about every second. 

Collectible Baby Yoda figures

Star Wars the Bounty Collection, The Child 2.2-inch Collectible Toys: Sipping Soup and Blanket Wrapped, $15.99, available for pre-order at Hasbro Pulse, Target, and Amazon

Star Wars The Bounty Collection, The Child 2.2-inch Collectible Figures: Toys Don't Leave and Ball Toy, $15.99, available for pre-order at Hasbro Pulse, Target, and Amazon

Star Wars The Bounty Collection, The Child 2.2-inch Collectible Figures: Froggy Snack and Force Moment, $15.99, available for pre-order at Hasbro Pulse, Target, and Amazon

Just when you thought Baby Yoda couldn't get more adorable, these collectible mini figurine sets is here to prove you wrong. There are three different figurine sets, each with two different Baby Yodas from memorable scenes from the show (though let's be honest, every scene was memorable). They are tiny at 2.2 inches, but they're incredibly cute and adorable. They'll be released May 25, 2020 and customers are limited to two orders of each set. 

A coffee mug marking the moment when Mando first met Baby Yoda

The Mandalorian - The Child Film Still Mug, $16.95, available at shopDisney

Memorialize the moment when Mando discovers the intergalactic sensation that is Baby Yoda with this coffee mug. You can customize the size, style, and color of the mug too.

A wall calendar to keep track of 2020 with 2019's most beloved character

Star Wars The Mandalorian - The Child - 2020 Wall Calendar, $14.99, available at Walmart

The calendar covers 2020 and the first four months of 2021, so there are 16-months-worth of photos of The Child. 

A tall posable Baby Yoda figure

Star Wars The Child 6.5-inch Posable Action Figure, $19.99, available for pre-order at Target and Amazon

If they want a bigger Baby Yoda with the accessories, this will do just fine. At 6.5 inches, it's among the bigger active figures and the head and arms can be manipulated into various positions. It's available for pre-order now and is set to be released May 11, 2020; customers are limited to two figures.

A warm and comfortable Baby Yoda crewneck sweatshirt

Baby Yoda Sweatshirt, $29.99, available at Etsy

May the Force be with you every time you wear this sweatshirt, which is probably going to be all the time. 

A set of Baby Yoda stickers

Baby Yoda Stickers, $6.20, available on Amazon

Deck out your phone, laptop, tablet, calendar, and more with these Baby Yoda stickers so he and the Force will always be with you.

A Baby Yoda bobblehead

The Child Pop! Vinyl Bobble Head Figure by Funko, $12.99, available at shopDisney

At a little under four inches in height, this Funko bobblehead of the Child will fit nicely on a desk, bedside table, or even on the front dash of your car. This is available for pre-order right now and is expected to arrive May 13, 2020. 

A funny Baby Yoda pocket T-shirt

Precious Cargo Pocket T-Shirt, $22.99, available on Amazon

Protect The Child at all costs by carrying him around in the pocket of your T-shirt.  

A book of collectible Mandalorian and the Child-inspired posters

Star Wars: The Mandalorian Poster Book, $7.99, available at shopDisney

This collectible book features 16 double-sided pull-out posters so you can cherish artwork featuring the Child (and sure, Mando too) forever. 

A Baby Yoda plush toy

The Child Plush by Mattel, $24.99, available at shopDisney

This 10-inch plush toy is a soft and cuddly incarnation of Baby Yoda, and even comes in special packaging that'll look like the crib from the show. This item is available for pre-order and won't arrive until April 1, 2020.

A moveable Baby Yoda with its favorite food, broth, and toy

Star Wars The Black Series The Child Action Figure, $9.99, available for pre-order at Target and Amazon

They can move the head and arms on this Baby Yoda to create and animate scenes while waiting for the second season of "The Mandalorian." It comes with a full suite of Baby Yoda accessories like the frog, cup of bone broth, and ball. Pre-order now for a May 4, 2020 release; customers can purchase two max.

A Baby Yoda puzzle they can frame after completing

Star Wars - The Mandalorian - The Child 500-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle, $10.99, available for pre-order at Amazon

This Baby Yoda puzzle will ship within one to four weeks after it is purchased. This 500-piece puzzle would be great for any puzzle lover, especially those who like to frame them after they're completed and hang them on the wall.  

A super-sized Baby Yoda bobblehead

The Child Super Sized Pop! Vinyl Bobble Head Figure by Funko, $29.99, available at shopDisney

Funko is also making a 10-inch version of the Child. This one is also pre-order only and won't be available until June 3, 2020.

• Hulu has just released its trailer for the upcoming four-part docuseries "Hillary," which will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and come to the streaming service on March 6. 
• The docu-series gives a candid and in-depth look at Clinton's life and career, featuring never-before-seen footage and interviews with former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. 
• Clinton said she sat for 35 hours of interviews for the documentary, directed by Nanette Burstein and produced by Propgate.
• The trailer shows interviews of Clinton discussing her advocacy for women's rights as First Lady, the impeachment of her husband, and the failures of her 2016 campaign. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Hulu has just released its trailer for the upcoming four-part docuseries "Hillary," which will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and come to the streaming service on March 6. 

Featuring never-before-seen footage of Clinton's early life and 2016 presidential campaign and interviews with her daughter Chelsea, husband Bill Clinton, and former President Barack Obama, the docuseries gives an in-depth look at Clinton's life and career.

The series explores the legacy of one of the most powerful, admired, and often reviled women in America, known for breaking down barriers and changing norms for women in politics as a First Lady, US Senator, Secretary of State, and the first female presidential nominee for a major political party.

At a recent press event, Clinton said she sat for 35 hours of interviews for the documentary, directed by Nanette Burstein and produced by Propgate, and said "nothing was off-limits," Deadline reported.

The trailer shows interviews and footage of Clinton and those close to her recalling her advocacy for women's rights as First Lady, weathering the impeachment of her husband, and reckoning with the failures of her 2016 campaign. 

Clinton said at the event that the documentary was initially planned to focus on the 2016 election, but quickly expanded in scope to survey her whole life. 

Watch the trailer here: 

Read more:

The Justice Department investigation into Trump's claims of Hillary Clinton's corruption is reportedly over, and found nothing

Trump 'could barely talk' after Hillary Clinton offered to help him as president, Clinton says

What happened when US presidents Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton faced impeachment, and how it compares to today

SEE ALSO: Hillary Clinton said the 'gutsiest' thing she ever did was stay married to Bill Clinton

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A law professor weighs in on how Trump could beat impeachment

• Rihanna and her billionaire boyfriend, Hassan Jameel, have broken up after three years of dating, according to Us Weekly. 
• The two had quietly been dating since 2017, according to reports, and kept a very low profile.
• Us Weekly did not report the cause of the breakup and it's likely — given the fact that the couple was notoriously private when they were together — the pair will not reveal what caused them to split. 
• Here's everything we know about the billionaire businessman said to be Rihanna's now-ex-boyfriend.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Rihanna's love life has been a media obsession for years — which may account for why she kept her relationship with billionaire Hassan Jameel so private.

But now, Us Weekly reports that the couple has broken up after three years of dating, with no explanations yet as to why. The report comes two months after the pop star admitted to having a boyfriend, having just confirmed the relationship in November in an interview with Vogue magazine. 

"Yeah, I'm dating," she told Vogue's op-ed editor Abby Aguirre in an interview for the magazine's cover. "I'm actually in an exclusive relationship for quite some time, and it's going really well, so I'm happy."

Despite maintaining a relatively low profile, Rihanna and Jameel were spotted together on numerous occasions — the duo was even spotted at a dinner in Santa Monica, California, which included the pop star's mother. Those days, it seems, are over. 

