🏆 It’s no big deal but…The Hustle has been nominated for a Webby Award (AKA the online Oscars) in the Video & Film (Business) category. But we can’t bring home that big, silver trophy without you. If you’ve ever laughed at or learned from one of our YouTube videos, throw us a vote. And if you’re noticing some other familiar faces, it’s because HubSpot Media’s My First Million and The Next Wavepodcasts are up for awards, too. So get to clicking, if you can — as we said, the trophies are very shiny.
🎢 Universal is going to the UK: Universal is building a multibillion-dollar theme park and resort in the UK, the company’s first in Europe. The 476-acre complex in Bedford, England is ~60 miles north of London and will open in 2031. While it will surely make childhood dreams come true, it will also make money: The park is estimated to generate nearly $64B for the British economy by 2055, add 28k new jobs, and attract 8.5m visitors in its first year.
🤖 What a cutie: Samsung’s Ballie robot will hit US and South Korean markets this summer. The adorable little bot is equipped with a Gemini AI model thanks to a partnership with Google Cloud, and can manage smart home devices, greet guests, set reminders, offer outfit and health tips, and more. The companion bot was due to ship in 2024, but obviously did not, and there’s no info on pricing yet — likely due to tariffs throwing the price of just about everything into potential chaos.
⚖️ It’s back on: A judge dismissedBlade Runner 2049 production company Alcon Entertainment’s trademark claim against Tesla and Warner Bros., ruling that Alcon was only using “information and belief” to accuse Tesla of creating an AI-generated still from the film’s imagery for its robotaxi event. But the judge has reexamined the case and ruled that because Tesla asked Alcon for permission to use film imagery hours before the event — which Alcon denied — Alcon’s allegation is “not at all implausible.” All but one of the claims can now move forward.
MORE NEWS TO KNOW
MrBeast is suing a former IT contractor for allegedly doing a whole bunch of things employees shouldn’t do. The complaint claims that the contractor breached his contract, stole trade secrets, and installed hidden cameras in the company’s offices. Yikes.
The space junk problem got even worse in 2024, according to the European Space Agency’s new report. The amount of space debris — satellite and rocket pieces — increased 8% last year to ~40k.
An odd marker of the times, but Chinese producers of Christmas decor say they’ve received no orders from US customers yet, which are typically finalized in mid-April. US retailers source 87% of holiday decorations from China, worth $4B, but tariffs on Chinese imports are now 104%+.
FROM OUR FRIENDS AT MINDSTREAM
Say hi to Claude, the new kid in class
Anthropic recently launched Claude for Education, an updated version of its AI chatbot made for university students, staff, and faculty.
Claude can help with admin tasks, like helping university staff track enrollment trends and respond to student questions.
The bot’s “learning mode” encourages critical thinking with follow-up questions, study guides, and essay outlines rather than handing out free answers.
Claude is already on campus at schools like the London School of Economics and Northeastern University, but it’s likely just getting started. Here’s what else you should know.
THE BIG IDEA
‘Minecraft’ is a hit — and a mess
Cinemas are loving the money A Minecraft Movie is bringing in — but not the property damage.
The film earned $163m domestically last weekend, crushing the $146m three-day opening weekend record for a video game adaptation set in 2023 by The Super Mario Bros. Movie. (We’d say casting Jack Black is the key to a successful video game movie, but Borderlands tanked.)
Despite Minecraft’s commercial success, some theaters have banned unaccompanied minors thanks to a TikTok trend that has teens erupting in chaos — screaming, throwing popcorn and soda, damaging seats, etc. — during a “chicken jockey” scene in which Jason Momoa battles a zombie riding a chicken.
While it’s tempting to shake your head at kids these days, moviegoers have a long history of being unruly.
Like what?
The most obvious example — and the one to which people are drawing parallels — is 1975’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It wasn’t a box office hit, but did become a popular midnight movie thanks to an audience tradition of yelling out phrases, dressing up, bringing props, and singing along.
It even appeared on box office charts in 2021, 46 years after its release, when it brought in $250k Halloween weekend.
When Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, it ended a longtime policy allowing theaters to use its catalog for repertory screenings — but made an exception for Rocky Horror.
More recently…
… millennials locked onto 2003’s The Room, a low-budget drama that’s become a cult hit, with audiences throwing spoons during special screenings.
And in 2022, Gen Zers showed up in formal wear to watch Minions: The Rise of Gru. Again, TikTok played a role, with #Gentleminions racking up 5m+ views on the platform.
That sounds fun…
… but maybe not for people who own or work in theaters. The Minions moviegrossed $940m+ worldwide — but some theaters banned guests in suits due to disruptive behavior.
So, how does a theater capitalize on a rowdy cult film while still maintaining its sanity?
Alamo Drafthouse’s special Rowdy Screenings allow audience participation — like singing along to Cats — but still ban side conversations and making a mess.
Many Rocky Horror screenings have rules about what and where objects can be thrown and eject guests who disobey.
Of course, previous generations didn’t have TikTok followers to impress. Good luck, cinemas!
Need an SEO boost? Here’s some expert guidance from Reddit’s growth advisor on finding your vertical-specific strategy.
NEWSWORTHY NUMBER
The percent of blue-collar workers who report feeling extremely or very satisfied with their jobs, per a Pew Research Center survey.
That’s compared to the 53% of other surveyed workers who reported that level of satisfaction.
Not shockingly, people who aren’t satisfied with their jobs feel more detached from them. More than half (54%) describe their work as “just a job to get you by,” double the share of other workers who reported that sentiment.
And only a third of blue-collar workers view their jobs as careers, compared with 56% for other workers.
Strangely, work friends — or, maybe, lack thereof — seem to be the great equalizer: Nearly equal shares of blue-collar (61%) and other workers (65%) say they are extremely or very satisfied with their relationship with their co-workers.
AROUND THE WEB
📅 On this day: In 1866, Henry Bergh founded the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
🏀 That’s cool: NBA star Kevin Durant and entrepreneur Rich Kleiman’s Boardroom covers how athletes, entertainers, and execs move the business world forward. Subscribe here.
One of several comments Elon Musk received from trolls while livestreaming himself playing “Path of Exile 2” from his private jet on Saturday. Musk, who was reportedly testing out Starlink’s in-air Wi-Fi, played for nearly two hours as players mocked him through the game chat. After roughly an hour of harassment (and not long before rage-quitting) the world’s richest man finally clapped back at his haters with a bold threat, saying: “Anyone spamming the chat will get, uh, ignored.”
Fun fact: The billionaire, a known fan of the RPG game, once claimed to be a top-ranking player, but later admitted to paying others to level-up his account.
SHOWER THOUGHT
Future people are going to talk about us with our microplastics and bad food pyramid the same way we talk about the Romans using lead piping and cups.SOURCE
Today’s email was brought to you by Juliet Bennett Rylah and Sara Friedman, with help from Singdhi Sokpo and Kaylee Jenzen. Editing by: Ben “Oh, hai, doggy” Berkley.
