Wednesday's terrorist attack at the Paris office of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo really "hit home" for TBS late night host Conan O'Brien, who was once a writer for the Harvard Lampoon humor magazine.

"All of us are accustomed to bad news, but this story really hits home for anyone who, day in and day out, mocks political, social, and religious leaders," O'Brien opened his Wednesday show by stating.

He continued by saying that no one should have to "think twice before making a joke":

In this country, we take it for granted it’s our right to poke fun at the untouchable or the sacred, but today’s tragedy in Paris reminds us, very viscerally, that it’s a right some people are forced to die for. So it is very important that I express tonight that everyone who works at our comedy show, all of us are terribly sad for the families of those victims and for anyone who now has to think twice before making a joke — that is not the way it is supposed to be.

Watch Conan's full intro below:

Tina Fey, the first female head writer on "Saturday Night Live," echoed Conan's sentiments following the attack, saying:

Obviously, that news is terrible and tragic and upsetting. You look at that and you look at the controversy surrounding 'The Interview,' it makes you think about how important free speech is and how it absolutely must be defended. [We] can not back down on free speech in any way. We all have to stand firm on the issue of free speech.

As did Jon Stewart:

I know very few people go into comedy as an act of courage, mainly because it shouldn’t have to be that. It shouldn’t be an act of courage, it should be taken as established law. But those guys at Hebdo had it and they were killed for their cartoons.

A terrorist attack at the Paris office of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday left 12 people dead, including the weekly's chief editor and three cartoonists. Police are still searching for two men they suspect as being the gunmen, while another man believed to be involved with the deadly assault turned himself over to authorities late Wednesday.  

Media outlets denounced the massacre as an attack on freedom and democracies. A few even decided to republish cartoons from Charlie Hebdo that have triggered controversy in the past.

SEE ALSO: Jon Stewart's Powerful Response To Paris Shooting: 'Comedy Shouldn’t Be An Act Of Courage'

Join the conversation about this story »

Steven Soderbergh is known for directing films like "Magic Mike," "Erin Brockovich," the star-studded "Ocean's" franchise, and many others.

The 51-year-old director/writer/editor/camera operator also has a personal website, where he posts about "art, booze, swag, threads" and the "occasional drop of creative detritus from the closet/hard drive of The Artist Soon To Be Known As Steven Soderbergh."

In his latest post "Seen, Read" from January 5th, Soderbergh lists every single movie, TV series, book, and play he saw or read last year. The complete list is an interesting look into the inspiration behind one of today's top directors.

Collider pointed out a few especially interesting points on the list: "he saw 'Gone Girl' back in March (twice), he took in quite a bit of Stanley Kubrick over the year, he’s a fan of 'The Americans' and 'Inside Amy Schumer,' and he opted to skip most of 2014’s blockbuster fare... and he’s already seen various cuts of 'Magic Mike XXL' (on which he acted as editor and cinematographer) five times."

Check out the full list below: 

All caps, bold: MOVIE
All caps: TV SERIES
All italics: Book
Quotation marks: “Play”
Italics, Quotation marks: “Short Story”

 01/01 TRUE DETECTIVE (2), MRS. FISHER’S MURDER MYSTERY

01/04 Want Not, Jonathan Miles 

01/05 “The Library” 

01/11 HOUSE OF CARDS (5)

01/08 AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: THE POISONER’S HANDBOOK

01/12 GIRLS

01/13 THE GREAT BEAUTY

 01/16 30FOR30: THE PRICE OF GOLD

01/18 HOUSE OF CARDS (5)

01/19 HOUSE OF CARDS (2), GIRLS

 01/21 DAYS AND NIGHTS

01/23 HOUSE OF CARDS

01/26 Cat Sense, John Bradshaw

01/27 THE KNICK (3)

01/28 THE KNICK (3)

01/29 THE KNICK (4)

01/30 Roth Unbound, Claudia Pierpoint Roth

01/31 GIRLS

02/01 Mad as Hell, Dave Itzkoff

02/02 The Ask, Sam Lipsyte

02/04 THE MONUMENTS MEN 

02/08 THE COUNSELOR 

02/10 GIRLS

02/14 ICE CASTLES

02/15 NIGHT MOVES (’75)

 02/17 THE AFTER, ARLINGTON ROAD

02/18 TRUE DETECTIVE (3)

02/21 BAD GRANDPA

02/22 ROBBERY (’67), THE SPLIT, FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT

02/26 KID AUTO RACES IN VENICE, THE ROUNDERS 

03/01 THE AMERICANS

03/02 My Autobiography, Charlie Chaplin, GIRLS 

03/03 MADNESS IN THE WHITE CITY

03/05 SILICON VALLEY, THE AMERICANS

03/07 Broken Bells at Webster Hall

 03/09 GIRLS 

03/12 THE AMERICANS

03/13 TWA 800

03/14 SILICON VALLEY (2), NON-STOP

03/18 JUGGERNAUT

03/19 THE AMERICANS 

03/21 DOLL & EM

03/22 TAKE AWAY ONE

03/23 GONE GIRL

03/25 “The Library”

03/26 “The Library”, THE AMERICANS, DOLL & EM

03/27 “The Library” 

03/29 “The Library”, GONE GIRL 03/30  NOKAS, “The Library” (2) 

03/31  AMERICAN GREED

04/01 “The Library”, INSIDE AMY SCHUMER

04/02 “The Library”, THE AMERICANS

04/03 “The Library”

04/04  HOKE

04/05 “The Library” (2), KLUTE 

04/06 “The Library” (2), VEEP, DOLL & EM (2)

04/08 “The Library”, INSIDE AMY SCHUMER, DOLL & EM

 04/10 THE AMERICANS, DOLL & EM

04/13 MAD MEN 

04/14 VEEP

04/15 Opening night of “The Library”

04/16 INSIDE AMY SCHUMER, THE UNKNOWN KNOWN, THE AMERICANS, MY MAN GODFREY

04/18 IT’S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD

04/19 PROXY 

04/20 UNDER THE SKIN, MAD MEN, VEEP

04/22 INSIDE AMY SCHUMER04/23 Free for All, Kenneth Turan and Joseph Papp, THE AMERICANS, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY

04/25 DIE HARD WITH VENGEANCE

04/27 VEEP, MAD MEN

04/28 Tenth of December, George Saunders

04/28 ROBBER, INSIDE AMY SCHUMER

04/29 HIGH RISK

05/01 RUNAWAY JURY

05/02 PIONER

05/03 THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY (’42), BROOKLYN BOMBSHELLS VS. MANHATTAN MAYHEM

05/04 WALK OF SHAME, MAD MEN, VEEP

05/05 LOUIE (2)