But who is Hassan Jameel, the man who captured — for a time, at least — the heart of the biggest pop star on the planet? Here's everything we know about the billionaire said to be Rihanna's now-ex-boyfriend.

SEE ALSO: Rihanna is the world's richest female musician — from yachting trips on the French Riviera to a staff that includes a chef and personal trainers, see how she spends her $600 million fortune

DON'T MISS: The fabulous life of Rihanna, from her Barbados roots to 33 Grammy noms, and Fenty Beauty's game-changing role in makeup

Rihanna was first linked to the Saudi businessman Hassan Jameel in 2017. They were seen kissing and having coffee together during a trip to Spain.

Source: People

The identity of the "mystery man" with Rihanna wasn't clear at first. But less than a day later, he was identified as Jameel, and the two were officially declared an item.

Source: Vogue

Despite the media's immediate interest in their romance, neither the singer nor the businessman discussed the relationship in the press at first — though Rihanna's dad did tell reporters that while he was aware his daughter had a new boyfriend, he had no clue that boyfriend was a billionaire.

"She told me she had a new boyfriend about a month ago, but I didn't know who he was," the singer's father told the Toronto Sun in 2017. "I always tell her, 'Don't date an entertainer, don't date an athlete.' They are busy going this way and that way, they don't have any quality time, and they're good looking guys so women fall all over them."

He added: "He's going to have to buckle up. She's a hard-working girl. She's very independent and ambitious."

While Rihanna's net worth of $600 million (per Forbes' most recent estimate) is nothing to scoff at, Jameel is exorbitantly wealthy himself. The Saudi businessman is a Toyota heir — his family owns Abdul Latif Jameel, the largest distribution company for Toyota in several Middle Eastern countries.

Source: Forbes, Harper's Bazaar

The company was founded in 1945 by Jameel's grandfather, Abdul Latif Jameel, and named after him. Hassan Jameel is the deputy president and vice chairman for Saudi Arabia.

He heads the company's domestic operations in Saudi Arabia. He handles automotive, land and real estate, and machinery operations.

Source: Family Business Council-Gulf, World Economic Forum

He also serves as the president of Community Jameel, a charity that his family's company runs.

Community Jameel's website says the organization "operates a wide range of initiatives which promote and contribute towards positive societal change and economic sustainability" and coordinates programs "focusing on the social, cultural, educational, and economic development of individuals and communities in the Middle East region and beyond."

The Jameel family ranked fourth on Forbes Middle East's 2017 list of the Arab world's richest families, putting their collective net worth at $2.2 billion.

Subsequent rankings left off all Saudis. Forbes Middle East explained in its 2018 list that it "chose to leave off all 10 Saudis given reports of asset seizures after some 200 people, including some billionaires, were detained."

Source: Forbes Middle East

The Jameel family also owned a soccer league. The Saudi Pro League was known as Dawry Jameel when it was sponsored by the company from 2013 to 2019.

Source: Community Jameel

Before his current roles in his family businesses, Jameel worked for Toyota, in the company's Japan offices.

Source: Family Business Council-Gulf

In fact, Jameel spent several years in Japan. He received a bachelor of arts in international economics from Sophia University in Tokyo before attending the London Business School for his MBA.

Source: Family Business Council-Gulf

He's also a polyglot, fluent in English, Arabic, and Japanese.

Source: Family Business Council-Gulf

Jameel was previously married to Lina Lazaar, a Tunisian art expert. The two wed in 2012 and divorced in 2017.

Source: The Sun

Before his romance with Rihanna, Jameel was also linked to supermodel Naomi Campbell.

Source: Harper's Bazaar

Over the past three years, the duo kept a very low profile. In August 2019, a source told People that the pair went out for a "lovely dinner evening" with Rihanna's mom and brother in Santa Monica, California. A few days later, paparazzi got photos of the two looking "cuddly" during dinner at Wally's in Beverly Hills.

Source: People, Elle

In one of their first sighted outings, Rihanna and Jameel celebrated Halloween together in Boston in 2017. Witnesses told Us Weekly that the singer was dressed as Kylo Ren from "Star Wars" and that Jameel was in a penguin costume.

"Rihanna and Hassan were canoodling all night," a source told Us Weekly. "She ordered extra pasta to take home because she said she often gets hungry around 2 a.m."

They also attended a Los Angeles Lakers game in February for her 31st birthday — one of the rare public outings where they were actually caught on camera together.

Source: W magazine

In June 2019, the couple took a trip to the Amalfi Coast, where they were photographed cuddling, with a group that appeared to include other members of the Jameel family.

Source: Elle

Shortly before that trip, Rihanna told The New York Times that earlier in 2019, she moved to London ("where she is closer to the team working on Fenty, which is designed in Paris and manufactured in Italy," The Times said) — though many speculated that the move was so she could be closer to Jameel, who reportedly lives there.

Source: New York Times, Metro

In a conversation with her "Ocean's 8" costar Sarah Paulson for Interview magazine in June 2019, Rihanna refused to confirm who she was dating — "Google it," she said — but did say that "of course" she was in love.

When Paulson asked whether she was going to get married, Rihanna paused, then said: "Only god knows that, girl. We plan and god laughs, right?"

She also explained how she prioritized a blossoming relationship amid her busy career.

"I got into a new relationship, and it matters to me," she said. "It was like, 'I need to make time for this.' Just like I nurture my businesses, I need to nurture this as well. I'll shut things down for two days, three days at a time. On my calendar we now have the infamous 'P,' which means personal days. This is a new thing."

Rihanna did confirm, however, that was in an "exclusive relationship" during an interview for Vogue's November 2019 cover story.

"Yeah, I'm dating," she told Vogue's Abby Aguirre. "I'm actually in an exclusive relationship for quite some time, and it's going really well, so I'm happy."

Rihanna also said she does want kids: "Without a doubt."

Source: Vogue

But on January 17, 2020, Us Weekly reported that Rihanna and Jameel had split after nearly three years together.

No details have been released as to what caused the breakup, but perhaps it will inspire some songs for her next album.

Source: Us Weekly

• Tesla CEO Elon Musk appears to be a fan of Netflix's "The Witcher," and to have its viral song stuck in his head.
• Musk tweeted twice, around a week apart, to comment on the catchiness of "Toss a Coin to Your Witcher."
• Both were sent around 1 a.m., and the second suggested the tune was keeping him awake.
• Visit Business Insider's home page for more stories.

It is a fate unavoidable for the millions of fans who have tuned into Netflix's breakout original series "The Witcher" — and Elon Musk is no exception.

The Tesla founder and CEO has the "Toss a Coin to Your Witcher," the show's breakout viral song, stuck in his head, and it looks like it's been that way for at least a week.

Musk sent two tweets, almost exactly a week apart, referencing the song.

The first, in the early hours of Friday January 10, simply repeated the lyrics:

And the second, around 1 a.m. on Friday January 17 was a meme (specifically "Are You Going to Sleep?") that suggested that the song's catchiness was keeping him up at night.

Both tweets were successful even by Musk's standard, having amassed more than 200,000 likes each at time of publication.

In the show, "Toss a Coin to Your Witcher" is written and performed in the show's second episode by the character Jaskier the bard, played by British actor Joey Batey.

Here is the official version of the song, hosted on the SoundCloud account of composers Sonya Belousova & Giona Ostinelli.

The song has been the most shareable thing to come out of "The Witcher," a video game adaptation which was in turn inspired by a series of Polish novels.

In an interview with Business Insider's Travis Clark, showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich said that the song's catchiness is part of a more subtle point, which is "horrific" when you think hard enough.

The idea stems from the fact that the account Jaskier gives of the feats of Geralt of Rivia (played by Henry Cavill) is untrue, and the reality was far less heroic.

