iWorld
Netflix announces the worldwide debut of Julie’s Greenroom
MUMBAI – Netflix announced today that award-winning actress will star in Julie’s Greenroom, a new preschool show from The Jim Henson Company that features an all-new puppet cast of kids learning about the performing arts. The series will be available exclusively to Netflix members globally in early 2017.
Andrews, who created the series with her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton and Judy Rothman-Rofė, will executive produce and star as Ms. Julie – the director of the Wellspring Center for the Performing Arts in which she teaches performing arts workshops in the theatre and its “Greenroom.”
Ms. Julie and her devoted assistant Gus (Giullian Yao Gioiello) bring the performing arts to a new generation of kids known as the “Greenies,” played by original puppet characters built by the renowned Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. The Greenies are a diverse group of kids who are mesmerized by all that the arts and creativity has to offer. Over the course of the season, with Ms. Julie’s guidance and inspiration from the visiting guest artists, the kids create an entirely original new show, that is a mashup of all the performing arts including mime, music, dance, improv, circus arts, voice and more.
Most episodes will feature an original song and every episode will feature a guest star who engages the kids in a specific area of the performing arts. The incredible array of confirmed guest stars will include Alec Baldwin, Sara Bareilles, Joshua Bell, Tituss Burgess, Carol Burnett, Chris Colfer, Robert Fairchild, Josh Groban, David Hyde Pierce, Bill Erwin, Ellie Kemper, Idina Menzel, Tiler Peck, and Stomp.
Ms. Andrews commented that “this project represents the fulfilment of a long held dream to educate children about the wonder of the arts. I am thrilled to be partnering with my daughter and long time coauthor, Emma, to bring this show to life along with our co-creator, Judy Rothman-Rofė. We could not be more honored to be working with the extraordinary Jim Henson Company. We are equally delighted to be premiering as a Netflix original production.”
“It’s been an incredible treat to work with Julie on this project,” said Andy Yeatman, Director of Global Kids Content at Netflix. “This show is all about awakening children’s interest in the performing arts while introducing a new era of puppets to the viewers.”
“The best of the best have joined together to bring Julie’s Greenroom to Netflix,” said Lisa Henson, CEO of The Jim Henson Company. “Our award-winning director, Tony-nominated puppeteers, Broadway composer, and accomplished guest artists, led by the incomparable Julie Andrews, together will inspire kids to explore, appreciate and celebrate all forms of performing arts.”
Julie’s Greenroom began shooting this May in Long Island, New York. The thirteen 30-minute episodes will premiere globally on Netflix in early 2017. Julie’s Greenroom is a Netflix Original produced by The Jim Henson Company and is executive produced by Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton and Steve Sauer, and Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford for the The Jim Henson Company. Emmy Award®winning actor and writer Joey Mazzarino is co-producer and director, Tom Keniston is producer, and Emmy Award®winner Bill Sherman joins the series as composer.
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
