Netflix released an extended trailer for its forthcoming series based on the popular Marvel comic book character Daredevil. The series stars Charlie Cox as the titular hero, a blind man who uses his highly-heightened remaining senses to fight crime on the gritty streets of New York.

Cox is best-known for supporting roles in movies like "The Theory of Everything" and TV-series like "Boardwalk Empire" and "Downton Abbey."

This isn't the first attempt at a live-action adaptation of "Daredevil." Some may remember the 2003 version starring Ben Affleck. Although that movie was critically-panned, it grossed more than $180 million at the global box office, and inspired a cinematic spin-off, "Elektra," which didn't fare as well.

"Daredevil" premieres on Netflix on April 10.

Follow BI Video:On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »

On Tuesday, a jury ruled that singers Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke copied Marvin Gaye's hit 1977 song "Got to Give It Up" to create "Blurred Lines" and awarded $7.3 million to Gaye's family.

While the singers denied copying the late Gaye's music, Gaye's children sued Thicke and Williams, saying their song infringed the copyright of their father's song.

As part of the Gayes' case, they submitted an audio mash-up intended to serve as "concrete musical illustrations of the substantial similarities" between "Blurred Lines" and "Got to Give it Up."

On Monday, during a nearly week-long testimony, The Hollywood Reporter explained of the mash-up tape:

To that end, they have produced for the judge's ears a mash-up — quite possibly the first time ever in a courtroom that a mash-up has been exploited to prove copyright infringement. In the recording, the vocal material of "Blurred Lines" plays over the instrumental of "Got to Give It Up," and vice versa. "This material sounds like a perfect, natural match because it blends sonically," says the summary judgment memorandum.

If that's not enough, the Gayes have two expert musicologists describing eight substantial similarities: "(1) the signature phrase in the main vocal melodies; (2) the hooks; (3) the hooks with backup vocals; (4) the core theme in 'Blurred Lines' and backup hook in 'Got to Give it Up'; (5) the backup hooks; (6) the bass melodies; (7) the keyboard parts; and (8) the unusual percussion choices."

Thanks to YouTube, you can listen to a few mash-ups of the two songs and judge for yourself below:

Here's another mash-up:

Here's the "Blurred Lines" music video:

See how it compares to "Got To Give It Up":

"Blurred Lines" earned more than $5 million apiece for Thicke and Williams. Although both are credited as its songwriters, Williams wrote the song in about an hour in 2012, and the pair recorded it in one night.

SEE ALSO: Jury says Pharrell and Robin Thicke copied a Marvin Gaye song to make 'Blurred Lines'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 Crazy Things Revealed In HBO's Explosive New Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear'

Business Insider is looking for a paid intern to join our travel team on the Lifestyle vertical.

This internship is for the person who loves seeing the world, exploring new cultures, or just living vicariously through others' adventures.  

There's no fetching coffee during this internship! Instead, you'll be putting together beautiful slideshows of exotic places, liaising with our syndication partners, and researching the best destinations domestically and abroad. You will also have the opportunity to write about your own experiences.  

The ideal candidate should be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, possess excellent communication skills, and be excited about covering travel for a digital news site. A background in journalism is a huge plus, as is an interest in social media.

APPLY HERE with your resume and cover letter if interested.

Please note that this internship requires that you work in our Manhattan office. The internship term runs for approximately six months, with some flexibility on start and end dates.

SEE ALSO: The 14 Best Tech Companies To Work For

Join the conversation about this story »

Fans of "District 9" will have no trouble recognizing Neill Blomkamp's footprint in "Chappie," the Canadian-South African director's third feature film about a titanium police droid that gains consciousness thanks to a big software update.

Blomkamp's style is felt in a story that bounces among unlikely heroes, richer humor than what you'd get in the often lowest-common denominator chuckles of a Marvel flick, and a plot line of stakes that just go up and up.

That's all very parallel to what we saw in Blomkamp's directorial debut in 2009's "District 9."

Despite some pretty negative reviews, and an underwhelming $13.3 million opening at the box office, "Chappie" is a movie that could easily be enjoyed a second time on the big screen.

A few plot details follow, but nothing too heavy in spoilers!

Once a ubiquitous member of the cop-robot force that helped rein in scary homicide rates in Johannesburg, Unit 022 is damaged and labeled fit for the scrapyard.

That's until his designer, an engineer named Deon (Dev Patel) who moonlights in Red Bull-fueled attempts at designing true AI, installs his latest software attempt into his head.

It works. Unit 022 becomes Chappie (voiced and motion-acted by Sharlto Copley), essentially a child with a hyper-capable body and a blistering learning pace. Vulture calls Chappie a robotic version of the widely-hated Jar Jar Binks. And sure, there's some validity in that — from the character's odd English and his bodily dimensions to his nervous traits.

But Chappie won't annoy you like Jar Jar did the masses of "Star Wars" fans. One early scene is actually pretty heart-wrenching, as Chappie is pushed into homelessness by stewards eager to toughen him up.

Unfortunately for him, Chappie is a hero lost among anti-heroes (balanced against a few villains). Chappie's malleability is used by a trio of bad but not totally rotten gangsters — they're in falsified debt to a ruthless warlord (Brandon Auret).