Hissrich said:

"It's a catchy song, but if you step back and listen to the lyrics, it's horrific. What it's saying is: I'm going to change how history sees this entire event just because I've written a catchy song."

Netflix has commissioned a second season of "The Witcher," which Hissrich said in a recent Reddit post is due out some time in 2021.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Behind the scenes with Shepard Smith — the Fox News star who just announced his resignation from the network

• Disney removed the word "Fox" from the name of the famed 20th Century Fox movie studio, Variety magazine reported Friday.
• The studio will now be known as 20th Century Studios, multiple outlets confirmed.
• Changing the name appears to be a conscious effort to distance the studio from Rupert Murdoch, who sold it to Disney in early 2019.
• In recent years, Murdoch has shed vast swathes of his media empire, which is now focused on the Fox News cable network and a stable of influential newspapers.
• Visit Business Insider's home page for more stories.

Disney executives have axed the word "Fox" from the famed 20th Century Fox movie production studio, a move which distances the company from its former owner Rupert Murdoch.

The change was reported on Friday by Variety magazine and later confirmed by multiple other outlets.

It shows Disney stamping its authority on the company, which it bought along with a vast array of other entertainment assets once owned by Murdoch's 21st Century Fox parent company.

The replacement name for 20th Century Fox, familiar from the opening credits of countless blockbusters, will be 20th Century Studios.

A similar rebrand also took place at Fox Searchlight Pictures, which specialises in arthouse films, and will now be known as Searchlight Pictures.

According to Variety, the change is a conscious effort to distance the brands from Murdoch's legacy, which is also tied up with the Fox News network, often a lightning rod for controversy, and unpopular in Hollywood.

An unnamed Disney source told the magazine: "I think the Fox name means Murdoch, and that is toxic."

The switch helps bring home the reality that Murdoch's status as a media mogul is diminished since the sale.

His decades-long foray into movies and entertainment, which saw his legacy bound up in hits like "Avatar," "Titanic," and the Star Wars franchise, is now symbolically as well as technically over.

Separately, a few months before the Disney sale, Murdoch's 21st Century Fox also sold its stake in the Sky TV cable network, which has substantial market share in Europe.

Murdoch continues to retain substantial media influence via his ownership of Fox's TV news properties, and newspapers including The Times of London, The Sun, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Post.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Behind the scenes with Shepard Smith — the Fox News star who just announced his resignation from the network

• IHeartMedia recently announced a round of layoffs, saying it was part of a "modernization" process for the company, as it relies increasingly on technological investments to power operations.
• Laid-off employees from local iHeartMedia radio stations told Business Insider they were caught off guard by the cuts, especially of those who worked in high-performing markets.
• IHeartMedia is the largest radio network in the US, and the reorganization suggests the company will rely more on central programming and syndication for local stations. 
• Business Insider spoke with 12 laid-off employees who described how they received the news and what they think was behind their layoffs.
• Click here for more BI Prime articles.

Adam Diaz first started listening to iHeartRadio when he was in the hospital recovering from a back injury that resulted in his medical retirement from the US Coast Guard.

Seven years later, he was hired as a part-time board operator at one of the company's local radio stations in the Delaware area, where he went on to work as an executive producer for country music show "Nashville's Next with Benny."

Diaz said he loved his industry, his company, and his job.

But when iHeartMedia announced this week that it would reorganize to keep up with the modernization of audio, he became one of many local radio workers laid off at the largest radio network in the US.

AllAccess, a radio industry news site, published lists of employees who were laid off, and their count shows more than 100 were let go. Business Insider spoke with 12 laid-off employees, some of whom reported hearing that thousands could be laid off. 

IHeartMedia has 12,500 employees in all, and the company said in a statement to Business Insider the number of layoffs was "relatively small" but wouldn't give an exact figure.

But whatever the exact number, a handful of former employees said the loss of on-air hosts and program directors around the country was already noticeable in local markets.

"I hope the best for the company's and radio's future, but I'm afraid this move will prove damaging to the emotion that makes radio successful, to the culture and soul of the industry," Diaz said.

IHeartMedia insiders were surprised by the layoffs, although some said a recent managerial meeting was an omen

Some former employees who worked at iHeartMedia for decades — since the days when the company was known as Clear Channel — said morale has been declining for several years as traditional radio struggled to maintain audiences who are turning to streaming and podcasting. 

Still, despite red flags, former employees who spoke with Business Insider soon after being laid off described being blindsided by this latest blow to the radio industry.

Looking back, some said they should have expected a reduction in force last week, when iHeartMedia called a meeting in New York City for high-level managers.

"We knew something bad was going to come of it, but we didn't know what," said one former program director who spoke to Business Insider on the condition of anonymity because his severance package had not been finalized.

Then, on the morning of Jan. 14, CEO Bob Pittman sent a company-wide email referencing restructuring, and the company publicly announced layoffs. Minutes later, hosts, program directors, executive producers, board operators, and other local staffers around the country felt their phones buzz with calls from their managers.

Managers tasked with conveying the news of the layoffs were given scripts to read, several former employees said, and without specific reasoning as to why they were being let go, many employees caught up in the reduction were left wondering why they were out of a job.

Billy D'Ettorre, a producer of the "Brother Wease" morning show on WAIO in Rochester, New York, said he felt as if his more than 10 years of work at iHeartMedia were all for nothing when he lost his job.

"It caught me totally off guard," D'Ettorre said. "I was literally talking to one of my coworkers about how we were going to handle an upcoming vacation day I had … when our program director came and said, 'Billy, I need to see you.'"

IHeartMedia recently emerged from bankruptcy

In 2018, iHeartMedia filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after a leveraged buyout in 2008 left it with over $20 billion in debt for the next decade.

Less than a year ago, the company completed a separate restructuring process that reduced its debt from $16.1 billion to $5.75 billion and split it from Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings.

Considering the remaining debt, a few former employees speculated that the most recent round of layoffs was an attempt to save money.

But even well-performing markets with beloved hosts were not spared, some former employees said.

IHeartMedia said the new structure would allow the company to "take advantage of the significant investments it has made in technology and artificial intelligence and its unique scale and leadership position in the audio marketplace."

In a statement, the company said the job cuts were determined by "location" and "function," but wouldn't elaborate.

As iHeartMedia turns to tech to power programming, localized radio content falls by the wayside

IHeartMedia already relies on some centralized programming, or generalized broadcast content meant to be played across multiple stations, but this recent round of layoffs is indicative of a further push into centralizing programming.

As examples, company insiders described how one disc jockey can curate playlists for dozens of local stations, and one morning show host can record content from one city to be broadcast around the whole state. AI technology can even customize playlists for specific communities.

"We are now using our considerable investments in technology to modernize our operations and infrastructure, further setting us apart from traditional media companies," Pittman said in a statement.

As part of the restructuring, iHeartMedia said it would group its markets into three categories based on common needs and characteristics: The region, metro, and community divisions.

The company's largest markets that encompass hundreds of cities, like New York City and Los Angeles, make up the region division. The metro division is comprised of slightly smaller markets that still reach multiple communities, and the community division includes small markets grouped by geographic location and cultural similarities.

"We will continue to serve every local community in which we operate, just as we always have," the company said in a statement.

But it may serve them in a different way. A former program director said that over the past year he's seen national teams of DJs working out of one city to curate playlists for multiple stations, but that he expected that sort of content, as well as syndication, to become even more common in 2020.

"I think a lot of centrally programmed stations will come out of this," the program director said. "You're going to see local stations with one or two disc jockeys now have none."

But while centralized programming reduced the need for DJs and hosts, those who lost their jobs said many listeners quickly noticed the change.

"The response to my being let go has been overwhelming," said D'Ettorre, who announced his departure on Facebook. "It's stunning. I've gotten hundreds, maybe thousands of responses."