05/07 Five Came Back, Mark Harris, MR. KNEFF 

05/10 SILICON VALLEY (3), INSIDE AMY SCHUMER, THE AMERICANS 

05/11 MAD MEN, VEEP 05/12 LOUIE (2), FINDING VIVIAN MAIER

05/14 THE AMERICANS

 05/15 KEY & PEELE (3)

05/16 THE DAY OF THE JACKAL

05/18 A Spy Among Friends, Ben Macintyre

05/20 VEEP, INSIDE AMY SCHUMER, MAD MEN

05/21 SORCERER, THE AMERICANS, LOUIE (2)

05/23 THE THICK OF IT (5)

05/24 THE THICK OF IT (7) 

05/25 Think Like a Freak, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, THE THICK OF IT (2), MAD MEN, CATCH-22 

05/26 POINT BLANK, THE THICK OF IT (4), LOUIE (2)

05/31 IN THE LOOP

06/01 No Place To Hide, Glenn Greenwald, W1A (4), THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD

06/02 VEEP, THE THICK OF IT, ARVINGERNE 

06/03 To Rise Again At A Decent Hour, Joshua Ferris, THE THICK OF IT, LOUIE, THE SLAP 

06/04 INSIDE AMY SCHUMER, THE SLAP (3)

06/05 THE SLAP (2), STATE AND MAIN, SE7EN

06/06 ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (2)

06/07 The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt, THE SLAP (2)

06/08 VEEP (2)

06/09 LOUIE (3)

06/14 Summer House with Swimming Pool, Herman Koch, TO CATCH A THIEF

06/15 Killer of Demons, Christopher Yost and Scott Wegener, BLACK SUNDAY, DR. STRANGELOVE: OR, HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB

06/16 LOUIE (2)

06/20 THE ARMSTRONG LIE

06/21 THE CONVERSATION

06/22 It Won’t Always Be This Great, Peter Mehlman

06/23 JAWS 

06/26 ARVINGERNE (2)

06/29 My Struggle: Book One, Karl Ove Gnausgaard, THE LEFTOVERS 

06/30 OLIVE KITTERIDGE (4)

07/02 My Struggle: Book Two, Karl Ove Gnausgaard, PORTLANDIA (2), THE PARALLAX VIEW

07/03 I SMILE BACK, WHITEY: THE UNITED STATES VS. JAMES J. BULGER

07/04 ARVINGERNE (3) 

07/05 ARVINGERNE, CODE BREAKERS, JAWS

07/06 ARVINGERNE (2)

07/07 ARVINGERNE (2)

 07/11 ALIEN

07/12 My Struggle: Book Three, Karl Ove Gnausgaard, FILM SOCIALISME

07/13 KIM PHILBY: HIS MOST INTIMATE BETRAYAL (2)

07/15 COME TO PAPA (Largo)

07/16 RED OAKS

07/17 The Last Magazine, Michael Hastings

07/18 AMERICAN GRAFFITI

07/19 THE OFFENSE

07/20 THE SEDUCTION OF MIMI

07/21 ALTERED STATES

07/22 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY

07/24 HIS GIRL FRIDAY

07/25 WORLD ON A WIRE

07/26 BOYHOOD, THE PAPER CHASE

07/27 THE RAIN PEOPLE, THE HAUNTING (’63)

07/28 PANIC ROOM

07/29 The Rule of Nobody, Philip K. Howard

07/30 APOCALYPSE NOW

07/31 RED DESERT

08/01 The Rise and Fall of Great Powers, Tom Rachman

08/02 The Great Degeneration, Niall Ferguson, CUBS VS DODGERS

08/09 THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN

08/10 Yours in Haste and Adoration: The Selected Letters of Terry Southern, Nile Southern and Brooke Allen (galley)

08/11 CITIZENFOUR

08/12 PATHS OF GLORY

08/14 SPARTACUS (’60), DINER

08/16 THE ARRANGEMENT, KATT WILLIAMS: PRICELESS: AFTERLIFE

08/17 I Am Pilgrim, Terry Hayes

08/18 KATT WILLIAMS: KATTPOCALYPSE

08/19 CITIZENFOUR, MYSTERY OF THE NAZCA LINES

08/21 THE GODFATHER

08/23 CRIMES OF PASSION, THE KILLING

08/24 THE GODFATHER PART II

08/25 THE PARALLAX VIEW, CARNAL KNOWLEDGE

08/27 NASHVILLE

08/30 The Power of Noticing, Max. H. Bazerman

09/01 MICHAEL CLAYTON

09/06 RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (B&W)

09/07 Proof: The Science of Booze, Adam Rogers, BOARDWALK EMPIRE

09/09 COME TO PAPA (Largo)

09/11 RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (B&W)

09/12 BILL MAHER: LIVE FROM WASHINGTON, DC

09/21 BOARDWALK EMPIRE

09/20 The Staying Guests, Sarah Waters

09/29 Begin principal photography on MAGIC MIKE XXL

10/02 BOARDWALK EMPIRE

10/11 BOARDWALK EMPIRE

11/05 BEWARE MR. BAKER

11/06 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendt, BOARDWALK EMPIRE, MAGIC MIKE XXL

11/07 BOARDWALK EMPIRE (2)

11/08 THE GALAPAGOS AFFAIR: WHEN SATAN CAME TO EDEN

11/09 The Zone of Interest, Martin Amis, GETTING ON, THE COMEBACK, BIRDMAN, OR: THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUES OF IGNORANCE

11/10 AMERICAN GREED, LIFEBOAT

11/14 MAGIC MIKE XXL

11/16 GETTING ON

11/18 CASABLANCA

11/20 WHIPLASH, CARNAL KNOWLEDGE

11/21 THE LAST DETAIL

11/22 THE GRADUATE

11/23 THE COMEBACK, GETTING ON

11/24 COHERENCE

11/25 HONEYMOON, HITLER’S RICHES

11/26 1864, VICIOUS (2), AMERICAN GREED, TRANSPARENT (3)

11/27 TRANSPARENT (6)

11/28  THE BADADOOK, SUNSET BOULEVARD

11/30  MONA LISA IS MISSING, GETTING ON

12/01  MAGIC MIKE XXL

12/03  NIGHTCRAWLER

12/04  IDA, PETER PAN LIVE!

