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There seems to be a governing principle that human history moves in cycles. If you need proof, just look around at the happenings of the past few years and see how comparable they are to highly similar events that occurred during the 20th century.

Or, if you want a smaller, more immediate example, check this out: "Air," a movie about the creation of Nike's popular "Air Jordan" line of footwear, is currently streaming on Amazon Prime, and it both stars and is directed by Ben Affleck. Affleck portrays Bruce Wayne/Batman in the upcoming DC Universe movie, "The Flash." Also starring in that movie is Michael Keaton, who portrays, well, another universe's Bruce Wayne/The Batman. Keaton was famously the first actor to play the role in multiple feature films: 1989's "Batman" and 1992's "Batman Returns."

What connects all of these disparate facts? Why, Bat-Boots, of course. In 1989, Nike...

Prepare for another inside look into the art, science, and philosophy of design for the world that we take for granted around us. Scott Dadich and Morgan Neville’s “Abstract: The Art of Design” is returning for a second season on Wednesday, Sept. 25.

The series lets the designers themselves offer insight into how they first conceive of and then execute their visions in a variety of disciplines. In Season 1, the series examined craftspeople ranging from illustrator Christoph Niemannn and Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield to stage designer Es Devlin and graphic designer Paula Scher.

In its review of Season 1, IndieWire said, “There’s real excitement in hearing a creator explain his inspirations, when it’s done right — and that’s something ‘Abstract’ is rich with. You never know, after all, where a great idea might come from…It is fascinating to see this sort of focus applied to the creation...

Imagine Entertainment Chairmen Brian Grazer and Ron Howard and Imagine Impact Head Tyler Mitchell have tapped Sarah Russell to head marketing and communications at their content accelerator, Imagine Impact. Russell will lead all brand, marketing, and communications strategy.

As a marketing executive, Russell has experience in consumer brands across the tech, automotive, and healthcare industries for over fifteen years, including Apple, Facebook, Adidas, Microsoft, and Cvs Pharmacy.

“Sarah has been involved in building and steering the communications of some of the most respected companies in the media, technology and consumer products industries,” said Mitchell. “Her wealth of knowledge and experience will be an invaluable asset to Impact as we continue our mission to democratize access to the entertainment industry, empower writers, and create a modern, online destination that connects fresh and original voices from around the world to the producers, buyers and talent who can turn their stories into premium content.

You've entered their worlds from the comforts of your own home or the confines of your local theater, and soon the animated characters in Laika's stop-motion films—including Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls—will cross over into our realm on the streets of San Diego for an immersive experience at this year's Comic-Con:

Press Release: [Hillsboro, Or; July 5, 2017] -- Oscar®-winning animation studio Laika, creators of Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls and Kubo and the Two Strings, brings its pop-up exhibit The Laika Experience to the heart of San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter from Friday, July 14th to Sunday, July 23rd. Admission is free to the exhibit, which will feature props, puppets, monsters, and sets from Laika’s award-winning films as well as fan art, a photo/Gif booth with Laika characters, daily drawings for a pair of Nike’s Laika-themed shoes designed by Tinker Hatfield, social media activations, Laika merchandise offered for sale...

“Abstract: The Art of Design” is not necessarily a show we’d recommend for binge-viewing. The new Netflix series, streaming now following its Sundance 2017 premiere, is far from bad. Executive produced by Morgan Neville, the documentarians assembled to capture the spotlighted subjects have done a masterful job, by and large, of highlighting the unique sort of artistry at work here. However, episode by episode, every installment strikes such a similar tone and mood that to truly appreciate the difference in aethestics and disciplines on display, you’ll want to space them out.

You might also favor certain installments over others, whether it be because of subject matter or the execution itself. We reviewed the first two installments last month, finding it to be a fascinating approach to the importance of design we might otherwise take for granted. But now that we’ve been able to see all eight episodes, we have our favorites.

Here at Et, we’re obsessed with a lot of things -- and for the week of Feb. 6 to 12, this is what we’re most excited about:

Why We’re Obsessed With ‘Legion’

Based on the Marvel Comics about a troubled young man who may be more than human, Legion follows David Haller (an unrecognizably skinny and funny Dan Stevens), a hospitalized schizophrenic who slowly learns the voices in his head are indeed real and he has the ability to absorb the superhuman powers of others. While Legion exists in a parallel universe to the X-Men films, don’t expect too much overlap. The producers say this show is focused on a character that has not been on-screen up until now. Oh, and did we mention that the show was created by FX wunderkind Noah Hawley, who has turned Fargo into an award-winning anthology series?

Legion premieres Wednesday, Feb. 8 on FX.

Why We’re Obsessed...

Despite its title, “Abstract” is relatively easy to grasp. The upcoming Netflix series, premiering at Sundance, takes a cue from “Chef’s Table” to spotlight great creative minds, working at the height of their talents and unafraid to reveal (some of) their vulnerabilities.

Read More: The 2017 IndieWire Sundance Bible: Every Review, Interview and News Item Posted During the Festival

Of course, “Abstract” has an advantage over “Chef’s Table,” in that while it’s easy to appreciate the beauty of the food being made on screen, there’s a whole sensory element that’s impossible to communicate to viewers. Meanwhile, “Abstract” is a celebration of pure design, which proves very easy to depict on screen.

Not that the filmmakers ever get lazy about it. In the two episodes screened, the craft of what these artists create is celebrated on screen in innovative ways — whether it be Morgan Neville’s whimsical...

If you’ve ever been curious about what drives today’s leading designers to create and build many of the world’s greatest designs, now is your chance. In Netflix’s original documentary series, “Abstract: The Art of Design,” audiences will meet eight of the most creative thinkers and imaginative minds working in the world of art and design today.

From the shoes we wear, to the cars we drive and the buildings we see, art and design are everywhere in our lives. The docuseries will let you take a journey into their creative processes and explore their work, showcasing the designers as we discover how their innovative designs affect our every day lives.

The episodes will focus on the following artists: Bjarke Ingels (Architect), Christoph Niemann (Illustrator), Es Devlin (Stage Designer), Ilse Crawford (Interior Designer), Paula Scher (Graphic Designer), Platon (Photographer), Ralph Gilles (Automobile Designer) and Tinker Hatfield (Nike...

You might recall that late last year on Back to the Future Day (October 22nd 2015) it was revealed that Nike’s Tinker Hatfield was hard at work making sure at least one of Back to the Future Part II‘s predictions came true. The shoe designer hand-delivered a prototype of self-tying Nike Mags to Back to the Future star Michael J. Fox […]

The post Video: Nike’s Self-Lacing Shoes Revealed, Inspired By ‘Back to the Future’ appeared first on /Film.

Kubo’s quest stretches far and wide through the mystical realm of the Vastlands. With his protectors Monkey and Beetle by his side, Kubo unlocks more of his powers at every challenge, racing toward an epic clash with the dark side of his magical family.

From your desktop, visit kubomap.com to explore Kubo’s realm and dive into each location of his epic quest through an interactive map experience. This piece of content takes Youtube’s annotation tool and enables viewers to engage with the piece to go with Kubo on his quest.

Building upon a tradition which began seven years ago with acclaimed animation studio Laika’s first release Coraline, famed Nike designer Tinker Hatfield is readying the much-anticipated Kubo Xv sneaker to celebrate this month’s new Laika movie Kubo and the Two Strings.

The Kubo Xv follows in the footsteps of specially designed sneakers for each...