SEE ALSO: A music artist breaks down exactly how much money Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and more paid her in 2019

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns explains why country music is universal

• Amazon Prime Video's new fashion competition series, "Making the Cut," is set to premiere on March 27, according to an Amazon press release. It will be hosted and executive produced by former "Project Runway" hosts, Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn.
• The show will bring together 12 designers, as they travel to New York, Paris, and Tokyo to face challenges that will test their abilities not only design, but also in entrepreneurship.
• According to Amazon, "Making the Cut" will be the "first-ever global and instantly shoppable series," which allows the winning looks of each episode to be available for purchase in the dedicated Amazon Fashion "Making the Cut" store.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

How does Amazon Fashion plan to lure in customers? By getting into the reality television game, of course.

Amazon has announced a new fashion competition series, set to debut on Prime Video on March 27. The new series, called "Making the Cut," will be hosted and executive produced by former "Project Runway" alums Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn. 

According to an Amazon press release, the show will feature 12 designers who will travel to New York, Paris, and Tokyo as they face challenges which will test their ability in not only design but also entrepreneurship. Two episodes are set to air weekly, leading up to the finale scheduled for April 24.

The 12 designers will be judged by a rotating slew of fashion experts, including supermodel Naomi Campbell and former Vogue Paris editor-in-chief Carine Roitfeld. 

Immediately after each episode airs, the limited edition looks from the show will be available for purchase via Amazon Fashion in its dedicated "Making the Cut" store. Designers will be eliminated throughout the course of the show, with the winner receiving a $1 million prize.

"'Project Runway' is the undergraduate program and 'Making the Cut' is the graduate and PhD program," Gunn said at a television press event, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

Is Amazon the next big thing in fashion? 

Already a dominant force in industries like tech, Amazon has been actively building up its presence in the fashion industry over the last few years. In 2017, the online mega-retailer brought on Christine Beauchamp— who previously worked at Ralph Lauren Corporation and L Brands — as the president of Amazon Fashion. Under her tenure, Amazon launched brands Goodthreads and The Fix, in addition to a collaboration with Calvin Klein and a line with actress Drew Barrymore.

In May 2019, Amazon launched The Drop, which, according to the website, lets influencers design "limited edition fashion collections," which are then sold exclusively on Amazon. The Drop collections are launched every few weeks, and, according to Glossy, are only available for 30 hours or until it sells out. 

Amazon also launched Prime Wardrobe and Echo Look; both are features which connect consumers directly to fashion stylists. Prime Wardrobe allows customers to select items online, then try them on at home, only paying for the the items they want to keep. At the same time, Echo Look lets customers take photos of themselves in clothes, with a "Style Check" feature to give advice on the outfits which look best.

"The customer really needs information. They want to know that [their clothing purchases are] going to fit," Beauchamp said in an Amazon blog. "They want to know the color's accurate, they want to know the fabric moves well across their body."

Amazon turning its focus to fashion is paying off

According to a Wells Fargo report cited by CNBC, in 2018, Amazon made $35 billion from its sales of apparel and footwear. This is less than 15% of Amazon's total sales, which were $232.9 billion overall, CNBC reports. As reported by CNBC's Lauren Thomas, Amazon earning $35 billion in apparel and footwear sales eclipses its competitors in this space, such as athletic retailer Lululemon, who brought in $3.3 billion in sales in 2018, and Gap Inc. whose net sales were $16.6 billion.

SEE ALSO: 3 entrepreneurs at the helm of fashion and retail startups all say Instagram's decision to hide likes is 'for the greater good' — but it will inevitably disrupt how brand marketing works

DON'T MISS: How one millennial CEO built a luxury eyewear brand that's been spotted on everyone from Jeff Bezos to Brad Pitt

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Fashion designer Christian Siriano explains why malls are dying

• Every week, Parrot Analytics provides Business Insider with a list of the nine most in-demand original TV shows on streaming services in the US.
• Netflix's "The Witcher" is back on top this week and the new addition is Disney Plus' "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series."
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Netflix's "The Witcher" and Disney Plus' "The Mandalorian" are engaged in a streaming battle. "The Witcher" topped "The Mandalorian" as the most in-demand streaming series in the US this week, trading places from last week.

Every week, Parrot Analytics provides Business Insider with a list of the nine most in-demand TV shows on streaming services in the US. The data is based on "demand expressions," Parrot Analytics' globally standardized TV-demand measurement unit. Audience demand reflects the desire, engagement, and viewership weighted by importance, so a stream or a download is a higher expression of demand than a "like" or a comment on social media, for instance.

The new addition to the list this week is Disney Plus' "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series."

Below are this week's nine most popular original shows on Netflix and other streaming services:

SEE ALSO: The battle between Netflix's 'The Witcher' and Disney Plus' 'The Mandalorian' previews what's to come in the streaming war

9. "Truth Be Told" (Apple TV Plus)

Average demand expressions: 30,411,067

Description: "When new evidence compels podcaster Poppy Parnell (Octavia Spencer) to reopen the murder case that made her a national sensation, she comes face to face with Warren Cave (Aaron Paul), the man she may have mistakenly helped to put behind bars. Her investigation navigates urgent concerns about privacy, media and race."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score (Season 1): 31%

What critics said: "It's interesting, but it drags; it's enjoyable while you watch, but you don't rush to return to it. It's just fine— but it's not essential TV that you need to pay for a streaming platform to enjoy." — Paste Magazine (Season 1)

Season 1 premiered December 6 on Apple TV Plus. See more insights here.

8. "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series" (Disney Plus)

Average demand expressions: 30,511,154

Description: "The 10-episode scripted series, set as the real-life East High, where the original movie was filmed, follows a group of students as they countdown to opening night of their school's first-ever production of 'High School Musical.'"

Rotten Tomatoes critic score (Season 1): 79%

What critics said: "The series is not a reinvention of its genre, but it shines in its little specifics, like the agony of listening to someone slog through reading stage directions out loud, or impromptu harmonies that are really just singing an octave up." — New York Times (Season 1)

Season 1 premiered November 12 on Disney Plus. See more insights here.

7. "Harley Quinn" (DC Universe)

Average demand expressions: 30,902,304

Description: "Harley Quinn has finally broken things off with the Joker and attempts to make it on her own as the criminal Queenpin of Gotham City in this adult animated action-comedy series which also features Poison Ivy and a whole cast of heroes and villains, old and new, from the DC Universe."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score (Season 1): 89%

What critics said: "Ultimately, Harley Quinn might be an economical watch, but it feels expansive, partially because the supporting cast pops with every shade of personality." — Uproxx (season 1)

Season 1 premiered on November 29 on DC Universe. See more insights here.

6. "The Crown" (Netflix)

Average demand expressions: 31,803,909

Description: "This drama follows the political rivalries and romance of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped the second half of the 20th century."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score (Season 3): 90%

What critics said: "It remains an engaging mix of personal drama and world events, and it humanizes members of the royal family in ways that are little short of miraculous." — Salt Lake Tribune (Season 3)

Season 3 premiered November 17 on Netflix. See more insights here.

5. "Titans" (DC Universe)

Average demand expressions: 57,123,811

Description: "'Titans' follows young heroes from across the DC Universe as they come of age and find belonging in a gritty take on the classic Teen Titans franchise. Dick Grayson and Rachel Roth, a special young girl possessed by a strange darkness, get embroiled in a conspiracy that could bring Hell on Earth. Joining them along the way are the hot-headed Starfire and lovable Beast Boy. Together they become a surrogate family and team of heroes."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score (Season 2): 85%

What critics said: "Titans still isn't quite up there with some of the better superhero small screen offerings but it might be soon enough." — ComicBookMovie.com (Season 2)

Season 2 premiered on DC Universe on September 6. See more insights here.