12/06  AMERICAN SNIPER

12/07  BLACK MIRROR (2), GETTING ON

12/08  BLACK MIRROR, FURY

12/09  A MOST VIOLENT YEAR

12/10  FOXCATCHER

12/13  BLACK MIRROR (3), KEY AND PEELE

12/14  GETTING ON

12/15  MAGIC MIKE XXL

12/16  BLACK MIRROR: WHITE CHRISTMAS

12/17  UNBROKEN

12/18  INHERENT VICE

12/20  AMERICAN GREED (4)

12/23 SELMA, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY

12/24  The Making of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, Piers Bizony, THE INTERVIEW, THE IPCRESS FILE

12/25 Stuff Matters, Mark Miodownik, VICIOUS, FUNERAL IN BERLIN, UTOPIA (2)

12/26 TOP FIVE, THE LAVENDER HILL MOB

12/27 A Little Lumpen Novelita, Roberto Bolano, The Strange Library, Haruki Murakami

12/28 MAGIC MIKE XXL

12/30 THE RETURN OF W. DE RIJK

12/31 The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher, Hilary Mantel, GASLIGHT (’40)

VINYL

CHEMICAL CHORDS  Stereolab

THE SPECIALS LIVE  The Specials

THE SMITHS  Strangeways Here We Come (2)

TRAFFIC  John Barleycorn Must Die

THE KNACK  Soundtrack  John Barry

THE STRANGLERS  Aural Sculpture

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE  Like Clockwork…

S/T  St. Vincent

KIND OF BLUE  Miles Davis

THE BEST OF AL GREEN  Al Green

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS  Vince Guaraldi Trio

A CHRISTMAS ALBUM  Various

A CHRISTMAS OF MIRACLES  Smokey Robinson and the Miracles

To see Soderbergh's past lists, click here.

SEE ALSO: 25 must-see movies in 2015

Join the conversation about this story »

Louis C.K. has always been vocal about terrorism, on both Twitter and in his comedy.

At his show on Wednesday night at New York City's Madison Square Garden — the same day as the terrorist attack at Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris  — the comedian honored the satirical publication and the 12 people that had been murdered in the attack.  

He wore a shirt with the words "Charlie Hebdo" handwritten across his chest in Sharpie.

But the comedian did not mention the attacks, instead choosing to focus on sexism, parenting, sex, and aging.

Other comedians, such as Jon Stewart, Conan O'Brien, and Tina Fey, have also publicly responded to the attacks.

Stewart said on "The Daily Show" that comedy "should not be an act of courage." O'Brien commented that the attacks "really hit home," and Fey said the murder was an attack on freedom of speech:

You look at that and you look at the controversy surrounding 'The Interview," it makes you think about how important free speech is and how it absolutely must be defended. [We] cannot back down on free speech in any way. We all have to stand firm on the issue of free speech.

Others, such as Michael Ian Black and Ricky Gervais, took to Twitter in response to the shootings:

Media outlets across the globe have similarly cited the murders as an attack on free speech.

Many have demonstrated solidarity by posting "#Je Suis Charlie" on Twitter and other social-media outlets.

NOW WATCH: These New Luxury Planes Feature $20,000 'Mini Apartments' With A Private Bathroom And A Butler

SEE ALSO: Jon Stewart's Powerful Response To Paris Shooting: 'Comedy Shouldn’t Be An Act Of Courage'

MORE: Here’s How Newspaper Front Pages Across The World Are Covering The Paris Shooting

Join the conversation about this story »

If you've been on the edge of your seat waiting for the first "Batman V Superman" teaser to premiere, it sounds like you'll only need to wait a little bit longer for your first look at the film.

The latest rumor is that we'll see the first teaser in theaters in February. 

Latino Review, which has a pretty good track record with superhero news, reports the "Batman V Superman" teaser trailer will be attached to Warner Bros.' next film, "Jupiter Ascending."

If this is the case, this is a really good decision by WB.

"Jupiter Ascending," which was set to be one of the studio's big summer movies last year, was abruptly pulled and delayed from its July 18, 2014 release date last year. 

The estimated $175 million movie comes from the Wachowski siblings who directed the successful "Matrix" trilogy and stars Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis.

Variety reported the delay in the film was to finish "more than 2,000 special effects" along with a "weak response" to a research screening of the film last April.

"Cloud Atlas," the last big-budget film the Wachowskis delivered for Warner Bros. featuring Tom Hanks and Halle Berry bombed domestically when it debuted in 2012, so a big trailer in front of the film could help boost attendance — as long as it's not online first.

Previously, it was heavily rumored the first teaser would appear in theaters connected with some of 2014's holiday movies including Warner Bros.' "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies." 

Honestly, WB had nothing to gain by attaching the "BvS" trailer to that film.

People were going to go out and see the final installment of "The Hobbit" trilogy regardless. It already had a built-in fanbase and the last two films have earned almost $2 billion combined.

"Jupiter Ascending" can probably use all the help it can get.

Channing Tatum stars as a genetically modified hunter who is part wolf and part human. Mila Kunis plays a Cinderella-esque character who's a janitor who discovers she's actually royalty and the ruler of Earth. A bunch of aliens led by actor Eddie Redmayne are trying to hunt her down.

While Tatum's most recent comedy "22 Jump Street" soared at the box office, his most recent action film, "White House Down," underperformed for Sony resulting in a weak quarter for the company in 2013. It's uncertain whether he and Kunis are enough of a draw for a huge crowd.

The first teaser trailer for "BvS" debuted last year at San Diego Comic-Con. 

The teaser that will be seen in theaters is reportedly different and will be "Batman heavy."

"Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" is set for a March 25, 2016 theatrical release.

SEE ALSO: There's a Batman easter egg on the "Star Wars: Episode VII" Millennium Falcon

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Winter is coming … in April.

HBO has announced that season 5 of “Game of Thrones” will premiere Sunday, April 12, 2015 at 9 p.m. 

The new season will consist of 10 episodes.

Favorites including Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Maisie Williams, and Lena Headey will return.

In the same announcement, HBO confirmed season 2 of “Silicon Valley” and season 4 of “Veep” will launch the same night at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., respectively.

Here’s the full press release below:

HBO has confirmed that the new seasons of GAME OF THRONES, SILICON
VALLEY and VEEP will debut back-to-back on SUNDAY, APRIL 12, starting at 9:00 p.m.
(ET/PT).

GAME OF THRONES begins its ten-episode fifth season SUNDAY, APRIL 12
(9:00-10:00 p.m.). Based on the popular book series “A Song of Ice and Fire,” by George
R.R. Martin, this hit Emmy®-winning fantasy series chronicles an epic struggle for power
in a vast and violent kingdom. Members of the ensemble cast for the fourth season
included Emmy® and Golden Globe winner Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke,
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Kit Harington, Natalie Dormer, Maisie Williams and Sophie
Turner. Executive producers, David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Frank Doelger,
Bernadette Caulfield; co-executive producers, Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis, George
R.R. Martin

SILICON VALLEY returns for its ten-episode second season SUNDAY, APRIL 12
(10:00-10:30 p.m.). Mike Judge (“Office Space,” “King of the Hill”) brings his irreverent
brand of humor to HBO in this Emmy®- and Golden Globe-nominated comedy series,
which looks at the modern-day epicenter of the high-tech gold rush, where the people
most qualified to succeed are the least capable of handling success. The cast includes
Thomas Middleditch, T.J. Miller, Zach Woods, Kumail Nanjiani, Martin Starr, Josh Brener,
Amanda Crew, Matt Ross and Jimmy O. Yang. Mike Judge, Alec Berg, John Altschuler,
Dave Krinsky, Michael Rotenberg and Tom Lassally executive produce. The series was
created by Judge & Altschuler & Krinsky.

