Greetings, and welcome to the latest edition of The Monitor, WIRED’s entertainment and culture news roundup. What’s happening this fine day? Well, for one, a lot of people saw Quentin Tarantino’s new movie—and the Fortnite World Cup Finals—this weekend. Also, sci-fi fans rejoice: The Expanse is getting another season.
2 Million People Streamed the Fortnite World Cup Finals
For the remaining two people who don’t think Fortnite is huge, some news: Two million people concurrently live-streamed Sunday’s Fortnite World Cup Finals. Now, those aren’t exactly Game of Thrones finale viewership numbers, but still quite impressive for a relatively new game. That 2 million figure comes from streams on Twitch and YouTube, where thousands of folks tuned in to watch 16-year-old Kyle Giersdorf, also known as Bugha, win the $3 million grand prize at Arthur Ashe stadium in Queens, New York. “Fortnite is officially a tier 1 esport,” consultant Rod Breslau, who tallied the figure, tweeted as the event wrapped up.
The Expanse Is Getting Another Season
Over the weekend at the Television Critics Association summer press event, Amazon announced that it is giving The Expanse a fifth season. The series, which Amazon saved after Syfy cancelled it, is based on the bestselling book series by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, who write under the pen name James S. A. Corey. Season 4 will debut on December 13.
Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood Had a Big Opening Weekend
Quentin Tarantino has often made very good movies that aren’t necessarily big money-makers. That all changed this past weekend when Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood gave the director his best opening weekend ever. The flick, set in 1960s Los Angeles and starring Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, made an estimated $40.4 million domestically, exceeding expectations. That figure also beats Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, which made $38 million in its opening weekend in 2009.