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China accused Nvidia on Monday of violating the country’s antimonopoly laws and said it would step up scrutiny of the world’s leading chipmaker, escalating tensions with Washington as the two countries hold trade talks this week.Chinese regulators said they would carry out “further investigation” into Nvidia after a preliminary investigation found that the company breached regulations when it made a years-old acquisition.The one-sentence statement from the State Administration for Market Regulation statement said the investigation centered on Nvidia’s purchase of network and data transmission company Mellanox Technologies.Nvidia didn’t respond immediately to a request for comment.Regulators said last year that they were investigating the company for suspected violations stemming from the $6.9 billion acquisition of Mellanox that was completed in 2020.The decision ratchets up pressure on the U.S. as officials from Washington hold trade talks in Spain with Beijing’s representatives, and follows other moves by Beijing to increase scrutiny of the U.S. chip industry.On Saturday, China’s Ministry of Commerce said it was carrying out an antidumping investigation into certain analog IC chips imported from the U.S., including commodity chips commonly made by companies such as Texas Instruments and ON Semiconductor.The ministry also announced a separate antidiscrimination probe into U.S. measures against China’s chip sector.In talks scheduled to run from Sunday to Wednesday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is meeting Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Madrid for negotiations on tariffs and national security issues related to the ownership of social media platform TikTok.It’s the fourth round of discussions after meetings in London, Geneva and Stockholm. The two governments have agreed to several 90-day pauses on a series of increasing reciprocal tariffs, staving off an all-out trade war.Santa Clara, Calif.-based Nvidia, the world’s most valuable semiconductor maker, has become central to the U.S.-China trade war, as the two sides battle for tech supremacy.The company has faced restrictions on chip exports to China imposed by President Joe Biden’s administration that were then reinforced by President Donald Trump. Kelvin Chan, AP Business Writer
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“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle” carved out a place in box-office history this weekend as the Japanese anime film sliced straight to No. 1 outpacing the horror sequel “The Conjuring: Last Rites.”The Sony-owned Crunchyroll release shattered expectations with a mighty $70 million debut in North America, according to Sunday estimates from Comscore. That haul marks the biggest domestic opening ever for an anime film, surpassing “Pokémon: The First Movie,” which opened with $31 million in 1999.The film extended its meteoric run, scoring the biggest anime opening of all time with a $132.1 million weekend, according to Comscore. Crunchyroll and Sony rolled it out across North America and 49 international markets, pushing the global total to $177.8 million.“This performance by this particular film shows the unpredictability of the box office,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “If we were sitting here, let’s say a month or even a couple of weeks ago, would we be thinking, ‘Wow, a Japanese anime film would be number one at the box office, overperform and bring in $70 million?’ If you predicted that, kudos to you.”The movie is the first in a three-film trilogy that brings the hit Shonen saga to its climactic showdown. The story follows Tanjiro Kamado, a kind-hearted boy who takes up swordsmanship after his family is slaughtered and his sister, Nezuko, is turned into a demon. Together, they fight a supernatural underworld of monstrous foes while clinging to what’s left of their humanity.The “Infinity Castle” opener hails from renowned studio Ufotable, whose lavish visuals and breakneck fight sequences have helped make the franchise a global sensation and juggernaut.The film’s domination also points to a September rebound after a sluggish August. Warner Bros.’ “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” which opened to $83 million last weekend, slipped to second with $26 million.The horror sequel has now scared up $131 million domestically.“This shows that two months of down trending box office can be totally reversed over the course of a couple of weekends,” Dergarabedian said.Focus Features’ “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” opened in third with $18.1 million. Set in the 1930s, the film finds Lady Mary embroiled in a public scandal as the Crawleys confront financial strain and the looming threat of social disgrace. While the aristocratic family adapts to change, the household staff prepares for a new chapter with the next generation leading Downton into the future.In fourth place, Lionsgate’s “The Long Walk” debuted with $11.5 million. Directed by Francis Lawrence, the adaptation of Stephen King’s first-written novel is a thriller that asks a chilling question: “How far would you go to survive?”Pixar’s “Toy Story (30th Anniversary)” brought Buzz, Woody and the gang back to the big screen, opening in fifth with $3.5 million across 2,375 theaters. Warner Bros.’ “Weapons” followed in sixth with $2.75 million, while Disney’s filmed musical “Hamilton” landed seventh with $2.2 million. “Freakier Friday” claimed eighth with $2.1 million.Rounding out the top 10: “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” debuted with $1.6 million, narrowly edging “The Sound of Music (60th Anniversary),” which sang up $1.4 million.Dergarabedian said he expects more September good fortunes with the release of Jordan Peele’s horror film “HIM” next week and Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” coming out this month.