The gangsters are played by rap duo Die Antwoord's Yolandi Visser and Watkin Tudor Jones, alongside Jose Pablo Cantillo. Apparently the rappers weren't the easiest to get along with on the set. A South African publication reported on Jones' backseat directing, and heard from anonymous sources on the set that Blomkamp himself said "I don’t ever want to be in the same room as him again."

Too bad they won't work with Blomkamp again. Tudor Jones and Visser are a bright spot in a cast of more established names that don't stand out themselves.

They have the benefit of bringing their real-life physiques to the set, and even spray-paint a few decals from some of their albums onto Chappie's bodywork (not a bad product placement). The gangsters try to mold Chappie into an unbeatable asset for high crime, though Yolandi Visser's character is just as happy reading him a book at night.

Hugh Jackman plays Vincent Moore, a frustrated meathead smart enough to have engineered his own robotic weapon (the mind-controlled "Moose"), but not quite smart enough to see why Deon's versatile robots have performed better with the Johannesburg police's budget allocators. When he's not causing problems for Chappie and the gang, Jackman's character fumes at his desk, wringing his hands into a rugby ball.

Even Chappie's maker, Deon, doesn't have the best instincts as he's kept in thrall by the three gangsters, who in a limited way, have come to care for Chappie beyond his ability to pack muscle.

Here's a scene of them interacting with the robot:

Much of the film's humor arises from the dissonance between Chappie's unmatched ability to fight while remaining so child-like. Soon enough, the gangster's den starts to resemble an unlikely but recognizable, almost loving home for Chappie's accelerated boyhood.

Like any machine, he'll take order inputs to an extreme that humans would implicitly understand as not exactly what was meant.

Finally, "Chappie" keeps driving to greater and greater stakes. The gangsters might be in it for Chappie's criminal potential, but that's soon overtaken by the world-shifting implications of bona fide artificial intelligence — a machine that learns, feels, fears, and longs to survive. Just like the bumbling protagonist Blomkamp's hit "District 9," the characters in "Chappie" are lost in something a lot greater than them.

Overall, "Chappie" is a solid action flick with a plot spine strong enough to string together the gunshow set-pieces, which come quickly enough. Blomkamp keeps the same mind-blowing contrast between futuristic weaponry and gritty urban settings we enjoyed on our last tour of near-future Johannesburg with "District 9."

The ending raises a few questions — some of them on the nature of AI, others, less appealingly, about the plausibility of the last few scenes, which we won't spoil here.

Perhaps one of the biggest questions the film posits is what happens when AI is smart enough to do more than it was designed for?

It's a question a few films this year will focus on from British thriller "Ex Machina" to the highly-anticipated "Avengers" sequel.

At the very least, if you enjoyed "District 9" — quirks, action, plot and all — Blomkamp's latest won't disappoint.

Watch a trailer for the film below:

Join the conversation about this story »

In February, Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis' long-delayed sci-fi romantic action thriller "Jupiter Ascending" bombed at the box office. 

The reported $175 million Warner Bros.' movie debuted to $19 million.

It was the latest bomb at theaters for the Wachowski siblings who brought us "The Matrix."

So far, "Jupiter Ascending" has made a weak $45 million domestically.

At that rate, it looked like it was on its way to becoming one of the biggest bombs of 2015. 

However, it looks like its poor performance at home may not even matter.

Internationally, the movie is a hit.

Over the weekend, the film debuted in China to a solid $23.2 million.

Currently, the film has already made $107 million internationally.

The movie is the latest box-office bomb to be saved by the foreign markets. 

Last year alone, overseas grosses helped movies like "The Expendables 3," "Need for Speed," and "Pompeii" from becoming outright flops.

China is currently the second-largest box-office market and is poised to overtake US as the number one market by 2020.

So it's no surprise big summer blockbusters are now turning their attention toward catering to international audiences. 

American cities were transformed to stand in for parts of Hong Kong and China during film of the latest "Transformers" sequel. The global premiere took place in Hong Kong.

The sequel ended up as the highest-grossing movie of 2014 despite terrible reviews. Overseas alone, "Transformers: Age of Extinction" grossed over $845 million.

"Iron Man 3" had longer, additional sequences for its Chinese audiences with cameos from local stars.

Next month's "Furious 7" featuring Vin Diesel and the Rock is set to do the majority of its press in Los Angeles and China.

SEE ALSO: "Jupiter Ascending" is one of the worst movies you'll see this year

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 Crazy Things Revealed In HBO's Explosive New Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear'

Last week, pop punk duo Ex Cops publicly slammed McDonald's for asking the band to perform for free during their music showcase at South By Southwest.

Brian Harding, one half of Ex Cops, expressed his frustration on Facebook, explaining:

"Their selling point was that this was 'a great opportunity for additional exposure,' and that 'McDonald's will have their global digital team on site to meet with the bands, help with cross promotion, etc. I don't, and doubt that they know what this means either. Getting past that rhetoric, at the very least a big corporation like McDonald's can at least pay their talent a little. Right? 'There isn't a budget for an artist fee (unfortunately).'"

McDonald's defended their offer, saying in a statement that artists performing for free at SXSW is "standard protocol."

"That's not true," Ex Cops singer Amalie Bruun told Rolling Stone following McDonald's response. "They're not following any guidelines because everyone else is offering money."

