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Toy Story 5 has officially been confirmed by Disney & Pixar

Toy Story 5 has officially been confirmed by Disney & Pixar
Feb 9 2023 Share

Film lovers are eagerly awaiting the reunion with Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the toy gang.

 Disney has revealed that a new Toy Story movie, the fifth instalment of the beloved animated franchise, is in the works. The announcement was made by Disney CEO Bob Iger during the company’s Q1 earnings call.

In addition to the news about Toy Story 5, there will also be new entries in the Frozen and Zootopia franchises, which were also announced during the same press call. 

“I am thrilled to announce that our animation studios are working on sequels to some of our most popular franchises, Toy Story, Frozen, and Zootopia. We will have more to share about these productions soon, but this is a testament to our commitment to our unbeatable brands and franchises” Iger stated during the earnings call. 

The previous entries in these franchises have been both commercially and critically successful. 

Toy Story 4 earned over $1.07 billion worldwide and was nominated for two Academy Awards in 2020, including Best Original Song for “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” by Randy Newman, and won Best Animated Feature. 

Frozen 2 was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song with “Into the Unknown” and earned $1.45 billion globally. The original Frozen film won two Academy Awards, including Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song with “Let It Go”. 

Zootopia earned $1.02 billion and won the Best Animated Feature award at the 2017 Academy Awards.

The first Toy Story film was released in 1995 and was the first feature film to use fully computer animation. 

It went on to become one of the most cherished animated series of all time. The success of the first film led to three sequels: Toy Story 2 in 1999, Toy Story 3 in 2010, and Toy Story 4 in 2019. Additionally, the series produced a spinoff film, Lightyear, in 2022. 

The Toy Story franchise has earned a total of $3.03 billion worldwide across its four mainline films, making it one of Disney’s biggest animated series and a cornerstone franchise for Pixar.

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Italian singer Blanco destroys props on San Remo stage

Italian singer Blanco destroys props on San Remo stage
Feb 9 2023 Share

Audience members at Sanremo’s opening night were taken aback when Blanco, who won last year’s edition of the completion alongside Mahmood, started destroying props live on stage after reporting inner ear issues. 

The 19 year old started smashing floral sets on the Teatro Ariston stage, smashing flowers onto the ground in an apparent fit of rage, resulting in the audience booing the artist. 

 

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The singer’s justification of his actions to the festival host and artistic director Amadeus was that he was facing audio problems during the performance when singing his new single ‘L’isola delle rose’.

“I couldn’t hear myself in the headphones. But I had fun anyway” he said. Amadeus told off the singer for making a mess and, mistakingly calling him Salmo, offered him the chance of performing again later in the evening. 

This was not appreciated by the audience however as they hurled insults and boos at the artist, leading to Blanco not reappearing on the stage. 

Meanwhile, veteran Italian crooner and Sanremo co-host Gianni Morandi joined the clean up team after the outburst. The 78 year old was photographed sweeping the flowers, which later went viral. 


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33-Story Tower Controversy: Final board decision will be made today

Feb 9 2023 Share

The Planning Authority is poised to give the green light to a 33-story tower proposed by PX Lettings, owned by Paul Xuereb, with a condition attached. The permit will be contingent upon the presentation of a Green Travel Plan, which outlines how peak-hour car trips can be reduced by 40%.

A case officer has recommended the development, but traffic studies indicate that it will lead to an increase in car trips by 177 during the morning peak hour and 156 during the evening peak hour. To combat this, the Green Travel Plan must encourage alternative modes of transportation and include an enforcement program overseen by a monitoring officer, who will be engaged and paid for by the developer.

Traffic assessments show that the project will only significantly impact one of the four junctions evaluated – the one where Triq is-Swieqi passes through an existing tunnel. To mitigate its impact, the estimated private car trips generated by the tower development must be reduced by 40% during peak morning and evening hours. Transport Malta cleared the project on the condition that an official Green Travel Plan be put in place, and the case officer is recommending this condition be included in the permit. A public deed, including a legal agreement between the Planning Authority, Transport Malta, and the applicant, will be proposed to make this condition enforceable.

Despite 70.8% of residents in St Julian’s and Paceville expressing disagreement with the project, the case officer is recommending approval. The main reason for opposition is the perceived overdevelopment of Malta, particularly Paceville, which is already congested and suffering from construction fatigue. The case officer argues that the project will regenerate the site into a landmark building and conform to the Strategic Plan for Environment and Development, as the area is designated as an entertainment priority area.

The proposed development includes the excavation of six basement levels for 259 parking spaces and retail shops, 11 floors of office space with a total floorspace of 7,461 square meters, a hotel with 11 suites, 58 serviced apartments, a restaurant, and additional services. The project will also offer 1,254 square meters of open space.

According to the developer’s official website, the tower will include serviced apartments, a business center, dining options, and parking spaces. The site covers an area of 3,400 square meters, with only a third of the area being occupied by the building. The remaining space will be open to the public, including a large plaza.

PX Lettings chose to build a tall structure instead of a lower density development to create more open space in an already densely developed area. The development area of the building will not be larger than the alternative, higher density option.

Asked whether the building is just another tower block, the developers said that “the building will be a unique and iconic structure designed by renowned international architects 7478 and Maltese architect Christian Spiteri. The design is based on a pure architecture concept featuring clean lines and energy-saving features. PX Lettings intends to apply for Gold Lead Certified Building status once the project is complete.” PX Lettings plans to retain ownership and manage the development to maintain the highest standards and the properties won’t be for sale.

Subject to obtaining planning permission, PX Lettings estimates a completion time of 3.5 years. To reduce noise, vibrations, and dust, excavation will be carried out using modern scarifying equipment instead of traditional hammer breakers. A highly qualified project management team will also be employed to ensure quality and efficiency and minimise any inconvenience.

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Land Rover Range Rover Velar gets 2023 model update

Land Rover Range Rover Velar gets 2023 model update
Feb 9 2023 Share

The Land Rover Range Rover Velar, which has been on the market since 2017, has received a model year update for 2023.

 Despite few changes to its exterior design, the Velar boasts a number of upgraded features, including a new and improved infotainment system, upgraded batteries in its PHEV versions, and added features.

The Velar features a sleek design with updated headlamps that have a new “Pixel LED” signature. The grille mesh has also been redesigned, while the rear bumper has been re-profiled with hidden exhaust pipes. 

The interior of the Velar boasts a floating 11.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system taken directly from the Range Rover and the Range Rover Sport. The cabin, which can now be leather-free, features wool from Danish textile experts Kvadrat and Ultrafabrics polyurethane textile inserts, making it 58% lighter than leather.

 

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Other new features include a 17-speaker, 750W Meridian 3D audio system, active noise cancellation, advanced air purification, 30-color ambient lighting, wireless updates with OTA, four-zone climate control, and smartphone integration. 

The Velar also has two new color options – metallic varesine blue and premium metallic zadar grey – and four new leather upholstery colors – cloud, caraway, raven blue, and deep garnet.

For its powertrain, the PHEV versions now feature a larger 19.2 kWh lithium-ion battery, offering a 21% improved electric range and the ability to drive up to 64 kilometers without using fuel. With a 0-100 km/h time of 5.4 seconds and an electric top speed of 140 km/h, the charging capacity of the PHEV has been upgraded to 50 kW DC fast charging.

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