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The distributor for has sued its marketing partner on the horror fan-favorite for fraud and breach of contract. Bob Yari’s Magenta Light Productions, in a filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court that seeks at least $10 million, accuses Spellbinder of failing to contribute its half of the $2 million marketing spend for the film. It also claims that the company kept some of the funds and bought social media followers and views on various platforms to create the appearance of a successful marketing campaign. , a nonlinear serial killer thriller, premiered in August on over 1,100 screens across the U.S. It made $1.1 million its opening weekend, significantly below box office expectations for its media campaign, reviews and broad theatrical release. Miramax financed the film, which has grossed roughly $3 million, on a budget of at least $4 million. After acquiring distribution rights to the film, Magenta approached Global Pictures Media, a now-defunct company that specializes in financing theatrical release of films, to fund P&A (prints and advertising) for the movie only to be told that the firm shut down and that its principals were raising capital to launch Spellbinder, the complaint says. They agreed to evenly split $2 million in marketing spend, with Magenta wiring Spellbinder the funds to start the campaign. The lawsuit claims that Spellbinder in June failed to deliver a contractually obligated dashboard providing live updates on media spend and throttled back the campaign, which led Magenta to request invoices to confirm spending up to that date. Later that month, the distributor learned that Spellbinder brought in Myosin, another marketing agency, to assist. In July, Magenta was told that the media purchases laid out in the contract had not yet been negotiated or purchased in breach of the deal, the lawsuit says. Spellbinder allegedly said that it required more funds despite it being responsible for half of the costs. The lawsuit claims that Myosin, which is named in the complaint, commingled funds with Spellbinder. The ownership of the two companies are “identical,” states the lawsuit, which alleges that they “operate as a single entity and identify themselves separately only for purposes of evading liability.” Sean Clayton, who didn’t respond to requests for comment, is a founder of both companies, according to the complaint. Magenta also claims that Spellbinder purchased followers on Instagram to make it appear that it had enacted a successful marketing campaign. The platform flagged nearly 25,000 of the movie’s 27,000 followers as likely being bots, according to the complaint. “Further, it appears that Spellbinder purchased views of videos posted to Plaintiff’s YouTube account,” the lawsuit states. “These videos have a high number of views but extremely limited engagement, which suggests that the views are not genuine. The few comments on these YouTube videos also appear to have been generated by bots. Additionally, despite gaining millions of views on the top videos posted to the account, the account itself has generated less than 500 subscribers.” Magenta, Spellbinder and Myosin didn’t respond to requests for comment. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day More from The Hollywood Reporter
Texas A&M Aggies vs. Abilene Christian Wildcats live stream info, start time, TV channel: How to watch NCAA Basketball on TV, stream onlineWith the broader stock market indexes hovering around all-time highs, some investors may fear that a sell-off is creeping on the horizon in 2025. After all, equity prices have outpaced earnings growth, leading to a relatively expensive market . Valuation concerns could lead to a pullback in stock prices in 2025, but that doesn't mean investors should sell out of their positions or stop putting new capital to work in the market. However, folks should take great care to ensure they are investing in quality companies that can justify their valuations with earnings growth over time rather than chasing hot stocks to make a quick buck. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can be excellent ways to invest in the market while maintaining diversification. Investment management firm Vanguard offers several low-cost ETFs that target various themes and stock market sectors. Here's why the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF ( VIG -0.71% ) , Vanguard Communications ETF ( VOX -1.12% ) , and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF ( VOO -1.04% ) stand out as great buys now. Boost your passive income from dividend-growing companies The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF focuses on companies that are well positioned to continue raising their dividends for years to come. Top holdings include Apple , Broadcom , JPMorgan Chase , and Microsoft . Apple and Microsoft have yields under 1%, but they have track records for raising their dividends, as well as repurchasing stock. Many of the top holdings in the ETF are well-known industry-leading companies. The fund's focus on earnings growth makes it an excellent choice for investors interested in quality rather than high-yield stocks at bargain-bin prices. Granted, many of the fund's top holdings are hovering around all-time highs and have seen their valuations expand. But the fund is well diversified, with just a 30.7% concentration in the top 10 holdings and no individual holding making up more than 5% of the fund. The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF sports a yield of 1.7% -- which isn't high-yield territory , but it is better than the 1.2% yield from the S&P 500 . The communications sector offers a rare mix of growth and value The Vanguard Communications ETF mirrors the performance of the communications sector. The fund has been one of the best-performing Vanguard ETFs year to date -- up over 35%. And yet it is still a great value because many top communications stocks have impeccable earnings and cash flow growth. Meta Platforms , Alphabet , and Netflix are typically viewed as tech companies, but they are actually classified under the communications sector and dominate the Vanguard Communications ETF with a 52.4% combined weighting. The top 10 holdings in the fund, which