VEEP launches its ten-episode fourth season SUNDAY, APRIL 12 (10:30-11:00
p.m.). Created by Armando Iannucci, this Emmy®-nominated series stars Emmy® winner
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as former senator Selina Meyer, who became vice president, only to
find the job was nothing like she expected, but everything she was warned about. The
show also stars Emmy® winner Tony Hale, Anna Chlumsky, Matt Walsh, Reid Scott,
Timothy C. Simons, Sufe Bradshaw and Kevin Dunn. Iannucci executive produces along
with Christopher Godsick and Frank Rich.

SEE ALSO: When all your favorite shows are returning to TV

AND: All the new mid-season shows coming to TV

Join the conversation about this story »

LOS ANGELES (AP) — More than six weeks after hackers attacked Sony Pictures Entertainment, its computer network is still down but the studio has not lost a single day of production on any of its films or television shows, CEO Michael Lynton told The Associated Press on Thursday.

In a wide-ranging interview Lynton talked about the company's isolation and the uncertainty that was created by the pre-Thanksgiving attack, which the U.S. government has attributed to North Korea. Sony's experience as the target of such an unprecedented corporate cyberattack is undoubtedly being closely watched in boardrooms around the world.

"We are the canary in the coal mine, that's for sure," Lynton said. "There's no playbook for this, so you are in essence trying to look at the situation as it unfolds and make decisions without being able to refer to a lot of experiences you've had in the past or other peoples' experiences. You're on completely new ground."

Among the details Lynton discussed:

— Sony Pictures' computer network was so crippled employees dug through a basement for mechanical paycheck cutters and old BlackBerry devices so that senior managers could communicate securely. Employees are still being paid by paper check. The network will be down for another two to three weeks while it is being rebuilt, Lynton said.— While most of Sony's 7,000 employees already were on the Everbridge emergency notification system, Lynton said workers recruited the rest by word-of mouth to sign up. If he had to do it again, Lynton said he would have made it mandatory to do so. Senior managers created text and phone trees to communicate and held twice-daily meetings. The technology team created a temporary email system for all employees that was up and running one week after the Nov. 24 hack.

—The Federal Bureau of Investigation and investigative firm Mandiant were brought in within the first week. The FBI set up shop in a special set of rooms in the center of Sony's lot and conducted multiple hour-long "clinics" on a sound stage for 400 to 500 Sony employees at a time. The meetings covered identity theft — personal information on tens of thousands of current and former Sony employees was stolen and made public — and also some computer security tips.

— Most forensic on-site work is complete and remaining techs are trying to get the system back online.

— As news leaked, managers worked to dispel rumors, making themselves visible at Sony's commissary during meal times to answer questions, and sending out communications two to three times a week. About half of the company's 7,000 employees are on site. Managers also held town hall meetings and went from building to building speaking with groups of 80 to 90 employees at a time.

— Sony always planned to release "The Interview," but did not initially know how in the wake of theater chains cancelling screenings, and then was surprised by the FBI announcement pointing to North Korea. Cable, satellite and digital companies told Sony they were wary of running the film during the holidays, a traditionally high-selling period, out of fear of becoming targets for hacker attacks too.

— Sony purposely priced the online version of "The Interview" at $5.99 rather than a typical $9.99 or higher to avoid accusations of price gouging and to ensure more people could see it after the free-speech criticisms it had weathered. The studio still views the release of a film on on-demand video and in independent theaters as experimental. Lynton said the theatrical experience is important, especially for comedy "because people love to laugh with each other."

— Losses are still being calculated but Lynton said estimates thus far have been inaccurate. "What I'm hearing so far is that they're very manageable," he said. "They're not disruptive to the economic wellbeing of the company."

__

Tami Abdollah can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/latams .

This article was written by Tami Abdollah from The Associated Press and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.

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"Birdman" and "Boyhood" were among the best movies of 2014. 

What were the worst?

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes provided Business Insider with the 10 worst-reviewed movies of last year, pulling data from films that received 40 or more reviews.

[TIE] 9. "No Good Deed": 10%

Estimated budget: $13.2 million
Worldwide gross: $53.8 million

The fall movie looked like a potentially feel-good thriller; however, the talent of Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson was ultimately wasted along with a letdown of a twist at the end.

Entertainment Weekly:

With performers as strong as Henson and Elba, and the guidance of director Sam Miller, who's worked with Elba in a handful of Luther episodes, it should have yielded more. The trite third act reveal only further sours the wasted potential.

(Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo)

[TIE] 9. "The Nut Job": 10%

Estimated budget: $42 million
Worldwide gross: $113.3 million

Will Arnett may have won kids over as Batman in "The Lego Movie," but the same could not be true of his role as a squirrel. The animated picture featuring his and Liam Neeson's voice talents was called an "ugly animation" with too many gas and fart jokes. 

(Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo) 

8. "Vampire Academy": 9%

Estimated budget: Over $30 million
Worldwide gross: $15.4 million

The "Twilight"-meets-"Mean Girls" film ended up being one of the biggest bombs at the box office last year, suffering from "lame jokes" and a lazy attempt to build upon popular franchises.

Variety:

Not only plays like the crassest possible mashup of "Harry Potter" and "Twilight" elements, but seems designed to make those franchises look like eternal monuments of world culture by comparison.

(Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo)

Teenage girls have been going crazy for the new Calvin Klein ad campaign, which features a buff Justin Bieber posing in only his boxer shorts.

But it turns out Biebs might not be quite as sculptured as the ads would indicate.

The pop music website BreatheHeavy.com says it has obtained original images from the shoot, before they reached the editing studio. We can't yet verify whether these images are real. But for the record, here they are:

As you can see from the before-and-after images, Calvin Klein has given Bieber a full Photoshop makeover: Complete with a buffer body, more sharply defined contours, and a bigger ...  package.

Amusingly, for a bad boy often accused of having an inflated ego, Calvin Klein also appears to have reduced the size of Bieber’s head.

Business Insider has contacted Calvin Klein to find out whether these photos are genuine. This article will be updated once the company responds.

