Hollywood is developing a film adaptation of the wildly popular Roblox gardening sim created by a 16-year-old
A popular Roblox game being developed for the big screen could test the limits of the recent success of video game film adaptations.
“Grow a Garden,” a gardening sim in which players plant seeds, sell their crops for in-game currency called sheckles, and then use that money to purchase more seeds, is reportedly being adapted as a feature film by production company Story Kitchen (which has adapted other video games for the big and small screen such as “Tomb Raider”). Can we start the awards season buzz now?
The game has become hugely popular, boosting Roblox’s player counts and breaking concurrent user records multiple times in recent months. It was also originally created by a 16-year-old.
No doubt Hollywood, and Roblox, are hoping that every kid-friendly video game adaptation can see the billion-dollar (or close to it) success of Nintendo’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and Microsoft’s “A Minecraft Movie.”
The game has become hugely popular, boosting Roblox’s player counts and breaking concurrent user records multiple times in recent months. It was also originally created by a 16-year-old.
No doubt Hollywood, and Roblox, are hoping that every kid-friendly video game adaptation can see the billion-dollar (or close to it) success of Nintendo’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and Microsoft’s “A Minecraft Movie.”
Thieves are targeting “Pokémon” cards in robberies since they’ve skyrocketed in value
A real-life mishmash of different Team Rocket wannabes is having a lot more success thieving “Pokémon” cards than Jessie and James ever did in their attempts to pilfer Pikachu throughout the anime series.
The Washington Post reports on a string of DC-area heists of “Pokémon” cards, with CGC Cards Vice President Matt Quinn quoted as saying, “Any time you’re carrying around collectibles that are worth money, whether it be gold bars, Pokémon cards, coins, toy trains, or whatever it might be, you have to be vigilant with knowing that you’re carrying collectibles that can be easily stolen from you,” adding that these episodes are happening across the country.
Gotta thieve ’em all is an outgrowth of the massive boom in the value of “Pokémon” cards, with The Wall Street Journal reporting on 3,000% returns earlier this year. Their meteoric rise has been a big boon to GameStop, whose collectibles business has played a critical role in the stabilization and nascent turnaround of its operations.
Both individual cards and unopened packs have been targeted in robberies of stores and personal residences, per the Post report.
Stealing unopened packs of “Pokémon” cards is effectively thieving and buying call options at the same time: an individual pack might not be worth much on its own, but the most valuable cards in the recently released Mega Evolutions set are going for over $1,000. And at about 23 grams per pack and relative differences in security, the logistics seem a lot less onerous than trying to rob a gold dealer.
(Note: I don’t know for sure. I’m not a thief, besides that Klondike bar one time in high school.)
iHeartMedia surges on report Netflix, competing with YouTube, wants its video podcasts
Video podcasts are becoming a key part of Netflix’s efforts to keep pace closely behind YouTube in the streaming wars.
According to reporting by Bloomberg, the streamer is in talks to exclusively license video pods from iHeartMedia. Shares of IHRT surged on Tuesday morning.
Under the deal, iHeartMedia, which produces shows like “Las Culturistas,” “The Breakfast Club,” and “Jay Shetty Podcast,” would reportedly stop posting full episodes on YouTube — the site that more than a billion people use to watch podcasts every month.
Netflix made a similar deal with Spotify last month and will begin streaming 16 video podcasts produced by Spotify Studios early next year.
According to the Nielsen Gauge, YouTube pulled in 12.6% of all TV viewership in September, compared to 8.3% for Netflix.
Under the deal, iHeartMedia, which produces shows like “Las Culturistas,” “The Breakfast Club,” and “Jay Shetty Podcast,” would reportedly stop posting full episodes on YouTube — the site that more than a billion people use to watch podcasts every month.
Netflix made a similar deal with Spotify last month and will begin streaming 16 video podcasts produced by Spotify Studios early next year.
According to the Nielsen Gauge, YouTube pulled in 12.6% of all TV viewership in September, compared to 8.3% for Netflix.
Americans love to hate horror movies, but they still can’t look away
Horror has stormed the box office in 2025, as audiences return screaming to scary screenings.
Netflix says what the hell, the “Stranger Things” finale can be a movie if we want it to be
At about two hours long, the series finale of “Stranger Things” is already pushing the bounds of how long something can be while still being considered an episode of television.
To make matters muddier, Netflix today announced it’ll release the episode live in theaters.
More than 350 movie theaters across the US and Canada will hold showings on December 31 through January 1, Netflix announced.
The move follows an interview in Variety earlier this month in which series creators Matt and Ross Duffer expressed their desire for the episode to be shown in theaters, but a Netflix exec at the time shut the idea down.
Theatrical success has likely changed Netflix’s mind. Back in August, “Kpop Demon Hunters” became the streamer’s first box office No. 1, earning $19 million in a three-day weekend. That film will return to theaters over the Halloween weekend.
More than 350 movie theaters across the US and Canada will hold showings on December 31 through January 1, Netflix announced.
The move follows an interview in Variety earlier this month in which series creators Matt and Ross Duffer expressed their desire for the episode to be shown in theaters, but a Netflix exec at the time shut the idea down.
Theatrical success has likely changed Netflix’s mind. Back in August, “Kpop Demon Hunters” became the streamer’s first box office No. 1, earning $19 million in a three-day weekend. That film will return to theaters over the Halloween weekend.
Netflix slumps as Elon Musk ramps up calls for boycotts on the streaming giant
Netflix shares slumped Thursday, down for the third straight day, as Elon Musk continued to push for users to cancel their subscriptions to the streaming giant.
The backlash centers mostly on Netflix’s animated series “Dead End: Paranormal Park,” though Musk has also referenced “The Baby-Sitters Club,” shows that touch on transgender themes. On Tuesday, he replied “Same” to a user who said they’d canceled Netflix, confirming he had too. Early Wednesday he urged, “Cancel Netflix for the health of your kids.”
Musk continued to back a boycott on Thursday, resharing to his 227 million X followers several posts of users canceling their accounts and highlighting cultural criticisms around the show.
Netflix stock has performed well this year, rising about 30%.
“The Simpsons Movie 2” set for release two decades after first film
For millions, the TV show’s golden era has long since passed.