Angel

A new, fifth lawsuit against disgraced anti-trafficking activist Tim Ballard, whose exaggerated rescue missions abroad were the inspiration for the hit film Sound of Freedom, has also taken aim at Angel Studios, the distributor of the controversial 2023 movie. It’s the first civil action targeting Ballard that simultaneously goes after the media company that made millions by mythologizing his exploits. Brought by the same law firms representing multiple women accusing Ballard of sexual assault in previous…

The actress and musician's third album, Chaos Angel, will arrive on May 31 Maya Hawke knows everything and nothing at all on her latest single, “Missing Out,” set to appear on her newly-announced album Chaos Angel, out May 31. The song arrives alongside a music video directed by Alex Ross Perry, in which the singer-songwriter’s face is superimposed on the faces of characters in old film and TV clips. The video is reflective of the slight identity crisis Hawke experiences throughout the song.…

In 2020, as the Indian startup scene began to boom, Reshbha Munjal, a Delhi-based angel investor, decided to shift her investment focus. Until then, she had put her money in stocks and mutual funds. After seeing the rise of companies like Flipkart and Ola, she was convinced that she should invest in private markets. “I saw an opportunity to achieve scale in the private market and to invest in ideas that aren’t accessible in public markets,” she says.Elevate Your Tech Prowess with High-Value Skill CoursesOffering…

Happy Monday! Ronnie Screwvala-led Upgrad is closing in on US edtech firm Udacity, with a fresh fundraise likely to seal the deal. Details of this and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.Also in this letter:■ Experts on IT sector’s rebound■ India and its AI startups: a prognosis■ Rapido’s FY23 numbersUpgrad in talks for $100 million to close US edtech Udacity buy Upgrad founder Ronnie ScrewvalaEdtech undoubtedly had its worst year in 2023. The sector is nowhere close to getting out of the woods yet, but Ronnie…

There’s always a lot of conversation at this time of year around what does and does not constitute a Christmas movie. For some folks, only James Stewart appreciating the joy of existence in It’s a Wonderful Life will do. Others want to watch the Peanuts gang in A Charlie Brown Christmas. Personally, I want to watch Dolph Lundgren fight an alien drug dealer and kick people in the face in Dark Angel.This 1990 action film is an underrated piece of festive lunacy with an extremely fun if slightly overcomplicated plot, but…

When the child-trafficking drama Sound of Freedom conquered the box office this summer, ultimately taking in more than $242 million worldwide, it was touted as a triumph. Leading man Jim Caviezel, hardly seen since his CBS sci-fi series Person of Interest ended in 2016, proved that he could still command an audience. Tim Ballard, the anti-trafficking activist whose purported rescues of abducted children inspired the film, basked in its hagiographic glow. Director and co-writer Alejando Monteverde, who had once believed…

Impact investment fund Omidyar Network India is exiting the country and will transition out of the local market by 2024. This and more in today’s ETtech Top 5.Also in this letter:■ OpenAI to host Indian developers in Bengaluru■ ETtech Explainer on Epic’s win over Google■ Infographic Insight: GenAI in financial servicesOmidyar Network India to exit country, stop new investments Pierre Omidyar, cofounder, Omidyar NetworkOmidyar Network India, the local arm of the impact investment firm founded by eBay…

Working her way up in tech, Nikitha Suryadevara saw many of her more senior colleagues investing their personal funds into new startups. “I would mention, ‘I saw that this company is doing XYZ’ or ‘That startup is doing this,’ and they’d say, ‘I invested in it,’ or ‘So and so asked me to write a check,’” says Suryadevara, a product manager who’s worked at Ritual, VMware, and Google. “I thought, That’s cool. I wish I could do that.”But Suryadevara, who graduated from business school in 2018, had to wait. SEC rules require…

"This song is about knowing your worth and moving on in life from anything holding you back," singer says of second 2023 single Tems is closing out 2023 with the sound of new music as the Nigerian singer has shared “Not an Angel,” her second single in as many months. “This song is about knowing your worth and moving on in life from anything holding you back,” Tems said of the track, which was accompanied by a visualizer directed by Nakato and Lemost. Trending…

While there’s been no official announcement by any of the powers-that-be, hope continues to spring eternal for Alita: Battle Angel 2 to become a reality. Between producer Jon Landau and director Robert Rodriguez stoking the fires with updates, as well as James Cameron’s supposed confirmation of multiple sequels in the works, it’s hard not to feel that the question isn’t if, but when this sci-fi movie continuation will happen. If frequent Rodriguez collaborator/Alita co-star Jeff Fahey is anyone to go by, that sequel just…