Film

“Ender’s Game,” based on the Orson Scott Card novel of the same name, was number one at the box office this weekend. However, the film only brought in a modest $28 million, dashing studio Odd Lot Entertainment’s dreams of starting up a new franchise. “Ender’s Game,” which had been surrounded in controversy because of Card’s stance on gay marriage, cost nearly $110 million to make.

Netflix has acquired exclusive streaming rights for “The Square,” an  Arabic documentary about the Egyptian protests centered around Tahrir Square. This is Netflix’s first major film pickup since it announced last month that it wanted to take a more active role in the movie business. “The Square” is a leading contender for Oscar nomination, and making an exclusive deal with Netflix will greatly increase its availability come awards season.

Books

Glen Berger, co-writer for the tragedy-plagued musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark” has now written “Song of Spider-Man: The Inside Story of the Most Controversial Musical in Broadway History.” The memoir tells the story of the musical’s creation from Berger’s point of view as he worked with Bono and writer Julie Traymor to create something that everyone can agree has gone terribly wrong. “Spider-Man” is now in its third sad year on Broadway, troubled by injuries and still nowhere near turning a profit.

Book company Today Designers have created “Naar Inkt Vissen,” a collection of nautical tales actually printed using squid ink. Using squid ink makes the book  “stink and reek,” according to designers, “a penetrating fishy smell.” The publication is 48 pages long,  written in Dutch, and bound with fishing wire. Only 700 copies are in print.