include legacy media companies Walt Disney and Comcast , as well as telecom companies Verizon Communications , T-Mobile , and AT&T , make up 69.8% of the fund. The fund's heavy concentration in a handful of names means it is not very diversified and, therefore, only worth buying if you have high conviction in the top holdings -- especially Meta and Alphabet. Even though they are both hovering around all-time highs, Meta and Alphabet stand out as solid growth stocks to buy in 2025. As you can see in the following chart, both companies have reasonable forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios , especially compared to other megacap growth stocks. TSLA PE Ratio (Forward) data by YCharts Granted, forward P/E ratios should be taken with some skepticism, given that they are based on analyst consensus estimates for the next 12 months of earnings, which could vary wildly based on external factors, macroeconomic conditions, or company decision-making. But still, the fact that Meta and Alphabet are less expensive than other megacap growth stocks despite running up so much over the last couple of years makes them appealing choices for investors concerned with the valuations of tech-focused companies. Given that Meta and Alphabet depend on advertising revenue, it's worth understanding that their earnings could take a hit during a general economic downturn. However, folks who believe platforms like Alphabet-owned Google and YouTube or Meta-owned Instagram will continue growing their market share of the advertising industry should consider buying and holding the Vanguard Communications ETF through periods of volatility. A plug-and-play tool for putting your hard-earned savings to work With $1.37 trillion in net assets, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF is one of the largest S&P 500 index funds on the market. The fund sports an expense ratio of just 0.03%, or $3 for every $10,000 invested. By comparison, the Vanguard Communications ETF has an expense ratio of 0.1% and the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF has an expense ratio of 0.06%. The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF mirrors the performance of the S&P 500, which has become more top-heavy in recent years as the largest companies have grown progressively more valuable and outpaced the gains of the rest of the index. The top 10 holdings in the S&P 500, which are Apple, Nvidia , Microsoft, Amazon , Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Tesla , Berkshire Hathaway , Broadcom, and JPMorgan Chase, now make up a whopping 36.2% of the entire index. While some investors may feel like there are better ways to put capital to work than buying top growth stocks around all-time highs, it's important to understand that valuations can become reasonable over time so long as the companies grow earnings. For the most part, today's top growth stocks are growing profits and have long runways for future earnings growth . So, while top growth stocks may look expensive right now and could produce lousy returns in the short term, they should still be excellent long-term investments . Therefore, folks with ultra-long investment time horizons should still consider investing in an S&P 500 index fund. Three ETFs centered around industry-leading companies The Vanguard Appreciation ETF, Vanguard Communications ETF, and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF are all hovering around all-time highs. But they could still be worth buying even if there is a sell-off in 2025 because all three funds focus on industry-leading, quality businesses. Even the best companies can see an earnings slowdown during an economic downturn. However, leading companies have many advantages during a downturn that can allow them to take market share, buy out companies cheaply, or continue to invest in research and development when competitors struggle to get by. No one knows what the market will do in 2025, but investing in quality companies -- or ETFs holding quality companies -- is a recipe for long-term wealth building. So despite big gains in recent years, long-term investors should still consider buying the Vanguard Appreciation ETF, Vanguard Communications ETF, and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, even if there is a market sell-off in 2025.The interaction between Sun Yingsha and the young students was a beautiful example of the positive impact sports can have on individuals and communities. Through her genuine and warm demeanor, Sun Yingsha not only inspired the young students but also reminded everyone of the joy and unity that sports can bring.
One of the reasons for these changes could be Tencent Video's strategy to manage user retention and acquisition effectively. By offering more incentives to new users, the platform aims to attract a fresh audience and increase its subscriber base. However, this approach risks alienating existing users who have been loyal to the platform for a long time. Balancing the needs of both new and old users is crucial to maintaining a positive user experience and fostering customer loyalty.
However, what truly sets Marvel's Frontline apart is its approach to character representation. In a refreshing departure from the trend of injecting politics into entertainment, the game focuses solely on delivering an authentic and entertaining superhero experience. This decision has resonated with players, who appreciate the game for its commitment to celebrating the classic Marvel characters without unnecessary political correctness.The woman in question, whose identity had been kept under wraps, had vanished without a trace shortly after earning her master's degree in an esteemed university. Her family and friends searched tirelessly, but to no avail. It wasn't until recently that she resurfaced, seemingly living a normal life with two young children in tow. The shock and confusion that followed her reappearance is palpable, leaving many to wonder about the circumstances of her disappearance and sudden return.Barcelona, in particular, has been rocked by internal turmoil and poor form on the pitch. The Catalan giants have been unable to find their rhythm and have suffered humiliating defeats in the Champions League, leaving their hopes of progressing in the balance.