Media & Entertainment

New York – September 18, 2026 -- Giggles, the fast-growing social video app, has relaunched with a ground-up redesign that swaps its old trading mechanics for a new points system called Aura and a set of collectible "trend cards."

Aura replaces trading with a simple rewards system

Users earn Aura by participating on the app and spend it on interactions and creator rewards. Aura carries no cash value, marking a clear departure from the trading economy the app was previously known for. Trend cards, meanwhile, are digital collectibles earned with Aura that mark viral moments and celebrate creators, memes, and content that define the platform.

The app remains focused on short-form video across five categories

Giggles still functions as a short-form video platform where users create, watch, and share content across comedy, food, sports, music, and memes.

Miami – September 18, 2026 -- Norwegian Cruise Line has unveiled the entertainment lineup for its new ship, Norwegian Aura, set to debut in May 2027, headlined by an original stage production titled "Whitney: A Celebration of Whitney Houston."

The show is built with the singer's estate and her music publisher

Developed in partnership with The Estate of Whitney E. Houston and Primary Wave Music, the 45-minute production reimagines Houston's catalog through contemporary arrangements and live performance. Houston sold more than 220 million records worldwide, scored seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits and won six Grammy Awards. The show will feature hits including "It's Not Right, But It's OK," "I Will Always Love You," and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)," a track certified nine-times platinum by the RIAA and named Best Pop Song of All Time by Billboard in 2023.

Woodinville – September 18, 2026 -- PowerA has released a new line of officially licensed Harry Potter gaming accessories for Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox, marking the start of a multi-year partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products.

Four Hogwarts houses get their own Switch 2 gear

The debut lineup includes a Nintendo Switch 2 Advantage Wireless Controller priced at $69.99 and Nintendo Switch 2 Protection Cases at $24.99, each themed around one of the four Hogwarts houses. The designs let fans display their house pride directly on their gaming setup.

Xbox controllers feature Chibi art and Quidditch styling

An Xbox Wired Controller, priced at $34.99, depicts Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and other characters in a Chibi-inspired art style. A pricier Xbox Advantage Wireless Controller, at $99.99, draws on the visual language of Quidditch and includes gold-accented details.

Los Angeles – September 17, 2026 -- Kaiju No. 8 THE GAME, the mobile and PC title co-produced by Akatsuki Games, TOHO, and Production I.G, added a new playable character today as part of its first-anniversary celebration.

A new five-star fighter joins the roster on September 14

The character, called [Unorthodox Pursuit] Suited, wields a Hammer-type weapon and draws power from a creature identified in the game's lore as Dimensional Identified Kaiju A. According to the character's in-game backstory, she wears a prosthetic eye made from the Kaiju's cells, which has also altered her hair color and placed strain on her body -- effects she reportedly embraces despite the risks. A matching five-star Hammer weapon, HM-Spolcyc, launches alongside her.

Players get a login bonus tied to a new anime episode

To mark the release of the second episode of the tie-in short anime "Narumi's Week at Work,

Lake Buena Vista, Fla. – September 17, 2026 -- The Magic of Disney Animation, a new collection of interactive experiences, has opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

The building echoes Disney Animation's real-world Burbank headquarters

The structure draws its design from the iconic Roy E. Disney Animation Building in Burbank, California, and features artwork representing all 65 Walt Disney Animation Studios feature films, including the studio's upcoming 2026 release, "Hexed."

The experience is built on an Emmy-winning short film

The attraction takes inspiration from Disney Animation's Emmy Award-winning short "Once Upon a Studio," with director Dan Abraham working alongside Walt Disney Imagineering's Daniel Handke to shape the project.

Pensacola – September 16, 2026 -- "Safe Ground: A Green Beret's Mission to Remove Ukraine's Landmines" is now streaming on Prime Video in the U.S. and UK, available with a Prime membership or to rent or buy.

The premiere date marks Ryan Hendrickson's personal "Alive Day"

September 12 is the anniversary of the day retired U.S. Army Green Beret Ryan Hendrickson survived an IED explosion in Afghanistan in 2010 while attempting to rescue an Afghan soldier. Hendrickson, a Purple Heart and Silver Star recipient, recovered and returned to active duty before founding Tip of the Spear Landmine Removal.

Franklin, Tenn. – September 16, 2026 -- REAL Shows Network (RSN) has launched a new television series, The Big Picture, hosted by Cindy Garvey, Owner and Principal Broker of United Country Real Estate | Leipers Fork. Episodes are available to watch now at realshows.tv.

Produced by RSN's Emmy-nominated, Telly Award-winning production team, the series gives Garvey a full 30-minute format to showcase Middle Tennessee real estate alongside local businesses, community organizations, and personalities.

Garvey brings more than 35 years of local real estate experience to the show

Garvey has spent over three decades serving Williamson County and the broader Middle Tennessee region, specializing in luxury homes, farms, equestrian properties, and recreational land. Each episode of The Big Picture goes beyond property tours, exploring the stories behind featured homes and estates while introducing viewers to the people and businesses that shape the area.

Saint Paul – September 15, 2026 -- Minnesota PBS's food series Relish will premiere its seventh season in Spring 2027 with two co-hosts for the first time, chef Karyn Tomlinson and food storyteller Tiffany Alexandria.

Two Minnesota food voices join forces on screen

Tomlinson, chef and owner of Myriel in St. Paul, blends Midwestern ingredients with French technique and the food traditions of her Minnesota upbringing. Alexandria, based in Rochester, founded the Rochester Night Market and runs pop-up dinners, dumpling classes, and photography projects rooted in her Taiwanese heritage.

Winnipeg – September 15, 2026 -- Activate, the active gaming entertainment brand founded in Canada, is opening its first Australian location in Melbourne in early 2027, marking its entry into the country's out-of-home entertainment market.

The venue lands next to a HOYTS Cinema in Maribyrnong

Activate Melbourne (Highpoint) will open at Highpoint Shopping Centre in Maribyrnong, Victoria, sitting alongside a HOYTS Cinema. The site will be the company's first of several planned locations across Australia.

Twelve game rooms pack in more than 800 levels of challenges

The venue features 12 immersive game rooms with over 800 levels combined. RFID technology tracks each player across rooms, letting them level up, unlock achievements and earn Next Level Rewards. Teams of two to five tackle physical and mental challenges testing speed, coordination and problem-solving together.

Vancouver – September 15, 2026 -- Indochino has launched Hold the Room, its Fall/Winter 2026 campaign and collection, built around the idea that tailoring should serve an entire season of evenings rather than a single occasion. The made-to-measure menswear brand, which operates showrooms across the US and Canada, is rolling out the collection now both in stores and at indochino.com.

The campaign follows four friends across a single weekend, told in three chapters that move from a rainy afternoon arrival to a formal dinner on the final night.