But after much backlash in the media, it appears McDonalds' is ready to change its tune and protocol.

Late Tuesday, the fast food franchise told Billboard: "All bands performing at our showcase will be compensated."

Read the full statement from a McDonald's rep below:

"SXSW started as a conference and festival for the music industry, related press and up-and-coming musicians bringing the community together to showcase their talents,. We are excited to expand our support of music at our SXSW activation where the lineup features a great assortment of more than 20 bands, honoring the spirit of the festival. To further support these artists, all bands performing at our showcase will be compensated."

A source told Billboard that Ex Cops will not be playing the McDonald's showcase, but the group did express their gratitude on Facebook, writing: "We are thrilled that our letter made a difference. Thank YOU for helping us. Artists should be paid for their work."

"Scott McNearney, SXSW's Sponsors chief, says the music festival typically offers one of two value propositions to artists who play official showcases," according to Billboard.

"They can either take a cash payment or they can take a credential package to participate in the conference and see other showcases. It's up to those artists to decide which package they want." While McDonald's offerings are "apples and oranges" to a typical showcase package, McNearney was pleased the company had pivoted over the past few days, in addition to "offering an added-value of exposure for those artists."

Ex Cops fans seem pretty pleased with McDonald's decision as well, commenting on the Facebook post:

SEE ALSO: McDonald's asked an indie band to play free at SXSW — here's its great response

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How To Listen To Your Entire Music Library Anywhere

The sensational box-office run of “American Sniper” hit its peak this week with news the bio pic of Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle is now the highest-grossing US film of last year with $337.4 million. 

Not bad for a film with a budget just under $60 million. 

To put the success of "American Sniper" in perspective: the film made more than "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1" ($337 million),  "Guardians of the Galaxy" ($333 million), and "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" ($259.8 million) stateside.

Directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Bradley Cooper as Kyle, the film garnered six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor (it would win only for Best Sound Editing), but its true success was its surprising box-office take, even though it received mixed reactions by the critics.

But it seems Eastwood films are impervious to criticism.

Counting “American Sniper,” Eastwood has directed six movies for Warner Bros. and all of them easily made their money back (only “Hereafter” and “Invictus” needed overseas grosses to get them in the black), thanks to Eastwood’s modest budgets for his films that usually range between $30 million - $60 million.

In fact, if it wasn’t for Eastwood’s lightening-quick shooting and bare-bones style of filmmaking, the “American Sniper” script would likely still be on the shelf. Steven Spielberg was originally supposed to helm the project after "Lincoln," but in the summer of 2013 he backed out, reportedly due to Warner Bros.' insistence that it only be a $60 million picture. A week later, Warner Bros. called Eastwood and the rest is history.

But the success of “American Sniper” also is a textbook example of great marketing and good timing.

The film only opened on four screens on Christmas Day, making it eligible for Oscar consideration, and grossed just over $633,000.

But then the Warner Bros. marketing team kicked in.

Retelling Kyle’s story, powerful ads and trailers of Cooper conflicted over his responsibility on the battlefield and the pull from his family back home. The Oscar buzz began, along with pieces questioning the accuracy of the film. The pump was primed and by the time the film went wide over Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, it became the highest January opening ever with over $90 million. 

From there, the film’s grosses soared and so did the country’s interest.

Kyle’s wife began doing press leading up to the Oscars, and though the film didn’t do well during awards season, the trial for Kyle’s killer — Eddie Ray Routh, an Iraqi war veteran who shot Kyle and his friend in the back while the two brought him to a shooting range in 2013 —  was already underway. It quickly became dubbed the “American Sniper” trail, and was the final jolt for a film that had now fully gripped a nation.

While “American Sniper” topped every movie in 2014, the most fascinating stat may be that Eastwood’s film is the first drama/non-franchise title to be the highest grossing of the year since 1998’s "Saving Private Ryan." In doing so it passes Steven Spielberg’s war epic as the highest-grossing war movie of all time.

Think Spielberg’s regretting passing on “Sniper” now? 

SEE ALSO: A Marine sharpshooter explains why american snipers are not cowards

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The Rock wrestles an earthquake in this awesome trailer for 'San Andreas'

Earlier Wednesday, local Miami news stations reported that four people had been injured during a shooting at Lil Wayne's home.

But according to the Miami Beach Police Department, it appears the incident was a hoax:

"Swatting" is when someone places a prank emergency call in order to prompt a full force response from cops, and it's been happening a lot to celebrities recently.

Earlier, a Miami Beach spokeswoman said someone called the non-emergency number to say that four people were shot inside the home.

However, Local 10 News reporter Glenna Milberg said there were no emergency vehicles at the scene.

The rapper's record label, Young Money Entertainment, tweeted that Wayne wasn't home at the time of the incident.

TMZ previously noted:"The bizarre report comes 11 days after police raced to the home to check on a report of a suspicious person lurking outside the home. Cops let the guy go because when they arrived he was on public property."

Watch the local livestream below:

SWAT team officials were immediately on the scene.

Check out more photos of the rapper's 9-bedroom, $9.2 million Miami mansion below:

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 Crazy Things Revealed In HBO's Explosive New Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear'

"Chappie" has an identity crisis.

