GoKawiil
Tech News
Hasbro and the makers of Tetris found their intellectual property appropriated in government-produced propaganda content, prompting both companies to publicly clarify that their brands do not endorse the administration's messaging. The incidents mark a growing trend of copyright holders having to respond after official government accounts repurposed their imagery without permission.
A retrospective critique revisits the 1986 animated Transformers: The Movie, praising its opening act — the Autobot City battle, Devastator's formation, and Optimus Prime's climactic duel with Megatron — as nearly flawless filmmaking. The piece also notes a missed opportunity: some scripts reportedly included the giant Autobot Metroplex defending the city, a scene cut for budget or production reasons.
Hasbro is seeking a different studio partner to produce a sequel to 'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' after Paramount Pictures declined to continue with the franchise. The decision follows the first film's disappointing box office performance despite generally favorable reviews.
Netflix is developing a live-action series based on the Dungeons & Dragons Ravenloft setting, with Alfonso Cuarón and John August attached as executive producers alongside Hasbro Entertainment. The show will reportedly focus on Strahd von Zarovich, tracing his transformation from a tragic figure into one of D&D's most notorious vampire villains. Deadline also reported that Netflix has scrapped a separate live-action Forgotten Realms series that was being developed by Shawn Levy and Drew Crevello.
Hasbro has notified regulators that attackers gained unauthorized access to an employee account, exposing personal and financial details of staff. Massachusetts filings show at least 436 employees in that state had Social Security numbers, financial account data, card numbers, and driver's license information compromised. Hasbro says it disabled the compromised account, cut off unauthorized access, and added new safeguards, though it hasn't disclosed the full scope of the breach or when it was discovered.
At a San Diego City Council budget meeting, DJ and activist Anthony Ralphs appeared as Darth Vader to satirize the city's renewed contract with surveillance firm Flock Safety, delivering a mock endorsement praising the technology's ability to track 'rebel scum.' The stunt, filmed and shared online, went viral across TikTok and Instagram, reaching millions of viewers. Ralphs, who has spent roughly a year opposing the San Diego Police Department's use of Flock's tools, later revealed his identity behind the mask to take credit for the performance.