Gawker says a source told BreatheHeavy.com that Bieber was a nightmare on set, adding: "He was basically a douche. He hit on [fellow model] Lara [Stone] several times and she had to stop him, basically calling him out on being just a child."

We can't get on the BreatheHeavy.com site, as it appears to have crashed under the weight of visitors looking to get a glimpse of what the real Bieber looks like in his briefs.

They could just try here instead:

SEE ALSO: Justin Bieber Has Become The New Face — And Pretty Much Every Other Body Part — Of Calvin Klein

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"Inherent Vice" is sure to be labeled Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Big Lebowski," another sprawling and goofy crime comedy. While that comparison is certainly apt, his take on the comedic film noir stands entirely on its own. Based on Thomas Pynchon's novel, it's part throwback to '70s neo-noir, part stoner comedy, and its inspired madness is effectively brought to life thanks to Anderson's assured direction.

The film follows hippie detective Larry "Doc" Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) as he investigates the mysterious disappearance of a former girlfriend. The film takes place in 1970, when the hippie movement was slowing to a standstill as Richard Nixon and his "silent majority" took hold of the country. 

Anderson is the first director to ever tackle a novel by Pynchon, a notoriously complex and heady writer. The resulting film is anything but traditional and is sure to leave plenty of viewers scratching their heads over what the hell they just watched.

Seemingly justifying the occasionally incoherent narrative, at a panel following the film's premiere in New York, Anderson stated: "I never remember plots of movies. I remember how they make me feel." 

"Inherent Vice" is steeped in Charles Manson-era hippie paranoia. In this world, according to the powers that be, everyone with shoulder-length hair and a vague patchouli stench is a lunatic cult-member ready to attack Americans at a moment's notice. The film's protagonist falls into this category, which make his attempts at solving this confusing affair even more difficult, no matter how professional he tries to be. 

I can't recall one scene in the entire movie that doesn't feature Phoenix; it's essentially a one-man show starring a pot-smoking hippie who obliviously stumbles from one major clue to the next.

The real comedy in the film stems from the fact that Sportello is caught up in a conspiracy that he can barely understand, let alone solve. It's pure joy to watch Phoenix trip his way through solving the elaborate mystery, and all of his exchanges with Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro are hilarious. Every supporting role appears to have been filled with a perfectly capable A-lister, so even the more insignificant characters are intriguing in their own way. Plenty of laughs stem from Phoenix's physicality, and it's astounding what he can accomplish with simply a look (a scene with a frozen banana scene had me and the audience howling). 

The dialogue is full of hippie slang (try and count the number of times you catch someone utter "far out" or "right on") that helps establish the setting and mood, and Sportello's sheer indifference to his surroundings really drives the whole "stoner hippie" angle home. Sportello is constantly referred to as a "doper," and it truly fits — the man smokes more joints in the film's two and a half hours than most people do throughout four years in college. 

There are a few sequences that bend reality and feel hallucinatory, ensuring we're never quite sure what Sportello is really seeing. Pynchon's words are brought to the screen through narration by the quirky folk singer Joanna Newsom whose musings only add to all the uncertainty. The narrative is purposefully muddled and disorienting, as the audience sees things from Sportello's unreliable point of view. 

The film is often weird for the sake of being weird and only gets more bizarre as it moves along; by the time Martin Short shows up in a hilarious cameo, the film has already gone off the deep end. 

"Inherent Vice" looks nothing like Anderson's other recent works — the beautifully composed and breathtaking cinematography that fills "There Will Be Blood" and "The Master" is replaced by a tighter, grainy look that focuses more on close-ups than lush establishing shots. This helps keep the audience confined to Sportello, as we see the world just as he does through the smoke-filled haze. As if the film's noir aesthetic weren't enough, there's even a shadowy scene in a dark, sketchy alley to really drive it home. 

What makes the film so unique is how all these different elements combine to form something that's greater than the sum of its parts. It has many functions; it's an homage to old-school film noir/neo-noir, a goofy stoner comedy, and a compelling mediation on America in the late '60s/early '70s. On paper, it sounds like a total trainwreck, but in the hands of one of the greatest living filmmakers, it's actually one of the best movies of the year. 

"Inherent Vice" opens in limited release on December 12th and expands nationwide on January 9th, 2015.

SEE ALSO: Watch Joaquin Phoenix Go Nuts In First Trailer For Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Inherent Vice'

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Last month, leaked Sony emails revealed unequal pay between men and women in Hollywood, both with employees who work behind the scenes at studios and with on-screen celebrities.

In one instance, it came to light that Jennifer Lawrence was paid less than her male costars in the Oscar-nominated "American Hustle" — despite arguably being a more in-demand star than any other cast member.

And Charlize Theron took note.

For her coming Universal movie "The Huntsman" — the prequel to 2012's successful "Snow White and the Huntsman," which earned nearly $397 million worldwide at the box office — the actress demanded to be paid the same as her male costar, Chris Hemsworth.

"Charlize insisted that she get paid the same money as Chris. She has a great track record, so she got the same deal," one source told PageSix. Another insider added: "One knock-on effect from the Sony hacking scandal is that there will be more sensitivity about equal pay for actresses and hiring practices at movie studios."

PageSix reports that Theron got a deal worth more than $10 million, the same as Hemsworth's, thanks to negotiations by her agents at WME. 

The figure sounds fairly accurate, considering Theron was named Forbes' sixth-highest-paid actress in 2013.

"Theron likes to balance her work in smaller films, like 2011's 'Young Adult,' with bigger-budget fare like last year's 'Snow White and the Huntsman,'" Forbes wrote at the time. "She also starred in 'Prometheus,' the kind-of prequel to 'Aliens,' which earned $403 million at the global box office. Theron supplements her movie money with high-paid endorsements for brands like Dior."

In December, a leaked Sony email revealed that the female "American Hustle" stars Lawrence and Amy Adams received just 7% of the movie's profits, while their male costars Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, and Jeremy Renner got 9%.

Representatives for Theron, who is also believed to be getting a fair share of the new movie's profits, had not responded to PageSix's report.

"The Huntsman" is in preproduction and will be released in April 2016.

Drama surrounded the original "Snow White and the Huntsman" after star Kristen Stewart was caught having an affair with director Rupert Sanders, which resulted in Sanders' divorce from wife Liberty Ross and his being dropped from directing the sequel. Frank Darabont, who directed "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile," will replace Sanders on the prequel. Stewart will not appear in the new movie because it doesn't involve her character.

NOW WATCH: Robot Funded By The US Military Can Sprint And Jump Just Like A Cheetah

SEE ALSO: LEAKED: Jennifer Lawrence Got American Hustled In Sony Deal

MORE: LEAKED: Hacked Sony Docs Reveal Top 17 Executives' Multimillion-Dollar Salaries

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The 2015 Governors Ball lineup has just been announced, with Drake, The Black Keys, and DeadMau5 as headliners.