The film tells a story better fit for PG-rated family fare, and then covers it in enough ugliness to garner a R-rating. In one scene, it's trying to make you laugh, the next it's trying to make you cry, and by the end, it aims to stun with excessive gore. Unfortunately, these elements don't add up to a cohesive or enjoyable movie.

"Chappie" features familiar faces in Hugh Jackman and "Slumdog Millionaire" star Dev Patel, but the movie, oddly enough, belongs to people named Ninja and Yolandi, better known (to some) as South African rap group Die Antwoord. While they are near-impossible to take seriously, however, even they are not the main reason why the movie doesn't work.

The real problem is that we've seen it all before. "Chappie" feels like Blomkamp put "E.T.", "Short Circuit," "Transcendence," and "Robocop" in a blender and then covered it with "AI: Artificial Intelligence." There's not an original bone in the film's body, and it plays like a mash-up of all the better sci-fi that came before it, but with way more repeated Die Antwoord tunes.

The film's visual style is exactly what you'd expect if you're familiar with Blomkamp's oeuvre — incredible, seamless effects set against a desolate South African backdrop. It was interesting in "District 9" but feels boring and stale by now. As Doug Benson joked on the latest episode of "Doug Loves Movies" in reference to Blomkamp's singular vision, "At least Woody Allen went to other boroughs." 

"Chappie" is more strange than it is anything else. Are Ninja and Yolandi playing themselves, as evidenced by the plethora of Die Antwoord merchandise strewn about the film? If they are playing themselves, why does nobody recognize them as popular rap stars? Die Antwoord definitely exists in the world of the film, as Ninja and Yolandi are literally wearing hoodies promoting themselves the entire time. It's a confusing marketing move that has no business being in a feature film.

Another thing that made me laugh was how Hugh Jackman inexplicably carries a rugby ball throughout the entire film. Every scene he can be seen holding, squeezing, maybe even tossing his precious rugby ball, and it never comes into play in a big way as one might expect. It's just bizarre.

Ultimately, it's unclear who "Chappie" is for. Its sense of humor and inclusion of pop culture figures suggests that it's for younger teens, but the film's R-rating ensures that they can't even buy a ticket. It's too silly to intrigue die-hard, adult sci-fi fans, and too "out there" for children. 

Neill Blomkamp seems to be failing upward in Hollywood, depending on who you ask. Blomkamp's debut feature "District 9" was a massive success — earning $115 million domestically on a tight $30 million budget and a Best Picture nomination at the 2010 Oscars. His follow-up sci-fi actioner "Elysium" starring Matt Damon underperformed in the states, earning just $93 million on a $115 budget.

Critics were fairly kind to "Elysium" at the time, but even Blomkamp himself considers the film a failure, as he told Uproxx:

"The thing that bothers me is if I feel like I f----- it up… I feel like, ultimately, the story is not the right story. I still think the satirical idea of a ring, filled with rich people, hovering above the impoverished Earth, is an awesome idea. I love it so much, I almost want to go back and do it correctly. But I just think the script wasn’t… I just didn’t make a good enough film is ultimately what it is."

Despite this, Blomkamp got to make "Chappie" for $49 million, and it's looking like the film won't even make that back domestically after its tepid $13 million opening weekend. In short, the director has yet to prove himself with a bigger budget, and meanwhile he has said in interviews that he isn't even sure he should be a film director.

And yet he continues to thrive and is about to get his biggest project yet. Back in January, Blomkamp posted concept art for an "Alien" movie that the studio "didn't even know he was working on" on Instagram. The images went viral, and "Alien" fans seemed excited by his vision.

Oh shit

A photo posted by Brownsnout (@neillblomkamp) on Jan 1, 2015 at 6:06pm PST

A month later, Blomkamp took to Instagram to announce that his "Alien" movie is officially happening. This momentum could have been utilized by Sony to better market "Chappie," but instead, Blomkamp's "Alien" became the only story that mattered and "Chappie" fell by the wayside before it was even released. 

Um... So I think it's officially my next film. #alien

A photo posted by Brownsnout (@neillblomkamp) on Feb 18, 2015 at 3:55pm PST

Could "Alien" be Blomkamp's first big budget success, or will it just continue the streak of bigger and bigger failures?

SEE ALSO: This horror film based on a true story is the most effective anti-camping PSA ever

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The Rock wrestles an earthquake in this awesome trailer for 'San Andreas'

Neo-soul singer/songwriter Robin Thicke lost a huge copyright suit over the song "Blurred Lines" on Tuesday and people who know about copyright law never saw it coming.

"I was shocked, frankly, and I really think it's a bad precedent," entertainment lawyer David Herlihy told Business Insider, a day after a jury awarded a $7.3 million to the family of Motown legend Marvin Gaye.

"If I imitate Eddie Van Halen's guitar style, am I infringing on the copyright?" he added.

The Gaye estate filed a lawsuit in October 2013 that claimed "Blurred Lines" copied Gaye's 1977 hit "Got to Give It Up," and on Tuesday a jury handed down the surprise verdict against Thicke and his co-writer, Pharrell Williams.

Thicke, Pharrell, and T.I. (who rapped in "Blurred Lines") actually sued the Gaye family first to ask a court to declare they weren't infringing Gaye's copyright after the family had threatened legal action — a sign that the "Blurred Lines" creators were confident they'd win their case.

