Japanese conglomerate SoftBank has agreed to make a $2 billion investment in Intel in a deal described as a commitment to advanced technology and semiconductors in the United States.
The agreement, in which SoftBank will buy Intel common stock, was announced Monday after markets closed. SoftBank will pay $23 per share of Intel common stock. Shares of Intel, which closed at $23.66, popped more than 5% in after-hours trading.
SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son said in a statement that the “strategic investment reflects our belief that advanced semiconductor manufacturing and supply will further expand in the United States, with Intel playing a critical role.”
The investment provides validation for Intel, which has been overshadowed in recent years by competitors like Nvidia. It also reflects SoftBank’s renewed interest in the U.S., particularly around AI chips. SoftBank recently purchased a factory in Lordstown, Ohio, owned by Foxconn, as part of a plan to build AI data centers.
Intel, steered by new CEO Lip-Bu Tan, is in the midst of a restructuring that aims to streamline the semiconductor business and focus on its core client and data center portfolio. Earlier this summer, Intel shuttered its automotive architecture business and laid off most of its staff. It also announced plans to reduce its Intel Foundry division workforce between 15% and 20%.
Tan has also had to navigate political landmines in recent weeks as President Donald Trump called for his resignation due to conflicts of interest — an accusation that was made without evidence — and his administration reportedly had discussions to take a stake in Intel.
The SoftBank-Intel deal comes just days after the Trump administration threatened new tariffs on imported semiconductor chips as part of his strategy to boost domestic production.
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![The Animation Industry Still Hopes for Hollywood’s Full Respect
Years after Guillermo del Toro declared “animation is cinema” at the Oscars, the industry remains a redheaded stepchild of Hollywood. A recent Variety report with several professionals in the industry discuss how animation’s perceived in the west. At the same time it’s viewed as a “babysitter” medium mainly meant for entertaining kids, it’s been a reliable moneymaker for decades. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is currently 2026’s only movie to make over billion, while Inside Out 2 and Zootopia 2 have been big hits for Disney. But as one animator told the outlet, the success has also been “frustrating” to see: a studio will brag about an animated film’s financial and awards success, then “turn to people who’ve worked here forever and say, ‘We don’t need you anymore.’” While Pixar president Jim Morris rightfully noted animation’s “propping up a lot of studios right now,” chief creative officer Pete Docter had a different view. He said animation can’t not be considered “films for kids” when most of said films are “funny, goofy, [and] a little bit like babysitter material. We could step our game up [as an industry].” However, Docter doesn’t expound on what “stepping up” would entail, and it’s worth acknowledging Pixar’s backtracking on more specific themes and perspectives in recent years—and his views on such walk backs. Alternatively, Laika’s solution is making people see their movies as simply movies. Chief marketing officer David Burke told Variety the Wildwood studio doesn’t actively sell their films as animated, instead trusting “[our] audience to find our movies, irrespective of the medium. They defy categorization.” Granted, this may also be due to the studio having a number of live-action projects in development, but Burke’s general point stands: to avoid stigma, animated movies can (and should) be promoted like they’re just regular movies.
For those interested in animation, a true sign of the medium’s respect would be if an animated movie won “Best Feature” at the Oscars. That’s a tall order, and an idea professionals are split on. Morris wants animation employees to be eligible come Oscar voting time, while Jorge Gutiérrez believes live-action movies have a natural edge and “too many Academy members” automatically treat animated fare as something to endure.
You can read the full story here for more insight on what Hollywood’s animation arm is thinking. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who. #Animation #Industry #Hopes #Hollywoods #Full #RespectAnimation,disney,Pixar,The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,Zootopia 2](https://i1.wp.com/gizmodo.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Super-Mario-Galaxy-flying-1280x853.jpg?ssl=1 "The Animation Industry Still Hopes for Hollywood’s Full Respect
Years after Guillermo del Toro declared “animation is cinema” at the Oscars, the industry remains a redheaded stepchild of Hollywood. A recent Variety report with several professionals in the industry discuss how animation’s perceived in the west. At the same time it’s viewed as a “babysitter” medium mainly meant for entertaining kids, it’s been a reliable moneymaker for decades. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is currently 2026’s only movie to make over billion, while Inside Out 2 and Zootopia 2 have been big hits for Disney. But as one animator told the outlet, the success has also been “frustrating” to see: a studio will brag about an animated film’s financial and awards success, then “turn to people who’ve worked here forever and say, ‘We don’t need you anymore.’” While Pixar president Jim Morris rightfully noted animation’s “propping up a lot of studios right now,” chief creative officer Pete Docter had a different view. He said animation can’t not be considered “films for kids” when most of said films are “funny, goofy, [and] a little bit like babysitter material. We could step our game up [as an industry].” However, Docter doesn’t expound on what “stepping up” would entail, and it’s worth acknowledging Pixar’s backtracking on more specific themes and perspectives in recent years—and his views on such walk backs. Alternatively, Laika’s solution is making people see their movies as simply movies. Chief marketing officer David Burke told Variety the Wildwood studio doesn’t actively sell their films as animated, instead trusting “[our] audience to find our movies, irrespective of the medium. They defy categorization.” Granted, this may also be due to the studio having a number of live-action projects in development, but Burke’s general point stands: to avoid stigma, animated movies can (and should) be promoted like they’re just regular movies.
