Hollywood Buzzes Over Olivia Wilde Film, Tech Giants Face Scrutiny

Hollywood was abuzz with news of a heated bidding war for Olivia Wilde's new film, "The Invite," which premiered to rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival, while the tech world grappled with privacy lawsuits, AI controversies, and innovative advancements.

The competition to acquire "The Invite" narrowed to A24 and Focus Features, with offers eclipsing $12 million, according to Variety. The film, which debuted at Park City's Eccles Theater, initially drew interest from several buyers, including Neon, Netflix, Apple, Searchlight, and Black Bear. However, these companies reportedly backed out as offers surpassed $10 million and it became clear that Wilde desired a traditional theatrical release.

Meanwhile, in India, Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor celebrated Rani Mukerji's 30-year career as the industry rallied around the actor with the upcoming release of "Mardaani 3," Variety reported.

Sundance also celebrated Robert Redford and showcased films like "Union County," according to multiple news sources. The Santa Barbara Film Festival is set to honor EJAE, Jack Fisk, and others with Artisans Awards, while Kerry Washington received the Elevate Foundation Catalyst Award. The Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel trailer was also released, introducing Yoshi and new cast members Brie Larson and Benny Safdie.

In the technology sector, SpotDraft secured an $8 million investment from Qualcomm Ventures to advance its on-device AI contract review technology, now valued near $380 million, BBC Technology reported. This investment aims to address enterprise data privacy concerns. Simultaneously, Google is settling a $68 million voice assistant privacy lawsuit, and Meta is launching premium subscriptions with enhanced AI features across its platforms, according to The Verge.

However, tech giants are also facing scrutiny. OpenAI's president's donation to a pro-Trump PAC raised conflict-of-interest concerns, according to The Verge. Furthermore, a Treasury Department contract was canceled due to a data leak, and private equity-backed firms are reportedly facing financial struggles.