Unlike some music copyright cases, this one didn't involve straight-up sampling. Instead, the Gayes claimed "Blurred Lines" and "Got to Give It Up" had "significant and substantially similar compositional elements." The jurors were told only to look at "sheet music" versions of the songs rather than their commercial recordings, according to The New York Times.

The main question was whether the two songs had the same melody. 

"Melody is copyright-able," New York University law professor Christopher Jon Sprigman told Business Insider. "'Blurred Lines' sounds something like the Marvin Gaye song. The reason they sound alike is they’re in the same genre. They don’t have the same melody."

This can be a tough question for a jury of lay people to decide. To demonstrate the similarity of songs, Thicke gave testimony in which he played "Blurred Lines" alongside "Got to Give It Up" and songs by the Beatles, Michael Jackson, and U2 on a keyboard.

"It's not a jury of musicologists," Sprigman said. "You have a jury falling back on their intuition. I'm not sure their intuitions are so great here."

Northwestern Law professor Peter DiCola said he knew of several entertainment lawyers who witnessed the trial and thought the Gayes would lose. If he were on the jury, DiCola said, he certainly would have voted for non-infringement.

"They don't sound the same to me," DiCola said. "I think there should be space to work in a certain style."

Indeed, the jury verdict in this case may start to give people the idea that "Marvin Gaye owns a certain style," according to Sprigman. "Did the first impressionist own impressionism?" he added. "This is not what copyright law is supposed to be."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 Crazy Things Revealed In HBO's Explosive New Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear'

"Top Gear "host Jeremy Clarkson may have been suspended by the BBC, but that doesn't mean he's abandoned his old antics. 

The gregarious television personality seemed to be taking his time on the sidelines in stride. 

In fact, fellow hosts James May and Richard Hammond seem to be equally nonchalant about the situation. 

With the BBC set to scrap the remaining three episodes of the show's 22nd season, "Top Gear's" trio of charismatic hosts took to Twitter to brainstorm ideas of the many shows that could take its Sunday night time slot — effectively trolling the employer that has suspended him.

James May started off the conversation by suggesting a 1964 film about a fictional British World War II fighter-bomber squadron called "633 Squadron" be shown instead.

Clarkson then insists that the 1968 Richard Burton-Clint Eastwood WWII classic, "Where Eagles Dare," is a better option.

Richard Hammond finally made an appearance, suggesting the BBC show an episode of "Last of the Summer Wine" — a British sitcom that ran for 31 seasons, exploring the youthful antics of a group of elderly men. Hammond was referencing a joke the hosts recently made at a press event about "Top Gear" becoming a show about the antics of three old men.

Clarkson has the final word. He'd like the network to show one his war documentaries. Outside of "Top Gear," Clarkson has also presented a series of war documentaries addressing topics such as the history of the Victoria Cross, the 1942 raid on St. Nazaire, and WWII allied supply convoys in the Arctic.

Although, the bombastic host may be in a cheerful mood, his daughter has jokingly taken to Twitter to announce it was time for her father to return to work.

Since news of Clarkson's suspension and the show's removal from the airwaves broke, support from fans has been swift.

Within a day, more than half a million of the show's fans have signed an online petition seeking Clarkson's reinstatement. 

Finally, fellow host James May offered words of support for his colleague when approached for comment by ITV.

SEE ALSO: BBC will cancel the rest of the 'Top Gear' season because of Jeremy Clarkson's suspension

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 14 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do

"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is in the midst of its 10th season, making it one of the longest-running live-action comedy shows in television history.

But the show's success may not have happened if not for a strange bit of luck brought upon by its network, FX.

Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, and Charlie Day are the creators, writers, actors, and producers of the show, but they weren't big enough names to draw in audiences when they were starting out in 2006.

McElhenney and Howerton recently joined The Nerdist podcast and explained that after a first season with low ratings, FX gave them an ultimatum: Add a star name to bring in audiences or the show is over.

McElhenney recalled the conversation:

So, John Landgraf, who's the president of FX, he called me in for a meeting and was like, 'Hey, no one's watching the show, but we love it, we wanna keep it on, but we don't have any money for marketing, and we need to add somebody with some panache that we can hopefully parlay into some public relations story, just so we can get people talking.'

On the podcast, McElhenney went on to say he, Howerton, and Day were hesitant to add a big name and change the way they were writing and making the show. He says FX threw around some names, including Danny DeVito.

"It's not that we were reticent to the idea of adding Danny to the show," Howerton recalled, "it's that we were reticent to add a name to the show. You know, because we kinda liked that we were no-names and it was this weird, small thing, you know."

McElhenney says they told FX: "No, I just don't think we wanna do that, and they were like, 'Oh OK, well, you know ... the show's over.'"

McElhenney, Howerton, and Day then opened up to the idea and talked to DeVito, who apparently already knew about the show because his kids watched it.

Howerton says DeVito was perfect for the role because he had played so many "despicable characters" but had a warmth underneath that seemed to fit the show's tone.

DeVito joined the show for the second season, playing Frank Reynolds, the legal father of twins Dennis and Sweet Dee.

In 2014, Entertainment Weekly ranked "It's Always Sunny" No. 7 on its list of the "26 Best Cult TV Shows Ever," noting, "It's a great underdog story ... If it sounds too dark for you, consider that there's an episode about making mittens for kittens, and it's adorable."