4. "Stranger Things" (Netflix)

Average demand expressions: 68,014,355

Description: "When a young boy vanishes, a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score (Season 3): 89%

What critics said: "Overall, there was a lot to like in the Duffer Brothers' third foray into this series ..." — i09 (Season 3)

Season 3 premiered July 4 on Netflix. See more insights here.

3. "You" (Netflix)

Average demand expressions: 76,971,207

Description: "A dangerously charming, intensely obsessive young man goes to extreme measures to insert himself into the lives of those he is transfixed by."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score (Season 2): 92%

What critics said: "Season 2 proves Season 1 wasn't lightning in a bottle." — Indiewire (Season 2)

Season 2 premiered on Netflix on December 26. See more insights here.

2. "The Mandalorian" (Disney Plus)

Average demand expressions: 105,784,458

Description: "After the fall of the Empire, a lone gunfighter makes his way through the lawless galaxy."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score (Season 1): 95%

What critics said: "It is a relief and a joy to see that The Mandalorian knows what it is here to do; it knows who it is fighting for." — Vanity Fair (Season 1)

Season 1 premiered on Disney Plus on November 12. See more insights here.

1. "The Witcher" (Netflix)

Average demand expressions: 111,404,191

Description: "Geralt of Rivia, a mutated monster-hunter for hire, journeys toward his destiny in a turbulent world where people often prove more wicked than beasts."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score (Season 1): 67%

What critics said: "When the worst thing you can say about a series is that every episode ends up being better than the one that preceded it, that leaves an exciting amount of room to grow." — AV Club (Season 1)

Season 1 premiered on Netflix on December 20. See more insights here.

• For months, Instagram has been testing hiding public-facing likes from Instagram feeds worldwide.
• In an interview with The New York Times, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri said the decision was inspired by an episode of "Black Mirror" where characters rated each other based on their interactions.
• Instagram users have had mixed feelings about the change, which is still in a testing phase.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage here.

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri said in an interview published Friday that the company's decision to test hiding the number of likes from users on the platform was a decision inspired – at least partially – by Netflix's "Black Mirror." 

In an interview with The New York Times, the 36-year-old CEO explained the reasoning behind the company's recent decision – called "Project Daisy" internally – to test the removal of public-facing like tallies from Instagram users' feeds. 

While The New York Times did not name the episode Mosseri said was on his mind when he began to spearhead the change, based on his description of the episode, he was likely influenced by "Nosedive," an episode in the third season of the Netflix hit series.

"Nosedive" aired in 2016 as part of the British show's third season. It stars Bryce Dallas Howard in a world where people rate each other on a one-to-five scale based on their interactions with one another. The rating system influences how people in society are treated and has been described as a commentary on social media's influence. 

In the episode, Lacie Pound – Howard's character – spent the majority of her time obsessed with her rating, attempting to no avail throughout "Nosedive" to increase her score to gain more real-world opportunities. Even Howard said her own social media habits had changed following her "Black Mirror" appearance. 

Part of Mosseri's desire to reform Instagram, he told The New York Times, was based on his previous job at Facebook (Instagram's owner), which required he oversee the Facebook News Feed, often criticized for the prevalence of fake news and harmful content. 

"We should have started to more proactively think about how Instagram and Facebook could be abused and mitigate those risks," Mosseri told The New York Times. "We're playing catch-up."

As Business Insider previously reported, Instagram has been toying with the idea of eliminating user-facing likes since last year.

While users will still be able to see the amount of likes on their own posts to the social-media platform, the idea behind "Project Daisy" is that other users will not see the tallies.

In the name of mental health, Instagram began testing the feature in July 2019 in seven countries – Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan, and New Zealand. In November last year, Mosseri announced that some US users would begin to see the number of likes hidden from posts. 

While the feature has been in testing, or "dog-fooding" as it's called internally at Instagram, per The New York Times, the company has reportedly been deciding how exactly to implement the feature. 

The report said the company was still determining whether to show if a post passed a certain threshold of likes (like thousands or millions of likes, for example), or whether it would provide a way for users to determine the number of likes on a photo or video through other methods.

"We will make decisions that hurt the business if they help people's well-being and health," Mosseri previously said, per WIRED. 

While Mosseri views the step as one in the right direction to mitigate the negatives of social media, Instagram users, and in particular influencers who use the platform to earn a living, have had mixed reactions to the proposed change. Some believe the decision could improve the mental health of influencers and lead to more genuine posts on Instagram. 

Mosseri realizes that decision – which he says is to "depressurize the app" – is complicated and will have mixed reactions among the various worldwide communities that use Instagram. 

"I just don't want to piss anyone off," he said in a meeting about the change, per The New York Times.

Read more: 

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• In November 2019, Google finally launched a major gaming platform that was in development for years: Google Stadia.
• Rather than buying games on a disc, or downloading them from a digital store, Stadia streams games over the internet. The service launched with access limited to customers willing to pay $129 for the "Founder's Edition."
• The platform's launch was rocky at best, with features missing and a paltry game library. Reviewers told potential buyers to wait and see.
• Since launch, Google hasn't said much about Stadia — and early adopters are getting impatient with the lack of updates. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Two months ago, Google made its first-ever major push into the multi-billion dollar video game industry with Stadia — a Netflix-like game service that streams games to a variety of devices, no game console required.

Two months later, and Stadia's early adopters are starting to revolt. Look no further than the Stadia subreddit community on Reddit for ample evidence.

"I've lost a lot of the excitement I had for the service," said one user. "I'm not really excited because there simply doesn't seem to be anything to be excited about anymore."

"It feels like it's died already," another user wrote. "For anyone that's been around for a new gaming console coming out, it's crazy for the first year of it coming out, huge lineup of games constantly being thrown out, this feature, that feature all being announced...so much fun! Here I am trying to enjoy and justify the $130 I spent on this and I just can't at this point. We got tricked into being beta testers and it pisses me off."

Meanwhile, Google has gone largely radio-silent, with no word on when promised features or big-ticket exclusive releases will actually start coming to the nascent service.

So, what's going on? Why are Stadia's most diehard, early adopting fans already losing interest?

SEE ALSO: I've been playing games on Google's ambitious new Netflix-like game service for the last week, and it's clear the service isn't ready for primetime

A different kind of console launch.

Google Stadia is not a game console, nor is it a game platform, really — it's a digital storefront run by Google where you can buy individual games.

Right now, in order to access said storefront, you have to pay $130 up front for the Stadia "Premiere" edition. That comes with a Stadia gamepad, a Chromecast Ultra streaming device, and three months of access to Stadia "Pro" — a monthly subscription service that provides free games each month, enables users to stream games at ultra-HD 4K resolution, and offers a few other bells and whistles.

In so many words: The only way to play Stadia games when it launched in November was to spend $130 upfront. That remains the case in mid-January, despite Google's promise that a free version of the service will launch this year.

With most game console launches, you need the game console to play the games. That's what you're buying.

With Stadia, you don't need a box, nor do you need a Chromecast Ultra or Stadia controller. You can play Stadia games on any laptop with the Chrome browser installed, and you can connect whatever gamepad you want. Heck, you could just play with keyboard and mouse if you prefer.

So what are you paying $130 for, other than a few devices you don't need? You're paying for access— access to the Stadia ecosystem, where you then buy each game individually.

Early adopters.

$130 for access to a game store — a game store largely filled with games that are already available on other platforms, sometimes for less money — is a hard sell.

It's an especially hard sell with the kind of folks who buy game consoles at launch: Gamers who own current game consoles; who own many of the games on the launch list; who are distrustful of new entrants into the video game industry.