Check out the full list of musical acts below:

Tickets are on sale now, with the cheapest options going for $260 for the full weekend. Pricier VIP options for $595 and $2000 include special VIP viewing areas, lounges, a backstage open bar, and a merchandise pack.

NOW WATCH: Robot Funded By The US Military Can Sprint And Jump Just Like A Cheetah

SEE ALSO: The 2015 Coachella lineup

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Well, it looks like we have our first bad movie of 2015.

The reviews for "Taken 3" currently sit at 9% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes and that number is quickly dropping. (They were at 12% this morning, and hovered around 30% yesterday.)

Liam Neeson returns once again as ex-government agent Bryan Mills, but it appears his "particular set of skills" may be lacking the same spark that made the first two fan favorites.

Here's what reviews are saying:

The Hollywood Reporter:

Besson's team has signed off the trilogy with a whimper rather than the kind of unfettered bang delivered by the first two films. That may compromise the movie's performance at the box office as it unspools internationally

Strangely, Besson and his long-running series co-writer Robert Mark Kamen seem to have overlooked the one thing that made Taken and Taken 2 tick: the appeal of leading man Neeson, the anguished and aging action-hero who tries, with solitary and superhuman effort, to save his family.

Variety:

The third and presumably final installment of the Liam Neeson action franchise is a mind-numbing, crash-bang misfire.

The Fox release will draw crowds simply because it’s supposedly the last installment of the lucrative franchise, but they’ll just be hostages to tedium.

Vulture:

The concept is lame, and the execution is lame, too. The more the film advances, the less we care about the plot — or anything that happens to anybody, really. It doesn’t help that the best character in these movies ... is already gone.

IGN:

Taken 3's massive fault is in the action. Megaton fails his leading man by pummeling us with angles. A talky scene could have 30 cuts in a one minute stretch, reducing Neeson's work to a rushed, babbling mess. Money shot moments are particularly infuriating. A pile-up car chase scraps geography and timing for visual carnage. There's no time to revel in stunts or enjoy Bryan's Jack-Bauer-on-HFS instincts. Megaton would rather burn our eyes with flashbang cuts — setpieces as phosphene.

Scott Mendelson's Forbes' review doesn't hold back. The title alone is "'Taken 3' Turns Liam Neeson Into Nicolas Cage" If you're going to read one review, I recommend this one for its sheer honesty and humor.

Liam Neeson as an action hero is no longer a novelty, and Taken 3 is a stunningly wrongheaded and borderline incompetent action sequel that sullies what came before. 

The Telegraph:

This is all a far cry from the original Taken film, the sheepish fun of which lay in seeing Neeson’s primal, fatherly rage being shaken out of retirement. Back then he was still Aslan, Kinsey, Rob Roy, Oskar Schindler, and the violence – visceral and transgressive, rather than the bloodless, 12A-rated shoot-‘em-up stuff here – felt like the eruption of a long-dormant volcano. Now it’s just Liam Neeson hitting people again. What a tragedy that’s become boring.

The reviews may not matter.

The film is set to have a $30 million opening weekend for Fox, and it has already made $1.6 million in Thursday night showings. It cost an estimated $48 million to produce.

2012's "Taken 2" debuted to $45 million opening weekend. It went on to make $376 million worldwide, with a lot of that money ($236 million) coming from overseas.

The problem with "Taken 3," is that once viewers realize they're getting a film unlike the first two, word of mouth may result in a big second week dip for the film at theaters.

SEE ALSO: Liam Neeson was paid $20 million for 'Taken 3'

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The 72nd Golden Globes will air this Sunday.

Top contenders include "Boyhood" and "Birdman," which lead the way with the most nominations. 

You might want to place your bets on those films, but if you aren't completely sold, Gold Derby has compiled the odds on which films will win — and which won't — during Sunday's ceremony. 

The numbers below should help you out.

Best Film(Drama)
"Boyhood" 1/10
"Selma" 14/1
"The Imitation Game" 50/1
"The Theory Of Everything" 100/1
"Foxcatcher" 100/1

Best Actor In A Film(Drama)
Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory Of Everything" 1/4
Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Imitation Game" 15/2
David Oyelowo, "Selma," 14/1
Steve Carrell, "Foxcatcher," 100/1
Jake Gyllenhaal, "Nightcrawler," 100/1

Best Actress In A Film (Drama)
Julianne Moore, "Still Alice" 1/4
Reese Witherspoon, "Wild" 8/1
Jennifer Aniston, "Cake," 14/1
Rosamund Pike, "Gone Girl" 50/1
Felicity Jones "The Theory Of Everything," 100/1

Best Film (Musical/Comedy)
"Birdman" 1/5
"The Grand Budapest Hotel" 14/1
"Into The Woods" 14/1
"Pride" 100/1
"St. Vincent" 100/1

Best Actor In A Film (Musical/Comedy)
Michael Keaton, "Birdman" 1/10
Ralph Fiennes, "The Grand Budapest Hotel" 50/1
Bill Murray, "St. Vincent" 50/1
Christoph Waltz, "Big Eyes" 100/1
Joaquin Phoenix, "Inherent Vice" 100/1

Best Actress In A Film (Musical/Comedy)
Emily Blunt, "Into The Woods" 4/9
Amy Adams, "Big Eyes" 5/1
Julianne Moore, "Maps To The Stars" 8/1
Helen Mirren, "The Hundred-Foot Journey" 100/1
Quvenzhane Wallis, "Annie" 100/1

Best Supporting Actor In A Film
J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash" 1/5
Edward Norton, "Birdman" 13/2
Ethan Hawke, "Boyhood" 50/1
Mark Ruffalo, "Foxcatcher" 100/1
Robert Duvall, "The Judge" 100/1

Best Supporting Actress In A Film
Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood" 1/5
Emma Stone, "Birdman" 15/2
Meryl Streep, "Into The Woods" 50/1
Jessica Chastain, "A Most Violent Year" 100/1
Keira Knightley, "The Imitation Game," 100/1

See Gold Derby's full list here.

SEE ALSO: The 15 Best Movies of 2014

AND: The worst movies of the year

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In 2008, Liam Neeson earned a reported $1 million for his action-packed role as retired-but-still kicking CIA agent Bryan Mills in the surprise hit "Taken."

In 2012, Neeson was reluctant to return to the role for "Taken 2," but finally agreed after pocketing a reported $10 million paycheck. A small fee for a film that has since gone on to gross $376,141,306 worldwide on a $45 million production budget.