SEE ALSO: See what 30 young stars from the '90s are doing today

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: HBO just released another new trailer for 'Game of Thrones'

It's hard to imagine Netflix's new show "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" without Jane Krakowski.

The 46-year-old actress plays one of the series' outspoken leads, the wealthy Jacqueline Voorhees, who hires Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) as a nanny.

However, Krakowski nearly wasn't on the Netflix series. She was a last minute addition.

The actress was originally set to appear on a different comedy over on Fox called "Dead Boss" until the network decided not to move forward with it.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actress explained how she was added to "Unbreakable" only five days before the then-NBC comedy was previewed at the network's upfronts event for advertisers.

"I got that dreaded call on a Wednesday afternoon from the producer and creator of Dead Boss that it was not going to get picked up," Krakowski told THR. "I was sitting at my desk chair, wondering who from the cast I was going to call first to commiserate, and within an hour I got the call from Tina."

From there, filming for "Unbreakable" moved pretty quickly.

"I got fitted on Friday, I filmed on Saturday and they inserted scenes of mine from the upfront package," said Krakowski.

The actress described the initial taping of her character as "guerilla-style" with a green screen.

"I just stood on a platform," Krakowski explained to THR. "There were no actors there, but I read the scene with a stand in and script supervisor. They just pasted me in, and I started filming a few weeks later. I really didn't even know who I was playing. It was that quick. We filmed it properly again once I knew where everything was going."

During a recent Q&A for the series Business Insider attended, Krakowski divulged more on her last minute addition.

"I was not in the original pilot, and so I was shown selective scenes after I had gotten hired and said yes," said Krakowski. "They didn't want to play me everything because they were going to redo bits and sort of work towards that." 

She said there was one moment where she was sold on joining the series.

"They showed me the very first scene when they go to the 'Today' show," Krakowski continued. "The minute that PA [production assistant] goes, 'Thank you, victims,' I was like, 'You can stop the tape. I'm in.' It was so up my alley."

SEE ALSO: Here's how much improv is on Netflix's new show "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"

AND: "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" has a great iPhone joke

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Netflix's new 'Daredevil' show looks way better than Ben Affleck's version of the superhero

A few centuries before Robin Thicke and Pharrell first listened to Marvin Gaye, a young musician in Vienna was looking for inspiration.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart needed a story and a hook for his upcoming opera. So, he borrowed music and specific plot elements from “The Beneficient Dervish,” an opera composed by some fellow musicians in Vienna, according to classical music scholars. Soon thereafter, Mozart premiered “The Magic Flute” at the city’s legendary Theater auf der Wieden.

Thicke and Pharrell may be in the headlines today after a jury ordered them to pay Gaye’s family $7.5 million for copying the music of Gaye’s dance classic, “Got To Give It Up.” But it’s just the latest example in a long history of musicians getting inspiration from their predecessors.

In addition to Mozart, the Beatles borrowed lines from the big-band classic, “In the Mood,” for their 1967 hit, “All You Need Is Love,” Johnny Cash plagiarized from a blues song for his classic “Folsom Prison Blues,” and Madonna lifted parts of “Frozen” from a 1980s song by a Belgian songwriter.

And so on and so on. Musicians have always borrowed rhythms and melodies and lyrics from others. Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up” itself has been non-controversially sampled 14 times. So when does that type of homage cross the line? It comes down to money, pride, modern copyright law and money, again.

Many songs that sample music never become hits and languish in obscurity. In other cases, it’s difficult to prove outright theft. (When Andrew Lloyd Webber was sued for allegedly stealing the music for the theme song to “Phantom of the Opera,” the jury in the case found the composer innocent of plagiarism.) 

Below are some hits that take their inspiration from other songs. Take a listen to both (new and old) and make up your own mind:

New: The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love"

Old: Glenn Miller's "In The Mood"

New: Led Zeppelin's "Bring It On Home"

Old: Sonny Boy Williamson's "Bring It On Home"

Now check out the Robin Thicke and Pharrell song that a jury ruled infringed the copyright for Marvin Gaye's "Got To Give It Up." 

SEE ALSO: Listen to the mash-up that proves Robin Thicke and Pharrell copied a Marvin Gaye song to make 'Blurred Lines'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 Crazy Things Revealed In HBO's Explosive New Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear'

Even in the digital age, television is a medium that's starved for real-time data. 

That's why video platforms like Twitch and YouTube are thriving and broadcast television will be doomed TV if executives don’t wise up, according to one incredibly popular YouTube personality.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 14 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do

Imagine you're at home playing a video game, broadcasting your gameplay online for your followers to watch on Twitch. Without warning, the door to your room is busted open and SWAT officers are screaming at you to put your hands up and get on the ground — all while thousands of people online get a front-row seat to the action thanks to your computer's webcam.

This is what happens during a "swatting," an increasingly popular internet prank where cybercriminals call in a serious crime — such as a hostage situation or shooter on the loose — in the hopes of unleashing a SWAT team on an unsuspecting person.

Rapper Lil Wayne was recently the victim of a swatting attempt after police received a phone call reporting that four people had been shot inside his Miami home. Police responded, but later clarified that it was a hoax.