But tens of thousands of folks jumped in regardless, and the most dedicated of those early adopters can be found on places like Reddit's Stadia subreddit and the official Stadia Discord channel.

These folks represent the most dedicated Stadia users.

They write glowing threads about their first experiences with the service ("I am satisfied with my purchase...my experience has been excellent and I'm excited to see what the future has in store for Stadia."), and about bizarre use cases that demonstrate the promise of game streaming services.

Some are even gaming PC owners who talk about about how surprised they are that streaming games look as good as games that run locally. "I was actually shocked and was sure my games looked better on my PC," they said.

But these folks — who were not only willing to take a chance on a new game service from Google but who participate actively in that service's community — are also starting to get frustrated.

And there's one reason for that: A lack of updates.

Two months after launch, Stadia still has a small game library and is missing many key features.

There's no way to voice chat on Google Stadia — a stock-standard part of the PC, Xbox, and PlayStation online gaming ecosystems, and something that even Nintendo has started to come around to with its Switch console. 

"What's going on there?" one Reddit user wrote in the Stadia subreddit. "How can it be that there is still no chat in Stadia?" Moreover, there's no word on when a voice chat function is coming.

Both Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3, which launched over 10 years ago, had voice chat functionality built in from the start. 

There is no operating system or dashboard on the service, and there's no way to use the Google Stadia controller wirelessly on a computer or with a smartphone — it has to be connected with a wire. If you have an iPhone, Stadia doesn't work there yet, and the same thing goes for most Android phones; the only smartphone supported are Google's Pixel line. Even if you pay for the Pro version of Stadia, which is supposed to stream games in the highest 4K resolution, games played through Chrome don't stream in 4K.

That's before we start talking about promised features of Stadia that differentiate it from the competition, much of which isn't implemented. 

Google said you could watch a YouTube video of a game and, simply by clicking a button in the video, jump right into that game on Stadia. That has yet to materialize, nor is it clear when that's coming.

Thus far, Stadia is digital storefront that sells you games. Many of the platform features that people expect with a game platform are still missing, with no official word on when they'll actually drop.

Since launching in November, Google has said and done very little to update the experience — and it's still missing major features that were announced in March 2019.

"When Stadia launched in November, we delivered a great gaming experience for players, and we continue to work toward our long-term vision for the future of gaming," Google representative Patrick Seybold told Business Insider in a statement. "Stadia is an evolving platform, and we've been busy in the two months since launch adding great content, features and ways to play."

Specifically, Seybold identified six key ways that the service has improved since launch:

1. More games were added to the library (which stands at 26 titles currently, one of which is exclusive to Stadia).
2. Updated existing Chromecast Ultra devices so that they were able to run Stadia.
3. Purchased a game studio.
4. Added Google Assistant support and game Achievements.
5. Added Stream Connect in "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint."
6. Added a second "Buddy Pass" for Stadia users.

He also highlighted four key updates coming to Stadia in the first quarter of this year, including additional Android phone support.

It remains unclear when Stadia will support Apple devices, or when voice chat is coming, or when the free "base" version of the service will launch.

Of note, Google published a large Stadia update to its community blog on Thursday morning, after Business Insider reached out for comment on this story. We had asked for any form of message from Google for the early adopters who picked up Stadia last November — folks who are increasingly asking when Google is going to say something on the Stadia subreddit.

In 2020, Google is promising "more than 120 games" — including more than 10 exclusive games in the first half of the year. But will early adopters stick with it?

Google is promising a much bigger 2020, with "more than 120 games" scheduled to launch this year — over 10 of which are said to be exclusive to Stadia and launching in the first half.

Whether that will be enough to keep early adopters interested, let alone attract new buyers, remains to be seen.

The sentiment from early adopters isn't looking great for Google. For people who bought the Stadia "Founder's Edition" in November, which came with three months of Stadia Pro, there's a question to answer in the near future: Will I keep Stadia Pro after the three months runs out, which costs $10/month?

A discussion of who is and who isn't keeping their Stadia Pro membership paints a grim picture: The majority have already decided to cancel their membership, or are considering cancelling it.

Another thread from a few days ago, titled "Let me be real," says it all:

"For anyone that's been around for a new gaming console coming out, its crazy for the first year of it coming out, huge lineup of games constantly being thrown out, this feature, that feature all being announced...so much fun! Here I am trying to enjoy and justify the $130 I spent on this and I just can't at this point. We got tricked into being beta testers and it pisses me off."

• Meghan Markle and Prince Harry officially announced via their Instagram and website on January 8 that they were stepping back as "senior" members of the royal family and intended "to become financially independent."
• On January 18, Buckingham Palace released further details of the separation, announcing the couple would step back from their royal duties entirely and no longer use their royal titles beginning in spring 2020.
• Though Harry and Meghan are estimated to be worth about $30 million already, experts say the two could easily create a billion-dollar global brand.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Queen issued a rare personal statement on Monday addressing the news that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would be taking a step back from royal life: "My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan's desire to create a new life as a young family. Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family."

Part of that "more independent life" would involve funding their own lavish lifestyle rather than depending on the money from a sovereign grant.

"Harry and Meghan have made clear that they do not want to be reliant on public funds in their new lives," the Queen said.

In another statement made January 18, the Queen announced Buckingham Palace had come to an agreement with the Duke and Dutchess of Sussex, determining the specifics of their stepping down. 

"I want to thank them for all their dedicated work across this country, the Commonwealth and beyond, and am particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family," the statement read. "It is my whole family's hope that today's agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life."

A companion statement released by Buckingham Palace shared some terms of that agreement, which noted the couple would cease using their royal titles, step back from official military appointments, and will no longer recieve public funds for royal duties. 

The duo will be expected, Buckingham Palace said, to pay back the Sovereign Grant they used to renovate Frogmore Cottage, the residence that will remain Harry and Meghan's home in the UK. 

Ultimately, it would probably be relatively easy for the couple to support themselves. They could maybe even build a billion-dollar brand in the process.

David Haigh, the CEO of Brand Finance, an independent brand-evaluation consultancy firm in London, told WWD's Rosemary Feitelberg on January 12 that he would be surprised if Harry and Meghan couldn't leverage their celebrity into a billion-dollar brand. He even cited Kylie Jenner's billion-dollar cosmetics company as a replicable position for the royal couple.

From book deals and speaking-engagement opportunities to branded merch, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are poised to build an empire

Kristen Meinzer, a royal commentator and author, told Business Insider's Taylor Nicole Rogers that the royal couple has "great earning potential" when it comes to book deals and speaking engagements. She compared their popularity to that of Barack and Michelle Obama and said the value of their book offers would likely be in the neighborhood of the Obamas' $60 million advance for their 2017 memoirs.

WWD's Feitelberg also reported that 100 trademarks were secured last year covering a wide variety of Sussex Royal branded apparel and other merchandise, but those applications covered use of the trademarks only within the UK.

Haigh posited that those trademarks were originally "defensive," i.e., filed so that others couldn't profit off their name. The Guardian reported that a global trademark application was submitted to the World Intellectual Property Organization in December seeking to register the Sussex Royal brand in Australia, Canada, the European Union, and the US. The international filings mention items and services including stationery paper and the "organizing and conducting of emotional support groups," according to The Guardian.

"It's noticeable that every time [Meghan] dotes a particular clothing brand or wears anything, they instantly crash the websites and sell out," Haigh told WWD, suggesting that any Sussex-branded goods would surely sell well and any future fashion collaborations would too.

Other opportunities could include leveraging their celebrity status on Instagram

Fame sells. Haigh said the pair's 2018 wedding gave a billion-pound boost to the British economy and brought in an additional 3 million tourists to the UK.