And now, the 62-year-old actor will once again reprise his role for "Taken 3," hitting theaters today.

In 2013, Deadline reported that Neeson was "closing a deal in the vicinity of $20 million to reprise his role as Bryan Mills." While the figure hasn't been confirmed, it is likely based on the franchise's success.

"Given the muscular box office of 'Taken 2,' agency sources think Neeson could command $20 million-plus if he wanted to reprise the role — a mark once considered standard for big franchise roles but now reserved for the likes of Johnny Depp and Will Smith in the right projects," noted The Hollywood Reporter.

In 2014, Neeson landed the No.7 spot on Forbes' list of Highest Paid Actors — which is still small compared to Robert Downey Jr.'s $50 million "Avengers" paycheck. Downey Jr.'s "Avengers" co-stars didn't make quite as much, with Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, and Mark Ruffalo all reportedly earning between $2-3 million with bonuses, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

In addition to Neeson, "Taken 2" director Olivier Megaton also returns for the latest installment.

Megaton is the man partially responsible for the huge box office grosses of "Taken 2," earning $50 million more than the orginal.

"When the sequel does better than the original at the box office, and doesn’t cost that much more, of course they will try for the trifecta," noted Deadline.

Now Neeson just needs to "take" down the negative reviews of the latest movie.

SEE ALSO: The 'Taken 3' Reviews Are Pretty Brutal

MORE: Charlize Theron Reportedly Negotiated A $10 Million Paycheck After Sony Hack Revealed Unequal Pay

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Seth Rogen recently tweeted that "comedy is best viewed in a theater full of people" — and he's right.

Rogen tweeted the below when "The Interview" was released for streaming after it had initially been pulled from theaters, following threats from Sony hackers. Later, it was announced that select theaters would show the movie.  

It boils down to science. Laughter is contagious.

According to an NBC News report, a 2006 study from The University College of London measured a group of people's responses to various sounds with an MRI scanner. The sounds ranged in emotion; some were positive and some were negative. All of the sounds stimulated some sort of response in the cortical part of the brain, and therefore, triggered the facial muscles to react.

The positive sounds yielded more responses, indicating that a happy sound like laughter can, in fact, "catch on."

The brain is also conditioned to associate positive sounds with groups of people. In response to the study, neuroscientist Sophie Scott said: "We usually encounter positive emotions, such as laughter or cheering, in group situations, whether watching a comedy program with family or a football game with friends [...] This response in the brain, automatically priming us to smile or laugh, provides a way or mirroring the behavior of others, something which helps us interact socially. It could play an important role in building strong bonds between individuals in a group."

This could explain why you laugh less when you watch a movie alone on your couch; you've associated laughter and comedy with a group, and there is no group sitting with you.

Does this mean that people who hated "The Interview" at home would love it in theaters? Not necessarily, but it might mean that they may have cracked smiles at James Franco and Seth Rogen's absurdity, and therefore, they may have hated the movie a little less.

You might remember this next time you think you can skip the big screen for comedies — or at least invite some friends over.

SEE ALSO: Why You Laugh When You Get Tickled

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Liam Neeson is back in theaters this weekend in "Taken 3."

The sequel will close out the franchise that helped transform the 62-year-old Oscar-nominated actor into one of Hollywood's most sought-after action stars in his sixties.

Though Neeson starred as Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn in 1999's "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" and as assassin Ra's al Ghul in Christopher Nolan's recent "The Dark Knight Trilogy," it wasn't until after the cult status of 2008's "Taken" that Neeson started starring more frequently in similar roles which allowed him to deliver his "particular set of skills" over and over again.

"Unknown," "The Grey," and last year's "Non-Stop" were all big hits at the box office. 

It's an envious role to actors like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, '80s action stars who have tried to revitalize their careers for younger generations after the success of "The Expendables," only to turn up with box-officebomb after box-officebomb.

However, most actors don't suddenly decide to make the switch to action star later in life.

The change in Neeson's career came after the sudden death of his wife of 15 years in March 2009.

Natasha Richardson, daughter of British actress Vanessa Redgrave, died of a traumatic brain injury after she fell and hit her head while taking a beginner ski lesson in Quebec, Canada.

In an interview with Anderson Cooper for "60 Minutes" in 2014, Neeson said he returned to work days after his wife's death.

"I'm not good without work," Neeson told Cooper. "I just didn't want to, especially for my boys, to seem to be wallowing in sadness or depression." 

"Taken" debuted two months before Richardson's death. Neeson thought the film would be straight to video, but the $25 million movie became a hit, making $226.8 million worldwide. A sequel debuted to $50 million opening weekend in 2012 and made more than $375 million worldwide. 

Since 2009, Neeson has starred in more than a dozen action films including the big-budget "Clash of the Titans."

He's currently filming several movies including one that already sounds straight from the "Taken" playbook where he'll play an aging hitman ("Run All Night").

According to a 2011 Esquire interview, Neeson said it has been this work which has helped him get through Richardson's passing.

"I think I survived by running away some," said Neeson. "Running away to work. Listen, I know how old I am and that I'm just a shoulder injury from losing roles like the one in Taken. So I stay with the training, I stay with the work. It's easy enough to plan jobs, to plan a lot of work. That's effective. But that's the weird thing about grief. You can't prepare for it. You think you're gonna cry and get it over with. You make those plans, but they never work."

While the actor told Cooper he's a "wee bit embarrassed" by his success as an action star, he believes it's something his wife would be pleased to learn.

"She'd be very chuffed at that," said Neeson.

"Taken 3" is out in theaters Friday. Reviews for the finale are terrible compared to the previous two; however, the film is expected to make over $30 million this weekend, and, like the first two films in the series, be a big hit overseas.

Neeson is reportedly making near $20 million to reprise his role.

SEE ALSO: Why Liam Neeson films are a guaranteed success at the box office

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The Super Bowl XLIX is fast approaching and already some of the world’s biggest brands are teasing details about the ads they’ll be running during the big game.

Click here to skip straight to the ads>>

Once again the commercial breaks are set to be a flashy affair, and it’s little surprise: Super Bowl 2015 broadcaster NBC is seeking $4.4 million to $.4.5 million per 30-second spot, up on the $4 million pricetag FOX set last year. 95% of the in-game TV ad space is sold out so far.

We’re compiling everything you need to know about the commercial side of this years big game we’ll keep updating this post right up until February 1, when you can follow our live coverage.

All the brands in this slideshow are organized in alphabetical order for ease of navigation.

Anheuser-Busch

Brewer Anheuser-Busch is going all-out once again in this year’s Super Bowl, this time airing three minutes and thirty seconds of ads during the event.