For those interested in animation, a true sign of the medium’s respect would be if an animated movie won “Best Feature” at the Oscars. That’s a tall order, and an idea professionals are split on. Morris wants animation employees to be eligible come Oscar voting time, while Jorge Gutiérrez believes live-action movies have a natural edge and “too many Academy members” automatically treat animated fare as something to endure.
You can read the full story here for more insight on what Hollywood’s animation arm is thinking. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who. #Animation #Industry #Hopes #Hollywoods #Full #RespectAnimation,disney,Pixar,The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,Zootopia 2")
![The Animation Industry Still Hopes for Hollywood’s Full Respect
Years after Guillermo del Toro declared “animation is cinema” at the Oscars, the industry remains a redheaded stepchild of Hollywood. A recent Variety report with several professionals in the industry discuss how animation’s perceived in the west. At the same time it’s viewed as a “babysitter” medium mainly meant for entertaining kids, it’s been a reliable moneymaker for decades. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is currently 2026’s only movie to make over $1 billion, while Inside Out 2 and Zootopia 2 have been big hits for Disney. But as one animator told the outlet, the success has also been “frustrating” to see: a studio will brag about an animated film’s financial and awards success, then “turn to people who’ve worked here forever and say, ‘We don’t need you anymore.’” While Pixar president Jim Morris rightfully noted animation’s “propping up a lot of studios right now,” chief creative officer Pete Docter had a different view. He said animation can’t not be considered “films for kids” when most of said films are “funny, goofy, [and] a little bit like babysitter material. We could step our game up [as an industry].” However, Docter doesn’t expound on what “stepping up” would entail, and it’s worth acknowledging Pixar’s backtracking on more specific themes and perspectives in recent years—and his views on such walk backs. Alternatively, Laika’s solution is making people see their movies as simply movies. Chief marketing officer David Burke told Variety the Wildwood studio doesn’t actively sell their films as animated, instead trusting “[our] audience to find our movies, irrespective of the medium. They defy categorization.” Granted, this may also be due to the studio having a number of live-action projects in development, but Burke’s general point stands: to avoid stigma, animated movies can (and should) be promoted like they’re just regular movies.
For those interested in animation, a true sign of the medium’s respect would be if an animated movie won “Best Feature” at the Oscars. That’s a tall order, and an idea professionals are split on. Morris wants animation employees to be eligible come Oscar voting time, while Jorge Gutiérrez believes live-action movies have a natural edge and “too many Academy members” automatically treat animated fare as something to endure.
You can read the full story here for more insight on what Hollywood’s animation arm is thinking. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who. #Animation #Industry #Hopes #Hollywoods #Full #RespectAnimation,disney,Pixar,The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,Zootopia 2](https://gizmodo.com/app/uploads/2026/05/Super-Mario-Galaxy-flying-1280x853.jpg "The Animation Industry Still Hopes for Hollywood’s Full Respect
Years after Guillermo del Toro declared “animation is cinema” at the Oscars, the industry remains a redheaded stepchild of Hollywood. A recent Variety report with several professionals in the industry discuss how animation’s perceived in the west. At the same time it’s viewed as a “babysitter” medium mainly meant for entertaining kids, it’s been a reliable moneymaker for decades. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is currently 2026’s only movie to make over $1 billion, while Inside Out 2 and Zootopia 2 have been big hits for Disney. But as one animator told the outlet, the success has also been “frustrating” to see: a studio will brag about an animated film’s financial and awards success, then “turn to people who’ve worked here forever and say, ‘We don’t need you anymore.’” While Pixar president Jim Morris rightfully noted animation’s “propping up a lot of studios right now,” chief creative officer Pete Docter had a different view. He said animation can’t not be considered “films for kids” when most of said films are “funny, goofy, [and] a little bit like babysitter material. We could step our game up [as an industry].” However, Docter doesn’t expound on what “stepping up” would entail, and it’s worth acknowledging Pixar’s backtracking on more specific themes and perspectives in recent years—and his views on such walk backs. Alternatively, Laika’s solution is making people see their movies as simply movies. Chief marketing officer David Burke told Variety the Wildwood studio doesn’t actively sell their films as animated, instead trusting “[our] audience to find our movies, irrespective of the medium. They defy categorization.” Granted, this may also be due to the studio having a number of live-action projects in development, but Burke’s general point stands: to avoid stigma, animated movies can (and should) be promoted like they’re just regular movies.
For those interested in animation, a true sign of the medium’s respect would be if an animated movie won “Best Feature” at the Oscars. That’s a tall order, and an idea professionals are split on. Morris wants animation employees to be eligible come Oscar voting time, while Jorge Gutiérrez believes live-action movies have a natural edge and “too many Academy members” automatically treat animated fare as something to endure.
You can read the full story here for more insight on what Hollywood’s animation arm is thinking. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who. #Animation #Industry #Hopes #Hollywoods #Full #RespectAnimation,disney,Pixar,The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,Zootopia 2")
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