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Vault Entertainment Ups Preslee Krout To Talent Manager
Vault Entertainment, the Los Angeles-based talent management and production company, has promoted Preslee Krout to the role of Talent Manager, the firm confirmed exclusively to Deadline. The move reflects the company’s stated focus on nurturing talent from within, as Vault continues to build out its team following a string of recent senior hires and internal…
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Polling firm closes down after it faked Hong, Bass polls
Median Strategies, the company that released polls showing Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) and former Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong ahead with wide margins in their respective races, announced Monday it has closed. A message on the company’s website reads that it has “concluded its polling project and will not publish additional polls.” “All…
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Etched’s valuation doubles to $21B in a month
AI chip startup Etched has raised $700 million at a $21 billion valuation, led by quantitative trading firm Jane Street, which tested and subsequently bought the company’s hardware. The pace of the valuation increase is remarkable even by the standards of the current AI boom, reflecting strong investor confidence in Etched’s approach to accelerating AI…
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“We feel that we have been seriously misled and let down”: GoFundMe launched for Indonesian metal bands stranded in Ireland after being allegedly abandoned by promoter
A GoFundMe fundraiser has been launched for three Indonesian metal bands—Deadsquad, Jasad and Death Vomit—after they were left stranded in Ireland when their tour promoter allegedly failed to honour agreed arrangements. The bands, touring Europe as part of the 2026 Cataclysmic Tour, say they were “seriously misled and let down,” raising concerns about the treatment…
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I modded GTA 5 into a life-sim RPG with mining, foraging, a mini-economy, and the ability to fall asleep in the middle of the road
A PC Gamer writer used mods to transform Grand Theft Auto 5 into an ambitious life-sim RPG, layering in systems like mining, foraging and a working mini-economy on top of the base open-world crime game. The piece is a first-person account of building a heavily customised playthrough, illustrating how far GTA 5’s modding scene has…
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Elevation Pictures co-founder Laurie May leaves distributor after 13 years
Laurie May has stepped down as co-president of Elevation Pictures, the independent Canadian distribution company she helped found in 2013 alongside Black Bear’s Teddy Schwarzman during the Toronto International Film Festival. Over her 13 years with the firm, May helped build Elevation into Canada’s leading independent distributor, with the company handling domestic releases of acclaimed…
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Apple overhauls EU App Store fees with simplified commission rates
Apple has confirmed new App Store rules for the European Union, taking effect on 1 October, which it says will resolve its long-running disagreements with the European Commission over business terms and alternative app distribution. All developers distributing apps will move onto a single set of business terms, with Apple dropping several previous charges, including…
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Ken Kao’s Waypoint Strikes First-Look With ‘Splitsville’ & ’80 For Brady’ Outfit Watch This Ready, First Project Revealed
Ken Kao’s financier-producer Waypoint Entertainment has agreed a first-look deal with Watch This Ready, the indie production company behind Dakota Johnson’s Cannes hit Splitsville. Under the partnership the two firms will jointly develop, finance and produce original feature films, formalising a working relationship that began with Splitsville, which Neon later acquired. The first project under…
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Generative AI in Games is Being Embraced by More Players, New Study Says
A new annual report from research firm Bain & Company suggests gamers are becoming more comfortable with generative AI’s use in video games, even as the technology continues to spark controversy within the industry. The findings matter because they run counter to the vocal backlash AI has faced from segments of the gaming community, suggesting…
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Corporation targeted by Brandon Gill digs in on ‘diverse workforce’ after firebrand opens DEI probe
McKinsey & Company has defended its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices after Republican congressman Brandon Gill launched a probe into the consulting giant, accusing it of promoting misleading claims. The firm has stood firm on maintaining a “diverse workforce”, setting up a clash with House Republicans who are increasingly targeting corporations and institutions over…