It has two ads planned for Bud Light, each created by two different agencies, and another for Bud, as Adweek details

• “Lost Dog,” has been created by Anomaly and will show how “only your best buds are the ones who always have your back.” It acts as the sequel to last year’s much-loved “Puppy Love” spot.
• Another Bud Light spot created by EnergyBBDO is called “Coin” and tells the story of a drinker who plays a life-size Pac Man game.
• The final spot is for Bud, which is another Anomaly effort. This ad focuses on how the beer is brewed.

The brewer plans to release each ad online in the week before the game.

Avocados from Mexico

Avocados from Mexico announced in January it will run a 30-second ad during the Super Bowl, but it will keep its TV ad creative under wraps until the game.

In addition to that ad, the brand will also be creating other marketing activations around the football season. That will include social media activity featuring American TV host Mario Lopez and in-store ads.

In a press release, Avocados from Mexico explained the reasoning behind advertising a warm weather fruit during the middle of winter: During the month of last year’s Super Bowl, 70 million avocados were sold in the US.

Carnival Corp

The travel and leisure company — which owns brands including Carnvial Cruise Lines, Costa Cruises and P&O Cruises — announced in December it will be airing its first Super Bowl commercial this year.

The 60-second spot will be created by BBDO and directed by Hollywood director Wally Pfister, who has previously worked on blockbusters such as Inception and The Dark Knight trilogy.

Carnival is sourcing the commercial from its "World's Leading Cruise Lines Marketing Challenge," which gave North American consumers the chance to "join" the company's marketing team and vote on their favorite creative concepts. The challenge is now down to its final four ads (the image on the right is taken from the "Getaway" spot.)

If there's one movie you should rewatch this year, it's "Back to the Future 2."

Director Robert Zemeckis' 1989 film sends Marty McFly and Doc Brown to the year 2015.

Did the film get it right? Not exactly.

While it predicted Skype calls and virtual-reality headsets, the film got plenty wrong — including hoverboards.

However, Zemeckis mentions in a featurette for the film he didn't plan to get the future right, explaining he was not a fan of seeing it depicted in movies. 

We may have electric cars, but we're still a little while away from ones that fly.

We're getting there, though.

2015 may be fond of superheroes on the big screen, but we're not dressing like them just yet.

We've come close, but we're still waiting around for an actual working model of a hoverboard. It didn't help that Zemeckis tricked fans into thinking the toy was real in a behind-the-scenes featurette for the film.

(Sources: "Back to the Future 2" featurette / Nerdist)

If you’re a fan of “Breaking Bad” like us, you’re probably counting down the days until the series premiere of prequel “Better Call Saul!” on AMC.

The network has been sending out a press kit for the show, and it’s pretty clever.

Secured in a legal folder, we had no idea what we received until flipping it over to see a little “Better Call Saul!” logo. 

A coffee table book inside (more on this shortly) contains a series of images from the upcoming show and a note from showrunners Vince Gilligan (“Breaking Bad”) and Peter Gould.

It felt weird to read the message and not share it with fans of the series, who the message was clearly intended for. 

Here's the letter in full: 

Welcome to the world of James M. McGill, Esq.

For viewers of Breaking Bad, there's much that will be familiar in this series: the bright Albuquerque skies, the dark humor, and -- most of all -- the passion and devotion to detail from cast and crew. 

Having said that, Better Call Saul is a brand new show. We're telling a different story here -- one with its own rhythm, its own look, its own tone. We're excited to share it with you.

This show has been a crazy ride for us. The character of Jimmy McGill has taken us places we never expected. Jimmy's not yet Saul Goodman: he's his own man, and he's messy and struggling and still finding himself. One day he'll transform into Albuquerque's favorite criminal lawyer, but right now he's a more or less law-abiding underdog on the bottom rung of the legal system.

We're loving every moment of Bob Odenkirk's deeply human performance as unstoppable, inventive Jimmy races through an ethical slalom course, trying to make a name for himself.

We hope you enjoy it.

Vince & Peter

Here are a few shots of the press kit we received.

The kit came inside a giant legal folder.

Let's empty it out.

Here's the extra wide "Better Call Saul" press book. 

Inside are images from the first few episodes of the show like this one with Jonathan Banks who reprises his role of Mike Ehrmantraut from "Breaking Bad."

The kit is extremely well thought out. See that card right there. It comes out.

Clever calling card.

We almost missed this postcard tucked in the legal file.

No message from Saul on the back, but we think this makes up for it.

Here's everything together.

We've checked out the premiere and really enjoyed it. 

I’m not allowed to tell you anything about it yet, but come back on Jan. 22 and we’ll have a spoiler-free review of the pilot.

AMC has already renewed the show for a second season.

"Better Call Saul" debuts Sunday Feb. 8 at 10 p.m. after the midseason return of "The Walking Dead" before moving into its regular Monday night schedule Feb. 9 at 10 p.m.

SEE ALSO: Check out a trailer for "Better Call Saul"

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It's winter, which means that it's time for midseason premieres.

Starting next year, we'll see the launch of a whole new crop of series, ranging from multiple crime shows to an experimental mini-series.

You'll see a bunch of familiar faces, including those of Felicity Huffman, Ryan Phillipe, Rainn Wilson, and Amanda Peet.

We'll even have the arrival of the heavily anticipated "Better Call Saul," a prequel to AMC's hit "Breaking Bad."

"Galavant" (ABC)

Stars: Joshua Sasse ("Frankenstein's Army"), Timothy Omundson ("Psych")

Premiere date: Sunday, Jan. 4, at 8 p.m. 

What it's about: ABC will test out a musical fairy-tale comedy following a knight's journey as he tries to rescue his true love from an evil king. The score is by "Beauty & The Beast" composer Alan Menken, and the lyrics are by Glenn Slater ("Tangled").

Watch the trailer here.

"Agent Carter" (ABC)

Stars: Hayley Atwell ("Captain America: The Winter Soldier") James D'Arcy ("Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World"), Chad Michael Murray ("One Tree Hill")

Premiere date: Tuesday, Jan. 6, at 9 p.m.

What it's about: Peggy Carter (Atwell) must lead a double life as an admin and as a secret agent. If the character sounds familiar, it's because Carter is from Marvel's "Captain America" series. The show is also connected to its lead-in, "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Watch the trailer here.

"Empire" (FOX)

Stars: Taraji P. Henson ("Hustle and Flow"), Terrence Howard ("Hustle and Flow"), Gabourey Sidibe ("Precious: Based on The Novel Push by Sapphire")

Premiere date: Wednesday, Jan. 7, at 9 p.m.

What it's about: This musical family drama follows what happens when a hip-hop record company's charismatic CEO (Howard) learns he has ALS. It will also be set to a hip-hop soundtrack.

Watch the trailer here.