Cybercriminals can use a variety of technical tricks to mask their own identities or to make it appear as if the prank call to police originated at the residence of the unsuspecting victim. Police, with no other choice than to react to the severity of the crime being described, often send out SWAT teams, bomb squads, and other emergency services such as fire trucks and ambulances.

"Uh oh, this isn't good," a gamer named Jordan Mathewson, who streams on Twitch under the name "Kootra," says to the camera during a live stream. "They're clearing rooms. What in the world? I think we're getting swatted."

Seconds later, police storm in and Mathewson is handcuffed, searched, and questioned.

You can watch the entire ordeal below.

Eventually, the police realize that they've been duped and release Mathewson from custody, but it's hardly a harmless prank. Taxpayer dollars are wasted on police responding to a hoax, and the buildings and school nearby Mathewson's address were placed on lockdown due to the threat.

While most swatting attempts revolve around targeting gamers who broadcast their gameplay on live streaming services such as Twitch, celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Miley Cyrus, and Justin Bieber have all been "swatted" before.

But swatting celebrities doesn't allow the public to watch the events play out in real-time, and that's part of the reason why gamers are consistently targeted while in the midst of playing their favorite game in front of thousands of spectators.

Unfortunately, if one of those anonymous spectators get annoyed (or sadly, just bored) with the person streaming, they can try to dig up identifying information on the address of the live streamer, usually by capturing the IP address of the person's computer. After a bogus phone call to police, the live streamer finds themself in the middle of a SWAT raid.

If caught, those responsible for the swatting attack can face up to five years in prison. 19-year-old Brandon Wilson, known as "Famed God" online, was recently arrested by the FBI for a swatting attempt and is being charged charged with two counts of computer tampering and one count each of intimidation, computer fraud, identity theft and disorderly conduct. 

For now, gamers are doing everything they can to ensure that they don't leak any information on their location or identity to their Twitch spectators. The FBI has been aware of swatting since 2008, but there's unfortunately little police can do but to respond appropriately when they receive such a serious call.

To get a sense of exactly how terrifying it can be to get swatted, you can watch one of the many swatting compilations below (just a heads up, there's some strong language).

SEE ALSO: Steve Jobs 'went off on a rant' about the terrible design of cars way back in 2006

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Police are pleading with Google to ditch a feature in its Waze app that could help terrorists

I remember exactly where I was when I first watched Jurassic Park — hiding behind a couch at my dad's friend's house, hands covering my ears to muffle the terrifying sound of dinosaur yelps and roars spewing from his surround-sound speakers.

Had I known what I was actually listening to, I might have been far more terrified — and traumatized.

Those sounds, it turns out, are bonafide recordings of real animals.

But they're engaged in an activity you might not expect for a 1993 PG-13 film: having sex.

The film's sound designer, Gary Rydstrom, spent months recording and fine-tuning these sounds, he told Kyle Buchanan over at Vulture.

"If people knew where the sounds in Jurassic Park came from, it'd be rated R!" Rydstrom says.

In the film, each dinosaur species has a distinct set of sounds. Some are R-rated, others are a bit more mild, but still surprisingly strange.

Here's how they made the most iconic dinosaur sounds:

Barking Velociraptors

The strange, bark-like sounds that the film's raptors use to communicate is actually the sound of tortoises having sex. Really.

"It's somewhat embarrassing," Rydstrom told Vulture.

Stampede of Gallimimus

I still can't forget the feeling of my adrenaline racing as I listened to a stampede of screeching creatures as they chased doctors Grant and Satler (played by Sam Neil and Laura Dern) through the forest.

In reality, though, the high-pitched squawking sounds those little guys make are terrifying for an altogether different reason: They're actually the sound of a female horse squealing at a male horse when he got "a little too close" and she got excited, Rydstrom said,

Magical Brachiosaurus

Remember the magical moment in the movie where doctors Grant and Satler are captivated by the sound of the slow-moving, long-necked Brachiosaurus as it chomps on its leafy lunch in the forest?

Get ready to be disappointed. That enchanting moment comes courtesy of a pretty non-magical creature: the donkey.

"You think of donkeys, and they kind of yodel, you know? There's this pitch shift in donkey vocals, and if you slow them way down, you get almost a hooting, songlike quality," Rydstrom told Vulture. As it turns out, slowing down small-animal noises is how Rydstrom gets a lot of his bigger-sounding animal roars.

Terrifying T-Rex

As I remember it, the Tyrannosaurus rex was the star of the film — it's biggest, scariest character. Yet the majority of its sounds came from none other than Rydstrom's own pet, a petite Jack Russell terrier named Buster. It's characteristic roar, on the other hand, is actually the sound of a baby elephant.

Dying Triceratops

The triceratops sounds were from dozens of cows from George Lucas' film site, Skywalker Ranch, where Rydstrom works. As for the unforgettable sound of the dying triceratops, though, Rydstrom turned to a simple, homemade device: a cardboard tube with a spring in it. "When Sam Neill puts his ear right up to the chest cavity of the triceratops and listens to its breathing, there's a lot of cow in there, but the key element of the breathing is mostly me breathing into a tube," Rydstrom told Vulture.