The marketing platform Inzpire.me, which connects brands like Coca-Cola and UNICEF with potential influencer partners, told Business Insider that Harry and Meghan could expect to earn as much as $105,000 per singular sponsored Instagram post, should they choose to monetize their social-media presence. The estimate is based on the engagement rate of the pair's @sussexroyal Instagram account— which saw 190,000 new followers in the 24 hours after their statement last week, more new followers than the account gains in a typical month.

For comparison, Jenner, who Haigh highlighted as a particular social-media success story, has an estimated maximum post fee of $1.5 million, according to Inzpire.me. Meanwhile, the Obamas, who Meinzer directly compared the royal couple to, are projected to have a maximum post fee of $230,000.

Inzpire.me's cofounder Marie Mostad suggested that Instagram influencing may not be far off for Meghan and Harry, adding that their initial Instagram announcement in and of itself was "a big departure" from the way royal news is typically announced. "This may be the first of many modernizations we see in the royal family," she said.

But Rogers previously reported for Business Insider that other royal experts didn't expect the couple to hit peak millennial and fully commit to an Instagram side hustle. It's just one of the lucrative options to grow their brand.

Though it's also unlikely that Markle will return to acting as a full-time gig, reports have already surfaced that she signed a voice-over deal with Disney. While neither the royals nor Disney have confirmed the news, The Times of London reported that payment for the deal would take the form of a direct donation to Elephants Without Borders, emphasizing the couple's commitment to using their celebrity for philanthropy. 

Charity will surely take center stage in the global brand the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are poised to build — their initial statement included a callout to the future launch of their "new charitable entity," and their philanthropic causes have been a focal point of their work as "senior royals" in the past.

SEE ALSO: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle want to become 'financially independent,' but they're already worth about $30 million — and none of that money belongs to the crown

DON'T MISS: Here's how much money Meghan Markle and Prince Harry could need to maintain their lavish lifestyle if they plan on becoming 'financially independent'

Join the conversation about this story »

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• In an influencer marketing world dominated by Instagram, having a large Pinterest following doesn't guarantee big sponsorship deals. 
• Some top Pinterest influencers make more money on Instagram where they have much smaller followings, they told Business Insider.
• We spoke to three influencers with a combined 15 million followers — Keiko Lynn, Erica Chan Coffman, and Jan Halvarson — on how they make money from the social platform.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Keiko Lynn, a personal style and lifestyle blogger, is one of Pinterest's biggest stars and gets more than a million monthly viewers on the platform.

But advertisers care more about reaching her fans on Instagram and her blog, KeikoLynn.com, than the board-based social platform.

"It's usually a secondary ask from brands," Lynn told Business Insider. "I think it's underutilized because I have such a huge amount of eyes on my Pinterest."

When marketers do request sponsored pins, it's often part of a larger package deal, Lynn said. A typical sponsorship package includes one Instagram post, two to three frames on Instagram Stories, a blog post, and a dedicated pin on Pinterest.

Lynn, who's represented by the social influencer marketing agency Digital Brands Architects (DBA), is not alone in struggling to sell Pinterest as a standalone channel.

Pinterest influencers Erica Chan Coffman and Jan Halvarson, who each have millions of followers, said the platform has best served their businesses indirectly through traffic referrals.

"Soon after Pinterest launched, it quickly became obvious that it was the top driver of traffic to my blog," said Coffman, executive editor at HonestlyWTF. Coffman, who has 6.2 million followers on Pinterest, includes sponsored pins in contracts with large brands.

But she says most of her direct income comes from Instagram and her blog. Even though she has nearly 50 times more followers on Pinterest than Instagram, Coffman is able to charge more for Instagram posts and Stories.

"I make most of my income from blog posts and brand partnerships on my blog," she said. "Social media is definitely secondary. The fact that I can keep my traffic numbers high thanks to a lot of traffic drivers like Pinterest is hugely beneficial for my overall business strategy."

Read the full breakdown of how much money these influencers charge for sponsored pins on Business Insider Prime.

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Netflix had the largest share of happy employees in the US in 2019, a survey by the anonymous-professional-networking app, Blind, found.
• Nearly 86% percent of respondents who worked at Netflix said they were happy at work, the largest share of any company included in the survey.
• Bloomberg had the next highest share of happy workers.
• Netflix routinely ranks among the most attractive companies for tech workers, but it's also known for a high-performance culture and blunt firings.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Netflix had the largest share of happy employees in the US in 2019, a survey by the anonymous-professional-networking app, Blind, found.

Blind, which requires a work-email address to verify employment at a company, surveyed more than 10,000 of its 3 million users in the US during the month of December, to see how happy they were in their workplaces, and whether they felt they had grown in their careers in the last year.

Nearly 86% percent of respondents who worked at Netflix said they were happy at work, the largest share of any company included in the survey. Bloomberg had the next highest share of happy workers.

Blind also asked its users how much growth they think they had at their workplace in the last year, and weighted the  results based on whether people said they had "significant growth," "moderate growth," or "no growth."

Netflix was the 15th top company measured for employee growth. Bloomberg was No. 1.

Netflix routinely ranks among the most attractive companies for tech workers. But it's also known for a high-performance culture that demands the best from all of its workers, and routinely fires underperformers. 

Business Insider asked Netflix insiders how to get a job interview at the streaming company. See our coverage on BI Prime:

• How to get a job interview at Netflix with the help of employee referrals — and what to avoid doing, according to company insiders: Recommendations from Netflix employees can get prospective candidates noticed by Netflix recruiters. Former employees shared their top tips on getting referrals, and using them to land a job.
• Netflix's 5 toughest job-interview questions, according to company insiders: These are some of the job interview questions prospective candidates should be prepared to answer at any stage of the hiring process.
• The best Netflix teams and roles for entry-level job seekers, according to former employees and current listings: While Netflix doesn't have many entry-level jobs, it does have some opportunities for talented people who are starting their careers.
• The top 10 slides from Netflix's groundbreaking first culture deck that experts say had the most impact: Netflix's culture deck is a must read for prospective candidates. Recruiters explain what sets Netflix's culture apart from other tech companies.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns explains why country music is universal

• Sony's "Bad Boys for Life" is dominating the four-day Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend.
• The movie will have brought in $68.1 million by Monday, the second-best opening ever for the weekend, behind "American Sniper."
• "Bad Boys for Life" is also the biggest opening ever for an R-rated Sony release.
• Universal's "Dolittle" did better than industry projections, but the $175 million-budgeted movie is still only estimated to make $30 million by Monday.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

If I told you the "Bad Boys" franchise would be the first big moneymaker of 2020 you would think I was a crazy.

But Sony has pulled it off, as the third movie in the franchise has brought in an estimated $59.1 million as of Sunday and by Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday the movie is on pace to bring in $68.1 million. That's the second-best opening ever during the four-day holiday weekend, passing the Ice Cube/Kevin Hart comedy "Ride Along" ($48.6 million). Clint Eastwood's "American Sniper" is still number one with $107.2 million.

It's also the biggest opening ever for an R-rated Sony title.

The $68.1 million figure blows away the opening weekend "Bad Boys II" had in 2003 ($46.5 million), and surpasses the total domestic cume of the first "Bad Boys" in 1995 ($65.8 million).

It's the rare dated IP to find box office glory, though Sony has a better batting average than most. The studio is also finding success with its revamp of the "Jumanji" franchise. After 2017's "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" brought in close to $1 billion at the worldwide box office, its sequel, "Jumanji: The Next Level," has also found business, as the movie currently has brought in over $700 million worldwide. (Though Sony's "Men In Black: International" reboot was a bust.)