“September, after a very modest month of August, is proving to be an absolutely fantastic post-summer month for movies and for audiences and for movie theaters,” he said. Top 10 movies by domestic box office With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore: “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle” $70 million “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” $26 million. “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale,” $18.1 million. “The Long Walk,” $11.5 million. “”Toy Story (30th Anniversary),” $3.5 million. “Weapons,” $2.75 million. “Hamilton,” $2.2 million. “Freakier Friday,” $2.1 million. “”Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” $1.6 million. “The Sound of Music (60th Anniversary),” $1.4 million. Jonathan Landrum Jr., AP Entertainment Writer
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The Ysabel restaurant in West Hollywood was full of stars, champagne, and plenty of gold trophies as Apple TV+ hosted a big after party on Sunday night following the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards. Apple TV+ had reason to celebrate: The streaming platform scored 22 wins during television’s biggest night, with The Studio taking home 13 Emmy Awards, including outstanding comedy series and a lead actor accolade for actor and co-creator Seth Rogen. The show broke the record for most awards for an individual season from a freshman comedy. Slow Horses, another Apple TV+ show, also scored an Emmy for outstanding directing for a drama. While HBO Maxs medical drama The Pitt won the prize for best drama series, Apple TV+’s workplace sci-fi series Severance had a big night as well, garnering eight awardsincluding honors for Britt Lower and Tramell Tillman in the lead actress and outstanding supporting actor categories. With The Studio and Severance being some of the top winners, it seems as though Apple TV+ mightve learned from its past mistakes when it comes to marketing its shows. Apple has struggled to cut through the streaming noise Ted Lasso is the perhaps last show that made a splash for the streaming platform during awards season, earning a total of 11 Primetime Emmy Awards in 2021 and 2022. But beyond that, Apple TV+ has been seen in the past as struggling to break into the broader popular culture, despite no shortage of ambitious efforts. An article from Fast Company‘s Joe Berkowitz last year chalked the problem up to lackluster marketing efforts. But things appear to be changing. Indeed, when Severance first premiered in 2022, it debuted to widespread critical acclaim. But it didnt quite reach a larger audience until the second season premiered at the beginning of this year. In February, Apple reported that the show was its most-watched series, surpassing even Ted Lasso. Apple’s streaming growth relative to its competitors reflects its recent successes. According to a May 2025 research note from analyst firm MoffettNathansonwhich cited data from NielsenApple TV+ grew 37% year-to-date through April, making it the third fastest growing streaming platform behind The Roku Channel and Paramount+. Pop-ups, activations, events, and more Ahead of the second season of Severance, Apple TV+s marketing team came up with creative ways to promote the series, including deploying a few pop-up activations and immersive events. Before the season premiered, a pop-up glass box replicating an office setup was launched in New Yorks Grand Central Hall, with director Ben Stiller making an appearance alongside Adam Scott and the rest of the cast. Following the finale, the cast paid a visit to London for an installation where signature blue balloons from the show featuring the characters faces were released across landmarks like Big Ben, the Tower Bridge, the London Eye, and more. Apple TV+ also hosted an immersive event at Bell Works in Holmdel, New Jersey, which serves as the location for Lumon Industriesthe mysterious fictional company known in the series for its severance procedure. At the event, the cast appeared for a Q&A along with late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert. It seems as though Apple TV+ got more creative with its partnerships too. Last month, it partnered with Los Angeles-based luxury grocery chain Erewhon, letting customers recite Severance catchphrases to receive a free limited-edition drink. And along with the real life pop-ups and partnerships, Apple TV+ also incorporated digital components to increase its presence online and on social media, from creating a fictional LinkedIn page for Lumon, to producing a spot featuring a cameo from Apple CEO Tim Cook as a severed employee, to debuting a short-form video of the cast calling each other hot while singing to the tune of the Severance theme song. As for The Studio, Rogen is already somewhat of a marketing machine himself, known for popular movies like Superbad and Pineapple Express. When the trailer first premiered, it boasted an A-list cast, which included Martin Scorsese, Bryan Cranston, Charlize Theron, Zoë Kravitz, and more. Ahead of the Emmys, Rogen made sure to maintain a presence everywhere, showing up at Venice Film Festival earlier this month to reportedly explore locations and conduct research for the second season of The Studio. Whether or not Rogen and cryptic pop-ups are the secret sauce behind Apple TV+s broader success this year, it seems as though the streaming platform has learned to ramp up the kind of marketing that gets people talking.
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