Read the full list of dino-noises over at Vulture>

UP NEXT: Scientist has a bedbug breakthrough after subjecting herself to 180,000 bites

SEE ALSO: The frightening true story of the Florida sinkhole that swallowed Jeffrey Bush

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 5 amazing science facts that sound false but are actually true

The name of the first "Star Wars" spinoff movie will be called "Rogue One." 

Disney CEO Bob Iger made the announcement Thursday during the company's annual shareholders' meeting.

StarWars.com has the full announcement.

The film will be directed by Gareth Edwards ("Godzilla") and will star Felicity Jones.

Those in attendance received a quick glimpse at concept art for the film.

"Rogue One" will be released December 16, 2016 and will begin filming in London this summer.

Previously, Iger confirmed at least three "Star Wars" spinoff films are in the works.

"Star Wars: Episode VII" will be released December 18, 2015.

Here's the announcement from StarWars.com:

This morning at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, across the street from Lucasfilm, Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger hosted a shareholder meeting where he announced news regarding the first Star Wars stand-alone movie as well as Star Wars: Episode VIII.

Rogue One is the title for the first film in a unique series of big-screen adventures that explores the characters and events beyond the core Star Wars saga. Rogue One will be directed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters, Godzilla) and written by Oscar nominee Chris Weitz (Cinderella, About a Boy, Antz). The first actress cast is Felicity Jones, who garnered an Academy Award nomination and critical acclaim for her performance in The Theory of Everything. The idea for the story of Rogue One came from John Knoll, an Academy Award-winning visual effects supervisor and chief creative officer at Industrial Light & Magic. He will executive produce along with Simon Emanuel (The Dark Knight Rises, Fast & Furious 6) and Jason McGatlin (Tintin, War of the Worlds). Kathleen Kennedy and Tony To (Band of Brothers, The Pacific) are on board to produce and John Swartz (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) will co-produce. The film starts shooting this summer in London and is due for release on December 16, 2016.

In addition, Iger confirmed that Rian Johnson will write and direct Star Wars: Episode VIII. The film, which continues the saga after the events of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, is set for release on May 26, 2017 — forty years and a day after the release of Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977. Johnson is widely considered one of cinema’s most gifted young filmmakers, having directed the modern sci-fi classic, Looper, as well as Brick and The Brothers Bloom. He was also behind the camera for three episodes of the critically-acclaimed TV series Breaking Bad, including “Ozymandias,” which series creator Vince Gilligan named as the best installment of the show. Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman, producer of Looper, Don Jon, Brick, and The Brothers Bloom, are on board to produce.

StarWars.com. All Star Wars, all the time.

SEE ALSO: Disney's 2017 movie schedule is insane

AND: Disney shareholders got a first glimpse at "Rogue One" concept art

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The First 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Trailer Is Here!

"Star Wars Episode VIII," the eighth movie in the core Star Wars movie franchise, will be released on May 26, 2017, Disney announced Thursday.

This will be the sequel to "The Force Awakens," the new "Star Wars" movie that will be released on December 18, 2015. 

When Disney bought Lucasfilm and the "Star Wars" franchise in 2012, it committed to making at least six new "Star Wars" movies.

The new trilogy, Episodes VII, VIII, and IX, will continue the original story from the other six "Star Wars" movies.

Disney is also making three spin-off movies that tell new stories outside the core "Star Wars" movies. The first spin-off movie will be called "Rogue One." It will be released on December 16, 2016.

Here's the press release from Disney:

In addition, Iger confirmed that Rian Johnson will write and direct Star Wars: Episode VIII. The film, which continues the saga after the events of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, is set for release on May 26, 2017 — forty years and a day after the release of Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977. Johnson is widely considered one of cinema’s most gifted young filmmakers, having directed the modern sci-fi classic, Looper, as well as Brick and The Brothers Bloom. He was also behind the camera for three episodes of the critically-acclaimed TV series Breaking Bad, including “Ozymandias,” which series creator Vince Gilligan named as the best installment of the show. Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman, producer of Looper, Don Jon, Brick, and The Brothers Bloom, are on board to produce.

SEE ALSO: The title of the first "Star Wars" spinoff will be "Rogue One."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Adam Savage From 'MythBusters' Has An Incredible Connection To The 'Star Wars' Franchise

It's official!

A "Frozen" sequel is definitely happening.

Disney CEO Bob Iger announced "Frozen 2" is in the works along with Disney and Pixar studios chief creative officer John Lasseter and "Frozen" voice actor Josh Gad at the company's annual shareholders' meeting.

Variety first reported the news. 

“We enjoyed making Frozen Fever so much and being back in that world with those characters,” said Lasseter. “Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck have come up with a great idea for a sequel and you will be hearing a lot more about it and we’re taking you back to Arendelle. We are so excited about that.” 

The 2013 movie has grossed over $1.2 billion at theaters, making it the highest-grossing animated picture of all time.

Both Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck will return to direct.

Some of the cast and crew immediately took to Twitter after the news was released.

Here are Lasseter and Gad backstage at the event:

A short, "Frozen Fever" will debut in theaters exclusively in front of Disney's live-action "Cinderella" this weekend.

No release date has been announced.

SEE ALSO: Bob Iger announces the name of the first "Star Wars" spinoff

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Disney's Live-Action Version Of 'Cinderella' Finally Gets A Full-Length Trailer