Now it looks like the studio has found the right formula of nostalgia and new blood (thanks to the Belgian filmmaking duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who directed "Bad Boys for Life") to ignite more "Bad Boys" titles. Before this weekend, news of a "Bad Boys 4" in the works was reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Meanwhile, across town, Universal is looking to take a big hit with its $175 million "Dolittle." The Robert Downey Jr. flick did perform better than projections, but still took in just $22.5 million on over 4,000 screens ($30 million by Monday). It's a far cry from last weekend, when the studio's Oscar-frontrunner "1917" topped the box office. That title is still going strong, having brought in $22.1 million ($27 million four-day). Its global box office is now over $100 million.

"Dolittle" is the second-consecutive big release from Universal that failed to find an audience. The studio is still licking its wounds from the release late last year of "Cats," which has only brought in $59.8 million worldwide.

Box-office highlights:

• Sony is also finding success with its release of "Little Women." The Greta Gerwig-directed title that has been nominated for six Oscars will bring in $7.4 million by Monday. Its domestic cume is over $85 million.
• Disney's "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" passed the $1 billion worldwide box office mark, its total to date is $1.026 billion.

SEE ALSO: Inside the making of Netflix's Aaron Hernandez doc series, from new revelations to jailhouse tapes

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns explains why country music is universal

• NBCUniversal chairman Steve Burke introduced, at an investor event on Thursday, the media company's big streaming play, Peacock, an ad-supported service that will have both free and paid tiers.
• During the investor presentation, between bits by "Saturday Night Live" alum like Tina Fey and Seth Meyers, the key executives who are leading the upcoming service came into view.
• Meet the power players behind Peacock, including Jeff Shell, CEO of NBCU; Matt Strauss, chairman of Peacock; Bonnie Hammer, chairman of NBCU's content studio; and Linda Yaccarino, chairman of NBCU's advertising and partnerships.
• Click here for more BI Prime stories.

Exiting NBCUniversal chairman Steve Burke introduced, at an investor event on Thursday, the media company's big streaming TV play, Peacock, an ad-supported service that will have both free and paid tiers.

The platform, which launches on April 15 for certain customers of NBCUniversal's parent company Comcast, will offer an on-demand library of shows and movies like "The Office," "Law and Order," and "Jurassic Park," as well as live news and sports such as the Summer Olympics, original programming, and content like "Downton Abbey" from outside studios.

Peacock will have a tier that's free with ads, a $5 monthly plan that includes a larger library, and an ad-free version that's $10 per month.

During the investor presentation, between bits by "Saturday Night Live" alum like Tina Fey and Seth Meyers, the key executives who are leading the upcoming service came into view. 

New NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell made an appearance. Longtime Comcast exec and current Peacock boss, Matt Strauss, unveiled the platform and overall strategy. Head of content, Bonnie Hammer, spoke to how the service will approach originals. And Linda Yaccarino, NBCUniversal's top advertising exec, detailed how ads will fit in.

"Together they have helped craft this plan, along with the people you met today," Brian Roberts, CEO of Comcast, said of the execs, while on stage.

These are the power players behind NBCUniversal's vision for the future of TV, in order of appearance on stage.

Steve Burke, chairman of NBCUniversal

Peacock, which launches nationally on July 15, will be the last hurrah for exiting NBCUniversal chairman Steve Burke, who was company's CEO until December and oversaw the development of Peacock.

He is set to retire in August, after the Summer Olympics conclude.

Burke has been with Comcast for 22 years, and deserves the credit for helping Peacock balance the needs of Comcast's legacy cable business and NBCUniversal's emerging streaming future.

The platform, as it was described on Thursday, seems to retain some of the elements of the traditional-TV business. It has live programming and programmed channels — though they more closely resemble the digital channels on platforms like Pluto TV than legacy linear networks —  as well as advertising.

Peacock also has some of the best aspects of streaming video, including affordable and flexible subscriptions, personalized content recommendations and accounts, and bingeable series and movies on demand.

"When developing new businesses, every company plays to its unique strengths and we're no exception," Burke said, on stage, donning his sartorial signature: a dark suit and open collar. "We have the most popular programming, we have expertise in live programming including news and sports, with Comcast and Sky we have global distribution and technology working together at scale."

Burke was CEO of NBCUniversal from 2011 to 2019, before he handed the reins to Jeff Shell. Burke was the chief operating officer of Comcast before that. He joined the company in 1998 as president of its cable division.

Matt Strauss, chairman of Peacock and NBCUniversal digital enterprises

Longtime Comcast executive Matt Strauss has the top job at Peacock. 

As chair of Peacock and NBCUniversal digital enterprises, Strauss is responsible for all aspects of the streaming service. He unveiled the overarching strategy for a streaming service that would incorporate both ads and subscriptions, as well as on-demand and live programming, and showed off the platform itself at the event. 

Strauss moved into the role in October, taking over for content studios exec Bonnie Hammer, who was previously overseeing the platform. 

Strauss is no stranger to developing video platforms. Before Peacock, he was executive vice president of Xfinity Services for Comcast Cable, where he helped hone the company's strategy for its internet-connected set-top box, X1, and the launch of its media-streaming box for broadband customers, Flex. 

He developed Comcast's model for on-demand video in an earlier role, as well, and pushed to sign licensing deals that would expand the cable company's on-demand library.

Strauss joined Comcast in 2004 as the senior vice president of new media.

Bonnie Hammer, chairman of NBCUniversal content studios

Bonnie Hammer, who was originally picked to run Peacock, is now in the top role overseeing its original programming.

As chairman of NBCU's content studios, Hammer leads all of the company's TV production.

She is developing original series for Peacock, some of which were teased on Thursday, including "Brave New World," a sci-fi drama based on the Aldous Huxley novel; "Girls5Eva," from creator Tina Fey; and a reboot of "Battlestar Galactica" from "Mr. Robot" creator Sam Esmail.

Hammer was previously NBCU's chairman of direct-to-consumer and digital enterprises, overseeing the overall development of Peacock. But, in October, it was announced that she was shifting her focus to the studio side, still reporting to Burke.

Before Peacock, Hammer oversaw NBCU's cable entertainment business, including networks like USA Network, Bravo, E! Entertainment, and the cable studios. She shepherded shows like "Mr. Robot" and "Suits."

Linda Yaccarino, chairman of advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal

Linda Yaccarino, who is chairman of advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal, is crafting the advertising strategy within the forthcoming streaming platform.

She's using the platform as an opportunity to put into practice some of the issues she's been championing within the advertising community, including leaner ad loads, data transparency, and new ad formats like shoppable ads.

Peacock will have five minutes of commercials per hour, which is a little less than Hulu's ad-supported plan has, for example. It will also include ad formats like the pause and bingeable ads popularized by Hulu, and the shoppable ads that are also available on NBC's TV networks. 

"With Peacock, we can throw out the old legacy playbook and write a new one," Yaccarino said during the presentation, wearing a sleek black suit with floral embroidery.

Yaccarino joined NBCUniversal in 2011, and overhauled the company's approach to advertising and partnerships by selling across all its networks. In 2019, Business Insider named her as one of the 10 people transforming advertising.

Jeff Shell, CEO of NBCUniversal

NBCUniversal's new chief, Jeff Shell, also made an appearance on Thursday, closing out the parade of NBCU stars and execs who showed up to tout Peacock. 

While Burke oversaw the development of Peacock, and Strauss is leading its execution, Shell will ultimately be responsible for the role the streaming service plays in NBCUniversal's broader business.

Shell took on NBCU's top job in January, after spending the last six years running the film and entertainment group. There, he oversaw NBCU's film and network-TV businesses, including content, programming, and distribution, as well as its intellectual-property and consumer-product strategy, and the movie-ticketing company, Fandango. 

He oversaw Universal's film studio before that, and managed NBCU's international businesses for a time. Shell joined NBCU from Comcast, where he led the programming group.